PROSPECTUS |
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T. ROWE PRICE | ||||
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PRTIX PRKIX TRZTX |
Investor Class I Class Z Class | |||
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. |
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Table of Contents
1 |
SUMMARY |
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2 |
MORE ABOUT THE FUND | ||
More
Information About the Fund’s | |||
3 |
INFORMATION
ABOUT ACCOUNTS | ||
Investing with T. Rowe Price 26 Distribution
and Shareholder Policies for Opening an Account 31 Pricing of Shares and Transactions 32 Investing Directly with T. Rowe Price 34 Investing
Through a Financial General Policies Relating to Transactions 43 |
SUMMARY |
1 | |
The fund seeks a high level of income consistent with maximum credit protection and moderate fluctuation in principal.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund. You may also incur brokerage commissions and other charges when buying or selling shares of the fund, which are not reflected in the table or example below.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund |
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Maximum account fee |
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Management fees |
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Other expenses |
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Total annual fund operating expenses |
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Fee waiver/expense reimbursement |
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Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver/expense reimbursement |
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a |
Subject to certain exceptions and account minimums, accounts are charged an annual $20 fee. | ||||||
b |
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., has contractually agreed (through September 30, 2025) to pay the operating expenses of the fund’s I Class excluding management fees; interest; expenses related to borrowings, taxes, and brokerage; nonrecurring, extraordinary expenses; and acquired fund fees and expenses (I Class Operating Expenses), to the extent the I Class Operating Expenses exceed 0.05% of the class’ average daily net assets. The agreement may only be terminated at any time after September 30, 2025, with approval by the fund’s Board of Directors. Any expenses paid under this agreement (and any applicable prior limitations) are subject to reimbursement to T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., by the class whenever the I Class Operating Expenses are below 0.05%. However, the class will not reimburse T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., more than three years from the date such amounts were initially waived or paid. The class may only reimburse T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., if the reimbursement does not cause the I Class Operating Expenses (after the reimbursement is taken into account) to exceed the current expense limitation on I Class Operating Expenses (or the expense limitation in place at the time the amounts were waived or paid). | ||||||
c |
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., has contractually agreed to waive and/or bear all the Z Class’ expenses (excluding interest; expenses related to borrowings, taxes, and brokerage; nonrecurring, extraordinary expenses; and acquired fund fees and expenses) in their entirety. T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., expects this fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement to remain in place indefinitely, and the agreement may only be amended or terminated with approval by the fund’s Board of Directors. |
T.
ROWE PRICE 2 remain
the same. The example also assumes that any current expense limitation
arrangement remains in place for the period noted in the previous table;
therefore, the figures have been adjusted to reflect fee waivers or expense
reimbursements only in the periods for which the expense limitation arrangement
is expected to continue. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower,
based on these assumptions your costs would be:
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1 Year |
3 Years |
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10 Years |
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Investor Class |
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I Class |
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Z Class |
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Investments, Risks, and Performance
The fund seeks to track the investment returns of its benchmark index, the Bloomberg U.S. 4-10 Year Treasury Bond Index (Index). Under normal conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in securities that are held in the Index and at least 80% of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The remainder of the portfolio may be invested in other securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The fund’s weighted average maturity is expected to normally range between three and ten years, and it will vary consistent with the weighted average maturity of the Index. As of July 31, 2023, the fund’s weighted average maturity was 6.10 years.
The Index consists of U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed rate nominal debt issued by the U.S. Treasury with maturities between four and ten years. To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, a security must be an obligation of the U.S. Treasury, rated investment grade, have a fixed rate coupon or zero coupon with at least $250 million or more of outstanding face value, and have greater than four years and less than ten years remaining to maturity. The Index is market value weighted and the securities represented in the Index are updated on the last business day of each month. The composition of the Index is rebalanced at each month-end and represents the fixed set of securities on which Index returns are calculated for the next month. As of July 31, 2023, there were 80 securities in the Index.
The adviser does not attempt to fully replicate the Index for the fund by holding each of the bonds represented in the Index. The portfolio will be structured to maintain an investment and
SUMMARY |
3 |
risk profile, and overall characteristics, similar to the Index. However, the adviser seeks to closely track the returns of the Index and more efficiently replicate the key risk factors of the Index (such as maturity, duration, and credit quality) by attempting to capitalize on market inefficiencies through structural portfolio positioning and making small tactical bets on inflation, duration, and yield curve positioning. Duration, which is expressed in years, is a calculation that attempts to measure the price sensitivity of a bond or bond fund to changes in interest rates. For example, the price of a bond fund with a duration of three years would be expected to fall approximately 3% if interest rates rose by one percentage point. A bond fund with a longer duration should be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a bond fund with a shorter duration.
U.S. Treasury securities in which the fund may invest include Treasury bills, notes, and bonds (which includes Treasury STRIPS), as well as Treasury Inflation Protected Securities.
The fund may use a variety of derivatives, such as futures, options, and swaps, for a number of purposes, such as for exposure or hedging. Specifically, the fund uses interest rate futures and U.S. Treasury futures, and options on those instruments, to manage duration and tactically gain or limit exposure to certain areas of the markets.
The fund buys and sells U.S. Treasury futures, which are futures contracts collateralized by U.S. Treasury bonds or notes, to gain efficient exposure to U.S. Treasury securities, help realign the portfolio with the Index, adjust its sensitivity to interest rate changes, and/or manage cash flows into and out of the fund. Investments in U.S. Treasury futures will be counted toward the fund’s 80% investment policies. Interest rate futures are typically used to manage the fund’s exposure to interest rate changes or to adjust portfolio duration.
The fund’s other investments may include the following:
· Securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government (including, but not limited to, securities issued by Government National Mortgage Association and other government agencies and certain corporate debt securities guaranteed by U.S. government agencies); and
· Shares of a T. Rowe Price internal money market fund or short-term bond fund that invests exclusively in securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
As
with any fund, there is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its
objective(s).
Interest rates: The prices of, and the income generated by, debt instruments held by the fund may be affected by changes in interest rates. A rise in interest rates typically causes the price of
T. ROWE PRICE |
4 |
a fixed rate debt instrument to fall and its yield to rise. Conversely, a decline in interest rates typically causes the price of a fixed rate debt instrument to rise and the yield to fall. The prices and yields of inflation-linked bonds are directly impacted by the rate of inflation as well as changes in interest rates. Generally, funds with longer weighted average maturities and durations carry greater interest rate risk. Changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or governments, such as the discontinuation and replacement of benchmark rates, are likely to affect the interest rates or yields of the securities in which the fund invests.
Index investing: Because the fund is managed to track the performance of its benchmark index, holdings are generally not reallocated based on changes in market conditions or the outlook for interest rates and U.S. Treasury securities.
Tracking error: The returns of the fund may deviate from the returns of its benchmark index (referred to as “tracking error”) because the fund incurs fees and transaction expenses while the index has no fees or expenses. Increased tracking error could also result from changes in the composition of the index or the timing of purchases and redemptions of fund shares. The fund does not attempt to fully replicate its benchmark index, which increases the potential for the fund’s performance to deviate from that of its index.
Fixed income markets: Economic and other market developments can adversely affect the fixed income securities markets. At times, participants in these markets may develop concerns about the ability of certain issuers of debt instruments to make timely principal and interest payments, or they may develop concerns about the ability of financial institutions that make markets in certain debt instruments to facilitate an orderly market. Those concerns could cause increased volatility and reduced liquidity in particular securities or in the overall fixed income markets and the related derivatives markets. A lack of liquidity or other adverse credit market conditions may hamper the fund’s ability to sell the debt instruments in which it invests or to find and purchase suitable debt instruments.
Market conditions: The value of the fund’s investments may decrease, sometimes rapidly or unexpectedly, due to factors affecting an issuer held by the fund, particular industries, or the overall securities markets. A variety of factors can increase the volatility of the fund’s holdings and markets generally, including economic, political, or regulatory developments, recessions, inflation, rapid interest rate changes, war, military conflict, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, and outbreaks of infectious illnesses or other widespread public health issues such as the coronavirus pandemic and related governmental and public responses (including sanctions). Certain events may cause instability across global markets, including reduced liquidity and disruptions in trading markets, while some events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Government intervention in markets may impact interest rates, market volatility, and security pricing. These adverse developments may cause broad declines in market value due to short-term market movements or for significantly longer periods during more prolonged market downturns.
Derivatives: The use of derivatives exposes the fund to additional volatility and potential losses. A derivative involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the assets on which the derivative is based, including liquidity risk,
SUMMARY |
5 |
valuation risk, correlation risk, market risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk, counterparty and credit risk, operational risk, management risk, legal risk, and regulatory risk. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid, and difficult to value, and changes in the value of a derivative may not properly correlate with changes in the value of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index. The fund could be exposed to significant losses if it is unable to close a derivatives position due to the lack of a liquid secondary trading market. The prices of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in abnormal market conditions. Certain derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the derivative counterparty will not fulfill its contractual obligations. The use of derivatives includes the risk of potential operational issues, such as settlement issues. Derivatives are exposed to legal risks, such as the legality or enforceability of a contract. The adviser may not be able to accurately predict the direction of prices, economic factors, or other associated risks which could cause loss in value or impair the fund’s efforts to reduce overall volatility. New regulations may make derivatives more costly, limit availability, or otherwise affect their value or performance.
Liquidity: The fund may not be able to meet requests to redeem shares issued by the fund without significant dilution of the remaining shareholders’ interests in the fund. In addition, the fund may not be able to sell a holding in a timely manner at a desired price. Reduced liquidity in the bond markets can result from a number of events, such as limited trading activity, reductions in bond inventory, and rapid or unexpected changes in interest rates. Markets with lower overall liquidity could lead to greater price volatility and limit the fund’s ability to sell a holding at a suitable price.
Portfolio turnover: High portfolio turnover may adversely affect the fund’s performance and increase transaction costs, which could increase the fund’s expenses. High portfolio turnover may also result in the distribution of higher capital gains when compared with a fund with less active trading policies, which could have an adverse tax impact if the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account.
Credit quality: An issuer of a debt instrument could suffer an adverse change in financial condition that results in a payment default (failure to make scheduled interest or principal payments), a rating downgrade, or an inability to meet a financial obligation. The fund should have relatively low credit risk because it invests only in securities backed by the U.S. government and other investments involving such securities.
Cybersecurity breaches: The fund could be harmed by intentional cyberattacks and other cybersecurity breaches, including unauthorized access to the fund’s assets, confidential information, or other proprietary information. In addition, a cybersecurity breach could cause one of the fund’s service providers or financial intermediaries to suffer unauthorized data access, data corruption, or loss of operational functionality.
T. ROWE PRICE |
6 |
U.S. TREASURY INTERMEDIATE INDEX FUND |
Quarter Ended |
Total Return |
Quarter Ended |
Total Return |
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The following table shows the average annual total returns for each class of the fund that has been in operation for at least one full calendar year, and also compares the returns with the returns of a relevant broad-based market index, as well as with the returns of one or more comparative indexes that have investment characteristics similar to those of the fund, if applicable.
In
addition, the table shows hypothetical after-tax returns to demonstrate how
taxes paid by a shareholder may influence returns.
SUMMARY |
7 |
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Periods ended |
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December 31, 2022 |
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Returns after taxes on distributions |
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Returns after taxes on distributions and sale |
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of fund shares |
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Returns before taxes |
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Management
Investment Adviser T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price or Price Associates)
Portfolio Manager |
Title |
Managed |
Joined |
Michael K. Sewell |
Chair of Investment Advisory Committee |
2022 |
2004 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Investor Class generally requires a $2,500 minimum initial investment ($1,000 minimum initial investment if opening an IRA, a custodial account for a minor, or a small business retirement plan account). Additional purchases generally require a $100 minimum. These investment minimums generally are waived for financial intermediaries and certain employer-sponsored retirement plans submitting orders on behalf of their customers.
T. ROWE PRICE |
8 |
The I Class requires a $500,000 minimum initial investment per fund per account registration, although the initial investment minimum generally is waived or reduced for financial intermediaries, eligible retirement plans, certain client accounts for which T. Rowe Price or its affiliates have discretionary investment authority, qualifying directly held accounts, and certain other types of accounts.
The Z Class is only available to funds managed by T. Rowe Price and other advisory clients of T. Rowe Price or its affiliates that are subject to a contractual fee for investment management services. There is no minimum initial investment and no minimum for additional purchases.
For investors holding shares of the fund directly with T. Rowe Price, you may purchase, redeem, or exchange fund shares by mail; by telephone (1-800-225-5132 for IRAs and nonretirement accounts; 1-800-492-7670 for small business retirement plans; and 1-800-638-8790 for institutional investors and financial intermediaries); or, for certain other accounts, by accessing your account online through troweprice.com.
If you hold shares through a financial intermediary or retirement plan, you must purchase, redeem, and exchange shares of the fund through your intermediary or retirement plan. You should check with your intermediary or retirement plan to determine the investment minimums that apply to your account.
Tax Information
The fund declares dividends, if any, daily and pays them on the first business day of each month. Any capital gains are declared and paid annually, usually in December. Redemptions or exchanges of fund shares and distributions by the fund, whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional fund shares, generally may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains unless you invest through a tax-deferred account (in which case you will be taxed upon withdrawal from such account). Dividends paid by the fund from income earned on direct investments in U.S. Treasury securities are generally exempt from state and local taxes.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
MORE ABOUT THE FUND |
2 | |
Investment Adviser(s)
T. Rowe Price is the fund’s investment adviser and oversees the selection of the fund’s investments and management of the fund’s portfolio pursuant to an investment management agreement between the investment adviser and the fund. T. Rowe Price is the investment adviser for all funds sponsored and managed by T. Rowe Price (T. Rowe Price Funds); is an SEC-registered investment adviser that provides investment management services to individual and institutional investors and sponsors; and serves as adviser and subadviser to registered investment companies, institutional separate accounts, and common trust funds. The address for T. Rowe Price is 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. As of June 30, 2023, T. Rowe Price and its affiliates (Firm) had approximately $1.40 trillion in assets under management and provided investment management services for more than 5.8 million individual and institutional investor accounts.
Portfolio Management
T. Rowe Price has established an Investment Advisory Committee with respect to the fund. The committee chair is ultimately responsible for the day-to-day management of the fund’s portfolio and works with the committee in developing and executing the fund’s investment program. The members of the committee are as follows: Michael K. Sewell, chair, Stephen L. Bartolini, Geoffrey M. Hardin, and Christopher J. Temple. The following information provides the year that the chair first joined the Firm and the chair’s specific business experience during the past five years (although the chair may have had portfolio management responsibilities for a longer period). Mr. Sewell served as cochair beginning in 2022, and became sole chair later in 2022. He joined the Firm in 2004, and his investment experience dates from 2007. During the past five years, he has served as a fixed income trader, an associate portfolio manager (beginning in 2018) on the Firm’s U.S. Inflation Protected Bond, U.S. Short-Term Inflation Focused Bond, U.S. Treasury Intermediate-Term Bond, and U.S. Treasury Long-Term Bond Strategies, and as a portfolio manager (beginning in 2020). The Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager’s ownership of the fund’s shares.
The Management Fee
The fund pays the investment adviser an annual investment management fee of 0.06% based on the fund’s average daily net assets. The fund calculates and accrues the fee daily.
The management fee is charged to the fund and each share class of the fund bears its proportionate share of the management fee. An expense limitation agreement that limits the operating expenses or total expense ratio of a particular share class, other than the Z Class
T. ROWE PRICE |
10 |
expense limitation, does not result in a reduced or waived management fee. In accordance with the Z Class expense limitation, T. Rowe Price waives its management fee in proportion to the Z Class’ net assets and bears the Z Class’ other operating expenses, with certain exceptions. The Z Class serves as an underlying investment within certain T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds arrangements that charge an all-inclusive management fee. As such, the Z Class operating expenses (including its management fee) are largely covered by the all-inclusive fees charged by the investing T. Rowe Price funds-of-funds and any Z Class operating expenses not covered by the investing T. Rowe Price funds-of-funds’ fees are paid by T. Rowe Price and not by shareholders of any other share class of the fund.
A discussion about the factors considered by the fund’s Board of Directors (Board) and its conclusions in approving the fund’s investment management agreement (and any subadvisory agreement, if applicable) appear in the fund’s annual shareholder report for the period ended May 31.
Investment Objective(s)
The fund seeks a high level of income consistent with maximum credit protection and moderate fluctuation in principal.
Principal Investment Strategies
The fund seeks to track the investment returns of the Index. Under normal conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in securities that are held in the Index and at least 80% of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Shareholders will receive at least 60 days’ prior notice of a change to the fund’s 80% investment policy. The remainder of the portfolio may be invested in other securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The fund’s weighted average maturity is expected to normally range between three and ten years, and it will vary consistent with the weighted average maturity of the Index. As of July 31, 2023, the fund’s weighted average maturity was 6.10 years.
The Index consists of U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed rate nominal debt issued by the U.S. Treasury with maturities between four and ten years. To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, a security must be an obligation of the U.S. Treasury, rated investment grade, have a fixed rate coupon or zero coupon with at least $250 million or more of outstanding face value, and have greater than four years and less than ten years remaining to maturity. The Index is market value weighted and the securities represented in the Index are updated on the last business day of each month. The composition of the Index is rebalanced at each month-end and represents the fixed set of securities on which Index returns are calculated for the next month. As of July 31, 2023, there were 80 securities in the Index.
MORE ABOUT THE FUND |
11 |
The adviser does not attempt to fully replicate the Index for the fund by holding each of the bonds represented in the Index. The portfolio will be structured to maintain an investment and risk profile, and overall characteristics, similar to the Index. However, the adviser seeks to closely track the returns of the Index and more efficiently replicate the key risk factors of the Index (such as maturity, duration, and credit quality) by attempting to capitalize on market inefficiencies through structural portfolio positioning and making small tactical bets on inflation, duration, and yield curve positioning. The adviser may seek to closely track the returns of the Index by attempting to capitalize on market inefficiencies through structural portfolio positioning and making small tactical bets on inflation, duration, and yield curve positioning.
Index investing provides investors with a convenient and relatively low-cost way to approximate the performance of a particular market. Index funds are managed to track the return of a particular benchmark. Since fewer resources are devoted to researching stocks or bonds, an index fund typically incurs lower costs than an actively managed stock or bond fund. In addition, index funds are almost entirely invested in stocks or bonds while actively managed funds often hold cash for strategic and defensive purposes.
The fund employs an indexing strategy that is designed to track the performance of the intermediate-term U.S. Treasury bond market, as represented by the Index, regardless of whether the market is rising or falling. As a result, assets will not be shifted to other types of bonds based on their prospects, and the fund will not be able to avoid declining Treasury bond markets and may be outperformed by actively managed funds. The inclusion of a bond in the Index is in no way an endorsement by Bloomberg of the bond as an investment, nor is Bloomberg a sponsor of the fund or in any way affiliated with it.
The fund may use derivatives, including, without limitation, futures, options, structured securities, or swaps. The fund may use derivatives for a variety of purposes, such as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying asset; as part of strategies designed to gain exposure to, for example, issuers, portions of the yield curve, indexes, and/or sectors; and/or to reduce or hedge exposure to other risks, such as interest rate risk. The fund specifically uses interest rate futures and U.S. Treasury futures, and options on those instruments, to manage duration and tactically gain or limit exposure to certain areas of the markets. Buying and selling U.S. Treasury futures contracts typically serve as a tool to manage cash flows into and out of the fund, as an efficient means of gaining exposure to all or part of the Index and realigning the fund’s portfolio with the Index, and to adjust portfolio duration. Investments in U.S. Treasury futures will be counted toward the fund’s 80% investment policies. Interest rate futures are typically used to manage the fund’s exposure to interest rate changes or to adjust portfolio duration.
The fund’s yield will vary. The fund’s yield is the annualized dividends earned for a given period (typically 30 days for bond funds), divided by the share price at the end of the period. The fund’s total return includes distributions from income and capital gains and the change in share price for a given period.
T. ROWE PRICE |
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Credit quality refers to a bond issuer’s expected ability to make all required interest and principal payments on time. Because highly-rated issuers represent less risk, they can borrow at lower interest rates than less creditworthy issuers. Therefore, a fund investing in high-quality securities should have a lower yield than an otherwise comparable fund investing in lower-quality securities.
Duration is a calculation that seeks to measure the price sensitivity of a bond or a bond fund to changes in interest rates. It is expressed in years, like maturity, but it is a better indicator of price sensitivity than maturity because it takes into account the time value of cash flows generated over the bond’s life. Future interest and principal payments are discounted to reflect their present value and then multiplied by the number of years they will be received to produce a value expressed in years—the duration. “Effective” duration takes into account call features and sinking fund payments that may shorten a bond’s life.
Since duration can be computed for bond funds, you can estimate the effect of interest rate fluctuations on share prices by multiplying the fund’s duration by an expected change in interest rates. For example, the price of a bond fund with a duration of five years would be expected to fall approximately 5% if interest rates rose by one percentage point. A bond fund with a longer duration will generally be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a bond fund with a shorter duration.
The fund may sell securities to better align its portfolio with the characteristics of the Index and will generally seek to sell securities that have been removed from the Index within a reasonable timeframe taking into consideration market conditions.
The fund invests in the following types of securities or assets:
Bonds
A bond is an interest-bearing security. The issuer has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal (the bond’s face value) on a specified date. An issuer may have the right to redeem or “call” a bond before maturity, and the investor may have to invest the proceeds at lower market rates. Bonds can be issued by U.S. and foreign governments, states, and municipalities, as well as a wide variety of companies.
A bond’s annual interest income, set by its coupon rate, is usually fixed for the life of the bond. Its yield (income as a percent of current price) will fluctuate to reflect changes in interest rate levels. A bond’s price usually rises when interest rates fall and vice versa, so its yield generally stays consistent with current market conditions. Bonds include asset- and mortgage-backed securities.
A vast majority of bonds have a stated maturity date when the issuer must repay the bond’s entire principal value to the investor. However, many bonds are “callable,” meaning their principal can be repaid before the stated maturity date. Bonds are most likely to be called when interest rates are falling because the issuer can refinance at a lower rate, just as a homeowner refinances a mortgage when interest rates fall. In that environment, a bond’s “effective maturity” is usually its nearest call date.
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A bond fund has no real maturity, but it does have a weighted average maturity and a weighted average effective maturity. Each of these numbers is an average of the stated or effective maturities of the underlying bonds, with each bond’s maturity “weighted” by the percentage of the fund’s assets it represents, and an average effective maturity taking into consideration that securities may be called or prepaid.
Certain bonds have floating or variable interest rates that are adjusted periodically based on a particular index. These interest rate adjustments tend to minimize fluctuations in the bonds’ principal values. The maturity of certain floating rate securities may be shortened under certain specified conditions.
Bond ratings are not guarantees. They are estimates of an issuer’s financial strength. Ratings can change at any time due to real or perceived changes in an issuer’s credit or financial fundamentals.
Treasury securities, which are debt obligations of the U.S. government that are issued at various schedules and maturities, are rated within the highest credit rating categories because they are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Treasury bills have maturities of one year or less, Treasury notes have maturities of 1 to 10 years, and Treasury bonds have maturities of 10 years or longer. Income earned from direct investments in U.S. Treasury securities is generally exempt from state and local, but not federal, taxes. However, income earned on repurchase agreements involving U.S. Treasury securities is generally subject to federal, state, and local taxes.
The fund’s U.S. Treasury investments may include Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, which are bonds that are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Unlike conventional Treasury bonds, they are structured uniquely to provide some protection against rising inflation.
Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, known as TIPS, are instruments issued by the U.S. Treasury that are structured to provide protection against inflation, which measures a sustained increase in the prices of goods and services in an economy that can erode the purchasing power of a currency over time. Interest and principal payments of TIPS are periodically adjusted in step with changes in the inflation rate. These inflation adjustments for TIPS are applied based on changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), while inflation adjustments for other types of inflation-linked securities may be based on a different inflation index. Inflation-linked securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates, which represent nominal (stated) interest rates reduced by the expected impact of inflation. For example, if a 3-year Treasury bond is yielding 5% and inflation expectations for the next 3 years are 2%, the real interest rate is 3%.
In selecting securities outside the benchmark index, the portfolio manager may consider implied inflation rates (the difference in yield between conventional fixed-rate Treasury bonds and TIPS of comparable maturity). For instance, if the implied inflation rate appears high relative to actual or anticipated inflation, the portfolio manager may sell TIPS in favor of conventional fixed-rate Treasuries. Depending on their outlook for both inflation and
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economic growth, the portfolio manager may also purchase and sell TIPS and other securities to change the fund’s duration, which measures its overall sensitivity to interest rate changes.
The fund’s U.S. Treasury investments may also include Treasury STRIPS. While Treasury securities are not issued as zero-coupon bonds, the interest payments can be separated from the principal to make up multiple zero-coupon bonds, called Treasury STRIPS. This process of separating cash flows from standard fixed-rate Treasury securities is referred to as “coupon stripping” and the principal and interest portions of the instruments may be owned and traded separately.
Treasury STRIPS have a higher sensitivity to changes in interest rates than Treasury bonds with the same maturity. Because they are zero-coupon bonds, their duration equals their maturity. The Treasury STRIPS market is less liquid, which makes it potentially more volatile, than the U.S. Treasury bond market. However, as an obligation of the U.S. Treasury, the credit risk associated with Treasury STRIPS is similar to that of more traditional Treasury securities.
The fund may purchase securities of U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities that are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, such as securities of the Government National Mortgage Association, the Federal Housing Administration, the General Services Administration, the Maritime Administration, and the Small Business Administration. These may also include securities issued by nongovernmental entities as long as they are guaranteed by a government agency or instrumentality, and any other securities that are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government as they become available.
The fund’s non-U.S. Treasury investments may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Government National Mortgage Association Securities Mortgage-backed securities are subject to scheduled and unscheduled principal payments as homeowners pay down or prepay their mortgages. As these payments are received, they must be reinvested when interest rates may be higher or lower than on the original mortgage security. Therefore, these securities are not an effective means of locking in long-term interest rates. In addition, when interest rates fall, the rate of mortgage prepayments, including refinancings, tends to increase. Refinanced mortgages are paid off at face value or “par,” causing a loss for any investor who may have purchased the security at a price above par. In such an environment, this risk limits the potential price appreciation of these securities and can negatively affect the fund’s net asset value. When interest rates rise, the prices of mortgage-backed securities can be expected to decline. In addition, when interest rates rise and prepayments slow, the effective duration of mortgage-backed securities extends, resulting in increased price volatility.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations Collateralized mortgage obligations are debt instruments that are fully collateralized by a portfolio of mortgages or mortgage-backed securities. All interest and principal payments from the underlying mortgages are passed through to the collateralized mortgage obligations in such a way as to create different classes with varying risk characteristics, payment structures, and maturity dates. Collateralized mortgage obligation classes may pay fixed or variable rates of interest, and certain classes have priority over others with respect to the receipt of prepayments and allocation of defaults.
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Futures and Options
Futures are often used to establish exposures or manage or hedge risk because they enable the investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed-upon price. Options may be used to generate additional income, to enhance returns, or as a defensive technique to protect against anticipated declines in the value of an asset. Call options give the investor the right to purchase (when the investor purchases the option), or the obligation to sell (when the investor “writes” or sells the option), an asset at a predetermined price in the future. Put options give the purchaser of the option the right to sell, or the seller (or “writer”) of the option the obligation to buy, an asset at a predetermined price in the future. Futures and options contracts may be bought or sold for any number of reasons, including to manage exposure to changes in interest rates, bond prices, foreign currencies, and credit quality; as an efficient means of increasing or decreasing the fund’s exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income; to improve risk-adjusted returns; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to serve as a cash management tool. Call or put options may be purchased or sold on securities, futures, financial indexes, and foreign currencies. The fund may choose to continue a futures contract by “rolling over” an expiring futures contract into an identical contract with a later maturity date. This could increase the fund’s transaction costs and portfolio turnover rate.
Principal Risks
Index funds carry the same overall risks as the indices they are designed to track. The principal risks associated with the fund’s principal investment strategies, which may be even greater in bad or uncertain market conditions, include the following:
Interest rates: The prices of bonds and other fixed income securities typically increase as interest rates fall, and prices typically decrease as interest rates rise (bond prices and interest rates usually move in opposite directions). Such decreases in prices are due to the bonds and notes in the fund’s portfolio becoming less attractive to other investors when securities with higher yields become available. The prices and yields of inflation-linked bonds are directly impacted by the rate of inflation as well as changes in interest rates. Generally, funds with longer weighted average maturities (i.e., an average of the maturities of the underlying debt instruments, “weighted” by the percentage of the fund’s assets it represents) and durations (i.e., the measure of the price sensitivity of a fund to changes in interest rates) carry greater interest rate risk. As a result, in a rising interest rate environment, the net asset value of a fund with a longer weighted average maturity or duration typically decreases at a faster rate than the net asset value of a fund with a shorter weighted average maturity or duration. In addition, recent and potential future changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or governments are likely to affect the interest rates or yields of the securities in which the fund invests. The discontinuation and replacement of a benchmark rate such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) (an indicative measure of the average interest rate at which major global banks could borrow from one another) may have a significant impact on the financial markets and may adversely impact the fund’s performance. Given the current elevated inflation environment, risks associated with rising interest rates are currently heightened. As a result, rapid changes in interest rates may increase the fund’s overall exposure to interest rate risk.
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Index investing: The fund is designed to track the performance of an index tied to a particular market segment whether that market segment is rising or falling. The index sponsor determines the securities to include in the index, the weighting of each security in the index, and the appropriate time to make changes to the composition of the index. The index sponsor could remove securities from the index, causing the fund to sell at a disadvantageous time, or add securities to the index, causing the fund to buy at a disadvantageous time. The fund’s holdings may be reallocated due to changes in the index composition but are generally not reallocated based on changes in market conditions or the outlook for interest rates and U.S. Treasury securities. As a result, the fund is less diversified than actively managed funds investing in a broader range of securities and could experience significant volatility, particularly during times when the U.S. Treasury market is experiencing unfavorable investing conditions.
Tracking error: While all index funds are susceptible to some degree of tracking error, the fund’s strategy to not fully replicate its index could result in increased deviation from the performance of the index. In addition, the fund’s returns could deviate from those of its index because the fund incurs fees and transaction expenses, but the index has no fees or expenses. The timing of cash flows and the fund’s size can also influence returns. For example, the fund’s failure to reach a certain asset size may limit its ability to purchase representative securities in the index or a large cash flow into or out of the fund may cause its return to deviate from the index.
Fixed income markets: The market price of investments owned by the fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The fund’s investments may decline in value due to factors affecting the overall fixed income markets or particular industries or sectors. The value of a holding may decline due to developments related to a particular issuer, but also due to general fixed income market conditions, including real or perceived adverse economic developments, such as changes in interest rates, credit quality, inflation, or currency rates, or generally adverse investor sentiment. The value of a holding may also decline due to factors that negatively affect a particular industry or sector, such as labor shortages, increased production costs, or competitive conditions. The fund may experience heavy redemptions that could cause it to liquidate its assets at inopportune times or at a loss or depressed value.
Market conditions: The value of investments held by the fund may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to factors affecting certain issuers, particular industries or sectors, or the overall markets. Rapid or unexpected changes in market conditions could cause the fund to liquidate its holdings at inopportune times or at a loss or depressed value. The value of a particular holding may decrease due to developments related to that issuer, but also due to general market conditions, including real or perceived economic developments, such as changes in interest rates, credit quality, inflation, or currency rates, or generally adverse investor sentiment. The value of a holding may also decline due to factors that negatively affect a particular industry or sector, such as labor shortages, increased production costs, or competitive conditions. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, military conflict, acts of terrorism, political and social unrest, regulatory changes, recessions, shifts in monetary or trade policies, natural or environmental disasters, and the spread of infectious
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diseases or other public health issues could have a significant negative impact on securities markets and the fund’s investments. Any of these events may lead to unexpected suspensions or closures of securities exchanges; travel restrictions or quarantines; business disruptions and closures; inability to obtain raw materials, supplies, and component parts; reduced or disrupted operations for the fund’s service providers or issuers in which the fund invests; and an extended adverse impact on global market conditions. Government intervention (including sanctions) in markets may impact interest rates, market volatility, and security pricing. The occurrence of any of these events could adversely affect the economies (including through changes in business activity and increased unemployment) and financial markets of specific countries or worldwide.
Derivatives: The use of derivatives, including, without limitation, futures, forwards (such as foreign currency exchange contracts), options, structured securities, or swaps, exposes the fund to additional volatility and potential losses. A derivative involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the assets on which the derivative is based, including liquidity risk, valuation risk, correlation risk, market risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk, counterparty and credit risk, operational risk, management risk, legal risk, and regulatory risk. Derivatives can be illiquid and the fund could be exposed to significant losses if it is unable to close a derivatives position due to the lack of liquidity in the secondary trading market. Valuation for derivatives may not be readily available and more difficult in times of market turmoil. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with, and may be more sensitive to market events than, the underlying asset, rate, or index, and the fund could lose more than the initial amount invested. Changes in the general level of interest rates may cause fluctuations in the value of an asset. Derivatives may be sensitive to changes in economic and market conditions, which could result in losses that significantly exceed the original investment. Changes in the value of a derivative or other similar instrument may also create margin delivery or settlement payment obligations. Certain derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the derivative counterparty will not fulfill its contractual obligations. Some derivatives are “leveraged” or may create economic leverage for the fund and therefore may magnify or otherwise increase investment losses to the fund. Relatively small market movements may result in large changes in the value of derivatives positions and can result in losses that greatly exceed the amount originally invested. The use of derivatives includes the risk of potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, system failures, inadequate controls, and human error. Derivatives are exposed to legal risks, such as the legality or enforceability of a contract or insufficient documentation, capacity, or authority. The adviser may not be able to accurately predict the direction of prices, economic factors, or other associated risks which could cause loss in value or impair the fund’s efforts to reduce overall volatility. The federal income tax treatment of a derivative may not be as favorable as a direct investment in an underlying asset. New regulations may make derivatives more costly, limit availability, or otherwise affect their value or performance.
Liquidity: The fund may not be able to meet requests to redeem shares issued by the fund without significant dilution of the remaining shareholders’ interests in the fund. In addition,
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the fund may not be able to sell a holding in a timely manner at a desired price. Sectors of the bond market can experience sudden downturns in trading activity. During periods of reduced market liquidity, the spread between the price at which a security can be bought and the price at which it can be sold can widen, and the fund may not be able to sell a holding readily at a price that reflects what the fund believes it should be worth. Securities with lower overall liquidity can also become more difficult to value. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, the reduced number and capacity of traditional broker-dealers to make a market in fixed income securities or the lack of an active market. The potential for liquidity risk may be magnified by a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where selling activity from fixed income investors may be higher than normal, potentially causing increased supply in the market.
Portfolio turnover: Generally, the higher the portfolio turnover rate, the higher the overall transaction costs and the greater the potential impact on the fund’s total return. High portfolio turnover results in increased transaction costs to the fund, which may include brokerage commissions and other transaction costs related to the sale of holdings and reinvestment of the proceeds in other holdings. The fund’s portfolio turnover rate may vary from year to year due to fluctuations in the levels of shareholder purchase and redemption activity, shifts in market conditions or evaluations of industries or specific issuers, and/or changes in the portfolio manager’s overall investment outlook. Increased portfolio reallocations and frequent portfolio turnover also may increase the possibility of taxable capital gains distributions and affect the character of capital gains distributed by the fund because short-term capital gains are treated like ordinary income.
Credit quality: An issuer of a debt instrument held by the fund could default (fail to make scheduled interest or principal payments), potentially reducing the fund’s income and share price. Credit risk is increased when portfolio holdings are downgraded or the perceived financial condition of an issuer deteriorates. The fund’s overall exposure to credit risk is relatively low because it only invests in securities that are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
Cybersecurity breaches: The fund may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cybersecurity. Cybersecurity breaches may involve deliberate attacks and unauthorized access to the digital information systems (for example, through “hacking” or malicious software coding) used by the fund, its investment adviser and subadviser(s) (as applicable), or its service providers but may also result from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks, which are efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users. These breaches may, among other things, result in financial losses to the fund and its shareholders, cause the fund to lose proprietary information, disrupt business operations, or result in the unauthorized release of confidential information. Further, cybersecurity breaches involving the fund’s service providers, financial intermediaries, trading counterparties, or issuers in which the fund invests could subject the fund to many of the same risks associated with direct breaches.
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Additional Investment Management Practices
The SAI contains more detailed information about the fund and its investments, operations, and expenses. The fund’s investments may be subject to further restrictions and risks described in the SAI.
Repurchase Agreements
The fund may enter into repurchase agreements involving such securities, which are contracts between the fund (buyer) and a well-established securities dealer or bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System (seller) involving U.S. government or agency securities that require the dealer to repurchase the securities from the fund at a specific price on a designated date (which is often the next business day). The fund receives U.S. government or agency securities as collateral for the repurchase obligations. If the dealer is unable to repurchase the securities from the fund as required, the fund may experience delays in accessing its collateral or additional costs in disposing of the collateral. In addition, if a counterparty becomes insolvent and seeks relief under the bankruptcy laws, the fund may be limited or delayed in its ability to exercise its rights to liquidate assets related to a repurchase agreement.
Illiquid Investments
Certain fund holdings may be considered illiquid because they are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale or because they cannot reasonably be expected to be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. The determination of liquidity involves a variety of factors. Illiquid investments may include private placements that are sold directly to a small number of investors, usually institutions. Unlike public offerings, such securities are not registered with the SEC. Although certain of these securities may be readily sold (for example, pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933) and therefore deemed liquid, others may have resale restrictions and be considered illiquid. The sale of illiquid investments may involve substantial delays and additional costs, and the fund may only be able to sell such investments at prices substantially lower than what it believes they are worth. In addition, the fund’s investments in illiquid investments may reduce the returns of the fund because it may be unable to sell such investments at an advantageous time, which could prevent the fund from taking advantage of other investment opportunities.
Reserve Position
A certain portion of the fund’s assets may be held in money market reserves. The fund’s reserve position will typically consist of shares of a T. Rowe Price internal money market fund or short-term bond fund that invests exclusively in securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government and repurchase agreements. The fund may also hold money market securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, including repurchase agreements collateralized by such securities. If the fund has significant holdings in reserves, it could compromise the fund’s ability to achieve its objective(s).
Borrowing Money and Transferring Assets
The fund may borrow from banks, other persons, and other T. Rowe Price Funds for temporary or emergency purposes, to facilitate redemption requests, or for other purposes
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consistent with the fund’s policies as set forth in this prospectus and the SAI. Such borrowings may be collateralized with the fund’s assets, subject to certain restrictions.
Borrowings may not exceed 33⅓% of the fund’s total assets. This limitation includes any borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes, applies at the time of the transaction, and continues to the extent required by the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Meeting Redemption Requests
We expect that the fund will hold cash or cash equivalents to meet redemption requests. The fund may also use the proceeds from the sale of portfolio securities to meet redemption requests if consistent with the management of the fund. These redemption methods will be used regularly and may also be used in deteriorating or stressed market conditions. The fund reserves the right to pay redemption proceeds with securities from the fund’s portfolio rather than in cash (redemptions in-kind), as described under “Large Redemptions.” Redemptions in-kind are typically used to meet redemption requests that represent a large percentage of the fund’s net assets in order to minimize the effect of large redemptions on the fund and its remaining shareholders. In general, any redemptions in-kind will represent a pro-rata distribution of the fund’s securities, subject to certain limited exceptions. Redemptions in-kind may be used regularly in circumstances as described above (generally if the shareholder is able to accept securities in-kind) and may also be used in stressed market conditions.
The fund, along with other T. Rowe Price Funds, is a party to an interfund lending exemptive order received from the SEC that permits the T. Rowe Price Funds to borrow money from and/or lend money to other T. Rowe Price Funds to help the funds meet short-term redemptions and liquidity needs.
During periods of deteriorating or stressed market conditions, when an increased portion of the fund’s portfolio may be composed of holdings with reduced liquidity or lengthy settlement periods, or during extraordinary or emergency circumstances, the fund may be more likely to pay redemption proceeds with cash obtained through interfund lending or short-term borrowing arrangements (if available) or by redeeming a large redemption request in-kind.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
The fund may lend its portfolio securities to broker-dealers, other institutions, or other persons to earn additional income. Risks include the potential insolvency of the broker-dealer or other borrower that could result in delays in recovering securities and capital losses. Additionally, losses could result from the reinvestment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that decline in value, default, or do not perform as well as expected. Cash collateral from securities lending is invested in a T. Rowe Price short-term bond or money market fund.
Turnover is an indication of frequency of trading. Each time the fund purchases or sells a security, it incurs a cost. This cost is reflected in the fund’s net asset value but not in its
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operating expenses. The higher the turnover rate, the higher the transaction costs and the greater the impact on the fund’s total return. Higher turnover can also increase the possibility of taxable capital gain distributions. The fund’s portfolio turnover rates are shown in the Financial Highlights tables.
The Financial Highlights tables, which provide information about each class’ financial history, are based on a single share outstanding throughout the periods shown. The tables are part of the fund’s financial statements, which are included in its annual report and are incorporated by reference into the SAI (available upon request). The financial statements in the annual report were audited by the fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS |
For a share outstanding throughout each period |
Investor Class |
| |||||||||
|
Year |
|||||||||
|
5/31/23 |
5/31/22 |
5/31/21 |
5/31/20 |
5/31/19 | |||||
NET ASSET VALUE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginning of period |
$5.46 |
|
$6.03 |
|
$6.34 |
|
$5.84 |
|
$5.57 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Investment activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income(1)(2) |
0.13 |
|
0.05 |
|
0.05 |
|
0.09 |
|
0.11 |
|
Net realized and unrealized gain/loss |
(0.28 |
) |
(0.57 |
) |
(0.20 |
) |
0.52 |
|
0.27 |
|
Total from investment activities |
(0.15 |
) |
(0.52 |
) |
(0.15 |
) |
0.61 |
|
0.38 |
|
| ||||||||||
Distributions | ||||||||||
Net investment income |
(0.13 |
) |
(0.05 |
) |
(0.05 |
) |
(0.10 |
) |
(0.11 |
) |
Net realized gain |
— |
|
— |
|
(0.11 |
) |
(0.01 |
) |
— |
|
Total distributions |
(0.13 |
) |
(0.05 |
) |
(0.16 |
) |
(0.11 |
) |
(0.11 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
NET ASSET VALUE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
End of period |
$5.18 |
|
$5.46 |
|
$6.03 |
|
$6.34 |
|
$5.84 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||||||||
Total return(2)(3) |
(2.79 |
)% |
(8.66 |
)% |
(2.46 |
)% |
10.40 |
% |
7.00 |
% |
| ||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets:(2) | ||||||||||
Gross expenses before waivers/payments by Price Associates(4) |
0.27 |
% |
0.27 |
% |
0.32 |
% |
0.47 |
% |
0.36 |
% |
Net expenses after waivers/payments by Price Associates |
0.27 |
% |
0.27 |
% |
0.28 |
% |
0.33 |
% |
0.35 |
% |
Net investment income |
2.48 |
% |
0.86 |
% |
0.74 |
% |
1.54 |
% |
1.99 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
267.2 |
% |
78.1 |
% |
77.8 |
% |
167.9 |
% |
98.2 |
% |
Net assets, end of period (in millions) |
$714 |
|
$629 |
|
$972 |
|
$1,069 |
|
$441 |
|
(1) |
Per share amounts calculated using average shares outstanding method. |
(2) |
Includes the impact of expense-related arrangements with Price Associates. |
(3) |
Total return reflects the rate that an investor would have earned on an investment in the fund during each period, assuming reinvestment of all distributions, and payment of no redemption or account fees, if applicable. |
(4) |
Prior to 5/31/20, the gross expense ratios presented are net of a management fee waiver in effect during the period, as applicable. |
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS |
For a share outstanding throughout each period |
I Class |
| |||||||||
|
Year |
|||||||||
|
5/31/23 |
5/31/22 |
5/31/21 |
5/31/20 |
5/31/19 | |||||
NET ASSET VALUE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginning of period |
$5.46 |
|
$6.03 |
|
$6.33 |
|
$5.83 |
|
$5.56 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Investment activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income(1)(2) |
0.13 |
|
0.06 |
|
0.05 |
|
0.10 |
|
0.12 |
|
Net realized and unrealized gain/loss |
(0.28 |
) |
(0.57 |
) |
(0.18 |
) |
0.51 |
|
0.27 |
|
Total from investment activities |
(0.15 |
) |
(0.51 |
) |
(0.13 |
) |
0.61 |
|
0.39 |
|
| ||||||||||
Distributions | ||||||||||
Net investment income |
(0.14 |
) |
(0.06 |
) |
(0.06 |
) |
(0.10 |
) |
(0.12 |
) |
Net realized gain |
— |
|
— |
|
(0.11 |
) |
(0.01 |
) |
— |
|
Total distributions |
(0.14 |
) |
(0.06 |
) |
(0.17 |
) |
(0.11 |
) |
(0.12 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
NET ASSET VALUE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
End of period |
$5.17 |
|
$5.46 |
|
$6.03 |
|
$6.33 |
|
$5.83 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||||||||
Total return(2)(3) |
(2.83 |
)% |
(8.51 |
)% |
(2.17 |
)% |
10.56 |
% |
7.17 |
% |
| ||||||||||
Ratios to average net assets:(2) | ||||||||||
Gross expenses before waivers/payments by Price Associates(4) |
0.14 |
% |
0.11 |
% |
0.15 |
% |
0.37 |
% |
0.22 |
% |
Net expenses after waivers/payments by Price Associates |
0.11 |
% |
0.11 |
% |
0.12 |
% |
0.20 |
% |
0.20 |
% |
Net investment income |
2.57 |
% |
1.07 |
% |
0.85 |
% |
1.68 |
% |
2.15 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Portfolio turnover rate |
267.2 |
% |
78.1 |
% |
77.8 |
% |
167.9 |
% |
98.2 |
% |
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$147,570 |
|
$166,157 |
|
$154,281 |
|
$43,187 |
|
$19,607 |
|
(1) |
Per share amounts calculated using average shares outstanding method. |
(2) |
Includes the impact of expense-related arrangements with Price Associates. |
(3) |
Total return reflects the rate that an investor would have earned on an investment in the fund during each period, assuming reinvestment of all distributions, and payment of no redemption or account fees, if applicable. |
(4) |
Prior to 5/31/20, the gross expense ratios presented are net of a management fee waiver in effect during the period, as applicable. |
T. ROWE PRICE |
24 |
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS |
For a share outstanding throughout each period |
Z Class |
| |||||
|
Year |
2/22/21(1) | ||||
|
5/31/23 |
5/31/22 |
5/31/21 | |||
NET ASSET VALUE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginning of period |
$5.46 |
|
$6.03 |
|
$6.09 |
|
|
|
|
| |||
Investment activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income(2)(3) |
0.14 |
|
0.07 |
|
0.02 |
|
Net realized and unrealized gain/loss |
(0.28 |
) |
(0.57 |
) |
(0.06 |
) |
Total from investment activities |
(0.14 |
) |
(0.50 |
) |
(0.04 |
) |
| ||||||
Distributions | ||||||
Net investment income |
(0.14 |
) |
(0.07 |
) |
(0.02 |
) |
|
|
|
| |||
NET ASSET VALUE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
End of period |
$5.18 |
|
$5.46 |
|
$6.03 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratios/Supplemental Data | ||||||
Total return(3)(4) |
(2.53 |
)% |
(8.41 |
)% |
(0.72 |
)% |
| ||||||
Ratios to average net assets:(3) | ||||||
Gross expenses before waivers/payments by Price Associates |
0.10 |
% |
0.11 |
% |
0.11 |
%(5) |
Net expenses after waivers/payments by Price Associates |
0.00 |
% |
0.00 |
% |
0.00 |
%(5) |
Net investment income |
2.70 |
% |
1.13 |
% |
1.05 |
%(5) |
|
|
|
| |||
Portfolio turnover rate |
267.2 |
% |
78.1 |
% |
77.8 |
% |
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) |
$476 |
|
$488 |
|
$633 |
|
(1) |
Inception date |
(2) |
Per share amounts calculated using average shares outstanding method. |
(3) |
Includes the impact of expense-related arrangements with Price Associates. |
(4) |
Total return reflects the rate that an investor would have earned on an investment in the fund during each period, assuming reinvestment of all distributions, and payment of no redemption or account fees, if applicable. Total return is not annualized for periods less than one year. |
(5) |
Annualized |
MORE ABOUT THE FUND |
25 |
Most T. Rowe Price Funds disclose their portfolio holdings periodically on troweprice.com. A description of the policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings and other portfolio information for the T. Rowe Price Funds is available in the SAI.
INFORMATION ABOUT ACCOUNTS IN T. ROWE PRICE FUNDS |
3 | |
The following policies and procedures generally apply to Investor Class, I Class, Advisor Class, R Class, and Z Class accounts in the T. Rowe Price Funds. The front cover and Section 1 of this prospectus indicate which share classes are available for the fund.
This section of the prospectus explains the basics of investing with T. Rowe Price and describes some of the different share classes that may be available. Certain share classes can be held directly with T. Rowe Price, while other share classes must typically be held through a financial intermediary, such as broker-dealers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and investment advisers.
Each class of a fund’s shares represents an interest in the same fund with the same investment program and investment policies. However, each class is designed for a different type of investor and has a different cost structure primarily due to shareholder services or distribution arrangements that may apply only to that class. For example, certain classes may make payments to financial intermediaries for various administrative services they provide (commonly referred to as administrative fee payments (AFP)) and/or make payments to certain financial intermediaries for distribution of the fund’s shares (commonly referred to as 12b-1 fee payments). Determining the most appropriate share class depends on many factors, including how much you plan to invest, whether you are investing directly in the fund or through a financial intermediary, and whether you are investing on behalf of a person or an organization.
This section generally describes the differences between Investor Class, I Class, Advisor Class, R Class, and Z Class shares. This section does not describe the policies that apply to accounts in T. Rowe Price Institutional Funds and certain other types of funds. Policies for these other funds are described in their respective prospectuses, and all available share classes for the T. Rowe Price Funds are described more fully in the funds’ SAI. While many T. Rowe Price Funds are offered in more than one share class, not all funds offer all of the share classes described in this section.
Investor Class
A T. Rowe Price Fund that does not include the term “institutional” or indicate a specific share class as part of its name is considered to be the Investor Class of that fund. The Investor Class is available to individual investors, institutions, and a wide variety of other types of investors. The Investor Class may be purchased directly from T. Rowe Price or through a retirement plan or financial intermediary. The Investor Class does not impose sales charges and does not make
INFORMATION ABOUT ACCOUNTS IN T. ROWE PRICE FUNDS |
27 |
any 12b-1 fee payments to financial intermediaries but may make administrative fee payments at an annual rate of up to 0.15% of the class’ average daily net assets. In addition, you may also incur brokerage commissions and other charges when buying or selling Investor Class shares through a financial intermediary. For investors holding the Investor Class through the T. Rowe Price® ActivePlus Portfolios program, the terms and conditions of the program will be applicable.
I Class
The I Class may be purchased directly from T. Rowe Price or through a financial intermediary. The I Class does not impose sales charges and does not make any administrative fee payments or 12b-1 fee payments to financial intermediaries. However, you may incur brokerage commissions and other charges when buying or selling I Class shares through a financial intermediary.
The I Class requires a $500,000 minimum initial investment per fund per account registration, although the minimum generally is waived or reduced for financial intermediaries, eligible retirement plans, certain client accounts for which T. Rowe Price or its affiliates have discretionary investment authority, and certain other types of accounts.
Certain qualifying accounts are eligible to invest in the I Class at a lower investment minimum through programs available to investors holding their accounts directly with T. Rowe Price, including, but not limited to, programs for which T. Rowe Price or its affiliates have discretionary authority. For investors eligible for the I Class through such programs, the terms and conditions, including applicable minimums, of the respective program will apply. Certain accounts, including most T. Rowe Price Brokerage sweep accounts and small business retirement plans with more than one participant that are held directly with T. Rowe Price, are not eligible to invest in the I Class, regardless of account balance.
Advisor Class
The Advisor Class is designed to be sold through various financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and advisers. The Advisor Class must be purchased through an eligible financial intermediary (except for certain retirement plans held directly with T. Rowe Price). The Advisor Class does not impose sales charges but may make 12b-1 fee payments at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the class’ average daily net assets and may also separately make administrative fee payments at an annual rate of up to 0.15% of the class’ average daily net assets. You may also incur other fees or charges when buying or selling Advisor Class shares through a financial intermediary.
The Advisor Class requires an agreement between the financial intermediary and T. Rowe Price to be executed prior to investment. Purchases of Advisor Class shares for which the required agreement with T. Rowe Price has not been executed or that are not made through an eligible financial intermediary are subject to rejection or cancellation without prior notice to the financial intermediary or investor, and accounts that are no longer eligible for the Advisor Class (including any accounts that are no longer serviced by a financial intermediary or for which the financial intermediary does not accept or assess 12b-1 fee payments) may be converted to the Investor Class following notice to the financial intermediary or investor.
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R Class
The R Class is designed to be sold through financial intermediaries for employer-sponsored defined contribution retirement plans and certain other retirement accounts. The R Class must be purchased through an eligible financial intermediary (except for certain retirement plans held directly with T. Rowe Price). The R Class does not impose sales charges but may make 12b-1 fee payments at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the class’ average daily net assets and may also separately make administrative fee payments at an annual rate of up to 0.15% of the class’ average daily net assets. You may also incur other fees or charges when buying or selling R Class shares through a financial intermediary.
The R Class requires an agreement between the financial intermediary and T. Rowe Price to be executed prior to investment. Purchases of R Class shares for which the required agreement with T. Rowe Price has not been executed or that are not made through an eligible financial intermediary are subject to rejection or cancellation without prior notice to the financial intermediary or investor, and accounts that are no longer eligible for the R Class (including any accounts that are no longer serviced by a financial intermediary or for which the financial intermediary does not accept or assess 12b-1 fee payments) may be converted to the Investor Class or Advisor Class following notice to the financial intermediary or investor.
Z Class
The Z Class is only available to funds managed by T. Rowe Price and other advisory clients of T. Rowe Price or its affiliates that are subject to a contractual fee for investment management services. There is no minimum initial investment and no minimum for additional purchases. The Z Class does not impose sales charges and does not make any administrative fee payments or 12b-1 fee payments to financial intermediaries.
Administrative Fee Payments (Investor Class, Advisor Class, and R Class)
Certain financial intermediaries perform recordkeeping and administrative services for their clients that would otherwise be performed by the funds’ transfer agent. Investor Class, Advisor Class, and R Class shares may make administrative fee payments to retirement plan recordkeepers, broker-dealers, and other financial intermediaries (at an annual rate of up to 0.15% of the class’ average daily net assets) for transfer agency, recordkeeping, and other administrative services that they provide on behalf of the funds. These administrative services may include maintaining account records for each customer; transmitting purchase and redemption orders; delivering shareholder confirmations, statements, and tax forms; and providing support to respond to customers’ questions regarding their accounts. Except for funds that have an all-inclusive management fee, these separate administrative fee payments are reflected in the “Other expenses” line that appears in the table titled “Fees and Expenses of the Fund” in Section 1 of this prospectus.
INFORMATION ABOUT ACCOUNTS IN T. ROWE PRICE FUNDS |
29 |
12b-1 Fee Payments (Advisor Class and R Class)
Mutual funds are permitted to adopt a 12b-1 plan to pay certain expenses associated with the distribution of the fund’s shares out of the fund’s assets. Each fund offering Advisor Class and/or R Class shares has adopted a 12b-1 plan under which those classes may make payments (for the Advisor Class, at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the class’ average daily net assets and, for the R Class, at an annual rate of up to 0.50% of the class’ average daily net assets) to various financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and investment advisers, for distribution and/or shareholder servicing of the Advisor Class and R Class shares. The 12b-1 plans provide for the class to pay such fees to the fund’s distributor and for the distributor to then pay such fees to the financial intermediaries that provide services for the class and/or make the class available to investors.
For the Advisor Class, distribution payments may include payments to financial intermediaries for making the Advisor Class shares available to their customers (for example, providing the fund with “shelf space” or inclusion on a “preferred list” or “supermarket” platform). For the R Class, distribution payments may include payments to financial intermediaries for making the R Class shares available as investment options to retirement plans and retirement plan participants, assisting plan sponsors in conducting searches for investment options, and providing ongoing monitoring of investment options.
Shareholder servicing payments under the plans may include payments to financial intermediaries for providing shareholder support services to existing shareholders of the Advisor Class and R Class. These payments may be more or less than the costs incurred by the financial intermediaries. Because the fees are paid from the Advisor Class or R Class net assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time. In addition, payments of 12b-1 fees may influence your financial adviser’s recommendation of the fund or of any particular share class of the fund. Payments of 12b-1 fees are reflected in the “Distribution and service (12b-1) fees” line that appears in the table titled “Fees and Expenses of the Fund” in Section 1 of this prospectus.
Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries
In addition to the administrative fee payments made by the Investor Class, Advisor Class, and R Class and the 12b-1 payments made by the Advisor Class and R Class, T. Rowe Price or the fund’s distributor will, at their own expense, provide compensation to certain financial intermediaries that have sold shares of or provide shareholder or other services to the T. Rowe Price Funds, commonly referred to as revenue sharing. These payments may be in the form of asset-based, transaction-based, or flat payments. These payments are used to compensate third parties for distribution and shareholder servicing activities, including subaccounting, sub-transfer agency, or other services. Some of these payments may include expense reimbursements and meeting and marketing support payments (out of T. Rowe Price’s or the fund’s distributor’s own resources and not as an expense of the funds) to financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan recordkeepers, and investment advisers, in connection with the sale, distribution, marketing, and/or servicing of the T. Rowe Price Funds. The SAI provides more information about these payment arrangements.
T. ROWE PRICE |
30 |
The receipt of, or the prospect of receiving, these payments and expense reimbursements from T. Rowe Price or the fund’s distributor may influence financial intermediaries, plan sponsors, and other third parties to offer or recommend T. Rowe Price Funds over other investment options for which an intermediary does not receive additional compensation (or receives lower levels of additional compensation). In addition, financial intermediaries that receive these payments and/or expense reimbursements may elevate the prominence of the T. Rowe Price Funds by, for example, placing the T. Rowe Price Funds on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or providing preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the T. Rowe Price Funds in various ways. Since these additional payments are not paid by a fund directly, these arrangements do not increase fund expenses and will not change the price that an investor pays for shares of the T. Rowe Price Funds or the amount that is invested in a T. Rowe Price Fund on behalf of an investor. You may ask your financial intermediary for more information about any payments they receive from T. Rowe Price or the fund’s distributor.
Comparison of Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Fees
The following table summarizes the distribution and service (12b-1) fee and administrative fee arrangements applicable to each class based on its average daily net assets.
Class |
12b-1 Fee Payments |
Administrative Fee Payments |
Investor Class |
None |
Up to 0.15% per year |
I Class |
None |
None |
Advisor Class |
Up to 0.25% per year |
Up to 0.15% per year |
R Class |
Up to 0.50% per year |
Up to 0.15% per year |
Z Class |
None |
None |
Investor Class
In an effort to help offset the disproportionately high costs incurred by the funds in connection with servicing lower-balance accounts that are held directly with the T. Rowe Price Funds’ transfer agent, an annual $20 account service fee (paid to T. Rowe Price Services, Inc., or one of its affiliates) is charged to certain Investor Class accounts with a balance below $10,000. The determination of whether a fund account is subject to the account service fee is based on account balances and services selected for accounts as of the last business day of August of each calendar year. The fee may be charged to an account with a balance below $10,000 for any reason, including market fluctuation and recent redemptions. The fee, which is automatically deducted from an account by redeeming fund shares, is typically charged to accounts in early September each calendar year. Such redemption may result in a taxable gain or loss to you.
The account service fee generally does not apply to fund accounts that are held through a financial intermediary, participant accounts in employer-sponsored retirement plans for which T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services provides recordkeeping services, accounts held through the T. Rowe Price® ActivePlus Portfolios program, or Retirement Advisory Service™, or money market funds that are used as a T. Rowe Price Brokerage sweep account. The account
INFORMATION ABOUT ACCOUNTS IN T. ROWE PRICE FUNDS |
31 |
service fee is automatically waived for accounts that satisfy any of the following conditions as of the last business day in August:
· Any accounts for which the shareholder has elected to receive electronic delivery of all of the following: account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, and shareholder reports (paper copies of fund documents are available, free of charge, upon request, to any shareholder regardless of whether the shareholder has elected electronic delivery);
· Any accounts of a shareholder with at least $50,000 in total assets with T. Rowe Price (for this purpose, total assets include investments through T. Rowe Price Brokerage and investments in T. Rowe Price Funds, except for those held through a retirement plan for which T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services provides recordkeeping services); or
· Certain accounts enrolled in the T. Rowe Price Summit Program (visit troweprice.com or call 1-800-332-6161 for more information).
T. Rowe Price reserves the right to authorize additional waivers for other types of accounts or to modify the conditions for assessment of the account service fee. Fund shares held in a T. Rowe Price individual retirement account (IRA), Education Savings Account, or small business retirement plan account (including certain 403(b) plan accounts) are subject to the account service fee and may be subject to additional administrative fees when distributing all fund shares from such accounts.
Investor Class and I Class shares may be purchased directly from T. Rowe Price or through various financial intermediaries. Advisor Class and R Class shares must be purchased through a financial intermediary (except for certain retirement plans held directly with T. Rowe Price). If you are opening an account through an employer-sponsored retirement plan or other financial intermediary, you should contact the retirement plan or financial intermediary for information regarding its policies on opening an account, including the policies relating to purchasing, exchanging, and redeeming shares, and the applicable initial and subsequent investment minimums.
Tax Identification Number
Investors must provide T. Rowe Price with a valid Social Security number or taxpayer identification number on a signed new account form or Form W-9, and financial intermediaries must provide T. Rowe Price with their certified taxpayer identification number. Otherwise, federal law requires the funds to withhold a percentage of dividends, capital gain distributions, and redemptions and may subject you or the financial intermediary to an Internal Revenue Service fine. If this information is not received within 60 days of the account being established, the account may be redeemed at the fund’s then-current net asset value.
Important Information Required to Open a New Account
Pursuant to federal law, all financial institutions must obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account. This information is needed not only
T. ROWE PRICE |
32 |
for the account owner and any other person who opens the account, but also for any person who has authority to act on behalf of the account.
When you open an account, you will be asked for the name, U.S. street address (post office boxes are not acceptable), date of birth, and Social Security number or taxpayer identification number for each account owner and person(s) opening an account on behalf of others, such as custodians, agents, trustees, or other authorized signers. When opening an entity account, you will be asked to identify and provide personal information for: (i) any individual who, either directly or indirectly, owns 25% or more of the equity interest of the entity and (ii) a single individual who controls, manages, or directs the entity. Corporate and other institutional accounts require documents showing the existence of the entity (such as articles of incorporation or partnership agreements) to open an account. Certain other fiduciary accounts (such as trusts or power of attorney arrangements) require documentation, which may include an original or certified copy of the trust agreement or power of attorney, to open an account.
T. Rowe Price will use this information to verify the identity of the person(s)/entity opening the account. An account cannot be opened until all of this information is received. If the identity of the account holder cannot be verified, T. Rowe Price is authorized to take any action permitted by law, including, but not limited to, restricting additional purchases, freezing the account, or closing the account and redeeming the shares in the account at the net asset value next calculated after the redemption is processed.
Institutional investors and financial intermediaries should call Client Account Management at 1-800-638-8790 for more information on these requirements, as well as to be assigned an account number and receive instructions for opening an account. Other investors should call Investor Services at 1-800-638-5660 for more information about these requirements.
The funds are generally available only to investors residing in the United States. In addition, nongovernment money market funds that operate as “retail money market funds” pursuant to Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) are required to limit their beneficial owners to natural persons. An investor in a retail money market fund is required to demonstrate eligibility (for example, by providing a valid Social Security number) before an account can be opened.
How and When Shares are Priced
The trade date for your transaction request depends on the day and time that T. Rowe Price receives your request and will normally be executed using the next share price calculated after your order is received in correct form by T. Rowe Price or its agent (or by your financial intermediary if it has the authority to accept transaction orders on behalf of the fund). The share price, also called the net asset value, for each share class of a fund is calculated as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which is normally 4 p.m. ET, on each day that the NYSE is open for business. Net asset values are not calculated for the funds
INFORMATION ABOUT ACCOUNTS IN T. ROWE PRICE FUNDS |
33 |
on days when the NYSE is scheduled to be closed for trading (for example, weekends and certain U.S. national holidays). If the NYSE is unexpectedly closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or if the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the funds reserve the right to treat such day as a business day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate their share price as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.
To calculate the net asset value, a fund’s assets are valued and totaled, liabilities are subtracted, and each class’ proportionate share of the balance, called net assets, is divided by the number of shares outstanding of that class. Market values are used to price portfolio holdings for which market quotations are readily available. Market values generally reflect the prices at which securities actually trade or represent prices that have been adjusted based on evaluations and information provided by the fund’s pricing services. Investments in other mutual funds are valued at the closing net asset value per share of the mutual fund on the day of valuation. Investments for which market quotations are not readily available or deemed unreliable are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by T. Rowe Price, as the valuation designee, designated by the Board, by taking into account various, adopted factors and methodologies for determining the fair value. This value may differ from the value the fund receives upon sale of the securities.
Amortized cost is used to price securities held by money market funds and certain short-term debt securities held by other funds. The retail and government money market funds, which seek to maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00, use the amortized cost method of valuation to calculate their net asset value. Amortized cost allows the money market funds to value a holding at the fund’s acquisition cost with adjustments for any premiums or discounts and then round the net asset value per share to the nearest whole cent. The amortized cost method of valuation enables the money market funds to maintain a $1.00 net asset value, but it may also result in periods during which the stated value of a security held by the funds differs from the market-based price the funds would receive if they sold that holding. The current market-based net asset value per share for each business day in the preceding six months is available for the retail and government money market funds through troweprice.com/money-market/en/money-market-fund-information.html. These market-based net asset values are for informational purposes only and are not used to price transactions.
T. Rowe Price uses various pricing services to provide closing market prices, as well as information used to adjust those prices and to value most fixed income securities. T. Rowe Price cannot predict how often it will use closing prices or how often it will adjust those prices. T. Rowe Price routinely evaluates its fair value processes.
Non-U.S. equity securities are valued on the basis of their most recent closing market prices at 4 p.m. ET, except under the following circumstances. Most foreign markets close before 4 p.m. ET. For example, the most recent closing prices for securities traded in certain Asian markets may be as much as 15 hours old at 4 p.m. ET. If T. Rowe Price determines that developments between the close of a foreign market and the close of the NYSE will, in its judgment, affect the value of some or all of the fund’s securities, T. Rowe Price will adjust the previous closing prices to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities as of 4 p.m. ET. In deciding
T. ROWE PRICE |
34 |
whether to make these adjustments, T. Rowe Price reviews a variety of factors, including developments in foreign markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets, and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent foreign securities and baskets of foreign securities.
T. Rowe Price may also fair value certain securities or a group of securities in other situations—for example, when a particular foreign market is closed but the fund is open. For a fund that has investments in securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the fund does not price its shares, the fund’s net asset value may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the fund’s shares. If an event occurs that affects the value of a security after the close of the market, such as a default of a commercial paper issuer or a significant move in short-term interest rates, T. Rowe Price may make a price adjustment depending on the nature and significance of the event. T. Rowe Price also evaluates a variety of factors when assigning fair values to private placements and other restricted securities. Other mutual funds may adjust the prices of their securities by different amounts or assign different fair values than the fair value that the fund assigns to the same security.
The various ways you can purchase, sell, and exchange shares are explained throughout this section. These procedures differ based on whether you hold your account directly with T. Rowe Price or through an employer-sponsored retirement plan or financial intermediary.
The following policies apply to accounts that are held directly with T. Rowe Price and not through a financial intermediary.
Options for Opening Your Account
If you own other T. Rowe Price Funds, you should consider registering any new account identically to your existing accounts so you can exchange shares among them easily (the name(s) of the account owner(s) and the account type must be identical).
For joint accounts or other types of accounts owned or controlled by more than one party, either owner/party has complete authority to act on behalf of all and give instructions concerning the account without notice to the other party. T. Rowe Price may, in its sole discretion, require written authorization from all owners/parties to act on the account for certain transactions (for example, to transfer ownership). There are multiple ways to establish a new account directly with T. Rowe Price.
Online In general, you can open a new Investor Class or I Class account online. Go to troweprice.com/newaccount to choose the type of account you wish to open.
You can exchange shares online from an existing account in one fund to open a new account in another fund. The new account will have the same registration as the account from which you are exchanging, and any services (other than systematic purchase and systematic distribution
INFORMATION ABOUT ACCOUNTS IN T. ROWE PRICE FUNDS |
35 |
arrangements) that you have preauthorized will carry over from the existing account to the new account.
To open an account online for the first time or with a different account registration, you must be a U.S. citizen residing in the U.S. or a resident alien and not subject to Internal Revenue Service backup withholding. Additionally, you must provide consent to receive certain documents electronically. You will have the option of providing your bank account information, which will enable you to make electronic funds transfers to and from your bank account. To set up this banking service online, additional steps will be taken to verify your identity.
By Mail If you are sending a check, please make your check payable to T. Rowe Price Funds (otherwise it may be returned) and send the check, together with the applicable new account form, to the appropriate address. (Please refer to the appropriate address under “Contacting T. Rowe Price” later in this section to avoid a delay in opening your new account.) T. Rowe Price does not accept third-party checks for initial purchases; however, third-party checks are typically accepted for additional purchases to an existing account. In addition, T. Rowe Price does not accept purchases by cash, traveler’s checks, money orders, or credit card checks. For exchanges from an identically registered account, be sure to specify the fund(s) and account number(s) that you are exchanging out of and the fund(s) you wish to exchange into.
By Telephone Direct investors can call Shareholder Services at 1-800-225-5132 (institutional investors should call 1-800-638-8790) to exchange from an existing fund account to open a new identically registered account in another fund. You may also be eligible to open a new account by telephone and provide your bank account information in order to make an initial purchase. To set up the account and banking service by telephone, additional steps will be taken to verify your identity and the authenticity of your bank account. Although the account may be opened and the purchase made, services may not be established and an Internal Revenue Service penalty withholding may occur until we receive the necessary signed form to certify your Social Security number or taxpayer identification number.
How Your Trade Date Is Determined
If you invest directly with T. Rowe Price and your request to purchase, sell, or exchange shares is received by T. Rowe Price or its agent in correct form by the close of the NYSE (normally 4 p.m. ET), your transaction will be priced at that business day’s net asset value. If your request is received by T. Rowe Price or its agent in correct form after the close of the NYSE, your transaction will be priced at the next business day’s net asset value. Systematic transactions that are scheduled to occur on a date the NYSE is closed will normally be processed the next business day (except for certain retirement plan payroll deduction orders generated by T. Rowe Price where the orders are processed the day before the day the NYSE is closed).
Note: There may be times when you are unable to contact us by telephone or access your account online due to extreme market activity, the unavailability of the T. Rowe Price website, or other circumstances. Should this occur, your order must still be placed and received in correct form by T. Rowe Price prior to the time the NYSE closes to be priced at that business day’s net asset value. The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time until
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which orders are accepted may be changed in case of an emergency or if the NYSE closes at a time other than 4 p.m. ET. The funds reserve the right to not treat an unscheduled intraday disruption or closure in NYSE trading as a closure of the NYSE and still accept transactions and calculate their net asset value as of 4 p.m. ET.
Transaction Confirmations
T. Rowe Price sends immediate confirmations for most of your fund transactions. However, certain transactions, such as systematic purchases and systematic redemptions, dividend reinvestments, checkwriting redemptions from money market funds, and transactions in money market funds used as a brokerage sweep account, do not receive an immediate transaction confirmation but are reported on your account statement. Please review transaction confirmations and account statements as soon as you receive them and promptly report any discrepancies to Shareholder Services.
Telephone and Online Account Transactions
You may access your accounts and conduct most transactions involving Investor Class or I Class accounts using the telephone or the T. Rowe Price website at troweprice.com. Telephone conversations are recorded.
Preventing Unauthorized Transactions
The T. Rowe Price Funds and their agents use reasonably designed procedures to verify that telephone, electronic, and other instructions are genuine. These procedures include, among other things, recording telephone calls, requiring personalized security codes or other information online and certain identifying information for telephone calls, requiring Medallion signature guarantees for certain transactions and account changes, and promptly sending confirmations of transactions and address changes. For transactions conducted online, we recommend the use of a secure internet browser.
T. Rowe Price Account Protection Program Shareholders who invest in the T. Rowe Price Funds directly are eligible for the Account Protection Program. The Account Protection Program restores eligible losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent activity, provided that you follow all security best practices when you access and maintain your account(s). T. Rowe Price reserves the right to modify or withdraw the Account Protection Program at any time. The Account Protection Program security best practices and additional information may be accessed online at troweprice.com/personal-investing/help/policies-and-security/account-protection-program.html.
If our verification procedures are followed and the losses are not eligible to be restored under the Account Protection Program, the funds and their agents are not liable for any losses that may occur from acting on unauthorized instructions.
If you suspect any unauthorized account activity, notice errors or discrepancies in your T. Rowe Price account, or are not receiving your T. Rowe Price account statements, please contact T. Rowe Price immediately. Telephone conversations are recorded.
Trusted Contacts Investors who hold shares of a T. Rowe Price Fund directly or through a T. Rowe Price Brokerage account have the option to add one or more trusted contacts to their
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brokerage and mutual fund accounts. Trusted contacts are intended to be a resource to help protect client assets. Any individuals designated as a trusted contact will be authorized to serve as a primary contact if T. Rowe Price has questions or concerns related to potentially fraudulent account activity or suspected financial exploitation or to confirm your contact information if we are unable to reach you (but are not authorized to act on your account). For more information or to add trusted contacts to your account, visit troweprice.com or call 1-800-225-5132.
If you are age 65 or older, or if you are age 18 or older and we have reason to believe you have a mental or physical impairment that renders you unable to protect your own interest, we may temporarily restrict transactions in your account and place a temporary hold on the disbursement of redemption proceeds from your account in an effort to protect you if we reasonably believe that you have been or will be the victim of actual or attempted financial exploitation. You will receive notice of this temporary delay, and it will be for no more than 15 business days while we conduct an internal review of the suspected financial exploitation (including contacting your trusted contact if one is on file). We may delay an additional 10 business days if T. Rowe Price reasonably believes that actual or attempted financial exploitation has occurred or will occur. At the expiration of the hold time, if we have not confirmed that exploitation has occurred, the proceeds will be released to you. Depending upon the state in which you reside, we may be required to report to the authorities suspected elder or vulnerable adult exploitation.
Purchasing Shares
Shares may be purchased in a variety of ways.
By Check Please make your check payable to the T. Rowe Price Funds. Include a new account form if establishing a new account, and include either a fund investment slip or a letter indicating the fund and your account number if adding to an existing account. Your transaction will receive the share price for the business day that the request is received by T. Rowe Price or its agent prior to the close of the NYSE (not the day the request is received at the post office box).
By Electronic Transfer Shares may be purchased using the Automated Clearing House network if you have established the service on your account, which allows T. Rowe Price to request payment for your shares directly from your bank account or other financial institution account. You may also arrange for a wire to be sent to T. Rowe Price (wire transfer instructions can be found at troweprice.com/wireinstructions or by calling Shareholder Services). T. Rowe Price must receive the wire by the close of the NYSE to receive that day’s share price. There is no assurance that you will receive the share price for the same day you initiated the wire from your financial institution.
By Exchange You may purchase shares of a fund using the proceeds from the redemption of shares from another fund. The redemption and purchase will receive the same trade date, and if you are establishing a new account, it will have the same registration as the account from which you are exchanging. The purchase must still generally meet the applicable minimum investment requirement.
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Systematic Purchases (Automatic Asset Builder) You can instruct T. Rowe Price to automatically transfer money from your account at your bank or other financial institution at least once per month, or you can instruct your employer to send all or a portion of your paycheck to the fund or funds that you designate. Each systematic purchase must be at least $100 per fund account to be eligible for the Automatic Asset Builder service. To automatically transfer money to your account from a bank account or through payroll deductions, complete the appropriate section of the new account form when opening a new account or complete an Account Services Form to add the service to an existing account. Prior to establishing payroll deductions, you must set up the service with T. Rowe Price so that the appropriate instructions can be provided to your employer.
Note: The fund may permit institutional investors to submit purchase orders for shares through various other electronic methods as well, if approved by Client Account Management.
Initial Investment Minimums
Investor Class accounts, other than the Retirement Income 2020 Fund and Summit Funds, require a $2,500 minimum initial investment ($1,000 minimum initial investment for IRAs; certain small business retirement accounts; and custodial accounts for minors, known as Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act accounts). The Retirement Income 2020 Fund and Summit Funds require a $25,000 minimum initial investment. I Class accounts require a $500,000 minimum initial investment per fund for each account registration, although the minimum is waived or reduced for certain types of accounts. If you request the I Class of a particular fund when you open a new account, but the investment amount does not meet the applicable minimum, the purchase will be automatically invested in the Investor Class of the same fund (if available).
Additional Investment Minimums
Investor Class accounts, other than Summit Funds, require a $100 minimum for additional purchases, including those made through Automatic Asset Builder. Summit Funds require a $100 minimum for additional purchases through Automatic Asset Builder and a $1,000 minimum for all other additional purchases. I Class accounts require a $100 minimum for additional purchases through Automatic Asset Builder but do not require a minimum amount for other additional purchases.
Exchanging and Redeeming Shares
Exchanges You can move money from one account to an existing, identically registered account or open a new identically registered account. For taxable accounts, an exchange from one fund to another will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service as a sale for tax purposes. (Institutional investors are restricted from exchanging into a fund that operates as a retail money market fund.) You can set up systematic exchanges so that money is automatically moved from one fund account to another on a regular basis.
Receiving Redemption Proceeds Redemption proceeds can be mailed to your account address by check or sent electronically to your bank account by Automated Clearing House transfer or bank wire. You can set up systematic redemptions and have the proceeds automatically sent via check or Automated Clearing House on a regular basis. If your request is
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received in correct form by T. Rowe Price or its agent on a business day prior to the close of the NYSE, proceeds are usually sent on the next business day. However, if you request a redemption from a money market fund on a business day prior to 12 p.m. (noon) ET and request to have proceeds sent via bank wire, proceeds are normally sent later that same day.
Proceeds sent by Automated Clearing House transfer are usually credited to your account the second business day after the sale, and there are typically no fees associated with such payments. Proceeds sent by bank wire are usually credited to your account the next business day after the sale (except for wire redemptions from money market funds received prior to 12 p.m. (noon) ET). A $5 fee will be charged for an outgoing wire of less than $5,000, in addition to any fees your financial institution may charge for an incoming wire.
If, for some reason, your request to exchange or redeem shares cannot be processed because it is not received in correct form, we will attempt to contact you as soon as administratively possible.
If you request to redeem a specific dollar amount and the market value of your account is less than the amount of your request and we are unable to contact you, your redemption will not be processed and you must submit a new redemption request in correct form.
If you change your address on an account, proceeds may not be mailed to the new address for 15 calendar days after the address change, unless we receive a letter of instruction with a Medallion signature guarantee.
Please note that large purchase and redemption requests initiated through the Automated Clearing House may be rejected, and in such instances, the transaction must be placed by calling Shareholder Services.
Note: The fund may permit institutional investors to submit purchase orders for shares through various other electronic methods as well, if approved by Client Account Management.
Checkwriting You may write an unlimited number of free checks on any money market fund and certain bond funds, with a minimum of $500 per check. Keep in mind, however, that a check results in a sale of fund shares; a check written on a bond fund will create a taxable event that must be reported by T. Rowe Price to the Internal Revenue Service as a redemption.
Converting to Another Share Class
You may convert from one share class of a fund to another share class of the same fund (which may have a different expense ratio) over the telephone or in writing. Although the conversion has no effect on the dollar value of your investment in the fund, the number of shares owned after the conversion may be greater or less than the number of shares owned before the conversion, depending on the net asset values of the two share classes. A conversion between share classes of the same fund is a nontaxable event. The new account will have the same registration as the account from which you are converting.
Shareholders may contact T. Rowe Price at any time to convert eligible account balances to the I Class. In addition, T. Rowe Price may conduct periodic reviews of account balances. If your account balance in a fund meets or exceeds the applicable minimum amount required for the
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I Class, T. Rowe Price may, but is not required to, automatically convert your Investor Class shares to I Class shares of the same fund with advance notice, which may be in writing or delivered electronically if you have a valid email address on file with T. Rowe Price. Certain account restrictions will prevent an automatic conversion. If you opt out of any automatic conversions to the I Class, your election will apply to any future periodic reviews and automatic conversions for which you may otherwise be eligible unless you contact T. Rowe Price to change your election. If T. Rowe Price or its affiliates have investment discretion for your account, T. Rowe Price may convert your shares to a different share class without any advance notice to you. Automatic conversions only occur between share classes of the same fund.
Note: The fund may permit institutional investors to submit purchase orders for shares through various other electronic methods as well, if approved by Client Account Management.
Maintaining Your Account Balance
Investor Class Due to the relatively high cost to a fund of maintaining small accounts, we ask that you maintain an account balance of at least $1,000 ($10,000 for Summit Funds). If, for any reason, your balance is below this amount for three months or longer (even if due to market depreciation), we have the right to redeem your account at the then-current net asset value after giving you 60 days’ advance notice to increase your balance.
I Class To keep operating expenses lower, we ask that you maintain an account balance that at least meets the applicable I Class minimum necessary to open an account. If your investment in a fund falls below the applicable I Class minimum (even if due to market depreciation), we have the right to convert your account to a different share class in the same fund (if available) with a higher expense ratio or redeem your account at the then-current net asset value, after giving you 60 days’ advance notice to increase your balance. The redemption of your account by T. Rowe Price could result in a taxable gain or loss. However, if T. Rowe Price or its affiliates have investment discretion for your account, T. Rowe Price may convert your shares to a different share class without advance notice. Shareholders investing in a fund as part of a program that allows for a lower initial investment minimum will be subject to the applicable minimum account balance requirements of the respective program.
The redemption of your account could result in a taxable gain or loss.
Investors holding the fund through the T. Rowe Price® ActivePlus Portfolios program will be subject to the minimum account balance requirements of the program, which may differ from the minimum account balance requirements listed above.
Eligibility Through Certain T. Rowe Price Programs
Direct investors with qualifying accounts may be eligible to invest in the I Class with a lower initial investment minimum and may be eligible to open new accounts in funds that are generally closed to new investors. For certain programs, eligibility is based on the aggregate value of qualifying accounts and certain other accounts held by direct investors in the same household. The terms and conditions of the respective program will apply and are subject to change. Contact T. Rowe Price for more information.
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The following policies apply to accounts that are held through a financial intermediary.
Accounts in Investor Class and I Class shares are not required to be held through a financial intermediary, but accounts in Advisor Class and R Class shares must be held through an eligible financial intermediary (except for certain retirement plans held directly with T. Rowe Price). It is important that you contact your retirement plan or financial intermediary to determine the policies, procedures, and transaction deadlines that apply to your account. The financial intermediary may charge a fee, such as transaction fees or brokerage commissions, for its services.
Opening an Account
The financial intermediary must provide T. Rowe Price with its certified taxpayer identification number. Financial intermediaries should call Client Account Management for an account number and wire transfer instructions. In order to obtain an account number, the financial intermediary must supply the name, certified taxpayer identification number, and business street address for the account. (Please refer to “Contacting T. Rowe Price” later in this section for the appropriate telephone number and mailing address.) Financial intermediaries must also enter into a separate agreement with the fund or its agent.
How the Trade Date Is Determined
If you invest through a financial intermediary and your transaction request is received by T. Rowe Price or its agent in correct form by the close of the NYSE, your transaction will be priced at that business day’s net asset value. If your request is received by T. Rowe Price or its agent in correct form after the close of the NYSE, your transaction will be priced at the next business day’s net asset value unless the fund has an agreement with your financial intermediary for orders to be priced at the net asset value next computed after receipt by the financial intermediary.
The funds have authorized certain financial intermediaries or their designees to accept orders to buy or sell fund shares on their behalf. When authorized financial intermediaries receive an order in correct form, the order is considered as being placed with the fund and shares will be bought or sold at the net asset value next calculated after the order is received by the authorized financial intermediary. The financial intermediary must transmit the order to T. Rowe Price and pay for such shares in accordance with the agreement with T. Rowe Price, or the order may be canceled and the financial intermediary could be held liable for the losses. If the fund does not have such an agreement in place with your financial intermediary, T. Rowe Price or its agent must receive the request in correct form from your financial intermediary by the close of the NYSE in order for your transaction to be priced at that business day’s net asset value.
Note: The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time until which orders are accepted by the fund or a financial intermediary may be changed in case of an emergency or if the NYSE closes at a time other than 4 p.m. ET. The funds reserve the right to not treat an unscheduled intraday disruption or closure in NYSE trading as a closure of the NYSE and still accept transactions and calculate their net asset value as of 4 p.m. ET. Should this occur, your
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order must still be placed and received in correct form by T. Rowe Price (or by the financial intermediary in accordance with its agreement with T. Rowe Price) prior to the time the NYSE closes to be priced at that business day’s net asset value.
Purchasing Shares
All initial and subsequent investments by financial intermediaries should be made by bank wire or electronic payment. There is no assurance that the share price for the purchase will be the same day the wire was initiated. Purchases by financial intermediaries are typically initiated through the National Securities Clearing Corporation or by calling Client Account Management. The fund may permit financial intermediaries to submit purchase orders for shares through various other methods as well, if approved by Client Account Management.
Investment Minimums
You should check with your financial intermediary to determine what minimum applies to your initial and additional investments.
The Summit Funds require a $25,000 minimum initial investment, and other funds generally require a $2,500 minimum initial investment, although the minimum is generally waived or modified for any retirement plans and financial intermediaries establishing accounts in the Investor Class, Advisor Class, or R Class. I Class accounts require a $500,000 minimum initial investment per fund for each account registration, although the minimum is generally waived for certain types of accounts.
Investments through a financial intermediary generally do not require a minimum amount for additional purchases.
Redeeming Shares
Unless otherwise indicated, redemption proceeds will be sent via bank wire to the financial intermediary’s designated bank. Redemptions by financial intermediaries are typically initiated through the National Securities Clearing Corporation or by calling Client Account Management. The fund may permit financial intermediaries to submit redemption orders for shares through various other methods as well, if approved by Client Account Management. Normally, the fund transmits proceeds to financial intermediaries for redemption orders received in correct form on either the next business day or second business day after receipt of the order, depending on the arrangement with the financial intermediary. Proceeds for redemption orders received prior to 12 p.m. (noon) ET for a money market fund may be sent via wire the same business day. You must contact your financial intermediary about procedures for receiving your redemption proceeds.
Please note that certain purchase and redemption requests initiated through the National Securities Clearing Corporation may be rejected, and in such instances, the transaction must be placed by contacting Client Account Management.
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The following policies and requirements apply generally to accounts in the T. Rowe Price Funds, regardless of whether the account is held directly or indirectly with T. Rowe Price.
The funds generally do not accept orders that request a particular day or price for a transaction or any other special conditions. However, when authorized by the fund, certain institutions, financial intermediaries, or retirement plans purchasing fund shares directly with T. Rowe Price may place a purchase order unaccompanied by payment. Payment for these shares must be received by the time designated by the fund (not to exceed the period established for settlement under applicable regulations). If payment is not received by this time, the order may be canceled. The institution, financial intermediary, or retirement plan is responsible for any costs or losses incurred by the fund or T. Rowe Price if payment is delayed or not received.
U.S. Dollars All purchases must be paid for in U.S. dollars; checks must be drawn on U.S. banks. In addition, we request that you give us at least three business days’ notice for any purchase of $1 million or more.
Nonpayment If a check or Automated Clearing House transfer does not clear or payment for an order is not received in a timely manner, your purchase may be canceled. You (or the financial intermediary) may be responsible for any losses or expenses incurred by the fund or its transfer agent, and the fund can redeem shares in your account or another identically registered T. Rowe Price account as reimbursement. The funds and their agents have the right to reject or cancel any purchase, exchange, or redemption due to nonpayment.
Retail Money Market Funds The retail money market funds have implemented policies and procedures designed to limit purchases to accounts beneficially owned by a natural person. Purchases of a retail money market fund may be rejected from an investor who has not demonstrated sufficient eligibility to purchase shares of the fund or from a financial intermediary that has not demonstrated adequate procedures to limit investments to natural persons.
Large Redemptions
Large redemptions (for example, $250,000 or more) can adversely affect a portfolio manager’s ability to implement a fund’s investment strategy by causing the premature sale of securities that would otherwise be held longer. Therefore, the fund reserves the right (without prior notice) to redeem in kind. In general, any redemptions in kind will represent a pro-rata distribution of a fund’s securities, subject to certain limited exceptions. The redeeming shareholder will be responsible for disposing of the securities, and the shareholder will be subject to the risks that the value of the securities could decline prior to their sale, the securities could be difficult to sell, and brokerage fees could be incurred. If you continue to hold the securities, you may be subject to any ownership restrictions imposed by the issuers. For example, real estate investment trusts (REITs) often impose ownership restrictions on their equity securities. In addition, we request that you give us at least three business days’ notice for any redemption of $1 million or more.
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Delays in Sending Redemption Proceeds
The T. Rowe Price Funds typically expect that redemption requests will be paid out to redeeming shareholders by the business day following the receipt of a redemption request that is in correct form, regardless of the method the fund uses to make such payment (for example, check, wire, or Automated Clearing House transfer). Checks are typically mailed on the business day after the redemption, proceeds sent by wire are typically credited to your financial institution the business day after the redemption, and proceeds sent by Automated Clearing House are typically credited to your financial institution on the second business day after the redemption. However, under certain circumstances, and when deemed to be in a fund’s best interests, proceeds may not be sent for up to seven calendar days after receipt of a valid redemption order (for example, during periods of deteriorating or stressed market conditions or during extraordinary or emergency circumstances).
In addition, if shares are sold that were just purchased and paid for by check or Automated Clearing House transfer, the fund will process your redemption but will generally delay sending the proceeds for up to seven calendar days to allow the check or Automated Clearing House transfer to clear. If, during the clearing period, we receive a check drawn against your newly purchased shares, it will be returned and marked “uncollected.” (The seven-day hold does not apply to purchases paid for by bank wire or automatic purchases through payroll deduction.)
Under certain limited circumstances, the Board of a money market fund may elect to permanently suspend redemptions in order to facilitate an orderly liquidation of the fund (subject to any additional liquidation requirements).
Involuntary Redemptions and Share Class Conversions
Since nongovernment money market funds that operate as retail money market funds are required to limit their beneficial owners to natural persons, shares held directly by an investor or through a financial intermediary in these funds that are not eligible to invest in a retail money market fund are subject to involuntary redemption at any time without prior notice.
Shares held by any investors or financial intermediaries that are no longer eligible to invest in the I Class or who fail to meet or maintain their account(s) at the investment minimum are subject to involuntary redemption or conversion to the Investor Class of the same fund (which may have a higher expense ratio). Investments in Advisor Class shares that are no longer held through an eligible financial intermediary may be automatically converted by T. Rowe Price to the Investor Class of the same fund following notice to the financial intermediary or shareholder. Investments in R Class shares that are no longer held on behalf of an employer-sponsored defined contribution retirement plan or other eligible R Class account or that are not held through an eligible financial intermediary may be automatically converted by T. Rowe Price to the Investor Class or Advisor Class of the same fund following notice to the financial intermediary or shareholder.
Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy
Excessive transactions and short-term trading can be harmful to fund shareholders in various ways, such as disrupting a fund’s portfolio management strategies, increasing a fund’s trading and other costs, and negatively affecting its performance. Short-term traders in funds that
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invest in foreign securities may seek to take advantage of developments overseas that could lead to an anticipated difference between the price of the funds’ shares and price movements in foreign markets. While there is no assurance that T. Rowe Price can prevent all excessive and short-term trading, the Boards of the T. Rowe Price Funds have adopted the following trading limits that are designed to deter such activity and protect the funds’ shareholders. The funds may revise their trading limits and procedures at any time as the Boards deem necessary or appropriate to better detect short-term trading that may adversely affect the funds, to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, or to impose additional or alternative restrictions.
Subject to certain exceptions, each T. Rowe Price Fund restricts a shareholder’s purchases (including through exchanges) into a fund account for a period of 30 calendar days after the shareholder has redeemed or exchanged out of that same fund account (30-Day Purchase Block). The calendar day after the date of redemption is considered Day 1 for purposes of computing the period before another purchase may be made.
General Exceptions As of the date of this prospectus, the following types of transactions generally are not subject to the funds’ Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy:
· Shares purchased or redeemed in money market funds and ultra short-term bond funds;
· Shares purchased or redeemed through a systematic purchase or withdrawal plan;
· Checkwriting redemptions from bond funds and money market funds;
· Shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions;
· Shares redeemed automatically by a fund to pay fund fees or shareholder account fees;
· Transfers and changes of account registration within the same fund;
· Shares purchased by asset transfer or direct rollover;
· Shares purchased or redeemed through IRA conversions and recharacterizations;
· Shares redeemed to return an excess contribution from a retirement account;
· Transactions in Section 529 college savings plans;
· Certain transactions in defined benefit and nonqualified plans, subject to prior approval by T. Rowe Price;
· Shares converted from one share class to another share class in the same fund;
· Shares of T. Rowe Price Funds that are purchased by another T. Rowe Price Fund, including shares purchased by T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, and shares purchased by discretionary accounts managed by T. Rowe Price or one of its affiliates (please note that shareholders of the investing T. Rowe Price Fund are still subject to the policy);
· Transactions initiated by the trustee or adviser to a donor-advised charitable gift fund as approved by T. Rowe Price;
· Transactions having a value of $5,000 or less (retirement plans, including those for which T. Rowe Price serves as recordkeeper, and other financial intermediaries may apply the Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy to transactions of any amount); and
· Certain shares purchased or redeemed in exchange for securities and cash (“transactions in-kind”), subject to prior approval for T. Rowe Price.
Transactions in certain rebalancing, asset allocation, wrap, and other advisory programs, as well as non-T. Rowe Price fund-of-funds products, may also be exempt from the 30-Day Purchase Block, subject to prior written approval by T. Rowe Price.
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In addition to restricting transactions in accordance with the 30-Day Purchase Block, T. Rowe Price may, in its discretion, reject (or instruct a financial intermediary to reject) any purchase or exchange into a fund from a person (which includes individuals and entities) whose trading activity could disrupt the management of the fund or dilute the value of the fund’s shares, including trading by persons acting collectively (for example, following the advice of a newsletter, blogger, or social media platform). Such persons may be barred, without prior notice, from further purchases of T. Rowe Price Funds for a period longer than 30 calendar days, or permanently.
Financial Intermediary and Retirement Plan Accounts If you invest in T. Rowe Price Funds through a financial intermediary, including a retirement plan, you should review the financial intermediary’s or retirement plan’s materials carefully or consult with the financial intermediary or plan sponsor directly to determine the trading policy that will apply to your trades in the T. Rowe Price Funds as well as any other rules or conditions on transactions that may apply. If T. Rowe Price is unable to identify a transaction placed through a financial intermediary as exempt from the excessive trading policy, the 30-Day Purchase Block may apply.
Financial intermediaries, including retirement plans, may maintain their underlying accounts directly with the fund, although they often establish an omnibus account (one account with the fund that represents multiple underlying shareholder accounts) on behalf of their customers. When financial intermediaries establish omnibus accounts in the T. Rowe Price Funds, T. Rowe Price is not able to monitor the trading activity of the underlying shareholders. However, T. Rowe Price monitors aggregate trading activity at the financial intermediary (omnibus account) level in an attempt to identify activity that indicates potential excessive or short-term trading. If it detects such trading activity, T. Rowe Price may contact the financial intermediary to request personal identifying information and transaction histories for some or all underlying shareholders (including plan participants, if applicable) pursuant to a written agreement that T. Rowe Price has entered into with each financial intermediary. Any nonpublic personal information provided to the fund (for example, a shareholder’s taxpayer identification number or transaction records) is subject to the fund’s privacy policy. If T. Rowe Price believes that excessive or short-term trading has occurred and there is no exception for such trades under the funds’ Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy as previously described, it will instruct the financial intermediary to impose restrictions to discourage such practices and take appropriate action with respect to the underlying shareholder, including restricting purchases for 30 calendar days or longer. Each financial intermediary has agreed to execute such instructions pursuant to a written agreement. There is no assurance that T. Rowe Price will be able to properly enforce its Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy for omnibus accounts. Because T. Rowe Price generally relies on financial intermediaries to provide information and impose restrictions for omnibus accounts, its ability to monitor and deter excessive trading will be dependent upon the financial intermediaries’ timely performance of their responsibilities.
For shares that are held in a retirement plan, generally the 30-Day Purchase Block applies only to shares redeemed by a participant-directed exchange to another fund. However, the 30-Day
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Purchase Block may apply to transactions other than exchanges depending on how shares of the plan are held at T. Rowe Price or the excessive trading policy applied by your plan’s recordkeeper.
T. Rowe Price may allow a financial intermediary, including a retirement plan, to maintain restrictions on trading in the T. Rowe Price Funds that differ from the 30-Day Purchase Block. An alternative excessive trading policy would be acceptable to T. Rowe Price if it believes that the policy would provide sufficient protection to the T. Rowe Price Funds and their shareholders that is consistent with the excessive trading policy adopted by the funds’ Boards.
There is no guarantee that T. Rowe Price will be able to identify or prevent all excessive or short-term trades or trading practices.
Unclaimed Accounts and Uncashed Checks
If your account has no activity for a certain period of time and/or mail sent to you from T. Rowe Price is deemed undeliverable, T. Rowe Price may be required to transfer (i.e., escheat) your account assets, including any assets related to uncashed checks, to the appropriate state under its abandoned property laws. For IRAs escheated to a state under these abandoned property laws, the escheatment will be treated as a taxable distribution to you and federal and any applicable state income tax will be withheld. This may also apply to your Roth IRA (see the T. Rowe Price Traditional and Roth IRA Disclosure Statement and Custodial Agreement and/or the T. Rowe Price SIMPLE IRA Summary & Agreement for more information). To avoid such action, it is important to keep your account address up to date and periodically communicate with T. Rowe Price by contacting us or logging in to your account at least once every two years.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents
If two or more accounts own the same fund, share the same address, and T. Rowe Price reasonably believes that the two accounts are part of the same household or institution, we may economize on fund expenses by mailing only one shareholder report and summary prospectus or prospectus, as applicable, for the fund. If you need additional copies or do not want your mailings to be “householded,” please call Shareholder Services.
T. Rowe Price can deliver account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses/summary prospectuses, proxy materials, and shareholder reports electronically. If you are a registered user of troweprice.com, you can consent to the electronic delivery of these documents by logging in and changing your mailing preferences. You can revoke your consent at any time through troweprice.com, and we will begin to send paper copies of these documents within a reasonable time after receiving your revocation.
Signature Guarantees
A Medallion signature guarantee is designed to protect you and the T. Rowe Price Funds from fraud by verifying your signature.
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A shareholder or financial intermediary may be required to obtain a Medallion signature guarantee in certain situations, such as:
· Requests to wire redemption proceeds when bank account information is not already authorized and on file for an account;
· Remitting redemption proceeds to any person, address, or bank account not on file;
· Establishing certain services after an account is opened; or
· Changing the account registration or broker-dealer of record for an account.
Financial intermediaries should contact T. Rowe Price Client Account Management for specific requirements.
The signature guarantee must be obtained from a financial institution that is a participant in a Medallion signature guarantee program. You can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from certain banks, savings institutions, broker-dealers, and other guarantors acceptable to T. Rowe Price. When obtaining a Medallion signature guarantee, please discuss with the guarantor the dollar amount of your proposed transaction. It is important that the level of coverage provided by the guarantor’s stamp covers the dollar amount of the transaction or it may be rejected. We cannot accept guarantees from notaries public or organizations that do not provide reimbursement in the case of fraud.
Fund Operations and Shareholder Services
T. Rowe Price and The Bank of New York Mellon, subject to the oversight of T. Rowe Price, each provide certain accounting services to the T. Rowe Price Funds. T. Rowe Price Services, Inc., acts as the transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent and provides shareholder and administrative services to the funds. T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc., provides recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency, and administrative services for certain types of retirement plans investing in the funds. These companies receive compensation from the funds for their services. The funds may also pay financial intermediaries for performing shareholder and administrative services for underlying shareholders in omnibus accounts. In addition, certain funds serve as an underlying fund in which some fund-of-funds products, the T. Rowe Price Spectrum and Retirement Funds, invest. Subject to approval by each applicable fund’s Board, each underlying fund bears its proportionate share of the direct operating expenses of the T. Rowe Price Spectrum and Retirement Funds. All of the fees previously discussed are included in a fund’s financial statements and, except for funds that have an all-inclusive management fee, are also reflected in the “Other expenses” line that appears in the table titled “Fees and Expenses of the Fund” in Section 1 of this prospectus.
If you hold shares of a fund through a financial intermediary, you must contact your financial intermediary to determine the requirements for opening a new account and placing transactions. Otherwise, please contact T. Rowe Price as follows:
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Web |
|
troweprice.com |
For
the most complete source of T. Rowe Price news |
troweprice.com/paperless |
To sign up for e-delivery of your account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses/summary prospectuses, proxy materials, and shareholder reports |
Phone |
|
Shareholder Services: 1-800-225-5132 |
To make a transaction or for fund, account, and service information (for IRAs and nonretirement accounts) |
Investor Services: 1-800-638-5660 |
To open an account (for IRAs and nonretirement accounts) |
Client Account Management: 1-800-638-8790 |
For information and services for large institutional investors and financial intermediaries |
Retirement Client Services: 1-800-492-7670 |
For information and services for small business retirement plans (or consult your plan administrator) |
Summit Program: 1-800-332-6161 |
Complimentary
services and resources designed to help investors make informed investment
decisions |
Brokerage: 1-800-225-7720 |
If you hold your shares through a T. Rowe Price Brokerage account |
Tele*Access®: 1-800-638-2587 |
To
access information on fund performance, prices, account balances, and your
latest transactions 24 hours a day |
Hearing Impaired |
Call the applicable number with a relay operator; inquiries may also be directed to [email protected] |
T. Rowe Price Addresses
Please be sure to use the correct address to avoid a delay in opening your account or processing your transaction. These addresses are subject to change at any time, so please check troweprice.com/contactus or call the appropriate telephone number to ensure that you use the correct mailing address.
Investors (IRAs and nonretirement accounts) opening a new account or making additional purchases by check should use the following addresses:
via U.S. mail T.
Rowe Price Account Services |
via private carriers/overnight services T.
Rowe Price Account Services |
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Investors (IRAs and nonretirement accounts) requesting an exchange or redemption should use the following addresses:
via U.S. mail T.
Rowe Price Account Services |
via private carriers/overnight services T.
Rowe Price Account Services |
Investors in a small business retirement plan opening a new account, making a purchase by check, or placing an exchange or redemption should use the following addresses:
via U.S. mail T.
Rowe Price Retirement Client Services |
via private carriers/overnight services T.
Rowe Price |
Institutional investors (including financial intermediaries) opening a new account, making a purchase by check, or placing an exchange or redemption should use the following addresses:
via U.S. mail T.
Rowe Price Client Account Management |
via private carriers/overnight services T.
Rowe Price Client Account Management |
Note: Your transaction will receive the share price for the business day that the request is received by T. Rowe Price or its agent prior to the close of the NYSE (normally 4 p.m. ET), which could differ from the day that the request is received at the post office box.
Each fund intends to qualify to be treated each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. In order to qualify, a fund must satisfy certain income, diversification, and distribution requirements. A regulated investment company is not subject to U.S. federal income tax at the portfolio level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, if a fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company and were ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure, the result would be fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to the fund’s shareholders.
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To the extent possible, all net investment income and realized capital gains are distributed to shareholders. Generally, your share of the distributions is based on the number of shares of the fund outstanding on the applicable dividend record date. Therefore, if the fund has experienced a net redemption during the taxable period, your share of the distribution that is declared less frequently than daily may be relatively higher due to the smaller number of shares outstanding on the record date. See also “Taxes on Fund Distributions” below.
Dividends and Other Distributions
Except for the Retirement Income 2020 Fund, dividend and capital gain distributions are reinvested in additional fund shares in your account unless you select another option. For the Retirement Income 2020 Fund, subject to certain exceptions, regularly scheduled monthly dividends may generally not be reinvested. Reinvesting distributions results in compounding, which allows you to receive dividends and capital gain distributions on an increasing number of shares.
Distributions not reinvested may be paid by check or transmitted to your bank account via Automated Clearing House or may be automatically invested into another fund account. For the Retirement Income 2020 Fund, regularly scheduled monthly dividends are generally not paid by check. If the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver your check or if your check remains uncashed for six months, the fund reserves the right to reinvest your distribution check in your account at the net asset value on the day of the reinvestment and to reinvest all subsequent distributions in additional shares of the fund. Interest will not accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distributions or redemption checks.
The following table provides details on dividend payments:
Dividend Payment Schedule | |
Fund |
Dividends |
Money market funds |
· Shares purchased via wire that are received by T. Rowe Price by 12 p.m. (noon) ET begin to earn any dividends on that day. Shares purchased via a wire received after 12 p.m. (noon) ET and through other methods normally begin to earn dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price. · Dividends, if any, are declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month. |
Bond funds, including Retirement Balanced, Retirement I Balanced–I Class, and Spectrum Income |
· Shares normally begin to earn any dividends on the business day after payment is received by T. Rowe Price. · Dividends, if any, are declared daily and paid on the first business day of each month. |
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Dividend Payment Schedule | |
Fund |
Dividends |
These stock funds only: · Balanced · Dividend Growth · Equity Income · Equity Index 500 · Global Real Estate · Real Estate · Spectrum Conservative Allocation · Spectrum Moderate Allocation |
· Dividends, if any, are declared and paid quarterly, in March, June, September, and December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
Retirement Income 2020 |
· Dividends are declared and normally paid in the middle of each month. |
All other funds |
· Dividends, if any, are declared and paid annually, generally in December. · Must be a shareholder on the dividend record date. |
All funds |
· If necessary, a fund may make additional distributions on short notice to minimize any fund-level tax liabilities. |
For funds that declare dividends daily, shares earn any dividends through the date of a redemption (for redemptions from money market funds where the request is received prior to 12 p.m. (noon) ET and proceeds are sent via wire, shares only earn dividends through the calendar day prior to the date of redemption). Shares redeemed on a Friday or prior to a holiday will continue to earn dividends until the next business day. Generally, if you redeem all of your shares at any time during the month, you will also receive all dividends earned through the date of redemption in the same check. When you redeem only a portion of your shares, all dividends accrued on those shares will be reinvested, or paid in cash, on the next dividend payment date. The funds do not pay dividends in fractional cents. Any dividend amount earned for a particular day on all shares held that is one-half of one cent or greater (for example, $0.016) will be rounded up to the next whole cent ($0.02), and any amount that is less than one-half of one cent (for example, $0.014) will be rounded down to the nearest whole cent ($0.01). Please note that if the dividend payable on all shares held is less than one-half of one cent for a particular day, no dividend will be earned for that day.
If you purchase and redeem your shares through a financial intermediary, consult your financial intermediary to determine when your shares begin and stop accruing dividends as the information previously described may vary.
Capital Gain Payments
A capital gain or loss is the difference between the purchase and sale price of a security. If a fund has net capital gains for the year (after subtracting any capital losses), they are usually declared and paid in December to shareholders of record on a specified date that month. If a second distribution is necessary, it is generally paid the following year. A fund may have to make additional capital gain distributions, if necessary, to comply with the applicable tax law.
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Capital gains are not expected from money market funds since they are managed to maintain a stable share price. However, if a money market fund unexpectedly has net capital gains for the year (after subtracting any capital losses), the capital gain may be declared and paid in December to shareholders of record.
Tax Information
In most cases, you will be provided information for your tax filing needs no later than mid-February.
If you invest in the fund through a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA or employer-sponsored retirement plan, you will not be subject to tax on dividends and distributions from the fund or the sale of fund shares if those amounts remain in the tax-deferred account. You may receive a Form 1099-R or other Internal Revenue Service forms, as applicable, if any portion of the account is distributed to you.
If you invest in the fund through a taxable account, you generally will be subject to tax when:
· You sell fund shares, including an exchange from one fund to another.
· The fund makes dividend or capital gain distributions.
Additional information about the taxation of dividends for certain T. Rowe Price Funds is listed below:
Tax-Free and Municipal Funds |
· Regular monthly dividends (including those from the state-specific tax-free funds) are expected to be exempt from federal income taxes. |
· Exemption is not guaranteed since the fund has the right under certain conditions to invest in nonexempt securities. |
· Tax-exempt dividends paid to Social Security recipients may increase the portion of benefits that is subject to tax. |
· For state-specific funds, the monthly dividends you receive are generally expected to be exempt from state and local income tax of that particular state. For other funds, a small portion of your income dividend may be exempt from state and local income taxes. |
· If a fund invests in certain “private activity” bonds that are not exempt from the alternative minimum tax, shareholders who are subject to the alternative minimum tax must include income generated by those bonds in their alternative minimum tax calculation. The portion of a fund’s income dividend that should be included in your alternative minimum tax calculation, if any, will be reported to you by mid-February on Form 1099-DIV. |
For individual shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends representing “qualified dividend income” received by the fund may be subject to tax at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains rather than ordinary income. You may report it as qualified dividend income in computing your taxes, provided you have held the fund shares on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date. Ordinary dividends that do not qualify for this lower rate are generally taxable at the investor’s marginal income tax rate. This includes the portion of ordinary dividends derived from interest, short-term capital gains, income and gains from derivatives, distributions from nonqualified foreign corporations, distributions from real estate investment trusts, and
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dividends received by the fund from stocks that were on loan. For taxable years ending after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2026, you are generally allowed a deduction of up to 20% on your qualified REIT dividends. You may not take this deduction for a dividend on shares of a fund that have been held for less than 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date 45 days before the ex-dividend date. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the bond funds or money market funds is expected to qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income or qualified REIT dividends.
For corporate shareholders, a portion of ordinary dividends may be eligible for the deduction for dividends received by corporations to the extent the fund’s income consists of dividends paid by U.S. corporations. Little, if any, of the ordinary dividends paid by the international stock funds, bond funds, or money market funds is expected to qualify for this deduction. A fund that earns interest income may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) interest dividends, which would allow the recipient to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j) of the Internal Revenue Code. Section 163(j) interest dividends, if so designated by a fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service. To be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) interest dividend as interest income, you must have held the fund share for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date which is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. The holding period requirement does not apply to money market funds or funds that declare interest dividends on a daily basis in an amount equal to at least 90% of the fund’s excess Section 163(j) interest income and distribute such dividends on a monthly basis.
A 3.8% net investment income tax is imposed on net investment income, including interest, dividends, and capital gains of U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly) and of estates and trusts.
If you hold your fund through a financial intermediary, the financial intermediary is responsible for providing you with any necessary tax forms. You should contact your financial intermediary for the tax information that will be sent to you and reported to the Internal Revenue Service.
Taxes on Fund Redemptions
When you sell shares in any fund, you may realize a gain or loss. An exchange from one fund to another fund in a taxable account is also a sale for tax purposes. As long as a money market fund maintains a stable share price of $1.00, a redemption or exchange to another fund will not result in a gain or loss for tax purposes. However, an exchange from one fund into a money market fund may result in a gain or loss on the fund from which shares were redeemed.
All or a portion of the loss realized from a sale or exchange of your fund shares may be disallowed under the “wash sale” rule if you purchase substantially identical shares within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date on which the shares are sold or exchanged. Shares of the same fund you acquire through dividend reinvestment are shares purchased for the purpose of the wash sale rule and may trigger a disallowance of the
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loss for shares sold or exchanged within the 61-day period of the dividend reinvestment. Any loss disallowed under the wash sale rule is added to the cost basis of the purchased shares.
T. Rowe Price (or your financial intermediary) will make available to you Form 1099-B, if applicable, no later than mid-February, providing certain information for each sale you made in the fund during the prior year. Unless otherwise indicated on your Form 1099-B, this information will also be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. For mutual fund shares acquired prior to 2012 in most accounts established or opened by exchange in 1984 or later, our Form 1099-B will provide you with the gain or loss on the shares you sold during the year based on the average cost single category method. This information on average cost and gain or loss from sale is not reported to the Internal Revenue Service. For these mutual fund shares acquired prior to 2012, you may calculate the cost basis using other methods acceptable to the Internal Revenue Service, such as First In First Out (FIFO), for example.
For mutual fund shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, federal income tax regulations require us to report the cost basis information on Form 1099-B using a cost basis method selected by the shareholder in compliance with such regulations or, in the absence of such selected method, our default method if you acquire your shares directly from T. Rowe Price. Our default method is average cost. For any fund shares acquired through a financial intermediary on or after January 1, 2012, you should check with your financial intermediary regarding the applicable cost basis method. You should note that the cost basis information reported to you may not always be the same as what you should report on your tax return because the rules applicable to the determination of cost basis on Form 1099-B may be different from the rules applicable to the determination of cost basis for reporting on your tax return. Therefore, you should save your transaction records to make sure the information reported on your tax return is accurate. T. Rowe Price and financial intermediaries are not required to issue a Form 1099-B to report sales of money market fund shares.
To help you maintain accurate records, T. Rowe Price will make available to you a confirmation promptly following each transaction you make (except for systematic purchases and systematic redemptions) and a year-end statement detailing all of your transactions in each fund account during the year. If you hold your fund through a financial intermediary, the financial intermediary is responsible for providing you with transaction confirmations and statements.
Taxes on Fund Distributions
T. Rowe Price (or your financial intermediary) will make available to you, as applicable, generally no later than mid-February, a Form 1099-DIV, or other Internal Revenue Service forms, as required, indicating the tax status of any income dividends, dividends exempt from federal income taxes, and capital gain distributions made to you. This information will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Taxable distributions are generally taxable to you in the year in which they are paid. A dividend declared in October, November, or December and paid in the following January is generally treated as taxable to you as if you received the distribution in December. Dividends from tax-free funds are generally expected to be tax-exempt for federal income tax purposes. Your bond fund and money market fund dividends for each calendar year will include dividends accrued up to the first business day of the next
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calendar year. Ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions may also be subject to state and local taxes. You will be sent any additional information you need to determine your taxes on fund distributions, such as the portion of your dividends, if any, that may be exempt from state and local income taxes.
Taxable distributions are subject to tax, whether reinvested in additional shares or received in cash.
The tax treatment of a capital gain distribution is determined by how long the fund held the portfolio securities, not how long you held the shares in the fund. Short-term (one year or less) capital gain distributions are taxable at the same rate as ordinary income, and gains on securities held for more than one year are taxed at the lower rates applicable to long-term capital gains. If you realized a loss on the sale or exchange of fund shares that you held for six months or less, your short-term capital loss must be reclassified as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received during the period you held the shares. For funds investing in foreign instruments, distributions resulting from the sale of certain foreign currencies, currency contracts, and the foreign currency portion of gains on debt instruments are taxed as ordinary income. Net foreign currency losses may cause monthly or quarterly dividends to be reclassified as returns of capital.
A fund’s distributions that have exceeded the fund’s earnings and profits for the relevant tax year may be treated as a return of capital to its shareholders. A return of capital distribution is generally nontaxable but reduces the shareholder’s cost basis in the fund, and any return of capital in excess of the cost basis will result in a capital gain.
The tax status of certain distributions may be recharacterized on year-end tax forms, such as your Form 1099-DIV. Distributions made by a fund may later be recharacterized for federal income tax purposes—for example, from taxable ordinary income dividends to returns of capital. A recharacterization of distributions may occur for a number of reasons, including the recharacterization of income received from underlying investments, such as REITs, and distributions that exceed taxable income due to losses from foreign currency transactions or other investment transactions. Certain funds, including international bond funds and funds that invest significantly in REITs, are more likely to recharacterize a portion of their distributions as a result of their investments. The Retirement Income 2020 Fund is also more likely to have some or all of its distributions recharacterized as returns of capital because of the predetermined monthly distribution amount.
If the fund qualifies and elects to pass through nonrefundable foreign income taxes paid to foreign governments during the year, your portion of such taxes will be reported to you as taxable income. However, you may be able to claim an offsetting credit or deduction on your tax return for those amounts. There can be no assurance that a fund will meet the requirements to pass through foreign income taxes paid.
If you are subject to backup withholding, we will have to withhold a 24% backup withholding tax on distributions and, in some cases, redemption payments. You may be subject to backup withholding if we are notified by the Internal Revenue Service to withhold, you have failed one or more tax certification requirements, or our records indicate that your tax identification
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number is missing or incorrect. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and is generally available to credit against your federal income tax liability with any excess refunded to you by the Internal Revenue Service.
The following table provides additional details on distributions for certain funds:
Taxes on Fund Distributions |
Tax-Free and Municipal Funds |
· Gains realized on the sale of market discount bonds with maturities beyond one year may be treated as ordinary income and cannot be offset by other capital losses. · Payments received or gains realized on certain derivative transactions may result in taxable ordinary income or capital gains. · To the extent the fund makes such investments, the likelihood of a taxable distribution will be increased. |
Limited Duration Inflation Focused Bond, U.S. Limited Duration TIPS Index, and Inflation Protected Bond Funds |
· Inflation adjustments on Treasury inflation protected securities that exceed deflation adjustments for the year will be distributed as ordinary income. · In computing the distribution amount, the funds cannot reduce inflation adjustments by short- or long-term capital losses from the sales of securities. · Net deflation adjustments for a year may result in all or a portion of dividends paid earlier in the year being treated as a return of capital. |
Fund-of-Funds |
· Distributions by the underlying funds and changes in asset allocations may result in taxable distributions of ordinary income or capital gains, which could have a significant tax impact to taxable account holders. |
Tax Consequences of Hedging
Entering into certain transactions involving options, futures, swaps, and forward currency exchange contracts may result in the application of the mark-to-market and straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could result in a fund being required to distribute gains on such transactions even though it did not close the contracts during the year or receive cash to pay such distributions. The fund may not be able to reduce its distributions for losses on such transactions to the extent of unrealized gains in offsetting positions.
Tax Effect of Buying Shares Before an Income Dividend or Capital Gain Distribution
If you buy shares before or on the record date—the date that establishes you as the person to receive the upcoming distribution—you may receive a portion of the money you invested in the form of a taxable distribution. Therefore, you may wish to find out a fund’s record date before investing. In addition, a fund’s share price may, at any time, reflect undistributed capital gains or income and unrealized appreciation, which may result in future taxable distributions. Such distributions can occur even in a year when the fund has a negative return. The amount of capital gains realized by the fund is dependent upon the price at which securities are sold compared with the cost basis of those securities. When evaluating investment opportunities and deciding to sell a particular holding, a portfolio manager may consider the fund’s cash
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position relative to the cash needed to meet shareholder redemptions and/or purchase other securities and may identify certain shares with a specific cost basis to be sold in an attempt to minimize capital gain distributions. Additional information is available in the fund’s annual and semiannual shareholder reports.
T. Rowe Price Funds and their agents, in their sole discretion, reserve the following rights: (1) to waive or lower investment minimums; (2) to accept initial purchases by telephone; (3) to refuse any purchase or exchange order; (4) to cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order placed through a financial intermediary no later than the business day after the order is received by the financial intermediary (including, but not limited to, orders deemed to result in excessive trading, market timing, or 5% ownership); (5) to cease offering fund shares at any time to all or certain groups of investors; (6) to freeze any account and suspend account services when notice has been received of a dispute regarding the ownership of the account, or a legal claim against an account, upon initial notification to T. Rowe Price of a shareholder’s death until T. Rowe Price receives required documentation in correct form, or if there is reason to believe a fraudulent transaction may occur; (7) to otherwise modify the conditions of purchase and modify or terminate any services at any time; (8) to waive any wire, small account, maintenance, or fiduciary fees charged to a group of shareholders; (9) to act on instructions reasonably believed to be genuine; (10) to involuntarily redeem an account at the net asset value calculated the day the account is redeemed when permitted by law, including in cases of threatening or abusive conduct, suspected fraudulent or illegal activity, or if the fund or its agent is unable, through its procedures, to verify the identity of the person(s) or entity opening an account; and (11) for money market funds, to suspend redemptions to facilitate an orderly liquidation.
The fund’s Statement of Additional Information, which contains a more detailed description of the fund’s operations, investment restrictions, policies, and practices, has been filed with the SEC. The Statement of Additional Information is incorporated by reference into this prospectus, which means that it is legally part of this prospectus even if you do not request a copy. Further information about the fund’s investments, including a review of market conditions and the manager’s recent investment strategies and their impact on performance during the past fiscal year, is available in the annual and semiannual shareholder reports. These documents and updated performance information are available through troweprice.com. For inquiries about the fund and to obtain free copies of any of these documents, call 1-800-638-5660. If you invest in the fund through a financial intermediary, you should contact your financial intermediary for copies of these documents.
Fund reports and other fund information are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s internet site at sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at [email protected].
T.
Rowe Price Associates, Inc. |
1940 Act File No. 811-5860 |
F66-040 10/1/23 |