ck0000898745-20230831

PRINCIPAL FUNDS, INC.
(“PFI” or the “Registrant”)
Statement of Additional Information
Dated December 31, 2023
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus. It contains information in addition to the information in the Registrant's Prospectus. The Prospectus, which may be amended from time to time, contains the basic information you should know before investing in a Fund. You should read this SAI together with the Prospectus dated December 31, 2023.
Incorporation by Reference: The audited financial statements, schedules of investments, and auditor’s report included in the Registrant’s Annual Report to Shareholders, for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2023, are hereby incorporated by reference into and are legally a part of this SAI.
For a free copy of the current Prospectus, Semi-Annual Report, or Annual Report, call 1-800-222-5852 or write:
Principal Funds
P.O. Box 219971
Kansas City, MO 64121-9971
The Prospectus may be viewed at www.PrincipalAM.com/Prospectuses.
Ticker Symbols by Share Class
Fund
A C J Inst. R-1 R-3 R-4 R-5 R-6
S
Blue Chip
PBLAX
PBLCX PBCJX PBCKX PGBEX PGBFX PGBGX PGBHX
Bond Market Index PBIJX PNIIX PBIMX PBOIX PBIPX PBIQX
Capital Securities
PCSFX
Diversified Real Asset PRDAX PDRDX PGDRX PDARX
Edge MidCap PEMCX PEDGX PEDMX
Global Multi-Strategy PMSAX PSMIX PGLSX
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure PGSLX
International Equity Index PIDIX PILIX PIIOX PIIPX PIIQX PFIEX
International Small Company PISMX PFISX
Opportunistic Municipal PMOAX POMFX
Origin Emerging Markets POEYX POEIX POEFX
Small-MidCap Dividend Income PMDAX PMDDX PMDIX PMDHX
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income PPSAX PRFCX PPSJX PPSIX PUSAX PNARX PQARX PPARX PPREX



TABLE OF CONTENTS
A - 1
APPENDIX B – PRICE MAKE UP SHEET
B - 1
APPENDIX C – PROXY VOTING POLICIES
C - 1
2


HISTORY OF THE FUNDS
Principal Funds, Inc. (“PFI” or the “Registrant”) was organized as Principal Special Markets Fund, Inc. on January 28, 1993, as a Maryland corporation. The Registrant changed its name to Principal Investors Fund, Inc. effective September 14, 2000 and to Principal Funds, Inc. effective June 13, 2008.
On January 12, 2007, the Registrant acquired WM Trust I, WM Trust II, and WM Strategic Asset Management Portfolios, LLC.
Classes offered by each series of the Registrant (each, a “Fund” and, together, the “Funds”) are shown in the following table.
Share Class
Fund A C J Inst. R-1 R-3 R-4 R-5 R-6 S
Blue Chip
X
X X X X X X X
Bond Market Index X X X X X X
Capital Securities X
Diversified Real Asset X X X X
Edge MidCap X X X
Global Multi-Strategy X X X
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure X
International Equity Index X X X X X X
International Small Company X X
Opportunistic Municipal X X
Origin Emerging Markets X X X
Small-MidCap Dividend Income X X X X
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income X X X X X X X X X
Each class has different expenses. Because of these different expenses, the investment performance of the classes will vary. For more information, including your eligibility to purchase certain classes of shares, call Principal Funds at 1-800-222-5852.
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI” or the “Manager”) may recommend to the Board of Directors (the “Board”), and the Board may elect, to close certain Funds to new investors or close certain Funds to new and existing investors. PGI may make such a recommendation when a Fund approaches a size where additional investments in the Fund have the potential to adversely impact Fund performance and make it increasingly difficult to keep the Fund fully invested in a manner consistent with its investment objective. PGI may also recommend to the Board, and the Board may elect, to close certain share classes to new or new and existing investors.
3


MULTIPLE CLASS STRUCTURE
The Board has adopted a multiple class plan (the “Multiple Class Plan”) pursuant to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Rule 18f-3. The share classes each Fund offers are identified in the chart included under the heading “History of the Funds.” The share classes offered under the Multiple Class Plan include: Classes A, C, J, Institutional, R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, and S.
Class A shares are generally sold with a sales charge that is a variable percentage based on the amount of the purchase, as described in the Prospectus. Certain redemptions of Class A shares within 12 months of purchase may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”), as described in the Prospectus.
Class C shares are not subject to a sales charge at the time of purchase but are subject to a 1% CDSC on shares redeemed within 12 months of purchase, as described in the Prospectus.
Class J shares are sold without any front-end sales charge. A CDSC of 1% is imposed if Class J shares are redeemed within 18 months of purchase, as described in the Prospectus.
Sales charge waivers and reductions may be available depending on whether shares are purchased directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary, as described in the Prospectus and Appendix B to the Prospectus, titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions.”
For Classes A, C, and J shares purchased from the Fund or through an intermediary not identified on Appendix B to the Prospectus, the CDSC is waived on shares:
redeemed within 90 days after an account is re-registered due to a shareholder's death;
redeemed to pay surrender fees;
redeemed to pay retirement plan fees;
redeemed involuntarily from accounts with small balances;
redeemed due to the shareholder's disability (as defined by the Internal Revenue Code) provided the shares were purchased prior to the disability;
redeemed from retirement plans to satisfy minimum distribution rules under the Internal Revenue Code;
redeemed from a retirement plan to assure the plan complies with the Internal Revenue Code;
redeemed from retirement plans qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code due to the plan participant's death, disability, retirement, or separation from service after attaining age 55;
redeemed from retirement plans to satisfy excess contribution rules under the Internal Revenue Code; or
redeemed using a systematic withdrawal plan (up to 1% per month (measured cumulatively with respect to non-monthly plans) of the value of the fund account at the time, and beginning on the date, the systematic withdrawal plan begins). (The free withdrawal privilege not used in a calendar year is not added to the free withdrawal privileges for any following year.)
For Class J shares purchased from the Fund or through an intermediary not identified on Appendix B to the Prospectus, the CDSC also is waived on shares:
redeemed that were purchased pursuant to the Small Amount Force Out program (SAFO); or
of the Money Market Fund redeemed within 30 days of the initial purchase if the redemption proceeds are transferred to another Principal IRA, defined as either a fixed or variable annuity issued by Principal Life Insurance Company to fund an IRA, a Principal Bank IRA product, or a WRAP account IRA sponsored by Principal Securities, Inc. (PSI).
Institutional Class and Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, and R-6 shares are available without any front-end sales charge or CDSC. Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5 shares are available through employer-sponsored retirement plans. Such plans may impose fees in addition to those charged by the Funds. Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5 shares are subject to asset-based charges (described below). Class R-6 shares are generally available through the defined contribution investment only channel.
PGI receives a fee for providing investment advisory and certain corporate administrative services under the terms of the Management Agreement between the Registrant and PGI. In addition to the management fee, the Funds’ Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5 shares pay PGI a service fee and an administrative services fee under the terms of a Service Agreement between the Registrant and PGI and an Administrative Services Agreement between the Registrant and PGI, respectively.
4


Service Agreement (Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5 Shares)
The Service Agreement provides for PGI to provide certain personal services to shareholders (plan sponsors) and beneficial owners (plan members) of those classes. These personal services include:
•    responding to plan sponsor and plan member inquiries;
•    providing information regarding plan sponsor and plan member investments; and
•    providing other similar personal services or services related to the maintenance of shareholder accounts as contemplated by National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) Rule 2830 (or any successor thereto).
As compensation for these services, Principal Funds will pay PGI service fees equal to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to each of the R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5 Classes. The service fees are calculated and accrued daily and paid monthly to PGI (or at such other intervals as Principal Funds and PGI may agree).
Administrative Services Agreement (Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5 Shares)
The Administrative Services Agreement provides for PGI to provide services to beneficial owners of Fund shares. Such services include:
•    receiving, aggregating, and processing purchase, exchange, and redemption requests from plan shareholders;
•    providing plan shareholders with a service that invests the assets of their accounts in shares pursuant to pre-authorized instructions submitted by plan members;
•    processing dividend payments from the Funds on behalf of plan shareholders and changing shareholder account designations;
•    acting as shareholder of record and nominee for plans;
•    maintaining account records for shareholders and/or other beneficial owners;
•    providing notification to plan shareholders of transactions affecting their accounts;
•    forwarding prospectuses, financial reports, tax information, and other communications from the Fund to beneficial owners;
•    distributing, receiving, tabulating, and transmitting proxy ballots of plan shareholders; and
•    other similar administrative services.
As compensation for these services, Principal Funds will pay PGI service fees equal to 0.28% of the average daily net assets attributable to the R-1 Class, 0.07% of the average daily net assets of the R-3 Class, 0.03% of the average daily net assets of the R-4 Class, and 0.01% of the average daily net assets of the R-5 Class. The service fees are calculated and accrued daily and paid monthly to PGI (or at such other intervals as Principal Funds and PGI may agree).
PGI will generally, at its discretion, appoint (and may at any time remove) other parties, including companies affiliated with PGI, as its agent to carry out the provisions of the Service Agreement and/or the Administrative Services Agreement. However, the appointment of an agent shall not relieve PGI of any of its responsibilities or liabilities under those agreements. Any fees paid to agents under these agreements shall be the sole responsibility of PGI.
Class S: Class S shares are available without any front-end sales charge or CDSC. Eligibility to invest in the Capital Securities Fund is limited to certain wrap-fee program accounts. Only wrap-fee program accounts as to which Spectrum and/or PGI have an agreement with the wrap-fee program’s sponsor (“Sponsor”) or the wrap account owner to provide investment advisory or sub-advisory services (either directly or by providing a model investment portfolio created and maintained by Spectrum and/or PGI to the Sponsor or one or more Sponsor-designated investment managers) (“Eligible Wrap Accounts”) are eligible to purchase shares of the Fund. References to Wrap Fee Advisor shall mean Spectrum and/or PGI in their role providing such services to Eligible Wrap Accounts.
A client agreement with the Sponsor to open an account in the Sponsor’s wrap-fee program typically may be obtained by contacting the Sponsor or your financial advisor. Purchase and sale decisions regarding Fund shares for your wrap account ordinarily will be made by the Wrap Fee Advisor, the Sponsor, or a Sponsor-designated investment manager, depending on the particular wrap-fee program in which your wrap account participates. If your wrap-fee account’s use of the Wrap Fee Advisor’s investment style is terminated by you, the Sponsor, or the Wrap Fee Advisor, your wrap account will cease to be an Eligible Wrap Account and you will be required to redeem all your shares of the Capital Securities Fund. Each Eligible Wrap Account, by purchasing shares, agrees to any such redemption.
Rule 12b-1 Fees / Distribution Plans and Agreements
The distributor for the Funds is Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. (“PFD” or the “Distributor”). PFD's address is 711 High Street, Des Moines, IA 50392.
5


In addition to the management and service fees, certain of the Funds’ share classes are subject to a Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan and Agreement (each, a “Plan” and, together, the “Plans”). The Board and initial shareholders of Classes A, C, J, R-1, R-3, and R-4 shares have approved and entered into a Plan. In adopting the Plans, the Board (including a majority of board members who are not interested persons of the Funds, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) determined that there was a reasonable likelihood that the Plans would benefit the Funds and the shareholders of the affected classes. Among the possible benefits of the Plans include the potential for building and retaining Fund assets, as well as the ability to offer an incentive for registered representatives to provide ongoing servicing to shareholders.
The Plans provide that each Fund makes payments to the Fund’s Distributor from assets of each share class that has a Plan to compensate the Distributor and other selling dealers, various banks, broker-dealers, and other financial intermediaries, for providing certain services to the Fund. Such services may include, but are not limited to:
•    formulation and implementation of marketing and promotional activities;
•    preparation, printing, and distribution of sales literature;
•    preparation, printing, and distribution of prospectuses and the Fund reports to other-than-existing shareholders;
•    obtaining such information with respect to marketing and promotional activities as the Distributor deems advisable;
•    making payments to dealers and others engaged in the sale of shares or who engage in shareholder support services; and
•    providing training, marketing, and support with respect to the sale of shares.
Each Fund pays the Distributor a fee after the end of each month at an annual rate as a percentage of the daily net asset value of the assets attributable to each share class as follows:

Share Class
Maximum Annualized
12b-1 Fee
A (1)
0.25%
C (1)
1.00%
J (1)
0.15%
R-1
0.35%
R-3 0.25%
R-4 0.10%
(1)The Distributor also receives the proceeds of any CDSC imposed.
Effective January 1, 2021, the Distributor has voluntarily agreed to limit the distribution fees attributable to Class J, reducing the Funds’ distribution fees for Class J shares by 0.020%.* This voluntary waiver may be revised or terminated at any time without notice to shareholders.
*    For the period from December 31, 2016 to December 31, 2020, the voluntary waiver was 0.030%.
The Distributor may remit on a continuous basis all of these sums to its investment representatives and other financial intermediaries as a trail fee in recognition of their services and assistance.
Currently, the Distributor makes payments to dealers on accounts for which such dealer is designated dealer of record. Payments are based on the average net asset value of the accounts invested in Classes A, C, J, R-1, R-3, or R-4 shares.
Under the Plans, the Funds have no legal obligation to pay any amount that exceeds the compensation limit. The Funds do not pay, directly or indirectly, interest, carrying charges, or other financing costs in association with these Plans. All fees paid under a Fund’s Plan are paid to the Distributor, which is entitled to retain such fees paid by the Fund without regard to the expenses that it incurs.
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2023, each Fund made the following 12b-1 payments to PFD, and PFD, from these 12b-1 payments, made the following payments to financial intermediaries that distribute and/or service the Fund’s shares. The “Retained by PFD” column reflects the difference between the amount paid by the Fund to PFD and the amount of that 12b-1 fee paid by PFD to financial intermediaries. That difference/remainder is then used by PFD to pay for other 12b-1-eligible expenses. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2023, the 12b-1-eligible expenses for each Fund were greater than the amount of the Fund’s 12b-1 payments to PFD.
6


Fund Paid by Fund to PFD
(amounts in thousands)
Paid by PFD to
Financial Intermediaries
(amounts in thousands)
Retained by PFD
(amounts in thousands)
Blue Chip
$5,098 $4,924 $174
Bond Market Index
73 66 7
Capital Securities
Diversified Real Asset
262 262
Edge MidCap
42 41 1
Global Multi-Strategy
95 94 1
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure
International Equity Index
39 34 5
International Small Company
Opportunistic Municipal
108 108
Origin Emerging Markets
13 13
Small-MidCap Dividend Income
738 733 5
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income
3,497 3,349 148
Principal Underwriter
PFD acts as the principal underwriter in the continuous public offering of the Funds’ shares. The table below shows the aggregate dollar amount of underwriting commissions and the amount retained by PFD for the last three fiscal years ended August 31:
Underwriting Fees for Periods Ended August 31
(amounts in thousands)
2023 2022 2021
Fund Total Underwriting Commissions Amount Retained by PFD Total Underwriting Commissions Amount Retained by PFD Total Underwriting Commissions Amount Retained by PFD
Blue Chip
$1,495 $305 $2,423 $467 $3,115 $563
Bond Market Index
1 1 1 1 6 6
Capital Securities
Diversified Real Asset
54 17 147 30 30 6
Edge MidCap
46 10 55 8 73 11
Global Multi-Strategy
13 3 8 2 5 1
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure
International Equity Index
International Small Company
7 1
Opportunistic Municipal
9 2 26 4 14 6
Origin Emerging Markets
7 1 17 3 42 7
Small-MidCap Dividend Income
74 13 81 17 113 21
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income
408 147 455 222 727 245
PFD does not charge fees on redemptions or repurchases of Fund shares. The amounts in the table above for Total Underwriting Commissions include any applicable contingent deferred sales charges and front-end sales charges.
Transfer Agency Agreement (Classes A, C, J, Institutional, R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, and S)
The Transfer Agency Agreement provides for Principal Shareholder Services, Inc. (“PSS”) (711 High Street, Des Moines, IA 50392), an affiliate of PGI, to act as transfer and shareholder servicing agent for the Classes A, C, J, Institutional, R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, and S.
For Classes A, C, and R-6, and Institutional Class shares, the Registrant pays PSS a fee for the services provided pursuant to the Transfer Agency Agreement in an amount equal to the costs incurred by PSS for providing such services.
For Class J shares, the Registrant pays PSS a fee for the services provided pursuant to the Transfer Agency Agreement in an amount that includes profit.
7


The Registrant pays PSS for the following services for Classes A, C, J, and R-6, and Institutional Class shares:
issuance, transfer, conversion, cancellation, and registry of ownership of Fund shares, and maintenance of open account system;
preparation and distribution of dividend and capital gain payments to shareholders;
delivery, redemption, and repurchase of shares, and remittances to shareholders;
the tabulation of proxy ballots and the preparation and distribution to shareholders of notices, proxy statements and proxies, reports, confirmation of transactions, prospectuses, and tax information;
communication with shareholders concerning the above items; and
use of its best efforts to qualify the capital stock of the Funds for sale in states and jurisdictions as directed by the Funds.
The Registrant does not pay for these services for Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5 shares. PSS will pay operating expenses attributable to Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5 shares related to (a) the cost of meetings of shareholders and (b) the costs of initial and ongoing qualification of the capital stock of the Funds for sale in states and jurisdictions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENTS AND RISKS
The Registrant is a registered, open-end management investment company, commonly called a mutual fund. The Registrant consists of multiple investment portfolios, which are referred to as “Funds.” Each Fund has its own investment objective, strategies, and portfolio management team. As described below, each Fund has adopted a fundamental policy regarding diversification, as that term is used in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
Fund Policies
The investment objective, principal investment strategies, and principal risks of each Fund are described in the Prospectus. This SAI contains supplemental information about those strategies and risks and the types of securities that those managing the investments of each Fund can select. Additional information is also provided about other strategies that each Fund may use to try to achieve its objective.
The composition of each Fund and the techniques and strategies that those managing a Fund’s investments may use in selecting securities will vary over time. A Fund is not required to use all of the investment techniques and strategies available to it in seeking its goals.
Unless otherwise indicated, with the exception of the percentage limitations on borrowing, the restrictions apply at the time transactions are entered into. Accordingly, any later increase or decrease beyond the specified limitation, resulting from market fluctuations or in a rating by a rating service, does not require elimination of any security from a Fund’s portfolio.
The investment objective of each Fund and, except as described below as “fundamental restrictions,” the investment strategies described in this SAI and the Prospectus are not fundamental and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
With the exception of the diversification test required by the Internal Revenue Code, the Funds will not consider collateral held in connection with securities lending activities when applying any of the following fundamental restrictions or any other investment restriction set forth in the Prospectus or SAI.
Fundamental Restrictions
Except as specifically noted, each Fund has adopted the following fundamental restrictions. Each fundamental restriction is a matter of fundamental policy and may not be changed without a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the affected Fund, except as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute and the rules thereunder, the SEC, or other regulatory agency with authority over the Funds. The 1940 Act provides that “a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of a Fund means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding Fund shares or (2) 67% or more of the Fund shares present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding Fund shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy. Each share has one vote, with fractional shares voting proportionately. Shares of all classes of a Fund will vote together as a single class, except when otherwise required by law or as determined by the Board.
8


Each Fund:
1)may not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
2)has adopted a commodities policy, as follows:
(a)The Opportunistic Municipal Fund may not purchase or sell commodities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
(b)The remaining Funds may not purchase or sell commodities, except as permitted by applicable law, regulation, or regulatory authority having jurisdiction.
3)may not purchase or sell real estate, which term does not include securities of companies that deal in real estate or mortgages or investments secured by real estate or interests therein, except that each Fund reserves freedom of action to hold and to sell real estate acquired as a result of the Fund’s ownership of securities.
4)may not borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
5)may not make loans, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
6)has adopted a policy regarding diversification, as follows:
(a)The Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure Fund has elected to be non-diversified.
(b)All other Funds have elected to be treated as a "diversified" investment company, as that term is used in the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
7)has adopted a concentration policy, as follows:
(a)The Capital Securities, Diversified Real Asset, Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure, and Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income Funds will concentrate their investments in a particular industry or group of industries as described in the Prospectus.
(b)The Bond Market Index and International Equity Index Funds will not concentrate their investments in a particular industry, except to the extent that their related Index is also so concentrated.
(c)The Opportunistic Municipal Fund may not concentrate, as that term is used in the 1940 Act, its investments in a particular industry, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
(d)The remaining Funds may not concentrate, as that term is used in the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time, its investments in a particular industry or group of industries.
8)    may not act as an underwriter of securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with the sale of securities held in its portfolio.
Non-Fundamental Restrictions
Except as specifically noted, each Fund has also adopted the following non-fundamental restrictions. Non-fundamental restrictions are not fundamental policies and may be changed without shareholder approval. It is contrary to each Fund’s present policy to:
1)Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities and in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, except to the extent permitted by applicable law or regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
2)Pledge, mortgage, or hypothecate its assets, except to secure permitted borrowings. The deposit of underlying securities and other assets in escrow and other collateral arrangements in connection with transactions that involve any future payment obligation, as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by any regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time, are not deemed to be pledges, mortgages, hypothecations, or other encumbrances.
3)Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.
9


4)Invest more than 25% of its assets in foreign securities; however:
(a)the Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income Fund may not invest more than 60% of its assets in foreign securities;
(b)the Capital Securities, Diversified Real Asset, Global Multi-Strategy, Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure, International Equity Index, International Small Company, and Origin Emerging Markets Funds each may invest up to 100% of its assets in foreign securities;
(c)the Bond Market Index Fund may invest in foreign securities to the extent that the relevant index is so invested; and
(d)the Opportunistic Municipal Fund may not invest in foreign securities.
5)Invest more than 5% of its total assets in real estate limited partnership interests.
The Diversified Real Asset and Global Multi-Strategy Funds have not adopted this non-fundamental restriction.
6)Acquire securities of other investment companies in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or (G) of the 1940 Act, invest more than 10% of its total assets in securities of other investment companies, invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one investment company, or acquire more than 3% of the outstanding voting securities of any one investment company, except in connection with a merger, consolidation, or plan of reorganization and except as permitted by the 1940 Act, SEC Rules adopted under the 1940 Act, or exemptions granted by the SEC. The Fund may purchase securities of closed-end investment companies in the open market where no underwriter or dealer’s commission or profit, other than a customary broker’s commission, is involved.
Non-Fundamental Policy - Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act - Investment Company Names
Except as specifically noted, each Fund has also adopted a non-fundamental policy, pursuant to SEC Rule 35d-1, which requires it, under normal circumstances, to invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in the type of investments, industry, or geographic region (as described in the Prospectus) as suggested by the name of the Fund.
This policy applies at the time of purchase. A Fund will provide 60 days’ notice to shareholders prior to implementing a change in this policy for the Fund. For purposes of this non-fundamental policy, each Fund tests market capitalization ranges monthly.
For purposes of testing this requirement with respect to:
Forward foreign currency contracts and other investments that have economic characteristics similar to foreign currency: the value of such contracts and investments may include the Fund’s investments in cash and/or cash equivalents to the extent such cash and/or cash equivalents are maintained with respect to the Fund’s exposure under its forward foreign currency contracts and similar investments.
Derivatives instruments: each Fund will typically count the mark-to-market value of such derivatives. However, a Fund may use a derivative contract’s notional value when it determines that notional value is an appropriate measure of the Fund’s exposure to investments. For example, with respect to single-name equity swaps that are “fully paid” (equity swaps in which cash and/or cash equivalents are posted as collateral for the purpose of covering the full notional value of the swap), each Fund will count the value of such cash and/or cash equivalents.
Investments in underlying funds (including ETFs): each Fund will count all investments in an underlying fund toward the requirement as long as 80% of the value of such underlying fund’s holdings focus on the particular type of investment suggested by the Fund name.
The Global Multi-Strategy Fund has not adopted this non-fundamental policy.
The Opportunistic Municipal Fund has adopted a fundamental policy that requires it, under normal circumstances, to invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in investments, the income from which is exempt from federal income tax or so that at least 80% of the income the Fund distributes will be exempt from federal income tax.
10


Investment Strategies and Risks Related to Borrowing and Senior Securities, Commodity-Related Investments, Industry Concentration, and Loans
Borrowing and Senior Securities
Under the 1940 Act, a fund that borrows money is required to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for borrowings not in excess of 5% of the fund’s total assets made for temporary or emergency purposes. If a fund invests the proceeds of borrowing, borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on net asset value of any increase or decrease in the market value of a fund’s portfolio. If a fund invests the proceeds of borrowing, money borrowed will be subject to interest costs that may or may not be recovered by earnings on the securities purchased. A fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.
Commodity-Related Investments
All Funds Except the Diversified Real Asset Fund and the Global Multi-Strategy Fund
Under the 1940 Act, a fund’s registration statement must recite the fund’s policy with regard to investing in commodities. Each Fund may invest in commodities to the extent permitted by applicable law and under its fundamental and non-fundamental policies and restrictions. Pursuant to a claim for exclusion filed with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) on behalf of each of the Funds under Rule 4.5, PGI is not deemed to be a “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) as it specifically relates to PGI’s operations with respect to the Funds, and the Funds, therefore, are not considered regulated commodity pools and are not subject to registration or regulation under the CEA. The CFTC amended Rule 4.5 exclusions for certain otherwise regulated persons from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator.” Rule 4.5 provides that an investment company does not meet the definition of “commodity pool operator” if its use of futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and swaps is sufficiently limited that the fund can fall within one of two exclusions set out in Rule 4.5. Each Fund intends to limit its use of futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and swaps to the degree necessary to fall within one of the two exclusions. If a Fund is unable to do so, it may incur expenses that are necessary to comply with the CEA and rules the CFTC has adopted under it.
Diversified Real Asset Fund and Global Multi-Strategy Fund
The Diversified Real Asset Fund and the Global Multi-Strategy Fund are each deemed to be a “commodity pool” under the CEA, and PGI is considered a “commodity pool operator” with respect to each such Fund. PGI is, therefore, subject to dual regulation by the SEC and the CFTC. The CFTC or the SEC could alter the regulatory requirements governing the use of commodity futures (which include futures on broad-based securities indexes, interest rate futures, and currency futures) or options on commodity futures or swaps transactions by investment companies, including these Funds.
To gain exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the Diversified Real Asset Fund and the Global Multi-Strategy Fund may each invest up to 25% of its total assets in its respective wholly-owned subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (a “Cayman Subsidiary”). The Diversified Real Asset Fund and the Global Multi-Strategy Fund may test for compliance with certain investment restrictions on a consolidated basis with its Cayman Subsidiary. With respect to investments that involve leverage, each Cayman Subsidiary’s assets will be aggregated with the assets of the respective parent fund for compliance with the SEC’s derivatives rule.
Industry Concentration
“Concentration” means a fund invests more than 25% of its net assets in a particular industry or group of industries. To monitor compliance with the policy regarding industry concentration, the Funds may use the industry classifications provided by Bloomberg, L.P., the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI)/Standard & Poor’s Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS), the Directory of Companies Filing Annual Reports with the SEC, or any other reasonable industry classification system. With respect to monitoring industry concentration, a Fund concentrating in the “financial services industry” concentrates its investments in one or more industries classified within the broader financial services sector.
Each Fund interprets its policy with respect to concentration in a particular industry to apply only to direct investments in the securities of issuers in a particular industry.
11


For purposes of this restriction, government securities (such as treasury securities or mortgage-backed securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, or instrumentalities) are not subject to the Funds’ industry concentration restrictions.
Each Fund views its investments in tax-exempt municipal securities as not representing interests in any particular industry or group of industries. For information about municipal securities, see the Municipal Obligations section.
Loans
A Fund may not make loans to other persons, except (i) as permitted by the 1940 Act and the Rules and Regulations thereunder, or other successor law governing the regulation of registered investment companies, or interpretations or modifications thereof by the SEC, SEC Staff, or other authority of competent jurisdiction, or (ii) pursuant to exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC Staff, or other authority of competent jurisdiction. Generally, this means the Funds are typically permitted to make loans but must take into account potential issues such as liquidity, valuation, and avoidance of impermissible transactions. Examples of permissible loans include (a) the lending of its portfolio securities, (b) the purchase of debt securities, loan participations, and/or engaging in direct corporate loans in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (c) the entry into a repurchase agreement (to the extent such entry is deemed to be a loan), and (d) loans to affiliated investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any exemptions therefrom that may be granted by the SEC.
Other Investment Strategies and Risks
Commodity Index-Linked Notes
A commodity index-linked note is a type of structured note that is a derivative instrument. Over the long term, the returns on a fund’s investments in commodity index-linked notes are expected to exhibit low or negative correlation with stocks and bonds, which means the prices of commodity-linked notes may move in a different direction than investments in traditional equity and debt securities. As an example, during periods of rising inflation, debt securities have historically tended to decrease in value and the prices of certain commodities, such as oil and metals, have historically tended to increase. The reverse may be true during “bull markets,” when the value of traditional securities such as stocks and bonds is increasing. Under such economic conditions, a fund’s investments in commodity index-linked notes may be expected not to perform as well as investments in traditional securities. There can be no assurance, however, that derivative instruments will perform in that manner in the future and, at certain times in the past, the price movements of commodity-linked investments have been parallel to debt and equity securities. If commodities prices move in tandem with the prices of financial assets, they may not provide overall portfolio diversification benefits.
Convertible Securities
A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock, or other security that entitles the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. A convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have characteristics similar to non-convertible debt or preferred securities, as applicable. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a corporation’s capital structure and, therefore, generally entail less risk than the corporation’s common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed income security. Convertible securities are subordinate in rank to any senior debt obligations of the issuer, and, therefore, an issuer’s convertible securities entail more risk than its debt obligations. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible debt securities of similar credit quality because of the potential for capital appreciation. In addition, convertible securities are often lower-rated securities.
Because of the conversion feature, the price of the convertible security will normally fluctuate in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying asset, and as such is subject to risks relating to the activities of the issuer and/or general market and economic conditions. The income component of a convertible security may tend to cushion the security against declines in the price of the underlying asset. However, the income component of convertible securities causes fluctuations based upon changes in interest rates and the credit quality of the issuer.
If the conversion value of a convertible security increases to a point that approximates or exceeds its investment value, the value of the security will be principally influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security will sell at a premium over its conversion value to the extent investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding an income-producing security.
12


A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a predetermined price. If a convertible security held by a fund is called for redemption, the fund would be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security and convert it to underlying common stock, or would sell the convertible security to a third party, which may have an adverse effect on the fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
Synthetic Convertibles
A “synthetic” convertible security may be created by combining separate securities that possess the two principal characteristics of a traditional convertible security, i.e., an income-producing security (“income-producing component”) and the right to acquire an equity security (“convertible component”). The income-producing component is achieved by investing in non-convertible, income-producing securities such as bonds, preferred stocks and money market instruments, which may be represented by derivative instruments. The convertible component is achieved by investing in securities or instruments such as warrants or options to buy common stock at a certain exercise price, or options on a stock index. Unlike a traditional convertible security, which is a single security having a single market value, a synthetic convertible comprises two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. Therefore, the “market value” of a synthetic convertible security is the sum of the values of its income-producing component and its convertible component. For this reason, the values of a synthetic convertible security and a traditional convertible security may respond differently to market fluctuations.
More flexibility is possible in the assembly of a synthetic convertible security than in the purchase of a convertible security. Although synthetic convertible securities may be selected where the two components are issued by a single issuer, thus making the synthetic convertible security similar to the traditional convertible security, the character of a synthetic convertible security allows the combination of components representing distinct issuers, when such a combination may better achieve a fund’s investment objective. A synthetic convertible security also is a more flexible investment in that its two components may be purchased separately. For example, a fund may purchase a warrant for inclusion in a synthetic convertible security but temporarily hold short-term investments while postponing the purchase of a corresponding bond pending development of more favorable market conditions.
A holder of a synthetic convertible security faces the risk of a decline in the price of the security or the level of the index involved in the convertible component, causing a decline in the value of the security or instrument, such as a call option or warrant, purchased to create the synthetic convertible security. Should the price of the stock fall below the exercise price and remain there throughout the exercise period, the entire amount paid for the call option or warrant would be lost. Because a synthetic convertible security includes the income-producing component as well, the holder of a synthetic convertible security also faces the risk that interest rates will rise, causing a decline in the value of the income-producing instrument.
A fund also may purchase synthetic convertible securities created by other parties, including convertible structured notes. Convertible structured notes are income-producing debentures linked to equity and are typically issued by investment banks. Convertible structured notes have the attributes of a convertible security; however, the investment bank that issues the convertible note, rather than the issuer of the underlying common stock into which the note is convertible, assumes credit risk associated with the underlying investment, and the fund in turn assumes credit risk associated with the convertible note.
Corporate Reorganizations
Funds may invest in securities for which a tender or exchange offer has been made or announced and in securities of companies for which a merger, consolidation, liquidation, or reorganization proposal has been announced if, in the judgment of those managing the fund’s investments, there is a reasonable prospect of capital appreciation significantly greater than the brokerage and other transaction expenses involved. The primary risk of such investments is that if the contemplated transaction is abandoned, revised, delayed, or becomes subject to unanticipated uncertainties, including, for example, new or revised laws or regulations, the market price of the securities may decline below the purchase price paid by a fund.
13


In general, securities that are the subject of such an offer or proposal sell at a premium to their historic market price immediately prior to the announcement of the offer or proposal. However, the increased market price of such securities may discount what the stated or appraised value of the security would be if the contemplated transaction were approved or consummated. Such investments may be advantageous when the discount: significantly overstates the risk of the contingencies involved; significantly undervalues the securities, assets, or cash to be received by shareholders of the prospective company as a result of the contemplated transaction; or fails adequately to recognize the possibility that the offer or proposal may be replaced or superseded by an offer or proposal of greater value. The evaluation of such contingencies requires unusually broad knowledge and experience on the part of those managing the fund’s investments, which must appraise not only the value of the issuer and its component businesses, but also the financial resources and business motivation of the offer or proposal as well as the dynamics of the business climate when the offer or proposal is in process.
Cyber Security Issues
Each Fund and its service providers may be subject to cyber security risks. Those risks include, among others, theft, misuse or corruption of data maintained online or digitally; denial of service attacks on websites; the loss or unauthorized release of confidential and proprietary information; operational disruption; or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber-attacks against or security breakdowns of a Fund or its service providers may harm the Fund and its shareholders, potentially resulting in, among other things, financial losses, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, inability to calculate a fund’s NAV, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance and remediation costs. Cyber security risks may also affect issuers of securities in which a fund invests, potentially causing the fund’s investment in such issuers to lose value. Despite risk management processes, there can be no guarantee that a fund will avoid losses relating to cyber security risks or other information security breaches.
Derivatives
Options on Securities and Securities Indices
Funds may write (sell) and purchase call and put options on securities and on securities indices. Funds may engage in these transactions to hedge against a decline in the value of securities owned or an increase in the price of securities that the Fund plans to purchase, or to generate additional revenue.
Exchange-Traded Options. An exchange-traded option may be closed out only on an exchange that generally provides a liquid secondary market for an option of the same series. If a liquid secondary market for an exchange-traded option does not exist, it might not be possible to effect a closing transaction with respect to a particular option, with the result that a Fund would have to exercise the option in order to consummate the transaction.
Over the Counter (“OTC”) Options. OTC options differ from exchange-traded options in that they are two-party contracts, with price and other terms negotiated between buyer and seller, and generally do not have as much market liquidity as exchange-traded options. An OTC option (an option not traded on an established exchange) may be closed out only by agreement with the other party to the original option transaction. With OTC options, a Fund is at risk that the other party to the transaction will default on its obligations or will not permit the Fund to terminate the transaction before its scheduled maturity. While a Fund will seek to enter into OTC options only with dealers who agree to or are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with a Fund, there can be no assurance that a Fund will be able to liquidate an OTC option at a favorable price at any time prior to its expiration. OTC options are not subject to the protections afforded purchasers of listed options by the Options Clearing Corporation or other clearing organizations.
FLexible EXchange Options (“FLEX Options”). FLEX Options are customized options contracts available through national securities exchanges that are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”), a market clearinghouse. FLEX Options provide investors with the ability to customize terms of an option, including exercise prices, exercise styles (European-style options, which are exercisable only at the expiration date, versus American-style options, which are exercisable any time prior to the expiration date), and expiration dates, while achieving price discovery in competitive, transparent auction markets and avoiding the counterparty exposure of the OTC option positions.
14


There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange or elsewhere may exist. If a Fund is unable to close out a call option on securities that it has written before the option is exercised, the Fund may be required to purchase the optioned securities in order to satisfy its obligation under the option to deliver such securities. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options on securities that it has purchased, it would have to exercise the option in order to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase and sale of the underlying securities. The writing and purchasing of options is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Imperfect correlation between the options and securities markets may detract from the effectiveness of attempted hedging. Options transactions may result in significantly higher transaction costs and portfolio turnover for a Fund.
Writing Call and Put Options. When a Fund writes a call option, it gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy a specific security at a specified price at any time before the option expires. When a Fund writes a put option, it gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell to the Fund a specific security at a specified price at any time before the option expires. In both situations, the Fund receives a premium from the purchaser of the option.
The premium received by a Fund reflects, among other factors, the current market price of the underlying security, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price, the time period until the expiration of the option and interest rates. The premium generates additional income for the Fund if the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. By writing a call, a Fund limits its opportunity to profit from any increase in the market value of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option, but it retains the risk of loss if the price of the security should decline. By writing a put, a Fund assumes the risk that it may have to purchase the underlying security at a price that may be higher than its market value at time of exercise.
A Fund usually owns the underlying security covered by any outstanding call option. With respect to an outstanding put option, a Fund deposits and maintains with its custodian or segregates on the Fund’s records, cash, or other liquid assets with a value at least equal to the market value of the option that was written.
Once a Fund has written an option, it may terminate its obligation before the option is exercised. The Fund executes a closing transaction by purchasing an option of the same series as the option previously written. The Fund has a gain or loss depending on whether the premium received when the option was written exceeds the closing purchase price plus related transaction costs.
Purchasing Call and Put Options. When a Fund purchases a call option, it receives, in return for the premium it pays, the right to buy from the writer of the option the underlying security at a specified price at any time before the option expires. A Fund purchases call options in anticipation of an increase in the market value of securities that it intends ultimately to buy. During the life of the call option, the Fund is able to buy the underlying security at the exercise price regardless of any increase in the market price of the underlying security. For a call option to result in a gain, the market price of the underlying security must exceed the sum of the exercise price, the premium paid, and transaction costs.
When a Fund purchases a put option, it receives, in return for the premium it pays, the right to sell to the writer of the option the underlying security at a specified price at any time before the option expires. A Fund purchases put options in anticipation of a decline in the market value of the underlying security. During the life of the put option, the Fund is able to sell the underlying security at the exercise price regardless of any decline in the market price of the underlying security. In order for a put option to result in a gain, the market price of the underlying security must decline, during the option period, below the exercise price enough to cover the premium and transaction costs.
Once a Fund purchases an option, it may close out its position by selling an option of the same series as the option previously purchased. The Fund has a gain or loss depending on whether the closing sale price exceeds the initial purchase price plus related transaction costs.
Options on Securities Indices. Each Fund may purchase and sell put and call options on any securities index based on securities in which the Fund may invest. Securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security. Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. Each Fund engages in transactions in put and call options on securities indices for the same purposes as they engage in transactions in options on securities. When a Fund writes call options on securities indices, it holds in its portfolio underlying securities which, in the judgment of those managing the fund’s investments, correlate closely with the securities index and which have a value at least equal to the aggregate amount of the securities index options.
15


Index Warrants. A Fund may purchase put warrants and call warrants whose values vary depending on the change in the value of one or more specified securities indices (“index warrants”). Index warrants are generally issued by banks or other financial institutions and give the holder the right, at any time during the term of the warrant, to receive upon exercise of the warrant a cash payment from the issuer based on the value of the underlying index at the time of exercise. In general, if the value of the underlying index rises above the exercise price of the index warrant, the holder of a call warrant will be entitled to receive a cash payment from the issuer upon exercise based on the difference between the value of the index and the exercise price of the warrant; if the value of the underlying index falls, the holder of a put warrant will be entitled to receive a cash payment from the issuer upon exercise based on the difference between the exercise price of the warrant and the value of the index. The holder of a warrant would not be entitled to any payments from the issuer at a time when, in the case of a call warrant, the exercise price is more than the value of the underlying index, or in the case of a put warrant, the exercise price is less than the value of the underlying index. If a Fund were not to exercise an index warrant prior to its expiration, then a Fund would lose the amount of the purchase price paid by it for the warrant. A Fund will normally use index warrants in a manner similar to its use of options on securities indices.
Risks Associated with Option Transactions. An option position may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market for an option of the same series. A Fund generally purchases or writes only those options for which there appears to be an active secondary market. However, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange exists for any particular option, or at any particular time. If a Fund is unable to effect closing sale transactions in options it has purchased, it has to exercise its options in order to realize any profit and may incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of underlying securities. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction for a covered option that it has written, it is not able to sell the underlying securities until the option expires or is exercised. A Fund’s ability to terminate option positions established in the over-the-counter market may be more limited than for exchange-traded options and may also involve the risk that broker-dealers participating in such transactions might fail to meet their obligations.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts
Funds may purchase and sell futures contracts of many types, including for example, futures contracts covering indexes, financial instruments, and foreign currencies. Funds may purchase and sell financial futures contracts and options on those contracts. Financial futures contracts are commodities contracts based on financial instruments such as U.S. Treasury bonds or bills or on securities indices such as the S&P 500 Index. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulates futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and the commodity exchanges on which they are traded. Through the purchase and sale of futures contracts and related options, a Fund may seek to hedge against a decline in the value of securities owned by the Fund or an increase in the price of securities that the Fund plans to purchase. Funds may also purchase and sell futures contracts and related options to maintain cash reserves while simulating full investment in securities and to keep substantially all of its assets exposed to the market. Funds may enter into futures contracts and related options transactions both for hedging and non-hedging purposes.
Futures Contracts. Funds may purchase or sell a futures contract to gain exposure to a particular market asset without directly purchasing that asset. When a Fund sells a futures contract based on a financial instrument, the Fund is obligated to deliver that kind of instrument at a specified future time for a specified price. When a Fund purchases that kind of contract, it is obligated to take delivery of the instrument at a specified time and to pay the specified price. In most instances, these contracts are closed out by entering into an offsetting transaction before the settlement date. The Fund realizes a gain or loss depending on whether the price of an offsetting purchase plus transaction costs are less or more than the price of the initial sale or on whether the price of an offsetting sale is more or less than the price of the initial purchase plus transaction costs. Although the Fund usually liquidates futures contracts on financial instruments, by entering into an offsetting transaction before the settlement date, they may make or take delivery of the underlying securities when it appears economically advantageous to do so.
A futures contract based on a securities index provides for the purchase or sale of a group of securities at a specified future time for a specified price. These contracts do not require actual delivery of securities but result in a cash settlement. The amount of the settlement is based on the difference in value of the index between the time the contract was entered into and the time it is liquidated (at its expiration or earlier if it is closed out by entering into an offsetting transaction).
16


When a Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, it pays a commission to the futures commission merchant through which the Fund executes the transaction. When entering into a futures transaction, the Fund does not pay the execution price, as it does when it purchases a security, or a premium, as it does when it purchases an option. Instead, the Fund deposits an amount of cash or other liquid assets (generally about 5% of the futures contract amount) with its futures commission merchant. This amount is known as “initial margin.” In contrast to the use of margin account to purchase securities, the Fund’s deposit of initial margin does not constitute the borrowing of money to finance the transaction in the futures contract. The initial margin represents a good faith deposit that helps assure the Fund’s performance of the transaction. The futures commission merchant returns the initial margin to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract if the Fund has satisfied all its contractual obligations.
Subsequent payments to and from the futures commission merchant, known as “variation margin,” are required to be made on a daily basis as the price of the futures contract fluctuates, a process known as “marking to market.” The fluctuations make the long or short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable. If the position is closed out by taking an opposite position prior to the settlement date of the futures contract, a final determination of variation margin is made. Any additional cash is required to be paid to or released by the broker and the Fund realizes a loss or gain.
In using futures contracts, a Fund may seek to establish with more certainty than would otherwise be possible the effective price of or rate of return on portfolio securities or securities that the Fund proposes to acquire. A Fund, for example, sells futures contracts in anticipation of a rise in interest rates that would cause a decline in the value of its debt investments. When this kind of hedging is successful, the futures contract increases in value when the Fund’s debt securities decline in value and thereby keeps the Fund’s net asset value from declining as much as it otherwise would. A Fund may also sell futures contracts on securities indices in anticipation of or during a stock market decline in an endeavor to offset a decrease in the market value of its equity investments. When a Fund is not fully invested and anticipates an increase in the cost of securities it intends to purchase, it may purchase financial futures contracts.
When increases in the prices of equities are expected, a Fund may purchase futures contracts on securities indices in order to gain rapid market exposure that may partially or entirely offset increases in the cost of the equity securities it intends to purchase.
Options on Futures Contracts. Funds may also purchase and write call and put options on futures contracts. A call option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to purchase a futures contract (assume a long position) at a specified exercise price at any time before the option expires. A put option gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to sell a futures contract (assume a short position), for a specified exercise price, at any time before the option expires.
Upon the exercise of a call, the writer of the option is obligated to sell the futures contract (to deliver a long position to the option holder) at the option exercise price, which will presumably be lower than the current market price of the contract in the futures market. Upon exercise of a put, the writer of the option is obligated to purchase the futures contract (deliver a short position to the option holder) at the option exercise price, which will presumably be higher than the current market price of the contract in the futures market. However, as with the trading of futures, most options are closed out prior to their expiration by the purchase or sale of an offsetting option at a market price that reflects an increase or a decrease from the premium originally paid. Options on futures can be used to hedge substantially the same risks addressed by the direct purchase or sale of the underlying futures contracts. For example, if a Fund anticipates a rise in interest rates and a decline in the market value of the debt securities in its portfolio, it might purchase put options or write call options on futures contracts instead of selling futures contracts.
If a Fund purchases an option on a futures contract, it may obtain benefits similar to those that would result if it held the futures position itself. But in contrast to a futures transaction, the purchase of an option involves the payment of a premium in addition to transaction costs. In the event of an adverse market movement, however, the Fund is not subject to a risk of loss on the option transaction beyond the price of the premium it paid plus its transaction costs.
When a Fund writes an option on a futures contract, the premium paid by the purchaser is deposited with the Fund’s custodian. The Fund must maintain with its futures commission merchant all or a portion of the initial margin requirement on the underlying futures contract. It assumes a risk of adverse movement in the price of the underlying futures contract comparable to that involved in holding a futures position. Subsequent payments to and from the futures commission merchant, similar to variation margin payments, are made as the premium and the initial margin requirements are marked to market daily. The premium may partially offset an unfavorable change in the value of portfolio securities, if the option is not exercised, or it may reduce the amount of any loss incurred by the Fund if the option is exercised.
17


Risks Associated with Futures Transactions. There are many risks associated with transactions in futures contracts and related options. The value of the assets that are the subject of the futures contract may not move in the anticipated direction. A Fund’s successful use of futures contracts is subject to the ability of those managing the fund’s investments to predict correctly the factors affecting the market values of the Fund’s portfolio securities. For example, if a Fund is hedged against the possibility of an increase in interest rates which would adversely affect debt securities held by the Fund and the prices of those debt securities instead increases, the Fund loses part or all of the benefit of the increased value of its securities it hedged because it has offsetting losses in its futures positions. Other risks include imperfect correlation between price movements in the financial instrument or securities index underlying the futures contract, on the one hand, and the price movements of either the futures contract itself or the securities held by the Fund, on the other hand. If the prices do not move in the same direction or to the same extent, the transaction may result in trading losses.
Prior to exercise or expiration, a position in futures may be terminated only by entering into a closing purchase or sale transaction. This requires a secondary market on the relevant contract market. A Fund enters into a futures contract or related option only if there appears to be a liquid secondary market. There can be no assurance, however, that such a liquid secondary market exists for any particular futures contract or related option at any specific time. Thus, it may not be possible to close out a futures position once it has been established. Under such circumstances, the Fund continues to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin in the event of adverse price movements. In such situations, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may be required to sell portfolio securities to meet daily variation margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, the Fund may be required to perform under the terms of the futures contracts it holds. The inability to close out futures positions also could have an adverse impact on the Fund’s ability effectively to hedge its portfolio.
Most United States futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. This daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, no more trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses.
Debt-Linked and Equity-Linked Securities
Each Fund may invest in debt-linked and equity-linked securities. The investment results of such instruments are intended to correspond generally to the performance of one or more specified equity or debt securities, or of a specific index or analogous “basket” of equity or debt securities. Therefore, investing in these instruments involves risks similar to the risks of investing in the underlying stocks or bonds directly. In addition, a Fund bears the risk that the issuer of an equity- or debt-linked security may default on its obligations under the instrument. Equity- and debt-linked securities are often used for many of the same purposes as, and share many of the same risks with, other derivative instruments as well as structured notes. Like many derivatives and structured notes, equity- and debt-linked securities may be considered illiquid, potentially limiting a Fund’s ability to dispose of them.
Hybrid Instruments
A hybrid instrument is a type of derivative that combines a traditional stock or bond with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid is tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some currency or securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor (each a “benchmark”). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed income securities) the principal amount payable at maturity of a hybrid security may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the benchmark. An example of a hybrid could be a bond issued by an oil company that pays a small base level of interest with additional interest that accrues in correlation to the extent to which oil prices exceed a certain predetermined level. Such a hybrid instrument would be economically similar to a combination of a bond and a call option on oil.
18


Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management and increased total return. Hybrids may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the NAV of a Fund.
Certain hybrid instruments may provide exposure to the commodities markets. These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options or similar instruments. Commodity-linked hybrid instruments may be either equity or debt securities, leveraged or unleveraged, and are considered hybrid instruments because they have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures contract, index or other economic variable and therefore are subject to many of the same risks as investments in those underlying securities, instruments or commodities.
Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, a Fund’s investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to restrictions contained in the 1940 Act.
Spread Transactions
Funds may engage in spread trades, which typically represent a simultaneous purchase and sale of two different contracts designed to capture the change in the relationship in price between the two contracts. Spread transactions are typically accompanied by lower margin requirements and lower volatility than an outright purchase. Funds may purchase spread options. The purchase of a covered spread option gives the Fund the right to put, or sell, a security that it owns at a fixed dollar spread or fixed yield spread in relationship to another security that the Fund does not own, but which is used as a benchmark. The risk to the Fund in purchasing covered spread options is the cost of the premium paid for the spread option and any transaction costs. In addition, there is no assurance that closing transactions will be available. The security covering the spread option is maintained in segregated accounts either with the Fund’s custodian or on the Fund’s records. The Funds do not consider a security covered by a spread option to be “pledged” as that term is used in the Fund’s policy limiting the pledging or mortgaging of assets. The purchase of spread options can be used to protect Funds against adverse changes in prevailing credit quality spreads, i.e., the yield spread between high quality and lower quality securities.
Swap Agreements and Options on Swap Agreements
Funds may engage in swap transactions, including, but not limited to, swap agreements on interest rates, security or commodity indexes, specific securities and commodities, and credit and event-linked swaps, to the extent permitted by its investment restrictions. To the extent a Fund may invest in foreign currency-denominated securities, it may also invest in currency swap agreements and currency exchange rate swap agreements. Funds may also enter into options on swap agreements (“swap options”).
Funds may enter into swap transactions for any legal purpose consistent with its investment objectives and policies, such as for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets; to protect against currency fluctuations; as a duration management technique; to protect against any increase in the price of securities a Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date; to gain exposure to one or more securities, currencies, or interest rates; to take advantage of perceived mispricing in the securities markets; or to gain exposure to certain markets in the most economical way possible.
Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency, or in a “basket” of securities or commodities representing a particular index.
19


Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by a Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest (for example, an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments with respect to a notional amount of principal). Forms of swap agreements also include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or “cap”; interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified rate, or “floor”; and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.
Currency Swaps. A currency swap is an agreement to exchange cash flows on a notional amount based on changes in the relative values of the specified currencies.
Index Swaps. An index swap is an agreement to make or receive payments based on the different returns that would be achieved if a notional amount were invested in a specified basket of securities (such as the S&P 500 Index) or in some other investment (such as U.S. Treasury Securities).
Total Return Swaps. A total return swap is an agreement to make payments of the total return from a specified asset or instrument (or a basket of such instruments) during the specified period, in return for payments equal to a fixed or floating rate of interest or the total return from another specified asset or instrument. Alternatively, a total return swap can be structured so that one party will make payments to the other party if the value of the relevant asset or instrument increases, but receive payments from the other party if the value of that asset or instrument decreases.
Commodity Swap Agreements. Consistent with a Fund’s investment objectives and general investment policies, certain of the Funds may invest in commodity swap agreements. For example, an investment in a commodity swap agreement may involve the exchange of floating-rate interest payments for the total return on a commodity index. In a total return commodity swap, a Fund will receive the price appreciation of a commodity index, a portion of the index, or a single commodity in exchange for paying an agreed-upon fee. If the commodity swap is for one period, a Fund may pay a fixed fee, established at the outset of the swap. However, if the term of the commodity swap is for more than one period, with interim swap payments, a Fund may pay an adjustable or floating fee. With a “floating” rate, the fee may be pegged to a base rate, such as the London InterBank Offered Rate (LIBOR), the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), or a similar reference rate, and is adjusted each period. Therefore, if interest rates increase over the term of the swap contract, a Fund may be required to pay a higher fee at each swap reset date.
Credit Default Swap Agreements. The “buyer” in a credit default contract is obligated to pay the “seller” a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default on an underlying reference obligation has occurred. If an event of default occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value, or “par value,” of the reference obligation in exchange for the reference obligation. A Fund may be either the buyer or seller in a credit default swap transaction. If a Fund is a buyer and no event of default occurs, the Fund will lose its investment and recover nothing. However, if an event of default occurs, the Fund (if the buyer) will receive the full notional value of the reference obligation that may have little or no value. As a seller, a Fund receives a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the contract, which typically is between six months and five years, provided that there is no default event. If an event of default occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the reference obligation. In addition, collateral posting requirements are individually negotiated and there is no regulatory requirement that a counterparty post collateral to secure its obligations or a specified amount of cash, depending upon the terms of the swap, under a credit default swap. Furthermore, there is no requirement that a party be informed in advance when a credit default swap agreement is sold. Accordingly, a Fund may have difficulty identifying the party responsible for payment of its claims. The notional value of credit default swaps with respect to a particular investment is often larger than the total par value of such investment outstanding and, in event of a default, there may be difficulties in making the required deliveries of the reference investments, possibly delaying payments.
20


Funds may invest in derivative instruments that provide exposure to one or more credit default swaps. For example, a Fund may invest in a derivative instrument known as the Loan-Only Credit Default Swap Index (“LCDX”), a tradable index with 100 equally-weighted underlying single-name loan-only credit default swaps (“LCDS”). Each underlying LCDS references an issuer whose loans trade in the secondary leveraged loan market. A Fund can either buy the index (take on credit exposure) or sell the index (pass credit exposure to a counterparty). While investing in these types of derivatives will increase the universe of debt securities to which a Fund is exposed, such investments entail additional risks that are not typically associated with investments in other debt securities. Credit default swaps and other derivative instruments related to loans are subject to the risks associated with loans generally, as well as the risks of derivative transactions.
Investment Pools. Funds may invest in publicly or privately issued interests in investment pools whose underlying assets are credit default, credit-linked, interest rate, currency exchange, equity-linked or other types of swap contracts and related underlying securities or securities loan agreements. The pools’ investment results may be designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified securities index or “basket” of securities, or sometimes a single security. These types of pools are often used to gain exposure to multiple securities with a smaller investment than would be required to invest directly in the individual securities. They also may be used to gain exposure to foreign securities markets without investing in the foreign securities themselves and/or the relevant foreign market. To the extent that a Fund invests in pools of swaps and related underlying securities or securities loan agreements whose return corresponds to the performance of a foreign securities index or one or more foreign securities, investing in such pools will involve risks similar to the risks of investing in foreign securities. In addition to the risks associated with investing in swaps generally, a Fund bears the risks and costs generally associated with investing in pooled investment vehicles, such as paying the fees and expenses of the pool and the risk that the pool or the operator of the pool may default on its obligations to the holder of interests in the pool, such as a Fund. Interests in privately offered investment pools of swaps may be considered illiquid.
Contracts for Differences. “Contracts for differences” are swap arrangements in which a Fund may agree with a counterparty that its return (or loss) will be based on the relative performance of two different groups or “baskets” of securities. For example, as to one of the baskets, a Fund’s return is based on theoretical long futures positions in the securities comprising that basket, and as to the other basket, a Fund’s return is based on theoretical short futures positions in the securities comprising that other basket. The notional sizes of the baskets will not necessarily be the same, which can give rise to investment leverage. Funds may also use actual long and short futures positions to achieve the market exposure(s) as contracts for differences. Funds may enter into swaps and contracts for differences for investment return, hedging, risk management and for investment leverage.
Swaptions. A swap option (also known as “swaptions”) is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel, or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. The buyer and seller of the swap option agree on the strike price, length of the option period, the term of the swap, notional amount, amortization and frequency of settlement. Funds may engage in swap options for hedging purposes or in an attempt to manage and mitigate credit and interest rate risk. Funds may write (sell) and purchase put and call swap options. The use of swap options involves risks, including, among others, imperfect correlation between movements of the price of the swap options and the price of the securities, indices or other assets serving as reference instruments for the swap option, reducing the effectiveness of the instrument for hedging or investment purposes.
Obligations under Swap Agreements. The swap agreements a Fund enters into settle in cash and, therefore, provide for calculation of the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis.” Consequently, a Fund's current obligations (or rights) under such a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). A Fund's current obligations under such a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund).
21


Risks Associated with Swap Agreements. Swaps can be highly volatile and may have a considerable impact on a Fund’s performance, as the potential gain or loss on any swap transaction is not subject to any fixed limit. Whether a Fund’s use of swap agreements or swap options will be successful in furthering its investment objective of total return will depend on the ability of those managing the fund’s investments to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Because they are two party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid. Moreover, a Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. The Funds will enter into swap agreements only with counterparties that present minimal credit risks, as determined by those managing the fund’s investments. Certain restrictions imposed on each Fund by the Internal Revenue Code may limit a Fund’s ability to use swap agreements.
Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swap option than it will incur when it purchases a swap option. When a Fund purchases a swap option, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a Fund writes a swap option, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.
Liquidity of Swap Agreements. Some swap markets have grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, these swap markets have become relatively liquid. The liquidity of swap agreements will be determined by those managing the fund’s investments based on various factors, including:
the frequency of trades and quotations,
the number of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace,
dealer undertakings to make a market,
the nature of the security (including any demand or tender features), and
the nature of the marketplace for trades (including the ability to assign or offset a portfolio's rights and obligations relating to the investment).
Such determination will govern whether a swap will be deemed to be within each Fund’s restriction on investments in illiquid securities.
Valuing Swap Agreements. For purposes of applying a fund’s investment policies and restrictions (as stated in the Prospectuses and this SAI) swap agreements are generally valued by the funds at market value. In the case of a credit default swap, however, in applying certain of the funds’ investment policies and restrictions the fund will value the credit default swap at its notional value or its full exposure value (i.e., the sum of the notional amount for the contract plus the market value), but may value the credit default swap at market value for purposes of applying certain of the funds’ other investment policies and restrictions. For example, a fund may value credit default swaps at full exposure value for purposes of the fund’s credit quality guidelines because such value reflects the fund’s actual economic exposure during the term of the credit default swap agreement. In this context, both the notional amount and the market value may be positive or negative depending on whether the fund is selling or buying protection through the credit default swap. The manner in which certain securities or other instruments are valued by a fund for purposes of applying investment policies and restrictions may differ from the manner in which those investments are valued by other types of investors.
Permissible Uses of Futures and Options on Futures Contracts
Each Fund may enter into futures contracts and related options transactions, for hedging purposes and for other appropriate risk management purposes, and to modify the Fund’s exposure to various currency, commodity, equity, or fixed-income markets. Each Fund may engage in futures trading in an effort to generate returns. When using futures contracts and options on futures contracts for hedging or risk management purposes, each Fund determines that the price fluctuations in the contracts and options are substantially related to price fluctuations in securities held by the Fund or which it expects to purchase. In pursuing traditional hedging activities, each Fund may sell futures contracts or acquire puts to protect against a decline in the price of securities that the Fund owns. Each Fund may purchase futures contracts or calls on futures contracts to protect the Fund against an increase in the price of securities the Fund intends to purchase before it is in a position to do so.
22


Limitations on the Use of Futures, Options on Futures Contracts, and Swaps
All Funds except the Diversified Real Asset Fund and the Global Multi-Strategy Fund. CFTC Rule 4.5 provides that an investment company does not meet the definition of “commodity pool operator” under the CEA if its use of futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and swaps is sufficiently limited that the fund can fall within one of two exclusions set out in Rule 4.5. Each Fund intends to limit its use of futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and swaps to the degree necessary to fall within one of the two exclusions. If a Fund is unable to do so, it may incur expenses that are necessary to comply with the CEA and the rules the CFTC has adopted under it.
Diversified Real Asset Fund and Global Multi-Strategy Fund. The Diversified Real Asset Fund and the Global Multi-Strategy Fund are each deemed to be regulated “commodity pools” under the CEA and, as a result, may invest in futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and swaps in excess of the limitations imposed by the CFTC under Rule 4.5.
Risk of Potential Government Regulation of Derivatives
It is possible that additional government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including futures, options and swap agreements, may limit or prevent a fund from using such instruments as a part of its investment strategy, and could ultimately prevent a fund from being able to achieve its investment objective. It is difficult to predict the effects future legislation and regulation in this area, but the effects could be substantial and adverse. It is possible that legislative and regulatory activity could limit or restrict the ability of a fund to use certain instruments as a part of its investment strategy.
Limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties with which the funds engage in derivative transactions could also prevent the funds from using certain instruments.
Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors in the Selection of Portfolio Securities
(Applicable to all Funds or portions of the Funds, other than Bond Market Index Fund, Global Multi-Strategy Fund, International Equity Index Fund, and Opportunistic Municipal Fund. The below is not applicable to the Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure Fund as ESG Investing Risk is principal to the Fund and included in the Fund's Prospectus.)
The portfolio managers of the Funds consider one or more environmental, social, and/or governance (“ESG”) factors along with other, non-ESG factors in making investment decisions. The consideration of ESG factors is intended to further the stated objective of the particular Funds. These ESG factors are generally no more significant than other factors in the investment selection process, such that ESG factors may not be determinative in deciding to include or exclude any particular investment in the portfolio. By way of example, environmental factors can include one or more of the following: climate change, natural resources, pollution and waste, and environmental opportunities. Social factors can include one or more of the following: human capital, product liability, stakeholder opposition, and social opportunities. Governance factors can include corporate governance and/or corporate behavior. Integration of ESG factors is qualitative and subjective by nature. There is no guarantee that the criteria used, or judgment exercised, will reflect the beliefs or values of any particular investor. Further, there is no assurance that any strategy or integration of ESG factors will be successful or profitable.
Further, the portion of Diversified Real Asset Fund managed by Impax Asset Management Limited and related to investments in natural resources considers climate as a particular factor in its stock selection process. This consideration may impact the investable universe, and may, under certain circumstances, detract from investment performance.
Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors in the Selection of Investment Advisors and Asset Classes
The Diversified Real Asset Fund is structured as an asset allocation fund, in which PGI is responsible for selecting sub-advisors and investment teams within PGI that, in turn, are responsible for selecting underlying investments. In selecting sub-advisors, investment teams, and asset classes, the PGI asset allocation team considers ESG factors. ESG factors are generally no more significant than other factors in the selection process, such that ESG factors may not be determinative in deciding to include or exclude any particular sub-advisor, investment team, or asset class in the portfolio. Integration of ESG factors is qualitative and subjective by nature. There is no guarantee that the criteria used, or judgment exercised, will reflect the beliefs or values of any particular investor. Further, there is no assurance that any strategy or integration of ESG factors will be successful or profitable.
23


Fixed-Income Securities
ETNs
Certain funds may invest in, or sell short, exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”). ETNs are typically senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market index less applicable fees and expenses. ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. The fund may hold the ETN until maturity, at which time the issuer is obligated to pay a return linked to the performance of the relevant market index. ETNs do not make periodic interest payments and principal is not protected.
ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When a Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear their proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. ETNs are also subject to tax risk. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs. There may also be times when an ETN share trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.
Funding Agreements
Some Funds may invest in Guaranteed Investment Contracts (“GICs”) and similar funding agreements. In connection with these investments, a Fund makes cash contributions to a deposit fund of an insurance company’s general account. The insurance company then credits to a Fund on a monthly basis guaranteed interest, which is based on an index (such as LIBOR, SOFR, or a similar reference rate). The funding agreements provide that this guaranteed interest will not be less than a certain minimum rate. The purchase price paid for a funding agreement becomes part of the general assets of the insurance company. GICs are considered illiquid securities and will be subject to any limitations on such investments, unless there is an active and substantial secondary market for the particular instrument and market quotations are readily available.
Generally, funding agreements are not assignable or transferable without the permission of the issuing company, and an active secondary market in some funding agreements does not currently exist. Investments in GICs are subject to the risks associated with fixed-income instruments generally, and are specifically subject to the credit risk associated with an investment in the issuing insurance company.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds
Some Funds may invest in inflation-indexed bonds or inflation protected debt securities, which are fixed income securities whose value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. Two structures are common. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers utilize a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. Most other issuers pay out the Consumer Price Index accruals as part of a semi-annual coupon. Inflation-indexed securities issued by the U.S. Treasury (Treasury Inflation Protected Securities or TIPS) have maturities of approximately five, ten or thirty years, although it is possible that securities with other maturities will be issued in the future. The U.S. Treasury securities pay interest on a semi-annual basis equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal amount. If the periodic adjustment rate measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates in turn are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if the rate of inflation rises at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds. While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bond’s inflation measure.
The periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-indexed bonds is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-indexed bonds issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index calculated by that government. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.
24


Step-Coupon Securities
Each Fund may invest in step-coupon securities. Step-coupon securities trade at a discount from their face value and pay coupon interest. The coupon rate is low for an initial period and then increases to a higher coupon rate thereafter. Market values of these types of securities generally fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than conventional interest-paying securities of comparable term and quality. Under many market conditions, investments in such securities may be illiquid, making it difficult for a Fund to dispose of them or determine their current value.
“Stripped” Securities
Each Fund may invest in stripped securities, which are usually structured with two or more classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distribution on a pool of U.S. government or foreign government securities or mortgage assets. In some cases, one class will receive all of the interest (the interest-only or “IO” class), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the principal-only or “PO” class). Stripped securities commonly have greater market volatility than other types of fixed-income securities. In the case of stripped mortgage securities, if the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated payments of principal, a Fund may fail to recoup fully its investments in IOs. Stripped securities may be illiquid. Stripped securities may be considered derivative securities.
Structured Notes
Some Funds may invest in a broad category of instruments known as “structured notes.” These instruments are debt obligations issued by industrial corporations, financial institutions or governmental or international agencies. Traditional debt obligations typically obligate the issuer to repay the principal plus a specified rate of interest. Structured notes, by contrast, obligate the issuer to pay amounts of principal or interest that are determined by reference to changes in some external factor or factors, or the principal and interest rate may vary from the stated rate because of changes in these factors. For example, the issuer’s obligations could be determined by reference to changes in the value of a foreign currency, an index of securities (such as the S&P 500 Index) or an interest rate (such as the U.S. Treasury bill rate). In some cases, the issuer’s obligations are determined by reference to changes over time in the difference (or “spread”) between two or more external factors (such as the U.S. prime lending rate and the total return of the stock market in a particular country, as measured by a stock index). In some cases, the issuer’s obligations may fluctuate inversely with changes in an external factor or factors (for example, if the U.S. prime lending rate goes up, the issuer’s interest payment obligations are reduced). In some cases, the issuer’s obligations may be determined by some multiple of the change in an external factor or factors (for example, three times the change in the U.S. Treasury bill rate). In some cases, the issuer’s obligations remain fixed (as with a traditional debt instrument) so long as an external factor or factors do not change by more than the specified amount (for example, if the value of a stock index does not exceed some specified maximum), but if the external factor or factors change by more than the specified amount, the issuer’s obligations may be sharply reduced.
Structured notes can serve many different purposes in the management of a fund. For example, they can be used to increase a fund’s exposure to changes in the value of assets that a fund would not ordinarily purchase directly (such as stocks traded in a market that is not open to U.S. investors). They also can be used to hedge the risks associated with other investments a fund holds. For example, if a structured note has an interest rate that fluctuates inversely with general changes in a country’s stock market index, the value of the structured note would generally move in the opposite direction to the value of holdings of stocks in that market, thus moderating the effect of stock market movements on the value of a fund’s portfolio as a whole. The cash flow on the underlying instruments may be apportioned among the newly issued structured notes to create securities with different investment characteristics such as varying maturities, payment priorities or interest rate provisions; the extent of the payments made with respect to structured notes is dependent on the extent of the cash flow on the underlying instruments.
25


Structured notes involve special risks. As with any debt obligation, structured notes involve the risk that the issuer will become insolvent or otherwise default on its payment obligations. This risk is in addition to the risk that the issuer’s obligations (and thus the value of a fund’s investment) will be reduced because of adverse changes in the external factor or factors to which the obligations are linked. The value of structured notes will in many cases be more volatile (that is, will change more rapidly or severely) than the value of traditional debt instruments. Volatility will be especially high if the issuer’s obligations are determined by reference to some multiple of the change in the external factor or factors. Structured notes also may be more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities. Many structured notes have limited or no liquidity, so that a fund would be unable to dispose of the investment prior to maturity. As with all investments, successful use of structured notes depends in significant part on the accuracy of the analysis of those managing the fund’s investments of the issuer’s creditworthiness and financial prospects, and of their forecast as to changes in relevant economic and financial market conditions and factors. In instances where the issuer of a structured note is a foreign entity, the usual risks associated with investments in foreign securities apply. Structured notes may be considered derivative securities.
Zero-Coupon Securities
Each Fund may invest in zero-coupon securities. Zero-coupon securities have no stated interest rate and pay only the principal portion at a stated date in the future. They usually trade at a substantial discount from their face (par) value. Zero-coupon securities are subject to greater market value fluctuations in response to changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities that make distributions of interest in cash.
Foreign Currency Transactions
Options on Foreign Currencies
A Fund may buy and write options on foreign currencies in a manner similar to that in which futures or forward contracts on foreign currencies will be utilized. Each Fund may use options on foreign currencies to hedge against adverse changes in foreign currency conversion rates. For example, a decline in the U.S. dollar value of a foreign currency in which portfolio securities are denominated will reduce the U.S. dollar value of such securities, even if their value in the foreign currency remains constant. In order to protect against such diminutions in the value of the portfolio securities, a Fund may buy put options on the foreign currency. If the value of the currency declines, a Fund will have the right to sell such currency for a fixed amount in U.S. dollars, thereby offsetting, in whole or in part, the adverse effect on its portfolio. Conversely, when a rise in the U.S. dollar value of a currency in which securities to be acquired are denominated is projected, thereby increasing the cost of such securities, a Fund may buy call options on the foreign currency. The purchase of such options could offset, at least partially, the effects of the adverse movements in exchange rates. As in the case of other types of options, however, the benefit to a Fund from purchases of foreign currency options will be reduced by the amount of the premium and related transaction costs. In addition, if currency exchange rates do not move in the direction or to the extent desired, a Fund could sustain losses or lesser gains on transactions in foreign currency options that would require a Fund to forgo a portion or all of the benefits of advantageous changes in those rates.
Each Fund also may write options on foreign currencies. For example, to hedge against a potential decline in the U.S. dollar due to adverse fluctuations in exchange rates, a Fund could, instead of purchasing a put option, write a call option on the relevant currency. If the decline expected by a Fund occurs, the option will most likely not be exercised and the diminution in value of portfolio securities will be offset at least in part by the amount of the premium received. Similarly, instead of purchasing a call option to hedge against a potential increase in the U.S. dollar cost of securities to be acquired, a Fund could write a put option on the relevant currency which, if rates move in the manner projected by a Fund, will expire unexercised and allow a Fund to hedge the increased cost up to the amount of the premium. If exchange rates do not move in the expected direction, the option may be exercised and a Fund would be required to buy or sell the underlying currency at a loss, which may not be fully offset by the amount of the premium. Through the writing of options on foreign currencies, a Fund also may lose all or a portion of the benefits that might otherwise have been obtained from favorable movements in exchange rates.
Futures on Currency
A foreign currency future provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified quantity of foreign currency at a specified price and time. A public market exists in futures contracts covering a number of foreign currencies. Currency futures contracts are exchange-traded and change in value to reflect movements of a currency or a basket of currencies. Settlement must be made in a designated currency.
26


Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts
Each Fund may, but is not obligated to, enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts. Currency transactions include forward currency contracts and exchange listed or over-the-counter options on currencies. A forward currency contract involves a privately negotiated obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a specified future date at a price set at the time of the contract.
The typical use of a forward contract is to “lock in” the price of a security in U.S. dollars or some other foreign currency which a Fund is holding in its portfolio. By entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed amount of dollars or other currency, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying security transactions, a Fund may be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar or other currency which is being used for the security purchase and the foreign currency in which the security is denominated in or exposed to during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received.
Those managing the fund’s investments also may from time to time utilize forward contracts for other purposes. For example, they may be used to hedge a foreign security held in the portfolio or a security which pays out principal tied to an exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and a foreign currency, against a decline in value of the applicable foreign currency. They also may be used to lock in the current exchange rate of the currency in which those securities anticipated to be purchased are denominated in or exposed to. At times, each Fund may enter into “cross-currency” hedging transactions involving currencies other than those in which securities are held or proposed to be purchased are denominated.
It should be noted that the use of forward foreign currency exchange contracts does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. It simply establishes a rate of exchange between the currencies that can be achieved at some future point in time. Additionally, although such contracts tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, they also tend to limit any potential gain that might result if the value of the currency increases.
Foreign Securities
Investing in foreign securities carries political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the United States. Investments in foreign securities also involve the risk of possible adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitation on or delays in the removal of funds or other assets of a fund, political or financial instability, or diplomatic and other developments that could affect such investments. Foreign investments may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors, including the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment, or on the ability to repatriate assets or to convert currency into U.S. dollars. There may be a greater possibility of default by foreign governments or foreign-government sponsored enterprises. Investments in foreign countries also involve a risk of local political, economic, or social instability; military action or unrest; or adverse diplomatic developments.
Asia-Pacific Countries
In addition to the risks of foreign investing and the risks of investing in emerging markets, the developing market Asia-Pacific countries in which a Fund may invest are subject to certain additional or specific risks. In the Asia-Pacific markets, there is a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors and financial intermediaries. Many of these markets also may be affected by developments with respect to more established markets in the region, such as Japan and Hong Kong. Brokers in developing market Asia-Pacific countries typically are fewer in number and less well capitalized than brokers in the United States.
Many of the developing market Asia-Pacific countries may be subject to a greater degree of economic, political and social instability than is the case in the United States and Western European countries. Such instability may result from, among other things: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision- making, including changes in government through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; and/or (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection. In addition, the governments of many of such countries, such as Indonesia, have a heavy role in regulating and supervising the economy.
27


An additional risk common to most such countries is that the economy is heavily export-oriented and, accordingly, is dependent upon international trade. The existence of overburdened infrastructure and obsolete financial systems also present risks in certain countries, as do environmental problems. Certain economies also depend to a significant degree upon exports of primary commodities and, therefore, are vulnerable to changes in commodity prices that, in turn, may be affected by a variety of factors. The legal systems in certain developing market Asia-Pacific countries also may have an adverse impact on a Fund. The rights of investors in developing market Asia-Pacific companies may be more limited than those of shareholders of U.S. corporations. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain and/or enforce a judgment in a developing market Asia-Pacific country.
China
Investing in China involves special considerations, including: the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy, interest rates and currency exchange rates; controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; greater social, economic and political uncertainty; dependency on exports and the corresponding importance of international trade; and currency exchange rate fluctuations. The government of China maintains strict currency controls in support of economic, trade and political objectives and regularly intervenes in the currency market. The government’s actions in this respect may not be transparent or predictable. Furthermore, it is difficult for foreign investors to directly access money market securities in China because of investment and trading restrictions. These and other factors may decrease the value and liquidity of a fund’s investments.
A fund may obtain exposure to companies based or operated in China by investing through legal structures known as variable interest entities (“VIEs”). VIEs are not formally recognized under Chinese law and are subject to risks, such as the risk that China could cease to allow VIEs, could impose new restrictions on VIEs, or could deem the contractual arrangements of VIEs unenforceable. These risks could limit or eliminate the remedies and rights available to VIEs and their investors, such as a fund. If these risks materialize, the value of a fund’s investments in VIEs could be adversely affected, and a fund could incur significant losses with no available recourse.
Investments in Stock Connect and Bond Connect
Funds may invest in China A shares, which are shares of certain Chinese companies listed and traded through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programs (“Stock Connect”). Stock Connect is a securities trading and clearing program established by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, the Shanghai Stock Exchange (“SSE”), the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (“SZSE”) and China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited, which seeks to provide mutual stock market access between Mainland China and Hong Kong. Trading through Stock Connect is subject to numerous restrictions and risks that could impair the Fund’s ability to invest in or sell China A shares and adversely affect the Fund’s performance, such as the following:
China A shares generally may not be sold, purchased or otherwise transferred other than through Stock Connect in accordance with applicable rules, regulations, and restrictions. Such securities may lose their eligibility, in which case they presumably could be sold but could no longer be purchased through Stock Connect. Market volatility and settlement difficulties in the China A share markets may result in significant fluctuations in the prices and liquidity of the securities traded on such markets. Further regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the Fund.
Stock Connect is generally only available on business days when both the China and Hong Kong markets are open and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. As a result, a Fund may not be able trade when it would be otherwise attractive to do so, and the Fund may not be able to dispose of its China A shares in a timely manner.
Investing in China A shares is subject to Stock Connect’s clearance and settlement procedures, which could pose risks to the Fund. Certain requirements must be completed before the market opening, or a Fund cannot sell the shares on that trading day. Stock Connect also imposes quotas that limit aggregate net purchases on an exchange on a particular day, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security through Stock Connect on the same trading day. Once the daily quota is reached, orders to purchase additional China A shares through Stock Connect will be rejected. Such restrictions could limit a Fund’s ability to sell its China A shares in a timely manner, or to sell them at all.
If a Fund holds 5% or more of a China A share issuer’s total shares through Stock Connect investments, the Fund must return any profits obtained from the purchase and sale of those shares if both transactions occur within a six-month period. All accounts managed by the Funds’ Advisor and/or its affiliates will be aggregated for purposes of this 5% limitation, which makes it more likely that a Fund’s profits may be subject to these limitations.
28


Stock Connect uses an omnibus clearing structure, and the Fund’s shares will be registered in its custodian’s name on the Central Clearing and Settlement System. This may limit the ability of the Fund’s advisor to effectively manage a Fund, and may expose the Fund to the credit risk of its custodian or to greater risk of expropriation. Investment in China A shares through Stock Connect may be available only through a single broker that is an affiliate of the Fund’s custodian, which may affect the quality of execution provided by such broker.
China A shares purchased through Stock Connect will be held via a book entry omnibus account in the name of Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited (“HKSCC”), Hong Kong’s clearing entity, and not the Fund’s name as the beneficial owner. Therefore, a Fund’s ability to exercise its rights as a shareholder and to pursue claims against the issuer of China A shares may be limited. While Chinese regulations and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange have issued clarifications and guidance supporting the concept of beneficial ownership through Stock Connect, the interpretation of beneficial ownership in China by regulators and courts may continue to evolve.
The Fund’s investments in China A shares through Stock Connect are generally subject to Chinese securities regulations and listing rules, among other restrictions. The Fund will not benefit from access to Hong Kong investor compensation funds, which are set up to protect against defaults of trades, when investing through Stock Connect. Investments in China A shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of the exchanges and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. If the depository of the SSE and the SZSE defaulted, a Fund may not be able to recover fully its losses from the depository or may be delayed in receiving proceeds as part of any recovery process.
Fees, costs and taxes imposed on foreign investors (such as the Fund) may be higher than comparable fees, costs and taxes imposed on owners of other securities that provide similar investment exposure. Trades using Stock Connect may also be subject to various fees, taxes and market charges imposed by Chinese market participants and regulatory authorities. Uncertainties in China’s tax rules related to the taxation of income and gains from investments in China A shares could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund, and the withholding tax treatment of dividends and capital gains payable to overseas investors currently is unsettled.
Because trades of eligible China A shares on Stock Connect must be settled in Renminbi (RMB), the Chinese currency, Funds investing through Stock Connect will be exposed to RMB currency risks. The ability to hedge RMB currency risks may be limited. The RMB is subject to exchange control restrictions, and the Fund could be adversely affected by delays in converting currencies into RMB and vice versa.
Because Stock Connect is in its early stages, the effect on the market for trading China A shares with the introduction of numerous foreign investors is currently unknown. Stock Connect is relatively new and may be subject to further interpretation and guidance. There can be no assurance as to Stock Connect’s continued existence or whether future developments regarding the program may restrict or adversely affect the Fund’s investments or returns.
Funds may also invest in China Interbank bonds traded on the China Interbank Bond Market (“CIBM”) through the China - Hong Kong Bond Connect program (“Bond Connect”). In China, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Central Money Markets Unit holds Bond Connect securities on behalf of investors (such as the Fund) in accounts maintained with maintained with a China-based custodian (either the China Central Depository & Clearing Co. or the Shanghai Clearing House). Investments using Bond Connect are subject to risks similar to those described above with respect to Stock Connect.
29


Europe
The economies and markets of European countries are often closely connected and interdependent, and events in one European country can have an adverse impact on other European countries. Certain funds may invest in securities of issuers that are domiciled in, or have significant operations in, member countries of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (the “EU”), which requires member countries to comply with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, interest rates, debt levels and fiscal and monetary controls. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro (the common currency of certain EU countries), the default or threat of default by an EU member country on its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in an EU member country may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of EU member countries and their trading partners, including some or all of the emerging markets countries. Although certain European countries do not use the euro, many of these countries are obliged to meet the criteria for joining the euro zone. Consequently, these countries must comply with many of the restrictions noted above. The European financial markets have experienced volatility and adverse trends in recent years due to concerns about economic downturns, rising government debt levels and the possible default of government debt in several European countries. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and other entities of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. The United Kingdom (the "UK") departed the EU on January 31, 2020 (commonly referred to as "Brexit"). As a result of Brexit, the UK may be less stable than it had been in prior years, and investments in the UK may be more volatile due to economic uncertainty and currency exchange rate fluctuations. The impact of these actions by European countries, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching and could adversely impact the value of investments in the region.
Japan
Japanese investments may be significantly affected by events influencing Japan’s economy and the exchange rate between the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar. Japan’s economy fell into a long recession in the 1990s. After a few years of mild recovery in the mid-2000s, Japan’s economy fell into another recession as a result of the recent global economic crisis. Japan is heavily dependent on exports and foreign oil. Japan is located in a seismically active area, and in 2011 experienced an earthquake of a sizable magnitude and a tsunami that significantly affected important elements of its infrastructure and resulted in a nuclear crisis. Since these events, Japan’s financial markets have fluctuated dramatically. The full extent of the impact of these events on Japan’s economy and on foreign investment in Japan is difficult to estimate. Japan’s economic prospects may be affected by the political and military situations of its near neighbors, notably North and South Korea, China, and Russia.
Latin America
Most Latin American countries have experienced, at one time or another, severe and persistent levels of inflation, including, in some cases, hyperinflation. This has, in turn, led to high interest rates, extreme measures by governments to keep inflation in check, and a generally debilitating effect on economic growth. Although inflation in many countries has lessened, there is no guarantee it will remain at lower levels. In addition, the political history of certain Latin American countries has been characterized by political uncertainty, intervention by the military in civilian and economic spheres, and political corruption. Such developments, if they were to reoccur, could reverse favorable trends toward market and economic reform, privatization, and removal of trade barriers, and result in significant disruption in securities markets. Certain Latin American countries may also have managed currencies, which are maintained at artificial levels to the U.S. dollar rather than at levels determined by the market. This type of system can lead to sudden and large adjustments in the currency which, in turn, can have a disruptive and negative effect on foreign investors. There is no significant foreign exchange market for many currencies and it would, as a result, be difficult for the Fund to engage in foreign currency transactions designed to protect the value of the Fund’s interests in securities denominated in such currencies. Finally, a number of Latin American countries are among the largest debtors of developing markets. There have been moratoria on, and reschedulings of, repayment with respect to these debts. Such events can restrict the flexibility of these debtor nations in the international markets and result in the imposition of onerous conditions on their economies.
30


High Yield Securities
Each Fund may invest a portion of its assets in bonds that are rated below investment grade (sometimes called “high yield bonds” or “junk bonds”), which are rated at the time of purchase Ba1 or lower by Moody’s and BB+ or lower by S&P Global Ratings. If the bond has been rated by only one of the rating agencies, that rating will determine the bond's rating; if the bond is rated differently by the rating agencies, the highest rating will be used; and if the bond has not been rated by either of the rating agencies, those selecting such investments will determine the bond's quality. Lower-rated bonds involve a higher degree of credit risk, which is the risk that the issuer will not make interest or principal payments when due. In the event of an unanticipated default, a fund would experience a reduction in its income and could expect a decline in the market value of the bonds so affected. Issuers of high yield securities may be involved in restructurings or bankruptcy proceedings that may not be successful. If an issuer defaults, it may not be able to pay all or a portion of interest and principal owed to the fund, it may exchange the high yield securities owned by the fund for other securities, including equities, and/or the fund may incur additional expenses while seeking recovery of its investment. Some funds may also invest in unrated bonds of foreign and domestic issuers. Unrated bonds, while not necessarily of lower quality than rated bonds, may not have as broad a market. Because of the size and perceived demand of the issue, among other factors, certain municipalities may not incur the expense of obtaining a rating. Those managing the fund’s investments will analyze the creditworthiness of the issuer, as well as any financial institution or other party responsible for payments on the bond, in determining whether to purchase unrated bonds. Unrated bonds will be included in the limitation each fund has with regard to high yield bonds unless those managing the fund’s investments deem such securities to be the equivalent of investment-grade bonds. Some of the high yield securities consist of Rule 144A securities. High yield securities may contain any type of interest rate payment or reset terms, including fixed rate, adjustable rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment-in-kind, and those with auction rate features.
Initial Public Offerings (“IPOs”)
An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public. IPO risk is that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading, and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. In addition, the market for IPO shares can be speculative and/or inactive for extended periods. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for a fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. Investors in IPO shares can be affected by substantial dilution in the value of their shares by sales of additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders.
When a fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs because such investments would have a magnified impact on the fund. As the fund’s assets grow, the effect of the fund’s investments in IPOs on the fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, a fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period. This may increase the turnover of the fund’s portfolio and lead to increased expenses to the fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. By selling IPO shares, the fund may realize taxable gains it will subsequently distribute to shareholders.
Interfund Lending and Borrowing
The SEC has granted an exemption permitting Principal Funds to borrow money from and lend money to each other for temporary or emergency purposes. The loans are subject to a number of conditions designed to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all participating funds, including the following: (1) no fund may borrow money through the program unless it receives a more favorable interest rate than a rate approximating the lowest interest rate at which bank loans would be available to any of the participating funds under a loan agreement; and (2) no fund may lend money through the program unless it receives a more favorable return than that available from an investment in overnight repurchase agreements. In addition, a fund may participate in the program only if and to the extent that such participation is consistent with a fund’s investment objectives and policies. Interfund loans and borrowings have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day’s notice. A fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional costs. The Board is responsible for overseeing and periodically reviewing the interfund lending program.
31


Inverse Floating Rate and Other Variable and Floating Rate Instruments
Each Fund may purchase variable and floating rate instruments. These instruments may include variable amount master demand notes that permit the indebtedness thereunder to vary in addition to providing for periodic adjustments in the interest rate. These instruments may also include leveraged inverse floating rate debt instruments, or “inverse floaters”. The interest rate of an inverse floater resets in the opposite direction from the market rate of interest on a security or interest to which it is related. An inverse floater may be considered to be leveraged to the extent that its interest rate varies by a magnitude that exceeds the magnitude of the change in the index rate of interest and is subject to many of the same risks as derivatives. The higher degree of leverage inherent in inverse floaters is associated with greater volatility in their market values. Certain of these investments may be illiquid. The absence of an active secondary market with respect to these investments could make it difficult for a Fund to dispose of a variable or floating rate note if the issuer defaulted on its payment obligation or during periods that a Fund is not entitled to exercise its demand rights, and a Fund could, for these or other reasons, suffer a loss with respect to such instruments.
Investment Company Securities
Securities of other investment companies, including shares of closed-end investment companies (including interval funds), unit investment trusts, various exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), and other open-end investment companies, represent interests in professionally managed portfolios that may invest in a variety of instruments. Certain types of investment companies, such as certain closed-end investment companies, do not continuously offer their shares for sale (like open-end investment companies) but instead issue a fixed number of shares that trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their net asset value. An interval fund is a type of closed-end investment company that is continuously offered at net asset value, is not listed on an exchange, and only periodically offers to repurchase a limited amount of outstanding shares from its shareholders. Investing in interval funds involves liquidity risk, and the liquidity risk is even greater in interval funds that invest in securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations, derivatives, securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, or securities that are themselves illiquid. Other types of investment companies, such as ETFs, are continuously offered at net asset value but may also be traded in the secondary market. ETFs are often structured to perform in a similar fashion to a broad-based securities index. Investing in ETFs involves generally the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments. Investing in ETFs involves the risk that they will not perform in exactly the same fashion, or in response to the same factors, as the index or underlying instruments. Shares of ETFs may trade at prices other than NAV.
A fund that invests in another investment company is subject to the risks associated with direct ownership of the securities in which such investment company invests. Fund shareholders indirectly bear their proportionate share of the expenses of each such investment company, including its advisory and administrative fees. The fund would also continue to pay its own advisory fees and other expenses. Consequently, the fund and its shareholders would, in effect, absorb two levels of fees with respect to investments in other investment companies.
A fund may invest in affiliated underlying funds, and those who manage such fund's investments and their affiliates may earn different fees from different underlying funds and may have an incentive to allocate more fund assets to underlying funds from which they receive higher fees.
Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”)
An MLP is an entity that is generally taxed as a partnership for federal income tax purposes and that derives each year at least 90% of its gross income from “Qualifying Income”. Qualifying Income includes interest, dividends, real estate rents, gain from the sale or disposition of real property, income and gain from commodities or commodity futures, and income and gain from mineral or natural resources activities that generate Qualifying Income. MLP interests (known as units) are traded on securities exchanges or over-the-counter. An MLP’s organization as a partnership and compliance with the Qualifying Income rules generally eliminates federal tax at the entity level.
An MLP has one or more general partners (who may be individuals, corporations, or other partnerships) which manage the partnership, and limited partners, which provide capital to the partnership but have no role in its management. Typically, the general partner is owned by company management or another publicly traded sponsoring corporation. When an investor buys units in an MLP, the investor becomes a limited partner. Holders of MLP units have limited control and voting rights on matters affecting the partnership and are exposed to a remote possibility of liability for all of the obligations of that MLP in the event that a court determines that the rights of the holders of MLP units to vote to remove or replace the general partner of that MLP, to approve amendments to that MLP’s partnership agreement, or to take other action under the partnership agreement of that MLP would constitute “control” of the business of that MLP, or a court or governmental agency determines that the MLP is conducting business in a state without complying with the partnership statute of that state. Holders of MLP units are also exposed to the risk that they will be required to repay amounts to the MLP that are wrongfully distributed to them.
32


The business of certain MLPs is affected by supply and demand for energy commodities because such MLPs derive revenue and income based upon the volume of the underlying commodity produced, transported, processed, distributed, and/ or marketed. Pipeline MLPs have indirect commodity exposure to oil and gas price volatility because, although they do not own the underlying energy commodity, the general level of commodity prices may affect the volume of the commodity the MLP delivers to its customers and the cost of providing services such as distributing natural gas liquids. The costs of natural gas pipeline MLPs to perform services may exceed the negotiated rates under “negotiated rate” contracts. Processing MLPs may be directly affected by energy commodity prices. Propane MLPs own the underlying energy commodity, and therefore have direct exposure to energy commodity prices. The MLP industry in general could be hurt by market perception that MLP’s performance and valuation are directly tied to commodity prices.
Pipeline MLPs are common carrier transporters of natural gas, natural gas liquids (primarily propane, ethane, butane and natural gasoline), crude oil or refined petroleum products (gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel). Pipeline MLPs also may operate ancillary businesses such as storage and marketing of such products. Pipeline MLPs derive revenue from capacity and transportation fees. Historically, pipeline output has been less exposed to cyclical economic forces due to its low-cost structure and government-regulated nature. In addition, most pipeline MLPs have limited direct commodity price exposure because they do not own the product being shipped.
Processing MLPs are gatherers and processors of natural gas as well as providers of transportation, fractionation and storage of natural gas liquids (“NGLs”). Processing MLPs derive revenue from providing services to natural gas producers, which require treatment or processing before their natural gas commodity can be marketed to utilities and other end user markets. Revenue for the processor is fee based, although it is not uncommon to have some participation in the prices of the natural gas and NGL commodities for a portion of revenue.
Propane MLPs are distributors of propane to homeowners for space and water heating. Propane MLPs derive revenue from the resale of the commodity on a margin over wholesale cost. The ability to maintain margin is a key to profitability. Propane serves approximately 3% of the household energy needs in the United States, largely for homes beyond the geographic reach of natural gas distribution pipelines. Approximately 70% of annual cash flow is earned during the winter heating season (October through March). Accordingly, volumes are weather dependent, but have utility type functions similar to electricity and natural gas.
MLPs operating interstate pipelines and storage facilities are subject to substantial regulation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”), which regulates interstate transportation rates, services and other matters regarding natural gas pipelines including: the establishment of rates for service; regulation of pipeline storage and liquified natural gas facility construction; issuing certificates of need for companies intending to provide energy services or constructing and operating interstate pipeline and storage facilities; and certain other matters. FERC also regulates the interstate transportation of crude oil, including: regulation of rates and practices of oil pipeline companies; establishing equal service conditions to provide shippers with equal access to pipeline transportation; and establishment of reasonable rates for transporting petroleum and petroleum products by pipeline. Certain MLPs regulated by the FERC have the right, but are not obligated, to redeem common units held by an investor who is not subject to U.S. federal income taxation. The financial condition and results of operations of an MLP that redeems its common units could be adversely impacted.
MLPs are subject to various federal, state and local environmental laws and health and safety laws as well as laws and regulations specific to their particular activities. These laws and regulations address: health and safety standards for the operation of facilities, transportation systems and the handling of materials; air and water pollution requirements and standards; solid waste disposal requirements; land reclamation requirements; and requirements relating to the handling and disposition of hazardous materials. MLPs are subject to the costs of compliance with such laws applicable to them, and changes in such laws and regulations may adversely affect their results of operations.
MLPs may be subject to liability relating to the release of substances into the environment, including liability under federal “Superfund” and similar state laws for investigation and remediation of releases and threatened releases of hazardous materials, as well as liability for injury and property damage for accidental events, such as explosions or discharges of materials causing personal injury and damage to property. Such potential liabilities could have a material adverse effect upon the financial condition and results of operations of MLPs.
33


MLPs are subject to numerous business related risks, including: deterioration of business fundamentals reducing profitability due to development of alternative energy sources, consumer sentiment with respect to global warming, changing demographics in the markets served, unexpectedly prolonged and precipitous changes in commodity prices and increased competition that reduces the MLP’s market share; the lack of growth of markets requiring growth through acquisitions; disruptions in transportation systems; the dependence of certain MLPs upon the energy exploration and development activities of unrelated third parties; availability of capital for expansion and construction of needed facilities; a significant decrease in natural gas production due to depressed commodity prices or otherwise; the inability of MLPs to successfully integrate recent or future acquisitions; and the general level of the economy.
Municipal Obligations and AMT-Subject Bonds
Municipal Obligations are obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories, and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, including municipal utilities, or multi-state agencies or authorities. The interest on Municipal Obligations is exempt from federal income tax in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer. Three major classifications of Municipal Obligations are: Municipal Bonds, that generally have a maturity at the time of issue of one year or more; Municipal Notes, that generally have a maturity at the time of issue of six months to three years; and Municipal Commercial Paper, that generally has a maturity at the time of issue of 30 to 270 days.
The term “Municipal Obligations” includes debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as airports, bridges, highways, housing, hospitals, mass transportation, schools, streets, water and sewer works, and electric utilities. Other public purposes for which Municipal Obligations are issued include refunding outstanding obligations, obtaining funds for general operating expenses, and lending such funds to other public institutions and facilities. To the extent that a fund invests a significant portion of its assets in municipal obligations issued in connection with a single project, the fund likely will be affected by the economic, business or political environment of the project.
AMT-Subject Bonds are industrial development bonds issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to provide for the construction, equipment, repair or improvement of privately operated housing facilities, sports facilities, convention or trade show facilities, airport, mass transit, industrial, port or parking facilities, air or water pollution control facilities, and certain local facilities for water supply, gas, electricity, or sewage or solid waste disposal. They are considered to be Municipal Obligations if the interest paid thereon qualifies as exempt from federal income tax in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, even though the interest may be subject to the federal individual alternative minimum tax.
Municipal Bonds
Municipal Bonds may be either “general obligation” or “revenue” issues. General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer’s pledge of its faith, credit, and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue bonds are payable from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or other specific revenue source (e.g., the user of the facilities being financed), but not from the general taxing power. Industrial development bonds and pollution control bonds in most cases are revenue bonds and generally do not carry the pledge of the credit of the issuing municipality. The payment of the principal and interest on industrial revenue bonds depends solely on the ability of the user of the facilities financed by the bonds to meet its financial obligations and the pledge, if any, of real and personal property so financed as security for such payment. Funds may also invest in “moral obligation” bonds that are normally issued by special purpose public authorities. If an issuer of moral obligation bonds is unable to meet its obligations, the repayment of the bonds becomes a moral commitment but not a legal obligation of the state or municipality in question.
Municipal Commercial Paper
Municipal Commercial Paper refers to short-term obligations of municipalities that may be issued at a discount and may be referred to as Short-Term Discount Notes. Municipal Commercial Paper is likely to be used to meet seasonal working capital needs of a municipality or interim construction financing. Generally they are repaid from general revenues of the municipality or refinanced with long-term debt. In most cases Municipal Commercial Paper is backed by letters of credit, lending agreements, note repurchase agreements or other credit facility agreements offered by banks or other institutions.
34


Municipal Notes
Municipal Notes usually are general obligations of the issuer and are sold in anticipation of a bond sale, collection of taxes, or receipt of other revenues. Payment of these notes is primarily dependent upon the issuer’s receipt of the anticipated revenues. Other notes include “Construction Loan Notes” issued to provide construction financing for specific projects, and “Bank Notes” issued by local governmental bodies and agencies to commercial banks as evidence of borrowings. Some notes (“Project Notes”) are issued by local agencies under a program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Project Notes are secured by the full faith and credit of the United States.
Bank Notes are notes issued by local governmental bodies and agencies such as those described above to commercial banks as evidence of borrowings. The purposes for which the notes are issued are varied but they are frequently issued to meet short-term working-capital or capital-project needs. These notes may have risks similar to the risks associated with TANs and RANs.
Bond Anticipation Notes (“BANs”) are usually general obligations of state and local governmental issuers which are sold to obtain interim financing for projects that will eventually be funded through the sale of long-term debt obligations or bonds. The ability of an issuer to meet its obligations on its BANs is primarily dependent on the issuer’s access to the long-term municipal bond market and the likelihood that the proceeds of such bond sales will be used to pay the principal and interest on the BANs.
•    Construction Loan Notes are issued to provide construction financing for specific projects. Permanent financing, the proceeds of which are applied to the payment of construction loan notes, is sometimes provided by a commitment by the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) to purchase the loan, accompanied by a commitment by the Federal Housing Administration to insure mortgage advances thereunder. In other instances, permanent financing is provided by commitments of banks to purchase the loan. The Opportunistic Municipal Fund will only purchase construction loan notes that are subject to GNMA or bank purchase commitments.
Revenue Anticipation Notes (“RANs”) are issued by governments or governmental bodies with the expectation that future revenues from a designated source will be used to repay the notes. In general they also constitute general obligations of the issuer. A decline in the receipt of projected revenues, such as anticipated revenues from another level of government, could adversely affect an issuer’s ability to meet its obligations on outstanding RANs. In addition, the possibility that the revenues would, when received, be used to meet other obligations could affect the ability of the issuer to pay the principal and interest on RANs.
Tax Anticipation Notes (“TANs”) are issued by state and local governments to finance the current operations of such governments. Repayment is generally to be derived from specific future tax revenues. TANs are usually general obligations of the issuer. A weakness in an issuer’s capacity to raise taxes due to, among other things, a decline in its tax base or a rise in delinquencies, could adversely affect the issuer’s ability to meet its obligations on outstanding TANs.
Other Municipal Obligations
Other kinds of Municipal Obligations are occasionally available in the marketplace, and the fund may invest in such other kinds of obligations to the extent consistent with its investment objective and limitations. Such obligations may be issued for different purposes and with different security than those mentioned.
Stand-By Commitments
Funds may acquire stand-by commitments with respect to municipal obligations held in their respective portfolios. Under a stand-by commitment, a broker-dealer, dealer, or bank would agree to purchase, at the relevant funds’ option, a specified municipal security at a specified price. Thus, a stand-by commitment may be viewed as the equivalent of a put option acquired by a fund with respect to a particular municipal security held in the fund’s portfolio.
The amount payable to a fund upon its exercise of a stand-by commitment normally would be 1) the acquisition cost of the municipal security (excluding any accrued interest that the fund paid on the acquisition), less any amortized market premium or plus any amortized market or original issue discount during the period the fund owned the security, plus, 2) all interest accrued on the security since the last interest payment date during the period the security was owned by the fund. Absent unusual circumstances, the fund would value the underlying municipal security at amortized cost. As a result, the amount payable by the broker-dealer, dealer or bank during the time a stand-by commitment is exercisable would be substantially the same as the value of the underlying municipal obligation.
35


A fund’s right to exercise a stand-by commitment would be unconditional and unqualified. Although a fund could not transfer a stand-by commitment, it could sell the underlying municipal security to a third party at any time. It is expected that stand-by commitments generally will be available to the funds without the payment of any direct or indirect consideration. The funds may, however, pay for stand-by commitments if such action is deemed necessary. In any event, the total amount paid for outstanding stand-by commitments held in a fund’s portfolio would not exceed 0.50% of the value of a fund’s total assets calculated immediately after each stand-by commitment is acquired.
The funds intend to enter into stand-by commitments only with broker-dealers, dealers, or banks that those managing the fund’s investments believe present minimum credit risks. A fund’s ability to exercise a stand-by commitment will depend upon the ability of the issuing institution to pay for the underlying securities at the time the stand-by commitment is exercised. The credit of each institution issuing a stand-by commitment to a fund will be evaluated on an ongoing basis by those managing the fund’s investments.
A fund intends to acquire stand-by commitments solely to facilitate portfolio liquidity and does not intend to exercise its right thereunder for trading purposes. The acquisition of a stand-by commitment would not affect the valuation of the underlying municipal security. Each stand-by commitment will be valued at zero in determining net asset value. Should a fund pay directly or indirectly for a stand-by commitment, its costs will be reflected in realized gain or loss when the commitment is exercised or expires. The maturity of a municipal security purchased by a fund will not be considered shortened by any stand-by commitment to which the obligation is subject. Thus, stand-by commitments will not affect the dollar-weighted average maturity of a fund’s portfolio.
Variable and Floating Rate Obligations
Certain Municipal Obligations, obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, and debt instruments issued by domestic banks or corporations may carry variable or floating rates of interest. Such instruments bear interest at rates which are not fixed, but which vary with changes in specified market rates or indices, such as a bank prime rate or tax-exempt money market index. Variable rate notes are adjusted to current interest rate levels at certain specified times, such as every 30 days. A floating rate note adjusts automatically whenever there is a change in its base interest rate adjustor, e.g., a change in the prime lending rate or specified interest rate indices. Typically such instruments carry demand features permitting the fund to redeem at par.
The fund’s right to obtain payment at par on a demand instrument upon demand could be affected by events occurring between the date the fund elects to redeem the instrument and the date redemption proceeds are due which affects the ability of the issuer to pay the instrument at par value. Those managing the fund’s investments monitor on an ongoing basis the pricing, quality, and liquidity of such instruments and similarly monitor the ability of an issuer of a demand instrument, including those supported by bank letters of credit or guarantees, to pay principal and interest on demand. Although the ultimate maturity of such variable rate obligations may exceed one year, the fund treats the maturity of each variable rate demand obligation as the longer of a) the notice period required before the fund is entitled to payment of the principal amount through demand or b) the period remaining until the next interest rate adjustment. Floating rate instruments with demand features are deemed to have a maturity equal to the period remaining until the principal amount can be recovered through demand.
Funds may purchase participation interests in variable rate Municipal Obligations (such as industrial development bonds). A participation interest gives the purchaser an undivided interest in the Municipal Obligation in the proportion that its participation interest bears to the total principal amount of the Municipal Obligation. A fund has the right to demand payment on seven days’ notice, for all or any part of the fund’s participation interest in the Municipal Obligation, plus accrued interest. Each participation interest is backed by an irrevocable letter of credit or guarantee of a bank. Banks will retain a service and letter of credit fee and a fee for issuing repurchase commitments in an amount equal to the excess of the interest paid on the Municipal Obligations over the negotiated yield at which the instruments were purchased by the fund.
Risks of Municipal Obligations
The yields on Municipal Obligations are dependent on a variety of factors, including general economic and monetary conditions, money market factors, conditions in the Municipal Obligations market, size of a particular offering, maturity of the obligation, and rating of the issue. The fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective also depends on the continuing ability of the issuers of the Municipal Obligations in which it invests to meet their obligation for the payment of interest and principal when due.
36


Municipal Obligations are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Act. They are also subject to federal or state laws, if any, which extend the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or impose other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations or upon municipalities to levy taxes. The power or ability of issuers to pay, when due, principal of and interest on Municipal Obligations may also be materially affected by the results of litigation or other conditions.
From time to time, proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating the federal income tax exemption for interest on Municipal Obligations. It may be expected that similar proposals will be introduced in the future. If such a proposal was enacted, the ability of the fund to pay “exempt interest” dividends may be adversely affected. The fund would reevaluate its investment objective and policies and consider changes in its structure.
Special Considerations Relating to California Municipal Obligations
The Opportunistic Municipal Fund invests in California municipal obligations and, therefore, may be significantly impacted by political, economic, or regulatory developments that affect issuers in California and their ability to pay principal and interest on their obligations. The ability of issuers to pay interest on, and repay principal of, California municipal obligations may be affected by 1) amendments to the California Constitution and related statutes that limit the taxing and spending authority of California government entities, 2) voter initiatives, 3) a wide variety of California laws and regulations, including laws related to the operation of health care institutions and laws related to secured interests in real property, and 4) the general financial condition of the State of California and the California economy.
Taxable Investments of the Municipal Funds
The Opportunistic Municipal Fund may invest a portion of its assets, as described in the Prospectus, in taxable short-term investments consisting of: obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, domestic bank certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, short-term corporate debt securities such as commercial paper, and repurchase agreements (“Taxable Investments”). These investments must have a stated maturity of one year or less at the time of purchase and must meet the following standards: banks must have assets of at least $1 billion; commercial paper must be rated at least “A” by S&P Global or “Prime” by Moody’s or, if not rated, must be issued by companies having an outstanding debt issue rated at least “A” by S&P Global or Moody’s; corporate bonds and debentures must be rated at least “A” by S&P Global or Moody’s. Interest earned from Taxable Investments is taxable to investors. When, in the opinion of the Fund’s Manager, it is advisable to maintain a temporary “defensive” posture, the Opportunistic Municipal Fund may invest without limitation in Taxable Investments. At other times, the following investments will not exceed 20% of the Fund’s total assets: Taxable Investments; Municipal Obligations that do not meet quality standards required for the 80% portion of the portfolio; and Municipal Obligations, the interest on which is treated as a tax preference item for purposes of the federal individual alternative minimum tax.
Insurance
The insured municipal obligations in which the Opportunistic Municipal Fund may invest are insured under insurance policies that relate to the specific municipal obligation in question. This insurance is generally non-cancelable and will continue in force so long as the municipal obligations are outstanding, and the insurer remains in business. The insured municipal obligations are generally insured as to the scheduled payment of all installments of principal and interest as they fall due.
The insurance covers only credit risk and therefore does not guarantee the market value of the obligations in a Fund’s investment portfolio or a Fund’s NAV. The Fund’s NAV will continue to fluctuate in response to fluctuations in interest rates. A Fund’s investment policy requiring investment in insured municipal obligations will not affect the Fund’s ability to hold its assets in cash or to invest in escrow-secured and defeased bonds or in certain short-term tax-exempt obligations, or affect its ability to invest in uninsured taxable obligations for temporary or liquidity purposes or on a defensive basis.
Pay-in-Kind Securities
Each Fund may invest in pay-in-kind securities. Pay-in-kind securities pay dividends or interest in the form of additional securities of the issuer, rather than in cash. These securities are usually issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts. The amount of the discount varies depending on various factors, such as the time remaining until maturity of the securities, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security, and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The market prices of pay-in-kind securities generally are more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than are other types of securities having similar maturities and credit quality.
37


Portfolio Turnover (Active Trading)
Portfolio turnover is a measure of how frequently a portfolio’s securities are bought and sold. The portfolio turnover rate is generally calculated as the dollar value of the lesser of a portfolio’s purchases or sales of shares of securities during a given year, divided by the monthly average value of the portfolio securities during that year (excluding securities whose maturity or expiration at the time of acquisition were less than one year). For example, a portfolio reporting a 100% portfolio turnover rate would have purchased and sold securities worth as much as the monthly average value of its portfolio securities during the year.
It is not possible to predict future turnover rates with accuracy. Many variable factors are outside the control of a portfolio manager. The investment outlook for the securities in which a portfolio may invest may change as a result of unexpected developments in securities markets, economic or monetary policies, or political relationships. High market volatility may result in a portfolio manager using a more active trading strategy than might otherwise be employed. Each portfolio manager considers the economic effects of portfolio turnover but generally does not treat the portfolio turnover rate as a limiting factor in making investment decisions.
Sale of shares by investors may require the liquidation of portfolio securities to meet cash flow needs. In addition, changes in a particular portfolio’s holdings may be made whenever the portfolio manager considers that a security is no longer appropriate for the portfolio or that another security represents a relatively greater opportunity. Such changes may be made without regard to the length of time that a security has been held.
Higher portfolio turnover rates generally increase transaction costs that are expenses of the Fund. Active trading may generate short-term gains (losses) for taxable shareholders.
The following Fund(s) had significant variation in portfolio turnover rates over the two most recently completed fiscal years:
Fund 2023
Turnover
2022
Turnover
Comments
Blue Chip
10.0% 24.0% Turnover was lower in 2023 relative to 2022 due to company-level decisions, with the Advisor generally continuing to view portfolio holdings more favorably than other companies in the opportunity set.
Preferred Securities
Preferred securities can include: traditional preferred securities, hybrid-preferred securities, $25 par hybrid preferred securities, baby bonds, U.S. dividend received deduction (“DRD”) preferred stock, fixed rate and floating rate adjustable preferred securities, step-up preferred securities, public and 144A $1000 par capital securities including U.S. agency subordinated debt issues, trust originated preferred securities, monthly income preferred securities, quarterly income bond securities, quarterly income debt securities, quarterly income preferred securities, corporate trust securities, public income notes, and other trust preferred securities.
Traditional Preferred Securities. Traditional preferred securities may be issued by an entity taxable as a corporation and pay fixed or floating rate dividends. However, these claims are subordinated to more senior creditors, including senior debt holders. “Preference” means that a company must pay dividends on its preferred securities before paying any dividends on its common stock, and the claims of preferred securities holders are ahead of common stockholders’ claims on assets in a corporate liquidation. Holders of preferred securities usually have no right to vote for corporate directors or on other matters. Preferred securities share many investment characteristics with both common stock and bonds.
Hybrid or Trust Preferred Securities. Hybrid-preferred securities are debt instruments that have characteristics similar to those of traditional preferred securities (characteristics of both subordinated debt and preferred stock). Hybrid preferred securities may be issued by corporations, generally in the form of interest-bearing instruments with preferred securities characteristics, or by an affiliated trust or partnership of the corporation, generally in the form of preferred interests in subordinated business trusts or similarly structured securities. The hybrid-preferred securities market consists of both fixed and adjustable coupon rate securities that are either perpetual in nature or have stated maturity dates. Hybrid preferred holders generally have claims to assets in a corporate liquidation that are senior to those of traditional preferred securities but subordinate to those of senior debt holders. Certain subordinated debt and senior debt issues that have preferred characteristics are also considered to be part of the broader preferred securities market.
38


Preferred securities may be issued by trusts (likely one that is wholly-owned by a financial institution or other corporate entity, typically a bank holding company) or other special purpose entities established by operating companies, and are therefore not direct obligations of operating companies. The financial institution creates the trust and owns the trust’s common securities. The trust uses the sale proceeds of its preferred securities to purchase, for example, subordinated debt issued by the financial institution. The financial institution uses the proceeds from the subordinated debt sale to increase its capital while the trust receives periodic interest payments from the financial institution for holding the subordinated debt. The trust uses the funds received to make dividend payments to the holders of the trust preferred securities. The primary advantage of this structure may be that the trust preferred securities are treated by the financial institution as debt securities for tax purposes and as equity for the calculation of capital requirements.
Trust preferred securities typically bear a market rate coupon comparable to interest rates available on debt of a similarly rated issuer. Typical characteristics include long-term maturities, early redemption by the issuer, periodic fixed or variable interest payments, and maturities at face value. Holders of trust preferred securities have limited voting rights to control the activities of the trust and no voting rights with respect to the financial institution. The market value of trust preferred securities may be more volatile than those of conventional debt securities. Trust preferred securities may be issued in reliance on Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and subject to restrictions on resale. There can be no assurance as to the liquidity of trust preferred securities and the ability of holders, such as a fund, to sell their holdings. The condition of the financial institution can be looked to identify the risks of trust preferred securities as the trust typically has no business operations other than to issue the trust preferred securities. If the financial institution defaults on interest payments to the trust, the trust will not be able to make dividend payments to holders of its securities, such as a fund.
Floating Rate Preferred Securities. Floating rate preferred securities provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the securities. The terms of such securities provide that interest rates are adjusted periodically based upon an interest rate adjustment index. The adjustment intervals may be regular, and range from daily up to annually, or may be event-based, such as a change in the short-term interest rate. Because of the interest rate reset feature, floating rate securities provide the Fund with a certain degree of protection against rising interest rates, although the interest rates of floating rate securities will participate in any declines in interest rates as well.
If a portion of a fund’s income consists of dividends paid by U.S. corporations, a portion of the dividends paid by the fund may be eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. In addition, distributions reported by a fund as derived from qualified dividend income (“QDI”) will be taxed in the hands of individuals at the reduced rates applicable to net capital gains, provided certain holding period and other requirements are met by both the shareholder and the fund. Dividend income that a fund receives from REITs, if any, will generally not be treated as QDI and will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction. It is unclear the extent to which distributions a fund receives from investments in certain preferred securities will be eligible for treatment as QDI or for the corporate dividends-received deduction. A fund cannot predict at this time what portion, if any, of its dividends will qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction or be eligible for the reduced rates of taxation applicable to QDI.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)
REITs are pooled investment vehicles that invest in income producing real estate, real estate related loans, or other types of real estate interests. U.S. REITs are allowed to eliminate corporate level federal tax so long as they meet certain requirements of the Internal Revenue Code. Foreign REITs (“REIT-like”) entities may have similar tax treatment in their respective countries. Equity real estate investment trusts own real estate properties, while mortgage real estate investment trusts make and/or invests in construction, development, and long-term mortgage loans. Their value may be affected by changes in the underlying property of the trusts, the creditworthiness of the issuer, property taxes, interest rates, and tax and regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the environment. Both types of trusts are not diversified, are dependent upon management skill, are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status of income under the Internal Revenue Code and failing to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. In addition, foreign REIT-like entities will be subject to foreign securities risks. (See “Foreign Securities”).
39


Repurchase and Reverse Repurchase Agreements, Mortgage Dollar Rolls, and Sale-Buybacks
Each Fund may invest in repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements typically involve the purchase of debt securities from a financial institution such as a bank, savings and loan association, or broker-dealer. A repurchase agreement provides that the fund sells back to the seller and that the seller repurchases the underlying securities at a specified price on a specific date. Repurchase agreements may be viewed as loans by a fund collateralized by the underlying securities. This arrangement results in a fixed rate of return that is not subject to market fluctuation while the fund holds the security. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, the affected fund bears a risk of loss. To minimize such risks, the fund enters into repurchase agreements only with parties those managing the fund’s investments deem creditworthy (those that are large, well-capitalized, and well-established financial institutions). In addition, the value of the securities collateralizing the repurchase agreement is, and during the entire term of the repurchase agreement remains, at least equal to the acquisition price the Funds pay to the seller of the securities.
In a repurchase agreement, a Fund purchases a security and simultaneously commits to resell that security to the seller at an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date within a number of days (usually not more than seven) from the date of purchase. The resale price consists of the purchase price plus an amount that is unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. A repurchase agreement involves the obligation of the seller to pay the agreed upon price, which obligation is in effect secured by the value (at least equal to the amount of the agreed upon resale price and marked-to-market daily) of the underlying security or “collateral.” A risk associated with repurchase agreements is the failure of the seller to repurchase the securities as agreed, which may cause a Fund to suffer a loss if the market value of such securities declines before they can be liquidated on the open market. In the event of bankruptcy or insolvency of the seller, a Fund may encounter delays and incur costs in liquidating the underlying security. Repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days are subject to each Fund’s limit on illiquid investments. While it is not possible to eliminate all risks from these transactions, it is the policy of the Fund to limit repurchase agreements to those parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and found satisfactory by those managing the fund’s investments.
Each Fund may use reverse repurchase agreements, mortgage dollar rolls, and economically similar transactions to obtain cash to satisfy unusually heavy redemption requests or for other temporary or emergency purposes without the necessity of selling portfolio securities, or to earn additional income on portfolio securities, such as Treasury bills or notes. In a reverse repurchase agreement, a Fund sells a portfolio security to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase the instrument at a particular price and time. A Fund will enter into reverse repurchase agreements only with parties that those managing the fund's investments deem creditworthy. Using reverse repurchase agreements to earn additional income involves the risk that the interest earned on the invested proceeds is less than the expense of the reverse repurchase agreement transaction. This technique may also have a leveraging effect on the Fund.
A “mortgage dollar roll” is similar to a reverse repurchase agreement in certain respects. In a “dollar roll” transaction a Fund sells a mortgage-related security, such as a security issued by the Government National Mortgage Association, to a dealer and simultaneously agrees to repurchase a similar security (but not the same security) in the future at a pre-determined price. A dollar roll can be viewed, like a reverse repurchase agreement, as a collateralized borrowing in which a Fund pledges a mortgage-related security to a dealer to obtain cash. Unlike in the case of reverse repurchase agreements, the dealer with which a Fund enters into a dollar roll transaction is not obligated to return the same securities as those originally sold by the Fund, but only securities which are “substantially identical.” To be considered “substantially identical,” the securities returned to a Fund generally must: 1) be collateralized by the same types of underlying mortgages; 2) be issued by the same agency and be part of the same program; 3) have a similar original stated maturity; 4) have identical net coupon rates; 5) have similar market yields (and therefore price); and 6) satisfy “good delivery” requirements, meaning that the aggregate principal amounts of the securities delivered and received back must be within 0.01% of the initial amount delivered.
Each Fund also may effect simultaneous purchase and sale transactions that are known as “sale-buybacks.” A sale-buyback is similar to a reverse repurchase agreement, except that in a sale-buyback, the counterparty who purchases the security is entitled to receive any principal or interest payments made on the underlying security pending settlement of the Fund’s repurchase of the underlying security.
40


Restricted and Illiquid Securities
A Fund may experience difficulty in valuing and selling illiquid securities and, in some cases, may be unable to value or sell certain illiquid securities for an indefinite period of time. Illiquid securities may include a wide variety of investments, such as (1) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days (unless the agreements have demand/redemption features), (2) OTC options contracts and certain other derivatives (including certain swap agreements), (3) fixed time deposits that are not subject to prepayment or do not provide for withdrawal penalties upon prepayment (other than overnight deposits), (4) loan interests and other direct debt instruments, (5) certain municipal lease obligations, (6) commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act, (7) thinly-traded securities, and (8) securities whose resale is restricted under the federal securities laws or contractual provisions (including restricted, privately placed securities that, under the federal securities laws, generally may be resold only to qualified institutional buyers). Generally, restricted securities may be sold only in a public offering for which a registration statement has been filed and declared effective or in a transaction that is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933. When registration is required, a Fund that owns restricted securities may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a restricted security. If adverse market conditions were to develop during such a period, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than existed when it decided to sell.
Illiquid and restricted securities are priced at fair value as determined in good faith by PGI as the Funds’ valuation designee, subject to the Board’s oversight. As described above, some of the Funds have adopted investment restrictions that limit investments in illiquid securities.
Royalty Trusts
A royalty trust generally acquires an interest in natural resource or chemical companies and distributes the income it receives to its investors. A sustained decline in demand for natural resource and related products could adversely affect royalty trust revenues and cash flows. Such a decline could result from a recession or other adverse economic conditions, an increase in the market price of the underlying commodity, higher taxes or other regulatory actions that increase costs, or a shift in consumer demand. Rising interest rates could harm the performance and limit the capital appreciation of royalty trusts because of the increased availability of alternative investments at more competitive yields. Fund shareholders will indirectly bear their proportionate share of the royalty trusts’ expenses.
Securitized Products — Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities
The yield characteristics of the mortgage- and asset-backed securities in which a Fund may invest differ from those of traditional debt securities. Among the major differences are that the interest and principal payments are made more frequently on mortgage- and asset-backed securities (usually monthly) and that principal may be prepaid at any time because the underlying mortgage loans or other assets generally may be prepaid at any time. As a result, if a Fund purchases those securities at a premium, a prepayment rate that is faster than expected will reduce their yield, while a prepayment rate that is slower than expected will have the opposite effect of increasing yield. If the Fund purchases these securities at a discount, faster than expected prepayments will increase their yield, while slower than expected prepayments will reduce their yield. Amounts available for reinvestment by a Fund are likely to be greater during a period of declining interest rates and, as a result, are likely to be reinvested at lower interest rates than during a period of rising interest rates.
In general, the prepayment rate for mortgage-backed securities decreases as interest rates rise and increases as interest rates fall. However, rising interest rates will tend to decrease the value of these securities. In addition, an increase in interest rates may affect the volatility of these securities by effectively changing a security that was considered a short-term security at the time of purchase into a long-term security. Long-term securities generally fluctuate more widely in response to changes in interest rates than short- or medium-term securities.
The market for privately issued mortgage- and asset-backed securities is smaller and less liquid than the market for U.S. government mortgage-backed securities. A collateralized mortgage obligation (“CMO”) may be structured in a manner that provides a wide variety of investment characteristics (yield, effective maturity, and interest rate sensitivity). As market conditions change, and especially during periods of rapid market interest rate changes, the ability of a CMO to provide the anticipated investment characteristics may be greatly diminished. Increased market volatility and/or reduced liquidity may result.
41


Each Fund may invest in each of collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), other collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), and other similarly structured securities. CBOs, CLOs, and other CDOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust that is often backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below-investment-grade fixed-income securities. The collateral can be from many different types of fixed-income securities, such as high yield debt, residential privately issued mortgage-related securities, commercial privately issued mortgage-related securities, trust preferred securities, and emerging market debt. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. Other CDOs are trusts backed by other types of assets representing obligations of various parties. CBOs, CLOs, and other CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses.
Short Sales
A short sale involves the sale by a fund of a security that it does not own with the expectation of covering settlement by purchasing the same security at a later date at a lower price. A fund may also enter into a short position by using a derivative instrument, such as a future, forward, or swap agreement. If the price of the security or derivative increases prior to the time the fund is required to replace the borrowed security, then the fund will incur a loss equal to the increase in price from the time that the short sale was entered into plus any premiums and interest paid to the broker. Therefore, short sales involve the risk that losses may be exaggerated, potentially losing more money than the value of the investment.
A “short sale against the box” is a technique that involves selling either a security owned by a fund, or a security equivalent in kind and amount to the security sold short that the fund has the right to obtain, at no additional cost, for delivery at a specified date in the future. Each fund may enter into a short sale against the box to hedge against anticipated declines in the market price of portfolio securities. If the value of the securities sold short against the box increases prior to the scheduled delivery date, a fund will lose money.
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”)
Each Fund may invest in securities of special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) or similar special purpose entities that pool funds to seek potential acquisition opportunities. Unless and until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC or similar entity generally maintains assets (less a portion retained to cover expenses) in a trust account comprised of U.S. government securities, money market securities, and cash, and similar investments whose returns or yields may be significantly lower than those of the Fund’s other investments. Because SPACs and similar entities are in essence blank-check companies without an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity’s management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition, which may not occur. For example, even if an acquisition or merger target is identified, the Fund may elect not to participate in, or vote to approve, the proposed transaction. Moreover, an acquisition or merger once effected may prove unsuccessful and an investment in the SPAC may lose value.
SPACs are also subject to the following additional risks:
The risk that, in the case of SPACs used as an opportunity for startups to go public without going through the traditional IPO process, such startups may become publicly traded with potentially less due diligence than what is typical in a traditional IPO through an underwriter and may not be experienced in facing the challenges, expenses and risks of being a public company, including the increased regulatory and financial scrutiny and the need to comply with applicable governance and accounting requirements.
SPAC sponsors may have a potential conflict of interest to complete a deal that may be unfavorable for other investors in the SPAC. For example, SPAC sponsors often own warrants to acquire additional shares of the company at a fixed price, and the exercise by the SPAC sponsor of its warrants may dilute the value of the equity interests of other investors in the SPAC.
Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices.
Only a thinly traded market for shares of or interests in a SPAC may develop, or there may be no market at all, leaving the Fund unable to sell its interest in a SPAC or to sell its interest only at a lower price. Investments in SPACs may include private placements, including PIPEs, and, accordingly, may be considered illiquid and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.
Values of investments in SPACs may be highly volatile and may depreciate significantly over time.
42


Supranational Entities
Each Fund may invest in obligations of supranational entities. A supranational entity is an entity designated or supported by national governments to promote economic reconstruction, development or trade amongst nations. Examples of supranational entities include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (also known as the World Bank) and the European Investment Bank. Obligations of supranational entities are subject to the risk that the governments on whose support the entity depends for its financial backing or repayment may be unable or unwilling to provide that support. Obligations of a supranational entity that are denominated in foreign currencies will also be subject to the risks associated with investments in foreign currencies.
Synthetic Securities
Incidental to other transactions in fixed income securities and/or for investment purposes, a Fund also may combine options on securities with cash, cash equivalent investments or other fixed income securities in order to create “synthetic” securities which approximate desired risk and return profiles. This may be done where a “non-synthetic” security having the desired risk/return profile either is unavailable (e.g., short-term securities of certain non-U.S. governments) or possesses undesirable characteristics (e.g., interest payments on the security would be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes). A Fund also may purchase forward non-U.S. exchange contracts in conjunction with U.S. dollar-denominated securities in order to create a synthetic non-U.S. currency denominated security which approximates desired risk and return characteristics where the non-synthetic securities either are not available in non-U.S. markets or possess undesirable characteristics. The use of synthetic bonds and other synthetic securities may involve risks different from, or potentially greater than, risks associated with direct investments in securities and other assets. Synthetic securities may increase other Fund risks, including market risk, liquidity risk, and credit risk, and their value may or may not correlate with the value of the relevant underlying asset.
Temporary Defensive Measures/Money Market Instruments
Each Fund may make money market investments (cash equivalents), without limit, pending other investment or settlement, for liquidity, or in adverse market conditions. Following are descriptions of the types of money market instruments that each Fund may purchase:
U.S. Government Securities - Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, including treasury bills, notes, and bonds.
U.S. Government Agency Securities - Obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government.
U.S. agency obligations include, but are not limited to, the Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Home Loan Banks, and Federal Intermediate Credit Banks.
U.S. instrumentality obligations include, but are not limited to, the Export-Import Bank, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and Federal National Mortgage Association.
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Others, such as those issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association, are supported by discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality. Still others, such as those issued by the Student Loan Marketing Association, are supported only by the credit of the agency or instrumentality.
Bank Obligations - Certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. commercial banks having total assets of at least one billion dollars and overseas branches of U.S. commercial banks and foreign banks, which in the opinion of those managing the fund’s investments, are of comparable quality. A Fund may acquire obligations of U.S. banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System or of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning, in effect, that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Fixed time deposits are bank obligations payable at a stated maturity date and bearing interest at a fixed rate. Fixed time deposits may be withdrawn on demand by the investor, but may be subject to early withdrawal penalties which vary depending upon market conditions and the remaining maturity of the obligation. There are no contractual restrictions on the right to transfer a beneficial interest in a fixed time deposit to a third party, although there is no market for such deposits.
43


Obligations of foreign banks and obligations of overseas branches of U.S. banks are subject to somewhat different regulations and risks than those of U.S. domestic banks. For example, an issuing bank may be able to maintain that the liability for an investment is solely that of the overseas branch which could expose a Fund to a greater risk of loss. In addition, obligations of foreign banks or of overseas branches of U.S. banks may be affected by governmental action in the country of domicile of the branch or parent bank. Examples of adverse foreign governmental actions include the imposition of currency controls, the imposition of withholding taxes on interest income payable on such obligations, interest limitations, seizure or nationalization of assets, or the declaration of a moratorium. Deposits in foreign banks or foreign branches of U.S. banks are not covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and that the selection of those obligations may be more difficult because there may be less publicly available information concerning foreign banks or the accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements applicable to foreign banks may differ from those applicable to United States banks. Foreign banks are not generally subject to examination by any United States Government agency or instrumentality. A Fund only buys short-term instruments where the risks of adverse governmental action are believed by those managing the fund’s investments to be minimal. A Fund considers these factors, along with other appropriate factors, in making an investment decision to acquire such obligations. It only acquires those which, in the opinion of management, are of an investment quality comparable to other debt securities bought by the Fund.
A certificate of deposit is issued against funds deposited in a bank or savings and loan association for a definite period of time, at a specified rate of return. Normally they are negotiable. However, a Fund occasionally may invest in certificates of deposit which are not negotiable. Such certificates may provide for interest penalties in the event of withdrawal prior to their maturity. A bankers’ acceptance is a short-term credit instrument issued by corporations to finance the import, export, transfer, or storage of goods. They are termed “accepted” when a bank guarantees their payment at maturity and reflect the obligation of both the bank and drawer to pay the face amount of the instrument at maturity.
Commercial Paper - Short-term promissory notes issued by U.S. or foreign corporations.
Short-term Corporate Debt - Corporate notes, bonds, and debentures that at the time of purchase have 397 days or less remaining to maturity, with certain exceptions permitted by applicable regulations.
Repurchase Agreements - Instruments under which securities are purchased from a bank or securities dealer with an agreement by the seller to repurchase the securities at the same price plus interest at a specified rate.
Taxable Municipal Obligations - Short-term obligations issued or guaranteed by state and municipal issuers which generate taxable income.
U.S. Government and U.S. Government-Sponsored Securities
U.S. government securities refers to a variety of debt securities issued by or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury, such as Treasury bills, notes, and bonds and mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), and are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States meaning that the U.S. government is required to repay the principal in the event of default. Others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency’s obligations; and still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality, or enterprise. The U.S. government does not guarantee the market price of any U.S. government security.
Although U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) may be chartered or sponsored by Congress, they are not funded by Congressional appropriations, and their securities are not issued by the U.S. Treasury nor supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
U.S. government securities and U.S. government-sponsored securities may be adversely impacted by changes in interest rates or a default by or decline in the credit rating of the applicable government-sponsored entity. There is no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies and instrumentalities if not required to do so. In addition, certain governmental entities have been subject to regulatory scrutiny regarding their accounting policies and practices and other concerns that may result in legislation, changes in regulatory oversight, and/or other consequences that could adversely affect the credit quality, availability, or investment character of securities issued by these entities. The value and liquidity of U.S. government securities may be affected adversely by changes in the ratings of those securities.
44


Warrants and Rights
The Funds may invest in warrants and rights. A warrant is an instrument that gives the holder a right to purchase a given number of shares of a particular security at a specified price until a stated expiration date. Buying a warrant generally can provide a greater potential for profit or loss than an investment of equivalent amounts in the underlying common stock. The market value of a warrant does not necessarily move with the value of the underlying securities. If a holder does not sell the warrant, it risks the loss of its entire investment if the market price of the underlying security does not, before the expiration date, exceed the exercise price of the warrant. Investment in warrants is a speculative activity. Warrants pay no dividends and confer no rights (other than the right to purchase the underlying securities) with respect to the assets of the issuer. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe for shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life, usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price.
When-Issued, Delayed Delivery, and Forward Commitment Transactions
Each of the Funds may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis. Typically, no income accrues on securities a Fund has committed to purchase prior to the time delivery of the securities is made.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield fluctuations, and takes such fluctuations into account when determining its net asset value. Because the Fund is not required to pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with the Fund’s other investments. If the Fund remains substantially fully invested at a time when when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment purchases are outstanding, the purchases may result in a form of leverage.
When the Fund has sold a security on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis, the Fund does not participate in future gains or losses with respect to the security. If the other party to a transaction fails to deliver or pay for the securities, the Fund could miss a favorable price or yield opportunity or could suffer a loss. A Fund may dispose of or renegotiate a transaction after it is entered into, and may sell when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment securities before they are delivered, which may result in a capital gain or loss. There is no percentage limitation on the extent to which the Funds may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis.
45


LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE AND BOARD
PFI's Board has overall responsibility for overseeing PFI's operations in accordance with the 1940 Act, other applicable laws, and PFI's charter. Each Board Member serves on the Boards of the following investment companies: Principal Funds, Inc. (“PFI”), Principal Variable Contracts Funds, Inc. (“PVC”), Principal Exchange-Traded Funds (“PETF”), and Principal Real Asset Fund (“PRA”), which are collectively referred to in this SAI as the “Fund Complex.” Board Members who are affiliated persons of any investment advisor, the principal distributor, or the principal underwriter of the Fund Complex are considered “interested persons” of the Funds (as defined in the 1940 Act) and are referred to in this SAI as “Interested Board Members.” Board Members who are not Interested Board Members are referred to as “Independent Board Members.”
Each Board Member generally serves until the next annual meeting of shareholders or until such Board Member’s earlier death, resignation, or removal. Independent Board Members have a 72-year age limit and, for Independent Board Members elected on or after September 14, 2021, a 72-year age limit or a 15-year term limit, whichever occurs first. The Board may waive the age or term limits in the Board’s discretion. The Board elects officers to supervise the day-to-day operations of the Fund Complex. Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board, and each officer has the same position with each investment company in the Fund Complex.
The Board meets in regularly scheduled meetings eight times throughout the year. Board meetings may occur in-person, by telephone, or virtually. In addition, the Board holds special meetings or informal conference calls to discuss specific matters that may arise or require action between regular meetings. Independent Board Members also meet annually to consider renewal of advisory contracts.
The Chairman of the Board is an interested person of the Fund Complex. The Independent Board Members have appointed a Lead Independent Board Member whose role is to review and approve, with the Chairman, each Board meeting’s agenda and to facilitate communication between and among the Independent Board Members, management, and the full Board. The Board’s leadership structure is appropriate for the Fund Complex given its characteristics and circumstances, including the number of portfolios, variety of asset classes, net assets, and distribution arrangements. The appropriateness of this structure is enhanced by the establishment and allocation of responsibilities among the following Committees, which report their activities to the Board on a regular basis.

Committee and Independent Board Members
Primary Purpose and Responsibilities
Meetings Held During the Last Fiscal Year
15(c) Committee
Karen McMillan, Chair
Katharin S. Dyer
Fritz S. Hirsch
Padelford L. Lattimer
The Committee’s primary purpose is to assist the Board in performing the annual review of the Funds’ advisory and sub-advisory agreements pursuant to Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act. The Committee is responsible for requesting and reviewing related materials.
6
Audit Committee
Victor L. Hymes, Chair
Craig Damos
Frances P. Grieb
Elizabeth A. Nickels

The Committee’s primary purpose is to assist the Board by serving as an independent and objective party to monitor the Fund Complex’s accounting policies, financial reporting, and internal control system, as well as the work of the independent registered public accountants. The Audit Committee assists Board oversight of 1) the integrity of the Fund Complex’s financial statements; 2) the Fund Complex’s compliance with certain legal and regulatory requirements; 3) the independent registered public accountants’ qualifications and independence; and 4) the performance of the Fund Complex’s independent registered public accountants. The Audit Committee also facilitates communication among the independent registered public accountants, PGI’s internal auditors, Fund Complex management, and the Board.
10
Executive Committee
Kamal Bhatia, Chair
Craig Damos
Patrick G. Halter

The Committee’s primary purpose is to exercise certain powers of the Board when the Board is not in session. When the Board is not in session, the Committee may exercise all powers of the Board in the management of the Fund Complex’s business except the power to 1) issue stock, except as permitted by law; 2) recommend to the shareholders any action that requires shareholder approval; 3) amend the bylaws; or 4) approve any merger or share exchange that does not require shareholder approval.
None
46


Committee and Independent Board Members
Primary Purpose and Responsibilities
Meetings Held During the Last Fiscal Year
Nominating and
Governance Committee
Elizabeth A. Nickels, Chair
Craig Damos
Fritz S. Hirsch
Victor L. Hymes
Karen McMillan

The Committee’s primary purpose is to oversee the structure and efficiency of the Board and the committees. The Committee is responsible for evaluating Board membership and functions, committee membership and functions, insurance coverage, and legal matters. The Committee’s nominating functions include selecting and nominating Independent Board Member candidates for election to the Board. Generally, the Committee requests nominee suggestions from Board Members and management. In addition, the Committee considers candidates recommended by shareholders of the Fund Complex. Recommendations should be submitted in writing to the Principal Funds Complex Secretary, in care of the Principal Funds Complex, 711 High Street, Des Moines, IA 50392. Such recommendations must include all information specified in the Committee’s charter and must conform with the procedures set forth in Appendix A thereto, which can be found at https://secure02.principal.com/publicvsupply/GetFile?fm=MM13013&ty=VOP&EXT=.VOP. Examples of such information include the nominee’s biographical information; relevant educational and professional background of the nominee; the number of shares of each Fund owned of record and beneficially by the nominee and by the recommending shareholder; any other information regarding the nominee that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of board members; whether the nominee is an “interested person” of the Funds as defined in the 1940 Act; and the written consent of the nominee to be named as a nominee and serve as a board member if elected.
When evaluating a potential nominee for Independent Board Member, the Committee may consider, among other factors: educational background; relevant business and industry experience; whether the person is an “interested person” of the Funds as defined in the 1940 Act; and whether the person is willing to serve, and willing and able to commit the time necessary to attend meetings and perform the duties of an Independent Board Member. In addition, the Committee may consider whether a candidate’s background, experience, skills and views would complement the background, experience, skills and views of other Board Members and would contribute to the diversity of the Board. The final decision is based on a combination of factors, including the strengths and the experience an individual may bring to the Board. The Board does not regularly use the services of professional search firms to identify or evaluate potential candidates or nominees.
5
Operations Committee
Padelford L. Lattimer, Chair
Katharin S. Dyer
Karen McMillan
The Committee’s primary purpose is to review and oversee the provision of administrative and distribution services to the Fund Complex, communications with the Fund Complex’s shareholders, and the Fund Complex’s operations.
6
Risk oversight forms part of the Board’s general oversight of the Fund Complex. The Board has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer who oversees the implementation and testing of the Funds' compliance program and reports to the Board regarding compliance matters for the Funds and principal service providers. As part of its regular oversight functions, the Board, directly or through a committee, interacts with and reviews reports from, among others: Fund Complex management, sub-advisors, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm, and internal auditors for PGI or its affiliates, as appropriate. The Board, with the assistance of management and PGI, reviews investment policies and risks in connection with its review of Fund Complex performance. In addition, as part of the Board’s periodic review of advisory, sub-advisory, and other service provider agreements, the Board may consider risk management aspects of their operations and the functions for which they are responsible. With respect to valuation, the Board has designated PGI as the Funds’ valuation designee, as permitted by SEC Rule 2a-5, where PGI is responsible for the day-to-day valuation and oversight responsibilities of the Funds, subject to the Board’s oversight. PGI has established a Valuation Committee to fulfill its oversight responsibilities as the Funds’ valuation designee.
Each Board Member has significant prior senior management and/or board experience. Board Members are selected and retained based upon their skills, experience, judgment, analytical ability, diligence, and ability to work effectively with other Board Members, a commitment to the interests of shareholders, and, for each Independent Board Member, a demonstrated willingness to take an independent and questioning view of management. In addition to these general qualifications, the Board seeks members who build upon the Board’s diversity. Below is a brief discussion of the specific education, experience, qualifications, or skills that led to the conclusion that each person identified below should serve as a Board Member. As required by rules adopted under the 1940 Act, the Independent Board Members select and nominate all candidates for Independent Board Member positions.
47


Independent Board Members
Craig Damos. Mr. Damos has served as an Independent Board Member of the Fund Complex since 2008. Since 2011, Mr. Damos has served as the President of C.P. Damos Consulting, LLC (doing business as Craig Damos Consulting). He has also served as a director of the employees’ stock ownership plan of the Baker Group since 2020. Mr. Damos served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Weitz Company from 2006 to 2010; Vertical Growth Officer of Weitz Company from 2004 to 2006; and Chief Financial Officer of Weitz Company from 2000 to 2004. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Damos served as a director of West Bank. Through his education, employment experience, and experience as a board member, Mr. Damos is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory, and investment matters.
Katharin S. Dyer. Ms. Dyer has served as an Independent Board Member of the Fund Complex since 2023. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of PivotWise, a firm providing strategic advice focused on digital transformation. Ms. Dyer currently serves as a director of Liquidity Services and the Grameen Foundation. She previously served as a director of Providence Health from 2019 to 2021, Noora Health from 2018 to 2021, YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee from 2016 to 2022, and CARE from 2001 to 2013. She was formerly employed by IBM Global Services as a Global Partner and a member of the senior leadership team from 2016 to 2018. Ms. Dyer was a member of the Global Management Team at American Express Company from 2013 to 2015. Through her education, employment experience, and experience as a board member, Ms. Dyer is experienced with financial, information and digital technology, investment, and regulatory matters.
Frances P. Grieb. Ms. Grieb has served as an Independent Board Member of the Fund Complex since 2023. Ms. Grieb currently serves as a director of First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. and the National Advisory Board of the College of Business at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of Corporate Directors. From 2014 to 2022, she served as a director of Great Western Bancorp, Inc. Ms. Grieb is a retired partner having served in various leadership roles at Deloitte LLP from 1982 to 2010. Ms. Grieb is a retired Certified Public Accountant. Through her education, employment experience, and experience as a board member, Ms. Grieb is experienced with financial, accounting, investment, and regulatory matters.
Fritz S. Hirsch. Mr. Hirsch has served as an Independent Board Member of the Fund Complex since 2005. From 2011 to 2015, Mr. Hirsch served as CEO of MAM USA. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sassy, Inc. from 1986 to 2009, and Chief Financial Officer of Sassy, Inc. from 1983 to 1985. Through his education, employment experience, and experience as a board member, Mr. Hirsch is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory, and investment matters.
Victor L. Hymes. Mr. Hymes has served as an Independent Board Member of the Fund Complex since 2020. He currently serves as Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Legato Capital Management, LLC. Over the past thirty years, Mr. Hymes has served in the roles of CEO, COO, CIO, portfolio manager, and other senior management positions with investment management firms, including Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., and Kidder, Peabody & Co. Mr. Hymes has served on numerous boards and has chaired four investment committees over the past two decades. Through his education, employment experience, and experience as a board member, Mr. Hymes is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory, and investment matters.
Padelford L. Lattimer. Mr. Lattimer has served as an Independent Board Member of the Fund Complex since 2020. He currently serves as Managing Partner for TBA Management Consulting LLC. For more than twenty years, Mr. Lattimer served in various capacities at financial services companies, including as a senior managing director for TIAA Cref Asset Management (2004-2010), First Vice President at Mellon Financial Corporation (2002-2004), and in product management roles at Citibank (2000-2002). Through his education, employment experience, and experience as a board member, Mr. Lattimer is experienced with financial, regulatory, and investment matters.
48


Karen McMillan. Ms. McMillan has served as an Independent Board Member of the Fund Complex since 2014. Ms. McMillan is the founder and owner of Tyche Consulting LLC. She served as a Managing Director of Patomak Global Partners, LLC from 2014 to 2021. From 2007 to 2014, Ms. McMillan served as general counsel to the Investment Company Institute. Prior to that (from 1999-2007), she worked as an attorney in private practice, specializing in the mutual fund industry. From 1991 to 1999, she served in various roles as counsel at the SEC, Division of Investment Management, including as Assistant Chief Counsel. Through her professional education, experience as an attorney, and experience as a board member, Ms. McMillan is experienced in financial, investment, and regulatory matters.
Elizabeth A. Nickels. Ms. Nickels has served as an Independent Board Member of the Fund Complex since 2015. From 2000 to 2022, Ms. Nickels served as a director of SpartanNash. From 2008 to 2017, she served as a director of the not-for-profit Spectrum Health System; from 2014 to 2016, she served as a director of Charlotte Russe; from 2014 to 2015, she served as a director of Follet Corporation; and from 2013 to 2015, she served as a director of PetSmart. Ms. Nickels was formerly employed by Herman Miller, Inc. in several capacities: from 2012 to 2014, as the Executive Director of the Herman Miller Foundation; from 2007 to 2012, as President of Herman Miller Healthcare; and from 2000 to 2007, as Chief Financial Officer. Through her education, employment experience, and experience as a board member, Ms. Nickels is experienced with financial, accounting, and regulatory matters.
Interested Board Members
Kamal Bhatia. Mr. Bhatia has served as Chair of the Fund Complex since 2023. He has also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Fund Complex since 2019. Mr. Bhatia serves as Senior Executive Managing Director - Global Head of Investments for Principal® Asset Management. From 2019 to 2023, he served as a Senior Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Principal® Asset Management. Mr. Bhatia joined Principal® in 2019 and serves as a director of numerous Principal® affiliates. From 2011 to 2019, he was a Senior Vice President for Oppenheimer Funds. Mr. Bhatia is a CFA® charter holder. Through his education and experience, Mr. Bhatia is experienced with financial, marketing, regulatory, and investment matters.
Patrick G. Halter. Mr. Halter has served as a Board Member of the Fund Complex since 2017. Mr. Halter also serves as President and Chief Executive Officer for Principal® Asset Management. He also serves as a director of numerous Principal® affiliates. Mr. Halter joined Principal® in 1984 and has held various other positions since joining Principal®. Through his education and employment experience, Mr. Halter is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory, and investment matters.
Kenneth A. McCullum. Mr. McCullum has served as a Board Member of the Fund Complex since 2023. Mr. McCullum has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for Principal® since 2023. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for Principal® from 2020 to 2023 and Vice President and Chief Actuary for Principal® from 2015 to 2020. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. McCullum was an Executive Vice President responsible for business development at Delaware Life Insurance Company. He served as a Senior Vice President for the life annuity business at Sun Life from 2010 to 2013. Mr. McCullum is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and is a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. Through his education and experience, Mr. McCullum is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory, and investment matters.
49


Additional Information Regarding Board Members and Officers
The following tables present additional information regarding the Board Members and Fund Complex officers, including their principal occupations, which, unless specific dates are shown, are of more than five years duration. For each Board Member, the tables also include information concerning other directorships held in reporting companies under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or registered investment companies under the 1940 Act.
INDEPENDENT BOARD MEMBERS
Name, Address,
and Year of Birth
Board Positions Held
with Fund Complex
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Number of
Portfolios
Overseen
in Fund
Complex
Other
Directorships
Held During
Past 5 Years
Craig Damos
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1954
Lead Independent Board Member
  (since 2020)
Director, PFI and PVC (since 2008)
Trustee, PETF (since 2014)
Trustee, PRA (since 2019)
President, C.P. Damos Consulting, LLC (consulting services)
126 None
Katharin S. Dyer
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1957
Director, PFI and PVC (since 2023)
Trustee, PETF and PRA
  (since 2023)
Founder and Chief Executive Officer,
  PivotWise (consulting services);
Global Partner, IBM
  (technology company) from
  2016-2018
126 Liquidity Services, Inc.
  (2020-present)
Frances P. Grieb
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1960
Director, PFI and PVC (since 2023)
Trustee, PETF and PRA
  (since 2023)
Retired 126 First Interstate BancSystem,
  Inc. (2022-present);
Great Western Bancorp, Inc.
  and Great Western Bank
  (2014-2022)
Fritz S. Hirsch
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1951
Director, PFI and PVC (since 2005)
Trustee, PETF (since 2014)
Trustee, PRA (since 2019)
Interim CEO, MAM USA (manufacturer of infant and juvenile products) from February 2020-October 2020 126 MAM USA (2011-present)
Victor L. Hymes
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1957
Director, PFI and PVC (since 2020)
Trustee, PETF and PRA
  (since 2020)
Founder, CEO, CIO, Legato Capital Management, LLC (investment management company) 126 None
Padelford L. Lattimer
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1961
Director, PFI and PVC (since 2020)
Trustee, PETF and PRA
  (since 2020)
Managing Partner, TBA Management Consulting LLC (management consulting and staffing company) 126 None
Karen McMillan
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1961
Director, PFI and PVC (since 2014)
Trustee, PETF (since 2014)
Trustee, PRA (since 2019)
Founder/Owner, Tyche Consulting
  LLC (consulting services);
Managing Director, Patomak Global
  Partners, LLC (financial services
  consulting) from 2014-2021
126 None
Elizabeth A. Nickels
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1962
Director, PFI and PVC (since 2015)
Trustee, PETF (since 2015)
Trustee, PRA (since 2019)
Retired 126 SpartanNash (2000-2022)
50


INTERESTED BOARD MEMBERS
Name, Address,
and Year of Birth
Positions Held
with Fund Complex
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Number of
Portfolios
Overseen
in Fund
Complex
Other
Directorships
Held During
Past 5 Years
Kamal Bhatia
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1972
Director and Chair, PFI and PVC
  (since 2023)
Trustee and Chair, PETF and PRA
  (since 2023)
Chief Executive Officer and President
  (since 2019)
Principal Financial Group*
Senior Executive Managing Director - Global Head of Investments – Principal Asset Management (since 2023)
Senior Executive Director and Chief
Operating Officer – Principal Asset
Management (2019-2023)
President – Principal Funds (2019-2020)
OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
Senior Vice President (2011-2019)
126 None
Patrick G. Halter
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1959
Director, PFI and PVC (since 2017) Trustee, PETF (since 2017)
Trustee, PRA (since 2019)
Principal Financial Group*
President and Chief Executive Officer – Principal Asset Management (since 2022)
President – Principal Global Asset Management (2020-2022)
Chief Executive Officer and President – Principal Global Investors, LLC (2018-2020)
126 None
Kenneth A. McCullum
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1964
Director, PFI and PVC (since 2023)
Trustee, PETF and PRA
  (since 2023)
Principal Financial Group*
Executive Vice President and Chief Risk
Officer (since 2023)
Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer (2020-2023)
Vice President and Chief Actuary (2015-2020)
126 None
51


FUND COMPLEX OFFICERS
Name, Address,
and Year of Birth
Position(s) Held
with Fund Complex
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
George Djurasovic
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1971
Vice President and General Counsel (since 2023)
Principal Financial Group*
Vice President and General Counsel – Principal Asset Management (since 2022)
Artisan Partners Limited Partnership
Global Chief Compliance Officer (2013-2022)
Calvin Eib
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1963
Assistant Tax Counsel (since 2023)
Principal Financial Group*
Counsel (2021)
Transamerica
Tax Counsel (2016-2021)
Beth Graff
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1968
Vice President and Assistant Controller
  (since 2021)
Principal Financial Group*
Director – Fund Accounting (since 2016)

Gina L. Graham
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1965
Treasurer (since 2016)
Principal Financial Group*
Vice President and Treasurer (since 2016)

Megan Hoffmann
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1979
Vice President and Controller (since 2021)
Principal Financial Group*
Director – Accounting (since 2020)
Assistant Director – Accounting (2017-2020)

Laura B. Latham
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1986
Counsel and Assistant Secretary (since 2023)
Assistant Counsel and Assistant Secretary
  (2018-2023)
Principal Financial Group*
Counsel (since 2018)

Diane K. Nelson
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1965
AML Officer (since 2016)
Principal Financial Group*
Chief Compliance Officer/AML Officer (since 2015)

Tara Parks
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1983
Vice President and Assistant Controller
  (since 2021)
Principal Financial Group*
Director – Accounting (since 2019)
ALPS Fund Services
Tax Manager (2011-2019)
Deanna Y. Pellack
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1987
Counsel and Assistant Secretary (since 2023)
Assistant Counsel and Assistant Secretary
  (2022-2023)
Principal Financial Group*
Counsel (since 2022)
The Northern Trust Company
Vice President (2019-2022)
Second Vice President (2014-2019)
Sara L. Reece
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1975
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
  (since 2021)
Vice President and Controller (2016-2021)
Principal Financial Group*
Managing Director – Global Fund Ops (since 2021)
Director – Accounting (2015-2021)

Teri R. Root
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1979
Chief Compliance Officer (since 2018)

Principal Financial Group*
Chief Compliance Officer – Funds (since 2018)
Vice President (since 2015)

Michael Scholten
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1979
Chief Financial Officer (since 2021)
Principal Financial Group*
Assistant Vice President and Actuary (since 2021)
Chief Financial Officer – Funds/Platforms (2015-2021)

Adam U. Shaikh
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1972
Vice President and Assistant General Counsel
  (since 2023)
Assistant Secretary (since 2022)
Assistant Counsel (2006-2023)
Principal Financial Group*
Assistant General Counsel (since 2018)
52


FUND COMPLEX OFFICERS
Name, Address,
and Year of Birth
Position(s) Held
with Fund Complex
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
John L. Sullivan
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1970
Counsel and Assistant Secretary (since 2023)
Assistant Counsel and Assistant Secretary
  (2019-2023)
Principal Financial Group*
Assistant General Counsel (since 2023)
Counsel (2019-2023)
Prior thereto, Attorney in Private Practice
Dan L. Westholm
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1966
Assistant Treasurer (since 2006)
Principal Financial Group*
Assistant Vice President – Treasury (since 2013)

Beth C. Wilson
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1956
Vice President and Secretary (since 2007)
Principal Financial Group*
Director and Secretary – Funds (since 2007)

Jared A. Yepsen
711 High Street
Des Moines, IA 50392
1981
Assistant Tax Counsel (since 2017)
Principal Financial Group*
Assistant General Counsel (since 2023)
Counsel (2015-2023)

*The reference to Principal Financial Group includes positions held by the Interested Board Member / Fund Complex Officer, including as an officer, employee, and/or director, with affiliates or subsidiaries of Principal Financial Group. The titles set forth in this SAI are each Interested Board Member's / Fund Complex Officer’s title with Principal Workforce, LLC.
Board Member Ownership of Securities
The following tables set forth the dollar range of the equity securities of Funds included in this SAI, and aggregate dollar range of the equity securities of the funds in the Fund Complex, that were beneficially owned by the Board Members as of December 31, 2022. As of that date, Board Members did not own shares of the Funds included in this SAI that are not listed.
For the purpose of these tables, beneficial ownership means a direct or indirect pecuniary interest. Only Interested Board Members are eligible to participate in an employee benefit program that invests in the Fund Complex. Board Members who beneficially owned shares of the series of PVC did so through variable life insurance and variable annuity contracts. Please note that exact dollar amounts of securities held are not listed. Rather, ownership is listed based on the following dollar ranges:
A $0
B $1 up to and including $10,000
C $10,001 up to and including $50,000
D $50,001 up to and including $100,000
E $100,001 or more
Fund Damos
Dyer(1)
Grieb(1)
Hirsch Hymes Lattimer McMillan Nickels
Blue Chip
E A A C A B E E
Diversified Real Asset
E A A C A B A A
Global Multi-Strategy A A A A A B A A
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income
E A A A A A A A
Total Fund Complex
E A A E E C E E
(1)Appointment effective January 26, 2023
Interested Board Members
Fund
Bhatia(1)
Halter
McCullum(1)
Diversified Real Asset(2)
E
A
A
Origin Emerging Markets(2)
D
A
A
Total Fund Complex
E
E
E
(1)Appointment effective January 26, 2023
(2)Ownership through participation in an Employee Benefit Plan

53


Board Member and Officer Compensation
The Fund Complex does not pay any remuneration to its officers or to any Board Members listed above as Interested Board Members. The Board annually considers a proposal to reimburse PGI for certain expenses, including a portion of the Chief Compliance Officer’s compensation. If the proposal is adopted, these amounts are allocated across all Funds based on relative net assets of each portfolio.
Each Independent Board Member received compensation for service as a member of the Boards of all investment companies in the Fund Complex based on a schedule that takes into account an annual retainer amount, the number of meetings attended, and expenses incurred. Board Member compensation and related expenses are allocated to each of the Funds based on the net assets of each relative to combined net assets of the Fund Complex.
The following table provides information regarding the compensation received by the Independent Board Members from the Funds included in this SAI and from the Fund Complex during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2023. On that date, there were 4 investment companies in the Fund Complex. The Fund Complex does not provide retirement benefits or pensions to any of the Board Members.
Board Member
Funds in this SAI
Fund Complex
Craig Damos
$56,776 $392,250
Katharin S. Dyer(1)
$33,782 $233,250
Frances P. Grieb(1)
$33,998 $234,750
Fritz S. Hirsch
$48,635 $336,000
Victor L. Hymes
$50,620 $349,750
Padelford L. Lattimer
$49,712 $343,500
Karen McMillan
$50,260 $347,250
Elizabeth A. Nickels
$50,803 $351,000
(1)Appointment effective January 26, 2023.
54


INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
Investment Advisors
Principal Global Investors, LLC (doing business as Principal® Asset Management) (“PGI”), an indirect subsidiary of Principal Financial Group, Inc. (“Principal®”), serves as the manager for the Funds. Principal Management Corporation, previously an affiliate of PGI, served as manager to the Funds prior to its merger with and into PGI on May 1, 2017.
PGI directly makes decisions to purchase or sell securities for each Fund, except for those Funds or portions of Funds for which PGI has retained a sub-advisor to provide such services, as described below.
PGI has executed agreements with various sub-advisors. Under those sub-advisory agreements, the sub-advisor agrees to assume the obligations of PGI to provide investment advisory services for a specific Fund. For these services, PGI pays each sub-advisor a fee (except on the Capital Securities Fund).
Sub-Advisor:    BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. (“BlackRock”) is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc.
Sub-Sub-Advisor: BlackRock International Limited is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc.
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Diversified Real Asset
Sub-Advisor:    ClearBridge Investments (North America) Pty Limited (“ClearBridge”) is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc.
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Diversified Real Asset
Sub-Advisor:    CoreCommodity Management, LLC (“CoreCommodity”) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CoreCommodity Capital, LLC. CoreCommodity is controlled by its senior management, which owns 100% of the voting interest and 50% of the economic interest through various subsidiaries. The other 50% economic interest in CoreCommodity is held by a subsidiary of Jeffries Financial Group Inc. (NYSE: JEF).
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Diversified Real Asset (commodities sleeve and, indirectly through a Cayman subsidiary, commodity derivatives)
Sub-Advisor:    Delaware Investments Fund Advisers (“DIFA”) is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Macquarie Group Limited and operates as part of Macquarie Asset Management, the asset management division of Macquarie Group Limited.
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Diversified Real Asset
Sub-Advisor:    Gotham Asset Management, LLC ("Gotham") is wholly-owned by Gotham Asset Management Holdings, LP (“GAMH”). Joel Greenblatt and Robert Goldstein control Gotham through their control of GAMH and as Managing Principals of Gotham.
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Global Multi-Strategy
Sub-Advisor:    Graham Capital Management, L.P. ("Graham") is majority-owned by KGT Investment Partners, L.P., which is principally owned by Graham’s founder, Kenneth Tropin, and members of Mr. Tropin’s family.
Fund(s):     a portion of the assets of Global Multi-Strategy
Sub-Advisor:    Impax Asset Management Limited (“Impax”) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Impax Asset Management Group plc, which is publicly traded on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange as “IPX.”
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Diversified Real Asset
55


Sub-Advisor:    Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. (“Loomis Sayles”) is a subsidiary of Natixis Investment Managers, LLC, which is part of Natixis Investment Managers, an international asset management group based in Paris, France.
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Global Multi-Strategy
Sub-Advisor:    Los Angeles Capital Management LLC ("Los Angeles Capital") is a California limited liability company. It is owned by key employees through its parent holding companies, LACM Holdings, Inc. and LACM Equity LLC (collectively, the “Parent Company”). Thomas D. Stevens, Chairman, holds a controlling equity interest in the Parent Company.
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Global Multi-Strategy
Sub-Advisor:    Newton Investment Management North America LLC (“NIMNA, LLC”) is an indirect subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation ("BNY Mellon"), a banking and financial services company. NIMNA LLC is part of ‘The Newton Investment Management Group, which is used to collectively describe a group of affiliated companies that provide investment advisory services under the brand name ‘Newton’ or ‘Newton Investment Management.’ Investment advisory services are provided in United States by NIMNA LLC and in the United Kingdom by Newton Investment Management Limited (NIM). Both firms are indirect subsidiaries of BNY Mellon.
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Diversified Real Asset
Sub-Advisor:    Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (“Nuveen Asset Management”) is an investment advisor registered with the SEC, whose sole managing member is Nuveen Funds Advisors, LLC. Nuveen Asset Management is an indirect subsidiary of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, which constitutes the ultimate principal owner of Nuveen Asset Management.
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Diversified Real Asset
Sub-Advisor:    Origin Asset Management LLP (doing business as Principal Origin) (“Origin”) is an indirect majority-owned subsidiary of Principal Financial Services, Inc., an affiliate of PGI, and a member of Principal®.
Fund(s):    Origin Emerging Markets
Sub-Advisor:    Pictet Asset Management SA (“Pictet”) is the asset management arm of the Pictet Group, which is owned by eight managing partners.
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Diversified Real Asset
Sub-Advisor:    Principal Real Estate Investors, LLC (doing business as Principal Real Estate) ("Principal-REI") is an indirect subsidiary of Principal Financial Group, Inc.
Fund(s):    Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure and a portion of the assets of Diversified Real Asset
Sub-Advisor:    Sound Point Capital Management, LP ("Sound Point"), Stephen Ketchum, five principals of Stone Point Capital LLC, Dyal Capital Partners II (A), LP, a third-party permanent capital fund managed by the Dyal Capital division of Blue Owl Capital Inc., and Assured Guaranty Ltd., through one or more subsidiaries, together own 100% of the equity of the General Partner and the Sub-Advisor with Dyal, the Stone Point principals, and Assured Guaranty owning minority stakes.
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Global Multi-Strategy
56


Sub-Advisor:    Spectrum Asset Management, Inc. ("Spectrum") is an indirect subsidiary of Principal Financial Group, Inc.
Fund(s):    Capital Securities and Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income
Sub-Advisor:    Wellington Management Company LLP (“Wellington”) is owned by the partners of Wellington Management Group LLP, a Massachusetts limited liability partnership.
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Diversified Real Asset and a portion of the assets of Global Multi-Strategy
Sub-Advisor:    Westchester Capital Management, LLC ("Westchester") is 100% owned by its sole member, Virtus Partners, Inc. (“VPI”). VPI is 100% owned by Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTS) (“VIP”).
Fund(s):    a portion of the assets of Global Multi-Strategy
Affiliated Persons of the Registrant Who are Affiliated Persons of the Advisor
For information about affiliated persons of the Registrant who are also affiliated persons of PGI or affiliated advisors, see the Interested Board Members and Fund Complex Officers tables in the “Leadership Structure and Board” section.
Codes of Ethics
The Registrant, PGI, PFD, and each of the sub-advisors have adopted Codes of Ethics (“Codes”) under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. PGI and the sub-advisors have each also adopted such a Code under Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. These Codes are designed to prevent, among other things, persons with access to information regarding the portfolio trading activity of the Funds from using that information for their personal benefit. Except in limited circumstances, the Code for PGI and the Registrant prohibits portfolio managers from personally trading securities that are held or traded in the actively managed portfolios for which they are responsible. Certain sub-advisors have adopted Codes that do not permit personnel subject to such Code to invest in securities that may be purchased or held by a Fund. However, other sub-advisors’ Codes do permit, subject to conditions, personnel subject to the Code to invest in securities that may be purchased or held by a Fund. The Registrant’s Board reviews reports at least annually regarding the operation of the Code of Ethics of the Registrant, PGI, PFD, and each sub-advisor. A copy of the Registrant’s Code will be provided upon request, which may be made by contacting the Registrant.
Management Agreement
Under the terms of the Management Agreement with the Registrant, PGI, the investment advisor, is entitled to receive a fee computed and accrued daily and payable monthly, at the following annual rates, for providing investment advisory services and specified other services. The management fee schedule for each Fund is as follows (expressed as a percentage of average net assets).
Fund
All Assets
Bond Market Index
0.14  %
Capital Securities 0.00  %
(1)
International Equity Index 0.25 
(1)The table reflects that PGI is absorbing all expenses of the Fund. You should be aware, however, that the Fund is an integral part of “wrap-fee” programs, including those sponsored by registered investment advisors and broker-dealers unaffiliated with the Fund. Participants in these programs pay a “wrap” fee to the wrap-free program’s sponsor (“Sponsor”). You should carefully read the wrap-fee brochure provided to you by your Sponsor or your registered investment advisor. The brochure is required to include information about the fees charged to you by the Sponsor and the fees the Sponsor paid to your registered investment advisor.
57



Fund
First
$500 Million
Next
$500 Million
Next
$500 Million
Over
$1.5 Billion
Edge MidCap 0.65% 0.63% 0.61% 0.60%
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure 0.75 0.73 0.71 0.70
International Small Company 1.00 0.98 0.96 0.95
Opportunistic Municipal 0.44 0.42 0.40 0.39

Fund
First
$500 Million
Next
$500 Million
Next
$500 Million
Next
$500 Million
Next
$1 Billion
Over
$3 Billion
Diversified Real Asset 0.80% 0.78% 0.76% 0.75% 0.74% 0.73%
Origin Emerging Markets 0.99 0.97 0.95 0.94 0.93 0.92
Small-MidCap Dividend Income 0.79 0.77 0.75 0.74 0.73 0.72

Fund
First
$2 Billion
Next
$2 Billion
Over
$4 Billion
Global Multi-Strategy 1.36% 1.30% 1.25%

Fund
First
$500 Million
Next
$500 Million
Next
$500 Million
Next
$500 Million
Next
$1 Billion
Next
$7 Billion
Over
$10 Billion
Blue Chip 0.65% 0.63% 0.61% 0.60% 0.59% 0.58% 0.57%

Fund
First
$500 Million
Next
$500 Million
Next
$500 Million
Next
$500 Million
Next
$1 Billion
Next
$2 Billion
Next
$2 Billion
Next
$3 Billion
Over
$10 Billion
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income 0.75% 0.73% 0.71% 0.70% 0.69% 0.68% 0.67% 0.66% 0.65%
Fund Operating Expenses
Each Fund pays all of its operating expenses. Under the terms of the Management Agreement, PGI is responsible for paying the expenses associated with the organization of each Fund, including the expenses incurred in the initial registration of each Fund with the SEC; compensation of personnel, officers, and Board Members who are affiliated with PGI; and expenses and compensation associated with furnishing office space and all necessary office facilities and equipment and personnel necessary to perform the general corporate functions of the Funds. Accounting services customarily required by investment companies are provided to each Fund by PGI, under the terms of the Management Agreement. Principal Shareholder Services, Inc., an affiliate of PGI, provides transfer agent services for Classes A, C, J, Institutional, R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, and S shares, including qualifying shares of the Funds for sale in states and other jurisdictions. PGI is also responsible for providing certain shareholder and administrative services to Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5 shares pursuant to a Service Agreement and an Administrative Services Agreement.
Contractual Limits on Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
PGI has contractually agreed to limit Fund expenses (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) on certain share classes of certain of the Funds. The reductions and reimbursements are in amounts that maintain total operating expenses at or below certain limits. The limits are expressed as a percentage of average daily net assets attributable to each respective class on an annualized basis. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Funds may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
The operating expense limits and the agreement terms are as follows:
Contractual Limits on Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
Fund A C Inst. Expiration
Blue Chip N/A N/A 0.66% 12/30/2024
Diversified Real Asset 1.20% N/A 0.83% 12/30/2024
Edge MidCap 1.10% N/A 0.77% 12/30/2024
Global Multi-Strategy N/A N/A 1.43% 12/30/2024
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure N/A N/A 0.88% 12/30/2024
International Equity Index N/A N/A 0.31% 12/30/2024
International Small Company N/A N/A 1.08% 12/30/2024
Opportunistic Municipal 0.84% N/A 0.56% 12/30/2024
Origin Emerging Markets 1.45% N/A 1.05% 12/30/2024
Small-MidCap Dividend Income 1.12% 1.87% 0.85% 12/30/2024
58


For Capital Securities Fund, PGI has agreed contractually to limit the Fund’s expenses attributable to Class S shares by paying expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.00%. It is expected that the expense limit will continue permanently (and in any event, at least through December 30, 2024); however, PFI and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limit.
Contractual Limits on Other Expenses
PGI has contractually agreed to limit the expenses identified as “Other Expenses” related to certain share classes of certain of the Funds by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain “Other Expenses” (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) at or below certain limits.
The other expenses limits and the agreement terms are as follows:
Contractual Limits on Other Expenses
Fund R-6 Expiration
Diversified Real Asset 0.02% 12/30/2024
Edge MidCap 0.02% 12/30/2024
Global Multi-Strategy 0.02% 12/30/2024
International Equity Index
0.04% 12/30/2024
International Small Company 0.04% 12/30/2024
Small-MidCap Dividend Income 0.02% 12/30/2024
Contractual Management Fee Waivers
PGI has contractually agreed to waive a portion of certain Fund’s management fees. The fee waiver will reduce the Fund’s management fees by the amounts listed below:
Contractual Management Fee Waivers
Fund Waiver Expiration
Blue Chip 0.030% 12/30/2024
Bond Market Index 0.015% 12/30/2024
Limits on Distribution Fees and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
Effective January 1, 2021, Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. has voluntarily agreed to limit the distribution fees attributable to Class J, reducing the Funds’ distribution fees for Class J shares by 0.020%.* This voluntary waiver may be revised or terminated at any time without notice to shareholders.
* For the period from December 31, 2016 to December 31, 2020, the voluntary waiver was 0.030%.
59


Management Fees Paid
Management fees paid for investment management services (before any waivers/reimbursements from PGI) during the periods indicated were as follows:
Management Fees Paid for Periods Ended August 31 (amounts in thousands)
Fund 2023 2022 2021
Blue Chip $51,176 $57,901 $53,203
Bond Market Index 3,393 1,323 1,489
Capital Securities
Diversified Real Asset
29,831(1)(2)
36,917(1)(2)
29,866(1)
Edge MidCap 600 3,481 5,639
Global Multi-Strategy
6,635(1)
8,180(1)
10,276(1)
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure
98(3)
N/A N/A
International Equity Index 2,685 2,816 2,941
International Small Company 6,905 9,944 11,220
Opportunistic Municipal 579 839 735
Origin Emerging Markets 24,130 31,158 31,024
Small-MidCap Dividend Income 8,984 8,826 10,676
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income 40,611 51,413 55,300
(1)Consolidated financial statement; see "Basis for Consolidation" in Notes to Financial Statements.
(2)Class R-5 shares discontinued operations and converted to Class R-6 shares on January 13, 2023.
(3)Period from September 22, 2022, date operations commenced, through August 31, 2023.
Management Fees Waived
For the following Funds, PGI waived a portion of the management fee during the periods indicated as follows:
Management Fees Waived for Periods Ended August 31 (amounts in thousands)
Fund 2023 2022 2021
Blue Chip $2,598 $3,315 $3,864
Bond Market Index 364 142 160
Diversified Real Asset 685 2,306 1,854
Edge MidCap 17 249 407
Global Multi-Strategy 62 205 258
Opportunistic Municipal 25 100 88
Expenses Reimbursed
For the following Funds, PGI reimbursed certain expenses during the periods indicated as follows:
Expenses Reimbursed for Periods Ended August 31 (amounts in thousands)
Fund 2023 2022 2021
Blue Chip $478 $— $—
Capital Securities 481 555 524
Diversified Real Asset 1,041 798 901
Edge MidCap 85 32 40
Global Multi-Strategy 672 471 642
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure
65(1)
International Equity Index 335 259 288
International Small Company 95 14 13
Opportunistic Municipal 62 55 38
Origin Emerging Markets 249 50 21
Small-MidCap Dividend Income 401 311 708
(1)Period from September 22, 2022, date operations commenced, through August 31, 2023.
60


Sub-Advisory Agreements for the Funds
PGI (and not the Funds) pays the sub-advisors fees determined pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement with each sub-advisor, including those sub-advisors that are at least 95% owned, directly or indirectly, by PGI or its affiliates (“Wholly-Owned Sub-Advisors”) and the sub-advisors for the Funds listed in the tables below. Fees paid to sub-advisors are individually negotiated between PGI and each sub-advisor and may vary.
Aggregate Fees Paid to Sub-Advisors
(other than Wholly-Owned Sub-Advisors and Origin)
for Fiscal Years Ended August 31 (dollar amounts in thousands)
Fund
2023 2022 2021
Dollar Amount Percent
of Average Daily Net Assets
Dollar Amount Percent
of Average Daily Net Assets
Dollar Amount Percent
of Average Daily Net Assets
Diversified Real Asset $8,409 0.25% $9,952 0.27% $7,587 0.27%
Global Multi-Strategy 2,854 0.76 3,406 0.79 4,211 0.78

Fees Paid to Origin for Fiscal Years Ended August 31
(dollar amounts in thousands)
Fund 2023 2022 2021
Dollar Amount Percent
of Average Daily Net Assets
Dollar Amount Percent
of Average Daily Net Assets
Dollar Amount Percent
of Average Daily Net Assets
Origin Emerging Markets $8,967 0.36% $11,902 0.39% $11,288 0.37%
Custodian
The custodian of the portfolio securities and cash assets of the Funds and the Cayman Subsidiaries is The Bank of New York Mellon, One Wall Street, New York, NY 10286. The custodian performs no managerial or policy-making functions for the Funds.
61


Securities Lending Agent
The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the securities lending agent for the Funds. Information regarding securities lending during the Funds’ fiscal year ended August 31, 2023 is as follows:
Fund Gross income (including from cash collateral reinvestment) Fees paid to securities lending agent from a revenue split Fees paid for any cash collateral management service that are not included in revenue split Administrative fees not included in revenue split Indemnification fees not included in revenue split Net rebate paid to borrower Other fees not included in revenue split Aggregate fees/ compensation Net income from securities lending
Blue Chip $ 24,044  $ 330  $— $— $— $ 20,748  $— $ 21,078  $ 2,966 
Bond Market Index 490,843  13,458  356,199  369,657  121,186 
Capital Securities 621,804  21,373  408,046  429,418  192,386 
Diversified Real Asset 1,101,361  21,960  881,743  903,703  197,658 
Edge MidCap 3,741  38  3,359  3,398  344 
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure 1,117  37  747  784  333 
International Equity Index 639,806  12,312  516,645  528,958  110,848 
International Small Company 446,115  8,030  365,802  373,831  72,284 
Origin Emerging Markets 130,852  13,701  (6,162) 7,539  123,312 
Small-MidCap Dividend Income 33,782  363  30,146  30,509  3,273 
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income 3,772,985  105,437  2,718,460  2,823,897  949,087 
The services provided by The Bank of New York Mellon, as securities lending agent for the Funds, include: coordinating, with the Funds, the selection of securities to be loaned; negotiating loan terms; monitoring the value of securities loaned and corresponding collateral, marking to market daily; coordinating collateral movements; monitoring dividends; and transferring, recalling, and arranging the return of loaned securities to the Funds upon loan termination.
INTERMEDIARY COMPENSATION
Additional Payments to Intermediaries.
Shares of the Funds are sold primarily through intermediaries, such as brokers, dealers, investment advisors, banks, trust companies, pension plan consultants, retirement plan administrators, and insurance companies.
In addition to payments pursuant to 12b-1 plans, PGI or its affiliates enter into agreements with some intermediaries pursuant to which the intermediaries receive payments for providing services relating to Fund shares. Examples of such services are administrative, networking, recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency, and/or shareholder services. In some situations, the Funds will reimburse PGI or its affiliates for making such payments; in others, the Funds make such payments directly to intermediaries.
For Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5 shares, such compensation is generally paid out of the Service Fees and Administrative Services Fees that are disclosed in the Prospectus as Other Expenses. Such compensation is generally based on the average asset value of Fund shares for the relevant share class held by clients of the intermediary.
62


In addition, PGI or its affiliates pay, without reimbursement from the Funds, compensation from their own resources, to certain intermediaries that support the distribution of shares of the Funds or provide services to Fund shareholders. In addition, PGI or its affiliates pay, without reimbursement from the Funds, compensation from their own resources to certain large plan sponsors to help cover the cost of providing educational materials to plan participants.
The amounts paid to intermediaries vary by share class and by Fund.
Principal Life Insurance Company is one such intermediary that provides services relating to Fund shares held in employee benefit plans, and it is typically paid all of the Service Fees and Administrative Services Fees pertaining to such plans.
Plan recordkeepers, who may have affiliated financial intermediaries that sell shares of the Funds, may be paid additional amounts. In addition, some financial intermediaries or their affiliates receive compensation from PGI or its affiliates for maintaining retirement plan platforms that facilitate trading by affiliated and non-affiliated financial intermediaries and recordkeeping for retirement plans.
A number of factors may be considered in determining the amount of these additional payments, including each financial intermediary’s Fund sales and assets, as well as the willingness and ability of the financial intermediary to give the Distributor access to its Financial Professionals for educational and marketing purposes. In some cases, intermediaries will include the Funds on a preferred list. The Distributor’s goals include making the Financial Professionals who interact with current and prospective investors and shareholders more knowledgeable about the Funds so that they can provide suitable information and advice about the Funds and related investor services. The amounts paid to intermediaries vary by Fund and by share class.
Additionally, in some cases, the Distributor and its affiliates will provide payments or reimbursements in connection with the costs of conferences, educational seminars, training, and marketing efforts related to the Funds. Such activities may be sponsored by intermediaries or the Distributor. The costs associated with such activities may include travel, lodging, entertainment, and meals. In some cases, the Distributor will also provide payment or reimbursement for expenses associated with transactions (“ticket”) charges and general marketing expenses. Other compensation may be paid to the extent not prohibited by applicable laws, regulations, or the rules of any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA.
The payments described in this SAI may create a conflict of interest by influencing your Financial Professional or your intermediary to recommend a Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of a Fund over another share class. Ask your Financial Professional or visit your intermediary’s website for more information about the total amounts paid to them by PGI and its affiliates, and by sponsors of other investment companies your Financial Professional may recommend to you.
Your intermediary may charge you additional fees other than those disclosed in the Prospectus. Ask your Financial Professional about any fees and commissions they charge.
Although a Fund may use brokers who sell shares of the Funds to effect portfolio transactions, the sale of shares is not considered as a factor by the Fund’s sub-advisors when selecting brokers to effect portfolio transactions.
63


As of December 1, 2023, the Distributor anticipates that the firms that will receive additional payments as described in the Additional Payments to Intermediaries section above (other than sales charges, Rule 12b-1 fees, and expense reimbursement) include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
Acclaim Benefits, Inc. G.A. Repple & Company Private Client Services LLC
ADP Broker Dealer Inc GBM International Inc Procyon Advisors, LLC
AIG SunAmerica Global Retirement Partners LLC Prudential Retirement Services
Alight Financial Solutions LLC Goldman Sachs & Co. Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Inc.
American Century Investments ICMA-Retirement Corp. Putnam Investors Services
American United Life Insurance Co. Insight Wealth Partners LLC Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
Ameriprise Financial Services J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc. Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
Ameritas Investments Corp Janney Montgomery Scott RBC Capital Markets Corp.
Ascensus John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York Reliance Trust Company
AXOS Clearing LLC John Hancock Life Insurance Company USA Retirement Clearinghouse
Baird John Hancock Trust Co. Robert W. Baird & Co.
Benefit Plan Administrators July Business Services LLC Rockefeller Financial LLC
Benefit Solutions Kestra Investment Services, LLC Sammons Institutional Group
Benefit Trust Company Lincoln Retirement Services Co. Sanctuary Securities, Inc
Bolton Global Capital LPL Financial Corporation Standard Insurance Company
BNY Mellon NA Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Inc.
Broadridge Business Process Outsourcing, LLC Mercer HR Services, LLC T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services
California Capital Management Merrill Lynch TD Ameritrade Inc
Cambridge Investment Research Inc. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. TD Ameritrade Trust Company
Canterbury Consulting Inc Merrill Lynch, Retirement Group Ten Capital Wealth Advisors, LLC
Cetera Advisor Networks LLC MidAtlantic Capital Corporation Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Midland National Life Insurance Company TIAA-CREF
Charles Schwab Trust Bank Minnesota Life Insurance Company Total Administrative Services Corporation
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Triad Advisors, Inc.
Columbia Management Investment National Financial Services UBS Financial Services, Inc.
Advisers, LLC Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. US Bancorp Investments
Commonwealth Financial Network Nationwide Investment Services Corp VALIC Retirement Services Company
Concentrum Wealth Management Newport Group, The Vanguard Brokerage Services
CPI Qualified Consultants NFP Retirement Inc Vanguard Group, The
Edward Jones Northwestern Mutual Investment Services Voya Institutional Plan Services, LLC
Empower Annuity Insurance Company OneDigital Investment Advisors Voya Institutional Trust Co.
of America Oppenheimer & Co. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Svcs LLC
Empower Financial Services Inc Osaic, Inc. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
ePlan Services, Inc. Pensionmark Financial Group LLC Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Co Pershing LLC Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC
Fidelity Investment Institutional Operations Co. Plan Administrators, Inc. Wells Fargo Community Bank Advisors
Fortem Financial Group LLC Principal Bank Western International Securities Inc
Four Peaks Planning And Investments Principal Life Insurance Company Woodbury Financial Services
FSC Securities Corporation Principal Securities, Inc.
The preceding list is subject to change at any time without notice. Any additions, modifications, or deletions to the financial intermediaries identified in this list that have occurred since the date noted above are not reflected. To obtain a current list, call 1-800-222-5852.
64


BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES
Brokerage on Purchases and Sales of Securities
All orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities are placed on behalf of a Fund by PGI or by the Fund’s sub-advisor pursuant to the terms of the applicable sub-advisory agreement. In distributing brokerage business arising out of the placement of orders for the purchase and sale of securities for any Fund, the objective of PGI and of each Fund’s sub-advisor is to obtain the best overall terms. In pursuing this objective, PGI or the sub-advisor considers all matters it deems relevant, including the breadth of the market in the security, the price of the security, the financial condition and executing capability of the broker or dealer, confidentiality, including trade anonymity, and the reasonableness of the commission, if any (for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis). This may mean in some instances that PGI or a sub-advisor will pay a broker commissions that are in excess of the amount of commissions another broker might have charged for executing the same transaction when PGI or the sub-advisor believes that such commissions are reasonable in light of a) the size and difficulty of the transaction, b) the quality of the execution provided, and c) the level of commissions paid relative to commissions paid by other institutional investors. Such factors are viewed both in terms of that particular transaction and in terms of all transactions that broker executes for accounts over which PGI or the sub-advisor exercises investment discretion. The Board has also adopted a policy and procedure designed to prevent each of the Funds from compensating a broker/dealer for promoting or selling Fund shares by directing brokerage transactions to that broker/dealer for the purpose of compensating the broker/dealer for promoting or selling Fund shares. Therefore, PGI or a sub-advisor may not compensate a broker/dealer for promoting or selling Fund shares by directing brokerage transactions to that broker/dealer for the purpose of compensating the broker/dealer for promoting or selling Fund shares. PGI or a sub-advisor may purchase securities in the over-the-counter market, utilizing the services of principal market makers unless better terms can be obtained by purchases through brokers or dealers, and may purchase securities listed on the NYSE from non-Exchange members in transactions off the Exchange.
PGI or a sub-advisor may give consideration in the allocation of business to services performed by a broker (e.g., the furnishing of statistical data and research generally consisting of, but not limited to, information of the following types: analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, economic factors, and trends; portfolio strategy; performance of client accounts; and access to research analysts, corporate management personnel, and industry experts). If any such allocation is made, the primary criteria used will be to obtain the best overall terms for such transactions or terms that are reasonable in relation to the research or brokerage services provided by the broker or dealer when viewed in terms of either a particular transaction or a sub-advisor’s overall responsibilities to the accounts under its management. PGI or a sub-advisor generally pays additional commission amounts for such research services. Statistical data and research information received from brokers or dealers as described above may be useful in varying degrees and PGI or a sub-advisor may use it in servicing some or all of the accounts it manages.
PGI and the sub-advisors allocated portfolio transactions for the Funds indicated in the following table to certain brokers for the year ended August 31, 2023 due to research services provided by such brokers. The table also indicates the commissions paid to such brokers as a result of these portfolio transactions.
Fund Amount of Transactions because of Research Services Provided Related Commissions Paid
Blue Chip $1,722,939,618 $380,580
Diversified Real Asset
1,181,166,705
808,259
Edge MidCap
33,619,013
11,308
Global Multi-Strategy
232,798,885
95,314
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure 15,016,052 8,615
International Equity Index
434,635,642
214,412
International Small Company
488,874,601
322,031
Origin Emerging Markets
2,960,406,161
586,448
Small-MidCap Dividend Income
583,838,569
277,795
65


Subject to the rules promulgated by the SEC, as well as other regulatory requirements, the Board has approved procedures whereby a Fund may purchase securities that are offered in underwritings in which an affiliate of a sub‑advisor, or PGI, participates. These procedures prohibit a Fund from directly or indirectly benefiting a sub‑advisor affiliate or PGI affiliate in connection with such underwritings. In addition, for underwritings where a sub-advisor affiliate or PGI participates as a principal underwriter, certain restrictions may apply that could, among other things, limit the amount of securities that a Fund could purchase in the underwritings. The sub-advisor shall determine the amounts and proportions of orders allocated to the sub-advisor or affiliate. The Board will receive quarterly reports on these transactions.
The Board has approved procedures that permit a Fund to effect a purchase or sale transaction between the Fund and any other affiliated investment company or between a Fund and affiliated persons of the Fund under limited circumstances prescribed by SEC Rules. Any such transaction must be effected without any payment other than a cash payment for the securities, for which a market quotation is readily available, at the current market price; must be consistent with the investment objective, investment strategy, and risk profile of the Fund; and no brokerage commission or fee (except for customary transfer fees), or other remuneration may be paid in connection with the transaction. The Board will receive quarterly reports on these transactions.
The Board has also approved procedures that permit a Fund’s sub-advisor(s) to place portfolio trades with an affiliated broker under circumstances prescribed by SEC Rules 17e-1 and 17a-10. The procedures require that total commissions, fees, or other remuneration received or to be received by an affiliated broker must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees, or other remuneration received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable time period. The Board will receive quarterly reports on these transactions.
Purchases and sales of debt securities and money market instruments usually are principal transactions; portfolio securities are normally purchased directly from the issuer or from an underwriter or marketmakers for the securities. Such transactions are usually conducted on a net basis with a Fund paying no brokerage commissions. Purchases from underwriters include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and the purchases from dealers serving as marketmakers include the spread between the bid and asked prices.
The following table shows the brokerage commissions paid during the periods indicated.
Total Brokerage Commissions Paid for Periods Ended August 31
Fund 2023 2022 2021
Blue Chip $676,534 $1,124,327 $753,316
Bond Market Index 6,550 3,100 1,113
Capital Securities
Diversified Real Asset 1,949,929 2,790,121 2,070,760
Edge MidCap 22,898 143,600 233,178
Global Multi-Strategy 229,490 214,062 265,244
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure 19,207 N/A N/A
International Equity Index 411,944 145,622 168,042
International Small Company 836,811 1,136,409 1,015,533
Opportunistic Municipal 529 860
Origin Emerging Markets 1,425,797 1,255,281 1,875,966
Small-MidCap Dividend Income 450,627 321,101 1,035,762
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income 184,867 208,830 175,793
Primary reasons for changes in several Funds’ brokerage commissions for the three years were changes in commission rates; changes in Fund size; changes in market conditions; changes in money managers of certain Funds; and implementation of investment strategies. In some cases, such events required substantial portfolio restructurings, resulting in increased securities transactions and brokerage commissions.
In particular, primary reasons for changes in brokerage commissions for those Funds with relatively greater variations for the three years were, in part: for the International Equity Index Fund, increased trading volumes and increased portfolio turnover for 2023 when compared to 2022.
66


Brokerage commissions from the portfolio transactions effected for the Funds were paid to brokers affiliated with PGI or such Fund's sub-advisors for the fiscal years ended August 31 as follows:
Fund Sub-Advisor Employed by
the Fund Complex
Affiliated Broker 2023
Fund's Total
Commissions
Paid
% of Fund's Total
Commissions
% of Dollar Amount of Fund's Commissionable Transactions
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income
Spectrum Asset Management SAMI Brokerage LLC $176,543 95.50% 98.96%
Total
$176,543 95.50% 98.96%

Fund Sub-Advisor Employed by
the Fund Complex
Affiliated Broker 2022
Fund's Total
Commissions
Paid
% of Fund's Total
Commissions
% of Dollar Amount of Fund's Commissionable Transactions
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income
Spectrum Asset Management SAMI Brokerage LLC $82,547 39.53% 95.82%
Total
$82,547 39.53% 95.82%

Fund Sub-Advisor Employed by
the Fund Complex
Affiliated Broker 2021
Fund's Total
Commissions
Paid
% of Fund's Total
Commissions
% of Dollar Amount of Fund's Commissionable Transactions
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income
Spectrum Asset Management SAMI Brokerage LLC $74,814 42.56% 89.50%
Total
$74,814 42.56% 89.50%
Material differences, if any, between the percentage of a Fund’s brokerage commissions paid to a broker and the percentage of transactions effected through that broker reflect the commission rates the sub-advisor has negotiated with the broker. Commission rates a sub-advisor pays to brokers may vary and reflect such factors as the trading volume placed with a broker, the type of security, the market in which a security is traded and the trading volume of that security, the types of services provided by the broker (i.e., execution services only or additional research services), and the quality of a broker’s execution.
67


The following table indicates the value of each Fund’s aggregate holdings, in thousands, of the securities of its regular brokers or dealers for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2023.
Holdings of Securities of Principal Funds, Inc. Regular Brokers and Dealers

Fund

Broker or Dealer
Holdings
(in thousands)
Bond Market Index
Bank of Montreal $1,374
Bank of New York Mellon Corp/The 2,573
Barclays PLC 4,400
Citigroup Inc 9,926