The Fund is actively managed and seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in equity securities selected from a universe of U.S. equities that exhibit value characteristics (the “Parent Universe”) based on the selection results of a proprietary, quantitative artificial intelligence (“AI”) model developed by Voya Investment Management Co. LLC (“Voya IM” or the “Sub-Adviser”). AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence by machines. Machine learning is a subset of AI that refers to a machine’s ability to learn and improve from experience automatically without being explicitly programmed.

To be eligible for inclusion in the Parent Universe, a company must (i) be listed on a U.S.-based stock exchange, (ii) have a market capitalization of at least $100 million, (iii) have an average daily volume of at least $100,000, and (iv) have an average six months aggregate daily trading volume of 250,000 shares.

The AI model enhances the Fund’s value investing strategy by analyzing a variety of inputs, including company fundamentals and market sentiments, to select equity securities within the Parent Universe that exhibit value characteristics. The AI model seeks to self-identify persistent patterns in company data to identify those it expects to outperform, based on current and historical data spanning more than 20 years, including structured (e.g., financials) and unstructured (e.g., press releases, news articles) data.

The equity securities selected by the AI model typically have a lower price-to-book ratio, a lower price-to-earnings ratio, and greater free cash flow. The AI model is generally updated monthly and typically selects between 60 and 190 equity securities that exhibit strong value characteristics, such as those noted above, and have the greatest potential to achieve income and capital appreciation for inclusion in the Fund. The AI model weights the selected equities based on their overall model scores; however, the AI model limits the weight of any individual company to 6%. The Sub-Adviser oversees the AI model and generally intervenes in limited circumstances to address factors that the Sub-Adviser believes are not incorporated in the AI model, such as responding to corporate actions (e.g., mergers and acquisitions). The Sub-Adviser generally buys and sells equity securities for the Fund on a monthly basis based on the recommendations of the AI model, while also ensuring that the Fund remains in compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and its rules and regulations. Between AI model updates, the Fund’s portfolio may temporarily include securities of companies that no longer meet the AI model’s investment criteria.

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of companies that are organized in the U.S., maintain a principal place of business in the U.S., or are traded principally on a U.S. exchange. As of June 30, 2024, companies in the Financials and Industrials Sectors comprised a significant portion (e.g., approximately 15% or more) of the Fund’s assets; however, the Fund’s sector exposure may change from time to time.