Normally, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds. The fund invests in a diversified portfolio of short- and intermediate-term investment-grade inflation-linked securities, including Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, as well as corporate, government, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities.

The fund may also invest in money market securities, bank obligations, collateralized mortgage obligations, and foreign securities. The fund invests at least 20% of its net assets in inflation-linked securities, although normally the fund expects to invest 50% or more of its net assets in inflation-linked securities.

Although the fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity or duration, the fund will normally maintain a duration within plus (+) or minus (-) two years of the duration of the Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Treasury TIPS Index. As of May 31, 2024, the duration of the Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Treasury TIPS Index was approximately 2.88 years and its duration ranged from 0.55 years to 4.15 years over the past three years. Duration, which is expressed in years, is a calculation that attempts to measure the price sensitivity of a bond or bond fund to changes in interest rates. The longer a bond fund’s duration, the more sensitive that fund should be to changes in interest rates. For example, if interest rates rise by 1% and a fixed-rate bond has a duration of 5 years, it is estimated that the principal value of the bond will decrease by approximately 5%.

The fund only purchases securities that are rated within the four highest credit rating categories (AAA, AA, A, BBB, or equivalent) at the time of purchase by at least one credit rating agency or, if unrated, deemed by the adviser to be of comparable quality. The fund may continue to hold a security that has been downgraded after purchase. The fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities and may invest without limitation in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers, including those in emerging markets.

Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, known as TIPS, are instruments issued by the U.S. Treasury that are structured to provide protection against inflation, which measures a sustained increase in the prices of goods and services in an economy that can erode the purchasing power of a currency over time. Interest and principal payments of TIPS are periodically adjusted in step with changes in the inflation rate. These inflation adjustments for TIPS are applied based on changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), while inflation adjustments for other types of inflation-linked securities may be based on a different inflation index. Inflation-linked securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates, which represent nominal (stated) interest rates reduced by the expected impact of inflation. For example, if a 3-year Treasury bond is yielding 5% and inflation expectations for the next 3 years are 2%, the real interest rate is 3%.

The fund’s investments in inflation-linked securities should provide some protection against the impact of inflation. Investment decisions are based on the outlooks for inflation, interest rates and the overall economy, as well as the prices and yields of the various securities in which the fund may invest. For example, if the adviser’s outlook is one of high or rising inflation, the fund may hold more than 50% of its assets in inflation-linked securities and, if the adviser believes inflation will be low or falling, the fund may focus more on securities that are not indexed to inflation (within the fund’s investment program). If interest rates are expected to fall, the fund may purchase securities with longer maturities in an attempt to seek higher yields and/or capital appreciation. Conversely, if interest rates are expected to rise, the fund may seek securities with shorter maturities.

The fund may use a variety of derivatives, such as futures, options, foreign exchange currency contracts (forwards), and swaps for a number of purposes, such as for exposure or hedging. Specifically, the fund uses interest rate futures, interest rate future options, and inflation swaps. Interest rate derivatives would typically be used to manage the fund’s exposure to interest rate changes or to adjust portfolio duration. Inflation-based swaps, which are derivatives pegged directly to the rate of inflation, are typically used to manage the fund’s inflation risk or maintain efficient exposure to TIPS and other inflation-linked securities.