0000719608 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026235Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026236Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026237Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026238Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026239Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026240Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026241Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026242Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026243Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026244Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026245Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026246Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026247Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000026248Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000068559Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:C000077861Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member rr:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsMember ck0000719608:C000026235Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member rr:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsAndSalesMember ck0000719608:C000026235Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:index_SP_500_reflects_no_deductions_for_sales_charges_account_fees_expenses_or_US_federal_income_taxes_Member 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:index_Global_Service_and_Information_Index_reflects_no_deductions_for_sales_charges_account_fees_expenses_or_US_federal_income_taxesMember 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:index_Lipper_Growth_Funds_Index_reflects_no_deductions_for_sales_charges_account_fees_or_US_federal_income_taxesMember 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 0000719608 ck0000719608:S000009598_42Member ck0000719608:S000009598Member ck0000719608:index_Lipper_International_Funds_Index_reflects_no_deductions_for_sales_charges_account_fees_or_US_federal_income_taxesMember 2013-11-30 2013-11-30 iso4217:USD xbrli:pure A contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% applies on certain redemptions within one year following purchases of $1 million or more made without an initial sales charge. NEW ECONOMY FUND 485BPOS false 0000719608 2013-11-30 2013-01-31 2013-02-01 2013-02-01 NEW ECONOMY FUND® ANEFX RNGAX RNGBX RNGCX RNGEX RNGFX ANFBX ANFCX ANFFX CNGAX CNGBX CNGCX CNGEX CNGFX NEFFX RNGGX Principal investment strategies The fund seeks to achieve its objectives by investing in securities of companies that can benefit from innovation, exploit new technologies or provide products and services that meet the demands of an evolving global economy. In pursuing its investment objectives, the fund invests primarily in common stocks that the investment adviser believes have the potential for growth. The fund also invests in common stocks with the potential to pay dividends. The fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in issuers based outside the United States, including those based in developing countries. The investment adviser uses a system of multiple portfolio counselors in managing the fund’s assets. Under this approach, the portfolio of the fund is divided into segments managed by individual counselors who decide how their respective segments will be invested. The fund relies on the professional judgment of its investment adviser to make decisions about the fund’s portfolio investments. The basic investment philosophy of the investment adviser is to seek to invest in attractively valued companies that, in its opinion, represent good, long-term investment opportunities. The investment adviser believes that an important way to accomplish this is through fundamental analysis, which may include meeting with company executives and employees, suppliers, customers and competitors. Securities may be sold when the investment adviser believes that they no longer represent relatively attractive investment opportunities. Example This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. 659 837 1029 1586 666 914 1087 1730 270 526 907 1976 88 274 477 1061 60 189 329 738 684 894 1118 1756 698 990 1206 1946 297 587 1001 2150 142 420 717 1556 95 276 470 1023 164 508 876 1911 166 514 887 1933 120 375 649 1432 87 271 471 1049 55 173 302 677 50 157 274 616 166 514 887 1730 170 526 907 1976 198 590 1006 1946 197 587 1001 2150 ~ http://americanfunds.com/20130131/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20003 column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0000719608_S000009598Member row primary compact * ~ ~ http://americanfunds.com/20130131/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleNoRedemptionTransposed20004 column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0000719608_S000009598Member row primary compact * ~ Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: For the share classes listed below, you would pay the following if you did not redeem your shares: Principal risks This section describes the principal risks associated with the fund’s principal investment strategies. You may lose money by investing in the fund. The likelihood of loss may be greater if you invest for a shorter period of time. Investors in the fund should have a long-term perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. Market conditions — The prices of, and the income generated by, the common stocks and other securities held by the fund may decline due to market conditions and other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of securities held by the fund. The fund may be subject to additional risks because it invests in a more limited group of sectors and industries than the broad market. Investing in growth-oriented stocks — Growth-oriented stocks may involve larger price swings and greater potential for loss than other types of investments. Investing in small companies — Investing in smaller companies may pose additional risks. For example, it is often more difficult to value or dispose of small company stocks and more difficult to obtain information about smaller companies than about larger companies. In addition, the prices of these stocks may be more volatile than stocks of larger, more established companies. Investing outside the United States — Securities of issuers domiciled outside the United States, or with significant operations outside the United States, may lose value because of adverse political, social, economic or market developments in the countries or regions in which the issuer operates. These securities may also lose value due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates against the U.S. dollar and/or currencies of other countries. Securities markets in certain countries may be more volatile and/or less liquid than those in the United States. Investments outside the United States may also be subject to different settlement and accounting practices and different regulatory, legal and reporting standards, and may be more difficult to value, than those in the United States. The risks of investing outside the United States may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets. Investing in emerging markets — Investing in emerging markets may involve risks in addition to and greater than those generally associated with investing in developed countries. For instance, developing countries may have less developed legal and accounting systems than those in developed countries. The governments of these countries may be less stable and more likely to impose capital controls, nationalize a company or industry, place restrictions on foreign ownership and on withdrawing sale proceeds of securities from the country, and/or impose punitive taxes that could adversely affect the prices of securities. In addition, the economies of these countries may be dependent on relatively few industries that are more susceptible to local and global changes. Securities markets in these countries can also be relatively small and have substantially lower trading volumes. As a result, securities issued in these countries may be more volatile and less liquid, and may be more difficult to value, than securities issued in countries with more developed economies and/or markets. Additionally, there may be increased settlement risks for transactions in local securities. Management — The investment adviser to the fund actively manages the fund’s investments. Consequently, the fund is subject to the risk that the methods and analyses employed by the investment adviser in this process may not produce the desired results. This could cause the fund to lose value or its investment results to lag relevant benchmarks or other funds with similar objectives. Your investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, entity or person. You should consider how this fund fits into your overall investment program. You may lose money by investing in the fund. Your investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, entity or person. Investment results The following bar chart shows how the fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund’s average annual total returns for various periods compare with different broad measures of market results. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The Global Service and Information Index reflects the market sectors in which the fund invests. The Lipper Growth Funds Index includes the fund and other funds that disclose investment objectives and/or strategies reasonably comparable to the fund’s objective and/or strategies. The Lipper International Funds Index includes funds that disclose investment objectives and/or strategies reasonably comparable to the fund's objective and/or strategies. Past investment results (before and after taxes) are not predictive of future investment results. Updated information on the fund’s investment results can be obtained by visiting americanfunds.com. Calendar year total returns for Class A shares (Results do not include a sales charge; if a sales charge were included, results would be lower.) 0.3871 0.1245 0.1217 0.1473 0.1139 -0.4186 0.4516 0.1340 -0.0565 0.2402 ~ http://americanfunds.com/20130131/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20005 column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0000719608_S000009598Member row primary compact * ~ Highest 0.2371 2009-06-30 Lowest -0.2175 2008-12-31 Highest/Lowest quarterly results during this period were: Highest 23.71% (quarter ended June 30, 2009) Lowest -21.75% (quarter ended December 31, 2008) After-tax returns are shown only for Class A shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest individual federal income tax rates in effect during each year of the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns depend on your individual tax situation and likely will differ from the results shown above. In addition, after-tax returns are not relevant if you hold your fund shares through a tax-favored arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan, individual retirement account (IRA) or 529 college savings plan. 0.1689 0.0108 0.0896 0.1043 0.1626 0.0088 0.0868 0.1181 0.0090 0.0794 0.1804 0.0113 0.0894 0.0110 0.2198 0.0150 0.0874 0.0388 0.2401 0.0229 0.0960 0.0458 0.2435 0.0726 0.1683 0.0104 0.0893 0.0585 0.1795 0.0102 0.0882 0.0598 0.2194 0.0141 0.0865 0.0589 0.2362 0.0194 0.0922 0.0552 0.2421 0.0245 0.0970 0.1051 0.2308 0.0152 0.0876 0.0692 0.2307 0.0146 0.0874 0.0588 0.2358 0.0197 0.0923 0.0751 0.2401 0.0230 0.0961 0.0974 0.2438 0.0262 0.0994 0.0670 0.2447 0.1675 0.1599 0.0166 0.0710 0.1036 0.1909 0.0000 0.0706 0.1677 0.0066 0.0632 0.0852 0.1970 -0.0282 0.0881 2008-08-01 1983-12-01 2009-05-01 2002-06-25 2002-07-25 1983-12-01 1983-12-01 2000-03-15 2001-03-15 2001-03-15 2002-02-15 2002-02-19 2002-02-21 1983-12-01 2002-03-15 2002-10-11 2002-05-31 2002-06-21 1983-12-01 2002-05-15 ~ http://americanfunds.com/20130131/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20006 column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0000719608_S000009598Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~ (with maximum sales charge) After-tax returns are calculated using the highest individual federal income tax rates in effect during each year of the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. The following bar chart shows how the fund's investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund's average annual total returns for various periods compare with different broad measures of market results. Past investment results (before and after taxes) are not predictive of future investment results. After-tax returns are shown only for Class A shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. The Global Service and Information Index reflects the market sectors in which the fund invests. The Lipper Growth Funds Index includes the fund and other funds that disclose investment objectives and/or strategies reasonably comparable to the fund's objective and/or strategies. The Lipper International Funds Index includes funds that disclose investment objectives and/or strategies reasonably comparable to the fund's objective and/or strategies. (reflects no deductions for sales charges, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes) (Results do not include a sales charge; if a sales charge were included, results would be lower.) americanfunds.com Average annual total returns For the periods ended December 31, 2012 (with maximum sales charge): Your actual after-tax returns depend on your individual tax situation and likely will differ from the results shown above. In addition, after-tax returns are not relevant if you hold your fund shares through a tax-favored arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan, individual retirement account (IRA) or 529 college savings plan. Fees and expenses of the fund This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in American Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the “Sales charge reductions and waivers” section on page 26 of the prospectus and on page 58 of the fund’s statement of additional information. 0.0575 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0575 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0100 0.0500 0.0100 0.0000 0.0000 0.0100 0.0500 0.0100 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 10 10 10 10 10 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0023 0.0100 0.0100 0.0025 0.0000 0.0020 0.0099 0.0099 0.0050 0.0000 0.0100 0.0074 0.0050 0.0025 0.0000 0.0000 0.0023 0.0022 0.0026 0.0020 0.0018 0.0032 0.0035 0.0034 0.0029 0.0033 0.0020 0.0048 0.0027 0.0019 0.0013 0.0008 0.0087 0.0163 0.0167 0.0086 0.0059 0.0093 0.0175 0.0174 0.0120 0.0074 0.0161 0.0163 0.0118 0.0085 0.0054 0.0049 ~ http://americanfunds.com/20130131/role/ScheduleShareholderFees20001 column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0000719608_S000009598Member row primary compact * ~ ~ http://americanfunds.com/20130131/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20002 column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0000719608_S000009598Member row primary compact * ~ You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in American Funds. Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 25000 A contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% applies on certain redemptions within one year following purchases of $1 million or more made without an initial sales charge. Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment) Investment objectives The investment objective of the fund is long-term growth of capital. Current income is a secondary consideration. Portfolio turnover The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund’s investment results. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 37% of the average value of its portfolio. 0.37