| Neuberger Berman Strategic Income Fund | Neuberger Berman Strategic Income Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neuberger Berman Strategic Income Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GOAL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Fund seeks high current income |
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with a secondary objective of long-term capital appreciation. |
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| FEES AND EXPENSES | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold or sell shares of the Fund. You may qualify for initial sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Neuberger Berman funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your investment provider and in “Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers" on page 86 in the Fund’s prospectus and in “Additional Purchase Information – Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers” on page B-1 in Appendix B in the Fund’s SAI. |
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| Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Expense Example | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The expense example can help you compare costs among mutual funds. The example assumes that you invested $10,000 for the periods shown, that you redeemed all of your shares at the end of those periods, that the Fund earned a hypothetical 5% total return each year, and that the Fund’s expenses were those in the table. For Class A and Institutional Class shares, your costs would be the same whether you sold your shares or continued to hold them at the end of each period. Actual performance and expenses may be higher or lower. |
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| 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 operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 329% of the average value of its portfolio. |
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| PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
To pursue its goal, the Fund invests primarily in a diversified mix of fixed rate and floating rate debt securities. The Fund’s investments may include securities issued by domestic and foreign governments, corporate entities, and trust structures. The Fund may invest in a broad array of securities, including: securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities; corporate bonds; commercial paper; mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities; and loans. Securities in which the Fund may invest may be structured as fixed rate debt; floating rate debt; and debt that may not pay interest at the time of issuance. The Fund may invest in debt securities across the credit spectrum, including investment grade securities, below investment grade securities and unrated securities, and may invest without limit in below investment grade securities (“high yield bonds,” commonly known as “junk bonds”). The Fund considers debt securities to be below investment grade if, at the time of investment, they are rated below the four highest categories by at least one independent credit rating agency or, if unrated, are determined by the Portfolio Managers to be of comparable quality. The Fund does not normally invest in or continue to hold securities that are in default or have defaulted with respect to the payment of interest or repayment of principal, but may do so depending on market conditions. The Fund may invest in securities whose ratings imply an imminent risk of default with respect to such payments. The Fund may also invest in derivative instruments as a means of hedging risk and/or for investment purposes, which may include altering the Fund’s exposure to interest rates, sectors and individual issuers. These derivative instruments may include futures, forward foreign currency contracts, and swaps, such as total return swaps, credit default swaps and interest rate swaps. The Fund may also invest without limit in foreign securities, but normally will not invest more than 25% of its total assets at the time of investment in obligations of issuers in emerging market countries. The Fund defines emerging market countries as those countries included in the JP Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index-Global Diversified Index. Additionally, the Fund may invest in tender option bonds, convertible securities and preferred securities. The Fund may also engage in when-issued and delayed-delivery transactions (such as to-be-announced mortgage-backed securities), which involve a commitment by the Fund to purchase securities that will be issued at a later date. The Fund may also hold short-term securities including cash, cash equivalents and other debt obligations. The Fund may invest in debt securities of any maturity and does not have a target average duration. In an effort to achieve its goal, the Fund may engage in active and frequent trading. The Fund may change its goal without shareholder approval, although it does not currently intend to do so. Investment Philosophy and Process The Portfolio Management Team’ s investment philosophy is rooted in the belief that positive results can be achieved through a consistently applied, risk-managed approach to portfolio management that leverages the unique strengths of its proprietary fundamental research capabilities, decision-making frameworks, and quantitative risk management tools. The Portfolio Management Team employs an integrated investment process in managing the Fund.
When assessing the worth of a particular security, the teams utilize internally generated research and proprietary quantitatively driven tools and frameworks to a) establish an internal outlook, b) evaluate the market’s outlook as it is reflected in asset prices, and c) contrast the two. The goal is to identify and evaluate investment opportunities that others may have missed. |
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| PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Most of the Fund’s performance depends on what happens in the bond market. The market’s behavior is unpredictable, particularly in the short term. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goal. The Fund is a mutual fund, not a bank deposit, and is not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The following factors can significantly affect the Fund’s performance: Market Volatility. Markets are volatile and values of individual securities and other investments can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, economic or other developments that may cause broad changes in market value. Issuer-Specific Risk. The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. Interest Rate Risk. The Fund’s yield and share price will fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates. In general, the value of investments with interest rate risk, such as fixed income securities, will move in the direction opposite to movements in interest rates. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a fixed income security, the greater the effect a change in interest rates could have on the security’s price. Thus, the Fund’s sensitivity to interest rate risk will increase with any increase in the Fund’s overall duration. An increase in interest rates can impact other markets as well. For example, because many investors buy derivatives with borrowed money, an increase in interest rates can cause a decline in those markets. Interest rates have been unusually low in recent years. Floating rate securities (including loans) can be less sensitive to interest rate changes. Prepayment and Extension Risk. The Fund’s performance could be affected if unexpected interest rate trends cause the Fund’s mortgage- or asset-backed securities to be paid off earlier or later than expected, shortening or lengthening their duration. An increase in market interest rates would likely extend the effective duration of mortgage-backed securities, thereby magnifying the effect of the rate increase on the securities’ price. Call Risk. When interest rates are low, issuers will often repay the obligation underlying a “callable security” early, in which case the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield and may not benefit from any increase in value that might otherwise result from declining interest rates. Credit Risk. A downgrade or default affecting any of the Fund’s securities could affect the Fund’s performance. U.S. Government Securities Risk. Although the Fund may hold securities that carry U.S. government guarantees, these guarantees do not extend to shares of the Fund itself and do not guarantee the market price of the securities. Furthermore, not all securities issued by the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Lower-Rated Debt Securities Risk. Lower-rated debt securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) involve greater risks than investment grade debt securities. Lower-rated debt securities may fluctuate more widely in price and yield than investment grade debt securities and may fall in price during times when the economy is weak or is expected to become weak. Lower-rated debt securities carry a greater risk that the issuer of such securities will default in the timely payment of principal and interest. Issuers of securities that are in default may fail to resume principal or interest payments, in which case the Fund may lose its entire investment. When-Issued and Delayed-Delivery Securities Risk. When-issued and delayed-delivery securities can have a leverage like effect on the Fund, which can increase fluctuations in the Fund’s share price; may cause the Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its purchase obligations; and are subject to the risk that a counterparty may fail to complete the sale of the security, in which case the Fund may lose the opportunity to purchase or sell the security at the agreed upon price. Loan Interests Risk. Loans generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell loans at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value. Loans may be difficult to value. There is a risk that the value of the collateral securing a loan may decline after the Fund invests and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed to the Fund. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, in the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral is sufficient to satisfy the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders and even then, the remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed to the Fund. If the Fund acquires a participation interest in a loan, the Fund may not be able to control the exercise of any remedies that the lender would have under the loan and likely would not have any rights against the borrower directly. Loans made to finance highly leveraged corporate acquisitions may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Foreign and Emerging Market Risk. Foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments, involve risks in addition to those associated with comparable U.S. securities. Additional risks include exposure to less developed or less efficient trading markets; social, political or economic instability; fluctuations in foreign currencies or currency redenomination; potential for default on sovereign debt; nationalization or expropriation of assets; settlement, custodial or other operational risks; and less stringent auditing and legal standards. As a result, foreign securities can fluctuate more widely in price, and may also be less liquid, than comparable U.S. securities. World markets, or those in a particular region, may all react in similar fashion to important economic or political developments. In addition, foreign markets can perform differently than the U.S. market. Following the market turmoil of 2008-2009, some national economies continue to show profound instability, which may in turn affect their international trading and financial partners. Investing in emerging market countries involves risks in addition to and greater than those generally associated with investing in more developed foreign countries. Securities of issuers in emerging market countries may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of issuers in foreign countries with more developed economies or markets. Currency Risk. Currency fluctuations could negatively impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Derivatives Risk. Derivatives involve risks different from, and in some respects greater than, those associated with more traditional investments. Derivatives can be highly complex, can create investment leverage and may be highly volatile, and the Fund could lose more than the amount it invests. Derivatives may be difficult to value and may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative position at a particular time or at an anticipated price. The Fund’s investments in derivatives create counterparty risk related to the risk that a futures commission merchant (“FCM” ) would default on an obligation set forth in an agreement between the Fund and the FCM. Recent legislation calls for new regulation of the derivatives markets and could limit the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategies. The extent and impact of the regulation are not yet fully known and may not be for some time. New regulation of derivatives may make them more costly, may limit their availability, or may otherwise adversely affect their value or performance. Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular bond market sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors may move up and down more than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. Restricted Securities Risk. Restricted securities are subject to legal restrictions on their sale. Difficulty in selling securities may result in a loss or be costly to the Fund. Illiquid Investments Risk. Illiquid investments may be more difficult to purchase or sell at an advantageous price or time, and there is a greater risk that the investments may not be sold for the price at which the Fund is carrying them. High Portfolio Turnover. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading and may have a high portfolio turnover rate, which may increase the Fund’s transaction costs, may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and/or may generate a greater amount of capital gain distributions to shareholders than if the Fund had a low portfolio turnover rate. Risk Management. Risk is an essential part of investing. No risk management program can eliminate the Fund’s exposure to adverse events; at best, it can only reduce the possibility that the Fund will be affected by such events, and especially those risks that are not intrinsic to the Fund’s investment program. Recent Market Conditions. The financial crisis in the U.S. and many foreign economies over the past several years, including the European sovereign debt and banking crises, has resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and in the net asset values of many mutual funds, including to some extent the Fund. Conditions in the U.S. and many foreign economies have resulted, and may continue to result, in fixed income instruments experiencing unusual liquidity issues, increased price volatility and, in some cases, credit downgrades and increased likelihood of default. These events have reduced the willingness and ability of some lenders to extend credit, and have made it more difficult for borrowers to obtain financing on attractive terms, if at all. As a result, the values of many types of debt securities have been reduced. In addition, global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. The severity or duration of adverse economic conditions may also be affected by policy changes made by governments or quasi-governmental organizations. Because the situation in the markets is widespread, it may be difficult to identify both risks and opportunities using past models of the interplay of market forces, or to predict the duration of these market conditions. A decline in the Fund’s average net assets during the current fiscal year due to market volatility or other factors could cause the Fund’s expense ratios for the current fiscal year to be higher than the expense information presented in “Fees and Expenses.” |
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| PERFORMANCE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The bar chart and table below provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s performance has varied from year to year, as represented by the performance of the Fund’s Institutional Class. The returns in the bar chart do not reflect any applicable sales charges. If sales charges were reflected, returns would be lower than those shown. The table next to the bar chart shows what the returns would equal if you averaged out actual performance over various lengths of time and compares the returns with the returns of a broad-based market index. The index, which is described in “Descriptions of Indices” in the prospectus, has characteristics relevant to the Fund’s investment strategy. Unlike the returns in the bar chart, the returns in the table reflect the maximum applicable sales charges. The Fund had a different goal, to maximize income without undue risk to principal, and investment strategy, which included managing assets by an asset allocation committee, prior to February 28, 2008. Its performance prior to that date might have been different if the current goal and investment strategy had been in effect. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not a prediction of future results. Visit www.nb.com or call 800-366-6264 for updated performance information. |
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| YEAR-BY-YEAR % RETURNS AS OF 12/31 EACH YEAR* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Best quarter: Q3 ‘09, 7.42% Worst quarter: Q2 ‘04, -2.05% |
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| AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL % RETURNS AS OF 12/31/12* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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After-tax returns are shown for Institutional Class shares only and after-tax returns for other classes may vary. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. |
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