485BPOS 1 d73381a1e485bpos.htm AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS e485bpos
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission June 1, 2010
1933 Act File No. 033-11387
1940 Act File No. 811-04984
 
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933                                         þ
Pre-Effective Amendment No.                                 o
Post-Effective Amendment No. 89                          þ
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940                    þ
Amendment No. 88                                                   þ
(Check appropriate box or boxes.)
AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
4151 Amon Carter Boulevard, MD 2450
Fort Worth, Texas 76155

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (817) 391-6100
     
Gene L. Needles, Jr., President   With copies to:
4151 Amon Carter Boulevard
MD 2450
Fort Worth, Texas 76155
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
  Francine J. Rosenberger, Esq.
K&L Gates LLP
1601 K Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20006-1601
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
  þ   immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
 
  o   on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
 
  o   60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
 
  o   on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
 
  o   75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
 
  o   on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.
If appropriate, check the following box:
  o   This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
 
 

 


 

AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT
This registration statement is comprised of the following:
Cover Sheet
Contents of Registration Statement
Prospectus for A Class, Institutional Class, Y Class, Investor Class and Retirement Class shares of the American Beacon Zebra Large Cap Equity Fund and American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund
Statement of Additional Information for A Class, Institutional Class, Y Class, Investor Class and Retirement Class shares of the American Beacon Zebra Large Cap Equity Fund and American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund
Part C
Signature Page
Exhibits

 


 

(AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS LOGO)
 
 
PROSPECTUS
 
June 1, 2010
 
American Beacon Zebra Large Cap Equity Fund
A CLASS [AZLAX]
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS [AZLIX]
Y CLASS [AZLYX]
INVESTOR CLASS [AZLPX]
RETIREMENT CLASS [AZLRX]
 
American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund
A CLASS [AZSAX]
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS [AZSIX]
Y CLASS [AZSYX]
INVESTOR CLASS [AZSPX]
RETIREMENT CLASS [AZSRX]
 
 
The Securities and Exchange Commission does not guarantee that the information in this prospectus or any other mutual fund’s prospectus is accurate or complete, nor does it judge the investment merits of the Fund. To state otherwise is a criminal offense.


 

(AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS LOGO)
 
Table of Contents
 
         
         
       
    1  
    4  
         
       
    7  
    8  
    9  
         
       
    10  
    10  
    11  
         
       
    11  
    13  
    18  
    19  
    20  
         
       
    20  
    21  
    21  
    22  
       
         
 
 
 
Prospectus
i


 

American Beacon
 
Zebra Large Cap Equity FundSM

 
Investment Objective
 
The Fund’s investment objective is long-term capital appreciation.
 
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 discounts if you and your eligible family members invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the A Class shares of the American Beacon Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in “Choosing Your Share Class” on page 11 of the prospectus.
 
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
 
                                         
    Share classes
    A   Institutional   Y   Investor   Retirement
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases     5.75 %     None       None       None       None  
(as a percentage of offering price)                                        
Maximum deferred sales charge load     None       None       None       None       None  
 
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
 
                                         
    Share classes
    A   Institutional   Y   Investor   Retirement
Management fees
    0.40 %     0.40 %     0.40 %     0.40 %     0.40 %
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees
    0.25 %     0.00 %     0.00 %     0.00 %     0.50 %
Other expenses1
    1.13 %     0.88 %     0.98 %     1.26 %     1.13 %
Total annual fund operating expenses
    1.78 %     1.28 %     1.38 %     1.66 %     2.03 %
Expense Waiver and Reimbursement/
(Recoupment)
    0.49 %     0.49 %     0.49 %     0.49 %     0.49 %
                                         
Total fund operating expenses after expense waiver and reimbursement2
    1.29 %     0.79 %     0.89 %     1.17 %     1.54 %
                                         
 
1
Based on estimated expenses expected to be incurred for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2010.
 
2
The Manager has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse the A Class, Institutional Class, Y Class, Investor Class, and Retirement Class of the Fund for Distribution Fees and Other Expenses, as applicable, through June 1, 2011 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.29% for the A Class, 0.79% for the Institutional Class, 0.89% for the Y Class, 1.17% for the Investor Class, and 1.54% for the Retirement Class. The contractual expense arrangement can be changed by approval of a majority of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. The Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual or voluntary fee reductions or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager’s own reduction or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the percentage limit contractually agreed.
 
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. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
 
                 
    Share classes
    1 year   3 years
A
  $ 699     $ 1,058  
Institutional
  $ 81     $ 357  
Y
  $ 91     $ 389  
Investor
  $ 119     $ 476  
Retirement
  $ 157     $ 589  
 
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 performance. Portfolio turnover rate for the Fund’s last fiscal year is not provided because the Fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.
 
Principal Investment Strategies
 
Ordinarily, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of large market capitalization U.S. and foreign companies. These companies generally have market capitalizations similar to the market capitalizations of the companies in the Russell 1000® Index at the time of investment. The Russell 1000 Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies based on total market capitalization. As of March 31, 2010, the market capitalizations of the companies in
 
 
 
Prospectus Summary
1


 

American Beacon
 
Zebra Large Cap Equity FundSM — (continued)

the Russell 1000 Index ranged from $218 million to $326.8 billion.
 
The Fund’s subadviser, Zebra Capital Management, LLC (“Zebra”), seeks to capture a liquidity premium among fundamentally strong, publicly-traded equities. A liquidity premium is the additional return that may be realized on the sales of securities that are less liquid at the time of purchase. A liquidity premium may exist in public equity markets, as more liquid stocks tend to be priced at a premium, while less liquid stocks are priced at a discount, thus having higher expected appreciation. Despite producing similar levels of earnings and cash flows, these less liquid stocks can often be purchased at lower prices, offering higher expected appreciation. Frequently, a fundamentally-sound stock is less traded because it has temporarily fallen out of favor. Over time, the market may recognize the inherent value of the stock again, where the Fund would stand to benefit from the liquidity premium as the stock’s trading activity and price rise.
 
Zebra chooses the securities that comprise the Fund’s portfolio first by identifying stocks with strong fundamentals (i.e. earnings, book value, cash flows) that Zebra believes are undervalued in the market relative to their long term appreciation potential. Zebra then applies the liquidity premium analysis to identify the stocks that trade less frequently than stocks with comparable fundamentals.
 
Stocks are typically sold when fundamentals deteriorate, trading activity increases relative to changes in a stock’s fundamentals, or Zebra believes there are greater opportunities to capture liquidity premium in other stocks.
 
Principal Risks
 
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:
 
Market Risk
Since this Fund invests most of its assets in stocks, it is subject to stock market risk. Market risk involves the possibility that the value of the Fund’s investments in stocks will decline due to drops in the stock market. In general, the value of the Fund will move in the same direction as the overall stock market, which will vary from day to day in response to the activities of individual companies, as well as general market, regulatory, political and economic conditions.
 
Foreign Investing Risk
Investing in the securities of foreign companies and American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”), to a lesser extent, carry potential risks not associated with domestic investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) political and financial instability, (2) less liquidity and greater volatility, (3) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, and (4) increased price volatility.
 
Liquidity Risk
From time to time, certain securities held by the Fund may have limited marketability and may be difficult to sell at favorable times or prices. If the Fund is forced to sell such securities to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, the Fund may not realize the liquidity premium or have to sell at a loss.
 
Value Stocks Risk
Value stocks are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may go down. While the Fund’s investments in value stocks may limit its downside risk over time, the Fund may produce more modest gains than riskier stock funds as a trade-off for this potentially lower risk.
 
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisor for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
 
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them.
 
Market Events
Turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide which may have an adverse effect on the Fund.
 
Fund Performance
 
Performance information for the Fund is not provided because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.
 
 
 
Summary Prospectus
2


 

American Beacon
 
Zebra Large Cap Equity FundSM — (continued)

 
Management
 
The Manager
The Fund has retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. to serve as its Manager.
 
Sub-Advisor
The Fund’s sub-advisor is:
 
  ►  Zebra Capital Management, LLC
 
Portfolio Managers
 
         
American Beacon Advisors, Inc.
 
William F. Quinn
Executive Chairman
    Since Fund Inception
(2010
)
Wyatt L. Crumpler
Vice President, Asset Management
    Since Fund Inception
(2010
)
Adriana R. Posada
Sr. Portfolio Manager
    Since Fund Inception
(2010
)
 
Zebra Capital Management , LLC
 
Roger Ibbotson, Ph.D.
Chief Investment Officer
    Since Fund Inception
(2010
)
Zhiwu Chen, Ph.D.
Chief Research Officer
    Since Fund Inception
(2010
)
 
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
 
You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange A Class, Institutional Class, Investor Class and Y Class shares directly from the Fund by calling 1-800-658-5811, writing to the Fund at P.O. Box 219643, Kansas City, MO 64121, or visiting www.americanbeaconfunds.com. You also may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of all classes offered in this prospectus through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary. The minimum initial purchase into the Fund is $250,000 for Institutional Class shares, $100,000 for Y Class shares and $2,500 for A Class, Investor Class and Retirement Class shares. The minimum subsequent investment by wire is $500 for Investor and A Class shares. No minimums apply to subsequent investments by wire for other classes of shares. For all classes, the minimum subsequent investment is $50 if the investment is made by ACH, check or exchange.
 
Tax Information
 
Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund are subject to federal income taxes and may also be subject to state and local taxes.
 
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
 
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and the Fund’s distributor or the Manager may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your individual financial adviser to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
 
 
 
 
 
Prospectus Summary
3


 

American Beacon
 
Zebra Small Cap Equity FundSM

 
Investment Objective
 
The Fund’s investment objective is long-term capital appreciation.
 
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 discounts if you and your eligible family members invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the A Class shares of the American Beacon Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in “Choosing Your Share Class” on page 11 of the prospectus.
 
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
 
                                         
    Share classes
    A   Institutional   Y   Investor   Retirement
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases
(as a percentage of offering price)
    5.75 %     None       None       None       None  
Maximum deferred sales charge load     None       None       None       None       None  
 
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
 
                                         
    Share classes
    A   Institutional   Y   Investor   Retirement
Management fees
    0.60 %     0.60 %     0.60 %     0.60 %     0.60 %
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees
    0.25 %     0.00 %     0.00 %     0.00 %     0.50 %
Other expenses1
    1.13 %     0.88 %     0.98 %     1.26 %     1.13 %
                                         
Total annual fund operating expenses
    1.98 %     1.48 %     1.58 %     1.86 %     2.23 %
                                         
Expense Waiver and Reimbursement/
(Recoupment)
    0.49 %     0.49 %     0.49 %     0.49 %     0.49 %
                                         
Total fund operating expenses after expense waiver and reimbursement2
    1.49 %     0.99 %     1.09 %     1.37 %     1.74 %
                                         
 
1
Expenses are based on estimated expenses expected to be incurred for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2010.
 
2
The Manager has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse the A Class, Institutional Class, Y Class, Investor Class, and Retirement Class of the Fund for Distribution Fees and Other Expenses, as applicable, through June 1, 2011 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.49% for the A Class, 0.99% for the Institutional Class, 1.09% for the Y Class, 1.37% for the Investor Class, and 1.74% for the Retirement Class. The contractual expense arrangement can be changed by approval of a majority of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. The Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual or voluntary fee reductions or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager’s own reduction or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the percentage limit contractually agreed.
 
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. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
 
                 
    Share classes
    1 year   3 years
A
  $ 718     $ 1,116  
Institutional
  $ 101     $ 420  
Y
  $ 111     $ 451  
Investor
  $ 139     $ 537  
Retirement
  $ 177     $ 650  
 
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 performance. Portfolio turnover rate for the Fund’s last fiscal year is not provided because the Fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.
 
Principal Investment Strategies
 
Ordinarily, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of small market capitalization U.S. and foreign companies. These companies generally have market capitalizations similar to the market capitalizations of the companies in the Russell 2000® Index at the time of investment. The Russell 2000 Index is comprised of the 2000 companies at the bottom of the Russell 3000® Index based on total market capitalization. As of
 
 
 
Summary Prospectus
4


 

American Beacon
 
Zebra Small Cap Equity FundSM — (continued)

March 31, 2010, the market capitalizations of the companies in the Russell 2000 Index ranged from $14 million to $5.5 billion.
 
The Fund’s subadviser, Zebra Capital Management, LLC (“Zebra”), seeks to capture a liquidity premium among fundamentally strong, publicly-traded equities. A liquidity premium is the additional return that may be realized on the sales of securities that are less liquid at the time of purchase. A liquidity premium may exist in public equity markets, as more liquid stocks tend to be priced at a premium, while less liquid stocks are priced at a discount, thus having higher expected appreciation. Despite producing similar levels of earnings and cash flows, these less liquid stocks can often be purchased at lower prices, offering higher expected appreciation. Frequently, a fundamentally-sound stock is less traded because it has temporarily fallen out of favor. Over time, the market may recognize the inherent value of the stock again, where the Fund would stand to benefit from the liquidity premium as the stock’s trading activity and price rise.
 
Zebra chooses the securities that comprise the Fund’s portfolio first by identifying stocks with strong fundamentals (i.e. earnings, book value, cash flows) that Zebra believes are undervalued in the market relative to their long term appreciation potential. Zebra then applies the liquidity premium analysis to identify the stocks that trade less frequently than stocks with comparable fundamentals.
 
Stocks are typically sold when fundamentals deteriorate, trading activity increases relative to changes in a stock’s fundamentals, or Zebra believes there are greater opportunities to capture liquidity premium in other stocks.
 
The Fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers and other institutions to earn additional income.
 
Principal Risks
 
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are:
 
Market Risk
Since this Fund invests most of its assets in stocks, it is subject to stock market risk. Market risk involves the possibility that the value of the Fund’s investments in stocks will decline due to drops in the stock market. In general, the value of the Fund will move in the same direction as the overall stock market, which will vary from day to day in response to the activities of individual companies, as well as general market, regulatory, political and economic conditions.
 
Foreign Investing Risk
Investing in the securities of foreign companies and ADRs carries potential risks not associated with domestic investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) political and financial instability, (2) less liquidity and greater volatility, (3) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, and (4) increased price volatility.
 
Liquidity Risk
From time to time, certain securities held by the Fund may have limited marketability and may be difficult to sell at favorable times or prices. If the Fund is forced to sell such securities to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, the Fund may not realize the liquidity premium or have to sell at a loss.
 
Value Stocks Risk
Value stocks are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may go down. While the Fund’s investments in value stocks may limit its downside risk over time, the Fund may produce more modest gains than riskier stock funds as a trade-off for this potentially lower risk.
 
Small Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of small capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies, since small-sized companies may have limited operating history, product lines, and financial resources, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity, and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
 
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by a sub-advisor for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
 
Securities Lending Risk
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risk. Borrowers of the Fund’s securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities. The securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers. In addition, delays may occur in the recovery of securities
 
 
 
Prospectus Summary
5


 

American Beacon
 
Zebra Small Cap Equity FundSM — (continued)

from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund’s ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions.
 
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them.
 
Market Events
Turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide which may have an adverse effect on the Fund.
 
Fund Performance
 
Performance information for the Fund is not provided because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.
 
Management
 
The Manager
The Fund has retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. to serve as its Manager.
 
Sub-Advisor
The Fund’s sub-advisor is:
 
  ►  Zebra Capital Management, LLC
 
Portfolio Managers
 
         
American Beacon Advisors, Inc.
 
William F. Quinn
Executive Chairman
    Since Fund Inception
(2010
)
Wyatt L. Crumpler
Vice President, Asset Management
    Since Fund Inception
(2010
)
Adriana R. Posada
Sr. Portfolio Manager
    Since Fund Inception
(2010
)
 
Zebra Capital Management , LLC
 
Roger Ibbotson, Ph.D.
Chief Investment Officer
    Since Fund Inception
(2010
)
Zhiwu Chen, Ph.D.
Chief Research Officer
    Since Fund Inception
(2010
)
 
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
 
You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange A Class, Institutional Class, Investor Class and Y Class shares directly from the Fund by calling 1-800-658-5811, writing to the Fund at P.O. Box 219643, Kansas City, MO 64121, or visiting www.americanbeaconfunds.com. You also may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of all classes offered in this prospectus through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary. The minimum initial purchase into the Fund is $250,000 for Institutional Class shares, $100,000 for Y Class shares and $2,500 for A Class, Investor Class and Retirement Class shares. The minimum subsequent investment by wire is $500 for Investor and A Class shares. No minimums apply to subsequent investments by wire for other classes of shares. For all classes, the minimum subsequent investment is $50 if the investment is made by ACH, check or exchange.
 
Tax Information
 
Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund are subject to federal income taxes and may also be subject to state and local taxes.
 
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
 
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and the Fund’s distributor or the Manager may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your individual financial adviser to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
 
 
 
 
 
Summary Prospectus
6


 

 
To help you better understand the Funds, this section provides a detailed discussion of the Funds’ investment policies, their principal strategies and risks and performance benchmarks. However, this prospectus does not describe all of a Fund’s investment practices. For additional information, please see the Funds’ statement of additional information, which is available by contacting us by telephone at 1-800-658-5811, by U.S. mail at P.O. Box 219643, Kansas City, MO 64121-9643, by e-mail at american_beacon.funds@americanbeacon.com, or visiting www.americanbeaconfunds.com.
 
Additional Information About Investment Policies and Strategies
 
Additional Information About Investment Policies
 
Investment Objective
Each Fund’s investment objective is “non-fundamental,” which means that it may be changed by the Board of Trustees without the approval of Fund shareholders.
 
80% Policy
Each Fund has a policy of investing at least 80% of its assets in securities and financial instruments that are consistent with the Fund’s name. If a Fund changes this policy, a notice will be sent to shareholders at least 60 days in advance of the change and this prospectus will be supplemented.
 
Temporary Defensive Policy
The Funds may depart from their principal investment strategies by taking temporary defensive positions in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. During these times, the Funds may not achieve their investment goal.
 
Additional Information About the Management Strategy
 
The Funds have retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. to serve as its Manager. The Manager may allocate the assets of the Funds among one or more different sub-advisors. The Manager provides or oversees the provision of all administrative, investment advisory and portfolio management services to the Fund. The Manager
 
•  develops the investment programs for each Fund,
•  selects and changes sub-advisors,
•  monitors the sub-advisor’s investment programs and results,
•  coordinates the investment activities of the sub-advisor to ensure compliance with regulatory restrictions,
•  oversees a Fund’s securities lending activities and actions taken by the securities lending agent, to the extent applicable, and
•  invests the portion of each Fund assets that the sub-advisor determines should be allocated to high-quality short-term debt obligations.
 
Each Fund’s assets are currently allocated to one sub-advisor by the Manager. The sub-advisor has discretion to purchase and sell securities for each Fund in accordance with the Fund’s objective, policies, restrictions and more specific strategies provided by the Manager.
 
Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, the Manager is permitted to enter into new or modified investment advisory agreements with existing or new sub-advisors without approval of a Fund’s shareholders, but subject to approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees (“Board”). The Prospectus will be supplemented if additional sub-advisors are retained or the contract with any existing sub-advisor is terminated. The Manager allocates each Fund’s assets to Zebra Capital Management, LLC.
 
Additional Information About Investments
 
American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”)
The Funds may invest in ADRs, which are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts issued generally by domestic banks and represent the deposit with the bank of a security of a foreign issuer. ADRs may be issued as sponsored or unsponsored programs. In sponsored programs, an issuer has made arrangements to have its securities trade in the form of ADRs. In unsponsored programs, the issuer may not be directly involved in the creation of the program. Although regulatory requirements with respect to sponsored and unsponsored programs are generally similar, in some cases it may be easier to obtain financial information from an issuer that has participated in the creation of a sponsored program.
 
 
 
 
 
Prospectus Additional Information About the Funds
7


 

Equity Securities
A Fund’s equity investments may include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, U.S. dollar-denominated ADRs, U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”).
 
  
Additional Information About Risks
 
The greatest risk of investing in a mutual fund is that its returns will fluctuate and you could lose money. Turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Funds. The following table identifies the principal risk factors of each Fund in light of their respective principal investment strategies. These risk factors are explained following the table.
 
             
      Large Cap
    Small Cap
Risk     Equity Fund     Equity Fund
Foreign Investing Risk
    X     X
             
Investment Risk
    X     X
             
Liquidity Risk
    X     X
             
Market Risk
    X     X
             
Market Events
    X     X
             
Securities Lending Risk
          X
             
Securities Selection Risk
    X     X
             
Small Capitalization Companies Risk
          X
             
Value Stocks Risk
    X     X
             
 
 
 
Additional Information About the Funds Prospectus
8


 

 
 
Foreign Investing Risk
Investments in foreign securities and ADRs, to a lesser extent, involve greater risks than investing in domestic securities. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity and greater volatility of foreign investments, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) less government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies, (6) increased price volatility, and (7) delays in transaction settlement in some foreign markets.
 
Investment Risk
An investment in a Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of a Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in a Fund.
 
Liquidity Risk
From time to time, certain securities held by a Fund, including high yield debt securities, may have limited marketability. This means that the Fund may experience difficulty selling these investments at favorable prices. If a Fund is forced to sell such securities to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, the Fund may not realize the liquidity premium or have to sell at a loss.
 
Market Risk
Stock market risk involves the possibility that the value of a Fund’s investments in stocks will decline due to drops in the stock market. In general, the value of a Fund that invests principally in stocks will move in the same direction as the overall stock market, which will vary from day to day in response to the activities of individual companies, as well as general market, regulatory, political and economic conditions. These fluctuations could be a sustained trend or a drastic movement. The stock markets generally move in cycles, with periods of rising prices followed by periods of declining prices. The value of your investment may reflect these fluctuations.
 
Market Events
Turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect many issuers worldwide which could affect the Funds.
 
Securities Lending Risk
To the extent a Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risk. Borrowers of the Fund’s securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities. The securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers. In addition, delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with a Fund’s ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions.
 
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the Manager or a sub-advisor for a Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
 
Small Capitalization Companies Risk
Investments in small-capitalization companies generally involve greater risks and the possibility of greater price volatility than investments in larger capitalization and more established companies. Small-cap companies often have narrower commercial markets and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies. As a result, performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of a Fund’s portfolio. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater these risks. Additionally, small-cap companies may have less market liquidity than larger capitalization companies, and they can be sensitive to changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater these risks.
 
Value Stocks Risk
Investments in value stocks are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may go down. This may result in the value stocks’ prices remaining undervalued for extended periods of time. While a Fund’s investments in value stocks may limit its downside risk over time, the Fund may produce more modest gains than riskier other stock funds as a trade-off for this potentially lower risk. A Fund’s performance also may be affected adversely if value stocks become unpopular with or lose favor among investors.
 
Additional Information About Performance Benchmarks
 
In this prospectus, the annual total return of each Fund is compared to a broad-based market index and a composite of mutual funds comparable to the Fund compiled by Lipper, Inc. (“Lipper”). Lipper is an independent mutual fund research and ranking service. Set forth below is additional information regarding the index and composite to which each Fund’s performance is compared.
 
Large Cap Equity Fund
Market Index
The Fund’s performance is compared to the Russell 1000 Index
 
•  The Russell 1000 Index is an unmanaged index comprised of approximately 1,000 larger-capitalization stocks from various industrial sectors. The Russell 1000 Index is a registered trademark of Frank Russell Company.
 
Mutual Fund Composite
The Fund’s performance also is compared to the Lipper Large-Cap Funds Index, a composite of mutual funds comparable to the Fund.
 
 
 
Prospectus Additional Information About the Funds
9


 

•  The Lipper Large-Cap Funds Index tracks the results of the 30 largest mutual funds in the Lipper Large-Cap Funds category.
 
Small Cap Equity Fund
Market Index
The Fund’s performance is compared to the Russell 2000 Index.
 
•  The Russell 2000 Index is an unmanaged index comprised of approximately 2,000 smaller-capitalization stocks from various industrial sectors. The Russell 2000 Index is a registered trademark of Frank Russell Company.
 
Mutual Fund Composite
The Fund’s performance also is compared to the Lipper Small-Cap Funds Index, a composite of mutual funds comparable to the Fund.
 
•  The Lipper Small-Cap Funds Index tracks the results of the 30 largest mutual funds in the Lipper Small-Cap Funds category.
 
 
The Manager
 
The Funds have retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (“Manager”) to serve as their Manager. The Manager, located at 4151 Amon Carter Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas 76155, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lighthouse Holdings, Inc. The Manager was organized in 1986 to provide investment management, advisory, administrative and asset management consulting services. As of March 31, 2010, the Manager had approximately $44.5 billion of assets under management, including approximately $16.1 billion under active management and $28.4 billion as named fiduciary or financial advisor.
 
The management fees, including sub-advisory fees, to be paid by each Fund for the current fiscal year ending December 31, 2010 is 0.40 % of the average net assets of the American Beacon Zebra Large Cap Equity Fund and 0.60% of the average net assets of the American Beacon Small Cap Zebra Equity Fund. The Manager also may receive up to 25% of the net monthly income generated from the securities lending activities of the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund. Currently, the Manager receives 10% of such income. The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has granted exemptive relief that permits the Funds to invest cash collateral received from securities lending transactions in shares of one or more private or registered investment companies managed by the Manager.
 
A discussion of the Board’s consideration and approval of the Management Agreement between the Funds and the Manager and the Investment Advisory Agreement between Zebra and the Manager will be available in the Funds’ annual report dated August 31, 2010.
 
William F. Quinn and Wyatt L. Crumpler are the leaders of the Manager’s portfolio management team that has joint responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Funds. Mr. Quinn and Mr. Crumpler are responsible for developing each Fund’s investment program and recommending sub-advisors to the Funds’ Board of Trustees. In addition, Mr. Quinn and Mr. Crumpler, in conjunction with Adriana R. Posada, oversee the Sub-Advisor, review the Sub-Advisor’s performance and allocate the Funds’ assets among the Sub-Advisor and the Manager, as applicable.
 
Mr. Quinn is Executive Chairman of the Manager and has served on the portfolio management team since the inception of the Funds in June 2010. Mr. Quinn has served as Executive Chairman of the Manager since 2009. From 2006 to 2009, he served as Chairman of the Manager. Mr. Quinn served as CEO of the Manager from 2006 to 2007 and President of the Manager from 1986 to 2006. Additionally, he has served on the portfolio management team of American Beacon Funds since 1987. Mr. Crumpler is Vice President, Asset Management. Mr. Crumpler joined the Manager in January 2007 as Vice President, of Trust Investments and a member of the portfolio management team. Mr. Crumpler’s title was redesignated as Vice President, Asset Management in July 2009. From January 2004 to January 2007, Mr. Crumpler was Managing Director of Corporate Accounting at American Airlines, Inc. Prior to that time, he was Director of IT Strategy and Finance for American Airlines, Inc. Ms. Posada is Senior Portfolio Manager, Asset Management, and became a member of the team in October 1998. The Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides additional information about the members of the portfolio management team, including other accounts they manage, their ownership in the Funds they manage and their compensation.
 
The Sub-Advisor
 
Set forth below is a brief description of the Fund’s sub-advisor and the portfolio managers with primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund. The Funds’ SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including other accounts they manage, their ownership in the Funds and their compensation.
 
ZEBRA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC (“Zebra”), 612 Wheelers Farms Road, Milford, Connecticut 06461, is an asset manager specializing in managing both fundamentally based and quantitatively-driven equity strategies through a range of fund vehicles. Zebra was founded in 2001 and had approximately $370 million of assets under management as of March 31, 2010.
 
Roger Ibbotson and Zhiwu Chen serve as the Funds’ portfolio managers and share responsibilities for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s investment portfolio.
 
 
 
Fund Management Prospectus
10


 

Roger Ibbotson has served as a member of the portfolio management team of each Fund since its inception. Dr. Ibbotson is the Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and a member of the Zebra portfolio management team, having served in these roles since the firm was founded in 2001. Dr. Ibbotson has also been a Professor at Yale School of Management since 1984 and is the Founder, Advisor and former Chairman of Ibbotson Associates, now a Morningstar Company with $60 billion under advisement. Dr. Ibbotson serves on numerous boards including Dimensional Fund Advisors’ funds. He received his Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Purdue University, his M.B.A. from Indiana University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago where he taught from 1974 to 1984 and served as the Executive Director of the Center for Research in Security Prices.
 
Zhiwu Chen has served as a member of the portfolio management team of each Fund since its inception. Dr. Chen is the Chief Research Officer and is a member of the Zebra portfolio management team, having served in these roles since the firm was founded in 2001. Dr. Chen is responsible for Zebra’s model development and ongoing research. Dr. Chen is a Professor of Finance at Yale University and is an economist in China, advising Chinese government agencies on economic and financial policies. From 1997 to mid 2004, Dr. Chen was co-chairman of ValuEngine Inc., a Stamford, Connecticut firm Dr. Chen co-founded which specializes in developing and marketing quantitative equity evaluation products. Prior to joining Yale, Professor Chen was an Associate Professor of Finance at The Ohio State University from 1995 to 1999 and Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison from July 1990 to June 1995. Dr. Chen received his Ph.D. in finance in 1990 and his M.Phd. and MA in 1988, each from Yale University. He earned his MS degree in systems engineering from the Changsha Institute of Technology in 1986, and his BS in computer science from the Central- South University of Technology in 1983, both in China.
 
Valuation of Shares
 
The price of each Fund’s shares is based on its net asset value (“NAV”) per share. Each Fund’s NAV is computed by adding total assets, subtracting all of the Fund’s liabilities, and dividing the result by the total number of shares outstanding. Equity securities are valued based on market value. Debt securities (other than short-term securities) usually are valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service. In some cases, the price of debt securities is determined using quotes obtained from brokers.
 
Securities may be valued at fair value, as determined in good faith and pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees, under certain limited circumstances. For example, fair value pricing will be used when market quotations are not readily available or reliable, as determined by the Manager, such as when (i) trading for a security is restricted or stopped; (ii) a security’s trading market is closed (other than customary closings); or (iii) a security has been de-listed from a national exchange. A security with limited market liquidity may require fair value pricing if the Manager determines that the available price does not reflect the security’s true market value. In addition, if a significant event that the Manager determines to affect the value of one or more securities held by a Fund occurs after the close of a related exchange but before the determination of the Fund’s NAV, fair value pricing may be used on the affected security or securities. Fair value pricing may be used by either of the Funds.
 
Attempts to determine the fair value of securities introduce an element of subjectivity to the pricing of securities. As a result, the price of a security determined through fair valuation techniques may differ from the price quoted or published by other sources and may not accurately reflect the market value of the security when trading resumes. If a reliable market quotation becomes available for a security formerly valued through fair valuation techniques, the Manager compares the new market quotation to the fair value price to evaluate the effectiveness of the Funds’ fair valuation procedures. If any significant discrepancies are found, the Manager may adjust the Funds’ fair valuation procedures.
 
The NAV of each class of a Fund’s shares is determined based on a pro rata allocation of the Fund’s investment income, expenses and total capital gains and losses. Each Fund’s NAV per share is determined as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange (“Exchange”), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day on which it is open for business.
 
 
Choosing Your Share Class
 
Each Fund offers five classes of shares; A Class, Institutional Class, Y Class, Investor Class, and Retirement Class shares. Each class has a different combination of purchase restrictions, sales charges and ongoing fees, allowing you to choose the class that best meets your needs. The following sections explain the sales charges or other fees you may pay when investing in each class.
 
A Class Shares
A Class shares of each Fund are available to investors, including investors using intermediaries such as broker dealers, at their offering price, which is equal to the NAV per share plus the applicable front-end sales charge that you pay when you buy your A Class shares. The front-end sales charge is generally deducted directly from the amount of your investment. A Class shares are also subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee of up to .25% and a separate shareholder servicing fee of up to .25% of each Fund’s average daily net assets.
 
 
 
Prospectus About Your Investment
11


 

Investor Class Shares
Investor Class shares are offered without a sales charge to all investors, including investors using intermediary organizations such as broker-dealers or plan sponsors and retirement accounts. Investor Class shares pay no Rule 12b-1 fee, but are subject to a separate shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.375% of each Fund’s average daily net assets.
 
Retirement Class Shares
Retirement Class shares are offered without a sales charge to all investors who invest through intermediary organizations, such as broker-dealers, insurance companies or third party administrators for small to mid-sized retirement plans. Retirement Class shares pay a Rule 12b-1 fee of up to .50% and a separate shareholder servicing fee of up to .25% of each Fund’s average daily net assets.
 
Y Class Shares
Y Class shares are offered without a sales charge to all investors who make an initial investment of at least $100,000. Y Class Shares do not pay a Rule 12b-1 fee, but are subject to a shareholder servicing fee of up to .10% of each Fund’s average daily net assets.
 
Institutional Class Shares
Institutional Class shares are offered without a sales charge to investors who make an initial investment of at least $250,000. Institutional Class shares pay no Rule 12b-1 or shareholder servicing fees.
 
A Class Charges and Waivers
 
Sales Charges
 
The table below shows the amount of sales charges you will pay on purchases of A Class shares of the Funds both as a percentage of offering price and as a percentage of the amount you invest. The sales charge differs depending upon the amount you invest and may be reduced or eliminated for larger purchases as indicated below. If you invest more, the sales charge will be lower.
 
Any applicable sales charge will be deducted directly from your investment. Because of rounding of the calculation in determining the sales charges, you may pay more or less than what is shown in the table below. Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions are not subject to a front-end sales charge. You may qualify for a reduced sales charge or the sales charge may be waived as described below in “Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers.”
 
                         
            Dealer
            Commission
            as a % of
Amount of
  As a % of
  As a % of
  Offering
sale/account value
  Offering Price   Investment   Price
Less than $50,000
    5.75 %     6.10 %     5.00 %
$50,000 but less
    4.75 %     4.99 %     4.00 %
than $100,000
                       
$100,000 but less
    3.75 %     3.90 %     3.00 %
than $250,000
                       
$250,000 but less
    2.75 %     2.83 %     2.05 %
than $500,000
                       
$500,000 but less
    2.00 %     2.04 %     1.50 %
than $1 million
                       
$1 million and above
    0.00       0.00       0.00 %
 
The Distributor may also retain any portion of the commissions that are not paid to financial intermediaries, which may be used to pay distribution-related expenses.
 
Sales Charge Reductions & Waivers
 
A shareholder may qualify for a waiver or reduction in sales charges under certain circumstances. To receive a waiver or reduction in your A Class sales charge, you must advise the Funds’ transfer agent, your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary of your eligibility at the time of purchase. If you or your financial intermediary do not let the Funds’ transfer agent know that you are eligible for a reduction, you may not receive a sales charge discount to which you are otherwise entitled.
 
Waiver of Sales Charges
There is no sales charge if you invest $1 million or more in A Class shares.
 
Sales charges also may be waived for certain shareholders, such as:
 
•  Directors, trustees, officers and employees of the Manager and the Trust;
•  Registered representative or employees of intermediaries that have selling agreement with the Funds;
•  Shares acquired through merger or acquisition;
•  Insurance company separate accounts;
•  Employer-sponsored retirement plans;
•  Dividend reinvestment programs; and
•  Purchases through certain fee-based programs.
 
Reduced Sales Charges
Under a “Rights of Accumulation Program,” a “Letter of Intent” or through “Concurrent Purchases” you may be eligible to buy A Class shares of the Funds at the reduced sales charge rates that would apply to a larger purchase. The Funds reserve the right to modify or to cease offering these programs at any time.
 
This information is available, free of charge, on the Funds’ website. Please visit http://www.americanbeaconfunds.com/index.asp (click on the link title “Sales Charge Information”). You may also call (800) 658-5811 or consult with your financial advisor.
 
 
 
About Your Investment Prospectus
12


 

 
Rights of Accumulation Program
Under the Rights of Accumulation Program, you may qualify for a reduced sales charge by aggregating all of your investments held in certain accounts (“Qualified Accounts”). The following Qualified Accounts held in A Class shares of any American Beacon Funds mutual fund sold with a front-end sales charge may be grouped together to qualify for the reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program or Letter of Intent:
 
•  Accounts owned by you, your spouse or your minor children under the age of 21, including trust or other fiduciary accounts in which you, your spouse or your minor children are the beneficiary;
•  Uniform gift to minor accounts (“UGTMA”);
•  IRA accounts, including Traditional, Roth, SEP and SIMPLE; and
•  Coverdell Education Savings Accounts or qualified 529 plans.
 
A fiduciary can apply a right of accumulation to all shares purchased for a trust, estate or other fiduciary account that has multiple accounts.
 
You must notify your financial intermediary or the Funds’ transfer agent in the case of shares held directly with the Fund, at the time of purchase that a purchase qualifies for a reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program and must provide either a list of account numbers or copies of account statements verifying your qualification. If your shares are held directly in an American Beacon Funds mutual fund or through a financial intermediary, you may combine the historical cost or current NAV, determined as of the last close of the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, (whichever is higher) of your existing A Class shares of any American Beacon Funds mutual fund sold with a front-end sales charge with the amount of your current purchase in order to take advantage of the reduced sales charge. Historical cost is the price you actually paid for the shares you own, plus your reinvested dividends and capital gains. If you are using historical cost to qualify for a reduced sales charge, you should retain any records to substantiate your historical costs since the Fund, its transfer agent or your financial intermediary may not maintain this information.
 
If your shares are held through financial intermediaries and/or in a retirement account (such as a 401(k) or employee benefit plan), you may combine the current NAV of your existing A Class shares of any American Beacon Funds mutual fund sold with a front-end sales charge with the amount of your current purchase in order to take advantage of the reduced sales charge. You or your financial intermediary must notify the Funds’ transfer agent at the time of purchase that a purchase qualifies for a reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program and must provide copies of account statements dated within three months of your current purchase verifying your qualification.
 
Upon receipt of the above referenced supporting documentation, the financial intermediary or the Funds’ transfer agent will calculate the combined value of all of your Qualified Accounts to determine if the current purchase is eligible for a reduced sales charge. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts (securities held in the name of a dealer or another nominee such as a bank trust department instead of the customer) may not be aggregated with purchases for other accounts and may not be aggregated with other nominee or street name accounts unless otherwise qualified as described above.
 
Letter of Intent
If you plan to invest at least $50,000 (excluding any reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions) during the next 13 months in A Class shares of the Funds or any other American Beacon Funds mutual fund sold with a front-end sales charge, you may qualify for a reduced sales charge by completing the Letter of Intent section of your account application. A Letter of Intent indicates your intent to purchase at least $50,000 in A Class shares of any American Beacon Funds mutual fund sold with a front-end sales charge over the next 13 months in exchange for a reduced sales charge indicated on the above tables. The minimum initial investment under a Letter of Intent is $2,500. You are not obligated to purchase additional shares if you complete a Letter of Intent. However, if you do not buy enough shares to qualify for the projected level of sales charge by the end of the 13-month period (or when you sell your shares, if earlier), your sales charge will be recalculated to reflect your actual purchase level. During the term of the Letter of Intent, shares representing 5% of your intended purchase will be held in escrow. If you do not purchase enough shares during the 13-month period to qualify for the projected reduced sales charge, the additional sales charge will be deducted from your account. If you have purchased A Class shares of any American Beacon mutual fund sold with a front-end sales charge within 90 days prior to signing a Letter of Intent, they may be included as part of your intended purchase, however, previous purchase transactions will not be recalculated with the proposed new breakpoint. You must provide either a list of account numbers or copies of account statements verifying your purchases within the past 90 days.
 
Concurrent Purchases
You may combine simultaneous purchases in A Class shares of American Beacon Funds to qualify for a reduced A Class sales charge.
 
Purchase and Redemption of Shares
 
Eligibility
 
The Investor Class, Institutional Class and Y Class shares offered in this prospectus are available to all investors who meet the minimum initial investment. A Class shares are available to retail investors who invest directly through intermediary organizations, such as broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries, or through employee directed benefit plans, or directly with the
 
 
 
Prospectus About Your Investment
13


 

Funds. A Class and Investor Class shares are available for Traditional and Roth IRA accounts investing directly through American Beacon. Retirement Class shares are offered to investors who invest through intermediary organizations, such as broker-dealers, insurance companies or third party administrators for small to mid-sized retirement plans.
 
Our investors include:
 
•  agents or fiduciaries acting on behalf of their clients (such as employee benefit plans, personal trusts and other accounts for which a trust company or financial advisor acts as agent or fiduciary);
•  endowment funds and charitable foundations;
•  employee welfare plans that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Code”);
•  qualified pension and profit sharing plans;
•  cash and deferred arrangements under Section 401(k) of the Code;
•  corporations; and
•  other investors who make an initial investment of at least the minimum investment amounts.
 
Subject to your eligibility, you may invest in the Funds directly through us or through intermediary organizations, such as broker-dealers, insurance companies, plan sponsors, third party administrators and retirement accounts.
 
If you invest directly through us, the fees and policies with respect to the Funds’ shares that are outlined in this prospectus are set by the Funds.
 
If you invest through a financial intermediary, most of the information you will need for managing your investment will come from your financial intermediary. This includes information on how to buy, sell and exchange shares of the Funds. If you establish an account through a financial intermediary, the investment minimums described in this section may not apply. Your broker-dealer or financial intermediary also may charge fees that are in addition to those described in this prospectus. Please contact your intermediary for information regarding investment minimums, how to purchase and redeem shares and applicable fees.
 
Minimum Initial Investment
 
A Class, Investor Class and Retirement Class Shares
•  Minimum Initial Investment: $2,500
 
Institutional Class and Y Class Shares
•  Minimum Initial Investment:
 
Institutional Class:    $250,000
Y Class:               $100,000
 
The Manager may allow a reasonable period of time after opening an account for an Institutional Class or Y Class investor to meet the initial investment requirement. In addition, for investors such as trust companies and financial advisors who make investments for a group of clients, the minimum initial investment can be met through an aggregated purchase order for more than one client.
 
Opening an Account
 
You may open an account through your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary. Please contact your financial intermediary for more information on how to open an account. Shares you purchase through your broker dealer will normally be held in your account with that firm.
 
You may also open an account directly through us.  A completed, signed application is required. You may download an account application from the Funds’ web site at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. You also may obtain an application form by calling:
 
•  1-800-658-5811
 
or, for Institutional Class shareholders:
 
•  1-800-967-9009
 
Complete the application, sign it and
 
 
Mail to:
American Beacon Funds
P.O. Box 219643
Kansas City, MO 64121-9643
(or Institutional Class shareholders may)
Fax to:
(816) 374-7408
 
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. When you open an account with the Funds or your financial institution, you will be asked for information that will allow the Funds or your financial institution to identify you. Non-public corporations and other entities may be required to provide articles of incorporation, trust or partnership agreements, tax ID numbers, Social Security numbers for persons authorized to provide instructions on the account or other documentation. The Funds and your financial institution are required by law to reject your new account application if the required identifying information is not provided.
 
Purchase Policies
 
Shares of the Funds are offered and purchase orders are typically accepted until 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or the close of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (whichever comes first) on each day on which the NYSE is open for business. If a purchase order is received by the Funds in good order prior to the Fund’s deadline, the purchase price will be the net asset value (“NAV”) per share next determined on that day, plus any applicable sales charges. If a purchase order is received in good order after the applicable deadline, the purchase price will be
 
 
 
About Your Investment Prospectus
14


 

the NAV per share of the following day that the Fund is open for business plus any applicable sales charge.
 
The Funds have authorized certain third party financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, insurance companies, third party administrators and trust companies, to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Funds and to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Funds. A Fund is deemed to have received such orders when they are received by the financial intermediaries or their designees. Thus, an order to purchase or sell Fund shares will be priced at the Fund’s next determined NAV after receipt by the financial intermediary or its designee. You should contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to find out by what time your purchase order must be received so that it can be processed the same day. It is the responsibility of your broker-dealer or financial intermediary to transmit orders that will be received by the Funds in proper form and in a timely manner.
 
Each Fund has the right to reject any purchase order or cease offering shares at any time. Checks to purchase shares are accepted subject to collection at full face value in U.S. funds and must be drawn in U.S. dollars on a U.S. bank. The Funds will not accept “starter” checks, credit card checks, money orders, cashier’s checks, official checks, or third party checks.
 
Please refer to the section titled “Frequent Trading and Market Timing” for information on the Funds’ policies regarding frequent purchases, redemptions, and exchanges.
 
Redemption Policies
 
If you purchased shares of the Funds through your financial intermediary, please contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to sell shares of a Fund.
 
If you purchased your shares directly from the Funds, your shares may be redeemed by telephone by calling 1-800-658-5811, via the Funds’ website, or by mail on any day that the Fund is open for business.
 
The redemption price will be the NAV next determined after a redemption request is received in good order, minus any applicable redemption fees. In order to receive the redemption price calculated on a particular business day, redemption requests must be received in good order by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or by the close of the NYSE (whichever comes first). You should contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to find out by what time your order must be received so that it can be processed the same day.
 
You may, within 90 days of redemption, reinvest all or part of the proceeds of your redemption of Class A Shares of a Fund, without a front-end sales charge, in the Class A shares of the same Fund or another American Beacon Fund, by sending a written request and a check to your financial intermediary or directly to the Funds. Reinvestment must be into the same account from which you redeemed the shares or received the distribution. If the account has been closed, reinvestment can be made without a sales charge if the new receiving account has the same registration as the closed account. Proceeds from a redemption and all dividend payments and capital gain distributions will be reinvested in the same share class from which the original redemption or distribution was made. Reinvestment will be at the NAV next calculated after the Funds receive your request. You must notify the Funds and your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary at the time of investment if you decide to exercise this privilege.
 
Wire proceeds from redemption requests received in good order by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or by the close of the Exchange (whichever comes first) generally are transmitted to shareholders on the next day the Funds are open for business. In any event, proceeds from a redemption request will typically be transmitted to a shareholder by no later than seven days after the receipt of a redemption request in good order. Delivery of proceeds from shares purchased by check or pre-authorized automatic investment may be delayed until the funds have cleared, which may take up to ten days.
 
The Funds reserve the right to suspend redemptions or postpone the date of payment for more than seven days (i) when the Exchange is closed (other than for customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) when trading on the Exchange is restricted; (iii) when the SEC determines that an emergency exists so that disposal of a Fund’s investments or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) by order of the SEC for protection of the Funds’ shareholders.
 
Although the Funds intend to redeem shares in cash, each Fund reserves the right to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution of securities or other assets held by the Fund. To the extent that a Fund redeems its shares in this manner, the shareholder assumes the risk of a subsequent change in the market value of those securities, the cost of liquidating the securities and the possibility of a lack of a liquid market for those securities.
 
Please refer to the section titled “Frequent Trading and Market Timing” for information on the Funds’ policies regarding frequent purchases, redemptions, and exchanges.
 
Exchange Policies
 
If you purchased shares of the Funds through your financial intermediary, please contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to determine if you may take advantage of the exchange policies described in this section and for its policies to effect an exchange.
 
If you purchased shares of the Funds directly through us, your shares may be exchanged by calling 1-800-658-5811 to speak to a representative or use the Automated Voice Response System for Investor Class shares.
 
Shares of any class of a Fund may be exchanged for shares of the same class of another American Beacon
 
 
 
Prospectus About Your Investment
15


 

Fund under certain limited circumstances. Since an exchange involves a concurrent purchase and redemption, please review the sections titled “Purchase Policies” and “Redemption Policies” for additional limitations that apply to purchases and redemptions. There is no front-end sales charge on exchanges between A Class shares of a Fund for A Class shares of another Fund.
 
If shares were purchased by check, to exchange out of one Fund and into another, a shareholder must have owned shares of the redeeming Fund for at least 10 days.
 
The minimum investment requirement must be met for the Fund into which the shareholder is exchanging. Fund shares may be acquired through exchange only in states in which they can be legally sold. The Funds reserve the right to charge a fee and to modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time. Please refer to the section titled “Frequent Trading and Market Timing” for information on the Funds’ policies regarding frequent purchases, redemptions, and exchanges.
 
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
 
The Funds and their affiliates (at their own expense) may pay compensation to financial intermediaries for shareholder-related services and, if applicable, distribution-related services, including administrative, sub-transfer agency, recordkeeping and shareholder communication services. For example, compensation may be paid to make Fund shares available to sales representatives and/or customers of a fund supermarket platform or similar program sponsor or for services provided in connection with such fund supermarket platforms and programs.
 
The amount of compensation paid to different financial intermediaries may differ. The compensation paid to a financial intermediary may be based on a variety of factors, including average assets under management in accounts distributed and/or serviced by the financial intermediary, gross sales by the financial intermediary and/or the number of accounts serviced by the financial intermediary that invest in the Funds. To the extent that a Fund pays (a portion) of such compensation, it is designed to compensate the financial intermediary for providing services that would otherwise be provided by the Funds or their transfer agent. To the extent a Fund affiliate pays such compensation, it would likely include amounts from that affiliate’s own resources and constitute what is sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing.”
 
Compensation received by a financial intermediary from the Manager or another Fund affiliate may include payments for marketing and/or training expenses incurred by the financial intermediary, including expenses incurred by the financial intermediary in educating (itself and) its salespersons with respect to Fund shares. For example, such compensation may include reimbursements for expenses incurred in attending educational seminars regarding the Fund, including travel and lodging expenses. It may also cover costs incurred by financial intermediaries in connection with their efforts to sell Fund shares, including costs incurred compensating (registered) sales representatives and preparing, printing and distributing sales literature.
 
Any compensation received by a financial intermediary, whether from a Fund or its affiliate(s), and the prospect of receiving it may provide the financial intermediary with an incentive to recommend the shares of a Fund, or a certain class of shares of a Fund, over other potential investments. Similarly, the compensation may cause financial intermediaries to elevate the prominence of the Fund within its organization by, for example, placing it on a list of preferred funds.
 
How to Purchase Shares
Through your Broker — Dealer or Other Financial Intermediary
Contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to purchase shares of a Fund. Your broker-dealer or financial intermediary can help you open a new account, review your financial needs and formulate long-term investment goals and objectives. Your broker dealer or financial intermediary will transmit your request to the Fund and may charge you a fee for this service.
 
By Check
The minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements for investments by check are:
 
                 
    Minimum
  Minimum
    Initial
  Subsequent
    Investment
  Investment
Share Class
 
Amount
 
Amount
 
A Class
  $ 2,500     $ 50  
Investor Class
  $ 2,500     $ 50  
Retirement Class
  $ 2,500     $ 50  
Institutional Class
  $ 250,000     $ 50  
Y Class
  $ 100,000     $ 50  
 
•  Make the check payable to American Beacon Funds.
•  Include the shareholder’s account number, Fund name and Fund number on the check.
•  Mail the check to:
American Beacon Funds
P.O. Box 219643
Kansas City, MO 64121-9643
 
By Wire
The minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements for investments by wire are:
 
                 
    Minimum
  Minimum
    Initial
  Subsequent
    Investment
  Investment
Share Class
 
Amount
 
Amount
 
A Class
  $ 2,500     $ 500  
Investor Class
  $ 2,500     $ 500  
Retirement Class
  $ 2,500       None  
Institutional Class
  $ 250,000       None  
Y Class
  $ 100,000       None  
 
•  If your account has been established, call 1-800-658-5811 to purchase shares by wire.
 
 
 
About Your Investment Prospectus
16


 

•  Send a bank wire to State Street Bank and Trust Co.  with these instructions:
•  ABA# 0110-0002-8; AC-9905-342-3,
•  Attn: American Beacon Funds
•  the Fund name and Fund number, and
•  shareholder account number and registration.
 
By Exchange
•  The minimum requirements to establish an account by making an exchange and to make subsequent exchanges are as follows:
 
                 
    Minimum Amount
  Minimum
    to Establish a
  Subsequent
Share Class
 
New Account
 
Exchange Amount
A Class
  $ 2,500     $ 50  
Investor Class
  $ 2,500     $ 50  
Retirement Class
  $ 2,500     $ 50  
Institutional Class
  $ 250,000     $ 50  
Y Class
  $ 100,000     $ 50  
 
•  To exchange shares, send a written request to the address above, or call 1-800-658-5811 and speak to a representative. You may use the Automated Voice Response System for exchanges in the Investor Class only.
•  You also may exchange shares by visiting www.americanbeaconfunds.com via “My Account.”
•  If you purchased your shares through a financial intermediary, please contact your broker dealer or other financial intermediary to exchange your shares.
 
Via “My Account” on www.americanbeaconfunds.com
•  You may purchase shares of all classes via “My Account” on www.americanbeaconfunds.com.
•  Funds will be transferred automatically from your bank account via Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) if valid bank instructions were included on your application.
•  If not, please call 1-800-658-5811 for assistance with establishing bank instructions.
 
By Pre-Authorized Automatic Investment ( A Class and Investor Class shares only)
•  The minimum account size of $2,500 must be met before establishing an automatic investment plan.
•  Fill in required information on the account application, including amount of automatic investment ($50 minimum). Attach a voided check to the account application.
•  You may also establish an automatic investment plan through www.americanbeaconfunds.com.
•  Funds will be transferred automatically from your bank account via ACH on or about the 5th day of each month or quarter, depending upon which periods you specify.
•  If you establish your automatic investment plan through www.americanbeaconfunds.com, you can choose the date and frequency of transfer.
 
How to Redeem Shares
Through your Broker — Dealer or other Financial Intermediary
Contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary to sell shares of a Fund. Your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary is responsible for transmitting your sale request to the transfer agent in proper form and in a timely manner. Your financial intermediary may charge you a fee for selling your shares.
 
By Telephone
•  Call 1-800-658-5811 to request a redemption.
•  Minimum redemption amounts and applicable class limitations, and policies as to the disposition of the proceeds of telephone redemptions are as follows:
 
             
            Disposition of
Share Class
 
Minimum Redemption
 
Limitations
 
Redemption Proceeds
A Class and Investor Class   $500 by wire or   $50,000 per account   Mailed to account address of record; or
    $50 by check or ACH       Transmitted to commercial bank designated on the account application form.
All other Classes
  None   None   Transmitted to commercial bank designated on the account application form.
 
By Mail
•  Write a letter of instruction including:
•  the Fund name and Fund number,
•  shareholder account number,
•  shares or dollar amount to be redeemed, and
•  authorized signature(s) of all persons required to sign for the account.
 
Mail to:
American Beacon Funds
P.O. Box 219643
Kansas City, MO 64121-9643
 
•  Proceeds will be mailed to the account address of record or transmitted to the commercial bank designated on the account application form.
•  Minimum redemption amounts are as follows:
 
     
Share Class
 
Minimum Redemption
A and Investor Classes
  $500 by wire, $50 by check or ACH
All other Classes
  None
 
Supporting documents may be required for redemptions by estates, trusts, guardianships, custodians, corporations, and welfare, pension and profit sharing plans. Call 1-800-658-5811 for instructions.
 
To protect the Funds and your account from fraud, a STAMP 2000 Medallion signature guarantee is required for redemption orders:
 
•  with a request to send the proceeds to an address or commercial bank account other than the address or
 
 
 
Prospectus About Your Investment
17


 

commercial bank account designated on the account application, or
•  for an account whose address has changed within the last 30 days if proceeds are sent by check.
 
The Funds only accept STAMP 2000 Medallion signature guarantees, which may be obtained at most banks, broker-dealers and credit unions. A notary public cannot provide a signature guarantee. Call 1-800-658-5811 for instructions and further assistance.
 
By Exchange
•  Send a written request to the address above.
•  Call 1-800-658-5811 and use the Automated Voice Response System (for Investor Class only) or speak to a representative to exchange shares.
•  Visit www.americanbeaconfunds.com and select “My Account.”
•  The minimum requirement to redeem shares by making an exchange is $50.
•  If you purchased your shares through a financial intermediary, please contact your broker dealer or other financial intermediary to exchange your shares.
 
Via “My Account” on www.americanbeaconfunds.com
•  If you have established bank instructions for your account, you may request a redemption via ACH or wire by selecting “My Account” on www.americanbeaconfunds.com.
•  If bank instructions were not included on the account application form, please call 1-800-658-5811 to establish bank instructions.
•  Minimum wire, ACH and check redemption amounts and policies as to the disposition of the proceeds of redemptions via “My Account” on www.americanbeaconfunds.com are as follows:
 
             
        Minimum
   
    Minimum
  ACH or
  Disposition of
Share Class
 
Wire Amount
 
Check Amount
 
Redemption Proceeds
A and Investor Classes
  $500   $50   Check mailed to account address of record;
            Wire transmitted to commercial bank designated on the account application form; or
            Funds transferred via ACH to bank account designated on application form.
All other Classes
  None   Not Available   Transmitted to commercial bank designated on the account application form.
 
By Pre-Authorized Automatic Redemption (A and Investor Class shares only)
•  Fill in required information on the account application or establish via www.americanbeaconfunds.com ($50 minimum).
•  Proceeds will be transferred automatically from your Fund account to your bank account via ACH.
 
General Policies
 
If a shareholder’s A Class, Investor Class, Retirement Class, Institutional Class or Y Class account balance falls below the following minimum levels, the shareholder may be asked to increase the balance.
         
    Account
Share Class
  Balance
A Class
  $ 2,500  
Investor Class
  $ 2,500  
Retirement Class
  $ 2,500  
Institutional Class
  $ 75,000  
Y Class
  $ 25,000  
 
If the account balance remains below the applicable minimum account balance after 45 days, the Funds reserve the right to close the account and send the proceeds to the shareholder. IRA accounts will be charged an annual maintenance fee of $15.00 by the Custodian for maintaining either a Traditional IRA or a Roth IRA.
 
A Signature Validation Program (“SVP”) stamp may be required in order to change an account’s registration or banking instructions. You may obtain a SVP stamp at banks, broker-dealers and credit unions, but not from a notary public. The SVP stamp is analogous to the STAMP 2000 Medallion guarantee in that it is provided at similar institutions. However, it is used only for non-financial transactions.
 
The following policies apply to instructions you may provide to the Funds by telephone:
 
•  The Funds, their officers, trustees, employees, or agents are not responsible for the authenticity of instructions provided by telephone, nor for any loss, liability, cost or expense incurred for acting on them.
•  The Funds employ procedures reasonably designed to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine.
•  Due to the volume of calls or other unusual circumstances, telephone redemptions may be difficult to implement during certain time periods.
 
The Funds reserve the right to:
•  liquidate a shareholder’s account at the current day’s NAV and remit proceeds via check if the Funds or a financial institution are unable to verify the shareholder’s identity within three business days of account opening,
•  seek reimbursement from the shareholder for any related loss incurred by a Fund if payment for the purchase of Fund shares by check does not clear the shareholder’s bank, and
•  reject a purchase order and seek reimbursement from the shareholder for any related loss incurred by a Fund if funds are not received by the applicable wire deadline.
 
Unclaimed accounts may be subject to state escheatment laws, and the Funds and the Transfer Agent will not be liable to shareholders or their representatives for good faith compliance with those laws.
 
 
 
About Your Investment Prospectus
18


 

 
Frequent Trading and Market Timing
 
Frequent trading by Fund shareholders poses risks to other shareholders in that Fund, including (i) the dilution of the Fund’s NAV, (ii) an increase in the Fund’s expenses, and (iii) interference with the portfolio manager’s ability to execute efficient investment strategies. Frequent, short-term trading of Fund shares in an attempt to profit from day-to-day fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV is known as market timing.
 
The Funds’ Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures intended to discourage frequent trading and market timing.
 
Shareholders may transact one “round trip” in a Fund in any rolling 90-day period. A “round trip” is defined as two transactions, each in an opposite direction. A round trip may involve (i) a purchase or exchange into a Fund followed by a redemption or exchange out of the same Fund or (ii) a redemption or exchange out of a Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the same Fund. If the Manager detects that a shareholder has exceeded one round trip in a Fund in any rolling 90-day period, the Manager, without prior notice to the shareholder, will prohibit the shareholder from making further purchases of that Fund. In general, the Funds reserve the right to reject any purchase order, terminate the exchange privilege, or liquidate the account of any shareholder that the Manager determines has engaged in frequent trading or market timing, regardless of whether the shareholder’s activity violates any policy stated in this prospectus.
 
The round-trip limit does not apply to the following transaction types:
 
•  shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends and distributions;
•  systematic purchases and redemptions;
•  shares redeemed to return excess IRA contributions; or
•  certain transactions made within a retirement or employee benefit plan, such as payroll contributions minimum required distributions, loans, and hardship withdrawals, or other transactions that are initiated by a party other than the plan participant.
 
Financial intermediaries that offer Fund shares, such as broker-dealers, third party administrators of retirement plans, and trust companies, will be asked to enforce the Funds’ policies to discourage frequent trading and market timing by investors. However, certain intermediaries that offer Fund shares have informed the Funds that they are currently unable to enforce the Funds’ policies on an automated basis. In those instances, the Manager will monitor trading activity of the intermediary in an attempt to detect patterns of activity that indicate frequent trading or market timing by underlying investors. In some cases, intermediaries that offer Fund shares have their own policies to deter frequent trading and market timing that differ from the Funds’ policies. A Fund may defer to an intermediary’s policies. For more information, please contact the financial intermediary through which you invest in the Funds.
 
The Manager monitors trading activity in the Funds to attempt to identify shareholders engaged in frequent trading or market timing. The Manager may exclude transactions below a certain dollar amount from monitoring and may change that dollar amount from time to time. The ability of the Manager to detect frequent trading and market timing activity by investors who own shares through an intermediary is dependent upon the intermediary’s provision of information necessary to identify transactions by the underlying investors. The Funds have entered agreements with the intermediaries that service the Funds’ investors, pursuant to which the intermediaries agree to provide information on investor transactions to the Funds and to act on the Funds’ instructions to restrict transactions by investors who the Manager has identified as having violated the Funds’ policies and procedures to deter frequent trading and market timing.
 
Wrap programs offered by certain intermediaries may be designated “Qualified Wrap Programs” by the Funds based on specific criteria established by the Funds and a certification by the intermediary that the criteria have been met. A Qualified Wrap Program is: (i) a wrap program whose sponsoring intermediary certifies that it has investment discretion over $50 million or more in client assets invested in mutual funds at the time of the certification, (ii) a wrap program whose sponsoring intermediary certifies that it directs transactions in accounts participating in the wrap program(s) in concert with changes in a model portfolio; (iii) managed by an intermediary that agrees to provide the Manager a description of the wrap program(s) that the intermediary seeks to qualify; and (iv) managed by an intermediary that agrees to provide the Manager sufficient information to identify individual accounts in the intermediary’s wrap program(s). For purposes of applying the round-trip limit, transactions initiated by clients invested in a Qualified Wrap Program will not be matched to transactions initiated by the intermediary sponsoring the Qualified Wrap Program. For example, a client’s purchase of a Fund followed within 90 days by the intermediary’s redemption of the same Fund would not be considered a round trip. However, transactions initiated by a Qualified Wrap Program client are subject to the round-trip limit and will be matched to determine if the client has exceeded the round-trip limit. In addition, the Manager will monitor transactions initiated by Qualified Wrap Program intermediaries to determine whether any intermediary has engaged in frequent trading or market timing. If the Manager determines that an intermediary has engaged in activity that is harmful to a Fund, the Manager will revoke the intermediary’s Qualified Wrap Program status. Upon termination of status as a Qualified Wrap Program, all account transactions will be matched for purposes of testing compliance with the Funds’ frequent trading and market timing policies, including any applicable redemption fees.
 
 
 
Prospectus About Your Investment
19


 

The Funds reserve the right to modify the frequent trading and market timing policies and procedures and grant or eliminate waivers to such policies and procedures at any time without advance notice to shareholders. There can be no assurance that the Funds’ policies and procedures to deter frequent trading and market timing will have the intended effect nor that the Manager will be able to detect frequent trading and market timing.
 
Distributions and Taxes
 
The Funds distribute most or all of their net earnings in the form of dividends from net investment income and distributions of realized net capital gains and gains from foreign currency transactions. Unless the account application instructs otherwise, distributions will be reinvested in additional Fund shares.
 
Usually, any dividends and distributions of net realized gains are taxable events. However, the portion of a Fund’s dividends derived from its investments in certain direct U.S. Government obligations is generally exempt from state and local income taxes. The following table outlines the typical tax liabilities for transactions in taxable accounts:
 
     
Type of Transaction
 
Tax Status
Dividends from net investment income*
  Ordinary income**
Distributions of excess net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss*
  Ordinary income
Distributions of gains from certain foreign currency transactions*
  Ordinary income
Distributions of excess net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss*
  Long-term capital gains
Redemptions or exchanges of shares owned for more than one year
  Long-term capital gains or losses
Redemptions or exchanges of shares owned for one year or less
  Net gains are taxed at the same rate as ordinary income; net losses are subject to special rules
 
*
Whether reinvested or taken in cash.
 
**
Except for dividends that are attributable to qualified dividend income.
 
To the extent distributions of the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss are attributable to net capital gain that a Fund recognizes on sales or exchanges of capital assets through its last taxable year beginning before January 1, 2011, they are subject to a 15% maximum federal income tax rate for individual shareholders.
 
Some foreign countries may impose taxes on dividends paid to and gains realized by a Fund. The Funds may treat these taxes as a deduction or, under certain conditions, “flow the tax through” to its shareholders. In the latter event, a shareholder may either deduct the taxes or use them to calculate a credit against his or her federal income tax.
 
A portion of the dividends paid by the Funds may be eligible for the 15% maximum federal income tax rate applicable to dividends that individuals receive through the year 2010. The eligible portion for such a Fund may not exceed its qualified dividend income (“QDI”). QDI is the aggregate of dividends a Fund receives from most domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations. If a Fund’s QDI is at least 95% of its gross income (as specially computed) and the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions with respect to the shares on which the dividends are paid (and the shareholder meets similar restrictions with respect to its Fund shares), the entire dividend will qualify for the 15% maximum federal income tax rate. A portion of the dividends paid by these Funds may also be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations, subject to similar holding period, debt-financing and other restrictions, but the eligible portion will not exceed the aggregate dividends a Fund receives from domestic corporations. However, dividends that a corporate shareholder receives and deducts pursuant to the dividends-received deduction may be subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax.
 
Shareholders may realize a taxable gain or loss when redeeming or exchanging shares. That gain or loss generally is treated as a short-term or long-term capital gain or loss, depending on how long the redeemed or exchanged shares were held. Any capital gain an individual shareholder recognizes through the year 2010 on a redemption or exchange of Fund shares that have been held for more than one year will qualify for the 15% maximum federal income tax rate mentioned above.
 
This is only a summary of some of the important income tax considerations that may affect Fund shareholders. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding specific questions as to the effect of federal, state and local income taxes on an investment in the Funds. Each year, shareholders will receive tax information from the Funds to assist them in preparing their tax returns.
 
 
Distribution and Service Plans
 
The A Class and Retirement Class shares of the Funds have each adopted a Distribution Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which allows the A Class and Retirement Class shares to pay distribution and other fees for the sale of Fund shares and for other services provided to shareholders. Each Plan also authorizes the use of any fees received by the Manager in accordance with the Administrative Services and Management Agreements, and any fees received by the sub-advisors pursuant to their
 
 
 
Additional Information Prospectus
20


 

Investment Advisory Agreements with the Manager, to be used for the sale and distribution of Fund shares.
 
The Plans provide that the Retirement and A Class shares of the Funds will pay up to 0.50% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Retirement Class and 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the A Class to the Manager (or another entity approved by the Board).
 
The Funds have also adopted a shareholder services plan for its A Class, Retirement Class, Y Class and Investor Class shares for certain non-distribution shareholder services provided by financial intermediaries. The shareholder services plan authorizes annual payment of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to the A Class shares, up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Retirement Class shares, up to 0.375% of the average daily net assets of the Investor Class shares and up to 0.10% of the average daily net assets of the Y Class shares of the Funds.
 
Because these fees are paid out of each Fund’s A Class, Retirement Class, Y Class and Investor Class assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may result in costs higher than other types of sales charges.
 
Portfolio Holdings
 
A complete list of each Fund’s holdings is made available on the Funds’ website on a quarterly basis. The holdings information is generally posted to the website approximately sixty days after the end of the quarter and remains available for six months thereafter. A list of each Fund’s ten largest holdings is made available on the Funds’ website on a quarterly basis. The ten largest holdings of the Funds are generally posted to the website approximately fifteen days after the end of each calendar quarter and remain available until the next quarter. To access the holdings information, go to www.americanbeaconfunds.com and select “Fund Holdings” under the “I want info on . . .” menu on the home page. A Fund’s ten largest holdings may also be accessed by selecting the “Funds Info” tab on the home page and then clicking on the name of the Fund.
 
A description of the Funds’ policies and procedures regarding the disclosure of portfolio holdings is available in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information, which you may access on the Funds’ website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com or call 1-800-658-5811 to request a free copy.
 
Delivery of Documents
 
If you invest in the Funds through a financial institution, you may be able to receive the Funds’ regulatory mailings, such as the prospectus, Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report, by e-mail. If you are interested in this option, please go to www.icsdelivery.com and search for your financial institution’s name or contact your financial institution directly.
 
To reduce expenses, your financial institution may mail only one copy of the prospectus, Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please contact your financial institution. Delivery of individual copies will commence thirty days after receiving your request.
 
 
 
 
 
Prospectus Additional Information
21


 

 
Financial Highlights
 
The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand each Fund’s financial performance for the period of the Fund’s operations. Financial highlights are not provided because the Funds have not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.
  
 
 
 
Additional Information Prospectus
22


 

Additional Information
 
Additional information about the Funds is found in the documents listed below. Request a free copy of these documents by calling 1-800-658-5811 or you may access them on the Funds’ website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com.
 
         
         
Annual Report/Semi-Annual Report
  Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”)    
The Funds’ Annual and Semi-Annual Reports will list each Fund’s actual investments as of the report’s date. They will also include a discussion by the Manager of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds’ performance. The report of the Funds’ Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm will be included in the Annual Report.
  The SAI contains more details about the Funds and their investment policies. The SAI is incorporated in this prospectus by reference (it is legally part of this prospectus). A current SAI is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).    
 
To obtain more information about the Fund or to request a copy of the documents listed above:
 
             
(TELEPHONE GRAPHIC)   (MAILBOX GRAPHIC)   (KEYBOARD GRAPHIC)   (MOUSE GRAPHIC)
By Telephone:
  By Mail:   By E-mail:   On the Internet:
Call 1-800-658-5811   American Beacon Funds
P.O. Box 219643
Kansas City, MO 64121-9643
  american_beacon.funds@ambeacon.com   Visit our website at
www.americanbeaconfunds.com
Visit the SEC website at
www.sec.gov
 
The SAI and other information about the Funds are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic mail to publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. The SAI and other information about the Fund may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room. Information on the operation of the SEC’s Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090.
 
Fund Service Providers:
 
             
             
Custodian
State Street Bank
  and Trust Company
Boston, Massachusetts
 
Transfer Agent
Boston Financial Data Services
Kansas City, Missouri
 
Independent Registered
Public Accounting Firm
Ernst & Young LLP
Dallas, Texas
 
Distributor
Foreside Fund Services, LLC
Portland, Maine
 
 
(AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS LOGO)
 
SEC File Number 811-4984
 
American Beacon is a registered service mark of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. The American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Zebra Large Cap Equity Fund and American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund are service marks of American Beacon Advisors, Inc.
 
 
 
Prospectus Additional Information


 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
SM
June 1, 2010

American Beacon Zebra Large Cap Equity Fund
A CLASS [AZLAX]
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS [AZLIX]
Y CLASS [AZLYX]
INVESTOR CLASS [AZLPX]
RETIREMENT CLASS [AZLRX]
American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund
A CLASS [AZSAX]
INSTITUTIONAL CLASS [AZSIX]
Y CLASS [AZSYX]
INVESTOR CLASS [AZSPX]
RETIREMENT CLASS [AZSRX]


     This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated June 1, 2010 (the “Prospectus”) for the American Beacon Zebra Large Cap Equity Fund and the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund, each a separate series of American Beacon Funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”). Copies of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by calling (800) 658-5811. You also may obtain copies of the Prospectus without charge by visiting the Funds’ website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. This SAI is incorporated herein by reference to the Funds’ Prospectus. In other words, it is legally a part of the Prospectus. This SAI is not a prospectus and is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only if preceded or accompanied by a current Prospectus.
     The Funds have not commenced operations as of the date hereof. Accordingly, financial statements for the Funds are not available. Copies of the Funds’ Annual Report may be obtained when available, without charge, upon request by calling (800) 658-5811.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

 


 

ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY OF THE FUNDS
     Each Fund is a separate investment portfolio of the American Beacon Funds (the “Trust”), an open-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust on January 16, 1987. Each Fund constitutes a separate investment portfolio with a distinct investment objective and distinct purpose and strategy. Each Fund is diversified and is comprised of multiple classes of shares designed to meet the needs of different groups of investors. This SAI relates to the A Class, Institutional Class, Y Class, Investor Class, and Retirement Class of the Trust.
NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
     In addition to the investment strategies described in the Prospectus, each Fund may (except where indicated otherwise):
1. Engage in dollar rolls or purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis. The purchase or sale of when-issued securities enables an investor to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices by locking in an attractive price or yield. The price of when-issued securities is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase or sell is made, but delivery and payment for the when-issued securities takes place at a later date, normally one to two months after the date of purchase. During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the purchaser to the issuer and no interest accrues to the purchaser. Such transactions therefore involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date or if the value of the security to be sold increases prior to the settlement date. A sale of a when-issued security also involves the risk that the other party will be unable to settle the transaction. Dollar rolls are a type of forward commitment transaction. Purchases and sales of securities on a forward commitment basis involve a commitment to purchase or sell securities with payment and delivery to take place at some future date, normally one to two months after the date of the transaction. As with when-issued securities, these transactions involve certain risks, but they also enable an investor to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices. Forward commitment transactions are executed for existing obligations, whereas in a when-issued transaction, the obligations have not yet been issued. When purchasing securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, a segregated account of liquid assets at least equal to the value of purchase commitments for such securities will be maintained until the settlement date.
2. Invest in other investment companies (including affiliated investment companies) to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), or exemptive relief granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
3. Loan securities to broker-dealers or other institutional investors. Securities loans will not be made if, as a result, the aggregate amount of all outstanding securities loans by a Fund exceeds 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the market value of collateral received). For purposes of complying with a Fund’s investment policies and restrictions, collateral received in connection with securities loans is deemed an asset of the Fund to the extent required by law. For all Funds that engage in securities lending, the Manager receives compensation for administrative and oversight functions with respect to securities lending. The amount of such compensation depends on the income generated by the loan of the securities. A Fund continues to receive dividends or interest, as applicable, on the securities loaned and simultaneously earns either interest on the investment of the cash collateral or fee income if the loan is otherwise collateralized.
4. Enter into repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which securities are acquired by a Fund from a securities dealer or bank subject to resale at an agreed upon price on a later date. The acquiring Fund bears a risk of loss in the event that the other party to a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligations and the Fund is delayed or prevented from exercising its rights to dispose of the collateral securities. However, the Manager or the sub-advisors, as applicable,

- 2 -


 

attempt to minimize this risk by entering into repurchase agreements only with financial institutions that are deemed to be of good financial standing.
5. Purchase securities in private placement offerings made in reliance on the “private placement” exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 (“1933 Act”), and resold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A under the 1933 Act (“Section 4(2) securities”). The Funds will not invest more than 15% of their respective net assets in Section 4(2) securities and illiquid securities unless the Manager or the sub-advisor, as applicable, determines, by continuous reference to the appropriate trading markets and pursuant to guidelines approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (“Board”) that any Section 4(2) securities held by such Fund in excess of this level are at all times liquid.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
     Each Fund has the following fundamental investment policy that enables it to invest in another investment company or series thereof that has substantially similar investment objectives and policies:
      Notwithstanding any other limitation, the Fund may invest all of its investable assets in an open-end management investment company with substantially the same investment objectives, policies and limitations as the Fund. For this purpose, “all of the Fund’s investable assets” means that the only investment securities that will be held by the Fund will be the Fund’s interest in the investment company.
     The following restrictions have been adopted by each Fund and may be changed with respect to any such Fund only by the majority vote of that Fund’s outstanding interests. “Majority of the outstanding voting securities” under the 1940 Act and as used herein means, with respect to the Fund, the lesser of (a) 67% of the shares of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the shares are present and represented at the shareholders’ meeting or (b) more than 50% of the shares of the Fund.
No Fund may:
1. Purchase or sell real estate or real estate limited partnership interests, provided, however, that a Fund may invest in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies which invest in real estate or interests therein when consistent with the other policies and limitations described in the Prospectus.
2. Invest in physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent a Fund from purchasing or selling foreign currency, options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars, securities on a forward-commitment or delayed-delivery basis, and other similar financial instruments).
3. Engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by others, except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of securities, a Fund may be deemed an underwriter under federal securities law.
4. Lend any security or make any other loan except (i) as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act, (ii) pursuant to a rule, order or interpretation issued by the SEC or its staff, (iii) through the purchase of a portion of an issue of debt securities in accordance with a Fund’s investment objective, policies and limitations, or (iv) by engaging in repurchase agreements with respect to portfolio securities.
5. Issue any senior security except as otherwise permitted (i) under the 1940 Act or (ii) pursuant to a rule, order or interpretation issued by the SEC or its staff.
6. Borrow money, except as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act or pursuant to a rule, order or interpretation issued by the SEC or its staff, including (i) as a temporary measure, (ii) by entering into reverse repurchase agreements, and (iii) by lending portfolio securities as collateral. For purposes of this investment limitation, the purchase or sale of options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars and other similar financial instruments shall not constitute borrowing.
7. Invest more than 5% of its total assets (taken at market value) in securities of any one issuer, other than obligations issued by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or purchase more than 10% of the voting securities of any one issuer, with respect to 75% of a Fund’s total assets.
8. Invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of companies primarily engaged in any one industry provided that: (i) this limitation does not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the

- 3 -


 

U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities; and (ii) municipalities and their agencies and authorities are not deemed to be industries. For purposes of this restriction, the Funds will regard tax-exempt securities issued by municipalities and their agencies not to be an industry.
     The above percentage limits are based upon asset values at the time of the applicable transaction; accordingly, a subsequent change in asset values will not affect a transaction that was in compliance with the investment restrictions at the time such transaction was effected.
     The following non-fundamental investment restrictions apply to each Fund (except where noted otherwise) and may be changed with respect to each Fund by a vote of a majority of the Board. No Fund may:
1. Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including time deposits and repurchase agreements that mature in more than seven days; or
2. Purchase securities on margin or effect short sales, except that (i) a Fund may obtain such short term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases or sales of securities.
     All percentage limitations on investments will apply at the time of the making of an investment and shall not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of such investment. Except for the investment restrictions listed above as fundamental or to the extent designated as such in the Prospectus with respect to a Fund, the other investment policies described in this SAI or in the Prospectus are not fundamental and may be changed by approval of the Trustees.
TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE POSITION
     In times of unstable or adverse market, economic or political or other conditions, a Fund can invest in other types of securities for defensive purposes. It can also purchase these type of securities for liquidity purposes to meet cash needs due to redemptions of share, or to hold while waiting to reinvest cash received from the sale of other portfolio securities.
     These temporary defensive investments can include (i) obligations issues or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agents or instrumentalities; (ii) commercial paper rated in the highest short term category by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization; (iii) domestic, Yankee and Eurodollar certificates of deposit or bankers’ acceptances of banks rated in the highest short term category by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization; (iv) any of the foregoing securities that mature in one year or less (generally known as “cash equivalents”); (v) other short-term corporate debt obligations; (vi) repurchase agreements; and (vii) shares of registered money market funds.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
     Portfolio turnover is a measure of trading activity in a portfolio of securities, usually calculated over a period of one year. The rate is calculated by dividing the lesser amount of purchases or sales of securities by the average amount of securities held over the period. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% would indicate that a Fund sold and replaced the entire value of its securities holdings during the period. High portfolio turnover can increase a Fund’s transaction costs and generate additional capital gains or losses.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
     The Funds publicly disclose portfolio holdings information as follows:
  1.   a complete list of holdings for each Fund on an annual and semi-annual basis in the reports to shareholders and publicly available filings of Form N-CSR with the SEC within sixty days of the end of each fiscal semi-annual period;
 
  2.   a complete list of holdings for each Fund as of the end of its first and third fiscal quarters in publicly available filings of Form N-Q with the SEC within sixty days of the end of the fiscal quarter;
 
  3.   a complete list of holdings for each Fund as of the end of each calendar quarter on the Funds’ website (www.americanbeaconfunds.com) approximately sixty days after the end of the quarter; and
 
  4.   ten largest holdings for each Fund as of the end of each calendar quarter on the Funds’ website (www.americanbeaconfunds.com) and in sales materials approximately fifteen days after the end of the calendar quarter.
     Occasionally, certain interested parties — including individual investors, institutional investors, intermediaries that distribute shares of the Funds, third-party service providers, rating and ranking organizations,

- 4 -


 

and others — may request portfolio holdings information that has not yet been publicly disclosed by the Funds. As a policy, the Funds control the disclosure of nonpublic portfolio holdings information in an attempt to prevent parties from utilizing such information to engage in trading activity harmful to Fund shareholders. To this end, the Board has adopted a Policy and Procedures for Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings Information (the “Holdings Policy”). The purpose of the Holdings Policy is to define those interested parties who are authorized to receive nonpublic portfolio holdings information on a selective basis and to set forth conditions upon which such information may be provided. In general, nonpublic portfolio holdings may be disclosed on a selective basis only where it is determined that (i) there is a legitimate business purpose for the information, (ii) recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information; and (iii) disclosure is in the best interests of Fund shareholders.
Third Party Service Providers. The Funds have ongoing arrangements with third party service providers that require access to holdings to provide services necessary to the Funds’ operations (“service providers”). These service providers routinely receive complete portfolio holdings information prior to the public disclosure of such information. The service providers have a duty to keep the Funds’ nonpublic information confidential either through written contractual arrangements with the Manager and the Funds or by the nature of their role with respect to the Funds. The Funds have determined that selective and complete disclosure of holdings information to the service providers fulfills a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interest of shareholders. The Funds have ongoing arrangements to provide holdings information to the following service providers: State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”) and Ernst & Young LLP. State Street serves as the Trust’s custodian, accountant, and pricing agent. State Street has access to complete Fund holdings on a daily basis with no lag. Ernst & Young serves as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and has access to the complete list of holdings on an annual basis with no lag. In addition, Ernst & Young may be provided with holdings information on an ad hoc basis when the Manager seeks their advice on matters related to those holdings.
Certain third parties are provided with non-public information on particular holdings (not a complete list) on an ad hoc basis. These third parties include: broker-dealers, borrowers of the Funds’ portfolio securities, legal counsel, and issuers (or their agents). Broker-dealers utilized by the Funds in the process of purchasing and selling portfolio securities receive limited holdings information on a current basis with no lag. Potential borrowers of the Funds’ securities receive information pertaining to the Funds’ securities available for loan. Such information is provided on a current basis with no lag. The Manager may provide holdings information to legal counsel when seeking advice regarding those holdings. From time to time, an issuer (or its agent) may contact the Funds requesting confirmation of ownership of the issuer’s securities. Such holdings information is provided to the issuer (or its agent) as of the date requested. The Funds do not have written contractual arrangements with these third parties regarding the confidentiality of the holdings information. However, the Funds would not continue to utilize a third party that the Manager determined to have misused non-public holdings information.
Rating and Ranking Organizations. The Funds have ongoing arrangements to provide periodic holdings information to certain organizations that publish ratings and/or rankings for the Funds. The Funds have determined that selective and complete disclosure of holdings information to rating and ranking organizations fulfills a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interest of shareholders, as it provides existing and potential shareholders with an independent basis for evaluating the Funds in comparison to other mutual funds. The Funds have the following arrangements with rating and ranking organizations for periodic disclosure of holdings and other related portfolio information:
         
Organization   Frequency of Disclosure   Lag
Bloomberg
  Quarterly   Day following disclosure on Funds’ website
Lipper/Reuters
  Monthly   5 business days
Morningstar
  Monthly   Day following disclosure on Funds’ website
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services
  Monthly   2 business days
Thomson Financial Research
  Quarterly   Day following disclosure on Funds’ website
     The rating and ranking organizations receiving fund holdings information prior to disclosure on the Funds’ website have provided written assurances that they will keep the information confidential and will not trade based on the information. For those rating and ranking organizations that have not provided such assurances, the Funds withhold disclosure of fund holdings information until the day following disclosure on the Funds’ website.
Selective disclosure of nonpublic portfolio holdings information to parties other than rating and ranking organizations or service providers must meet all of the following conditions:
  1.   Recipients of portfolio holdings information must agree in writing to keep the information confidential and not to trade based on the information;

- 5 -


 

  2.   Holdings may only be disclosed as of a month-end date;
 
  3.   No compensation may be paid to the Funds, the Manager or any other party in connection with the disclosure of information about portfolio securities; and
 
  4.   A member of the Manager’s Compliance Department must approve requests for holdings information.
     In determining whether to approve a request for portfolio holdings disclosure, the Compliance Department shall consider the type of requestor and its relationship to the Funds, the stated reason for the request, any historical pattern of requests from that same individual or entity, the style of the Fund for which holdings have been requested (e.g. passive versus active management), and any other factors it deems relevant. In its analysis, the Compliance Department shall attempt to uncover any apparent conflict between the interests of Fund shareholders on the one hand and those of the Manager or any affiliated person of the Fund on the other. For example, the Compliance Department will inquire whether the Manager has entered into any special arrangements with the requestor to share confidential portfolio holdings information in exchange for a substantial investment in the Funds or other products managed by the Manager. Any potential conflicts between shareholders and affiliated persons of the Funds that arise as a result of a request for portfolio holdings information shall be decided by the Manager in the best interests of shareholders. However, if a conflict exists between the interests of shareholders and the Manager, the Manager will present the details of the request to the Board who will either approve or deny the request. On a quarterly basis, the Manager will prepare a report for the Board outlining the requests for selective disclosure and any violations of the Holdings Policy during the period.
     The Compliance Department will determine whether a historical pattern of requests by the same individual or entity constitutes an “ongoing arrangement” and thus requires disclosure in the SAI.
LENDING OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
The American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions needing to borrow securities to complete certain transactions. In connection with such loans, the Fund remains the owner of the loaned securities and continues to be entitled to payments in amounts equal to the interest, dividends or other distributions payable on the loaned securities. The Fund also has the right to terminate a loan at any time. The Fund does not have the right to vote on securities while they are on loan. However, it is the Fund’s policy to attempt to terminate loans in time to vote those proxies that the Fund determines are material to its interests. Loans of portfolio securities may not exceed 33-1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of all assets received as collateral for the loan). The Fund will receive collateral consisting of cash, U.S. Government securities or irrevocable letters of credit which will be maintained at all times in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities. If the collateral consists of cash, the Fund will reinvest the cash and pay the borrower a pre-negotiated fee or “rebate” from any return earned on the investment. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, the Fund may experience delays in recovering the loaned securities or exercising its rights in the collateral. Loans are made only to borrowers that are deemed by the Manager to be of good financial standing on a fully collateralized basis. In a loan transaction, the Fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. The Fund will minimize this risk by limiting the investment of cash collateral to money market funds or similar private investment vehicles, repurchase agreements or other high quality instruments with short maturities.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST
The Board of Trustees
     The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees. The Board is responsible for and oversees the overall management and operations of the Trust and the Funds, which includes the general oversight and review of the Funds’ investment activities, in accordance with federal law and the law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as well as the stated policies of the Funds. The Board oversees the Trust’s officers and service providers, including American Beacon Advisors, Inc., which is responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations of the Funds based on policies and agreements reviewed and approved by the Board. In carrying out these responsibilities, the Board regularly interacts with and receives reports from senior personnel of service providers, including American Beacon’s investment personnel and the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer. The Board also is assisted by the Trust’s independent auditor (who reports directly to the Trust’s Audit and Compliance Committee), independent counsel and other experts as appropriate, all of whom are selected by the Board.

- 6 -


 

     Risk Oversight
     Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Trust and its Funds, the Board oversees the management of risks relating to the administration and operation of the Trust and the Funds. American Beacon, as part of its responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the Funds, is responsible for day-to-day risk management for the Funds. The Board, in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment, also separately considers potential risks that may impact the Funds. The Board performs this risk management oversight directly and, as to certain matters, through its committees (described above) and through the Independent Trustees. The following provides an overview of the principal, but not all, aspects of the Board’s oversight of risk management for the Trust and the Funds.
     In general, a Fund’s risks include, among others, investment risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk and operational risk. The Board has adopted, and periodically reviews, policies and procedures designed to address these and other risks to the Trust and the Funds. In addition, under the general oversight of the Board, American Beacon, each Fund’s investment adviser, and other service providers to the Funds have themselves adopted a variety of policies, procedures and controls designed to address particular risks to the Funds. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks. Further, American Beacon as manager of the Funds oversees and regularly monitors the investments, operations and compliance of the Funds’ investment advisers.
     The Board also oversees risk management for the Trust and the Funds through review of regular reports, presentations and other information from officers of the Trust and other persons. Senior officers of the Trust, and senior officers of American Beacon, and the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) regularly report to the Board on a range of matters, including those relating to risk management. The Board and the Investment Committee also regularly receive reports from American Beacon with respect to the investments, securities trading and securities lending activities of the Funds. In addition to regular reports from American Beacon, the Board also receives reports regarding other service providers to the Trust, either directly or through American Beacon or the Funds’ CCO, on a periodic or regular basis. At least annually, the Board receives a report from the Funds’ CCO regarding the effectiveness of the Funds’ compliance program. Also, on an annual basis, the Board receives reports, presentations and other information from American Beacon in connection with the Board’s consideration of the renewal of each of the Trust’s agreements with American Beacon and the Trust’s distribution plans under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
     Senior officers of the Trust and senior officers of American Beacon also report regularly to the Audit and Compliance Committee on Fund valuation matters and on the Trust’s internal controls and accounting and financial reporting policies and practices. In addition, the Audit and Compliance Committee receives regular reports from the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm on internal control and financial reporting matters. On at least a quarterly basis, the Independent Trustees meet with the Funds’ CCO to discuss matters relating to the Funds’ compliance program.
     Board Structure and Related Matters
     Board members who are not “interested persons” of the Funds as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”) constitute at least two-thirds of the Board. Richard A. Massman, an Independent Trustee, serves as Independent Chair of the Board. The Independent Chair’s responsibilities include: setting an agenda for each meeting of the Board; presiding at all meetings of the Board and Interested Trustees; and serving as a liaison with other Trustees, the Trust’s officers and other management personnel, and counsel to the Funds. The Independent Chair shall perform such other duties as the Board may from time to time determine.
     The Trustees discharge their responsibilities collectively as a Board, as well as through Board committees, each of which operates pursuant to a charter approved by the Board that delineates the specific responsibilities of that committee. The Board has established three standing committees: the Audit and Compliance Committee, the Investment Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee. For example, the Investment Committee is responsible for oversight of the annual process by which the Board considers and approves each Fund’s investment advisory agreement with American Beacon, but specific matters related to oversight of the Fund’s independent auditors have been delegated by the Board to its Audit and Compliance Committee, subject to approval of the Audit and Compliance Committee’s recommendations by the Board. The members and responsibilities of each Board committee are summarized below.
     The Board periodically evaluates its structure and composition as well as various aspects of its operations. The Board believes that its leadership structure, including its Independent Chair position and its committees, is appropriate for the Trust in light of, among other factors, the asset size and nature of the Funds, the number of Funds overseen by the Board, the arrangements for the conduct of the Funds’ operations, the number of Trustees, and the Board’s responsibilities. On an annual basis, the Board conducts a self-evaluation

- 7 -


 

that considers, among other matters, whether the Board and its committees are functioning effectively and whether, given the size and composition of the Board and each if its committees, the Trustees are able to oversee effectively the number of Funds in the complex.
     The Trust is part of the American Beacon Funds Complex, which is comprised of the 18 portfolios within the Trust, 2 portfolios within the American Beacon Select Funds and 1 portfolio within American Beacon Mileage Funds, and 1 portfolio within the American Beacon Master Trust. The same persons who constitute the Board also constitute the respective boards of trustees of American Beacon Select Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust.
     The Board holds four regularly scheduled in-person meetings each year. The Board may hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone, to address matters arising between regular meetings. The Independent Trustees also hold at least one in-person meeting each year during a portion of which management is not present and may hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone.
     The Trustees of the Trust are identified in the tables below, which provide information as to their principal business occupations held during the last five years and certain other information. Subject to the Trustee Emeritus and Retirement Policy described below, a Trustee serves until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each Trustee listed below is 4151 Amon Carter Boulevard, MD 2450, Fort Worth, Texas 76155.
         
    Position, Term of Office    
    and Length of Time    
Name, Age and Address   Served with the Trust   Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years and Current Directorships
INTERESTED TRUSTEES
       
 
  Term
Lifetime of Trust until removal, resignation or retirement*
   
 
       
Alan D. Feld** (73)
  Trustee since 1996   Sole Shareholder of a professional corporation which is a Partner in the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP (law firm) (1960-Present); Director, Clear Channel Communications (1984-2008); Trustee, CenterPoint Properties (1994-2006); Member, Board of Trustees, Southern Methodist University; Member, Board of Visitors, M.D. Anderson Hospital; Board of Visitors, Zale/Lipshy Hospital; Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (1996-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (1999-Present).
 
       
NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES
       
 
  Term
Lifetime of Trust until removal, resignation or retirement*
   
 
       
W. Humphrey Bogart (65)
  Trustee since 2004   Board Member, Baylor University Medical Center Foundation (1992-2004); Consultant, New River Canada Ltd. (mutual fund servicing company) (1998-2003); President and CEO, Allmerica Trust Company, NA (1996-1997); President and CEO, Fidelity Investments Southwest Company (1983-1995); Senior Vice President of Regional Centers, Fidelity Investments (1988-1995); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2004-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2004-Present).
 
       
Brenda A. Cline (49)
  Trustee since 2004   Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary, Kimbell Art Foundation (1993-Present); Trustee, Texas Christian University (1998-Present); Trustee, W.I. Cook Foundation, Inc. (d/b/a Cook Children’s Health Foundation) (2001-2006); Director, Christian Church Foundation (1999-2007); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2004-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2004-Present).
 
       
Richard A. Massman (66)
  Trustee since 2004
Chairman since 2008
  Consultant and General Counsel Emeritus (2009-Present) and Senior Vice President and General Counsel (1994-2009), Hunt Consolidated, Inc. (holding company engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, refining, real estate, farming, ranching and venture capital activities); Chairman (2007-Present) and Director (2005-Present), The Dallas Opera Foundation; Chairman (2006-2009) and Director (2005-Present), Temple Emanu-El Foundation; Trustee, Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation (2006-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2004-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2004-Present).

- 8 -


 

         
    Position, Term of Office    
    and Length of Time    
Name, Age and Address   Served with the Trust   Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years and Current Directorships
R. Gerald Turner (64)
  Trustee since 2001   President, Southern Methodist University (1995-Present); Director, ChemFirst (1986-2002); Director, J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (1996-Present); Director, California Federal Preferred Capital Corp. (2001-2003); Director, Kronus Worldwide Inc. (chemical manufacturing) (2003-Present); Director, First Broadcasting Investment Partners, LLC (2003-2007); Member, Salvation Army of Dallas Board of Directors; Member, Methodist Hospital Advisory Board; Co-Chair, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics; Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2001-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2001-Present).
 
       
Thomas M. Dunning (67)
  Trustee since 2008   Consultant, (2008-Present); Chairman (1998-2008) and Chief Executive Officer (1998-2007), Lockton Dunning Benefits (consulting firm in employee benefits); Director, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (2007-Present); Board Member, Baylor Health Care System Foundation (2007-Present); Vice Chair, State Fair of Texas (1987-Present); Board Member, Southwestern Medical Foundation (1994-Present); Board Member, John Tower Center for Political Studies/SMU (2008-Present); Board Member, University of Texas Development Board (2008-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2008-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2008-Present).
 
       
Eugene J. Duffy (55)
  Trustee since 2008   Principal and Executive Vice President, Paradigm Asset Management (1994-Present); Director, Sunrise Bank of Atlanta (2008-Present); Chairman, Special Contributions Fund Board of Trustees, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (2007-Present); Trustee, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (2000-Present); Board of Visitors, Emory University (2006-Present); Trustee, Atlanta Botanical Garden (2006-Present); Board Member, Willie L. Brown Jr. Institute on Politics and Public Service (2001-Present); Chair, National Association of Securities Professionals (2000-2002); Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, City of Atlanta (1985-1990); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2008-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2008-Present).
 
       
Paul J. Zucconi, CPA (68)
  Trustee since 2008   Director, Affirmative Insurance Holdings, Inc. (producer of nonstandard automobile insurance) (2004-Present); Director, Titanium Metals Corporation (producer of titanium melted and mill products and sponge) (2002-Present); Director, Torchmark Corporation (life and health insurance products) (2002-Present); Director, National Kidney Foundation serving North Texas (2003-Present); Director, Dallas Chapter of National Association of Corporate Directors (2004-Present); Partner, KPMG (1976-2001); Trustee, American Beacon Mileage Funds (2008-Present); Trustee, American Beacon Select Funds (2008-Present).
 
*   The Board has adopted a retirement plan that requires Trustees to retire no later than the last day of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 72, provided, however, that the board may determine to grant one or more annual exemptions to this requirement.
 
**   Mr. Feld is deemed to be an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined by the 1940 Act. Mr. Feld’s law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP has provided legal services within the past two years to the Manager and one or more of the Trust’s sub-advisors.
     In addition to the information set forth in the tables above and other relevant qualifications, experience, attributes or skills applicable to a particular Trustee, the following provides further information about the qualifications and experience of each Trustee.
W. Humphrey Bogart: Mr. Bogart has extensive experience in the investment management business including as president and chief executive officer of an investment adviser and as a consultant, significant organizational management experience through start-up efforts with a national bank, service as a board member of a university medical center foundation, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Brenda A. Cline: Ms. Cline has extensive organizational management, financial and investment experience as executive vice president, chief financial officer, secretary and treasurer to a foundation, service as a trustee to a private university, a children’s hospital and a school, including acting as a member of their investment and\or audit committees, extensive experience as an audit senior manager with a large public accounting firm, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Eugene J. Duffy: Mr. Duffy has extensive experience in the investment management business and organizational management experience as a member of senior management, service as a director of a bank, service as a chairman of a charitable fund and as a trustee to an association, service on the board of a private university and non-profit organization, service as chair to an financial services industry association, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Thomas M. Dunning: Mr. Dunning has extensive organizational management experience founding and serving as chairman and chief executive officer of a private company, service as a director of a private company, service

- 9 -


 

as chairman of a large state municipal bond issuer and chairman of a large airport authority, also an issuer of bonds, service as a board member of a state department of transportation, service as a director of various foundations, service as chair of civic organizations, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Alan D. Feld: Mr. Feld has experience as a business attorney, organizational management experience as chairman of a law firm, experience as a director of several publicly held companies; service as a trustee of a private university and a board member of a hospital, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Richard A. Massman: Mr. Massman has experience as a business attorney, organizational management experience as a founding member of a law firm, experience as a senior vice president and general counsel of a large private company, service as the chairman and director of several foundations, including services on their Investment Committees and Finance Committees, chairman of a governmental board, chairman of various professional organizations and multiple years of service as a Trustee and as Independent Chair.
R. Gerald Turner: Mr. Turner has extensive organizational management experience as president of a private university, service as a director and member of the audit and governance committees of various publicly held companies, service as a member to several charitable boards, service as a co-chair to an intercollegiate athletic commission, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Paul J. Zucconi: Mr. Zucconi has extensive financial experience as partner with a large public accounting firm auditing financial services firms, including investment companies, organizational management and financial experience as a director to various publicly held and private companies, including acting as chairman or as a member of their audit and/or audit and compliance committees, service as a board member to a local chapter of not-for-profit foundation; service as a board member to a local chapter of a national association of corporate directors, and multiple years of service as a Trustee.
     Committees of the Board
     The Trust has an Audit and Compliance Committee (“Audit Committee”), consisting of Messrs. Zucconi (Chair), Duffy and Dunning. Mr. Massman, as Chairman of the Trust, serves on the Audit Committee in an ex-officio capacity. None of the members of the committee are “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined by the 1940 Act. As set forth in its charter, the primary duties of the Trust’s Audit Committee are: (a) to oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and the Fund and their internal controls and, as the Committee deems appropriate, to inquire into the internal controls of certain third-party service providers; (b) to oversee the quality and integrity of the Trust’s financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (c) to approve, prior to appointment, the engagement of the Trust’s independent auditors and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust’s independent auditors; (d) to oversee the Trust’s compliance with all regulatory obligations arising under applicable federal securities laws, rules and regulations and oversee management’s implementation and enforcement of the Trust’s compliance policies and procedures (“Compliance Program”); and (e) to coordinate the Board’s oversight of the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer in connection with his or her implementation of the Trust’s Compliance Program. The Audit and Compliance Committee met 4 times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2009.
     The Trust has a Nominating and Governance Committee (“Nominating Committee”) that is comprised of Messrs. Feld (Chair) and Turner. Mr. Massman, as Chairman of the Trust, serves on the Nominating Committee in an ex-officio capacity. As set forth in its charter, the Nominating Committee’s primary duties are: (a) to make recommendations regarding the nomination of non-interested Trustees to the Board; (b) to make recommendations regarding the appointment of an Independent Trustee as Chairman of the Board; (c) to evaluate qualifications of potential “interested” members of the Board and Trust officers; (d) to review shareholder recommendations for nominations to fill vacancies on the Board; (e) to make recommendations to the Board for nomination for membership on all committees of the Board; (f) to consider and evaluate the structure, composition and operation of the Board; (g) to review shareholder recommendations for proposals to be submitted for consideration during a meeting of Fund shareholders; and (h) to consider and make recommendations relating to the compensation of Independent Trustees and of those officers as to whom the Board is charged with approving compensation. Shareholder recommendations for Trustee candidates may be mailed in writing, including a comprehensive resume and any supporting documentation, to the Nominating Committee in care of the Fund. The Nominating and Governance Committee met 3 times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2009.
     The Trust has an Investment Committee that is comprised of Mr. Bogart (Chair) and Ms Cline. Mr. Massman, as Chairman of the Trust, serves on the Investment Committee in an ex-officio capacity. As set forth in its charter, the Investment Committee’s primary duties are: (a) to review and evaluate the short- and long-term

- 10 -


 

investment performance of the Manager and each of the designated sub-advisors to the Fund; (b) to evaluate recommendations by the Manager regarding the hiring or removal of designated sub-advisors to the Fund; (c) to review material changes recommended by the Manager to the allocation of Fund assets to a sub-advisor; (d) to review proposed changes recommended by the Manager to the investment objective or principal investment strategies of the Fund; and (e) to review proposed changes recommended by the Manager to the material provisions of the advisory agreement with a sub-advisor, including, but not limited to, changes to the provision regarding compensation. The Investment Committee met 4 times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2009.
     Trustee Ownership in the Funds
     As of the date of this SAI, no Trustee owns Shares of either Fund. The following table shows the amount of equity securities owned in the American Beacon Funds family by the Trustees as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2009.
                                                                 
    INTERESTED   NON-INTERESTED
    Feld   Bogart   Cline   Massman   Turner   Dunning   Duffy   Zucconi
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Trusts (22 Funds)
  Over $100,000   $10,001-$50,000     $10,001-$50,000     Over $100,000   Over $100,000   Over $100,000   None   $10,001-$50,000  
     Trustee Compensation
     As compensation for their service to the Trust, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the Master Trust (collectively, the “Trusts”), each Trustee is compensated as follows: (1) an annual retainer of $110,000; (2) meeting attendance fee (for attendance in person or via teleconference) of (a) $2,500 for attendance by Board members at quarterly Board meetings, (b) $2,500 for attendance by Committee members at meetings of the Audit Committee and the Investment Committee, and (c) $1,500 for attendance by Committee members at meetings of the Nominating Committee; and (3) reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in attending such Board and Committee meetings.
     Mr. Massman was elected as Chairman April 15, 2008. For his service as Chairman, Mr. Massman will receive an additional annual payment of $15,000. He also receives an additional $2,500 per quarter for his services as an ex-officio member of multiple committees. The following table shows estimated compensation that will be earned by each Trustee for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2010*.
                         
    Aggregate   Pension or Retirement   Total Compensation
    Compensation   Benefits Accrued as Part   From the Trusts
Name of Trustee   From the Trust   of the Trust’s Expenses   (22 funds)
INTERESTED TRUSTEES
                       
Alan D. Feld
  $ 27,547     $ 0     $ 30,000  
 
                       
NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES
                       
W. Humphrey Bogart
  $ 29,843     $ 0     $ 32,500  
Brenda A. Cline
  $ 29,843     $ 0     $ 32,500  
Eugene J. Duffy
  $ 29,843     $ 0     $ 32,500  
Thomas M. Dunning
  $ 29,843     $ 0     $ 32,500  
Richard A. Massman
  $ 33,286     $ 0     $ 36,250  
R. Gerald Turner
  $ 27,547     $ 0     $ 30,000  
Paul Zucconi
  $ 29,843     $ 0     $ 32,500  
 
*   Estimated compensation for the current fiscal year, June 1, 2010 through August 31, 2010.
The Boards have adopted an Emeritus Trustee and Retirement Plan (“Plan”). The Plan provides that a Trustee who has served on the Boards as of June 4, 2008, and who has reached a mandatory retirement age established by the Board (currently 72) is eligible to elect Trustee Emeritus status. The Boards, through a majority vote, may determine to grant one or more annual exemptions to this mandatory retirement requirement. Additionally, a Trustee who has served on the Board of one or more Trusts for at least 5 years as of June 4, 2008, may elect to retire from the Boards at an earlier age and immediately assume Trustee Emeritus status.
     A person may serve as a Trustee Emeritus and receive related benefits for a period up to a maximum of 10 years. Only those Trustees who retire from the Boards and elect Trustee Emeritus status may receive benefits under the Plan. A Trustee Emeritus must commit to provide certain ongoing services and advice to the Board

- 11 -


 

members and the Trusts; however, a Trustee Emeritus does not have any voting rights at Board meetings and is not subject to election by shareholders of the Funds.
Principal Officers of the Trust
     The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. As of the date of this SAI, the officers of the Trust, their ages, their business address and their principal occupations during the past five years are as set forth below. Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each Officer is 4151 Amon Carter Boulevard, MD 2450, Fort Worth, Texas 76155.
         
    Position, Term of Office    
    and Length of Time    
Name, Age and Address   Served with each Trust   Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years and Current Directorships
OFFICERS
       
 
  Term
One Year
   
 
       
William F. Quinn (62)
  Executive Vice President from 2007 to 2008 and 2009 to Present

President from 1987 to 2007and 2008 to 2009

Trustee from 1987 to 2008
  Executive Chairman (2009-Present), Chairman (2006-2009), CEO (2006-2007), President (1986-2006), and Director (2003-Present), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.; Chairman (1989-2003) and Director (1979-1989, 2003-Present), American Airlines Federal Credit Union; Director, Hicks Acquisition I, Inc. (2007-2009); Director, Crescent Real Estate Equities, Inc. (1994-2007); Director, Pritchard, Hubble & Herr, LLC (investment adviser) (2001-2006); Director of Investment Committee, Southern Methodist University Endowment Fund (1996-Present); Member, Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business Advisory Board (1999-2002); Member , New York Stock Exchange Pension Managers Advisory Committee (1997-1998, 2000-2002, 2006-Present); Vice Chairman (2004-2007) and Chairman (2007-Present), Committee for the Investment of Employee Benefits; Director, United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County (1988-2000, 2004-Present); Trustee (1995-2008) and President (1995-2007, 2008-2009), American Beacon Mileage Funds; Trustee (1999-2008) and President (1999-2007, 2008-Present), American Beacon Select Funds; Director, American Beacon Global Funds SPC (2002-Present); Director, American Beacon Global Funds, plc (2007-2009).
 
       
Gene L. Needles, Jr. (55)
  President since 2009
Executive Vice
President 2009
  President, CEO and Director (2009-Present), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.; President (2009-Present), American Beacon Mileage Funds; President (2008-2009), Touchstone Investments; President (2003-2007), CEO (2004-2007), Managing Director of Sales (2002-2003), National Sales Manager (1999-2002), and Regional Sales Manager (1993-1999), AIM Distributors.
 
       
Rosemary K. Behan (51)
  VP, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer since 2006   Vice President, Legal and Compliance, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (2006-Present); Assistant General Counsel, First Command Financial Planning, Inc. (2004-2006); Attorney, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (1995-2004).
 
       
Brian E. Brett (49)
  VP since 2004   Vice President, Director of Sales and Marketing, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (2004-Present); Regional Vice President, Neuberger Berman, LLC (investment adviser) (1996-2004).
 
       
Wyatt L. Crumpler (43)
  VP since 2007   Vice President, Asset Management (2009-Present) and Vice President, Trust Investments (2007-2009), American Beacon Advisors, Inc. ; Managing Director of Corporate Accounting (2004-2007) and Director of IT Strategy and Finance (2001-2004), American Airlines, Inc.
 
       
Michael W. Fields (56)
  VP since 1989   Vice President, Fixed Income Investments, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (1988-Present); Director, American Beacon Global Funds SPC (2002-Present); Director, American Beacon Global Funds plc (2007-2009).
 
       
Melinda G. Heika (48)
  Treasurer since 2010   Vice President, Finance & Accounting (2010-Present); Controller (2005-2009); Assistant Controller (1998-2004), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.
 
       
Terri L. McKinney (46)
  VP since 2010   Vice President, Enterprise Services (2009-Present), Managing Director (2003-2009), and Director of Marketing & Retail Sales (1996-2003), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.; Vice President, Board of Trustees (2008-Present), Trustee, (2006-2008), Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas.
 
       
Jeffrey K. Ringdahl (35)
  VP since 2010   Chief Operating Officer, American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (2010-Present); Vice President, Product Management, Touchstone Advisors, Inc. (2007-2010); Senior Director, Business Integration, Fidelity Investments (2005-2007).
 
       
Christina E. Sears (38)
  Chief Compliance Officer since 2004 and Asst. Secretary since 1999   Chief Compliance Officer (2004-Present) and Senior Compliance Analyst (1998-2004), American Beacon Advisors, Inc.

- 12 -


 

CODE OF ETHICS
     The Manager, the Trust and the Sub-Adviser have each adopted a Code of Ethics (“Code”) under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. Each Code significantly restricts the personal trading of all employees with access to non-public portfolio information. For example, each Code generally requires pre-clearance of all personal securities trades (with limited exceptions) and prohibits employees from purchasing or selling a security that is being purchased or sold or being considered for purchase (with limited exceptions) or sale by any Fund. In addition, the Manager’s and Trust’s Codes require employees to report trades in shares of the Trusts. Each Code is on public file with, and may be obtained from, the SEC.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
     From time to time, the Funds may own a security whose issuer solicits a proxy vote on certain matters. The Trust has adopted a Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (the “Policy”) that sets forth guidelines and procedures designed to ensure that the Manager votes such proxies in the best interests of Fund shareholders. The Policy includes procedures to address potential conflicts of interest between the Funds’ shareholders and the Manager, the Sub-Adviser or their affiliates. Please see Appendix A for a copy of the Policy, as amended. Each Fund’s proxy voting record for the most recent year ended June 30 is available as of August 31 of each year upon request and without charge by calling 1-800-967-9009 or by visiting the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The proxy voting record can be found in Form N-PX on the SEC’s website.
CONTROL PERSONS AND 5% SHAREHOLDERS
     A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of a Fund. As of the date of this SAI, the Manager has seeded each Fund and is the sole shareholder of each Fund.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENTS
     Below is information regarding the controlling persons or entities of Zebra Capital Management, LLC, the Funds’ sub-adviser (“Sub-Adviser”). According to the 1940 Act, a person or entity with control with respect to an investment adviser has “the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company.” Persons and entities affiliated with the Sub-Adviser are considered affiliates for the portion of a Fund’s assets managed by the Sub-Adviser.
     The Sub-Adviser is a Connecticut limited liability company located at 612 Wheelers Farms Road, Milford, Connecticut 06461. The Sub-Adviser is a limited liability company with three managing members. Mr. Roger Ibbotson holds a majority ownership position in the Sub-Adviser. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement, the Manager has agreed to pay an annualized advisory fee to the Sub-Adviser in the amount of 0.35% of the average daily net assets of the American Beacon Zebra Large Cap Equity Fund and 0.55% of the average daily net assets of the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund.
     The Investment Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate if assigned, and may be terminated without penalty at any time by the Manager, by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund on no less than thirty (30) days’ nor more than sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Sub-Adviser, or by the Sub-Adviser upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Trust. The Investment Advisory Agreement will continue in effect provided that annually such continuance is specifically approved by a vote of the Trustees, including the affirmative votes of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such approval, or by the vote of shareholders.
MANAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE AND DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
The Manager
     The Manager is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lighthouse Holdings, Inc. (“Lighthouse”). Lighthouse is indirectly owned by investment funds affiliated with Pharos Capital Group, LLC (“Pharos”) and TPG Capital, L.P. (“TPG”). The Manager is paid a management fee as compensation for paying investment advisory fees and for

- 13 -


 

providing the Trust with advisory and asset allocation services. Pursuant to management and administrative services agreements, the Manager provides the Trust with office space, office equipment and personnel necessary to manage and administer the Trust’s operations. This includes:
    complying with reporting requirements;
 
    corresponding with shareholders;
 
    maintaining internal bookkeeping, accounting and auditing services and records; and
 
    supervising the provision of services to the Trusts by third parties.
     In addition to its oversight of the Sub-Adviser, the Manager invests the portion of the Funds’ assets that the Sub-Adviser determines to be allocated to high quality short-term debt obligations.
     The Funds are responsible for expenses not otherwise assumed by the Manager, including the following: audits by independent auditors; transfer agency, custodian, dividend disbursing agent and shareholder recordkeeping services; taxes, if any, and the preparation of each Fund’s tax returns; interest; costs of Trustee and shareholder meetings; printing and mailing Prospectuses and reports to existing shareholders; fees for filing reports with regulatory bodies and the maintenance of the Funds’ existence; legal fees; fees to federal and state authorities for the registration of shares; fees and expenses of non-interested Trustees; insurance and fidelity bond premiums; fees paid to consultants providing reports regarding adherence by sub-advisors to the investment style of a Fund; fees paid for brokerage commission analysis for the purpose of monitoring best execution practices of the sub-advisors; and any extraordinary expenses of a nonrecurring nature.
     The management agreement provides for the Manager to receive an annualized management fee that is calculated and accrued daily, equal to .05% of the net assets of the American Beacon Large Cap Equity Fund and the American Beacon Small Equity Fund. In addition, each Fund pays the Manager the amount due to the Sub-Adviser. The Manager then remits this amount to the Sub-Adviser. Because the Funds commenced operations on June 1, 2010 no fees have been paid to the Manager or the Sub-Adviser for the past three fiscal years.
     The Manager (or another entity approved by the Board) under a plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, is paid up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the A Class, and up to 0.50% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Retirement Class of each Fund for distribution and shareholder servicing related services, including expenses relating to selling efforts of various broker-dealers, shareholder servicing fees and the preparation and distribution of A Class and Retirement Class advertising material and sales literature. The Sub-Adviser contributes a percentage of its advisory fees to the Manager to support the Funds’ distribution activities. The Manager will receive Rule 12b-1 fees from the A Class and the Retirement Class regardless of the amount of the Manager’s actual expenses related to distribution and shareholder servicing efforts on behalf of each Class. Thus, the Manager may realize a profit or a loss based upon its actual distribution and shareholder servicing related expenditures for the A Class and the Retirement Class. The Manager anticipates that the Rule 12b-1 plan will benefit shareholders by providing broader access to the Funds through broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries who require compensation for their expenses in order to offer shares of the Funds. Because the Funds commenced operations on June 1, 2010, there were no prior fees pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
     The Manager also may receive up to 25% of the net monthly income generated from the securities lending activities of the American Beacon Zebra Small Cap Equity Fund as compensation for administrative and oversight functions with respect to securities lending of the Fund. Currently, the Manager receives 10% of such income for other series of the Trust. The Fund commenced operations on June 1, 2010. Therefore, the Manager has not received any fees from the securities lending activities of the Fund. The SEC has granted exemptive relief that permits the Fund to invest cash collateral received from securities lending transactions in shares of one or more private or registered investment companies managed by the Manager.
     The A Class, Investor Class, Y Class and Retirement Class have each adopted a Service Plan (collectively, the “Plans”). The Plans authorize the payment to the Manager (or another entity approved by the Board) of up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Retirement Class shares, up to 0.375% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Investor Class shares, up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of the A Class shares and up to 0.10% per annum of the average daily net assets of the Y Class shares. The Manager or other approved entities may spend such amounts on any activities or expenses primarily intended to result in or relate to the servicing of A Class, Investor Class, Y Class and Retirement Class shares including, but not limited to, payment of shareholder service fees and transfer agency or sub-transfer agency expenses. The fees, which are included as part of a Fund’s “Other Expenses” in the Table of Fees and Expenses in the Prospectus, will be payable monthly in arrears. The fees for each Class will be paid on the

- 14 -


 

actual expenses incurred in a particular month by the entity for the services provided pursuant to the respective Class and its Service Plan. The primary expenses expected to be incurred under the Plans are shareholder servicing, record keeping fees and servicing fees paid to financial intermediaries such as plan sponsors and broker-dealers. Because the Funds commenced operations on June 1, 2010, there were no prior service fees.
     In addition to the management fee, the Manager is paid an administrative services fee for providing administrative services to the Funds. Because the Funds commenced operations on June 1, 2010, the Funds have not paid an administrative service fee to the Manager for the last three fiscal years.
The Manager has contractually agreed from time to time to reduce fees and/or reimburse expenses for the Funds in order to maintain competitive expense ratios for the Funds. In July of 2003, the Board approved a policy whereby the Manager may seek repayment for such fee reductions and expense reimbursements. Under the policy, the Manager can be reimbursed by a Fund for any contractual or voluntary fee reductions or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager’s own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed the previously agreed upon contractual expense limit.
     The Manager may pay additional compensation and/or provide incentives (out of its own resources and not as an expense of the Funds) to certain brokers, dealers, or other financial intermediaries (“Financial Intermediaries”) in connection with the sale, distribution, retention and/or servicing of Fund shares (“revenue sharing payments”). The amount of these revenue sharing payments is determined at the discretion of the Manager from time to time, may be substantial, and may be different for different Financial Intermediaries based on, for example, the nature of the services provided by the Financial Intermediary.
     Such revenue sharing payments are intended to provide additional compensation to Financial Intermediaries for various services which may include, but is not limited to, some or all of the following: advertising and marketing campaigns for the Funds; granting personnel of the Manager reasonable access to a Financial Intermediary’s personnel responsible for recommending the Funds; allowing the Manager’s personnel to attend conferences; periodic and ongoing education and training of Financial Intermediary personnel regarding the Funds; and explaining to clients the features and characteristics of the Funds. In addition, the Manager may provide financial assistance to Financial Intermediaries by sponsoring conferences. The Manager may make other payments or allow other promotional incentives to Financial Intermediaries to the extent permitted by SEC and FINRA rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.
     Receipt of, or the prospect of receiving, this additional compensation may influence a Financial Intermediary’s recommendation of the Funds or of any particular share class of the Funds. These payment arrangements, however, will not change the price that an investor pays for Fund shares or the amount that a Fund receives to invest on behalf of an investor and will not increase Fund expenses. You should review your Financial Intermediary’s compensation disclosure and/or talk to your Financial Intermediary to obtain more information on how this compensation may have influenced your Financial Intermediary’s recommendation of a Fund.
     In addition to the compensation described above, the Manager may pay fees to Financial Intermediaries and their affiliated persons for maintaining Fund share balances and/or for subaccounting, administrative or transaction processing services related to the maintenance of accounts for retirement and benefit plans and other omnibus accounts (“subaccounting fees”). Such subaccounting fees paid by the Manager may differ depending on the Fund. Because some subaccounting fees are directly related to the number of accounts and assets for which a Financial Intermediary provides services, these fees will increase with the success of the Financial Intermediary’s sales activities.
     The Manager is motivated to make the payments described above since they promote the sale of Fund shares and the retention of those investments by clients of Financial Intermediaries. To the extent Financial Intermediaries sell more shares of the Funds or retain shares of the Funds in their clients’ accounts, the Manager benefits from the incremental management and other fees paid to the Manager by the Funds with respect to those assets.
The Distributor
     Foreside Fund Services, LLC (“Foreside” or “Distributor”), located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101, is the distributor and principal underwriter of the Funds’ shares. The Distributor is a

- 15 -


 

registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Trust in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Funds. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Funds on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Trust or its Funds. Pursuant to a Sub-Administration Agreement between Foreside and the Manager, Foreside receives a fee from the Manager for providing administrative services in connection with the marketing and distribution of shares of the Trust, including the registration of Manager employees as registered representatives of the Distributor to facilitate distribution of Fund shares. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor receives, and may reallow to broker-dealers, all or a portion of the sales charge paid by the purchasers of A Class shares. For A Class shares, the Distributor receives commission revenue consisting of the portion of A Class sales charge remaining after the allowances by the Distributor to the broker dealers. The Distributor may also retain any portion of the commissions fees that are not paid to the broker-dealers, which may be used to pay distribution related expenses.
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
State Street, located at 2 Copley Plaza, 3rd Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, is the transfer agent for the Trust and provides transfer agency services to Fund shareholders through its affiliate Boston Financial Data Services, located at 330 W. 9th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105. State Street also serves as custodian for the Funds. In addition to its other duties as custodian, pursuant to instructions given by the Manager, State Street invests certain excess cash balances of certain funds in various futures contracts. The Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm is Ernst & Young LLP, which is located at 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 2000, Dallas, Texas 75219. K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006, serves as legal counsel to the Funds.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
     The portfolio managers to the Funds (the “Portfolio Managers”) have responsibility for the day-to-day management of accounts other than the Funds. Information regarding these other accounts has been provided by each Portfolio Manager’s firm and is set forth below. The number of accounts and assets is shown as of April 30, 2010.
                         
    Number of Other Accounts Managed   Number of Accounts and Assets for Which
    and Assets by Account Type   Advisory Fee is Performance-Based
Name of   Registered   Other Pooled       Registered   Other Pooled    
Investment Adviser   Investment   Investment       Investment   Investment   Other
and Portfolio Manager   Companies   Vehicles   Other accounts   Companies   Vehicles   accounts
American Beacon Advisors, Inc.
                       
Wyatt Crumpler
  18 ($15.2 bil)   N/A   3 ($10.7 bil)   N/A   N/A   N/A
William F. Quinn
  18 ($15.2 bil)   N/A   3 ($10.7 bil)   N/A   N/A   N/A
Adriana R. Posada
  8 ($12.2 bil)   N/A   3 ($5.3 bil)   N/A   N/A   N/A
Zebra Capital Management, LLC
                       
Roger Ibbotson
  N/A   3 ($60mil)   8 ($314mil)   N/A   2 ($52mil)   2 ($75mil)
Zhiwu Chen
  N/A   3 ($60mil)   8 ($314mil)   N/A   2 ($52mil)   2 ($75mil)
Conflicts of Interest
     As noted in the table above, the Portfolio Managers manage accounts other than the Funds. This side-by-side management may present potential conflicts between a Portfolio Manager’s management of a Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other hand. Set forth below is a description by the Manager and the Sub-Adviser of any foreseeable material conflicts of interest that may arise from the concurrent management of Funds and other accounts as of the end of each Fund’s most recent fiscal year. The information regarding potential conflicts of interest was provided by the Sub-Adviser.
     The Manager. The Manager’s Portfolio Managers are responsible for managing one or more of the Funds and other accounts, including separate accounts and unregistered funds. The Manager typically assigns Funds and accounts with similar investment strategies to the same Portfolio Manager to mitigate the potentially conflicting investment strategies of accounts. Other than potential conflicts between investment strategies, the side-by-side management of both the Funds and other accounts may raise potential conflicts of interest due to the interest held by the Manager or one of its affiliates in an account and certain trading practices used by the Portfolio Managers (e.g., cross trades between a Fund and another account and allocation of aggregated

- 16 -


 

trades). The Manager has developed policies and procedures reasonably designed to mitigate those conflicts. In particular, the Manager has adopted policies limiting the ability of Portfolio Managers to cross securities between a Fund and a separate account and policies designed to ensure the fair allocation of securities purchased on an aggregated basis.
     Portfolio Managers of the Manager with responsibility for the Funds are also responsible for managing, among other accounts, the pension assets for AMR Corporation and its subsidiaries (“AMR Pension Accounts”). These Portfolio Managers oversee fixed income assets managed internally by the Manager as well as equity and fixed income assets managed externally by sub-advisors who invest the assets of the Funds and AMR Pension Accounts. The same investment process and overall investment strategies are used for both the Funds and the AMR Pension Accounts. Potential conflicts of interest may occur when the Manager’s Portfolio Managers allocate Fund assets to internal fixed income Portfolio Managers rather than external Portfolio Managers, since the Manager has the potential to earn more fees under this scenario. This potential conflict of interest is disclosed to the Board in connection with the process of approving the Manager as an investment advisor to the Funds.
     Zebra Capital Management, LLC. (“Zebra”) Certain of the Sub-Adviser’s portfolio managers have business commitments in addition to those of the Sub-Adviser. However, they regard the Sub-Adviser’s business a priority business activity. The Sub-Adviser believes that the potential for a conflict of interest is mitigated by the Sub-Adviser’s team approach to the investment process and the fact that at least one of the Firm’s principals devotes all of his time to the Sub-Adviser’s business.
     The Sub-Adviser’s portfolio managers or investment analysts who serve the Fund also perform services of hedge funds or other private investment companies. The portfolio managers or investment analysts allocate their time and resources across al products.
     The Sub-Adviser has independent oversight of the investment process via compliance and risk monitoring to prevent taking undue risk.
Compensation
     The Portfolio Managers are compensated in various forms by the Sub-Adviser. Following is a description provided by each investment advisor regarding the structure of and criteria for determining the compensation of each Portfolio Manager.
     The Manager. Compensation of the Manager’s Portfolio Managers is comprised of base salary and annual cash bonus. Each Portfolio Manager’s base annual salary is fixed. The Manager determines base salary based upon comparison to industry salary data. In addition, all Portfolio Managers participate in the Manager’s annual cash bonus plan. The amount of the total bonus pool is based upon several factors including (i) profitability of the Manager, (ii) organic growth of assets under management and (iii) the relative investment performance of the assets managed by the Manager. The investment performance goals are as follows: (a) seventy-five percent (75%) of Actively Managed Variable Rate Funds exceed the median performance of their respective Lipper universe over a five year period; (b) twenty-five percent (25%) of Actively Managed Variable Rate Funds are ranked in the top quartile of their respective Lipper universe over a five year period; and (c) thirty-three percent (33%) of Actively Managed Variable Rate Funds achieve an overall Morningstar rating of 4-star or better. Each Portfolio Manager has a target bonus award expressed as a percentage of base salary, which is determined by the Portfolio Manager’s level of responsibility. Additionally, the Portfolio Managers participate in the Manager’s Equity Option Plan.
     Zebra The Sub-Adviser’s portfolio managers receive a fixed salary. They do not participate in a bonus pool or profit sharing plan.
Ownership of Funds
     A Portfolio Manager’s beneficial ownership of a Fund is defined as the Portfolio Manager having the opportunity to share in any profit from transactions in the Fund, either directly or indirectly, as the result of any contract, understanding, arrangement, relationship or otherwise. Therefore, ownership of Fund shares by members of the Portfolio Manager’s immediate family or by a trust of which the Portfolio Manager is a trustee could be considered ownership by the Portfolio Manager. The reporting of Fund share ownership in this SAI shall not be construed as an admission that the Portfolio Manager has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the Fund

- 17 -


 

listed. As of the date of this SAI, the Funds had not commenced operations. Accordingly, the Portfolio Managers do not beneficially own any shares of the Funds.
PORTFOLIO SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS
     In selecting brokers or dealers to execute particular transactions, the Manager and the Sub-Adviser are authorized to consider “brokerage and research services” (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), provision of statistical quotations (including the quotations necessary to determine a Fund’s net asset value), and other information provided to the applicable Fund, to the Manager and/or to the Sub-Adviser (or their affiliates), provided, however, that the Manager or the Sub-Adviser determines that it has received best execution. The Trusts do not allow the Manager or Sub-Adviser to enter arrangements to direct transactions to broker-dealers as compensation for the promotion or sale of Trust shares by those broker-dealers. The Manager and the Sub-Adviser are also authorized to cause a Fund to pay a commission (as defined in SEC interpretations) to a broker or dealer who provides such brokerage and research services for executing a portfolio transaction which is in excess of the amount of the commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction. The Trustees, the Manager or the Sub-Adviser, as appropriate, must determine in good faith, however, that such commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided, viewed in terms of that particular transaction or in terms of all the accounts over which the Manager or the Sub-Adviser exercises investment discretion. The fees of the Sub-Adviser are not reduced by reason of receipt of such brokerage and research services. However, with disclosure to and pursuant to written guidelines approved by the Board, as applicable, the Manager, or the Sub-Adviser (or a broker-dealer affiliated with them) may execute portfolio transactions and receive usual and customary brokerage commissions (within the meaning of Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act) for doing so. Brokerage and research services obtained with Fund commissions might be used by the Manager and/or the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, to benefit their other accounts under management.
     The Manager and the Sub-Adviser will place its own orders to execute securities transactions that are designed to implement a Fund’s investment objective and policies. In placing such orders, the Sub-Adviser will seek best execution. The full range and quality of services offered by the executing broker or dealer will be considered when making these determinations. Pursuant to written guidelines approved by the Board, as appropriate, the Sub-Adviser, or its affiliated broker-dealer, may execute portfolio transactions and receive usual and customary brokerage commissions (within the meaning of Rule 17e-1 of the 1940 Act) for doing so. A Fund’s turnover rate, or the frequency of portfolio transactions, will vary from year to year depending on market conditions and the Fund’s cash flows. High portfolio activity increases the Fund’s transaction costs, including brokerage commissions, and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions.
     The Investment Advisory Agreement provides, in substance, that in executing portfolio transactions and selecting brokers or dealers, the principal objective of the Sub-Adviser is to seek best execution. It is expected that securities ordinarily will be purchased in the primary markets, and that in assessing the best execution available, the Sub-Adviser shall consider all factors it deems relevant, including the breadth of the market in the security, the price of the security, the financial condition and execution capability of the broker or dealer and the reasonableness of the commission, if any, for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. Transactions with respect to the securities of small and emerging growth companies in which the Fund may invest may involve specialized services on the part of the broker or dealer and thereby may entail higher commissions or spreads than would be the case with transactions involving more widely traded securities.
     Each Fund may establish brokerage commission recapture arrangements with certain brokers or dealers. If the Sub-Adviser chooses to execute a transaction through a participating broker, the broker rebates a portion of the commission back to the Fund. Any collateral benefit received through participation in the commission recapture program is directed exclusively to the Fund. Neither the Manager nor the Sub-Adviser receives any benefits from the commission recapture program. The Sub-Adviser’s participation in the brokerage commission recapture program is optional. The Sub-Adviser retains full discretion in selecting brokerage firms for securities transactions and is instructed to use the commission recapture program for a transaction only if it is consistent with the Sub-Adviser’s obligation to seek the best execution available.
     The Funds commenced operations on June 1, 2010. Accordingly, no brokerage commissions were paid by the Funds during the previous three fiscal years.

- 18 -


 

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND SALE INFORMATION FOR A CLASS SHARES
Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers
     As described in the Prospectus, there are various ways to reduce your sales charge when purchasing A Class shares. Additional information about A Class sales charge reductions is provided below.
     Letter of Intent (“Letter). The Letter may be revised upward at any time during the 13-month period of the Letter (“Letter Period”), and such a revision will be treated as a new Letter, except that the Letter Period during which the purchases must be made will remain unchanged. Purchases made from the date of revision will receive the reduced sales charge, if any, resulting from the revised Letter. The Letter will be considered completed if the shareholder dies within the 13-month Letter Period. Commissions to dealers will not be adjusted or paid on the difference between the Letter amount and the amount actually invested before the shareholder’s death.
     All dividends and any capital gain distributions on shares held in escrow will be credited to the shareholder’s account in shares (or paid in cash, if requested). If the intended investment is not completed within the specified Letter Period, the purchaser may be required to remit to the Distributor the difference between the sales charge actually paid and the sales charge which would have been paid if the total of such purchases had been made at a single time. Any dealers assigned to the shareholder’s account at the time a purchase was made during the Letter Period will receive a corresponding commission adjustment if appropriate. If the difference is not paid by the close of the Letter Period, the appropriate number of shares held in escrow will be redeemed to pay such difference. If the proceeds from this redemption are inadequate, the purchaser may be liable to the Distributor for the balance still outstanding.
     Rights of Accumulation. Subject to the limitations described in the aggregation policy, you may take into account your accumulated holdings in A Class shares of the Funds to determine your sales charge on investments in accounts eligible to be aggregated. If you make a gift of A Class shares, upon your request, you may purchase the shares at the sales charge discount allowed under rights of accumulation of all of your funds in the fund family.
     Aggregation. Qualifying investments for aggregation include those made by you and your “immediate family” as defined in the Prospectus, if all parties are purchasing shares for their own accounts and/or:
    individual-type employee benefit plans, such as an IRA, individual 403(b) plan or single-participant Keogh-type plan;
 
    business accounts solely controlled by you or your immediate family (for example, you own the entire business);
 
    trust accounts established by you or your immediate family (for trusts with only one primary beneficiary, upon the trustor’s death the trust account may be aggregated with such beneficiary’s own accounts; for trusts with multiple primary beneficiaries, upon the trustor’s death the trustees of the trust may instruct a Fund’s transfer agent to establish separate trust accounts for each primary beneficiary; each primary beneficiary’s separate trust account may then be aggregated with such beneficiary’s own accounts);
 
    endowments or foundations established and controlled by you or your immediate family; or
 
    529 accounts, which will be aggregated at the account owner level (Class 529-E accounts may only be aggregated with an eligible employer plan).
  Individual purchases by a trustee(s) or other fiduciary(ies) may also be aggregated if the investments are:
    for a single trust estate or fiduciary account, including employee benefit plans other than the individual-type employee benefit plans described above;

- 19 -


 

    made for two or more employee benefit plans of a single employer or of affiliated employers as defined in the 1940 Act, excluding the individual-type employee benefit plans described above;
    for a diversified common trust fund or other diversified pooled account not specifically formed for the purpose of accumulating Fund shares;
 
    for nonprofit, charitable or educational organizations, or any endowments or foundations established and controlled by such organizations, or any employer-sponsored retirement plans established for the benefit of the employees of such organizations, their endowments, or their foundations; or
 
    for individually established participant accounts of a 403(b) plan that is treated similarly to an employer-sponsored plan for sales charge purposes (see “Purchases by certain 403(b) plans” under “Sales Charges” above), or made for two or more such 403(b) plans that are treated similarly to employer-sponsored plans for sales charge purposes, in each case of a single employer or affiliated employers as defined in the 1940 Act.
     Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts (securities held in the name of a broker- dealer or another nominee such as a bank trust department instead of the customer) may not be aggregated with those made for other accounts and may not be aggregated with other nominee or street name accounts unless otherwise qualified as described above.
     Concurrent Purchases. As described in the Prospectus, you may reduce your A Class sales charge by combining purchases of A Class shares of the Funds.
     Other Purchases. Pursuant to a determination of eligibility by the Manager, A Class shares of the Funds may be sold at net asset value (without the imposition of a front-end sales charge) to:
  1.   current or retired trustees, and officers of the American Beacon Funds family, current or retired employees and partners of the Manager and its affiliated companies, certain family members and employees of the above persons, and trusts or plans primarily for such persons;
 
  2.   currently registered representatives and assistants directly employed by such representatives, retired registered representatives with respect to accounts established while active, or full-time employees (collectively, “Eligible Persons”) (and their spouses, and children, including children in step and adoptive relationships, sons-in- law and daughters-in-law, if the Eligible Persons or the spouses or children of the Eligible Persons are listed in the account registration with the spouse or parent) of broker-dealers who have sales agreements with the Distributor (or who clear transactions through such dealers), plans for the dealers, and plans that include as participants only the Eligible Persons, their spouses and/or children;
 
  3.   companies exchanging securities with a Fund through a merger, acquisition or exchange offer;
 
  4.   insurance company separate accounts;
 
  5.   accounts managed by the Manager, a sub-advisor to the Funds and its affiliated companies;
 
  6.   the Manager or a sub-advisor to the Funds and its affiliated companies;
 
  7.   an individual or entity with a substantial business relationship with the Manager or a sub-adviser to the Funds and its affiliated companies, or an individual or entity related or relating to such individual or entity;
 
  8.   wholesalers and full-time employees directly supporting wholesalers involved in the distribution of insurance company separate accounts whose underlying investments are managed by the Manager or a sub-advisor to the Funds and its affiliated companies;
 
  9.   full-time employees of banks that have sales agreements with the Distributor, who are solely dedicated to directly supporting the sale of mutual funds;

- 20 -


 

  10.   directors, officers and employees of financial institutions that have a selling group agreement with the Distributor;
 
  11.   banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions (including registered investment advisors and financial planners) that have entered into an agreement with the Distributor or one of its affiliates, purchasing shares on behalf of clients participating in a fund supermarket or in a wrap program, asset allocation program or other program in which the clients pay an asset-based fee;
 
  12.   clients of authorized dealers purchasing shares in fixed or flat fee brokerage accounts;
 
  13.   Employer-sponsored defined contribution — type plans, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer sponsored 403(b) plans, profit-sharing and money purchase pension plans, defined benefit plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, and individual retirement account (“IRA”) rollovers involving retirement plan assets invested in the Funds in the American Beacon Funds fund family; and
 
  14.   Employee benefit and retirement plans for the Manager and its affiliates.
     Shares are offered at net asset value to these persons and organizations due to anticipated economies in sales effort and expense. Once an account is established under this net asset value privilege, additional investments can be made at net asset value for the life of the account.
     Moving Between Accounts. Investments in certain account types may be moved to other account types without incurring additional A Class sales charges. These transactions include, for example:
    redemption proceeds from a non-retirement account (for example, a joint tenant account) used to purchase Fund shares in an IRA or other individual-type retirement account;
 
    required minimum distributions from an IRA or other individual-type retirement account used to purchase Fund shares in a non-retirement account; and
 
    death distributions paid to a beneficiary’s account that are used by the beneficiary to purchase Fund shares in a different account.
REDEMPTIONS IN KIND
     Although each Fund intends to redeem shares in cash, each reserves the right to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution of securities or other assets. However, shareholders always will be entitled to redeem shares for cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the applicable Fund’s net asset value during any 90-day period. Redemption in kind is not as liquid as a cash redemption. In addition, to the extent a Fund redeems its shares in this manner; the shareholder assumes the risk of a subsequent change in the market value of those securities, the cost of liquidating the securities and the possibility of a lack of a liquid market for those securities.
TAX INFORMATION
     The tax information set forth in the Prospectus and the information in this section relates solely to federal income tax law and assumes that each Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) (as discussed below). Such information is only a summary of certain key Federal income tax considerations affecting the Funds and their shareholders and is in addition to the information provided in the Prospectus. No attempt has been made to present a complete explanation of the Federal tax treatment of each Fund or the tax implications to their shareholders. The discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as substitutes for careful tax planning. The information is based on the Internal Revenue Code and applicable regulations in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Funds and their shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect.

- 21 -


 

Taxation of the Funds
     Each Fund intends to elect and qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. Each Fund (each of which is treated as a separate corporation for these purposes) must, among other requirements:
    Derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from (1) dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of securities or foreign currencies, or certain other income, including gains from options, futures or forward contracts, derived with respect to its business of investing in securities or those currencies and (2) net income from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (“QPTP”) (“Income Requirement”);
 
    Diversify its investments so that, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, (1) at least 50% of the value of its total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with those other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the issuer’s outstanding voting securities (equity securities of QPTPs being considered voting securities for these purposes) and (2) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in (a) securities (other than U.S. Government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, (b) securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers the Fund controls that are determined to be engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or (c) securities of one or more QPTPs (“Diversification Requirement”); and
 
    Distribute annually to its shareholders at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (generally, taxable net investment income plus the excess (if any) of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) (“Distribution Requirement”).
     Each Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax (“Excise Tax”) to the extent it fails to distribute by the end of any calendar year substantially all of its ordinary (taxable) income for that year and substantially all of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on August 31 of that year, plus certain other amounts.
     If for any taxable year a Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gains) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends would be taxable to the shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would therefore have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. It is possible that a Fund will not qualify as a regulated investment company in any given tax year. See the part of the next section entitled “Taxation of Certain Investments” for further discussion of the tax consequences to each Fund of certain of its investments and strategies.
Taxation of Certain Investments
     A Fund may acquire zero coupon or other securities issued with original issue discount. Because each Fund annually must distribute substantially all of its investment company taxable income, including any original issue discount, to satisfy the Distribution Requirement and avoid imposition of the Excise Tax, a Fund may be required in a particular year to distribute as a dividend an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash it actually receives. Those distributions would be made from the Fund’s cash assets, if any, or the proceeds of sales of portfolio securities, if necessary. The Fund might realize capital gains or losses from any such sales, which would increase or decrease the Fund’s investment company taxable income and/or net capital gain.
     If a Fund acquires stock in a foreign corporation that is a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) and holds the stock beyond the end of the year of acquisition, the Fund will be subject to federal income tax on any “excess distribution” the Fund receives on the stock or on any gain realized by the Fund from disposition of the stock (collectively “PFIC income”), plus interest thereon, even if the Fund distributes that share of the PFIC income as a taxable dividend to its shareholders. Fund distributions thereof will not be eligible for the 15% maximum federal income tax rate on individuals’ “qualified dividend income” (as discussed in the Prospectus). A Fund may avoid this tax and interest if it elects to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund”; however, the requirements for that election are difficult to satisfy. If such an election were made, the Fund would be required to include in its income each year a portion of the ordinary income and net capital gains of the PFIC, even if this income is not distributed to the Fund. Any such income would be subject to the 90% Distribution Requirement described above and to the calendar year Excise Tax distribution requirement.
     The Fund may elect to “mark-to-market” the securities associated with a PFIC. Under such an election, the Fund would include in income each year an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the

- 22 -


 

PFIC security as of the close of the taxable year over the Fund’s adjusted basis in the PFIC stock. The Fund would be allowed a deduction for the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of the PFIC stock over the fair market value of the PFIC stock as of the close of the taxable year, but only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains included by the Fund for prior taxable years. The Fund’s adjusted basis in the PFIC stock would be adjusted to reflect the amounts included in, or deducted from, income under this election. Amounts included in income pursuant to this election, as well as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the PFIC security, would be treated as ordinary income. The deductible portion of any mark-to-market loss, as well as loss realized on the sale or other disposition of the PFIC stock to the extent that such loss does not exceed the net mark-to-market gains previously included by the Fund, would be treated as ordinary loss. The Fund generally would not be subject to the deferred tax and interest charge provisions discussed above with respect to PFIC stock for which a mark-to-market election has been made.
     The Funds currently do not intend to acquire securities in issuers that are considered PFICs.
     Hedging strategies, such as entering into forward contracts and selling (writing) and purchasing options and futures contracts, involve complex rules that will determine for federal income tax purposes the amount, character and timing of recognition of gains and losses the Funds that are permitted to invest therein realize in connection therewith. In general, any Fund’s (1) gains from the disposition of foreign currencies and (2) gains from options, futures and forward contracts derived with respect to its business of investing in securities or foreign currencies will be treated as qualifying income under the Income Requirement.
     A Fund may invest in certain futures contracts (other than “securities futures contracts,” as defined in section 1234B(c) of the Tax Code) and “nonequity” options (i.e., certain listed options, such as those on a “broad-based” securities index), and certain foreign currency options and forward contracts that will be “section 1256 contracts.” Any section 1256 contracts a Fund holds at the end of its taxable year generally must be “marked-to-market” (that is, treated as having been sold at that time for its fair market value) for federal income tax purposes, with the result that unrealized gains or losses will be treated as though they were realized. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss realized on these deemed sales, and 60% of any net realized gain or loss from any actual sales of section 1256 contracts, will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the balance will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Section 1256 contracts also may be marked-to-market for purposes of the Excise Tax. These rules may operate to increase the amount that a Fund must distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement (i.e., with respect to the portion treated as short-term capital gain), which will be taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income, and to increase the net capital gain such a Fund recognizes, without in either case increasing the cash available to it the Fund.
     Section 988 of the Tax Code also may apply to a Fund’s forward currency contracts and options on foreign currencies. Under that section, each foreign currency gain or loss generally is computed separately and treated as ordinary income or loss. These gains or losses will increase or decrease the amount of a Fund’s investment company taxable income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income, rather than affecting the amount of its net capital gain. If section 988 losses exceed other investment company taxable income during a taxable year, a Fund would not be able to distribute any dividends, and any distributions made during that year before the losses were realized would be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders, rather than as a dividend, thereby reducing each shareholder’s basis in his or her Fund shares.
     Offsetting positions a Fund enters into or holds in any actively traded option, futures or forward contract may constitute a “straddle” for federal income tax purposes. Straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of a Fund’s gains and losses with respect to positions of the straddle by requiring, among other things, that (1) losses realized on disposition of one position of a straddle be deferred to the extent of any unrealized gain in an offsetting position until the latter position is disposed of, (2) a Fund’s holding period in certain straddle positions not begin until the straddle is terminated (possibly resulting in gain being treated as short-term rather than long-term capital gain) and (3) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions, that otherwise would constitute short-term capital losses, be treated as long-term capital losses. Applicable regulations also provide certain “wash sale” rules, which apply to transactions where a position is sold at a loss and a new offsetting position is acquired within a prescribed period, and “short sale” rules applicable to straddles. Different elections are available, which may mitigate the effects of the straddle rules, particularly with respect to “mixed straddles” (i.e., a straddle of which at least one, but not all, positions are section 1256 contracts).
     When a covered call option written (sold) by a Fund expires, it will realize a short-term capital gain equal to the amount of the premium it received for writing the option. When a Fund terminates its obligations under such an option by entering into a closing transaction, it will realize a short-term capital gain (or loss), depending on whether the cost of the closing transaction is less (or more) than the premium it received when it wrote the option. When a covered call option written by a Fund is exercised, it will be treated as having sold the underlying

- 23 -


 

security, producing long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending on the holding period of the underlying security and whether the sum of the option price received on the exercise plus the premium received when it wrote the option is more or less than the underlying security’s basis.
     If a Fund has an “appreciated financial position” — generally, an interest (including an interest through an option, futures or forward contract or short sale) with respect to any stock, debt instrument (other than “straight debt”) or partnership interest the fair market value of which exceeds its adjusted basis — and enters into a “constructive sale” of the position, the Fund will be treated as having made an actual sale thereof, with the result that it will recognize gain at that time. A constructive sale generally consists of a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or forward contract a Fund or a related person enters into with respect to the same or substantially identical property. In addition, if the appreciated financial position is itself a short sale or such a contract, acquisition of the underlying property or substantially identical property will be deemed a constructive sale. The foregoing will not apply, however, to any Fund transaction during any taxable year that otherwise would be treated as a constructive sale if the transaction is closed within 30 days after the end of that year and the Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged for 60 days after that closing (i.e., at no time during that 60-day period is the Fund’s risk of loss regarding that position reduced by reason of certain specified transactions with respect to substantially identical or related property, such as having an option to sell, being contractually obligated to sell, making a short sale or granting an option to buy substantially identical stock or securities).
     Investment income received by the Funds from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source, and the amount of tax withheld will generally be treated as an expense of the Funds. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries that entitle the Funds to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance since the amount of a Fund’s assets to be invested in various countries is not known.
Taxation of the Funds’ Shareholders
     Dividends or other distributions a Fund declares in the last quarter of any calendar year that are payable to shareholders of record on a date in that quarter will be deemed to have been paid by the Fund and received by those shareholders on December 31 of that year if the Fund pays the distributions during the following January. Accordingly, those distributions will be reported by, and taxed to, those shareholders for the taxable year in which that December 31 falls.
     If Fund shares are sold at a loss after being held for six months or less, the loss will be treated as long-term, instead of short-term, capital loss to the extent of any capital gain distributions received thereon. Investors also should be aware that the price of Fund shares at any time may reflect the amount of a forthcoming dividend or capital gain distribution, so if they purchase Fund shares shortly before the record date for a distribution, they will pay full price for the shares and (except for an exempt-interest dividend) receive some portion of the price back as a taxable distribution even thought it represents in part a return of invested capital.
     Rules of state and local taxation of ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain dividends may differ from the rules for U.S. federal income taxation described above. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation.
Backup Withholding
     A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a portion of distributions paid to you, equal to the backup withholding rate then in effect multiplied by the amount of the distribution, if you: (1) have failed to provide your correct taxpayer identification number; (2) are otherwise subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to report the receipt of interest or dividend income properly; or (3) have failed to certify to the Fund that you are not subject to backup withholding or that you are a corporation or other “exempt recipient.” A Fund will also be required to withhold such percentage of the proceeds of redemptions of shares in the first of these three situations. Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather any amounts so withheld may be credited against your federal income tax liability or refunded.
Foreign Shareholders
     Taxation of a shareholder who, under the Tax Code, is a nonresident alien individual, foreign trust or estate, foreign corporation or foreign partnership (“foreign shareholder”), depends on whether the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the foreign shareholder.

- 24 -


 

     If the income from a Fund is not effectively connected with your U.S. trade or business, distributions of ordinary income paid to a foreign shareholder will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate) upon the gross amount of the distribution. A foreign shareholder generally would be exempt from federal income tax on gain realized on the sale of Fund shares and Fund distributions of net capital gain (other than gain realized on disposition of U.S. real property interests), unless you are a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year (special rules apply in the case of a shareholder that is a foreign trust or foreign partnership). If legislation is enacted to extend the exemption for short-term capital gain dividends and interest-related dividends to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2009, then a foreign shareholder would also be exempt from federal income tax on these amounts. If the income from a Fund is effectively connected with your U.S. trade or business, you will be subject tofederal income tax on suchincome as if you were a U.S. shareholder.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
     The Trust is an entity of the type commonly known as a “Massachusetts business trust.” Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for its obligations. However, the Trust’s Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and provides for indemnification and reimbursement of expenses out of Trust property for any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust may maintain appropriate insurance (for example, fidelity bonding) for the protection of the Trust, its shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees and agents to cover possible tort and other liabilities. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss due to shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust itself was unable to meet its obligations. The Trust has not engaged in any other business.
     The Trust was originally created to manage money for large institutional investors, including pension and 401(k) plans for American Airlines, Inc. The following individuals are eligible for purchasing shares of the Institutional Class with an initial investment of less than $2 million: (i) employees of the Manager, (ii) officers and directors of AMR Corporation, (iii) members of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, (iv) employees of TPG/Pharos, (v) members of the Manager’s parent’s Board of Directors; and (iv) any shareholders that the Manager transfers to the Institutional Class upon termination of the class of shares in which the shareholders were originally invested. The Investor Class was created to give individuals and other smaller investors an opportunity to invest in the American Beacon Funds. As a result, shareholders of the Investor Class benefit from the economies of scale generated by being part of a larger pool of assets. The Retirement Class was created for investors investing in the Funds through intermediary organizations, such as broker-dealers, insurance companies or third party administrators, for small to mid-sized retirement plans. The Y Class was created to manage money for large institutional investors, including pension and 401(k) plans. The A class was created for investors investing in the finds through their broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
     The Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, audits and reports on the Funds’ annual financial statements. The financial statements include the schedule of investments, statement of assets and liabilities, statement of operations, statements of changes in net assets, financial highlights, notes and report of independent registered public accounting firm. Shareholders will receive annual audited financial statements and semi-annual unaudited financial statements. As of the date hereof, the Funds have not commenced operations. Accordingly, financial statements are not available for the Funds.
OTHER INFORMATION
     This section provides descriptions of certain strategies that may be used by the Funds, including strategies to invest in particular securities and corresponding risks of those strategies. The composition of the Funds portfolios and the strategies that the Funds use in selecting portfolio securities may vary over time. The Funds are not required to use all of the investment strategies described below in seeking their investment objectives. They may use some of the investment strategies only at some times or they may not use them at all.
     Asset-Backed Securities — Asset-backed securities are securities issued by trusts and special purpose entities that are backed by pools of assets, such as automobile and credit-card receivables and home equity loans, which pass through the payments on the underlying obligations to the security holders (less servicing fees paid to the originator or fees for any credit enhancement). Typically, loans or accounts receivable paper are transferred from the originator to a specially created trust, which repackages the trust’s interests as securities

- 25 -


 

with a minimum denomination and a specific term. The securities are then privately placed or publicly offered. Examples include certificates for automobile receivables and so-called plastic bonds, backed by credit card receivables. The Funds are permitted to invest in asset-backed securities, subject to the Funds’ rating and quality requirements.
The value of an asset-backed security is affected by, among other things, changes in the market’s perception of the asset backing the security, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the loan pool, the originator of the loans and the financial institution providing any credit enhancement. Payments of principal and interest passed through to holders of asset-backed securities are frequently supported by some form of credit enhancement, such as a letter of credit, surety bond, limited guarantee by another entity or by having a priority to certain of the borrower’s other assets. The degree of credit enhancement varies, and generally applies to only a portion of the asset-backed security’s par value. Value is also affected if any credit enhancement has been exhausted.
     Bank Deposit Notes — Bank deposit notes are obligations of a bank, rather than bank holding company corporate debt. The only structural difference between bank deposit notes and certificates of deposit is that interest on bank deposit notes is calculated on a 30/360 basis, as are corporate notes/bonds. Similar to certificates of deposit, deposit notes represent bank level investments and, therefore, are senior to all holding company corporate debt.
     Bankers’ Acceptances — Bankers’ acceptances are short-term credit instruments designed to enable businesses to obtain funds to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then “accepted” by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an earning asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of discount for a specific maturity. Although maturities for acceptances can be as long as 270 days, most acceptances have maturities of six months or less.
     Borrowing Risks — The Funds may borrow for temporary purposes. Borrowing may exaggerate changes in a Fund’s NAV and in its total return. Interest expense and other fees associated with borrowing may reduce a Fund’s return.
     Callable Securities — A Fund may invest in fixed-income securities with call features. A call feature allows the issuer of the security to redeem or call the security prior to its stated maturity date. In periods of falling interest rates, issuers may be more likely to call in securities that are paying higher coupon rates than prevailing interest rates. In the event of a call, the Fund would lose the income that would have been earned to maturity on that security, and the proceeds received by the Fund may be invested in securities paying lower coupon rates. Thus, a Fund’s income could be reduced as a result of a call. In addition, the market value of a callable security may decrease if it is perceived by the market as likely to be called, which could have a negative impact on a Fund’s total return.
     Cash Equivalents — Cash equivalents include certificates of deposit, bearer deposit notes, bankers’ acceptances, government obligations, commercial paper, short-term corporate debt securities and repurchase agreements.
     Certificates of Deposit — Certificates of deposit are issued against funds deposited in an eligible bank (including its domestic and foreign branches, subsidiaries and agencies), are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return and are normally negotiable.
     Commercial Paper — Commercial paper refers to promissory notes representing an unsecured debt of a corporation or finance company with a fixed maturity of no more than 270 days. A variable amount master demand note (which is a type of commercial paper) represents a direct borrowing arrangement involving periodically fluctuating rates of interest under a letter agreement between a commercial paper issuer and an institutional lender pursuant to which the lender may determine to invest varying amounts.
     Convertible Securities — Convertible securities include corporate bonds, notes, preferred stock or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or dividends paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. While no securities investment is without some risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than the issuer’s common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security

- 26 -


 

sells above its value as a fixed income security. The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. While convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible debt securities of similar quality, they do enable the investor to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock. Holders of convertible securities have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders, but may be subordinated to holders of similar non-convertible securities of the same issuer. Because of the conversion feature, the Manager considers some convertible securities to be equity equivalents.
     Cover — Transactions using forward contracts, futures contracts, options on futures contracts and written options (“Financial Instruments”) expose a Fund to an obligation to another party. A Fund will not enter into any such transactions unless it owns either (1) an offsetting (“covered”) position in securities, currencies, or other forward contracts, options or futures contracts, or (2) cash, receivables and liquid assets, with a value, marked-to-market daily, sufficient to cover its potential obligations to the extent not covered as provided in (1) above. Each Fund will comply with SEC guidelines regarding cover for these instruments and will, if the guidelines so require, set aside cash, receivables, or liquid assets in a segregated account with its custodian in the prescribed amount.
     Assets used as cover or held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position in the corresponding Financial Instrument is open, unless they are replaced with other appropriate assets. As a result, the commitment of a large portion of a Fund’s assets to cover or to segregated accounts could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.
     Debentures — Debentures are unsecured debt securities. The holder of a debenture is protected only by the general creditworthiness of the issuer.
     Depositary Receipts — American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) — ADRs are depositary receipts for foreign issuers in registered form traded in U.S. securities markets. EDRs are in bearer form and traded in European securities markets. GDRs are in bearer form and traded in both the U.S. and European securities markets. Depositary receipts may not be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. Investing in depositary receipts entails substantially the same risks as direct investment in foreign securities. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies and there may be less governmental regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies. In addition, such companies may use different accounting and financial standards (and certain currencies may become unavailable for transfer from a foreign currency), resulting in a Fund’s possible inability to convert immediately into U.S. currency proceeds realized upon the sale of portfolio securities of the affected foreign companies. In addition, a Fund may invest in unsponsored depositary receipts, the issuers of which are not obligated to disclose material information about the underlying securities to investors in the United States. Ownership of unsponsored depositary receipts may not entitle a Fund to the same benefits and rights as ownership of a sponsored depositary receipt or the underlying security. Please see “Foreign Securities” below for a description of the risks associated with investments in foreign securities.
     Derivatives — Generally, a derivative is a financial arrangement, the value of which is based on, or “derived” from, a traditional security, asset or market index. Some “derivatives” such as mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities are in many respects like any other investment, although they may be more volatile or less liquid than more traditional debt securities. There are, in fact, many different types of derivatives and many different ways to use them. There are a range of risks associated with those uses. Certain derivative securities are described more accurately as index/structured securities. Index/structured securities are derivative securities whose value or performance is linked to other equity securities (such as depositary receipts), currencies, interest rates, indices or other financial indicators (reference indices).
     Dollar Rolls — A dollar roll is a contract to sell mortgage-backed securities as collateral against a commitment to repurchase similar, but not identical, mortgage-backed securities on a specified future date. The other party to the contract is entitled to all principal, interest, and prepayment cash flows while it holds the collateral. Each Fund maintains with its custodian a segregated account containing high-grade liquid securities in an amount at least equal to the forward purchase obligation.
     Eurodollar and Yankeedollar obligations — Eurodollar obligations are U.S. dollar obligations issued outside the United States by domestic or foreign entities, while Yankeedollar obligations are U.S. dollar obligations issued inside the United States by foreign entities. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign issuers and there may be less governmental regulation and supervision of foreign stock

- 27 -


 

exchanges, brokers and listed companies. Foreign issuers may use different accounting and financial standards, and the addition of foreign governmental restrictions may affect adversely the payment of principal and interest on foreign investments. In addition, not all foreign branches of United States banks are supervised or examined by regulatory authorities as are United States banks, and such branches may not be subject to reserve requirements.
     Exchange-Traded Funds — A Fund may purchase shares of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ETFs trade like a common stock and usually represent a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track the performance and dividend yield of a particular domestic or foreign market index. Typically, a Fund would purchase ETF shares for the same reason it would purchase (and as an alternative to purchasing) futures contracts: to obtain exposure to all or a portion of the stock or bond market. ETF shares enjoy several advantages over futures. Depending on the market, the holding period, and other factors, ETF shares can be less costly and more tax-efficient than futures. In addition, ETF shares can be purchased for smaller sums, offer exposure to market sectors and styles for which there is no suitable or liquid futures contract, and do not involve leverage.
     An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional fund (i.e., one that is not exchange traded) that has the same investment objective, strategies, and policies. The price of an ETF can fluctuate within a wide range, and a Fund could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down. In addition, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional funds: (1) the market price of the ETF’s shares may trade at a discount to their net asset value; (2) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; or (3) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are de-listed from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally. Most ETFs are investment companies. Therefore, a Fund’s purchases of ETF shares generally are subject to the limitations on, and the risks of, a fund’s investments in other investment companies, which are described below.
     Foreign Securities — A Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers and foreign branches of U.S. banks, including negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances, and commercial paper. Foreign issuers are issuers organized and doing business principally outside the United States and include banks, non-U.S. governments, and quasi-governmental organizations. While investments in foreign securities are intended to reduce risk by providing further diversification, such investments involve sovereign and other risks, in addition to the credit and market risks normally associated with domestic securities. These additional risks include the possibility of adverse political and economic developments (including political or social instability, nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation); the potentially adverse effects of unavailability of public information regarding issuers, less governmental supervision and regulation of financial markets, reduced liquidity of certain financial markets, and the lack of uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards or the application of standards that are different or less stringent than those applied in the United States; different laws and customs governing securities tracking; and possibly limited access to the courts to enforce each Fund’s rights as an investor.
     A Fund also may invest in equity, debt, or other income-producing securities that are denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, including (1) common and preferred stocks, (2) CDs, commercial paper, fixed time deposits, and bankers’ acceptances issued by foreign banks, (3) obligations of other corporations, and (4) obligations of foreign governments and their subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities, international agencies, and supranational entities. Investing in foreign currency denominated securities involves the special risks associated with investing in non-U.S. issuers, as described in the preceding paragraph, and the additional risks of (1) adverse changes in foreign exchange rates and (2) adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations (which could prevent cash from being brought back to the United States). Additionally, dividends and interest payable on foreign securities (and gains realized on disposition thereof) may be subject to foreign taxes, including taxes withheld from those payments. Commissions on foreign securities exchanges are often at fixed rates and are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although each Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on portfolio transactions.
     Foreign securities often trade with less frequency and in less volume than domestic securities and therefore may exhibit greater price volatility. Additional costs associated with an investment in foreign securities may include higher custodial fees than apply to domestic custody arrangements and transaction costs of foreign currency conversions.
     Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures. In certain markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions,

- 28 -


 

making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of a Fund is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of a Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems could result in losses to a Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the securities or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser.
     Interest rates prevailing in other countries may affect the prices of foreign securities and exchange rates for foreign currencies. Local factors, including the strength of the local economy, the demand for borrowing, the government’s fiscal and monetary policies, and the international balance of payments, often affect interest rates in other countries. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments position.
     Full Faith and Credit Obligations of the U.S. Government — Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury, backed by the full taxing power of the U.S. Government or the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury.
     Futures Contracts — Futures contracts obligate a purchaser to take delivery of a specific amount of an obligation underlying the futures contract at a specified time in the future for a specified price. Likewise, the seller incurs an obligation to deliver the specified amount of the underlying obligation against receipt of the specified price. Futures are traded on both U.S. and foreign commodities exchanges. Futures contracts will be traded for the same purposes as entering into forward contracts.
     The purchase of futures can serve as a long hedge, and the sale of futures can serve as a short hedge.
     No price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Instead, at the inception of a futures contract a Fund is required to deposit “initial deposit” consisting of cash or U.S. Government Securities in an amount generally equal to 10% or less of the contract value. Margin must also be deposited when writing a call or put option on a futures contract, in accordance with applicable exchange rules. Unlike margin in securities transactions, initial margin on futures contracts does not represent a borrowing, but rather is in the nature of a performance bond or good-faith deposit that is returned to the Fund at the termination of the transaction if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Under certain circumstances, such as periods of high volatility, a Fund may be required by a futures exchange to increase the level of its initial margin payment, and initial margin requirements might be increased generally in the future by regulatory action.
     Subsequent “variation margin” payments are made to and from the futures broker daily as the value of the futures position varies, a process known as “marking-to-market.” Variation margin does not involve borrowing, but rather represents a daily settlement of a Fund’s obligations to or from a futures broker. When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial in the event of adverse price movements. If a Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous.
     Purchasers and sellers of futures contracts can enter into offsetting closing transactions, by selling or purchasing, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument purchased or sold. Positions in futures contracts may be closed only on a futures exchange or board of trade that provides a secondary market. The Funds intend to enter into futures contracts only on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be a liquid secondary market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist for a particular contract at a particular time. In such event, it may not be possible to close a futures contract.
     Although futures contracts by their terms call for the actual delivery or acquisition of securities or currency, in most cases the contractual obligation is fulfilled before the date of the contract without having to make or take delivery of the securities or currency. The offsetting of a contractual obligation is accomplished by buying (or selling, as appropriate) on a commodities exchange an identical futures contract calling for delivery in the same month. Such a transaction, which is effected through a member of an exchange, cancels the obligation to make or take delivery of the securities or currency. Since all transactions in the futures market are made, offset or fulfilled through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded, a Fund will incur brokerage fees when it purchases or sells futures contracts.
     Under certain circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures contract can vary from the previous day’s settlement price; once that limit is reached, no trades may

- 29 -


 

be made that day at a price beyond the limit. Daily price limits do not limit potential losses because prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive days with little or no trading, thereby preventing liquidation of unfavorable positions.
     If a Fund were unable to liquidate a futures contract due to the absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of price limits, it could incur substantial losses. The Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position. In addition, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily variation margin payments and might be required to maintain the position being hedged by the futures contract or option thereon or to maintain cash or securities in a segregated account.
     To the extent that a Fund enters into futures contracts, in each case other than for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”)), the aggregate initial margin will not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of a Fund’s portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any contracts that the Fund has entered into. This policy does not limit to 5% the percentage of the Fund’s assets that are at risk in futures contracts.
     The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures market, due to differences in the nature of those markets, are subject to distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to initial deposit and variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional variation margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions that could distort the normal relationship between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, thus producing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the margin deposit requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of distortion, a correct forecast of securities price or currency exchange rate trends by a sub-advisor may still not result in a successful transaction.
     In addition, futures contracts entail risks. Although a sub-advisor may believe that use of such contracts will benefit a particular Fund, if that investment advisor’s investment judgment about the general direction of, for example, an index is incorrect, a Fund’s overall performance would be worse than if it had not entered into any such contract. In addition, there are differences between the securities and futures markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between the markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives.
     Illiquid Securities — Historically, illiquid securities have included securities subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale because they have not been registered under the 1933 Act, securities that are otherwise not readily marketable, and repurchase agreements having a remaining maturity of longer than seven calendar days. Securities that have not been registered under the 1933 Act are referred to as private placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. These securities may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or pursuant to an exemption from registration. A large institutional market exists for certain securities that are not registered under the 1933 Act, including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities, municipal securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security can be readily resold or on an issuer’s ability to honor a demand for repayment. However, the fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale of such investments to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of their liquidity.
     In recognition of the increased size and liquidity of the institutional market for unregistered securities and the importance of institutional investors in the formation of capital, the SEC has adopted Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A is designed to facilitate efficient trading among institutional investors by permitting the sale of certain unregistered securities to qualified institutional buyers. To the extent privately placed securities held by a Fund qualify under Rule 144A and an institutional market develops for those securities, that Fund likely will be able to dispose of the securities without registering them under the 1933 Act. To the extent that institutional buyers become, for a time, uninterested in purchasing these securities, investing in Rule 144A securities could increase the level of a Fund’s illiquidity. The Manager or the sub-advisor, as applicable, acting under guidelines established by the Board, may determine that certain securities qualified for trading under Rule 144A are liquid. Regulation S under the 1933 Act permits the sale abroad of securities that are not registered for sale in the United States.

- 30 -


 

     Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant amount of these restricted or other illiquid securities because of the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities, and a Fund might be unable to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemptions within seven calendar days. In addition, a Fund may get only limited information about an issuer, so it may be less able to predict a loss. A Fund also might have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities.
     Index Futures Contracts and Options on Index Futures Contracts — The Funds may invest in index futures contracts, options on index futures contracts and options on securities indices.
     Index Futures Contracts — U.S. futures contracts trade on exchanges that have been designated “contracts markets” by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant, or brokerage firm, which is a member of the relevant contract market. Futures contracts trade on a number of exchange markets.
     At the same time a futures contract on an index is purchased or sold, a Fund must allocate cash or securities as a deposit payment (“initial deposit”). It is expected that the initial deposit would be approximately 1-1/2% to 5% of a contract’s face value. Daily thereafter, the futures contract is valued and the payment of “variation margin” may be required.
     Options on Index Futures Contracts — The purchase of a call option on an index futures contract is similar in some respects to the purchase of a call option on such an index.
     The writing of a call option on a futures contract with respect to an index constitutes a partial hedge against declining prices of the underlying securities that are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at expiration of the option is below the exercise price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium, which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Fund’s holdings. The writing of a put option on an index futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against increasing prices of the underlying securities that are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at expiration of the option is higher than the exercise price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium, which provides a partial hedge against any increase in the price of securities that the Fund intends to purchase. If a put or call option the Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will incur a loss that will be reduced by the amount of the premium it receives. Depending on the degree of correlation between changes in the value of its portfolio securities and changes in the value of its futures positions, the Fund’s losses or gains from existing options on futures may to some extent be reduced or increased by changes in the value of portfolio securities.
     The purchase of a put option on a futures contract with respect to an index is similar in some respects to the purchase of protective put options on the Index. For example, the Fund may purchase a put option on an index futures contract to hedge against the risk of lowering securities values.
     The amount of risk a Fund assumes when it purchases an option on a futures contract with respect to an index is the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. In addition to the correlation risks discussed above, the purchase of such an option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the option purchased.
     Stock index futures may be used on a continual basis to equitize cash so that the Funds may maintain maximum equity exposure. Each Fund will not enter into any futures contracts or options on futures contracts if immediately thereafter the amount of margin deposits on all the futures contracts of the Fund and premiums paid on outstanding options on futures contracts owned by the Fund would exceed 5% of the market value of the total assets of the Fund.
     Futures Contracts on Stock Indices — The Funds may enter into contracts providing for the making and acceptance of a cash settlement based upon changes in the value of an index of securities (“Index Futures Contracts”). This investment technique is used only to hedge against anticipated future change in general market prices which otherwise might either adversely affect the value of securities held by the Funds or adversely affect the prices of securities which are intended to be purchased at a later date for the Funds.

- 31 -


 

     The Funds are not obligated to use hedging. A Fund’s hedging strategies are intended to reduce losses but they may also cause losses or limit gains if the hedging instrument or strategy does not perform in the way that the Fund anticipated.
     In general, each transaction in Index Futures Contracts involves the establishment of a position that will move in a direction opposite to that of the investment being hedged. If these hedging transactions are successful, the futures positions taken for the Funds will rise in value by an amount that approximately offsets the decline in value of the portion of the Funds’ investments that are being hedged. Should general market prices move in an unexpected manner, the full anticipated benefits of Index Futures Contracts may not be achieved or a loss may be realized.
     Transactions in Index Futures Contracts involve certain risks. These risks could include a lack of correlation between the Futures Contract and the equity market, a potential lack of liquidity in the secondary market and incorrect assessments of market trends, which may result in worse overall performance than if a Futures Contract had not been entered into.
     Brokerage costs will be incurred and “margin” will be required to be posted and maintained as a good-faith deposit against performance of obligations under Futures Contracts written into by the Funds. Each Fund may not purchase or sell a Futures Contract (or options thereon) if immediately thereafter its margin deposits on its outstanding Futures Contracts (and its premium paid on outstanding options thereon) would exceed 5% of the market value of each Fund’s total assets.
     Options on Securities Indices — The Funds may write (sell) covered call and put options to a limited extent on an index (“covered options”) in an attempt to increase income. Such options give the holder the right to receive a cash settlement during the term of the option based upon the difference between the exercise price and the value of the index. The Funds may forgo the benefits of appreciation on the index or may pay more than the market price for the index pursuant to call and put options written by the Funds.
     By writing a covered call option, the Funds forgo, in exchange for the premium less the commission (“net premium”), the opportunity to profit during the option period from an increase in the market value of an index above the exercise price. By writing a put option, the Funds, in exchange for the net premium received, accept the risk of a decline in the market value of the index below the exercise price.
     Each Fund may terminate its obligation as the writer of a call or put option by purchasing an option with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option previously written.
     When each Fund writes an option, an amount equal to the net premium received by the Fund is included in the liability section of the Fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities as a deferred credit. The amount of the deferred credit will be subsequently marked to market to reflect the current market value of the option written. The current market value of a traded option is the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, the mean between the closing bid and asked price. If an option expires unexercised on its stipulated expiration date or if the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, the Fund will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the premium received when the option was sold), and the deferred credit related to such option will be eliminated.
     The Funds have adopted certain other non-fundamental policies concerning index option transactions that are discussed above.
     The hours of trading for options on an index may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the option markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying securities markets that cannot be reflected in the option markets. It is impossible to predict the volume of trading that may exist in such options, and there can be no assurance that viable exchange markets will develop or continue.
     Because options on securities indices require settlement in cash or the sub-advisor may be forced to liquidate portfolio securities to meet settlement obligations.

- 32 -


 

     Options on Stock Indices — A Fund may purchase and write put and call options on stock indices listed on stock exchanges. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market values of the stocks included in the index. Options on stock indices generally are similar to options on stock except that the delivery requirements are different. Instead of giving the right to take or make delivery of stock at a specified price, an option on a stock index gives the holder the right to receive a cash “exercise settlement amount” equal to (a) the amount, if any, by which the fixed exercise price of the option exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the closing value of the underlying index on the date of exercise, multiplied by (b) a fixed “index multiplier.” The writer of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. The writer may offset its position in stock index options prior to expiration by entering into a closing transaction on an exchange or the option may expire unexercised.
     Because the value of an index option depends upon movements in the level of the index rather than the price of a particular stock, whether a Fund will realize a gain or loss from the purchase or writing of options on an index depends upon movements in the level of stock prices in the stock market generally or, in the case of certain indices, in an industry or market segment, rather than movements in the price of a particular stock.
     Inflation-Indexed Securities — Inflation-indexed securities, also known as inflation-protected securities, are fixed income instruments structured such that their interest and principal payments are adjusted to keep up with inflation.
     In periods of deflation when the inflation rate is declining, the principal value of an inflation-indexed security will be adjusted downward. This will result in a decrease in the interest payments. The U.S. Treasury guarantees to repay at least the original principal value at maturity for inflation-indexed securities issued directly by the U.S. Government. However, inflation-indexed securities of other issuers may or may not have the same principal guarantee and may repay an amount less than the original principal value at maturity.
     Changes in market expectations for real interest rates may result in volatility in the Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Fund’s share price. There can be no assurance that the designated inflation index for an inflation-indexed security will accurately reflect the real inflation rate.
     Interfund Lending — Pursuant to an order issued by the SEC, the Funds may participate in a credit facility whereby each Fund, under certain conditions, is permitted to lend money directly to and borrow directly from other Funds for temporary purposes. The credit facility can provide a borrowing Fund with significant savings at times when the cash position of the Fund is insufficient to meet temporary cash requirements. This situation could arise when shareholder redemptions exceed anticipated volumes and certain Funds have insufficient cash on hand to satisfy such redemptions. When the Funds liquidate portfolio securities to meet redemption requests, they often do not receive payment in settlement for up to three days (or longer for certain foreign transactions). However, redemption requests normally are satisfied immediately. The credit facility provides a source of immediate, short-term liquidity pending settlement of the sale of portfolio securities.
     The credit facility will reduce the Funds’ potential borrowing costs and enhance the ability of the lending Funds to earn higher rates of interest on their short-term lending. Although the credit facility will reduce the Funds’ need to borrow from banks, the Funds remain free to establish lines of credit or other borrowing arrangements with banks.
     Loan Transactions — Loan transactions involve the lending of securities to a broker-dealer or institutional investor for its use in connection with short sales, arbitrages or other security transactions. The purpose of a qualified loan transaction is to afford a lender the opportunity to continue to earn income on the securities loaned and at the same time earn fee income or income on the collateral held by it.
     Securities loans will be made in accordance with the following conditions: (1) the Fund must receive at least 100% collateral in the form of cash or cash equivalents, securities of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, and approved bank letters of credit; (2) the borrower must increase the collateral whenever the market value of the loaned securities (determined on a daily basis) rises above the level of collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan after notice, at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan or a flat fee from the borrower, as well as amounts equivalent to any dividends, interest or other distributions on the securities loaned, and any increase in market value of the loaned securities; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees in connection with the loan; and (6) voting rights on the securities loaned may pass to the borrower, provided, however, that if a material event affecting the investment occurs, the

- 33 -


 

Board must be able to terminate the loan and vote proxies or enter into an alternative arrangement with the borrower to enable the Board as appropriate, to vote proxies.
     While there may be delays in recovery of loaned securities or even a loss of rights in collateral supplied should the borrower fail financially, loans will be made only to firms deemed by the Board to be of good financial standing and will not be made unless the consideration to be earned from such loans would justify the risk. If the borrower of the securities fails financially, there is a risk of delay in recovery of the securities loaned or loss of rights in the collateral. Such loan transactions are referred to in this Statement of Additional Information as “qualified” loan transactions.
     The cash collateral so acquired through qualified loan transactions may be invested only in those categories of high quality liquid securities previously authorized by the Board.
     Mortgage-Backed Securities — Mortgage-backed securities consist of both collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage pass-through certificates.
     Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (“CMOs”) — CMOs and interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”) are debt securities collateralized by mortgages or mortgage pass-through securities. CMOs divide the cash flow generated from the underlying mortgages or mortgage pass-through securities into different groups referred to as “tranches,” which are then retired sequentially over time in order of priority. The principal governmental issuers of such securities are the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”), a government sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), a corporate instrumentality of the United States created pursuant to an act of Congress that is owned entirely by the Federal Home Loan Banks. The issuers of CMOs are structured as trusts or corporations established for the purpose of issuing such CMOs and often have no assets other than those underlying the securities and any credit support provided. A REMIC is a mortgage securities vehicle that holds residential or commercial mortgages and issues securities representing interests in those mortgages. A REMIC may be formed as a corporation, partnership, or segregated pool of assets. A REMIC itself is generally exempt from federal income tax, but the income from its mortgages is taxable to its investors. For investment purposes, interests in REMIC securities are virtually indistinguishable from CMOs.
     Mortgage Pass-Through Securities — Mortgage pass-through securities are securities representing interests in “pools” of mortgages in which payments of both interest and principal on the securities are generally made monthly, in effect “passing through” monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on the residential mortgage loans that underlie the securities (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities). They are issued by governmental, government-related and private organizations which are backed by pools of mortgage loans.
     Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage pass-through securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, as in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government, as in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), which are supported only by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency’s obligations.
     Mortgage pass-through securities created by nongovernmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit, which may be issued by governmental entities, private insurers or the mortgage poolers.
     (1) GNMA Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (“Ginnie Maes”) — GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ginnie Maes represent an undivided interest in a pool of mortgages that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration or the Farmers Home Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration. Ginnie Maes entitle the holder to receive all payments (including prepayments) of principal and interest owed by the individual mortgagors, net of fees paid to GNMA and to the issuer which assembles the mortgage pool and passes through the monthly mortgage payments to the certificate holders (typically, a mortgage banking firm), regardless of whether the individual mortgagor actually makes the payment.

- 34 -


 

     Because payments are made to certificate holders regardless of whether payments are actually received on the underlying mortgages, Ginnie Maes are of the “modified pass-through” mortgage certificate type. The GNMA is authorized to guarantee the timely payment of principal and interest on the Ginnie Maes. The GNMA guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, and the GNMA has unlimited authority to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under the guarantee. The market for Ginnie Maes is highly liquid because of the size of the market and the active participation in the secondary market of security dealers and a variety of investors.
     (2) FHLMC Mortgage Participation Certificates (“Freddie Macs”) — Freddie Macs represent interests in groups of specified first lien residential conventional mortgages underwritten and owned by the FHLMC. Freddie Macs entitle the holder to timely payment of interest, which is guaranteed by the FHLMC. The FHLMC guarantees either ultimate collection or timely payment of all principal payments on the underlying mortgage loans. In cases where the FHLMC has not guaranteed timely payment of principal, the FHLMC may remit the amount due because of its guarantee of ultimate payment of principal at any time after default on an underlying mortgage, but in no event later than one year after it becomes payable. Freddie Macs are not guaranteed by the United States or by any of the Federal Home Loan Banks and do not constitute a debt or obligation of the United States or of any Federal Home Loan Bank. The secondary market for Freddie Macs is highly liquid because of the size of the market and the active participation in the secondary market of the FHLMC, security dealers and a variety of investors. Although Freddie Macs are not guaranteed by the United States, the United States government has recently taken actions to support the liquidity and solvency of Freddie Macs, as further described below.
     (3) FNMA Guaranteed Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (“Fannie Maes”) — Fannie Maes represent an undivided interest in a pool of conventional mortgage loans secured by first mortgages or deeds of trust, on one family or two to four family, residential properties. The FNMA is obligated to distribute scheduled monthly installments of principal and interest on the mortgages in the pool, whether or not received, plus full principal of any foreclosed or otherwise liquidated mortgages. The obligation of the FNMA under its guarantee is solely its obligation and is not backed by, nor entitled to, the full faith and credit of the United States. Although Fannie Maes are not guaranteed by the United States, the United States government has recently taken actions to support the liquidity and solvency of Fannie Maes as further described below.
     (4) Mortgage-Related Securities Issued by Private Organizations — Pools created by non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government guarantees of payments in such pools. However, timely payment of interest and principal of these pools is often partially supported by various enhancements such as over-collateralization and senior/subordination structures and by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance. The insurance and guarantees are issued by government entities, private insurers or the mortgage poolers. Although the market for such securities is becoming increasingly liquid, securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily marketable.
     The U.S. Treasury has historically had the authority to purchase obligations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In addition, in 2008, due to capitalization concerns, Congress provided the U.S. Treasury with additional authority to lend Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac emergency funds and to purchase the companies’ stock, as described below. In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury and the FHFA announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had been placed in conservatorship.
     Since 2009 both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have received significant capital support through U.S. Treasury stock purchases. The U.S. Treasury announced in December 2009 that it would continue that support for the entities’ capital as necessary to prevent a negative net worth for at least the next three years. The continuing commitment of the U.S. Treasury is critical to their solvency. In addition, the Federal Reserve exercised its separate authority in 2009 to purchase mortgage-backed securities of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; the rate of those purchases is expected to slow and terminate in early 2010. While the U.S. Treasury is committed to offset negative equity at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac through its stock purchases, no assurance can be given that the Federal Reserve, U.S. Treasury, or FHFA initiatives discussed above will ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to the debt and mortgage-backed securities they issue.
     Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also have been the subject of several class action lawsuits and investigations by federal regulators over certain accounting, disclosure, or corporate governance matters. Such

- 35 -


 

legal proceedings and investigations, and any resulting restatements of financial statements, may adversely affect the guaranteeing entity and, as a result, the payment of principal or interest on their securities. Finally, in 2010, anticipated Congressional action to address structural change in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may have an impact on the value of their outstanding debt.
     Other Investment Company Securities — A Fund at times may invest in shares of other investment companies, including other investment companies of the Trust. Investments in the securities of other investment companies may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. By investing in another investment company, a Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment company. As a result, Fund shareholders indirectly will bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by shareholders of the other investment company, in addition to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund’s own operations. These other fees and expenses are reflected as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and are itemized in the Fees and Expenses Table for each Fund in its prospectus. Investment in other investment companies may involve the payment of substantial premiums above the value of such issuer’s portfolio securities.
     Preferred Stock — A preferred stock blends the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend is typically set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be variable, changed or omitted by the issuer.
     Ratings of Long-Term Obligations — The Funds utilize ratings provided by the following Rating Organizations in order to determine eligibility of long-term obligations.
     Credit ratings typically evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of high yield bonds. The Rating Organizations may fail to update a credit rating on a timely basis to reflect changes in economic or financial conditions that may affect the market value of the security. For these reasons, credit ratings may not be an accurate indicator of the market value of a high yield bond.
     The four highest Moody’s ratings for long-term obligations (or issuers thereof) are Aaa, Aa, A and Baa. Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk. Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk. Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk. Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
     Moody’s ratings of Ba, B, Caa, Ca and C are considered below investment grade. Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk. Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk. Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk. Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest. Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest. Moody’s also appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
     The four highest Standard & Poor’s ratings for long-term obligations are AAA, AA, A and BBB. An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong. An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong. An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong. An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
     Standard & Poor’s ratings of BB, B, CCC, CC, C and D are considered below investment grade and are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse

- 36 -


 

conditions. An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. A C rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the C rating may be assigned to subordinated debt, preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instrument’s terms. An obligation rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
     The four highest ratings for long-term obligations by Fitch Ratings are AAA, AA, A and BBB. Obligations rated AAA are deemed to be of the highest credit quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events. Obligations rated AA are deemed to be of very high credit quality. AA ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. Obligations rated A are deemed to be of high credit quality. An A rating denotes expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings. Obligations rated BBB are deemed to be of good credit quality. BBB ratings indicate that there are currently expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse changes in circumstances and economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment grade category.
     Fitch’s ratings of BB, B, CCC, CC, C, RD and D are considered below investment grade or speculative grade. Obligations rated BB are deemed to be speculative. BB ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade. Obligations rated B are deemed to be highly speculative. For issuers and performing obligations, B ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for extremely high recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of RR1 (outstanding). Obligations rated CCC indicate, for issuers and performing obligations, default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic conditions. For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for average to superior levels of recovery. Differences in credit quality may be denoted by plus/minus distinctions. Such obligations typically would possess a Recovery Rating of RR2 (superior), or RR3 (good) or RR4 (average). Obligations rated CC indicate, for issuers and performing obligations, default of some kind appears probable. For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with a Recovery Rating of RR4 (average) or RR5 (below average). Obligations rated C indicate, for issuers and performing obligations, default is imminent. For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for below-average to poor recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of RR6 (poor). Obligations rated RD indicate an entity that has failed to make due payments (within the applicable grace period) on some but not all material financial obligations, but continues to honor other classes of obligations. Obligations rated D indicate an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations. Default generally is defined as one of the following: (a) failure of an obligor to make timely payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of any financial obligation; (b) the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of business of an obligor; or (c) the distressed or other coercive exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation. Default ratings are not assigned prospectively; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that

- 37 -


 

contains a deferral feature or grace period will not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period.
     The four highest ratings for long-term obligations by Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited (“DBRS”) are AAA, AA, A and BBB. Long-term debt rated AAA is of the highest credit quality, with exceptionally strong protection for the timely repayment of principal and interest. Earnings are considered stable, the structure of the industry in which the entity operates is strong, and the outlook for future profitability is favorable. There are few qualifying factors present that would detract from the performance of the entity. The strength of liquidity and coverage ratios is unquestioned and the entity has established a credible track record of superior performance. Given the extremely high standard that DBRS has set for this category, few entities are able to achieve a AAA rating. Long-term debt rated AA is of superior credit quality, and protection of interest and principal is considered high. In many cases they differ from long-term debt rated AAA only to a small degree. Given the extremely restrictive definition DBRS has for the AAA category, entities rated AA are also considered to be strong credits, typically exemplifying above-average strength in key areas of consideration and unlikely to be significantly affected by reasonably foreseeable events. Long-term debt rated “A” is of satisfactory credit quality. Protection of interest and principal is still substantial, but the degree of strength is less than that of AA rated entities. While “A” is a respectable rating, entities in this category are considered to be more susceptible to adverse economic conditions and have greater cyclical tendencies than higher-rated securities. Long-term debt rated BBB is of adequate credit quality. Protection of interest and principal is considered acceptable, but the entity is fairly susceptible to adverse changes in financial and economic conditions, or there may be other adverse conditions present which reduce the strength of the entity and its rated securities.
     DBRS’ ratings of BB, B, CCC, CC, C and D are considered speculative and non-investment grade. Long-term debt rated BB is defined to be speculative and non-investment grade, where the degree of protection afforded interest and principal is uncertain, particularly during periods of economic recession. Entities in the BB range typically have limited access to capital markets and additional liquidity support. In many cases, deficiencies in critical mass, diversification, and competitive strength are additional negative considerations. Long-term debt rated B is considered highly speculative and there is a reasonably high level of uncertainty as to the ability of the entity to pay interest and principal on a continuing basis in the future, especially in periods of economic recession or industry adversity. Long-term debt rated CCC, CC or C is very highly speculative and is in danger of default of interest and principal. The degree of adverse elements present is more severe than long-term debt rated B. Long-term debt rated below B often have features which, if not remedied, may lead to default. In practice, there is little difference between these three categories, with CC and C normally used for lower ranking debt of companies for which the senior debt is rated in the CCC to B range. A security rated D implies the issuer has either not met a scheduled payment of interest or principal or that the issuer has made it clear that it will miss such a payment in the near future. In some cases, DBRS may not assign a D rating under a bankruptcy announcement scenario, as allowances for grace periods may exist in the underlying legal documentation. Once assigned, the D rating will continue as long as the missed payment continues to be in arrears, and until such time as the rating is discontinued or reinstated by DBRS.
     Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings apply indicators (such as “+” and “-”) and DBRS adds “high” or “low” to indicate relative standing within the major rating categories (except AAA). A rating without one of these indicators falls within the middle of the category.
     Ratings of Short-Term Obligations — Moody’s short-term ratings, designated as P-1, P-2 or P-3, are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations that generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months. The rating P-1 is the highest short-term rating assigned by Moody’s and it denotes an issuer (or supporting institution) that has a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations. The rating P-2 denotes an issuer (or supporting institution) that has a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations. The rating P-3 denotes an issuer (or supporting institution) that has an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term policyholder claims and obligations.
     Standard & Poor’s short-term ratings are generally assigned to obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days—including commercial paper. A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong. A short-term obligation rated A-2 is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory. A short-term obligation rated A-3 exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead

- 38 -


 

to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. A short-term obligation rated B is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. Ratings of B-1, B-2, and B-3 may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the B category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. A short-term obligation rated C is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. A short-term obligation rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
     Fitch Ratings’ short-term ratings have a time horizon of less than 13 months for most obligations, or up to three years for US public finance, in line with industry standards, to reflect unique risk characteristics of bond, tax, and revenue anticipation notes that are commonly issued with terms up to three years. Short-term ratings thus place greater emphasis on the liquidity necessary to meet financial commitments in a timely manner. A rating of F1 denotes an obligation of the highest credit quality. It indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments and may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. A rating of F2 denotes good credit quality. It indicates a satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings. A rating of F3 denotes fair credit quality. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non investment grade. A rating of B denotes an obligation that is speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. A rating of C denotes a high default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. A rating of D indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations.
     The DBRS short-term debt rating scale is meant to give an indication of the risk that a borrower will not fulfill its near-term debt obligations in a timely manner. Short-term debt rated R-1 (high) is of the highest credit quality, and indicates an entity possessing unquestioned ability to repay current liabilities as they fall due. Entities rated in this category normally maintain strong liquidity positions, conservative debt levels, and profitability that is both stable and above average. Companies achieving an R-1 (high) rating are normally leaders in structurally sound industry segments with proven track records, sustainable positive future results, and no substantial qualifying negative factors. Given the extremely tough definition DBRS has established for an R-1 (high), few entities are strong enough to achieve this rating. Short-term debt rated R-1 (middle) is of superior credit quality and, in most cases, ratings in this category differ from R-1 (high) credits by only a small degree. Given the extremely tough definition DBRS has established for the R-1 (high) category, entities rated R-1 (middle) are also considered strong credits, and typically exemplify above average strength in key areas of consideration for the timely repayment of short-term liabilities. Short-term debt rated R-1 (low) is of satisfactory credit quality. The overall strength and outlook for key liquidity, debt, and profitability ratios is not normally as favorable as with higher rating categories, but these considerations are still respectable. Any qualifying negative factors that exist are considered manageable, and the entity is normally of sufficient size to have some influence in its industry. Short-term debt rated R-2 (high) is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The ability to repay obligations as they mature remains acceptable, although the overall strength and outlook for key liquidity, debt and profitability ratios is not as strong as credits rated in the R-1 (low) category. Relative to the latter category, other shortcomings often include areas such as stability, financial flexibility, and the relative size and market position of the entity within its industry. Short-term debt rated R-2 (middle) is considered to be of adequate credit quality. Relative to the R-2 (high) category, entities rated R-2 (middle) typically have some combination of higher volatility, weaker debt or liquidity positions, lower future cash flow capabilities, or are negatively impacted by a weaker industry. Ratings in this category would be more vulnerable to adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. Short-term debt rated R-2 (low) is considered to be at the lower end of adequate credit quality, typically having some combination of challenges that are not acceptable for an R-2 (middle) credit. However, R-2 (low) ratings still display a level of credit strength that allows for a higher rating than the R-3 category, with this distinction often reflecting the issuer’s liquidity profile. Short-term debt rated R-3 is considered to be at the lowest end of adequate credit quality, one step up from being speculative. While not yet defined as speculative, the R-3 category signifies that although repayment is still expected, the certainty of repayment could be impacted by a variety of possible adverse developments, many of which would be outside of the issuer’s control. Entities in this area often have limited access to capital markets and may also have limitations in securing alternative sources of liquidity, particularly during periods of weak economic conditions. Short-term debt rated R-4 is speculative. R-4 credits tend to have weak liquidity and debt ratios, and the future

- 39 -


 

trend of these ratios is also unclear. Due to its speculative nature, companies with R-4 ratings would normally have very limited access to alternative sources of liquidity. Earnings and cash flow would typically be very unstable, and the level of overall profitability of the entity is also likely to be low. The industry environment may be weak, and strong negative qualifying factors are also likely to be present. Short-term debt rated R-5 is highly speculative. There is a reasonably high level of uncertainty as to the ability of the entity to repay the obligations on a continuing basis in the future, especially in periods of economic recession or industry adversity. In some cases, short term debt rated R-5 may have challenges that if not corrected, could lead to default. A security rated D implies the issuer has either not met a scheduled payment or the issuer has made it clear that it will be missing such a payment in the near future. In some cases, DBRS may not assign a D rating under a bankruptcy announcement scenario, as allowances for grace periods may exist in the underlying legal documentation. Once assigned, the D rating will continue as long as the missed payment continues to be in arrears, and until such time as the rating is discontinued or reinstated by DBRS.
     Recent Market Events — Recent events in the financial sector have resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets. Both domestic and foreign equity markets have been experiencing increased volatility and turmoil, with issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets particularly affected, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions could continue. The U.S. Government has taken a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity.
     Reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets may adversely affect many issuers worldwide. This reduced liquidity may result in less money being available to purchase raw materials, goods and services from emerging markets, which may, in turn, bring down the prices of these economic staples. It may also result in emerging market issuers having more difficulty obtaining financing, which may, in turn, cause a decline in their stock prices. These events and possible continued market turbulence may have an adverse effect on a Fund.
     Repurchase Agreements — A repurchase agreement, which provides a means to earn income on funds for periods as short as overnight, is an arrangement under which the purchaser (e.g., a Fund) purchases securities and the seller agrees, at the time of sale, to repurchase the securities at a specified time and price. The repurchase price will be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to the purchaser, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to the purchaser together with the repurchase price on repurchase. In either case, the income to the purchaser is unrelated to the interest rate on the securities subject to the repurchase agreement. Repurchase agreements are generally for a short period of time, usually less than a week.
     Each Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with any bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System or registered broker-dealer who, in the opinion of the Manager and the sub-advisor as applicable, presents a minimum risk of bankruptcy during the term of the agreement based upon guidelines that periodically are reviewed by the Board. Each Fund may enter into repurchase agreements as a short-term investment of its idle cash in order to earn income. The securities will be held by a custodian (or agent) approved by the Board, during the term of the agreement. However, if the market value of the securities subject to the repurchase agreement becomes less than the repurchase price (including interest), the Fund will direct the seller of the securities to deliver additional securities so that the market value of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement will equal or exceed the repurchase price.
     In the event of the commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller of the securities before the repurchase of the securities under a repurchase agreement, a Fund may encounter a delay and incur costs before being able to sell the security being held as collateral. Delays may involve loss of interest or decline in price of the securities. Apart from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the securities, in which case a Fund may incur a loss if the proceeds to the Fund from the sale of the securities to a third party are less than the repurchase price.
     Reverse Repurchase Agreements — The Funds may borrow funds for temporary purposes by entering into reverse repurchase agreements. Pursuant to such agreements, a Fund would sell portfolio securities to financial institutions such as banks and broker/dealers and agree to repurchase them at a mutually agreed-upon date and price. The Funds intend to enter into reverse repurchase agreements only to avoid selling securities to meet redemptions during market conditions deemed unfavorable by the investment advisor possessing investment authority. At the time a Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will place in a segregated custodial account assets such as liquid high quality debt securities having a value not less than 100% of the repurchase price (including accrued interest), and will subsequently monitor the account to ensure that such

- 40 -


 

required value is maintained. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by a Fund may decline below the price at which such Fund is obligated to repurchase the securities. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings by an investment company under the 1940 Act.
     Rights and Warrants — Rights are short-term warrants issued in conjunction with new stock issues. Warrants are options to purchase an issuer’s securities at a stated price during a stated term. If the market price of the underlying common stock does not exceed the warrant’s exercise price during the life of the warrant, the warrant will expire worthless. Warrants usually have no voting rights, pay no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the corporation issuing them. The percentage increase or decrease in the value of a warrant may be greater than the percentage increase or decrease in the value of the underlying common stock. There is no specific limit on the percentage of assets a Fund may invest in rights and warrants, although the ability of some of the Funds to so invest is limited by their investment objectives or policies.
     Section 4(2) Securities — Section 4(2) securities are restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws, and generally are sold to institutional investors, such as one of the Funds, that agree they are purchasing the securities for investment and not with an intention to distribute to the public. Any resale by the purchaser must be pursuant to an exempt transaction and may be accomplished in accordance with Rule 144A. Section 4(2) securities normally are resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of the issuer or dealers that make a market in the Section 4(2) securities, thus providing liquidity.
     The Board and the applicable sub-advisor will carefully monitor the Funds’ investments in Section 4(2) securities offered and sold under Rule 144A, focusing on such important factors, among others, as valuation, liquidity, and availability of information. Investments in Section 4(2) securities could have the effect of reducing a Fund’s liquidity to the extent that qualified institutional buyers no longer wish to purchase these restricted securities.
     Terrorism Risks — Some of the U.S. securities markets were closed for a four-day period as a result of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001. These terrorist attacks, the war with Iraq and its aftermath, continuing occupation of Iraq by coalition forces and related events have led to increased short-term market volatility and may have long-term effects on U.S. and world economies and markets. Those events could also have an acute effect on individual issuers, related groups of issuers, or issuers concentrated in a single geographic area. A similar disruption of the financial markets or other terrorist attacks could adversely impact interest rates, auctions, secondary trading, ratings, credit risk, inflation and other factors relating to portfolio securities and adversely affect Fund service providers and the Funds’ operations.
     Time-Zone Arbitrage — Investing in foreign securities may involve a greater risk for excessive trading due to “time- zone arbitrage.” If an event occurring after the close of a foreign market, but before the time a Fund computes its current net asset value, causes a change in the price of the foreign securities and such price is not reflected in the Fund’s current net asset value, investors may attempt to take advantage of anticipated price movements in securities held by the Fund based on such pricing discrepancies.
     U.S. Government Securities — U.S. Government Securities are securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities. Some obligations issued by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury; others by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others by discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and others only by the credit of the agency or instrumentality. U.S. Government Securities bear fixed, floating or variable rates of interest. While the U.S. Government currently provides financial support to certain U.S. Government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it will always do so, since it is not so obligated by law. U.S. Government securities include U.S. Treasury bills, notes and bonds, Federal Home Loan Bank obligations, Federal Intermediate Credit Bank obligations, U.S. Government agency obligations and repurchase agreements secured thereby. The prices of these securities (like all debt securities) change between issuance and maturity in response to fluctuating market interest rates or credit ratings.
     U.S. Treasury Obligations — U.S. Treasury obligations include bills (initial maturities of one year or less), notes (initial maturities between two and ten years), and bonds (initial maturities over ten years) issued by the U.S. Treasury, Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal component parts of such obligations known as STRIPS and inflation-indexed securities. Although U.S. Treasury securities carry relatively little principal risk if held to maturity, the prices of these securities (like all debt securities) change between issuance and maturity in response to fluctuating market interest rates or credit ratings.

- 41 -


 

     Variable or Floating Rate Obligations — A variable rate obligation is one whose terms provide for the adjustment of its interest rate on set dates and which, upon such adjustment, can reasonably be expected to have a market value that approximates its par value. A floating rate obligation is one whose terms provide for the adjustment of its interest rate whenever a specified interest rate changes and which, at any time, can reasonably be expected to have a market value that approximates its par value. Variable or floating rate obligations may be secured by bank letters of credit.
     Pursuant to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act, variable or floating rate obligations with stated maturities of more than 397 days may be deemed to have shorter maturities as follows:
     (1) An obligation that is issued or guaranteed by the United States Government or any agency thereof which has a variable rate of interest readjusted no less frequently than every 762 days will be deemed by a Fund to have a maturity equal to the period remaining until the next readjustment of the interest rate.
     (2) A variable rate obligation, the principal amount of which is scheduled on the face of the instrument to be paid in 397 days or less, will be deemed by a Fund to have a maturity equal to the period remaining until the next readjustment of the interest rate.
     (3) A variable rate obligation that is subject to a demand feature will be deemed by a Fund to have a maturity equal to the longer of the period remaining until the next readjustment of the interest rate or the period remaining until the principal amount can be recovered through demand.
     (4) A floating rate obligation that is subject to a demand feature will be deemed by a Fund to have a maturity equal to the period remaining until the principal amount can be recovered through demand.
     As used above, an obligation is “subject to a demand feature” when a Fund is entitled to receive the principal amount of the obligation either at any time on no more than 30 days’ notice or at specified intervals not exceeding one year and upon no more than 30 days’ notice.
     When-Issued and Forward Commitment Transactions — These transactions involve a commitment by a Fund to purchase or sell securities at a future date. These transactions enable a Fund to “lock-in” what the Manager or the sub-advisor, as applicable, believes to be an attractive price or yield on a particular security for a period of time, regardless of future changes in interest rates. For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling prices, a Fund might sell securities it owns on a forward commitment basis to limit its exposure to falling prices. In periods of falling interest rates and rising prices, a Fund might purchase a security on a when-issued or forward commitment basis and sell a similar security to settle such purchase, thereby obtaining the benefit of currently higher yields. If the other party fails to complete the trade, the Fund may lose the opportunity to obtain a favorable price. For purchases on a when-issued basis, the price of the security is fixed at the date of purchase, but delivery of and payment for the securities is not set until after the securities are issued (generally one to two months later). The value of when-issued securities is subject to market fluctuation during the interim period and no income accrues to a Fund until settlement takes place. Such transactions therefore involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date or if the value of the security to be sold increases prior to the settlement date. A sale of a when-issued security also involves the risk that the other party will be unable to settle the transaction. Forward commitment transactions involve a commitment to purchase or sell securities with payment and delivery to take place at some future date, normally one to two months after the date of the transaction. The payment obligation and interest rate are fixed at the time the buyer enters into the forward commitment. Forward commitment transactions are typically used as a hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices. Forward commitment transactions are executed for existing obligations, whereas in a when-issued transaction, the obligations have not yet been issued.
     Each Fund maintains with the Custodian a segregated account containing high-grade liquid securities in an amount at least equal to the when-issued or forward commitment transaction. When entering into a when-issued or forward commitment transaction, a Fund will rely on the other party to consummate the transaction; if the other party fails to do so, the Fund may be disadvantaged.

- 42 -


 

APPENDIX A
AMERICAN BEACON MASTER TRUST
AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
AMERICAN BEACON MILEAGE FUNDS
AMERICAN BEACON SELECT FUNDS
PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Last Amended March 1, 2010
Preface
     Proxy voting is an important component of investment management and must be performed in a dutiful and purposeful fashion in order to secure the best long-term interests of interest holders of the American Beacon Master Trust and shareholders of the American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, and the American Beacon Select Funds (collectively, the “Funds”). Therefore, these Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures (the “Policy”) have been adopted by the Funds.
     The Funds are managed by American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the “Manager”). The Funds’ Boards of Trustees has delegated proxy voting authority to the Manager with respect to the Funds that invest primarily in the securities of domestic U.S. issuers and the portion of the Global Real Estate Fund that invests in the securities of North American issuers (collectively, the “Domestic Funds”). The Manager has retained a proxy voting consultant (the “Consultant”) to provide assistance regarding the objective review and voting of proxies on any assets held by the Domestic Funds, consistent with the Policy. The Policy sets forth the policies and procedures the Manager employs when voting proxies for the Domestic Funds, including the role of their investment subadvisers (the “Subadvisers”). Proxy voting for the Funds that invest primarily in the securities of foreign issuers and the portion of the Global Real Estate Fund that invests in the securities of non-North American issuers (the “International Funds”) has been delegated by the International Funds’ Boards of Trustees to the subadvisers for those funds (“International Subadvisers”). For the securities held in their respective portion of each International Fund, the International Subadvisers make voting decisions pursuant to their own proxy voting policies and procedures, which have been adopted by the International Funds and approved by their Boards of Trustees. The Policy includes the procedures that the Manager performs to monitor proxy voting by the International Subadvisers.
     For all of the Funds, the Manager seeks to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of Fund interest holders and shareholders (collectively, “shareholders”). For certain proxy proposals, the interests of the Manager and/or its affiliates may differ from Fund shareholders’ interests. To avoid the appearance of impropriety and to fulfill its fiduciary responsibility to shareholders in these circumstances, the Policy includes procedures established by the Manager for voting proxy proposals that potentially present a conflict of interests.
Domestic Funds — Procedures
     1. Voting —The Consultant has been instructed by the Manager to vote proxies in accordance with the Policy, unless it is notified to vote otherwise by the Manager in writing. The Manager may decide to instruct the Consultant to vote in a manner different than specified by the Policy if it determines that such a variance from the Policy would be in the best interests of Fund shareholders. In making such a determination, the Manager will conduct its analysis of the proxy proposal, which may include, among other things, discussing the issue with Subadvisers holding the security to determine their recommended voting position.
     Except as otherwise noted, items to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and proposals not contemplated by the Policy will be assessed by the Manager. In these situations, the Manager will use its judgment in directing the Consultant to vote in the best interest of the Funds’ shareholders and will propose changes to the Policy when appropriate.
     2. Conflicts of InterestThe Manager maintains a list by Fund of all affiliated persons, including the Manager and its affiliates, the Subadvisers and their affiliates as well as the Funds’ distributor and its affiliates. Any proxy proposal involving an entity on this list could be considered to represent a conflict of interest between a) the Manager, a Subadviser, the distributor or any of their affiliates and b) Fund shareholders. The Manager will monitor the Fund’s holdings against the list of affiliated persons and will

 


 

conduct an analysis based upon the following procedures to resolve these known potential conflicts as well as any unforeseen conflicts.
          a. Proxies for Affiliated Funds — Each Fund has the ability to invest in the shares of any of the Money Market Funds. For example, the High Yield Bond Fund may purchase shares of the Money Market Fund. If the Money Market Fund issues a proxy for which the High Yield Bond Fund is entitled to vote, the Manager’s interests regarding the Money Market Fund might appear to conflict with the interests of the shareholders of the High Yield Bond Fund. In these cases, the Manager will instruct the Consultant to vote in accordance with the Board of Trustees’ recommendations in the proxy statement.
          b. Business / Personal Connections of the Manager — The Manager is minority owned by AMR Corporation, which is a publicly-traded corporation and the parent company of American Airlines, Inc. To avoid the appearance of any conflict of interests, the Funds are expressly prohibited from investing in the securities of AMR Corporation or any other airline company.
          The Manager could have an advisory client that issues a proxy or promotes a proxy proposal for which a Fund is entitled to vote. By taking a particular voting position on the proxy, it could be perceived by Fund shareholders that the Manager is favoring the advisory client over Fund shareholders in order to avoid harming its relationship with the advisory client. If the Manager is asked to render a decision regarding a proxy proposal issued or promoted by one of its advisory clients, the Manager will refer that proposal to the applicable Fund’s Board of Trustees, who will decide the Fund’s voting position after consultation with the Manager.
          In the event that a principal officer of the Manager has a personal relationship or connection with an issuer or proponent of a proxy proposal being considered by the Manager, the voting matter will be discussed with the applicable Fund’s Board of Trustees, who will decide the Fund’s voting position after consultation with the Manager.
          If an unforeseen conflict pertaining to a particular proxy proposal becomes apparent, the Manager will refer that proposal to the applicable Fund’s Board of Trustees, who will decide the Fund’s voting position after consultation with the Manager.
          c. Business / Personal Connections of the Subadvisers — Each Subadviser (and its affiliates) is considered an affiliate of the portion of the Fund it manages. When the Manager receives input regarding a voting recommendation from a Subadviser, the Manager will request the Subadviser’s disclosure of any business or personal relationships or connections that the Subadviser itself or its principals may have with the proxy issuer or any proponent of the proxy proposal. If the Subadviser’s disclosure reveals any potential conflicts of interest, the Manager will not rely on the Subadviser’s recommendation regarding the proxy proposal.
     3. Securities on LoanThe Consultant will notify the Manager before the record date about the occurrence of a future shareholder meeting. The Manager will determine whether or not to recall shares of the applicable security that are on loan with the intent of voting such shares in accordance with the Policy, based on factors including the nature of the meeting (i.e., annual or special), the percentage of the proxy issuer’s outstanding securities on loan, any other information regarding the proxy proposals of which the Manager may be aware, and the loss of securities lending income to a Fund as a result of recalling the shares on loan.
Domestic Funds — Policies
     1. Routine ProposalsRoutine proxy proposals are most commonly defined as those that do not change the structure, bylaws, or operations of the corporation to the detriment of the shareholders. The proposals are consistent with industry standards as well as the corporate laws in the state of incorporation. Traditionally, these include:
          A. Location of annual meeting
          B. Employee stock purchase plan
          C. Appointment of auditors
          D. Corporate strategy
          E. Director indemnification and liability protection
          F. Reincorporation

A-2


 

     The Funds’ policy is to support management on these routine proposals.
     2. Social, Political and Environmental ProposalsIssues which can be characterized as non-financial or non-business issues involving social, political and environmental issues will result in voting to support management. Financial interests of the shareholders are the only consideration for proxy voting decisions.
     3. Shareholder Equality ProposalsIssues that do not discriminate against certain shareholders will be supported. Non-discriminatory proposals include:
          A. Anti-greenmail — Provisions that require that the price paid to the greenmailer must be extended to all shareholders of record will be supported.
          B. Fair price provisions — Provisions that guarantee an equal price to all shareholders will be supported.
     4. Non-routine proposalsIssues in this category are more likely to affect the structure and operation of the corporation and, therefore have a greater impact on the value of the shareholders’ investment. All situations will be viewed individually and independently with the focus on the financial interest of the shareholders.
     Various factors will contribute in the decision-making process assessing the financial interest of the shareholders. Consideration should be given first and foremost to the board of directors. The board of directors oversees the management of the company, makes decisions on the most important issues and is a representative of the shareholders. To the degree that the board is independent (defined as at least 75% of members are independent, having no personal or business relationship with management, as defined by the relevant exchange), capable and dedicated to the shareholders, support should be for the board’s recommendations.
     Management’s record, strategy and tenure will contribute in the decision-making process. The tendency will be to side with management if, in the past, it has shown the intent and ability to maximize shareholder wealth over the long term. Management will not be judged on a quarter-by-quarter basis, but judged on decisions that are consistent with the long-term interests of the shareholders of the company.
     The following are specific issues that directly impact the financial interest of the shareholders.
          A. Board of Directors
               a. Uncontested electionsThe Funds will support management’s slate during uncontested elections if the board is independent. The company is the best judge of who is able and available to serve, and who will work well together.
               b. Contested electionswill be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Both slates of candidates will be evaluated based on a thorough analysis of each contesting side.
               c. Independent compensation committeean independent committee will best represent shareholder interests and guards against conflicts of interest in executive pay decisions. An independent or majority independent committee will have no financial interest in the outcome. The Funds will support proposals for independent compensation committees.
               d. Independent nominating committeeThe Funds believe that independent directors selected by a committee of independent directors will be more likely to question the CEO’s business judgment. Therefore, the Funds will support proposals for independent nominating committees.
               e. Classified boardsA typical classified board is divided into 3 groups with one group standing for election every third year. The Funds believe that shareholders benefit from the structure as classified boards provide stability of leadership and continuity of management and policy that is crucial when evaluating company issues. Therefore, the Funds’ policy is to support classified boards, unless an independent board proposes to declassify itself, in which case the Funds will support management.

A-3


 

               f. Cumulative votingUnder cumulative voting, shareholders are entitled to a number of votes equal to the number of board seats open for election, times the number of shares held. The votes can be cast for one nominee or apportion them, equally or not, amongst the nominees. The Funds believe that each director should act for the benefit of all shareholders and therefore should not be elected by a special group of shareholders. As a result, the Funds do not support cumulative voting. Directors have the fiduciary responsibility to protect and enhance the interests of all shareholders. The potential disruption caused by a minority director with a special agenda is potentially damaging to a majority of shareholders. Directors should act in the benefit of the majority, not the minority.
               g. Independent boardsThe Funds believe independent boards will permit clear and independent decision-making, benefiting shareholders’ long-term interests. Board members who are independent are more likely to protect shareholders’ interests than company executives or other insiders. An “independent director” is defined as an individual who has had no personal or business relationship with management, as defined by the relevant exchange. While the Funds’ policy is to generally support independent boards, there is no objection to including up to 25% of insiders or affiliated outsiders on the board. Inside directors have intimate knowledge of the company that will be beneficial during discussions of the company’s long-term prospects. If the board is less than 75% independent, the Funds will withhold their vote for non-CEO board members that are not independent.
               h. Separate chairman, CEO positionsProponents contend that an individual with both positions is accountable to no one. The CEO is a management employee, responsible for day-to-day operations, implementing corporate strategy, and accountable to the board. The chairman is responsible for the overall direction of the company, protecting the shareholders’ interests, evaluating the performance of the CEO, and is accountable to the shareholders.
               Opponents contend it would dilute the power of the CEO to provide effective leadership, create a potential rivalry between the two positions leading to compromise rather than decisive action, insulate the CEO from being held accountable by the board if the chairman is overprotective, and finally, may cause confusion by having two public spokesmen. Despite the widespread use of this structure in Britain, it is relatively revolutionary in the U.S. If the board is independent, the Funds will support the company’s recommendation regarding separate chairman, CEO positions. Other situations will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
               i. Minimum director stock / fund ownershipproponents contend that a director’s interests will be more aligned with shareholders if the director has a personal stake in the company. Additionally, many companies are providing part of their compensation in the form of stock for directors.
               Opponents contend that minimum stock/fund ownership requirements will restrict the search to qualified, wealthy board candidates. This could eliminate other candidates who may not be able to pay the price of the required stock.
               The Funds will not support proposals for minimum director stock ownership.
               j. Majority vote to elect directors — Shareholder concern about director elections is an outgrowth of their concern about director accountability in the aftermath of corporate scandals. Opponents argue that because of the “holdover” provision applicable to most directors, a resignation policy could be more effective in actually effecting the removal of an unpopular director. Proponents maintain that a resignation policy approach still leaves such a director technically “elected” and puts the onus on other board members to take action against one of their colleagues.
               The Funds will support proposals for a majority vote requirement to elect directors.
               k. Increase/decrease size of board — The board and management are in the best position to determine the structure for the board. If the board is independent, the Funds will support proposals to increase or decrease the size of the board if the board will be comprised of at least 5 but no more than 20 members. Outside of this range, the Funds will vote against a change in the size of a board of directors.
               l. Limit number of boards served — The board and management are in the best position to determine the structure for the board. The Funds will not support proposals to limit the number of boards a director may serve on.

A-4


 

               m. Term limits — Opponents of term limits sustain that the board and management are in the best position to determine a workable, efficient structure for the board. Furthermore, shareholders may approve or disapprove of certain directors with their vote at annual meetings. The board should be free to identify the individuals who will best serve the shareholders. Supporters of term limits say that limiting the number of years that a director can serve on the board provides a built-in mechanism to force turnover. A structure that specifically limits the period of time a director can serve provides opportunities for recruiting directors with new ideas and perspectives.
               The Funds will not support proposals to institute term limits.
          B. Executive / Director compensation
               a. Incentive/Stock option plans (establish, amend, add)proponents contend that incentive/stock option plans are designed to attract, hold and motivate management. Shareholders generally favor these plans, as top managers should have a stake in their company that ties compensation to performance. By aligning management’s interests with shareholders toward a goal of increasing shareholder value, better returns usually result.
               Opponents contend that incentive/stock option plans may dilute the shareholders’ claim on profits and assets and may lead to a shift in the balance of voting control. Additionally, easily attainable incentive goals may not provide the necessary incentive for management.
               If the board is independent and if the company has performed well over the previous 3- or 5- year period, the Funds will generally support these plans. However, the Funds will not support plans that permit:
    Dilution in excess of the company’s peer group, unless overall executive compensation levels (including the value of the options) are at or below the peer group; or
 
    Repricing/replacing underwater options
               b. Discounted stock optionsoptions that may be exercised at prices below the stock’s fair market value on the award date. Sometimes called non-qualified options, these options are granted “in-the-money” or immediately exercisable for a profit. The Funds do not support discounted stock options, as they do not give management much incentive to increase share value, while the purpose of granting stock options is to align executives’ interests with those of the shareholders.
               c. Exchange of underwater optionsoptions with an exercise price higher than the market price are considered “underwater” and, needless to say, unattractive. The Funds do not support the exchange of underwater options that result in a financial gain to the participants since other shareholders have no such protection from falling stock prices and since executives would bear no risk if management is willing to bail them out when the stock price falls. The Funds will support the exchange of underwater options that do not result in a financial gain to the participants.
               d. Cap or limit executive and director pay — The Funds will not support capping or limiting executive or director pay. Pay flexibility is necessary to motivate and retain top quality executives and align shareholder and management interests.
               e. Link pay to performanceProponents contend that by linking pay to performance management’s interests will be aligned with shareholders. Management with compensation packages containing little volatility or risk may have a goal other than maximizing shareholder wealth. As a result, the Funds will support proposals to link pay to performance. However, the Funds will not support proposals requiring that an excessive portion (75% or more) of equity compensation be performance based.
               f. Golden parachute provisionsprovide severance payments to top executives who are terminated or demoted after a change in control (takeover). They provide some financial security to executives relieving potential anxiety as they negotiate and impartially evaluate future takeover bids. This provision will allow executives to not oppose a merger that might be in the best interests of the shareholders but may cost them their job. Parachutes may also benefit shareholders as they aid in the attraction and retention of managers.

A-5


 

               However, opponents contend the existence of these provisions can discourage takeover attempts, as significant sums may have to be paid to company executives. Executives are already well paid to manage the company and should not have an extra reward. Additionally, shareholder approval is generally not necessary for enactment of this provision.
               Properly conceived, golden parachutes can free management to act in the best interests of shareholders. Often, however, it is clearly an attempt to raise the cost to a third party of acquiring the company. Other criteria for analyzing the actual approval of parachute plans might include necessity, breadth of participation, payout size, sensitivity of triggers and leveraged buyout restrictions. If the board is independent and the company has performed well over the previous 3- or 5-year period, the Funds will support golden parachute provisions.
               g. Executive incentive bonus plans — Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code prohibits companies from deducting more than $1 million in compensation paid to each of the top five executives, unless the compensation is paid under a performance-based, shareholder approved plan. To maintain compliance, these performance-based plans require shareholder approval every five years.
               Cash bonus plans can be an important part of an executive’s overall pay package, along with stock-based plans tied to long-term total shareholder returns. Over the long term, stock prices are an excellent indicator of management performance. However, other factors, such as economic conditions and investor reaction to the stock market in general, and certain industries in particular, can greatly impact the company’s stock price. As a result, a cash bonus plan can effectively reward individual performance and the achievement of business unit objectives that are independent of short-term market share price fluctuations. Moreover, preservation of the full deductibility of all compensation paid reduces the company’s corporate tax obligation.
               Generally, the Funds will support these performance-based plans. However, if the compensation committee is not 100% independent, the proposal will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
               h. Supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs) — Supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs) provide supplemental retirement benefits for executives in excess of IRS compensation limitations. SERPs are unfunded plans and payable out of the company’s general assets. The ability of a company to offer a SERP could affect the company’s ability to compete for qualified senior executives, and could place the company at a competitive disadvantage to its peers.
               Opponents contend that such benefits are unnecessary given the high levels of executive compensation at most companies.
               Generally, the Funds will support SERPs. However, if the compensation committee is not 100% independent, the proposal will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
               i. Shareholder Proposal Regarding Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation — Proponents are urging boards to adopt a policy to allow shareholders an opportunity to vote on an advisory management resolution at each annual meeting to ratify compensation of the named executive officers (NEOs) as set forth in the proxy statement’s summary compensation table. The vote would be non-binding and would not affect any compensation paid or awarded to any NEO.
               If the board is independent, the Funds will support management. All other proposals will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
          C. RIC Contracts and Policies
               a. Investment Advisory Contracts — All proposals regarding new investment advisory contracts or amendments to existing contracts will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Due to the complex and varied nature of these proposals, the principal emphasis will be on the financial ramifications of the proposal for the Funds’ shareholders.
               b. Distribution Plans — All proposals pertaining to a RIC’s distribution plan will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, weighing any proposed additional fees to be paid by shareholders against the potential benefits. The analysis will foremost consider the effects of the proposal on the shareholders.

A-6


 

               c. Fundamental Objectives / Policies — All proposals regarding the fundamental investment objectives or policies of a RIC will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Due to the complex and varied nature of these proposals, the principal emphasis will be on the financial ramifications of the proposal for the shareholders.
          D. Confidential voting — The Funds believe that confidential voting restricts communication between shareholders and management. Additionally, the system of free and open proxy voting protects shareholder interests and ensures that the fiduciary obligations of investment funds are met. These representatives are then fully accountable to their constituents. Confidential voting is also expensive, as voting must be tabulated by a third party before presentation. The Funds will not support confidential voting. Management cannot address shareholder concerns if they cannot identify the dissenting voters. Undue pressure will not be condoned but our concern is that communication might be diminished during a time when shareholders are considering significant issues. Implementing confidential voting is not an acceptable tradeoff for the potential loss of open dialogue.
          E. Supermajority-voting provisions — Proponents contend that a broad agreement should be reached on issues that may have a significant impact on the company. Supermajority vote requirements usually require a level of voting approval in excess of a simple majority of the outstanding shares. Usually this range is from 66% to 80%, but in some cases even higher.
          Opponents contend that supermajority-voting provisions detract from a simple majority’s power to enforce its will. In many cases, the supermajority requirement will make it impossible to repeal or enact proposals due to the number of votes needed. Matters of corporate policy, a sale of assets or a sale of the entire company should ordinarily only require a majority of shareholders.
          The Funds will support supermajority provisions up to 67%. All situations regarding supermajority-voting provisions larger than 67% will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
          F. Right to call a special meeting — Proponents seek to change company’s bylaws and other appropriate governing documents to allow shareholders of between 10% and 25% of outstanding common stock to call a special meeting. Proponents believe special meetings will allow shareholders to vote on urgent matters that may arise between regularly scheduled meetings.
          Opponents contend that typically company regulations allow for majority shareholders to call special meetings which is a reasonable threshold in order to avoid the expense of unnecessary meetings.
          The Funds will support these proposals if proposed by management and the board is independent. However, if proposed by shareholders, the Funds will support proposals for the right to call a special meeting by shareholders of 30% or greater of outstanding common stock.
          G. Anti-takeover proposals — Poison pills, preemptive rights, fair pricing and dual class voting provisions force potential bidders to deal directly with the board of directors. The board’s role is to protect shareholders against unfair and unequal treatment and guard against partial tender offers and other abusive tactics. Fair and equitable offers will not be prevented and will equally benefit all shareholders.
               a. Poison pills (Shareholder rights plans)protect shareholders from coercive and unfair offers. Therefore, all shareholders should receive a better/fairer offer. If the board is independent, the Funds will support poison pills. If the board is not independent, each situation involving poison pills will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
               b. Preemptive rightsenable shareholders to retain the same percentage of ownership during additional stock offerings. This eliminates the effect of dilution on the shareholder. The Funds will support preemptive rights.
               c. Fair pricing provisionsrequire that if offers are not approved by the board, the bidder must pay the same “fair” price for all shares purchased. The fair price is usually defined as the highest price paid by the bidder for shares acquired before the start of the tender offer. This provision attempts to prevent “two-tiered” offers in which the bidder offers a premium for sufficient shares to gain control then offers a much lower price to the remaining holders. The Funds will support fair pricing provisions.

A-7


 

               d. Dual class voting provisionscreate unequal voting rights among different shareholders. These provisions allow companies to raise capital and expand while letting management maintain control without fear of being acquired. However, these provisions enable management to become entrenched, as it is an anti-takeover mechanism. With management controlling the voting power, no one will pay a premium for shares of a company when there is no way for them to obtain voting control of the company. The Funds will not support dual class voting provisions.
          H. Stock related proposals
               a. Increase authorized common/preferred stockA request for additional shares of stock was, in the past, considered a routine voting item. Companies usually state it is for a specific use, such as a stock split, acquisition or for “general corporate purposes.” However, an abundance of authorized but unissued shares can become an anti-takeover measure, such as implementing a poison pill or placing a large block of stock with a friendly holder to maintain control.
               If the board is independent, the Funds will support increases in common/preferred stock. The authorization will give companies the ability and flexibility to finance corporate growth. If the board is not independent, the Funds will not support increases in common/preferred stock.
               b. Targeted share placementsthe issuance of a specific block of company securities to a friendly shareholder. These placements are often used to defend against an unfriendly takeover or to obtain favorable financing and may be executed using common stock, preferred stock or convertible securities. Targeted share placements are often less expensive to execute than issuing stock, they do not require the high interest rates of traditional debt and a placement can be structured for the benefit of the limited number of parties. Additionally, share placements can be executed fairly quickly and shareholder approval is not required.
               Opponents contend targeted placements give selected shareholders an unfair access to valuable securities while diluting current shareholder’s proportional ownership and voting interests. Additionally, critics contend that not only do targeted share placements serve to entrench management, but also the holder of the share placement may have a senior claim or return from company assets.
               All situations regarding targeted share placements will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Since such stock could be used to dilute the ownership rights of current shareholders, shareholders should have the opportunity to analyze the proposal to determine whether it is in their best economic interests.
          I. Mergers, Acquisitions, Restructurings — These transactions involve fundamental changes in the structure and allocation of a company’s assets. Financial considerations are foremost in these transactions but ERISA fiduciaries are not obligated to take an offer if they feel the long-term interests of the Funds, as a shareholder will be best served by the company continuing as is.
          All situations regarding mergers, acquisitions, or restructuring will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Due to the complexity and company-specific nature of these proposals, the principal emphasis will be on the financial ramifications of the proposal.
     5. Other Business — The Funds will support management with respect to “Other Business.”
     6. Adjourn Meeting — The Funds will support management with respect to proposals to adjourn the shareholder meeting.
All other issues will be decided on a case-by-case basis. As with other non-routine proposals, decisions will be based primarily on management and board responsiveness to enhancing shareholder wealth.
Issues requiring analysis on a case-by-case basis will be voted according to the Consultant’s recommendation when the Funds own less than 1% of the company’s outstanding shares and less than $3 million of the company’s market capitalization.

A-8


 

International Funds — Procedures
     1. Voting — The International Funds’ Boards of Trustees have delegated proxy voting to the International Subadvisers. Each International Fund has adopted the proxy voting policies and procedures of its respective subadviser(s). The Manager maintains copies of the International Subadvisers’ policies and will periodically check the voting record for adherence to the policies. If any discrepancies are noted, the Manager will follow up with the International Subadviser.
     2. Conflicts of InterestEach International Subadviser receives from the Manager the list of affiliated persons for each International Fund. Any proxy proposal involving an entity on this list could be considered to represent a conflict of interest between a) the Manager, an International Subadviser, the distributor or any of their affiliates and b) Fund shareholders. If an International Subadviser receives a proxy involving one of these entities, it will notify the Manager and forward all proxy materials for consideration by the applicable Fund’s Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees will decide the Fund’s voting position in consultation with the Manager and the International Subadviser.
     If an unforeseen conflict pertaining to a particular proxy proposal becomes apparent, the International Subadviser will notify the Manager and forward all proxy materials for consideration by the applicable Fund’s Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees will decide the Fund’s voting position in consultation with the Manager and the International Subadviser.
All Funds — Other Procedures
     1. Recordkeeping — Records of all votes will be maintained by a) the Consultant for the Domestic Funds and b) the International Subadvisers for the International Funds. Documentation of all votes for the Domestic Funds will be maintained by the Manager and the Consultant. Such documentation will include the recommendations of the Subadvisers along with pertinent supporting comments and letters, the Policy, the proxy voting policies and procedures of the International Subadvisers, any and all company reports provided by proxy advisory consulting services, additional information gathered by the Manager, minutes from any meeting at which the Boards of Trustees considered a voting matter, the conclusion and final vote.
     2. Disclosure — The Manager, in conjunction with the Consultant, will compile the Funds’ proxy voting record for each year ended June 30 and file the required information with the SEC via Form N-PX by August 31. The Manager will include a summary of the Policy and/or the proxy voting policies and procedures of the International Subadvisers, as applicable, in each Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). In each Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, the Manager will disclose that a description of the Policy and/or the proxy voting policies and procedures of the International Subadvisers, as applicable, is a) available upon request, without charge, by toll-free telephone request, b) on the Funds’ website (if applicable), and c) on the SEC’s website in the SAI. The SAI and shareholder reports will also disclose that the Funds’ proxy voting record is available by toll-free telephone request (or on the Funds’ website) and on the SEC’s website by way of the Form N-PX. Within three business days of receiving a request, the Manager will send a copy of the policy description or voting record by first-class mail.
     3. Board OversightOn at least an annual basis, the Manager will present a summary of the voting records of the Funds to the Boards of Trustees for their review. The Boards of Trustees will annually consider for approval the Policy and the proxy voting policies and procedures of the International Subadvisers. In addition, the Manager and International Subadvisers will notify the Board of any material changes to the proxy voting policies and procedures.

A-9


 

AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
PART C. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits
             
(a)
    (1 )   Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, dated November 1, 2004 — (xiv)
 
    (2 )   Written Instrument Amending the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, filed with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on March 23, 2005 — (xxi)
(b)
          Bylaws — (i)
(c)
          Rights of holders of the securities being registered are contained in Articles III, VIII, X, XI and XII of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust and Articles III, V, VI and XI of the Registrant’s Bylaws
(d)
    (1 )(A)   Management Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Mileage Funds, American Beacon Select Funds, American Beacon Master Trust and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (1 )(B)   Amendment to Management Agreement, dated February 13, 2009 — (xxi)
 
    (1 )(C)   Form of Amendment to Management Agreement — (xxv)
 
    (2 )(A)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc., dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(B)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC, dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(C)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Calamos Advisors LLC, dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(D)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Causeway Capital Management LLC, dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(E)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Dreman Value Management LLC, dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(F)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Franklin Advisers, Inc., dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(G)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC, dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)

C- 1 -


 

             
 
    (2 )(H)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Lazard Asset Management LLC, dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(I)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Logan Circle Partners, L.P., dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(J)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Metropolitan West Capital Management, LLC, dated November 18, 2008 — (xxi)
 
    (2 )(K)(i)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc., dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(K)(ii)   Form of Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc., dated January 1, 2009 — (xxiii)
 
    (2 )(L)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and NISA Investment Advisors, L.L.C., dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(M)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Opus Capital Group, LLC, dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(N)(i)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Pzena Investment Management, LLC, dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(N)(ii)   Form of Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Pzena Investment Management, LLC, dated April 1, 2009 — (xxii)
 
    (2 )(O)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC, dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(P)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC, dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(Q)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and The Renaissance Group LLC, dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )(R)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Winslow Capital Management, Inc., dated March 6, 2009 — (xxii)
 
    (2 )(S)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and CB Richard Ellis Global Real Estate Securities, LLC — (xxv)

C- 2


 

             
 
    (2 )(T)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Standish Mellon Asset Management Company LLC — (xxvi)
 
    (2 )(U)   Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between American Beacon Advisors, Inc. and Zebra Capital Management, LLC — (xxviii)
(e)
          Form of Distribution Agreement among American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Mileage Funds, American Beacon Select Funds and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, dated March 31, 2009 — (xxii)
(f)
          Bonus, profit sharing or pension plans — (none)
(g)
    (1 )   Custodian Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated December 1, 1997 — (ii)
 
    (2 )   Amendment to Custodian Agreement to add Small Cap Value Fund, dated January 1, 1999 — (iv)
 
    (3 )   Amendment to Custodian Agreement to add Large Cap Growth Fund, Emerging Markets Fund, Small Cap Index Fund and International Equity Index Fund, dated July 31, 2000 — (ix)
 
    (4 )   Amendment to Custodian Agreement to add High Yield Bond Fund, dated December 29, 2000 — (v)
 
    (5 )   Amendment to Custodian Agreement to reflect amendments to Rule 17f-5 of the 1940 Act, dated June 1, 2001 — (ix)
 
    (6 )   Amendment to Custodian Agreement to add Enhanced Income Fund, dated July 1, 2003 — (xi)
 
    (7 )   Amendment to Custodian Agreement to add Mid-Cap Value Fund and Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Fund, dated June 30, 2004 — (xiii)
 
    (8 )   Amendment to Custodian Agreement to add Small Cap Value Opportunity Fund, dated March 31, 2006 — (xvii)
 
    (9 )   Form of Amendment to Custodian Agreement to add American Beacon Global Real Estate Fund — (xxv)
(h)
    (1 )(A)   Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated January 1, 1998 — (ii)
 
    (1 )(B)   Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement to add Small Cap Value Fund, dated January 1, 1999 — (iv)
 
    (1 )(C)   Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement to add four new series of American AAdvantage Funds, dated July 31, 2000 — (ix)
 
    (1 )(D)   Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement to add High Yield Bond Fund, dated December 29, 2000 — (v)
 
    (1 )(E)   Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement regarding anti-money laundering procedures, dated July 24, 2002 — (viii)

C- 3


 

             
 
    (1 )(F)   Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement regarding anti-money laundering procedures, dated September 24, 2002 — (ix)
 
    (1 )(G)   Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement to add Enhanced Income Fund, dated July 1, 2003 — (xi)
 
    (1 )(H)   Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement to replace fee schedule, dated March 26, 2004 — (xviii)
 
    (1 )(I)   Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement to add Mid-Cap Value Fund and Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Fund, dated June 30, 2004 — (xiii)
 
    (1 )(J)   Amendment to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement to add Small Cap Value Opportunity Fund, dated March 31, 2006 — (xvii)
 
    (1 )(K)   Form of Amendment to Schedule A to Transfer Agency and Service Agreement to add American Beacon Global Real Estate Fund — (xxv)
 
    (2 )(A)   Securities Lending Authorization Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated January 2, 1998 — (ii)
 
    (2 )(B)   Amendment to Securities Lending Authorization Agreement to add Small Cap Value Fund, dated January 1, 1999 — (vi)
 
    (2 )(C)   Amendment to Securities Lending Authorization Agreement to add Large Cap Growth Fund and Emerging Markets Fund, dated July 31, 2000 — (v)
 
    (2 )(D)   Amendment to Securities Lending Authorization Agreement to add High Yield Bond Fund, dated December 29, 2000 — (v)
 
    (2 )(E)   Amendment to Securities Lending Authorization Agreement to add Mid-Cap Value Fund, dated June 30, 2004 — (xiii)
 
    (2 )(F)   Amendment to Securities Lending Authorization Agreement regarding lending in new countries, dated August 12, 2005 — (xvi)
 
    (2 )(G)   Amendment to Securities Lending Authorization Agreement to add Small Cap Value Opportunity Fund, dated March 31, 2006 — (xvii)
 
    (3 )   Securities Lending, Agency and Collateral Management Agreement between American AAdvantage Funds, on behalf of High Yield Bond Fund, and Metropolitan West Securities, LLC, dated January 3, 2004 — (xii)
 
    (4 )(A)   Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated September 12, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (4 )(B)   Amendment to Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated April 30, 2009 — (xxii)

C- 4


 

             
 
    (4 )(C)   Amendment to Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated July 24, 2009 — (xxiii)
 
    (4 )(D)   Form of Amendment to Administration Agreement among American Beacon Funds, the American Beacon Mileage Funds, the American Beacon Select Funds and the American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Advisors, Inc. — (xxv)
 
    (5 )(A)   Administrative Services Agreement among American AAdvantage Funds, American AAdvantage Mileage Funds, AMR Investment Services Trust, AMR Investment Services, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated November 29, 1999 — (iii)
 
    (5 )(B)   Amendment to Administrative Services Agreement among American AAdvantage Funds, American AAdvantage Mileage Funds, AMR Investment Services Trust, AMR Investment Services, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company to add Mid-Cap Value Fund and Emerging Markets Fund, dated June 30, 2004 — (xiii)
 
    (6 )   Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Investor Class, dated March 6, 2009 — (xxiii)
 
    (7 )   Service Plan Agreement for the American AAdvantage Funds Service Class, dated May 1, 2003 — (x)
 
    (8 )   Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Retirement Class, dated April 30, 2009 — (xxii)
 
    (9 )   Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds Y Class, dated July
24, 2009 — (xxiii)
 
    (1 0)   Service Plan Agreement for the American Beacon Funds A Class, dated February 16, 2010 — (xxvii)
 
    (1 1)   Master-Feeder Participation Agreement among Small Cap Index Fund, International Equity Index Fund, Quantitative Master Series Trust, and Princeton Funds Distributor, Inc., dated June 30, 2000 — (iv)
 
    (1 2)   Master-Feeder Participation Agreement among S&P 500 Index Fund, Equity 500 Index Portfolio and SSgA Funds Management, Inc., dated May 1, 2001 — (vii)
 
    (1 3)   Purchase Agreement between American AAdvantage Funds and John H. Harland Company, dated December 1, 2001 — (vii)
 
    (1 4)   Indemnity Agreement between Wachovia Bank, N.A. and American AAdvantage High Yield Bond Fund, dated January 13, 2004 — (xii)
 
    (1 )   Amended and Restated Credit Agreement between American Beacon Funds and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated January 31, 2008 — (xix)
(i)
          Opinion and consent of counsel — (filed herewith)

C- 5


 

             
(j)
    (1 )   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm — (none)
(k)
          Financial statements omitted from prospectus — (none)
(l)
          Letter of investment intent — (i)
(m)
    (1 )   Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the American AAdvantage Funds — (i)
 
    (2 )   Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the Service Class — (x)
 
    (3 )   Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the Retirement Class — (xxiii)
 
    (4 )   Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the A Class — (xxx)
(n)
          Amended and Restated Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3, dated February 16, 2010 — (xxx)
(p)
    (1 )   Code of Ethics of American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Mileage Funds, American Beacon Select Funds and American Beacon Master Trust, dated May 21, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (2 )   Code of Ethics of American Beacon Advisors, Inc., dated May 21, 2008 — (xx)
 
    (3 )   Code of Ethics of State Street Master Funds, dated February 18, 2010— — (xxix)
 
    (4 )   Code of Ethics of Quantitative Master Series LLC, dated May 15, 2008, as amended December 1, 2009 — (xxix)
 
    (5 )   Code of Ethics of Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc., dated December 31, 2009 — (xxvi)
 
    (6 )   Code of Ethics of Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC, dated January 2010 — (xxvi)
 
    (7 )   Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy of Calamos Advisors LLC, dated December 20, 2007 — (xix)
 
    (8 )   Code of Ethics of Causeway Capital Management LLC, dated April 25, 2005 and revised November 1, 205 and January 30, 2006 — (xix)
 
    (9 )   Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy of Dreman Value Management LLC — (xix)
 
    (1 0)   Code of Ethics and Policy Statement on Insider Trading of Franklin Advisers, Inc., revised May 2008 — (xxi)
 
    (1 1)   Code of Ethics of Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC, dated August 2008 — (xxi)
 
    (1 2)   Code of Ethics and Personal Investment Policy of Lazard Asset Management LLC, dated November 2008 — (xxi)
 
    (1 3)   Code of Ethics of Logan Circle Partners, L.P., dated October 2007 — (xxi)

C- 6


 

             
 
    (14 )   Code of Ethics of Metropolitan West Capital Management, LLC, dated December 2008 — (xxi)
 
    (15 )   Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Guidelines of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., effective December 15, 2006 — (xix)
 
    (16 )   Code of Ethics and Standard of Professional Conduct of NISA Investment Advisors, L.L.C., dated February 2007 — (xix)
 
    (17 )   Code of Business Conduct and Ethics of Opus Capital Group, LLC, dated January 7, 2005 and revised January 31, 2006 — (xix)
 
    (18 )   Code of Business Conduct and Ethics of Pzena Investment Management, LLC, revised January 2009 — (xxi)
 
    (19 )   Code of Ethics and Policy Statement on Insider Trading of Templeton Investments Counsel, LLC, revised May 2008 — (xxi)
 
    (20 )   Code of Ethics of Renaissance Investment Management, effective January 1, 2010 — (xxvi)
 
    (21 )   Code of Ethics of Winslow Capital Management, Inc., dated February 2005 — (xxii)
 
    (22 )   Code of Ethics of CB Richard Ellis Global Real Estate Securities, LLC — (xxiv)
 
    (23 )   Code of Conduct and Personal Securities Trading Policy of The Bank of New York Mellon, parent company of The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC and Standish Mellon Asset Management LLC — (xxvi)
 
    (24 )   Code of Ethics of Zebra Capital Management, LLC (xxviii)
Other Exhibits:
Powers of Attorney for Trustees of American Beacon Funds, American Beacon Mileage Funds, American Beacon Master Trust, and American Beacon Select Funds, dated May 27, 2009 — (xxiii)
Powers of Attorney for Trustees of the State Street Master Funds, dated February 2010 — (xxix)
Powers of Attorney for Trustees of the Quantitative Master Series LLC — (xxi)
 
(i)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 23 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 18, 1997.
 
(ii)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 24 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 1998.
 
(iii)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 28 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 21, 1999.
 
(iv)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 32 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange

C- 7


 

    Commission on July 7, 2000.
 
(v)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 29, 2000.
 
(vi)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 35 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2001.
 
(vii)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 39 t to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2002.
 
(viii)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 41 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 1, 2002.
 
(ix)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 42 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2003.
 
(x)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 1, 2003.
 
(xi)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 1, 2003.
 
(xii)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2004.
 
(xiii)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 30, 2004.
 
(xiv)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 51 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 15, 2004.
 
(xv)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 52 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2005.
 
(xvi)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 56 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 30, 2005.
 
(xvii)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2006.
 
(xviii)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2007.
 
(xix)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 70 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2008.
 
(xx)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the Registrant’s

C- 8


 

    Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 31, 2008.
 
(xxi)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2009.
 
(xxii)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 75 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May1, 2009.
 
(xxiii)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 3, 2009.
 
(xxiv)   Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of CNL Funds filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 18, 2007.
 
(xxv)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 79 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 22, 2009.
 
(xxvi)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 26, 2010.
 
(xxvii)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 84 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2010.
 
(xxviii)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 18, 2010.
 
(xxix)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 86 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2010.
 
(xxx)   Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 88 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 17, 2010.
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with Registrant
          None.
Item 30. Indemnification
     Article XI of the Declaration of Trust of the Trust provides that:
Limitation of Liability
     Section 1. Provided they have exercised reasonable care and have acted under the reasonable belief that their actions are in the best interest of the Trust, the Trustees shall not be responsible for or liable in any event for neglect or wrongdoing of them or any officer, agent, employee or investment adviser of the Trust, but nothing contained herein shall protect any Trustee against any

C- 9


 

liability to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
Indemnification
     Section 2.
     (a) Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in paragraph (b) below:
     (i) every person who is, or has been, a Trustee or officer of the Trust (hereinafter referred to as “Covered Person”) shall be indemnified by the appropriate portfolios to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been a Trustee or officer and against amounts paid or incurred by him in the settlement thereof;
     (ii) the words “claim,” “action,” “suit,” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, actions, suits or proceedings (civil, criminal or other, including appeals), actual or threatened while in office or thereafter, and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.
     (b) No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person:
     (i) who shall have been adjudicated by a court or body before which the proceeding was brought (A) to be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office or (B) not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interest of the Trust; or
     (ii) in the event of a settlement, unless there has been a determination that such Trustee or officer did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office (A) by the court or other body approving the settlement; (B) by at least a majority of those Trustees who are neither interested persons of the Trust nor are parties to the matter based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry); or (C) by written opinion of independent legal counsel based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry); provided, however, that any Shareholder may, by appropriate legal proceedings, challenge any such determination by the Trustees, or by independent counsel.
     (c) The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such Trustee or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. Nothing contained herein shall affect

C- 10


 

any rights to indemnification to which Trust personnel, other than Trustees and officers, and other persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.
     (d) Expenses in connection with the preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit, or proceeding of the character described in paragraph (a) of this Section 2 may be paid by the applicable Portfolio from time to time prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person that such amount will be paid over by him to the Trust if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 2; provided, however, that:
     (i) such Covered Person shall have provided appropriate security for such undertaking;
     (ii) the Trust is insured against losses arising out of any such advance payments; or
     (iii) either a majority of the Trustees who are neither interested persons of the Trust nor parties to the matter, or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a trial-type inquiry or full investigation), that there is reason to believe that such Covered Person will be found entitled to indemnification under this Section 2.
     According to Article XII, Section 1 of the Declaration of Trust, the Trust is a trust, not a partnership. Trustees are not liable personally to any person extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trust, a particular Portfolio or the Trustees. A Trustee, however, is not protected from liability due to willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.
     Article XII, Section 2 provides that, subject to the provisions of Section 1 of Article XII and to Article XI, the Trustees are not liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law, or for any act or omission in accordance with advice of counsel or other experts or for failing to follow such advice.
     Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Management Agreement provides that:
     8. Limitation of Liability of the Manager. The Manager shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by a Trust or any Fund in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relate except a loss resulting from the willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. Any person, even though also an officer, partner, employee, or agent of the Manager, who may be or become an officer, Board member, employee or agent of a Trust shall be deemed, when rendering services to a Trust or acting in any business of a Trust, to be rendering such services to or acting solely for a Trust and not as an officer, partner, employee, or agent or one under the control or direction of the Manager even though paid by it.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Straus, Inc. provides that:

C- 11


 

     9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Calamos Advisors LLC provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. Adviser will not be liable for any loss suffered by reason of any investment, decision, recommendation, or other action taken or omitted in what Adviser in good faith believes to be the proper performance of its duties hereunder. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Causeway Capital Management LLC provides that:
     8. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Dreman Value Management LLC provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Franklin Advisers, Inc. provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its

C- 12


 

duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Lazard Asset Management LLC provides that:
     8. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Logan Circle Partners, L.P. provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Metropolitan West Capital Management, LLC provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 7 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. provides that:
     7. (a) Standard of Care. Except as may otherwise be provided by applicable laws and regulations, neither the Adviser nor any of its affiliates or its or their officers, directors, employees or agents shall be subject to any liability to the Manager, the Trust, the Portfolios or any shareholder of a Portfolio or the Trust for any error of judgment or any loss arising out of any investment or other act or omission in the course of, connected with, or arising out of any service to be rendered under this Agreement, except by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser’s duties hereunder or by reason of the Adviser’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder. The Manager acknowledges and agrees that the Adviser makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, that any level of performance or investment results will be achieved by the Portfolios or the Assets

C- 13


 

designated by the Manager to the Adviser, or that the Portfolios or such Assets will perform comparably with any standard or index, including other clients of the Adviser, whether public or private.
     (b) Indemnification. The Manager shall hold harmless and indemnify the Adviser for any and all claims, losses, liabilities, costs, damages or expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees) (“Losses”) incurred by the Adviser in connection with the performance of its duties hereunder; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall require that the Adviser be indemnified for Losses resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser’s duties hereunder or by reason of the Adviser’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder.
     The Adviser shall hold harmless and indemnify the Manager for any and all Losses incurred by the Manager that arise from the Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties hereunder or by reason of the Adviser’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall require that the Manager be indemnified for Losses resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Manager’s duties hereunder or by reason of the Manager’s reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder.
     Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with NISA Investment Advisors, L.L.C. provides that:
     8. Liability of Adviser. Adviser will not be liable for any loss suffered by reason of any investment, decision, recommendation, or other action taken or omitted in what Adviser in good faith believes to be the proper performance of its duties hereunder. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Opus Capital Group, LLC provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Pzena Investment Management, LLC provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in its reasonable judgment, in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Agreement, or in accordance with (or in the absence of) specific directions or instructions from the Manager. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in

C- 14


 

the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC provides that:
     8. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 8 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC provides that:
     8. Liability of Adviser. No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with The Renaissance Group LLC provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Winslow Capital Management, Inc. provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with CB Richard Ellis Global Real Estate Securities, LLC provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Standish Mellon Asset Management LLC provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which

C- 15


 

occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Manager shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Adviser for (a) any action taken, omitted or suffered by Adviser in connection with this Agreement or the services provided hereunder, unless such act or omission shall have resulted from Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence; or (b) any loss arising from Adviser’s adherence to Manager’s instructions. Adviser shall in no event be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, exemplary or consequential damages in connection with or arising out of this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement with Zebra Capital Management, LLC provides that:
     9. Liability of Adviser. The Adviser shall have no liability to the Trust, its shareholders or any other third party arising out of or related to this Agreement except with respect to claims which occur due to any willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
     Numbered Paragraph 11 of the Administration Agreement provides that:
     11. Limitation of Liability of American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (“ABA”). ABA shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by a Trust or any Series in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relate except a loss resulting from the willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. Any person, even though also an officer, partner, employee, or agent of ABA, who may be or become an officer, Board member, employee or agent of a Trust shall be deemed, when rendering services to any Trust or acting in any business of a Trust, to be rendering such services to or acting solely for the Trust and not as an officer, partner, employee, or agent or one under the control or direction of ABA even though paid by it.
     Section 4.2 of the Distribution Agreement provides that:
     (a) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Foreside shall not be responsible for, and the Clients shall on behalf of each applicable Fund or Class thereof, indemnify and hold harmless Foreside, its employees, directors, officers and managers and any person who controls Foreside within the meaning of section 15 of the Securities Act or section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (for purposes of this Section 4.2(a), “Foreside Indemnitees”) from and against, any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees, payments, liabilities and other expenses of every nature and character (including, but not limited to, direct and indirect reasonable reprocessing costs) arising out of or attributable to all and any of the following (for purposes of this Section 4.2(a), a “Foreside Claim”):
     (i) any action (or omission to act) of Foreside or its agents taken in connection with this Agreement; provided, that such action (or omission to act) is taken in good faith and without willful misfeasance, negligence or reckless disregard by Foreside of its duties and obligations under this Agreement;

C- 16


 

     (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or arising out of or based upon any alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Clients in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement or exhibits to the Registration Statement by or on behalf of Foreside;
     (iii) any material breach of the Clients’ agreements, representations, warranties, and covenants in Sections 2.9 and 5.2 of this Agreement; or
     (iv) the reliance on or use by Foreside or its agents or subcontractors of information, records, documents or services which have been prepared, maintained or performed by the Clients or any agent of the Clients, including but not limited to any Predecessor Records provided pursuant to Section 2.9(b).
     (b) Foreside will indemnify, defend and hold the Clients and their several officers and members of their Governing Bodies and any person who controls the Clients within the meaning of section 15 of the Securities Act or section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (collectively, the “Clients Indemnitees” and, with the Foreside Indemnitees, an “Indemnitee”), free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses of every nature and character (including the cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands, actions, suits or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith), but only to the extent that such claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses result from, arise out of or are based upon all and any of the following (for purposes of this Section 4.2(c), a “Clients Claim” and, with a Foreside Claim, a “Claim”):
     (i) any material action (or omission to act) of Foreside or its agents taken in connection with this Agreement, provided that such action (or omission to act) is not taken in good faith and with willful misfeasance, negligence or reckless disregard by Foreside of its duties and obligations under this Agreement.
     (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Clients in writing in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement by or on behalf of Foreside; or
     (iii) any material breach of Foreside’s agreements, representations, warranties and covenants set forth in Section 2.4 and 5.1 hereof
     (d) The Clients or Foreside (for purpose of this Section 4.2(d), an “Indemnifying Party”) may assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any Foreside Claim or Clients Claim, respectively, and may retain counsel chosen by the Indemnifying Party and approved by the other Party, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The Indemnifying Party shall

C- 17


 

advise the other Party that it will assume the defense of the suit and retain counsel within ten (10) days of receipt of the notice of the claim. If the Indemnifying Party assumes the defense of any such suit and retains counsel, the other Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel that they retain. If the Indemnifying Party does not assume the defense of any such suit, or if other Party does not approve of counsel chosen by the Indemnifying Party, or if the other Party has been advised that it may have available defenses or claims that are not available to or conflict with those available to the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party will reimburse any Indemnitee named as defendant in such suit for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel that the Indemnitee retains. An Indemnitee shall not settle or confess any claim without the prior written consent of the applicable Client, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
     (e) An Indemnifying Party’s obligation to provide indemnification under this section is conditioned upon the Indemnifying Party receiving notice of any action brought against an Indemnitee within twenty (20) days after the summons or other first legal process is served. Such notice shall refer to the Person or Persons against whom the action is brought. The failure to provide such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of any liability that it may have to any Indemnitee except to the extent that the ability of the party entitled to such notice to defend such action has been materially adversely affected by the failure to provide notice.
     (f) The provisions of this section and the parties’ representations and warranties in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Indemnitee and shall survive the sale and redemption of any Shares made pursuant to subscriptions obtained by Foreside. The indemnification provisions of this section will inure exclusively to the benefit of each person that may be an Indemnitee at any time and their respective successors and assigns (it being intended that such persons be deemed to be third party beneficiaries under this Agreement).
     Section 4.3 of the Distribution Agreement provides that:
     Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, except as specifically set forth below:
     (a) Neither Party shall be liable for losses, delays, failure, errors, interruption or loss of data occurring directly or indirectly by reason of circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of God; action or inaction of civil or military authority; public enemy; war; terrorism; riot; fire; flood; sabotage; epidemics; labor disputes; civil commotion; interruption, loss or malfunction of utilities, transportation, computer or communications capabilities; insurrection; or elements of nature;
     (b) Neither Party shall be liable for any consequential, special or indirect losses or damages suffered by the other Party, whether or not the likelihood of such losses or damages was known by the Party;
     (c) No affiliate, director, officer, employee, manager, shareholder, partner, agent, counsel or consultant of either Party shall be liable at law or in equity for the obligations of such Party under this Agreement or for any damages suffered by the other Party related to this Agreement;

C- 18


 

     (d) Except as set forth in Section 4.2(f), there are no third party beneficiaries of this Agreement;
     (e) Each Party shall have a duty to mitigate damages for which the other Party may become responsible;
     (f) The assets and liabilities of each Fund are separate and distinct from the assets and liabilities of each other Fund, and no Fund shall be liable or shall be charged for any debt, obligation or liability of any other Fund, whether arising under this Agreement or otherwise; and in asserting any rights or claims under this Agreement, Foreside shall look only to the assets and property of the Fund to which Foreside’s rights or claims relate in settlement of such rights or claims; and
     (g) Each Party agrees promptly to notify the other party of the commencement of any litigation or proceeding of which it becomes aware arising out of or in any way connected with the issuance or sale of Shares.
     Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Item 31. I. Business and Other Connections of Investment Manager
     American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the “Manager”), 4151 Amon Carter Boulevard, MD 2450, Fort Worth, Texas 76155, offers investment management and administrative services. Information as to the officers and directors of the Manager is included in its current Form ADV (SEC File No. 801-29198) filed with the SEC.
     II. Business and Other Connections of Investment Advisers
     The investment advisers listed below provide investment advisory services to the Trust.
     American Beacon Advisors, Inc., 4151 Amon Carter Blvd., MD 2450, Fort Worth, Texas 76155.
     Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc., 2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor, Dallas, Texas 75201.
     Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC, 2929 Arch Street, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104.

C- 19


 

     Calamos Advisors LLC, 2020 Calamos Court, Naperville, Illinois 60563.
     Causeway Capital Management LLC, 11111 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 1500, Los Angeles, California 90025.
     CB Richard Ellis Global Real Estate Securities, LLC, 250 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201.
     Dreman Value Management LLC, Harborside Financial Center, Plaza 10, Suite 800, Jersey City, New Jersey 07311.
     Franklin Advisers, Inc., One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, California 94403.
     Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC, 725 South Figueroa Street, 39th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90017.
     Lazard Asset Management LLC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10112.
     Logan Circle Partners, LP, 1717 Arch Street, Suite 1500, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.
     Metropolitan West Capital Management, LLC, 610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1000, Newport Beach, California 92660.
     Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., 522 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10036.
     NISA Investment Advisors, L.L.C., 150 N. Meramec Avenue, Sixth Floor, St. Louis, Missouri 63105.
     Opus Capital Group, LLC, One West Fourth Street, Suite 2500, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
     Pzena Investment Management, LLC, 120 West 45th Street, 20th Floor, New York, New York 10036.
     Standish Mellon Asset Management LLC, One Boston Place, Suite 2900, 201 Washington Street, Boston Massachusetts 02108-4408.
     Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC, 500 East Broward Boulevard, Suite 2100, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33394.
     The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC, One Boston Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02108.
     The Renaissance Group LLC, The Baldwin Center, 625 Eden Park Drive, Suite 1200, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

C- 20


 

     Winslow Capital Management, Inc., 4720 IDS Tower, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402.
     Zebra Capital Management, LLC, 612 Wheelers Farms Road, Milford, Connecticut 06461.
     Information as to the officers and directors of each of the above investment advisers is included in that adviser’s current Form ADV filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 32. Principal Underwriter
     (a) Foreside Fund Services, LLC (“FFS”), the Trust’s principal underwriter, also serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:
American Beacon Mileage Funds
American Beacon Select Funds
Bridgeway Funds, Inc.
Central Park Group Multi-Event Fund
Century Capital Management Trust
Direxion Shares ETF Trust
Forum Funds
Henderson Global Funds
Nomura Partners Funds, Inc.
PMC Funds, Series of the Trust for Professional Managers
RevenueShares ETF Trust
Sound Shore Fund, Inc.
JETSSM Exchange-Traded Trust
AdvisorShares Trust
Wintergreen Fund, Inc.
     (b) The following table identifies the officers of FFS and their positions, if any, with the Trust. The business address of each of these individuals is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.
         
Name   Position with Underwriter   Position with Trust
Mark S. Redman
  President   None
Richard J. Berthy
  Vice President and Treasurer   None
Nanette K. Chern
  Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President   None

C- 21


 

         
Name   Position with Underwriter   Position with Trust
Mark A. Fairbanks
  Deputy Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President   None
Jennifer E. Hoopes
  Secretary   None
     (c) Not applicable.
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
     The books and other documents required by Section 31(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 are maintained in the physical possession of 1) the Trust’s custodian at State Street Bank and Trust Company, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110; 2) the Manager at American Beacon Advisors, Inc., 4151 Amon Carter Blvd., MD 2450, Fort Worth, Texas 76155; 3) Boston Financial Data Services, an affiliate of the Trust’s transfer agent, 330 West 9th St., Kansas City, Missouri 64105; or 4) the Trust’s investment advisers at the addresses listed in Item 26 above.
Item 34. Management Services
     Not applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings
     Not applicable.

C- 22


 

SIGNATURES
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant represents that this Amendment meets all the requirements for effectiveness pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the 1933 Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 89 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Fort Worth and the State of Texas, on June 1, 2010.
         
  AMERICAN BEACON FUNDS
 
 
  By:   /s/ Gene L. Needles, Jr.    
    Gene L. Needles, Jr.   
    President   
 
     Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 89 to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
         
Signature   Title   Date
/s/ Gene L. Needles, Jr.
 
Gene L. Needles, Jr.
  President   June 1, 2010
/s/ Melinda G. Heika
 
Melinda G. Heika
  Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer)   June 1, 2010
W. Humphrey Bogart*
 
W. Humphrey Bogart
  Trustee   June 1, 2010
Brenda A. Cline*
 
Brenda A. Cline
  Trustee   June 1, 2010
Eugene J. Duffy*
 
Eugene J. Duffy
  Trustee   June 1, 2010
Thomas M. Dunning*
 
Thomas M. Dunning
  Trustee   June 1, 2010
Alan D. Feld*
 
Alan D. Feld
  Trustee   June 1, 2010
Richard A. Massman*
 
Richard A. Massman
  Chairman and Trustee   June 1, 2010
R. Gerald Turner*
 
R. Gerald Turner
  Trustee   June 1, 2010
Paul J. Zucconi*
 
Paul J. Zucconi
  Trustee   June 1, 2010
 
         
*By
  /s/ Rosemary K. Behan
 
Rosemary K. Behan
Attorney-In-Fact
   

 


 

EXHIBIT INDEX
     
Type:   Description:
EX-99.i
  Opinion of Counsel