Note 1. Security
Valuation
The Fund utilizes
a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. The Fund’s policy is to recognize transfers into or out of Level 3 at the end
of the reporting period.
•
Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities (security types generally include listed equities).
• Level 2 – prices determined using other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit
risk, etc.).
• Level 3 – prices determined using significant unobservable inputs (including the Valuation Committee’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of
investments).
A description
of the valuation techniques applied to the Fund’s major categories of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis is as follows:
Equity
securities are valued at the official closing price (typically last sale) on the exchange on which the securities are primarily traded or, if no closing price is available, at the last bid price and are categorized as
Level 1 in the hierarchy. Illiquid, restricted equity securities and illiquid private placements are internally fair valued by the Valuation Committee, and are generally categorized as Level 3 in the hierarchy.
Certain
non-U.S. securities may be fair valued in cases where closing prices are not readily available or are deemed not reflective of readily available market prices. For example, significant events (such as movement in the
U.S. securities market, or other regional and local developments) may occur between the time that non-U.S. markets close (where the security is principally traded) and the time that the Fund calculates its net asset
value (“NAV”) at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (generally 4 p.m. Eastern time) that may impact the value of securities traded in these non-U.S. markets.
In such cases, the Fund fair values non-U.S. securities using an independent pricing service which considers the correlation of the trading patterns of the non-U.S. security to the intraday trading in the U.S. markets
for investments such as American Depositary Receipts, financial futures, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), and certain indexes, as well as prices for similar securities. Such fair valuations are categorized
as Level 2 in the hierarchy. Because the frequency of significant events is not predictable, fair valuation of certain non-U.S. common stocks may occur on a frequent basis.
Debt
securities, including convertible bonds, and restricted securities, are valued based on evaluated quotations received from independent pricing services or from dealers who make markets in such securities. For most
bond types, the pricing service utilizes matrix pricing that considers one or more of the following factors: yield or price of bonds of comparable quality, coupon, maturity, current cash flows, type, activity of the
underlying equities, and current day trade information, as well as dealer supplied prices. These valuations are generally categorized as Level 2 in the hierarchy. Structured debt instruments, such as
mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities may also incorporate collateral analysis and utilize cash flow models for valuation and are generally categorized as Level 2 in the hierarchy. Pricing services do not
provide pricing for all securities and therefore indicative bids from dealers are utilized which are based on pricing models used by market makers in the security and are generally categorized as Level 2 in the
hierarchy. Debt securities that are internally fair valued by the Valuation Committee are generally categorized as Level 3 in the hierarchy.
Listed
derivatives, such as options, that are actively traded are valued at the last posted settlement price from the exchange where they are principally traded and are categorized as Level 1 in the hierarchy.
Over-the-counter derivative contracts, which include forward currency contracts and equity-linked instruments, do not require material subjectivity as pricing inputs are observed from actively quoted markets and are
categorized as Level 2 in the hierarchy.
Investments
in open-end mutual funds are valued at NAV. Investments in closed-end funds and ETFs are valued as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE each business day. Each is categorized as Level 1 in the hierarchy.
A summary of
the inputs used to value the Fund’s net assets by each major security type is disclosed at the end of the Schedule of Investments for the Fund. The inputs or methodologies used for valuing securities are not
necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.