497K 1 d948871d497k.htm FORM 497K Form 497K

LOGO

 

TCW MetWest Sustainable Securitized Fund

I SHARE: MWESX | M SHARE: MWERX

 

JULY 29 

 

LOGO

SUMMARY

PROSPECTUS

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s Prospectus which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information and other information about the Fund online at www.TCW.com. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-241-4671 or by sending an email request to contact@tcw.com. The Fund’s current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, both dated July 29, 2025, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus. The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed on the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

MW-ESG SF_0725


Investment Objective

The Sustainable Securitized Fund seeks to maximize current income and achieve above average long-term total return.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

     M Class    I Class

Management Fees

       0.40%        0.40%

Distribution (12b-1) Fees

       0.25%        None

Other Expenses

       1.88%        2.13%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

       2.53%        2.53%

Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement1

       (1.83)%          (2.04)%  

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

       0.70%        0.49%

 

1 

Metropolitan West Asset Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) has contractually agreed to reduce advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, including distribution expenses, to limit the Fund’s total annual operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, short sale dividend expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, and any expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) to the net expenses shown in the table for the applicable share class. The Adviser may recoup reduced fees and expenses only within three years of the waiver or reimbursement, provided that the recoupment does not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (i) the expense limitation applicable at the time of that fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement or (ii) the expense limitation in effect at the time of recoupment. This contract will remain in place until July 31, 2026. Although it does not expect to do so, the Board of Trustees is permitted to terminate that contract sooner in its discretion with written notice to the Adviser.

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. The

cost for the Fund reflects the net expenses of the Fund that result from the contractual expense limitation in the first year only (through July 31, 2026). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

      1 Year    3 Years    5 Years    10 Years

Class M

     $ 72      $ 612      $ 1,180      $ 2,727

Class I

     $ 50      $ 592      $ 1,161      $ 2,711

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. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s turnover rate was 333% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund pursues its objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in debt securities issued by securitized vehicles and similar instruments that the Adviser believes satisfy its proprietary screening criteria that identify securities with one or more positive environmental, social or sustainable factors. The Fund will invest in securities issued by securitized vehicles including but not limited to residential mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities, other asset backed securities, real estate related debt, mortgage pass-through securities, as well as floating, variable and fixed-rate securities. The Fund will invest in securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or by any of its agencies or instrumentalities and those issued by non-governmental entities, as well as unguaranteed securities issued by private entities. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in securities rated investment grade or unrated securities determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its assets in below investment grade bonds (“junk bonds”), which are bonds rated below BBB- by Fitch Ratings, Inc. (“Fitch”), below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) and below Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or, if unrated, bonds deemed by the Fund’s investment advisor to be of comparable quality. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets (measured at the time of investment) in asset-

 

 

1


backed and mortgage-related securities rated below investment grade by Moody’s, S&P or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality.

In determining whether to buy or sell investments, the portfolio management team evaluates each investment idea based on, among other factors, the team’s view of its current income potential, risk level, capital appreciation potential, and how it fits within the Fund’s overall portfolio. The allocation of capital to sectors and securities is driven primarily by the Adviser’s assessment of relative value offered by each sector and security, respectively, with additional screening to determine whether securities meet the portfolio manager’s criteria to invest in securities with one or more positive environmental, social, or sustainable attributes.

In implementing its sustainable investment strategy, the Adviser evaluates potential investments based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to: support for affordable housing and community development, especially serving low- and moderate-income individuals and communities; mortgage-backed securities that support energy efficiency and broader “green” initiatives; certain non-mortgage related asset-backed securities, such as collateralized loan obligations with ESG-related exclusionary criteria; and commercial and consumer secured and unsecured debt related to sustainable initiatives, such as solar facilities. Governance review includes, but is not limited to, lending programs, borrower education and disclosure, origination policies, servicing practices, and securitization deal structure. The Adviser uses a combination of proprietary research, third-party data, and engagement with issuers, originators, industry standard setters, and others to assess the sustainable criteria of the assets and to understand the importance of these factors to an investment’s performance. Not all of these sources may be used in every instance. Evaluating sustainable attributes and risk factors is part of the investment analysis (alongside traditional financial metrics) and informed investment decision making with the goal of improving risk-adjusted returns, consistent with the Fund’s investment objective.

The Fund’s investments are not limited to securities labeled “sustainable” or “ESG.” An investment’s satisfaction of the Adviser’s criteria described above is based on the Adviser’s proprietary analysis and not that of a third party. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that the Adviser does not consider to be sustainable investments.

Securities or other instruments may be sold for a number of reasons, including when the portfolio managers believe that

(i) another security or instrument may offer a better investment opportunity, (ii) there has been a deterioration in the credit fundamentals of an issuer, (iii) an individual security or instrument has reached its sell target, (iv) the portfolio should be rebalanced for diversification or portfolio weighting purposes, or (v) the security no longer meets the Adviser’s sustainable criteria.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s portfolio duration is two to eight years and the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity ranges from two to fifteen years. Duration is a measure of the expected life of a fixed income security that is used to determine the sensitivity of a security to changes in interest rates.

The Fund invests in the U.S. and international securitized markets, including securities denominated in foreign currencies. The Fund has the flexibility to allocate up to 20% of its total assets to securities of foreign issues denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign currencies. The Fund reserves the right to hedge its exposure to foreign currencies to reduce the risk of loss from fluctuations in currency exchange rates, but is under no obligation to do so under any circumstances. Up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in emerging markets and instruments that are economically tied to emerging market countries.

The Fund may normally borrow or sell securities short each up to 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets.

Principal Risks

Because the Fund holds securities with fluctuating market prices, the value of the Fund’s shares will vary as its portfolio securities increase or decrease in value. Therefore, the value of your investment in the Fund could go down as well as up. You can lose money by investing in the Fund.

The principal risks affecting the Fund that can cause a decline in value are:

 

  Debt Securities Risk: the risk that the value of a debt security may increase or decrease as a result of various factors, including changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers to make principal or interest payments, market fluctuations and illiquidity in the debt securities market.

 

  Market Risk: the risk that returns from the securities in which the Fund invests may underperform returns from the general securities markets or other types of securities.
 

 

2


  Interest Rate Risk: the risk that debt securities may decline in value because of changes in interest rates. This risk is greater during periods of rising inflation.

 

  Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk: the risk of investing in mortgage-backed securities, including prepayment risk and extension risk. Mortgage-backed securities react differently to changes in interest rates than other bonds, and some mortgage-backed securities are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

 

  Asset-Backed Securities Risk: the risk of investing in asset-backed securities, including the risk of loss as a result of the impairment of the value of the underlying financial assets, prepayment risk and extension risk. Issuers of asset-backed securities may have limited ability to enforce the security interest in the underlying assets, and credit enhancements provided to support the asset-backed securities, if any, may be inadequate to protect investors in the event of default.

 

  Prepayment Risk: the risk that in times of declining interest rates, the Fund’s higher yielding securities may be prepaid and the Fund may have to replace them with securities having a lower yield.

 

  Extension Risk: the risk that in times of rising interest rates, borrowers may pay off their debt obligations more slowly, causing securities considered short- or intermediate-term to become longer-term securities that fluctuate more widely in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities.

 

  ESG Factor Risk: the risk that the Fund will be exposed to risks related to environmental, social, and governance factors which, if they materialize, can reduce the value of underlying investments held within the Fund and could adversely impact the Fund’s performance. In ordinary market conditions, it is not anticipated that any single ESG factor will drive a material negative financial impact on the value of the portfolio. ESG factor risk is defined as an environmental, social, or governance event or condition that if it occurs could cause an actual or potential material negative impact on the value of the investment.

 

  Sustainable Investing Strategy Risk: the risk that the Fund’s strategy may forgo certain investment opportunities for non-financial reasons, and that the Fund’s performance will differ from funds that do not include sustainability factors as part of their security selection. Further, investors may differ in their views of what constitutes the sustainable characteristics of a security. As a result, the Fund may invest in securities that do not reflect the beliefs of any particular investor. In evaluating a security, the Adviser is
   

often dependent upon information and data obtained from issuers or from third-party data providers that may be incomplete or inaccurate, which could cause the Adviser to incorrectly assess sustainability risks and opportunities. In addition, the Fund may not be successful in its strategy to invest in a portfolio of securities that, in the Adviser’s view, has an aggregate sustainability assessment that is better than the aggregate sustainability of the Fund’s benchmark. There is no guarantee that this strategy will be achieved, and such assessment is at the Adviser’s discretions.

 

  Below Investment Grade Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk: the Fund’s investments in residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) that are rated below investment grade generally carry greater liquidity risk than their investment grade counterparts. Historically, the markets for such below investment grade securities, and for below investment grade asset-backed securities in general, have been characterized at times by less liquidity than the market for analogous investment grade securities, particularly during the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008.

 

  Unrated Securities Risk: the risk that unrated securities may be less liquid than comparable rated securities, and the risk that the Adviser may not accurately evaluate the security’s comparative credit rating.

 

  Issuer Risk: the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

 

  Credit Risk: the risk that an issuer may default in the payment of principal and/or interest on a security.

 

  Inflation Risk: the risk that the value of the Fund’s investments may not keep up with price increases from inflation.

 

 

Liquidity Risk: the risk that lack of a ready market or restrictions on resale may limit the ability of the Fund to sell a security at an advantageous time or price. In addition, the Fund, by itself or together with other accounts managed by the Adviser, may hold a position in a security that is large relative to the typical trading volume for that security, which can make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of the position at an advantageous time or price. Over recent years, the fixed-income markets have grown more than the ability of dealers to make markets, which can further constrain liquidity and increase the volatility of portfolio valuations. High levels of redemptions in bond funds in response to market conditions could cause greater losses as a result. Regulations such as the Volcker Rule or future regulations may further constrain the ability of market

 

 

3


   

participants to create liquidity, particularly in times of increased market volatility. The liquidity of the Fund’s assets may change over time.

 

  Valuation Risk: the risk that the portfolio instruments may be sold at prices different from the values established by the Fund, particularly for investments that trade in low volume, in volatile markets or over the counter or that are fair valued.

 

  Price Volatility Risk: the risk that the value of the Fund’s investment portfolio will change as the prices of its investments go up or down.

 

  Futures Contracts Risk: the risk of investing in futures contracts, which includes (1) the imperfect correlation between a futures contract and the change in market value of the underlying instrument held by the Fund; (2) a high degree of leverage because of the low collateral deposits normally involved in futures trading; (3) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (4) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; and (5) the inability of the Fund to execute a trade because of the maximum permissible price movements exchanges may impose on futures contracts.

 

  Derivatives Risk: the risk of investing in derivative instruments, which includes liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks as well as risks related to mispricing or improper valuation. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, reference rate or index, and the Fund could lose more than the principal amount invested. These investments can create investment leverage and may create additional risks that may subject the Fund to greater volatility and less liquidity than investments in more traditional securities.

 

  Securities Selection Risk: the risk that the securities held by the Fund may underperform those held by other funds investing in the same asset class or included in benchmarks that are representative of the same asset class because of the portfolio managers’ choice of securities.

 

  U.S. Trade Policy Risk: There have been significant changes to United States trade policies, agreements and tariffs, and in the future there may be additional significant changes. These and any future developments, and continued uncertainty surrounding trade policies, agreements and tariffs, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions, inflation and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted nations and
   

the United States. Any of these factors could depress economic activity and restrict the access by issuers of the Fund’s portfolio securities to suppliers or customers, increase their supply-chain costs and expenses and could have material adverse effects on the Fund’s portfolio investments.

 

  Frequent Trading Risk: the risk that frequent trading may lead to increased portfolio turnover and higher transaction costs, which may reduce the Fund’s performance and may cause higher levels of current tax liability to shareholders of the Fund.

 

  Leverage Risk: the risk that leverage may result from certain transactions, including the use of derivatives and borrowing. This may impair the Fund’s liquidity, cause it to liquidate positions at an unfavorable time, increase its volatility or otherwise cause it not to achieve its intended result. To the extent required by applicable law or regulation, the Fund will reduce leverage risk by either segregating an equal amount of liquid assets or “covering” the transactions that introduce such risk.

 

  Swap Agreements Risk: the risk of investing in swaps, which, in addition to risks applicable to derivatives generally, includes: (1) the inability to assign a swap contract without the consent of the counterparty; (2) potential default of the counterparty to a swap for those not traded through a central counterparty; (3) absence of a liquid secondary market for any particular swap at any time; and (4) possible inability of the Fund to close out a swap transaction at a time that otherwise would be favorable for it to do so.

 

  Junk Bond Risk: the risk that junk bonds have a higher degree of default risk and may be less liquid and subject to greater price volatility than investment grade bonds.

 

 

Foreign Investing Risk: the risk that Fund share prices may fluctuate with market conditions, currency exchange rates and the economic and political climates of the foreign countries in which the Fund invests or has exposure. Investments in foreign securities may involve greater risks than investing in U.S. securities due to, among other factors, less publicly available information, less stringent and less uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, less liquid and more volatile markets, higher transaction and custody costs, additional taxes, less investor protection, delayed or less frequent settlement, political or social instability, civil unrest, acts of terrorism, regional economic volatility, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments. In addition, the ongoing

 

 

4


   

conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and among Israel, Hamas, Iran and other militant groups in the Middle East have caused and could continue to cause market disruptions in the regions and globally and thus could affect the value of the Fund’s investments.

 

  Distressed and Defaulted Securities Risk: the risk that the repayment of defaulted securities and obligations of distressed issuers is subject to significant uncertainties.

 

  Counterparty Risk: the risk that the other party to a contract, such as a derivatives contract, may not fulfill its contractual obligations.

 

  U.S. Treasury Obligations Risk: the risk that the value of U.S. Treasury obligations may decline as a result of changes in interest rates, certain political events in the U.S., and strained relations with certain foreign countries.

 

  U.S. Government Securities Risk: the risk that debt securities issued or guaranteed by certain U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities, and sponsored enterprises are not supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and as a result, investments in their securities or obligations issued by such entities involve credit risk greater than investments in other types of U.S. government securities.

 

  Cybersecurity Risk: With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security, and related risks. Cyber incidents affecting the Fund or its service providers may cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs.

 

  Portfolio Management Risk: the risk that an investment strategy may fail to produce the intended results.

 

  Large Shareholder Purchase and Redemption Risk: the risk that the Fund may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Fund. Such large shareholder redemptions may cause the Fund to sell its securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s net asset value and liquidity. Similarly, large share purchases may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would. In addition, a large redemption could result in the Fund’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio.

Please see “Principal Risks” and “Other Risks” for a more detailed description of the risks of investing in the Fund.

Your investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity, or person.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows performance of the Fund’s Class M shares. Class M performance is lower than Class I performance because Class I has lower expenses than Class M. The table compares the average annual total returns of the Fund to a broad-based securities market index and a secondary benchmark index. Total returns would have been lower if certain fees and expenses had not been waived or reimbursed. The inception date of Class M shares and Class I shares of the Fund is September 30, 2021. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information for the Fund is available on our website at www.tcw.com or by calling (800) 241-4671.

Sustainable Securitized Fund – Class M Shares

Annual Total Returns for Years Ended 12/31

 

LOGO

Year-to-Date Total Return of Class M Shares as of June 30, 2025: 5.16%

 

Highest:      8.51%     

(quarter ended December 31, 2023)

Lowest:      -5.60%     

(quarter ended March 31, 2022)

Average Annual Total Returns

(For Periods Ended December 31, 2024)

 

Share Class   1 Year  

Since

Inception

M – Before Taxes

      8.17%       -0.51%

- After Taxes on Distributions

      5.08%       -2.28%

- After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

      4.78%       -1.16%

I – Before Taxes

      8.40%       -0.42%

Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index

      1.25%       -2.22%

Bloomberg U.S. Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) Index

      1.20%       -2.08%
 

 

5


1 

The “After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Shares” return is higher than the “After Taxes on Distributions” return because of realized losses that would have been sustained upon sale of Fund shares immediately after the relevant period.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for only Class M Shares. After-tax returns for other classes will vary. In some cases, returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may be higher than returns before taxes because the calculations assume that the investor received a tax deduction for any loss incurred on the sale of the shares.

Investment Adviser

Metropolitan West Asset Management, LLC.

Portfolio Managers

 

Name  

Experience

with the Fund

 

Primary Title with

Investment Adviser

Elizabeth (Liza) Crawford   3 Years   Managing Director
Palak Pathak, CFA   2 Years   Managing Director
Peter Van Gelderen   2 Years   Managing Director

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Funds on any business day (normally any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open). Generally, purchase and redemption orders for shares of the Funds are processed at the net asset value next calculated after an order is received by the Fund. You may conduct transactions by mail at U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 219252, Kansas City, MO 64121-9252 or by telephone at (800) 241-4671. You may also purchase or redeem shares of the Funds through your dealer or financial advisor.

Purchase Minimums for Each Share Class

The following table provides the minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements for each share class. The minimums may be reduced or waived in some cases. A broker-dealer or other financial intermediary may require a higher minimum initial investment, or may aggregate or combine accounts in order to allow its customers to apply a lower minimum investment.

 

Share Class and Type of Account

   Minimum
Initial
Investment
     Minimum
Subsequent
Investment
 

Class M

     
Regular Accounts    $ 5,000      $ 0  
Individual Retirement Accounts    $ 1,000      $ 0  
Automatic Investment Plan    $ 5,000      $ 100  

Class I

     
Regular Accounts    $ 3,000,000      $ 50,000  

Tax Information

Dividends and capital gains distributions you receive from the Fund are subject to federal income taxes and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal from those arrangements.

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/ or the Adviser may, directly or through the Fund’s principal underwriter, 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 salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

6