497K 1 d558063d497k.htm ALLIANZ FUNDS MULTI-STRATEGY TRUST Allianz Funds Multi-Strategy Trust
Share Class
& Ticker
  Class A     Class T     Institutional Class    

Summary Prospectus  February 1, 2018  

  ALMMX     -     ALAIX    

(As revised April 4, 2018)

 

AllianzGI Emerging Markets

Small-Cap Fund

 

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Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s statutory prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s statutory prospectus and other information about the Fund, including its statement of additional information (SAI) and most recent reports to shareholders, online at http://us.allianzgi.com/documents. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-988-8380 for Class A and Class T shares and 1-800-498-5413 for Institutional Class shares or by sending an email request to agid-marketingproduction@allianzinvestors.com. This Summary Prospectus incorporates by reference the Fund’s entire statutory prospectus and SAI, each dated February 1, 2018, as further revised or supplemented from time to time.

 

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The tables below describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A Shares of eligible funds that are part of the family of mutual funds sponsored by Allianz. More information about these and other discounts is available in the “Classes of Shares” section beginning on page 306 of the Fund’s prospectus or from your financial advisor. In addition, if you purchase shares through a specific intermediary, you may be subject to different sales charges including reductions in or waivers of such charges. More information about these intermediary-specific sales charge variations is available in Appendix A to the Fund’s prospectus (“Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers”).

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

 

Share Class    Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed
on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
  Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) (Load)
(as a percentage of the lower of original  purchase
price or NAV)(1)
Class A    5.50%   1%
Class T    2.50%   None
Institutional    None   None

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

 

Share Class      Management
Fees
     Distribution
and/or Service
(12b-1) Fees
     Other
Expenses
     Total Annual
Fund Operating
Expenses
     Expense
Reductions(2)
   Total Annual
Fund Operating
Expenses After
Expense
Reductions(2)
Class A      1.20%      0.25%      14.27%      15.72%      (13.87)%    1.85%
Class T      1.20      0.25      14.27      15.72      (13.87)    1.85
Institutional      1.20      None      2.18      3.38      (1.88)    1.50

 

(1)  For Class A shares, the CDSC is imposed only in certain circumstances where shares are purchased without a front-end sales charge at the time of purchase.
(2)  Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reductions reflect the effect of a contractual agreement by Allianz Global Investors U.S. LLC (“AllianzGI U.S.” or the “Manager”) to irrevocably waive its management fee and/or reimburse the Fund through January 31, 2019 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses excluding interest, tax, and extraordinary expenses, and certain credits and other expenses, exceed 1.85% for Class A shares, 1.85% for Class T shares and 1.50% for Institutional Class shares. Under the Expense Limitation Agreement, the Manager may recoup waived or reimbursed amounts for three years, provided total expenses, including such recoupment, do not exceed the annual expense limit in effect at the time of such waiver/reimbursement or recoupment. The Expense Limitation Agreement is terminable by the Trust upon 90 days’ prior written notice to the Manager or at any time by mutual agreement of the parties.

Examples.  The Examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of the Fund with the costs of investing in other mutual funds. The Examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the noted class of shares for the time periods indicated, your investment has a 5% return each year, and the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, the Examples show what your costs would be based on these assumptions. The Examples are based, for the first year, on Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reductions and, for all other periods, on Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses.

 

        Example:  Assuming you redeem your shares at the end of each period        Example:  Assuming you do not redeem your shares  
Share Class      1 Year        3 Years        5 Years        10 Years        1 Year        3 Years        5 Years        10 Years  
Class A        $728          $3,473          $5,660          $9,380          $728          $3,473          $5,660          $9,380  
Class T        433          3,265          5,523          9,360          433          3,265          5,523          9,360  
Institutional        153          864          1,598          3,540          153          864          1,598          3,540  

Portfolio Turnover.  The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017 was 121% of the average value of its portfolio. High levels of portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes for you if your Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Examples above, can adversely affect the Fund’s investment performance.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by normally investing at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings made for investment purposes) in securities and

instruments that are tied economically to emerging market countries and by investing at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings made for investment

 


AllianzGI Emerging Markets Small-Cap Fund

 

purposes) in companies with market capitalizations comparable to those of companies included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index (between $72.9 million and $5.2 billion as of December 31, 2017). The Fund currently defines emerging market countries as countries with securities markets that are, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, less sophisticated than more developed markets in terms of participation by investors, analyst coverage, liquidity and regulation. The Fund’s portfolio managers consider a security to be tied economically to a country with an emerging securities market if it is classified as an emerging market security by MSCI Inc. (“MSCI”), incorporated in an Emerging Market Country (as defined below), traded on an exchange in an Emerging Market Country or if it has exposure to an Emerging Market Country. The Fund will normally invest primarily in companies located in the countries represented in the Fund’s benchmark, which, as of the date of this Prospectus, is currently the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index (“Emerging Market Countries”). The Fund may also use participatory notes (“P-Notes”) to gain exposure to issuers in certain countries and may invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to gain exposure to various markets and for other investment purposes.

The portfolio managers seek to invest in emerging markets small-cap equities which they believe are benefiting from change not yet fully reflected in the market. The portfolio managers believe that behavioral biases of investors contribute to market inefficiencies, which can be exploited. The portfolio managers begin with a selection

universe of approximately 4,000 emerging markets small-cap securities. Their investment process uses a proprietary “alpha” model which blends behavioral and intrinsic-valuation factors in assessing individual securities’ prospects of outperforming the broader market. This multi-factor approach is integrated with a sophisticated risk model to form the basis of portfolio construction, with constraints at the individual security, industry and country levels to manage exposures relative to the benchmark index. Additionally, all investment recommendations are thoroughly vetted on a bottom-up basis to confirm the investment thesis and suitability before a purchase or sale. The integrated relationship between research and portfolio management combines the latest research from the academic and investment management communities with real-world portfolio management experience to attempt to maximize excess return opportunities within a framework that seeks to control risk.

In addition to common stocks, the Fund may invest in other equity securities (such as preferred stocks, convertible securities and warrants) and equity-related instruments. The Fund also may invest a portion of its assets in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities issued in initial public offerings (IPOs). The Fund may utilize foreign currency exchange contracts, options, stock index futures contracts and other derivative instruments. Although the Fund does not expect to invest significantly in derivative instruments during its initial fiscal year, it may do so at any time.

 

 

Principal Risks

 

The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which could adversely affect its net asset value, yield and total return, are (in alphabetical order after the first six risks):

Market Risk:  The Fund will be affected by factors influencing the U.S. or global economies and securities markets or relevant industries or sectors within them.

Issuer Risk:  The Fund will be affected by factors specific to the issuers of securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests, including actual or perceived changes in the financial condition or business prospects of such issuers.

Equity Securities Risk:  Equity securities may react more strongly to changes in an issuer’s financial condition or prospects than other securities of the same issuer.

Non-U.S. Investment Risk:  Non-U.S. securities markets and issuers may be more volatile, smaller, less liquid, less transparent and subject to less oversight, particularly in emerging markets.

Emerging Markets Risk:  Non-U.S. investment risk may be particularly high to the extent that the Fund invests in emerging market securities. These securities may present market, credit, currency, liquidity, legal, political, technical and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed countries.

Smaller Company Risk:  Securities issued by smaller companies may be more volatile and present increased liquidity risk relative to securities issued by larger companies.

Credit and Counterparty Risk:  An issuer or counterparty may default on obligations.

Currency Risk:  The values of non-U.S. securities may fluctuate with currency exchange rates and exposure to non-U.S. currencies may subject the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar.

Derivatives Risk:  Derivative instruments are complex, have different characteristics than their underlying assets and are subject to additional risks, including leverage, liquidity and valuation.

Focused Investment Risk:  Focusing on a limited number of issuers, sectors, industries or geographic regions increases risk and volatility.

IPO Risk:  Securities purchased in initial public offerings have no trading history, limited issuer information and increased volatility.

Leveraging Risk:  Instruments and transactions that constitute leverage magnify gains or losses and increase volatility.

Liquidity Risk:  The lack of an active market for investments may cause delay in disposition or force a sale below fair value.

Management Risk:  The Fund will be affected by the allocation determinations, investment decisions and techniques of the Fund’s management.

REIT and Real Estate-Related Investment Risk:  Adverse changes in the real estate markets may affect the value of REIT investments or real estate-linked derivatives.

Turnover Risk:  High levels of portfolio turnover increase transaction costs and taxes and may lower investment performance.

Please see “Summary of Principal Risks” in the Fund’s prospectus for a more detailed description of the Fund’s risks. It is possible to lose money on an investment in the Fund. 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.

 

 

Summary Prospectus  


Performance Information

 

The performance information below provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in its total return from year to year and by comparing the Fund’s average annual total returns with those of a broad-based market index and a performance average of similar mutual funds. The bar chart and the information to its right show performance of the Fund’s Class A shares, but do not reflect the impact of sales charges (loads). If they did, returns would be lower than those shown. Other share classes would have different performance due to the different expenses they bear. Performance in the Average Annual Total Returns table

reflects the impact of sales charges (loads). For periods prior to the inception date of a share class, performance information shown for such class may be based on the performance of an older class of shares that dates back to the Fund’s inception, as adjusted to reflect fees and expenses paid by the newer class. These adjustments generally result in estimated performance results for the newer class that are different from the actual results of the predecessor class, due to differing levels of fees and expenses paid. Past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily predictive of future performance. Visit us.allianzgi.com for more current performance information.

 

Calendar Year Total Returns — Class A

 

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Calendar Year End (through 12/31)

Highest and Lowest Quarter Returns

 

(for periods shown in the bar chart)  
Highest 01/01/2017–03/31/2017      14.69%  
Lowest 07/01/2015–09/30/2015      -13.65%  
 

Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/17)

 

      1 Year        Fund Inception
(12/1/14)
 
Class A — Before Taxes      24.77%          6.96%  
Class A — After Taxes on Distributions      21.40%          5.79%  
Class A — After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares      14.40%          4.88%  
Class T — Before Taxes      28.73%          8.05%  
Institutional Class — Before Taxes      32.55%          9.33%  
MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap Index (returns reflect no deduction for fees or expenses but are net of dividend tax withholding)      33.84%          7.69%  
Lipper Emerging Markets Funds Average      34.57%          5.98%  

After-tax returns are estimated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares through tax-advantaged arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. After-tax returns are for Class A shares only. After-tax returns for other share classes will vary.

 

Management of the Fund

Investment Manager

Allianz Global Investors U.S. LLC

Portfolio Managers

Kunal Ghosh, portfolio manager and director, has managed the Fund since its inception in 2014.

Lu Yu, CFA, CIPM, portfolio manager and director, has managed the Fund since its inception in 2014.

Jie Wei, CFA, portfolio manager and director, has managed the Fund since its inception in 2014.*

* Effective April 20, 2018, Mr. Wei will no longer serve as a portfolio manager of the Fund.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or sell (redeem) shares of the Fund on any business day through a broker, dealer, or other financial intermediary (for Class T shares, such intermediary must have an agreement with the Distributor to sell Class T shares), or directly from the Fund’s distributor by mail (Allianz Global Investors Distributors LLC, P.O. Box 8050, Boston, MA 02266-8050) for Class A shares, or directly from the

Fund’s transfer agent by mail (Allianz Institutional Funds, P.O. Box 219968, Kansas City, MO 64121-9968) for Institutional Class shares, or as further described in the Fund’s prospectus and SAI. Additionally, certain direct shareholders may be able to purchase or redeem shares of the Fund online by visiting our website, https://us.allianzgi.com, clicking on the “Account Access” link at the top of that webpage, and following instructions. Some restrictions may apply. To avoid delays in a purchase or redemption, please call 1-800-988-8380 for Class A and Class T shares and 1-800-498-5413 for Institutional Class shares with any questions about the requirements before submitting a request. Generally, purchase and redemption orders for Fund shares are processed at the net asset value (NAV) next calculated after an order is received by the distributor or an authorized intermediary. NAVs are determined only on days when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading. For Class A and Class T shares, the minimum initial investment in the Fund is $1,000 and the minimum subsequent investment is $50. For Institutional Class shares, the minimum initial investment in the Fund is $1 million and no minimum is needed to add to an existing account, though minimums may be modified for certain financial intermediaries that aggregate trades on behalf of investors.

 

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

 

 

   Summary Prospectus  


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, its distributor, its investment manager or their affiliates 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 intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s Web site for more information.

 

 

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and to eliminate mailings, go to:

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