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Calvert VP SRI Mid Cap Portfolio

Investment Objective

Calvert VP SRI Mid Cap Portfolio (the “Fund”) seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in a portfolio of the equity securities of mid-sized companies that are undervalued but demonstrate a potential for growth.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table does not reflect expenses and charges that are, or may be, imposed under your variable annuity contract or variable life insurance separate account (“Variable Contract”) or qualified pension or retirement plan (“Qualified Plan”). If these fees and expenses were included, expenses shown would be higher. For information on these charges, please refer to the applicable Variable Contract prospectus, prospectus summary or disclosure statement. If you participate through a Qualified Plan, the table does not reflect direct expenses of the plan, and you should consult your administrator for more information.

 

This table describes the expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees
Calvert VP SRI Mid Cap Portfolio
Calvert VP SRI Mid Cap Portfolio
Maximum sales charge (load) on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) none
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of amount purchased or redeemed, whichever is lower) none

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

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
Calvert VP SRI Mid Cap Portfolio
Calvert VP SRI Mid Cap Portfolio
Management fees 0.77%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees none
Other expenses 0.27%
Total annual fund operating expenses 1.04%
Less fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement (0.05%) [1]
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 0.99%
[1] Calvert Research and Management ("CRM" or the "Adviser") has agreed to reimburse the Fund's expenses to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 0.99% for Fund shares. This expense reimbursement will continue through April 30, 2019. Any amendment to or termination of this reimbursement would require approval of the Board of Directors. The expense reimbursement relates to ordinary operating expenses only and does not include expenses such as brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses of unaffiliated funds, interest expense, taxes or litigation expenses. Amounts reimbursed may be recouped by CRM during the same fiscal year to the extent actual expenses are less than the contractual expense cap during such year.

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 does not reflect expenses and charges which are, or may be, imposed under your Variable Contract or Qualified Plan. If these fees and expenses were included, expenses shown would be higher. 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, that the operating expenses remain the same and that any expense reimbursement arrangement remains in place for the contractual period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Calvert VP SRI Mid Cap Portfolio | Calvert VP SRI Mid Cap Portfolio | USD ($) 101 326 569 1,266

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (“turns over” the portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. 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 portfolio turnover rate was 159% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in the common stocks of mid-cap companies. The Fund defines mid-cap companies as those whose market capitalization falls within the range of the Russell Midcap® Index at the time of investment. As of December 31, 2017, the market capitalization of the Russell Midcap® Index companies ranged from $653.7 million to $62.5 billion with a weighted average market capitalization of $14.9 billion. Although primarily investing in mid-cap U.S. companies, the Fund may also invest in small-cap companies. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in publicly-traded real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).

The Fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in companies and other issuers that the Adviser determines operate in a manner consistent with or promote The Calvert Principles for Responsible Investment (the “Principles”). The Principles provide a framework for the Adviser’s evaluation of investments considering environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors. The Principles seek to identify companies and other issuers that operate in a manner that is consistent with or promote: environmental sustainability and resource efficiency; equitable societies and respect for human rights; and accountable governance and transparency, among other factors. For additional information, please refer to “Appendix A: The Calvert Principles for Responsible Investment” in this prospectus. The Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days’ notice before changing this 80% policy.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign securities, some of which may be issued by companies domiciled in emerging market countries. As an alternative to holding foreign stocks directly, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the over-the-counter market (including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), which may be sponsored or unsponsored, and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”)). The Fund may also lend its securities.

The Adviser selects securities primarily on the basis of fundamental research, and consideration of the responsible investing criteria described below. The portfolio manager utilizes the information provided by, and the expertise of, the Adviser’s research staff in making investment decisions. In selecting securities, the portfolio manager seeks companies that have sustainable earnings and cash flow, a strong and durable financial profile, secular and cyclical growth prospects, and the ability to maintain a competitive position within its industry. In addition, the portfolio manager employs a portfolio construction process; and uses risk management techniques to assist in portfolio construction, and monitoring and maintaining issuer and industry diversification among portfolio holdings. The portfolio manager may sell a security when he believes it is fully valued, the fundamentals of a company deteriorate, or to pursue alternative investment options.

Responsible Investing. In selecting investments for the Fund, CRM is guided by the Principles, which provide a framework for considering ESG factors that may affect investment performance.

Principal Risks

Market Risk. The value of investments held by the Fund may increase or decrease in response to economic, political and financial events (whether real, expected or perceived) in the U.S. and global markets. The frequency and magnitude of such changes in value cannot be predicted. Certain securities and other investments held by the Fund may experience increased volatility, illiquidity, or other potentially adverse effects in reaction to changing market conditions. Actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, such as decreases or increases in short-term interest rates, could cause high volatility in markets.

Equity Securities Risk. The value of equity securities and related instruments may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer and sector-specific considerations; or other factors. Market conditions may affect certain types of stocks to a greater extent than other types of stocks. If the stock market declines in value, the value of the Fund’s equity securities will also likely decline. Although prices can rebound, there is no assurance that values will return to previous levels.

Mid-Cap Risk. Because the Fund normally invests primarily in stocks of mid-cap companies, it is subject to the risk of underperforming the overall stock market during periods in which stocks of such companies are out of favor and generate lower returns than the market as a whole.

Smaller Company Risk. The stocks of smaller and mid-sized companies are generally subject to greater price fluctuations, limited liquidity, higher transaction costs and higher investment risk than the stocks of larger, more established companies. Such companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, may be dependent on a limited management group, and may lack substantial capital reserves or an established performance record. There may be generally less publicly available information about such companies than for larger, more established companies. Stocks of these companies frequently have lower trading volumes making them more volatile and potentially more difficult to value.

Foreign Investment Risk. Foreign investments can be adversely affected by political, economic and market developments abroad, including the imposition of economic and other sanctions by the United States or another country. Foreign markets may be smaller, less liquid and more volatile than the major markets in the United States, and as a result, Fund share values may be more volatile. Trading in foreign markets typically involves higher expense than trading in the United States. The Fund may have difficulties enforcing its legal or contractual rights in a foreign country. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign instruments.

Emerging Markets Investment Risk. Investment markets in emerging market countries are typically smaller, less liquid and more volatile than developed markets, and emerging market securities often involve greater risks than developed market securities.

Currency Risk. Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The value of foreign investments may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates in relation to the U.S. dollar. Currency markets generally are not as regulated as securities markets and currency transactions are subject to settlement, custodial and other operational risks.

Real Estate Risk. Real estate investments are subject to risks associated with owning real estate, including declines in real estate values, increases in property taxes, fluctuations in interest rates, limited availability of mortgage financing, decreases in revenues from underlying real estate assets, declines in occupancy rates, changes in government regulations affecting zoning, land use, and rents, environmental liabilities, and risks related to the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws, among others. REITs must satisfy specific requirements for favorable tax treatment and can involve unique risks in addition to the risks generally affecting the real estate industry. The Fund is not eligible for a deduction from dividends received from REITs that is available to individuals who invest directly in REITs. Changes in underlying real estate values may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that investments are concentrated in particular geographic regions or property types.

Portfolio Turnover Risk. The annual portfolio turnover rate of the Fund may exceed 100%. A mutual fund with a high turnover rate (100% or more) may generate more capital gains and may involve greater expenses (which may reduce return) than a fund with a lower rate. Capital gains distributions will be made to shareholders if offsetting capital loss carry forwards do not exist.

Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves a possible delay in recovery of the loaned securities or a possible loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower fails financially. The Fund could also lose money if the value of the collateral decreases.

Risks Associated with Active Management. The success of the Fund’s investment strategy depends on portfolio management’s successful application of analytical skills and investment judgment. Active management involves subjective decisions. The portfolio manager also uses quantitative portfolio optimization and risk management techniques in making investment decisions for the Fund. There can be no assurance that these techniques will achieve the desired results.

Responsible Investing Risk. Investing primarily in responsible investments carries the risk that, under certain market conditions, the Fund may underperform funds that do not utilize a responsible investment strategy. The application of responsible investment criteria may affect the Fund’s exposure to certain sectors or types of investments, and may impact the Fund’s relative investment performance depending on whether such sectors or investments are in or out of favor in the market. An investment’s ESG performance or the investment adviser’s assessment of such performance may change over time, which could cause the Fund to temporarily hold securities that do not comply with the Fund’s responsible investment criteria. In evaluating an investment, the investment adviser is dependent upon information and data that may be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable, which could cause adversely affect the analysis of the ESG factors relevant to a particular investment. Successful application of the Fund’s responsible investment strategy will depend on the investment adviser’s skill in properly identifying and analyzing material ESG issues.

General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is designed to be a long-term investment vehicle and is not suited for short-term trading. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term investment perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. Purchase and redemption activities by Fund shareholders may impact the management of the Fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective(s). In addition, the redemption by one or more large shareholders or groups of shareholders of their holdings in the Fund could have an adverse impact on the remaining shareholders in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and how the Fund’s average annual returns over time compare with those of a broad-based securities market index. The returns in the bar chart are for Fund shares and do not reflect any insurance-related expenses and charges under a Variable Contract or expenses related to a Qualified Plan. If such charges were reflected, the returns would be lower. Thus, you should not compare the Fund’s returns directly with the performance of other products without taking into account all insurance-related charges and expenses payable under your Variable Contract or Qualified Plan. Past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Effective December 31, 2016, CRM became the investment adviser to the Fund and performance reflected prior to such date is that of the Fund’s former investment adviser, Calvert Investment Management, Inc. Performance for all periods has been calculated by CRM, the Fund’s current administrator, in accordance with applicable requirements. The Fund’s performance reflects the effects of expense reductions. Absent these reductions, performance would have been lower. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting www.calvert.com.

Bar Chart

For the ten years ended December 31, 2017, the highest quarterly total return was 17.54% for the quarter ended December 31, 2010 and the lowest quarterly return was -25.51% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2017

Average Annual Total Returns - Calvert VP SRI Mid Cap Portfolio
One Year
Five Years
Ten Years
Calvert VP SRI Mid Cap Portfolio 11.65% 10.21% 7.79%
Russell Midcap® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 18.52% 14.95% 9.10%

Investors cannot invest directly in an Index.