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Apr. 26, 2021
PSF Natural Resources Portfolio
<span style="color:#999999;font-family:Arial;font-size:14pt;margin-left:0%;">SUMMARY: </span><span style="color:#999999;font-family:Arial;font-size:14pt;">PSF NATURAL RESOURCES PORTFOLIO</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;margin-left:0%;">Note: Prior to the effective date of this prospectus, the PSF Natural Resources Portfolio was named the </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;">“Natural Resources Portfolio.”</span>
<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0%;text-transform:uppercase;">INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE</span>
The investment objective of the Portfolio is long-term growth of capital.
<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0%;text-transform:uppercase;">PORTFOLIO FEES AND EXPENSES</span>
The table below shows the fees and expenses that you may pay if you invest in shares of the Portfolio. The table does not include Contract charges. Because Contract charges are not included, the total fees and expenses that you will incur will be higher than the fees and expenses set forth in the table. See your Contract prospectus for more information about Contract charges.
<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:7.76pt;font-weight:bold;padding-left:0.0%;">Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:7.76pt;font-weight:bold;padding-left:0.0%;">investment)</span>
<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0%;">Example. </span>
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The table does not include Contract charges. Because Contract charges are not included, the total fees and expenses that you will incur will be higher than the fees and expenses set forth in the example. See your Contract prospectus for more information about Contract charges.The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio 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 Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0%;">Portfolio Turnover. </span>
The Portfolio 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. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the example, affect the Portfolio's performance. During the Portfolio's most recent fiscal year ended December 31, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 136% of the average value of its portfolio.
<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0%;text-transform:uppercase;">INVESTMENTS, RISKS AND PERFORMANCE</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0%;">Principal Investment Strategies. </span>
In pursuing its investment objective, the Portfolio normally invests at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies that are associated with natural resources, including those companies that are principally engaged in the research, development, manufacturing, extraction, distribution or sale of materials, energy or goods related to the Agriculture, Energy, Materials or Commodity-Related Industrials sectors. The Portfolio considers (i) the Agriculture sector to include products such as grain, vegetable oils, livestock and agricultural-type products such as coffee; (ii) the Energy sector to include products such as coal, natural gas, oil, alternative energy and electricity and energy storage; or companies which are substantially engaged in the sectors described above; (iii) the Materials sector to include products such as chemicals & fertilizers, constructions materials, industrial metal, precious metal, steel, minerals and paper products; and (iv) the Commodity-Related Industrials sector to include industrial firms that manufacture tools, equipment and goods used in the development and production of commodities or that maintain infrastructure used in their transportation.Under normal conditions, the Portfolio’s portfolio manager seeks to allocate investments across a range of investment opportunities and businesses in the Agriculture, Energy, Materials and Commodity-Related Industrials sectors. The relative weightings of these sectors in the Portfolio may vary from time to time. The Portfolio invests most of its assets in US and non-US common stocks. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio allocates its investments among securities of issuers located in at least eight different countries (which may include the US). The Portfolio may also invest in securities issued in initial public offerings (IPOs) and up to 10% of its net assets in securities issued by other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds. The Portfolio’s portfolio manager evaluates the relative attractiveness of individual commodity cycles, including supply-demand fundamentals, pricing outlook and the impact on US and non-US macroeconomic indicators like inflation. In addition, the portfolio manager may consider forecasts of economic growth, inflation and interest rates to help identify industry sectors, regions and individual countries (including emerging market countries) that the portfolio manager believes is likely to offer the best investment opportunities.The portfolio manager seeks to evaluate the degree to which companies’ earnings are linked to commodity price changes, as well as companies’ fundamental value and prospects for growth. In addition to common stocks and other equity securities (such as preferred stocks, convertible securities and warrants), the Portfolio may utilize foreign currency exchange contracts, options, stock index futures contracts and other derivative instruments. The Portfolio may write covered call options on a portion of the stocks held in its portfolio, a strategy that may generate gains from option premiums while potentially limiting the volatility of portfolio returns. The Portfolio may invest in forwards or derivatives such as options, futures contracts, or swap agreements.
<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0%;">Principal Risks of Investing in the Portfolio.</span>
The risks summarized below are the principal risks of investing in the Portfolio. All investments have risks to some degree and it is possible that you could lose money by investing in the Portfolio.An investment in the Portfolio is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. While the Portfolio makes every effort to achieve its objective, the Portfolio cannot guarantee success. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.Commodity Risk. The value of a commodity-linked investment is affected by, among other things, overall market movements, factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, and changes in interest and exchange rates and may be more volatile than traditional equity and debt securities.Derivatives Risk. A derivative is a financial contract, the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of one or more underlying investments, such as an asset, reference rate, or index. The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that involves a variety of risks in addition to and greater than those associated with investing directly in securities, including the risk that: the party on the other side of a derivative transaction will be unable to honor its financial obligation; leverage created by investing in derivatives may result in losses to the Portfolio; derivatives may be difficult or impossible for the Portfolio to buy or sell at an opportune time or price, and may be difficult to terminate or otherwise offset; derivatives used for hedging may reduce or magnify losses but also may reduce or eliminate gains; and the price of commodity-linked derivatives may be more volatile than the prices of traditional equity and debt securities.Economic and Market Events Risk. Events in the US and global financial markets, including actions taken by the US Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, may at times result in periods of unusually high volatility in a market or a segment of a market, which could negatively impact performance. Reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets could adversely affect issuers worldwide.Emerging Markets Risk. The risks of non-US investments are greater for investments in or exposed to emerging markets. Emerging market countries typically have economic, political and social systems that are less developed, and can be expected to be less stable, than those of more developed countries. For example, the economies of such countries can be subject to currency devaluations and rapid and unpredictable (and in some cases, extremely high) rates of inflation or deflation. Low trading volumes may result in a lack of liquidity, price volatility and valuation difficulties.  Emerging market countries may have policies that restrict investments by foreign investors, or that prevent foreign investors from withdrawing their money at will, which may make it difficult for a Portfolio to invest in such countries or increase the administrative costs of such investments. Countries with emerging markets can be found in regions such as Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa. A Portfolio may invest in some emerging markets through trading structures or protocols that subject it to risks such as those associated with decreased liquidity, custody of assets, different settlement and clearance procedures and asserting legal title under a developing legal and regulatory regime to a greater degree than in developed markets or even in other emerging markets.Equity Securities Risk. The value of a particular stock or equity-related security held by the Portfolio could fluctuate, perhaps greatly, in response to a number of factors, such as changes in the issuer’s financial condition or the value of the equity markets or a sector of those markets. Such events may result in losses to the Portfolio.Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF) Risk. An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a mutual fund that has the same investment objective, strategies and policies. In addition, the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade above or below its net asset value and there may not be an active trading market for an ETF’s shares. The Portfolio could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down.Expense Risk. The actual cost of investing in the Portfolio may be higher than the expenses shown in the “Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses” table above for a variety of reasons, including, for example, if the Portfolio’s average net assets decrease.Foreign Investment Risk. Investments in foreign securities generally involve more risk than investments in securities of US issuers, including: changes in currency exchange rates may affect the value of foreign securities held by the Portfolio; foreign markets generally are more volatile than, and generally are not subject to regulatory requirements comparable to, US markets; foreign financial reporting standards usually differ from those in the US; foreign exchanges are often less liquid than US markets; political or social developments may adversely affect the value of foreign securities; foreign holdings may be subject to special taxation and limitations on repatriating investment proceeds; and certain events in foreign markets may adversely affect foreign and domestic issuers, including interruptions in the global supply chain, natural disasters and outbreaks of infectious diseases.Focus Risk. The Portfolio focuses or may focus its investments in particular countries, regions, industries, sectors, markets, or types of investments and may accumulate large positions in such areas. As a result, the Portfolio’s performance may be more sensitive to a small group of related holdings and adverse developments in such areas than a portfolio more broadly invested, although the increasing interconnectivity between economies and financial markets throughout the world increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one country or region will adversely impact markets or issuers in other countries orregions.Liquidity and Valuation Risk. The Portfolio may hold one or more securities for which there are no or few buyers and sellers or the securities are subject to limitations on transfer. The Portfolio may be unable to sell those portfolio holdings at the desired time or price, and may have difficulty determining the value of such securities for the purpose of determining the Portfolio’s net asset value. In such cases, investments owned by the Portfolio may be valued at fair value pursuant to guidelines established by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. No assurance can be given that the fair value prices accurately reflect the value of the security. The Portfolio is subject to a liquidity risk management program, which limits the ability of the Portfolio to invest in illiquid investments.Market and Management Risk. Markets in which the Portfolio invests may experience volatility and go down in value, and possibly sharply and unpredictably. Investment techniques, risk analyses and investment strategies, which may include quantitative models or methods, used by a subadviser in making investment decisions for the Portfolio are subject to human error and may not produce the intended or desired results. The value of the Portfolio’s investments may be negatively affected by the occurrence of domestic or global events,including war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural disasters or events, political or civil instability, and public health emergencies (such as the spread of infectious diseases, pandemics, or epidemics), among others. Such events may reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and significantly adversely impact the economy. There is no guarantee that the investment objective of the Portfolio will be achieved.Portfolio Turnover Risk. A subadviser may engage in active trading on behalf of the Portfolio—that is, frequent trading of the Portfolio’s securities—in order to take advantage of new investment opportunities or yield differentials. The Portfolio's turnover rate may be higher than that of other mutual funds. Portfolio turnover generally involves some expense to the Portfolio, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestment in other securities.Regulatory Risk. The Portfolio is subject to a variety of laws and regulations which govern its operations. The Portfolio is subject to regulation by the SEC, and depending on the Portfolio, the CFTC. Similarly, the businesses and other issuers of the securities and other instruments in which the Portfolio invests are also subject to considerable regulation. Changes in laws and regulations may materially impact the Portfolio, a security, business, sector or market.Small Sized Company Risk. Securities of small sized companies tend to be less liquid than those of larger, more established companies, which can have an adverse effect on the price of these securities and on the Portfolio’s ability to sell these securities. The market price of such investments also may rise more in response to buying demand and fall more in response to selling pressure and be more volatile than investments in larger companies.
<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0%;">Past Performance.</span>
The bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's performance from year to year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for 1, 5, and 10 years compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.Past performance does not mean that the Portfolio will achieve similar results in the future.The annual returns and average annual returns shown in the chart and table are after deduction of expenses and do not include Contract charges. If Contract charges were included, the returns shown would have been lower than those shown. Consult your Contract prospectus for information about Contract charges.The table also demonstrates how the Portfolio's performance compares to the returns of a blended index comprised of 60% MSCI World Energy Index (ND) and 40% MSCI World Materials Index (ND), which the Portfolio’s investment manager believes reflects the Portfolio's investment objective. Annual return information is provided only for Class I shares. Because all of the Portfolio’s shares are invested in the same portfolio of securities, annual returns for Class II and Class III shares would be lower because Class II and Class III shares do not have the same expenses as Class I shares.Note: The Natural Resources Portfolio changed its subadviser and changed its investment policies and strategy effective February 8, 2016. The annual returns prior to February 8, 2016 for the Portfolio reflect the investment performance, investment operations, investment policies, and investment strategies of the former subadviser, and do not represent the actual or predicted performance of the Portfolio or its current subadviser.
Annual Total Returns (Class I Shares)
Best Quarter:Worst Quarter:26.29%4th Quarter 2020-34.18%1st Quarter 2020
<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:7.76pt;font-weight:bold;">Average Annual Total Returns (For the periods ended December 31, 2020)</span>