THE PRUDENTIAL SERIES FUND

PSF International Growth Portfolio 

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS • April 26, 2021

Before you invest, you may want to review the Portfolio’s Prospectus, which contains more information about the Portfolio and its risks. You can find the Portfolio's Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information (SAI), Annual Report and other information about the Portfolio online at www.prudential.com/variableinsuranceportfolios. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-346-3778 or by sending an e-mail to: service@prudential.com. The Portfolio’s Prospectus and SAI, both dated April 26, 2021, as supplemented and amended from time to time, and the Portfolio’s most recent shareholder report, dated December 31, 2020 are all hereby incorporated by reference into (legally made a part of) this Summary Prospectus.

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The investment objective of the Portfolio is long-term growth of capital.

PORTFOLIO FEES AND EXPENSES

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. 

Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
	Class I Shares	Class II Shares
Management Fees	0.85%	0.85%
+ Distribution and/or Service Fees (12b-1 Fees)	None	0.25%
+ Administration Fees	None	0.15%
+ Other Expenses	0.36%	0.36%
= Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses	1.21%	1.61%
- Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement	(0.20)%	(0.20)%
= Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(1)	1.01%	1.41%

(1) The Manager has contractually agreed to waive 0.019% of its investment management fee through June 30, 2022. In addition, the Manager has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its investment management fee and/or reimburse certain expenses of the Portfolio so that the Portfolio’s investment management fee plus other expenses (exclusive of certain expenses as described more fully in the Trust’s Statement of Additional Information) do not exceed 1.01% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets through June 30, 2022. Where applicable, the Manager agrees to waive management fees or shared operating expenses on any share class to the same extent that it waives such expenses on any other share class. Expenses waived/reimbursed by the Manager may be recouped by the Manager within the same fiscal year during which such waiver/reimbursement is made if such recoupment can be realized without exceeding the expense limit in effect at the time of the recoupment for that fiscal year. These arrangements may not be terminated or modified without the prior approval of the Trust’s Board of Trustees

Example.  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: 

	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
PSF International Growth (formerly, SP International Growth) Class I Shares	$103	$364	$646	$1,448
PSF International Growth (formerly, SP International Growth) Class II Shares	$144	$488	$857	$1,894

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Portfolio Turnover.  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 44% of the average value of its portfolio.

INVESTMENTS, RISKS AND PERFORMANCE

Principal Investment Strategies.  In pursuing its investment objective, the Portfolio invests at least 65% of its total assets in equity and equity-related securities (such as common stock) of foreign companies operating or based in at least five different countries, which may include countries with emerging markets. A company is considered to be a foreign company if it satisfies at least one of the following criteria: its securities are traded principally on stock exchanges in one or more foreign countries; it derives 50% or more of its total revenue from goods produced, sales made or services performed in one or more foreign countries; it maintains 50% or more of its assets in one or more foreign countries; it is organized under the laws of a foreign country; or its principal executive office is located in a foreign country. The Portfolio may invest anywhere in the world, but generally not the US. The Portfolio primarily invests in securities of non-US growth companies whose shares appear attractively valued on a relative and absolute basis. The Portfolio looks primarily for stocks of companies that have above average actual and potential earnings growth over the long-term and strong financial and operational characteristics. These companies typically have characteristics such as above average growth in earnings and cash flow, improving profitability, strong balance sheets, management strength and strong market share for its products. The Portfolio also tries to buy such stocks at attractive prices in relation to their growth prospects. The Portfolio invests primarily in the securities of large and medium-sized foreign companies, although it may also invest in companies of all sizes.

Equity and equity-related securities include, but are not limited to, common stocks, securities convertible or exchangeable for common stock or the cash value of common stock, preferred stocks, warrants and rights that can be exercised to obtain stock, investments in various types of business ventures including partnerships and business development companies, investments in other mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), securities of real estate investment trusts (REITs) and income and royalty trusts, structured securities including participation notes (P-Notes), structured notes (S-Notes) and low exercise price warrants (LEPWs) or other similar securities and American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and other similar receipts or shares, in both listed and unlisted form.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Portfolio. 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.

Asset Transfer Program Risk. Predetermined, nondiscretionary mathematical formulas used by the Participating Insurance Companies to manage the guarantees offered in connection with certain benefit programs under the Contracts may result in systematic transfers of assets among the investment options under the Contracts, including the Portfolio. These formulas may result in large-scale asset flows into and out of the Portfolio, which could adversely affect the Portfolio, including its risk profile, expenses and performance. For example, the asset flows may adversely affect performance by requiring the Portfolio to purchase or sell securities at inopportune times, by otherwise limiting the subadviser’s ability to fully implement the Portfolio’s investment strategies, or by requiring the Portfolio to hold a larger portion of its assets in highly liquid securities than it otherwise would hold. The asset flows may also result in high turnover, low asset levels and high operating expense ratios for the Portfolio. The asset flows could remove all or substantially all of the assets of the Portfolio. The efficient operation of the asset flows depends on active and liquid markets. If market liquidity is strained, the asset flows may not operate as intended which in turn could adversely affect performance.

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.

Investment Style Risk. Securities held by the Portfolio as a result of a particular investment style, such as growth or value, tend to perform differently (i.e., better or worse than other segments of, or the overall, stock market) depending on market and economic conditions and investor sentiment. At times when the investment style is out of favor, the Portfolio may underperform other funds that invest in similar asset classes but use different investment styles.

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.

Participation Notes (P-Notes) Risk. The Portfolio may gain exposure to securities traded in foreign markets through P-notes. In addition to risks similar to those associated with a direct investment in the underlying security, such as foreign investment risk, the holder of a P-note is not entitled to the same rights as an underlying security’s direct owner and P-notes are considered general unsecured contractual obligations and are subject to counterparty credit risks.

Real Estate Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate-linked derivative instruments are subject to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate. Poor performance by the manager of the REIT and adverse changes to or inability to qualify with favorable tax laws will adversely affect the Portfolio. In addition, some REITs have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area, or a single type of property.

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.

Past Performance. 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.

Annual return information is provided for Class I shares. Because all of the Portfolio’s shares are invested in the same portfolio of securities, returns for Class II shares are lower because Class II shares do not have the same expenses as Class I shares.

 

 

   

Best Quarter:		Worst Quarter:
25.62%	2nd Quarter 2020	-20.35%	3rd Quarter 2011

 

Average Annual Total Returns (For the periods ended December 31, 2020) 

	1 Year	5 Years	10 Years
PSF International Growth Class I Shares	32.11%	14.83%	9.19%
PSF International Growth Class II Shares	31.58%	14.35%	8.75%
Index
MSCI EAFE Index (GD) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	8.28%	7.97%	6.00%

MANAGEMENT OF THE PORTFOLIO 

Investment Manager	Subadviser	Portfolio Managers	Title	Service Date
PGIM Investments LLC		Brian Ahrens	Senior Vice President, Strategic Investment Research Group	April 2020
		Andrei O. Marinich, CFA	Vice President, Strategic Investment Research Group	April 2020
		Todd L. Kerin	Vice President, Portfolio Manager	April 2020
		Saleem Z. Banatwala	Director, Portfolio Manager	April 2020
	William Blair Investment Management, LLC	Simon Fennell	Partner & Portfolio Manager	January 2014
		Kenneth J. McAtamney	Partner & Portfolio Manager	January 2014

Investment Manager	Subadviser	Portfolio Managers	Title	Service Date
	Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC	Benjamin Segal, CFA*	Managing Director and Portfolio Manager	June 2013
		Elias Cohen, CFA	Managing Director and Portfolio Manager	January 2017
		Thomas Hogan, CFA	Managing Director	January 2021
	Jennison Associates LLC	Mark Baribeau, CFA	Managing Director	May 2012
		Thomas Davis	Managing Director	May 2012

*Mr. Segal has announced his intention to retire on or about June 30, 2021.

TAX INFORMATION

Contract owners should consult their Contract prospectus for information on the federal tax consequences to them. In addition, Contract owners may wish to consult with their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of investments in the Contracts and the Portfolio, including the application of state and local taxes. The Portfolio currently intends to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Portfolio's income, gains, losses, deductions, and credits are “passed through” pro rata directly to the Participating Insurance Companies and retain the same character for federal income tax purposes.

FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY COMPENSATION

If you purchase your Contract through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Participating Insurance Company, the Portfolio or their related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of the Contract, the selection of the Portfolio 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 Contract over another investment or insurance product, or to recommend the Portfolio over another investment option under the Contract. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

Notes

Notes

  

 

By Mail:	The Prudential Series Fund, 655 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102
By Telephone:	1-800-346-3778
On the Internet:	www.prudential.com/variableinsuranceportfolios

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