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(American Beacon Bahl & Gaynor Small Cap Growth Fund℠)
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Investment Objective </b></div>
The Fund's investment objective is long-term capital appreciation.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Fees and Expenses of the Fund </b></div>
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales discounts if you and your eligible family members invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in all classes of the American Beacon Funds on an aggregated basis. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in "Choosing Your Share Class" on page 35 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 41 of the statement of additional information ("SAI"). With respect to purchases of shares through specific intermediaries, you may find additional information regarding sales charge discounts and waivers in Appendix A to the Fund's Prospectus entitled "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers". Although the Fund does not impose any sales charge on Y Class shares, you may pay a commission to your broker on your purchases and sales of those shares, which is not reflected in the tables or Example below.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)</b></div>
Shareholder Fees - (American Beacon Bahl & Gaynor Small Cap Growth Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Institutional Class
Investor Class
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.75% none none none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) 0.50% [1] 1.00% none none none
[1] A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) </b></div>
Annual Fund Operating Expenses - (American Beacon Bahl & Gaynor Small Cap Growth Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Institutional Class
Investor Class
Management Fees 0.88% 0.88% 0.88% 0.88% 0.88%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none none none
Other Expenses 0.48% 0.47% 0.46% 0.38% 0.65%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.61% 2.35% 1.34% 1.26% 1.53%
Fee Waiver and/or expense reimbursement [1] (0.23%) (0.22%) (0.26%) (0.28%) (0.17%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.38% 2.13% 1.08% 0.98% 1.36%
[1] American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the "Manager") has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund's A Class, C Class, Y Class, Institutional Class and Investor Class shares, as applicable, through April 30, 2020 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.38% for the A Class, 2.13% for the C Class, 1.08% for the Y Class, 0.98% for the Institutional Class and 1.36% for the Investor Class (excluding taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses). The contractual expense reimbursement can be changed or terminated only in the discretion and with the approval of a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees. The Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager's own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the lesser of the contractual percentage limit in effect at the time of the waiver/reimbursement or the time of the recoupment.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Example</b></div>
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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that this Example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for each share class through April 30, 2020. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon Bahl & Gaynor Small Cap Growth Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 707 1,033 1,380 2,358
Class C 316 712 1,235 2,669
Class Y 110 399 709 1,590
Institutional Class 100 372 665 1,498
Investor Class 138 467 818 1,809
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Assuming no redemption of shares:</b></div>
Expense Example, No Redemption - (American Beacon Bahl & Gaynor Small Cap Growth Fund℠)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class C | USD ($) 216 712 1,235 2,669
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Portfolio Turnover </b></div>
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 portfolio turnover rate was 42% of the average value of its portfolio.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Principal Investment Strategies </b></div>
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund's net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in securities of small capitalization companies. The Fund considers a company to be a small capitalization company if it has a market capitalization, at the time of investment, within the range of the market capitalizations of the companies in the Russell 2000® Index. The capitalization range of that index is subject to change over time due to market activity or changes in the composition of the index. As of December 31, 2018, the market capitalizations of the companies in the Russell 2000 Index ranged from $7.9 million to $6.3 billion.
The Fund's investment sub-advisor, Bahl & Gaynor Inc., d/b/a Bahl & Gaynor Investment Counsel ("Bahl & Gaynor") pursues its small cap growth strategy by focusing on high-quality dividend-paying stocks. Quantitative tools are initially used for screening purposes, but Bahl & Gaynor's investment process is primarily driven by fundamental, bottom-up, company-focused processes. The investment process begins by quantitatively screening the stock universe to identify companies with perceived competitive advantages by evaluating their historical revenue growth, earnings growth, long-term debt/capital, dividend history and cash flows. Bahl & Gaynor conducts extensive fundamental research on potential portfolio companies to determine which stock(s) provide the best risk/reward opportunities for inclusion in the portfolio. Bahl & Gaynor typically will sell an investment if the company's fundamentals have changed or the company's market capitalization (stock market worth) moves outside of the small cap range.
Although the Fund seeks investments across a number of sectors, from time to time, based on portfolio positioning, the Fund may have significant positions in particular sectors. However, as the sector composition of the Fund's portfolio changes over time, the Fund's exposure to a sector may be lower at a future date, and the Fund's exposure to other market sectors may be higher.
The Fund's equity investments may include common stocks, depositary receipts, and real estate investments trusts ("REITs").
The Fund may invest cash balances in other investment companies, including money market funds and may purchase and sell futures contracts to gain market exposure on cash balances in anticipation of liquidity needs. The Fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers and other institutions to earn additional income.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Principal Risks </b></div>
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of current income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of importance or potential exposure, are:
Cybersecurity and Operational Risk
The Fund and its service providers, and shareholders' ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from, among other problems: human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for the Fund or its service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.
Dividend Risk
An issuer of stock held by the Fund may choose not to declare a dividend or the dividend rate might not remain at current levels. Dividend paying stocks might not experience the same level of earnings growth or capital appreciation as non-dividend paying stocks.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to investment and market risk. The Fund's investments in equity securities may include common stocks, depositary receipts, and REITs. Such investments may expose the Fund to additional risks.
  • Common Stock. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
  • Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts are subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including, but not limited to: currency exchange rate fluctuations, political and financial instability in the home country of a particular depositary receipt or foreign stock, less liquidity and more volatility, less government regulation and supervision and delays in transaction settlement.
  • REITs. Investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry such as adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free "pass-through" of distributed net income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those incurred by the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investment in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. The value of REIT common stock may decline when interest rates rise.
Foreign Investing Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) increased volatility, (6) different government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies, and (7) delays in transaction settlement in some foreign markets.
Futures Contracts Risk
Futures contracts are derivative instruments where the parties agree to a fixed price for an agreed amount of securities or other underlying assets at an agreed date. The use of such derivative instruments may expose the Fund to additional risks that it would not be subject to if it invested directly in the securities underlying those derivatives. Futures contracts may experience potentially dramatic price changes (losses) and imperfect correlation between the price of the contract and the underlying security or index, which will increase the volatility of the Fund and may involve a small investment of cash (the amount of initial and variation margin) relative to the magnitude of the risk assumed (the potential increase or decrease in the price of the futures contract).
Growth Companies Risk
Growth companies are expected to increase their earnings at a certain rate. When these expectations are not met, the prices of these stocks may go down, even if earnings showed an absolute increase. Growth company stocks may lack the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns.
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Issuer Risk
The value of, and/or the return generated by, a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.
Market Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities markets will move down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably based on overall economic conditions and other factors. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investment sentiment generally. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact a market as a whole. A rise in protectionist trade policies, risks associated with the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union, the risk of a "trade war" between the United States and China, and the possibility of changes to some international trade agreements, could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time.
Model and Data Risk
Models and data are used to screen potential investments for the Fund. When models or data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks. Some of the models used by the sub-advisor are predictive in nature. The use of predictive models has inherent risks. Because predictive models are usually constructed based on historical data supplied by third parties, the success of relying on such models may depend heavily on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied historical data.
Other Investment Companies Risk
The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including money market funds. To the extent that the Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, the Fund will indirectly bear the fees and expenses charged by those investment companies in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those companies. For example, money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
Sector Risk
When the Fund focuses its investments in certain sectors of the economy, its performance may be driven largely by sector performance and could fluctuate more widely than if the Fund were invested more evenly across sectors.
Securities Lending Risk
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: i) borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, ii) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers, iii) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions, and iv) there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund's underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
Small Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of small capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since smaller companies may have narrower commercial markets, and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Fund Performance </b></div>
The bar chart and table below provide an indication of risk by showing how the Fund's performance has varied from year to year. The table shows how the Fund's performance compares to a broad-based market index, which is the Fund's benchmark index. You may obtain updated performance information on the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31</b></div>
Bar Chart
Highest Quarterly Return:
8.86% 4th Quarter 2016
1/1/2015 through 12/31/2018
Lowest Quarterly Return:
-18.89% 4th Quarter 2018
1/1/2015 through 12/31/2018
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2018</b></div>
Average Annual Total Returns - (American Beacon Bahl & Gaynor Small Cap Growth Fund℠)
Inception Date of Class
1 Year
Since Inception
Investor Class Jul. 15, 2014 (11.64%) 6.04%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions Jul. 15, 2014 (12.92%) 5.32%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares Jul. 15, 2014 (6.01%) 4.70%
Class A Jul. 15, 2014 (16.78%) 4.62%
Class C Jul. 15, 2014 (13.26%) 5.23%
Class Y Jul. 15, 2014 (11.37%) 6.35%
Institutional Class Jul. 15, 2014 (11.27%) 6.44%
Russell 2000 Growth Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)   (9.31%) 6.19%
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 income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. The return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares 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. If you are a tax-exempt entity or hold your Fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as an individual retirement account ("IRA") or a 401(k) plan, the after-tax returns do not apply to your situation. After-tax returns are shown only for Investor Class shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
(American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Growth Fund℠)
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Investment Objective </b></div>
The Fund seeks long-term total return on capital, primarily through capital appreciation.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Fees and Expenses of the Fund </b></div>
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales discounts if you and your eligible family members invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in all classes of the American Beacon Funds on an aggregated basis. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in "Choosing Your Share Class" on page 35 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 41 of the statement of additional information ("SAI"). With respect to purchases of shares through specific intermediaries, you may find additional information regarding sales charge discounts and waivers in Appendix A to the Fund's Prospectus entitled "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers". Although the Fund does not impose any sales charge on Y Class shares, you may pay a commission to your broker on your purchases and sales of those shares, which is not reflected in the tables or Example below.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)</b></div>
Shareholder Fees - (American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Growth Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Institutional Class
Investor Class
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.75% none none none none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) 0.50% [1] 1.00% none none none none
[1] A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) </b></div>
Annual Fund Operating Expenses - (American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Growth Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Institutional Class
Investor Class
Management Fees 0.73% 0.73% 0.73% 0.73% 0.73% 0.73%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none none none none
Other Expenses 0.27% 0.22% 0.24% 3.42% 0.20% 0.47%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.25% 1.95% 0.97% 4.15% 0.93% 1.20%
Fee Waiver and/or expense reimbursement [1] (0.04%) (0.01%) (0.06%) (3.39%) (0.12%) (0.01%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.21% 1.96% 0.91% 0.76% 0.81% 1.19%
[1] American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the "Manager") has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund's A Class, Y Class, R6 Class, Institutional Class and Investor Class shares, as applicable, through April 30, 2020 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.21% for the A Class, 0.91% for the Y Class, 0.76% for the R6 Class, 0.81% for the Institutional Class and 1.19% for the Investor Class (excluding taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses). The contractual expense reimbursement can be changed or terminated only in the discretion and with the approval of a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees. The Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager's own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the lesser of the contractual percentage limit in effect at the time of the waiver/reimbursement or the time of the recoupment. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, the Fund paid amounts to the Manager that were previously waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager under a contractual fee waiver/expense reimbursement for the Fund's C Class shares
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Example</b></div>
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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that this Example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for the Fund's A Class, Y Class, R6 Class, Institutional Class and Investor Class shares through April 30, 2020. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Growth Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 691 945 1,218 1,996
Class C 298 612 1,052 2,275
Class Y 93 303 530 1,184
Class R6 78 950 1,838 4,123
Institutional Class 83 284 503 1,132
Investor Class 121 380 659 1,454
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Assuming no redemption of shares:</b></div>
Expense Example, No Redemption - (American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Growth Fund℠)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class C | USD ($) 198 612 1,052 2,275
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Portfolio Turnover </b></div>
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 portfolio turnover rate was 60% of the average value of its portfolio.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Principal Investment Strategies </b></div>
The Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of large capitalization companies that are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE American, or Nasdaq. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in stocks from among those in the large-cap growth category at the time of purchase. For purposes of the Fund's investments, "large-cap stocks" are stocks of companies whose market capitalization falls within the range of the Russell 1000® Index at the time of investment. The Russell 1000 Index is an unmanaged, market value weighted index, which measures performance of approximately 1,000 of the largest companies in the U.S. equity market. The Russell 1000 Index is reconstituted from time to time. The market capitalization range for the Russell 1000 Index was $472.5 million to $780.4 billion as of December 31, 2018.
Growth stocks are those that the Fund's sub-advisor, Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. ("Bridgeway Capital") believes have above average prospects for economic growth. Generally, these are stocks represented in the Russell 1000® Growth Index, but may also include stocks of other companies with similar "growth" characteristics whose market capitalizations are within the range of the Russell 1000 Index. The Russell 1000 Growth Index includes those Russell 1000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.
The Fund's investments may include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into U.S. common stocks, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), depositary receipts and dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges (collectively referred to as "stocks"). The Fund also may invest in stocks of mid-capitalization companies.
Bridgeway Capital selects stocks within the large-cap growth category using a statistically driven approach. Bridgeway Capital will not necessarily sell a stock if it "migrates" outside the market capitalization range of the Russell 1000 Index after purchase. As a result, due to such "migration" or other market movements, the Fund may have less than 80% of its assets in large-cap stocks at any point in time. Based on statistically driven rules, securities are sold when the reasons for selecting the stock are no longer valid or when necessary to maintain the risk profile of the overall Fund.
Although the Fund seeks investments across a number of sectors, from time to time, based on portfolio positioning to reflect its benchmark index, the Fund may have significant positions in particular sectors, including the Information Technology sector. However, as the sector composition of the Fund's portfolio changes over time, the Fund's exposure to the Information Technology sector may be lower at a future date, and the Fund's exposure to other market sectors may be higher.
While the Fund is actively managed for long-term total return, Bridgeway Capital seeks to minimize capital gain distributions as part of a tax management strategy. The successful application of this method is intended to result in a more tax-efficient fund than would otherwise be the case.
The Fund may also invest cash balances in other investment companies, including money market funds, and may purchase and sell futures contracts to gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs. The Fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers and other institutions to earn additional income.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Principal Risks </b></div>
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of importance or potential exposure, are:
Allocation Risk
The Manager's and the sub-advisor's judgments about, and allocations among, asset classes and market exposures may adversely affect the Fund's performance.
Cybersecurity and Operational Risk
The Fund and its service providers, and shareholders' ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from, among other problems: human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for the Fund or its service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to investment and market risk. The Fund's investments in equity securities may include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, REITs, depositary receipts and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges. Such investments may expose the Fund to additional risks.
  • Common Stock. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
  • Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are subject to the risk that the credit standing of the issuer may have an effect on the convertible securities' investment value. Convertible securities are also sensitive to movements in interest rates.
  • Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges are subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including, but not limited to: currency exchange rate fluctuations, political and financial instability in the home country of a particular depositary receipt or foreign stock, less liquidity and more volatility, less government regulation and supervision and delays in transaction settlement.
  • Preferred Stock. Preferred stocks are sensitive to movements in interest rates. Preferred stocks may be less liquid than common stocks and, unlike common stocks, participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited. Distributions on preferred stocks generally are payable at the discretion of an issuer and after required payments to bond holders.
  • REITs. Investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry such as adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free "pass-through" of distributed net income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"), or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("Investment Company Act"). REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those incurred by the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investment in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. The value of REIT common stock may decline when interest rates rise.
Foreign Investing Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) increased volatility, (6) different government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies, and (7) delays in transaction settlement in some foreign markets.
Futures Contracts Risk
Futures contracts are derivative instruments where the parties agree to a fixed price for an agreed amount of securities or other underlying assets at an agreed date. The use of such derivative instruments may expose the Fund to additional risks that it would not be subject to if it invested directly in the securities underlying those derivatives. Futures contracts may experience potentially dramatic price changes (losses) and imperfect correlation between the price of the contract and the underlying security or index, which will increase the volatility of the Fund and may involve a small investment of cash (the amount of initial and variation margin) relative to the magnitude of the risk assumed (the potential increase or decrease in the price of the futures contract).
Growth Companies Risk
Growth companies are expected to increase their earnings at a certain rate. When these expectations are not met, the prices of these stocks may go down, even if earnings showed an absolute increase. Growth company stocks may lack the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns.
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Issuer Risk
The value of, and/or the return generated by, a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.
Large Capitalization Companies Risk
The securities of large market capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities markets will move down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably based on overall economic conditions and other factors. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investment sentiment generally. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact a market as a whole. A rise in protectionist trade policies, risks associated with the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union, the risk of a "trade war" between the United States and China, and the possibility of changes to some international trade agreements, could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since mid-capitalization companies may have narrower commercial markets and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity, and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Model and Data Risk
Models and data are used to screen potential investments for the Fund. When models or data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks. Some of the models used by the sub-advisor are predictive in nature. The use of predictive models has inherent risks. Because predictive models are usually constructed based on historical data supplied by third parties, the success of relying on such models may depend heavily on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied historical data.
Other Investment Companies Risk
The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including money market funds. To the extent that the Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, the Fund will indirectly bear the fees and expenses charged by those investment companies in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those companies. For example, money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
Redemption Risk
The Fund may experience periods of high levels of redemptions that could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times or at a loss or depressed value. The sale of assets to meet redemption requests may create net capital gains, which could cause the Fund to have to distribute substantial capital gains. Redemption risk is heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets. Heavy redemptions could hurt the Fund's performance.
Risk of Programming and Modeling Error
The success of the sub-advisor's investment strategy depends largely on the effectiveness of its quantitative research models and investment programs. The programs may not react as expected to market events resulting in losses for the Fund. Additionally, programs may become outdated or experience malfunctions which may not be identified by the sub-advisor and therefore may also result in losses to the Fund.
Sector Risk
When the Fund focuses its investments in certain sectors of the economy, its performance may be driven largely by sector performance and could fluctuate more widely than if the Fund were invested more evenly across sectors.
  • Information Technology Sector Risk. The market prices of information technology-related securities tend to exhibit a greater degree of market risk and sharp price fluctuations than other types of securities. These securities may fall in and out of favor with investors rapidly, which may cause sudden selling and dramatically lower market prices.
Securities Lending Risk
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: i) borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, ii) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers, iii) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions, and iv) there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund's underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Fund Performance </b></div>
On February 5, 2016, the Fund acquired all the assets and assumed all the liabilities of the Fund's predecessor. The Institutional Class shares of the Fund have adopted the performance history and financial statements of the Fund's predecessor. The chart and the table below show the performance of the Fund's Institutional Class shares, which, prior to February 5, 2016, is the performance of the Fund's predecessor. The table below also shows the performance of the Fund's A Class, C Class, Y Class, Investor Class, and R6 Class shares. Performance for the A Class, C Class, Y Class, and Investor Class shares represents the returns achieved by the Fund's predecessor from January 1, 2009 through February 4, 2016, and the performance of each of the Fund's respective share classes from February 5, 2016 through December 31, 2018. Performance for the R6 Class shares represents the returns achieved by the Fund's predecessor from January 1, 2009 through February 4, 2016, the performance of the Fund's Institutional Class from February 5, 2016 through April 29, 2018, and the Fund's R6 Class from April 30, 2018 through December 31, 2018. In each case, the newer share classes would have had similar annual returns to the Fund's predecessor because the shares of each class represent investments in the same portfolio securities. However, the older share class had different expenses than the newer share classes, which would affect performance. You may obtain updated performance information on the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
The bar chart and table below provide an indication of risk by showing how the Fund's performance has varied from year to year. The table shows how the Fund's performance compares to a broad-based market index, which is the Fund's benchmark index and was the benchmark index of the Fund's predecessor.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Calendar year total returns for Institutional Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31 </b></div>
Bar Chart
Highest Quarterly Return:
13.96% 2nd Quarter 2009
1/1/2009 through 12/31/2018
Lowest Quarterly Return:
-18.37% 4th Quarter 2018
1/1/2009 through 12/31/2018
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2018</b></div>
Average Annual Total Returns - (American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Growth Fund℠)
Inception Date of Class
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Institutional Class Oct. 31, 2003 (5.99%) 9.20% 14.30%
Institutional Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions Oct. 31, 2003 (8.65%) 8.25% 13.74%
Institutional Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares Oct. 31, 2003 (2.43%) 7.13% 12.01%
Class A Feb. 05, 2016 (11.87%) 7.69% 13.52%
Class C Feb. 05, 2016 (8.74%) 8.49% 13.93%
Class Y Feb. 05, 2016 (6.85%) 9.14% 14.27%
Investor Class Feb. 05, 2016 (6.33%) 8.96% 14.18%
Class R6 Apr. 30, 2018 (6.00%) 9.20% 14.30%
Russell 1000 Growth Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)   (1.51%) 10.40% 15.29%
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 income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. The return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares 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. If you are a tax-exempt entity or hold your Fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as an individual retirement account ("IRA") or a 401(k) plan, the after-tax returns do not apply to your situation. After-tax returns are shown only for the Fund's Institutional Class shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
(American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund℠)
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Investment Objective </b></div>
The Fund seeks to provide long-term total return on capital, primarily through capital appreciation and some income.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Fees and Expenses of the Fund </b></div>
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales discounts if you and your eligible family members invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in all classes of the American Beacon Funds on an aggregated basis. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in "Choosing Your Share Class" on page 35 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 41 of the statement of additional information ("SAI"). With respect to purchases of shares through specific intermediaries, you may find additional information regarding sales charge discounts and waivers in Appendix A to the Fund's Prospectus entitled "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers". Although the Fund does not impose any sales charge on Y Class shares, you may pay a commission to your broker on your purchases and sales of those shares, which is not reflected in the tables or Example below.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)</b></div>
Shareholder Fees - (American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Institutional Class
Investor Class
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.75% none none none none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) 0.50% [1] 1.00% none none none none
[1] A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) </b></div>
Annual Fund Operating Expenses - (American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Institutional Class
Investor Class
Management Fees 0.65% 0.65% 0.65% 0.65% 0.65% 0.65%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none none none none
Other Expenses 0.17% 0.14% 0.14% 0.05% 0.07% 0.40%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.07% 1.79% 0.79% 0.70% 0.72% 1.05%
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Example</b></div>
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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 678 896 1,131 1,806
Class C 282 563 970 2,105
Class Y 81 252 439 978
Class R6 72 224 390 871
Institutional Class 74 230 401 894
Investor Class 107 334 579 1,283
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Assuming no redemption of shares:</b></div>
Expense Example, No Redemption - (American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund℠)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class C | USD ($) 182 563 970 2,105
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Portfolio Turnover </b></div>
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 portfolio turnover rate was 49% of the average value of its portfolio.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Principal Investment Strategies </b></div>
The Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of stocks of large capitalization companies that are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE American, or Nasdaq. Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of Fund net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in stocks from among those in the large-cap value category at the time of purchase. For purposes of the Fund's investment portfolio, "large-cap stocks" are those whose market capitalization (stock market worth) falls within the range of the Russell 1000® Index at the time of investment. The Russell 1000® Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies based on total market capitalization. As of December 31, 2018, the market capitalizations of the companies in the Russell 1000® Index ranged from $472.5 million to $780.4 billion.
The Fund's sub-advisor, Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. ("Bridgeway Capital"), selects stocks within the large-cap value category for the Fund using a proprietary statistically driven approach. Value stocks are those Bridgeway Capital believes are priced cheaply relative to some financial measures of worth, such as the ratio of price to earnings, price to sales, or price to cash flow. Generally, these are stocks represented in the Russell 1000® Value Index, plus large capitalization stocks with similar "value" characteristics. The Russell 1000® Value Index includes those Russell 1000® companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. Based on statistically driven rules, securities are sold when the reasons for selecting the stock are no longer valid or when necessary to maintain the risk profile of the overall Fund.
The Fund's investments may include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into U.S. common stocks, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges (collectively referred to as "stocks"). The Fund also may invest in stocks of mid-capitalization companies.
The Fund may also invest cash balances in other investment companies, including money market funds, and may purchase and sell futures contracts to gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs. The Fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers and other institutions to earn additional income.
Bridgeway Capital selects stocks within the large-cap growth category using a statistically driven approach. Bridgeway Capital will not necessarily sell a stock if it "migrates" outside the market capitalization range of the Russell 1000 Index after purchase. As a result, due to such "migration" or other market movements, the Fund may have less than 80% of its assets in large-cap stocks at any point in time.
While the Fund is actively managed for long-term total return, Bridgeway Capital seeks to minimize capital gains distributions as part of a tax management strategy. The successful application of this method is intended to result in a more tax-efficient fund than would otherwise be the case.
Although the Fund seeks investments across a number of sectors, from time to time, based on portfolio positioning to reflect its benchmark index, the Fund may have significant positions in particular sectors, including the Financial Services sector. However, as the sector composition of the Fund's portfolio changes over time, the Fund's exposure to the Financial Services sector may be lower at a future date, and the Fund's exposure to other market sectors may be higher.
The Fund uses income to pursue its investment objective. Income is achieved almost exclusively from dividend-paying stocks held by the Fund. However, not all stocks held by the Fund pay dividends.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Principal Risks </b></div>
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of current income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of importance or potential exposure, are:
Allocation Risk
The Manager's and the sub-advisor's judgments about, and allocations among, asset classes and market exposures may adversely affect the Fund's performance.
Cybersecurity and Operational Risk
The Fund and its service providers, and shareholders' ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from, among other problems: human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for the Fund or its service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.
Dividend Risk
An issuer of stock held by the Fund may choose not to declare a dividend or the dividend rate might not remain at current levels. Dividend paying stocks might not experience the same level of earnings growth or capital appreciation as non-dividend paying stocks.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to investment and market risk. The Fund's investments in equity securities may include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, REITs, depositary receipts and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges. Such investments may expose the Fund to additional risks.
  • Common Stock. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
  • Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are subject to the risk that the credit standing of the issuer may have an effect on the convertible securities' investment value. Convertible securities are also sensitive to movements in interest rates.
  • Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges are subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including, but not limited to: currency exchange rate fluctuations, political and financial instability in the home country of a particular depositary receipt or foreign stock, less liquidity and more volatility, less government regulation and supervision and delays in transaction settlement.
  • Preferred Stock. Preferred stocks are sensitive to movements in interest rates. Preferred stocks may be less liquid than common stocks and, unlike common stocks, participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited. Distributions on preferred stocks generally are payable at the discretion of an issuer and after required payments to bond holders.
  • REITs. Investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry such as adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free "pass-through" of distributed net income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"), or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("Investment Company Act"). REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those incurred by the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investment in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. The value of REIT common stock may decline when interest rates rise.
Foreign Investing Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) increased volatility, (6) different government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies, and (7) delays in transaction settlement in some foreign markets.
Futures Contracts Risk
Futures contracts are derivative instruments where the parties agree to a fixed price for an agreed amount of securities or other underlying assets at an agreed date. The use of such derivative instruments may expose the Fund to additional risks that it would not be subject to if it invested directly in the securities underlying those derivatives. Futures contracts may experience potentially dramatic price changes (losses) and imperfect correlation between the price of the contract and the underlying security or index, which will increase the volatility of the Fund and may involve a small investment of cash (the amount of initial and variation margin) relative to the magnitude of the risk assumed (the potential increase or decrease in the price of the futures contract).
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Issuer Risk
The value of, and/or the return generated by, a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.
Large Capitalization Companies Risk
The securities of large market capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities markets will move down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably based on overall economic conditions and other factors. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investment sentiment generally. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact a market as a whole. A rise in protectionist trade policies, risks associated with the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union, the risk of a "trade war" between the United States and China, and the possibility of changes to some international trade agreements, could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since mid-capitalization companies may have narrower commercial markets and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity, and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Model and Data Risk
Models and data are used to screen potential investments for the Fund. When models or data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks. Some of the models used by the sub-advisor are predictive in nature. The use of predictive models has inherent risks. Because predictive models are usually constructed based on historical data supplied by third parties, the success of relying on such models may depend heavily on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied historical data.
Other Investment Companies Risk
The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including money market funds. To the extent that the Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, the Fund will indirectly bear the fees and expenses charged by those investment companies in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those companies. For example, money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
Redemption Risk
The Fund may experience periods of high levels of redemptions that could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times or at a loss or depressed value. The sale of assets to meet redemption requests may create net capital gains, which could cause the Fund to have to distribute substantial capital gains. Redemption risk is heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets. Heavy redemptions could hurt the Fund's performance.
Risk of Programming and Modeling Error
The success of the sub-advisor's investment strategy depends largely on the effectiveness of its quantitative research models and investment programs. The programs may not react as expected to market events resulting in losses for the Fund. Additionally, programs may become outdated or experience malfunctions which may not be identified by the sub-advisor and therefore may also result in losses to the Fund.
Sector Risk
When the Fund focuses its investments in certain sectors of the economy, its performance may be driven largely by sector performance and could fluctuate more widely than if the Fund were invested more evenly across sectors.
  • Financial Services Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in the financial services sector, the value of the Fund's shares may be particularly vulnerable to factors affecting that sector, such as the availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, extensive government regulation and price competition.
Securities Lending Risk
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: i) borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, ii) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers, iii) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions, and iv) there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund's underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
Value Stocks Risk
Value stocks are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may decline. The Fund's investments in value stocks seek to limit potential downside price risk over time; however, value stock prices still may decline substantially. In addition, the Fund may produce more modest gains as a trade-off for this potentially lower risk. The Fund's investment in value stocks could cause the Fund to underperform funds that use a growth or non-value approach to investing or have a broader investment style.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Fund Performance </b></div>
The bar chart and table below provide an indication of risk by showing how the Fund's performance has varied from year to year. The table shows how the Fund's performance compares to a broad-based market index, which is the Fund's benchmark index.
The performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares shown in the chart and table below represent the returns achieved by the Class N shares of the Fund's predecessor from January 1, 2009 through February 2, 2012, and the performance of the Investor Class shares from February 3, 2012 through December 31, 2018. The table below also shows the performance of the Fund's A Class, C Class, Y Class, Institutional Class and R6 Class shares. The Institutional Class shares of the Fund have adopted the performance history and financial statements of the Class N shares of the Fund's predecessor. Performance for the A Class, C Class, Y Class, and Institutional Class shares represents the returns achieved by the Class N shares of the Fund's predecessor from January 1, 2009 through February 2, 2012, and the performance of each of the Fund's respective share classes from February 3, 2012 through December 31, 2018. Performance for the R6 Class shares represents the returns achieved by the Class N shares of the Fund's predecessor from January 1, 2009 through February 2, 2012, the Fund's Investor Class from February 3, 2012 through April 27, 2017, and the Fund's R6 Class from April 28, 2017 through December 31, 2018. In each case, the newer share classes would have had similar annual returns to the Class N shares because the shares of each class represent investments in the same portfolio securities. However, the Class N shares had different expenses than the newer share classes, which would affect performance. You may obtain updated performance information on the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31</b></div>
Bar Chart
Highest Quarterly Return:
17.15% 3rd Quarter 2009
1/1/2009 through 12/31/2018
Lowest Quarterly Return:
-16.16% 4th Quarter 2018
1/1/2009 through 12/31/2018
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2018</b></div>
Average Annual Total Returns - (American Beacon Bridgeway Large Cap Value Fund℠)
Inception Date of Class
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Investor Class Feb. 03, 2012 (13.56%) 5.34% 11.86%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions Feb. 03, 2012 (15.28%) 4.34% 11.17%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares Feb. 03, 2012 (6.84%) 4.16% 9.90%
Class A Feb. 03, 2012 (18.54%) 4.05% 11.13%
Class C Feb. 03, 2012 (15.20%) 4.50% 11.24%
Class Y Feb. 03, 2012 (13.35%) 5.61% 12.06%
Institutional Class Oct. 31, 2003 (13.28%) 5.67% 12.11%
Class R6 Apr. 28, 2017 (13.27%) 5.66% 12.10%
Russell 1000 Value Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)   (8.27%) 5.95% 11.18%
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 income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. The return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares 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. If you are a tax-exempt entity or hold your Fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as an individual retirement account ("IRA") or a 401(k) plan, the after-tax returns do not apply to your situation. After-tax returns are shown only for Investor Class shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
(American Beacon Stephens Mid-Cap Growth Fund℠)
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Investment Objective </b></div>
The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Fees and Expenses of the Fund </b></div>
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales discounts if you and your eligible family members invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in all classes of the American Beacon Funds on an aggregated basis. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in "Choosing Your Share Class" on page 35 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 41 of the statement of additional information ("SAI"). With respect to purchases of shares through specific intermediaries, you may find additional information regarding sales charge discounts and waivers in Appendix A to the Fund's Prospectus entitled "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers". Although the Fund does not impose any sales charge on Y Class shares, you may pay a commission to your broker on your purchases and sales of those shares, which is not reflected in the tables or Example below.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)</b></div>
Shareholder Fees - (American Beacon Stephens Mid-Cap Growth Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Institutional Class
Investor Class
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.75% none none none none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) 0.50% [1] 1.00% none none none none
[1] A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) </b></div>
Annual Fund Operating Expenses - (American Beacon Stephens Mid-Cap Growth Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Institutional Class
Investor Class
Management Fees [1] 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none none none none
Other Expenses 0.27% 0.26% 0.27% 0.18% [2] 0.23% 0.47%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses [3] 1.32% 2.06% 1.07% 0.98% 1.03% 1.27%
Fee Waiver and/or expense reimbursement [4] (0.03%) (0.02%) (0.08%) (0.14%) (0.14%) (0.02%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.29% 2.04% 0.99% 0.84% 0.89% 1.25%
[1] Management fees have been restated to reflect a reduction in the contractual management fee rate that became effective on July 1, 2018.
[2] Other Expenses for R6 Class shares are based on estimated expenses for the current fiscal year.
[3] Due to the restatement of management fees, the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets provided in the Financial Highlights table.
[4] American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the "Manager") has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund's A Class, C Class, Y Class, R6 Class, Institutional Class and Investor Class shares, as applicable, through April 30, 2020 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.29% for the A Class, 2.04% for the C Class, 0.99% for the Y Class, 0.84% for the R6 Class, 0.89% for the Institutional Class and 1.25% for the Investor Class (excluding taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses). The contractual expense reimbursement can be changed or terminated only in the discretion and with the approval of a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees. The Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager's own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the lesser of the contractual percentage limit in effect at the time of the waiver/reimbursement or the time of the recoupment.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Example</b></div>
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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that the Example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for each share class through April 30, 2020. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon Stephens Mid-Cap Growth Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 699 966 1,254 2,071
Class C 307 644 1,107 2,388
Class Y 101 332 582 1,298
Class R6 86 298 528 1,189
Institutional Class 91 314 555 1,247
Investor Class 127 401 695 1,532
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Assuming no redemption of shares:</b></div>
Expense Example, No Redemption - (American Beacon Stephens Mid-Cap Growth Fund℠)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class C | USD ($) 207 644 1,107 2,388
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Portfolio Turnover </b></div>
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 portfolio turnover rate was 38% of the average value of its portfolio.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Principal Investment Strategies </b></div>
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of medium capitalization companies. The Fund considers a company to be a medium capitalization company if it has a market capitalization (stock market worth), at the time of investment, between $1 billion and the market capitalization of the largest company in the Russell Midcap® Index, which was $35.6 billion as of December 31, 2018.
Most of the assets of the Fund are invested in U.S. common stocks that Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC ("SIMG") believes have clear indicators of future earnings growth, or that demonstrate other potential for growth of capital. The Fund may invest in other securities, including preferred stock, securities convertible into common stock, U.S dollar denominated foreign stock traded on U.S. exchanges, American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). The Fund also may invest in stocks of large-capitalization companies. In selecting companies for the Fund, SIMG employs quantitative analysis and fundamental research with a focus on earnings growth. SIMG will sell a security when appropriate and consistent with the Fund's investment objective and policies.
Although the Fund seeks investments across a number of sectors, from time to time, based on portfolio positioning to reflect its benchmark index, the Fund may have significant positions in particular sectors, including the Information Technology sector. However, as the sector composition of the Fund's portfolio changes over time, the Fund's exposure to the Information Technology sector may be lower at a future date, and the Fund's exposure to other market sectors may be higher.
The Fund may also invest cash balances in other investment companies, including money market funds, and may lend its securities to broker-dealers and other institutions to earn additional income.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Principal Risks </b></div>
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of current income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of importance or potential exposure, are:
Cybersecurity and Operational Risk
The Fund and its service providers, and shareholders' ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from, among other problems: human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for the Fund or its service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to investment and market risk. The Fund's investments in equity securities may include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, REITs, depositary receipts and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges. Such investments may expose the Fund to additional risks.
  • Common Stock. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
  • Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are subject to the risk that the credit standing of the issuer may have an effect on the convertible securities' investment value. Convertible securities are also sensitive to movements in interest rates.
  • Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges are subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including, but not limited to: currency exchange rate fluctuations, political and financial instability in the home country of a particular depositary receipt or foreign stock, less liquidity and more volatility, less government regulation and supervision and delays in transaction settlement.
  • Preferred Stock. Preferred stocks are sensitive to movements in interest rates. Preferred stocks may be less liquid than common stocks and, unlike common stocks, participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited. Distributions on preferred stocks generally are payable at the discretion of an issuer and after required payments to bond holders.
  • REITs. Investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry such as adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free "pass-through" of distributed net income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"), or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("Investment Company Act"). REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those incurred by the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investment in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. The value of REIT common stock may decline when interest rates rise.
Foreign Investing Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) increased volatility, (6) different government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies, and (7) delays in transaction settlement in some foreign markets.
Growth Companies Risk
Growth companies are expected to increase their earnings at a certain rate. When these expectations are not met, the prices of these stocks may go down, even if earnings showed an absolute increase. Growth company stocks may lack the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns.
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Issuer Risk
The value of, and/or the return generated by, a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.
Large Capitalization Companies Risk
The securities of large market capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities markets will move down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably based on overall economic conditions and other factors. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investment sentiment generally. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact a market as a whole. A rise in protectionist trade policies, risks associated with the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union, the risk of a "trade war" between the United States and China, and the possibility of changes to some international trade agreements, could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since mid-capitalization companies may have narrower commercial markets and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity, and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Other Investment Companies Risk
The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including money market funds. To the extent that the Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, the Fund will indirectly bear the fees and expenses charged by those investment companies in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those companies. For example, money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
Sector Risk
When the Fund focuses its investments in certain sectors of the economy, its performance may be driven largely by sector performance and could fluctuate more widely than if the Fund were invested more evenly across sectors.
  • Information Technology Sector Risk. The market prices of information technology-related securities tend to exhibit a greater degree of market risk and sharp price fluctuations than other types of securities. These securities may fall in and out of favor with investors rapidly, which may cause sudden selling and dramatically lower market prices.
Securities Lending Risk
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: i) borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, ii) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers, iii) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions, and iv) there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund's underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Fund Performance </b></div>
The bar chart and table below provide an indication of risk by showing how the Fund's performance has varied from year to year. The table shows how the Fund's performance compares to a broad-based market index, which is the Fund's benchmark index.
The Investor Class and Institutional Class shares of the Fund have adopted the performance history and financial statements of the Class A and Class I shares, respectively, of the Fund's predecessor. The performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares shown in the chart and table below represents the returns achieved by the Class A shares of the Fund's predecessor from January 1, 2009 through February 23, 2012, and the performance of the Investor Class from February 24, 2012 through December 31, 2018. The performance shown for the Institutional Class shares of the Fund represents the performance of the Class I shares of the Fund's predecessor from January 1, 2009 through February 23, 2012, and the performance of the Institutional Class shares from February 24, 2012 through December 31, 2018. The table below also shows the performance of the A Class, C Class, Y Class, R6 Class and Institutional Class shares of the Fund. Returns shown for the Fund's Y Class, A Class and C Class shares represent the returns achieved by the Class A shares of the Fund's predecessor from January 1, 2009 through February 23, 2012, and the performance of the Fund's Y Class, A Class and C Class shares, respectively, from February 24, 2012 through December 31, 2018. Returns shown for the Fund's R6 Class shares represent the returns achieved by the Class I shares of the Fund's predecessor from January 1, 2009 through February 23, 2012, and the performance of the Institutional Class shares from February 24, 2012 through December 30, 2018, and the performance of the R6 Class shares on December 31, 2018. In each case, the newer share classes would have had similar annual returns to the predecessor Fund's Class A and Class I shares because the shares of each class represent investments in the same portfolio securities. However, the older share classes had different expenses than the newer share classes, which would affect performance. You may obtain updated performance information on the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31</b></div>
Bar Chart
Highest Quarterly Return:
16.31% 3rd Quarter 2009
1/1/2009 through 12/31/2018
Lowest Quarterly Return:
-17.27% 4th Quarter 2018
1/1/2009 through 12/31/2018
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2018</b></div>
Average Annual Total Returns - (American Beacon Stephens Mid-Cap Growth Fund℠)
Inception Date of Class
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Investor Class Feb. 01, 2006 1.91% 7.05% 14.65%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions Feb. 01, 2006 (0.22%) 5.41% 13.66%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares Feb. 01, 2006 2.58% 5.33% 12.28%
Class A Feb. 24, 2012 (4.03%) 5.74% 13.94%
Class C Feb. 24, 2012 0.07% 6.19% 14.03%
Class Y Feb. 24, 2012 2.08% 7.31% 14.87%
Institutional Class Aug. 31, 2006 2.20% 7.43% 15.01%
Class R6 Dec. 31, 2018 2.20% 7.43% 15.01%
Russell Midcap Growth Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)   (4.75%) 7.42% 15.12%
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 income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. The return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares 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. If you are a tax-exempt entity or hold your Fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as an individual retirement account ("IRA") or a 401(k) plan, the after-tax returns do not apply to your situation. After-tax returns are shown only for Investor Class shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
(American Beacon Stephens Small Cap Growth Fund℠)
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Investment Objective </b></div>
The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Fees and Expenses of the Fund </b></div>
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales discounts if you and your eligible family members invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in all classes of the American Beacon Funds on an aggregated basis. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in "Choosing Your Share Class" on page 35 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 41 of the statement of additional information ("SAI"). With respect to purchases of shares through specific intermediaries, you may find additional information regarding sales charge discounts and waivers in Appendix A to the Fund's Prospectus entitled "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers". Although the Fund does not impose any sales charge on Y Class shares, you may pay a commission to your broker on your purchases and sales of those shares, which is not reflected in the tables or Example below.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)</b></div>
Shareholder Fees - (American Beacon Stephens Small Cap Growth Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Institutional Class
Investor Class
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.75% none none none none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) 0.50% [1] 1.00% none none none none
[1] A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) </b></div>
Annual Fund Operating Expenses - (American Beacon Stephens Small Cap Growth Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Institutional Class
Investor Class
Management Fees 0.98% 0.98% 0.98% 0.98% 0.98% 0.98%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none none none none
Other Expenses 0.15% 0.17% 0.17% 0.12% [1] 0.11% 0.40%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.38% 2.15% 1.15% 1.10% 1.09% 1.38%
Fee Waiver and/or expense reimbursement [2] none none none (0.05%) none none
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.38% 2.15% 1.15% 1.05% 1.09% 1.38%
[1] Other Expenses for R6 Class shares are based on estimated expenses for the current fiscal year.
[2] American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the "Manager") has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund's R6 Class through April 30, 2020 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.05% for the R6 Class shares (excluding taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses). The contractual expense reimbursement can be changed or terminated only in the discretion and with the approval of a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees. The Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years after the Manager's own waiver or reimbursement and (b) does not cause the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a class to exceed the lesser of the contractual percentage limit in effect at the time of the waiver/reimbursement or the time of the recoupment.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Example</b></div>
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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that the Example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for the R6 Class shares through April 30, 2020. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon Stephens Small Cap Growth Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 707 987 1,287 2,137
Class C 318 673 1,154 2,483
Class Y 117 365 633 1,398
Class R6 107 345 602 1,336
Institutional Class 111 347 601 1,329
Investor Class 141 437 755 1,657
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b>Assuming no redemption of shares:</b></div>
Expense Example, No Redemption - (American Beacon Stephens Small Cap Growth Fund℠)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class C | USD ($) 218 673 1,154 2,483
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Portfolio Turnover </b></div>
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 portfolio turnover rate was 16% of the average value of its portfolio.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Principal Investment Strategies </b></div>
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small capitalization companies. The Fund considers a company to be a small capitalization company if it has a market capitalization (stock market worth), at the time of investment, similar to the market capitalizations of the companies in the Russell 2000 Index. The capitalization range of that index is subject to change over time due to market activity or changes in the composition of the index. As of December 31, 2018, the market capitalizations of the companies in the Russell 2000 Index ranged from $7.9 million to $6.3 billion.
Most of the assets of the Fund are invested in U.S. common stocks the sub-advisor, Stephens Investment Management Group, LLC ("SIMG"), believes have clear indicators of future earnings growth, or that demonstrate other potential for growth of capital. The Fund may invest in other securities, including preferred stock, securities convertible into common stock, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and U.S dollar denominated foreign stock traded on U.S. exchanges. In selecting companies for the Fund, SIMG employs quantitative analysis and fundamental research with a focus on earnings growth. SIMG will sell a security when appropriate and consistent with the Fund's investment objectives and policies.
Although the Fund seeks investments across a number of sectors, from time to time, based on portfolio positioning to reflect its benchmark index, the Fund may have significant positions in particular sectors, including the Information Technology sector. However, as the sector composition of the Fund's portfolio changes over time, the Fund's exposure to the Information Technology sector may be lower at a future date, and the Fund's exposure to other market sectors may be higher.
The Fund may also invest cash balances in other investment companies, including money market funds, and may lend its securities to broker-dealers and other institutions to earn additional income.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Principal Risks </b></div>
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of current income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which are described in alphabetical order and not in order of importance or potential exposure, are:
Cybersecurity and Operational Risk
The Fund and its service providers, and shareholders' ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from, among other problems: human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for the Fund or its service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to investment and market risk. The Fund's investments in equity securities may include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, REITs, depositary receipts and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges. Such investments may expose the Fund to additional risks.
  • Common Stock. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
  • Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are subject to the risk that the credit standing of the issuer may have an effect on the convertible securities' investment value. Convertible securities are also sensitive to movements in interest rates.
  • Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges are subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including, but not limited to: currency exchange rate fluctuations, political and financial instability in the home country of a particular depositary receipt or foreign stock, less liquidity and more volatility, less government regulation and supervision and delays in transaction settlement.
  • Preferred Stock. Preferred stocks are sensitive to movements in interest rates. Preferred stocks may be less liquid than common stocks and, unlike common stocks, participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited. Distributions on preferred stocks generally are payable at the discretion of an issuer and after required payments to bond holders.
  • REITs. Investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry such as adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free "pass-through" of distributed net income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"), or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("Investment Company Act"). REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those incurred by the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investment in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. The value of REIT common stock may decline when interest rates rise.
Foreign Investing Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) increased volatility, (6) different government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies, and (7) delays in transaction settlement in some foreign markets.
Growth Companies Risk
Growth companies are expected to increase their earnings at a certain rate. When these expectations are not met, the prices of these stocks may go down, even if earnings showed an absolute increase. Growth company stocks may lack the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns.
Investment Risk
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Issuer Risk
The value of, and/or the return generated by, a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.
Market Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities markets will move down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably based on overall economic conditions and other factors. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investment sentiment generally. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact a market as a whole. A rise in protectionist trade policies, risks associated with the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union, the risk of a "trade war" between the United States and China, and the possibility of changes to some international trade agreements, could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time.
Other Investment Companies Risk
The Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including money market funds. To the extent that the Fund invests in shares of other registered investment companies, the Fund will indirectly bear the fees and expenses charged by those investment companies in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses and will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those companies. For example, money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
Sector Risk
When the Fund focuses its investments in certain sectors of the economy, its performance may be driven largely by sector performance and could fluctuate more widely than if the Fund were invested more evenly across sectors.
  • Information Technology Sector Risk. The market prices of information technology-related securities tend to exhibit a greater degree of market risk and sharp price fluctuations than other types of securities. These securities may fall in and out of favor with investors rapidly, which may cause sudden selling and dramatically lower market prices.
Securities Lending Risk
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: i) borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, ii) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers, iii) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions, and iv) there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund's underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.
Small Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of small capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since smaller companies may have narrower commercial markets, and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"><b> Fund Performance </b></div>
The bar chart and table below provide an indication of risk by showing how the Fund's performance has varied from year to year. The table shows how the Fund's performance compares to a broad-based market index, which is the Fund's benchmark index.
The Investor Class and Institutional Class shares of the Fund have adopted the performance history and financial statements of the Class A and Class I shares, respectively, of the Fund's predecessor. The performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares shown in the chart and table below represents the returns achieved by the Class A shares of the Fund's predecessor from January 1, 2009 through February 23, 2012 and the performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares from February 24, 2012 through December 31, 2018. The table below also shows the performance of the A Class, C Class, Y Class and Institutional Class shares of the Fund. The performance shown for the Institutional Class shares of the Fund represents the performance of the Class I shares of the Fund's predecessor from January 1, 2009 through February 23, 2012, and the Institutional Class shares from February 24, 2012 through December 31, 2018. Returns shown for the Fund's Y Class, A Class and C Class shares represent the returns achieved by the Class A shares of the Fund's predecessor from January 1, 2009 through February 23, 2012, and the performance of the Fund's Y Class, A Class and C Class shares, respectively, from February 24, 2012 through December 31, 2018. In each case, the newer share classes would have had similar annual returns to the predecessor Fund's Class A and Class I shares because the shares of each class represent investments in the same portfolio securities. However, the older share classes had different expenses than the newer share classes, which would affect performance. Performance information for R6 Class shares of the Fund is not provided because this share class had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. You may obtain updated performance information on the Fund's website at www.americanbeaconfunds.com. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31</b></div>
Bar Chart
Highest Quarterly Return:
23.02% 2nd Quarter 2009
1/1/2009 through 12/31/2018
Lowest Quarterly Return:
-21.46% 4th Quarter 2018
1/1/2009 through 12/31/2018
<div style="font-size:10pt;padding-top:5pt;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;"> <b>Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2018</b></div>
Average Annual Total Returns - (American Beacon Stephens Small Cap Growth Fund℠)
Inception Date of Class
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Investor Class Dec. 01, 2005 2.93% 4.32% 13.57%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions Dec. 01, 2005 (4.84%) 2.04% 11.94%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares Dec. 01, 2005 7.02% 3.23% 11.32%
Class A Feb. 24, 2012 (2.87%) 3.01% 12.81%
Class C Feb. 24, 2012 1.19% 3.45% 12.89%
Class Y Feb. 24, 2012 3.18% 4.52% 13.73%
Institutional Class Aug. 31, 2006 3.26% 4.61% 13.87%
Russell 2000 Growth Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)   (9.31%) 5.13% 13.52%
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 income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. The return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares 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. If you are a tax-exempt entity or hold your Fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as an individual retirement account ("IRA") or a 401(k) plan, the after-tax returns do not apply to your situation. After-tax returns are shown only for Investor Class shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.