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(American Beacon Frontier Markets Income Fund℠)
<strong>Investment Objective</strong>
The Fund's investment objective is to seek income with capital appreciation as a secondary objective.
<strong>Fees and Expenses of the Fund</strong>
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 20 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 44 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.
<strong>Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)</strong>
Shareholder Fees - (American Beacon Frontier Markets Income Fund℠)
A Class
C Class
Y Class
Institutional Class
Investor Class
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 4.75% 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
Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed; applies to the proceeds of shares redeemed within 90 days of purchase) 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 2.00%
[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.
<strong>Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)</strong>
Annual Fund Operating Expenses - (American Beacon Frontier Markets Income Fund℠)
A Class
C Class
Y Class
Institutional Class
Investor Class
Management Fees 0.85% 0.85% 0.85% 0.85% 0.85%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none none none
Other Expenses 0.41% 0.41% 0.42% 0.33% 0.65%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses 0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses [1] 1.52% 2.27% 1.28% 1.19% 1.51%
Fee Waiver and/or expense reimbursement or recoupment [2] (0.18%) (0.05%) (0.02%) (0.03%) none
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement or recoupment 1.70% 2.32% 1.26% 1.16% 1.51%
[1] The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets provided in the Fund's Financial Highlights table, which reflects the operating expenses of the Fund and does not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.
[2] American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the "Manager") has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund's Y Class and Institutional Class shares, as applicable, through May 31, 2020 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 1.25% for the Y Class, and 1.15% for the Institutional 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 January 31, 2019, 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 A Class and C Class shares.
<strong>Example</strong>
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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that this Example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for the Y Class and Institutional Class shares through May 31, 2020. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon Frontier Markets Income Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
A Class 622 932 1,265 2,201
C Class 330 709 1,215 2,605
Y Class 128 404 700 1,543
Institutional Class 118 375 651 1,441
Investor Class 154 477 824 1,802
<strong>Assuming no redemption of shares:</strong>
Expense Example, No Redemption - (American Beacon Frontier Markets Income Fund℠)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
C Class | USD ($) 230 709 1,215 2,605
<strong>Portfolio Turnover</strong>
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 21% of the average value of its portfolio.
<strong>Principal Investment Strategies</strong>
Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in investments that are economically tied to frontier market countries. Investments economically tied to frontier market countries may include securities, currencies, and derivative investments. The Fund may also make investments that are economically tied to more-developed emerging market countries. The Fund's investments are expected to include primarily frontier and emerging market sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt instruments, such as obligations issued or guaranteed by foreign (non-U.S.) governments, their agencies or instrumentalities and political subdivisions, and investments that provide exposure to sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt instruments, including credit-linked and other types of structured notes (which may use special purpose vehicles ("SPVs")), swaps, options, futures, and forward contracts, warrants, callable securities, municipal securities, inflation index-linked securities, restricted securities, and variable and floating-rate securities. The Fund may also invest in debt instruments issued by corporations that are economically tied to frontier market countries.
An investment is generally regarded as being economically tied to a frontier market country if:
  • it is traded in a frontier market country;
  • the issuer is a government agency or guaranteed by a sovereign government agency, including a regional or municipal government within the country, or quasi-governmental agency of a frontier market country;
  • the issuer is organized under the laws of, or that maintains its principal place of business in, a frontier market country;
  • the issuer derives at least 50% of its revenues from, or has at least 50% of its assets in, a frontier market country;
  • the value is linked to one of the above categories; or
  • it is a derivative instrument whose value is linked to one of the above categories.
Frontier market countries are represented by countries typically characterized by developing financial markets as well as developing economies and political systems. A frontier market country is one that is typically located in the Asia-Pacific region, Central or Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central or South America, Caribbean, or Africa. Frontier market countries generally include all countries except the developed and emerging market countries that are constituents of the MSCI All Country World Index.
The countries that comprise frontier markets change from time to time. The Fund's investment sub-advisors may invest in any countries that they reasonably determine to be classified as frontier market countries. In making investment decisions for the Fund, one of the Fund's sub-advisors, Global Evolution USA, LLC, employs a top-down investment process that focuses on macroeconomic and political risk, as well as country risk, while the Fund's other sub-advisor, Aberdeen Asset Managers Limited, employs a bottom-up investment process that applies fundamental research to countries and companies in selecting investments. Each sub-advisor considers environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") indicators as an integrated part of the research and investment processes. Each sub-advisor's investment process includes monitoring of investment guidelines, individual trades, investment strategies, and general portfolio risk.
The Fund's investments in derivatives may include structured products, including credit-linked and structured notes, options, futures contracts, including interest rate and Treasury futures contracts, forward contracts (including non-deliverable forwards ("NDFs")), swaps, and similar instruments. The types of swaps that the Fund may enter into include credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, total return swaps, cross-currency swaps, and similar instruments. The Fund uses derivative instruments to enhance total return, to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates or currency exchange rates, to change the effective duration of its portfolio, to manage certain investment risks or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of the underlying currencies or securities. Derivative instruments allow the Funds to obtain economic exposure to a frontier or emerging market country without directly holding its securities. For example, derivatives may be used where regulatory or other restrictions make it difficult or undesirable for the Fund to invest directly in a frontier or emerging market investment. Subject to applicable regulatory restrictions, there is no limit on the amount of the Fund exposure to a single counterparty.
The Fund also may have significant exposure to foreign currencies for investment or hedging purposes by purchasing or selling forward currency exchange contracts in non-U.S. currencies, non-U.S. currency futures contracts, options on non-U.S. currencies and non-U.S. currency futures and swaps for cross-currency investments. The Fund may also make direct investments in non-U.S. currencies and in securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies. Investments in currencies, currency derivatives, and currency hedging are established to extract value or reduce risk.
The Fund does not have specific requirements for investment yield, duration, maturity, market capitalization, or minimum credit quality rating, and may invest without limitation in securities, and trade with counterparties, which are rated below investment grade (commonly known as "high-yield debt securities" or "junk bonds") (rated BB or lower by S&P Global Rating or Fitch, Inc. and/or Ba or lower by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.) or the unrated equivalent. The Fund may achieve capital appreciation when a stronger macro-economic and political situation for frontier market countries leads to lower yields, lower credit spreads and potentially stronger currencies.
The Fund may also invest cash balances in other investment companies, including money market funds.
<strong>Principal Risks</strong>
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is designed primarily for investors seeking income and, to a lesser degree, capital appreciation from a fund that typically invests in fixed income, currency, and derivative instruments economically tied to frontier markets. Those investors should be willing to assume the counterparty, credit, currency, derivative, investment, market, sovereign debt, and other risks associated with investing in less developed markets. 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 sub-advisors' judgments about, and allocations among, asset classes and market exposures may adversely affect the Fund's performance. This risk may be increased by the use of derivatives to increase allocations to various market exposures.
Callable Securities Risk
The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities with call features. A call feature allows the issuer of the security to redeem or call the security prior to its stated maturity date. In periods of falling interest rates, issuers may be more likely to call in securities that are paying higher coupon rates than prevailing interest rates. In the event of a call, the Fund would lose the income that would have been earned to maturity on that security, and the proceeds received by the Fund may be invested in securities paying lower coupon rates and may not benefit from any increase in value that might otherwise result from declining interest rates.
Counterparty Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that a party or participant to a transaction, such as a broker or derivative counterparty, will be unwilling or unable to satisfy its obligation to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments or to otherwise honor its obligations to the Fund.
Credit Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the issuer or guarantor of an obligation, or the counterparty to a transaction, including a derivatives contract or a loan will fail to make timely payment of interest or principal or otherwise honor its obligations or default completely. Credit risk is typically greater for securities with ratings that are below investment grade (commonly referred to as "junk bonds"). Since the Fund can invest significantly in lower-quality debt securities considered speculative in nature, this risk will be substantial. A downgrade or default affecting any of the Fund's securities could affect the Fund's performance.
Currency Risk
The Fund may have exposure to foreign currencies by making direct investments in non-U.S. currencies or in securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies or by purchasing or selling forward currency exchange contracts in non-U.S. currencies, including both non-deliverable forwards ("NDFs") and deliverable forwards, non-U.S. currency futures contracts, options (including non-deliverable options NDOs on non-U.S. currencies and non-U.S. currency futures) and swaps for cross-currency transactions. Foreign currencies will fluctuate, and may decline, in value relative to the U.S. dollar and other currencies and thereby affect the Fund's investments in foreign (non-U.S.) currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies.
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.
Derivatives Risk
Derivatives may involve significant risk. The use of derivative instruments may expose the Fund to additional risks that it would not be subject to if it invested directly in the securities or other instruments underlying those derivatives, including the high degree of leverage often embedded in such instruments, and potential material and prolonged deviations between the theoretical value and realizable value of a derivative. Some derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the Fund's initial investment. Derivatives may be illiquid and may be more volatile than other types of investments. The Fund may buy or sell derivatives not traded on an exchange and which may be subject to heightened liquidity and valuation risk. Derivative investments can increase portfolio turnover and transaction costs. Derivatives also are subject to counterparty risk and credit risk. As a result, the Fund may obtain no recovery of its investment or may only obtain a limited recovery, and any recovery may be delayed. Not all derivative transactions require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose the Fund to greater losses in the event of a default by a counterparty. Ongoing changes to regulation of the derivatives markets and potential changes in the regulation of funds using derivative instruments could limit the Fund's ability to pursue its investment strategies. In addition, the Fund's investments in derivatives are subject to the following risks:
  • Credit-Linked Notes. Credit-linked notes ("CLNs") are debt obligations that are structured so that their performance is linked to that of an underlying bond or other debt obligation (a "reference asset"), normally by means of an embedded or underlying credit default swap. They may be highly volatile and are subject to the credit risk of both the issuer of the CLN and the issuer of the reference assets. They also are subject to currency risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk, the other risks of a credit default swap, and potential conflicts of interest with the CLN issuer or sponsor.
  • Futures and Forward Contracts. Futures and forward contracts, including NDFs, are derivative instruments pursuant to a contract where the parties agree to a fixed price for an agreed amount of securities or other underlying assets at an agreed date or to buy or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract. There may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in the prices of futures contracts and the value of the underlying instruments or indexes. There are no limitations on daily price movements of forward contracts. There can be no assurance that any strategy used will succeed. Not all forward contracts, including NDFs, require a counterparty to post collateral, which may expose the Fund to greater losses in the event of a default by a counterparty. There can be no assurance that, at all times, a liquid market will exist for offsetting a futures contract that the Fund has previously bought or sold and this may result in the inability to close a futures contract when desired. Forward currency transactions and forward currency contracts, including NDFs, include the risks associated with fluctuations in currency. Interest rate and Treasury futures contracts expose the Fund to price fluctuations resulting from changes in interest rates. The Fund could suffer a loss if interest rates rise after the Fund has purchased an interest rate futures contract or fall after the Fund has sold an interest rate futures contract. Similarly, Treasury futures contracts expose the Fund to potential losses if interest rates do not move as expected.
  • Hedging. If the Fund uses a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judges the market conditions incorrectly, or the hedged instrument does not correlate to the risk sought to be hedged, the hedge might be unsuccessful, reduce the Fund's return, or create a loss.
  • Options. In order for a call option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security or index must rise sufficiently above the call option exercise price to cover the premium and any transaction costs. These costs will reduce any profit that might otherwise have been realized had the Fund bought the underlying security instead of the call option. For a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security or index must decline sufficiently below the put option's exercise price to cover the premium and any transaction costs. By using put options in this manner, the Fund will reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized from having shorted the declining underlying security by the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs. If an option that the Fund has purchased expires unexercised, the Fund will experience a loss in the amount of the premium it paid. If the Fund sells a put option, there is a risk that the Fund may be required to buy the underlying asset at a disadvantageous price. If the Fund sells a call option, there is a risk that the Fund may be required to sell the underlying asset at a disadvantageous price. If the Fund sells a call option on an underlying asset that the Fund owns and the underlying asset has increased in value when the call option is exercised, the Fund will be required to sell the underlying asset at the call price and will not be able to realize any of the underlying asset's value above the call price. If a call option that the Fund has sold is unexercised, the Fund will experience a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying instrument.
  • Structured Notes. Structured notes are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk. The price of structured notes may be very volatile and they may have a limited trading market, making it difficult to value them or sell them at an acceptable price.
  • Swap Agreements. Swaps can involve greater risks than a direct investment in an underlying asset, because swaps typically include a certain amount of embedded leverage and as such are subject to leverage risk. If swaps are used as a hedging strategy, the Fund is subject to the risk that the hedging strategy may not eliminate the risk that it is intended to offset, due to, among other reasons, the occurrence of unexpected price movements or the non-occurrence of expected price movements. Swaps also may be difficult to value. Equity swaps are subject to equity investments risk, liquidity risk, and counterparty risk. Interest rate swaps, total return swaps, currency swaps and credit default swaps are subject to counterparty risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. In addition to these risks, interest rate swaps are subject to interest rate risk, total return swaps are subject to market risk, and interest rate risk if the underlying securities are bonds or other debt obligations. In addition, currency swaps are subject to currency risk, and credit default swaps are subject to the risks associated with the purchase and sale of credit protection.
  • Warrants, Including Sovereign Warrants. Warrants may be more speculative than certain other types of investments because warrants do not carry with them dividend or voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, or any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, the value of a warrant does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and a warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. The Fund may invest in warrants that represent the right to receive payments if an identified revenue, commodity price or economic measure within a frontier or emerging market country, such as the price or volume of domestically produced oil or the growth of the country's gross domestic product, equals or exceeds a specified level. Such warrants may result from the restructuring of a sovereign debt obligation and may be more speculative than certain other types of sovereign investments. The market for warrants may be very limited and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for warrants.
Emerging Markets Risk
When investing in emerging markets, the risks of investing in foreign securities discussed below are heightened. Emerging markets are generally smaller, less developed, less liquid and more volatile than the securities markets of the U.S. and other developed markets. There are also risks of: greater political uncertainties; an economy's dependence on revenues from particular commodities or on international aid or development assistance; currency transfer restrictions; a limited number of potential buyers for such securities resulting in increased volatility and limited liquidity for emerging market securities; trading suspensions; and delays and disruptions in securities settlement procedures.
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.
Frontier Markets Risk
Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and less developed capital markets or legal, regulatory and political systems than traditional emerging market countries. As a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries.
Hedging Risk
If the Fund uses a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judges the market conditions incorrectly, or the hedged instrument does not correlate to the risk sought to be hedged, the hedge might be unsuccessful, reduce the Fund's return, or create a loss. In addition, hedges, even when successful in mitigating risk, may not prevent the Fund from experiencing losses on its investments, and therefore the use of hedging strategies may reduce the Fund's return, or create a loss.
High Yield Securities Risk
Exposure to high yield, below investment-grade securities (commonly referred to as "junk bonds") generally involves significantly greater risks of loss of your money than an investment in investment grade securities. High yield debt securities may fluctuate more widely in price and yield and may fall in price when the economy is weak or expected to become weak. High yield securities are considered to be speculative with respect to an issuer's ability to pay interest and principal and carry a greater risk that the issuers of lower-rated securities will default on the timely payment of principal and interest. Below investment grade securities may experience greater price volatility and less liquidity than investment grade securities.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk
Securities not registered in the U.S. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or in non-U.S. markets pursuant to similar regulations, including Rule 144A securities, are restricted as to their resale. Such securities may not be listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. They may be more difficult to purchase or sell at an advantageous time or price because such securities may not be readily marketable in broad public markets, or may have to be held for a certain time period before they can be resold. The Fund may not be able to sell a restricted security when a sub-advisor considers it desirable to do so and/or may have to sell the security at a lower price than the Fund believes is its fair market value. In addition, transaction costs may be higher for restricted securities and the Fund may receive only limited information regarding the issuer of a restricted security. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering restricted securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration.
Inflation Index-Linked Securities Risk
Unlike a conventional bond, whose issuer makes regular fixed interest payments and repays the face value of the bond at maturity, an inflation index-linked security provides interest payments that vary as the principal and/or interest, are adjusted over time to reflect a rise (inflation) or a drop (deflation) in the reference index. Repayment of the original principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed debt securities. For inflation index-linked securities that do not provide a similar guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the securities repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal value. The value of inflation index-linked securities is expected to change in response to real interest rates. The price of an inflation index-linked security generally falls when real interest rates rise and rises when real interest rates fall.
Interest Rate Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the market value of fixed income securities or derivatives it holds will decline due to rising interest rates. Generally, the value of investments with interest rate risk, such as fixed income securities, will move in the opposite direction to movements in interest rates. The Federal Reserve has raised the federal funds rate several times since December 2015 and may continue to increase rates in the future. Interest rates may rise, perhaps significantly and/or rapidly, potentially resulting in substantial losses to the Fund. The prices of fixed income securities or derivatives are also affected by their durations. Fixed income securities or derivatives with longer durations generally have greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates. For example, if a bond has a duration of four years, a 1% increase in interest rates could be expected to result in a 4% decrease in the value of the bond. Significant upward pressure on domestic interest rates and a corresponding widening of credit spreads could negatively impact the market price of emerging debt investments. An increase in interest rates can impact markets broadly as well. Some investors buy securities and derivatives with borrowed money; an increase in interest rates can cause a decline in those markets.
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.
Leverage Risk
The Fund's use of futures, forward contracts, swaps, options, warrants, and other derivative instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings in prices of an asset or class of assets underlying a derivative instrument and results in increased volatility, which means that the Fund will have the potential for greater losses than if the Fund does not use the derivative instruments that have a leveraging effect. Leverage may result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested and may accelerate the rate of losses. Leverage tends to magnify, sometimes significantly, the effect of any increase or decrease in the Fund's exposure to an asset or class of assets and may cause the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") per share to be volatile.
Liquidity Risk
The Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments held by the Fund may have limited marketability or be subject to restrictions on sale, and may be difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at favorable times or prices. Market prices for such instruments may be volatile. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to dispose of an investment at a time that is most beneficial to the Fund. The Fund may be required to dispose of investments at unfavorable times or prices to satisfy obligations, which may result in losses or may be costly to the Fund. For example, liquidity risk may be magnified in rising interest rate environments due to higher than normal redemption rates. Unexpected redemptions may force the Fund to sell certain investments at unfavorable prices to meet redemption requests or other cash needs. Judgment plays a greater role in pricing illiquid investments than in investments with more active markets.
Market Risk
In recent periods, fixed income instruments have experienced unusual liquidity issues, increased price volatility and, in some cases, credit downgrades and increased likelihood of default. These events have reduced the willingness and ability of some lenders to extend credit, and have made it more difficult for some borrowers to obtain financing on attractive terms, if at all. In addition, global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. 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. The severity or duration of adverse economic conditions may also be affected by policy changes made by governments or quasi-governmental organizations.
In addition, political and governmental events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree. High public debt in the U.S. and other countries creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty. Because the impact on the markets has been widespread, it may be difficult to identify both risks and opportunities using past models of the interplay of market forces, or to predict the duration of these market conditions. Interest rates have been unusually low in recent years in the U.S. and abroad. Because there is little precedent for this situation, it is difficult to predict the impact on various markets of a significant rate increase, whether brought about by U.S. policy makers or by dislocations in world markets. In addition, there is a risk that the prices of goods and services in the U.S. and many foreign economies may decline over time, known as deflation (the opposite of inflation). Deflation may have an adverse effect on stock prices and creditworthiness and may make defaults on debt more likely.
Market Timing Risk
Because the Fund invests in foreign securities, or it has exposure to foreign securities through the derivatives it holds, it is particularly subject to the risk of market timing activities. Frequent trading by Fund shareholders poses risks to other shareholders in the Fund, including (i) the dilution of the Fund's net asset value ("NAV"), (ii) an increase in the Fund's expenses, and (iii) interference with the portfolio manager's ability to execute efficient investment strategies. Because of specific types of securities in which the Fund may invest, it could be subject to the risk of market timing activities by shareholders.
Multiple Sub-Advisor Risk
The Manager may allocate the Fund's assets among multiple sub-advisors, each of which is responsible for investing its allocated portion of the Fund's assets. To a significant extent, the Fund's performance will depend on the success of the Manager in allocating the Fund's assets to sub-advisors and its selection and oversight of the sub-advisors.
Municipal Securities Risk
Municipal securities could be adversely affected by adverse political and legislative changes. Changes in the financial condition of a municipality may affect the ability of a municipal issuer to make interest and principal payments on a security as they become due. Changes in interest rates and market conditions may directly impact the liquidity and valuation of municipal securities, which may affect the yield and value of the Fund's municipal securities investments. A downgrade in the issuer's or security's credit rating can reduce the market value of the security.
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.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisors 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.
Segregated Assets Risk
In connection with certain transactions that may give rise to future payment obligations, including investments in derivatives, the Fund may be required to maintain a segregated amount of, or otherwise earmark, cash or liquid securities to cover the obligation. Segregated assets cannot be sold while the position they are covering is outstanding, unless they are replaced with other assets of equal value. The need to maintain cash or other liquid securities in segregated accounts could limit the Fund's ability to pursue other opportunities as they arise.
Socially Responsible Investing Risk
The Fund's incorporation of environmental, social and/or governance considerations in its investment strategy may cause it to make different investments than funds that have a similar investment style but do not incorporate such considerations in their strategy. The Fund may not be able to take advantage of certain investment opportunities due to these considerations, which may adversely affect investment performance.
Sovereign and Quasi-Sovereign Debt Risk
The Fund normally will have significant investments in sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt securities. These investments are subject to risk of payment delays or defaults due to (1) country cash flow problems, (2) insufficient foreign currency reserves, (3) political considerations, (4) large debt positions relative to the country's economy, (5) policies toward foreign lenders or investors, (6) the failure to implement economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund or other multilateral agencies, or (7) an inability or unwillingness to repay debts. It may be particularly difficult to enforce the rights of debt holders in frontier and emerging markets. A governmental entity that defaults on an obligation may request additional time in which to pay or further loans or may seek to restructure its obligations to reduce interest rates or outstanding principal. There is no legal process for collecting sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt that a government does not pay nor are there bankruptcy proceedings through which all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental entity has not repaid may be collected. Sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging and frontier markets issuers, which are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis, which has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness.
Supranational Risk
Obligations of supranational entities are subject to the risk that the governments on whose support the entity depends for its financial backing or repayment may be unable or unwilling to provide that support. Obligations of a supranational entity that are denominated in non-U.S. currencies will also be subject to the risks associated with investments in non-U.S. currencies.
Unrated Securities Risk
Because the Fund may purchase securities that are not rated by any rating organization, a sub-advisor, after assessing their credit quality, may internally assign ratings to certain of those securities in categories similar to those of rating organizations. Some unrated securities may not have an active trading market or may be difficult to value, which means the Fund might have difficulty selling them promptly at an acceptable price. Unrated securities may be subject to greater liquidity risk and price volatility.
U.S. Government Securities and Government-Sponsored Enterprises Risk
A security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the United States is guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. The market prices for such securities are not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Securities held by the Fund that are issued by government-sponsored enterprises, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (''Fannie Mae''), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (''Freddie Mac''), Federal Home Loan Bank (''FHLB''), Federal Farm Credit Bank ("FFCB"), and the Tennessee Valley Authority are not guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, and no assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support if these organizations do not have the funds to meet future payment obligations. U.S. Government securities and securities of government-sponsored entities are also subject to credit risk, interest rate risk and market risk.
Valuation Risk
The Fund may value certain assets at a price different from the price at which they can be sold. This risk may be especially pronounced for investments that are illiquid or may become illiquid.
Variable and Floating Rate Securities Risk
The coupons on variable and floating-rate securities are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. The coupon on a floating rate security is generally based on an interest rate, such as a money-market index, London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") or a Treasury bill rate. Variable and floating rate securities are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk.
As short-term interest rates decline, the coupons on floating-rate securities typically decrease. Alternatively, during periods of rising interest rates, the coupons on floating-rate securities typically increase. Changes in the coupons of floating-rate securities may lag behind changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in the coupon rates. The value of floating-rate securities may decline if their coupons do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline.
<strong>Fund Performance</strong>
The bar chart and table below provide an indication of risk by showing changes in the Fund's performance over time. The bar chart shows how the Fund's performance has varied from year to year. The table shows how the Fund's average annual total returns compare to a broad-based market index for the periods indicated.
On October 1, 2018, Aberdeen Asset Managers Limited began managing a portion of the assets of the Fund. Prior to that date, the Fund was known as American Beacon Global Evolution Frontier Markets Income Fund and Global Evolution USA, LLC served as the Fund's sole sub-advisor.
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.
<strong>Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31</strong>
Bar Chart
Highest Quarterly Return:
6.03% 3rd Quarter 2016
01/01/2015 through 12/31/2018
Lowest Quarterly Return:
-5.19% 3rd Quarter 2015
01/01/2015 through 12/31/2018
The calendar year-to-date total return as of 3/31/2019 was 4.69%.
<strong>Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2018</strong>
Average Annual Total Returns - (American Beacon Frontier Markets Income Fund℠)
Inception Date of Class
1 Year
Since Inception
Investor Class Feb. 25, 2014 (3.51%) 3.98%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions Feb. 25, 2014 (6.96%) 1.42%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares Feb. 25, 2014 (2.03%) 1.90%
A Class Feb. 25, 2014 (8.28%) 2.86%
C Class Feb. 25, 2014 (5.36%) 3.13%
Y Class Feb. 25, 2014 (3.42%) 4.23%
Institutional Class Feb. 25, 2014 (3.24%) 4.32%
JPMorgan EMBI Global Diversified Index (Reflects no deduction for fees expenses or taxes)   (4.26%) 4.62%
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.