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(American Beacon TwentyFour Short Term Bond Fund℠)
Investment Objectives
The Fund's investment objectives are to seek a positive return based on a combination of income and, secondarily, capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
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 26 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 38 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.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees - (American Beacon TwentyFour Short Term Bond Fund℠)
A Class
C Class
Y Class
R6 Class
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 2.50% 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
[1] A contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $250,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses - (American Beacon TwentyFour Short Term Bond Fund℠)
A Class
C Class
Y Class
R6 Class
Management Fees 0.55% 0.55% 0.55% 0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none none
Other Expenses [1] 0.96% 0.96% 0.91% 0.81%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.76% 2.51% 1.46% 1.36%
Fee Waiver and/or expense reimbursement [2] (0.89%) (0.89%) (0.89%) (0.89%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 0.87% 1.62% 0.57% 0.47%
[1] Other Expenses 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 A Class, C Class, Y Class and R6 Class shares, as applicable, through October 31, 2021 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 0.87% for the A Class, 1.62% for the C Class, 0.57% for the Y Class and 0.47% for the R6 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 will itself waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund to maintain the contractual expense ratio caps for each class of shares or make arrangements with other service providers to do so. The Manager may also, from time to time, voluntarily waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund. The Manager can be reimbursed by the Fund for any contractual or voluntary fee waivers or expense reimbursements if reimbursement to the Manager (a) occurs within three years from the date of the Manager's waiver/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.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that the Example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for each share class through October 31, 2021. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon TwentyFour Short Term Bond Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
A Class 337 640
C Class 265 630
Y Class 58 306
R6 Class 48 274
Assuming no redemption of shares:
Expense Example, No Redemption - (American Beacon TwentyFour Short Term Bond Fund℠)
1 Year
3 Years
C Class | USD ($) 165 630
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs 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. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate for the Fund's last fiscal year is not provided because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in fixed-income securities and derivatives that provide exposure to fixed-income securities. The Fund's investments may be of any maturity or duration, although, under normal market conditions, the Fund's dollar-weighted average maturity is expected to be under three years. The Fund's dollar-weighted average maturity may, at times, exceed three years under certain circumstances, including, for example, in response to adverse market conditions or shareholder redemption requests. The Fund will invest primarily in investment-grade instruments, although up to one-third of its total assets may be invested in non-investment grade securities (also referred to as "high-yield" or "junk" bonds). The Fund's holdings may be denominated in U.S. and non-U.S. currencies, and all non-U.S. currency exposure will typically be hedged back to the U.S. dollar using currency forward contracts.
The Fund's fixed-income investments will primarily include obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and non-U.S. governments and their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, obligations of supranational entities, sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt, inflation-indexed securities, corporate bonds, trust preferred securities, convertible and non-convertible debt, contingent convertible bonds ("CoCos"), variable and floating-rate securities, zero coupon securities, collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs"), mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs") and other mortgage-related products (including commercial and residential loans). The Fund's holdings may include restricted instruments, such as Rule 144A securities. The Fund may have significant exposure to the Financial sector and to issuers located in, or with economic ties to, the United Kingdom. However, as the sector and geographic composition of the Fund's portfolio changes over time, the Fund's exposure to the Financial sector and the United Kingdom may decline, and the Fund's exposure to other market sectors or geographic areas may increase. To a lesser extent, the Fund may also invest in equity securities, primarily including preferred stock of U.S. and non-U.S. companies of any market capitalization.
The Fund may use derivative instruments primarily to reduce or adjust exposures to credit spreads, interest rates or currency exchange rates, to enhance total return or to substitute for the purchase or sale of the underlying securities or currencies. The Fund will generally invest in futures (including US treasury futures), forwards (including deliverable and non-deliverable currency forwards), swaps (including credit default, total return, interest rate and cross-currency swaps), options (including puts and calls) and warrants. To a lesser extent, the Fund may also invest in structured notes to gain exposure to specific issuers or sectors. The Fund's use of derivatives may be extensive and may have the economic effect of financial leverage. Derivative positions may also require the Fund to segregate liquid assets to cover its obligations.
In selecting investments, the Fund's sub-advisor develops a top-down, macroeconomic view of the global economic environment as indicated by factors such as interest rates, equity markets, corporate profitability, international capital flows, government policy and other relevant inputs. The sub-advisor then performs a bottom-up analysis of individual issuers that focuses on the issuer's creditworthiness and considers historical trends and patterns in an instrument's price and relative valuation. The sub-advisor examines the relative risk and return characteristics of each investment and seeks to identify opportunities to establish long positions in income-generating instruments that, at times, may have the potential for price appreciation. The sub-advisor also seeks to reduce or hedge positions in instruments that may decline in value or experience unwanted volatility, or when better investment opportunities are identified. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its investment objective.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it may invest a high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers.
Principal Risks
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 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 listed below are presented in alphabetical order and not in order of importance or potential exposure. Among other matters, this presentation is intended to facilitate your ability to find particular risks and compare them with the risks of other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a "principal risk" of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
Allocation Risk
The sub-advisor's judgments about, and allocations among, strategies, asset classes and market exposures may adversely affect the Fund's performance. There can be no assurance, particularly during periods of market disruption and stress, that the sub-advisor's judgements about asset allocation will be correct. This risk may be increased by the use of derivatives to increase allocations to various market exposures.
Asset-Backed and Mortgage Related Securities Risk
Investments in asset-backed and mortgage related securities are subject to market risks for fixed-income securities which include, but are not limited to, credit risk, interest rate risk, prepayment risk and extension risk. A decline in the credit quality of the issuers of asset-backed and mortgage related securities or instability in the markets for such securities may affect the value and liquidity of such securities, which could result in losses to the Fund.
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.
Collateralized Loan Obligations ("CLOs") Risk
The risks of an investment in a CLO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the instrument in which the Fund invests. The Fund typically will invest in CLOs collateralized by senior bank loans. In addition, CLOs normally are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CLOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities. CLOs carry the general risks applicable to other fixed income investments, including interest rate risk, credit risk, market risk and liquidity risk. CLOs also carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the risk that the Fund may invest in CLOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.
  • Loan Interests Risk. In making investments in bank loans or senior loans, the Fund will depend primarily on the creditworthiness of the borrower for payment of principal and interest, and will also rely on the financial institution to make principal and interest payments to the Fund once it receives payment on the underlying loan. The Fund will also rely on the financial institution to pursue appropriate remedies against a borrower in the event that the borrower defaults. As such, the Fund may be exposed to the credit risk of both the financial institution that made the loan and the underlying borrower. Unlike publicly traded common stocks, which trade on national exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for loans, including bank loans and senior loans, to trade. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund's access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Loans trade in an over-the-counter market, and confirmation and settlement, which are effected through standardized procedures and documentation, may take significantly longer than seven days to complete. Extended trade settlement periods may, in unusual market conditions with a high volume of shareholder redemptions, present a risk to shareholders regarding the Fund's ability to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable time periods stated in its prospectus. The secondary market for floating rate loans also may be subject to irregular trading activity and wide bid/ask spreads. The lack of an active trading market for certain loans may impair the ability of the Fund to sell its loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may require the Fund to sell them at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value and may make it difficult to value such loans. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Interests in loans made to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. The Fund may acquire a loan interest by obtaining an assignment of all or a portion of the interests in a particular loan that are held by an original lender or a prior assignee. As an assignee, the Fund normally will succeed to all rights and obligations of its assignor with respect to the portion of the loan that is being assigned. However, the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of a loan assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the original lenders or the assignor. Alternatively, the Fund may acquire a participation in a loan interest that is held by another party. When the Fund's loan interest is a participation, the Fund is subject to the risk that the party selling the participation interest will not remit the Fund's pro rata share of loan payments to the Fund, and the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest.
Contingent Convertible Securities ("CoCos") Risk
Contingent convertible securities ("CoCos") either are converted into equity securities of the issuer or have their principal written down if the issuer's capital falls below a predetermined "trigger" level. CoCos are subordinated debt and the Fund's claims will generally be junior to the claims of other creditors if the issuer liquidates or dissolves. Interest payments on CoCos could be canceled by the issuer or a regulator. If the issuer converts the CoCo to an equity security, the Fund would lose interest payments and potentially all income. The Fund's investment would be even further subordinated if a CoCo were converted to an equity security. The issuer could alternatively write down the principal due on the CoCos. The write-down of the security's par value may occur automatically and would not entitle holders to institute bankruptcy proceedings against the issuer. In addition, an automatic write-down could result in a reduced income rate if the dividend or interest payment associated with the security is based on the security's par value, or even a complete loss on investment with no chance of recovery. CoCos carry the general risks applicable to other fixed income investments, including interest rate risk, credit risk, market risk and liquidity risk.
Convertible Securities Risk
The value of a convertible security typically increases or decreases with the price of the underlying common stock. In general, a convertible security is subject to the risks of stocks when the underlying stock's price is high relative to the conversion price and is subject to the risks of debt securities when the underlying stock's price is low relative to the conversion price. The general market risks of debt securities that are common to convertible securities include, but are not limited to, interest rate risk and credit risk. Many convertible securities have credit ratings that are below investment grade and are subject to the same risks as an investment in below investment grade debt securities (commonly known as "junk bonds"). Lower-rated debt securities may fluctuate more widely in price and yield than investment grade debt securities and may fall in price during times when the economy is weak or is expected to become weak. Convertible securities are subject to the risk that the credit standing of the issuer may have an effect on the convertible security's investment value. In addition, to the extent the Fund invests in convertible securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies, it will be subject to the risks of investing in such companies. The stocks of small- and mid-cap companies may fluctuate more widely in price than the market as a whole and there may also be less trading in small- or mid-cap stocks. Convertible securities are sensitive to movement in 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, may fail, or become less able, 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 high yield investments that are considered speculative in nature, this risk may be substantial. Changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of an issuer, or 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 using various instruments described below. Foreign currencies may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time, may be affected unpredictably by intervention, or the failure to intervene, of the U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, and may be affected by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. Foreign currencies may also decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and other currencies and thereby affect the Fund's investments in non-U.S. currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, non-U.S. currencies. The Fund may gain exposure to foreign currencies because of its investments in one or more of the following:
  • Non-U.S. currencies
  • Securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies
  • Options on non-U.S. currencies and non-U.S. currency futures, which are described below under "Derivatives Risk"
  • Foreign currency forward contracts, including non-deliverable forwards ("NDFs"), which are described below under "Derivatives Risk"
  • Non-U.S. currency futures contracts, which are described below under "Derivatives Risk"
  • Swaps for cross-currency transactions, which are described below under "Derivatives Risk"
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 at times be illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Certain derivatives may be difficult to value, and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. Derivatives may also be more volatile than other types of investments. The Fund may buy or sell derivatives not traded on an exchange, 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 not recover 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 the 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. New regulation of derivatives may make them more costly, or may otherwise adversely affect their liquidity, value or performance. In addition, the Fund's investments in derivatives are subject to the following risks:
  • Forward Contracts Risk. 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 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. Forward currency transactions, including NDFs, and forward currency contracts include the risks associated with fluctuations in currency.
  • Futures Contracts Risk. Futures contracts 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. 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. There may at times be an imperfect correlation between the movement in the prices of futures contracts and the value of their underlying instruments or indexes. There can be no assurance that any strategy used will succeed. There also 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. Futures contracts may experience potentially dramatic price changes, 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). Treasury futures contracts expose the Fund to price fluctuations resulting from changes in interest rates and to potential losses if interest rates do not move as expected.
  • Options Risk. 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. 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. There can be no guarantee that the use of options will increase the Fund's return or income. In addition, there may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them, and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for options.
  • Structured Notes Risk. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments with principal and/or interest payments linked to the value of a commodity, a foreign currency, an index of securities, an interest rate, or other financial indicators ("reference instruments"). The payments on a structured note may vary based on changes in one or more specified reference instruments, such as a floating interest rate compared to a fixed interest rate, the exchange rates between two currencies, one or more securities or a securities or commodities index. If the underlying investment or index does not perform as anticipated, the structured note might pay less interest than the stated coupon payment or repay less principal upon maturity. The movement of such factors may cause significant price fluctuations. A structured note may be positively or negatively indexed. Structured notes are subject to interest rate risk and market risk. They are also subject to credit risk with respect both to the issuer and, if applicable, to the underlying security or borrower. Structured notes may have a limited trading market, making it difficult to value them or sell them at an acceptable price.
  • Swap Agreements Risk. 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. Swaps may be subject to liquidity risk and counterparty risk, and swaps that are traded over-the-counter are not subject to standardized clearing requirements and may involve greater liquidity and counterparty risks. In addition, the Fund may invest in the following types of swaps:
Credit default swaps, which may be subject to credit risk and the risks associated with the purchase and sale of credit protection.
Cross-currency swaps, which may be subject to currency risk and credit risk.
Interest rate swaps, which may be subject to interest rate risk and credit risk.
Total return swaps, which may be subject to credit risk and, if the underlying securities are bonds or other debt obligations, market risk and interest rate risk.
  • Warrants Risk. 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 market for warrants may be very limited and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for warrants.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to investment risk and market risk. The Fund may invest in the following equity securities, which may expose the Fund to the following additional risks:
  • Preferred Stock Risk. 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. In certain situations, an issuer may call or redeem its preferred stock or convert it to common stock. The market prices of preferred stocks are generally more sensitive to actual or perceived changes in the issuer's financial condition or prospects than are the prices of debt securities.
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.
  • United Kingdom Securities Risk. The Fund's exposure to issuers located in, or with economic ties to, the United Kingdom, could expose the Fund to risks associated with investments in the United Kingdom to a greater extent than more geographically diverse funds. Investments in United Kingdom issuers may subject the Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks specific to the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has one of the largest economies in Europe, and the United States and other European countries are substantial trading partners of the United Kingdom. As a result, the United Kingdom economy may be impacted by changes to the economic condition of the United States and other European countries. On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom voted via referendum to leave the European Union, commonly referred to as "Brexit". On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union and on this date the United Kingdom entered into a transition period scheduled to end on December 31, 2020. Brexit has introduced, and may continue to introduce, significant uncertainties and instability in the financial markets. Negotiations to settle what form Brexit will take are due to be finalized during the transition period and, therefore, at present the political and economic consequences of Brexit are uncertain, including whether Brexit will have a negative impact on the United Kingdom or the broader global economy or the value of the British pound. Although the sub-advisor intends to hedge the Fund's assets back to the US dollar, the depreciation of the British pound sterling and/or the Euro in relation to the US dollar as a result of Brexit would adversely affect the Fund's investments denominated in British pound sterling or Euros that are not fully hedged regardless of the performance of the underlying issuer.
Geographic Concentration Risk
From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of issuers located in, or with significant economic ties to, a single country or geographic region, which could increase the risk that economic, political, business, regulatory, diplomatic, social and environmental conditions in that particular country or geographic region may have a significant impact on the Fund's performance. Investing in such a manner could cause the Fund's performance to be more volatile than the performance of more geographically diverse funds.
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. Hedging instruments may also reduce or eliminate gains that may otherwise have been available had the Fund not used the hedging instruments.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk
Portfolio turnover is a measure of the Fund's trading activity over a one-year period. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% would indicate that the Fund sold and replaced the entire value of its securities holdings during the period. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading and may have a high portfolio turnover rate, which could increase the Fund's transaction costs, have a negative impact on performance, and generate higher capital gain distributions to shareholders than if the Fund had a lower portfolio turnover rate.
High Yield Securities Risk
Exposure to high yield, below investment-grade securities (commonly referred to as "junk bonds") generally involves significantly greater risks 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. These securities also may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires. 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. High yield securities may experience greater price volatility and less liquidity than investment grade securities. Issuers of securities that are in default or have defaulted may fail to resume principal or interest payments, in which case the Fund may lose its entire investment.
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. The prices of these securities may be more difficult to determine than publicly traded securities and these securities may involve heightened risk as compared to investments in securities of publicly traded companies. 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 the 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 principal payments and interest payments that vary as the principal and/or interest are adjusted over time to reflect a rise or a drop in the reference inflation-related index. For inflation index-linked debt securities for which repayment of the original principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is not guaranteed, 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. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
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 and lowered the federal funds rate several times since December 2015 and may increase or decrease 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 three years, a 1% increase in interest rates could be expected to result in a 3% decrease in the value of the bond. 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. To the extent the Fund holds an investment with a negative interest rate to maturity, the Fund would generate a negative return on that investment.
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 that 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 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 may result 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. There can be no assurance that the Fund's use of leverage will be successful.
LIBOR Risk
Certain of the instruments identified in the Fund's principal investment strategies have variable or floating coupon rates that are based on the ICE LIBOR ("LIBOR"), Euro Interbank Offered Rate and other similar types of reference rates (each, a "Reference Rate"). On July 27, 2017, the Chief Executive of the UK Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA"), which regulates LIBOR, announced that the FCA will no longer persuade nor require banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR and certain other Reference Rates after 2021. Such announcement indicates that the continuation of LIBOR and other Reference Rates on the current basis cannot and will not be guaranteed after 2021. This announcement and any additional regulatory or market changes may have an adverse impact on the Fund or its investments, including increased volatility or illiquidity in markets for instruments that rely on LIBOR.
In advance of 2021, regulators and market participants are working together to identify or develop successor Reference Rates. Additionally, prior to 2021, it is expected that market participants will focus on the transition mechanisms by which the Reference Rates in existing contracts or instruments may be amended, whether through marketwide protocols, fallback contractual provisions, bespoke negotiations or amendments or otherwise. Nonetheless, the termination of certain Reference Rates presents risks to the Fund. At this time, it is not possible to completely identify or predict the effect of any such changes, any establishment of alternative Reference Rates or any other reforms to Reference Rates that may be enacted in the UK or elsewhere. The elimination of a Reference Rate or any other changes or reforms to the determination or supervision of Reference Rates could have an adverse impact on the market for or value of any securities or payments linked to those Reference Rates and other financial obligations held by the Fund or on its overall financial condition or results of operations. In addition, any substitute Reference Rate and any pricing adjustments imposed by a regulator or by counterparties or otherwise may adversely affect the Fund's performance and/or NAV.
Liquidity Risk
The Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments held by the Fund may have limited marketability, be subject to restrictions on sale, be difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at favorable times or prices, or become less liquid in response to market developments or adverse credit events that may affect issuers or guarantors of a security. An inability to sell a portfolio position can adversely affect the Fund's value or prevent the Fund from being able to take advantage of other investment opportunities. 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 dispute 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
The Fund is subject to the risk of market timing activities by investors due to the Fund's investments in high yield, and foreign securities, or its exposure to foreign securities through the derivatives it holds. The limited trading activity of some high yield securities may result in market prices that do not reflect the true market value of these securities. If the Fund trades foreign securities, it generally prices these foreign securities using their closing prices from the foreign markets in which they trade, which typically is prior to the Fund's calculation of its net asset value ("NAV"). These prices may be affected by events that occur after the close of a foreign market but before the Fund prices its shares. In such instances, the Fund may fair value high yield and foreign securities. However, some investors may engage in frequent short-term trading in the Fund to take advantage of any price differentials that may be reflected in the NAV of the Fund's shares. Frequent trading by Fund shareholders poses risks to other shareholders in the Fund, including (i) the dilution of the Fund's NAV, (ii) an increase in the Fund's expenses, and (iii) interference with the portfolio manager's ability to execute efficient investment strategies. While the Manager monitors trading in the Fund, there is no guarantee that it can detect all market timing activities.
New/Small Fund Risk
The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. A new or smaller fund's performance may not represent how such fund is expected to, or may, perform in the long term if and when it becomes larger and has fully implemented its investment strategies. Investment positions may have a disproportionate impact (negative or positive) on performance in a new and smaller fund, such as the Fund. New and smaller funds may also require a period of time before they are invested in securities that meet their investment objectives and policies and achieve a representative portfolio composition. Fund performance may be lower or higher during this "ramp-up" period, and may also be more volatile, than would be the case after the Fund is fully invested. Similarly, a new or smaller fund's investment strategies may require a longer period of time to show returns that are representative of the strategies.
Non-Diversification Risk
The Fund is non-diversified, which means it may focus its investments in the securities of a comparatively small number of issuers. Investments in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk, price volatility and potential losses than if assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.
Prepayment and Extension Risk
Prepayment risk is the risk that the principal amount of a bond may be repaid prior to the bond's maturity date. Due to a decline in interest rates or excess cash flow, a debt security may be called or otherwise prepaid before maturity. If this occurs, no additional interest will be paid on the investment. The Fund may have to invest at a lower rate, may not benefit from an increase in value that may result from declining interest rates, and may lose any premium it paid to acquire the security. Variable and floating rate securities may be less sensitive to prepayment risk. Extension risk is the risk that a decrease in prepayments may, as a result of higher interest rates or other factors, result in the extension of a security's effective maturity, heighten interest rate risk and increase the potential for a decline in its price.
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. Additionally, during periods of heavy redemptions, the Fund may borrow funds through the interfund credit facility, or from a bank line of credit, which may increase costs. A rise in interest rates or other market developments may cause investors to move out of fixed income securities on a large scale. Heavy redemptions could hurt the Fund's performance.
Reliance on Corporate Management and Financial Reporting Risk
The sub-advisor may select investments for the Fund in part on the basis of information and data made directly available to the sub-advisor by the issuers of securities or through sources other than the issuers such as collateral pool servicers. The sub-advisor is dependent upon the integrity of the management of these issuers and of such servicers and the financial and collateral performance reporting processes in general.
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. Individual sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. As the Fund's portfolio changes over time, the Fund's exposure to a particular sector may become higher or lower.
  • Financial Sector Risk. Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation, which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. In addition, deterioration of the credit markets generally may cause an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. Certain events in the financial sector may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Securities of financial services companies may experience a dramatic decline in value when such companies experience substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, take action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or cease operations.
Secured, Partially Secured and Unsecured Obligation Risk
Debt obligations may be secured, partially secured or unsecured. Interests in secured obligations have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured obligation would satisfy the borrower's obligation, or that the collateral can be liquidated. Furthermore, there is a risk that the value of any collateral securing an obligation in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the obligation. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund's access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Unsecured debt, including senior unsecured and subordinated debt, will not be secured by any collateral and will be effectively subordinated to a borrower's secured indebtedness (to the extent of the collateral securing such indebtedness). With respect to unsecured obligations, the Fund lacks any collateral on which to foreclose to satisfy its claim in whole or in part. Such instruments generally have greater price volatility than that of fully secured holdings and may be less liquid.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by the sub-advisor for the Fund may not perform to expectations. It may not be possible to predict or to hedge against a widening in the yield spread of the securities selected by the sub-advisor. This could result in the Fund's underperformance compared to its benchmark index(es), or other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Segregated Assets Risk
In connection with certain transactions that may give rise to future payment obligations, the Fund may be required to maintain a segregated amount of, or otherwise earmark, cash or liquid securities to cover the obligation. Segregated assets generally cannot be sold while the position they are covering is outstanding, unless they are replaced with other assets of equal value. The need to segregate cash or other liquid securities could limit the Fund's ability to pursue other opportunities as they arise.
Sovereign and Quasi-Sovereign Debt Risk
Sovereign or quasi-sovereign debt securities are subject to risk of payment delays or defaults due to, among other things: (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. A governmental entity that defaults on an obligation may request additional time in which to repay loans, may request 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.
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. Political changes in principal donor nations may also unexpectedly disrupt the finances of supranational entities. 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.
Trust Preferred Securities Risk
Trust preferred securities are subject to market risk, interest rate risk and credit risk. Holders of the trust preferred securities have limited voting rights to control the activities of the trust and no voting rights with respect to the parent company. Trust preferred securities prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in the financial condition of an issuer, investors' perception of the financial condition of an issuer, or the general economic condition of the market for trust preferred securities.
Unrated Securities Risk
Because the Fund may purchase securities that are not rated by any rating organization, the sub-advisor, after assessing their credit quality, may internally assign ratings to certain of those securities in categories similar to those of rating organizations. Unrated securities are subject to the risk that the sub-advisor may not accurately evaluate the security's comparative credit rating. 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, or securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. The Fund's ability to value its investments in an accurate and timely manner may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by third party service providers, such as pricing services or accounting agents.
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, 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. Certain types of floating rate instruments may be subject to greater liquidity risk than other debt securities.
Zero Coupon Securities Risk
Zero coupon securities are securities that do not make periodic interest payments. Accordingly, zero coupon securities usually trade at a deep discount from their face or par value and will be subject to greater fluctuations in market value in response to changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities that make current distribution of interest in cash.
Fund Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not provided because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus. Performance information will be available in the Prospectus after the Fund has been in operation for one full calendar year. When available, performance for the Fund can be accessed 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.