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Total
(American Beacon Balanced Fund℠)
Investment Objective
The Fund's investment objective is income and capital appreciation.
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 59 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 66 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 Balanced Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Advisor Class
Class R5
Investor Class
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.75% none none none none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) 0.50% [1] 1.00% none none none none
[1] A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase.
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 Balanced Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Advisor Class
Class R5
Investor Class
Management Fees 0.53% 0.53% 0.53% 0.53% 0.53% 0.53%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none 0.25% none none
Other Expenses 0.23% 0.23% 0.21% 0.36% 0.13% 0.44%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.01% 1.76% 0.74% 1.14% 0.66% 0.97%
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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon Balanced Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 672 878 1,101 1,740
Class C 279 554 954 2,073
Class Y 76 237 411 918
Advisor Class 116 362 628 1,386
Class R5 67 211 368 822
Investor Class 99 309 536 1,190
Assuming no redemption of shares:
Expense Example, No Redemption - (American Beacon Balanced Fund℠)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class C | USD ($) 179 554 954 2,073
Portfolio Turnover
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 68% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, between 50% and 70% of the Fund's total assets are invested in equity securities and between 30% and 50% of the Fund's total assets are invested in debt securities.
The Fund's equity investments may include common stocks, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges (collectively referred to as "stocks"). The Fund may invest in companies of all market capitalizations. The Manager allocates the assets of the Fund among different sub-advisors.
The Manager believes that this strategy may help the Fund outperform other investment styles over the longer term while reducing volatility and downside risk.
The Fund's sub-advisors select stocks that, in their opinion, have most or all of the following characteristics (relative to the S&P 500® Index):
  • above-average earnings growth potential,
  • below-average price to earnings ratio,
  • below-average price to book value ratio, and
  • above-average dividend yields.
Each of the Fund's sub-advisors determines the earnings growth prospects of companies based upon a combination of internal and external research using fundamental analysis and considering changing economic trends. The sub-advisors typically seek to invest in companies that they believe to be undervalued at the time of purchase. The decision to sell a stock is typically based on the belief that the company is no longer considered undervalued or shows deteriorating fundamentals, or that better investment opportunities exist in other stocks.
The Fund's debt securities may include: obligations of the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises (some of which are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government); U.S. and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign corporate debt securities, such as notes and bonds, mortgage-backed securities; asset-backed securities; and variable and floating rate securities.
The Fund will only buy debt securities that are deemed by the Manager or sub-advisors, as applicable, to be investment grade at the time of the purchase. If an investment held by the Fund is downgraded below investment grade, the Manager or sub-advisors, as applicable will take action that they believe to be advantageous to the Fund. The Fund has no limitations regarding the duration of the debt securities it can buy. The Fund may have significant exposure to the Financial Services sector. However, as the sector composition of the Fund's portfolio changes over time, the Fund's exposure to the Financial Services sector may be lower at a future date, and the Fund's exposure to other market sectors may be higher.
In determining which debt securities to buy and sell, the Manager and the sub-advisors generally use a "top-down" or "bottom-up" investment strategy, or a combination of both strategies. The top-down fixed income investment strategy is implemented as follows:
  • Develop an overall investment strategy, including a portfolio duration target, by examining the current trends in the U.S. economy.
  • Set desired portfolio duration structure by comparing the differences between corporate and U.S. Government securities of similar duration to judge their potential for optimal return in accordance with the target duration benchmark.
  • Determine the weightings of each security type by analyzing the difference in yield spreads between corporate and U.S. Government securities.
  • Select specific debt securities within each security type.
  • Review and monitor portfolio composition for changes in credit, risk-return profile and comparisons with benchmarks.
The bottom-up fixed income investment strategy is implemented as follows:
  • Search for eligible securities with a yield to maturity advantage versus a U.S. Government security with a similar duration.
  • Evaluate credit quality of the securities.
  • Perform an analysis of the expected price volatility of the securities to changes in interest rates by examining actual price volatility between U.S. Government and non-U.S. Government securities.
The Fund may invest cash balances in other investment companies, including money market funds, and may purchase and sell futures contracts to gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs. The Fund may seek to earn additional income by lending its securities to certain qualified broker-dealers and institutions on a short-term or long-term basis.
Principal Risks
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of current income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund 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 Manager's and the sub-advisors' 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 Manager's and each sub-advisor's judgments 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, extension risk, interest rate risk and prepayment 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.
Credit Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt security, or counterparty to a loan, may fail, or become less able, to make timely payment of interest or principal, or otherwise honor its obligations or default completely. 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.
Cybersecurity and Operational Risk
The Fund and its service providers, and shareholders' ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from, among other problems: human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for the Fund or its service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.
Dividend Risk
An issuer of stock held by the Fund may choose not to declare a dividend or the dividend rate might not remain at current levels. Dividend paying stocks might not experience the same level of earnings growth or capital appreciation as non-dividend paying stocks.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to investment risk and market risk. The Fund may invest in the following equity securities, which may expose the Fund to the following additional risks:
  • Common Stock Risk. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
  • Depositary Receipts and U.S. Dollar-Denominated Foreign Stocks Traded on U.S. Exchanges Risk. Depositary receipts and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges are subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate fluctuations, political and financial instability in the home country of a particular depositary receipt or foreign stock, less liquidity and more volatility, less government regulation and supervision and delays in transaction settlement.
  • Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs") Risk. Investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry, including, among other risks: adverse developments affecting the real estate industry; declines in real property values; changes in interest rates; defaults by mortgagors or other borrowers and tenants; lack of availability of mortgage funds or financing; extended vacancies of properties, especially during economic downturns; casualty or condemnation losses; and governmental actions, such as changes to tax laws, zoning regulations or environmental regulations. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free "pass-through" of distributed net income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"), or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("Investment Company Act"). REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those incurred by the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investment in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. The value of REIT common stock may decline when interest rates rise.
Foreign Investing Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) increased volatility, (6) different government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies, and (7) delays in transaction settlement in some foreign markets.
  • Investing in Developed Countries Risk. The Fund's investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
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).
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 eight years, a 1% increase in interest rates could be expected to result in an 8% 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.
Large Capitalization Companies Risk
The securities of large market capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities. Many larger capitalization companies also may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during periods of economic expansion.
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, certain 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 departure from the European Union on January 31, 2020 and trade agreement negotiations during the transition period, the risks associated with ongoing trade negotiations with 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.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since mid-capitalization companies may have narrower commercial markets and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity, and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
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. The sub-advisors' investment styles may not work together as planned, which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund. In addition, because each sub-advisor makes its trading decisions independently, it is possible that the sub-advisors may purchase or sell the same security at the same time without aggregating their transactions or hold long and short positions in the same security at the same time. This may cause unnecessary brokerage and other expenses.
Other Investment Companies Risk
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. The Fund will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those companies, including but not limited to the following:
  • Money Market Funds. Investments in money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
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.
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 Services Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in the financial services sector, the value of the Fund's shares may be particularly vulnerable to factors affecting that sector, such as the availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, extensive government regulation and price competition.
Securities Lending Risk
The borrower of the Fund's securities must provide collateral in the form of cash or cash equivalents, securities of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, approved bank letters of credit, or other forms of collateral that are permitted by the SEC for registered investment companies in an amount at least equal to the value of the loaned securities. For loans collateralized with cash, the Fund invests the cash in other securities.
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: i) borrowers of the Fund's securities may provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, ii) the securities in which the cash collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers, iii) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions, and iv) there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by a sub-advisor or the Manager 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 a 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.
Small Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of small-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since small-capitalization companies may have narrower commercial markets, and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
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.
U.S. Treasury Obligations Risk
The value of U.S. Treasury obligations may vary due to changes in interest rates. In addition, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Fund's investments in obligations issued by the U.S. Treasury to decline. Certain political events in the U.S., such as a prolonged government shut down, may also cause investors to lose confidence in the U.S. government and may cause the value of U.S. Treasury obligations to decline.
Value Stocks Risk
Value stocks are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may decline. The Fund's investments in value stocks seek to limit potential downside price risk over time; however, value stock prices still may decline substantially. In addition, the Fund may produce more modest gains as a trade-off for this potentially lower risk. The Fund's investment in value stocks could cause the Fund to underperform funds that use a growth or non-value approach to investing or have a broader investment style.
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.
Fund Performance
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 composite index and the two broad-based securities market indices that comprise the composite index, for the periods indicated.
The chart and the table show the performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares for all periods. The Fund began offering R5 Class Shares on July 17, 1987, Investor Class shares on August 1, 1994, Advisor Class shares on May 31, 2005, Y Class shares on March 1, 2010, A Class shares on May 17, 2010 and C Class shares on September 1, 2010. In the table below, the performance of the R5 Class shares is shown for the Y Class shares and the performance of the Investor Class shares is shown for the A Class and C Class shares, prior to the dates such newer classes were first offered. In each case, the older share classes would have had similar annual returns to the newer share classes because the shares are invested in the same portfolio securities. However, the older share classes had different expenses than the newer share classes, which would affect performance. The A Class, C Class, and Y Class performance shown in the table has not been adjusted for differences in operating expenses between those share classes and the respective older share classes, but the A Class and C Class shares performance has been adjusted for the impact of the maximum applicable sales charge. 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.
Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31
Bar Chart
Highest Quarterly Return:
10.16% 1st Quarter 2019
01/01/2010 through 12/31/2019
Lowest Quarterly Return:
-11.11% 4th Quarter 2018
01/01/2010 through 12/31/2019
Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2019.
Average Annual Total Returns - (American Beacon Balanced Fund℠)
Inception Date of Class
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Investor Class Aug. 01, 1994 22.09% 6.13% 8.57%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions Aug. 01, 1994 19.08% 4.12% 6.88%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares Aug. 01, 1994 14.70% 4.39% 6.57%
Class A May 17, 2010 15.01% 4.86% 7.86%
Class C Sep. 01, 2010 20.11% 5.32% 7.73%
Class Y Mar. 01, 2010 22.39% 6.44% 8.85%
Advisor Class May 31, 2005 21.91% 5.95% 8.40%
Class R5 Jul. 17, 1987 22.55% 6.47% 8.93%
Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index (Reflects no deduction for fees expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 3.75%
Russell 1000 Value Index (Reflects no deduction for fees expenses or taxes)   26.54% 8.29% 11.80%
60% Russell 1000 Value Index/40% Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index (Reflects no deduction for fees expenses or taxes)   19.42% 6.38% 8.76%
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 of the Fund; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
(American Beacon Garcia Hamilton Quality Bond Fund℠)
Investment Objective
The Fund's investment objective is high current income consistent with preservation of capital.
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. More information is available from your financial professional and in "Choosing Your Share Class" on page 59 of the Prospectus. 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 Garcia Hamilton Quality Bond Fund℠)
Class Y
Class R5
Investor Class
Class R6
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) none none none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) none none none none
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 Garcia Hamilton Quality Bond Fund℠)
Class Y
Class R5
Investor Class
Class R6
Management Fees 0.55% 0.55% 0.55% 0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees none none none none
Other Expenses 0.18% 0.11% 0.49% 0.11%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses 0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.74% 0.67% 1.05% 0.67%
Fee Waiver and/or expense reimbursement [1] (0.18%) (0.21%) (0.21%) (0.25%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 0.56% 0.46% 0.84% 0.42%
[1] American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the "Manager") has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund's Y Class, R5 Class, Investor Class, and R6 Class shares, as applicable, through February 28, 2021 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 0.55% for the Y Class, 0.45% for the R5 Class, 0.83% for the Investor Class, and 0.41% 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 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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that the Example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for each share class through February 28, 2021. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you redeem or hold your shares, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon Garcia Hamilton Quality Bond Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class Y 57 218 394 902
Class R5 47 193 352 815
Investor Class 86 313 559 1,264
Class R6 43 189 348 811
Portfolio Turnover
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 58% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in investment grade bonds. For purposes of the 80% policy, investment grade bonds include other investment grade debt securities. The Fund considers investment grade debt securities to be debt securities that are rated A- or better by S&P Global Ratings ("S&P"), Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or Fitch Ratings Inc. ("Fitch").
The types of investment grade debt securities that the Fund invests in primarily include obligations of the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises (some of which are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government); corporate bonds, debentures, and mortgage-backed securities. These types of obligations may have fixed-rate or floating-rate coupons (or variable rate coupons) and are commonly referred to as fixed income securities or bonds. If an investment held by the Fund is downgraded below investment grade, the sub-advisor will determine whether to continue to hold or to sell the security. In selecting investment grade debt securities within the corporate sector, the sub-advisor first focuses on the largest U.S. issuers and companies rated A- or better by at least two of the three rating agencies. The sub-advisor then eliminates foreign companies, Yankee Bonds and alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and defense companies and evaluates the remaining issues based on the sustainability of their operations and their consideration for environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") principles as an integrated part of the sub-advisor's evaluation and investment process.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to maintain a weighted-average duration of zero to seven years. Duration is an indicator of a bond's price sensitivity to a change in interest rates. For example, a duration of seven years means that a security's price would be expected to decrease by approximately 7% with a 1% increase in interest rates. The Fund may invest in securities of any maturity, but typically invests in securities with maximum maturities of up to 30 years.
The sub-advisor follows a fixed income investment strategy that focuses on high current income, given its outlook for interest rates, and the preservation of capital. In selecting securities for the Fund, the sub-advisor employs a top-down approach, which includes a broad fundamental analysis of the current fixed income markets, including duration, the yield curve, and the performance of market sectors. Through this analysis, the sub-advisor creates defined parameters for the selection of investments for the Fund's portfolio and implements a proprietary investment process comprised of qualitative and quantitative components. The Fund may have significant exposure to the Financial Services sector. However, as the sector composition of the Fund's portfolio changes over time, the Fund's exposure to the Financial Services sector may be lower at a future date, and the Fund's exposure to other market sectors may be higher.
The Fund may invest cash balances in other investment companies, including money market funds, to reduce market exposure or in anticipation of liquidity needs.
Principal Risks
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not 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.
Credit Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt security, or counterparty to a loan, may fail, or become less able, to make timely payment of interest or principal, or otherwise honor its obligations or default completely. 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.
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.
Interest Rate Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the market value of fixed income securities 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 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 are also affected by their durations. Fixed income securities with longer durations generally have greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates. For example, if a bond has a duration of eight years, a 1% increase in interest rates could be expected to result in an 8% decrease in the value of the bond. An increase in interest rates can impact markets broadly as well. Some investors buy securities 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.
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, certain 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 departure from the European Union on January 31, 2020 and trade agreement negotiations during the transition period, the risks associated with ongoing trade negotiations with 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.
Mortgage-Backed and Mortgage-Related Securities Risk
Investments in mortgage-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 mortgage-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.
Other Investment Companies Risk
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. The Fund will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those companies, including but not limited to the following:
  • Money Market Funds. Investments in money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
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.
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 Services Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in the financial services sector, the value of the Fund's shares may be particularly vulnerable to factors affecting that sector, such as the availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, extensive government regulation and price competition.
Securities 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.
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 underperform funds that do not incorporate these considerations. The Fund may not be able to take advantage of certain investment opportunities due to these considerations, which may adversely affect investment performance.
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.
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.
Fund Performance
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, which is the Fund's benchmark index, for the periods indicated.
In the table below, the performance of the R6 Class shares for periods prior to February 28, 2019 represents the performance of the R5 Class shares of the Fund. The R6 Class shares would have had similar annual returns to the R5 Class shares of the Fund because the shares of each class represent investments in the same portfolio securities. However, the R5 Class shares of the Fund had different expenses than the R6 Class shares, which would affect performance. The R6 Class performance shown in the table has not been adjusted for differences in operating expenses between the R6 Class and R5 Class shares. 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.
Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31
Bar Chart
Highest Quarterly Return:
1.47% 1st Quarter 2019
01/01/2017 through 12/31/2019
Lowest Quarterly Return:
-0.36% 1st Quarter 2018
01/01/2017 through 12/31/2019
Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2019.
Average Annual Total Returns - (American Beacon Garcia Hamilton Quality Bond Fund℠)
Inception Date of Class
1 Year
Since Inception
Investor Class Apr. 04, 2016 4.02% 1.53%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions Apr. 04, 2016 3.16% 0.91%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares Apr. 04, 2016 2.37% 0.90%
Class Y Apr. 04, 2016 4.31% 1.82% [1]
Class R5 Apr. 04, 2016 4.42% 1.92% [1]
Class R6 Feb. 28, 2019 4.36% 1.90% [1]
Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index (Reflects no deduction for fees expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.10% [1]
[1] 04/04/2016
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 of the Fund; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
(American Beacon International Equity Fund℠)
Investment Objective
The Fund's investment objective is long-term capital appreciation.
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 59 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 66 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 International Equity Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Advisor Class
Class R5
Investor Class
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.75% none none none none none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) 0.50% [1] 1.00% none none none none none
[1] A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase.
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 International Equity Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Advisor Class
Class R5
Investor Class
Management Fees 0.61% 0.61% 0.61% 0.61% 0.61% 0.61% 0.61%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none none 0.25% none none
Other Expenses 0.29% 0.26% 0.19% 0.09% 0.34% 0.12% 0.44%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.15% 1.87% 0.80% 0.70% 1.20% 0.73% 1.05%
Fee Waiver and/or expense reimbursement [1] none none none (0.01%) none none none
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.15% 1.87% 0.80% 0.69% 1.20% 0.73% 1.05%
[1] American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the "Manager") has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund's R6 Class through February 28, 2021, to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 0.69% for the R6 Class shares (excluding taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses). The contractual expense reimbursement can be changed or terminated only in the discretion and with the approval of a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees. The Manager 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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that the Example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for the R6 Class shares through February 28, 2021. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon International Equity Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 685 919 1,172 1,892
Class C 290 588 1,011 2,190
Class Y 82 255 444 990
Class R6 70 223 389 870
Advisor Class 122 381 660 1,455
Class R5 75 233 406 906
Investor Class 107 334 579 1,283
Assuming no redemption of shares:
Expense Example, No Redemption - (American Beacon International Equity Fund℠)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class C | USD ($) 190 588 1,011 2,190
Portfolio Turnover
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 36% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund's net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in common stocks and securities convertible into common stocks (collectively, "stocks") of issuers based in at least three different countries located outside the United States. The Fund will primarily invest in countries comprising the MSCI EAFE Index®. The MSCI EAFE Index is designed to represent the performance of large- and mid-capitalization securities across 21 developed markets countries, including countries in Europe, Australasia and the Far East, and excluding the U.S. and Canada. It covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country. Companies included in the MSCI EAFE Index are selected from among the larger capitalization companies in these markets. The Fund may invest in companies of all market capitalizations and in certain emerging market countries. The Fund may use futures contracts and foreign currency forward contracts, including non-deliverable forward contracts ("NDFs"), as a hedge against foreign currency fluctuations.
The Manager allocates the assets of the Fund among different sub-advisors. The Manager believes that this strategy may help the Fund outperform other investment styles over the longer term while reducing volatility and downside risk.
The sub-advisors select stocks that, in their opinion, have most or all of the following characteristics (relative to that stock's country, sector or industry):
  • above-average return on equity or earnings growth potential,
  • below-average price to earnings or price to cash flow ratio,
  • below-average price to book value ratio, and
  • above-average dividend yields.
The sub-advisors may consider potential changes in currency exchange rates when choosing stocks. Each of the sub-advisors determines the earnings growth prospects of companies based upon a combination of internal and external research using fundamental analysis and considering changing economic trends. The decision to sell a stock is typically based on the belief that the company is no longer considered undervalued or shows deteriorating fundamentals, or that better investment opportunities exist in other stocks. A sub-advisor may trade forward foreign currency contracts, including NDFs, or currency futures in an attempt to reduce the Fund's risk exposure to adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
The Fund may invest cash balances in other investment companies, including money market funds, and may purchase and sell futures contracts to gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs. The Fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers and other institutions to earn additional income.
Principal Risks
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of current income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund 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 Manager's and the sub-advisors' 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 Manager's and each sub-advisor's judgments about asset allocation will be correct. This risk may be increased by the use of derivatives to increase allocations to various market exposures.
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 a debt security, or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, may fail, or become less able, to make timely payment of interest or principal or otherwise honor its obligations or default completely. 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
  • Foreign currency forward contracts, including non-deliverable forwards ("NDFs")
  • Non-U.S. currency futures contracts
Cybersecurity and Operational Risk
The Fund and its service providers, and shareholders' ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from, among other problems: human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for the Fund or its service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.
Dividend Risk
An issuer of stock held by the Fund may choose not to declare a dividend or the dividend rate might not remain at current levels. Dividend paying stocks might not experience the same level of earnings growth or capital appreciation as non-dividend paying stocks.
Emerging Markets Risk
When investing in emerging markets, the risks of investing in foreign securities, as 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. The governments of emerging market countries may also be more unstable and more likely to impose capital controls, nationalize a company or industry, place restrictions on foreign ownership and on withdrawing sale proceeds of securities from the country, intervene in the financial markets, and/or impose burdensome taxes that could adversely affect security prices. In addition, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject.
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:
  • Common Stock Risk. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
  • Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the risk that the credit standing of the issuer may have an effect on the convertible securities' investment value. Convertible securities are also sensitive to movements in interest rates. Generally, a convertible security is subject to the market risks of stocks when the underlying stock's price is high relative to the conversion price, and is subject to the market risks of debt securities when the underlying stock's price is low relative to the conversion price.
Foreign Currency Forward Contracts Risk
Foreign currency forward contracts, including non-deliverable forwards ("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. The use of foreign currency forward contracts may expose the Fund to additional risks that it would not be subject to if it invested directly in the securities or currencies underlying the foreign currency forward contract.
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.
  • Investing in Developed Countries Risk. The Fund's investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
  • 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 a 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.
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).
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.
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.
Large Capitalization Companies Risk
The securities of large market capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities. Many larger capitalization companies also may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities markets will move down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably based on overall economic conditions and other factors. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investment sentiment generally. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact a market as a whole. A rise in protectionist trade policies, risks associated with the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union on January 31, 2020 and trade agreement negotiations during the transition period, the risks associated with ongoing trade negotiations with 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.
Market Timing Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk of market timing activities by investors due to the Fund's investments in foreign securities, or its exposure to foreign securities through the derivatives it holds. 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 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.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since mid-capitalization companies may have narrower commercial markets and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity, and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
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. The sub-advisors' investment styles may not work together as planned, which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund. In addition, because each sub-advisor makes its trading decisions independently, it is possible that the sub-advisors may purchase or sell the same security at the same time without aggregating their transactions or hold long and short positions in the same security at the same time. This may cause unnecessary brokerage and other expenses.
Other Investment Companies Risk
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. The Fund will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those companies, including but not limited to the following:
  • Money Market Funds. Investments in money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
Securities Lending Risk
The borrower of the Fund's securities must provide collateral in the form of cash or cash equivalents, securities of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, approved bank letters of credit, or other forms of collateral that are permitted by the SEC for registered investment companies in an amount at least equal to the value of the loaned securities. For loans collateralized with cash, the Fund invests the cash in other securities.
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: i) borrowers of the Fund's securities may provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, ii) the securities in which the cash collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers, iii) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions, and iv) there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by a sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. 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.
Small Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of small-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since small-capitalization companies may have narrower commercial markets, and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
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.
Value Stocks Risk
Value stocks are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may decline. The Fund's investments in value stocks seek to limit potential downside price risk over time; however, value stock prices still may decline substantially. In addition, the Fund may produce more modest gains as a trade-off for this potentially lower risk. The Fund's investment in value stocks could cause the Fund to underperform funds that use a growth or non-value approach to investing or have a broader investment style.
Fund Performance
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, which is the Fund's benchmark index, for the periods indicated.
The chart and the table show the performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares for all periods. The Fund began offering R5 Class shares on August 7, 1991, Investor Class shares on August 1, 1994, Advisor Class shares on May 1, 2003, Y Class shares on August 3, 2009, A Class shares on May 17, 2010, C Class shares on September 1, 2010, and R6 Class shares on February 28, 2017. In the table below, the performance of the Investor Class is shown for the A Class and C Class shares and the performance of the R5 Class is shown for R6 Class shares prior to the dates that such newer share classes were first offered. In each case, the older share classes would have had similar annual returns to the newer share classes because the shares are invested in the same portfolio securities. However, the older share classes had different expenses than the newer share classes, which would affect performance. The A Class, C Class and R6 Class performance shown in the table has not been adjusted for differences in operating expenses between those share classes and the respective older share classes, but the A Class and C Class shares performance has been adjusted for the impact of the maximum applicable sales charge. 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.
Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31
Bar Chart
Highest Quarterly Return:
16.59% 3rd Quarter 2010
01/01/2010 through 12/31/2019
Lowest Quarterly Return:
-21.72% 3rd Quarter 2011
01/01/2010 through 12/31/2019
Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2019.
Average Annual Total Returns - (American Beacon International Equity Fund℠)
Inception Date of Class
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Investor Class Aug. 01, 1994 19.00% 3.84% 4.66%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions Aug. 01, 1994 18.58% 3.18% 4.18%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares Aug. 01, 1994 12.07% 3.13% 3.85%
Class A May 17, 2010 12.15% 2.58% 3.95%
Class C Sep. 01, 2010 17.09% 3.03% 3.83%
Class Y Aug. 03, 2009 19.30% 4.12% 4.93%
Class R6 Feb. 28, 2017 19.54% 4.24% 5.05%
Advisor Class May 01, 2003 18.86% 3.73% 4.51%
Class R5 Aug. 07, 1991 19.45% 4.20% 5.03%
MSCI EAFE Index (Reflects no deduction for fees expenses or taxes)   22.01% 5.67% 5.50%
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 of the Fund; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
(American Beacon Large Cap Value Fund℠)
Investment Objective
The Fund's investment objective is long-term capital appreciation and current income.
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 59 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 66 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 Large Cap Value Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Advisor Class
Class R5
Investor Class
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.75% none none none none none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) 0.50% [1] 1.00% none none none none none
[1] A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase.
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 Large Cap Value Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Advisor Class
Class R5
Investor Class
Management Fees 0.55% 0.55% 0.55% 0.55% 0.55% 0.55% 0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none none 0.25% none none
Other Expenses 0.21% 0.15% 0.15% 0.05% 0.30% 0.08% 0.41%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.01% 1.70% 0.70% 0.60% 1.10% 0.63% 0.96%
Fee Waiver and/or expense reimbursement [1] none none none (0.01%) none none none
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.01% 1.70% 0.70% 0.59% 1.10% 0.63% 0.96%
[1] American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the "Manager") has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund's R6 Class through February 28, 2021, to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 0.59% for the R6 Class shares (excluding taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses). The contractual expense reimbursement can be changed or terminated only in the discretion and with the approval of a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees. The Manager 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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that the Example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for the R6 Class shares through February 28, 2021. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon Large Cap Value Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 672 878 1,101 1,740
Class C 273 536 923 2,009
Class Y 72 224 390 871
Class R6 60 191 334 749
Advisor Class 112 350 606 1,340
Class R5 64 202 351 786
Investor Class 98 306 531 1,178
Assuming no redemption of shares:
Expense Example, No Redemption - (American Beacon Large Cap Value Fund℠)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class C | USD ($) 173 536 923 2,009
Portfolio Turnover
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 23% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund's net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of large market capitalization U.S. companies. These companies have market capitalizations within the market capitalization range of the companies in the Russell 1000® Index at the time of investment. The Russell 1000 Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies based on total market capitalization. As of December 31, 2019, the Russell 1000 Index consisted of companies with market capitalization of $823.4 million and greater. The Fund may invest in companies of all market capitalizations.
The Fund's investments may include common stocks, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges (collectively referred to as "stocks").
The Manager allocates the assets of the Fund among different sub-advisors. The Manager believes that this strategy may help the Fund outperform other investment styles over the longer term while reducing volatility and downside risk. The Fund's sub-advisors select stocks that, in their opinion, have most or all of the following characteristics (relative to the S&P 500® Index):
  • above-average earnings growth potential,
  • below-average price to earnings ratio,
  • below-average price to book value ratio, and
  • above-average dividend yields.
Each of the Fund's sub-advisors determines the earnings growth prospects of companies based upon a combination of internal and external research using fundamental analysis and considering changing economic trends. The sub-advisors typically seek to invest in companies that they believe are undervalued at the time of purchase. The decision to sell a stock is typically based on the belief that the company is no longer considered undervalued or shows deteriorating fundamentals, or that better investment opportunities exist in other stocks. The Fund may have significant exposure to the Financial Services sector. However, as the sector composition of the Fund's portfolio changes over time, the Fund's exposure to the Financial Services sector may be lower at a future date, and the Fund's exposure to other market sectors may be higher.
The Fund may invest cash balances in other investment companies, including money market funds, and may purchase and sell futures contracts to gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs. The Fund may seek to earn additional income by lending its securities to certain qualified broker-dealers and institutions on a short-term or long-term basis.
Principal Risks
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of current income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund 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 Manager's and the sub-advisors' 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 Manager's and each sub-advisor's judgments about asset allocation will be correct. This risk may be increased by the use of derivatives to increase allocations to various market exposures.
Cybersecurity and Operational Risk
The Fund and its service providers, and shareholders' ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from, among other problems: human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for the Fund or its service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.
Dividend Risk
An issuer of stock held by the Fund may choose not to declare a dividend or the dividend rate might not remain at current levels. Dividend paying stocks might not experience the same level of earnings growth or capital appreciation as non-dividend paying stocks.
Equity Investments Risk Equity securities are subject to investment risk and market risk. The Fund may invest in the following equity securities, which may expose the Fund to the following additional risks:
  • Common Stock Risk. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
  • Depositary Receipts and U.S. Dollar-Denominated Foreign Stocks Traded on U.S. Exchanges Risk. Depositary receipts and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges are subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate fluctuations, political and financial instability in the home country of a particular depositary receipt or foreign stock, less liquidity and more volatility, less government regulation and supervision and delays in transaction settlement.
  • Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs") Risk. Investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry, including, among other risks: adverse developments affecting the real estate industry; declines in real property values; changes in interest rates; defaults by mortgagors or other borrowers and tenants; lack of availability of mortgage funds or financing; extended vacancies of properties, especially during economic downturns; casualty or condemnation losses; and governmental actions, such as changes to tax laws, zoning regulations or environmental regulations. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free "pass-through" of distributed net income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"), or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("Investment Company Act"). REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those incurred by the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investment in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. The value of REIT common stock may decline when interest rates rise.
Foreign Investing Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) increased volatility, (6) different government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies, and (7) delays in transaction settlement in some foreign markets.
  • Investing in Developed Countries Risk. The Fund's investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
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).
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.
Large Capitalization Companies Risk
The securities of large market capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities. Many larger capitalization companies also may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, especially during periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities markets will move down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably based on overall economic conditions and other factors. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investment sentiment generally. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact a market as a whole. A rise in protectionist trade policies, risks associated with the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union on January 31, 2020 and trade agreement negotiations during the transition period, the risks associated with ongoing trade negotiations with 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.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since mid-capitalization companies may have narrower commercial markets and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity, and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
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. The sub-advisors' investment styles may not work together as planned, which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund. In addition, because each sub-advisor makes its trading decisions independently, it is possible that the sub-advisors may purchase or sell the same security at the same time without aggregating their transactions or hold long and short positions in the same security at the same time. This may cause unnecessary brokerage and other expenses.
Other Investment Companies Risk
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. The Fund will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those companies, including but not limited to the following:
  • Money Market Funds. Investments in money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
Sector Risk
When the Fund focuses its investments in certain sectors of the economy, its performance may be driven largely by sector performance and could fluctuate more widely than if the Fund were invested more evenly across sectors. 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 Services Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in the financial services sector, the value of the Fund's shares may be particularly vulnerable to factors affecting that sector, such as the availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, extensive government regulation and price competition.
Securities Lending Risk
The borrower of the Fund's securities must provide collateral in the form of cash or cash equivalents, securities of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, approved bank letters of credit, or other forms of collateral that are permitted by the SEC for registered investment companies in an amount at least equal to the value of the loaned securities. For loans collateralized with cash, the Fund invests the cash in other securities.
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: i) borrowers of the Fund's securities may provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, ii) the securities in which the cash collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers, iii) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions, and iv) there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by a sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund's underperformance compared to its benchmark index(es), or other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Small Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of small-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since small-capitalization companies may have narrower commercial markets, and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Value Stocks Risk
Value stocks are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may decline. The Fund's investments in value stocks seek to limit potential downside price risk over time; however, value stock prices still may decline substantially. In addition, the Fund may produce more modest gains as a trade-off for this potentially lower risk. The Fund's investment in value stocks could cause the Fund to underperform funds that use a growth or non-value approach to investing or have a broader investment style.
Fund Performance
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, which is the Fund's benchmark index, for the periods indicated.
The chart and the table show the performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares for all periods. The Fund began offering R5 Class Shares on July 17, 1987, Investor Class shares on August 1, 1994, Advisor Class shares on May 31, 2005, Y Class shares on August 3, 2009, A Class shares on May 17, 2010, C Class shares on September 1, 2010 and R6 Class shares on February 28, 2017. In the table below, the performance of the R5 Class shares is shown for the R6 Class shares and the performance of the Investor Class shares is shown for the A Class and C Class shares prior to the dates such newer classes were first offered. In each case, the older share classes would have had similar annual returns to the newer share classes because the shares are invested in the same portfolio securities. However, the older classes had different expenses than the newer share classes, which would affect performance. The A Class, C Class and R6 Class performance shown in the table has not been adjusted for differences in operating expenses between those share classes and the respective older share classes, but the A Class and C Class shares performance has been adjusted for the impact of the maximum applicable sales charge. 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.
Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31
Bar Chart
Highest Quarterly Return:
14.51% 1st Quarter 2012
01/01/2010 through 12/31/2019
Lowest Quarterly Return:
-16.64% 3rd Quarter 2011
01/01/2010 through 12/31/2019
Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2019.
Average Annual Total Returns - (American Beacon Large Cap Value Fund℠)
Inception Date of Class
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Investor Class Aug. 01, 1994 29.18% 7.44% 10.82%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions Aug. 01, 1994 26.25% 5.19% 9.31%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares Aug. 01, 1994 19.35% 5.48% 8.70%
Class A May 17, 2010 21.72% 6.14% 10.08%
Class C Sep. 01, 2010 27.29% 6.65% 9.97%
Class Y Aug. 03, 2009 29.60% 7.72% 11.11%
Class R6 Feb. 28, 2017 29.67% 7.81% 11.21%
Advisor Class May 31, 2005 29.01% 7.28% 10.67%
Class R5 Jul. 17, 1987 29.67% 7.80% 11.21%
Russell 1000 Value Index (Reflects no deduction for fees expenses or taxes)   26.54% 8.29% 11.80%
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 of the Fund; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
(American Beacon Mid-Cap Value Fund℠)
Investment Objective
The Fund's investment objective is long-term capital appreciation and current income.
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 59 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 66 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 Mid-Cap Value Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Advisor Class
Class R5
Investor Class
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.75% none none none none none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) 0.50% [1] 1.00% none none none none none
[1] A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase.
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 Mid-Cap Value Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Advisor Class
Class R5
Investor Class
Management Fees 0.76% 0.76% 0.76% 0.76% 0.76% 0.76% 0.76%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none none 0.25% none none
Other Expenses 0.34% 0.26% 0.22% 0.14% 0.44% 0.17% 0.42%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.35% 2.02% 0.98% 0.90% 1.45% 0.93% 1.18%
Fee Waiver and/or expense reimbursement [1] none none none (0.03%) none none none
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement 1.35% 2.02% 0.98% 0.87% 1.45% 0.93% 1.18%
[1] American Beacon Advisors, Inc. (the "Manager") has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund's R6 Class through February 28, 2021, to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses exceed 0.87% for the R6 Class shares (excluding taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, securities lending fees, expenses associated with securities sold short, litigation, and other extraordinary expenses). The contractual expense reimbursement can be changed or terminated only in the discretion and with the approval of a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees. The Manager 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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that the Example reflects the fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement for the R6 Class shares through February 28, 2021. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon Mid-Cap Value Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 705 978 1,272 2,105
Class C 305 634 1,088 2,348
Class Y 100 312 542 1,201
Class R6 89 284 496 1,105
Advisor Class 148 459 792 1,735
Class R5 95 296 515 1,143
Investor Class 120 375 649 1,432
Assuming no redemption of shares:
Expense Example, No Redemption - (American Beacon Mid-Cap Value Fund℠)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class C | USD ($) 205 634 1,088 2,348
Portfolio Turnover
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 30% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund's net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of middle market capitalization U.S. companies. These companies have market capitalizations within the market capitalization range of the companies in the Russell Midcap® Index at the time of investment. As of December 31, 2019, the market capitalizations of the companies in the Russell Midcap Index ranged from $823.4 million to $78.6 billion. The Fund's investments may include common stocks, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges (collectively referred to as "stocks").
The Manager allocates the assets of the Fund among different sub-advisors. The Manager believes that this strategy may help the Fund outperform other investment styles over the longer term while reducing volatility and downside risk.
In general, the sub-advisors select stocks that, in their opinion, have most or all of the following characteristics (relative to the Russell Midcap Index):
  • above-average earnings growth potential,
  • below-average price to earnings ratio, and
  • below-average price to book value ratio.
Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC ("Barrow"), one of the Fund's sub-advisors, invests in medium-sized companies with low price to earnings and price to book value ratios and high dividend yields in relation to the Russell Midcap Index. Through extensive research and meetings with company management teams, Barrow seeks to identify companies that not only possess these three characteristics, but that also exhibit high or improving profitability translating into earnings growth above that of the overall Russell Midcap Index. Barrow's portfolio will generally consist of 40 to 50 stocks.
Pzena Investment Management, LLC ("Pzena"), another one of the Fund's sub-advisors, invests in medium-sized companies and intends to maintain a concentrated portfolio of 30 to 40 stocks selected from the most undervalued or "deep" value portion of its investment universe. Pzena looks for companies within that universe that sell for a low price relative to normal earnings (with "normal earnings" defined as a 5 year estimate of what the company should earn in a normal environment based on research of the company's history and the history of its industry).
WEDGE Capital Management, L.L.P. ("WEDGE"), another one of the Fund's sub-advisors, is primarily focused on identifying unrecognized value among high quality, market-leading companies, with a defendable competitive advantage, and market capitalization within the broad mid-cap market segment captured by the mid-cap Russell and S&P indices. Focusing on companies that meet initial value and financial quality parameters, research analysts employ comprehensive, qualitative and quantitative analysis, seeking stocks with unrecognized value. Areas of emphasis include independent earnings forecasts and financial statement analysis, an evaluation of free cash flow generation and return on invested capital, absolute and relative valuations, industry analysis and competitive positioning, and management capabilities and incentives.
Each of the Fund's sub-advisors determines the earnings growth prospects of companies based upon a combination of internal and external research using fundamental analysis and considering changing economic trends. The decision to sell a security is typically based on the belief that the company is no longer considered undervalued or shows deteriorating fundamentals, or that better investment opportunities exist in other stocks.
The Fund may invest cash balances in other investment companies, including money market funds, and may purchase and sell futures contracts to gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs.
The Fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers and other institutions to earn additional income.
Principal Risks
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of current income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund 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 Manager's and the sub-advisors' 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 Manager's and each sub-advisor's judgments about asset allocation will be correct. This risk may be increased by the use of derivatives to increase allocations to various market exposures.
Cybersecurity and Operational Risk
The Fund and its service providers, and shareholders' ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from, among other problems: human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for the Fund or its service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to investment risk and market risk. The Fund may invest in the following equity securities, which may expose the Fund to the following additional risks:
  • Common Stock Risk. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
  • Depositary Receipts and U.S. Dollar-Denominated Foreign Stocks Traded on U.S. Exchanges Risk. Depositary receipts and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges are subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate fluctuations, political and financial instability in the home country of a particular depositary receipt or foreign stock, less liquidity and more volatility, less government regulation and supervision and delays in transaction settlement.
  • Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs") Risk. Investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry, including, among other risks: adverse developments affecting the real estate industry; declines in real property values; changes in interest rates; defaults by mortgagors or other borrowers and tenants; lack of availability of mortgage funds or financing; extended vacancies of properties, especially during economic downturns; casualty or condemnation losses; and governmental actions, such as changes to tax laws, zoning regulations or environmental regulations. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free "pass-through" of distributed net income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"), or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("Investment Company Act"). REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those incurred by the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investment in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. The value of REIT common stock may decline when interest rates rise.
Foreign Investing Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) increased volatility, (6) different government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies, and (7) delays in transaction settlement in some foreign markets.
  • Investing in Developed Countries Risk. The Fund's investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
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).
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.
Market Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities markets will move down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably based on overall economic conditions and other factors. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investment sentiment generally. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact a market as a whole. A rise in protectionist trade policies, risks associated with the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union on January 31, 2020 and trade agreement negotiations during the transition period, the risks associated with ongoing trade negotiations with 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.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since mid-capitalization companies may have narrower commercial markets and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity, and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
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. The sub-advisors' investment styles may not work together as planned, which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund. In addition, because each sub-advisor makes its trading decisions independently, it is possible that the sub-advisors may purchase or sell the same security at the same time without aggregating their transactions or hold long and short positions in the same security at the same time. This may cause unnecessary brokerage and other expenses.
Other Investment Companies Risk
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. The Fund will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those companies, including but not limited to the following:
  • Money Market Funds. Investments in money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
Sector Risk
When the Fund focuses its investments in certain sectors of the economy, its performance may be driven largely by sector performance and could fluctuate more widely than if the Fund were invested more evenly across sectors. 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.
Securities Lending Risk
The borrower of the Fund's securities must provide collateral in the form of cash or cash equivalents, securities of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, approved bank letters of credit, or other forms of collateral that are permitted by the SEC for registered investment companies in an amount at least equal to the value of the loaned securities. For loans collateralized with cash, the Fund invests the cash in other securities.
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: i) borrowers of the Fund's securities may provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, ii) the securities in which the cash collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers, iii) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions, and iv) there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by a sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund's underperformance compared to its benchmark index(es), or other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Small Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of small-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since small-capitalization companies may have narrower commercial markets, and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Value Stocks Risk
Value stocks are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may decline. The Fund's investments in value stocks seek to limit potential downside price risk over time; however, value stock prices still may decline substantially. In addition, the Fund may produce more modest gains as a trade-off for this potentially lower risk. The Fund's investment in value stocks could cause the Fund to underperform funds that use a growth or non-value approach to investing or have a broader investment style.
Fund Performance
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, which is the Fund's benchmark index, for the periods indicated.
The chart and the table show the performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares for all periods. The Fund began offering R5 Class shares on November 30, 2005, Investor Class shares on February 28, 2006, Advisor Class shares on June 29, 2007, Y Class shares on March 1, 2010, A Class shares on May 17, 2010, C Class shares on September 1, 2010 and R6 Class shares on February 28, 2018. For Y Class and R6 Class shares, performance results from January 1, 2010 to the inception date of the Y Class and R6 Class shares, respectively, are for the R5 Class. For A Class and C Class shares, performance results from January 1, 2010 to the inception date of the A Class and C Class shares, respectively, are for the Investor Class. In each case, the older share class would have had similar annual returns to the newer share class because the shares are invested in the same portfolio securities. However, the older share classes had different expenses than the newer share classes, which would affect performance. The Y Class, A Class, C Class and R6 Class performance shown in the table has not been adjusted for differences in operating expenses between those share classes and the respective older classes, but the A Class and C Class shares performance has been adjusted for the impact of the maximum applicable sales charge. 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.
Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31
Bar Chart
Highest Quarterly Return:
16.80% 4th Quarter 2011
01/01/2010 through 12/31/2019
Lowest Quarterly Return:
-19.83% 3rd Quarter 2011
01/01/2010 through 12/31/2019
Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2019.
Average Annual Total Returns - (American Beacon Mid-Cap Value Fund℠)
Inception Date of Class
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Investor Class Feb. 28, 2006 26.25% 5.96% 11.07%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions Feb. 28, 2006 25.87% 5.03% 10.21%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares Feb. 28, 2006 15.81% 4.53% 9.06%
Class A May 17, 2010 18.77% 4.56% 10.12%
Class C Sep. 01, 2010 24.14% 5.05% 10.03%
Class Y Mar. 01, 2010 26.54% 6.15% 11.19%
Class R6 Feb. 28, 2018 26.60% 6.23% 11.27%
Advisor Class Jun. 29, 2007 25.88% 5.66% 10.69%
Class R5 Nov. 30, 2005 26.55% 6.22% 11.26%
Russell Midcap Value Index (Reflects no deduction for fees expenses or taxes)   27.06% 7.62% 12.41%
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 of the Fund; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
(American Beacon Small Cap Value Fund℠)
Investment Objective
The Fund's investment objective is long-term capital appreciation and current income.
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 59 of the Prospectus and "Additional Purchase and Sale Information for A Class Shares" on page 66 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 Small Cap Value Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Advisor Class
Class R5
Investor Class
Maximum sales charge imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.75% none none none none none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (as a percentage of the lower of original offering price or redemption proceeds) 0.50% [1] 1.00% none none none none none
[1] A contingent deferred sales charge (''CDSC'') of 0.50% will be charged on certain purchases of $1,000,000 or more of A Class shares that are redeemed in whole or part within 18 months of purchase.
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 Small Cap Value Fund℠)
Class A
Class C
Class Y
Class R6
Advisor Class
Class R5
Investor Class
Management Fees 0.73% 0.73% 0.73% 0.73% 0.73% 0.73% 0.73%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none none 0.25% none none
Other Expenses 0.28% 0.22% 0.17% 0.07% 0.36% 0.10% 0.41%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.26% 1.95% 0.90% 0.80% 1.34% 0.83% 1.14%
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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Expense Example - (American Beacon Small Cap Value Fund℠) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 696 952 1,227 2,010
Class C 298 612 1,052 2,275
Class Y 92 287 498 1,108
Class R6 82 255 444 990
Advisor Class 136 425 734 1,613
Class R5 85 265 460 1,025
Investor Class 116 362 628 1,386
Assuming no redemption of shares:
Expense Example, No Redemption - (American Beacon Small Cap Value Fund℠)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class C | USD ($) 198 612 1,052 2,275
Portfolio Turnover
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 48% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund's net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of small market capitalization U.S. companies. These companies have market capitalizations of $5 billion or less at the time of investment. The Fund's investments may include common stocks, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges (collectively, "stocks").
The Manager allocates the assets of the Fund among six sub-advisors. The Manager believes that this strategy may help the Fund outperform other investment styles over the longer term while reducing volatility and downside risk. The sub-advisors select stocks that, in their opinion, have most or all of the following characteristics (relative to the Russell 2000® Index):
  • above-average earnings growth potential,
  • below-average price to earnings ratio,
  • below-average price to book value ratio
  • below-average price to revenue ratios, and
  • above average free cash flow yields and return on capital.
Each of the sub-advisors determines the earnings growth prospects of companies based upon a combination of internal and external research using fundamental analysis and considering changing economic trends. The process is research driven and takes into consideration items such as a company's tangible assets, sustainability of its cash flows, capital intensity and financial leverage. The Fund may have significant exposure to the Financial Services sector. However, as the sector composition of the Fund's portfolio changes over time, the Fund's exposure to the Financial Services sector may be lower at a future date, and the Fund's exposure to other market sectors may be higher.
Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC ("Barrow"), one of the Fund's sub-advisors, manages two allocations of the Fund's assets, one pursuant to the fundamental research strategy discussed above and the other pursuant to a quantitative application of its fundamental research process ("Quantitative Strategy"). Barrow implements the Quantitative Strategy by using a quantitative multi-factor model that identifies the factors present in Barrow's fundamental research portfolio, which may include, for example, below-average price-to-revenue ratios, price-to-earnings ratios and price-to-book ratios and above-average free cash flow yields and return on capital. The model applies these factors and factor weightings to the Russell 2000 Index universe of companies and makes recommendations for adjustments to the portfolio on a daily basis.
Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC ("Hotchkis"), another sub-advisor to the Fund, also manages two allocations of the Fund's assets, one pursuant to the fundamental research strategy discussed above and the other pursuant to a small cap diversified value strategy which seeks to exploit market inefficiencies created by irrational investor behavior ("Small Cap Diversified Value Strategy"). Hotchkis implements the Small Cap Diversified Value Strategy by using a disciplined, bottom-up investment process based on a proprietary model that is augmented by fundamental research. Hotchkis seeks broad diversified exposure to investment opportunities that are allocated to the Small Cap Diversified Value Strategy. Hotchkis evaluates relative valuation, fundamental operating trends, deterioration of fundamentals, and the Small Cap Diversified Value Strategy's diversification guidelines, among other factors, in determining whether to sell a security.
For each sub-advisor, the decision to sell a stock is typically based on the belief that the company is no longer considered undervalued or shows deteriorating fundamentals, or that better investment opportunities exist in other stocks.
The Fund may invest cash balances in other investment companies, including money market funds, and may purchase and sell futures contracts to gain market exposure on cash balances or reduce market exposure in anticipation of liquidity needs.
The Fund may lend its securities to broker-dealers and other institutions to earn additional income.
Principal Risks
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you could lose part or all of your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not designed for investors who need an assured level of income and is intended to be a long-term investment. The Fund is not a complete investment program and may not be appropriate for all investors. Investors should carefully consider their own investment goals and risk tolerance before investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund 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 Manager's and the sub-advisors' 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 Manager's and each sub-advisor's judgments about asset allocation will be correct. This risk may be increased by the use of derivatives to increase allocations to various market exposures.
Cybersecurity and Operational Risk
The Fund and its service providers, and shareholders' ability to transact with the Fund, may be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from, among other problems: human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for the Fund or its service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. Most issuers in which the Fund invests are heavily dependent on computers for data storage and operations, and require ready access to the internet to conduct their business. Thus, cybersecurity incidents could also affect issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, leading to significant loss of value.
Equity Investments Risk
Equity securities are subject to investment risk and market risk. The Fund may invest in the following equity securities, which may expose the Fund to the following additional risks:
  • Common Stock Risk. The value of a company's common stock may fall as a result of factors affecting the company, companies in the same industry or sector, or the financial markets overall. Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
  • Depositary Receipts and U.S. Dollar-Denominated Foreign Stocks Traded on U.S. Exchanges Risk. Depositary receipts and U.S. dollar-denominated foreign stocks traded on U.S. exchanges are subject to certain of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate fluctuations, political and financial instability in the home country of a particular depositary receipt or foreign stock, less liquidity and more volatility, less government regulation and supervision and delays in transaction settlement.
  • Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs") Risk. Investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry, including, among other risks: adverse developments affecting the real estate industry; declines in real property values; changes in interest rates; defaults by mortgagors or other borrowers and tenants; lack of availability of mortgage funds or financing; extended vacancies of properties, especially during economic downturns; casualty or condemnation losses; and governmental actions, such as changes to tax laws, zoning regulations or environmental regulations. REITs also are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency or self-liquidation. Domestic REITs could be adversely affected by failure to qualify for tax-free "pass-through" of distributed net income and net realized gains under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"), or to maintain their exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("Investment Company Act"). REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those incurred by the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investment in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. The value of REIT common stock may decline when interest rates rise.
Foreign Investing Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) increased volatility, (6) different government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies, and (7) delays in transaction settlement in some foreign markets.
  • Investing in Developed Countries Risk. The Fund's investment in a developed country issuer may subject the Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
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).
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.
Market Risk
The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities markets will move down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably based on overall economic conditions and other factors. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investment sentiment generally. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact a market as a whole. A rise in protectionist trade policies, risks associated with the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union on January 31, 2020 and trade agreement negotiations during the transition period, the risks associated with ongoing trade negotiations with 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.
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. The sub-advisors' investment styles may not work together as planned, which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund. In addition, because each sub-advisor makes its trading decisions independently, it is possible that the sub-advisors may purchase or sell the same security at the same time without aggregating their transactions or hold long and short positions in the same security at the same time. This may cause unnecessary brokerage and other expenses.
Other Investment Companies Risk
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. The Fund will be subject to the risks associated with investments in those companies, including but not limited to the following:
  • Money Market Funds. Investments in money market funds are subject to interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk.
Quantitative Strategy Risk
The success of the Fund's investment strategy may depend in part on the effectiveness of a sub-advisor's quantitative tools for screening securities. These strategies may incorporate factors that are not predictive of a security's value. The quantitative tools may not react as expected to market events, resulting in losses for the Fund. Additionally, a previously successful strategy may become outdated or inaccurate, which may not be identified by a sub-advisor and therefore may also result in losses.
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 Services Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in the financial services sector, the value of the Fund's shares may be particularly vulnerable to factors affecting that sector, such as the availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, extensive government regulation and price competition.
Securities Lending Risk
The borrower of the Fund's securities must provide collateral in the form of cash or cash equivalents, securities of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, approved bank letters of credit, or other forms of collateral that are permitted by the SEC for registered investment companies in an amount at least equal to the value of the loaned securities. For loans collateralized with cash, the Fund invests the cash in other securities.
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: i) borrowers of the Fund's securities may provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, ii) the securities in which the cash collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers, iii) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions, and iv) there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities Selection Risk
Securities selected by a sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Fund's underperformance compared to its benchmark index(es), or other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.
Small Capitalization Companies Risk
Investing in the securities of small-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more established companies. Since small-capitalization companies may have narrower commercial markets, and more limited operating history, product lines, and managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and they can be particularly sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.
Value Stocks Risk
Value stocks are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may never be realized by the market or that their prices may decline. The Fund's investments in value stocks seek to limit potential downside price risk over time; however, value stock prices still may decline substantially. In addition, the Fund may produce more modest gains as a trade-off for this potentially lower risk. The Fund's investment in value stocks could cause the Fund to underperform funds that use a growth or non-value approach to investing or have a broader investment style.
Fund Performance
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, which is the Fund's benchmark index, for the periods indicated.
The chart and the table show the performance of the Fund's Investor Class shares for all periods. The Fund began offering R5 Class shares on December 31, 1998, Investor Class shares on February 28, 1999, Advisor Class shares on May 1, 2003, Y Class shares on August 3, 2009, A Class shares on May 17, 2010, C Class shares on September 1, 2010 and R6 Class shares on February 28, 2017. In the table below, the performance of the Investor Class shares is shown for A Class and C Class shares and the performance of R5 Class shares is shown for and R6 Class shares prior to the dates that the newer class of shares were first offered. In each case, the older share classes would have had similar annual returns to the newer share classes because the shares are invested in the same portfolio securities. However, the older share classes had different expenses than the newer share classes, which would affect performance. The A Class, C Class and R6 Class performance shown in the table has not been adjusted for differences in operating expenses between those share classes and the respective older share classes, but the A Class and C Class shares performance has been adjusted for the impact of the maximum applicable sales charge. 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.
Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31
Bar Chart
Highest Quarterly Return:
18.26% 4th Quarter 2011
01/01/2010 through 12/31/2019
Lowest Quarterly Return:
-22.94% 3rd Quarter 2011
01/01/2010 through 12/31/2019
Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2019.
Average Annual Total Returns - (American Beacon Small Cap Value Fund℠)
Inception Date of Class
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Investor Class Feb. 28, 1999 23.07% 6.05% 10.54%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions Feb. 28, 1999 22.62% 4.37% 9.05%
Investor Class | Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares Feb. 28, 1999 13.99% 4.48% 8.48%
Class A May 17, 2010 15.91% 4.72% 9.76%
Class C Sep. 01, 2010 21.10% 5.22% 9.66%
Class Y Aug. 03, 2009 23.37% 6.31% 10.82%
Class R6 Feb. 28, 2017 23.50% 6.40% 10.93%
Advisor Class May 01, 2003 22.93% 5.88% 10.38%
Class R5 Dec. 31, 1998 23.51% 6.39% 10.93%
Russell 2000 Value Index (Reflects no deduction for fees expenses or taxes)   22.39% 6.99% 10.56%
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 of the Fund; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.