497K 1 abfbf-html4075_497k.htm AB BALANCED FUND_497K

American Beacon
Balanced Fund

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS February 28, 2021 (as supplemented May 14, 2021 and October 1, 2021)

As of January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Fund’s shareholder reports are no longer sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports from the Fund or from your financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or bank. Instead, the reports are made available on a website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund or your financial intermediary electronically by going to www.americanbeaconfunds.com and clicking on ‘‘Quick Links’’ and then ‘‘Register for E-Delivery.”

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. You can inform the Fund that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports by calling 1-800-658-5811, option 1, or you may directly inform your financial intermediary of your wish. A notice that will be mailed to you each time a report is posted will also include instructions for informing the Fund that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held with the American Beacon Funds Complex or your financial intermediary, as applicable.

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, which contain more information about the Fund and its risks. The current prospectus and statement of additional information dated February 28, 2021, as supplemented, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus. You can find the Fund’s prospectus, statement of additional information, reports to shareholders, and other information about the Fund online at www.americanbeaconfunds.com/resource_center/MutualFundForms.aspx. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800-658-5811 or by sending an email request to americanbeaconfunds@ambeacon.com.

Share Class | A: ABFAX | C: ABCCX | Y: ACBYX | Advisor: ABLSX | R5*: AADBX | Investor: AABPX

* Formerly known as the Institutional Class.

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, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. 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 67 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 and Other Information.” 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)

Share Class

A

C

Y

Advisor

R5

Investor

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

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Share Class

A

C

Y

Advisor

R5

Investor

Management Fees2

0.52
%
0.52
%
0.52
%
0.52
%
0.52
%
0.52
%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

0.25
%
1.00
%
0.00
%
0.25
%
0.00
%
0.00
%

Other Expenses3

0.25
%
0.24
%
0.25
%
0.40
%
0.17
%
0.49
%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses4

1.02
%
1.76
%
0.77
%
1.17
%
0.69
%
1.01
%
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.
2 Management Fees have been restated to reflect the current fees.
3 Other Expenses exclude extraordinary expenses incurred during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020. If the extraordinary expenses had been included, Other Expenses would have been 0.28% for A Class shares, 0.27% for C Class shares, 0.28% for Y Class shares, 0.43% for Advisor Class shares, 0.20% for R5 Class shares, and 0.52% for Investor Class shares.
4 Due to the restatement of management fees and the exclusion of extraordinary expenses from Other Expenses, the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets provided in the Financial Highlights table.

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:

BAL100121 

American Beacon Balanced Fund - Summary Prospectus1 


 

Share Class

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

A

$ 673

$ 881

$ 1,106

$ 1,751

C

$ 279

$ 554

$ 954

$ 2,073

Y

$ 79

$ 246

$ 428

$ 954

Advisor

$ 119

$ 372

$ 644

$ 1,420

R5

$ 70

$ 221

$ 384

$ 859

Investor

$ 103

$ 322

$ 558

$ 1,236

Assuming no redemption of shares:

Share Class

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

C

$ 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 82% 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, convertible securities, 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 Financials sector. However, as the sector composition of the Fund’s portfolio changes over time, the Fund’s exposure to the Financials 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

2American Beacon Balanced Fund - Summary Prospectus 


 

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 a sub-advisor’s judgments about, and allocations among, strategies, asset classes and market exposures may adversely affect the Fund’s performance. There can be no assurance, particularly during periods of market disruption and stress, that the Manager’s and a sub-advisor’s judgments about asset allocation will be correct.

Asset-Backed and Mortgage-Related Securities Risk
Investments in asset-backed and mortgage-related securities are influenced by the factors affecting the assets underlying the securities or the housing market. Investments in asset-backed and mortgage-related securities also are subject to market risks for fixed-income securities, which include, but are not limited to, credit risk, interest rate risk, prepayment and extension risk, callable securities risk, valuation risk, and liquidity 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. These securities are also subject to the risk of default on the underlying assets or mortgages, particularly during periods of market downturn, and an unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the underlying assets will adversely affect the security’s value. Additionally, certain mortgage-related securities may include securities backed by pools of loans made to “subprime” borrowers or borrowers with blemished credit histories; the risk of defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include such subprime mortgages.

Asset Selection Risk
Assets selected by a sub-advisor or the Manager for the Fund may not perform to expectations. The investment models used to manage the Fund may rely in part on data derived from third parties and may not perform as intended. This could result in the Fund’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives.

Callable Securities Risk
The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities with call features. A call feature allows the issuer of the security to redeem or call the security prior to its stated maturity date. In periods of falling interest rates, issuers may be more likely to call in securities that are paying higher coupon rates than prevailing interest rates. In the event of a call, the Fund would lose the income that would have been earned to maturity on that security, and the proceeds received by the Fund may be invested in securities paying lower coupon rates and may not benefit from any increase in value that might otherwise result from declining interest rates.

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.

Cybersecurity and Operational Risk
Operational risks arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents may negatively impact the Fund and its service providers as well as the ability of shareholders to transact with the Fund. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, shareholder data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as 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 or increase over time. 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.

 

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.

 

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, 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. Regardless of where a REIT is organized or traded, its performance may be affected significantly by events in the region where its properties are located. 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. REITs tend to be small- to mid-capitalization securities and, as such, are subject to the risks of investing in small- to mid-capitalization securities.
 

Foreign Investing Risk
Non-U.S. investments carry potential risks not associated with U.S. investments. Such risks include, but are not limited to: (1) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (2) political and financial instability, (3) less liquidity, (4) lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, (5) greater 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. The Fund’s investment in a foreign issuer may subject the Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with that

American Beacon Balanced Fund - Summary Prospectus3 


 

country. Global economic and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected and conditions (including recent volatility and instability) and events (including natural disasters) in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.

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, such as credit risk, liquidity risk, and counterparty risk, that it would not be subject to if it invested directly in the securities underlying those derivatives. There can be no assurance that any strategy used will succeed. 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 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). Equity index futures contracts expose the Fund to volatility in an underlying securities index. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques and risks different from, and in some respects greater than, those associated with investing in more traditional investments. Derivatives can be highly complex and highly volatile and may perform in unanticipated ways.

Interest Rate Risk
Generally, the value of investments with interest rate risk, such as fixed income securities or derivatives, will move in the opposite direction to movements in interest rates. 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. As of the date of this Prospectus, interest rates are historically low. Extremely low or negative interest rates may become more prevalent among U.S. and foreign issuers. To the extent the Fund holds an investment with a negative interest rate to maturity, the Fund may generate a negative return on that investment. Conversely, in the future, interest rates may rise, perhaps significantly and/or rapidly, potentially resulting in substantial losses to the Fund.

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”). These Reference Rates are generally intended to represent the rate at which contributing banks may obtain short-term borrowings from each other within certain financial markets. Arrangements are underway to phase out the use of LIBOR. These arrangements 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. There remains uncertainty regarding the nature of any replacement rate and the impact of the transition from LIBOR on the Fund and the financial markets generally. The transition process, or the failure of an industry to transition, could lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets for instruments that currently rely on LIBOR to determine interest rates and a reduction in the values of some LIBOR-based investments, all of which would impact the Fund. At this time, it is not possible to completely identify or predict the effect of any transition, establishment of alternative Reference Rates or other reforms to Reference Rates that may be enacted in the UK or elsewhere. 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
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, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities, although under certain market conditions fixed income securities may have comparable or greater price volatility. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple assets may decline in value simultaneously. Prices in many financial markets have increased significantly over the last decade, but there have also been periods of adverse market and financial developments and cyclical change during that timeframe, which have resulted in unusually high levels of volatility in domestic and foreign financial markets that has caused losses for investors and may occur again in the future. The value of a security may decline due to adverse issuer-specific conditions, general market conditions unrelated to a particular issuer, or factors that affect a particular industry or industries. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer or market segment also can impact the market as a whole. Geopolitical and other events, including war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, pandemics, public health crises, natural disasters and related events have led, and in the future may continue to lead, to instability in world economies and markets generally and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets, which may disrupt economies and markets and adversely affect the value of your investment. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods. Policy changes by the U.S. government and/or Federal Reserve and political events within the U.S. and abroad, including changes in the U.S. presidential administration and Congress, may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree. Markets and market participants are increasingly reliant upon both publicly available and proprietary information data systems. Data imprecision, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies, unauthorized use or access, and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems and may have an adverse impact upon a single issuer, a group of issuers, or the market at large. The financial markets generally move in cycles, with periods of rising prices followed by periods of declining prices. The value of your investment may reflect these fluctuations.

4American Beacon Balanced Fund - Summary Prospectus 


 

 

Recent Market Events. An outbreak of infectious respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, was first detected in December 2019 and has subsequently spread globally. The transmission of COVID-19 and efforts to contain its spread have resulted, and may continue to result, in significant disruptions to business operations, widespread business closures and layoffs, travel restrictions and closed borders, prolonged quarantines and stay-at-home orders, disruption of and delays in healthcare service preparation and delivery, service and event changes, and lower consumer demand, as well as general concern and uncertainty that has negatively affected the global economy. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may last for an extended period of time and may result in a sustained economic downturn or recession. The U.S. Federal Reserve and the U.S. federal government have taken numerous measures to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and stimulate the U.S. economy. The ultimate effects of these and other efforts that may be taken may not be known for some time.

The Federal Reserve has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to keep credit flowing through short-term money markets and has signaled that it plans to maintain its interventions at an elevated level. Amid these ongoing efforts, concerns about the markets’ dependence on the Federal Reserve’s provision of liquidity have grown. The U.S. government has reduced the federal corporate income tax rate, and future legislative, regulatory and policy changes may result in more restrictions on international trade, less stringent prudential regulation of certain players in the financial markets, and significant new investments in infrastructure and national defense. High public debt in the U.S. and other countries creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty. A rise in protectionist trade policies, slowing global economic growth, risks associated with the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union on December 31, 2020, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” and a trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the risks associated with ongoing trade negotiations with China, the possibility of changes to some international trade agreements, tensions or open conflict between nations, or political or economic dysfunction within some nations that are major producers of oil could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time.

Economists and others have expressed increasing concern about the potential effects of global climate change on property and security values. Certain issuers, industries and regions may be adversely affected by the impacts of climate change, including on the demand for and the development of goods and services and related production costs, and the impacts of legislation, regulation and international accords related to climate change, as well as any indirect consequences of regulation or business trends driven by climate change.
 

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 selecting and overseeing the sub-advisors and allocating the Fund’s assets to 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. 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. To the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies that invest in equity securities, fixed income securities and/or foreign securities, or that track an index, the Fund is subject to the risks associated with the underlying investments held by the investment company or the index fluctuations to which the investment company is subject. 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, increase the risk of default and delayed payment, heighten interest rate risk and increase the potential for a decline in its price. In addition, as a consequence of a decrease in prepayments, the amount of principal available to the Fund for investment would be reduced.

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. 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.

 

Financials Sector Risk. Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation, which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. In addition, deterioration of the credit markets generally may cause an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. Certain events in the Financials sector may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain financial services companies to incur large losses. Securities of financial services companies may experience a dramatic decline in value when such companies experience substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, take action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or cease operations.
 

American Beacon Balanced Fund - Summary Prospectus5 


 

Securities Lending Risk
To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: i) the securities in which the Fund reinvests cash collateral may decrease in value, causing the Fund to incur a loss, or may not perform sufficiently to cover the Fund’s payment to the borrower of a pre-negotiated fee or “rebate” for the use of that cash collateral in connection with the loan; ii) non-cash collateral may decline in value, resulting in the Fund becoming under-secured; iii) delays may occur in the recovery of loaned securities from borrowers, which could result in the Fund being unable to vote proxies or settle transactions or cause the Fund to incur increased costs; and iv) if the borrower becomes subject to insolvency or similar proceedings, the Fund could incur delays in its ability to enforce its rights in its collateral.

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 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 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. The rising U.S. national debt may lead to adverse impacts on the value of U.S. government securities due to potentially higher costs for the U.S. government to obtain new financing.

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. A variable rate security has a coupon that is adjusted at pre-designated periods in response to changes in the market rate of interest on which the interest rate is based. 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 variable and floating-rate securities typically decrease. Alternatively, during periods of rising short-term interest rates, the coupons on variable and floating-rate securities typically increase. Changes in the coupons of variable and 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 variable and floating-rate securities may decline if their coupons do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, variable and floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. Certain types of variable and 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.

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.

6American Beacon Balanced Fund - Summary Prospectus 


 

Calendar year total returns for Investor Class Shares. Year Ended 12/31

Highest Quarterly Return:
15.36% 4th Quarter 2020
01/01/2011 through 12/31/2020

Lowest Quarterly Return:
-19.59% 1st Quarter 2020
01/01/2011 through 12/31/2020

Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2020


Inception Date of Class

1 Year

5 Years

10 Years

Investor Class

08/01/1994

Returns Before Taxes

6.12
%
8.38
%
8.04
%

Returns After Taxes on Distributions

2.57
%
5.96
%
6.08
%

Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sales of Fund Shares

5.86
%
6.19
%
6.09
%

Inception Date of Class

1 Year

5 Years

10 Years

Share Class (Before Taxes)

A

05/17/2010
-0.08
%
7.08
%
7.32
%

C

09/01/2010
4.30
%
7.56
%
7.16
%

Y

03/01/2010
6.31
%
8.66
%
8.31
%

Advisor

05/31/2005
5.84
%
8.18
%
7.85
%

R5

07/17/1987
6.37
%
8.70
%
8.38
%

Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

1 Year

5 Years

10 Years

Balanced Composite Index (60% Russell 1000 Value Index/40% Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index)

5.62
%
7.96
%
8.08
%

Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index

7.51
%
4.44
%
3.84
%

Russell 1000 Value Index

2.80
%
9.74
%
10.50
%

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.

Management

The Manager
The Fund has retained American Beacon Advisors, Inc. to serve as its Manager.

Sub-Advisors
The Fund’s assets are currently allocated among the Manager and the following investment sub-advisors:

 

Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC

 

Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC
 

Portfolio Managers

American Beacon Advisors, Inc.

Gene L. Needles, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer
Since 2012

Paul B. Cavazos
Chief Investment Officer
Since 2016

Kirk L. Brown
Senior Portfolio Manager
Since 2016

Samuel Silver
Vice President,
Fixed Income Investments
Since 2014

Erin Higginbotham
Senior Portfolio Manager
Since 2011

American Beacon Balanced Fund - Summary Prospectus7 


 

Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC

Mark Giambrone
Portfolio Manager/Senior Managing Director
Since 2015

Mark C. Luchsinger
Portfolio Manager/Senior Managing Director
Co-Head of Fixed Income
Since 1998

Justin Martin*
Portfolio Manager/Director
Since 2021

Deborah A. Petruzzelli
Portfolio Manager/Managing Director
Since 2003

J. Scott McDonald
Portfolio Manager/Senior Managing Director
Co-Head of Fixed Income
Since 1998

Matthew Routh*
Portfolio Manager/Director
Since 2021

Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC

George Davis
Principal, Portfolio Manager & Chief Executive Officer
Since 1989

Scott McBride
Portfolio Manager
Since 2004

Judd Peters
Portfolio Manager
Since 2003

Patricia McKenna
Principal and Portfolio Manager
Since 1995

* Effective October 31, 2021.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may buy or sell shares of the Fund through a retirement plan, an investment professional, a broker-dealer, or other financial intermediary. You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open, at the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) per share next calculated after your order is received in proper form, subject to any applicable sales charge. The Manager may, in its sole discretion, allow certain individuals to invest directly in the Fund. For more information regarding eligibility to invest directly please see “About Your Investment - Purchase and Redemption of Shares.” Direct mutual fund account shareholders may buy subsequent shares or sell shares in various ways:

Internet

www.americanbeaconfunds.com

Phone

To reach an American Beacon representative call 1-800-658-5811, option 1

Through the Automated Voice Response Service call 1-800-658-5811, option 2 (Investor Class only)

Mail

American Beacon Funds

P.O. Box 219643

Kansas City, MO 64121-9643

Overnight Delivery:

American Beacon Funds

c/o DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc.

330 West 9th Street

Kansas City, MO 64105

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open, at the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) per share next calculated after your order is received in proper form, subject to any applicable sales charge.

New Account

Existing Account

Share Class

Minimum Initial Investment Amount

Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Check/ACH/Exchange

Purchase/Redemption Minimum by Wire

C

$1,000

$50

$250

A, Investor

$2,500

$50

$250

Advisor

$2,500

$50

None

Y

$100,000

$50

None

R5

$250,000

$50

None

Tax Information

Dividends and capital gain distributions, and other distributions, if any, that you receive from the Fund are subject to federal income tax and may also be subject to state and local income taxes, unless you are a tax-exempt entity or your account is tax-deferred, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan (in which case you may be taxed later, upon the withdrawal of your investment from such account or plan).

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and the Fund’s distributor, Resolute Investment Distributors, Inc., or the Manager may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your individual financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial professional or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

8American Beacon Balanced Fund - Summary Prospectus