Sep. 30, 2020
Short Duration Municipal Fund
Fund Summary
Investment Goal
The Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax, 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. You may qualify for discounts from the sales charges applicable to Class A shares if you or other qualifying account holders invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Thornburg Funds. More information about this and other discounts and sales charge waivers is available from your financial intermediary, in this Prospectus under the captions “Class A Sales Charge Waivers,” beginning on page 72, and “Appendix A – Sales Charge Waivers Offered by Financial Intermediaries,” beginning on page 104, and in the Statement of Additional Information under the caption “Additional Information Respecting Purchase and Redemption of Shares,” beginning on page 73.
Shareholder Fees
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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, dividends and distributions are reinvested, and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions (and giving effect to fee waivers and expense reimbursements in the first year) your costs would be:
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 33.60% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund pursues its primary goal by investing principally in a laddered maturity portfolio of municipal obligations issued by states and state agencies, local governments and their agencies and by United States territories and possessions. Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”) actively manages the Fund’s portfolio. Investment decisions are based upon outlooks for interest rates and securities markets, the supply of municipal debt obligations, and analysis of specific securities. The Fund invests in obligations and participations in obligations which are rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization at the time of purchase as investment grade or, if unrated, are issued by obligors which Thornburg determines have comparable investment grade obligations outstanding or which are deemed by Thornburg to be comparable to obligors with outstanding investment grade obligations. “Participations” are undivided interests in pools of securities where the underlying credit support passes through to the participants. The Fund’s portfolio is “laddered” by investing in obligations of different maturities so that some obligations mature during each of the coming years. Because the magnitude of changes in value of interest-bearing obligations is greater for obligations with longer durations given an equivalent change in interest rates, the Fund seeks to reduce changes in its share value compared to longer duration fixed income portfolios by maintaining a portfolio of investments with a dollar-weighted average duration of normally no more than three years. Duration is a measure of estimated sensitivity to interest rate changes, and a debt obligation or a portfolio of obligations with a higher duration will typically be more sensitive to interest rate changes than an obligation or a portfolio with a lower duration. Duration is commonly expressed as a number, which is the expected percentage change in an obligation’s price upon a 1% change in interest rates. For example, an obligation with a duration of 3 would be expected to change in price by approximately 3% in response to a 1% change in interest rates. During temporary periods the Fund’s average duration and average portfolio maturity may be further reduced for defensive purposes. There is no limitation on the duration or maturity of any specific security the Fund may purchase. The Fund may dispose of any security before it matures. The Fund also attempts to reduce changes in its share value through credit analysis, selection and diversification. The Fund ordinarily acquires and holds securities for investment rather than for realization of gains by short-term trading on market fluctuations. However, it may dispose of any security prior to its scheduled maturity to enhance income or reduce loss, to change the portfolio’s average duration or average maturity, or to otherwise respond to current market conditions. The objective of preserving capital may prevent the Fund from obtaining the highest yields available. The Fund normally invests 100% of its assets in municipal obligations, the income from which is exempt from the regular federal income tax. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in taxable securities which would produce income not exempt from federal income tax because of market conditions, pending investment of idle funds or to afford liquidity. The Fund’s temporary taxable investments may exceed 20% of its assets when made for defensive purposes during periods of abnormal market conditions. If the Fund found it necessary to own taxable investments, some of its income would be subject to federal income tax.
Principal Investment Risks
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares and its dividends may fluctuate from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. The Fund seeks higher income than is typically available, across market cycles, from investment in a money market fund. Consequently, if your sole objective is preservation of capital, then the Fund may not be suitable for you because the Fund’s share value will fluctuate, including as interest rates change. Investors whose sole objective is preservation of capital may wish to consider a high quality money market fund. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term obligations. When interest rates decrease, the Fund’s dividends may decline. Decreases in market interest rates may also result in prepayments of obligations the Fund acquires, requiring the Fund to reinvest at lower interest rates. Credit Risk – If obligations held by the Fund are downgraded by ratings agencies or go into default, or if legislation or other government action reduces the ability of issuers to pay principal and interest when due, the value of those obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value and any dividends paid by the Fund may be reduced. Municipal leases held by the Fund may be subject to non-appropriation provisions which permit governmental issuers to discontinue payments to the Fund under the leases. Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions. Liquidity Risk – Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell promptly some or all of the obligations that it holds, or may only be able to sell obligations at less than desired prices. Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies and risks of investing in the Fund appears beginning on page 51.
Past Performance of the Fund
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Short Duration Municipal Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class A shares have been different in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class A and Class I share performance to the ICE BofAML 1-3 Year U.S. Municipal Securities Index, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200.
Annual Total Returns – Class A Shares
The sales charge for Class A shares is not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart above, and the returns would be less if the charge was taken into account.
Average Annual Total Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation, and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class A shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Limited Term Municipal Fund
Fund Summary
Investment Goal
The primary investment goal of Limited Term Municipal Fund is to obtain as high a level of current income exempt from federal individual income tax as is consistent, in the view of the Fund’s investment advisor, with preservation of capital.
The secondary goal of the Fund is to reduce expected changes in its share price compared to longer intermediate and long-term bond portfolios.
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 discounts from the sales charges applicable to Class A shares if you or other qualifying account holders invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Thornburg Funds. More information about this and other discounts and sales charge waivers is available from your financial intermediary, in this Prospectus under the captions “Class A Sales Charge Waivers,” beginning on page 72, and “Appendix A – Sales Charge Waivers Offered by Financial Intermediaries,” beginning on page 104, and in the Statement of Additional Information under the caption “Additional Information Respecting Purchase and Redemption of Shares,” beginning on page 73.
Shareholder Fees
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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, dividends and distributions are reinvested, 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:
You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your Class C shares:
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 21.22% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund pursues its primary goal by investing principally in a laddered maturity portfolio of municipal obligations issued by states and state agencies, local governments and their agencies and by United States territories and possessions. Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”) actively manages the Fund’s portfolio. Investment decisions are based upon outlooks for interest rates and securities markets, the supply of municipal debt obligations, and analysis of specific securities. The Fund invests in obligations and participations in obligations which are rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization at the time of purchase as investment grade or, if unrated, are issued by obligors which Thornburg determines have comparable investment grade obligations outstanding or which are deemed by Thornburg to be comparable to obligors with outstanding investment grade obligations. “Participations” are undivided interests in pools of securities where the underlying credit support passes through to the participants. The Fund’s portfolio is “laddered” by investing in obligations of different maturities so that some obligations mature during each of the coming years. Because the magnitude of changes in value of interest-bearing obligations is greater for obligations with longer terms given an equivalent change in interest rates, the Fund seeks to reduce changes in its share value by maintaining a portfolio of investments with a dollar-weighted average maturity normally less than five years. As a result, the Fund also maintains a portfolio of investments having a dollar-weighted average effective duration of normally no more than five years. Duration is a measure of estimated sensitivity to interest rate changes. A portfolio with a longer average effective duration will typically be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a portfolio with a shorter average effective duration. Duration is commonly expressed as a number, which is the expected percentage change in an obligation’s price upon a 1% change in interest rates. For example, an obligation with a duration of 5 would be expected to change in price by approximately 5% in response to a 1% change in interest rates. During temporary periods the Fund’s portfolio maturity and average effective duration may be reduced for defensive purposes. There is no limitation on the maturity of any specific security the Fund may purchase. The Fund may dispose of any security before it matures. The Fund also attempts to reduce changes in its share value through credit analysis, selection and diversification. The Fund ordinarily acquires and holds securities for investment rather than for realization of gains by short-term trading on market fluctuations. However, it may dispose of any security prior to its scheduled maturity to enhance income or reduce loss, to change the portfolio’s average maturity, or to otherwise respond to current market conditions. The objective of preserving capital may prevent the Fund from obtaining the highest yields available. The Fund normally invests 100% of its assets in municipal obligations, the income from which is exempt from the regular federal income tax. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in taxable securities which would produce income not exempt from federal income tax because of market conditions, pending investment of idle funds or to afford liquidity. The Fund’s temporary taxable investments may exceed 20% of its assets when made for defensive purposes during periods of abnormal market conditions. If the Fund found it necessary to own taxable investments, some of its income would be subject to federal income tax.
Principal Investment Risks
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares and its dividends may fluctuate from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term obligations. When interest rates decrease, the Fund’s dividends may decline. Decreases in market interest rates may also result in prepayments of obligations the Fund acquires, requiring the Fund to reinvest at lower interest rates. Credit Risk – If obligations held by the Fund are downgraded by ratings agencies or go into default, or if legislation or other government action reduces the ability of issuers to pay principal and interest when due, the value of those obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value and the dividends paid by the Fund may be reduced. Lower-rated or unrated obligations held by the Fund may have, or may be perceived to have, greater risk of default and ratings downgrades. Municipal leases held by the Fund may be subject to non-appropriation provisions which permit governmental issuers to discontinue payments to the Fund under the leases. Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions. This effect is typically more pronounced for the Fund’s investments in lower-rated and unrated municipal obligations, the value of which may fluctuate more significantly in response to poor economic growth or other changes in market conditions, political, economic and legal developments, and developments affecting specific issuers. Liquidity Risk – Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell promptly some or all of the obligations that it holds, or may only be able to sell obligations at less than desired prices. The market for lower-rated and unrated obligations may be less liquid than the market for other obligations, making it difficult for the Fund to value its investment in a lower-rated or unrated obligation or to sell the investment in a timely manner or at an acceptable price. Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies and risks of investing in the Fund appears beginning on page 51.
Past Performance of the Fund
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Limited Term Municipal Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class A shares have been different in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class A, Class C and Class I share performance to the ICE BofAML 1-10 Year U.S. Municipal Securities Index, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. No performance information for Class C2 shares is provided because Class C2 shares have not been in operation for a full calendar year. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200.
Annual Total Returns – Class A Shares
The sales charge for Class A shares is not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart above, and the returns would be less if the charge was taken into account.
Average Annual Total Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class A shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Intermediate Municipal Fund
Fund Summary
Investment Goal
The primary investment goal of Intermediate Municipal Fund is to obtain as high a level of current income exempt from federal individual income tax as is consistent, in the view of the Fund’s investment advisor, with preservation of capital.
The secondary goal of the Fund is to reduce expected changes in its share price compared to long-term bond portfolios.
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 discounts from the sales charges applicable to Class A shares if you or other qualifying account holders invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Thornburg Funds. More information about this and other discounts and sales charge waivers is available from your financial intermediary, in this Prospectus under the captions “Class A Sales Charge Waivers,” beginning on page 72, and “Appendix A – Sales Charge Waivers Offered by Financial Intermediaries,” beginning on page 104, and in the Statement of Additional Information under the caption “Additional Information Respecting Purchase and Redemption of Shares,” beginning on page 73
Shareholder Fees
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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, dividends and distributions are reinvested, 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:
You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your Class C shares:
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 15.88% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund pursues its primary goal by investing principally in a laddered maturity portfolio of municipal obligations issued by states and state agencies, local governments and their agencies, and by United States territories and possessions. Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”) actively manages the Fund’s portfolio. Investment decisions are based upon outlooks for interest rates and securities markets, the supply of municipal debt obligations, and analysis of specific securities. The Fund invests in obligations and participations in obligations which are rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization at the time of purchase as investment grade or, if unrated, are issued by obligors which Thornburg determines have comparable investment grade obligations outstanding or which are deemed by Thornburg to be comparable to obligors with outstanding investment grade obligations. “Participations” are undivided interests in pools of securities where the underlying credit support passes through to the participants. The Fund’s portfolio is “laddered” by investing in obligations of different maturities so that some obligations mature during each of the coming years. Because the magnitude of changes in value of interest-bearing obligations is greater for obligations with longer terms given an equivalent change in interest rates, the Fund seeks to reduce changes in its share value by maintaining a portfolio of investments with a dollar-weighted average maturity of normally three to ten years. As a result, the Fund also maintains a portfolio of investments having a dollar-weighted average effective duration of normally no more than ten years. Duration is a measure of estimated sensitivity to interest rate changes. A portfolio with a longer average effective duration will typically be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a portfolio with a shorter average effective duration. Duration is commonly expressed as a number, which is the expected percentage change in an obligation’s price upon a 1% change in interest rates. For example, an obligation with a duration of 10 would be expected to change in price by approximately 10% in response to a 1% change in interest rates. During temporary periods the Fund’s portfolio maturity and average effective duration may be reduced for defensive purposes. There is no limitation on the maturity of any specific security the Fund may purchase. The Fund may dispose of any security before it matures. The Fund also attempts to reduce changes in its share value through credit analysis, selection and diversification. The Fund ordinarily acquires and holds securities for investment rather than for realization of gains by short-term trading on market fluctuations. However, it may dispose of any security prior to its scheduled maturity to enhance income or reduce loss, to change the portfolio’s average maturity, or to otherwise respond to current market conditions. The objective of preserving capital may prevent the Fund from obtaining the highest yields available. The Fund normally invests 100% of its assets in municipal obligations, the income from which is exempt from the regular federal income tax. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in taxable securities which would produce income not exempt from federal income tax because of market conditions, pending investment of idle funds or to afford liquidity. The Fund’s temporary taxable investments may exceed 20% of its assets when made for defensive purposes during periods of abnormal market conditions. If the Fund found it necessary to own taxable investments, some of its income would be subject to federal income tax.
Principal Investment Risks
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares and its dividends may fluctuate from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term obligations. When interest rates decrease, the Fund’s dividends may decline. Decreases in market interest rates may also result in prepayments of obligations the Fund acquires, requiring the Fund to reinvest at lower interest rates. Credit Risk – If obligations held by the Fund are downgraded by ratings agencies or go into default, or if legislation or other government action reduces the ability of issuers to pay principal and interest when due, the value of those obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value and the dividends paid by the Fund may be reduced. Lower-rated or unrated obligations held by the Fund may have, or may be perceived to have, greater risk of default and ratings downgrades. Municipal leases held by the Fund may be subject to non-appropriation provisions which permit governmental issuers to discontinue payments to the Fund under the leases. Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions. This effect is typically more pronounced for the Fund’s investments in lower-rated and unrated municipal obligations, the value of which may fluctuate more significantly in response to poor economic growth or other changes in market conditions, political, economic and legal developments, and developments affecting specific issuers. Liquidity Risk – Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell promptly some or all of the obligations that it holds, or may only be able to sell obligations at less than desired prices. The market for lower-rated and unrated obligations may be less liquid than the market for other obligations, making it difficult for the Fund to value its investment in a lower-rated or unrated obligation or to sell the investment in a timely manner or at an acceptable price. Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies and risks of investing in the Fund appears beginning on page 51.
Past Performance of the Fund
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Intermediate Municipal Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class A shares have been different in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class A, Class C and Class I share performance to the ICE BofAML 3-15 Year U.S. Municipal Securities Index, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. No performance information for Class C2 shares is provided because Class C2 shares have not been in operation for a full calendar year. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200.
Annual Total Returns – Class A Shares
The sales charge for Class A shares is not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart above, and the returns would be less if the charge was taken into account.
Average Annual Total Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class A shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Limited Term California Fund
Fund Summary
Investment Goal
The primary investment goal of Limited Term California Fund is to obtain as high a level of current income exempt from federal and California state individual income taxes as is consistent, in the view of the Fund’s investment advisor, with preservation of capital.
The secondary goal of the Fund is to reduce expected changes in its share price compared to longer intermediate and long-term bond portfolios.
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 discounts from the sales charges applicable to Class A shares if you or other qualifying account holders invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Thornburg Funds. More information about this and other discounts and sales charge waivers is available from your financial intermediary, in this Prospectus under the captions “Class A Sales Charge Waivers,” beginning on page 72, and “Appendix A – Sales Charge Waivers Offered by Financial Intermediaries,” beginning on page 104, and in the Statement of Additional Information under the caption “Additional Information Respecting Purchase and Redemption of Shares,” beginning on page 73.
Shareholder Fees
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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, dividends and distributions are reinvested, 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:
You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your Class C shares:
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 17.86% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund pursues its primary goal by investing principally in a laddered maturity portfolio of municipal obligations issued by the State of California and its agencies, and by California local governments and their agencies. Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”) actively manages the Fund’s portfolio. Investment decisions are based upon outlooks for interest rates and securities markets, the supply of municipal debt obligations, and analysis of specific securities. The Fund invests in obligations and participations in obligations which are rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization at the time of purchase as investment grade or, if unrated, are issued by obligors which Thornburg determines have comparable investment grade obligations outstanding or which are deemed by Thornburg to be comparable to obligors with outstanding investment grade obligations. “Participations” are undivided interests in pools of securities where the underlying credit support passes through to the participants. The Fund may invest in obligations issued by United States territories and possessions. The Fund’s portfolio is “laddered” by investing in obligations of different maturities so that some obligations mature during each of the coming years. Because the magnitude of changes in value of interest-bearing obligations is greater for obligations with longer terms given an equivalent change in interest rates, the Fund seeks to reduce changes in its share value by maintaining a portfolio of investments with a dollar-weighted average maturity normally less than five years. As a result, the Fund also maintains a portfolio of investments having a dollar-weighted average effective duration of normally no more than five years. Duration is a measure of estimated sensitivity to interest rate changes. A portfolio with a longer average effective duration will typically be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a portfolio with a shorter average effective duration. Duration is commonly expressed as a number, which is the expected percentage change in an obligation’s price upon a 1% change in interest rates. For example, an obligation with a duration of 5 would be expected to change in price by approximately 5% in response to a 1% change in interest rates. During temporary periods the Fund’s portfolio maturity and average effective duration may be reduced for defensive purposes. There is no limitation on the maturity of any specific security the Fund may purchase. The Fund may dispose of any security before it matures. The Fund also attempts to reduce changes in its share value through credit analysis, selection and diversification. The Fund ordinarily acquires and holds securities for investment rather than for realization of gains by short-term trading on market fluctuations. However, it may dispose of any security prior to its scheduled maturity to enhance income or reduce loss, to change the portfolio’s average maturity, or to otherwise respond to current market conditions. The objective of preserving capital may prevent the Fund from obtaining the highest yields available. Under normal conditions the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in municipal obligations originating in California which are exempt from California and regular federal income taxes, and normally invests 100% of its assets in municipal obligations originating in California or issued by United States territories and possessions and exempt from regular federal income tax. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in taxable securities which would produce income not exempt from federal or California income tax because of market conditions, pending investment of idle funds or to afford liquidity. The Fund’s temporary taxable investments may exceed 20% of its assets when made for defensive purposes during periods of abnormal market conditions. If the Fund found it necessary to own taxable investments, some of its income would be subject to federal and California income taxes.
Principal Investment Risks
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares and its dividends may fluctuate from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term obligations. When interest rates decrease, the Fund’s dividends may decline. Decreases in market interest rates may also result in prepayments of obligations the Fund acquires, requiring the Fund to reinvest at lower interest rates. Credit Risk – If obligations held by the Fund are downgraded by ratings agencies or go into default, or if legislation or other government action reduces the ability of issuers to pay principal and interest when due, the value of those obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value and the dividends paid by the Fund may be reduced. Lower-rated or unrated obligations held by the Fund may have, or may be perceived to have, greater risk of default and ratings downgrades. Municipal leases held by the Fund may be subject to non-appropriation provisions which permit governmental issuers to discontinue payments to the Fund under the leases. Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions. This effect is typically more pronounced for the Fund’s investments in lower-rated and unrated municipal obligations, the value of which may fluctuate more significantly in response to poor economic growth or other changes in market conditions, political, economic and legal developments, and developments affecting specific issuers. Liquidity Risk – Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell promptly some or all of the obligations that it holds, or may only be able to sell obligations at less than desired prices. The market for lower-rated and unrated obligations may be less liquid than the market for other obligations, making it difficult for the Fund to value its investment in a lower-rated or unrated obligation or to sell the investment in a timely manner or at an acceptable price. Single State Risk – Because the Fund invests primarily in obligations originating in California, the Fund’s share value may be more sensitive to adverse economic, political or regulatory developments in that state. Budgetary concerns, decreased revenues, and adverse conditions significant to a sector of the state or local economies may negatively affect the ability of state and local issuers to make full and timely principal or interest payments on their debt obligations. Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies and risks of investing in the Fund appears beginning on page 51.
Past Performance of the Fund
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Limited Term California Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class A shares have been different in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class A, Class C and Class I share performance to the ICE BofAML 1-10 Year U.S. Municipal Securities Index, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. No performance information for Class C2 shares is provided because Class C2 shares have not been in operation for a full calendar year. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200.
Annual Total Returns – Class A Shares
The sales charge for Class A shares is not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart above, and the returns would be less if the charge was taken into account.
Average Annual Total Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class A shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Limited Term U.S. Government Fund
Fund Summary
Investment Goal
The primary goal of Limited Term U.S. Government Fund is to provide as high a level of current income as is consistent, in the view of the Fund’s investment advisor, with safety of capital.
As a secondary goal, the Fund seeks to reduce changes in its share price compared to longer term portfolios.
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 discounts from the sales charges applicable to Class A shares if you or other qualifying account holders invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Thornburg Funds. More information about this and other discounts and sales charge waivers is available from your financial intermediary, in this Prospectus under the captions “Class A Sales Charge Waivers,” beginning on page 72, and “Appendix A – Sales Charge Waivers Offered by Financial Intermediaries,” beginning on page 104, and in the Statement of Additional Information under the caption “Additional Information Respecting Purchase and Redemption of Shares,” beginning on page 73.
Shareholder Fees
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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, dividends and distributions are reinvested, 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:
You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your Class C shares:
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 29.37% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”) actively manages the Fund’s portfolio in pursuing the Fund’s investment goals. While Thornburg follows domestic and international economic developments, outlooks for securities markets, interest rates and inflation, the supply and demand for debt obligations, and other factors, the Fund’s investments are determined by individual security analysis. The Fund ordinarily acquires and holds securities for investment rather than for realization of gains by short-term trading on market fluctuations. However, it may dispose of any security before its scheduled maturity to enhance income or reduce loss, to change the portfolio’s average maturity, or to otherwise respond to market conditions. Limited Term U.S. Government Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in U.S. Government Securities. For this purpose, “U.S. Government Securities” means: Securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, including direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury (such as U.S. Treasury Bonds) and obligations of U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities which are guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury (such as “Ginnie Mae” mortgage-backed certificates issued by the Government National Mortgage Association). Securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises, but which are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. These securities include mortgage-backed certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), and debentures issued by “Freddie Mac” (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) and “Fannie Mae” (Federal National Mortgage Association). U.S. Government Securities include for this purpose repurchase agreements secured by the securities described above, and participations having economic characteristics similar to those securities. “Participations” are undivided interests in pools of securities where the underlying credit support passes through to the participants. Because the magnitude of changes in the value of interest-bearing obligations is greater for obligations with longer terms given an equivalent change in interest rates, the Fund seeks to reduce changes in its share value by maintaining a portfolio of investments with a dollar-weighted average maturity or expected life of normally less than five years. There is no limitation on the maturity of any specific security the Fund may purchase, and the Fund may sell any security before it matures. The Fund also attempts to reduce changes in share value through credit analysis, selection and diversification.
Principal Investment Risks
Although the Fund may acquire obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and its agencies, instrumentalities and enterprises, neither the Fund’s net asset value nor its dividends are guaranteed by the U.S. government. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares and its dividends may fluctuate from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. If your sole objective is preservation of capital, then the Fund may not be suitable for you because the Fund’s share value will fluctuate, including as interest rates change. Investors whose sole objective is preservation of capital may wish to consider a high quality money market fund. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term obligations. This effect is also typically more pronounced for the Fund’s investment in mortgage-backed securities, the value of which may fluctuate more significantly in response to interest rate changes. When interest rates decrease, the Fund’s dividends may decline. Prepayment and Extension Risk – When market interest rates decline, certain debt obligations held by the Fund may be repaid more quickly than anticipated, requiring the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of those repayments in obligations which bear a lower interest rate. Conversely, when market interest rates increase, certain debt obligations held by the Fund may be repaid more slowly than anticipated, causing assets of the Fund to remain invested in relatively lower yielding obligations. These risks may be more pronounced for the Fund’s investments in mortgage-backed securities. Credit Risk – All securities owned by the Fund may be subject to default, delays in payment, adverse legislation or other government action, or could be downgraded by ratings agencies, reducing the value of the Fund’s shares. Securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, such as U.S. Treasury obligations, are commonly regarded as having small exposure to credit risk. Obligations of certain U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities and government-sponsored enterprises (sometimes referred to as “agency obligations”) are not direct obligations of the United States, may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and may have a greater exposure to credit risk. Although the U.S. government is required by law to provide credit support for some agency obligations, there is no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support for any such obligation on a default by the issuing agency, instrumentality or enterprise in the absence of a legal requirement to do so. As of the date of this Prospectus, securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and securities of U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities and enterprises which may be purchased by the Fund are rated “Aaa” by Moody’s Investors Services or “AA+” by S&P Global Ratings. Ratings agencies may reduce the ratings of any securities in the future. Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions. For example, a fall in worldwide demand for U.S. government securities or general economic decline could lower the value of those securities. Liquidity Risk – Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell promptly some or all of the obligations that it holds, or may only be able to sell obligations at less than desired prices. Structured Products Risk – Investments in securities that are backed by, or represent interests in, an underlying pool of securities or other assets, including investments in mortgage-backed securities and in CMOs, involve the risks associated with the underlying assets (e.g., the risk of default by mortgagors whose mortgages are included in a mortgage-backed security or CMO), and may also involve different or greater risks, including the risk that distributions from the underlying assets will be inadequate to make interest or other payments to the Fund, the risk that the issuer of the securities will fail to administer the underlying assets properly or become insolvent, and the risk that the securities will be less liquid than other Fund investments. Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies, and risks of investing in the Fund appears below beginning on page 51.
Past Performance of the Fund
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Limited Term U.S. Government Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class A shares have been different in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class A, Class C and Class I share performance to the Bloomberg Barclays US Government Intermediate Total Return Index Value Unhedged, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. No performance information for Class C2 shares is provided because Class C2 shares have not been in operation for a full calendar year. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200.
Annual Total Returns – Class A Shares
The sales charge for Class A shares is not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart above, and the returns would be less if the charge was taken into account.
Average Annual Total Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class A shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Ultra Short Income Fund
Fund Summary
Investment Goal
The Fund seeks 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. You may qualify for discounts from the sales charges applicable to Class A shares if you or other qualifying account holders invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Thornburg Funds. More information about this and other discounts and sales charge waivers is available from your financial intermediary, in this Prospectus under the captions “Class A Sales Charge Waivers,” beginning on page 72, and “Appendix A – Sales Charge Waivers Offered by Financial Intermediaries,” beginning on page 104, and in the Statement of Additional Information under the caption “Additional Information Respecting Purchase and Redemption of Shares,” beginning on page 73.
Shareholder Fees
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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, dividends and distributions are reinvested, and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions (and giving effect to fee waivers and expense reimbursements in the first year) your costs would be:
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 79.59% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Thornburg Investment Management Inc. (“Thornburg”) actively manages the Fund’s holdings in pursuing the Fund’s investment goal. While Thornburg follows domestic and international economic developments, outlooks for securities markets, interest rates and inflation, the supply and demand for debt obligations, and other factors, the Fund’s investments are determined by individual security analysis. The Fund ordinarily acquires and holds securities for investment rather than for realization of gains by short-term trading on market fluctuations. However, it may dispose of any security prior to its scheduled maturity to enhance income or reduce loss, to change the portfolio’s average duration or average maturity, or to otherwise respond to current market conditions. Under normal conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in (i) obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, and (ii) debt obligations rated at the time of purchase in one of the four highest ratings of S&P Global Ratings (AAA, AA, A, or BBB) or Moody’s Investors Services, Inc. (Aaa, Aa, A, or Baa) or, if no credit rating is available, judged to be of comparable quality by Thornburg. The Fund may purchase corporate debt, municipal securities, and short-term commercial paper and bankers’ acceptances, and the Fund may also purchase securities backed by an underlying pool of debt obligations, including mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, and collateralized debt obligations (sometimes referred to collectively as “structured products”). The Fund may purchase foreign securities of the same types and quality as the domestic securities it purchases when Thornburg anticipates foreign securities offer more investment potential. The Fund may invest in debt obligations which are rated by S&P Global Ratings or Moody’s Investors Services, Inc. at the time of purchase as below investment grade (commonly referred to as “junk” or “high yield” bonds) or, if no credit rating is available, are judged to be of comparable quality by Thornburg, but such investments will be less than 20% of the Fund’s net assets under normal conditions. The Fund may also purchase or sell futures contracts or purchase or sell interest rate swaps or credit default swaps to hedge against a decline in the value of the Fund’s other investments or to manage portfolio duration. Because the magnitude of changes in the value of interest- bearing obligations is greater for obligations with longer durations given an equivalent change in interest rates, the Fund seeks to reduce changes in its share value compared to longer duration fixed income portfolios by maintaining a portfolio of investments with a dollar-weighted average duration of normally no more than one half (0.5) of a year. Duration is a measure of estimated sensitivity to interest rate changes, and a debt obligation or a portfolio of obligations with a higher duration will typically be more sensitive to interest rate changes than an obligation or a portfolio with a lower duration. Duration is commonly expressed as a number, which is the expected percentage change in an obligation’s price upon a 1% change in interest rates. For example, an obligation with a duration of 0.5 would be expected to change in price by approximately 0.5% in response to a 1% change in interest rates. There is no limitation on the duration or maturity of any specific security the Fund may purchase, and the Fund may sell any security before it matures. The Fund also attempts to reduce changes in share value through credit analysis, selection, and diversification.
Principal Investment Risks
Although the Fund may acquire obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and its agencies, instrumentalities and enterprises, neither the Fund’s net asset value nor its dividends are guaranteed by the U.S. government. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares and its dividends may fluctuate from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. The Fund seeks higher income than is typically available, across market cycles, from investment in a money market fund. Consequently, if your sole objective is preservation of capital, then the Fund may not be suitable for you because the Fund’s share value will fluctuate, including as interest rates change. Investors whose sole objective is preservation of capital may wish to consider a high quality money market fund. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term obligations. When interest rates decrease, the Fund’s dividends may decline. Prepayment and Extension Risk – When market interest rates decline, certain debt obligations held by the Fund may be repaid more quickly than anticipated, requiring the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of those repayments in obligations which bear a lower interest rate. Conversely, when market interest rates increase, certain debt obligations held by the Fund may be repaid more slowly than anticipated, causing assets of the Fund to remain invested in relatively lower yielding obligations. These risks may be more pronounced for the Fund’s investments in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. Credit Risk – All securities owned by the Fund may be subject to default, delays in payment, adverse legislation or other government action, or could be downgraded by ratings agencies, reducing the value of the Fund’s shares. Securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, such as U.S. Treasury obligations, are commonly regarded as having small exposure to credit risk. Obligations of certain U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities and government sponsored enterprises (sometimes referred to as “agency obligations”) are not direct obligations of the United States, may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and may have a greater exposure to credit risk. Although the U.S. government is required by law to provide credit support for some agency obligations, there is no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support for any such obligation on a default by the issuing agency, instrumentality or enterprise in the absence of a legal requirement to do so. As of the date of this Prospectus, securities backed by the U.S. government, and the securities of U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities and enterprises that may be purchased by the Fund are rated “Aaa” by Moody’s Investors Services or “AA+” by S&P Global Ratings. Ratings agencies may reduce the ratings of any securities in the future. High Yield Risk – Debt obligations that are rated below investment grade and unrated obligations of similar credit quality (commonly referred to as “junk” or “high yield” bonds) may have a substantial risk of loss. These obligations are generally considered to be speculative with respect to the issuer’s ability to pay interest and principal when due. These obligations may be subject to greater price volatility than investment grade obligations, and their prices may decline significantly in periods of general economic difficulty or in response to adverse publicity, changes in investor perceptions or other factors. These obligations may also be subject to greater liquidity risk. Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions. For example, a fall in worldwide demand for U.S. government securities or general economic decline could lower the value of those securities. Risks Affecting Specific Issuers – The value of a debt obligation may decline in response to developments affecting the specific issuer of the obligation, even if other issuers or the overall economy are unaffected. These developments may include a variety of factors, including but not limited to management issues or other corporate disruption, a decline in revenues or profitability, an increase in costs, or an adverse effect on the issuer’s competitive position. Foreign Investment Risk – Investments in the debt obligations of foreign issuers may involve risks including adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates, political instability, confiscations, taxes, or restrictions on currency exchange, difficulty in selling foreign investments, and reduced legal protection. These risks may be more pronounced for investments in developing countries. In addition, some foreign government debt obligations may be subject to default, delays in payment, adverse legislation or government action, or could be downgraded by ratings agencies. Liquidity Risk – Due to lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell promptly some or all of the obligations that it holds, or may only be able to sell obligations at less than desired prices. Structured Products Risk – Investments in securities that are backed by, or represent interests in, an underlying pool of securities or other assets, including investments in mortgage- and asset-backed securities and in collateralized mortgage obligations and collateralized debt obligations, involve the risks associated with the underlying assets (e.g., the risk of default by mortgagors whose mortgages are included in a mortgage-backed security or collateralized mortgage obligation), and may also involve the risk that distributions from the underlying assets will be inadequate to make interest or other payments to the Fund, the risk that the issuer of the securities will fail to administer the underlying assets properly or become insolvent, and the risk that the securities will be less liquid than other Fund investments. Derivatives Risk – The Fund’s investments in futures, interest rate swaps, and credit default swaps involve the risks associated with the securities or other assets underlying those derivatives, including the risk of changes in the value of the underlying assets between the date that the Fund enters into the derivatives transaction and the date that the Fund closes out that transaction. The Fund’s investments in futures, interest rate swaps, and credit default swaps also involve the risk that the other party to the transaction will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations to the Fund, that the Fund will be unable to sell or close its positions in such derivatives or will be delayed in doing so, and that the Fund will have difficulty valuing such derivatives. Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies and risks of investing in the Fund appears beginning on page 51.
Past Performance of the Fund
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Ultra Short Income Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class A shares have been different in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class A and Class I share performance to the ICE BofAML U.S. Treasury Bill Index, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200. The ICE BofAML U.S. Treasury Bill Index replaced the Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate 1-3 Year Total Return Index Value Unhedged USD as the Fund’s benchmark index on September 30, 2020. This change was approved by the Fund’s Trustees because the new index more closely aligns to the Fund’s investment strategies. Information on both indexes will be shown for at least a one-year transition period. In the future, however, only the ICE BofAML U.S. Treasury Bill Index will be shown.
Annual Total Returns – Class A Shares
The sales charge for Class A shares is not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart above, and the returns would be less if the charge was taken into account.
Average Annual Total Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation, and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class A shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Limited Term Income Fund
Fund Summary
Investment Goal
The primary goal of Limited Term Income Fund is to provide as high a level of current income as is consistent, in the view of the Fund’s investment advisor, with safety of capital.
As a secondary goal, the Fund seeks to reduce changes in its share prices compared to longer term portfolios.
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 discounts from the sales charges applicable to Class A shares if you or other qualifying account holders invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Thornburg Funds. More information about this and other discounts and sales charge waivers is available from your financial intermediary, in this Prospectus under the captions “Class A Sales Charge Waivers,” beginning on page 72, and “Appendix A – Sales Charge Waivers Offered by Financial Intermediaries,” beginning on page 104, and in the Statement of Additional Information under the caption “Additional Information Respecting Purchase and Redemption of Shares,” beginning on page 73.
Shareholder Fees
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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, dividends and distributions are reinvested, 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:
You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your Class C shares:
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 43.22% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”) actively manages the Fund’s portfolio in pursuing the Fund’s investment goals. While Thornburg follows domestic and international economic developments, outlooks for securities markets, interest rates and inflation, the supply and demand for debt obligations, and other factors, the Fund’s investments are determined by individual security analysis. The Fund ordinarily acquires and holds securities for investment rather than for realization of gains by short-term trading on market fluctuations. However, it may dispose of any security prior to its scheduled maturity to enhance income or reduce loss, to change the portfolio’s average maturity, or to otherwise respond to current market conditions. The Fund invests at least 65% of its net assets in (i) obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, and (ii) debt obligations rated at the time of purchase in one of the three highest principal long term rating categories of S&P Global Ratings (AAA, AA or A) or Moody’s Investors Services, Inc. (Aaa, Aa or A), or the equivalent three highest short term ratings of those ratings agencies, or, if no credit rating is available, judged to be of comparable quality as determined by Thornburg. The Fund will not invest in any debt obligation rated at the time of purchase lower than BBB by S&P, Baa by Moody’s, of the equivalent short term ratings of those ratings agencies, or, if no credit rating is available, judged to be of comparable quality as determined by Thornburg. The Fund may purchase corporate debt obligations, municipal securities, and commercial paper and bankers’ acceptances, and the Fund may also purchase securities backed by an underlying pool of debt obligations, including mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, and collateralized debt obligations (sometimes referred to collectively as “structured products”). The Fund may purchase foreign securities of the same types and quality as the domestic securities it purchases when Thornburg believes these investments are consistent with the Fund’s objectives. Because the magnitude of changes in the value of interest-bearing obligations is greater for obligations with longer terms given an equivalent change in interest rates, the Fund seeks to reduce changes in its share value by maintaining a portfolio of investments with a dollar-weighted average maturity or expected life of normally less than five years. As a result, the Fund also maintains a portfolio of investments having a dollar-weighted average effective duration of normally no more than five years. Duration is a measure of estimated sensitivity to interest rate changes. A portfolio with a longer average effective duration will typically be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a portfolio with a shorter average effective duration. Duration is commonly expressed as a number, which is the expected percentage change in an obligation’s price upon a 1% change in interest rates. For example, an obligation with a duration of 5 would be expected to change in price by approximately 5% in response to a 1% change in interest rates. During temporary periods the Fund’s portfolio maturity and average effective duration may be reduced for defensive purposes. There is no limitation on the maturity of any specific security the Fund may purchase, and the Fund may sell any security before it matures. The Fund also attempts to reduce changes in share value through credit analysis, selection and diversification.
Principal Investment Risks
Although the Fund may acquire obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and its agencies, instrumentalities and enterprises, neither the Fund’s net asset value nor its dividends are guaranteed by the U.S. government. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares and its dividends may fluctuate from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. If your sole objective is preservation of capital, then the Fund may not be suitable for you because the Fund’s share value will fluctuate, including as interest rates change. Investors whose sole objective is preservation of capital may wish to consider a high quality money market fund. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term obligations. This effect is also typically more pronounced for the Fund’s investment in mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, the value of which may fluctuate more significantly in response to interest rate changes. When interest rates decrease, the Fund’s dividends may decline. Prepayment and Extension Risk – When market interest rates decline, certain debt obligations held by the Fund may be repaid more quickly than anticipated, requiring the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of those repayments in obligations which bear a lower interest rate. Conversely, when market interest rates increase, certain debt obligations held by the Fund may be repaid more slowly than anticipated, causing assets of the Fund to remain invested in relatively lower yielding obligations. These risks may be more pronounced for the Fund’s investments in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. Credit Risk – All securities owned by the Fund may be subject to default, delays in payment, adverse legislation or other government action, or could be downgraded by ratings agencies, reducing the value of the Fund’s shares. Securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, such as U.S. Treasury obligations, are commonly regarded as having small exposure to credit risk. Obligations of certain U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities and government sponsored enterprises (sometimes referred to as “agency obligations”) are not direct obligations of the United States, may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and may have a greater exposure to credit risk. Although the U.S. government is required by law to provide credit support for some agency obligations, there is no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support for any such obligation on a default by the issuing agency, instrumentality or enterprise in the absence of a legal requirement to do so. As of the date of this Prospectus, securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and securities of U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities and enterprises which may be purchased by the Fund, are rated “Aaa” by Moody’s Investors Services or “AA+” by S&P Global Ratings. Ratings agencies may reduce the ratings of any securities in the future. Lower-rated or unrated obligations in which the Fund is permitted to invest may have, or may be perceived to have, greater risk of default and ratings downgrades. Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions. For example, a fall in worldwide demand for U.S. government securities or general economic decline could lower the value of those securities. Risks Affecting Specific Issuers – The value of a debt obligation may decline in response to developments affecting the specific issuer of the obligation, even if other issuers or the overall economy are unaffected. These developments may include a variety of factors, including but not limited to management issues or other corporate disruption, a decline in revenues or profitability, an increase in costs, or an adverse effect on the issuer’s competitive position. Foreign Investment Risk – Investments in the debt obligations of foreign issuers may involve risks including adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates, political instability, confiscations, taxes or restrictions on currency exchange, difficulty in selling foreign investments, and reduced legal protection. These risks may be more pronounced for investments in developing countries. In addition, some foreign government debt obligations may be subject to default, delays in payment, adverse legislation or government action, or could be downgraded by ratings agencies. Liquidity Risk – Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell promptly some or all of the obligations that it holds, or may only be able to sell obligations at less than desired prices. Structured Products Risk – Investments in securities that are backed by, or represent interests in, an underlying pool of securities or other assets, including investments in mortgage- and asset-backed securities and in collateralized mortgage obligations and collateralized debt obligations, involve the risks associated with the underlying assets (e.g., the risk of default by mortgagors whose mortgages are included in a mortgage-backed security or collateralized mortgage obligation), and may also involve different or greater risks, including the risk that distributions from the underlying assets will be inadequate to make interest or other payments to the Fund, the risk that the issuer of the securities will fail to administer the underlying assets properly or become insolvent, and the risk that the securities will be less liquid than other Fund investments. Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies, and risks of investing in the Fund appears below beginning on page 51.
Past Performance of the Fund
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Limited Term Income Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class A shares have been different in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class A, Class C and Class I share performance to the Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate US Government/Credit Total Return Index Value Unhedged, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. No performance information for Class C2 shares is provided because Class C2 shares have not been in operation for a full calendar year. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200.
Annual Total Returns – Class A Shares
The sales charge for Class A shares is not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart above and the returns would be less if the charge was taken into account.
Average Annual Total Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class A shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Value Fund \| Retail
Fund Summary
Investment Goal
The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing in equity and debt securities of all types.
The secondary, non-fundamental goal of the Fund is to seek some 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 discounts from the sales charges applicable to Class A shares if you or other qualifying account holders invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Thornburg Funds. More information about this and other discounts and sales charge waivers is available from your financial intermediary, in this Prospectus under the captions “Class A Sales Charge Waivers,” beginning on page 72, and “Appendix A – Sales Charge Waivers Offered by Financial Intermediaries,” beginning on page 104, and in the Statement of Additional Information under the caption “Additional Information Respecting Purchase and Redemption of Shares,” beginning on page 73.
Shareholder Fees
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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, dividends and distributions are reinvested, and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions (and giving effect to fee waivers and expense reimbursements in the first year), your costs would be:
You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your Class C shares:
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 24.94% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund expects to invest primarily in domestic equity securities (primarily common stocks) selected on a value basis. However, the Fund may own a variety of securities, including foreign equity securities and foreign and domestic debt obligations which, in the opinion of the Fund’s investment advisor, Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”), offer prospects for meeting the Fund’s investment goals. Thornburg intends to invest on an opportunistic basis where the Fund’s portfolio managers believe intrinsic value is not recognized by the marketplace. The Fund seeks to identify value in a broad or different context by investing in a diversified portfolio of stocks the Fund categorizes as basic values, consistent earners, and emerging franchises, when the portfolio managers believe these issues are value priced. The relative proportions of securities invested in each of those categories will vary over time. The Fund seeks to invest in promising companies, and may invest in stocks that reflect unfavorable market perceptions of the company or industry fundamentals. The Fund may invest in companies of any size, but invests primarily in the large and middle capitalization range of publicly traded companies. Thornburg primarily uses individual issuer and industry analysis to make investment decisions. Value, for purposes of the Fund’s selection criteria, may consider both current and projected measures. Among the specific factors considered by Thornburg in identifying securities for inclusion in the Fund are: •profitability •price/earnings ratio •price/book value ratio •price/cash flow ratio •debt/capital ratio •dividend characteristics •security and consistency of revenues •EV (enterprise value)/EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) ratio •undervalued assets •earnings growth potential •industry growth characteristics •industry leadership •franchise value •potential for favorable developments •EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes)/interest expense ratio The Fund categorizes its equity investments in the following three categories: Basic Value: Companies generally operating in mature industries and which generally exhibit more economic sensitivity and/or higher volatility in earnings and cash flow. Consistent Earner: Companies which generally exhibit predictable growth, profitability, cash flow and/or dividends. Emerging Franchise: Companies with the potential to grow at an above average rate because of a product or service that is establishing a new market and/or taking share from existing participants. Inclusion of any investment in any of the three described categories represents the opinion of the advisor concerning the characteristics and prospects of the investment. There is no assurance that any company selected for investment will, once categorized in one of the three described investment categories, continue to have the positive characteristics or fulfill the expectations that the advisor had for the company when it was selected for investment, and any such company may not grow or may decline in earnings and size. The Fund selects foreign securities issued by companies domiciled in countries whose currencies are freely convertible into U.S. dollars, or in companies in other countries whose business is conducted primarily in U.S. dollars (which could include developing countries). Debt obligations may be considered for investment if Thornburg believes them to be more attractive than equity alternatives, or to manage risk. The Fund may purchase debt obligations of any maturity and of any credit quality, including “high yield” or “junk” bonds. There is no minimum credit quality or rating of debt obligation the Fund may purchase.
Principal Investment Risks
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares varies from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions. The value of a security may change in response to developments affecting entire economies, markets or industries, including changes in interest rates, political and legal developments, and general market volatility. Risks Affecting Specific Issuers – The value of an equity security or debt obligation may decline in response to developments affecting the specific issuer of the security or obligation, even if the overall industry or economy is unaffected. These developments may include a variety of factors, including but not limited to management issues or other corporate disruption, a decline in revenues or profitability, an increase in costs, or an adverse effect on the issuer’s competitive position. Small and Mid-Cap Company Risk – Investments in small-capitalization companies and mid-capitalization companies may involve additional risks, which may be relatively higher with smaller companies. These additional risks may result from limited product lines, more limited access to markets and financial resources, greater vulnerability to competition and changes in markets, lack of management depth, increased volatility in share price, and possible difficulties in valuing or selling these investments. Foreign Investment Risk – Investments in securities of foreign issuers may involve risks including adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates, political instability, confiscations, taxes or restrictions on currency exchange, difficulty in selling foreign investments, and reduced legal protection. These risks may be more pronounced for investments in developing countries. Credit Risk – If debt obligations held by the Fund are downgraded by ratings agencies or go into default, or if management action, legislation or other government action reduces the ability of issuers to pay principal and interest when due, the value of those debt obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value and any dividends paid by the Fund may be reduced. Because the ability of an issuer of a lower-rated or unrated debt obligation (including particularly “junk” or “high yield” bonds) to pay principal and interest when due is typically less certain than for an issuer of a higher-rated debt obligation, lower-rated and unrated debt obligations are generally more vulnerable than higher-rated debt obligations to default, to ratings downgrades, and to liquidity risk. Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments in debt obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term debt obligations. Decreases in market interest rates may result in prepayments of debt obligations the Fund acquires, requiring the Fund to reinvest at lower interest rates. Liquidity Risk – Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell some or all of its investments promptly, or may only be able to sell investments at less than desired prices. Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies, and risks of investing in the Fund appears below beginning on page 51.
Past Performance of the Fund
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Value Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class A shares have been different in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class A, Class C and Class I share performance to the S&P 500 Total Return Index, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200.
Annual Total Returns – Class A Shares
The sales charge for Class A shares is not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart, and the returns would be less if the charge was taken into account.
Average Annual Total Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class A shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. The performance information shown above may include gains attributable to the Fund’s investments in shares of companies through initial public offerings (“IPOs”). There can be no assurance that the Fund will have continued access to profitable IPOs and, as the Fund’s assets grow, the impact of the Fund’s investment in IPOs on the performance of the Fund may decline.
Value Fund \| Retirement
Fund Summary
Investment Goal
The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing in equity and debt securities of all types.
The secondary, non-fundamental goal of the Fund is to seek some 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.
Shareholder Fees
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in Value 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, dividends and distributions are reinvested, and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions (and giving effect to fee waivers and expense reimbursements in the first year), your costs would be:
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 24.94% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund expects to invest primarily in domestic equity securities (primarily common stocks) selected on a value basis. However, the Fund may own a variety of securities, including foreign equity securities and foreign and domestic debt obligations which, in the opinion of the Fund’s investment advisor, Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”), offer prospects for meeting the Fund’s investment goals. Thornburg intends to invest on an opportunistic basis where the Fund’s portfolio managers believe intrinsic value is not recognized by the marketplace. The Fund seeks to identify value in a broad or different context by investing in a diversified portfolio of stocks the Fund categorizes as basic values, consistent earners, and emerging franchises, when the portfolio managers believe these issues are value priced. The relative proportions of securities invested in each of those categories will vary over time. The Fund seeks to invest in promising companies, and may invest in stocks that reflect unfavorable market perceptions of the company or industry fundamentals. The Fund may invest in companies of any size, but invests primarily in the large and middle capitalization range of publicly traded companies. Thornburg primarily uses individual issuer and industry analysis to make investment decisions. Value, for purposes of the Fund’s selection criteria, may consider both current and projected measures. Among the specific factors considered by Thornburg in identifying securities for inclusion in the Fund are: •profitability •price/earnings ratio •price/book value ratio •price/cash flow ratio •debt/capital ratio •dividend characteristics •security and consistency of revenues •EV (enterprise value)/EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) ratio •undervalued assets •earnings growth potential •industry growth characteristics •industry leadership •franchise value •potential for favorable developments •EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes)/interest expense ratio The Fund categorizes its equity investments in the following three categories: Basic Value: Companies generally operating in mature industries and which generally exhibit more economic sensitivity and/or higher volatility in earnings and cash flow. Consistent Earner: Companies which generally exhibit predictable growth, profitability, cash flow and/or dividends. Emerging Franchise: Companies with the potential to grow at an above average rate because of a product or service that is establishing a new market and/or taking share from existing participants. Inclusion of any investment in any of the three described categories represents the opinion of the advisor concerning the characteristics and prospects of the investment. There is no assurance that any company selected for investment will, once categorized in one of the three described investment categories, continue to have the positive characteristics or fulfill the expectations that the advisor had for the company when it was selected for investment, and any such company may not grow or may decline in earnings and size. The Fund selects foreign securities issued by companies domiciled in countries whose currencies are freely convertible into U.S. dollars, or in companies in other countries whose business is conducted primarily in U.S. dollars (which could include developing countries). Debt obligations may be considered for investment if Thornburg believes them to be more attractive than equity alternatives, or to manage risk. The Fund may purchase debt obligations of any maturity and of any credit quality, including “high yield” or “junk” bonds. There is no minimum credit quality or rating of debt obligation the Fund may purchase.
Principal Investment Risks
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares varies from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions. The value of a security may change in response to developments affecting entire economies, markets or industries, including changes in interest rates, political and legal developments, and general market volatility. Risks Affecting Specific Issuers – The value of an equity security or debt obligation may decline in response to developments affecting the specific issuer of the security or obligation, even if the overall industry or economy is unaffected. These developments may include a variety of factors, including but not limited to management issues or other corporate disruption, a decline in revenues or profitability, an increase in costs, or an adverse effect on the issuer’s competitive position. Small and Mid-Cap Company Risk – Investments in small-capitalization companies and mid-capitalization companies may involve additional risks, which may be relatively higher with smaller companies. These additional risks may result from limited product lines, more limited access to markets and financial resources, greater vulnerability to competition and changes in markets, lack of management depth, increased volatility in share price, and possible difficulties in valuing or selling these investments. Foreign Investment Risk – Investments in securities of foreign issuers may involve risks including adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates, political instability, confiscations, taxes or restrictions on currency exchange, difficulty in selling foreign investments, and reduced legal protection. These risks may be more pronounced for investments in developing countries. Credit Risk – If debt obligations held by the Fund are downgraded by ratings agencies or go into default, or if management action, legislation or other government action reduces the ability of issuers to pay principal and interest when due, the value of those debt obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value and any dividends paid by the Fund may be reduced. Because the ability of an issuer of a lower-rated or unrated debt obligation (including particularly “junk” or “high yield” bonds) to pay principal and interest when due is typically less certain than for an issuer of a higher-rated debt obligation, lower-rated and unrated debt obligations are generally more vulnerable than higher-rated debt obligations to default, to ratings downgrades, and to liquidity risk. Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments in debt obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term debt obligations. Decreases in market interest rates may result in prepayments of debt obligations the Fund acquires, requiring the Fund to reinvest at lower interest rates. Liquidity Risk – Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell some or all of its investments promptly, or may only be able to sell investments at less than desired prices. Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies, and risks of investing in the Fund appears beginning on page 12.
Past Performance of the Fund
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Value Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class R3 shares have been different in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class R3, Class R4 and Class R5 share performance to the S&P 500 Total Return Index, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown below is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200.
Annual Total Returns – Class R3 Shares
Average Annual Total Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class R3 shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. The performance information shown above may include gains attributable to the Fund’s investments in shares of companies through initial public offerings (“IPOs”). There can be no assurance that the Fund will have continued access to profitable IPOs and, as the Fund’s assets grow, the impact of the Fund’s investment in IPOs on the performance of the Fund may decline.
Growth Fund \| Retail
Fund Summary
Investment Goal
The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital by investing in equity securities selected for their growth potential.
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 discounts from the sales charges applicable to Class A shares if you or other qualifying account holders invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Thornburg Funds. More information about this and other discounts and sales charge waivers is available from your financial intermediary, in this Prospectus under the captions “Class A Sales Charge Waivers,” beginning on page 72, and “Appendix A – Sales Charge Waivers Offered by Financial Intermediaries,” beginning on page 104, and in the Statement of Additional Information under the caption “Additional Information Respecting Purchase and Redemption of Shares,” beginning on page 73.
Shareholder Fees
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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, dividends and distributions are reinvested, and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions (and giving effect to fee waivers and expense reimbursements in the first year), your costs would be:
You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your Class C shares:
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 40.69% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund expects to invest primarily in domestic equity securities (primarily common stocks) selected for their growth potential. However, the Fund may own a variety of securities, including foreign equity securities. The Fund may invest in developing countries. The Fund’s investment advisor, Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”) intends to invest in companies that it believes will have growing revenues and earnings. The Fund can invest in companies of any size, from larger, well-established companies to smaller, emerging growth companies. Thornburg primarily uses individual issuer and industry analysis to make investment decisions. Among the specific factors considered by Thornburg in identifying securities for inclusion in the Fund are: •earnings growth potential •business model •industry growth potential •industry leadership •asset appreciation potential •potential size of business •price/earnings ratio •price/revenue ratio •PE/growth rate ratio •price/cash flow ratio •enterprise value/EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) ratio •management strength •debt/capital ratio The Fund typically makes equity investments in the following three types of companies: Growth Industry Leaders: Companies in this category often have leadership positions in growing markets. In some cases these companies may have dominant market share. These companies tend to be larger and more established. Consistent Growers: Companies in this category generally exhibit steady earnings or revenue growth, or both. These companies may have subscription or other recurring revenue profiles. Given their business models, these companies may outperform in weak markets. Emerging Growth Companies: Companies often addressing a new market or carving out a niche in an existing market. Companies in this category may experience rapid growth, and tend to be smaller, earlier stage companies. These companies may exhibit high volatility. Inclusion of any investment in any of the three described categories represents the opinion of the advisor concerning the characteristics and prospects of the investment. There is no assurance that any company selected for investment will, once categorized in one of the three described investment categories, continue to have the positive characteristics or fulfill the expectations that the advisor had for the company when it was selected for investment, and any such company may not grow or may decline in earnings and size. In conjunction with individual issuer analysis, Thornburg may identify and invest at times with a greater emphasis in industries or economic sectors it expects to experience growth. This approach may at times produce a greater emphasis on investment in certain industries or economic sectors, such as technology, financial services, healthcare or biotechnology. The Fund does not have a strategy to invest in particular industry or economic sectors, and its exposures to particular industries or economic sectors are expected to vary over time. Investment decisions are also based on domestic and international economic developments, outlooks for securities markets, interest rates and inflation, and the supply and demand for debt and equity securities. Debt obligations, usually with associated equity features, occasionally will be considered for investment when Thornburg believes them to be more attractive than equity alternatives. The Fund may purchase debt obligations of any maturity and of any credit quality, including “high yield” or “junk” bonds. There is no minimum credit quality or rating of debt obligation the Fund may purchase.
Principal Investment Risks
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares varies from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions. The value of a security may change in response to developments affecting entire economies, markets or industries, including changes in interest rates, political and legal developments, and general market volatility. Risks Affecting Specific Issuers – The value of an equity security or debt obligation may decline in response to developments affecting the specific issuer of the security or obligation, even if the overall industry or economy is unaffected. These developments may include a variety of factors, including but not limited to management issues or other corporate disruption, a decline in revenues or profitability, an increase in costs, or an adverse effect on the issuer’s competitive position. Small and Mid-Cap Company Risk – Investments in small-capitalization companies and mid-capitalization companies may involve additional risks, which may be relatively higher with smaller companies. These additional risks may result from limited product lines, more limited access to markets and financial resources, greater vulnerability to competition and changes in markets, lack of management depth, increased volatility in share price, and possible difficulties in valuing or selling these investments. Foreign Investment Risk – Investments in securities of foreign issuers may involve risks including adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates, political instability, confiscations, taxes or restrictions on currency exchange, difficulty in selling foreign investments, and reduced legal protection. These risks may be more pronounced for investments in developing countries. Credit Risk – If debt obligations held by the Fund are downgraded by ratings agencies or go into default, or if management action, legislation or other government action reduces the ability of issuers to pay principal and interest when due, the value of those debt obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value and any dividends paid by the Fund may be reduced. Because the ability of an issuer of a lower-rated or unrated debt obligation (including particularly “junk” or “high yield” bonds) to pay principal and interest when due is typically less certain than for an issuer of a higher-rated debt obligation, lower-rated and unrated debt obligations are generally more vulnerable than higher-rated debt obligations to default, to ratings downgrades, and to liquidity risk. Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments in debt obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term debt obligations. Decreases in market interest rates may result in prepayments of debt obligations the Fund acquires, requiring the Fund to reinvest at lower interest rates. Liquidity Risk – Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell some or all of its investments promptly, or may only be able to sell investments at less than desired prices. Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies, and risks of investing in the Fund appears below beginning on page 51.
Past Performance of the Fund
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Growth Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class A shares have been different in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class A, Class C and Class I share performance to the Russell 3000 Total Return Growth Index, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200.
Annual Total Returns – Class A Shares
The sales charge for Class A shares is not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart, and the returns would be less if the charge was taken into account.
Average Annual Total Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class A shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Growth Fund \| Retirement
Fund Summary
Investment Goal
The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital by investing in equity securities selected for their growth potential.
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.
Shareholder Fees
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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, dividends and distributions are reinvested, and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions (and giving effect to fee waivers and expense reimbursements in the first year), your costs would be:
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 40.69% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund expects to invest primarily in domestic equity securities (primarily common stocks) selected for their growth potential. However, the Fund may own a variety of securities, including foreign equity securities. The Fund may invest in developing countries. The Fund’s investment advisor, Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”) intends to invest in companies that it believes will have growing revenues and earnings. The Fund can invest in companies of any size, from larger, well-established companies to smaller, emerging growth companies. Thornburg primarily uses individual issuer and industry analysis to make investment decisions. Among the specific factors considered by Thornburg in identifying securities for inclusion in the Fund are: •earnings growth potential •business model •industry growth potential •industry leadership •asset appreciation potential •potential size of business •price/earnings ratio •price/revenue ratio •PE/growth rate ratio •price/cash flow ratio •enterprise value/EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) ratio •management strength •debt/capital ratio The Fund typically makes equity investments in the following three types of companies: Growth Industry Leaders: Companies in this category often have leadership positions in growing markets. In some cases these companies may have dominant market share. These companies tend to be larger and more established. Consistent Growers: Companies in this category generally exhibit steady earnings or revenue growth, or both. These companies may have subscription or other recurring revenue profiles. Given their business models, these companies may outperform in weak markets. Emerging Growth Companies: Companies often addressing a new market or carving out a niche in an existing market. Companies in this category may experience rapid growth, and tend to be smaller, earlier stage companies. These companies may exhibit high volatility. Inclusion of any investment in any of the three described categories represents the opinion of the advisor concerning the characteristics and prospects of the investment. There is no assurance that any company selected for investment will, once categorized in one of the three described investment categories, continue to have the positive characteristics or fulfill the expectations that the advisor had for the company when it was selected for investment, and any such company may not grow or may decline in earnings and size. In conjunction with individual issuer analysis, Thornburg may identify and invest at times with a greater emphasis in industries or economic sectors it expects to experience growth. This approach may at times produce a greater emphasis on investment in certain industries or economic sectors, such as technology, financial services, healthcare or biotechnology. The Fund does not have a strategy to invest in particular industry or economic sectors, and its exposures to particular industries or economic sectors are expected to vary over time. Investment decisions are also based on domestic and international economic developments, outlooks for securities markets, interest rates and inflation, and the supply and demand for debt and equity securities. Debt obligations, usually with associated equity features, occasionally will be considered for investment when Thornburg believes them to be more attractive than equity alternatives. The Fund may purchase debt obligations of any maturity and of any credit quality, including “high yield” or “junk” bonds. There is no minimum credit quality or rating of debt obligation the Fund may purchase.
Principal Investment Risks
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares varies from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions. The value of a security may change in response to developments affecting entire economies, markets or industries, including changes in interest rates, political and legal developments, and general market volatility. Risks Affecting Specific Issuers – The value of an equity security or debt obligation may decline in response to developments affecting the specific issuer of the security or obligation, even if the overall industry or economy is unaffected. These developments may include a variety of factors, including but not limited to management issues or other corporate disruption, a decline in revenues or profitability, an increase in costs, or an adverse effect on the issuer’s competitive position. Small and Mid-Cap Company Risk – Investments in small-capitalization companies and mid-capitalization companies may involve additional risks, which may be relatively higher with smaller companies. These additional risks may result from limited product lines, more limited access to markets and financial resources, greater vulnerability to competition and changes in markets, lack of management depth, increased volatility in share price, and possible difficulties in valuing or selling these investments. Foreign Investment Risk – Investments in securities of foreign issuers may involve risks including adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates, political instability, confiscations, taxes or restrictions on currency exchange, difficulty in selling foreign investments, and reduced legal protection. These risks may be more pronounced for investments in developing countries. Credit Risk – If debt obligations held by the Fund are downgraded by ratings agencies or go into default, or if management action, legislation or other government action reduces the ability of issuers to pay principal and interest when due, the value of those debt obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value and any dividends paid by the Fund may be reduced. Because the ability of an issuer of a lower-rated or unrated debt obligation (including particularly “junk” or “high yield” bonds) to pay principal and interest when due is typically less certain than for an issuer of a higher-rated debt obligation, lower-rated and unrated debt obligations are generally more vulnerable than higher-rated debt obligations to default, to ratings downgrades, and to liquidity risk. Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments in debt obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term debt obligations. Decreases in market interest rates may result in prepayments of debt obligations the Fund acquires, requiring the Fund to reinvest at lower interest rates. Liquidity Risk – Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell some or all of its investments promptly, or may only be able to sell investments at less than desired prices. Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies, and risks of investing in the Fund appears beginning on page 12.
Past Performance of the Fund
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Growth Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class R3 shares vary in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class R3, Class R4 and Class R5 share performance to the Russell 3000 Total Return Growth Index, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown below is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200.
Annual Total Returns – Class R3 Shares
Average Annual Total Returns
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class R3 shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.

Fund Summary

The Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax, consistent with preservation of capital.

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for discounts from the sales charges applicable to Class A shares if you or other qualifying account holders invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Thornburg Funds. More information about this and other discounts and sales charge waivers is available from your financial intermediary, in this Prospectus under the captions “Class A Sales Charge Waivers,” beginning on page 72, and “Appendix A – Sales Charge Waivers Offered by Financial Intermediaries,” beginning on page 104, and in the Statement of Additional Information under the caption “Additional Information Respecting Purchase and Redemption of Shares,” beginning on page 73.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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, dividends and distributions are reinvested, and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions (and giving effect to fee waivers and expense reimbursements in the first year) your costs would be:

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 33.60% of the average value of its portfolio.

The Fund pursues its primary goal by investing principally in a laddered maturity portfolio of municipal obligations issued by states and state agencies, local governments and their agencies and by United States territories and possessions. Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”) actively manages the Fund’s portfolio. Investment decisions are based upon outlooks for interest rates and securities markets, the supply of municipal debt obligations, and analysis of specific securities. The Fund invests in obligations and participations in obligations which are rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization at the time of purchase as investment grade or, if unrated, are issued by obligors which Thornburg determines have comparable investment grade obligations outstanding or which are deemed by Thornburg to be comparable to obligors with outstanding investment grade obligations. “Participations” are undivided interests in pools of securities where the underlying credit support passes through to the participants. The Fund’s portfolio is “laddered” by investing in obligations of different maturities so that some obligations mature during each of the coming years.

Because the magnitude of changes in value of interest-bearing obligations is greater for obligations with longer durations given an equivalent change in interest rates, the Fund seeks to reduce changes in its share value compared to longer duration fixed income portfolios by maintaining a portfolio of investments with a dollar-weighted average duration of normally no more than three years. Duration is a measure of estimated sensitivity to interest rate changes, and a debt obligation or a portfolio of obligations with a higher duration will typically be more sensitive to interest rate changes than an obligation or a portfolio with a lower duration. Duration is commonly expressed as a number, which is the expected percentage change in an obligation’s price upon a 1% change in interest rates. For example, an obligation with a duration of 3 would be expected to change in price by approximately 3% in response to a 1% change in interest rates. During temporary periods the Fund’s average duration and average portfolio maturity may be further reduced for defensive purposes. There is no limitation on the duration or maturity of any specific security the Fund may purchase. The Fund may dispose of any security before it matures. The Fund also attempts to reduce changes in its share value through credit analysis, selection and diversification.

The Fund ordinarily acquires and holds securities for investment rather than for realization of gains by short-term trading on market fluctuations. However, it may dispose of any security prior to its scheduled maturity to enhance income or reduce loss, to change the portfolio’s average duration or average maturity, or to otherwise respond to current market conditions. The objective of preserving capital may prevent the Fund from obtaining the highest yields available.

The Fund normally invests 100% of its assets in municipal obligations, the income from which is exempt from the regular federal income tax. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in taxable securities which would produce income not exempt from federal income tax because of market conditions, pending investment of idle funds or to afford liquidity. The Fund’s temporary taxable investments may exceed 20% of its assets when made for defensive purposes during periods of abnormal market conditions. If the Fund found it necessary to own taxable investments, some of its income would be subject to federal income tax.

An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares and its dividends may fluctuate from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. The Fund seeks higher income than is typically available, across market cycles, from investment in a money market fund. Consequently, if your sole objective is preservation of capital, then the Fund may not be suitable for you because the Fund’s share value will fluctuate, including as interest rates change. Investors whose sole objective is preservation of capital may wish to consider a high quality money market fund. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund.

Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests.

Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term obligations. When interest rates decrease, the Fund’s dividends may decline. Decreases in market interest rates may also result in prepayments of obligations the Fund acquires, requiring the Fund to reinvest at lower interest rates.

Credit Risk – If obligations held by the Fund are downgraded by ratings agencies or go into default, or if legislation or other government action reduces the ability of issuers to pay principal and interest when due, the value of those obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value and any dividends paid by the Fund may be reduced. Municipal leases held by the Fund may be subject to non-appropriation provisions which permit governmental issuers to discontinue payments to the Fund under the leases.

Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions.

Liquidity Risk – Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell promptly some or all of the obligations that it holds, or may only be able to sell obligations at less than desired prices.

Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies and risks of investing in the Fund appears beginning on page 51.

The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Short Duration Municipal Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class A shares have been different in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class A and Class I share performance to the ICE BofAML 1-3 Year U.S. Municipal Securities Index, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200.

The sales charge for Class A shares is not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart above, and the returns would be less if the charge was taken into account.

After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation, and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class A shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.

Fund Summary

The primary investment goal of Limited Term Municipal Fund is to obtain as high a level of current income exempt from federal individual income tax as is consistent, in the view of the Fund’s investment advisor, with preservation of capital.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

Shareholder Fees

Example

You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your Class C shares:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over”) its portfolio. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 21.22% of the average value of its portfolio.

The Fund pursues its primary goal by investing principally in a laddered maturity portfolio of municipal obligations issued by states and state agencies, local governments and their agencies and by United States territories and possessions. Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”) actively manages the Fund’s portfolio. Investment decisions are based upon outlooks for interest rates and securities markets, the supply of municipal debt obligations, and analysis of specific securities. The Fund invests in obligations and participations in obligations which are rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization at the time of purchase as investment grade or, if unrated, are issued by obligors which Thornburg determines have comparable investment grade obligations outstanding or which are deemed by Thornburg to be comparable to obligors with outstanding investment grade obligations. “Participations” are undivided interests in pools of securities where the underlying credit support passes through to the participants. The Fund’s portfolio is “laddered” by investing in obligations of different maturities so that some obligations mature during each of the coming years.

Because the magnitude of changes in value of interest-bearing obligations is greater for obligations with longer terms given an equivalent change in interest rates, the Fund seeks to reduce changes in its share value by maintaining a portfolio of investments with a dollar-weighted average maturity normally less than five years. As a result, the Fund also maintains a portfolio of investments having a dollar-weighted average effective duration of normally no more than five years. Duration is a measure of estimated sensitivity to interest rate changes. A portfolio with a longer average effective duration will typically be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a portfolio with a shorter average effective duration. Duration is commonly expressed as a number, which is the expected percentage change in an obligation’s price upon a 1% change in interest rates. For example, an obligation with a duration of 5 would be expected to change in price by approximately 5% in response to a 1% change in interest rates. During temporary periods the Fund’s portfolio maturity and average effective duration may be reduced for defensive purposes. There is no limitation on the maturity of any specific security the Fund may purchase. The Fund may dispose of any security before it matures. The Fund also attempts to reduce changes in its share value through credit analysis, selection and diversification.

The Fund ordinarily acquires and holds securities for investment rather than for realization of gains by short-term trading on market fluctuations. However, it may dispose of any security prior to its scheduled maturity to enhance income or reduce loss, to change the portfolio’s average maturity, or to otherwise respond to current market conditions. The objective of preserving capital may prevent the Fund from obtaining the highest yields available.

The Fund normally invests 100% of its assets in municipal obligations, the income from which is exempt from the regular federal income tax. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in taxable securities which would produce income not exempt from federal income tax because of market conditions, pending investment of idle funds or to afford liquidity. The Fund’s temporary taxable investments may exceed 20% of its assets when made for defensive purposes during periods of abnormal market conditions. If the Fund found it necessary to own taxable investments, some of its income would be subject to federal income tax.

An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Accordingly, the loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of the Fund’s shares and its dividends may fluctuate from day to day and over time, and when you sell your shares they may be worth less than what you paid for them. The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund.

Management Risk – The Fund is an actively managed portfolio, and the value of the Fund may be reduced if Thornburg pursues unsuccessful investments or fails to correctly identify risks affecting the broad economy or specific issuers in which the Fund invests.

Interest Rate Risk – When interest rates increase, the value of the Fund’s investments may decline and the Fund’s share value may be reduced. This effect is typically more pronounced for intermediate and longer-term obligations. When interest rates decrease, the Fund’s dividends may decline. Decreases in market interest rates may also result in prepayments of obligations the Fund acquires, requiring the Fund to reinvest at lower interest rates.

Credit Risk – If obligations held by the Fund are downgraded by ratings agencies or go into default, or if legislation or other government action reduces the ability of issuers to pay principal and interest when due, the value of those obligations may decline and the Fund’s share value and the dividends paid by the Fund may be reduced. Lower-rated or unrated obligations held by the Fund may have, or may be perceived to have, greater risk of default and ratings downgrades. Municipal leases held by the Fund may be subject to non-appropriation provisions which permit governmental issuers to discontinue payments to the Fund under the leases.

Market and Economic Risk – The value of the Fund’s investments may decline and its share value may be reduced due to changes in general economic and market conditions. This effect is typically more pronounced for the Fund’s investments in lower-rated and unrated municipal obligations, the value of which may fluctuate more significantly in response to poor economic growth or other changes in market conditions, political, economic and legal developments, and developments affecting specific issuers.

Liquidity Risk – Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, the Fund may not be able to sell promptly some or all of the obligations that it holds, or may only be able to sell obligations at less than desired prices. The market for lower-rated and unrated obligations may be less liquid than the market for other obligations, making it difficult for the Fund to value its investment in a lower-rated or unrated obligation or to sell the investment in a timely manner or at an acceptable price.

Additional information about Fund investments, investment strategies and risks of investing in the Fund appears beginning on page 51.

The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in Limited Term Municipal Fund by showing how the Fund’s investment results vary from year to year. The bar chart shows how the annual total returns for Class A shares have been different in each full year shown. The average annual total return figures compare Class A, Class C and Class I share performance to the ICE BofAML 1-10 Year U.S. Municipal Securities Index, a broad measure of market performance. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. The performance information shown is as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2019. No performance information for Class C2 shares is provided because Class C2 shares have not been in operation for a full calendar year. Updated performance information may be obtained on the Thornburg website at www.thornburg.com or by calling 1-800-847-0200.

The sales charge for Class A shares is not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart above, and the returns would be less if the charge was taken into account.

After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect state or local income taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s own tax situation and may differ from the returns shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. The after-tax returns shown relate only to Class A shares, and after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.

Fund Summary

The primary investment goal of Intermediate Municipal Fund is to obtain as high a level of current income exempt from federal individual income tax as is consistent, in the view of the Fund’s investment advisor, with preservation of capital.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

Shareholder Fees

Example

You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your Class C shares:

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 15.88% of the average value of its portfolio.

The Fund pursues its primary goal by investing principally in a laddered maturity portfolio of municipal obligations issued by states and state agencies, local governments and their agencies, and by United States territories and possessions. Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (“Thornburg”) actively manages the Fund’s portfolio. Investment decisions are based upon outlooks for interest rates and securities markets, the supply of municipal debt obligations, and analysis of specific securities. The Fund invests in obligations and participations in obligations which are rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization at the time of purchase as investment grade or, if unrated, are issued by obligors which Thornburg determines have comparable investment grade obligations outstanding or which are deemed by Thornburg to be comparable to obligors with outstanding investment grade obligations. “Participations” are undivided interests in pools of securities where the underlying credit support passes through to the participants. The Fund’s portfolio is “laddered” by investing in obligations of different maturities so that some obligations mature during each of the coming years.

Because the magnitude of changes in value of interest-bearing obligations is greater for obligations with longer terms given an equivalent change in interest rates, the Fund seeks to reduce changes in its share value by maintaining a portfolio of investments with a dollar-weighted average maturity of normally three to ten years. As a result, the Fund also maintains a portfolio of investments having a dollar-weighted average effective duration of normally no more than ten years. Duration is a measure of estimated sensitivity to interest rate changes. A portfolio with a longer average effective duration will typically be more sensitive to interest rate changes than a portfolio with a shorter average effective duration. Duration is commonly expressed as a number, which is the expected percentage change in an obligation’s price upon a 1% change in interest rates. For example, an obligation with a duration of 10 would be expected to change in price by approximately 10% in response to a 1% change in interest rates. During temporary periods the Fund’s portfolio maturity and average effective duration may be reduced for defensive purposes. There is no limitation on the maturity of any specific security the Fund may purchase. The Fund may dispose of any security before it matures. The Fund also attempts to reduce changes in its share value through credit analysis, selection and diversification.