497K 1 d502495d497k.htm WILMINGTON MUNICIPAL BOND FUND Wilmington Municipal Bond Fund

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS - August 31, 2023

WILMINGTON MUNICIPAL BOND FUND

 

 

Class/Ticker        A WTABX        I WTAIX

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, which contain more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, and other information about the Fund online at www.wilmingtonfunds.com. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1.800.836.2211, by sending an email to funds@wilmingtontrust.com, or by asking any financial advisor, bank, or broker-dealer who offers shares of the Fund. The Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, both dated August 31, 2023, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.

Investment Goal

The Fund seeks a high level of income exempt from federal income tax, consistent with the preservation of capital.

Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the Fund’s Class A Shares and Class I Shares. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in the Wilmington Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the Fund’s prospectus in the section entitled “How are shares priced?” on page 75 of this prospectus.

Shareholder Fees

(Fees paid directly from your investment)

 

     Class A      Class I  

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases

(as a percentage of offering price)

     4.50%        None  
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)      None        None  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends (and other Distributions)      None        None  
Redemption Fee      None        None  
Exchange Fee      None        None  

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

 

     Class A      Class I  
Management Fee      0.45%        0.45%  

Distribution and/or Service

(12b-1) Fees

     0.25%        None  
Other Expenses      0.41%        0.16%  
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses      0.02%        0.02%  
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses      1.13%        0.63%  

Fee Waivers and/or Expense

Reimbursements(1)

     -0.39%        -0.14%  
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement      0.74%        0.49%  

 

(1)   The Fund’s Advisor, distributor and shareholder services provider have agreed to waive their fees and/or reimburse expenses so that the total annual fund operating expenses paid by the Fund’s Class A Shares and Class I Shares will not exceed 0.72% and 0.47%, respectively (not including the effects of acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage commissions and interest). This waiver may be amended or withdrawn after August 31, 2024, or with the agreement of the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

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’s Class A Shares and Class I Shares for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same and that the fee waivers/expense reimbursements remain in place for the contractual period. Although your actual costs and returns

 

 

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may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

    1 Year     3 Years     5 Years     10 Years  

Class A

       

Expenses assuming redemption

  $ 522     $ 756     $ 1,008     $ 1,729  

Class I

       

Expenses assuming redemption

  $ 50     $ 188     $ 337     $ 773  

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 28% of the average value of the portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of the value of its net assets in municipal securities that provide interest exempt from federal income tax. However, the income on these securities may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in other types of fixed income securities that provide income that is subject to federal income tax. Additionally, the Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). The Fund generally invests in securities rated in the top four categories by a rating agency such as Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) or Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) or if unrated, determined by the investment advisor to be of comparable quality, but also may invest up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets in lower-rated debt securities (“junk bonds”). The Fund seeks to maintain a weighted average maturity of three to ten years. However, the Fund has no maturity restrictions on individual issues, and the weighted average maturity of the Fund’s portfolio will vary depending on market conditions.

The Fund may invest more than 25% of its assets in securities relating to one political subdivision, such as any state or U.S. territory. The Fund may focus its investments in sectors of the municipal securities market, such as healthcare or housing. There are no limitations on the Fund’s investment in any one of the three general categories of municipal obligations: general obligation bonds, special revenue bonds and private activity bonds.

In selecting securities, the Fund’s investment advisor focuses on credit analysis, the relative values of different sectors of the market, geographic diversity and securities

with different and potentially advantageous structures. The investment advisor seeks to construct a portfolio with substantially the same interest rate exposure as the Fund’s benchmark, and does not select securities based on forecasts of interest rates.

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The primary factors that may reduce the Fund’s returns include:

 

    Alternative Minimum Tax Risk. Although the interest received from municipal securities generally is exempt from federal income tax, the Fund may invest a portion of its total assets in municipal securities subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Accordingly, investment in the Fund could cause noncorporate shareholders to be subject to (or result in an increased liability under) the federal alternative minimum tax.

 

    Call Risk. Issuers of callable securities may redeem the securities prior to maturity at a price below their current market value.

 

    Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions Risk. Interest rates have changed due to changes in Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) monetary policy actions, as well as, the monetary policy responses of other central banks around the world. In addition, decreases in fixed income dealer market-making capacity may also potentially lead to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity in the fixed income markets. As a result, the value of the Fund’s investments and share price may decline. Changes in central bank policies could also result in higher than normal shareholder redemptions, which could potentially increase portfolio turnover and the Fund’s transaction costs.

 

    Credit Risk. There is a possibility that issuers of securities in which the Fund invests may default in the payment of interest or principal on the securities when due, which would cause the Fund to lose money.

 

   

Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”) Risk. An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional fund (i.e., one that is not exchange-traded) that has the same investment objectives, strategies, and policies. The price of an ETF can fluctuate up or down, and a Fund could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down. In addition, ETFs may be subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional funds: (i) the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade above or below their net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; or (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which

 

 

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    are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.

 

    Interest Rate Risk. The risk posed by the fact that prices of fixed income securities rise and fall inversely in response to interest rate changes. For instance, a rise in interest rates causes a fall in the value of a fixed income securities. In addition, this risk increases with the length of the maturity of the fixed income security. Accordingly, the yield earned by a Fund will vary with changes in interest rates. Also, when interest rates fall, the price of mortgage-backed securities may not rise to as great an extent as that of other fixed income securities. Duration is a measure of the expected life of a debt security that is used to determine the sensitivity of the security’s price to changes in interest rates. Generally, the longer the Fund’s duration, the more sensitive the Fund will be to changes in interest rates.

 

    Liquidity Risk. The risk that certain securities may be difficult or impossible for a Fund to sell or dispose of at the price at which the Fund has valued the security.

 

    Market Risk. There is a risk that the value of the Fund’s investments may decrease in response to expected, real or perceived economic, political or financial events in the U.S. or global markets. The frequency and magnitude of such changes in value cannot be predicted. Certain securities and other investments held by the Fund may experience increased volatility, illiquidity, or other potentially adverse effects in response to changing market conditions, inflation, changes in interest rates, lack of liquidity in the bond or equity markets, volatility in the equity markets, market disruptions caused by local or regional events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness (including epidemics and pandemics) or other public health issues, recessions or other events or adverse investor sentiment or other political, regulatory, economic and social developments, and developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market.

 

    Municipal Securities Risk. The Fund will likely be impacted by events tied to the overall municipal securities markets. Those markets can be volatile and significantly affected by unfavorable legislative or political developments and adverse changes in the financial conditions of municipal securities issuers and the economy. Further, a fund that invests in the securities of a particular bond market sector (e.g., healthcare, housing or one political subdivision) is subject to the risk that adverse circumstances will have a greater impact on the fund than a fund that does not make such sector investments. It is possible that economic, business or political developments or other changes affecting one security in the sector will affect other securities in that sector in the same manner, thereby increasing the risk of such investments.
    Non-Investment Grade Securities (Junk Bonds) Risk. High-yield bonds, which are rated below investment grade and are typically referred to as junk bonds, are generally more exposed to credit risk than investment grade securities. These securities are generally higher-yielding and higher-risk than investment grade, fixed income securities and are issued by entities whose ability to pay interest and principal on the debt in a timely manner is considered questionable.

 

    Prepayment Risk. The risk that certain municipal securities may be paid off and proceeds delivered to a Fund earlier than anticipated. Prepayment risk is more prevalent during periods of falling interest rates.

 

    Tax Risk. Failure of a municipal security to meet certain legal requirements may cause the interest received and distributed by the Fund to shareholders to be taxable, which could result in a decline in the security’s, and therefore the Fund’s, value.

As with any mutual fund investment, loss of money is a risk of investing. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Performance Information

The bar chart and table immediately following show the variability of the Fund’s returns and are meant to provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year, with respect to its Class I Shares, and by showing how the Fund’s average annual total returns for 1, 5 and 10 years compare with those of broad measures of market performance. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.wilmingtonfunds.com.

 

 

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Annual Total Returns – Class I Shares

 

LOGO

 

Best Quarter

3.35%

12/31/2022

 

Worst Quarter

(6.07)%

3/31/2022

 

The Fund’s Class I Shares total return for the six-month period from January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023 was 2.05%. For Class A Shares the average annual total returns in the table below include the maximum Class A sales charge of 4.50%, which is normally deducted when you purchase shares.

Average Annual Total Returns

(For the periods ended December 31, 2022)

 

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  
       

Class I Shares

                       
       

Return Before Taxes

    (7.59)%       0.68%       1.44%  
       

Return After Taxes on Distributions*

    (7.59)%       0.58%       1.26%  
       

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares*

    (3.77)%       0.99%       1.56%  
       

Class A Shares

                       
       

Return Before Taxes

    (12.06)%       (0.52)%       0.72%  
       

Standard & Poor’s Intermediate Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

    (6.47)%       1.52%       2.15%  
       

Standard & Poor’s Investment Grade Intermediate Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

    (6.41)%       1.45%       2.09%  
*   After-tax performance is presented only for Class I Shares of the Fund. The after-tax returns for other Fund classes will vary. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds Fund shares in a tax-advantaged account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan.

Management of the Fund

Investment Advisor

Wilmington Funds Management Corporation (“WFMC”)

Investment Sub-Advisor

Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors, Inc.

 

Portfolio Managers   Title  

Service Date

(with the Fund)

Dan Scholl   Senior Vice President and Head of Municipal Fixed Income at WTIA   2019
Jason Hannon, CFA   Senior Vice President, Head of Municipal Strategy at WTIA   2019
John J. Malloy, Jr.   Senior Vice President and Senior Municipal Portfolio Manager at WTIA   2011

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Requests to purchase or redeem Fund Shares are processed on each day that the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business. You may purchase or redeem Shares by contacting the Fund at 1-800-836-2211. If you invest through a financial intermediary, please contact that intermediary regarding purchase and redemption procedures.

 

Minimum Initial Investment Amount (Class A):*    $ 1,000  
Minimum Initial Investment Amount (Class I):*    $ 100,000  
Minimum Subsequent Investment Amount (all share classes):    $ 25  

 

*   Other restrictions may apply. See “Purchasing Shares” in the Prospectus for further information.

The minimum initial and subsequent investment amounts may be waived or lowered from time to time.

Tax Information

The distributions you receive from the Fund primarily are exempt from regular federal income tax. A portion of these distributions, however, may be subject to federal AMT and state and local taxes. The Fund may also make distributions that are taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains.

 

 

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Additional Payments to Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies (such as the Advisor) may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

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WT MBF 08.31.23

 

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