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(China Equity Portfolio)
Investment Objective
The China Equity Portfolio (the "Fund") seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
For purchases of Class A shares, you may qualify for a sales charge discount if the cumulative net asset value per share ("NAV") of Class A shares of the Fund being purchased in a single transaction, together with the NAV of any Class A and Class C shares of the Fund already held in Related Accounts (as defined in the section of the Prospectus entitled "Shareholder Information—Sales Charges Applicable to Purchases of Class A Shares") as of the date of the transaction as well as Class A, Class L and Class C shares of any other Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund excluding Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Short Duration Income, Ultra-Short Income and Ultra-Short Municipal Income Portfolios (as defined in the section of the Prospectus entitled "Shareholder Information—Exchange Privilege") and including shares of Morgan Stanley Money Market Funds (as defined in the section of the Prospectus entitled "Shareholder Information—Exchange Privilege") that you acquired in an exchange of Class A or Class C shares of the Fund or Class A, Class B, Class L or Class C shares of another Morgan Stanley Multi-Class Fund excluding Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Short Duration Income, Ultra-Short Income and Ultra-Short Municipal Income Portfolios already held in Related Accounts as of the date of the transaction, amounts to $25,000 or more. More information about this combined purchase discount and other discounts is available from your authorized financial intermediary, on page 18 of the Prospectus in the section entitled "Shareholder Information—Sales Charges Applicable to Purchases of Class A Shares" and in Appendix A attached to the Prospectus.
Class I shares may be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Fund's principal underwriter permitting such firms to (i) offer Class I shares solely when acting as an agent for the investor and (ii) impose on an investor transacting in Class I shares through such platforms a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker. Shares of the Fund are available in other share classes that have different fees and expenses.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees - (China Equity Portfolio)
Class I
Class A
Class C
Class IS
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) none 5.25% none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage based on the lesser of the offering price or NAV at redemption) none none [1] 1.00% [2] none
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of the amount redeemed on redemptions made within 30 days of purchase) 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 2.00%
[1] Investments in Class A shares that are not subject to any sales charges at the time of purchase are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") of 1.00% that will be imposed if you sell your shares within 18 months after the last day of the month of purchase, except for certain specific circumstances. See "Shareholder Information—How to Redeem Fund Shares" for further information about the CDSC waiver categories.
[2] The Class C CDSC is only applicable if you sell your shares within one year after purchase. See "Shareholder Information—How to Redeem Fund Shares" for a complete discussion of the CDSC.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses - (China Equity Portfolio)
Class I
Class A
Class C
Class IS
Advisory Fee 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80%
Distribution and/or Shareholder Service (12b-1) Fee none 0.25% 1.00% none
Other Expenses [1] 2.27% 2.38% 2.38% 2.23%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses [2] 3.07% 3.43% 4.18% 3.03%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement [2] 1.87% 1.88% 1.88% 1.88%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement [2] 1.20% 1.55% 2.30% 1.15%
[1] Other Expenses have been estimated for the current fiscal year.
[2] The Fund's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Fund so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 1.20% for Class I, 1.55% for Class A, 2.30% for Class C and 1.15% for Class IS. The fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Board of Directors of Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. (the "Company") acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.
Example
The example below 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 $10,000 in the Fund, your investment has a 5% return each year and the Fund's operating expenses remain the same (except that the example incorporates the fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement for only the first year). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
If You SOLD Your Shares
Expense Example - (China Equity Portfolio) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
Class I 122 772
Class A 674 1,357
Class C 333 1,099
Class IS 117 759
If You HELD Your Shares
Expense Example, No Redemption - (China Equity Portfolio) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
Class I 122 772
Class A 674 1,357
Class C 233 1,099
Class IS 117 759
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 Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. Because the Fund had not commenced operations as of the most recent fiscal year end, no portfolio turnover rate is available for the Fund.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective, under normal circumstances, by investing at least 80% of the Fund's net assets in equity securities of companies located in or operating in China (which, for the purposes of the Fund's investment strategy, includes mainland China and Hong Kong). This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified upon 60 days' notice in writing of any changes.
The Adviser actively selects positions in a limited number of equity securities using a fundamental bottom-up stock selection process informed by macro thematic research on China. The Adviser will employ this consistent and targeted approach seeking companies with strong sustainable earnings growth and fundamentals. Investment selection criteria include attractive growth characteristics, reasonable valuations and company managements oriented towards creating strong shareholder value. The Adviser generally considers selling an investment when it determines the company no longer satisfies their investment criteria.
The Fund may invest in China A-shares (shares of publicly traded companies based in mainland China) listed and traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect program, as well as China A-shares listed and traded on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect program (collectively, "Stock Connect"). Stock Connect is a securities trading and clearing program between the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited ("CSDCC") and Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited ("HKSCC") designed to permit mutual stock market access between mainland China and Hong Kong by allowing investors to trade and settle shares on each market via their local exchanges. Stock Connect may include other exchanges in the future. The Fund may also invest in China A-shares through any other means permitted in the future by applicable law or regulation.
The equity securities of Chinese companies the Fund may invest in also include securities issued by Hong Kong domiciled companies, as well as China H-shares (shares of China-incorporated, Hong Kong-listed companies), Shanghai- and Shenzhen-listed B-shares (shares of China-incorporated companies that are traded in foreign currencies) and China "red chip" shares (shares of companies based in mainland China that are incorporated outside China and listed in Hong Kong). In addition, the Fund may invest in American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") and other types of depositary receipts with respect to companies operating in China. The Fund may also invest in securities of other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"). The Fund may hold or have exposure to equity securities of companies in any industry or sector.
The investment process takes into account information about environmental, social and governance issues (also referred to as ESG) when making investment decisions. The Adviser focuses on engaging company management around corporate governance practices as well as what the Adviser deems to be materially important environmental and/or social issues facing a company. The investment process excludes holdings in tobacco companies.
The Fund may, but it is not required to, use derivative instruments for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, portfolio management or to earn income. The Fund's use of derivatives may involve the purchase and sale of derivative instruments such as futures, structured investments and other related instruments and techniques. Derivative instruments used by the Fund will be counted toward the Fund's 80% policy discussed above to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to the securities included within that policy.
Principal Risks
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective, and you can lose money investing in this Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund include:
  • Equity Securities. In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed-income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Fund invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying security.
  • China Risk. Investments in securities of Chinese issuers, including A-shares, involve risks and special considerations not typically associated with investments in the U.S. securities markets. These risks include, among others, (i) more frequent (and potentially widespread) trading suspensions and government interventions with respect to Chinese issuers, resulting in lack of liquidity and in price volatility, (ii) currency revaluations and other currency exchange rate fluctuations or blockage, (iii) the nature and extent of intervention by the Chinese government in the Chinese securities markets (including both direct and indirect market stabilization efforts, which may affect valuations of Chinese issuers), whether such intervention will continue and the impact of such intervention or its discontinuation, (iv) the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets, (v) the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support economic reform programs, (vi) limitations on the use of brokers (or action by the Chinese government that discourages brokers from serving international clients), (vii) higher rates of inflation, (viii) greater political, economic and social uncertainty, (ix) market volatility caused by any potential regional or territorial conflicts or natural disasters, (x) the risk of increased trade tariffs, embargoes and other trade limitations, (xi) custody risks associated with investing via the Stock Connect program, (xii) both interim and permanent market regulations which may affect the ability of certain stockholders to sell Chinese securities when it would otherwise be advisable and (xiii) foreign ownership limits of any listed Chinese company.
The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, interest rates, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. The Chinese central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership and actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China. In addition, the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their securities to increase or continue the rate of economic growth, control the rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion. It may do so in the future as well, potentially having a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China.
The Chinese securities markets are emerging markets characterized by greater price volatility relative to U.S. markets. Liquidity risks may be more pronounced for the A-share market than for Chinese securities markets generally because the A-share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control. The A-share market is volatile with a risk of suspension of trading in a particular security or government intervention. Securities on the A-share market may be suspended from trading without an indication of how long the suspension will last, which may impair the liquidity of such securities. Price fluctuations of A-shares are limited per trading day. In addition, there is less regulation and monitoring of Chinese securities markets and the activities of investors, brokers and other participants than in the United States. Accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards in China are different from U.S. standards and, therefore, disclosure of certain material information may not be made. In addition, less information may be available to the Fund and other investors than would be the case if the Fund's investments were restricted to securities of U.S. issuers. There is also generally less governmental regulation of the securities industry in China, and less enforcement of regulatory provisions relating thereto, than in the United States. Moreover, it may be more difficult to obtain a judgment in a court outside the United States.
The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trade. Adverse changes to the economic conditions of its primary trading partners, such as the United States, Japan and South Korea, would adversely impact the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments. International trade tensions involving China and its trading counterparties may arise from time to time which can result in trade tariffs, embargoes, trade limitations, trade wars and other negative consequences. Such actions and consequences may ultimately result in a significant reduction in international trade, an oversupply of certain manufactured goods, devaluations of existing inventories and potentially the failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China's export industry with a potentially severe negative impact to the Fund. Moreover, a slowdown in other significant economies of the world, such as the United States, the European Union and certain Asian countries, may adversely affect economic growth in China. An economic downturn in China would adversely impact the Fund's investments.
Emerging markets such as China can experience high rates of inflation, deflation and currency devaluation. The value of the renminbi ("RMB") may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation due to, among other things, changes in interest rates, the effects of monetary policies issued by China, the United States, foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities, the imposition of currency controls or other national or global political or economic developments.
Investments in China and Hong Kong involve risk of a total loss due to government action or inaction. China has committed by treaty to preserve Hong Kong's autonomy and its economic, political and social freedoms for 50 years from the July 1, 1997 transfer of sovereignty from Great Britain to China. However, if China would exert its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures or the existing social policy of Hong Kong, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance.
Risks of Investing through Stock Connect. The Fund may invest in A-shares listed and traded through Stock Connect, or on such other stock exchanges in China which participate in Stock Connect from time to time or in the future. Trading through Stock Connect is subject to a number of restrictions that may affect the Fund's investments and returns. For example, trading through Stock Connect is subject to daily quotas that limit the maximum daily net purchases on any particular day, which may restrict or preclude the Fund's ability to invest in Stock Connect A-shares. In addition, investments made through Stock Connect are subject to trading, clearance and settlement procedures that are relatively untested in China, which could pose risks to the Fund. Furthermore, securities purchased via Stock Connect will be held via a book entry omnibus account in the name of HKSCC, Hong Kong's clearing entity, at the CSDCC. The Fund's ownership interest in Stock Connect securities will not be reflected directly in book entry with CSDCC and will instead only be reflected on the books of its Hong Kong sub-custodian. The Fund may therefore depend on HKSCC's ability or willingness as record-holder of Stock Connect securities to enforce the Fund's shareholder rights. Chinese law did not historically recognize the concept of beneficial ownership; while Chinese regulations and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange have issued clarifications and guidance supporting the concept of beneficial ownership via Stock Connect, the interpretation of beneficial ownership in China by regulators and courts may continue to evolve. Moreover, Stock Connect A-shares generally may not be sold, purchased or otherwise transferred other than through Stock Connect in accordance with applicable rules.
A primary feature of Stock Connect is the application of the home market's laws and rules applicable to investors in A-shares. Therefore, the Fund's investments in Stock Connect A-shares are generally subject to Chinese securities regulations and listing rules, among other restrictions. The Fund will not benefit from access to Hong Kong investor compensation funds, which are set up to protect against defaults of trades, when investing through Stock Connect. Stock Connect is only available on days when markets in both China and Hong Kong are open, which may limit the Fund's ability to trade when it would be otherwise attractive to do so. Since the inception of Stock Connect, foreign investors investing in A-shares through Stock Connect have been temporarily exempt from Chinese corporate income tax and value-added tax on the gains on disposal of such A-shares. Dividends are subject to Chinese corporate income tax on a withholding basis at 10% unless reduced under a double tax treaty with China upon application to and obtaining approval from the competent tax authority. Additionally, uncertainties in permanent Chinese tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments in Stock Connect A-shares could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.
The Stock Connect program is a relatively new program and may be subject to further interpretation and guidance. There can be no assurance as to the program's continued existence or whether future developments regarding the program may restrict or adversely affect the Fund's investments or returns. In addition, the application and interpretation of the laws and regulations of China and Hong Kong, and the rules, policies or guidelines published or applied by relevant regulators and exchanges in respect of the Stock Connect program, are uncertain, and they may have a detrimental effect on the Fund's investments and returns.
H-Shares Risk. H-shares are foreign securities which, in addition to the risks described herein, are subject to the risk that the Hong Kong stock market may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese stock market. There may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the mainland Chinese stock market.
B-Shares Risk. The China B-share market is generally smaller, less liquid and has a smaller issuer base than the China A-share market. The issuers that compose the B-share market include a broad range of companies, including companies with large, medium and small capitalizations. Further, the B-shares market may behave very differently from other portions of the Chinese equity markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.
Red Chip Companies Risk. Red Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and may also be traded by foreigners. Because Red Chip companies are substantially controlled by various Chinese governmental authorities, investing in Red Chips involves risks that political changes, social instability, regulatory uncertainty, adverse diplomatic developments, asset expropriation or nationalization, or confiscatory taxation could adversely affect the performance of Red Chip companies. Red Chip companies may be less efficiently run and less profitable than other companies.
  • Foreign and Emerging Market Securities. Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets that have historically been considered stable may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. Certain foreign markets may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, entities and/or individuals, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Economic sanctions could, among other things, effectively restrict or eliminate the Fund's ability to purchase or sell securities or groups of securities for a substantial period of time, and may make the Fund's investments in such securities harder to value. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than the risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Fund's investments in foreign issuers may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of those investments will fluctuate with U.S. dollar exchange rates.
  • Investment Company Securities. Subject to the limitations set forth in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), or as otherwise permitted by the SEC, the Fund may acquire shares in other investment companies, including foreign investment companies and ETFs, which may be managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. The market value of the shares of other investment companies may differ from the NAV of the Fund. The shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their NAV. As a shareholder in an investment company, the Fund would bear its ratable share of that entity's expenses, including its investment advisory and administration fees. At the same time, the Fund would continue to pay its own advisory and administration fees and other expenses. As a result, the Fund and its shareholders, in effect, will be absorbing duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in other investment companies.
  • Liquidity. The Fund may make investments that are illiquid or restricted or that may become less liquid in response to overall economic conditions or adverse investor perceptions, and which may entail greater risk than investments in other types of securities. These investments may be more difficult to value or sell, particularly in times of market turmoil, and there may be little trading in the secondary market available for particular securities. If the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid or restricted security to fund redemptions or for other cash needs, it may be forced to sell the security at a loss or for less than its fair value.
  • Derivatives. A derivative instrument often has risks similar to its underlying asset and may have additional risks, including imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying asset, risks of default by the counterparty to certain transactions, magnification of losses incurred due to changes in the market value of the securities, instruments, indices or interest rates to which the derivative instrument relates and risks that the transactions may not be liquid. Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss.
  • Non-Diversification. Because the Fund is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that investment may cause the Fund's overall value to decline to a greater degree than a diversified portfolio.
Shares of the Fund are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Performance Information
As of the date hereof, the Fund has not yet completed a full calendar year of investment operations. Upon the completion of a full calendar year of investment operations by the Fund, this section will include charts that provide some indication of the risks of an investment in the Fund, by showing the difference in annual total returns, highest and lowest quarterly returns and average annual total returns (before and after taxes) compared to a benchmark index selected for the Fund. Performance information for the Fund will be available online at www.morganstanley.com/im or by calling toll-free (800) 548-7786.