497K 1 msifgfp-html7827_497k.htm MSIF GLOBAL FRANCHISE PORTFOLIO - 497K

 

Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc.

Global Franchise Portfolio

Summary Prospectus   |   April 30, 2024 

Share Class and Ticker Symbols

 

Class I

Class A

Class L

Class C

Class R6

MSFAX

MSFBX

MSFLX

MSGFX

MGISX

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s statutory prospectus (“Prospectus”), which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s Prospectus and other information about the Fund, including the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) and the most recent Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders (“Shareholder Reports”), online at www.morganstanley.com/im/MSIFGlobalFranchise. You can also get this information at no cost by calling toll-free 1-866-414-6349 or by sending an e-mail request to orders@mysummaryprospectus.com. The Fund’s Prospectus and SAI, both dated  April 30, 2024 (as may be supplemented from time to time), are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.

Investment Objective

The Global Franchise 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, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay fees other than the fees and expenses of the Fund, such as brokerage commissions and other fees charged by financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

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 shares of the Fund and/or certain other Morgan Stanley Funds 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, amounts to $50,000 or more. More information about this combined purchase discount and other discounts is available from your authorized financial intermediary, on page 54 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)

 

Class I

Class A

Class L

Class C

Class R6

 

Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price)

None

5.25%

None

None

None

 

Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage based on the lesser of the offering price or NAV at redemption)

None

None1

None

1.00%2

None

 

 


 

Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. Prospectus  |  Fund Summary 

Global Franchise Portfolio (Con’t) 

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

 

Class I

Class A

Class L

Class C

Class R6

 

Advisory Fee

0.73%

0.73%

0.73%

0.73%

0.73%

 

Distribution and/or Shareholder Service (12b-1) Fee

None

0.25%

0.75%

1.00%

None

 

Other Expenses

0.19%

0.19%

0.19%

0.18%

0.10%

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.92%

1.17%

1.67%

1.91%

0.83%

 

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. After eight years, Class C shares of the Fund generally will convert automatically to Class A shares of the Fund. The example for Class C shares reflects the conversion to Class A shares after eight years. Please refer to the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—Conversion Features” for more information. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

If You SOLD Your Shares

 

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

 

Class I

$ 94

$ 293

$ 509

$ 1,131

 

Class A

$ 638

$ 877

$ 1,135

$ 1,871

 

Class L

$ 170

$ 526

$ 907

$ 1,976

 

Class C

$ 294

$ 600

$ 1,032

$ 2,040

 

Class R6

$ 85

$ 265

$ 460

$ 1,025

 

If You HELD Your Shares

 

 

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

 

Class I

$ 94

$ 293

$ 509

$ 1,131

 

Class A

$ 638

$ 877

$ 1,135

$ 1,871

 

Class L

$ 170

$ 526

$ 907

$ 1,976

 

Class C

$ 194

$ 600

$ 1,032

$ 2,040

 

Class R6

$ 85

$ 265

$ 460

$ 1,025

 

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 12 months, 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 the last day of the month of purchase. See “Shareholder Information—How To Redeem Fund Shares” for a complete discussion of the CDSC.

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. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 15% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund’s “Adviser,” Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., and the Fund’s “Sub-Adviser,” Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited (“MSIM Limited”), seek long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities of issuers located throughout the world that they believe have, among other things, sustainable competitive advantages, capable management and financial strength. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests in securities of issuers from at least three different countries, which may include the United States.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser seek to invest in high quality companies they believe have strong business franchises, strong cash flows, modest capital requirements, strong balance sheets, capable management, and that typically return cash to shareholders. The franchise focus of the Fund is based on the Adviser’s and/or Sub-Adviser’s belief that the intangible assets underpinning a strong business franchise (such as brands and networks) are difficult to create or to replicate and that carefully selected franchise companies can yield above-average potential for long-term capital appreciation.

2 


 

Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. Prospectus   |   Fund Summary 

Global Franchise Portfolio (Con’t) 

As an integrated part of the investment process, the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser assesses relevant factors material to long-term sustainably high returns on operating capital including environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and seeks to engage with companies as part of this. Subject to the Fund’s investment objective the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser retains discretion over which investments are selected. In exercising this discretion, ESG factors are not the sole determinant of whether an investment can be made or a holding can remain in the Fund’s portfolio, but instead the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser considers material risks or opportunities in any of the ESG areas which could threaten or enhance high returns on operating capital of a company.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser rely on their research capabilities, analytical resources and judgment to identify and monitor franchise businesses meeting their investment criteria. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser believe that the number of issuers with strong business franchises meeting their criteria may be limited, and accordingly, the Fund may concentrate its holdings in a relatively small number of companies. The Fund’s equity investments may include convertible securities.

The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser generally consider selling a portfolio holding when they determine that the holding no longer satisfies their investment criteria or that replacing the holding with another investment should improve the Fund’s valuation and/or quality.

The Fund may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities.

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, political conditions and public health conditions. During periods when equity securities experience heightened volatility, such as during periods of market, economic or financial uncertainty or distress, the Fund’s investments in equity securities may be subject to heightened risks.

 

  The value of equity securities and related instruments may decline in response to adverse changes in the economy or the economic outlook; deterioration in investor sentiment; interest rate, currency, and commodity price fluctuations; adverse geopolitical, social or environmental developments; issuer- and sector-specific considerations; unexpected trading activity among retail investors; and other factors. Market conditions may affect certain types of stocks to a greater extent than other types of stocks. If the stock market declines, the value of Fund shares will also likely decline.

 

Convertible Securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock, right, warrant or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock or other security of the same or a different issuer or into cash within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. 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.

 

Foreign and Emerging Market Securities. Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political (including geopolitical), economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, less stringent investor protections and disclosure standards, 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 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, companies, entities and/or individuals, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of capital controls, nationalization of companies or industries, expropriation of assets or the imposition of punitive taxes. The governments of certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on foreign investing in their capital markets or in certain sectors or industries. In addition, a foreign government may limit or cause delay in the convertibility or repatriation of its currency which would adversely affect the U.S. dollar value and/or liquidity of investments denominated in that currency. Certain foreign investments may become less liquid in response to market developments or adverse investor perceptions, or become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. When the Fund holds illiquid investments, its portfolio may be harder to value. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than the risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. Certain emerging market countries may be subject to less
 

3 


 

Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. Prospectus  |  Fund Summary 

Global Franchise Portfolio (Con’t) 

 

stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping and therefore, material information related to an investment may not be available or reliable. In addition, the Fund is limited in its ability to exercise its legal rights or enforce a counterparty’s legal obligations in certain jurisdictions outside of the United States, in particular, in emerging market 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. To the extent hedged by the use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of the foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions may reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Fund’s securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract. Economic sanctions or other similar measures may be, and have been, imposed against certain countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals. Economic sanctions and other similar measures could, among other things, effectively restrict or eliminate the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell securities, negatively impact the value or liquidity of  the Fund’s investments, significantly delay or prevent the settlement of the Fund’s securities transactions, force the Fund to sell or otherwise dispose of investments at inopportune times or prices, or impair the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategies.

 

Liquidity. The Fund may make investments that are illiquid or restricted or that may become illiquid or 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 and may be unable to sell the security at all.

 

Derivatives. Derivatives and other similar instruments that create synthetic exposure often are subject to risks similar to those of the underlying asset or instrument, including market risk, and may be subject to 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, risks that the transactions may not be liquid, risks arising from margin and payment requirements, risks arising from mispricing or valuation complexity and operational and legal risks. Certain derivatives transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss.

 

Small and Mid Cap Companies. Investments in small and mid cap companies may involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities issued by small and mid cap companies may be less liquid and such companies may have more limited markets, financial resources and product lines, and may lack the depth of management of larger companies.

 

Global Franchise Companies.  Changes in the worldwide economy, consumer spending, competition, demographics and consumer preferences, government regulation and economic conditions may adversely affect global franchise companies and may negatively impact the Fund to a greater extent than if the Fund’s assets were invested in a wider variety of companies.

 

Market and Geopolitical Risk. The value of your investment in the Fund is based on the values of the Fund’s investments, which change due to economic and other events that affect markets generally, as well as those that affect particular regions, countries, industries, companies or governments. These events may be sudden and unexpected, and could adversely affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, which may in turn impact valuation, the Fund’s ability to sell securities and/or its ability to meet redemptions. The risks associated with these developments may be magnified if certain social, political, economic and other conditions and events (such as war, natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, conflicts, social unrest, recessions, inflation, interest rate changes and supply chain disruptions) adversely interrupt the global economy and financial markets. It is difficult to predict when events affecting the U.S. or global financial markets may occur, the effects that such events may have and the duration of those effects (which may last for extended periods). These events may negatively impact broad segments of businesses and populations and have a significant and rapid negative impact on the performance of the Fund’s investments, adversely affect and increase the volatility of the Fund’s share price and exacerbate pre-existing risks to the Fund.

 

Non-Diversification. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Because the Fund is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a single issuer or portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that issuer’s securities or that portfolio investment may cause the Fund’s overall value to decline to a greater degree than a diversified portfolio.

 

ESG Investment Risk. The Fund’s adherence to its ESG criteria and application of related analyses when selecting investments may impact the Fund’s performance, including relative to similar funds that do not adhere to such criteria or apply such analyses. Additionally, the Fund’s adherence to its ESG criteria and application of related analyses in connection with identifying and
 

4 


 

Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. Prospectus   |   Fund Summary 

Global Franchise Portfolio (Con’t) 

 

selecting investments may require subjective analysis based on qualitative assessments and may be difficult if data about a particular company is limited. A company’s ESG practices or the Adviser’s assessment of such may change over time.

 

Active Management Risk. In pursuing the Fund’s investment objective, the Adviser has considerable leeway in deciding which investments to buy, hold or sell on a day-to-day basis, and which trading strategies to use. For example, the Adviser, in its discretion, may determine to use some permitted trading strategies while not using others. The success or failure of such decisions will affect the Fund’s performance.
 

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

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s Class I shares’ performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods and since inception compare with those of an index intended to measure broad market performance. The performance of the other classes, which is shown in the table below, will differ because the classes have different ongoing fees. The Fund’s returns in the table include the maximum applicable sales charge for Class A and Class C  and assume you sold your shares at the end of each period (unless otherwise noted). 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 online at www.morganstanley.com/im or by calling toll-free 1-800-869-6397.

Annual Total Returns—Calendar Years

High Quarter

06/30/20

15.77%

Low Quarter

03/31/20

-13.07%

Average Annual Total Returns

(for the calendar periods ended  December 31, 2023)

 

Past One Year

Past Five Years

Past Ten Years

Since Inception

Class I (commenced operations on 11/28/2001)

Return Before Taxes

16.42%

11.50%

9.68%

10.91%

Return After Taxes on Distributions1

15.88%

10.75%

8.62%

9.96%

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

10.10%

9.09%

7.66%

9.28%

Class A (commenced operations on 11/28/2001)

Return Before Taxes

10.08%

10.03%

8.81%

10.35%

Class L (commenced operations on 4/27/2012)

Return Before Taxes

15.57%

10.68%

8.86%

9.26%

Class C (commenced operations on 9/30/2015)

Return Before Taxes

14.29%

10.40%

N/A

9.99%2

Class R6 (commenced operations on 5/29/2015)

Return Before Taxes

16.52%

11.60%

N/A

10.08%

MSCI World Net Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)3

23.79%

12.80%

8.60%

7.42%4

1 These returns do not reflect any tax consequences from a sale of your shares at the end of each period.

5 


 

Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. Prospectus  |  Fund Summary 

Global Franchise Portfolio (Con’t) 

2 Class C shares will generally automatically convert to Class A shares eight years after the end of the calendar month in which the shares were purchased. Performance for periods greater than eight years reflects this conversion.
3 The MSCI World Net Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the global equity market performance of developed markets. The term “free float” represents the portion of shares outstanding that are deemed to be available for purchase in the public equity markets by investors. The MSCI World Net Index currently consists of 23 developed market country indices. The performance of the index is listed in U.S. dollars and assumes reinvestment of net dividends. Net total return indices reinvest dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using (for international indices) a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
4 Since Inception reflects the inception date of Class I.

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns for the Fund’s other classes will vary from Class I shares’ returns. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns may be higher than before-tax returns due to an assumed benefit from capital losses that would have been realized had Fund shares been sold at the end of the relevant periods, as applicable.

Fund Management

Adviser. Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc.

Sub-Adviser. Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited.

Portfolio Managers. The Fund is managed by members of the International Equity team. Information about the members jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund is shown below:

Name

Title with Sub-Adviser

Date Began
Managing Fund

William D. Lock

Managing Director of MSIM Limited

June 2009

Bruno Paulson

Managing Director of MSIM Limited

June 2009

Nic Sochovsky

Managing Director of MSIM Limited

December 2015

Marcus Watson

Managing Director of MSIM Limited

January 2013

Alex Gabriele

Managing Director of MSIM Limited

September 2017

Richard Perrott

Executive Director of MSIM Limited

September 2017

Vladimir A. Demine

Executive Director of MSIM Limited

June 2009

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) has suspended offering Class L shares of the Fund for sale to all investors. The Class L shareholders of the Fund do not have the option of purchasing additional Class L shares. However, the existing Class L shareholders may invest in additional Class L shares through reinvestment of dividends and distributions.

The minimum initial investment generally is $1 million for Class I shares and $1,000 for each of Class A and Class C shares of the Fund.  To purchase Class R6 shares, an investor must meet a minimum initial investment of $5 million or be a defined contribution, defined benefit or other employer sponsored employee benefit plan, in each case provided that the plan trades through an intermediary that combines its clients’ assets in a single omnibus account, whether or not such plan is qualified under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and in each case subject to the discretion of the Adviser. The minimum initial investment may be waived for certain investments. For more information, please refer to the section of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—Minimum Investment Amounts.”

Shares of the Fund may be purchased or sold on any day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business directly from the Fund by mail (c/o SS&C Global Investor and Distribution Solutions, Inc., P.O. Box 219804, Kansas City, MO 64121-9804), by telephone (1-800-869-6397) or by contacting an authorized third-party, such as a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary that has entered into a selling agreement with the Fund’s “Distributor,” Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc. (each, a “Financial Intermediary”). In addition, you can sell Fund shares at any time by enrolling in a systematic withdrawal plan. If you sell Class A shares or Class C shares, your net sale proceeds are reduced by the amount of any applicable CDSC. For more information, please refer to the sections of the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—How To Purchase Fund Shares” and “—How To Redeem Fund Shares.”

Tax Information

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

6 


 

Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. Prospectus   |   Fund Summary 

Global Franchise Portfolio (Con’t) 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a  Financial Intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser  and/or the Distributor may pay the Financial  Intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related  services. These payments, which may be significant in  amount, may create a conflict of interest by influencing  the Financial Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend  the Fund over another investment. Ask  your salesperson or visit your Financial Intermediary’s  web site for more information.

7 


 

(This page intentionally left blank) 

© 2024 Morgan Stanley 

SU-MSIF-06