N-CSRS 1 f59712nvcsrs.htm FORM N-CSRS nvcsrs
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-CSRS
CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT
OF
REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Investment Company Act file number: 811-6200
Schwab Investments — Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
     
211 Maint Street, San Francisco, California   94105
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip code)
Marie Chandoha
Schwab Investments — Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
211 Main Street, San Francisco, California 94105
(Name and address of agent for service)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (415) 627-7000
Date of fiscal year end: February 28
Date of reporting period: March 1, 2011 — August 31, 2011
Item 1: Report(s) to Shareholders.
 
 

 


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Semiannual report dated August 31, 2011, enclosed.
 
 
Schwab Global Real Estate Fundtm
 
 
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This wrapper is not part of the shareholder report.


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Schwab Global Real Estate Fundtm
 
Semiannual Report
August 31, 2011
 
 
 
 
(CHARLES SCHWAB LOGO)
 


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In This Report
 
     
     
  2
     
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  6
     
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  29
 
 
 
Fund investment adviser: Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (CSIM).
Distributor: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab).
 
The Sector/Industry classifications in this report use the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) which was developed by and is the exclusive property of Morgan Stanley Capital International Inc. (MSCI) and Standard & Poor’s (S&P). GICS is a service mark of MSCI and S&P and has been licensed for use by Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. The Industry classifications used in the schedules of Portfolio Holdings are sub-categories of Sector classifications.
 


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Performance at a Glance
 
The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than performance data quoted. To obtain performance information current to the most recent month end, please visit www.schwabfunds.com/prospectus.
 
         
Total Return for the Report Period  
 
 
Schwab Global Real Estate Fundtm (Ticker Symbol: SWASX)     -5.23% *
FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Index     -3.58%  
Fund Category: Morningstar Global Real Estate     -5.32%  
Performance Details     pages 6-7  
 
Minimum Initial Investment1     $ 100  
 
 
 
 
All fund and index figures on this page assume dividends and distributions were reinvested. Index figures do not include trading and management costs, which would lower performance. Indices are unmanaged, and you cannot invest in them directly. Performance results less than one year are not annualized.
 
Expenses may be partially absorbed by fund management. Without these reductions, the fund’s total return would have been lower. Performance does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption of fund shares.
 
Source for category information: Morningstar, Inc.
 
Total return for the report period presented in the table differs from the return in the Financial Highlights. The total return presented in the above table is calculated based on the NAV at which shareholder transactions were processed. The total return presented in the Financial Highlights section of the report is calculated in the same manner, but also taking into account certain adjustments that are necessary under generally accepted accounting principles required in the annual and semiannual reports.
 
Please see prospectus for further detail and eligibility requirements.
 
 
 
Schwab Global Real Estate Fund


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From the President
 

CHANDOHA PHOTO
 
Marie Chandoha is President and CEO of Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and the fund covered in this report.

 
Dear Shareholder,
 
Real estate markets in many locations around the world continued to recover during the six-month period that ended August 31, 2011, but the investment results of most publicly traded real estate securities disappointed investors. The FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Index reflected the lackluster performance of many real estate stocks, especially in Asia and Europe, returning -3.58% during the six-month period.
 
In general, concerns about Europe’s sovereign debt woes contributed to high levels of global market volatility during the reporting period. As European leaders debated remedies, the crisis encouraged a flight to quality, typically U.S. Treasury bonds, which appeared to be a safer haven than the sovereign debt of Germany or the United Kingdom.
 
Investors bought up Treasury bonds even after the first-ever downgrade of U.S long-term debt by Standard & Poor’s rating agency, which viewed the country’s burgeoning debt levels as a threat to its creditworthiness. Rates on two-year and 10-year Treasury securities fell to the low levels of 0.20% and 2.23%, respectively, on August 31.
 
Even as investors sought the safety of U.S Treasuries, worries about whether the U.S. economy might slip into recession drove stocks downward in August. For the six-month period under review, stocks as measured by the S&P 500 Index returned -7.23%.
 
Although global real estate share prices fell, some property markets, both globally and within the U.S., performed well. Nowhere was this more evident than in the Far East, where such markets as Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing,

 Asset Class Performance Comparison % returns during the report period
 
This graph compares the performance of various asset classes during the report period. Final performance figures for the period are in the key below.
         
         
(LEGEND)   −7.23%   S&P 500® Index: measures U.S. large-cap stocks
         
(LEGEND)   −3.58%   FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Index: measures (in U.S. dollars) real estate equities worldwide
         
(LEGEND)   −10.81%   MSCI EAFE® Index: measures (in U.S. dollars) large-cap stocks in Europe, Australasia and the Far East
         
(LEGEND)   5.49%   Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index: measures the U.S. bond market
 
(LINE GRAPH)
 
These figures assume dividends and distributions were reinvested. Index figures do not include trading and management costs, which would lower performance. Indices are unmanaged and you cannot invest in them directly. Remember that past performance is not an indication of future results.
 
Data source: Index provider websites and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
 
Nothing in this report represents a recommendation of a security by the investment adviser.
 
Manager views and portfolio holdings may have changed since the report date.

 
 
 
Schwab Global Real Estate Fund 3


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From the President continued
 

The FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Index reflected the lackluster performance of many real estate stocks, especially in Asia and Europe, returning -3.58% during the six-month period.

and Melbourne, Australia, enjoyed increases in occupancy and rents across a number of commercial property sectors. However, public policy initiatives to stem housing appreciation in China and Singapore took a toll on real estate stocks.
 
Other real estate markets outside the U.S. that have enjoyed healthy or improved commercial property fundamentals year-to-date include Central London, Paris, Germany, Poland, and Moscow in Europe. Turning to the Americas, despite ongoing policies to contain currency appreciation and inflation, Brazilian property continued to perform well. North of the U.S. border, real estate market conditions remained fundamentally healthy in Canada, with Toronto and Calgary—which were bolstered by strong employment growth—the leading local markets.
 
Property fundamentals also improved in the United States. Apartments remained the strongest property sector, as occupancy nationwide rose to its highest level in the second quarter since early 2008 and rents continued to climb in most major markets. Other sectors that performed well included upscale retail malls and high-end hotels. New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area were the leading local markets, with the latter replacing Washington D.C. in a top slot compared to earlier periods. After generating positive returns for much of the period, U.S. REIT share prices fell sharply in late July and early August amid concerns about near-term economic prospects, as well as the ongoing budget debate in Washington.
 
Thank you for investing in the Schwab Global Real Estate Fund. Please review the following pages for details about the fund’s characteristics and investment performance.
 
We encourage you to review your investment portfolio regularly to make sure it meets your current financial plan. For answers to questions you may have or to consult our website for more information, please visit www.schwabfunds.com. We are also happy to hear from you at 1-800-435-4000.
 
Sincerely,
 
-s- Marie Chandoha
 
 
Indexes are unmanaged, do not incur management fees, costs and expenses, and cannot be invested in directly. Index return figures assume dividends and distributions were reinvested.
 
 
 
Schwab Global Real Estate Fund


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Fund Management
 
     
     
(PHOTO)   Dionisio Meneses, Jr., a managing director and portfolio manager of the investment adviser, has day-to-day responsibility for the management of the fund. He joined the firm in 2007 and has worked in real estate research, analysis and investment since 1985.
 
 
 
Schwab Global Real Estate Fund 5


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Schwab Global Real Estate Fund™
 
 
Performance Summary as of 8/31/11
 
The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than performance data quoted. To obtain performance information current to the most recent month end, please visit www.schwabfunds.com/prospectus.
 
 Average Annual Total Returns1,2,3,4
 
                                         
Fund and Inception Date   6 Months   1 Year   3 Years   Since Inception
 
Fund: Schwab Global Real Estate Fundtm (5/31/07)
    -5.23 % *     12.50 %       1.31 %       -6.09 %  
FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Index
    -3.58 %       13.74 %       0.83 %       -6.13 %  
Fund Category: Morningstar Global Real Estate
    -5.32 %       12.49 %       0.24 %       -7.94 %  
 
Fund Expense Ratios5: Net 1.05%; Gross 1.20%
 
 
 Statistics
     
Number of Holdings
  94
Weighted Average Market Cap ($ x 1,000,000)
  $10,378
Price/Earnings Ratio (P/E)
  10.8
Price/Book Ratio (P/B)
  1.3
Portfolio Turnover Rate7
  56%
 
 Industry Weightings % of Investments
     
Real Estate Management & Development
  25.4%
Retail REITs
  22.4%
Office REITs
  11.7%
Specialized REITs
  11.0%
Diversified REITs
  8.2%
Residential REITs
  7.2%
Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines
  5.7%
Industrial REITs
  3.1%
Homebuilding
  2.8%
Short-Term Investments
  2.5%
Total
  100.0%
 
 Top Holdings % of Net Assets6
     
Unibail-Rodamco SE
  3.8%
Simon Property Group, Inc.
  3.5%
Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.
  3.4%
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
  3.2%
Boston Properties, Inc.
  3.0%
HCP, Inc.
  2.6%
Public Storage
  2.5%
Vornado Realty Trust
  2.4%
New World Development Co., Ltd.
  2.2%
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
  2.2%
Total
  28.8%
 
 
All total returns on this page assume dividends and distributions were reinvested. Index figures do not include trading and management costs, which would lower performance. Indices are unmanaged, and you cannot invest in them directly. Performance results less than one year are not annualized.
 
Manager views and portfolio holdings may have changed since the report date.
 
Small company stocks are subject to greater volatility than other asset classes.
 
Foreign securities can involve risks such as political and economic instability and currency risk.
 
The fund is subject to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate securities and an investment in the fund will be closely linked to the performance of the real estate markets.
 
Index ownership—“FTSE®” is trademark of The Financial Times Limited (“FT”) and the London Exchange Plc (the “Exchange”) and is used by the fund under license. The Schwab Global Real Estate Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FT or the Exchange, and FT and the Exchange do not make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in shares of the fund.
 
Source of Sector Classification: S&P and MSCI.
 
* Total return for the report period presented in the table differs from the return in the Financial Highlights. The total return presented in the above table is calculated based on the NAV at which shareholder transactions were processed. The total return presented in the Financial Highlights section of the report is calculated in the same manner, but also taking into account certain adjustments that are necessary under generally accepted accounting principles required in the annual and semiannual reports.
1 Performance does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption of fund shares.
2 Source for category information: Morningstar, Inc.
3 Fund expenses may have been partially absorbed by CSIM and Schwab. Without these reductions, the fund’s returns may have been lower.
4 On September 28, 2009, the Investor Share class and Select Share class were combined into a single class of shares of the fund. The performance and financial history of the fund are that of the fund’s former Select Shares. Accordingly, the past performance shown is that of the fund’s former Select Shares.
5 As stated in the prospectus. Net Expense: Expenses reduced by a contractual fee waiver in effect for so long as CSIM serves as adviser to the fund. Gross Expense: Does not reflect the effect of contractual fee waivers. For actual ratios during the reporting period, refer to the Financial Highlights section of the financial statements.
6 This list is not a recommendation of any security by the investment adviser.
7 Not annualized.
 
 
 
Schwab Global Real Estate Fund


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 Schwab Global Real Estate Fundtm

 
Performance Summary as of 8/31/11 continued
 
 Country Weightings % of Investments
         
United States
    40.9%  
Hong Kong
    16.0%  
Australia
    9.4%  
Japan
    7.5%  
Canada
    6.3%  
Singapore
    5.3%  
France
    4.7%  
United Kingdom
    3.8%  
Brazil
    2.3%  
Germany
    0.9%  
Other Countries
    2.9%  
Total
    100.0%  
 
 
 
 
 
Schwab Global Real Estate Fund 7


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Fund Expenses (Unaudited)
 
 Examples for a $1,000 Investment
 
As a fund shareholder, you incur two types of costs: transaction costs, such as redemption fees; and, ongoing costs, such as management fees, transfer agent and shareholder services fees, and other fund expenses.
 
The expense examples below are intended to help you understand your ongoing cost (in dollars) of investing in a fund and to compare this cost with the ongoing cost of investing in other mutual funds. These examples are based on an investment of $1,000 invested for six months beginning March 1, 2011 and held through August 31, 2011.
 
Actual Return lines in the table below provide information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use this information, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. To do so, simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value ¸ $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number given for your fund or share class under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period.”
 
Hypothetical Return lines in the table below provide information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed return of 5% per year before expenses. Because the return used is not an actual return, it may not be used to estimate the actual ending account value or expenses you paid for the period.
 
You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
 
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only, and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as redemption fees. Therefore, the hypothetical return lines of the table are useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.
 
 
                                 
            Ending
   
        Beginning
  Account Value
  Expenses Paid
    Expense Ratio1
  Account Value
  (Net of Expenses)
  During Period2
    (Annualized)   at 3/1/11   at 8/31/11   3/1/11–8/31/11
 
Schwab Global Real Estate Fundtm                                
Actual Return
    1.05%     $ 1,000     $ 949.20     $ 5.14  
Hypothetical 5% Return
    1.05%     $ 1,000     $ 1,019.86     $ 5.33  
 
 
1 Based on the most recent six-month expense ratio; may differ from the expense ratio provided in the Financial Highlights.
2 Expenses for the fund are equal to its annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184 days of the period, and divided by 366 days of the fiscal year.
 
 
 
Schwab Global Real Estate Fund


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Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 
 
Financial Statements
 
Financial Highlights
 
                                             
    3/1/11–
  3/1/10–
  3/1/09–
  3/1/08–
  5/31/072
   
    8/31/11*   2/28/11   2/28/101   2/28/09   2/29/08    
 
 
Per-Share Data ($)
Net asset value at beginning of period
    6.69       5.71       3.27       7.89       10.00      
   
Income (loss) from investment operations:
                                           
Net investment income (loss)
    0.09       0.19       0.16       0.16       0.16      
Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)
    (0.42 )     1.28       2.64       (4.65 )     (2.05 )    
   
Total from investment operations
    (0.33 )     1.47       2.80       (4.49 )     (1.89 )    
Less distributions:
                                           
Distributions from net investment income
    (0.17 )     (0.49 )     (0.36 )     (0.13 )     (0.22 )    
   
Net asset value at end of period
    6.19       6.69       5.71       3.27       7.89      
   
Total return (%)
    (5.08 )3     26.70       86.27       (57.72 )     (19.06 )3    
 
Ratios/Supplemental Data (%)
Ratios to average net assets:
                                           
Net operating expenses
    1.05 4     1.05       1.07 5     1.05       1.05 4    
Gross operating expenses
    1.17 4     1.20       1.30       1.24       1.17 4    
Net investment income (loss)
    2.21 4     2.29       2.31       2.83       2.06 4    
Portfolio turnover rate
    56 3     129       115       108       67 3    
Net assets, end of period ($ x 1,000,000)
    197       200       147       45       167      

* Unaudited.
1 Effective September 28, 2009, the Investor Shares class and the Select Shares class were combined into a single class of shares of the fund. The financial history as shown in the financial highlights is that of the former Select Shares.
2 Commencement of operations.
3 Not annualized.
4 Annualized.
5 The ratio of net operating expenses would have been 1.05% if certain non-routine expenses (proxy and tax expense) had not been incurred.
 
 
 
See financial notes 9


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 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

 
Portfolio Holdings as of August 31, 2011 (Unaudited)
 
 
This section shows all the securities in the fund’s portfolio and their values as of the report date.
 
The fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The fund’s Form N-Q is available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and may be viewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call 1-800-SEC-0330 for information on the operation of the Public Reference Room. The schedule of portfolio holdings filed on a fund’s most recent Form N-Q is also available by visiting the fund’s website at www.schwabfunds.com/prospectus.
 
                         
        Cost
  Value
Holdings by Category   ($)   ($)
 
  97 .5%   Common Stock     178,333,761       192,008,226  
  2 .5%   Short-Term Investments     4,929,171       4,929,171  
 
 
  100 .0%   Total Investments     183,262,932       196,937,397  
  0 .0%   Other Assets and Liabilities, Net             68,268  
 
 
  100 .0%   Net Assets             197,005,665  
 
                 
    Number
  Value
Security   of Shares   ($)
 
 Common Stock 97.5% of net assets
 
Asia Pacific and Other 40.3%
                 
 
Australia 8.7%
Abacus Property Group
    440,000       986,613  
CFS Retail Property Trust
    1,519,690       2,924,059  
Commonwealth Property Office Fund
    1,000,000       1,028,745  
Dexus Property Group
    2,269,583       2,088,974  
Stockland
    772,932       2,480,016  
Westfield Group
    459,934       4,015,262  
Westfield Retail Trust
    1,333,934       3,751,431  
                 
              17,275,100  
                 
 
Brazil 2.3%
Brookfield Incorporacoes S.A.
    327,300       1,439,224  
Brookfield Incorporacoes S.A. *
    9,312       41,532  
Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliarios S.A.
    48,750       1,025,284  
PDG Realty S.A. Empreendimentos e Participacoes
    199,500       981,271  
Rossi Residencial S.A.
    138,500       1,061,436  
                 
              4,548,747  
                 
 
China 0.6%
Home Inns & Hotels Management, Inc. ADR *
    30,000       1,147,200  
                 
 
Hong Kong 15.7%
Champion Real Estate Investment Trust
    2,155,000       1,079,901  
Great Eagle Holdings Ltd.
    481,460       1,420,554  
Hang Lung Properties Ltd.
    633,000       2,354,564  
Hongkong Land Holdings Ltd.
    599,000       3,469,711  
Hysan Development Co., Ltd.
    217,000       884,935  
Kerry Properties Ltd.
    894,000       3,877,271  
New World Development Co., Ltd.
    3,469,821       4,431,927  
Shangri-La Asia Ltd.
    763,916       1,763,201  
Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.
    471,454       6,658,603  
The Hongkong & Shanghai Hotels Ltd.
    2,679,968       4,066,504  
The Link REIT
    256,718       896,734  
                 
              30,903,905  
                 
 
India 0.8%
Indiabulls Real Estate Ltd. *
    335,520       620,203  
Indiabulls Wholesale Services Ltd. *
    53,812       6,018  
Indian Hotels Co., Ltd.
    570,406       904,663  
                 
              1,530,884  
                 
 
Japan 7.1%
Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.
    201,000       3,318,696  
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
    375,000       6,344,644  
Nippon Building Fund, Inc.
    87       935,430  
Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., Ltd.
    161,000       3,417,173  
                 
              14,015,943  
                 
 
Singapore 5.1%
Ascendas REIT
    540,000       950,820  
CDL Hospitality Trusts
    643,000       969,532  
Fortune REIT
    4,000,000       1,941,463  
Global Logistic Properties Ltd. *
    2,661,000       3,692,895  
Mapletree Logistics Trust
    2,089,200       1,543,645  
Suntec Real Estate Investment Trust
    850,000       952,867  
                 
              10,051,222  
                 
              79,473,001  
 
Europe 10.9%
                 
 
Austria 0.5%
Sparkassen Immobilien AG *
    160,935       903,563  
                 
 
Finland 0.6%
Technopolis Ojy
    193,505       1,054,240  
                 
 
France 4.7%
Gecina S.A.
    15,753       1,760,131  
Unibail-Rodamco SE
    34,426       7,418,641  
                 
              9,178,772  
                 
 
Germany 0.9%
Deutsche Wohnen AG
    68,000       1,006,560  
Patrizia Immobilien AG *
    155,600       833,819  
                 
              1,840,379  
                 
 
Sweden 0.5%
Fabege AB
    111,200       1,049,226  
                 
 
United Kingdom 3.7%
Derwent London plc
    34,155       855,540  
Great Portland Estates plc
    147,678       864,610  
Land Securities Group plc
    172,262       2,057,824  
Shaftesbury plc
    105,000       811,780  
Songbird Estates plc *
    741,000       1,443,438  
Unite Group plc *
    450,000       1,302,239  
                 
              7,335,431  
                 
              21,361,611  
 
 
 
10 See financial notes


Table of Contents

 
 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

 
Portfolio Holdings (Unaudited) continued
 
                 
    Number
  Value
Security   of Shares   ($)
 
North America 46.3%
                 
 
Canada 6.2%
Boardwalk Real Estate Investment Trust
    28,843       1,476,168  
Brookfield Office Properties Canada
    67,061       1,485,987  
Calloway Real Estate Investment Trust
    40,449       1,038,796  
Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust
    91,386       1,927,010  
Canadian Real Estate Investment Trust
    30,000       1,067,599  
Dundee Real Estate Investment Trust
    31,180       1,015,680  
Killam Properties, Inc.
    90,219       993,115  
Primaris Retail Real Estate Investment Trust
    98,491       2,089,898  
RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust
    39,743       1,037,709  
                 
              12,131,962  
                 
 
United States 40.1%
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
    60,086       4,374,861  
AvalonBay Communities, Inc.
    22,931       3,127,330  
Boston Properties, Inc.
    57,545       6,001,368  
Duke Realty Corp.
    247,540       2,938,300  
DuPont Fabros Technology, Inc.
    40,402       935,306  
Essex Property Trust, Inc.
    20,527       2,946,651  
Federal Realty Investment Trust
    34,589       3,132,034  
HCP, Inc.
    140,300       5,230,384  
Home Properties, Inc.
    33,000       2,206,710  
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
    353,536       4,182,331  
Kilroy Realty Corp.
    27,000       964,710  
Kimco Realty Corp.
    219,203       3,879,893  
LaSalle Hotel Properties
    79,760       1,499,488  
Lennar Corp., Class A
    87,800       1,290,660  
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
    65,000       1,044,550  
ProLogis, Inc.
    99,271       2,703,149  
Public Storage
    40,038       4,953,902  
Simon Property Group, Inc.
    58,048       6,820,640  
SL Green Realty Corp.
    19,600       1,415,904  
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
    73,203       3,261,926  
The Macerich Co.
    47,500       2,329,400  
The Ryland Group, Inc.
    65,000       757,900  
UDR, Inc.
    93,000       2,484,030  
Ventas, Inc.
    71,013       3,797,775  
Vornado Realty Trust
    56,022       4,812,850  
Weingarten Realty Investors
    80,000       1,949,600  
                 
              79,041,652  
                 
              91,173,614  
                 
Total Common Stock
(Cost $178,333,761)     192,008,226  
         
                 
                 
Security
  Face Amount
  Value
    Rate, Maturity Date   Local Currency   ($)
 
 Short-Term Investments 2.5% of net assets
 
Time Deposits 2.5%
Brown Brothers Harriman
Australian Dollar
3.75%, 09/01/11
    1,125,915       1,203,547  
Canadian Dollar
0.26%, 09/01/11
    284,856       290,877  
Hong Kong Dollar
0.01%, 09/01/11
    4,078,928       523,890  
Japanese Yen
0.01%, 09/01/11
    52,696,253       688,210  
Swiss Franc
0.01%, 09/01/11
    190,393       236,264  
Citibank
Singapore Dollar
0.01%, 09/01/11
    378,018       313,890  
US Dollar
0.03%, 09/01/11
    1,430,637       1,430,637  
JPMorgan Chase
Norwegian Krone
0.80%, 09/01/11
    1,000,000       186,420  
Pound Sterling
0.11%, 09/01/11
    34,150       55,436  
                 
Total Short-Term Investments
(Cost $4,929,171)     4,929,171  
         
 
End of Investments.
 
At 08/31/11, the tax basis cost of the fund’s investments was $189,339,573 and the unrealized appreciation and depreciation were $18,306,039 and ($10,708,215), respectively, with a net unrealized appreciation of $7,597,824.
 
As of 08/31/11, the values of certain foreign securities held by the fund aggregating $93,689,209 were adjusted from their closing market values in accordance with international fair valuation procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. (See financial notes 2)
 
* Non-income producing security.
 
 
 
See financial notes 11


Table of Contents

 
 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

Statement of
Assets and Liabilities
As of August 31, 2011; unaudited.
 
             
 
Assets
Investments, at value (cost $183,262,932)
        $196,937,397  
Foreign currency, at value (cost $445,466)
        441,773  
Receivables:
           
Investments sold
        453,213  
Dividends
        159,931  
Fund shares sold
        115,755  
Foreign tax reclaims
        1,275  
Interest
        1  
Prepaid expenses
  +     4,366  
   
Total assets
        198,113,711  
 
Liabilities
Payables:
           
Investments bought
        490,632  
Investment adviser and administrator fees
        10,328  
Shareholder services fees to affiliate
        4,299  
Fund shares redeemed
        582,139  
Trustees’ fees
        3  
Accrued expenses
  +     20,645  
   
Total liabilities
        1,108,046  
 
Net Assets
Total assets
        198,113,711  
Total liabilities
      1,108,046  
   
Net assets
        $197,005,665  
 
Net Assets by Source
Capital received from investors
        310,073,325  
Distributions in excess of net investment income
        (8,229,373 )
Net realized capital losses
        (118,511,660 )
Net unrealized capital gains
        13,673,373  
 
Net Asset Value (NAV)
 
                         
        Shares
             
Net Assets   ÷   Outstanding   =   NAV      
$197,005,665
      31,841,962         $6.19      
 
 
 
12 See financial notes


Table of Contents

 
 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

Statement of
Operations
For March 1, 2011 through August 31, 2011; unaudited
 
             
 
Investment Income
Dividends (net of $175,543 foreign withholding tax)
        $3,328,697  
Interest
  +     9,244  
   
Total investment income
        3,337,941  
 
Expenses
Investment adviser fees
        787,910  
Shareholder service fees
        252,780  
Portfolio accounting fees
        36,106  
Professional fees
        31,463  
Custodian fees
        27,458  
Shareholder reports
        24,337  
Transfer agent fees
        10,785  
Registration fees
        10,241  
Trustees’ fees
        4,696  
Interest expense
        99  
Other expenses
  +     7,585  
   
Total expenses
        1,193,460  
Expense reduction by CSIM
      118,938  
   
Net expenses
      1,074,522  
   
Net investment income
        2,263,419  
 
Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses)
Net realized gains on investments
        12,817,114  
Net realized gains on foreign currency transactions
  +     153,003  
   
Net realized gains
        12,970,117  
Net unrealized losses on investments
        (25,739,777 )
Net unrealized losses on foreign currency translations
  +     (2,534 )
   
Net unrealized losses
  +     (25,742,311 )
   
Net realized and unrealized losses
        (12,772,194 )
             
Decrease in net assets resulting from operations
        ($10,508,775 )
 
 
 
See financial notes 13


Table of Contents

 
 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

Statement of
Changes in Net Assets
For the current and prior report periods
Figures for the current period are unaudited
 
                     
 
Operations
                     
3/1/11-8/31/11     3/1/10-2/28/11  
Net investment income
        $2,263,419       $3,850,360  
Net realized gains
        12,970,117       13,682,879  
Net unrealized gains (losses)
  +     (25,742,311 )     22,169,126  
   
Increase (Decrease) in net assets from operations
        (10,508,775 )     39,702,365  
 
Distributions to Shareholders
Distributions from net investment income
        ($5,139,712 )     ($13,197,509 )
 
Transactions in Fund Shares
                                     
        3/1/11-8/31/11     3/1/10-2/28/11  
          SHARES       VALUE       SHARES       VALUE  
Shares sold
        4,539,997       $29,257,154       7,767,242       $48,965,694  
Shares reinvested
        426,326       2,772,233       1,161,164       7,131,614  
Shares redeemed
  +     (3,041,349 )     (19,525,931 )     (4,708,244 )     (29,261,736 )
   
Net transactions in fund shares
        1,924,974       $12,503,456       4,220,162       $26,835,572  
 
Shares Outstanding and Net Assets
        3/1/11-8/31/11     3/1/10-2/28/11  
          SHARES       NET ASSETS       SHARES       NET ASSETS  
Beginning of period
        29,916,988       $200,150,696       25,696,826       $146,810,268  
Total increase or decrease
  +     1,924,974       (3,145,031 )     4,220,162       53,340,428  
   
End of period
        31,841,962       $197,005,665       29,916,988       $200,150,696  
   
                                     
Distributions in excess of net investment income
                ($8,229,373 )             ($5,353,080 )
 
 
 
14 See financial notes


Table of Contents

 
 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

 
Financial Notes, unaudited
 
 
1. Business Structure of the Fund:
 
Schwab Global Real Estate Fund is a series of Schwab Investments (the “trust”), a no-load, open-end management investment company. The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The list below shows all the funds in the trust, including the fund discussed in this report, which is highlighted:
 
         
 
Schwab Investments (organized October 26, 1990)
  Schwab GNMA Fund    
Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
  Schwab Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Fund    
Schwab Short-Term Bond Market Fund
  (formerly Schwab Inflation Protected Fund)    
Schwab Premier Income Fund
  Schwab Tax-Free Bond Fund    
Schwab Total Bond Market Fund
  Schwab California Tax-Free Bond Fund    
    Schwab 1000 Index Fund    
 
 
Schwab Global Real Estate Fund offers one share class. Shares are bought and sold (subject to a redemption fee, see financial note 8) at closing net asset value (“NAV”), which is the price for all outstanding shares of the fund. Each share has a par value of 1/1,000 of a cent, and the Board of Trustees may authorize the issuance of as many shares as necessary.
 
The fund maintains its own account for purposes of holding assets and accounting, and is considered a separate entity for tax purposes. Within its account, the fund may also keep certain assets in segregated accounts, as required by securities law.
 
2. Significant Accounting Policies:
 
The following is a summary of the significant accounting policies the fund uses in its preparation of financial statements. The accounting policies are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
 
(a) Security Valuation:
 
The fund values the securities in its portfolio every business day. The fund uses the following policies to value various types of securities:
 
  •  Securities traded on an exchange or over-the-counter: valued at the closing value for the day, or, on days when no closing value has been reported, halfway between the most recent bid and ask quotes. Securities that are primarily traded on foreign exchanges are valued at the closing values of such securities on their respective exchanges with these values then translated into U.S. dollars at the valuation date exchange rate, unless these securities are fair valued as discussed below.
 
  •  Securities for which no quoted value is available: The Board of Trustees has adopted procedures to fair value the fund’s securities when market prices are not “readily available” or are unreliable. For example, the fund may fair value a security when a security is de-listed or its trading is halted or suspended; when a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; or when a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours. The fund makes fair value determinations in good faith in accordance with the fund’s valuation procedures. The Board of Trustees regularly reviews fair value determinations made by the fund pursuant to the procedures.
 
  •  International fair valuation: The Board of Trustees has adopted procedures to fair value foreign equity securities that trade in markets that close prior to when the fund values its holdings. By fair valuing securities whose prices may have been affected by events occurring after the close of trading, the fund seeks to establish prices that investors might expect to realize upon the current sales of these securities. This methodology is designed to deter “arbitrage” market timers, who seek to exploit delays between the change in the value of the fund’s portfolio holdings and the net asset value of the fund’s shares, and seeks to help ensure that the prices at which the fund’s shares are purchased and redeemed are fair and do not result in dilution of shareholder interest or other harm to shareholders. When fair value pricing is used at the open or close of a reporting period, it may cause a temporary divergence between the return of the fund and that of its comparative index or benchmark. The fund makes fair value determinations in good faith in accordance with the fund’s valuation procedures. Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that a fund could obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security. The Board of Trustees regularly reviews fair value determinations made by the fund pursuant to the procedures.
 
 
 
 15


Table of Contents

 
 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

 
Financial Notes, unaudited (continued)
 
2. Significant Accounting Policies (continued):
 
  •  Futures and forward contracts: valued at their settlement prices as of the close of their exchanges (for futures) or at a value based on that day’s exchange rates (for forwards).
 
  •  Short-term securities (60 days or less to maturity): valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.
 
  •  Underlying funds: valued at their respective net asset values.
 
In accordance with the authoritative guidance on fair value measurements and disclosures under GAAP, the fund discloses the fair value of its investments in a hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure the fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to valuations based upon unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to valuations based upon unobservable inputs that are significant to the valuation (Level 3 measurements). If the fund determines that either the volume and/or level of activity for an asset or liability has significantly decreased (from normal conditions for that asset or liability) or price quotations or observable inputs are not associated with orderly transactions, increased analysis and management judgment will be required to estimate fair value.
 
The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
 
  •  Level 1 — quoted prices in active markets for identical securities — Investments whose values are based on quoted market prices in active markets, and whose values are therefore classified as Level 1 prices, include active listed equities and futures contracts. The fund does not adjust the quoted price for such investments, even in situations where the fund holds a large position and a sale could reasonably impact the quoted prices.
 
  •  Level 2 — other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.) — Investments that trade in markets that are not considered to be active, but whose values are based on quoted market prices, dealer quotations or valuations provided by alternative pricing sources supported by observable inputs are classified as Level 2 prices. These generally include U.S. government and sovereign obligations, most government agency securities, investment-grade corporate bonds, certain mortgage products, less liquid listed equities, and state, municipal and provincial obligations. In addition, international securities whose markets close hours before the fund values its holdings may require fair valuations due to significant movement in the U.S. markets occurring after the daily close of the foreign markets. The Board of Trustees has approved a vendor that calculates fair valuations of international equity securities based on a number of factors that appear to correlate to the movements in the U.S. markets. As investments whose values are classified as Level 2 prices include positions that are not traded in active markets and/or are subject to transfer restrictions, valuations may be adjusted to reflect illiquidity and/or non-transferability, which are generally based on available market information.
 
  •  Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumption in determining the fair value of investments) — Investments whose values are classified as Level 3 prices have significant unobservable inputs, as they may trade infrequently or not at all. When observable prices are not available for these securities, the fund uses one or more valuation techniques for which sufficient and reliable data is available. The inputs used by the fund in estimating the value of Level 3 prices may include the original transaction price, quoted prices for similar securities or assets in active markets, completed or pending third-party transactions in the underlying investment or comparable issuers, and changes in financial ratios or cash flows. Level 3 prices may also be adjusted to reflect illiquidity and/or non-transferability, with the amount of such discount estimated by the fund in the absence of market information. Assumptions used by the fund due to the lack of observable inputs may significantly impact the resulting fair value and therefore the fund’s results of operations.
 
 
 
16 


Table of Contents

 
 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

 
Financial Notes, unaudited (continued)
 
2. Significant Accounting Policies (continued):
 
The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities. The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the fund’s investments as of August 31, 2011:
 
                                 
    Quoted Prices in
      Significant
   
    Active Markets for
  Significant Other
  Unobservable
   
    Identical Assets
  Observable Inputs
  Inputs
   
Description
 
(Level 1)
 
(Level 2)
 
(Level 3)
 
Total*
 
Common Stock
                               
Asia Pacific and Other(a)
    $—       $72,246,170       $—       $72,246,170  
Brazil
    4,548,747                   4,548,747  
China
    1,147,200                   1,147,200  
India
    6,018       1,524,866             1,530,884  
Europe(a)
          14,026,180             14,026,180  
United Kingdom
    1,443,438       5,891,993             7,335,431  
North America(a)
    91,173,614                   91,173,614  
Short-Term Investments(a)
          4,929,171             4,929,171  
                                 
Total
    $98,319,017       $98,618,380       $—       $196,937,397  
                                 
 
     
*
  The fund had no Other Financial Instruments.
(a)
  As categorized in Portfolio Holdings.
 
The fund’s policy is to recognize transfers between Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 as of the beginning of the fiscal year. There were no significant transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 for the year ended August 31, 2011.
 
(b) Accounting Policies for certain Portfolio Investments (if held):
 
Real Estate Investment Trusts: The fund may own shares of real estate trusts (REITs) which report information on the source of their distributions annually. Certain distributions received from REITs during the year, which are known to be a return of capital or realized gains, are recorded as a reduction to the cost of the individual REITs or realized gains on investments, respectively.
 
Passive Foreign Investment Companies: The fund may own shares in certain foreign corporations that meet the Tax Code definition of a “passive foreign investment company” (PFIC). The fund may elect for tax purposes to mark-to-mark annually the shares of each PFIC lot held and would be required to distribute as ordinary income to shareholders any such marked-to-market gains (as well as any gains realized on sale).
 
Repurchase Agreements: In a repurchase agreement, a fund buys a security from another party (usually a financial institution) with the agreement that it be sold back in the future. Repurchase agreements subject the fund to counterparty risk, meaning that the fund could lose money if the other party fails to perform under the terms of the agreement. The fund mitigates this risk by ensuring that the fund’s repurchase agreements are collateralized by cash, U.S. government securities, fixed income securities, equity securities or other types of securities. All collateral is held by the fund’s custodian (or, with tri-party agreements, the agent’s bank) and is monitored daily to ensure that its market value is at least equal to the repurchase price under the agreement. Investments in repurchase agreements are also based on a review of the credit quality of the repurchase agreement counterparty.
 
Securities Lending: Under the Securities Lending Program, a fund (the “lender”) may make short-term loans of its securities to another party (the “borrower”) to generate additional revenue for the fund. The borrower pledges collateral in the form of cash, securities issued or fully guaranteed by the U.S. government or foreign governments, or letters of credit issued by a bank. The initial collateral received by the fund is required to have a value of at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of at least 105% for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter, at a value equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the securities on loan and is marked to market daily. The cash collateral of securities loaned is invested in money market portfolios registered under Rule 2a-7 of the 1940 Act. Securities lending income, as disclosed in the fund’s Statement of Operations, represents the income earned from the investment of the cash collateral plus any fees paid by borrowers, less the fees paid to the lending agent which are subject to adjustments pursuant to the securities lending agreement.
 
 
 
 17


Table of Contents

 
 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

 
Financial Notes, unaudited (continued)
 
2. Significant Accounting Policies (continued):
 
If applicable, the value of the securities on loan as of August 31, 2011 and the value of the related collateral are disclosed in the Portfolio Holdings and the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
 
(c) Security Transactions:
 
Security transactions are recorded as of the date the order to buy or sell the security is executed. Realized gains or losses from security transactions are based on the identified costs of the securities involved.
 
Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are reported in U.S. dollars. For assets and liabilities held on a given date, the dollar value is based on market exchange rates in effect on that date. Transactions involving foreign currencies, including purchases, sales, income receipts and expense payments, are calculated using exchange rates in effect on the transaction date. Realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the recorded amount of dividends, interest, and foreign withholding taxes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in foreign exchange rates on foreign denominated assets and liabilities other than investments in securities held at the end of the reporting period. These realized and unrealized foreign exchange gains or losses are reported in foreign currency transactions or translations on the Statement of Operations. The fund does not isolate the portion of the fluctuations on investments resulting from changes in foreign currency exchange rates from the fluctuations in market prices of investments held. Such fluctuations are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss from investments.
 
Gains realized by the fund on the sale of securities in certain foreign countries may be subject to non-U.S. taxes. The fund records a liability based on unrealized gains to provide for potential non-U.S. taxes payable upon the sale of these securities.
 
When the fund closes out a futures or forwards position, it calculates the difference between the value of the position at the beginning and at the end of the contract, and records a realized gain or loss accordingly. The fund records the daily change in market value of futures, and also the change in the amount of margin deposit required (“due to/from broker”).
 
(d) Investment Income:
 
Interest income is recorded as it accrues. Dividends and distributions from portfolio securities and underlying funds are recorded on the date they are effective (the ex-dividend date), although the fund records certain foreign security dividends on the day it learns of the ex-dividend date.
 
Income received from foreign sources may result in withholding tax. Withholding taxes are accrued at the same time as the related income if the tax rate is fixed and known, unless a tax withheld is reclaimable from the local tax authorities in which case it is recorded as receivable. If the tax rate is not known or estimable, such expense or reclaim receivable is recorded when the net proceeds are received.
 
(e) Expenses:
 
Expenses that are specific to a fund are charged directly to the fund. Expenses that are common to all funds within the trust generally are allocated among the funds in proportion to their average daily net assets.
 
(f) Distributions to Shareholders:
 
The fund makes distributions from net investment income quarterly and distributes net realized capital gains, if any, once a year.
 
(g) Accounting Estimates:
 
The accounting policies described in this report conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Notwithstanding this, shareholders should understand that in order to follow these principles, fund management has to make estimates and assumptions that affect the information reported in the financial statements. It’s possible that once the results are known, they may turn out to be different from these estimates and these differences may be material.
 
 
 
18 


Table of Contents

 
 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

 
Financial Notes, unaudited (continued)
 
2. Significant Accounting Policies (continued):
 
(h) Federal Income Taxes:
 
The fund intends to meet federal income and excise tax requirements for regulated investment companies. Accordingly, the fund distributes substantially all of its net investment income and realized net capital gains, if any, to its respective shareholders each year. As long as a fund meets the tax requirements, it is not required to pay federal income tax.
 
(i) Foreign Taxes:
 
The fund may be subject to foreign taxes (a portion of which may be reclaimable) on income, corporate events, foreign currency exchanges, capital gains on investments on currency repatriation. All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable foreign tax regulations and rates that exist in foreign markets in which the fund invests. These foreign taxes, if any, are paid by the fund and are disclosed in the Statement of Operations. Foreign taxes payable as of August 31, 2011, if any, are reflected in the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities
 
(j) Indemnification:
 
Under the fund’s organizational documents, the officers and trustees are indemnified against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. In addition, in the normal course of business the fund enters into contracts with its vendors and others that provide general indemnifications. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund. However, based on experience, the fund expects the risk of loss to be remote.
 
(k) New Accounting Pronouncements:
 
In April 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an Accounting Standards Updates (“ASU”) related to accounting for repurchase agreements and similar agreements that both entitle and obligate a transferor to repurchase or redeem financial assets before their maturity. The ASU modifies the criteria for determining effective control of transferred assets and as a result certain agreements may now be accounted for as secured borrowings. The ASU is effective prospectively for new and existing transfers that are modified in the first interim or annual period beginning on or after December 15, 2011.
 
In May 2011, the FASB issued an update to requirements relating to “Fair Value Measurement which represents amendments to achieve common fair value measurement and disclosure requirements in US GAAP and IFRS.” The amendments include (i) those that clarify the FASB’s intent about the application of existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements and (ii) those that change a particular principle or requirement for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The amendments that change a particular principle or requirement for measuring fair value or disclosing information about fair value measurements relate to (i) measuring the fair value of the financial instruments that are managed within a portfolio; (ii) application of premium and discount in a fair value measurement; and (iii) additional disclosures about fair value measurements. The update is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011 with early adoption prohibited.
 
At this time, management is evaluating the implications of these changes and their impact on the financial statements.
 
3. Risk Factors:
 
Investing in the fund may involve certain risks, as described in the fund’s prospectus, including, but not limited to, those described below. Any of these risks could cause an investor to lose money.
 
Stock and bond markets and the values of securities held by the fund rise and fall daily. As with any investment whose performance is tied to these markets, the value of an investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that an investor could lose money.
 
The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.
 
Even the larger REITs and other real estate companies, may be small- to medium-sized companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. Historically, mid- and small-cap stocks have been riskier than large-cap stocks. Mid- and small-cap
 
 
 
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 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

 
Financial Notes, unaudited (continued)
 
3. Risk Factors (continued):
 
companies themselves may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. Stock prices of smaller companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather than current achievements and may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns. During a period when mid- and small-cap stocks fall behind other types of investments — bonds or large-cap stocks, for instance — the fund’s small- and mid-cap holdings could reduce performance.
 
The fund has a policy of concentrating its investments in real estate companies and companies related to the real estate industry. As such, the fund is subject to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate securities and an investment in the fund will be closely linked to the performance of the real estate markets. These risks include, among others, declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limits to accessing the credit or capital markets; default by borrowers or tenants, particularly during an economic downturn; and changes in interest rates.
 
In addition to the risks associated with investing in securities of real estate companies and real estate related companies, REITs are subject to certain additional risks. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the trusts, and mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills and may have their investments in relatively few properties, or in a small geographic area or a single property type. Failure of a company to qualify as a REIT under federal tax law may have adverse consequences to the fund. In addition, REITs have their own expenses, and the fund will bear a proportionate share of those expenses.
 
Interest rates rise and fall over time, which will affect the fund’s yield and share price. The credit quality of a portfolio investment could also cause the fund’s share price to fall. The fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a portfolio investment or the counterparty to a derivatives contract fails to make timely principal or interest payments or otherwise honor its obligations. Debt securities may be paid off earlier or later than expected. Either situation could cause the fund to hold securities paying lower than market rates of interest, which could hurt the fund’s yield or share price. Below investment-grade bonds (junk bonds) involve greater credit risk, are more volatile, involve greater risk of price declines and may be more susceptible to economic downturns than investment-grade securities.
 
The fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain risks that are greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions, or changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures: and higher transaction costs. These risks may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets.
 
The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline, and the credit standing of the issuer. The price of a convertible security will also normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock because of the conversion or exercise feature.
 
The fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments and could cause the fund to lose more than the principal amount invested. Certain fund transactions, such as derivatives, short sales and reverse repurchase agreements, may give rise to a form of leverage and may expose the fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or increase in the value of the fund’s portfolio securities. The use of leverage may cause the fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations. The fund will incur a loss if the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the fund replaces the borrowed security.
 
As an actively managed mutual fund, the fund is subject to the risk that its investment adviser will make poor security selections. The fund’s investment adviser applies its own investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the fund, but there can be no guarantee that they will produce the desired results.
 
When the fund invests in an ETF, it will bear a proportionate share of the ETF’s expenses. In addition, lack of liquidity in an ETF can result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in the collateral or delay in recovery of the collateral if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent.
 
 
 
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 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

 
Financial Notes, unaudited (continued)
 
3. Risk Factors (continued):
 
A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell. The fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
 
Please refer to the fund’s prospectus for a more complete description of the principal risks of investing in the fund.
 
4. Affiliates and Affiliated Transactions:
 
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (“CSIM” or the “investment adviser”), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation, serves as the fund’s investment adviser and administrator pursuant to an Investment Advisory and Administration Agreement (“Advisory Agreement”) between CSIM and the trust.
 
For its advisory and administrative services to the fund, CSIM is entitled to receive an annual fee equal to 0.77% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
 
The Board of Trustees has adopted a Shareholder Servicing Plan (the “Plan”) on behalf of the fund. The Plan enables the fund to bear expenses relating to the provision by service providers, including Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (a broker-dealer affiliate of CSIM, “Schwab”), of certain account maintenance, customer liaison and shareholder services to the current shareholders of the fund. Schwab serves as the fund’s paying agent under the Plan for making payments of the shareholder service fee due to the service providers (other than Schwab) under the Plan. All shareholder service fees paid by the fund to Schwab in its capacity as the fund’s paying agent will be passed through to the service providers, and Schwab will not retain any portion of such fees.
 
Pursuant to the Plan, the fund’s shares are subject to an annual shareholder servicing fee up to 0.25%. The shareholder servicing fee paid to a particular service provider is made pursuant to its written agreement with Schwab (or, in the case of payments made to Schwab, pursuant to Schwab’s written agreement with the fund), and the fund will pay no more than 0.25% of the average annual daily net asset value of the fund shares owned by shareholders holding shares through such service providers. Payments under the Plan are made as described above regardless of Schwab’s or the service provider’s actual cost of providing the services. If the cost of providing the services under the Plan is less than the payment received, the unexpended portion of the fees may be retained as profit by Schwab or the service provider.
 
Although these agreements specify certain fees for these services, CSIM and Schwab have made additional agreements (“expense limitation”) with the fund to limit the total annual fund operating expenses to 1.05%, excluding interest, taxes and certain non-routine expenses for so long as CSIM serves as the investment adviser to the fund, which may only be amended or terminated with the approval of the fund’s Board of Trustees.
 
Certain Schwab Funds may own shares of other Schwab Funds. The table below reflects the percentage of the Schwab Global Real Estate Fund owned by other Schwab Funds as of August 31, 2011.
 
         
Schwab Target Funds:
       
Schwab Target 2010 Fund
    0.6%  
Schwab Target 2015 Fund
    0.9%  
Schwab Target 2020 Fund
    5.0%  
Schwab Target 2025 Fund
    2.1%  
Schwab Target 2030 Fund
    8.1%  
Schwab Target 2035 Fund
    1.7%  
Schwab Target 2040 Fund
    8.5%  
         
Schwab Monthly Income Funds:
       
Schwab Monthly Income Fund — Moderate Payout
    1.2%  
Schwab Monthly Income Fund — Enhanced Payout
    3.3%  
Schwab Monthly Income Fund — Maximum Payout
    1.9%  
 
The fund may engage in direct transactions with certain other Schwab Funds when practical. When one fund is seeking to sell a security that another is seeking to buy, an interfund transaction can allow both funds to benefit by reducing transaction costs.
 
 
 
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 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

 
Financial Notes, unaudited (continued)
 
4. Affiliates and Affiliated Transactions (continued):
 
This practice is limited to funds that share the same investment adviser, trustees and/or officers. For the period ended August 31, 2011, the fund had no direct security transactions with other Schwab Funds.
 
Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, the fund may enter into interfund borrowing and lending transactions with other Schwab Funds. All loans are for temporary or emergency purposes only. The interest rate charged on the loan is the average of the overnight repurchase agreement rate and the short-term bank loan rate. The interfund lending facility is subject to the oversight and periodic review of the Board of Trustees of the Schwab Funds. The fund had no interfund borrowing or lending activity during the period.
 
5. Board of Trustees:
 
The trust’s Board of Trustees oversees the general conduct of the trust and the fund. Trustees may include people who are officers and/or directors of the investment adviser or Schwab. Federal securities law limits the percentage of such “interested persons” who may serve on a trust’s board, and the trust was in compliance with these limitations throughout the report period. The trust did not pay any of these interested persons for their service as trustees, but it did pay non-interested persons (independent trustees), as noted in the fund’s Statement of Operations.
 
6. Borrowing from Banks:
 
The fund has access to custodian overdraft facilities, a committed line of credit of $150 million with State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”), an uncommitted line of credit of $100 million with Bank of America, N.A. and an uncommitted line of credit of $50 million with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. The fund pays interest on the amounts it borrows at rates that are negotiated periodically. The fund also pays an annual fee to State Street for the committed line of credit.
 
There were no borrowings from the lines of credit by the fund during the period. However, the fund may have utilized its overdraft facility and incurred interest expense, which is disclosed in the Statement of Operations, if any. The interest expense is determined based on a negotiated rate above the current Federal Funds Rate.
 
7. Purchases and Sales/Maturities of Investment Securities:
 
For the period ended August 31, 2011, purchases and sales/maturities of securities (excluding short-term obligations) were as follows:
 
             
Purchases of Securities
 
Sales/Maturities of Securities
 
  $133,925,700       $112,769,344  
 
8. Redemption Fee:
 
The fund charges a 2.00% redemption fee on shares sold or exchanged within 30 days of the original purchase date. Such amounts are netted against redemption proceeds in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets. The redemption fees charged during the current and prior periods are:
 
             
Current Period
  Prior Period
(3/1/11-8/31/11)
 
(3/1/10-2/28/11)
 
  $7,638       $5,708  
 
9. Federal Income Taxes:
 
Capital loss carryforwards may be used to offset future realized capital gains for federal income tax purposes. As of February 28, 2011, the fund had capital loss carryforwards available to offset future net capital gains before the expiration dates:
 
         
Expiration Date
   
 
February 28, 2017
    $63,759,430  
February 28, 2018
    60,285,041  
         
Total
    $124,044,471  
         
 
 
 
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 Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
 

 
Financial Notes, unaudited (continued)
 
9. Federal Income Taxes (continued):
 
For tax purposes, realized net capital losses occurring after October 31 may be deferred and treated as occurring on the first day of the following fiscal year. As of February 28, 2011, the fund had no deferred realized net capital losses and capital loss carryforwards were utilized in the amount of $5,016,722.
 
As of August 31, 2011, management has reviewed the tax positions for open periods (for federal purposes, three years from the date of filing and for state purposes, four years from the date of filing) as applicable to the fund, and has determined that no provision for income tax is required in the fund’s financial statements. The fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the Statement of Operations. During the period ended February 28, 2011, the fund did not incur any interest or penalties.
 
On December 22, 2010, the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010 (“the Act”) was signed by the President. The Act is the first major piece of legislation affecting Regulated Investment Companies (“RICs”) since 1986 and it modernizes several of the federal income and excise tax provisions related to RICs.
 
Certain of the enacted provisions include:
 
Post-enactment capital losses may now be carried forward indefinitely, but must retain the character of the original loss. Under pre-enactment law, capital losses could be carried forward for eight years, and carried forward as short-term capital, irrespective of the character of the original loss. The Act contains simplification provisions, which are aimed at preventing disqualification of a RIC for “inadvertent” failures of the asset diversification and/or qualifying income tests. Additionally, the Act exempts RICs from the preferential dividend rule, and repeals the 60-day designation requirement for certain types of pay-through income and gains.
 
Finally, the Act contains several provisions aimed at preserving the character of distributions made by a fiscal year RIC during the portion of its taxable year ending after October 31 or December 31, reducing the circumstances under which a RIC might be required to file amended Forms 1099 to restate previously reported distributions.
 
Except for the simplification provisions related to RIC qualification, the Act is effective for taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010. The provisions related to RIC qualification are effective for taxable years for which the extended due date of the tax return is after December 22, 2010.
 
10. Subsequent Events:
 
Management has determined there are no subsequent events or transactions through the date the financial statements were issued that would have materially impacted the financial statements as presented.
 
 
 
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Investment Advisory Agreement Approval
 
The Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) requires that initial approval of, as well as the continuation of, a fund’s investment advisory agreement must be specifically approved (1) by the vote of the trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the fund, and (2) by the vote of a majority of the trustees who are not parties to the investment advisory agreement or “interested persons” of any party (the “Independent Trustees”), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. In connection with such approvals, the fund’s trustees must request and evaluate, and the investment adviser is required to furnish, such information as may be reasonably necessary to evaluate the terms of the investment advisory agreement.
 
The Board of Trustees (the “Board” or the “Trustees”, as appropriate) calls and holds one or more meetings each year that are dedicated, in whole or in part, to considering whether to renew the investment advisory agreement between Schwab Investments (the “Trust”) and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (“CSIM”) (the “Agreement”) with respect to existing funds in the Trust, including Schwab Global Real Estate Fund (the “Fund”), and to review certain other agreements pursuant to which CSIM provides investment advisory services to certain other registered investment companies. In preparation for the meeting(s), the Board requests and reviews a wide variety of materials provided by CSIM, including information about CSIM’s affiliates, personnel and operations. The Board also receives extensive data provided by third parties. This information is in addition to the detailed information about the Fund that the Board reviews during the course of each year, including information that relates to Fund operations and Fund performance. The Independent Trustees receive advice from independent counsel to the Independent Trustees, including a memorandum regarding the responsibilities of trustees for the approval of investment advisory agreements. In addition, the Independent Trustees meet in executive session outside the presence of Fund management and participate in question and answer sessions with representatives of CSIM.
 
The Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, considered information specifically relating to its consideration of the continuance of the Agreement with respect to the Fund at meetings held on April 28, 2011, and June 15, 2011, and approved the renewal of the Agreement with respect to the Fund for an additional one year term at the meeting held on June 15, 2011. The Board’s approval of the Agreement with respect to the Fund was based on consideration and evaluation of a variety of specific factors discussed at these meetings and at prior meetings, including:
 
1.  the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Fund under the Agreement, including the resources of CSIM and its affiliates dedicated to the Fund;
 
2.  the Fund’s investment performance and how it compared to that of certain other comparable mutual funds;
 
3.  the Fund’s expenses and how those expenses compared to those of certain other comparable mutual funds;
 
4.  the profitability of CSIM and its affiliates, including Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”), with respect to the Fund, including both direct and indirect benefits accruing to CSIM and its affiliates; and
 
5.  the extent to which economies of scale would be realized as the Fund grows and whether fee levels in the Agreement reflect those economies of scale for the benefit of Fund investors.
 
Nature, Extent and Quality of Services. The Board considered the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by CSIM to the Fund and the resources of CSIM and its affiliates dedicated to the Fund. In this regard, the Trustees evaluated, among other things, CSIM’s personnel, experience, track record and compliance program. The Trustees also considered information provided by CSIM relating to the Fund’s portfolio management team, portfolio strategy and risk oversight structure, and internal investment guidelines. The Trustees also considered investments in CSIM’s mutual fund infrastructure, Schwab’s wide range of products, services, and channel alternatives such as free advice, investment and research tools, Internet access, and an array of account features that benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Trustees also considered Schwab’s excellent reputation as a full service brokerage firm and its overall financial condition. Finally, the Trustees considered that the vast majority of the Fund’s shareholders are also brokerage clients of Schwab. Following such evaluation, the Board concluded, within the context of its full deliberations, that the nature, extent and quality of services provided by CSIM to the Fund and the resources of CSIM and its affiliates dedicated to the Fund supported renewal of the Agreement with respect to the Fund.
 
Fund Performance. The Board considered Fund performance in determining whether to renew the Agreement with respect to the Fund. Specifically, the Trustees considered the Fund’s performance relative to a peer category of other mutual funds and an appropriate index/benchmark, in light of total return and market trends. As part of this review, the Trustees considered the composition of the peer category, selection criteria and the reputation of the third party who prepared the peer category analysis. In evaluating the performance of the Fund, the Trustees considered both risk and shareholder risk expectations for the Fund and the appropriateness of the benchmark used to compare the performance of the Fund. The Trustees further considered the level of Fund performance in the context of its review of Fund
 
 
 
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expenses and adviser profitability discussed below. Following such evaluation the Board concluded, within the context of its full deliberations, that the performance of the Fund supported renewal of the Agreement with respect to the Fund.
 
Fund Expenses. With respect to the Fund’s expenses, the Trustees considered the rate of compensation called for by the Agreement, and the Fund’s net operating expense ratio, in each case, in comparison to those of other comparable mutual funds, such peer group and comparison having been selected and calculated by an independent third party. The Trustees considered the effects of CSIM’s and Schwab’s historical practice of voluntarily waiving management and other fees to prevent total Fund expenses from exceeding a specified cap. The Trustees also considered CSIM’s contractual commitment to keep the Fund’s expense cap for so long as CSIM serves as adviser to the Fund. The Trustees also considered fees charged by CSIM to other mutual. Following such evaluation, the Board concluded, within the context of its full deliberations, that the expenses of the Fund are reasonable and supported renewal of the Agreement with respect to the Fund.
 
Profitability. With regard to profitability, the Trustees considered the compensation flowing to CSIM and its affiliates, directly or indirectly. In this connection, the Trustees reviewed management’s profitability analyses, together with certain commentary thereon from an independent accounting firm. The Trustees also considered any other benefits derived by CSIM from its relationship with the Fund, such as whether, by virtue of its management of the Fund, CSIM obtains investment information or other research resources that aid it in providing advisory services to other clients. The Trustees considered whether the varied levels of compensation and profitability with respect to the Fund under the Agreement and other service agreements were reasonable and justified in light of the quality of all services rendered to the Fund by CSIM and its affiliates. Based on this evaluation, the Board concluded, within the context of its full deliberations, that the profitability of CSIM is reasonable and supported renewal of the Agreement with respect to the Fund.
 
Economies of Scale. The Trustees considered the existence of any economies of scale and whether those are passed along to the Fund’s shareholders through a graduated investment advisory fee schedule or other means, including any fee waivers by CSIM and its affiliates. In this regard, and consistent with their consideration of Fund expenses, the Trustees considered that CSIM and Schwab are committing resources to minimize the effects on shareholders of diseconomies of scale during the current period, since the Fund’s assets are relatively small through the existing contractual expense waivers. Based on this evaluation the Board concluded, within the context of its full deliberations, that the Fund obtains reasonable benefit from economies of scale.
 
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees did not identify any particular information or factor that was all-important or controlling. Based on the Trustees’ deliberation and their evaluation of the information described above, the Board, including all of the Independent Trustees, approved the continuation of the Agreement with respect to the Fund and concluded that the compensation under the Agreement with respect to the Fund is fair and reasonable in light of such services and expenses and such other matters as the Trustees have considered to be relevant in the exercise of their reasonable judgment.
 
 
 
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Trustees and Officers
 
 
The tables below give information about the trustees and officers for Schwab Investments which includes the fund covered in this report. The “Fund Complex” includes The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust, Laudus Trust and Laudus Institutional Trust. The Fund Complex includes 87 funds.
 
The address for all trustees and officers is 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. You can find more information about the trustees and officers in the Statement of Additional Information, which is available free by calling 1-800-435-4000.
 
 Independent Trustees
 
             
Name, Year of Birth,
      Number of
   
and Position(s) with
      Portfolios in
   
the trust; (Terms of
      Fund Complex
   
office, and length of
  Principal Occupations
  Overseen by
   
Time Served1)   During the Past Five Years   the Trustee   Other Directorships
 
Mariann Byerwalter
1960
Trustee
(Trustee of Schwab Investments since 2000.)
  Chairman of JDN Corporate Advisory LLC.   70   Director, Redwood Trust, Inc. (1998 – present)
Director, PMI Group Inc. (2001 – 2009)
 
John F. Cogan
1947
Trustee
(Trustee of Schwab Investments since 2008.)
  Senior Fellow: The Hoover Institution at Stanford University (Oct. 1979 – present); Senior Fellow Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research; Professor of Public Policy, Stanford University (Sept. 1994 – present).   70   Director, Gilead Sciences, Inc. (2005 – present)
Director, Monaco Coach Corporation (2005 – 2009)
 
William A. Hasler
1941
Trustee
(Trustee of Schwab Investments since 2000.)
  Dean Emeritus, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley (July 1998 – present).   70   Director, Ditech Networks Corporation (1997 – present)
Director, TOUSA (1998 – present)
Director, Mission West Properties (1998 – present)
Director, Globalstar, Inc. (2009 – present)
Director, Aviat Networks (2001 – present)
Director, Aphton Corp. (1991 – 2007)
Director, Solectron Corporation (1998 – 2007)
Director, Genitope Corporation (2000 – 2009)
 
David L. Mahoney
1954
Trustee
(Trustee of Schwab Investments since 2011.)
  Private Investor.   70   Director, Symantec Corporation (2003 – present)
Director, Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (2004 – present)
Director, Tercica Inc. (2004 – 2008)
 
Kiran M. Patel
1948
Trustee
(Trustee of Schwab Investments since 2011.)
  Executive Vice President and General Manager of Small Business Group, Intuit, Inc. (financial software and services for consumers and small businesses) (Dec. 2008 – present); Senior Vice President and General Manager of Consumer Group, Intuit, Inc. (June 2007 – Dec. 2008); Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Intuit, Inc. (Sept. 2005 – Jan. 2008).   70   Director, KLA-Tencor Corporation (2008 – present)
Director, BEA Systems, Inc. (2007 – 2008)
Director, Eaton Corp. (2003 – 2006)
 
Gerald B. Smith
1950
Trustee
(Trustee of Schwab Investments since 2000.)
  Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Smith Graham & Co. (investment advisors) (1990 – present).   70   Lead Independent Director, Board of Cooper Industries (2002 – present)
Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee, Oneok Partners LP (2003 – present)
Director, Oneok, Inc (2009 – present)
 
 
 
 
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 Independent Trustees (continued)
 
             
Name, Year of Birth,
      Number of
   
and Position(s) with
      Portfolios in
   
the trust; (Terms of
      Fund Complex
   
office, and length of
  Principal Occupations
  Overseen by
   
Time Served1)   During the Past Five Years   the Trustee   Other Directorships
 
Joseph H. Wender
1944
Trustee
(Trustee of Schwab Investments since 2008.)
  Senior Consultant, Goldman Sachs & Co., Inc. (Jan. 2008- present); Partner, Colgin Partners, LLC (vineyards) (February 1998 – present); Senior Director, Chairman of the Finance Committee, GSC Group (July 2005 – Dec. 2007); General Partner, Goldman Sachs & Co., Inc. (Oct. 1982 – June 2005).   70   Board Member and Chairman of the Audit Committee, Isis Pharmaceuticals (1994 – present)
 
 
 Interested Trustees
 
             
Name, Year of Birth,
      Number of
   
and Position(s) with
      Portfolios in
   
the trust; (Terms of
      Fund Complex
   
office, and length of
  Principal Occupations
  Overseen by
   
Time Served )   During the Past Five Years   the Trustee   Other Directorships
 
Charles R. Schwab2
1937
Chairman and Trustee
(Chairman and Trustee of Schwab Investments since 1991.)
  Chairman and Director, The Charles Schwab Corporation, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., Charles Schwab Bank, N. A.; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Schwab (SIS) Holdings Inc. I, Schwab International Holdings, Inc.; Chief Executive Officer, Schwab Holdings, Inc.; Through June 2007, Director, U.S. Trust Company, N. A., U.S. Trust Corporation, United States Trust Company of New York. Until October 2008, Chief Executive Officer, The Charles Schwab Corporation, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.   70   None
 
Walter W. Bettinger II2
1960
Trustee
(Trustee of Schwab Investments since 2008.)
  As of October 2008, President and Chief Executive Officer, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and The Charles Schwab Corporation. Since October 2008, Director, The Charles Schwab Corporation. Since May 2008, Director, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and Schwab Holdings, Inc. Since 2006, Director, Charles Schwab Bank. From 2004 through 2007, Executive Vice President and President, Schwab Investor Services. From 2004 through 2005, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Individual Investor Enterprise, and from 2002 through 2004, Executive Vice President, Corporate Services. Until October 2008, President and Chief Operating Officer, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and The Charles Schwab Corporation.   87   None
 
 
 
 
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 Officers of the Trust
 
     
Name, Year of Birth, and Position(s)
   
with the trust; (Terms of office, and
   
length of Time Served3)   Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years
 
Marie Chandoha
1961
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer
(Officer of Schwab Investments since 2010.)
  Executive Vice President, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Sept. 2010 – present); Director, President and Chief Executive Officer (Dec. 2010 – present), Chief Investment Officer (Sept. 2010 – present), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, Schwab Funds, Laudus Funds and Schwab ETFs (Dec. 2010 – present); Global Head of Fixed Income Business Division, BlackRock, Inc. (formerly Barclays Global Investors) (March 2007 – August 2010); Co-Head and Senior Portfolio Manager, Wells Capital Management (June 1999 – March 2007).
 
George Pereira
1964
Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer
(Officer of Schwab Investments since 2004.)
  Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Nov. 2004 – present), Chief Operating Officer (Jan. 2011 – present), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (November 2004 – present); Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, Laudus Funds (2006 – present); Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer, Schwab Funds (Nov. 2004 – present) and Schwab ETFs (Oct. 2009 – present); Director, Charles Schwab Worldwide Fund, PLC and Charles Schwab Asset Management (Ireland) Limited (April 2005 – present); Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, Excelsior Funds Inc., Excelsior Tax-Exempt Funds, Inc., and Excelsior Funds Trust (June 2006- June 2007).
 
Omar Aguilar
1970
Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Equities
(Officer of Schwab Investments since 2011.)
  Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer -– Equities, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (April 2011 – present); Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer — Equities, Schwab Funds and Laudus Funds (June 2011 – present); Head of the Portfolio Management Group and Vice President of Portfolio Management, Financial Engines, Inc. (May 2009 – April 2011); Head of Quantitative Equity, ING Investment Management (July 2004 – Jan. 2009).
 
Brett Wander
1961
Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income
(Officer of Schwab Investments since 2011.)
  Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (April 2011 – present); Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income, Schwab Funds and Laudus Funds (June 2011 – present); Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Active Fixed-Income Strategies, State Street Global Advisors (Jan. 2008 – Oct. 2010); Director of Alpha Strategies Loomis, Sayles & Company (April 2006 – Jan. 2008); Managing Director, Head of Market-Based Strategies State Street Research (August 2003 – Jan. 2005).
 
David Lekich
1964
Secretary
(Officer of Schwab Investments since 2011.)
  Senior Vice President, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (Oct. 2011 – present); Vice President, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., (March 2004 – Oct. 2011) and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (Jan 2011 – Oct. 2011); Secretary, Schwab Funds (April 2011 – present); Vice President and Assistant Clerk, Laudus Funds (April 2011-present); Secretary, Schwab ETFs (May 2011 – present).
 
Catherine MacGregor
1964
Vice President
(Officer of Schwab Investments since 2005.)
  Vice President, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (July 2005 – present); Vice President (Dec. 2005 – present), Chief Legal Officer and Clerk (March 2007 – present), Laudus Funds; Vice President and Assistant Secretary, Schwab Funds (June 2007 – present) and Schwab ETFs (Oct. 2009 – present).
 
Michael Haydel
1972
Vice President (Officer of Schwab Investments since 2006.)
  Senior Vice President (March 2011 – present), Vice President (2004 – March 2011), Asset Management Client Services, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; Vice President (Sept. 2005 – present), Anti-Money Laundering Officer (Oct. 2005 – Feb. 2009), Laudus Funds; Vice President, Schwab Funds (June 2007 – present) and Schwab ETFs (Oct. 2009 – present).
 
 
 
1 Trustees remain in office until they resign, retire or are removed by shareholder vote. The Schwab Funds® retirement policy requires that independent trustees elected after January 1, 2000 retire at age 72 or after twenty years as a trustee, whichever comes first. In addition, the Schwab Funds retirement policy also requires any independent trustee of the Schwab Funds who also serves as an independent trustee of the Laudus Funds to retire from the Boards of the Schwab Funds upon their required retirement date from either the Boards of Trustees of the Schwab Funds or the Laudus Funds, whichever comes first.
2 Mr. Schwab and Mr. Bettinger are Interested Trustees because they are employees of Schwab and/or the investment adviser. In addition to their employment with Schwab and/or the investment adviser, Messrs. Schwab and Bettinger also own stock of The Charles Schwab Corporation.
3 The President, Treasurer and Secretary hold office until their respective successors are chosen and qualified or until he or she sooner dies, resigns, is removed or becomes disqualified. Each of the other officers serves at the pleasure of the Board.
 
 
 
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Glossary
 
 
asset allocation The practice of dividing a portfolio among different asset classes, with each asset class assigned a particular percentage.
 
asset class A group of securities with similar structure and basic characteristics. Stocks, bonds and cash are the three main examples of asset classes.
 
beta A historical measure of an investment’s volatility relative to a market index (usually the S&P 500). The index is defined as having a beta of 1.00. Investments with a beta higher than 1.00 have been more volatile than the index; those with a beta of less than 1.00 have been less volatile.
 
Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index A broad-based benchmark that measures the investment grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market, including Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-back securities (agency fixed-rate and hybrid ARM passthroughs), asset-backed securities, and commercial mortgage-backed securities.
 
bond A security representing a loan from the investor to the issuer. A bond typically pays interest at a fixed rate (the “coupon rate”) until a specified date (the “maturity date”), at which time the issuer returns the money borrowed (“principal” or “face value”) to the bondholder. Because of their structure, bonds are sometimes called “fixed income securities” or “debt securities.”
 
An individual bond is subject to the credit risk of the issuer. Changes in interest rates can affect a bond’s market value prior to call or maturity. There is no guarantee that a bond’s yield to call or maturity will provide a positive return over the rate of inflation.
 
cap, capitalization See “market cap.”
 
capital gain, capital loss the difference between the amount paid for an investment and its value at a later time. If the investment has been sold, the capital gain or loss is considered a realized gain or loss. If the investment is still held, the gain or loss is still “on paper” and is considered unrealized.
 
earnings growth rate For a mutual fund, the average yearly rate at which the earnings of the companies in the fund’s portfolio have grown, measured over the past five years.
 
earnings per share (EPS) A company’s earnings, or net income, for the past 12 months, divided by the number of shares outstanding.
 
expense ratio The amount that is taken from a mutual fund’s assets each year to cover the fund’s operating expenses. An expense ratio of 0.50% means that a fund’s expenses amount to half of one percent of its average net assets a year.
 
FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Index An index that is designed to provide a diverse representation of publicly traded equity REITs and listed property companies worldwide.
 
market cap, market capitalization The value of a company as determined by the total value of all shares of its stock outstanding.
 
median market cap The midpoint of the range of market caps of the stocks held by a fund. There are different ways of calculating median market cap. With a simple median, half of the stocks in the fund’s portfolio would be larger than the median, and half would be smaller. With a weighted median (the type that is calculated for these funds), half of the fund’s assets are invested in stocks that are larger than the median market cap, and half in stocks that are smaller.
 
MSCI EAFE (Europe, Australasia, Far East) Index A free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the US & Canada.
 
net asset value (NAV) The value of one share of a mutual fund. NAV is calculated by taking the fund’s total assets, subtracting liabilities, and dividing by the number of shares outstanding.
 
outstanding shares, shares outstanding When speaking of a company or mutual fund, indicates all shares currently held by investors.
 
price-to-book ratio (P/B)  The market price of a company’s stock compared with its “book value.” A mutual fund’s P/B is the weighted average of the P/B of all stocks in the fund’s portfolio.
 
price-to-earnings ratio (P/E)  The market price of a company’s stock compared with earnings over the past year. A mutual fund’s P/E is the weighted average of the P/E of all stocks in the fund’s portfolio.
 
real estate investment trust (REIT) Real estate companies that own and commonly operate income producing commercial and/or residential real estate.
 
real estate operating companies (REOC) Real estate companies that engage in the development, management or financing of real estate.
 
return on equity (ROE) The average yearly rate of return for each dollar of investors’ money, measured over the past five years.
 
S&P 500 Index A market capitalization index that is designed to measure the performance of 500 leading publicly held companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy.
 
stock A share of ownership, or equity, in the issuing company.
 
total return The percentage that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund assuming dividends and distributions were reinvested.
 
weighted average For mutual funds, an average that gives the same weight to each security as the security represents in the fund’s portfolio.
 
yield The income paid out by an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investment’s market value.
 
 
 
 
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Notes


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Notes


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Schwab Funds® offers you an extensive family of mutual funds, each one based on a clearly defined investment approach and using disciplined management strategies. The list at right shows all currently available Schwab Funds.
 
Whether you are an experienced investor or just starting out, Schwab Funds can help you achieve your financial goals. An investor should consider a fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing or sending money. This and other important information can be found in a fund’s prospectus. Please call 1-800-435-4000 for a prospectus and brochure for any Schwab Fund. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest. This report must be preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
 
Proxy Voting Policies, Procedures and Results
 
A description of the proxy voting policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies on behalf of the funds is available without charge, upon request, by visiting Schwab’s website at www.schwabfunds.com/prospectus, the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov, or by contacting Schwab Funds at 1-800-435-4000.
 
Information regarding how a fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available, without charge, by visiting Schwab’s website at www.schwabfunds.com/prospectus or the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
 
The Schwab Funds Family®
 
Stock Funds
Schwab Premier Equity Fund®
Schwab Core Equity Fundtm
Schwab Dividend Equity Fundtm
Schwab Large-Cap Growth Fundtm
Schwab Small-Cap Equity Fundtm
Schwab Hedged Equity Fundtm
Schwab Financial Services Fundtm
Schwab Health Care Fundtm
Schwab® International Core Equity Fund
Schwab Fundamental US Large* Company Index Fund
Schwab Fundamental US Small-Mid* Company Index Fund
Schwab Fundamental International* Large Company Index Fund
Schwab Fundamental International* Small-Mid Company Index Fund
Schwab Fundamental Emerging Markets* Index Fund
Schwab Global Real Estate Fundtm
Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund
Schwab 1000 Index® Fund
Schwab Small-Cap Index Fund®
Schwab Total Stock Market Index Fund®
Schwab International Index Fund®
 
Asset Allocation Funds
Schwab Balanced Fundtm
Schwab MarketTrack All Equity Portfoliotm
Schwab MarketTrack Growth Portfoliotm
Schwab MarketTrack Balanced Portfoliotm
Schwab MarketTrack Conservative Portfoliotm
Schwab Target 2010 Fund
Schwab Target 2015 Fund
Schwab Target 2020 Fund
Schwab Target 2025 Fund
Schwab Target 2030 Fund
Schwab Target 2035 Fund
Schwab Target 2040 Fund
Schwab® Monthly Income Fund – Moderate Payout
Schwab® Monthly Income Fund – Enhanced Payout
Schwab® Monthly Income Fund – Maximum Payout
 
Bond Funds
Schwab Short-Term Bond Market Fundtm
Schwab® Premier Income Fund
Schwab Total Bond Market Fundtm
Schwab GNMA Fundtm
Schwab® Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Fund
Schwab Tax-Free Bond Fundtm
Schwab California Tax-Free Bond Fundtm
 
Schwab Money Funds
Schwab offers an array of money market funds1. Choose from taxable or tax-advantaged alternatives. Many can be linked to your eligible Schwab account to “sweep” cash balances automatically, subject to availability, when you’re between investments. Or, for your larger cash reserves, choose one of our Value Advantage Investments®.
 
 
* SCHWAB is a registered trademark of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. FUNDAMENTAL INDEX, FUNDAMENTAL US LARGE, FUNDAMENTAL US SMALL-MID, FUNDAMENTAL INTERNATIONAL AND FUNDAMENTAL EMERGING MARKETS are trademarks of Research Affiliates LLC.
 
1 Investments in money market funds are neither insured nor guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency and, although they seek to preserve the value of your investment at $1 per share, it is possible to lose money.


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(CHARLES SCHWAB LOGO)
 
 
 
Investment Adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
 
Funds
Schwab Funds®
P.O. Box 3812, Englewood, CO 80155–3812
 
 
This report is not authorized for distribution to prospective investors
unless preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
© 2011 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. All rights reserved.
Member SIPC
Printed on recycled paper.
MFR38869-04


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(CHARLES SCHWAB LOGO)


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Item 2: Code of Ethics.
Not applicable to this semi-annual report.
Item 3: Audit Committee Financial Expert.
Not applicable to this semi-annual report.
Item 4: Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
Not applicable to this semi-annual report.
Item 5: Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.
Not applicable.
Item 6: Schedule of Investments.
Except as noted below, the schedules of investments are included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 1 of this Form.

 


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Item 7: Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.
Not applicable.
Item 8: Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.
Not applicable.
Item 9: Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.
Not applicable.
Item 10: Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
Not applicable.
Item 11: Controls and Procedures.
(a)   Based on their evaluation of Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days of the filing date, Registrant’s Chief Executive Officer, Marie Chandoha and Registrant’s Principal Financial Officer, George Pereira, have concluded that Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures are: (i) reasonably designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in this report is appropriately communicated to Registrant’s officers to allow timely decisions regarding disclosures required in this report; (ii) reasonably designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in this report is recorded, processed, summarized and reported in a timely manner; and (iii) are effective in achieving the goals described in (i) and (ii) above.
 
(b)   During the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report, there have been no changes in Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that the above officers believe to have materially affected, or to be reasonably likely to materially affect, Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Item 12: Exhibits.
(a) (1)    Code of ethics — not applicable to this semi-annual report.
 
  (2)   Separate certifications for Registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the 1940 Act, are attached.
 
  (3)   Not applicable.
 
(b)  A certification for Registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the 1940 Act, is attached. This certification is being furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. section 1350 and is not being filed as part of the Form N-CSR with the Commission.

 


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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
(Registrant) Schwab Investments — Schwab Global Real Estate Fund
         
By:   /s/ Marie Chandoha    
  Marie Chandoha   
  Chief Executive Officer   
Date: 10/13/2011
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
         
By:   /s/ Marie Chandoha    
  Marie Chandoha   
  Chief Executive Officer   
Date: 10/13/2011
         
By:   /s/ George Pereira    
  George Pereira   
  Principal Financial Officer   
Date: 10/13/2011