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Lord Abbett Focused Small Cap Value Fund
Lord Abbett Focused Small Cap Value Fund (formerly known as "Lord Abbett Micro-Cap Value Fund")
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The Fund’s investment objective is long-term capital appreciation.

FEES AND EXPENSES

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and certain members of your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Lord Abbett Family of Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in “Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers” on page 39 of the prospectus, Appendix A to the prospectus, titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers,” and “Purchases, Redemptions, Pricing, and Payments to Dealers” on page 9-1 of Part II of the statement of additional information (“SAI”).

Shareholder Fees (Fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees - Lord Abbett Focused Small Cap Value Fund
Class A
Class C
Class F
Class F3
Class I
Class R2
Class R3
Class R4
Class R5
Class R6
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) [1] 5.75% none none none none none none none none none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower) [1] none [2] 1.00% [3] none none none none none none none none
[1] A shareholder transacting in share classes without a front-end sales charge may be required to pay a commission to its financial intermediary. Please contact your financial intermediary for more information about whether such a commission may apply to your transaction.
[2] A contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") of 1.00% may be assessed on certain Class A shares purchased or acquired without a sales charge if they are redeemed before the first day of the month of the one-year anniversary of the purchase.
[3] A CDSC of 1.00% may be assessed on Class C shares if they are redeemed before the first anniversary of their purchase.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Lord Abbett Focused Small Cap Value Fund
Class A
Class C
Class F
Class F3
Class I
Class R2
Class R3
Class R4
Class R5
Class R6
Management Fees 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% 0.10% none none 0.60% 0.50% 0.25% none none
Other Expenses [1] 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.17% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.17%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.30% 2.05% 1.15% 0.97% 1.05% 1.65% 1.55% 1.30% 1.05% 0.97%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement [2] (0.02%) (0.02%) (0.12%) [3] (0.02%) (0.02%) (0.02%) (0.02%) (0.02%) (0.02%) (0.02%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement [2] 1.28% 2.03% 1.03% 0.95% 1.03% 1.63% 1.53% 1.28% 1.03% 0.95%
[1] Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
[2] For the period from July 1, 2019 through February 28, 2021, Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC has contractually agreed to waive its fees and reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to limit total net annual operating expenses, excluding 12b-1 fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest-related expenses, taxes, expenses related to litigation and potential litigation, and extraordinary expenses, to an annual rate of 0.95% for each of Class F3 and R6 and to an annual rate of 1.03% for each other class. This agreement may be terminated only by the Fund's Board of Trustees.
[3] For the period from July 1, 2019 through February 28, 2021, Lord Abbett Distributor LLC has contractually agreed to waive the Fund's 0.10% Rule 12b-1 fee for Class F shares. This agreement may be terminated only by the Fund's Board of Trustees.
Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangement described above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

If Shares Are Redeemed
Expense Example - Lord Abbett Focused Small Cap Value Fund - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 698 960 1,244 2,050
Class C 306 639 1,100 2,377
Class F 105 345 613 1,379
Class F3 97 306 533 1,187
Class I 105 331 576 1,279
Class R2 166 517 894 1,952
Class R3 156 486 841 1,843
Class R4 130 409 710 1,565
Class R5 105 331 576 1,279
Class R6 97 306 533 1,187
If Shares Are Not Redeemed
Expense Example No Redemption - Lord Abbett Focused Small Cap Value Fund - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 698 960 1,244 2,050
Class C 206 639 1,100 2,377
Class F 105 345 613 1,379
Class F3 97 306 533 1,187
Class I 105 331 576 1,279
Class R2 166 517 894 1,952
Class R3 156 486 841 1,843
Class R4 130 409 710 1,565
Class R5 105 331 576 1,279
Class R6 97 306 533 1,187
Portfolio Turnover.

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 57% of the average value of its portfolio.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

To pursue its objective, under normal conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of small-cap companies. For purposes of this policy, the Fund defines a small-cap company as a company having a market capitalization at the time of purchase that falls within the market capitalization range of companies in the Russell 2000 Index. The Fund’s portfolio management team will utilize a focused investment strategy and will typically invest in a small number of issuers (although the Fund will operate as a diversified investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended). The Fund’s principal investments include the following types of securities and other financial instruments:


 

 

Equity securities of small-cap companies. The Fund may invest in any security that represents equity ownership in a company. Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, preferred stocks, equity interests in trusts (including real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and privately offered trusts), partnerships, joint ventures, limited liability companies and vehicles with similar legal structures, and other instruments with similar economic characteristics. The Fund considers equity securities to include warrants, rights offerings, convertible securities, and other investments that are convertible or exercisable into the equity securities described above.


 

 

Small-cap companies having a market capitalization at the time of purchase that falls within the market capitalization range of companies included in the Russell 2000 Index.

 

 

Value companies that the Fund’s portfolio management team believes to be undervalued according to certain financial measurements of intrinsic worth or business prospects and have the potential for capital appreciation.


The Fund also may invest up to 10% of its net assets in debt securities. This limit does not apply to the Fund’s investment in convertible debt securities. The Fund may invest in debt securities of any credit quality, maturity, or duration.


The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in foreign companies, including emerging market companies and American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), and other similar depositary receipts. The Fund defines foreign companies as those whose securities are traded primarily on non-U.S. securities exchanges. The Fund considers emerging market countries to include countries that are not currently classified as a developed market by MSCI. Because ADRs represent exposure to foreign companies, the Fund deems them to be foreign investments even though they trade on U.S. exchanges. Foreign securities may be denominated in the U.S. dollar or other currencies.


The Fund attempts to invest in securities of companies that the portfolio management team believes are undervalued by the market and are selling at reasonable prices in relation to the portfolio management team’s assessment of their potential or intrinsic value. A security may be undervalued by the market because of a lack of awareness of the company’s intrinsic value or a lack of recognition of the company’s future potential. In addition, a security may be undervalued because it may be temporarily out of favor by the market. The Fund’s portfolio management team selects securities by, among other things, employing quantitative screening and fundamental research.


The Fund may sell a security when the Fund believes the security is less likely to benefit from the current market and economic environment, shows signs of deteriorating fundamentals, or has reached its valuation target, among other reasons. The Fund seeks to remain fully invested in accordance with its investment objective; however, in response to adverse economic, market or other unfavorable conditions, the Fund may invest its assets in a temporary defensive manner. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if defensive strategies are used and thus may not achieve its investment objective.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

As with any investment in a mutual fund, investing in the Fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment. When you redeem your shares, they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them, which means that you may lose a portion or all of the money you invested in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, which could adversely affect its performance, include:


 

 

Portfolio Management Risk: If the strategies used and investments selected by the Fund’s portfolio management team fail to produce the intended result, the Fund may not achieve its objective. As a result, the Fund may suffer losses or underperform other funds with the same investment objective or strategies, even in a favorable market.

 

 

Market Risk: The market values of securities will fluctuate, sometimes sharply and unpredictably, based on overall economic conditions, governmental actions or intervention, political developments and other factors. Prices of equity securities tend to rise and fall more dramatically than those of debt securities.

 

 

Equity Securities Risk: Equity securities, as well as equity-like securities such as convertible debt securities, may experience significant volatility. Such securities may fall sharply in response to adverse events affecting overall markets, a particular industry or sector, or an individual company’s financial condition.

 

 

Industry and Sector Risk: Although the Fund does not employ an industry or sector focus, its exposure to specific industries or sectors will increase from time to time based on the portfolio management team’s perception of investment opportunities. If the Fund overweights a single industry or sector relative to its benchmark index, the Fund will face an increased risk that the value of its portfolio will decrease because of events disproportionately affecting that industry or sector. Furthermore, investments in particular industries or sectors may be more volatile than the broader market as a whole.

 

 

Focused Investing Risk: To the extent that the Fund invests its assets in the securities of a small number of issuers, the Fund will be subject to greater volatility with respect to its investments than a fund that invests in the securities of a larger number of issuers.

 

 

Real Estate Risk: An investment in a REIT generally is subject to the risks that impact the value of the underlying properties or mortgages of the REIT. These risks include loss to casualty or condemnation, and changes in supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes, and operating expenses. Other factors that may adversely affect REITs include poor performance by management of the REIT, changes to the tax laws, or failure by the REIT to qualify for favorable tax treatment under Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and changes in local, regional, or general economic conditions.


 

 

Small Company Risk: Investments in small companies may involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies. As compared to larger companies, small companies may have limited management experience or depth, limited ability to generate or borrow capital needed for growth, and limited products or services, or operate in less established markets. Accordingly, small company securities tend to be more sensitive to changing economic, market, and industry conditions and tend to be more volatile and less liquid than equity securities of larger companies, especially over the short term. Small companies also may fall out of favor relative to larger companies in certain market cycles, causing the Fund to incur losses or underperform. The shares of small companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can adversely affect the pricing of these securities and the ability to sell these securities in the future.

 

 

Value Investing Risk: The prices of value stocks may lag the stock market for long periods of time if the market fails to recognize the company’s intrinsic worth. Value investing also is subject to the risk that a company judged to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced or even overpriced.

 

 

Foreign and Emerging Market Company Risk: Investments in foreign companies and in U.S. companies with economic ties to foreign markets generally involve special risks that can increase the likelihood that the Fund will lose money. For example, as compared with companies organized and operated in the U.S., these companies may be more vulnerable to economic, political, and social instability and subject to less government supervision, lack of transparency, inadequate regulatory and accounting standards, and foreign taxes. In addition, the securities of foreign companies also may be subject to inadequate exchange control regulations, the imposition of economic sanctions or other government restrictions, higher transaction and other costs, reduced liquidity, and delays in settlement to the extent they are traded on non-U.S. exchanges or markets. Foreign company securities also include ADRs, GDRs, and other similar depositary receipts. ADRs, GDRs, and other similar depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Foreign company securities also may subject the Fund’s investments to changes in currency rates. Emerging market securities generally are more volatile than other foreign securities, and are subject to greater liquidity, regulatory, and political risks. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative and generally are riskier than investments in more developed markets because such markets tend to develop unevenly and may never fully develop. Emerging markets are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations. Securities of emerging market companies may have far lower trading volumes and less liquidity than securities of issuers in developed markets. Companies with economic ties to emerging markets may be susceptible to the same risks as companies organized in emerging markets.


 

 

Liquidity/Redemption Risk: The Fund may lose money when selling securities at inopportune times to fulfill shareholder redemption requests. The risk of loss may increase depending on the size and frequency of redemption requests, whether the redemption requests occur in times of overall market turmoil or declining prices, and whether the securities the Fund intends to sell have decreased in value or are illiquid.

 

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk: The Fund is subject to the general risks and considerations associated with investing in debt securities, including the risk that issuers will fail to make timely payments of principal or interest or default altogether. Typically, shorter-term bonds are less volatile than longer-term bonds; however, longer-term bonds typically offer higher yields and more stable interest income than shorter-term bond investments. Lower-rated securities in which the Fund may invest may be more volatile and may decline more in price in response to negative issuer developments or general economic news than higher rated securities. In addition, as interest rates rise, the Fund’s investments typically will lose value.

 

 

High-Yield Securities Risk: High-yield securities (commonly referred to as “junk” bonds) typically pay a higher yield than investment grade securities, but may have greater price fluctuations and have a higher risk of default than investment grade securities. The market for below investment grade securities may be less liquid due to such factors as interest rate sensitivity, negative perceptions of the junk bond markets generally, and less secondary market liquidity. This may make such securities more difficult to sell at an acceptable price, especially during periods of financial distress, increased market volatility, or significant market decline.

 

 

Credit Risk: Debt securities are subject to the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a security may not make interest and principal payments as they become due or may default altogether. In addition, if the market perceives a deterioration in the creditworthiness of an issuer, the value and liquidity of bonds issued by that issuer may decline. To the extent that the Fund holds below investment grade securities, these risks may be heightened. Insured debt securities have the credit risk of the insurer in addition to the credit risk of the underlying investment being insured.


 

 

Interest Rate Risk: As interest rates rise, prices of bonds (including tax-exempt bonds) generally fall, typically causing the Fund’s investments to lose value. Additionally, rising interest rates or lack of market participants may lead to decreased liquidity in fixed income markets. Interest rate changes typically have a greater effect on the price of fixed income securities with longer durations. A wide variety of market factors can cause interest rates to rise, including central bank monetary policy, rising inflation, and changes in general economic conditions. The Fund will be exposed to heightened interest rate risk as interest rates rise from historically low levels.

 

 

Convertible Securities Risk: Convertible securities are subject to the risks affecting both equity and fixed income securities, including market, credit, liquidity, and interest rate risk. Convertible securities tend to be more volatile than other fixed income securities, and the markets for convertible securities may be less liquid than markets for common stocks or bonds. To the extent that the Fund invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security’s investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security. A significant portion of convertible securities have below investment grade credit ratings and are subject to increased credit and liquidity risks.


An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of any bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. For more information on the principal risks of the Fund, please see the “More Information About the Fund – Principal Risks” section in the prospectus.

PERFORMANCE

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by illustrating the variability of the Fund’s returns. Each assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Performance is not shown for class C, F, F3, R2, R3, R4, R5 or R6 because these share classes have not completed a full calendar year of operations as of the date of this Prospectus.


The bar chart and table shows changes in the performance of the Fund during periods when the Fund operated under the name “Lord Abbett Micro Cap Value Fund.” The Fund implemented its current investment strategy, effective July 1, 2019. The performance of the Fund for periods prior to July 1, 2019 is not representative of the Fund’s current investment strategy.


The bar chart shows changes in the performance of the Fund’s Class A shares from calendar year to calendar year. This chart does not reflect the sales charge applicable to Class A shares. If the sales charge were reflected, returns would be lower. Performance for the Fund’s other share classes will vary due to the different expenses each class bears. Updated performance information is available at www.lordabbett.com or by calling 888-522-2388.

The bar chart shows changes in the performance of the Fund’s Class A shares from calendar year to calendar year. This chart does not reflect the sales charge applicable to Class A shares. If the sales charge were reflected, returns would be lower. Performance for the Fund’s other share classes will vary due to the different expenses each class bears. Updated performance information is available at www.lordabbett.com or by calling 888-522-2388.

Bar Chart (per calendar year) — Class A Shares
Bar Chart

 

 

 

Best Quarter 2nd Q ’09 +28.95%

 

Worst Quarter 3rd Q ’11 -24.90%

Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2018)

The table below shows how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare to the returns of securities market indices with investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. The Fund believes that the Russell 2000® Value Index is a more appropriate index than the Russell Microcap® Value Index in light of the Fund’s current investment strategy. The Fund’s average annual total returns include applicable sales charges.


The after-tax returns of Class A shares included in the table below are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. In some cases, the return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may exceed the return before taxes due to a tax benefit resulting from realized losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the period that is used to offset other gains. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-advantaged arrangements such as 401(k) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (“IRAs”). After-tax returns for the other share class are not shown in the table and will vary from those shown for Class A shares.

Average Annual Returns - Lord Abbett Focused Small Cap Value Fund
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Class A (14.50%) 4.11% 11.85%
Class I (9.31%) 5.35% 12.63%
After Taxes on Distributions | Class A (17.74%) 0.97% 9.85%
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Class A (6.38%) 3.09% 9.77%
Russell 2000® Value Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses, or taxes) (12.86%) 3.61% 10.40%
Russell 2000® Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses, or taxes) (11.01%) 4.41% 11.97%
Russell Microcap® Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) (11.96%) 4.27% 11.20%
Russell Microcap® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) (13.08%) 3.08% 11.71%