OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
Supplement dated January 16, 2001 to the
Prospectus dated January 16, 2001
Class N shares of Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund are not currently
being offered for sale.
January 16, 2001 PS0240.015
Oppenheimer
Multiple Strategies Fund
Prospectus dated January 16, 2001
Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund
is a mutual fund that seeks total
return consistent with preservation of
principal as its goal. It invests in a
variety of equity and debt securities
of U.S. and foreign issuers, as well
as money market instruments.
This Prospectus contains important
information about the Fund's
objective, its investment policies,
strategies and risks. It also contains
important information about how to buy
and sell shares of the Fund and other
account features. Please read this
Prospectus
As with all mutual funds, the carefully before you invest and keep Securities
and Exchange Commission it for future reference about your has not approved or
disapproved the account.
Fund's securities nor has it
determined that this Prospectus is
accurate or complete. It is a
criminal offense to represent
otherwise.
1234
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CONTENTS
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ABOUT THE FUND
The Fund's Investment Objective and Strategies
Main Risks of Investing in the Fund
The Fund's Performance
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
About the Fund's Investments
How the Fund is Managed
ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT
How to Buy Shares
Class A Shares
Class B Shares
Class C Shares
Class N Shares
Special Investor Services
AccountLink
PhoneLink
OppenheimerFunds Internet Web Site
Retirement Plans
How to Sell Shares
By Mail
By Telephone
How to Exchange Shares
Shareholder Account Rules and Policies
Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes
Financial Highlights
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<PAGE>
ABOUT THE FUND
The Fund's Investment Objective and Strategies
WHAT IS THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE? The Fund seeks high total investment
return consistent with preservation of principal.
WHAT DOES THE FUND MAINLY INVEST IN? The Fund buys a variety of different
types of securities to seek its objective. Mainly, these include:
o Equity securities. Primarily common stocks of U.S. and foreign
companies.
o Debt securities. Including bonds and notes issued by domestic and foreign
companies (which can include lower-grade, high-yield securities),
securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government and its agencies
and instrumentalities, including mortgage-related securities (these are
referred to as "U.S. Government securities"), and debt obligations of
foreign governments.
o Money market instruments, which are obligations that have a maturity of 13
months or less, including short-term U.S. Government securities, corporate
and bank debt obligations and commercial paper.
These investments are more fully explained in "About the Fund's
Investments," below.
HOW DO THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS DECIDE WHAT SECURITIES TO BUY OR SELL? In
selecting securities for the Fund, the Fund's portfolio managers use different
investment styles to carry out an asset allocation strategy that seeks broad
diversification across asset classes. They normally maintain a balanced mix of
stocks, debt securities and cash, although the Fund has no requirements to
weight the portfolio holdings in a fixed proportion. Therefore, the portfolio's
mix of equity and debt securities and cash will change over time as the
portfolio managers seek relative values and opportunities in different asset
classes.
Because the goal of total return looks for an increase in the overall
portfolio value from a combination of capital growth and income, the Fund
invests in stocks mainly for their growth potential and in debt securities for
income. The income from debt securities and money market instruments can also
help the Fund preserve principal when stock markets are volatile.
The portfolio managers employ both "growth" and "value" styles in
selecting stocks. They employ fundamental analysis of a company's financial
statements and management structure, operations and product development, as well
as the industry of which the company is part. Value investing seeks stocks that
are temporarily out of favor or undervalued in the market by various measures,
such as the stock's price/earnings ratio. Growth investing seeks stocks that the
manager believes have possibilities for increases in stock price because of
strong earnings growth compared to the market, the development of new products
or services or other favorable economic factors.
WHO IS THE FUND DESIGNED FOR? The Fund is designed primarily for investors
seeking high total return from their investment over the long term, from a fund
employing different investment styles in allocating its assets among a variety
of types of securities. While the Fund selects investments consistent with the
goal of preservation of principal, investors should be willing to assume the
risks of short-term share price fluctuations that are typical for a fund with
significant investments in stocks and foreign securities. Since the Fund's
income level will fluctuate, it is not designed for investors needing an assured
level of current income. Because of its focus on seeking total return over the
long-term, the Fund may be appropriate for a part of an investor's retirement
plan portfolio. However, the Fund is not a complete investment program.
Main Risks of Investing in the Fund
All investments have risks to some degree. The Fund's investments are subject to
changes in their value from a number of factors described below. There is also
the risk that poor security selection by the Fund's investment Manager,
OppenheimerFunds, Inc., will cause the Fund to underperform other funds having
similar objectives.
RISKS OF INVESTING IN STOCKS. Stocks fluctuate in price, and their short-term
volatility at times may be great. The Fund will normally invest at least 25% of
its total assets in stocks and other equity securities, and the value of the
Fund's portfolio therefore will be affected by changes in the stock markets.
Market risk will affect the Fund's net asset values per share, which will
fluctuate as the values of the Fund's portfolio securities change. A variety of
factors can affect the price of a particular stock and the prices of individual
stocks do not all move in the same direction uniformly or at the same time.
Different stock markets may behave differently from each other.
Other factors can affect a particular stock's price, such as poor earnings
reports by the issuer, loss of major customers, major litigation against the
issuer, or changes in government regulations affecting the issuer. The Fund has
no requirements to invest in companies in any particular capitalization range,
and can invest in securities of large companies and also small and medium-size
companies, which may have more volatile stock prices than large companies.
RISKS OF FOREIGN INVESTING. The Fund can buy securities issued by companies or
governments in any country, developed and emerging markets. While the Fund has
no limits on the amounts it can invest in foreign securities, it normally
expects to invest not more than 50% of its assets in foreign securities. Foreign
securities may offer special investment opportunities, but there are also
special risks. The change in value of a foreign currency against the U.S. dollar
will result in a change in the U.S. dollar value of foreign securities. Foreign
issuers are not subject to the same accounting and disclosure requirements that
U.S. companies are subject to. The value of foreign investments may be affected
by exchange control regulations, expropriation or nationalization of a company's
assets, foreign taxes, delays in settlement of transactions, changes in
governmental economic or monetary policy in the U.S. or abroad, or other
political and economic factors.
Special Risks of Emerging and Developing Markets. Securities in emerging and
developing markets present risks not found in more mature markets. Those
securities may be more difficult to sell at an acceptable price and their
prices may be more volatile than securities of issuers in more developed
markets. Settlements of trades may be subject to greater delays so that
the Fund might not receive the proceeds of a sale of a security on a
timely basis.
Emerging markets might have less developed trading markets and exchanges,
and legal and accounting systems. Investments may be subject to greater
risks of government restrictions on withdrawing the sales proceeds of
securities from the country. Economies of developing countries may be more
dependent on relatively few industries that may be highly vulnerable to
local and global changes. Governments may be more unstable and present
greater risks of nationalization or restrictions on foreign ownership of
stocks of local companies. These investments may be very speculative.
CREDIT RISK. Debt securities are subject to credit risk. Credit risk is the risk
that the issuer of a security might not make interest and principal payments on
the security as they become due. If the issuer fails to pay interest, the Fund's
income might be reduced and if the issuer fails to repay principal, the value of
that security and of the Fund's shares might fall. A downgrade in an issuer's
credit rating or other adverse news about an issuer can cause the market value
of that issuer's securities to fall. While the Fund's investments in U.S.
Government securities are subject to little credit risk, the Fund's other
investments in debt securities, particularly high-yield lower-grade debt
securities, are subject to risks of default.
Special Risks of Lower-Grade Securities. The Fund can invest up to 35% of its
total assets in securities below investment-grade to seek income.
Therefore, the Fund's credit risks are greater than those of funds that
buy only investment-grade bonds. Lower-grade debt securities (commonly
called "junk bonds") may be subject to greater market fluctuations and
greater risks of loss of income and principal than investment-grade debt
securities. Securities that are (or that have fallen) below investment
grade are exposed to a greater risk that the issuers of those securities
might not meet their debt obligations. The market for lower-grade
securities may be less liquid, especially during times of general economic
distress, and therefore they may be harder to sell at an acceptable price.
These risks can reduce the Fund's share prices and the income it earns.
INTEREST RATE RISKS. The values of debt securities are subject to change when
prevailing interest rates change. When interest rates fall, the values of
already-issued debt securities generally rise. When interest rates rise, the
values of already-issued debt securities generally fall and they may sell at a
discount from their face amount. The magnitude of these fluctuations will often
be greater for debt securities having longer maturities than shorter-term debt
securities. The Fund's share prices can go up or down when interest rates change
because of the effect of the changes on the value of the Fund's investments in
debt securities.
PREPAYMENT RISK. Prepayment risk occurs when the issuer of a security can prepay
the principal prior to the security's maturity. Securities subject to prepayment
risk, including the mortgage-related securities that the Fund can buy, have
greater potential for loss when interest rates rise. The impact of prepayments
on the price of a security may be difficult to predict and may increase the
volatility of the price. Additionally, the Fund might buy mortgage-related
securities at a premium. Accelerated prepayments on those securities could cause
the Fund to lose a portion of its principal investment represented by the
premium the Fund paid.
The prices and yields of CMOs are determined, in part, by assumptions
about the cash flows from the rate of payments of the underlying mortgages.
Changes in interest rates may cause the rate of expected prepayments of those
mortgages to change. In general, prepayments increase when general interest
rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise.
If prepayments of mortgages underlying a CMO occur faster than expected
when interest rates fall, the market value and yield of the CMO could be
reduced. Additionally, the Fund may have to reinvest the prepayment proceeds in
other securities paying interest at lower rates, which could reduce the Fund's
yield.
If interest rates rise rapidly, prepayments might occur at slower rates
than expected, which could have the effect of lengthening the expected maturity
of a short or medium-term security. That could cause its value to fluctuate more
widely in response to changes in interest rates. In turn, this could cause the
value of the Fund's shares to fluctuate more.
ASSET ALLOCATION RISKS. Because the Fund typically invests in a combination of
stocks, bonds and money market instruments to seek total return, it might not
achieve growth in its share prices to the same degree as funds focusing on
stocks during periods of rapidly rising prices. Also, the Fund's investments in
stocks may make it more difficult for the Manager to preserve principal in
volatile stock markets. The Fund's use of value and growth styles in selecting
stocks might not be successful, particularly if stocks selected as value
investments fail to appreciate in price to the extent the Manager expected.
HOW RISKY IS THE FUND OVERALL? The risks described above collectively form the
overall risk profile of the Fund, and can affect the value of the Fund's
investments, its investment performance and its price per share. Particular
investments and investment strategies also have risks. These risks mean that you
can lose money by investing in the Fund. When you redeem your shares, they may
be worth more or less than what you paid for them. There is no assurance that
the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
In the short term, domestic and foreign stock markets can be volatile, and
the price of the Fund's shares will go up and down in response to those changes.
The Fund's income-oriented investments may help cushion the Fund's total return
from changes in stock prices, but debt securities are subject to credit,
prepayment and interest rate risks. In the OppenheimerFunds spectrum, the Fund
may be less volatile than funds that focus only on stock investments, but has
less opportunities for capital growth and more risks than the funds that focus
solely on investment grade bonds.
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.
The Fund's Performance
The bar chart and table below show one measure of the risks of investing in the
Fund, by showing changes in the Fund's performance (for its Class A shares) from
year to year for the last ten calendar years and by showing how the average
annual total returns of the Fund's shares compare to those of broad-based market
indices. The Fund's past investment performance is not necessarily an indication
of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Annual Total Returns (Class A) (as of 12/31 each year)
[See appendix to prospectus for data in bar chart showing annual total
returns]
Sales charges are not included in the calculations of return in this bar chart,
and if those charges were included, the returns would be less than those shown.
During the 10-year period shown in the bar chart, the highest return (not
annualized) for a calendar quarter was 11.15% (4th Q '98) and the lowest return
(not annualized) for a calendar quarter was -10.39% (3rd Q '98).
5 Years 10 Years
Average Annual Total Returns (or life of (or life of
for the periods ended December 1 Year class, class,
31, 2000 if less) if less)
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Class A Shares (inception 0.45% 10.42% 11.02%
4/24/87)
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S&P 500 Index (1) -9.10% 18.33% 17.44%
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Lehman Bros. Aggregate Bond 11.63% 6.46% 7.96%
Index(1)
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Class B Shares (inception 0.84% 10.52% 10.84%
8/29/95)
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Class C Shares (inception 4.74% 10.83% 10.49%
12/1/93)
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1. From 12/31/90.
The Fund's average annual total returns in the table include the applicable
sales charge: for Class A, the current maximum initial sales charge of 5.75%;
for Class B, the contingent deferred sales charges of 5% (1-year) and 1% (life
of class); and for Class C, the 1% contingent deferred sales charge for the
1-year period. Because Class N shares were not offered during the year ended
December 31, 2000, no performance information is included in the table above.
The Fund's returns measure the performance of a hypothetical account and
assume that all dividends and capital gains distributions have been reinvested
in additional shares. The performance of the Fund's Class A shares is compared
to the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, an unmanaged index of U.S. equity
securities, and to the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index, an unmanaged
index of U.S. corporate, government and mortgage-backed securities. The index
performance includes the reinvestment of income but does not reflect
transaction costs. Also, the Fund's investments vary from the securities in
the indices.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The Fund pays a variety of expenses directly for management of its assets,
administration, distribution of its shares and other services. Those expenses
are subtracted from the Fund's assets to calculate the Fund's net asset values
per share. All shareholders therefore pay those expenses indirectly.
Shareholders pay other expenses directly, such as sales charges and account
transaction charges. The following tables are provided to help you understand
the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The
numbers below are based on the Fund's expenses during its fiscal year ended
September 30, 2000, except that the numbers for Class N shares, which is a new
class of shares, are based on the Fund's anticipated expenses for Class N shares
during the upcoming year.
Shareholder Fees (charges paid directly from your investment):
---------------------------------
Class A Class B Class C Class N
Shares Shares Shares Shares
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Maximum Sales Charge (Load) on
purchases (as % of offering 5.75% None None None
price)
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Maximum Deferred Sales Charge
(Load) (as % of the lower of
the original offering None1 5%2 1%3 1%4
price or redemption proceeds)
---------------------------------
1. A contingent deferred sales charge may apply to redemptions of investments of
$1 million or more ($500,000 for retirement plan accounts) of Class A shares.
See "How to Buy Shares" for details.
2. Applies to redemptions in first year after purchase. The contingent deferred
sales charge declines to 1% in the sixth year and is eliminated after that.
3. Applies to shares redeemed within 12 months of purchase.
4. Applies to shares redeemed within 18 months of retirement plan's first
purchase.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (deducted from Fund assets):
(% of average daily net assets)
-----------------------------------
Class A Class B Class C Class N
Shares Shares Shares Shares
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Management Fees 0.71% 0.71% 0.71% 0.71%
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Distribution and/or Service 0.19% 1.00% 1.00% 0.50%
(12b-1) Fees
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Other Expenses 0.23% 0.23% 0.23% 0.23%
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Total Annual Operating Expenses 1.13% 1.94% 1.94% 1.44%
-----------------------------------
Expenses may vary in future years. "Other Expenses" include transfer agent fees,
custodial expenses, and accounting and legal expenses the Fund pays. Class N
shares were not offered for sale during the Fund's last fiscal year. The
expenses above for Class N shares are based on the expected expenses for that
class of shares for the current fiscal year.
EXAMPLES. The following examples are intended to help you compare the cost of
investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The
examples assume that you invest $10,000 in a class of shares of the Fund for the
time periods indicated and reinvest your dividends and distributions.
The first example assumes that you redeem all of your shares at the end of
those periods. The second example assumes that you keep your shares. Both
examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the
class's operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or
lower because expenses will vary over time. Based on these assumptions your
expenses would be as follows:
--------------------------
If shares are redeemed: 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years1
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Class A Shares $684 $913 $1,161 $1,871
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Class B Shares $697 $909 $1,247 $1,861
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Class C Shares $297 $609 $1,047 $2,264
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Class N Shares $247 $456 $787 $1,724
--------------------------
--------------------------
If shares are not 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years1
redeemed:
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Class A Shares $684 $913 $1,161 $1,871
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Class B Shares $197 $609 $1,047 $1,861
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Class C Shares $197 $609 $1,047 $2,264
-------------------------- ------------- ------------
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Class N Shares $147 $456 $787 $1,724
--------------------------
In the first example, expenses include the initial sales charge for Class A and
the applicable Class B, Class C or Class N contingent deferred sales charges. In
the second example, the Class A expenses include the sales charge, but Class B,
Class C and Class N expenses do not include the contingent deferred sales
charges.
1. Class B expenses for years 7 through 10 are based on Class A expenses, since
Class B shares automatically convert to Class A after 6 years.
About the Fund's Investments
THE FUND'S PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES. The allocation of the Fund's portfolio
among different investments will vary over time based upon the Manager's
evaluation of economic and market trends. The Fund's portfolio might not always
include all of the different types of investments described below. The Statement
of Additional Information contains more detailed information about the Fund's
investment policies and risks.
At times the Fund may focus more on investing for capital appreciation
with less emphasis on seeking income, while seeking to preserve principal. At
other times, for example when stock markets are less stable, the Fund might have
greater relative emphasis on income-seeking investments, such as government
securities and money market instruments.
The Manager tries to reduce risks by carefully researching securities
before they are purchased. The Fund attempts to reduce its exposure to market
risks by diversifying its investments, that is, by not holding a substantial
amount of stock of any one company and by not investing too great a percentage
of the Fund's assets in any one issuer. Also, the Fund does not concentrate 25%
or more of its total assets in investments in any one industry. However, changes
in the overall market prices of securities and the income they pay can occur at
any time. The share prices of the Fund will change daily based on changes in
market prices of securities and market conditions and in response to other
economic events.
In seeking broad diversification of the Fund's portfolio over asset
classes, issuers and economies, the portfolio managers consider overall and
relative economic conditions in U.S. and foreign markets. They seek broad
diversification by investing in different countries to help moderate the special
risks of investing in foreign securities and lower-grade, high-yield debt
securities.
Stock Investments. The Fund's stock investments may be exchange-traded or
over-the-counter securities. Over-the-counter securities may have less
liquidity than exchange-traded securities. Stocks represent an ownership
interest in a company and common stocks rank below preferred stocks and
bonds in their claim for dividends and assets if the issuer is liquidated
or becomes bankrupt.
Debt Securities. The Fund will normally invest at least 25% of its assets in
fixed-income senior securities, such as bonds and notes. The debt
securities the Fund buys may be rated by nationally recognized rating
organizations or they may be unrated securities assigned a rating by the
Manager. The Fund's investments may be investment grade or below
investment grade in credit quality. The Manager does not rely solely on
ratings by rating organizations in selecting debt securities but evaluates
business and economic factors affecting an issuer as well.
The Fund's foreign debt investments can be denominated in U.S. dollars or
in foreign currencies. Foreign government securities might not be backed
by the government's full faith and credit. The Fund can buy "Brady Bonds."
Those are U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities collateralized by
zero-coupon U.S. Treasury securities. They are typically issued by
governments of emerging market countries and are considered speculative
securities with higher risks of default. The Fund will buy foreign
currency only in connection with the purchase and sale of foreign
securities and not for speculation.
o U.S. Government Securities. The Fund can invest in securities issued or
guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or other U.S. Government agencies or
federally-chartered corporate entities referred to as
"instrumentalities". These are referred to as "U.S. Government
securities" in this Prospectus. They can include collateralized
mortgage obligations (CMOs) and other mortgage-related securities.
o U.S. Treasury Obligations. These include Treasury bills (having maturities
of one year or less when issued), Treasury notes (having maturities of
more than one and up to ten years when issued), and Treasury bonds (having
maturities of more than ten years when issued). Treasury securities are
backed by the full faith and credit of the United States as to timely
payments of interest and repayment of principal. Although not rated,
Treasury obligations have little credit risk but prior to their maturity
are subject to interest rate risk.
o Obligations of U.S. Government Agencies or Instrumentalities. These
include direct obligations and mortgage-related securities that have
different levels of credit support from the U.S. Government. These have
relatively little credit risk. Some are supported by the full faith and
credit of the U.S. Government, such as Government National Mortgage
Association pass-through mortgage certificates (called "Ginnie Maes").
Some are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S.
Treasury under certain circumstances, such as Federal National Mortgage
Association bonds ("Fannie Maes"). Others are supported only by the credit
of the entity that issued them, such as Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation obligations ("Freddie Macs").
o Mortgage-Related U.S. Government Securities. The Fund can buy interests in
pools of residential or commercial mortgages, in the form of
collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs") and other "pass-through"
mortgage securities. CMOs that are U.S. Government securities have
collateral to secure payment of interest and principal. They may be issued
in different series each having different interest rates and maturities.
The collateral is either in the form of mortgage pass-through certificates
issued or guaranteed by a U.S. agency or instrumentality or mortgage loans
insured by a U.S. Government agency.
o Private-Issuer Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Fund can invest in
mortgage-backed securities issued by private issuers, which do not offer
the credit backing of U.S. Government mortgage-related securities.
Primarily these would include multi-class debt or pass-through
certificates secured by mortgage loans. They may be issued by banks,
savings and loans, mortgage bankers and other non-governmental issuers.
Private issuer mortgage-backed securities are subject to the credit risks
of the issuers (as well as interest rate risks and prepayment risks),
although in some cases they may be supported by insurance or guarantees.
? High-Yield, Lower-Grade Debt Securities. The Fund can purchase a variety
of lower-grade, high-yield debt securities, to seek current income. These
securities are sometimes called "junk bonds." The Fund has no requirements
as to the maturity of the debt securities it can buy, or as to the market
capitalization range of the issuers of those securities. The Fund limits
these investments to not more than 35% of its assets.
Lower-grade debt securities are those rated below "Baa" by Moody's
Investors Service or lower than "BBB" by Standard & Poor's or that have
comparable ratings by other nationally-recognized rating organizations.
They include unrated securities assigned a comparable rating by the
Manager. The Fund can invest in securities rated as low as "C" or "D" or
which are in default at the time the Fund buys them. While securities
rated "Baa" by Moody's or "BBB" by S&P are considered "investment grade,"
they have some speculative characteristics.
o Money Market Instruments. The Fund can invest in money market instruments,
which include short-term certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances,
commercial paper, U.S. Government obligations, and other debt instruments
(including bonds) issued by corporations. These securities may have
variable or floating interest rates. The Fund's investments in commercial
paper in general will be limited to paper in the top two rating categories
of Standard & Poor's or Moody's.
CAN THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES CHANGE? The Fund's Board of
Trustees can change non-fundamental investment policies without shareholder
approval, although significant changes will be described in amendments to this
Prospectus. Fundamental policies cannot be changed without the approval of a
majority of the Fund's outstanding voting shares. The Fund's objective is a
fundamental policy. Other investment restrictions that are fundamental policies
are listed in the Statement of Additional Information. An investment policy is
not fundamental unless this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional
Information says that it is.
OTHER INVESTMENT STRATEGIES. To seek its objective, the Fund can use the
investment techniques and strategies described below. The Fund might not always
use all of them. These techniques have risks, although some are designed to help
reduce overall investment or market risks.
Other Equity Investments. The Fund's equity investments are mainly common
stocks, but also include preferred stocks and securities convertible into
common stock. The Manager considers some convertible securities to be
"equity equivalents" because of the conversion feature and in that case
their rating has less impact on the investment decision than in the case
of other debt securities.
Zero-Coupon and "Stripped" Securities. Some of the U.S. Government debt
securities the Fund buys are zero-coupon bonds that pay no interest. They
are issued at a substantial discount from their face value. "Stripped"
securities are the separate income or principal components of a debt
security. Some CMOs or other mortgage-related securities may be stripped,
with each component having a different proportion of principal or interest
payments. One class might receive all the interest and the other all the
principal payments.
Zero-coupon and stripped securities are subject to greater fluctuations in
price from interest rate changes than interest-bearing securities. The
Fund may have to pay out the imputed income on zero-coupon securities
without receiving the actual cash currently. Interest-only securities are
particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates.
The values of interest-only mortgage related securities are also very
sensitive to prepayments of underlying mortgages. When prepayments tend to
fall, the timing of the cash flows to these securities increases, making
them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The market for some of
these securities may be limited, making it difficult for the Fund to
dispose of its holdings quickly at an acceptable price.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities. Investments may be illiquid because they do
not have an active trading market, making it difficult to value them or
dispose of them promptly at an acceptable price. Restricted securities may
have terms that limit their resale to other investors or may require
registration under federal securities laws before they can be publicly
sold. The Fund will not invest more than 10% of its net assets in illiquid
or restricted securities. The Board can increase that limit to 15%.
Certain restricted securities that are eligible for resale to qualified
institutional purchasers may not be subject to that limit. The Manager
monitors holdings of illiquid securities on an ongoing basis to determine
whether to sell any holdings to maintain adequate liquidity.
Derivative Investments. The Fund can invest in a number of different kinds of
"derivative" investments. In general terms, a derivative investment is an
investment contract whose value depends on (or is derived from) the value
of an underlying asset, interest rate or index. In the broadest sense,
options, futures contracts, and other hedging instruments the Fund might
use may be considered "derivative" investments. In addition to using
derivatives for hedging, the Fund might use other derivative investments
because they offer the potential for increased value. The Fund currently
does not use derivatives to a substantial degree and is not required to
use them in seeking its objective.
Derivatives have risks. If the issuer of the derivative investment does
not pay the amount due, the Fund can lose money on the investment. The
underlying security or investment on which a derivative is based, and the
derivative itself, may not perform the way the Manager expected it to. As
a result of these risks the Fund could realize less principal or income
from the investment than expected or its hedge might be unsuccessful. As a
result, the Fund's share prices could fall. Certain derivative investments
held by the Fund might be illiquid.
o Hedging. The Fund can buy and sell futures contracts, put and call
options, and forward contracts. These are all referred to as "hedging
instruments." The Fund is not required to use hedging instruments to seek
its objective. The Fund does not use hedging instruments for speculative
purposes, and has limits on its use of them.
The Fund could buy and sell options, futures and forward contracts for a
number of purposes. It might do so to try to manage its exposure to the
possibility that the prices of its portfolio securities may decline, or to
establish a position in the securities market as a temporary substitute
for purchasing individual securities. It might do so to try to manage its
exposure to changing interest rates. Forward contracts can be used to try
to manage foreign currency risks on the Fund's foreign investments.
There are also special risks in particular hedging strategies. Options
trading involves the payment of premiums and can increase portfolio
turnover. If a covered call written by the Fund is exercised on an
investment that has increased in value, the Fund will be required to sell
the investment at the call price and will not be able to realize any
profit if the investment has increased in value above the call price.
If the Manager used a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judged
market conditions incorrectly, the strategy could reduce the Fund's
return. The Fund could also experience losses if the prices of its futures
and options positions were not correlated with its other investments or if
it could not close out a position because of an illiquid market.
How the Fund Is Managed
THE MANAGER. The Manager chooses the Fund's investments and handles its
day-to-day business. The Manager carries out its duties, subject to the policies
established by the Fund's Board of Trustees, under an investment advisory
agreement that states the Manager's responsibilities. The agreement sets the
fees paid by the Fund to the Manager and describes the expenses that the Fund is
responsible to pay to conduct its business.
The Manager has been an investment adviser since January 1960. The Manager
(including subsidiaries) managed more than $125 billion in assets as of December
31, 2000, including other Oppenheimer funds, with more than 5 million
shareholder accounts. The Manager is located at Two World Trade Center, 34th
Floor, New York, New York 10048-0203.
Portfolio Managers. The Fund's management team includes four portfolio managers.
Each is a Vice President of the Fund. They are the persons principally
responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio. Richard
H. Rubinstein, a Senior Vice President of the Manager, has been a
portfolio manager of the Fund since April 15, 1991. Since August 21, 1998,
David Negri, a Senior Vice President of the Manager, George Evans and
Michael Levine, who are both Vice Presidents of the Manager, have been
portfolio managers of the Fund. Each serves as an officer and manager of
other Oppenheimer funds.
Advisory Fees. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the
Manager an advisory fee at an annual rate that declines on additional
assets as the Fund grows: 0.75% of the first $200 million of average
annual net assets of the Fund, 0.72% of the next $200 million, 0.69% of
the next $200 million, 0.66% of the next $200 million, 0.60% of the next
$700 million and 0.58% of average annual net assets in excess of $1.5
billion. The Fund's management fee for its last fiscal year ended
September 30, 2000 was 0.71% of average annual net assets for each class
of shares.
ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT
How to Buy Shares
HOW DO YOU BUY SHARES? You can buy shares several ways, as described below.
The Fund's Distributor, OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc., may appoint
certain servicing agents to accept purchase (and redemption) orders. The
Distributor, in its sole discretion, may reject any purchase order for the
Fund's shares.
BuyingShares Through Your Dealer. You can buy shares through any dealer,
broker, or financial institution that has a sales agreement with the
Distributor. Your dealer will place your order with the Distributor on
your behalf.
BuyingShares Through the Distributor. Complete an OppenheimerFunds New Account
Application and return it with a check payable to "OppenheimerFunds
Distributor, Inc." Mail it to P.O. Box 5270, Denver, Colorado 80217. If
you don't list a dealer on the application, the Distributor will act as
your agent in buying the shares. However, we recommend that you discuss
your investment with a financial advisor before you make a purchase to be
sure that the Fund is appropriate for you.
o Paying by Federal Funds Wire. Shares purchased through the Distributor may
be paid for by Federal Funds wire. The minimum investment is $2,500.
Before sending a wire, call the Distributor's Wire Department at
1.800.525.7048 to notify the Distributor of the wire, and to receive
further instructions.
o Buying Shares Through OppenheimerFunds AccountLink. With AccountLink, you
pay for shares by electronic funds transfer from your bank account. Shares
are purchased for your account by a transfer of money from your account
through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system. You can provide those
instructions automatically, under an Asset Builder Plan, described below,
or by telephone instructions using OppenheimerFunds PhoneLink, also
described below. Please refer to "AccountLink," below for more details.
o Buying Shares Through Asset Builder Plans. You may purchase shares of the
Fund (and up to four other Oppenheimer funds) automatically each month
from your account at a bank or other financial institution under an Asset
Builder Plan with AccountLink. Details are in the Asset Builder
Application and the Statement of Additional Information.
HOW MUCH MUST YOU INVEST? You can buy Fund shares with a minimum initial
investment of $1,000. You can make additional investments at any time with as
little as $25. There are reduced minimum investments under special investment
plans.
o With Asset Builder Plans, 403(b) plans, Automatic Exchange Plans and
military allotment plans, you can make initial and subsequent investments
for as little as $25. You can make additional purchases of at least $25 by
telephone through AccountLink.
o Under retirement plans, such as IRAs, pension and profit-sharing plans and
401(k) plans, you can start your account with as little as $250. If your
IRA is started under an Asset Builder Plan, the $25 minimum applies.
Additional purchases may be as little as $25.
o The minimum investment requirement does not apply to reinvesting dividends
from the Fund or other Oppenheimer funds (a list of them appears in the
Statement of Additional Information, or you can ask your dealer or call
the Transfer Agent), or reinvesting distributions from unit investment
trusts that have made arrangements with the Distributor.
AT WHAT PRICE ARE SHARES SOLD? Shares are sold at their offering price, which is
the net asset value per share plus any initial sales charge that applies. The
offering price that applies to a purchase order is based on the next calculation
of the net asset value per share that is made after the Distributor receives the
purchase order at its offices in Colorado, or after any agent appointed by the
Distributor receives the order and sends it to the Distributor.
Net Asset Value. The net asset value of each class of shares is determined as
of the close of The New York Stock Exchange, on each day the Exchange is
open for trading (referred to in this Prospectus as a "regular business
day"). The Exchange normally closes at 4:00 P.M., New York time, but may
close earlier on some days. All references to time in this Prospectus mean
"New York time".
The net asset value per share is determined by dividing the value of the
Fund's net assets attributable to a class by the number of shares of that
class that are outstanding. To determine net asset value, the Fund's Board
of Trustees has established procedures to value the Fund's securities, in
general based on market value. The Board has adopted special procedures
for valuing illiquid and restricted securities and obligations for which
market values cannot be readily obtained. Because some foreign securities
trade in markets and exchanges that operate on weekends and U.S. holidays,
the values of some of the Fund's foreign investments may change
significantly on days when investors cannot buy or redeem Fund shares.
The Offering Price. To receive the offering price for a particular day, in
most cases the Distributor or its designated agent must receive your order
by the time of day The New York Stock Exchange closes that day. If your
order is received on a day when the Exchange is closed or after it has
closed, the order will receive the next offering price that is determined
after your order is received.
BuyingThrough a Dealer. If you buy shares through a dealer, your dealer must
receive the order by the close of The New York Stock Exchange and transmit
it to the Distributor so that it is received before the Distributor's
close of business on a regular business day (normally 5:00 P.M.) to
receive that day's offering price. Otherwise, the order will receive the
next offering price that is determined.
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What Classes of Shares Does the Fund Offer? The Fund offers investors four
different classes of shares. The different classes of shares represent
investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes are subject to
different expenses and will likely have different share prices. When you buy
shares, be sure to specify the class of shares. If you do not choose a class,
your investment will be made in Class A shares.
Class A Shares. If you buy Class A shares, you pay an initial sales charge (on
investments up to
$1 million). The amount of that sales charge will vary depending on the
amount you invest. The sales charge rates are listed in "How Can I Buy
Class A Shares?" below.
Class B Shares. If you buy Class B shares, you pay no sales charge at the time
of purchase, but you will pay an annual asset-based sales charge. If you
sell your shares within six years of buying them, you will normally pay a
contingent deferred sales charge. That contingent deferred sales charge
varies depending on how long you own your shares, as described in "How Can
I Buy Class B Shares?" below.
Class C Shares. If you buy Class C shares, you pay no sales charge at the time
of purchase, but you will pay an annual asset-based sales charge. If you
sell your shares within 12 months of buying them, you will normally pay a
contingent deferred sales charge of 1%, as described in "How Can I Buy
Class C Shares?" below.
Class N Shares. Class N shares are offered only through retirement plans
(including IRAs and 403(b) plans) that purchase $500,000 or more of Class
N shares of one or more Oppenheimer funds or through retirement plans (not
including IRAs and 403(b) plans) that have assets of $500,000 or more or
100 eligible plan participants. Non-retirement plan investors cannot buy
Class N shares directly. If you buy Class N shares, you pay no sales
charge at the time of purchase, but you will pay an annual asset-based
sales charge. If you sell your shares within eighteen (18) months of the
retirement plan's first purchase of Class N shares, you may pay a
contingent deferred sales charge of 1%, as described in "How Can You Buy
Class N Shares?" below.
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WHICH CLASS OF SHARES SHOULD YOU CHOOSE? Once you decide that the Fund is an
appropriate investment for you, the decision as to which class of shares is best
suited to your needs depends on a number of factors that you should discuss with
your financial advisor. Some factors to consider are how much you plan to invest
and how long you plan to hold your investment. If your goals and objectives
change over time and you plan to purchase additional shares, you should
re-evaluate those factors to see if you should consider another class of shares.
The Fund's operating costs that apply to a class of shares and the effect of the
different types of sales charges on your investment will vary your investment
results over time.
The discussion below is not intended to be investment advice or a
recommendation, because each investor's financial considerations are different.
The discussion below assumes that you will purchase only one class of shares,
and not a combination of shares of different classes. Of course, these examples
are based on approximations of the effect of current sales charges and expenses
projected over time, and do not detail all of the considerations in selecting a
class of shares. You should analyze your options carefully with your financial
advisor before making that choice.
How Long Do You Expect to Hold Your Investment? While future financial needs
cannot be predicted with certainty, knowing how long you expect to hold
your investment will assist you in selecting the appropriate class of
shares. Because of the effect of class-based expenses, your choice will
also depend on how much you plan to invest. For example, the reduced sales
charges available for larger purchases of Class A shares may, over time,
offset the effect of paying an initial sales charge on your investment,
compared to the effect over time of higher class-based expenses on shares
of Class B or Class C or Class N. For retirement plans that qualify to
purchase Class N shares, Class N shares will generally be more
advantageous than Class C shares; Class B shares are not available for
purchase by such retirement plans.
o Investing for the Shorter Term. While the Fund is meant to be a long-term
investment, if you have a relatively short-term investment horizon (that
is, you plan to hold your shares for not more than six years), you should
probably consider purchasing Class A or Class C shares rather than Class B
shares. That is because of the effect of the Class B contingent deferred
sales charge if you redeem within six years, as well as the effect of the
Class B asset-based sales charge on the investment return for that class
in the short-term. Class C shares might be the appropriate choice
(especially for investments of less than $100,000), because there is no
initial sales charge on Class C shares, and the contingent deferred sales
charge does not apply to amounts you sell after holding them one year.
However, if you plan to invest more than $100,000 for the shorter term,
then as your investment horizon increases toward six years, Class C shares
might not be as advantageous as Class A shares. That is because the annual
asset-based sales charge on Class C shares will have a greater impact on
your account over the longer term than the reduced front-end sales charge
available for larger purchases of Class A shares.
And for non-retirement plan investors who invest $1 million or more, in
most cases Class A shares will be the most advantageous choice, no matter
how long you intend to hold your shares. For that reason, the Distributor
normally will not accept purchase orders of $500,000 or more of Class B
shares or $1 million or more of Class C shares from a single investor.
o Investing for the Longer Term. If you are investing less than $100,000 for
the longer-term, for example for retirement, and do not expect to need
access to your money for seven years or more, Class B shares may be
appropriate.
Are There Differences in Account Features That Matter to You? Some account
features may not be available to Class B, Class C or Class N shareholders.
Other features may not be advisable (because of the effect of the
contingent deferred sales charge) for Class B, Class C or Class N
shareholders. Therefore, you should carefully review how you plan to use
your investment account before deciding which class of shares to buy.
Additionally, the dividends payable to Class B, Class C and Class N
shareholders will be reduced by the additional expenses borne by those
classes that are not borne by Class A shares, such as the Class B, Class C
and Class N asset-based sales charges described below and in the Statement
of Additional Information. Share certificates are not available for Class
B, Class C and Class N shares, and if you are considering using your
shares as collateral for a loan, that may be a factor to consider.
How Do Share Classes Affect Payments to Your Broker? A financial advisor may
receive different compensation for selling one class of shares than for
selling another class. It is important to remember that Class B, Class C
and Class N contingent deferred sales charges and asset-based sales
charges have the same purpose as the front-end sales charge on sales of
Class A shares: to compensate the Distributor for commissions and expenses
it pays to dealers and financial institutions for selling shares. The
Distributor may pay additional compensation from its own resources to
securities dealers or financial institutions based upon the value of
shares of the Fund owned by the dealer or financial institution for its
own account or for its customers.
SPECIAL SALES CHARGE ARRANGEMENTS AND WAIVERS. Appendix C to the Statement of
Additional Information details the conditions for the waiver of sales charges
that apply in certain cases, and the special sales charge rates that apply to
purchases of shares of the Fund by certain groups, or under specified retirement
plan arrangements or in other special types of transactions. To receive a waiver
or special sales charge rate, you must advise the Distributor when purchasing
shares or the Transfer Agent when redeeming shares that the special conditions
apply.
HOW CAN YOU BUY CLASS A SHARES? Class A shares are sold at their offering price,
which is normally net asset value plus an initial sales charge. However, in some
cases, described below, purchases are not subject to an initial sales charge,
and the offering price will be the net asset value. In other cases, reduced
sales charges may be available, as described below or in the Statement of
Additional Information. Out of the amount you invest, the Fund receives the net
asset value to invest for your account.
The sales charge varies depending on the amount of your purchase. A
portion of the sales charge may be retained by the Distributor or allocated to
your dealer as commission. The Distributor reserves the right to reallow the
entire commission to dealers. The current sales charge rates and commissions
paid to dealers and brokers are as follows:
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Front-End Sales Front-End Sales Commission
Charge As a Charge As a As
Percentage of Percentage of Percentage of
Amount of Purchase Offering Price Net Offering Price
Amount Invested
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Less than $25,000 5.75% 6.10% 4.75%
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$25,000 or more but less than 5.50% 5.82% 4.75%
$50,000
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$50,000 or more but less than 4.75% 4.99% 4.00%
$100,000
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$100,000 or more but less 3.75% 3.90% 3.00%
than $250,000
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$250,000 or more but less 2.50% 2.56% 2.00%
than $500,000
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$500,000 or more but less 2.00% 2.04% 1.60%
than $1 million
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Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. There is no initial sales charge on
purchases of Class A shares of any one or more of the Oppenheimer funds
aggregating $1 million or more or for certain purchases by particular
types of retirement plans described in Appendix C to the Statement of
Additional Information. The Distributor pays dealers of record commissions
in an amount equal to 1.0% of purchases of $1 million or more other than
by those retirement accounts. For those retirement plan accounts, the
commission is 1.0% of the first $2.5 million, plus 0.50% of the next $2.5
million, plus 0.25% of purchases over $5 million, based on the cumulative
purchases during the prior 12 months ending with the current purchase. In
either case, the commission will be paid only on purchases that were not
previously subject to a front-end sales charge and dealer commission.1
That commission will not be paid on purchases of shares in amounts of $1
million or more (including any right of accumulation) by a retirement plan
that pays for the purchase with the redemption proceeds of Class C shares
of one or more Oppenheimer funds held by the plan for more than one year.
If you redeem any of those shares within an 18-month "holding period"
measured from the end of the calendar month of their purchase, a
contingent deferred sales charge (called the "Class A contingent deferred
sales charge") may be deducted from the redemption proceeds. That sales
charge will be equal to 1.0% of the lesser of (1) the aggregate net asset
value of the redeemed shares at the time of redemption (excluding shares
purchased by reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions) or
(2) the original net asset value of the redeemed shares. However, the
Class A contingent deferred sales charge will not exceed the aggregate
amount of the commissions the Distributor paid to your dealer on all
purchases of Class A shares of all Oppenheimer funds you made that were
subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge.
Can You Reduce Class A Sales Charges? You may be eligible to buy Class A
shares at reduced sales charge rates under the Fund's "Right of
Accumulation" or a Letter of Intent, as described in "Reduced Sales
Charges" in the Statement of Additional Information.
HOW CAN YOU BUY CLASS B SHARES? Class B shares are sold at net asset value per
share without an initial sales charge. However, if Class B shares are redeemed
within 6 years of the end of the calendar month of their purchase, a contingent
deferred sales charge will be deducted from the redemption proceeds. The Class B
contingent deferred sales charge is paid to compensate the Distributor for its
expenses of providing distribution-related services to the Fund in connection
with the sale of Class B shares.
The amount of the contingent deferred sales charge will depend on the
number of years since you invested and the dollar amount being redeemed,
according to the following schedule for the Class B contingent deferred sales
charge holding period:
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge on
Years Since Beginning of Month in Redemptions in That Year
Which (As % of Amount Subject to Charge)
Purchase Order was Accepted
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0 - 1 5.0%
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1 - 2 4.0%
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2 - 3 3.0%
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3 - 4 3.0%
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4 - 5 2.0%
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5 - 6 1.0%
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6 and following None
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In the table, a "year" is a 12-month period. In applying the sales charge, all
purchases are considered to have been made on the first regular business day of
the month in which the purchase was made.
Automatic Conversion of Class B Shares. Class B shares automatically convert to
Class A shares 72 months after you purchase them. This conversion feature
relieves Class B shareholders of the asset-based sales charge that applies
to Class B shares under the Class B Distribution and Service Plan,
described below. The conversion is based on the relative net asset value
of the two classes, and no sales load or other charge is imposed. When any
Class B shares you hold convert, any other Class B shares that were
acquired by reinvesting dividends and distributions on the converted
shares will also convert to Class A shares. For further information on the
conversion feature and its tax implications, see "Class B Conversion" in
the Statement of Additional Information.
HOW CAN YOU BUY CLASS C SHARES? Class C shares are sold at net asset value per
share without an initial sales charge. However, if Class C shares are redeemed
within a holding period of 12 months from the end of the month of their
purchase, a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.0% will be deducted from the
redemption proceeds. The Class C contingent deferred sales charge is paid to
compensate the Distributor for its expenses of providing distribution-related
services to the Fund in connection with the sale of Class C shares.
HOW CAN YOU BUY CLASS N SHARES? As discussed above, Class N shares are offered
only through retirement plans (including IRAs and 403(b) plans) that purchase
$500,000 or more of Class N shares of one or more Oppenheimer funds or through
retirement plans (not including IRAs and 403(b) plans) that have assets of
$500,000 or more or 100 or more eligible participants. Non-retirement plan
investors cannot buy Class N shares directly.
A contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% will be imposed if:
o The retirement plan (not including IRAs and 403(b) plans) is terminated or
Class N shares of all Oppenheimer funds are terminated as an investment
option of the plan and Class N shares are redeemed within 18 months after the
plan's first purchase of Class N shares of any Oppenheimer fund, or
o With respect to an individual retirement plan or 403(b) plan, you redeem
Class N shares within 18 months of the plan's first purchase of Class N
shares of any Oppenheimer fund.
Retirement plans that offer Class N shares may impose charges on plan
participant accounts. The procedures for buying, selling, exchanging and
transferring the Fund's other classes of shares (other than the time those
orders must be received by the Distributor or Transfer Agent in Colorado) and
the special account features applicable to purchasers of those other classes of
shares described elsewhere in this prospectus do not apply to Class N shares
offered through a group retirement plan. Instructions for purchasing redeeming,
exchanging or transferring Class N shares offered through a group retirement
plan must be submitted by the plan, not by plan participants for whose benefit
the shares are held.
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE (12b-1) PLANS.
Service Plan for Class A Shares. The Fund has adopted a Service Plan for Class A
shares. It reimburses the Distributor for a portion of its costs incurred for
services provided to accounts that hold Class A shares. Reimbursement is made
quarterly at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the average annual net assets of
Class A shares of the Fund. The Distributor currently uses all of those fees to
pay dealers, brokers, banks and other financial institutions quarterly for
providing personal service and maintenance of accounts of their customers that
hold Class A shares.
Distribution and Service Plans for Class B, Class C and Class N Shares. The Fund
has adopted Distribution and Service Plans for Class B, Class C and Class
N shares to pay the Distributor for its services and costs in distributing
Class B, Class C and Class N shares and servicing accounts. Under the
plans, the Fund pays the Distributor an annual asset-based sales charge of
0.75% per year on Class B shares and on Class C shares and the Fund pays
the Distributor an annual asset-based sales charge of 0.25% on Class N
shares. The Distributor also receives a service fee of 0.25% per year
under each plan.
The asset-based sales charge and service fees increase Class B and Class C
expenses by 1.00% and increase Class N expense by 0.50% of the net assets
per year of the respective class. Because these fees are paid out of the
Fund's assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the
cost of your investment and may cost you more than other types of sales
charges.
The Distributor uses the service fees to compensate dealers for providing
personal services for accounts that hold Class B, Class C or Class N
shares. The Distributor pays the 0.25% service fees to dealers in advance
for the first year after the shares are sold by the dealer. After the
shares have been held for a year, the Distributor pays the service fees to
dealers on a quarterly basis.
The Distributor currently pays a sales concession of 3.75% of the purchase
price of Class B shares to dealers from its own resources at the time of
sale. Including the advance of the service fee, the total amount paid by
the Distributor to the dealer at the time of sales of Class B shares is
therefore 4.00% of the purchase price. The Distributor retains the Class B
asset-based sales charge.
The Distributor currently pays a sales concession of 0.75% of the purchase
price of Class C shares to dealers from its own resources at the time of
sale. Including the advance of the service fee, the total amount paid by
the Distributor to the dealer at the time of sale of Class C shares is
therefore 1.00% of the purchase price. The Distributor pays the
asset-based sales charge as an ongoing commission to the dealer on Class C
shares that have been outstanding for a year or more.
The Distributor currently pays a sales concession of 0.75% of the purchase
price of Class N shares to dealers from its own resources at the time of
sale. Including the advance of the service fee the total amount paid by
the Distributor to the dealer at the time of sale of Class N shares is
therefore 1.00% of the purchase price. The Distributor retains the
asset-based sales charge on Class N shares.
Special Investor Services
ACCOUNTLINK. You can use our AccountLink feature to link your Fund account
with an account at a U.S. bank or other financial institution. It must be an
Automated Clearing House (ACH) member. AccountLink lets you:
o transmit funds electronically to purchase shares by telephone (through a
service representative or by PhoneLink) or automatically under Asset
Builder Plans, or
o have the Transfer Agent send redemption proceeds or transmit dividends and
distributions directly to your bank account. Please call the Transfer
Agent for more information.
You may purchase shares by telephone only after your account has been
established. To purchase shares in amounts up to $250,000 through a telephone
representative, call the Distributor at 1.800.852.8457. The purchase payment
will be debited from your bank account.
AccountLink privileges should be requested on your Application or your
dealer's settlement instructions if you buy your shares through a dealer. After
your account is established, you can request AccountLink privileges by sending
signature-guaranteed instructions to the Transfer Agent. AccountLink privileges
will apply to each shareholder listed in the registration on your account as
well as to your dealer representative of record unless and until the Transfer
Agent receives written instructions terminating or changing those privileges.
After you establish AccountLink for your account, any change of bank account
information must be made by signature-guaranteed instructions to the Transfer
Agent signed by all shareholders who own the account.
PHONELINK. PhoneLink is the OppenheimerFunds automated telephone system that
enables shareholders to perform a number of account transactions automatically
using a touch-tone phone. PhoneLink may be used on already-established Fund
accounts after you obtain a Personal Identification Number (PIN), by calling the
special PhoneLink number, 1.800.533.3310.
Purchasing Shares. You may purchase shares in amounts up to $100,000 by phone,
by calling 1.800.533.3310. You must have established AccountLink
privileges to link your bank account with the Fund to pay for these
purchases.
Exchanging Shares. With the OppenheimerFunds Exchange Privilege, described
below, you can exchange shares automatically by phone from your Fund
account to another OppenheimerFunds account you have already established
by calling the special PhoneLink number.
Selling Shares. You can redeem shares by telephone automatically by calling the
PhoneLink number and the Fund will send the proceeds directly to your
AccountLink bank account. Please refer to "How to Sell Shares," below for
details.
CAN YOU SUBMIT TRANSACTION REQUESTS BY FAX? You may send requests for certain
types of account transactions to the Transfer Agent by fax (telecopier). Please
call 1.800.525.7048 for information about which transactions may be handled this
way. Transaction requests submitted by fax are subject to the same rules and
restrictions as written and telephone requests described in this Prospectus.
OPPENHEIMERFUNDS INTERNET WEB SITE. You can obtain information about the Fund,
as well as your account balance, on the OppenheimerFunds Internet web site, at
http://www.oppenheimerfunds.com. Additionally, shareholders listed in the
account registration (and the dealer of record) may request certain account
transactions through a special section of that web site. To perform account
transactions, you must first obtain a personal identification number (PIN) by
calling the Transfer Agent at 1.800.533.3310. If you do not want to have
Internet account transaction capability for your account, please call the
Transfer Agent at 1.800.525.7048. At times, the website may be inaccessible or
its transaction features may be unavailable.
AUTOMATIC WITHDRAWAL AND EXCHANGE PLANS. The Fund has several plans that enable
you to sell shares automatically or exchange them to another OppenheimerFunds
account on a regular basis. Please call the Transfer Agent or consult the
Statement of Additional Information for details.
REINVESTMENT PRIVILEGE. If you redeem some or all of your Class A or Class B
shares of the Fund, you have up to 6 months to reinvest all or part of the
redemption proceeds in Class A shares of the Fund or other Oppenheimer funds
without paying a sales charge. This privilege applies only to Class A shares
that you purchased subject to an initial sales charge and to Class A or Class B
shares on which you paid a contingent deferred sales charge when you redeemed
them. This privilege does not apply to Class C and Class N shares. You must be
sure to ask the Distributor for this privilege when you send your payment.
RETIREMENT PLANS. You may buy shares of the Fund for your retirement plan
account. If you participate in a plan sponsored by your employer, the plan
trustee or administrator must buy the shares for your plan account. The
Distributor also offers a number of different retirement plans that individuals
and employers can use:
o Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). These include regular IRAs, Roth
IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, rollover IRAs and Education IRAs.
o SEP-IRAs. These are Simplified Employee Pensions Plan IRAs for small
business owners or self-employed individuals.
o 403(b)(7) Custodial Plans. These are tax deferred plans for employees of
eligible tax-exempt organizations, such as schools, hospitals and
charitable organizations.
o 401(k) Plans. These are special retirement plans for businesses.
o Pension and Profit-Sharing Plans. These plans are designed for
businesses and self-employed individuals.
Please call the Distributor for OppenheimerFunds retirement plan documents,
which include applications and important plan information.
How to Sell Shares
You can sell (redeem) some or all of your shares on any regular business day.
Your shares will be sold at the next net asset value calculated after your order
is received in proper form (which means that it must comply with the procedures
described below) and is accepted by the Transfer Agent. The Fund lets you sell
your shares by writing a letter or by telephone. You can also set up Automatic
Withdrawal Plans to redeem shares on a regular basis. If you have questions
about any of these procedures, and especially if you are redeeming shares in a
special situation, such as due to the death of the owner or from a retirement
plan account, please call the Transfer Agent first, at 1.800.525.7048, for
assistance.
Certain Requests Require a Signature Guarantee. To protect you and the Fund from
fraud, the following redemption requests must be in writing and must
include a signature guarantee (although there may be other situations that
also require a signature guarantee):
o You wish to redeem more than $100,000 and receive a check o The redemption
check is not payable to all shareholders listed on the
account statement
o The redemption check is not sent to the address of record on your
account statement
o Shares are being transferred to a Fund account with a different owner
or name
o Shares are being redeemed by someone (such as an Executor) other than
the owners
Where Can You Have Your Signature Guaranteed? The Transfer Agent will accept
a guarantee of your signature by a number of financial institutions.
Including:
o a U.S. bank, trust company, credit union or savings association,
o a foreign bank that has a U.S. correspondent bank,
o a U.S. registered dealer or broker in securities, municipal securities
or government securities, or
o a U.S. national securities exchange, a registered securities
association or a clearing agency.
If you are signing on behalf of a corporation, partnership or other
business or as a fiduciary, you must also include your title in the signature.
Retirement Plan Accounts. There are special procedures to sell shares in an
OppenheimerFunds retirement plan account. Call the Transfer Agent for a
distribution request form. Special income tax withholding requirements
apply to distributions from retirement plans. You must submit a withholding
form with your redemption request to avoid delay in getting your money and
if you do not want tax withheld. If your employer holds your retirement
plan account for you in the name of the plan, you must ask the plan trustee
or administrator to request the sale of the Fund shares in your plan
account.
HOWDO YOU SELL SHARES BY MAIL? Write a letter of instructions that includes: o
Your name o The Fund's name o Your Fund account number (from your account
statement) o The dollar amount or number of shares to be redeemed o Any
special payment instructions o Any share certificates for the shares you are
selling o The signatures of all registered owners exactly as the account is
registered, and
o Any special documents requested by the Transfer Agent to assure proper
authorization of the person asking to sell the shares.
Use the following address for Send courier or express mail
Requests by mail: requests to:
OppenheimerFunds Services OppenheimerFunds Services
P.O. Box 5270 10200 E. Girard Avenue, Building D
Denver, Colorado 80217 Denver, Colorado 80231
HOW DO YOU SELL SHARES BY TELEPHONE? You and your dealer representative of
record may also sell your shares by telephone. To receive the redemption price
calculated on a particular regular business day, your call must be received by
the Transfer Agent by the close of The New York Stock Exchange that day, which
is normally 4:00 P.M., but may be earlier on some days. You may not redeem
shares held in an OppenheimerFunds retirement plan account or under a share
certificate by telephone.
o To redeem shares through a service representative, call 1.800.852.8457 o To
redeem shares automatically on PhoneLink, call 1.800.533.3310
Whichever method you use, you may have a check sent to the address on the
account statement, or, if you have linked your Fund account to your bank account
on AccountLink, you may have the proceeds sent to that bank account.
Are There Limits On Amounts Redeemed By Telephone?
Telephone Redemptions Paid by Check. Up to $100,000 may be redeemed by
telephone in any 7-day period. The check must be payable to all owners of
record of the shares and must be sent to the address on the account
statement. This service is not available within 30 days of changing the
address on an account.
Telephone Redemptions Through AccountLink. There are no dollar limits on
telephone redemption proceeds sent to a bank account designated when you
establish AccountLink. Normally the ACH transfer to your bank is initiated
on the business day after the redemption. You do not receive dividends on
the proceeds of the shares you redeemed while they are waiting to be
transferred.
CAN YOU SELL SHARES THROUGH YOUR DEALER? The Distributor has made arrangements
to repurchase Fund shares from dealers and brokers on behalf of their customers.
Brokers or dealers may charge for that service. If your shares are held in the
name of your dealer, you must redeem them through your dealer.
HOW CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGES AFFECT REDEMPTIONS. If you purchase
shares subject to a Class A, Class B, Class C or Class N contingent
deferred sales charge and redeem any of those shares during the applicable
holding period for the class of shares you own, the contingent deferred
sales charge will be deducted from the redemption proceeds (unless you are
eligible for a waiver of that sales charge based on the categories listed
in Appendix B to the Statement of Additional Information and you advise
the Transfer Agent of your eligibility for the waiver when you place your
redemption request).
A contingent deferred sales charge will be based on the lesser of the net
asset value of the redeemed shares at the time of redemption or the original net
asset value. A contingent deferred sales charge is not imposed on:
o the amount of your account value represented by an increase in net
asset value over the initial purchase price,
o shares purchased by the reinvestment of dividends or capital gains
distributions, or
o shares redeemed in the special circumstances described in Appendix C to
the Statement of Additional Information.
To determine whether a contingent deferred sales charge applies to a
redemption, the Fund redeems shares in the following order:
1. shares acquired by reinvestment of dividends and capital gains
distributions,
2. shares held for the holding period that applies to the class, and
3. shares held the longest during the holding period.
Contingent deferred sales charges are not charged when you exchange shares
of the Fund for shares of other Oppenheimer funds. However, if you exchange them
within the applicable contingent deferred sales charge holding period, the
holding period will carry over to the fund whose shares you acquire. Similarly,
if you acquire shares of this Fund by exchanging shares of another Oppenheimer
fund that are still subject to a contingent deferred sales charge holding
period, that holding period will carry over to this Fund.
How to Exchange Shares
Shares of the Fund may be exchanged for shares of certain Oppenheimer
funds at net asset value per share at the time of exchange, without sales
charge. Shares of the Fund can be purchased by exchange of shares of other
Oppenheimer funds on the same basis. To exchange shares, you must meet several
conditions:
o Shares of the fund selected for exchange must be available for sale in
your state of residence.
o The prospectuses of both funds must offer the exchange privilege. o You
must hold the shares you buy when you establish your account for at
least 7 days before you can exchange them. After the account is open 7
days, you can exchange shares every regular business day.
o You must meet the minimum purchase requirements for the fund whose shares
you purchase by exchange.
o Before exchanging into a fund, you must obtain and read its prospectus.
Shares of a particular class of the Fund may be exchanged only for shares of the
same class in the other Oppenheimer funds. For example, you can exchange Class A
shares of this Fund only for Class A shares of another fund. In some cases,
sales charges may be imposed on exchange transactions. For tax purposes,
exchanges of shares involve a sale of the shares of the fund you own and a
purchase of the shares of the other fund, which may result in a capital gain or
loss. Please refer to "How to Exchange Shares" in the Statement of Additional
Information for more details.
You can find a list of Oppenheimer funds currently available for exchanges
in the Statement of Additional Information or obtain one by calling a service
representative at 1.800.525.7048. That list can change from time to time.
HOW DO YOU SUBMIT EXCHANGE REQUESTS? Exchanges may be requested in writing or
by telephone:
Written Exchange Requests. Submit an OppenheimerFunds Exchange Request form,
signed by all owners of the account. Send it to the Transfer Agent at the
address on the back cover. Exchanges of shares held under certificates
cannot be processed unless the Transfer Agent receives the certificates
with the request.
Telephone Exchange Requests. Telephone exchange requests may be made either by
calling a service representative at 1.800.852.8457, or by using PhoneLink
for automated exchanges by calling 1.800.533.3310. Telephone exchanges may
be made only between accounts that are registered with the same name(s)
and address. Shares held under certificates may not be exchanged by
telephone.
ARE THERE LIMITATIONS ON EXCHANGES? There are certain exchange policies you
should be aware of:
o Shares are normally redeemed from one fund and purchased from the other
fund in the exchange transaction on the same regular business day on which
the Transfer Agent receives an exchange request that conforms to the
policies described above. It must be received by the close of The New York
Stock Exchange that day, which is normally 4:00 P.M. but may be earlier on
some days. However, either fund may delay the purchase of shares of the
fund you are exchanging into up to seven days if it determines it would be
disadvantaged by a same-day exchange. For example, the receipt of multiple
exchange requests from a "market timer" might require the Fund to sell
securities at a disadvantageous time and/or price.
o Because excessive trading can hurt fund performance and harm shareholders,
the Fund reserves the right to refuse any exchange request that it
believes will disadvantage it, or to refuse multiple exchange requests
submitted by a shareholder or dealer.
o The Fund may amend, suspend or terminate the exchange privilege at any
time. The Fund will provide you notice whenever it is reasonably able to
do so by applicable law, but it may impose changes at any time for
emergency purposes.
o If the Transfer Agent cannot exchange all the shares you request because
of a restriction cited above, only the shares eligible for exchange will
be exchanged.
Shareholder Account Rules and Policies
More information about the Fund's policies and procedures for buying, selling
and exchanging shares is contained in the Statement of Additional Information.
The offering of shares may be suspended during any period in which the
determination of net asset value is suspended, and the offering may be
suspended by the Board of Trustees at any time the Board believes it is in
the Fund's best interest to do so.
Telephone transaction privileges for purchases, redemptions or exchanges may be
modified, suspended or terminated by the Fund at any time. If an account
has more than one owner, the Fund and the Transfer Agent may rely on the
instructions of any one owner. Telephone privileges apply to each owner of
the account and the dealer representative of record for the account unless
the Transfer Agent receives cancellation instructions from an owner of the
account.
The Transfer Agent will record any telephone calls to verify data concerning
transactions and has adopted other procedures to confirm that telephone
instructions are genuine, by requiring callers to provide tax
identification numbers and other account data or by using PINs, and by
confirming such transactions in writing. The Transfer Agent and the Fund
will not be liable for losses or expenses arising out of telephone
instructions reasonably believed to be genuine.
Redemption or transfer requests will not be honored until the Transfer Agent
receives all required documents in proper form. From time to time, the
Transfer Agent in its discretion may waive certain of the requirements for
redemptions stated in this Prospectus.
Dealers that can perform account transactions for their clients by participating
in NETWORKING through the National Securities Clearing Corporation are
responsible for obtaining their clients' permission to perform those
transactions, and are responsible to their clients who are shareholders of
the Fund if the dealer performs any transaction erroneously or improperly.
The redemption price for shares will vary from day to day because the value of
the securities in the Fund's portfolio fluctuates. The redemption price,
which is the net asset value per share, will normally differ for each
class of shares. The redemption value of your shares may be more or less
than their original cost.
Payment for redeemed shares ordinarily is made in cash. It is forwarded by check
or through AccountLink (as elected by the shareholder) within seven days
after the Transfer Agent receives redemption instructions in proper form.
However, under unusual circumstances determined by the Securities and
Exchange Commission, payment may be delayed or suspended. For accounts
registered in the name of a broker-dealer, payment will normally be
forwarded within three business days after redemption.
The Transfer Agent may delay forwarding a check or processing a payment via
AccountLink for recently purchased shares, but only until the purchase
payment has cleared. That delay may be as much as 10 days from the date
the shares were purchased. That delay may be avoided if you purchase
shares by Federal Funds wire or certified check, or arrange with your bank
to provide telephone or written assurance to the Transfer Agent that your
purchase payment has cleared.
Involuntary redemptions of small accounts may be made by the Fund if the account
value has fallen below $500 for reasons other than the fact that the
market value of shares has dropped. In some cases involuntary redemptions
may be made to repay the Distributor for losses from the cancellation of
share purchase orders.
Sharesmay be "redeemed in kind" under unusual circumstances (such as a lack of
liquidity in the Fund's portfolio to meet redemptions). This means that
the redemption proceeds will be paid with liquid securities from the
Fund's portfolio.
"Backup Withholding" of Federal income tax may be applied against taxable
dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds (including exchanges) if
you fail to furnish the Fund your correct, certified Social Security or
Employer Identification Number when you sign your application, or if you
under-report your income to the Internal Revenue Service.
To avoid sending duplicate copies of materials to households, the Fund will
mail only one copy of each prospectus, annual and semi-annual report to
shareholders having the same last name and address on the Fund's records.
The consolidation of these mailings, called householding, benefits the
Fund through reduced mailing expense.
If you want to receive multiple copies of these materials, you may call
the Transfer Agent at 1.800.525.7048. You may also notify the Transfer
Agent in writing. Individual copies of prospectuses and reports will be
sent to you within 30 days after the Transfer Agent receives your request
to stop householding.
Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes
DIVIDENDS. The Fund intends to declare dividends separately for each class of
shares from net investment income on a quarterly basis and to pay them to
shareholders in March, June, September and December on a date selected by the
Board of Trustees. Dividends and distributions paid on Class A shares will
generally be higher than dividends for Class B, Class C and Class N shares,
which normally have higher expenses than Class A. The Fund has no fixed dividend
rate and cannot guarantee that it will pay any dividends or distributions.
CAPITAL GAINS. The Fund may realize capital gains on the sale of portfolio
securities. If it does, it may make distributions out of any net short-term or
long-term capital gains in December of each year. The Fund may make supplemental
distributions of dividends and capital gains following the end of its fiscal
year. There can be no assurance that the Fund will pay any capital gains
distributions in a particular year.
WHAT ARE YOUR CHOICES FOR RECEIVING DISTRIBUTIONS? When you open your account,
specify on your application how you want to receive your dividends and
distributions. You have four options:
Reinvest All Distributions in the Fund. You can elect to reinvest all
dividends and capital gains distributions in additional shares of the
Fund.
Reinvest Dividends or Capital Gains. You can elect to reinvest some
distributions (dividends, short-term capital gains or long-term capital
gains distributions) in the Fund while receiving other types of
distributions by check or having them sent to your bank account through
AccountLink.
Receive All Distributions in Cash. You can elect to receive a check for all
dividends and capital gains distributions or have them sent to your bank
through AccountLink.
Reinvest Your Distributions in Another OppenheimerFunds Account. You can
reinvest all distributions in the same class of shares of another
OppenheimerFunds account you have established.
TAXES. If your shares are not held in a tax-deferred retirement account, you
should be aware of the following tax implications of investing in the Fund.
Distributions are subject to federal income tax and may be subject to state or
local taxes. Dividends paid from short-term capital gains and net investment
income are taxable as ordinary income. Long-term capital gains are taxable as
long-term capital gains when distributed to shareholders. It does not matter how
long you have held your shares. Whether you reinvest your distributions in
additional shares or take them in cash, the tax treatment is the same.
Every year the Fund will send you and the IRS a statement showing the
amount of any taxable distribution you received in the previous year. Any
long-term capital gains will be separately identified in the tax information the
Fund sends you after the end of the calendar year.
Avoid "Buying a Dividend". If you buy shares on or just before the ex-dividend
date or just before the Fund declares a capital gain distribution, you
will pay the full price for the shares and then receive a portion of the
price back as a taxable dividend or capital gain.
Remember, There May Be Taxes on Transactions. Because the Fund's share prices
fluctuate, you may have a capital gain or loss when you sell or exchange
your shares. A capital gain or loss is the difference between the price
you paid for the shares and the price you received when you sold them. Any
capital gain is subject to capital gains tax.
Returns of Capital Can Occur. In certain cases, distributions made by the Fund
may be considered a non-taxable return of capital to shareholders. If that
occurs, it will be identified in notices to shareholders.
This information is only a summary of certain federal income tax information
about your investment. You should consult with your tax adviser about the effect
of an investment in the Fund on your particular tax situation.
Financial Highlights
The Financial Highlights Table is presented to help you understand the Fund's
financial performance for the past 6 fiscal periods. Certain information
reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the
table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an
investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and
distributions). This information has been audited by KPMG LLP, the Fund's
independent auditors, whose report, along with the Fund's financial statements,
is included in the Statement of Additional information, which is available on
request. Class N shares were not publicly offered during the periods shown
below. Therefore, information on Class N shares is not included in the following
tables or in the Fund's other financial statements.
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Year Year
Ended Ended
Sept. 30, Dec. 31,
Class A 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996/1/ 1995
=================================================================================================================================
Per Share Operating Data
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period $ 14.06 $ 13.69 $ 16.17 $ 14.09 $ 13.07 $ 11.52
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income .53 .54 .51 .50 .49 .52
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 1.21 1.59 (1.22) 2.88 .96 2.08
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total income (loss) from
investment operations 1.74 2.13 (.71) 3.38 1.45 2.60
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends and/or distributions to shareholders:
Dividends from net investment income (.48) (.54) (.49) (.51) (.43) (.49)
Distributions from net realized gain (1.09) (1.22) (1.28) (.79) -- (.56)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total dividends and/or distributions
to shareholders (1.57) (1.76) (1.77) (1.30) (.43) (1.05)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of period $ 14.23 $ 14.06 $ 13.69 $ 16.17 $ 14.09 $ 13.07
====================================================================================
=================================================================================================================================
Total Return, at Net Asset Value/2/ 13.31% 16.29% (4.71)% 25.46% 11.22% 22.79%
=================================================================================================================================
Ratios/Supplemental Data
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net assets, end of period
(in thousands) $ 639,648 $ 635,603 $ 624,895 $ 712,470 $ 264,359 $ 251,353
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average net assets (in thousands) $ 644,356 $ 660,113 $ 699,665 $ 395,436 $ 256,765 $ 249,660
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ratios to average net assets:/3/
Net investment income 3.71% 3.70% 3.34% 3.30% 4.73% 3.97%
Expenses 1.13% 1.09% 1.08%/4/ 1.16%/4/ 1.21%/4/ 1.15%/4/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portfolio turnover rate 33% 15% 59% 51% 32% 29%
</TABLE>
1. For the nine months ended September 30, 1996. The Fund changed its fiscal
year end from December 31 to September 30. 2. Assumes a $1,000 hypothetical
initial investment on the business day before the first day of the fiscal period
(or inception of offering), with all dividends and distributions reinvested in
additional shares on the reinvestment date, and redemption at the net asset
value calculated on the last business day of the fiscal period. Sales charges
are not reflected in the total returns. Total returns are not annualized for
periods of less than one full year. 3. Annualized for periods of less than one
full year.
4. Expense ratio has not been grossed up to reflect the effect of expenses paid
indirectly.
OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Year Year
Ended Ended
Sept. 30, Dec. 31,
Class B 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996/1/ 1995/2/
===================================================================================================================================
Per Share Operating Data
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period $ 13.93 $ 13.57 $ 16.04 $ 14.01 $ 13.03 $ 13.28
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income .41 .41 .38 .45 .41 .17
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 1.19 1.58 (1.20) 2.78 .93 .41
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total income (loss) from
investment operations 1.60 1.99 (.82) 3.23 1.34 .58
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends and/or distributions to shareholders:
Dividends from net investment income (.36) (.41) (.37) (.41) (.36) (.27)
Distributions from net realized gain (1.09) (1.22) (1.28) (.79) -- (.56)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total dividends and/or distributions
to shareholders (1.45) (1.63) (1.65) (1.20) (.36) (.83)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of period $ 14.08 $ 13.93 $ 13.57 $ 16.04 $ 14.01 $ 13.03
===================================================================================================================================
Total Return, at Net Asset Value/3/ 12.30% 15.35% (5.49)% 24.34% 10.37% 4.44%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===================================================================================================================================
Ratios/Supplemental Data
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net assets, end of period
(in thousands) $ 66,777 $ 68,875 $ 73,036 $ 67,916 $ 5,996 $ 1,265
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average net assets (in thousands) $ 66,956 $ 73,673 $ 74,442 $ 25,113 $ 3,546 $ 520
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ratios to average net assets:/4/
Net investment income 2.92% 2.85% 2.53% 2.26% 3.69% 2.62%
Expenses 1.94% 1.93% 1.91%/5/ 1.96%/5/ 2.12%/5/ 2.27%/5/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portfolio turnover rate 33% 15% 59% 51% 32% 29%
</TABLE>
1. For the nine months ended September 30, 1996. The Fund changed its fiscal
year end from December 31 to September 30.
2. For the period from August 29, 1995 (inception of offering) to December 31,
1995.
3. Assumes a $1,000 hypothetical initial investment on the business day before
the first day of the fiscal period (or inception of offering), with all
dividends and distributions reinvested in additional shares on the reinvestment
date, and redemption at the net asset value calculated on the last business day
of the fiscal period. Sales charges are not reflected in the total returns.
Total returns are not annualized for periods of less than one full year. 4.
Annualized for periods of less than one full year.
5. Expense ratio has not been grossed up to reflect the effect of expenses paid
indirectly.
OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Year Year
Ended Ended
Sept. 30, Dec. 31,
Class C 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996/1/ 1995
=================================================================================================================================
Per Share Operating Data
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period $ 13.97 $ 13.61 $ 16.07 $ 14.02 $ 13.01 $ 11.49
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income .41 .42 .38 .41 .40 .40
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 1.20 1.57 (1.20) 2.83 .96 2.07
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total income (loss) from
investment operations 1.61 1.99 (.82) 3.24 1.36 2.47
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends and/or distributions to shareholders:
Dividends from net investment income (.36) (.41) (.36) (.40) (.35) (.39)
Distributions from net realized gain (1.09) (1.22) (1.28) (.79) -- (.56)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total dividends and/or distributions
to shareholders (1.45) (1.63) (1.64) (1.19) (.35) (.95)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of period $ 14.13 $ 13.97 $ 13.61 $ 16.07 $ 14.02 $ 13.01
=======================================================================================
=================================================================================================================================
Total Return, at Net Asset Value/2/ 12.35% 15.28% (5.43)% 24.42% 10.55% 21.69%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
=================================================================================================================================
Ratios/Supplemental Data
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net assets, end of period
(in thousands) $ 38,522 $ 38,978 $ 48,417 $ 49,539 $ 21,087 $ 15,405
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average net assets (in thousands) $ 38,597 $ 43,701 $ 52,325 $ 33,813 $ 17,898 $ 11,827
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ratios to average net assets:/3/
Net investment income 2.92% 2.85% 2.51% 2.61% 3.84% 3.08%
Expenses 1.94% 1.93% 1.91%/4/ 1.97%/4/ 2.07%/4/ 1.99%/4/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portfolio turnover rate 33% 15% 59% 51% 32% 29%
</TABLE>
1. For the nine months ended September 30, 1996. The Fund changed its fiscal
year end from December 31 to September 30. 2. Assumes a $1,000 hypothetical
initial investment on the business day before the first day of the fiscal period
(or inception of offering), with all dividends and distributions reinvested in
additional shares on the reinvestment date, and redemption at the net asset
value calculated on the last business day of the fiscal period. Sales charges
are not reflected in the total returns. Total returns are not annualized for
periods of less than one full year. 3. Annualized for periods of less than one
full year.
4. Expense ratio has not been grossed up to reflect the effect of expenses paid
indirectly.
OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
INFORMATION AND SERVICES
Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund:
The following additional information about the Fund is available without charge
upon request:
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This document includes additional
information about the Fund's investment policies, risks, and operations. It is
incorporated by reference into this Prospectus (which means it is legally part
of this Prospectus).
ANNUAL AND SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS Additional information about the Fund's
investments and performance is available in the Fund's Annual and Semi-Annual
Reports to shareholders. The Annual Report includes a discussion of market
conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's
performance during its last fiscal year.
How to Get More Information:
You can request the Statement of Additional Information, the Annual and
Semi-Annual Reports, and other information about the Fund or your account:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Telephone: Call OppenheimerFunds Services toll-free:
1.800.525.7048
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Mail: Write to:
OppenheimerFunds Services
P.O. Box 5270
Denver, Colorado 80217-5270
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the Internet: You can send us a request by e-mail
or read or down-load documents on the
OppenheimerFunds web site:
www.oppenheimerfunds.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can also obtain copies of the Statement of Additional Information and other
Fund documents and reports by visiting the SEC's Public Reference Room in
Washington, D.C. (Phone 1.202.942.8090) or the EDGAR database on the SEC's
Internet website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies may be obtained after payment of
a duplicating fee by electronic request at the SEC's e-mail address:
[email protected] or by writing to the SEC's Public Reference Section,
Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.
No one has been authorized to provide any information about the Fund or to make
any representations about the Fund other than what is contained in this
Prospectus. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell shares of the Fund, nor a
solicitation of an offer to buy shares of the Fund, to any person in any state
or other jurisdiction where it is unlawful to make such an offer.
The Fund's shares are distributed by:
[logo] OppenheimerFunds(R)
Distributor, Inc.
SEC File No. 811-3864
PR0240.001.0101
Printed on recycled paper.
OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
Supplement dated January 16, 2001 to the
Statement of Additional Information dated January 16, 2001
Class N shares of Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund are not currently
being offered for sale.
January 16, 2001 PX0240.008
Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund
6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112
1-800-525-7048
Statement of Additional Information dated January 16, 2001
This Statement of Additional Information is not a Prospectus. This
document contains additional information about the Fund and supplements
information in the Prospectus dated January 16, 2001. It should be read together
with the Prospectus. You can obtain the Prospectus by writing to the Fund's
Transfer Agent, OppenheimerFunds Services, at P.O. Box 5270, Denver, Colorado
80217, or by calling the Transfer Agent at the toll-free number shown above, or
by downloading it from the OppenheimerFunds Internet web site at
www.oppenheimerfunds.com.
Contents
Page
About the Fund
Additional Information About the Fund's Investment Policies and Risks.. 2
The Fund's Investment Policies..................................... 2
Other Investment Techniques and Strategies......................... 11
Investment Restrictions............................................ 29
How the Fund is Managed ............................................... 31
Organization and History........................................... 31
Trustees and Officers.............................................. 32
The Manager........................................................ 38
Brokerage Policies of the Fund......................................... 39
Distribution and Service Plans......................................... 41
Performance of the Fund................................................ 44
About Your Account
How To Buy Shares...................................................... 48
How To Sell Shares..................................................... 56
How To Exchange Shares................................................. 61
Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes..................................... 63
Additional Information About the Fund.................................. 65
Financial Information About the Fund
Independent Auditors' Report........................................... 66
Financial Statements................................................... 67
Appendix A: Ratings Definitions........................................ A-1
Appendix B: Industry Classifications................................... B-1
Appendix C: Special Sales Charge Arrangements and Waivers.............. C-1
<PAGE>
51
ABOUT THE FUND
Additional Information About the Fund's Investment Policies and Risks
The investment objective, the principal investment policies and the main
risks of the Fund are described in the Prospectus. This Statement of Additional
Information contains supplemental information about those policies and risks and
the types of securities that the Fund's investment Manager, OppenheimerFunds,
Inc., can select for the Fund. Additional information is also provided about the
strategies that the Fund may use to try to achieve its objective.
The Fund's Investment Policies.
The composition of the Fund's portfolio and the techniques and strategies that
the Manager will use will vary over time. The Fund is not required to use all of
the investment techniques and strategies described below in seeking its goal. It
may use some of the special investment techniques and strategies at some times
or not at all.
In selecting securities for the Fund's portfolio, the Manager evaluates
the merits of particular securities primarily through the exercise of its own
investment analysis. That process may include, among other things, evaluation of
the issuer's historical operations, prospects for the industry of which the
issuer is part, the issuer's financial condition, its pending product
developments and business (and those of competitors), the effect of general
market and economic conditions on the issuer's business, and legislative
proposals that might affect the issuer.
|X| Investments in Equity Securities. The Fund's investments in equity
securities can include those of foreign and U.S. companies. Equity securities
include common stocks, preferred stocks, rights and warrants, and securities
convertible into common stock. The Fund's investments can include stocks of
companies in any market capitalization range, if the Manager believes the
investment is consistent with the Fund's objective, including the preservation
of principal. Certain equity securities might be selected not only for their
appreciation possibilities but because they may provide dividend income.
Small-cap growth companies may offer greater opportunities for capital
appreciation than securities of large, more established companies. However,
these securities also involve greater risks than securities of larger companies.
Securities of small capitalization issuers may be subject to greater price
volatility in general than securities of large-cap and mid-cap companies.
Therefore, to the degree that the Fund has investments in smaller capitalization
companies at times of market volatility, the Fund's share price may fluctuate
more. Those investments may be limited to the extent the Manager believes that
such investments would be inconsistent with the goal of preservation of
principal. As noted below, the Fund limits investments in unseasoned small-cap
issuers.
|_| Preferred Stocks. Preferred stock, unlike common stock, has a
stated dividend rate payable from the corporation's earnings. Preferred stock
dividends may be cumulative or non-cumulative, participating, or auction rate.
"Cumulative" dividend provisions require all or a portion of prior unpaid
dividends to be paid before dividends can be paid on the issuer's common stock.
If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less
attractive, causing the price of preferred stocks to decline. Preferred stock
may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as provisions allowing calls
or redemptions prior to maturity, which also have a negative impact on prices
when interest rates decline. The rights of preferred stock on distribution of a
corporation's assets in the event of a liquidation are generally subordinate to
the rights associated with a corporation's debt securities. Preferred stock
generally has a preference over common stock on the distribution of a
corporation's assets in the event of liquidation of the corporation. Preferred
stock may be "participating" stock, which means that it may be entitled to a
dividend exceeding the stated dividend in certain cases.
|_| Growth Companies. The Fund may invest in securities of "growth"
companies. Growth companies are those companies that the Manager believes are
entering into a growth cycle in their business, with the expectation that their
stock will increase in value. They may be established companies as well as newer
companies in the development stage.
Growth companies may have a variety of characteristics that in the
Manager's view define them as "growth" issuers. They may be generating or
applying new technologies, new or improved distribution techniques or new
services. They may own or develop natural resources. They may be companies that
can benefit from changing consumer demands or lifestyles, or companies that have
projected earnings in excess of the average for their sector or industry. In
each case, they have prospects that the Manager believes are favorable for the
long term. The portfolio managers of the Fund look for growth companies with
strong, capable management, sound financial and accounting policies, successful
product development and marketing and other factors.
|_| Convertible Securities. While some convertible securities are a
form of debt security, in many cases their conversion feature (allowing
conversion into equity securities) causes them to be regarded by the Manager
more as "equity equivalents." As a result, the rating assigned to the security
has less impact on the Manager's investment decision with respect to convertible
securities than in the case of non-convertible debt fixed income securities.
Convertible securities are subject to the credit risks and interest rate risks
described below in "Debt Securities."
To determine whether convertible securities should be regarded as "equity
equivalents," the Manager examines the following factors:
(1) whether, at the option of the investor, the convertible security can be
exchanged for a fixed number of shares of common stock of the
issuer,
(2) whether the issuer of the convertible securities has restated its
earnings per share of common stock on a fully diluted basis
(considering the effect of conversion of the convertible securities),
and
(3) the extent to which the convertible security may be a defensive "equity
substitute," providing the ability to participate in any appreciation
in the price of the issuer's common stock.
The value of a convertible security is a function of its "investment
value" and its "conversion value." If the investment value exceeds the
conversion value, the security will behave more like a debt security and the
security's price will likely increase when interest rates fall and decrease when
interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the
security will behave more like an equity security. In that case it will likely
sell at a premium over its conversion value and its price will tend to fluctuate
directly with the price of the underlying security.
|_| Rights and Warrants. As a fundamental policy, the Fund cannot
invest more than 5% of its total assets in warrants nor more than 2% of that
amount in warrants that are not listed on the New York or American Stock
Exchanges. That limit does not apply to warrants and rights the Fund has
acquired as part of units of securities or that are attached to other securities
that the Fund buys.
Warrants basically are options to purchase equity securities at specific
prices valid for a specific period of time. Their prices do not necessarily move
parallel to the prices of the underlying securities. Rights are similar to
warrants, but normally have a short duration and are distributed directly by the
issuer to its shareholders. Rights and warrants have no voting rights, receive
no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer.
|X| Debt Securities. The Fund can invest in a variety of domestic and
foreign debt securities for current income. Foreign debt securities are subject
to the risks of foreign securities described above. In general, domestic and
foreign fixed-income securities are also subject to two additional types of
risk: credit risk and interest rate risk.
|_| Credit Risk. Credit risk relates to the ability of the issuer to
meet interest or principal payments or both as they become due. In general,
lower-grade, higher-yield bonds are subject to credit risk to a greater extent
than lower-yield, higher-quality bonds.
The Fund's debt investments can include investment-grade and
non-investment-grade bonds (commonly referred to as "junk bonds").
Investment-grade bonds are bonds rated at least "Baa" by Moody's Investors
Service, Inc., at least "BBB" by Standard & Poor's Rating Service or Duff &
Phelps, Inc., or have comparable ratings by another nationally recognized
statistical rating organization.
In making investments in debt securities, the Manager may rely to some
extent on the ratings of ratings organizations or it may use its own research to
evaluate a security's credit-worthiness. If the securities are unrated, to be
considered part of the Fund's holdings of investment-grade securities, they must
be judged by the Manager to be of comparable quality to bonds rated as
investment grade by a rating organization.
|_| Special Risks of Lower-Grade Securities. The Fund can invest a
substantial portion of its assets in lower-grade debt securities. Because
lower-grade securities tend to offer higher yields than investment grade
securities, the Fund may invest in lower-grade securities if the Manager is
trying to achieve greater income. In some cases, the appreciation possibilities
of lower-grade securities may be a reason they are selected for the Fund's
portfolio. However, these investments will be made only when consistent with the
Fund's goal of preservation of principal that is part of the Fund's objective.
The Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in "lower grade" debt
securities. "Lower-grade" debt securities are those rated below "investment
grade" which means they have a rating lower than "Baa" by Moody's or lower than
"BBB" by Standard & Poor's or similar ratings by other rating organizations. If
they are unrated, and are determined by the Manager to be of comparable quality
to debt securities rated below investment grade, they are included in the
limitation on the percentage of the Fund's assets that can be invested in
lower-grade securities. The Fund can invest in securities rated as low as "C" or
"D" or which are in default at the time the Fund buys them.
Some of the special credit risks of lower-grade securities are discussed
below. There is a greater risk that the issuer may default on its obligation to
pay interest or to repay principal than in the case of investment grade
securities. The issuer's low creditworthiness may increase the potential for its
insolvency. An overall decline in values in the high yield bond market is also
more likely during a period of a general economic downturn. An economic downturn
or an increase in interest rates could severely disrupt the market for high
yield bonds, adversely affecting the values of outstanding bonds as well as the
ability of issuers to pay interest or repay principal. In the case of foreign
high yield bonds, these risks are in addition to the special risks of foreign
investing discussed in the Prospectus and in this Statement of Additional
Information.
However, the Fund's limitations on these investments may reduce some of
the risks to the Fund, as will the Fund's policy of diversifying its
investments. Additionally, to the extent they can be converted into stock,
convertible securities may be less subject to some of these risks than
non-convertible high yield bonds, since stock may be more liquid and less
affected by some of these risk factors.
While securities rated "Baa" by Moody's or "BBB" by Standard & Poor's or
Duff & Phelps are investment grade and are not regarded as junk bonds, those
securities may be subject to special risks, and have some speculative
characteristics. The debt security ratings definitions of the principal rating
definitions are included in Appendix A to this Statement of Additional
Information.
|_| Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk refers to the fluctuations
in value of fixed-income securities resulting from the inverse relationship
between price and yield. For example, an increase in general interest rates will
tend to reduce the market value of already-issued fixed-income investments, and
a decline in general interest rates will tend to increase their value. In
addition, debt securities with longer maturities, which tend to have higher
yields, are subject to potentially greater fluctuations in value from changes in
interest rates than obligations with shorter maturities.
Fluctuations in the market value of fixed-income securities after the Fund
buys them will not affect the interest payable on those securities, nor the cash
income from them. However, those price fluctuations will be reflected in the
valuations of the securities, and therefore the Fund's net asset values will be
affected by those fluctuations.
|X| Mortgage-Related Securities. Mortgage-related securities are a form of
derivative investment collateralized by pools of commercial or residential
mortgages. Pools of mortgage loans are assembled as securities for sale to
investors by government agencies or entities or by private issuers. These
securities include collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs"), mortgage
pass-through securities, stripped mortgage pass-through securities, interests in
real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REMICs") and other real estate
related securities.
Mortgage-related securities that are issued or guaranteed by agencies or
instrumentalities of the U.S. government have relatively little credit risk
(depending on the nature of the issuer) but are subject to interest rate risks
and prepayment risks, as described in the Prospectus.
As with other debt securities, the prices of mortgage-related securities
tend to move inversely to changes in interest rates. The Fund can buy
mortgage-related securities that have interest rates that move inversely to
changes in general interest rates, based on a multiple of a specific index.
Although the value of a mortgage-related security may decline when interest
rates rise, the converse is not always the case.
In periods of declining interest rates, mortgages are more likely to be
prepaid. Therefore, a mortgage-related security's maturity can be shortened by
unscheduled prepayments on the underlying mortgages. Therefore, it is not
possible to predict accurately the security's yield. The principal that is
returned earlier than expected may have to be reinvested in other investments
having a lower yield than the prepaid security. Therefore, these securities may
be less effective as a means of "locking in" attractive long-term interest
rates, and they may have less potential for appreciation during periods of
declining interest rates, than conventional bonds with comparable stated
maturities.
Prepayment risks can lead to substantial fluctuations in the value of a
mortgage-related security. In turn, this can affect the value of the Fund's
shares. If a mortgage-related security has been purchased at a premium, all or
part of the premium the Fund paid may be lost if there is a decline in the
market value of the security, whether that results from interest rate changes or
prepayments on the underlying mortgages. In the case of stripped
mortgage-related securities, if they experience greater rates of prepayment than
were anticipated, the Fund may fail to recoup its initial investment on the
security.
During periods of rapidly rising interest rates, prepayments of
mortgage-related securities may occur at slower than expected rates. Slower
prepayments effectively may lengthen a mortgage-related security's expected
maturity. Generally, that would cause the value of the security to fluctuate
more widely in response to changes in interest rates. If the prepayments on the
Fund's mortgage-related securities were to decrease broadly, the Fund's
effective duration, and therefore its sensitivity to interest rate changes,
would increase.
As with other debt securities, the values of mortgage-related securities
may be affected by changes in the market's perception of the creditworthiness of
the entity issuing the securities or guaranteeing them. Their values may also be
affected by changes in government regulations and tax policies.
|_| Collateralized Mortgage Obligations. CMOs are multi-class bonds
that are backed by pools of mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through
certificates. They may be collateralized by:
(1) pass-through certificates issued or guaranteed by Ginnie Mae,
Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac,
(2) unsecuritized mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing
Administration or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans'
Affairs,
(3) unsecuritized conventional mortgages, (4) other mortgage-related
securities, or (5) any combination of these.
Each class of CMO, referred to as a "tranche," is issued at a specific
coupon rate and has a stated maturity or final distribution date. Principal
prepayments on the underlying mortgages may cause the CMO to be retired much
earlier than the stated maturity or final distribution date. The principal and
interest on the underlying mortgages may be allocated among the several classes
of a series of a CMO in different ways. One or more tranches may have coupon
rates that reset periodically at a specified increase over an index. These are
floating rate CMOs, and typically have a cap on the coupon rate. Inverse
floating rate CMOs have a coupon rate that moves in the reverse direction to an
applicable index. The coupon rate on these CMOs will increase as general
interest rates decrease. These are usually much more volatile than fixed rate
CMOs or floating rate CMOs.
|X| U.S. Government Securities. These are securities issued or guaranteed
by the U.S. Treasury or other U.S. government agencies or federally-chartered
corporate entities referred to as "instrumentalities." The obligations of U.S.
government agencies or instrumentalities in which the Fund may invest may or may
not be guaranteed or supported by the "full faith and credit" of the United
States. "Full faith and credit" means generally that the taxing power of the
U.S. government is pledged to the payment of interest and repayment of principal
on a security. If a security is not backed by the full faith and credit of the
United States, the owner of the security must look principally to the agency
issuing the obligation for repayment. The owner might be able to assert a claim
against the United States if the issuing agency or instrumentality does not meet
its commitment. The Fund will invest in securities of U.S. government agencies
and instrumentalities only if the Manager is satisfied that the credit risk with
respect to such instrumentality is minimal.
|_| U.S. Treasury Obligations. These include Treasury bills (having
maturities of one year or less when issued), Treasury notes (having maturities
of from one to ten years), and Treasury bonds (having maturities of more than
ten years). Treasury securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the
United States as to timely payments of interest and repayments of principal.
They also can include U. S. Treasury securities that have been "stripped" by a
Federal Reserve Bank, zero-coupon U.S. Treasury securities described below, and
Treasury Inflation-Protection Securities ("TIPS").
|_| Treasury Inflation-Protection Securities. The Fund can buy these
U.S. Treasury securities, called "TIPS," that are designed to provide an
investment vehicle that is not vulnerable to inflation. The interest rate paid
by TIPS is fixed. The principal value rises or falls semi-annually based on
changes in the published Consumer Price Index. If inflation occurs, the
principal and interest payments on TIPS are adjusted to protect investors from
inflationary loss. If deflation occurs, the principal and interest payments will
be adjusted downward, although the principal will not fall below its face amount
at maturity.
|_| Obligations Issued or Guaranteed by U.S. Government Agencies or
Instrumentalities. These include direct obligations and mortgage related
securities that have different levels of credit support from the government.
Some are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, such as
Government National Mortgage Association pass-through mortgage certificates
(called "Ginnie Maes"). Some are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow
from the U.S. Treasury under certain circumstances, such as Federal National
Mortgage Association bonds ("Fannie Maes"). Others are supported only by the
credit of the entity that issued them, such as Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation obligations ("Freddie Macs").
|_| U.S. Government Mortgage-Related Securities. The Fund can invest
in a variety of mortgage-related securities that are issued by U.S.
government agencies or instrumentalities, some of which are described below.
|_| GNMA Certificates. The Government National Mortgage Association
("GNMA") is a wholly-owned corporate instrumentality of the United States within
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. GNMA's principal programs
involve its guarantees of privately-issued securities backed by pools of
mortgages. Ginnie Maes are debt securities representing an interest in one or a
pool of mortgages that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration or the
Farmers Home Administration or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration.
The Ginnie Maes in which the Fund invests are of the "fully modified
pass-through" type. They provide that the registered holders of the Certificates
will receive timely monthly payments of the pro-rata share of the scheduled
principal payments on the underlying mortgages, whether or not those amounts are
collected by the issuers. Amounts paid include, on a pro rata basis, any
prepayment of principal of such mortgages and interest (net of servicing and
other charges) on the aggregate unpaid principal balance of the Ginnie Maes,
whether or not the interest on the underlying mortgages has been collected by
the issuers.
The Ginnie Maes purchased by the Fund are guaranteed as to timely payment
of principal and interest by GNMA. It is expected that payments received by the
issuers of Ginnie Maes on account of the mortgages backing the Ginnie Maes will
be sufficient to make the required payments of principal of and interest on
those GNMA Certificates. However if those payments are insufficient, the
guaranty agreements between the issuers of the Certificates and GNMA require the
issuers to make advances sufficient for the payments. If the issuers fail to
make those payments, GNMA will do so.
Under Federal law, the full faith and credit of the United States is
pledged to the payment of all amounts that may be required to be paid under any
guaranty issued by GNMA as to such mortgage pools. An opinion of an Assistant
Attorney General of the United States, dated December 9, 1969, states that such
guaranties "constitute general obligations of the United States backed by its
full faith and credit." GNMA is empowered to borrow from the United States
Treasury to the extent necessary to make any payments of principal and interest
required under those guaranties.
Ginnie Maes are backed by the aggregate indebtedness secured by the
underlying FHA-insured, FMHA-insured or VA-guaranteed mortgages. Except to the
extent of payments received by the issuers on account of such mortgages, Ginnie
Maes do not constitute a liability of those issuers, nor do they evidence any
recourse against those issuers. Recourse is solely against GNMA. Holders of
Ginnie Maes (such as the Fund) have no security interest in or lien on the
underlying mortgages.
Monthly payments of principal will be made, and additional prepayments of
principal may be made, to the Fund with respect to the mortgages underlying the
Ginnie Maes held by the Fund. All of the mortgages in the pools relating to the
Ginnie Maes in the Fund are subject to repayment without any significant premium
or penalty, at the option of the mortgagors. While the mortgages on
1-to-4-family dwellings underlying certain Ginnie Maes have a stated maturity of
up to 30 years, it has been the experience of the mortgage industry that the
average life of comparable mortgages, as a result of prepayments, refinancing
and payments from foreclosures, is considerably less.
|_| Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Certificates. FHLMC, a
corporate instrumentality of the United States, issues FHLMC Certificates
representing interests in mortgage loans. FHLMC guarantees to each registered
holder of a FHLMC Certificate timely payment of the amounts representing a
holder's proportionate share in:
(i) interest payments less servicing and guarantee fees,
(ii) principal prepayments and
(iii) the ultimate collection of amounts representing the holder's
proportionate interest in principal payments on the mortgage
loans in the pool represented by the FHLMC Certificate, in
each case whether or not such amounts are actually received.
The obligations of FHLMC under its guarantees are obligations solely of
FHLMC and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.
|_| Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) Certificates.
Fannie Mae, a federally-chartered and privately-owned corporation, issues Fannie
Mae Certificates which are backed by a pool of mortgage loans. Fannie Mae
guarantees to each registered holder of a Fannie Mae Certificate that the holder
will receive amounts representing the holder's proportionate interest in
scheduled principal and interest payments, and any principal prepayments, on the
mortgage loans in the pool represented by such Certificate, less servicing and
guarantee fees, and the holder's proportionate interest in the full principal
amount of any foreclosed or other liquidated mortgage loan. In each case the
guarantee applies whether or not those amounts are actually received. The
obligations of Fannie Mae under its guarantees are obligations solely of Fannie
Mae and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or any
of its agencies or instrumentalities other than Fannie Mae.
|_| Zero-Coupon U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may buy
zero-coupon U.S. government securities. These will typically be U.S. Treasury
Notes and Bonds that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons,
the coupons themselves, or certificates representing interests in those
stripped debt obligations and coupons.
Zero-coupon securities do not make periodic interest payments and are sold
at a deep discount from their face value at maturity. The buyer recognizes a
rate of return determined by the gradual appreciation of the security, which is
redeemed at face value on a specified maturity date. This discount depends on
the time remaining until maturity, as well as prevailing interest rates, the
liquidity of the security and the credit quality of the issuer. The discount
typically decreases as the maturity date approaches.
Because zero-coupon securities pay no interest and compound semi-annually
at the rate fixed at the time of their issuance, their value is generally more
volatile than the value of other debt securities that pay interest. Their value
may fall more dramatically than the value of interest-bearing securities when
interest rates rise. When prevailing interest rates fall, zero-coupon securities
tend to rise more rapidly in value because they have a fixed rate of return.
The Fund's investment in zero-coupon securities may cause the Fund to
recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any
cash payments on the zero-coupon investment. To generate cash to satisfy those
distribution requirements, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities that
it otherwise might have continued to hold or to use cash flows from other
sources such as the sale of Fund shares.
|X| Money Market Instruments. The following is a brief description of the
types of money market securities the Fund can invest in. Money market securities
are high-quality, short-term debt instruments that may be issued by the U.S.
Government, corporations, banks or other entities. They may have fixed, variable
or floating interest rates.
|_| U.S. Government Securities. These include obligations issued
or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or
instrumentalities, described above.
|_| Bank Obligations. The Fund can buy time deposits,
certificates of deposit and bankers' acceptances. They must be :
o obligations issued or guaranteed by a domestic bank (including
a foreign branch of a domestic bank) having total assets of at
least $500 million, or
o banker's acceptances (which may or may not be supported by
letters of credit) but only if guaranteed by a U.S.
commercial bank with total assets of at least U.S. $500
million.
The Fund can purchase certificates of deposit of $100,000 or less of a
domestic bank even if that bank has assets of less than $500 million, if the
certificate of deposit is fully insured as to principal by the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation. The Fund can buy only one such certificate of deposit
from any one bank with that amount of assets and limits its investments in those
certificates of deposit to 10% of its assets. "Banks" include U.S. commercial
banks, savings banks and savings and loan associations.
|_| Commercial Paper. The Fund can invest in commercial paper if it
is rated within the top two rating categories of Standard & Poor's and Moody's.
If the paper is not rated, it may be purchased if issued by a company having a
credit rating of at least "AA" by Standard & Poor's or "Aa" by Moody's.
The Fund can buy commercial paper, including U.S. dollar-denominated
securities of foreign branches of U.S. banks, issued by other entities if the
commercial paper is guaranteed as to principal and interest by a bank,
government or corporation whose certificates of deposit or commercial paper may
otherwise be purchased by the Fund.
|_| Variable Amount Master Demand Notes. Master demand notes are
corporate obligations that permit the investment of fluctuating amounts by the
Fund at varying rates of interest under direct arrangements between the Fund, as
lender, and the borrower. They permit daily changes in the amounts borrowed. The
Fund has the right to increase the amount under the note at any time up to the
full amount provided by the note agreement, or to decrease the amount. The
borrower may prepay up to the full amount of the note without penalty. These
notes may or may not be backed by bank letters of credit.
Because these notes are direct lending arrangements between the lender and
borrower, it is not expected that there will be a trading market for them. There
is no secondary market for these notes, although they are redeemable (and thus
are immediately repayable by the borrower) at principal amount, plus accrued
interest, at any time. Accordingly, the Fund's right to redeem such notes is
dependent upon the ability of the borrower to pay principal and interest on
demand.
The Fund has no limitations on the type of issuer from whom these notes
will be purchased. However, in connection with such purchases and on an ongoing
basis, the Manager will consider the earning power, cash flow and other
liquidity ratios of the issuer, and its ability to pay principal and interest on
demand, including a situation in which all holders of such notes made demand
simultaneously. Investments in master demand notes are subject to the limitation
on investments by the Fund in illiquid securities, described in the Prospectus.
Currently, the Fund does not intend that its investments in variable amount
master demand notes will exceed 5% of its total assets.
|X| Portfolio Turnover. "Portfolio turnover" describes the rate at which
the Fund traded its portfolio securities during its last fiscal year. For
example, if a fund sold all of its securities during the year, its portfolio
turnover rate would have been 100%. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate will
fluctuate from year to year. Currently, the Fund does not expect to have a
portfolio turnover rate of more than 100% annually.
The Fund can engage in short-term trading to try to achieve its objective.
Portfolio turnover affects brokerage costs the Fund pays. If the Fund realizes
capital gains when it sells its portfolio investments, it must generally pay
those gains out to shareholders, increasing their taxable distributions.
Increased portfolio turnover creates higher brokerage and transaction
costs for the Fund, which may reduce its overall performance. Additionally, the
realization of capital gains from selling portfolio securities may result in
distributions of taxable long-term capital gains to shareholders, since the Fund
will normally distribute all of its capital gains realized each year, to avoid
excise taxes under the Internal Revenue Code.
Other Investment Techniques and Strategies. In seeking its objective, the Fund
may from time to time use the types of investment strategies and investments
described below. It is not required to use all of these strategies at all times,
and at times may not use them.
|X| Foreign Securities. The Fund expects to have substantial investments
in foreign securities. These include equity securities issued by foreign
companies and debt securities issued by foreign companies or governments,
including supra-national entities. "Foreign securities" include equity and debt
securities of companies organized under the laws of countries other than the
United States and debt securities issued or guaranteed by governments other than
the U.S. government or by foreign supra-national entities. They also include
securities of companies (including those that are located in the U.S. or
organized under U.S. law) that derive a significant portion of their revenue or
profits from foreign businesses, investments or sales, or that have a
significant portion of their assets abroad. They may be traded on foreign
securities exchanges or in the foreign over-the-counter markets.
Securities of foreign issuers that are represented by American Depository
Receipts or that are listed on a U.S. securities exchange or traded in the U.S.
over-the-counter markets are not considered "foreign securities" for the purpose
of the Fund's investment allocations, because they are not subject to many of
the special considerations and risks, discussed below, that apply to foreign
securities traded and held abroad.
Because the Fund may purchase securities denominated in foreign
currencies, a change in the value of such foreign currency against the U.S.
dollar will result in a change in the amount of income the Fund has available
for distribution. Because a portion of the Fund's investment income may be
received in foreign currencies, the Fund will be required to compute its income
in U.S. dollars for distribution to shareholders, and therefore the Fund will
absorb the cost of currency fluctuations. After the Fund has distributed income,
subsequent foreign currency losses may result in the Fund's having distributed
more income in a particular fiscal period than was available from investment
income, which could result in a return of capital to shareholders.
Investing in foreign securities offers potential benefits not available
from investing solely in securities of domestic issuers. They include the
opportunity to invest in foreign issuers that appear to offer growth potential,
or in foreign countries with economic policies or business cycles different from
those of the U.S., or to reduce fluctuations in portfolio value by taking
advantage of foreign stock markets that do not move in a manner parallel to U.S.
markets. The Fund will hold foreign currency only in connection with the
purchase or sale of foreign securities.
|_| Foreign Debt Obligations. The debt obligations of foreign
governments and entities may or may not be supported by the full faith and
credit of the foreign government. The Fund may buy securities issued by certain
"supra-national" entities, which include entities designated or supported by
governments to promote economic reconstruction or development, international
banking organizations and related government agencies. Examples are the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (commonly called the
"World Bank"), the Asian Development bank and the Inter-American Development
Bank.
The governmental members of these supra-national entities are
"stockholders" that typically make capital contributions and may be committed to
make additional capital contributions if the entity is unable to repay its
borrowings. A supra-national entity's lending activities may be limited to a
percentage of its total capital, reserves and net income. There can be no
assurance that the constituent foreign governments will continue to be able or
willing to honor their capitalization commitments for those entities.
The Fund can invest in U.S. dollar-denominated "Brady Bonds." These
foreign debt obligations may be fixed-rate par bonds or floating-rate discount
bonds. They are generally collateralized in full as to repayment of principal at
maturity by U.S. Treasury zero coupon obligations that have the same maturity as
the Brady Bonds. Brady Bonds can be viewed as having three or four valuation
components: (i) the collateralized repayment of principal at final maturity;
(ii) the collateralized interest payments; (iii) the uncollateralized interest
payments; and (iv) any uncollateralized repayment of principal at maturity.
Those uncollateralized amounts constitute what is called the "residual risk."
If there is a default on collateralized Brady Bonds resulting in
acceleration of the payment obligations of the issuer, the zero coupon U.S.
Treasury securities held as collateral for the payment of principal will not be
distributed to investors, nor will those obligations be sold to distribute the
proceeds. The collateral will be held by the collateral agent to the scheduled
maturity of the defaulted Brady Bonds. The defaulted bonds will continue to
remain outstanding, and the face amount of the collateral will equal the
principal payments which would have then been due on the Brady Bonds in the
normal course. Because of the residual risk of Brady Bonds and the history of
defaults with respect to commercial bank loans by public and private entities of
countries issuing Brady Bonds, Brady Bonds are considered speculative
investments.
|_| Risks of Foreign Investing. Investments in foreign securities
may offer special opportunities for investing but also present special
additional risks and considerations not typically associated with investments in
domestic securities. Some of these additional risks are: o reduction of income
by foreign taxes; o fluctuation in value of foreign investments due to changes
in currency
rates or currency control regulations (for example, currency
blockage);
o transaction charges for currency exchange;
o lack of public information about foreign issuers;
o lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards
in foreign countries comparable to those applicable to domestic
issuers;
o less volume on foreign exchanges than on U.S. exchanges;
o greater volatility and less liquidity on foreign markets than in the
U.S.;
o less governmental regulation of foreign issuers, stock exchanges and
brokers than in the U.S.;
o greater difficulties in commencing lawsuits;
o higher brokerage commission rates than in the U.S.;
o increased risks of delays in settlement of portfolio transactions or
loss of certificates for portfolio securities;
o possibilities in some countries of expropriation, confiscatory
taxation, political, financial or social instability or adverse
diplomatic developments; and
o unfavorable differences between the U.S. economy and foreign economies.
In the past, U.S. government policies have discouraged certain
investments abroad by U.S. investors, through taxation or other restrictions,
and it is possible that such restrictions could be re-imposed.
|_| Special Risks of Emerging Markets. Emerging and developing
markets abroad may also offer special opportunities for growth investing but
have greater risks than more developed foreign markets, such as those in Europe,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. There may be even less liquidity in
their securities markets, and settlements of purchases and sales of securities
may be subject to additional delays. They are subject to greater risks of
limitations on the repatriation of income and profits because of currency
restrictions imposed by local governments. Those countries may also be subject
to the risk of greater political and economic instability, which can greatly
affect the volatility of prices of securities in those countries. The Manager
will consider these factors when evaluating securities in these markets, because
the selection of those securities must be consistent with the Fund's goal of
preservation of principal.
|X| Zero-Coupon Securities. The Fund can buy zero-coupon and delayed
interest securities, and "stripped" securities. Stripped securities are debt
securities whose interest coupons are separated from the security and sold
separately. The Fund can buy different types of zero-coupon or stripped
securities, including, among others, U.S. Treasury notes or bonds that have been
stripped of their interest coupons, U.S. Treasury bills issued without interest
coupons, and certificates representing interests in stripped securities.
The Fund may buy zero-coupon and delayed interest securities, and
"stripped" securities of corporations and of foreign government issuers. These
are similar in structure to zero-coupon and "stripped" U.S. government
securities, but in the case of foreign government securities may or may not be
backed by the "full faith and credit" of the issuing foreign government. Zero
coupon securities issued by foreign governments and by corporations will be
subject to greater credit risks than U.S. government zero-coupon securities.
Zero-coupon securities do not make periodic interest payments and are sold
at a deep discount from their face value. The buyer recognizes a rate of return
determined by the gradual appreciation of the security, which is redeemed at
face value on a specified maturity date. This discount depends on the time
remaining until maturity, as well as prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of
the security and the credit quality of the issuer. In the absence of threats to
the issuer's credit quality, the discount typically decreases as the maturity
date approaches. Some zero-coupon securities are convertible, in that they are
zero-coupon securities until a predetermined date, at which time they convert to
a security with a specified coupon rate.
Because zero-coupon securities pay no interest and compound semi-annually
at the rate fixed at the time of their issuance, their value is generally more
volatile than the value of other debt securities. Their value may fall more
dramatically than the value of interest-bearing securities when interest rates
rise. When prevailing interest rates fall, zero-coupon securities tend to rise
more rapidly in value because they have a fixed rate of return.
The Fund's investment in zero-coupon securities may cause the Fund to
recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any
cash payments on the zero-coupon investment. To generate cash to satisfy those
distribution requirements, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities that
it otherwise might have continued to hold or to use cash flows from other
sources such as the sale of Fund shares.
|X| Commercial (Privately-Issued) Mortgage-Related Securities. The Fund
may invest in commercial mortgage related securities issued by private entities.
Generally these are multi-class debt or pass-through certificates secured by
mortgage loans on commercial properties. They are subject to the credit risk of
the issuer. These securities typically are structured to provide protection to
investors in senior classes from possible losses on the underlying loans. They
do so by having holders of subordinated classes take the first loss if there are
defaults on the underlying loans. They may also be protected to some extent by
guarantees, reserve funds or additional collateralization mechanisms.
|X| "Stripped" Mortgage-Related Securities. The Fund can invest in
stripped mortgage-related securities that are created by segregating the cash
flows from underlying mortgage loans or mortgage securities to create two or
more new securities. Each has a specified percentage of the underlying
security's principal or interest payments. These are a form of derivative
investment.
Mortgage securities may be partially stripped so that each class receives
some interest and some principal. However, they may be completely stripped. In
that case all of the interest is distributed to holders of one type of security,
known as an "interest-only" security, or "I/O," and all of the principal is
distributed to holders of another type of security, known as a "principal-only"
security or "P/O." Strips can be created for pass-through certificates or CMOs.
The yields to maturity of I/Os and P/Os are very sensitive to principal
repayments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgages. If the
underlying mortgages experience greater than anticipated prepayments of
principal, the Fund might not fully recoup its investment in an I/O based on
those assets. If underlying mortgages experience less than anticipated
prepayments of principal, the yield on the P/Os based on them could decline
substantially.
|X| Floating Rate and Variable Rate Obligations. Variable rate demand
obligations have a demand feature that allows the Fund to tender the obligation
to the issuer or a third party prior to its maturity. The tender may be at par
value plus accrued interest, according to the terms of the obligations.
The interest rate on a floating rate demand note is adjusted automatically
according to a stated prevailing market rate, such as a bank's prime rate, the
91-day U.S. Treasury Bill rate, or some other standard. The instrument's rate is
adjusted automatically each time the base rate is adjusted. The interest rate on
a variable rate demand note is also based on a stated prevailing market rate but
is adjusted automatically at specified intervals of not less than one year.
Generally, the changes in the interest rate on such securities reduce the
fluctuation in their market value. As interest rates decrease or increase, the
potential for capital appreciation or depreciation is less than that for
fixed-rate obligations of the same maturity. The Manager may determine that an
unrated floating rate or variable rate demand obligation meets the Fund's
quality standards by reason of being backed by a letter of credit or guarantee
issued by a bank that meets those quality standards.
Floating rate and variable rate demand notes that have a stated maturity
in excess of one year may have features that permit the holder to recover the
principal amount of the underlying security at specified intervals not exceeding
one year and upon no more than 30 days' notice. The issuer of that type of note
normally has a corresponding right in its discretion, after a given period, to
prepay the outstanding principal amount of the note plus accrued interest.
Generally the issuer must provide a specified number of days' notice to the
holder.
|X| Investing in Small, Unseasoned Companies. The Fund can invest in
securities of small, unseasoned companies. These are companies that have been in
operation for less than three years, including the operations of any
predecessors. Securities of these companies may be subject to volatility in
their prices. They may have a limited trading market, which may adversely affect
the Fund's ability to dispose of them and can reduce the price the Fund might be
able to obtain for them. Other investors that own a security issued by a small,
unseasoned issuer for which there is limited liquidity might trade the security
when the Fund is attempting to dispose of its holdings of that security. In that
case the Fund might receive a lower price for its holdings than might otherwise
be obtained. The Fund currently does not intend to invest more than 5% of its
net assets in those securities.
|X| When-Issued and Delayed-Delivery Transactions. The Fund may invest in
securities on a "when-issued" basis and may purchase or sell securities on a
"delayed-delivery" or "forward commitment" basis. When-issued and
delayed-delivery are terms that refer to securities whose terms and indenture
are available and for which a market exists, but which are not available for
immediate delivery.
When such transactions are negotiated, the price (which is generally
expressed in yield terms) is fixed at the time the commitment is made. Delivery
and payment for the securities take place at a later date (generally within 45
days of the date the offer is accepted). The securities are subject to change in
value from market fluctuations during the period until settlement. The value at
delivery may be less than the purchase price. For example, changes in interest
rates in a direction other than that expected by the Manager before settlement
will affect the value of such securities and may cause a loss to the Fund.
During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the
Fund to the issuer and no interest accrues to the Fund from the investment. No
income begins to accrue to the Fund on a when-issued security until the Fund
receives the security at settlement of the trade.
The Fund will engage in when-issued transactions to secure what the
Manager considers to be an advantageous price and yield at the time of entering
into the obligation. When the Fund enters into a when-issued or delayed-delivery
transaction, it relies on the other party to complete the transaction. Its
failure to do so may cause the Fund to lose the opportunity to obtain the
security at a price and yield the Manager considers to be advantageous.
When the Fund engages in when-issued and delayed-delivery transactions, it
does so for the purpose of acquiring or selling securities consistent with its
investment objective and policies for its portfolio or for delivery pursuant to
options contracts it has entered into, and not for the purpose of investment
leverage. Although the Fund will enter into delayed-delivery or when-issued
purchase transactions to acquire securities, it may dispose of a commitment
prior to settlement. If the Fund chooses to dispose of the right to acquire a
when-issued security prior to its acquisition or to dispose of its right to
delivery or receive against a forward commitment, it may incur a gain or loss.
At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase or sell a security
on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, it records the transaction on its
books and reflects the value of the security purchased in determining the Fund's
net asset value. In a sale transaction, it records the proceeds to be received.
The Fund will identify on its books liquid assets at least equal in value to the
value of the Fund's purchase commitments until the Fund pays for the investment.
When issued and delayed-delivery transactions can be used by the Fund as a
defensive technique to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and
prices. For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling prices,
the Fund might sell securities in its portfolio on a forward commitment basis to
attempt to limit its exposure to anticipated falling prices. In periods of
falling interest rates and rising prices, the Fund might sell portfolio
securities and purchase the same or similar securities on a when-issued or
delayed-delivery basis to obtain the benefit of currently higher cash yields.
|X| Participation Interests. The Fund can invest in participation
interests, subject to the Fund's limitation on investments in illiquid
investments. A participation interest is an undivided interest in a loan made by
the issuing financial institution in the proportion that the buyers
participation interest bears to the total principal amount of the loan. No more
than 5% of the Fund's net assets can be invested in participation interests of
the same borrower. The issuing financial institution may have no obligation to
the Fund other than to pay the Fund the proportionate amount of the principal
and interest payments it receives.
Participation interests are primarily dependent upon the creditworthiness
of the borrowing corporation, which is obligated to make payments of principal
and interest on the loan. There is a risk that a borrower may have difficulty
making payments. If a borrower fails to pay scheduled interest or principal
payments, the Fund could experience a reduction in its income. The value of that
participation interest might also decline, which could affect the net asset
value of the Fund's shares. If the issuing financial institution fails to
perform its obligations under the participation agreement, the Fund might incur
costs and delays in realizing payment and suffer a loss of principal and/or
interest.
|X| Repurchase Agreements. The Fund can acquire securities subject to
repurchase agreements. It may do so for liquidity purposes to meet anticipated
redemptions of Fund shares, or pending the investment of the proceeds from sales
of Fund shares, or pending the settlement of portfolio securities transactions,
or for temporary defensive purposes, as described below.
In a repurchase transaction, the Fund buys a security from, and
simultaneously resells it to, an approved vendor for delivery on an agreed-upon
future date. The resale price exceeds the purchase price by an amount that
reflects an agreed-upon interest rate effective for the period during which the
repurchase agreement is in effect. Approved vendors include U.S. commercial
banks, U.S. branches of foreign banks, or broker-dealers that have been
designated as primary dealers in government securities. They must meet credit
requirements set by the Fund's Board of Trustees from time to time.
The majority of these transactions run from day to day, and delivery
pursuant to the resale typically occurs within one to five days of the purchase.
Repurchase agreements having a maturity beyond seven days are subject to the
Fund's limits on holding illiquid investments. The Fund will not enter into a
repurchase agreement that causes more than 10% of its net assets to be subject
to repurchase agreements having a maturity beyond seven days. There is no limit
on the amount of the Fund's net assets that may be subject to repurchase
agreements having maturities of seven days or less.
Repurchase agreements, considered "loans" under the Investment Company
Act, are collateralized by the underlying security. The Fund's repurchase
agreements require that at all times while the repurchase agreement is in
effect, the value of the collateral must equal or exceed the repurchase price to
fully collateralize the repayment obligation. However, if the vendor fails to
pay the resale price on the delivery date, the Fund may incur costs in disposing
of the collateral and may experience losses if there is any delay in its ability
to do so. The Manager will monitor the vendor's creditworthiness to confirm that
the vendor is financially sound and will continuously monitor the collateral's
value.
|X| Illiquid and Restricted Securities. Under the policies and procedures
established by the Fund's Board of Trustees, the Manager determines the
liquidity of certain of the Fund's investments. To enable the Fund to sell its
holdings of a restricted security not registered under the Securities Act of
1933, the Fund may have to cause those securities to be registered. The expenses
of registering restricted securities may be negotiated by the Fund with the
issuer at the time the Fund buys the securities. When the Fund must arrange
registration because the Fund wishes to sell the security, a considerable period
may elapse between the time the decision is made to sell the security and the
time the security is registered so that the Fund could sell it. The Fund would
bear the risks of any downward price fluctuation during that period.
The Fund may also acquire restricted securities through private
placements. Those securities have contractual restrictions on their public
resale. Those restrictions might limit the Fund's ability to dispose of the
securities and might lower the amount the Fund could realize upon the sale.
The Fund has limitations that apply to purchases of restricted securities,
as stated in the Prospectus. Those percentage restrictions do not limit
purchases of restricted securities that are eligible for sale to qualified
institutional purchasers under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, if those
securities have been determined to be liquid by the Manager under Board-approved
guidelines. Those guidelines take into account the trading activity for such
securities and the availability of reliable pricing information, among other
factors. If there is a lack of trading interest in a particular Rule 144A
security, the Fund's holdings of that security may be considered to be illiquid.
Illiquid securities include repurchase agreements maturing in more than
seven days and participation interests that do not have puts exercisable within
seven days.
|X| Forward Rolls. The Fund can enter into "forward roll" transactions
with respect to mortgage related securities. In this type of transaction, the
Fund sells a mortgage related security to a buyer and simultaneously agrees to
repurchase a similar security (the same type of security, and having the same
coupon and maturity) at a later date at a set price. The securities that are
repurchased will have the same interest rate as the securities that are sold,
but typically will be collateralized by different pools of mortgages (with
different prepayment histories) than the securities that have been sold.
Proceeds from the sale are invested in short-term instruments, such as
repurchase agreements. The income from those investments, plus the fees from the
forward roll transaction, are expected to generate income to the Fund in excess
of the yield on the securities that have been sold.
The Fund will only enter into "covered" rolls. To assure its future
payment of the purchase price, the Fund will identify on its books liquid assets
in an amount equal to the payment obligation under the roll.
These transactions have risks. During the period between the sale and the
repurchase, the Fund will not be entitled to receive interest and principal
payments on the securities that have been sold. It is possible that the market
value of the securities the Fund sells may decline below the price at which the
Fund is obligated to repurchase securities.
|X| Loans of Portfolio Securities. To raise cash for liquidity purposes or
income, the Fund can lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other
types of financial institutions approved by the Fund's Board of Trustees. As a
fundamental policy, these loans are limited to not more than 25% of the value of
the Fund's net assets. The Fund currently does not intend to engage in loans of
securities, but if it does so, such loans will not likely exceed 5% of the
Fund's total assets.
There are some risks in connection with securities lending. The Fund might
experience a delay in receiving additional collateral to secure a loan, or a
delay in recovery of the loaned securities if the borrower defaults. The Fund
must receive collateral for a loan. Under current applicable regulatory
requirements (which are subject to change), on each business day the loan
collateral must be at least equal to the value of the loaned securities. It must
consist of cash, bank letters of credit, securities of the U.S. government or
its agencies or instrumentalities, or other cash equivalents in which the Fund
is permitted to invest. To be acceptable as collateral, letters of credit must
obligate a bank to pay amounts demanded by the Fund if the demand meets the
terms of the letter. The terms of the letter of credit and the issuing bank both
must be satisfactory to the Fund.
When it lends securities, the Fund receives amounts equal to the dividends
or interest on loaned securities. It also receives one or more of (a) negotiated
loan fees, (b) interest on securities used as collateral, and (c) interest on
any short-term debt securities purchased with such loan collateral. Either type
of interest may be shared with the borrower. The Fund may also pay reasonable
finder's, custodian and administrative fees in connection with these loans. The
terms of the Fund's loans must meet applicable tests under the Internal Revenue
Code and must permit the Fund to reacquire loaned securities on five days'
notice or in time to vote on any important matter.
|X| Asset-Backed Securities. Asset-backed securities are fractional
interests in pools of assets, typically accounts receivable or consumer loans.
They are issued by trusts or special-purpose corporations. They are similar to
mortgage-backed securities, described above, and are backed by a pool of assets
that consist of obligations of individual borrowers. The income from the pool is
passed through to the holders of participation interest in the pools. The pools
may offer a credit enhancement, such as a bank letter of credit, to try to
reduce the risks that the underlying debtors will not pay their obligations when
due. However, the enhancement, if any, might not be for the full par value of
the security. If the enhancement is exhausted and only required payments of
principal are not made, the Fund could suffer a loss on its investment or delays
in receiving payment.
The value of an asset-backed security is affected by changes in the
market's perception of the asset backing the security, the creditworthiness of
the servicing agent for the loan pool, the originator of the loans, or the
financial institution providing any credit enhancement, and is also affected if
any credit enhancement has been exhausted. The risks of investing in
asset-backed securities are ultimately related to payment of consumer loans by
the individual borrowers. As a purchaser of an asset-backed security, the Fund
would generally have no recourse to the entity that originated the loans in the
event of default by a borrower. The underlying loans are subject to prepayments,
which may shorten the weighted average life of asset-backed securities and may
lower their return, in the same manner as in the case of mortgage-backed
securities and CMOs, described above. Unlike mortgage-backed securities,
asset-backed securities typically do not have the benefit.
|X| Derivatives. The Fund can invest in a variety of derivative
investments to seek income or for hedging purposes. Some derivative investments
the Fund can use are the hedging instruments described below in this Statement
of Additional Information. However, the Fund is not obligated to use derivatives
in seeking its objective.
Some of the derivative investments the Fund can use include debt
exchangeable for common stock of an issuer or "equity-linked debt securities" of
an issuer. At maturity, the debt security is exchanged for common stock of the
issuer or it is payable in an amount based on the price of the issuer's common
stock at the time of maturity. Both alternatives present a risk that the amount
payable at maturity will be less than the principal amount of the debt because
the price of the issuer's common stock might not be as high as the Manager
expected.
Other derivative investments the Fund can invest in include
mortgage-related securities (described above) and "index-linked" notes.
Principal and/or interest payments on these notes depend on the performance of
an underlying index. Currency-indexed securities are another derivative the Fund
may use. Typically these are short-term or intermediate-term debt securities.
Their value at maturity or the rates at which they pay income are determined by
the change in value of the U.S. dollar against one or more foreign currencies or
an index. In some cases, these securities may pay an amount at maturity based on
a multiple of the amount of the relative currency movements. This type of index
security offers the potential for increased income or principal payments but at
a greater risk of loss than a typical debt security of the same maturity and
credit quality.
|X| Hedging. Although the Fund can use hedging instruments, it is not
obligated to use them in seeking its objective. To attempt to protect against
declines in the market value of the Fund's portfolio, to permit the Fund to
retain unrealized gains in the value of portfolio securities that have
appreciated, or to facilitate selling securities for investment reasons, the
Fund could:
|_| sell futures contracts,
|_| buy puts on such futures or on securities, or
|_| write covered calls on securities or futures. Covered calls may also be
used to increase the Fund's income, but the Manager does not expect to
engage extensively in that practice.
The Fund can use hedging to establish a position in the securities market
as a temporary substitute for purchasing particular securities. In that case the
Fund would normally seek to purchase the securities and then terminate that
hedging position. The Fund might also use this type of hedge to attempt to
protect against the possibility that its portfolio securities would not be fully
included in a rise in value of the market. To do so the Fund could:
|_| buy futures, or
|_| buy calls on such futures or on securities.
The Fund's strategy of hedging with futures and options on futures will be
incidental to the Fund's activities in the underlying cash market. The
particular hedging instruments the Fund can use are described below. The Fund
may employ new hedging instruments and strategies when they are developed, if
those investment methods are consistent with the Fund's investment objective and
are permissible under applicable regulations governing the Fund.
|_| Futures. The Fund can buy and sell futures contracts that relate to
(1) broadly-based stock indices (these are referred to as "stock index
futures"), (2) bond indices (these are referred to as "bond index futures"), (3)
debt securities (these are referred to as "interest rate futures"), (4) foreign
currencies (these are referred to as "forward contracts") and (5) commodities.
A broadly-based stock index is used as the basis for trading stock index
futures. They may in some cases be based on stocks of issuers in a particular
industry or group of industries. A stock index assigns relative values to the
common stocks included in the index and its value fluctuates in response to the
changes in value of the underlying stocks. A stock index cannot be purchased or
sold directly. Bond index futures are similar contracts based on the future
value of the basket of securities that comprise the index. These contracts
obligate the seller to deliver, and the purchaser to take, cash to settle the
futures transaction. There is no delivery made of the underlying securities to
settle the futures obligation. Either party may also settle the transaction by
entering into an offsetting contract.
An interest rate future obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser
to take) cash or a specified type of debt security to settle the futures
transaction. Either party could also enter into an offsetting contract to close
out the position.
The Fund can invest a portion of its assets in commodity futures
contracts. Commodity futures may be based upon commodities within five main
commodity groups: (1) energy, which includes crude oil, natural gas, gasoline
and heating oil; (2) livestock, which includes cattle and hogs; (3) agriculture,
which includes wheat, corn, soybeans, cotton, coffee, sugar and cocoa; (4)
industrial metals, which includes aluminum, copper, lead, nickel, tin and zinc;
and (5) precious metals, which includes gold, platinum and silver. The Fund may
purchase and sell commodity futures contracts, options on futures contracts and
options and futures on commodity indices with respect to these five main
commodity groups and the individual commodities within each group, as well as
other types of commodities.
No money is paid or received by the Fund on the purchase or sale of a
future. Upon entering into a futures transaction, the Fund will be required to
deposit an initial margin payment with the futures commission merchant (the
"futures broker"). Initial margin payments will be deposited with the Fund's
Custodian bank in an account registered in the futures broker's name. However,
the futures broker can gain access to that account only under specified
conditions. As the future is marked to market (that is, its value on the Fund's
books is changed) to reflect changes in its market value, subsequent margin
payments, called variation margin, will be paid to or by the futures broker
daily.
At any time prior to expiration of the future, the Fund may elect to close
out its position by taking an opposite position, at which time a final
determination of variation margin is made and any additional cash must be paid
by or released to the Fund. Any loss or gain on the future is then realized by
the Fund for tax purposes. All futures transactions (except forward contracts)
are effected through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange on which the
contracts are traded.
|_| Put and Call Options. The Fund can buy and sell certain kinds of put
options ("puts") and call options ("calls"). The Fund can buy and sell
exchange-traded and over-the-counter put and call options, including index
options, securities options, currency options, commodities options, and options
on the other types of futures described above.
|_| Writing Covered Call Options. The Fund can write (that is, sell)
covered calls. If the Fund sells a call option, it must be covered. That means
the Fund must own the security subject to the call while the call is
outstanding, or, for certain types of calls, the call may be covered by
segregating liquid assets to enable the Fund to satisfy its obligations if the
call is exercised. Up to 35% of the Fund's total assets may be subject to calls
the Fund writes.
When the Fund writes a call on a security, it receives cash (a premium).
The Fund agrees to sell the underlying security to a purchaser of a
corresponding call on the same security during the call period at a fixed
exercise price regardless of market price changes during the call period. The
call period is usually not more than nine months. The exercise price may differ
from the market price of the underlying security. The Fund has the risk of loss
that the price of the underlying security may decline during the call period.
That risk may be offset to some extent by the premium the Fund receives. If the
value of the investment does not rise above the call price, it is likely that
the call will lapse without being exercised. In that case the Fund would keep
the cash premium and the investment.
When the Fund writes a call on an index, it receives cash (a premium). If
the buyer of the call exercises it, the Fund will pay an amount of cash equal to
the difference between the closing price of the call and the exercise price,
multiplied by a specified multiple that determines the total value of the call
for each point of difference. If the value of the underlying investment does not
rise above the call price, it is likely that the call will lapse without being
exercised. In that case, the fund would keep the cash premium.
The Fund's Custodian, or a securities depository acting for the Custodian,
will act as the Fund's escrow agent, through the facilities of the Options
Clearing Corporation ("OCC"), as to the investments on which the Fund has
written calls traded on exchanges or as to other acceptable escrow securities.
In that way, no margin will be required for such transactions. OCC will release
the securities on the expiration of the option or when the Fund enters into a
closing transaction.
When the Fund writes an over-the-counter ("OTC") option, it will enter
into an arrangement with a primary U.S. government securities dealer which will
establish a formula price at which the Fund will have the absolute right to
repurchase that OTC option. The formula price will generally be based on a
multiple of the premium received for the option, plus the amount by which the
option is exercisable below the market price of the underlying security (that
is, the option is "in the money"). When the Fund writes an OTC option, it will
treat as illiquid (for purposes of its restriction on holding illiquid
securities) the mark-to-market value of any OTC option it holds, unless the
option is subject to a buy-back agreement by the executing broker.
To terminate its obligation on a call it has written, the Fund may
purchase a corresponding call in a "closing purchase transaction." The Fund will
then realize a profit or loss, depending upon whether the net of the amount of
the option transaction costs and the premium received on the call the Fund wrote
is more or less than the price of the call the Fund purchases to close out the
transaction. The Fund may realize a profit if the call expires unexercised,
because the Fund will retain the underlying security and the premium it received
when it wrote the call. Any such profits are considered short-term capital gains
for Federal income tax purposes, as are the premiums on lapsed calls. When
distributed by the Fund they are taxable as ordinary income. If the Fund cannot
effect a closing purchase transaction due to the lack of a market, it will have
to hold the callable securities until the call expires or is exercised.
The Fund may also write calls on a futures contract without owning the
futures contract or securities deliverable under the contract. To do so, at the
time the call is written, the Fund must cover the call by segregating an
equivalent dollar amount of liquid assets. The Fund will segregate additional
liquid assets if the value of the segregated assets drops below 100% of the
current value of the future. Because of this segregation requirement, in no
circumstances would the Fund's receipt of an exercise notice as to that future
require the Fund to deliver a futures contract. It would simply put the Fund in
a short futures position, which is permitted by the Fund's hedging policies.
|_| Writing Put Options. The Fund can sell put options. A put option
on securities gives the purchaser the right to sell, and the writer the
obligation to buy, the underlying investment at the exercise price during the
option period. The Fund will not write puts if, as a result, more than 25% of
the Fund's net assets would be required to be segregated to cover such put
options.
If the Fund writes a put, the put must be covered by segregated liquid
assets. The premium the Fund receives from writing a put represents a profit, as
long as the price of the underlying investment remains equal to or above the
exercise price of the put. However, the Fund also assumes the obligation during
the option period to buy the underlying investment from the buyer of the put at
the exercise price, even if the value of the investment falls below the exercise
price. If a put the Fund has written expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a
gain in the amount of the premium less the transaction costs incurred. If the
put is exercised, the Fund must fulfill its obligation to purchase the
underlying investment at the exercise price. That price will usually exceed the
market value of the investment at that time. In that case, the Fund may incur a
loss if it sells the underlying investment. That loss will be equal to the sum
of the sale price of the underlying investment and the premium received minus
the sum of the exercise price and any transaction costs the Fund incurred.
When writing a put option on a security, to secure its obligation to pay
for the underlying security the Fund will deposit in escrow liquid assets with a
value equal to or greater than the exercise price of the underlying securities.
The Fund therefore forgoes the opportunity of investing the segregated assets or
writing calls against those assets.
As long as the Fund's obligation as the put writer continues, it may be
assigned an exercise notice by the broker-dealer through which the put was sold.
That notice will require the Fund to take delivery of the underlying security
and pay the exercise price. The Fund has no control over when it may be required
to purchase the underlying security, since it may be assigned an exercise notice
at any time prior to the termination of its obligation as the writer of the put.
That obligation terminates upon expiration of the put. It may also terminate if,
before it receives an exercise notice, the Fund effects a closing purchase
transaction by purchasing a put of the same series as it sold. Once the Fund has
been assigned an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase
transaction.
The Fund may decide to effect a closing purchase transaction to realize a
profit on an outstanding put option it has written or to prevent the underlying
security from being put. Effecting a closing purchase transaction will also
permit the Fund to write another put option on the security, or to sell the
security and use the proceeds from the sale for other investments. The Fund will
realize a profit or loss from a closing purchase transaction depending on
whether the cost of the transaction is less or more than the premium received
from writing the put option. Any profits from writing puts are considered
short-term capital gains for Federal tax purposes, and when distributed by the
Fund, are taxable as ordinary income.
|_| Purchasing Calls and Puts. The Fund can purchase calls to protect
against the possibility that the Fund's portfolio will not participate in an
anticipated rise in the securities market. When the Fund buys a call (other than
in a closing purchase transaction), it pays a premium. The Fund then has the
right to buy the underlying investment from a seller of a corresponding call on
the same investment during the call period at a fixed exercise price. The Fund
benefits only if it sells the call at a profit or if, during the call period,
the market price of the underlying investment is above the sum of the call price
plus the transaction costs and the premium paid for the call and the Fund
exercises the call. If the Fund does not exercise the call or sell it (whether
or not at a profit), the call will become worthless at its expiration date. In
that case the Fund will have paid the premium but lost the right to purchase the
underlying investment.
The Fund can buy puts whether or not it holds the underlying investment in
its portfolio. When the Fund purchases a put, it pays a premium and, except as
to puts on indices, has the right to sell the underlying investment to a seller
of a put on a corresponding investment during the put period at a fixed exercise
price.
Buying a put on an investment the Fund does not own (such as an index or
future) permits the Fund either to resell the put or to buy the underlying
investment and sell it at the exercise price. The resale price will vary
inversely to the price of the underlying investment. If the market price of the
underlying investment is above the exercise price and, as a result, the put is
not exercised, the put will become worthless on its expiration date.
Buying a put on securities or futures the Fund owns enables the Fund to
attempt to protect itself during the put period against a decline in the value
of the underlying investment below the exercise price by selling the underlying
investment at the exercise price to a seller of a corresponding put. If the
market price of the underlying investment is equal to or above the exercise
price and, as a result, the put is not exercised or resold, the put will become
worthless at its expiration date. In that case the Fund will have paid the
premium but lost the right to sell the underlying investment. However, the Fund
may sell the put prior to its expiration. That sale may or may not be at a
profit.
When the Fund purchases a call or put on an index or future, it pays a
premium, but settlement is in cash rather than by delivery of the underlying
investment to the Fund. Gain or loss depends on changes in the index in question
(and thus on price movements in the securities market generally) rather than on
price movements in individual securities or futures contracts.
The Fund may buy a call or put only if, after the purchase, the value of
all call and put options held by the Fund will not exceed 5% of the Fund's total
assets.
|_| Buying and Selling Options on Foreign Currencies. The Fund can
buy and sell calls and puts on foreign currencies. They include puts and calls
that trade on a securities or commodities exchange or in the over-the-counter
markets or are quoted by major recognized dealers in such options. The Fund
could use these calls and puts to try to protect against declines in the dollar
value of foreign securities and increases in the dollar cost of foreign
securities the Fund wants to acquire.
If the Manager anticipates a rise in the dollar value of a foreign
currency in which securities to be acquired are denominated, the increased cost
of those securities may be partially offset by purchasing calls or writing puts
on that foreign currency. If the Manager anticipates a decline in the dollar
value of a foreign currency, the decline in the dollar value of portfolio
securities denominated in that currency might be partially offset by writing
calls or purchasing puts on that foreign currency. However, the currency rates
could fluctuate in a direction adverse to the Fund's position. The Fund will
then have incurred option premium payments and transaction costs without a
corresponding benefit.
A call the Fund writes on a foreign currency is "covered" if the Fund owns
the underlying foreign currency covered by the call or has an absolute and
immediate right to acquire that foreign currency without additional cash
consideration (or it can do so for additional cash consideration held in a
segregated account by its Custodian bank) upon conversion or exchange of other
foreign currency held in its portfolio.
The Fund could write a call on a foreign currency to provide a hedge
against a decline in the U.S. dollar value of a security which the Fund owns or
has the right to acquire and which is denominated in the currency underlying the
option. That decline might be one that occurs due to an expected adverse change
in the exchange rate. This is known as a "cross-hedging" strategy. In those
circumstances, the Fund covers the option by maintaining cash, U.S. government
securities or other liquid, high grade debt securities in an amount equal to the
exercise price of the option, in a segregated account with the Fund's Custodian
bank.
|_| Risks of Hedging with Options and Futures. The use of hedging
instruments requires special skills and knowledge of investment techniques that
are different than what is required for normal portfolio management. If the
Manager uses a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judges market conditions
incorrectly, hedging strategies may reduce the Fund's return. The Fund could
also experience losses if the prices of its futures and options positions were
not correlated with its other investments.
The Fund's option activities could affect its portfolio turnover rate and
brokerage commissions. The exercise of calls written by the Fund might cause the
Fund to sell related portfolio securities, thus increasing its turnover rate.
The exercise by the Fund of puts on securities will cause the sale of underlying
investments, increasing portfolio turnover. Although the decision whether to
exercise a put it holds is within the Fund's control, holding a put might cause
the Fund to sell the related investments for reasons that would not exist in the
absence of the put.
The Fund could pay a brokerage commission each time it buys a call or put,
sells a call or put, or buys or sells an underlying investment in connection
with the exercise of a call or put. Those commissions could be higher on a
relative basis than the commissions for direct purchases or sales of the
underlying investments. Premiums paid for options are small in relation to the
market value of the underlying investments. Consequently, put and call options
offer large amounts of leverage. The leverage offered by trading in options
could result in the Fund's net asset value being more sensitive to changes in
the value of the underlying investment.
If a covered call written by the Fund is exercised on an investment that
has increased in value, the Fund will be required to sell the investment at the
call price. It will not be able to realize any profit if the investment has
increased in value above the call price.
An option position may be closed out only on a market that provides
secondary trading for options of the same series, and there is no assurance that
a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option. The Fund might
experience losses if it could not close out a position because of an illiquid
market for the future or option.
There is a risk in using short hedging by selling futures or purchasing
puts on broadly-based indices or futures to attempt to protect against declines
in the value of the Fund's portfolio securities. The risk is that the prices of
the futures or the applicable index will correlate imperfectly with the behavior
of the cash prices of the Fund's securities. For example, it is possible that
while the Fund has used hedging instruments in a short hedge, the market may
advance and the value of the securities held in the Fund's portfolio might
decline. If that occurred, the Fund would lose money on the hedging instruments
and also experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities. However,
while this could occur for a very brief period or to a very small degree, over
time the value of a diversified portfolio of securities will tend to move in the
same direction as the indices upon which the hedging instruments are based.
The risk of imperfect correlation increases as the composition of the
Fund's portfolio diverges from the securities included in the applicable index.
To compensate for the imperfect correlation of movements in the price of the
portfolio securities being hedged and movements in the price of the hedging
instruments, the Fund might use hedging instruments in a greater dollar amount
than the dollar amount of portfolio securities being hedged. It might do so if
the historical volatility of the prices of the portfolio securities being hedged
is more than the historical volatility of the applicable index.
The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets are
subject to distortions, due to differences in the nature of those markets.
First, all participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit and
maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit
requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting
transactions which could distort the normal relationship between the cash and
futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on
participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking
delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity
in the futures market could be reduced, thus producing distortion. Third, from
the point of view of speculators, the deposit requirements in the futures market
are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities markets. Therefore,
increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary
price distortions.
The Fund can use hedging instruments to establish a position in the
securities markets as a temporary substitute for the purchase of individual
securities (long hedging) by buying futures and/or calls on such futures,
broadly-based indices or on securities. It is possible that when the Fund does
so the market might decline. If the Fund then concludes not to invest in
securities because of concerns that the market might decline further or for
other reasons, the Fund will realize a loss on the hedging instruments that is
not offset by a reduction in the price of the securities purchased.
|_| Forward Contracts. Forward contracts are foreign currency exchange
contracts. They are used to buy or sell foreign currency for future delivery at
a fixed price. The Fund uses them to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of a
security denominated in a foreign currency that the Fund has bought or sold, or
to protect against possible losses from changes in the relative values of the
U.S. dollar and a foreign currency. The Fund limits its exposure in foreign
currency exchange contracts in a particular foreign currency to the amount of
its assets denominated in that currency or a closely-correlated currency. The
Fund may also use "cross-hedging" where the Fund hedges against changes in
currencies other than the currency in which a security it holds is denominated.
Under a forward contract, one party agrees to purchase, and another party
agrees to sell, a specific currency at a future date. That date may be any fixed
number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties. The
transaction price is set at the time the contract is entered into. These
contracts are traded in the inter-bank market conducted directly among currency
traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers.
The Fund may use forward contracts to protect against uncertainty in the
level of future exchange rates. The use of forward contracts does not eliminate
the risk of fluctuations in the prices of the underlying securities the Fund
owns or intends to acquire, but it does fix a rate of exchange in advance.
Although forward contracts may reduce the risk of loss from a decline in the
value of the hedged currency, at the same time they limit any potential gain if
the value of the hedged currency increases.
When the Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a
security denominated in a foreign currency, or when it anticipates receiving
dividend payments in a foreign currency, the Fund might desire to "lock-in" the
U.S. dollar price of the security or the U.S. dollar equivalent of the dividend
payments. To do so, the Fund could enter into a forward contract for the
purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying
transaction, in a fixed amount of U.S. dollars per unit of the foreign currency.
This is called a "transaction hedge." The transaction hedge will protect the
Fund against a loss from an adverse change in the currency exchange rates during
the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold or on
which the payment is declared, and the date on which the payments are made or
received.
The Fund could also use forward contracts to lock in the U.S. dollar value
of portfolio positions. This is called a "position hedge." When the Fund
believes that foreign currency might suffer a substantial decline against the
U.S. dollar, it could enter into a forward contract to sell an amount of that
foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of the Fund's portfolio
securities denominated in that foreign currency. When the Fund believes that the
U.S. dollar might suffer a substantial decline against a foreign currency, it
could enter into a forward contract to buy that foreign currency for a fixed
dollar amount. Alternatively, the Fund could enter into a forward contract to
sell a different foreign currency for a fixed U.S. dollar amount if the Fund
believes that the U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency to be sold pursuant
to its forward contract will fall whenever there is a decline in the U.S. dollar
value of the currency in which portfolio securities of the Fund are denominated.
That is referred to as a "cross hedge."
The Fund will cover its short positions in these cases by identifying to
its Custodian bank assets having a value equal to the aggregate amount of the
Fund's commitment under forward contracts. The Fund will not enter into forward
contracts or maintain a net exposure to such contracts if the consummation of
the contracts would obligate the Fund to deliver an amount of foreign currency
in excess of the value of the Fund's portfolio securities or other assets
denominated in that currency or another currency that is the subject of the
hedge.
However, to avoid excess transactions and transaction costs, the Fund may
maintain a net exposure to forward contracts in excess of the value of the
Fund's portfolio securities or other assets denominated in foreign currencies if
the excess amount is "covered" by liquid securities denominated in any currency.
The cover must be at least equal at all times to the amount of that excess. As
one alternative, the Fund may purchase a call option permitting the Fund to
purchase the amount of foreign currency being hedged by a forward sale contract
at a price no higher than the forward contract price. As another alternative,
the Fund may purchase a put option permitting the Fund to sell the amount of
foreign currency subject to a forward purchase contract at a price as high or
higher than the forward contact price.
The precise matching of the amounts under forward contracts and the value
of the securities involved generally will not be possible because the future
value of securities denominated in foreign currencies will change as a
consequence of market movements between the date the forward contract is entered
into and the date it is sold. In some cases the Manager might decide to sell the
security and deliver foreign currency to settle the original purchase
obligation. If the market value of the security is less than the amount of
foreign currency the Fund is obligated to deliver, the Fund may have to purchase
additional foreign currency on the "spot" (that is, cash) market to settle the
security trade. If the market value of the security instead exceeds the amount
of foreign currency the Fund is obligated to deliver to settle the trade, the
Fund might have to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency received
upon the sale of the security. There will be additional transaction costs on the
spot market in those cases.
The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely
difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is
highly uncertain. Forward contracts involve the risk that anticipated currency
movements will not be accurately predicted, causing the Fund to sustain losses
on these contracts and to pay additional transactions costs. The use of forward
contracts in this manner might reduce the Fund's performance if there are
unanticipated changes in currency prices to a greater degree than if the Fund
had not entered into such contracts.
At or before the maturity of a forward contract requiring the Fund to sell
a currency, the Fund might sell a portfolio security and use the sale proceeds
to make delivery of the currency. In the alternative the Fund might retain the
security and offset its contractual obligation to deliver the currency by
purchasing a second contract. Under that contract the Fund will obtain, on the
same maturity date, the same amount of the currency that it is obligated to
deliver. Similarly, the Fund might close out a forward contract requiring it to
purchase a specified currency by entering into a second contract entitling it to
sell the same amount of the same currency on the maturity date of the first
contract. The Fund would realize a gain or loss as a result of entering into
such an offsetting forward contract under either circumstance. The gain or loss
will depend on the extent to which the exchange rate or rates between the
currencies involved moved between the execution dates of the first contract and
offsetting contract.
The costs to the Fund of engaging in forward contracts varies with factors
such as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period and the
market conditions then prevailing. Because forward contracts are usually entered
into on a principal basis, no brokerage fees or commissions are involved.
Because these contracts are not traded on an exchange, the Fund must evaluate
the credit and performance risk of the counterparty under each forward contract.
Although the Fund values its assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, it
does not intend to convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars
on a daily basis. The Fund may convert foreign currency from time to time, and
will incur costs in doing so. Foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for
conversion, but they do seek to realize a profit based on the difference between
the prices at which they buy and sell various currencies. Thus, a dealer might
offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a
lesser rate of exchange if the Fund desires to resell that currency to the
dealer.
|_| Regulatory Aspects of Hedging Instruments. When using futures and
options on futures, the Fund is required to operate within certain guidelines
and restrictions with respect to the use of futures as established by the
Commodities Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC"). In particular, the Fund is
exempted from registration with the CFTC as a "commodity pool operator" if the
Fund complies with the requirements of Rule 4.5 adopted by the CFTC. The Rule
does not limit the percentage of the Fund's assets that may be used for futures
margin and related options premiums for a bona fide hedging position. However,
under the Rule, the Fund must limit its aggregate initial futures margin and
related options premiums to not more than 5% of the Fund's net assets for
hedging strategies that are not considered bona fide hedging strategies under
the Rule. Under the Rule, the Fund must also use short futures and options on
futures solely for bona fide hedging purposes within the meaning and intent of
the applicable provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act.
Transactions in options by the Fund are subject to limitations established
by the option exchanges. The exchanges limit the maximum number of options that
may be written or held by a single investor or group of investors acting in
concert. Those limits apply regardless of whether the options were written or
purchased on the same or different exchanges or are held in one or more accounts
or through one or more different exchanges or through one or more brokers. Thus,
the number of options that the Fund may write or hold may be affected by options
written or held by other entities, including other investment companies having
the same adviser as the Fund (or an adviser that is an affiliate of the Fund's
adviser). The exchanges also impose position limits on futures transactions. An
exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of
those limits and may impose certain other sanctions.
Under the Investment Company Act, when the Fund purchases a future, it
must maintain cash or readily marketable short-term debt instruments in an
amount equal to the market value of the securities underlying the future, less
the margin deposit applicable to it. The account must be a segregated account or
accounts held by the Fund's Custodian bank.
|_| Tax Aspects of Certain Hedging Instruments. Certain foreign currency
exchange contracts in which the Fund may invest are treated as "Section 1256
contracts" under the Internal Revenue Code. In general, gains or losses relating
to Section 1256 contracts are characterized as 60% long-term and 40% short-term
capital gains or losses under the Code. However, foreign currency gains or
losses arising from Section 1256 contracts that are forward contracts generally
are treated as ordinary income or loss. In addition, Section 1256 contracts held
by the Fund at the end of each taxable year are "marked-to-market," and
unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized. These
contracts also may be marked-to-market for purposes of determining the excise
tax applicable to investment company distributions and for other purposes under
rules prescribed pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code. An election can be made
by the Fund to exempt those transactions from this marked-to-market treatment.
Certain forward contracts the Fund enters into may result in "straddles"
for Federal income tax purposes. The straddle rules may affect the character and
timing of gains (or losses) recognized by the Fund on straddle positions.
Generally, a loss sustained on the disposition of a position making up a
straddle is allowed only to the extent that the loss exceeds any unrecognized
gain in the offsetting positions making up the straddle. Disallowed loss is
generally allowed at the point where there is no unrecognized gain in the
offsetting positions making up the straddle, or the offsetting position is
disposed of.
Under the Internal Revenue Code, the following gains or losses are treated
as ordinary income or loss:
(1)gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates that
occur between the time the Fund accrues interest or other receivables
or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign
currency and the time the Fund actually collects such receivables or
pays such liabilities, and
(2)gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value of a foreign
currency between the date of acquisition of a debt security denominated
in a foreign currency or foreign currency forward contracts and the
date of disposition.
Currency gains and losses are offset against market gains and losses on
each trade before determining a net "Section 988" gain or loss under the
Internal Revenue Code for that trade, which may increase or decrease the amount
of the Fund's investment income available for distribution to its shareholders.
Investment Restrictions
|X| What Are "Fundamental Policies?" Fundamental policies are those
policies that the Fund has adopted to govern its investments that can be changed
only by the vote of a "majority" of the Fund's outstanding voting securities.
Under the Investment Company Act, a "majority" vote is defined as the vote of
the holders of the lesser of:
|_|67% or more of the shares present or represented by proxy at a
shareholder meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding
shares are present or represented by proxy, or
|_| more than 50% of the outstanding shares.
The Fund's investment objective is a fundamental policy. Other policies
described in the Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information are
"fundamental" only if they are identified as such. The Fund's Board of Trustees
can change non-fundamental policies without shareholder approval. However,
significant changes to investment policies will be described in supplements or
updates to the Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information, as
appropriate. The Fund's most significant investment policies are described in
the Prospectus.
|X| Does the Fund Have Additional Fundamental Policies? The following
investment restrictions are fundamental policies of the Fund.
|_| The Fund cannot buy securities issued or guaranteed by any one issuer
if more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in securities of that
issuer or if it would then own more than 10% of that issuer's voting securities.
That restriction applies to 75% of the Fund's total assets. The limit does not
apply to securities issued by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or
instrumentalities.
|_| The Fund cannot lend money. However, it can buy debt securities that
its investment policies and restrictions permit it to purchase. The Fund may
also lend its portfolio securities subject to the percentage restrictions set
forth in this Statement of Additional Information and may enter into repurchase
agreements.
|_| The Fund cannot concentrate investments. That means it cannot invest
25% or more of its total assets in companies in any one industry. Obligations of
the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities are not considered to be
part of an "industry" for the purposes of this restriction.
|_| The Fund cannot buy or sell real estate, including futures contracts.
However, the Fund can purchase debt securities secured by real estate or
interests in real estate.
|_| The Fund cannot underwrite securities of other companies. A permitted
exception is in case it is deemed to be an underwriter under the Securities Act
of 1933 when reselling any securities held in its own portfolio.
|_| The Fund cannot invest in physical commodities or commodity contracts.
However, the Fund may buy and sell the hedging instruments permitted by any of
its other investment policies. The Fund can also buy and sell options, futures,
securities or other instruments backed by, or the investment return from which
is linked to changes in the price of, physical commodities.
|_| The Fund cannot invest in the securities issued by any company for the
purpose of acquiring control or management of that company, except in connection
with a merger, reorganization, consolidation or acquisition of assets.
|_| The Fund cannot invest in or hold securities of any issuer if officers
and Trustees of the Fund or the Manager individually beneficially own more than
1/2 of 1% of the securities of that issuer and together own more than 5% of the
securities of that issuer.
|_| The Fund cannot buy securities on margin. However, this does not
prohibit the Fund from making margin deposits in connection with any of the
hedging instruments permitted by any of its other investment policies.
|_| The Fund cannot borrow money in excess of 5% of the value of its total
assets. It can borrow only as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency
purposes.
|_| The Fund cannot mortgage, hypothecate or pledge any of its assets to
secure a debt. However, the escrow arrangements in connection with hedging
instruments are not considered to involve a mortgage, hypothecation or pledge.
|_| The Fund cannot issue "senior securities," but this does not prohibit
certain investment activities for which assets of the Fund are designated as
segregated, or margin, collateral or escrow arrangements are established, to
cover the related obligations. Examples of those activities include borrowing
money, reverse repurchase agreements, delayed-delivery and when-issued
arrangements for portfolio securities transactions, and contracts to buy or sell
derivatives, hedging instruments, options or futures.
Unless the Prospectus or this Statement of Additional Information states
that a percentage restriction applies on an ongoing basis, it applies only at
the time the Fund makes an investment. The Fund need not sell securities to meet
the percentage limits if the value of the investment increases in proportion to
the size of the Fund.
For purposes of the Fund's policy not to concentrate its investments as
described above, the Fund has adopted the industry classifications set forth in
Appendix B to this Statement of Additional Information. This is not a
fundamental policy.
How the Fund is Managed
Organization and History. The Fund is an open-end, diversified management
investment company with an unlimited number of authorized shares of beneficial
interest. The Fund was organized as a Massachusetts business trust in 1987.
The Fund is governed by a Board of Trustees, which
is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders under Massachusetts
law. The Trustees meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the Fund's
activities, review its performance, and review the actions of the Manager.
Although the Fund will not normally hold annual meetings of its shareholders, it
may hold shareholder meetings from time to time on important matters, and
shareholders have the right to call a meeting to remove a Trustee or to take
other action described in the Fund's Declaration of Trust.
|X| Classes of Shares. The Board of Trustees has the power, without
shareholder approval, to divide unissued shares of the Fund into two or more
classes. The Board has done so, and the Fund currently has four classes of
shares: Class A, Class B, Class C and Class N. All classes invest in the same
investment portfolio. Each class of shares:
o has its own dividends and distributions,
o pays certain expenses which may be different for the different classes,
o may have a different net asset value, o may have separate voting rights
on matters in which interests of one
class are different from interests of another class, and o votes as a
class on matters that affect that class alone.
Shares are freely transferable, and each share of each class has one vote
at shareholder meetings, with fractional shares voting proportionally on matters
submitted to the vote of shareholders. Each share of the Fund represents an
interest in the Fund proportionately equal to the interest of each other share
of the same class.
The Trustees are authorized to create new series and classes of shares.
The Trustees may reclassify unissued shares of the Fund into additional series
or classes of shares. The Trustees also may divide or combine the shares of a
class into a greater or lesser number of shares without changing the
proportionate beneficial interest of a shareholder in the Fund. Shares do not
have cumulative voting rights or preemptive or subscription rights. Shares may
be voted in person or by proxy at shareholder meetings.
|X| Meetings of Shareholders. As a Massachusetts business trust, the Fund
is not required to hold, and does not plan to hold, regular annual meetings of
shareholders. The Fund will hold meetings when required to do so by the
Investment Company Act or other applicable law. It will also do so when a
shareholder meeting is called by the Trustees or upon proper request of the
shareholders.
Shareholders have the right, upon the declaration in writing or vote of
two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Fund, to remove a Trustee. The
Trustees will call a meeting of shareholders to vote on the removal of a Trustee
upon the written request of the record holders of 10% of its outstanding shares.
If the Trustees receive a request from at least 10 shareholders stating that
they wish to communicate with other shareholders to request a meeting to remove
a Trustee, the Trustees will then either make the Fund's shareholder list
available to the applicants or mail their communication to all other
shareholders at the applicants' expense. The shareholders making the request
must have been shareholders for at least six months and must hold shares of the
Fund valued at $25,000 or more or constituting at least 1% of the Fund's
outstanding shares, whichever is less. The Trustees may also take other action
as permitted by the Investment Company Act.
|X| Shareholder and Trustee Liability. The Fund's Declaration of Trust
contains an express disclaimer of shareholder or Trustee liability for the
Fund's obligations. It also provides for indemnification and reimbursement of
expenses out of the Fund's property for any shareholder held personally liable
for its obligations. The Declaration of Trust also states that upon request, the
Fund shall assume the defense of any claim made against a shareholder for any
act or obligation of the Fund and shall satisfy any judgment on that claim.
Massachusetts law permits a shareholder of a business trust (such as the Fund)
to be held personally liable as a "partner" under certain circumstances.
However, the risk that a Fund shareholder will incur financial loss from being
held liable as a "partner" of the Fund is limited to the relatively remote
circumstances in which the Fund would be unable to meet its obligations.
The Fund's contractual arrangements state that any person doing business
with the Fund (and each shareholder of the Fund) agrees under its Declaration of
Trust to look solely to the assets of the Fund for satisfaction of any claim or
demand that may arise out of any dealings with the Fund. Additionally, the
Trustees shall have no personal liability to any such person, to the extent
permitted by law.
Trustees and Officers of the Fund. The Fund's Trustees and officers and their
principal occupations and business affiliations and occupations during the past
five years are listed below. Trustees denoted with an asterisk (*) below are
deemed to be "interested persons" of the Fund under the Investment Company Act.
All of the Trustees are Trustees or Directors of the following New York-based
Oppenheimer funds2:
Oppenheimer California Municipal Fund Oppenheimer International Small
Company Fund
Oppenheimer Capital Appreciation Fund Oppenheimer Large Cap Growth Fund
Oppenheimer Capital Preservation Fund Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund
Oppenheimer Discovery Fund Oppenheimer Multi-Sector Income Trust
Oppenheimer Emerging Growth Fund Oppenheimer Multi-State Municipal Trust
Oppenheimer Emerging Technologies Oppenheimer Municipal Bond Fund
Fund
Oppenheimer Enterprise Fund Oppenheimer New York Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Europe Fund Oppenheimer Series Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Global Fund Oppenheimer Trinity Core Fund
Oppenheimer Global Growth & Income Oppenheimer Trinity Growth Fund
Fund
Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals Oppenheimer Trinity Value Fund
Fund
Oppenheimer Growth Fund Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust
Oppenheimer International Growth Fund Oppenheimer World Bond Fund
Ms. Macaskill and Messrs. Spiro, Donohue, Wixted, Zack, Bishop and Farrar
respectively hold the same offices with the other New York-based Oppenheimer
funds as with the Fund. As of January 5, 2001, the Trustees and officers of the
Fund as a group owned of record or beneficially less than 1% of each class of
shares of the Fund. The foregoing statement does not reflect ownership of shares
of the Fund held of record by an employee benefit plan for employees of the
Manager, other than the shares beneficially owned under the plan by the officers
of the Fund listed above. Ms. Macaskill and Mr. Donohue are trustees of that
plan.
Leon Levy, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Age: 75.
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
General Partner of Odyssey Partners, L.P. (investment partnership) (since
1982) and Chairman of Avatar Holdings, Inc. (real estate development).
Donald W. Spiro, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Age: 75. 399 Ski Trail,
Smoke Rise, New Jersey 07405 Formerly he held the following positions: Chairman
Emeritus (August 1991 - August 1999), Chairman (November 1987 - January 1991)
and a director (January 1969 - August 1999) of the Manager; President and
Director of OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc., a subsidiary of the Manager and
the Fund's Distributor (July 1978 - January 1992).
Bridget A. Macaskill*, President and Trustee; Age: 52.
Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203
Chairman (since August 2000), Chief Executive Officer (since September 1995) and
a director (since December 1994) of the Manager; President (since September
1995) and a director (since October 1990) of Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp., the
Manager's parent holding company; President, Chief Executive Officer and a
director (since March 2000) of OFI Private Investments, Inc., an investment
adviser subsidiary of the Manager; Chairman and a director of Shareholder
Services, Inc. (since August 1994) and Shareholder Financial Services, Inc.
(since September 1995), transfer agent subsidiaries of the Manager; President
(since September 1995) and a director (since November 1989) of Oppenheimer
Partnership Holdings, Inc., a holding company subsidiary of the Manager;
President and a director (since October 1997) of OppenheimerFunds International
Ltd., an offshore fund management subsidiary of the Manager and of Oppenheimer
Millennium Funds plc; a director of HarbourView Asset Management Corporation
(since July 1991) and of Oppenheimer Real Asset Management, Inc. (since July
1996), investment adviser subsidiaries of the Manager; a director (since April
2000) of OppenheimerFunds Legacy Program, a charitable trust program established
by the Manager; a director of Prudential Corporation plc (a U.K. financial
service company); President and a trustee of other Oppenheimer funds; formerly
President of the Manager (June 1991 - August 2000).
Robert G. Galli, Trustee, Age: 67.
19750 Beach Road, Jupiter, FL 33469
A Trustee or Director of other Oppenheimer funds. Formerly he held the following
positions: Vice Chairman (October 1995 - December 1997) and Executive Vice
President (December 1977 - October 1995) of the Manager; Executive Vice
President and a director (April 1986 - October 1995) of HarbourView Asset
Management Corporation.
Phillip A. Griffiths, Trustee, Age: 62.
97 Olden Lane, Princeton, N. J. 08540
The Director of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, N.J. (since 1991)
and a member of the National Academy of Sciences (since 1979); formerly (in
descending chronological order) a director of Bankers Trust Corporation, Provost
and Professor of Mathematics at Duke University, a director of Research Triangle
Institute, Raleigh, N.C., and a Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University.
Benjamin Lipstein, Trustee, Age: 77.
591 Breezy Hill Road, Hillsdale, N.Y. 12529
Professor Emeritus of Marketing, Stern Graduate School of Business
Administration, New York University.
Elizabeth B. Moynihan, Trustee, Age: 71.
801 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004
Author and architectural historian; a trustee of the Freer Gallery of Art
(Smithsonian Institute), Executive Committee of Board of Trustees of the
National Building Museum; a member of the Trustees Council, Preservation League
of New York State.
Kenneth A. Randall, Trustee, Age: 73.
6 Whittaker's Mill, Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
A director of Dominion Resources, Inc. (electric utility holding company),
Dominion Energy, Inc. (electric power and oil & gas producer), and Prime
Retail, Inc. (real estate investment trust); formerly President and Chief
Executive Officer of The Conference Board, Inc. (international economic and
business research) and a director of Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Company,
American Motorists Insurance Company and American Manufacturers Mutual
Insurance Company.
Edward V. Regan, Trustee, Age: 70.
40 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016
Chairman of Municipal Assistance Corporation for the City of New York; Senior
Fellow of Jerome Levy Economics Institute, Bard College; a director of RBAsset
(real estate manager); a director of OffitBank; Trustee, Financial Accounting
Foundation (FASB and GASB); President, Baruch College of the City University of
New York; formerly New York State Comptroller and trustee, New York State and
Local Retirement Fund.
Russell S. Reynolds, Jr., Trustee, Age: 69.
8 Sound Shore Drive, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
Chairman of The Directorship Search Group, Inc. (corporate governance
consulting and executive recruiting); a director of Professional Staff
Limited (a U.K. temporary staffing company); a life trustee of International
House (non-profit educational organization), and a trustee of the Greenwich
Historical Society.
Clayton K. Yeutter, Trustee, Age: 70.
10475 E. Laurel Lane, Scottsdale, Arizona 85259
Of Counsel, Hogan & Hartson (a Washington, D.C. law firm). Other
directorships: Allied Zurich Pl.c; ConAgra, Inc.; FMC Corporation; Farmers
Group Inc.; Oppenheimer Funds; Texas Instruments Incorporated; Weyerhaeuser
Co. and Zurich Allied AG.
Richard H. Rubinstein, Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Age: 52 Two World
Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203 Senior Vice President (since October
1995) of the Manager; an officer and portfolio manager of another Oppenheimer
fund; formerly a Vice President of the Manager (June 1990 - October 1995).
David P. Negri, Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Age: 46. Two World Trade
Center, New York, New York 10048-0203 Senior Vice President of the Manager
(since May 1998) and of HarbourView Asset Management Corporation (since April
1999); an officer and portfolio manager of other Oppenheimer funds; formerly
Vice President of the Manager (July 1988 - May 1998)
George Evans, Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Age: 41. Two World Trade
Center, New York, New York 10048-0203 Vice President of the Manager (since
October 1993) and of HarbourView Asset Management Corporation (since July 1994);
an officer and portfolio manager of other Oppenheimer funds.
Michael S. Levine, Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Age: 35. Two World
Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203 Vice President (since June 1998) of
the Manager; an officer and portfolio manager of other Oppenheimer funds;
formerly Assistant Vice President and Portfolio Manager of the Manager (April
1996 - June 1998); prior to joining the Manager in June 1994, he was a portfolio
manager and research associate for Amas Securities, Inc. (February 1990 -
February 1994).
Andrew J. Donohue, Secretary Age: 50.
Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203
Executive Vice President (since January 1993), General Counsel (since October
1991) and a director (since September 1995) of the Manager; Executive Vice
President and General Counsel (since September 1993) and a director (since
January 1992) of OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.; Executive Vice President,
General Counsel and a director (since September 1995) of HarbourView Asset
Management Corporation, Shareholder Services, Inc., Shareholder Financial
Services, Inc. and Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings, Inc., of OFI Private
Investments, Inc. (since March 2000), and of PIMCO Trust Company (since May
2000); President and a director of Centennial Asset Management Corporation
(since September 1995) and of Oppenheimer Real Asset Management, Inc. (since
July 1996); Vice President and a director (since September 1997) of
OppenheimerFunds International Ltd. and Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc; a
director (since April 2000) of OppenheimerFunds Legacy Program; General Counsel
(since May 1996) and Secretary (since April 1997) of Oppenheimer Acquisition
Corp.; an officer of other Oppenheimer funds.
Brian W. Wixted, Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer,
Age: 41.
6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112
Senior Vice President and Treasurer (since March 1999) of the Manager; Treasurer
(since March 1999) of HarbourView Asset Management Corporation, Shareholder
Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Real Asset Management Corporation, Shareholder
Financial Services, Inc. and Oppenheimer Partnership Holdings, Inc., of OFI
Private Investments, Inc. (since March 2000) and of OppenheimerFunds
International Ltd. and Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc (since May 2000);
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (since May 2000) of PIMCO Trust Company;
Assistant Treasurer (since March 1999) of Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp. and of
Centennial Asset Management Corporation; an officer of other Oppenheimer funds;
formerly Principal and Chief Operating Officer, Bankers Trust Company - Mutual
Fund Services Division (March 1995 - March 1999); Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer of CS First Boston Investment Management Corp. (September 1991
- March 1995).
Robert G. Zack, Assistant Secretary, Age: 52.
Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048-0203
Senior Vice President (since May 1985) and Associate General Counsel (since
May 1981) of the Manager; Assistant Secretary of Shareholder Services, Inc.
(since May 1985), Shareholder Financial Services, Inc. (since November 1989);
OppenheimerFunds International Ltd. and Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc
(since October 1997); an officer of other Oppenheimer funds.
Robert J. Bishop, Assistant Treasurer, Age: 42.
6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112
Vice President of the Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting (since May 1996); an
officer of other Oppenheimer funds; formerly an Assistant Vice President of the
Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting (April 1994 - May 1996) and a Fund Controller of
the Manager.
Scott T. Farrar, Assistant Treasurer, Age: 35.
6803 South Tucson Way, Englewood, Colorado 80112
Vice President of the Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting (since May 1996); Assistant
Treasurer of Oppenheimer Millennium Funds plc (since October 1997); an officer
of other Oppenheimer Funds; formerly an Assistant Vice President of the
Manager/Mutual Fund Accounting (April 1994 - May 1996), and a Fund Controller of
the Manager.
|X| Remuneration of Trustees. The officers of the Fund and certain
Trustees of the Fund (Ms. Macaskill and prior to July 31, 1999 Mr. Spiro) who
are affiliated with the Manager receive no salary or fee from the Fund. The
remaining Trustees of the Fund received the compensation shown below. The
compensation from the Fund was paid during its fiscal period ended September 30,
2000. The compensation from all of the New York-based Oppenheimer funds
(including the Fund) was received as a director, trustee or member of a
committee of the boards of those funds during the calendar year 2000.
<PAGE>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total
Retirement Compensation
Benefits from all
Aggregate Accrued as Part New York based
Trustee's Name Compensation of Fund Oppenheimer
and Other Positions From Fund1 Expenses Funds (30 Funds)2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leon Levy $22,348 $19,016 $171,950
Chairman
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert G. Galli3 $2,028 $0 $191,134
Study Committee Member
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip A. Griffiths4 $819 $0 $59,529
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benjamin Lipstein $24,775 $21,896 $148,639
Study Committee
Chairman,
Audit Committee Member
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elizabeth B. Moynihan $3,430 $1,461 $104,695
Study Committee Member
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kenneth A. Randall $13,531 $11,738 $96,034
Audit Committee Chairman
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edward V. Regan $1,786 $0 $94,995
Proxy Committee
Chairman,
Audit Committee Member
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. $4,887 $3,551 $71,069
Proxy Committee Member
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Donald W. Spiro $950 $0 $63,435
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clayton K. Yeutter5 $1,243 $0 $71,069
Proxy Committee Member
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1Aggregate compensation includes fees, deferred compensation, if any, and
retirement plan benefits accrued for a Trustee or Director.
2For the 2000 calendar year.
3Calendar year 2000 figures include compensation from the Oppenheimer New York,
Quest and Rochester Funds. 4Includes $819 deferred under Deferred Compensation
Plan described below. 5Includes $311 deferred under Deferred Compensation Plan
described below.
|X| Retirement Plan for Trustees. The Fund has adopted a retirement plan
that provides for payments to retired Trustees. Payments are up to 80% of the
average compensation paid during a Trustee's five years of service in which the
highest compensation was received. A Trustee must serve as trustee for any of
the New York-based Oppenheimer funds for at least 15 years to be eligible for
the maximum payment. Each Trustee's retirement benefits will depend on the
amount of the Trustee's future compensation and length of service. Therefore the
amount of those benefits cannot be determined at this time, nor can we estimate
the number of years of credited service that will be used to determine those
benefits.
|X| Deferred Compensation Plan for Trustees. The Board of Trustees has
adopted a Deferred Compensation Plan for disinterested trustees that enables
them to elect to defer receipt of all or a portion of the annual fees they are
entitled to receive from the Fund. Under the plan, the compensation deferred by
a Trustee is periodically adjusted as though an equivalent amount had been
invested in shares of one or more Oppenheimer funds selected by the Trustee. The
amount paid to the Trustee under the plan will be determined based upon the
performance of the selected funds.
Deferral of Trustees' fees under the plan will not materially affect the
Fund's assets, liabilities or net income per share. The plan will not obligate
the Fund to retain the services of any Trustee or to pay any particular level of
compensation to any Trustee. Pursuant to an Order issued by the Securities and
Exchange Commission, the Fund may invest in the funds selected by the Trustee
under the plan without shareholder approval for the limited purpose of
determining the value of the Trustee's deferred fee account.
|X| Major Shareholders. As of January 5, 2001, there were no persons who
owned of record or were known by the Fund to own of record 5% or more of any
class of the Fund's outstanding shares.
The Manager. The Manager is wholly-owned by Oppenheimer Acquisition Corp., a
holding company controlled by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company.
|X| Code of Ethics. The Fund, The Manager and the Distributor have a Code
of Ethics. It is designed to detect and prevent improper personal trading by
certain employees, including portfolio managers, that would compete with or take
advantage of the Fund's portfolio transactions. Covered persons include persons
with knowledge of the investments and investment intentions of the Fund and
other funds advised by the Manager. The Code of Ethics does permit personnel
subject to the Code to invest in securities, including securities that may be
purchased or held by the Fund, subject to a number of restrictions and controls.
Compliance with the Code of Ethics is carefully monitored and enforced by the
Manager.
The Code of Ethics is an exhibit to the Fund's registration statement
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and can be reviewed and copied
at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You can obtain
information about the hours of operation of the Public Reference Room by calling
the SEC at 1.202.942.8090. The Code of Ethics can also be viewed as part of the
Fund's registration statement on the SEC's EDGAR database at the SEC's Internet
web site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies may be obtained, after paying a
duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address:
[email protected]., or by writing to the SEC's Public Reference Section,
Washington, D.C., 20549-0102.
|X| The Investment Advisory Agreement. The Manager provides investment
advisory and management services to the Fund under an investment advisory
agreement between the Manager and the Fund. The Manager selects securities for
the Fund's portfolio and handles its day-to-day business. The portfolio managers
of the Fund are employed by the Manager and are the persons who are principally
responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio. Other members
of the Manager's Equity Portfolio Team provide the portfolio managers with
counsel and support in managing the Fund's portfolio.
The agreement requires the Manager, at its expense, to provide the Fund
with adequate office space, facilities and equipment. It also requires the
Manager to provide and supervise the activities of all administrative and
clerical personnel required to provide effective administration for the Fund.
Those responsibilities include the compilation and maintenance of records with
respect to its operations, the preparation and filing of specified reports, and
composition of proxy materials and registration statements for continuous public
sale of shares of the Fund.
The Fund pays expenses not expressly assumed by the Manager under the advisory
agreement. The advisory agreement lists examples of expenses paid by the Fund.
The major categories relate to interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, fees to
certain Trustees, legal and audit expenses, custodian and transfer agent
expenses, share issuance costs, certain printing and registration costs and
non-recurring expenses, including litigation costs. The management fees paid by
the Fund to the Manager are calculated at the rates described in the Prospectus,
which are applied to the assets of the Fund as a whole. The fees are allocated
to each class of shares based upon the relative proportion of the Fund's net
assets represented by that class.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year ended 9/30: Management Fees Paid to OppenheimerFunds,
Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1998 $5,796,545
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $5,491,251
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2000 $5,313,004
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The investment advisory agreement states that in the absence of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence in the performance of its duties or
reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the investment advisory
agreement, the Manager is not liable for any loss resulting from a good faith
error or omission on its part with respect to any of its duties under the
agreement.
The agreement permits the Manager to act as investment adviser for any other
person, firm or corporation and to use the name "Oppenheimer" in connection with
other investment companies for which it may act as investment adviser or general
distributor. If the Manager shall no longer act as investment adviser to the
Fund, the Manager may withdraw the right of the Fund to use the name
"Oppenheimer" as part of its name.
Brokerage Policies of the Fund
Brokerage Provisions of the Investment Advisory Agreement. One of the duties of
the Manager under the investment advisory agreement is to arrange the portfolio
transactions for the Fund. The advisory agreement contains provisions relating
to the employment of broker-dealers to effect the Fund's portfolio transactions.
The Manager is authorized by the advisory agreement to employ broker-dealers,
including "affiliated" brokers, as that term is defined in the Investment
Company Act. The Manager may employ broker-dealers that the Manager thinks, it
its best judgment based on all relevant factors, will implement the policy of
the Fund to obtain, at reasonable expense, the "best execution" of the Fund's
portfolio transactions. "Best execution" means prompt and reliable execution at
the most favorable price obtainable. The Manager need not seek competitive
commission bidding. However, it is expected to be aware of the current rates of
eligible brokers and to minimize the commissions paid to the extent consistent
with the interests and policies of the Fund as established by its Board of
Trustees.
Under the investment advisory agreement, the Manager may select brokers
(other than affiliates) that provide brokerage and/or research services for the
Fund and/or the other accounts over which the Manager or its affiliates have
investment discretion. The concessions paid to such brokers may be higher than
another qualified broker would charge, if the Manager makes a good faith
determination that the concession is fair and reasonable in relation to the
services provided. Subject to those considerations, as a factor in selecting
brokers for the Fund's portfolio transactions, the Manager may also consider
sales of shares of the Fund and other investment companies for which the Manager
or an affiliate serves as investment adviser.
Brokerage Practices Followed by the Manager. The Manager allocates brokerage for
the Fund subject to the provisions of the investment advisory agreement and the
procedures and rules described above. Generally, the Manager's portfolio traders
allocate brokerage based upon recommendations from the Manager's portfolio
managers. In certain instances, portfolio managers may directly place trades and
allocate brokerage. In either case, the Manager's executive officers supervise
the allocation of brokerage.
Transactions in securities other than those for which an exchange is the
primary market are generally done with principals or market makers. In
transactions on foreign exchanges, the Fund may be required to pay fixed
brokerage commissions and therefore would not have the benefit of negotiated
commissions available in U.S. markets. Brokerage commissions are paid primarily
for transactions in listed securities or for certain fixed-income agency
transactions in the secondary market. Otherwise brokerage commissions are paid
only if it appears likely that a better price or execution can be obtained by
doing so. In an option transaction, the Fund ordinarily uses the same broker for
the purchase or sale of the option and any transaction in the securities to
which the option relates. Other funds advised by the Manager have investment
policies similar to those of the Fund. Those other funds may purchase or sell
the same securities as the Fund at the same time as the Fund, which could affect
the supply and price of the securities. If two or more funds advised by the
Manager purchase the same security on the same day from the same dealer, the
transactions under those combined orders are averaged as to price and allocated
in accordance with the purchase or sale orders actually placed for each account.
Most purchases of debt obligations are principal transactions at net prices.
Instead of using a broker for those transactions, the Fund normally deals
directly with the selling or purchasing principal or market maker unless the
Manager determines that a better price or execution can be obtained by using the
services of a broker. Purchases of portfolio securities from underwriters
include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter.
Purchases from dealers include a spread between the bid and asked prices. The
Fund seeks to obtain prompt execution of these orders at the most favorable net
price.
The investment advisory agreement permits the Manager to allocate
brokerage for research services. The research services provided by a particular
broker may be useful only to one or more of the advisory accounts of the Manager
and its affiliates. The investment research received for the commissions of
those other accounts may be useful both to the Fund and one or more of the
Manager's other accounts. Investment research may be supplied to the Manager by
a third party at the instance of a broker through which trades are placed.
Investment research services include information and analysis on
particular companies and industries as well as market or economic trends and
portfolio strategy, market quotations for portfolio evaluations, information
systems, computer hardware and similar products and services. If a research
service also assists the Manager in a non-research capacity (such as bookkeeping
or other administrative functions), then only the percentage or component that
provides assistance to the Manager in the investment decision-making process may
be paid in commission dollars.
The Board of Trustees permits the Manager to use stated commissions on
secondary fixed-income agency trades to obtain research if the broker represents
to the Manager that: (i) the trade is not from or for the broker's own
inventory, (ii) the trade was executed by the broker on an agency basis at the
stated commission, and (iii) the trade is not a riskless principal transaction.
The Board of Trustees permits the Manager to use concessions on fixed-price
offerings to obtain research, in the same manner as is permitted for agency
transactions.
The research services provided by brokers broadens the scope and supplements the
research activities of the Manager. That research provides additional views and
comparisons for consideration, and helps the Manager to obtain market
information for the valuation of securities that are either held in the Fund's
portfolio or are being considered for purchase. The Manager provides information
to the Board about the commissions paid to brokers furnishing such services,
together with the Manager's representation that the amount of such concessions
was reasonably related to the value or benefit of such services.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year Ended 9/30: Total Brokerage Concessions Paid by the Fund1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998 $748,323
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $374,665
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2000 $720,3402
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Amounts do not include spreads or concessions on principal transactions
on a net trade basis.
2. In the fiscal year ended 9/30/00, the amount of transactions directed to
brokers for research services was $122,602 and the amount of the concessions
paid to broker-dealers for those services was $53,735,033.
Distribution and Service Plans
The Distributor. Under its General Distributor's Agreement with the Fund, the
Distributor acts as the Fund's principal underwriter in the continuous public
offering of the Fund's classes of shares. The Distributor is not obligated to
sell a specific number of shares. Expenses normally attributable to sales are
borne by the Distributor.
The compensation paid to (or retained by) the Distributor from the sale of
shares or on the redemption of shares during the Fund's three most recent fiscal
years is shown in the table below.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aggregate Class A Concessions Concessions Concessions
Fiscal Front-End Front- on Class A on Class B on Class C
Year Sales End Sales Shares Shares Shares
Ended Charges Charges Advanced by Advanced by Advanced by
9/30: on Class A Retained by Distributor1 Distributor2 Distributor1
Shares Distributor1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998 $910,294 $288,141 $88,505 $878,710 $134,394
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1999 $407,315 $141,422 $20,257 $381,434 $50,023
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2000 $392,339 $144,549 $14,825 $348,915 $48,291
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Includes amounts retained by a broker-dealer that is an affiliate or a
parent of the distributor.
2. The Distributor advances concession payments to dealers for certain sales of
Class A shares and for sales of Class B and Class C shares from its own
resources at the time of sale.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A Contingent Class B Contingent Class C Contingent
Deferred Sales Deferred Sales Deferred Sales
Fiscal Year Charges Retained Charges Retained Charges Retained
Ended 9/30 by Distributor by Distributor by Distributor
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2000 $4,472 $151,138 $4,114
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution and Service Plans. The Fund has adopted a Service Plan for Class A
shares and Distribution and Service Plans for Class B, Class C and Class N
shares under Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act. Under those plans the
Fund pays the Distributor for all or a portion of its costs incurred in
connection with the distribution and/or servicing of the shares of the
particular class.
Under the plans, the Manager and the Distributor, may make payments to
affiliates and, in their sole discretion, from time to time, may use their own
resources (at no direct cost to the Fund) to make payments to brokers, dealers
or other financial institutions for distribution and administrative services
they perform. The Manager may use its profits from the advisory fee it receives
from the Fund. In their sole discretion, the Distributor and the Manager may
increase or decrease the amount of payments they make from their own resources
to plan recipients.
Unless a plan is terminated as described below, the plan continues in effect
from year to year but only if the Fund's Board of Trustees and its Independent
Trustees specifically vote annually to approve its continuance. Approval must be
by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on
continuing the plan. A plan may be terminated at any time by the vote of a
majority of the Independent Trustees or by the vote of the holders of a
"majority" (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the outstanding shares
of that class.
The Board of Trustees and the Independent Trustees must approve all material
amendments to a plan. An amendment to increase materially the amount of payments
to be made under a plan must be approved by shareholders of the class affected
by the amendment. Because Class B shares of the Fund automatically convert into
Class A shares after six years, the Fund must obtain the approval of both Class
A and Class B shareholders for a proposed material amendment to the Class A plan
that would materially increase payments under the plan. That approval must be by
a "majority" (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the shares of each
Class, voting separately by class.
While the Plans are in effect, the Treasurer of the Fund shall provide separate
written reports on the plans to the Board of Trustees at least quarterly for its
review. The Reports shall detail the amount of all payments made under a plan,
and the purpose for which the payments were made. The reports on the Class B
plan and Class C plan shall also include the Distributor's distribution costs
for that quarter. Those reports are subject to the review and approval of the
Independent Trustees.
Each Plan states that while it is in effect, the selection and nomination of
those Trustees of the Fund who are not "interested persons" of the Fund is
committed to the discretion of the Independent Trustees. This does not prevent
the involvement of others in the selection and nomination process as long as the
final decision as to selection or nomination is approved by a majority of the
Independent Trustees.
Under the plan for a class, no payment will be made to any recipient in any
quarter in which the aggregate net asset value of all Fund shares of that class
held by the recipient for itself and its customers does not exceed a minimum
amount, if any, that may be set from time to time by a majority of the
Independent Trustees. The Board of Trustees has set no minimum amount of assets
to qualify for payments under the plans.
|X| Class A Service Plan. Under the Class A service plan, the Distributor
currently uses the fees it receives from the Fund to pay brokers, dealers and
other financial institutions (they are referred to as "recipients") for personal
services and account maintenance services they provide for their customers who
hold Class A shares. The services include, among others, answering customer
inquiries about the Fund, assisting in establishing and maintaining accounts in
the Fund, making the Fund's investment plans available and providing other
services at the request of the Fund or the Distributor. While the plan permits
the Board to authorize payments to the Distributor to reimburse itself for
services under the plan, the Board has not yet done so. The Distributor makes
payments to plan recipients quarterly at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of
the average annual net assets consisting of Class A shares.
For the fiscal period ended September 30, 2000 payments under the Class A Plan
totaled $1,249,743 all of which was paid by the Distributor to recipients. That
included $74,786 paid to an affiliate of the Distributor's parent company. Any
unreimbursed expenses the Distributor incurs with respect to Class A shares in
any fiscal year cannot be recovered in subsequent years. The Distributor may not
use payments received the Class A Plan to pay any of its interest expenses,
carrying charges, or other financial costs, or allocation of overhead.
|X| Class B, Class C and Class N Service and Distribution Plans. Under
each plan, service fees and distribution fees are computed on the average of the
net asset value of shares in the respective class, determined as of the close of
each regular business day during the period. The Class B, Class C and Class N
plans provide for the Distributor to be compensated at a flat rate, whether the
Distributor's distribution expenses are more or less than the amounts paid by
the Fund under the plan during the period for which the fee is paid. The types
of services that recipients provide are similar to the services provided under
the Class A service plan, described above.
The Class B, Class C and the Class N Plans permit the Distributor to retain both
the asset-based sales charges and the service fees or to pay recipients the
service fee on a quarterly basis, without payment in advance. However, the
Distributor currently intends to pay the service fee to recipients in advance
for the first year after the shares are purchased. After the first year shares
are outstanding, the Distributor makes service fee payments quarterly on those
shares. The advance payment is based on the net asset value of shares sold.
Shares purchased by exchange do not qualify for the advance service fee payment.
If Class B, Class C or Class N shares are redeemed during the first year after
their purchase, the recipient of the service fees on those shares will be
obligated to repay the Distributor a pro rata portion of the advance payment of
the service fee made on those shares.
The Distributor retains the asset-based sales charge on Class B and Class N
shares. The Distributor retains the asset-based sales charge on Class C shares
during the first year the shares are outstanding. It pays the asset-based sales
charge as an ongoing commission to the recipient on Class C shares outstanding
for a year or more. If a dealer has a special agreement with the Distributor,
the Distributor will pay the Class B, Class C and/or Class N service fee and the
asset-based sales charge to the dealer quarterly in lieu of paying the sales
commissions and service fee in advance at the time of purchase.
The asset-based sales charges on Class B, Class C and Class N shares allow
investors to buy shares without a front-end sales charge while allowing the
Distributor to compensate dealers that sell those shares. The Fund pays the
asset-based sales charges to the Distributor for its services rendered in
distributing Class B, Class C and Class N shares. The payments are made to the
Distributor in recognition that the Distributor: o pays sales concessions to
authorized brokers and dealers at the time of sale and pays service fees as
described above, o may finance payment of sales concessions and/or the advance
of the service fee payment to recipients under the plans, or may provide such
financing from its own resources or from the resources of an affiliate, o
employs personnel to support distribution of Class B, Class C and Class N
shares, and o bears the costs of sales literature, advertising and prospectuses
(other than those furnished to current shareholders) and state "blue sky"
registration fees and certain other distribution expenses.
The Distributor's actual expenses in selling Class B, Class C and Class N
shares may be more than the payments it receives from the contingent deferred
sales charges collected on redeemed shares and from the Fund under the plans. If
either the Class B, Class C or Class N plan is terminated by the Fund, the Board
of Trustees may allow the Fund to continue payments of the asset-based sales
charge to the Distributor for distributing shares before the plan was
terminated.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution Fees Paid to the Distributor in the Fiscal Year Ended 9/30/00
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distributor's Distributor's
Aggregate Unreimbursed
Total Amount Unreimbursed Expenses as %
Payments Retained by Expenses of Net Assets
Class Under Plan Distributor Under Plan of Class
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class B Plan $670,083 $528,605 $2,511,958 3.76%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class C Plan $386,245 $52,369 $667,881 1.73%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All payments under the Class B, Class C and the Class N plans are subject to the
limitations imposed by the Conduct Rules of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. on payments of asset-based sales charges and service
fees.
Performance of the Fund
Explanation of Performance Terminology. The Fund uses a variety of terms to
illustrate its investment performance. Those terms include "cumulative total
return," "average annual total return," "average annual total return at net
asset value" and "total return at net asset value." An explanation of how total
returns are calculated is set forth below. The charts below show the Fund's
performance as of the Fund's most recent fiscal year end. You can obtain current
performance information by calling the Fund's Transfer Agent at 1-800-525-7048
or by visiting the OppenheimerFunds Internet web site at
http://www.oppenheimerfunds.com.
The Fund's illustrations of its performance data in advertisements must
comply with rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Those rules
describe the types of performance data that may be used and how it is to be
calculated. In general, any advertisement by the Fund of its performance data
must include the average annual total returns for the advertised class of shares
of the Fund. Those returns must be shown for the 1-, 5- and 10-year periods (or
the life of the class, if less) ending as of the most recently ended calendar
quarter prior to the publication of the advertisement (or its submission for
publication).
Use of standardized performance calculations enables an investor to
compare the Fund's performance to the performance of other funds for the same
periods. However, a number of factors should be considered before using the
Fund's performance information as a basis for comparison with other investments:
|_| Total returns measure the performance of a hypothetical account in the
Fund over various periods and do not show the performance of each shareholder's
account. Your account's performance will vary from the model performance data if
your dividends are received in cash, or you buy or sell shares during the
period, or you bought your shares at a different time and price than the shares
used in the model.
|_| An investment in the Fund is not insured by the FDIC or any other
government agency.
|_| The Fund's performance returns do not reflect the effect of taxes on
dividends and capital gains distributions.
|_| The principal value of the Fund's shares and total returns are not
guaranteed and normally will fluctuate on a daily basis.
|_| When an investor's shares are redeemed, they may be worth more or less
than their original cost.
|_| Total returns for any given past period represent historical
performance information and are not, and should not be considered, a prediction
of future returns.
The performance of each class of shares is shown separately, because the
performance of each class of shares will usually be different. That is because
of the different kinds of expenses each class bears. The total returns of each
class of shares of the Fund are affected by market conditions, the quality of
the Fund's investments, the maturity of debt investments, the types of
investments the Fund holds, and its operating expenses that are allocated to the
particular class.
|X| Total Return Information. There are different types of "total returns"
to measure the Fund's performance. Total return is the change in value of a
hypothetical investment in the Fund over a given period, assuming that all
dividends and capital gains distributions are reinvested in additional shares
and that the investment is redeemed at the end of the period. Because of
differences in expenses for each class of shares, the total returns for each
class are separately measured. The cumulative total return measures the change
in value over the entire period (for example, ten years). An average annual
total return shows the average rate of return for each year in a period that
would produce the cumulative total return over the entire period. However,
average annual total returns do not show actual year-by-year performance. The
Fund uses standardized calculations for its total returns as prescribed by the
SEC. The methodology is discussed below.
In calculating total returns for Class A shares, the current maximum sales
charge of 5.75% (as a percentage of the offering price) is deducted from the
initial investment ("P") (unless the return is shown without sales charge, as
described below). For Class B shares, payment of the applicable contingent
deferred sales charge is applied, depending on the period for which the return
is shown: 5.0% in the first year, 4.0% in the second year, 3.0% in the third and
fourth years, 2.0% in the fifth year, 1.0% in the sixth year and none
thereafter. For Class C shares, the 1% contingent deferred sales charge is
deducted for returns for the 1-year period.
|_| Average Annual Total Return. The "average annual total return"
of each class is an average annual compounded rate of return for each year in a
specified number of years. It is the rate of return based on the change in value
of a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 ("P" in the formula below) held
for a number of years ("n" in the formula) to achieve an Ending Redeemable Value
("ERV" in the formula) of that investment, according to the following formula:
1/n
(ERV)
(---) -1 = Average Annual Total Return
( P )
|_| Cumulative Total Return. The "cumulative total return" calculation
measures the change in value of a hypothetical investment of $1,000 over an
entire period of years. Its calculation uses some of the same factors as average
annual total return, but it does not average the rate of return on an annual
basis. Cumulative total return is determined as follows:
ERV - P
------- = Total Return
P
|_| Total Returns at Net Asset Value. From time to time the Fund may also
quote a cumulative or an average annual total return "at net asset value"
(without deducting sales charges) for Class A, Class B, Class C or Class N
shares. Each is based on the difference in net asset value per share at the
beginning and the end of the period for a hypothetical investment in that class
of shares (without considering front-end or contingent deferred sales charges)
and takes into consideration the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains
distributions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fund's Total Returns for the Periods Ended 9/30/004
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cumulative Total Average Annual Total Returns
Returns (10 years
Class or Life of Class)
of
Shares
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5-Year 10-Year
1-Year (or (or
life-of-class) life-of-class)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After Without After Without After Without After Without
Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales Sales
Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge Charge
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A 193.99%(1)211.93%(1) 6.80% 13.31% 11.04% 12.36% 11.39%(1)12.05%(1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class B 74.45%(2) 75.45%(2) 7.30% 12.30% 11.11% 11.37% 11.56%(2)11.69%(2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class C 104.24%(3)104.24%(3)11.35% 12.35% 11.42% 11.42% 11.02%(3)11.02%(3)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Inception of Class A: 4/24/87
2. Inception of Class B: 8/29/95
3. Inception of Class C: 12/1/93
4. Class N shares were not offered during the Fund's fiscal year ended 9/30/00.
Therefore, this Statement of Additional Information does not contain any
performance information for that class.
Other Performance Comparisons. The Fund compares its performance annually to
that of an appropriate broadly-based market index in its Annual Report to
shareholders. You can obtain that information by contacting the Transfer Agent
at the addresses or telephone numbers shown on the cover of this Statement of
Additional Information. The Fund may also compare its performance to that of
other investments, including other mutual funds, or use rankings of its
performance by independent ranking entities. Examples of these performance
comparisons are set forth below.
|X| Lipper Rankings. From time to time the Fund may publish the ranking of
the performance of its classes of shares by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc.
Lipper is a widely-recognized independent mutual fund monitoring service. Lipper
monitors the performance of regulated investment companies, including the Fund,
and ranks their performance for various periods based in categories based on
investment styles. Lipper currently ranks the Fund's performance against all
other balanced funds. The Lipper performance rankings are based on total returns
that include the reinvestment of capital gain distributions and income dividends
but do not take sales charges or taxes into consideration. Lipper also publishes
"peer-group" indices of the performance of all mutual funds in a category that
it monitors and averages of the performance of the funds in particular
categories.
|X| Morningstar Rankings. From time to time the Fund may publish the star
ranking of the performance of its classes of shares by Morningstar, Inc., an
independent mutual fund monitoring service. Morningstar ranks mutual funds in
broad investment categories: domestic stock funds, international stock funds,
taxable bond funds and municipal bond funds. The Fund is ranked among domestic
stock funds.
Morningstar star rankings are based on risk-adjusted total investment
return. Investment return measures a fund's (or class's) one-, three-, five- and
ten-year average annual total returns (depending on the inception of the fund or
class) in excess of 90-day U.S. Treasury bill returns after considering the
fund's sales charges and expenses. Risk measures a fund's (or class's)
performance below 90-day U.S. Treasury bill returns. Risk and investment return
are combined to produce star rankings reflecting performance relative to the
average fund in a fund's category. Five stars is the "highest" ranking (top 10%
of funds in a category), four stars is "above average" (next 22.5%), three stars
is "average" (next 35%), two stars is "below average" (next 22.5%) and one star
is "lowest" (bottom 10%). The current star ranking is the fund's (or class's)
3-year ranking or its combined 3- and 5-year ranking (weighted 60%/40%
respectively), or its combined 3-, 5-, and 10-year ranking (weighted 40%, 30%
and 30%, respectively), depending on the inception date of the fund (or class).
Rankings are subject to change monthly.
The Fund may also compare its performance to that of other funds in its
Morningstar category. In addition to its star rankings, Morningstar also
categorizes and compares a fund's 3-year performance based on Morningstar's
classification of the fund's investments and investment style, rather than how a
fund defines its investment objective. Morningstar's four broad categories
(domestic equity, international equity, municipal bond and taxable bond) are
each further subdivided into categories based on types of investments and
investment styles. Those comparisons by Morningstar are based on the same risk
and return measurements as its star rankings but do not consider the effect of
sales charges..
|X| Performance Rankings and Comparisons by Other Entities and
Publications. From time to time the Fund may include in its advertisements and
sales literature performance information about the Fund cited in newspapers and
other periodicals such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Barron's,
or similar publications. That information may include performance quotations
from other sources, including Lipper and Morningstar. The performance of the
Fund's classes of shares may be compared in publications to the performance of
various market indices or other investments, and averages, performance rankings
or other benchmarks prepared by recognized mutual fund statistical services.
Investors may also wish to compare the returns on the Fund's share classes
to the return on fixed-income investments available from banks and thrift
institutions. Those include certificates of deposit, ordinary interest-paying
checking and savings accounts, and other forms of fixed or variable time
deposits, and various other instruments such as Treasury bills. However, the
Fund's returns and share price are not guaranteed or insured by the FDIC or any
other agency and will fluctuate daily, while bank depository obligations may be
insured by the FDIC and may provide fixed rates of return. Repayment of
principal and payment of interest on Treasury securities is backed by the full
faith and credit of the U.S. government.
From time to time, the Fund may publish rankings or ratings of the Manager
or Transfer Agent, and of the investor services provided by them to shareholders
of the Oppenheimer funds, other than performance rankings of the Oppenheimer
funds themselves. Those ratings or rankings of shareholder and investor services
by third parties may include comparisons of their services to those provided by
other mutual fund families selected by the rating or ranking services. They may
be based upon the opinions of the rating or ranking service itself, using its
research or judgment, or based upon surveys of investors, brokers, shareholders
or others.
ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT
How to Buy Shares
Additional information is presented below about the methods that can be
used to buy shares of the Fund. Appendix C contains more information about the
special sales charge arrangements offered by the Fund, and the circumstances in
which sales charges may be reduced or waived for certain classes of investors.
AccountLink. When shares are purchased through AccountLink, each purchase must
be at least $25. Shares will be purchased on the regular business day the
Distributor is instructed to initiate the Automated Clearing House ("ACH")
transfer to buy the shares. Dividends will begin to accrue on shares purchased
with the proceeds of ACH transfers on the business day the Fund received Federal
Funds for the purchase through the ACH system before the close of the New York
Stock Exchange. The Exchange normally closes at 4:00 P.M., but may close earlier
on certain days. The proceeds of ACH transfers are normally received by the Fund
3 days after the transfers are initiated. If the proceeds of the ACH transfer
are not received on a timely basis, the Distributor reserves the right to cancel
the purchase order. The Distributor and the Fund are not responsible for any
delays in purchasing shares resulting from delays in ACH transmissions.
Reduced Sales Charges. As discussed in the Prospectus, a reduced sales charge
rate may be obtained for Class A shares under Right of Accumulation and Letters
of Intent because of the economies of sales efforts and reduction in expenses
realized by the Distributor, dealers and brokers making such sales. No sales
charge is imposed in certain other circumstances described in Appendix C to this
Statement of Additional Information because the Distributor or dealer or broker
incurs little or no selling expenses.
|X| Right of Accumulation. To qualify for the lower sales charge rates
that apply to larger purchases of Class A shares, you and your spouse can add
together:
|_|Class A and Class B shares you purchase for your individual
accounts, or for your joint accounts, or for trust or custodial
accounts on behalf of your children who are minors, and
|_|current purchases of Class A and Class B shares of the Fund and
other Oppenheimer funds to reduce the sales charge rate that applies
to current purchases of Class A shares, and
|_|Class A and Class B shares of Oppenheimer funds you previously
purchased subject to an initial or contingent deferred sales charge
to reduce the sales charge rate for current purchases of Class A
shares, provided that you still hold your investment in one of the
Oppenheimer funds.
A fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a trust, estate or other
fiduciary account (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same
employer) that has multiple accounts. The Distributor will add the value, at
current offering price, of the shares you previously purchased and currently own
to the value of current purchases to determine the sales charge rate that
applies. The reduced sales charge will apply only to current purchases. You must
request it when you buy shares.
|X| The Oppenheimer Funds. The Oppenheimer funds are those mutual funds
for which the Distributor acts as the distributor or the sub-distributor and
currently include the following:
Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government
Oppenheimer Bond Fund Fund
Oppenheimer Main Street Growth &
Oppenheimer Capital Appreciation Fund Income Fund
Oppenheimer Main Street Opportunity
Oppenheimer Capital Income Fund Fund
Oppenheimer Capital Preservation Fund Oppenheimer Main Street Small Cap Fund
Oppenheimer California Municipal Fund Oppenheimer MidCap Fund Oppenheimer
Champion Income Fund Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund Oppenheimer
Convertible Securities Fund Oppenheimer Municipal Bond Fund Oppenheimer
Developing Markets Fund Oppenheimer New York Municipal Fund Oppenheimer
Disciplined Allocation Fund Oppenheimer New Jersey Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Pennsylvania Municipal
Oppenheimer Disciplined Value Fund Fund
Oppenheimer Discovery Fund Oppenheimer Quest Balanced Value Fund
Oppenheimer Quest Capital Value Fund,
Oppenheimer Emerging Growth Fund Inc.
Oppenheimer Quest Global Value Fund,
Oppenheimer Emerging Technologies Fund Inc.
Oppenheimer Quest Opportunity Value
Oppenheimer Enterprise Fund Fund
Oppenheimer Europe Fund Oppenheimer Quest Small Cap Value Fund
Oppenheimer Florida Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Quest Value Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer Global Fund Oppenheimer Real Asset Fund
Oppenheimer Global Growth & Income Fund Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Fund
Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals
Fund Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund
Oppenheimer Growth Fund Oppenheimer Total Return Fund, Inc.
Oppenheimer High Yield Fund Oppenheimer Trinity Core Fund
Oppenheimer Insured Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Trinity Growth Fund
Oppenheimer Intermediate Municipal Fund Oppenheimer Trinity Value Fund
Oppenheimer International Bond Fund Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust
Oppenheimer International Growth Fund Oppenheimer World Bond Fund
Oppenheimer International Small
Company Fund Limited-Term New York Municipal Fund
Oppenheimer Large Cap Growth Fund Rochester Fund Municipals
And the following money market funds:
Centennial America Fund, L. P. Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust
Centennial California Tax Exempt Trust Centennial Tax Exempt Trust
Centennial Government Trust Oppenheimer Cash Reserves
Centennial Money Market Trust Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc.
There is an initial sales charge on the purchase of Class A shares of each
of the Oppenheimer funds except the money market funds. Under certain
circumstances described in this Statement of Additional Information, redemption
proceeds of certain money market fund shares may be subject to a contingent
deferred sales charge.
Letters of Intent. Under a Letter of Intent, if you purchase Class A shares or
Class A and Class B shares of the Fund and other Oppenheimer funds during a
13-month period, you can reduce the sales charge rate that applies to your
purchases of Class A shares. The total amount of your intended purchases of both
Class A and Class B shares will determine the reduced sales charge rate for the
Class A shares purchased during that period. You can include purchases made up
to 90 days before the date of the Letter.
A Letter of Intent is an investor's statement in writing to the
Distributor of the intention to purchase Class A shares or Class A and Class B
shares of the Fund (and other Oppenheimer funds) during a 13-month period (the
"Letter of Intent period"). At the investor's request, this may include
purchases made up to 90 days prior to the date of the Letter. The Letter states
the investor's intention to make the aggregate amount of purchases of shares
which, when added to the investor's holdings of shares of those funds, will
equal or exceed the amount specified in the Letter. Purchases made by
reinvestment of dividends or distributions of capital gains and purchases made
at net asset value without sales charge do not count toward satisfying the
amount of the Letter.
A Letter enables an investor to count the Class A and Class B shares
purchased under the Letter to obtain the reduced sales charge rate on purchases
of Class A shares of the Fund (and other Oppenheimer funds) that applies under
the Right of Accumulation to current purchases of Class A shares. Each purchase
of Class A shares under the Letter will be made at the offering price (including
the sales charge) that applies to a single lump-sum purchase of shares in the
amount intended to be purchased under the Letter.
In submitting a Letter, the investor makes no commitment to purchase
shares. However, if the investor's purchases of shares within the Letter of
Intent period, when added to the value (at offering price) of the investor's
holdings of shares on the last day of that period, do not equal or exceed the
intended purchase amount, the investor agrees to pay the additional amount of
sales charge applicable to such purchases. That amount is described in "Terms of
Escrow," below (those terms may be amended by the Distributor from time to
time). The investor agrees that shares equal in value to 5% of the intended
purchase amount will be held in escrow by the Transfer Agent subject to the
Terms of Escrow. Also, the investor agrees to be bound by the terms of the
Prospectus, this Statement of Additional Information and the Application used
for a Letter of Intent. If those terms are amended, as they may be from time to
time by the Fund, the investor agrees to be bound by the amended terms and that
those amendments will apply automatically to existing Letters of Intent.
If the total eligible purchases made during the Letter of Intent period do
not equal or exceed the intended purchase amount, the commissions previously
paid to the dealer of record for the account and the amount of sales charge
retained by the Distributor will be adjusted to the rates applicable to actual
total purchases. If total eligible purchases during the Letter of Intent period
exceed the intended purchase amount and exceed the amount needed to qualify for
the next sales charge rate reduction set forth in the Prospectus, the sales
charges paid will be adjusted to the lower rate. That adjustment will be made
only if and when the dealer returns to the Distributor the excess of the amount
of commissions allowed or paid to the dealer over the amount of commissions that
apply to the actual amount of purchases. The excess commissions returned to the
Distributor will be used to purchase additional shares for the investor's
account at the net asset value per share in effect on the date of such purchase,
promptly after the Distributor's receipt thereof.
The Transfer Agent will not hold shares in escrow for purchases of shares
of the Fund and other Oppenheimer funds by OppenheimerFunds prototype 401(k)
plans under a Letter of Intent. If the intended purchase amount under a Letter
of Intent entered into by an OppenheimerFunds prototype 401(k) plan is not
purchased by the plan by the end of the Letter of Intent period, there will be
no adjustment of commissions paid to the broker-dealer or financial institution
of record for accounts held in the name of that plan.
In determining the total amount of purchases made under a Letter, shares
redeemed by the investor prior to the termination of the Letter of Intent period
will be deducted. It is the responsibility of the dealer of record and/or the
investor to advise the Distributor about the Letter in placing any purchase
orders for the investor during the Letter of Intent period. All of such
purchases must be made through the Distributor.
|X| Terms of Escrow That Apply to Letters of Intent.
1. Out of the initial purchase (or subsequent purchases if necessary) made
pursuant to a Letter, shares of the Fund equal in value up to 5% of the intended
purchase amount specified in the Letter shall be held in escrow by the Transfer
Agent. For example, if the intended purchase amount is $50,000, the escrow shall
be shares valued in the amount of $2,500 (computed at the offering price
adjusted for a $50,000 purchase). Any dividends and capital gains distributions
on the escrowed shares will be credited to the investor's account.
2. If the total minimum investment specified under the Letter is completed
within the thirteen-month Letter of Intent period, the escrowed shares will be
promptly released to the investor.
3. If, at the end of the thirteen-month Letter of Intent period the total
purchases pursuant to the Letter are less than the intended purchase amount
specified in the Letter, the investor must remit to the Distributor an amount
equal to the difference between the dollar amount of sales charges actually paid
and the amount of sales charges which would have been paid if the total amount
purchased had been made at a single time. That sales charge adjustment will
apply to any shares redeemed prior to the completion of the Letter. If the
difference in sales charges is not paid within twenty days after a request from
the Distributor or the dealer, the Distributor will, within sixty days of the
expiration of the Letter, redeem the number of escrowed shares necessary to
realize such difference in sales charges. Full and fractional shares remaining
after such redemption will be released from escrow. If a request is received to
redeem escrowed shares prior to the payment of such additional sales charge, the
sales charge will be withheld from the redemption proceeds.
4. By signing the Letter, the investor irrevocably constitutes and
appoints the Transfer Agent as attorney-in-fact to surrender for redemption any
or all escrowed shares.
5. The shares eligible for purchase under the Letter (or the holding of
which may be counted toward completion of a Letter) include:
(a) Class A shares sold with a front-end sales charge or
subject to a Class A contingent deferred sales charge,
(b) Class B shares of other Oppenheimer funds acquired subject
to a contingent deferred sales charge, and
(c)Class A or Class B shares acquired by exchange of either (1) Class
A shares of one of the other Oppenheimer funds that were acquired
subject to a Class A initial or contingent deferred sales charge or
(2) Class B shares of one of the other Oppenheimer funds that were
acquired subject to a contingent deferred sales charge.
6. Shares held in escrow hereunder will automatically be exchanged for
shares of another fund to which an exchange is requested, as described in the
section of the Prospectus entitled "How to Exchange Shares" and the escrow will
be transferred to that other fund.
Asset Builder Plans. To establish an Asset Builder Plan to buy shares directly
from a bank account, you must enclose a check (the minimum is $25) for the
initial purchase with your application. Shares purchased by Asset Builder Plan
payments from bank accounts are subject to the redemption restrictions for
recent purchases described in the Prospectus. Asset Builder Plans are available
only if your bank is an ACH member. Asset Builder Plans may not be used to buy
shares for OppenheimerFunds employer-sponsored qualified retirement accounts
offered by employers to their employees. Asset Builder Plans also enable
shareholders of Oppenheimer Cash Reserves to use their account in that fund to
make monthly automatic purchases of shares of up to four other Oppenheimer
funds.
To make automatic payments to purchase shares of the Fund, your bank
account will be debited automatically. Normally, the debit will be made two
business days prior to the investment dates you selected on your Application.
Neither the Distributor, the Transfer Agent nor the Fund shall be responsible
for any delays in purchasing shares that result from delays in ACH
transmissions.
Before you establish Asset Builder payments, you should obtain a
prospectus of the selected fund(s) from your financial advisor (or the
Distributor) and request an application from the Distributor. Complete the
application and return it. You may change the amount of your Asset Builder
payment or your can terminate these automatic investments at any time by writing
to the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent requires a reasonable period
(approximately 10 days) after receipt of your instructions to implement them.
The Fund reserves the right to amend, suspend, or discontinue offering Asset
Builder plans at any time without prior notice.
Retirement Plans. Certain types of retirement plans are entitled to purchase
shares of the Fund without sales charge or at reduced sales charge rates, as
described in Appendix C to this Statement of Additional Information. Certain
special sales charge arrangements described in that Appendix apply to retirement
plans whose records are maintained on a daily valuation basis by Merrill Lynch
Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc. or an independent record keeper that has a contract
or special arrangement with Merrill Lynch. If on the date the plan sponsor
signed the Merrill Lynch record keeping service agreement the plan has less than
$3 million in assets (other than assets invested in money market funds) invested
in applicable investments, then the retirement plan may purchase only Class B
shares of the Oppenheimer funds. Any retirement plans in that category that
currently invest in Class B shares of the Fund will have their Class B shares
converted to Class A shares of the Fund when the plan's applicable investments
reach $5 million.
Cancellation of Purchase Orders. Cancellation of purchase orders for the Fund's
shares (for example, when a purchase check is returned to the Fund unpaid)
causes a loss to be incurred when the net asset value of the Fund's shares on
the cancellation date is less than on the purchase date. That loss is equal to
the amount of the decline in the net asset value per share multiplied by the
number of shares in the purchase order. The investor is responsible for that
loss. If the investor fails to compensate the Fund for the loss, the Distributor
will do so. The Fund may reimburse the Distributor for that amount by redeeming
shares from any account registered in that investor's name, or the Fund or the
Distributor may seek other redress.
Classes of Shares. Each class of shares of the Fund represents an interest in
the same portfolio of investments of the Fund. However, each class has different
shareholder privileges and features. The net income attributable to Class B,
Class C or Class N shares and the dividends payable on Class B, Class C or Class
N shares will be reduced by incremental expenses borne solely by that class.
Those expenses include the asset-based sales charges to which Class B and Class
C are subject.
The availability of different classes of shares permits an investor to
choose the method of purchasing shares that is more appropriate for the
investor. That may depend on the amount of the purchase, the length of time the
investor expects to hold shares, and other relevant circumstances. Class A
shares normally are sold subject to an initial sales charge. While Class B,
Class C and Class N shares have no initial sales charge, the purpose of the
deferred sales charge and asset-based sales charge on Class B, Class C and Class
N shares is the same as that of the initial sales charge on Class A shares - to
compensate the Distributor and brokers, dealers and financial institutions that
sell shares of the Fund. A salesperson who is entitled to receive compensation
from his or her firm for selling Fund shares may receive different levels of
compensation for selling one class of shares than another.
The Distributor will not accept any order in the amount of $500,000 or
more for Class B shares or $1 million or more for Class C shares on behalf of a
single investor (not including dealer "street name" or omnibus accounts). That
is because generally it will be more advantageous for that investor to purchase
Class A shares of the Fund.
|X| Class B Conversion. Under current interpretations of applicable
federal income tax law by the Internal Revenue Service, the conversion of Class
B shares to Class A shares after six years is not treated as a taxable event for
the shareholder. If those laws or the IRS interpretation of those laws should
change, the automatic conversion feature may be suspended. In that event, no
further conversions of Class B shares would occur while that suspension remained
in effect. Although Class B shares could then be exchanged for Class A shares on
the basis of relative net asset value of the two classes, without the imposition
of a sales charge or fee, such exchange could constitute a taxable event for the
shareholder, and absent such exchange, Class B shares might continue to be
subject to the asset-based sales charge for longer than six years.
|X| Allocation of Expenses. The Fund pays expenses related to its daily
operations, such as custodian fees, Trustees' fees, transfer agency fees, legal
fees and auditing costs. Those expenses are paid out of the Fund's assets and
are not paid directly by shareholders. However, those expenses reduce the net
asset value of shares, and therefore are indirectly borne by shareholders
through their investment.
The methodology for calculating the net asset value, dividends and
distributions of the Fund's share classes recognizes two types of expenses.
General expenses that do not pertain specifically to any one class are allocated
pro rata to the shares of all classes. The allocation is based on the percentage
of the Fund's total assets that is represented by the assets of each class, and
then equally to each outstanding share within a given class. Such general
expenses include management fees, legal, bookkeeping and audit fees, printing
and mailing costs of shareholder reports, Prospectuses, Statements of Additional
Information and other materials for current shareholders, fees to unaffiliated
Trustees, custodian expenses, share issuance costs, organization and start-up
costs, interest, taxes and brokerage commissions, and non-recurring expenses,
such as litigation costs.
Other expenses that are directly attributable to a particular class are
allocated equally to each outstanding share within that class. Examples of such
expenses include distribution and service plan (12b-1) fees, transfer and
shareholder servicing agent fees and expenses, and shareholder meeting expenses
(to the extent that such expenses pertain only to a specific class).
Determination of Net Asset Values Per Share. The net asset values per share of
each class of shares of the Fund are determined as of the close of business of
The New York Stock Exchange on each day that the Exchange is open. The
calculation is done by dividing the value of the Fund's net assets attributable
to a class by the number of shares of that class that are outstanding. The
Exchange normally closes at 4:00 P.M., New York time, but may close earlier on
some other days (for example, in case of weather emergencies or on days falling
before a holiday). The Exchange's most recent annual announcement (which is
subject to change) states that it will close on New Year's Day, Presidents' Day,
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor
Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. It may also close on other days.
Dealers other than Exchange members may conduct trading in certain
securities on days on which the Exchange is closed (including weekends and U.S.
holidays) or after 4:00 P.M. on a regular business day. The Fund's net asset
values will not be calculated on those days, and the values of some of the
Fund's portfolio securities may change significantly on those days when
shareholders may not purchase or redeem shares. Additionally, trading on
European and Asian stock exchanges and over-the-counter markets normally is
completed before the close of The New York Stock Exchange.
Changes in the values of securities traded on foreign exchanges or markets
as a result of events that occur after the prices of those securities are
determined, but before the close of The New York Stock Exchange, will not be
reflected in the Fund's calculation of its net asset values that day unless the
Board of Trustees determines that the event is likely to effect a material
change in the value of the security. The Manager may make that determination,
under procedures established by the Board.
|X| Securities Valuation. The Fund's Board of Trustees has established
procedures for the valuation of the Fund's securities. In general those
procedures are as follows:
|_| Equity securities traded on a U.S. securities exchange or on NASDAQ
are valued as follows:
(1) if last sale information is regularly reported, they are valued at
the last reported sale price on the principal exchange on which
they are traded or on NASDAQ, as applicable, on that day, or
(2) if last sale information is not available on a valuation date, they
are valued at the last reported sale price preceding the valuation
date if it is within the spread of the closing "bid" and "asked"
prices on the valuation date or, if not, at the closing "bid" price
on the valuation date.
|_| Equity securities traded on a foreign securities exchange generally
are valued in one of the following ways: (1) at the last sale price available to
the pricing service approved by the
Board of Trustees, or
(2) at the last sale price obtained by the Manager from the report of
the principal exchange on which the security is traded at its last
trading session on or immediately before the valuation date, or
(3) at the mean between the "bid" and "asked" prices obtained from the
principal exchange on which the security is traded or, on the basis
of reasonable inquiry, from two market makers in the security.
|_| Long-term debt securities having a remaining maturity in excess of 60
days are valued based on the mean between the "bid" and "asked" prices
determined by a portfolio pricing service approved by the Fund's Board of
Trustees or obtained by the Manager from two active market makers in the
security on the basis of reasonable inquiry.
|_| The following securities are valued at the mean between the "bid" and
"asked" prices determined by a pricing service approved by the Fund's Board of
Trustees or obtained by the Manager from two active market makers in the
security on the basis of reasonable inquiry:
(1)debt instruments that have a maturity of more than 397 days when
issued,
(2)debt instruments that had a maturity of 397 days or less when issued
and have a remaining maturity of more than 60 days, and
(3)non-money market debt instruments that had a maturity of 397 days or
less when issued and which have a remaining maturity of 60 days or
less.
|_| The following securities are valued at cost, adjusted for amortization
of premiums and accretion of discounts: (1) money market debt securities held by
a non-money market fund that had a
maturity of less than 397 days when issued that have a remaining
maturity of 60 days or less, and
(2) debt instruments held by a money market fund that have a remaining
maturity of 397 days or less.
|_| Securities (including restricted securities) not having
readily-available market quotations are valued at fair value determined under
the Board's procedures. If the Manager is unable to locate two market makers
willing to give quotes, a security may be priced at the mean between the "bid"
and "asked" prices provided by a single active market maker (which in certain
cases may be the "bid" price if no "asked" price is available).
In the case of U.S. government securities, mortgage-backed securities,
corporate bonds and foreign government securities, when last sale information is
not generally available, the Manager may use pricing services approved by the
Board of Trustees. The pricing service may use "matrix" comparisons to the
prices for comparable instruments on the basis of quality, yield, and maturity.
Other special factors may be involved (such as the tax-exempt status of the
interest paid by municipal securities). The Manager will monitor the accuracy of
the pricing services. That monitoring may include comparing prices used for
portfolio valuation to actual sales prices of selected securities.
The closing prices in the London foreign exchange market on a particular
business day that are provided to the Manager by a bank, dealer or pricing
service that the Manager has determined to be reliable are used to value foreign
currency, including forward contracts, and to convert to U.S. dollars securities
that are denominated in foreign currency.
Puts, calls, and futures are valued at the last sale price on the
principal exchange on which they are traded or on NASDAQ, as applicable, as
determined by a pricing service approved by the Board of Trustees or by the
Manager. If there were no sales that day, they shall be valued at the last sale
price on the preceding trading day if it is within the spread of the closing
"bid" and "asked" prices on the principal exchange or on NASDAQ on the valuation
date. If not, the value shall be the closing bid price on the principal exchange
or on NASDAQ on the valuation date. If the put, call or future is not traded on
an exchange or on NASDAQ, it shall be valued by the mean between "bid" and
"asked" prices obtained by the Manager from two active market makers. In certain
cases that may be at the "bid" price if no "asked" price is available.
When the Fund writes an option, an amount equal to the premium received is
included in the Fund's Statement of Assets and Liabilities as an asset. An
equivalent credit is included in the liability section. The credit is adjusted
("marked-to-market") to reflect the current market value of the option. In
determining the Fund's gain on investments, if a call or put written by the Fund
is exercised, the proceeds are increased by the premium received. If a call or
put written by the Fund expires, the Fund has a gain in the amount of the
premium. If the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will have a
gain or loss, depending on whether the premium received was more or less than
the cost of the closing transaction. If the Fund exercises a put it holds, the
amount the Fund receives on its sale of the underlying investment is reduced by
the amount of premium paid by the Fund.
How to Sell Shares
Information on how to sell shares of the Fund is stated in the Prospectus.
The information below provides additional information about the procedures and
conditions for redeeming shares.
Reinvestment Privilege. Within six months of a redemption, a shareholder may
reinvest all or part of the redemption proceeds of:
|_|Class A shares purchased subject to an initial sales charge or Class A
shares on which a contingent deferred sales charge was paid, or
|_|Class B shares that were subject to the Class B contingent deferred
sales charge when redeemed.
The reinvestment may be made without sales charge only in Class A shares
of the Fund or any of the other Oppenheimer funds into which shares of the Fund
are exchangeable as described in "How to Exchange Shares" below. Reinvestment
will be at the net asset value next computed after the Transfer Agent receives
the reinvestment order. The shareholder must ask the Transfer Agent for that
privilege at the time of reinvestment. This privilege does not apply to Class C
shares. The Fund may amend, suspend or cease offering this reinvestment
privilege at any time as to shares redeemed after the date of such amendment,
suspension or cessation.
Any capital gain that was realized when the shares were redeemed is
taxable, and reinvestment will not alter any capital gains tax payable on that
gain. If there has been a capital loss on the redemption, some or all of the
loss may not be tax deductible, depending on the timing and amount of the
reinvestment. Under the Internal Revenue Code, if the redemption proceeds of
Fund shares on which a sales charge was paid are reinvested in shares of the
Fund or another of the Oppenheimer funds within 90 days of payment of the sales
charge, the shareholder's basis in the shares of the Fund that were redeemed may
not include the amount of the sales charge paid. That would reduce the loss or
increase the gain recognized from the redemption. However, in that case the
sales charge would be added to the basis of the shares acquired by the
reinvestment of the redemption proceeds.
Payments "In Kind". The Prospectus states that payment for shares tendered for
redemption is ordinarily made in cash. However, the Board of Trustees of the
Fund may determine that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the
remaining shareholders of the Fund to make payment of a redemption order wholly
or partly in cash. In that case, the Fund may pay the redemption proceeds in
whole or in part by a distribution "in kind" of liquid securities from the
portfolio of the Fund, in lieu of cash.
The Fund has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the Investment
Company Act. Under that rule, the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in
cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets of the Fund during any
90-day period for any one shareholder. If shares are redeemed in kind, the
redeeming shareholder might incur brokerage or other costs in selling the
securities for cash. The Fund will value securities used to pay redemptions in
kind using the same method the Fund uses to value its portfolio securities
described above under "Determination of Net Asset Values Per Share." That
valuation will be made as of the time the redemption price is determined.
Involuntary Redemptions. The Fund's Board of Trustees has the right to cause the
involuntary redemption of the shares held in any account if the aggregate net
asset value of those shares is less than $500 or such lesser amount as the Board
may fix. The Board will not cause the involuntary redemption of shares in an
account if the aggregate net asset value of such shares has fallen below the
stated minimum solely as a result of market fluctuations. If the Board exercises
this right, it may also fix the requirements for any notice to be given to the
shareholders in question (not less than 30 days). The Board may alternatively
set requirements for the shareholder to increase the investment, or set other
terms and conditions so that the shares would not be involuntarily redeemed.
Transfers of Shares. A transfer of shares to a different registration is not an
event that triggers the payment of sales charges. Therefore, shares are not
subject to the payment of a contingent deferred sales charge of any class at the
time of transfer to the name of another person or entity. It does not matter
whether the transfer occurs by absolute assignment, gift or bequest, as long as
it does not involve, directly or indirectly, a public sale of the shares. When
shares subject to a contingent deferred sales charge are transferred, the
transferred shares will remain subject to the contingent deferred sales charge.
It will be calculated as if the transferee shareholder had acquired the
transferred shares in the same manner and at the same time as the transferring
shareholder.
If less than all shares held in an account are transferred, and some but
not all shares in the account would be subject to a contingent deferred sales
charge if redeemed at the time of transfer, the priorities described in the
Prospectus under "How to Buy Shares" for the imposition of the Class B, Class C
or Class N contingent deferred sales charge will be followed in determining the
order in which shares are transferred.
Distributions From Retirement Plans. Requests for distributions from
OppenheimerFunds-sponsored IRAs, 403(b)(7) custodial plans, 401(k) plans or
pension or profit-sharing plans should be addressed to "Trustee,
OppenheimerFunds Retirement Plans," c/o the Transfer Agent at its address listed
in "How To Sell Shares" in the Prospectus or on the back cover of this Statement
of Additional Information. The request must:
(1) state the reason for the distribution;
(2) state the owner's awareness of tax penalties if the distribution is
premature; and
(3) conform to the requirements of the plan and the Fund's other
redemption requirements.
Participants (other than self-employed
persons) in OppenheimerFunds-sponsored pension or profit-sharing plans with
shares of the Fund held in the name of the plan or its fiduciary may not
directly request redemption of their accounts. The plan administrator or
fiduciary must sign the request.
Distributions from pension and profit sharing plans are subject to special
requirements under the Internal Revenue Code and certain documents (available
from the Transfer Agent) must be completed and submitted to the Transfer Agent
before the distribution may be made. Distributions from retirement plans are
subject to withholding requirements under the Internal Revenue Code, and IRS
Form W-4P (available from the Transfer Agent) must be submitted to the Transfer
Agent with the distribution request, or the distribution may be delayed. Unless
the shareholder has provided the Transfer Agent with a certified tax
identification number, the Internal Revenue Code requires that tax be withheld
from any distribution even if the shareholder elects not to have tax withheld.
The Fund, the Manager, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent assume no
responsibility to determine whether a distribution satisfies the conditions of
applicable tax laws and will not be responsible for any tax penalties assessed
in connection with a distribution.
Special Arrangements for Repurchase of Shares from Dealers and Brokers. The
Distributor is the Fund's agent to repurchase its shares from authorized dealers
or brokers on behalf of their customers. Shareholders should contact their
broker or dealer to arrange this type of redemption. The repurchase price per
share will be the net asset value next computed after the Distributor receives
an order placed by the dealer or broker. However, if the Distributor receives a
repurchase order from a dealer or broker after the close of The New York Stock
Exchange on a regular business day, it will be processed at that day's net asset
value if the order was received by the dealer or broker from its customers prior
to the time the Exchange closes. Normally, the Exchange closes at 4:00 P.M., but
may do so earlier on some days. Additionally, the order must have been
transmitted to and received by the Distributor prior to its close of business
that day (normally 5:00 P.M.).
Ordinarily, for accounts redeemed by a broker-dealer under this procedure,
payment will be made within three business days after the shares have been
redeemed upon the Distributor's receipt of the required redemption documents in
proper form. The signature(s) of the registered owners on the redemption
documents must be guaranteed as described in the Prospectus.
Automatic Withdrawal and Exchange Plans. Investors owning shares of the Fund
valued at $5,000 or more can authorize the Transfer Agent to redeem shares
(having a value of at least $50) automatically on a monthly, quarterly,
semi-annual or annual basis under an Automatic Withdrawal Plan. Shares will be
redeemed three business days prior to the date requested by the shareholder for
receipt of the payment. Automatic withdrawals of up to $1,500 per month may be
requested by telephone if payments are to be made by check payable to all
shareholders of record. Payments must also be sent to the address of record for
the account and the address must not have been changed within the prior 30 days.
Required minimum distributions from OppenheimerFunds-sponsored retirement plans
may not be arranged on this basis.
Payments are normally made by check, but shareholders having AccountLink
privileges (see "How To Buy Shares") may arrange to have Automatic Withdrawal
Plan payments transferred to the bank account designated on the Account
Application or by signature-guaranteed instructions sent to the Transfer Agent.
Shares are normally redeemed pursuant to an Automatic Withdrawal Plan three
business days before the payment transmittal date you select in the Account
Application. If a contingent deferred sales charge applies to the redemption,
the amount of the check or payment will be reduced accordingly.
The Fund cannot guarantee receipt of a payment on the date requested. The
Fund reserves the right to amend, suspend or discontinue offering these plans at
any time without prior notice. Because of the sales charge assessed on Class A
share purchases, shareholders should not make regular additional Class A share
purchases while participating in an Automatic Withdrawal Plan. Class B and Class
C shareholders should not establish withdrawal plans, because of the imposition
of the contingent deferred sales charge on such withdrawals (except where the
contingent deferred sales charge is waived as described in Appendix C below).
By requesting an Automatic Withdrawal or Exchange Plan, the shareholder
agrees to the terms and conditions that apply to such plans, as stated below.
These provisions may be amended from time to time by the Fund and/or the
Distributor. When adopted, any amendments will automatically apply to existing
Plans.
|X| Automatic Exchange Plans. Shareholders can authorize the Transfer
Agent to exchange a pre-determined amount of shares of the Fund for shares (of
the same class) of other Oppenheimer funds automatically on a monthly,
quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis under an Automatic Exchange Plan. The
minimum amount that may be exchanged to each other fund account is $25.
Instructions should be provided on the OppenheimerFunds Application or
signature-guaranteed instructions. Exchanges made under these plans are subject
to the restrictions that apply to exchanges as set forth in "How to Exchange
Shares" in the Prospectus and below in this Statement of Additional Information.
|X| Automatic Withdrawal Plans. Fund shares will be redeemed as necessary
to meet withdrawal payments. Shares acquired without a sales charge will be
redeemed first. Shares acquired with reinvested dividends and capital gains
distributions will be redeemed next, followed by shares acquired with a sales
charge, to the extent necessary to make withdrawal payments. Depending upon the
amount withdrawn, the investor's principal may be depleted. Payments made under
these plans should not be considered as a yield or income on your investment.
The Transfer Agent will administer the investor's Automatic Withdrawal
Plan as agent for the shareholder(s) (the "Planholder") who executed the Plan
authorization and application submitted to the Transfer Agent. Neither the Fund
nor the Transfer Agent shall incur any liability to the Planholder for any
action taken or not taken by the Transfer Agent in good faith to administer the
Plan. Share certificates will not be issued for shares of the Fund purchased for
and held under the Plan, but the Transfer Agent will credit all such shares to
the account of the Planholder on the records of the Fund. Any share certificates
held by a Planholder may be surrendered unendorsed to the Transfer Agent with
the Plan application so that the shares represented by the certificate may be
held under the Plan.
For accounts subject to Automatic Withdrawal Plans, distributions of
capital gains must be reinvested in shares of the Fund, which will be done at
net asset value without a sales charge. Dividends on shares held in the account
may be paid in cash or reinvested.
Shares will be redeemed to make withdrawal payments at the net asset value
per share determined on the redemption date. Checks or AccountLink payments
representing the proceeds of Plan withdrawals will normally be transmitted three
business days prior to the date selected for receipt of the payment, according
to the choice specified in writing by the Planholder. Receipt of payment on the
date selected cannot be guaranteed.
The amount and the interval of disbursement payments and the address to
which checks are to be mailed or AccountLink payments are to be sent may be
changed at any time by the Planholder by writing to the Transfer Agent. The
Planholder should allow at least two weeks' time after mailing such notification
for the requested change to be put in effect. The Planholder may, at any time,
instruct the Transfer Agent by written notice to redeem all, or any part of, the
shares held under the Plan. That notice must be in proper form in accordance
with the requirements of the then-current Prospectus of the Fund. In that case,
the Transfer Agent will redeem the number of shares requested at the net asset
value per share in effect and will mail a check for the proceeds to the
Planholder.
The Planholder may terminate a Plan at any time by writing to the Transfer
Agent. The Fund may also give directions to the Transfer Agent to terminate a
Plan. The Transfer Agent will also terminate a Plan upon its receipt of evidence
satisfactory to it that the Planholder has died or is legally incapacitated.
Upon termination of a Plan by the Transfer Agent or the Fund, shares that have
not been redeemed will be held in uncertificated form in the name of the
Planholder. The account will continue as a dividend-reinvestment, uncertificated
account unless and until proper instructions are received from the Planholder,
his or her executor or guardian, or another authorized person.
To use shares held under the Plan as collateral for a debt, the Planholder
may request issuance of a portion of the shares in certificated form. Upon
written request from the Planholder, the Transfer Agent will determine the
number of shares for which a certificate may be issued without causing the
withdrawal checks to stop. However, should such uncertificated shares become
exhausted, Plan withdrawals will terminate.
If the Transfer Agent ceases to act as transfer agent for the Fund, the
Planholder will be deemed to have appointed any successor transfer agent to act
as agent in administering the Plan.
How to Exchange Shares
As stated in the Prospectus, shares of a particular class of Oppenheimer
funds having more than one class of shares may be exchanged only for shares of
the same class of other Oppenheimer funds. Shares of Oppenheimer funds that have
a single class without a class designation are deemed "Class A" shares for this
purpose. You can obtain a current list showing which funds offer which classes
by calling the Distributor at 1.800.525.7048.
o All of the Oppenheimer funds currently offer Class A, B and C shares
except Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc., Centennial Money Market
Trust, Centennial Tax Exempt Trust, Centennial Government Trust,
Centennial New York Tax Exempt Trust, Centennial California Tax Exempt
Trust, and Centennial America Fund, L.P., which only offer Class A
shares.
o Oppenheimer Main Street California Municipal Fund currently offers
only Class A and Class B shares. o Class B and Class C shares of
Oppenheimer Cash Reserves are generally available only by exchange from
the same class of shares of other Oppenheimer funds or through
OppenheimerFunds-sponsored 401 (k) plans.
o Only certain Oppenheimer funds currently offer Class Y shares. Class Y
shares of Oppenheimer Real Asset Fund may not be exchanged for shares
of any other fund.
o Class M shares of Oppenheimer Convertible Securities Fund may be
exchanged only for Class A shares of other Oppenheimer funds. They may
not be acquired by exchange of shares of any class of any other
Oppenheimer funds except Class A shares of Oppenheimer Money Market
Fund or Oppenheimer Cash Reserves acquired by exchange of Class M
shares.
o Class A shares of Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Fund are not
available by exchange of shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund or
Class A shares of Oppenheimer Cash Reserves. If any Class A shares of
another Oppenheimer fund that are exchanged for Class A shares of
Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Fund are subject to the Class A
contingent deferred sales charge of the other Oppenheimer fund at the
time of exchange, the holding period for that Class A contingent
deferred sales charge will carry over to the Class A shares of
Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Fund acquired in the exchange. The
Class A shares of Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Fund acquired in
that exchange will be subject to the Class A Early Withdrawal Charge of
Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Fund if they are repurchased before
the expiration of the holding period.
o Class X shares of Limited Term New York Municipal Fund can be exchanged
only for Class B shares of other Oppenheimer funds and no exchanges may
be made to Class X shares.
o Shares of Oppenheimer Capital Preservation Fund may not be exchanged
for shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc., Oppenheimer Cash
Reserves or Oppenheimer Limited-Term Government Fund. Only participants
in certain retirement plans may purchase shares of Oppenheimer Capital
Preservation Fund, and only those participants may exchange shares of
other Oppenheimer funds for shares of Oppenheimer Capital Preservation
Fund.
Class A shares of Oppenheimer funds may be exchanged at net asset value
for shares of any money market fund offered by the Distributor. Shares of any
money market fund purchased without a sales charge may be exchanged for shares
of Oppenheimer funds offered with a sales charge upon payment of the sales
charge. They may also be used to purchase shares of Oppenheimer funds subject to
a contingent deferred sales charge.
Shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc. purchased with the
redemption proceeds of shares of other mutual funds (other than funds managed by
the Manager or its subsidiaries) redeemed within the 30 days prior to that
purchase may subsequently be exchanged for shares of other Oppenheimer funds
without being subject to an initial or contingent deferred sales charge. To
qualify for that privilege, the investor or the investor's dealer must notify
the Distributor of eligibility for this privilege at the time the shares of
Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc. are purchased. If requested, they must
supply proof of entitlement to this privilege.
Shares of the Fund acquired by reinvestment of dividends or distributions
from any of the other Oppenheimer funds or from any unit investment trust for
which reinvestment arrangements have been made with the Distributor may be
exchanged at net asset value for shares of any of the Oppenheimer funds.
The Fund may amend, suspend or terminate the exchange privilege at any
time. Although the Fund may impose these changes at any time, it will provide
you with notice of those changes whenever it is required to do so by applicable
law. It may be required to provide 60 days notice prior to materially amending
or terminating the exchange privilege. That 60-day notice is not required in
extraordinary circumstances.
|X| How Exchanges Affect Contingent Deferred Sales Charges. No contingent
deferred sales charge is imposed on exchanges of shares of any class purchased
subject to a contingent deferred sales charge. However, when Class A shares
acquired by exchange of Class A shares of other Oppenheimer funds purchased
subject to a Class A contingent deferred sales charge are redeemed within 18
months of the end of the calendar month of the initial purchase of the exchanged
Class A shares, the Class A contingent deferred sales charge is imposed on the
redeemed shares. The Class B contingent deferred sales charge is imposed on
Class B shares acquired by exchange if they are redeemed within 6 years of the
initial purchase of the exchanged Class B shares. The Class C contingent
deferred sales charge is imposed on Class C shares acquired by exchange if they
are redeemed within 12 months of the initial purchase of the exchanged Class C
shares. With respect to Class N shares, a 1% contingent deferred sales charge
will be imposed if the retirement plan (not including IRAs and 403(b) plans) is
terminated or Class N shares of all Oppenheimer funds are terminated as an
investment option of the plan and Class N shares are redeemed within 18 months
after the plan's first purchase of Class N shares of any Oppenheimer fund or
with respect to an individual retirement plan or 403(b) plan, Class N shares are
redeemed within 18 months of the plan's first purchase of Class N shares of any
Oppenheimer fund.
When Class B or Class C shares are redeemed to effect an exchange, the
priorities described in "How To Buy Shares" in the Prospectus for the imposition
of the Class B or the Class C contingent deferred sales charge will be followed
in determining the order in which the shares are exchanged. Before exchanging
shares, shareholders should take into account how the exchange may affect any
contingent deferred sales charge that might be imposed in the subsequent
redemption of remaining shares.
Shareholders owning shares of more than one class must specify which class
of shares they wish to exchange.
|X| Limits on Multiple Exchange Orders. The Fund reserves the right to
reject telephone or written exchange requests submitted in bulk by anyone on
behalf of more than one account. The Fund may accept requests for exchanges of
up to 50 accounts per day from representatives of authorized dealers that
qualify for this privilege.
|X| Telephone Exchange Requests. When you exchange some or all of your
shares from one fund to another, any special account feature such as an Asset
Builder Plan or Automatic Withdrawal Plan, will be switched to the new fund
account unless you tell the Transfer Agent not to do so. However, special
redemption and exchange features such as Automatic Exchange Plans and Automatic
Withdrawal Plans cannot be switched to an account in Oppenheimer Senior Floating
Rate Fund.
|X| Processing Exchange Requests. Shares to be exchanged are redeemed on
the regular business day the Transfer Agent receives an exchange request in
proper form (the "Redemption Date"). Normally, shares of the fund to be acquired
are purchased on the Redemption Date, but such purchases may be delayed by
either fund up to five business days if it determines that it would be
disadvantaged by an immediate transfer of the redemption proceeds. The Fund
reserves the right, in its discretion, to refuse any exchange request that may
disadvantage it. For example, if the receipt of multiple exchange requests from
a dealer might require the disposition of portfolio securities at a time or at a
price that might be disadvantageous to the Fund, the Fund may refuse the
request. For full or partial exchanges of an account made by telephone, any
special account features such as Asset Builder Plans and Automatic withdrawal
Plans will be switched to the new account unless the Transfer Agent is
instructed otherwise.
In connection with any exchange request, the number of shares exchanged
may be less than the number requested if the exchange or the number requested
would include shares subject to a restriction cited in the Prospectus or this
Statement of Additional Information, or would include shares covered by a share
certificate that is not tendered with the request. In those cases, only the
shares available for exchange without restriction will be exchanged.
The different Oppenheimer funds available for exchange have different
investment objectives, policies and risks. A shareholder should assure that the
fund selected is appropriate for his or her investment and should be aware of
the tax consequences of an exchange. For federal income tax purposes, an
exchange transaction is treated as a redemption of shares of one fund and a
purchase of shares of another. "Reinvestment Privilege," above, discusses some
of the tax consequences of reinvestment of redemption proceeds in such cases.
The Fund, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are unable to provide
investment, tax or legal advice to a shareholder in connection with an exchange
request or any other investment transaction.
Dividends, Capital Gains and Taxes
Dividends and Distributions. The Fund has no fixed dividend rate and there
can be no assurance as to the payment of any dividends or the realization of any
capital gains. The dividends and distributions paid by a class of shares will
vary from time to time depending on market conditions, the composition of the
Fund's portfolio, and expenses borne by the Fund or borne separately by a class.
Dividends are calculated in the same manner, at the same time, and on the same
day for each class of shares. However, dividends on Class B, Class C and Class N
shares are expected to be lower than dividends on Class A shares. That is
because of the effect of the asset-based sales charge on Class B, Class C and
Class N shares. Those dividends will also differ in amount as a consequence of
any difference in the net asset values of the different classes of shares.
Dividends, distributions and proceeds of the redemption of Fund shares
represented by checks returned to the Transfer Agent by the Postal Service as
undeliverable will be invested in shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund, Inc.
Reinvestment will be made as promptly as possible after the return of such
checks to the Transfer Agent, to enable the investor to earn a return on
otherwise idle funds. Unclaimed accounts may be subject to state escheatment
laws, and the Fund and the Transfer Agent will not be liable to shareholders or
their representatives for compliance with those laws in good faith.
Tax Status of the Fund's Dividends and Distributions. The Federal tax treatment
of the Fund's dividends and capital gains distributions is briefly highlighted
in the Prospectus.
Special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code govern the eligibility
of the Fund's dividends for the dividends-received deduction for corporate
shareholders. Long-term capital gains distributions are not eligible for the
deduction. The amount of dividends paid by the Fund that may qualify for the
deduction is limited to the aggregate amount of qualifying dividends that the
Fund derives from portfolio investments that the Fund has held for a minimum
period, usually 46 days. A corporate shareholder will not be eligible for the
deduction on dividends paid on Fund shares held for 45 days or less. To the
extent the Fund's dividends are derived from gross income from option premiums,
interest income or short-term gains from the sale of securities or dividends
from foreign corporations, those dividends will not qualify for the deduction.
Under the Internal Revenue Code, by December 31 each year, the Fund must
distribute 98% of its taxable investment income earned from January 1 through
December 31 of that year and 98% of its capital gains realized in the period
from November 1 of the prior year through October 31 of the current year. If it
does not, the Fund must pay an excise tax on the amounts not distributed. It is
presently anticipated that the Fund will meet those requirements. However, the
Board of Trustees and the Manager might determine in a particular year that it
would be in the best interests of shareholders for the Fund not to make such
distributions at the required levels and to pay the excise tax on the
undistributed amounts. That would reduce the amount of income or capital gains
available for distribution to shareholders.
The Fund intends to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under the
Internal Revenue Code (although it reserves the right not to qualify). That
qualification enables the Fund to "pass through" its income and realized capital
gains to shareholders without having to pay tax on them. This avoids a double
tax on that income and capital gains, since shareholders normally will be taxed
on the dividends and capital gains they receive from the Fund (unless the Fund's
shares are held in a retirement account or the shareholder is otherwise exempt
from tax). If the Fund qualifies as a "regulated investment company" under the
Internal Revenue Code, it will not be liable for Federal income taxes on amounts
paid by it as dividends and distributions. The Fund qualified as a regulated
investment company in its last fiscal year. The Internal Revenue Code contains a
number of complex tests relating to qualification which the Fund might not meet
in any particular year. If it did not so qualify, the Fund would be treated for
tax purposes as an ordinary corporation and receive no tax deduction for
payments made to shareholders.
If prior distributions made by the Fund must be re-characterized as a
non-taxable return of capital at the end of the fiscal year as a result of the
effect of the Fund's investment policies, they will be identified as such in
notices sent to shareholders.
Dividend Reinvestment in Another Fund. Shareholders of the Fund may elect to
reinvest all dividends and/or capital gains distributions in shares of the same
class of any of the other Oppenheimer funds listed above. Reinvestment will be
made without sales charge at the net asset value per share in effect at the
close of business on the payable date of the dividend or distribution. To elect
this option, the shareholder must notify the Transfer Agent in writing and must
have an existing account in the fund selected for reinvestment. Otherwise the
shareholder first must obtain a prospectus for that fund and an application from
the Distributor to establish an account. Dividends and/or distributions from
shares of certain other Oppenheimer funds (other than Oppenheimer Cash Reserves)
may be invested in shares of this Fund on the same basis.
Additional Information About the Fund
The Distributor. The Fund's shares are sold through dealers, brokers and other
financial institutions that have a sales agreement with OppenheimerFunds
Distributor, Inc., a subsidiary of the Manager that acts as the Fund's
Distributor. The Distributor also distributes shares of the other Oppenheimer
funds and is sub-distributor for funds managed by a subsidiary of the Manager.
The Transfer Agent. OppenheimerFunds Services, the Fund's Transfer Agent, is a
division of the Manager. It is responsible for maintaining the Fund's
shareholder registry and shareholder accounting records, and for paying
dividends and distributions to shareholders. It also handles shareholder
servicing and administrative functions. It serves as the Transfer Agent for an
annual per account fee. It also acts as shareholder servicing agent for the
other Oppenheimer funds. Shareholders should direct inquiries about their
accounts to the Transfer Agent at the address and toll-free numbers shown on the
back cover.
The Custodian. The Bank of New York is the Custodian of the Fund's assets. The
Custodian's responsibilities include safeguarding and controlling the Fund's
portfolio securities and handling the delivery of such securities to and from
the Fund. It will be the practice of the Fund to deal with the Custodian in a
manner uninfluenced by any banking relationship the Custodian may have with the
Manager and its affiliates. The Fund's cash balances with the custodian in
excess of $100,000 are not protected by Federal deposit insurance. Those
uninsured balances at times may be substantial.
Independent Auditors. KPMG LLP are the independent auditors of the Fund. They
audit the Fund's financial statements and perform other related audit services.
They also act as auditors for certain other funds advised by the Manager and its
affiliates.
40 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
================================================================================
The Board of Trustees and Shareholders of
Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund:
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including
the statement of investments, of Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund as of
September 30, 2000, and the related statement of operations for the year then
ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the
two-year period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the years in
the four-year period then ended, the nine-month period ended September 30, 1996,
and the year ended December 31, 1995. These financial statements and financial
highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility
is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights
based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally
accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit
includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and
disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of
securities owned as of September 30, 2000, by correspondence with the custodian
and brokers; and where confirmations were not received from brokers, we
performed other auditing procedures. An audit also includes assessing the
accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well
as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our
audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred
to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of
Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund as of September 30, 2000, the results of
its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each
of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for
each of the years in the four-year period then ended, the nine-month period
ended September 30, 1996, and the year ended December 31, 1995, in conformity
with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
KPMG LLP
Denver, Colorado
October 20, 2000
Financials
[GRAPHIC]
11 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS September 30, 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Market Value
Shares See Note 1
================================================================================
Common Stocks--54.3%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic Materials--2.3%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chemicals--1.6%
Bayer AG, Sponsored ADR 72,000 $ 2,662,099
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dow Chemical Co. 54,000 1,346,625
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Engelhard Corp. 173,000 2,811,250
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goodrich (B.F.) Co./1/ 87,000 3,409,312
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hercules, Inc. 95,000 1,341,875
-----------
11,571,161
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Metals--0.1%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aluminum--0.1%
Alcoa, Inc. 40,500 1,025,156
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paper--0.6%
Sonoco Products Co. 110,000 1,986,875
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPM-Kymmene Oyj 45,000 1,150,471
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weyerhaeuser Co. 40,000 1,615,000
-----------
4,752,346
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Goods--2.6%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Industrial Services--0.9%
National Data Corp. 67,200 2,205,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pittston Brink's Group 219,000 3,394,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Service Corp. International 345,000 840,937
-----------
6,440,437
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manufacturing--1.7%
Coherent, Inc.1,2 61,000 4,148,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equitable Bag, Inc./2/,/3/ 1,861 1,861
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pall Corp. 165,000 3,289,687
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Swift Transportation Co., Inc./2/ 80,900 1,056,756
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trinity Industries, Inc. 58,000 1,355,750
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tyco International Ltd. 47,500 2,464,062
-----------
12,316,116
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Communication Services--2.7%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Telecommunications: Long Distance--1.3%
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc./1/,/2/ 2,750 649,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ECI Telecommunications Ltd. 30,400 931,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intermedia Communications, Inc./2/ 393 11,593
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NTL, Inc./2/ 49,000 2,269,312
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Verizon Communications 71,000 3,439,062
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WorldCom, Inc./2/ 81,000 2,460,375
-----------
9,760,342
12 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Market Value
Shares See Note 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Telephone Utilities--0.8%
SBC Communications, Inc. 105,000 $ 5,250,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tele Norte Leste Participacoes SA (Telemar) 26,283,402 460,138
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tele Norte Leste Participacoes SA (Telemar), Preference 3,077,499 69,890
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Telefonica SA, BDR/2/ 15,026 297,262
-----------
6,077,290
Telecommunications: Wireless--0.6%
AT&T Wireless Group/2/ 50,000 1,043,750
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Millicom International Cellular SA/2/ 75,600 2,688,525
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Telesp Celular Participacoes SA 49,153,261 402,284
-----------
4,134,559
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consumer Cyclicals--7.3%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Autos & Housing--1.5%
Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc. 64,000 2,120,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Motors Corp., Cl. H/2/ 100,000 3,718,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones SA 598,233 1,376,762
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Owens Corning 402,000 1,055,250
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Southdown, Inc. 40,300 2,871,375
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toll Brothers, Inc./1/,/2/ 5,200 178,750
-----------
11,320,137
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leisure & Entertainment--2.7%
Berjaya Sports Toto Berhad 190,000 247,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brunswick Corp. 88,000 1,606,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Callaway Golf Co./1/ 225,000 3,459,375
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carnival Corp. 90,000 2,216,250
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Host Marriott Corp. 112,500 1,265,625
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Game Technology/1/,/2/ 172,100 5,786,862
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mattel, Inc. 237,000 2,651,437
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shimano, Inc. 165,000 3,183,648
-----------
20,416,197
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Media--1.3%
Donnelley (R.R.) & Sons Co. 92,000 2,259,750
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reed International plc 225,000 1,786,398
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South China Morning Post Holdings Ltd. 2,356,000 1,797,920
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time Warner, Inc. 46,000 3,599,500
-----------
9,443,568
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Retail: General--0.3%
Federated Department Stores, Inc./2/ 85,000 2,220,625
</TABLE>
13 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Market Value
Shares See Note 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Retail: Specialty--1.0%
Borders Group, Inc./2/ 155,000 $ 2,160,312
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gap, Inc. 132,000 2,656,500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacific Sunware of California, Inc./2/ 130,000 2,437,500
----------------
7,254,312
Textile/Apparel & Home Furnishings--0.5%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jones Apparel Group, Inc./1/,/2/ 130,000 3,445,000
Consumer Staples--4.5%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Broadcasting--1.4%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clear Channel Communications, Inc./1/,/2/ 50,000 2,825,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cox Radio, Inc., Cl. A/2 114,300 1,993,106
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emmis Communications Corp., Cl. A/2/ 73,200 1,811,700
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Infinity Broadcasting Corp., Cl. A/2/ 82,500 2,722,500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Societe Europeenne des Satellites 8,600 1,305,394
----------------
10,657,700
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entertainment--2.1%
News Corp. Ltd. (The), Sponsored ADR, Preference 47,000 2,203,125
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nintendo Co. Ltd. 22,700 4,144,651
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Viacom, Inc., Cl. B/1/,/2/ 164,920 9,647,820
----------------
15,995,596
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Household Goods--0.4%
Wella AG 93,210 2,796,766
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wella AG, Preference, Non-Vtg. 9,100 323,238
----------------
3,120,004
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tobacco--0.6%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philip Morris Cos., Inc. 147,500 4,342,031
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Energy--5.3%
Energy Services--2.2%
Cooper Cameron Corp./1/,/2/ 22,500 1,657,969
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Core Laboratories NV/2/ 90,000 2,210,625
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Input/Output, Inc./1/,/2/ 238,000 2,290,750
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Petroleum Geo-Services ASA, Sponsored ADR2 100,000 1,725,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Santa Fe International Corp./1/ 105,000 4,731,562
Southern Energy, Inc./2/ 17,500 549,062
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transocean Sedco Forex, Inc./1/ 58,000 3,400,250
16,565,218
----------------
Oil: Domestic--1.6%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Devon Energy Corp. 59,422 3,574,233
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exxon Mobil Corp. 34,501 3,074,902
</TABLE>
14 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
Market Value
Shares See Note 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oil: Domestic Continued
Kerr-McGee Corp. 20,000 $ 1,325,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unocal Corp. 105,000 3,720,937
------------------
11,695,072
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oil: International--1.5%
Anderson Exploration Ltd./2/ 105,600 2,309,079
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berkley Petroleum Corp./2/ 208,900 1,187,090
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Preference 33,300 952,976
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talisman Energy, Inc./2/ 121,090 4,245,313
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Fina Elf SA, Sponsored ADR 33,000 2,423,437
------------------
11,117,895
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Financial--11.0%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Banks--4.8%
ABN Amro Holding NV 77,000 1,793,946
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Banco Frances del Rio de la Plata SA 150,000 1,040,124
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bank of America Corp. 213,000 11,155,875
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chase Manhattan Corp./1/ 230,000 10,623,125
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knight Trading Group, Inc./1/,/2/ 53,600 1,929,600
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Societe Generale, Cl. A 78,000 4,360,697
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UBS AG 11,200 1,490,396
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UniCredito Italiano SpA 620,000 3,233,657
------------------
35,627,420
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diversified Financial--1.2%
C.I.T. Group, Inc., Cl. A 126,000 2,205,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equifax, Inc. 76,600 2,063,412
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freddie Mac 43,800 2,367,937
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co. 29,000 2,651,687
------------------
9,288,036
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Insurance--2.1%
ACE Ltd./1/ 158,000 6,201,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aetna, Inc./1/ 27,500 1,596,719
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aon Corp. 50,000 1,962,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skandia Forsakrings AB 100,000 1,982,768
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
XL Capital Ltd., Cl. A 49,700 3,652,950
------------------
15,396,437
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Real Estate Investment Trusts--2.5%
Archstone Communities Trust 95,000 2,333,438
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avalonbay Communities, Inc. 60,000 2,861,250
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brandywine Realty Trust 105,000 2,126,250
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Camden Property Trust 65,000 2,015,000
15 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Market Value
Shares See Note 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Real Estate Investment Trusts Continued
<S> <C> <C>
CarrAmerica Realty Corp. 75,000 $ 2,268,750
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chelsea GCA Realty, Inc. 65,000 2,283,125
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Developers Diversified Realty Corp. 100,000 1,287,500
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equity Office Properties Trust 43,441 1,349,386
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post Properties, Inc. 50,000 2,178,125
----------------
18,702,824
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Savings & Loans--0.4%
Washington Mutual, Inc. 70,000 2,786,875
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Healthcare--5.5%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Healthcare/Drugs--4.1%
Abbott Laboratories/1/ 54,000 2,568,375
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alkermes, Inc./2/ 25,000 965,625
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American Home Products Corp./1/ 64,000 3,620,000
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AstraZeneca Group plc 61,300 3,213,589
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. /1/,/2/ 10,500 1,817,813
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Johnson & Johnson/1/ 44,730 4,201,824
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merck & Co., Inc./1/ 40,000 2,977,500
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mylan Laboratories, Inc. 90,000 2,424,375
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Novartis AG 2,500 3,833,025
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pliva d.d., Sponsored GDR4 20,000 215,500
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SmithKline Beecham plc, Cl. A, Sponsored ADR 37,000 2,539,125
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UnitedHealth Group, Inc./1/ 20,500 2,024,375
----------------
30,401,126
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Healthcare/Supplies & Services--1.4%
Acuson Corp./2/ 250,000 5,687,500
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Affymetrix, Inc./1/,/2/ 4,800 239,400
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Covance, Inc./2/ 145,000 1,187,188
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quintiles Transnational Corp./2/ 72,500 1,155,469
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
St. Jude Medical, Inc./1/,/2/ 38,000 1,938,000
----------------
10,207,557
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technology--11.9%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Hardware--3.1%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canon, Inc. 77,000 3,413,196
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Compaq Computer Corp. 48,000 1,323,840
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Business Machines Corp. 162,000 18,225,000
22,962,036
----------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Software--1.5%
Computer Associates International, Inc./1/ 73,000 1,838,688
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i2 Technologies, Inc./1/,/2/ 4,500 841,781
</TABLE>
16 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Market Value
Shares See Note 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Software Continued
<S> <C> <C>
Microsoft Corp./2/ 15,500 $ 934,844
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peoplesoft, Inc./2/ 105,000 2,933,438
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Red Hat, Inc./2/ 20,000 341,250
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sabre Holdings Corp. 60,000 1,736,250
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Synopsys, Inc./2/ 45,000 1,704,375
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Veritas Software Corp./1/,/2/ 4,000 568,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo!, Inc./1/,/2/ 7,200 655,200
-------------
11,553,826
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Communications Equipment--0.5%
Cisco Systems, Inc./1/,/2/ 38,000 2,099,500
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lucent Technologies, Inc. 57,500 1,757,344
-------------
3,856,844
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Electronics--6.2%
Analog Devices, Inc./1/,/2/ 105,000 8,669,063
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASM Lithography Holding NV/1/,/2/ 55,000 1,777,188
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intel Corp./1/ 330,000 13,715,625
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JDS Uniphase Corp./1/,/2/ 5,000 473,438
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keyence Corp. 13,530 4,682,787
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KLA Instruments Corp./2/ 55,000 2,265,313
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lam Research Corp./2/ 57,000 1,193,438
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loral Space & Communications Ltd./2/ 135,600 830,550
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Methode Electronics, Inc., Cl. A/1/ 90,000 3,988,125
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Motorola, Inc. 80,000 2,260,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QLogic Corp./1/,/2/ 6,000 528,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RF Micro Devices, Inc./2/ 17,500 560,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STMicroelectronics NV, NY Registered Shares 73,500 3,500,438
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teradyne, Inc./1/,/2/ 45,000 1,575,000
-------------
46,018,965
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photography--0.6%
Concord Camera Corp./2/ 42,000 1,076,250
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastman Kodak Co. 40,000 1,635,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xerox Corp./2/ 97,500 1,468,594
-------------
4,179,844
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transportation--0.5%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Railroads & Truckers--0.5%
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. 81,000 1,746,563
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Werner Enterprises, Inc. 184,200 2,164,350
-------------
3,910,913
</TABLE>
17 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Market Value
Shares See Note 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Utilities--0.7%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Electric Utilities--0.4%
<S> <C> <C>
Southern Co. 100,000 $ 3,243,750
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gas Utilities--0.3%
Dynegy, Inc./1/ 46,000 2,622,000
--------------
Total Common Stocks (Cost $264,093,854) 404,429,215
=======================================================================================================================
Preferred Stocks--1.3%
MediaOne Group, Inc., 7% Cv. Premium Income Exchangeable
Securities for Vodafone Airtouch plc common stock 17,500 651,875
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qwest Trends Trust, 5.75% Cv./4/ 105,000 8,268,750
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sovereign Capital Trust II, 7.50% Cv. Preferred Income Equity
Redeemable Stock, Units (each unit consists of one preferred plus one
warrant to purchase 5.3355 shares of Sovereign Bancorp common stock)/5/ 12,500 717,969
--------------
Total Preferred Stocks (Cost $7,155,180) 9,638,594
Units
=======================================================================================================================
Rights, Warrants and Certificates--0.0%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adelphia Business Solutions, Inc. Wts., Exp. 4/15/01 550 39,806
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comunicacion Celular SA Wts., Exp. 11/15/033 300 4,537
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Covergent Communications, Inc. Wts., Exp. 4/1/083 1,000 12,250
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Telesp Celular Participacoes SA Rts., Exp. 10/5/00 4,915,326 27
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In-Flight Phone Corp. Wts., Exp. 8/31/02 300 --
--------------
Total Rights, Warrants and Certificates (Cost $0) 56,620
Principal
Amount
=======================================================================================================================
Mortgage-Backed Obligations--4.1%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., Collateralized Mtg. Obligations,
Gtd. Multiclass Mtg. Participation Certificates, Series 151, Cl. F, 9%, 5/15/21 $ 447,603 467,043
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., Gtd. Multiclass Mtg
Participation Certificates, 7%, 5/1/29 6,266,913 6,151,352
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., Interest-Only Stripped Mtg.-Backed
Security, Series 199, Cl. IO, 24.10%, 8/1/28 /6/ 1,331,529 421,928
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal National Mortgage Assn., 6.50%, 12/1/27-2/1/28 8,102,199 7,793,994
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Government National Mortgage Assn.:
7%, 4/15/26 2,722,330 2,685,008
7.375%, 3/20/26 312,528 314,679
7.50%, 5/15/27 11,196,905 11,235,870
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mortgage Capital Funding, Inc., Multifamily Mtg. Pass-Through
Certificates, Series 1996-MC1, Cl. G, 7.15%, 6/15/06 /4/ 400,000 340,148
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resolution Trust Corp., Commercial Mtg. Pass-Through Certificates:
Series 1993-C1, Cl. D, 9.45%, 5/25/24 18,388 18,293
Series 1994-C2, Cl. E, 8%, 4/25/25 715,837 705,883
Series 1994-C2, Cl. G, 8%, 4/25/25 161,862 155,185
</TABLE>
18 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Principal Market Value
Amount See Note 1
========================================================================================================
Mortgage-Backed Obligations Continued
Salomon Brothers Mortgage Securities VII,
Commercial Mtg. Pass-Through Certificates:
<S> <C> <C>
Series 1996-B, Cl. 1, 7.136%, 4/25/26 /3/ $ 279,352 $ 184,547
Series 1996-C1, Cl. F, 8.875%, 1/20/06 /7/ 250,000 189,219
------------
Total Mortgage-Backed Obligations (Cost $30,775,271) 30,663,149
========================================================================================================
U.S. Government Obligations--11.1%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal National Mortgage Assn. Nts., 7.125%, 1/15/30 500,000 517,679
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Treasury Bonds:
6%, 2/15/26 500,000 495,469
6.50%, 11/15/26 360,000 380,138
8.875%, 8/15/17 3,650,000 4,695,955
10.75%, 5/15/03 1,190,000 1,325,363
STRIPS, 6.30%, 8/15/25 /8/ 15,300,000 3,491,613
STRIPS, 6.53%, 8/15/15 /8/ 8,500,000 3,433,592
STRIPS, 7.10%, 11/15/18 /8/ 9,350,000 3,098,038
STRIPS, 7.31%, 8/15/19 /8/ 10,200,000 3,234,614
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Treasury Nts.:
5.875%, 9/30/02-2/15/04 30,000,000 29,948,445
6.125%, 12/31/01 15,000,000 14,985,945
6.25%, 2/15/03-2/15/07 12,130,000 12,265,628
6.50%, 10/15/06 4,640,000 4,769,052
7.50%, 5/15/02 327,000 334,255
------------
Total U.S. Government Obligations (Cost $82,112,806) 82,975,786
========================================================================================================
Foreign Government Obligations--15.7%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argentina--3.9%
Argentina (Republic of) Bonds, Bonos de Consolidacion de Deudas:
Series FRB, 7.375%, 3/31/05 /7/ 6,848,000 6,269,344
Series PRE2, 6.62%, 4/1/01 /7/ 77,813 76,957
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argentina (Republic of) Nts.:
11.75%, 2/12/07 /4/[ARP] 150,000 135,081
14.25%, 11/30/02 /3/,/7/ 13,125,000 13,125,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argentina (Republic of) Par Bonds, 6%, 3/31/23 /7/ 14,000,000 9,520,000
------------
29,126,382
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Australia--0.4%
New South Wales Treasury Corp. Gtd. Bonds, 7%, 4/1/04[AUD] 1,570,000 863,163
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Queensland Treasury Corp. Exchangeable
Gtd. Nts., 10.50%, 5/15/03[AUD] 2,590,000 1,539,011
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Queensland Treasury Corp. Global Exchangeable
Gtd. Nts., 8%, 8/14/01[AUD] 615,000 337,181
------------
2,739,355
</TABLE>
19 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Principal Market Value
Amount See Note 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brazil--3.5%
Brazil (Federal Republic of) Debt Capitalization
<S> <C> <C>
Bonds, Series 20 yr., 8%, 4/15/14 $ 21,180,252 $ 16,255,843
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brazil (Federal Republic of) Eligible
Interest Bonds, 7.375%, 4/15/06 /7/ 10,555,500 9,961,753
--------------
26,217,596
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canada--2.8%
Canada (Government of) Bonds:
6.50%, 6/1/04[CAD] 13,320,000 9,073,907
8.75%, 12/1/05[CAD] 495,000 372,428
9.75%, 6/1/01[CAD] 9,630,000 6,578,623
11.75%, 2/1/03[CAD] 290,000 217,729
Series WL43, 5.75%, 6/1/29[CAD] 7,130,000 4,821,730
--------------
21,064,417
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Denmark--0.4%
Denmark (Kingdom of) Bonds, 8%, 3/15/06[DKK] 21,900,000 2,864,755
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finland--0.1%
Finland (Republic of) Bonds, Series RG, 9.50%, 3/15/04[EUR] 672,751 670,867
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Germany--0.2%
Germany (Republic of) Bonds, Series 94, 6.25%, 1/4/24[EUR] 1,362,592 1,289,308
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great Britain--1.1%
United Kingdom Treasury Bonds:
7%, 6/7/02[GBP] 2,415,000 3,635,852
7.25%, 12/7/07[GBP] 2,400,000 3,920,982
10%, 9/8/03[GBP] 325,000 533,033
--------------
8,089,867
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Italy--0.0%
Italy (Republic of) Treasury Bonds, Buoni del
Tesoro Poliennali, 9.50%, 2/1/01[EUR] 209,164 187,172
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mexico--0.0%
United Mexican States Bonds, Series RG, 16.50%, 9/1/08 /3/ [GBP] 35,000 72,317
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Zealand--2.4%
New Zealand (Government of) Bonds, 10%, 3/15/02[NZD] 42,705,000 18,124,882
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philippines--0.2%
Philippines (Republic of) Bonds, 8.60%, 6/15/27 1,500,000 1,023,750
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poland--0.5%
Poland (Republic of) Bonds,12%, 6/12/01[PLZ] 18,000,000 3,792,358
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South Africa--0.2%
Eskom Depositary Receipts, Series E168, 11%, 6/1/08[ZAR] 6,430,000 769,890
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eskom Sec. Bonds, Series E168, 11%, 6/1/08[ZAR] 3,000,000 359,202
--------------
1,129,092
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spain--0.0%
Spain (Kingdom of) Gtd. Bonds, Bonos y
Obligacion del Estado, 10.30%, 6/15/02[EUR] 235,296 224,410
--------------
Total Foreign Government Obligations (Cost $122,284,891) 116,616,528
</TABLE>
20 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Principal Market Value
Amount See Note 1
=========================================================================================================================
Loan Participations--0.1%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morocco (Kingdom of) Loan Participation Agreement,
<S> <C> <C>
Tranche A, 7.75%, 1/1/09/3,/7/ (Cost $495,679) $ 538,333 $ 485,846
=========================================================================================================================
Non-Convertible Corporate Bonds and Notes--6.8%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABN Amro Bank NV (NY Branch), 7.125% Sub. Nts.,
Series B, 10/15/93 500,000 436,063
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adelphia Communications Corp.:
9.375% Sr. Nts., 11/15/09 750,000 683,437
10.50% Sr. Unsec. Nts., Series B, 7/15/04 500,000 503,125
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AK Steel Corp., 9.125% Sr. Nts., 12/15/06 795,000 775,125
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allied Waste North America, Inc., 10% Sr. Unsec
Sub. Nts., Series B, 8/1/09 750,000 658,125
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AMC Entertainment, Inc., 9.50% Sr. Unsec. Sub. Nts., 2/1/11 600,000 279,000
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American International Group, Inc., 11.70%
Unsec. Unsub. Bonds, 12/4/01[ITL] 95,000,000 46,280
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amgen, Inc., 8.125% Unsec. Debs., 4/1/97 110,000 111,515
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amkor Technologies, Inc., 9.25% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 5/1/06 500,000 498,750
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AMRESCO, Inc., 10% Sr. Sub. Nts., Series 97-A, 3/15/04 200,000 89,000
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amtran, Inc., 10.50% Sr. Nts., 8/1/04 500,000 467,500
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aracruz Celulose SA, 10.375% Debs., 1/31/02 /4/ 320,000 327,200
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aurora Foods, Inc., 8.75% Sr. Sub. Nts., Series B, 7/1/08 400,000 308,000
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bank of America Corp., 7.80% Jr. Unsec. Sub. Nts., 2/15/10 500,000 515,461
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blount, Inc., 13% Sr. Sub. Nts., 8/1/09 700,000 717,500
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Building Materials Corp. of America, 8.625% Sr.
Nts., Series B, 12/15/06 200,000 133,000
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calpine Corp., 8.75% Sr. Nts., 7/15/07 650,000 644,451
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canandaigua Brands, Inc., 8.625% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 8/1/06 750,000 761,250
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Caterpillar, Inc., 7.375% Unsec. Debs., 3/1/97 500,000 453,279
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Celcaribe SA, 14.50% Sr. Sec. Nts., 3/15/04 /3/ 350,000 275,625
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charter Communications Holdings LLC/Charter
Communications Holdings Capital Corp.:
0%/9.92% Sr. Unsec. Disc. Nts., 4/1/11 /9/ 500,000 293,750
8.625% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 4/1/09 750,000 676,875
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chesapeake Energy Corp., 9.625% Sr. Unsec. Nts., Series B, 5/1/05 500,000 498,750
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coca-Cola Co., 7.375% Debs., 7/29/93 440,000 419,740
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comcast UK Cable Partner Ltd., 0%/11.20% Sr. Disc. Debs., 11/15/07 /9/ 850,000 820,250
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Communications & Power Industries, Inc., 12% Sr. Sub. Nts., Series B, 8/1/05 /3/ 1,300,000 890,500
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conoco, Inc., 6.95% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 4/15/29 500,000 462,823
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crown Castle International Corp.:
9% Sr. Nts., 5/15/11 500,000 477,500
10.75% Sr. Nts., 8/1/11 500,000 516,250
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CSC Holdings, Inc.:
9.875% Sr. Sub. Debs., 2/15/13 250,000 256,875
10.50% Sr. Sub. Debs., 5/15/16 250,000 269,375
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cumulus Media, Inc., 10.375% Sr. Unsec. Sub. Nts., 7/1/08 400,000 342,000
</TABLE>
21 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Principal Market Value
Amount See Note 1
===============================================================================================================
Non-Convertible Corporate Bonds and Notes Continued
<S> <C> <C>
D.R. Horton, Inc., 9.75% Sr. Sub. Nts., 9/15/10 $ 600,000 $ 585,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diamond Cable Communications plc, 0%/11.75% Sr. Disc. Nts., 12/15/05 /9/ 300,000 283,500
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doman Industries Ltd., 8.75% Sr. Nts., 3/15/04 700,000 472,500
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dyncorp, Inc., 9.50% Sr. Sub. Nts., 3/1/07 100,000 77,375
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EchoStar Broadband Corp., 10.375% Sr. Nts., 10/1/07 /4/ 600,000 600,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EchoStar DBS Corp., 9.375% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 2/1/09 700,000 689,500
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
El Paso Electric Co., 9.40% First Mtg. Sec. Nts., Series E, 5/1/11 250,000 266,043
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Empresas ICA Sociedad Controladora SA de CV, 11.875% Nts., 5/30/01 /3/ 30,000 29,175
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exodus Communications, Inc.:
11.25% Sr. Nts., 7/1/08 500,000 498,750
11.25% Sr. Nts., 7/15/10/4 400,000 403,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleming Cos., Inc., 10.625% Sr. Sub. Nts., Series B, 7/31/07 600,000 483,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fletcher Challenge Ltd.:
8.05% Cv. Nts., 6/15/03[NZD] 35,000 14,107
10% Cv. Unsec. Sub. Nts., 4/30/05[NZD] 35,000 14,903
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ford Motor Co., 7.70% Unsec. Debs., 5/15/97 500,000 452,353
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frontier Oil Corp., 11.75% Sr. Nts., 11/15/09 250,000 255,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Global Crossing Holdings Ltd., 9.625% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 5/15/08 750,000 753,750
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The), 7.80% Sr. Unsec
Unsub. Nts., Series B, 1/28/10 500,000 510,361
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gothic Production Corp., 11.125% Sr. Sec. Nts., Series B, 5/1/05 950,000 999,875
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grupo Posadas SA de CV, 10.375% Unsec. Unsub. Bonds, 2/13/02 25,000 23,944
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hayes Wheels International, Inc., 11% Sr. Sub. Nts., 7/15/06 200,000 192,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Huntsman Corp./ICI Chemical Co. plc, Zero Coupon
Sr. Unsec. Disc. Nts., 13.08%, 12/31/09 /8/ 1,000,000 325,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IBM Corp., 7.125% Sr. Unsec. Unsub. Debs., 12/1/96 500,000 469,541
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intermedia Communications, Inc., 8.50% Sr. Nts., Series B, 1/15/08 500,000 481,250
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Wire Group, Inc., 11.75% Sr. Sub. Nts., Series B, 6/1/05 500,000 505,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp., 12.75% Sr. Sub. Nts., 2/1/03 500,000 462,500
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaufman & Broad Home Corp., 7.75% Sr. Nts., 10/15/04 400,000 382,500
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamar Media Corp., 9.625% Sr. Unsec. Sub. Nts., 12/1/06 100,000 102,875
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lear Corp., 9.50% Sub. Nts., 7/15/06 900,000 891,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Level 3 Communications, Inc., 11% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 3/15/08 300,000 288,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loral Space & Communications Ltd., 9.50% Sr. Nts., 1/15/06 300,000 216,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lyondell Chemical Co.:
9.625% Sr. Sec. Nts., Series A, 5/1/07 300,000 293,625
9.875% Sec. Nts., Series B, 5/1/07 300,000 293,625
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meristar Hospitality Corp., 8.75% Sr. Unsec. Sub. Nts., 8/15/07 500,000 471,250
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc.:
10% Sr. Nts., 12/15/09 250,000 235,000
10% Sr. Unsec. Nts., Series B, 11/15/08 750,000 705,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Millicom International Cellular SA, 0%/13.50% Sr. Disc. Nts., 6/1/06 /9/ 750,000 648,750
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Motorola, Inc., 5.22% Unsec. Debs., 10/1/97 170,000 111,054
</TABLE>
22 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Principal Market Value
Amount See Note 1
==============================================================================================================
Non-Convertible Corporate Bonds and Notes Continued
<S> <C> <C>
News America Holdings, Inc., 8.50% Sr. Nts., 2/15/05 $1,000,000 $1,044,669
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nextel Communications, Inc.:
0%/9.95% Sr. Disc. Nts., 2/15/08 /9/ 300,000 230,250
9.375% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 11/15/09 500,000 490,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEXTLINK Communications, Inc., 10.75% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 6/1/09 500,000 465,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NL Industries, Inc., 11.75% Sr. Sec. Nts., 10/15/03 183,000 185,745
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Norfolk Southern Corp., 7.90% Sr. Bonds, 5/15/97 500,000 471,101
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NTL, Inc., 0%/9.75% Sr. Deferred Coupon Nts., Series B, 4/1/08/9/ 500,000 306,250
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ocwen Financial Corp., 11.875% Nts., 10/1/03 /3/ 325,000 287,625
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Omnipoint Corp., 11.50% Sr. Nts., 9/15/09 /4/ 250,000 280,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ORBCOMM Global LP/ORBCOMM Capital Corp., 14% Sr. Nts., 8/15/04 /3/,/10/ 155,000 24,025
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oxford Automotive, Inc., 10.125% Sr. Unsec. Sub. Nts., Series D, 6/15/07 900,000 796,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Polymer Group, Inc., 9% Sr. Unsec. Sub. Nts., Series B, 7/1/07 1,000,000 775,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PSINet, Inc., 10% Sr. Unsec. Nts., Series B, 2/15/05 750,000 491,250
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R&B Falcon Corp., 9.50% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 12/15/08 750,000 811,875
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Repap New Brunswick, Inc.:
10.625% Second Priority Sr. Sec. Nts., 4/15/05 300,000 310,500
11.50% Sr. Sec. Nts., 6/1/04 300,000 334,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revlon Consumer Products Corp., 9% Sr. Nts., 11/1/06 200,000 146,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riverwood International Corp.:
10.625% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 8/1/07 500,000 503,125
10.875% Sr. Sub. Nts., 4/1/08 250,000 230,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rogers Cablesystems Ltd., 10% Second Priority Sr. Sec. Debs., 12/1/07 /3/ 1,300,000 1,365,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rohm & Haas Co., 7.85% Unsec. Debs., 7/15/29 500,000 493,841
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rural Cellular Corp., 9.625% Sr. Sub. Nts., Series B, 5/15/08 750,000 720,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.:
8.75% Sr. Sub. Nts., 12/15/07 500,000 466,250
9% Sr. Unsec. Sub. Nts., 7/15/07 375,000 356,250
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spectrasite Holdings, Inc., 10.75% Sr. Nts., 3/15/10 /4/ 500,000 475,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sterling Chemicals, Inc.:
11.75% Sr. Unsec. Sub. Nts., 8/15/06 670,000 472,350
12.375% Sr. Sec. Nts., Series B, 7/15/06 400,000 406,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subic Power Corp., 9.50% Sr. Sec. Nts., 12/28/08 /3/ 275,862 251,034
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subic Power Corp., 9.50% Sr. Sec. Nts., 12/28/08 /3/ 55,172 50,207
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sun Healthcare Group, Inc., 9.375% Sr. Sub. Nts., 5/1/08 /2/,/3/,/10/ 400,000 14,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Telewest Communications plc, 0%/11% Sr. Disc. Debs., 10/1/07 /9/ 1,000,000 962,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tenet Healthcare Corp.:
8.125% Sr. Unsec. Sub. Nts., Series B, 12/1/08 300,000 288,750
9.25% Sr. Nts., 9/1/10 /4/ 300,000 315,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tenneco, Inc., 11.625% Sr. Unsec. Sub. Nts., Series B, 10/15/09 475,000 306,375
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trans World Airlines, Inc., 11.50% Sr. Sec. Nts., 12/15/04 950,000 665,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transtar Holdings LP/Transtar Capital Corp., 13.375%
Sr. Disc. Nts., Series B, 12/15/03 1,000,000 1,015,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travelers Group, Inc., 6.875% Unsec. Nts., 2/15/98 550,000 485,364
</TABLE>
23 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Principal Market Value
Amount See Note 1
======================================================================================================================
Non-Convertible Corporate Bonds and Notes Continued
<S> <C> <C>
TV Azteca SA de CV, 10.50% Sr. Nts., Series B, 2/15/07 $ 200,000 $ 186,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unifrax Investment Corp., 10.50% Sr. Nts., 11/1/03 /3/ 500,000 472,500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
United Pan-Europe Communications NV, 10.875%
Sr. Unsec. Nts., Series B, 8/1/09 400,000 342,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
United Rentals, Inc., 9% Sr. Unsec. Sub. Nts., Series B, 4/1/09 500,000 450,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vodafone AirTouch plc, 7.75% Unsec. Unsub. Nts., 2/15/10 /4/ 500,000 510,448
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VoiceStream Wireless Corp., 10.375% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 11/15/09 1,082,364 1,174,366
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 7.55% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 2/15/30 500,000 517,445
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WorldCom, Inc., 6.95% Sr. Unsec. Nts., 8/15/28 500,000 453,935
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Young Broadcasting, Inc., 8.75% Sr. Sub. Debs., 6/15/07 700,000 665,000
--------------
Total Non-Convertible Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $54,264,525) 51,157,510
======================================================================================================================
Convertible Corporate Bonds and Notes--0.6%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Affymetrix, Inc., 4.75% Cv. Sub. Nts., 2/15/07 /4/ 1,000,000 597,500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amkor Technologies, Inc., 5% Cv. Nts., 3/15/07 /4/ 750,000 600,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Juniper Networks, Inc., 4.75% Cv. Unsec. Sub. Nts., 3/15/07 600,000 913,500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Level 3 Communications, Inc., 6% Cv. Unsec. Sub. Nts., 3/15/10 500,000 425,625
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LSI Logic Corp., 4% Cv. Unsec. Sub. Nts., 2/15/05 500,000 405,625
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nextel Communications, Inc., 5.25% Cv. Sr. Nts., 1/15/10 /4/ 700,000 659,750
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photronics, Inc., 6% Cv. Sub. Nts., 6/1/04 750,000 725,625
--------------
Total Convertible Corporate Bonds and Notes (Cost $4,208,188) 4,327,625
======================================================================================================================
Structured Instruments--0.0%
Credit Suisse First Boston Corp. (New York Branch), Carnival
Corp. Equity Linked Nts., 7%, 7/17/023 (Cost $249,487) 255,000 283,050
Date Strike Contracts
======================================================================================================================
Options Purchased--0.0%
Philip Morris Cos., Inc. Call (Cost $79,800) 1/22/01 $35 350 41,562
Principal
Amount
======================================================================================================================
Repurchase Agreements--5.5%
Repurchase agreement with Zion First National Bank, 6.50%, dated
9/29/00, to be repurchased at $40,925,156 on 10/2/00, collateralized
by U.S. Treasury Bonds, 10.75%, 2/15/03, with a value of $4,561,234
and U.S. Treasury Nts., 5.75%-6.375%, 6/30/01-10/31/02, with a
value of $37,190,007 (Cost $40,903,000) $ 40,903,000 40,903,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Investments, at Value (Cost $606,622,681) 99.5% 741,578,485
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Assets Net of Liabilities 0.5 3,369,243
--------------------------------------
Net Assets 100.0% $744,947,728
======================================
</TABLE>
24 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
Footnotes to Statement of Investments
Principal amount is reported in U.S. Dollars, except for those denoted in the
following currencies:
ARP Argentine Peso GBP British Pound Sterling
AUD Australian Dollar ITL Italian Lira
CAD Canadian Dollar NZD New Zealand Dollar
DKK Danish Krone PLZ Polish Zloty
EUR Euro ZAR South African Rand
1. A sufficient amount of liquid assets has been designated to cover
outstanding written call options, as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Contracts Expiration Exercise Premium Market Value
Subject to Call Date Price Received See Note 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
ACE Ltd. 500 11/20/00 $ 30.00 $129,750 $456,250
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASM Lithography Holding NV 80 10/23/00 50.00 27,760 --
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abbott Laboratories 120 11/20/00 45.00 34,140 45,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aetna, Inc. 275 1/22/01 80.00 74,800 --
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Affymetrix, Inc. 48 11/20/00 120.00 56,628 300
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American Home Products Corp. 140 10/23/00 70.00 59,080 875
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analog Devices, Inc. 360 12/18/00 95.00 435,420 211,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. 27 1/22/01 200.00 32,993 148,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Callaway Golf Co. 440 11/20/00 22.50 66,035 --
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chase Manhattan Corp. 210 12/18/00 70.00 49,243 --
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cisco Systems, Inc. 96 1/22/01 85.00 34,511 7,200
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. 40 1/22/01 90.00 29,880 1,750
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coherent, Inc. 160 11/20/00 85.00 80,317 36,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Associates International, Inc. 150 11/20/00 80.00 30,488 --
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cooper Cameron Corp. 11 2/19/01 85.00 9,867 8,113
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dynegy, Inc. 75 3/19/01 55.00 38,211 75,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dynegy, Inc. 50 3/19/01 60.00 34,224 37,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goodrich (B.F.) Co. 300 11/20/00 45.00 29,099 13,125
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. 38 10/23/00 160.000 51,186 77,900
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. 37 10/23/00 220.00 24,864 8,788
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. 30 4/21/01 210.00 99,282 99,750
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i2 Technologies, Inc. 45 11/20/00 210.00 33,614 68,063
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Input/Output, Inc. 2,380 11/20/00 7.50 349,860 520,625
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intel Corp. 500 1/22/01 90.00 158,625 6,250
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Game Technology 321 10/23/00 30.00 63,235 148,463
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JDS Uniphase Corp. 50 12/18/00 140.00 46,723 14,375
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Johnson & Johnson 80 1/22/01 115.00 20,760 6,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jones Apparel Group, Inc. 400 11/20/00 30.00 163,800 22,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knight Trading Group, Inc. 6 1/22/01 45.00 1,782 1,088
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knight Trading Group, Inc. 14 1/22/01 50.00 2,758 1,488
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merck & Co., Inc. 84 1/22/01 100.00 15,497 1,575
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Methode Electronics, Inc., Cl. A 230 10/23/00 65.00 88,432 1,438
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QLogic Corp. 60 10/23/00 120.00 50,818 4,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Santa Fe International Corp. 115 1/22/01 50.00 25,530 29,469
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
St. Jude Medical, Inc. 80 10/23/00 40.00 20,760 88,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teradyne, Inc. 33 10/23/00 105.00 63,426 --
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teradyne, Inc. 33 10/23/00 120.00 39,500 --
</TABLE>
25 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes to Statement of Investments Continued
1. Outstanding written call options:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Contracts Expiration Exercise Premium Market Value
Subject to Call Date Price Received See Note 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Toll Brothers, Inc. 52 12/18/00 $ 20.00 $ 19,344 $ 74,100
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transocean Sedco Forex, Inc. 116 11/20/00 60.00 64,670 42,050
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UnitedHealth Group, Inc. 205 12/18/00 80.00 213,133 466,375
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Veritas Software Corp. 40 11/20/00 220.00 45,878 3,750
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Viacom, Inc., Cl. B 240 1/22/01 80.00 74,280 10,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo!, Inc. 9 1/22/01 270.00 4,698 109
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo!, Inc. 9 10/23/00 270.00 19,323 --
-----------------------------
$3,014,224 $2,738,769
=============================
</TABLE>
2. Non-income-producing security.
3. Identifies issues considered to be illiquid or restricted--see Note 7 of
Notes to Financial Statements. 4. Represents securities sold under Rule 144A,
which are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
These securities have been determined to be liquid under guidelines established
by the Board of Trustees. These securities amount to $13,727,377 or 1.84% of the
Fund's net assets as of September 30, 2000.
5. Units may be comprised of several components, such as debt and equity and/or
warrants to purchase equity at some point in the future. For units which
represent debt securities, principal amount disclosed represents total
underlying principal.
6. Interest-Only Strips represent the right to receive the monthly interest
payments on an underlying pool of mortgage loans. These securities typically
decline in price as interest rates decline. Most other fixed income securities
increase in price when interest rates decline. The principal amount of the
underlying pool represents the notional amount on which current interest is
calculated. The price of these securities is typically more sensitive to changes
in prepayment rates than traditional mortgage-backed securities (for example,
GNMA pass-throughs). Interest rates disclosed represent current yields based
upon the current cost basis and estimated timing and amount of future cash
flows.
7. Represents the current interest rate for a variable or increasing rate
security.
8. For zero coupon bonds, the interest rate shown is the effective yield on the
date of purchase.
9. Denotes a step bond: a zero coupon bond that converts to a fixed or variable
interest rate at a designated future date.
10. Issuer is in default.
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
26 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES September 30, 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
=========================================================================================================
Assets
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C>
Investments, at value (cost $606,622,681)--see accompanying statement $741,578,485
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash 1,042,496
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash--foreign currencies (cost $15,259) 15,259
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Receivables and other assets:
Interest, dividends and principal paydowns 6,118,130
Investments sold 2,956,418
Shares of beneficial interest sold 176,056
Other 1,008
------------
Total assets 751,887,852
=========================================================================================================
Liabilities
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Options written, at value (premiums received $3,014,224)--see accompanying statement 2,738,769
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Payables and other liabilities:
Investments purchased 2,451,326
Shares of beneficial interest redeemed 464,637
Distribution and service plan fees 385,117
Shareholder reports 318,734
Transfer and shareholder servicing agent fees 258,928
Trustees' compensation 247,683
Other 74,930
------------
Total liabilities 6,940,124
=========================================================================================================
Net Assets $744,947,728
============
=========================================================================================================
Composition of Net Assets
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paid-in capital $577,699,547
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Undistributed net investment income 3,544,970
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accumulated net realized gain on investments and foreign currency transactions 28,509,692
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net unrealized appreciation on investments and translation of
assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies 135,193,519
------------
Net Assets $744,947,728
============
=========================================================================================================
Net Asset Value Per Share
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A Shares:
Net asset value and redemption price per share (based on net assets of
$639,647,994 and 44,965,084 shares of beneficial interest outstanding) $14.23
Maximum offering price per share (net asset value plus sales charge
of 5.75% of offering price) $15.10
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class B Shares:
Net asset value, redemption price (excludes applicable contingent deferred sales
charge) and offering price per share (based on net assets of $66,777,351
and 4,741,712 shares of beneficial interest outstanding) $14.08
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class C Shares:
Net asset value, redemption price (excludes applicable contingent deferred sales
charge) and offering price per share (based on net assets of $38,522,383
and 2,726,101 shares of beneficial interest outstanding) $14.13
</TABLE>
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
27 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS For the Year Ended September 30, 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
=====================================================================================
Investment Income
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C>
Interest (net of foreign withholding taxes of $2,041) $ 29,285,297
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends (net of foreign withholding taxes of $89,046) 7,054,745
------------
Total income 36,340,042
=====================================================================================
Expenses
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Management fees 5,313,004
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution and service plan fees:
Class A 1,249,743
Class B 670,083
Class C 386,245
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transfer and shareholder servicing agent fees 972,854
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shareholder reports 462,811
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Custodian fees and expenses 117,942
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trustees' compensation 75,797
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other 108,510
------------
Total expenses 9,356,989
Less expenses paid indirectly (8,431)
------------
Net expenses 9,348,558
=====================================================================================
Net Investment Income 26,991,484
=====================================================================================
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) Net realized gain (loss) on:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investments (including premiums on options exercised) 39,858,318
Closing and expiration of option contracts written 2,476,784
Foreign currency transactions (7,214,861)
------------
Net realized gain 35,120,241
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
Investments 34,232,845
Translation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies (4,320,024)
------------
Net change 29,912,821
------------
Net realized and unrealized gain 65,033,062
=====================================================================================
Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations $ 92,024,546
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
28 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Year Ended September 30, 2000 1999
==================================================================================================
Operations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Net investment income $ 26,991,484 $ 27,747,152
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net realized gain 35,120,241 64,301,098
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net change in unrealized appreciation 29,912,821 24,384,903
-------------------------------------
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations 92,024,546 116,433,153
==================================================================================================
Dividends and/or Distributions to Shareholders
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends from net investment income:
Class A (21,779,999) (24,477,711)
Class B (1,694,849) (2,100,116)
Class C (978,026) (1,206,196)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distributions from net realized gain:
Class A (48,515,731) (54,659,946)
Class B (5,165,726) (6,391,151)
Class C (2,993,063) (3,772,922)
==================================================================================================
Beneficial Interest Transactions
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from beneficial interest
transactions:
Class A (5,424,882) (9,204,354)
Class B (3,023,844) (6,385,889)
Class C (956,723) (11,126,627)
==================================================================================================
Net Assets
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total increase (decrease) 1,491,703 (2,891,759)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beginning of period 743,456,025 746,347,784
-------------------------------------
End of period (including undistributed net investment
income of $3,544,970 and $1,169,787, respectively) $ 744,947,728 $ 743,456,025
=====================================
</TABLE>
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
29 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Year Year
Ended Ended
Sept. 30, Dec. 31,
Class A 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996/1/ 1995
=================================================================================================================================
Per Share Operating Data
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period $ 14.06 $ 13.69 $ 16.17 $ 14.09 $ 13.07 $ 11.52
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income .53 .54 .51 .50 .49 .52
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 1.21 1.59 (1.22) 2.88 .96 2.08
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total income (loss) from
investment operations 1.74 2.13 (.71) 3.38 1.45 2.60
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends and/or distributions to shareholders:
Dividends from net investment income (.48) (.54) (.49) (.51) (.43) (.49)
Distributions from net realized gain (1.09) (1.22) (1.28) (.79) -- (.56)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total dividends and/or distributions
to shareholders (1.57) (1.76) (1.77) (1.30) (.43) (1.05)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of period $ 14.23 $ 14.06 $ 13.69 $ 16.17 $ 14.09 $ 13.07
====================================================================================
=================================================================================================================================
Total Return, at Net Asset Value/2/ 13.31% 16.29% (4.71)% 25.46% 11.22% 22.79%
=================================================================================================================================
Ratios/Supplemental Data
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net assets, end of period
(in thousands) $ 639,648 $ 635,603 $ 624,895 $ 712,470 $ 264,359 $ 251,353
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average net assets (in thousands) $ 644,356 $ 660,113 $ 699,665 $ 395,436 $ 256,765 $ 249,660
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ratios to average net assets:/3/
Net investment income 3.71% 3.70% 3.34% 3.30% 4.73% 3.97%
Expenses 1.13% 1.09% 1.08%/4/ 1.16%/4/ 1.21%/4/ 1.15%/4/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portfolio turnover rate 33% 15% 59% 51% 32% 29%
</TABLE>
1. For the nine months ended September 30, 1996. The Fund changed its fiscal
year end from December 31 to September 30. 2. Assumes a $1,000 hypothetical
initial investment on the business day before the first day of the fiscal period
(or inception of offering), with all dividends and distributions reinvested in
additional shares on the reinvestment date, and redemption at the net asset
value calculated on the last business day of the fiscal period. Sales charges
are not reflected in the total returns. Total returns are not annualized for
periods of less than one full year. 3. Annualized for periods of less than one
full year.
4. Expense ratio has not been grossed up to reflect the effect of expenses paid
indirectly.
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
30 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Year Year
Ended Ended
Sept. 30, Dec. 31,
Class B 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996/1/ 1995/2/
===================================================================================================================================
Per Share Operating Data
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period $ 13.93 $ 13.57 $ 16.04 $ 14.01 $ 13.03 $ 13.28
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income .41 .41 .38 .45 .41 .17
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 1.19 1.58 (1.20) 2.78 .93 .41
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total income (loss) from
investment operations 1.60 1.99 (.82) 3.23 1.34 .58
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends and/or distributions to shareholders:
Dividends from net investment income (.36) (.41) (.37) (.41) (.36) (.27)
Distributions from net realized gain (1.09) (1.22) (1.28) (.79) -- (.56)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total dividends and/or distributions
to shareholders (1.45) (1.63) (1.65) (1.20) (.36) (.83)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of period $ 14.08 $ 13.93 $ 13.57 $ 16.04 $ 14.01 $ 13.03
===================================================================================================================================
Total Return, at Net Asset Value/3/ 12.30% 15.35% (5.49)% 24.34% 10.37% 4.44%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===================================================================================================================================
Ratios/Supplemental Data
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net assets, end of period
(in thousands) $ 66,777 $ 68,875 $ 73,036 $ 67,916 $ 5,996 $ 1,265
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average net assets (in thousands) $ 66,956 $ 73,673 $ 74,442 $ 25,113 $ 3,546 $ 520
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ratios to average net assets:/4/
Net investment income 2.92% 2.85% 2.53% 2.26% 3.69% 2.62%
Expenses 1.94% 1.93% 1.91%/5/ 1.96%/5/ 2.12%/5/ 2.27%/5/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portfolio turnover rate 33% 15% 59% 51% 32% 29%
</TABLE>
1. For the nine months ended September 30, 1996. The Fund changed its fiscal
year end from December 31 to September 30.
2. For the period from August 29, 1995 (inception of offering) to December 31,
1995.
3. Assumes a $1,000 hypothetical initial investment on the business day before
the first day of the fiscal period (or inception of offering), with all
dividends and distributions reinvested in additional shares on the reinvestment
date, and redemption at the net asset value calculated on the last business day
of the fiscal period. Sales charges are not reflected in the total returns.
Total returns are not annualized for periods of less than one full year. 4.
Annualized for periods of less than one full year.
5. Expense ratio has not been grossed up to reflect the effect of expenses paid
indirectly.
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
31 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Year Year
Ended Ended
Sept. 30, Dec. 31,
Class C 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996/1/ 1995
=================================================================================================================================
Per Share Operating Data
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Net asset value, beginning of period $ 13.97 $ 13.61 $ 16.07 $ 14.02 $ 13.01 $ 11.49
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income .41 .42 .38 .41 .40 .40
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 1.20 1.57 (1.20) 2.83 .96 2.07
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total income (loss) from
investment operations 1.61 1.99 (.82) 3.24 1.36 2.47
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends and/or distributions to shareholders:
Dividends from net investment income (.36) (.41) (.36) (.40) (.35) (.39)
Distributions from net realized gain (1.09) (1.22) (1.28) (.79) -- (.56)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total dividends and/or distributions
to shareholders (1.45) (1.63) (1.64) (1.19) (.35) (.95)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net asset value, end of period $ 14.13 $ 13.97 $ 13.61 $ 16.07 $ 14.02 $ 13.01
=======================================================================================
=================================================================================================================================
Total Return, at Net Asset Value/2/ 12.35% 15.28% (5.43)% 24.42% 10.55% 21.69%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
=================================================================================================================================
Ratios/Supplemental Data
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net assets, end of period
(in thousands) $ 38,522 $ 38,978 $ 48,417 $ 49,539 $ 21,087 $ 15,405
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average net assets (in thousands) $ 38,597 $ 43,701 $ 52,325 $ 33,813 $ 17,898 $ 11,827
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ratios to average net assets:/3/
Net investment income 2.92% 2.85% 2.51% 2.61% 3.84% 3.08%
Expenses 1.94% 1.93% 1.91%/4/ 1.97%/4/ 2.07%/4/ 1.99%/4/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portfolio turnover rate 33% 15% 59% 51% 32% 29%
</TABLE>
1. For the nine months ended September 30, 1996. The Fund changed its fiscal
year end from December 31 to September 30. 2. Assumes a $1,000 hypothetical
initial investment on the business day before the first day of the fiscal period
(or inception of offering), with all dividends and distributions reinvested in
additional shares on the reinvestment date, and redemption at the net asset
value calculated on the last business day of the fiscal period. Sales charges
are not reflected in the total returns. Total returns are not annualized for
periods of less than one full year. 3. Annualized for periods of less than one
full year.
4. Expense ratio has not been grossed up to reflect the effect of expenses paid
indirectly.
See accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
32 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Significant Accounting Policies
Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund (the Fund) is registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment
company. The Fund's investment objective is to seek high total investment return
consistent with preservation of principal. The Fund's investment advisor is
OppenheimerFunds, Inc. (the Manager).
The Fund offers Class A, Class B and Class C shares. Class A shares are sold
at their offering price, which is normally net asset value plus a front-end
sales charge. Class B and Class C shares are sold without a front-end sales
charge but may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC). All
classes of shares have identical rights to earnings, assets and voting
privileges, except that each class has its own expenses directly attributable to
that class and exclusive voting rights with respect to matters affecting that
class. Classes A, B and C have separate distribution and/or service plans. Class
B shares will automatically convert to Class A shares six years after the date
of purchase. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies
consistently followed by the Fund.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Securities Valuation. Securities listed or traded on National Stock Exchanges or
other domestic or foreign exchanges are valued based on the last sale price of
the security traded on that exchange prior to the time when the Fund's assets
are valued. In the absence of a sale, the security is valued at the last sale
price on the prior trading day, if it is within the spread of the closing bid
and asked prices, and if not, at the closing bid price. Securities (including
restricted securities) for which quotations are not readily available are valued
primarily using dealer-supplied valuations, a portfolio pricing service
authorized by the Board of Trustees, or at their fair value. Fair value is
determined in good faith under consistently applied procedures under the
supervision of the Board of Trustees. Short-term "money market type" debt
securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less are valued at
amortized cost (which approximates market value).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Structured Notes. The Fund invests in foreign currency-linked structured notes
whose market value and redemption price are linked to foreign currency exchange
rates. The structured notes are leveraged, which increases the notes' volatility
relative to the principal of the security. Fluctuations in value of these
securities are recorded as unrealized gains and losses in the accompanying
financial statements. As of September 30, 2000, these securities resulted in
unrealized gains of $33,563. The Fund may also hedge a portion of the foreign
currency exposure generated by these securities, as discussed in Note 5.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Security Credit Risk. The Fund invests in high yield securities, which may be
subject to a greater degree of credit risk, greater market fluctuations and risk
of loss of income and principal, and may be more sensitive to economic
conditions than lower yielding, higher rated fixed income securities. The Fund
may acquire securities in default, and is not obligated to dispose of securities
whose issuers subsequently default. As of September 30, 2000, securities with an
aggregate market value of $38,025, representing 0.01% of the Fund's net assets,
were in default.
33 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Significant Accounting Policies Continued
Foreign Currency Translation. The accounting records of the Fund are maintained
in U.S. dollars. Prices of securities denominated in foreign currencies are
translated into U.S. dollars at the closing rates of exchange. Amounts related
to the purchase and sale of foreign securities and investment income are
translated at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such
transactions.
The effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on investments is
separately identified from the fluctuations arising from changes in market
values of securities held and reported with all other foreign currency gains and
losses in the Fund's Statement of Operations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund requires the custodian to take possession, to
have legally segregated in the Federal Reserve Book Entry System or to have
segregated within the custodian's vault, all securities held as collateral for
repurchase agreements. The market value of the underlying securities is required
to be at least 102% of the resale price at the time of purchase. If the seller
of the agreement defaults and the value of the collateral declines, or if the
seller enters an insolvency proceeding, realization of the value of the
collateral by the Fund may be delayed or limited.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allocation of Income, Expenses, Gains and Losses. Income, expenses (other than
those attributable to a specific class), gains and losses are allocated daily to
each class of shares based upon the relative proportion of net assets
represented by such class. Operating expenses directly attributable to a
specific class are charged against the operations of that class.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Taxes. The Fund intends to continue to comply with provisions of the
Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to
distribute all of its taxable income, including any net realized gain on
investments not offset by loss carryovers, to shareholders. Therefore, no
federal income or excise tax provision is required.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trustees' Compensation. The Fund has adopted an unfunded retirement plan for the
Fund's independent Board of Trustees. Benefits are based on years of service and
fees paid to each trustee during the years of service. During the year ended
September 30, 2000, a provision of $57,662 was made for the Fund's projected
benefit obligations and payments of $13,035 were made to retired trustees,
resulting in an accumulated liability of $236,807 as of September 30, 2000.
The Board of Trustees has adopted a deferred compensation plan for
independent trustees that enables trustees to elect to defer receipt of all or a
portion of annual compensation they are entitled to receive from the Fund. Under
the plan, the compensation deferred is periodically adjusted as though an
equivalent amount had been invested for the Board of Trustees in shares of one
or more Oppenheimer funds selected by the
34 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
trustee. The amount paid to the Board of Trustees under the plan will be
determined based upon the performance of the selected funds. Deferral of
trustees' fees under the plan will not affect the net assets of the Fund, and
will not materially affect the Fund's assets, liabilities or net investment
income per share.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders. Dividends and distributions to
shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations,
are recorded on the ex-dividend date.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Classification of Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders. Net investment
income (loss) and net realized gain (loss) may differ for financial statement
and tax purposes. The character of dividends and distributions made during the
fiscal year from net investment income or net realized gains may differ from its
ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Also, due to timing
of dividends and distributions, the fiscal year in which amounts are distributed
may differ from the fiscal year in which the income or realized gain was
recorded by the Fund.
The Fund adjusts the classification of distributions to shareholders to
reflect the differences between financial statement amounts and distributions
determined in accordance with income tax regulations. Accordingly, during the
year ended September 30, 2000, amounts have been reclassified to reflect an
increase in paid-in capital of $3,131,265, a decrease in undistributed net
investment income of $163,427, and a decrease in accumulated net realized gain
on investments of $2,967,838. This reclassification includes $3,136,404
distributed in connection with Fund share redemptions which increased paid-in
capital and reduced accumulated net realized gain. Net assets of the Fund were
unaffected by the reclassifications.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expense Offset Arrangements. Expenses paid indirectly represent a reduction of
custodian fees for earnings on cash balances maintained by the Fund.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other. Investment transactions are accounted for as of trade date and dividend
income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Discount on securities purchased is
accreted over the life of the respective securities, in accordance with federal
income tax requirements. Realized gains and losses on investments and options
written and unrealized appreciation and depreciation are determined on an
identified cost basis, which is the same basis used for federal income tax
purposes. Dividends-in-kind are recognized as income on the ex-dividend date, at
the current market value of the underlying security. Interest on payment-in-kind
debt instruments is accrued as income at the coupon rate and a market adjustment
is made periodically.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial
statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting
period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
35 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
================================================================================
2.Shares of Beneficial Interest
The Fund has authorized an unlimited number of no par value shares of beneficial
interest for each class. Transactions in shares of beneficial interest were as
follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Year Ended September 30, 2000 Year Ended September 30, 1999
Shares Amount Shares Amount
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Sold 2,399,891 $ 33,730,252 1,797,693 $ 25,595,843
Dividends and/or
distributions reinvested 4,751,781 63,935,355 5,300,198 72,227,515
Redeemed (7,377,559) (103,090,489) (7,538,361) (107,027,712)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net decrease (225,887) $ (5,424,882) (440,470) $ (9,204,354)
==============================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class B
Sold 887,243 $ 12,369,666 1,006,931 $ 14,207,626
Dividends and/or
distributions reinvested 473,833 6,297,177 577,898 7,782,999
Redeemed (1,563,882) (21,690,687) (2,021,277) (28,376,514)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net decrease (202,806) $ (3,023,844) (436,448) $ (6,385,889)
==============================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class C
Sold 428,935 $ 5,997,482 411,845 $ 5,825,212
Dividends and/or
distributions reinvested 272,821 3,635,733 337,524 4,555,422
Redeemed (765,156) (10,589,938) (1,518,503) (21,507,261)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net decrease (63,400) $ (956,723) (769,134) $ (11,126,627)
==============================================================================
</TABLE>
================================================================================
3.Purchases and Sales of Securities
The aggregate cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of securities, other
than short-term obligations, for the year ended September 30, 2000, were
$229,639,832 and $274,081,210, respectively.
As of September 30, 2000, unrealized appreciation (depreciation) based on
cost of securities for federal income tax purposes of $609,101,733 was:
Gross unrealized appreciation $ 167,948,683
Gross unrealized depreciation (35,471,931)
Net unrealized appreciation $ 132,476,752
================================================================================
4.Fees and Other Transactions with Affiliates
Management Fees. Management fees paid to the Manager are in accordance with the
investment advisory agreement with the Fund which provides for a fee of 0.75% on
the first $200 million of average annual net assets of the Fund, 0.72% of the
next $200 million, 0.69% of the next $200 million, 0.66% of the next $200
million, 0.60% of the next $700 million and 0.58% of average annual net assets
in excess of $1.5 billion. The Fund's management fee for the year ended
September 30, 2000, was an annualized rate of 0.71%, before any waiver by the
Manager if applicable.
36 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transfer Agent Fees. OppenheimerFunds Services (OFS), a division of the Manager,
acts as the transfer and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund on an
"at-cost" basis. OFS also acts as the transfer and shareholder servicing agent
for the other Oppenheimer funds.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution and Service Plan Fees. Under its General Distributor's Agreement
with the Manager, the Distributor acts as the Fund's principal underwriter in
the continuous public offering of the different classes of shares of the Fund.
The compensation paid to (or retained by) the Distributor from the sale of
shares or on the redemption of shares is shown in the table below for the period
indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Aggregate Class A Commissions Commissions Commissions
Front-End Front-End on Class A on Class B on Class C
Sales Charges Sales Charges Shares Shares Shares
on Class A Retained by Advanced by Advanced by Advanced by
Year Ended Shares Distributor Distributor/1/ Distributor/1/ Distributor/1/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
September 30, 2000 $392,339 $144,549 $14,825 $348,915 $48,291
</TABLE>
1. The Distributor advances commission payments to dealers for certain sales of
Class A shares and for sales of Class B and Class C shares from its own
resources at the time of sale.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Class A Class B Class C
Contingent Deferred Contingent Deferred Contingent Deferred
Sales Charges Sales Charges Sales Charges
Year Ended Retained by Distributor Retained by Distributor Retained by Distributor
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
September 30, 2000 $4,472 $151,138 $4,114
</TABLE>
The Fund has adopted a Service Plan for Class A shares and Distribution and
Service Plans for Class B and Class C shares under Rule 12b-1 of the Investment
Company Act. Under those plans the Fund pays the Distributor for all or a
portion of its costs incurred in connection with the distribution and/or
servicing of the shares of the particular class.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A Service Plan Fees. Under the Class A service plan, the Distributor
currently uses the fees it receives from the Fund to pay brokers, dealers and
other financial institutions. The Class A service plan permits reimbursements to
the Distributor at a rate of up to 0.25% of average annual net assets of Class A
shares purchased. The Distributor makes payments to plan recipients quarterly at
an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of the average annual net assets consisting
of Class A shares of the Fund. For the year ended September 30, 2000, payments
under the Class A plan totaled $1,249,743 prior to Manager waiver if applicable,
all of which were paid by the Distributor to recipients, and included $74,786
paid to an affiliate of the Manager. Any unreimbursed expenses the Distributor
incurs with respect to Class A shares in any fiscal year cannot be recovered in
subsequent years.
37 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
================================================================================
4.Fees and Other Transactions with Affiliates Continued
Class B and Class C Distribution and Service Plan Fees. Under each plan, service
fees and distribution fees are computed on the average of the net asset value of
shares in the respective class, determined as of the close of each regular
business day during the period. The Class B and Class C plans provide for the
Distributor to be compensated at a flat rate, whether the Distributor's
distribution expenses are more or less than the amounts paid by the Fund under
the plan during the period for which the fee is paid.
The Distributor retains the asset-based sales charge on Class B shares. The
Distributor retains the asset-based sales charge on Class C shares during the
first year the shares are outstanding. The asset-based sales charges on Class B
and Class C shares allow investors to buy shares without a front-end sales
charge while allowing the Distributor to compensate dealers that sell those
shares.
The Distributor's actual expenses in selling Class B and Class C shares may
be more than the payments it receives from the contingent deferred sales charges
collected on redeemed shares and asset-based sales charges from the Fund under
the plans. If any plan is terminated by the Fund, the Board of Trustees may
allow the Fund to continue payments of the asset-based sales charge to the
Distributor for distributing shares before the plan was terminated. The plans
allow for the carryforward of distribution expenses, to be recovered from
asset-based sales charges in subsequent fiscal periods. Distribution fees paid
to the Distributor for the year ended September 30, 2000, were as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Distributor's Distributor's
Aggregate Unreimbursed
Unreimbursed Expenses as %
Total Payments Amount Retained Expenses of Net Assets
Under Plan by Distributor Under Plan of Class
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Class B Plan $670,083 $528,605 $2,511,958 3.76%
Class C Plan 386,245 52,369 667,881 1.73
</TABLE>
================================================================================
5.Foreign Currency Contracts
A foreign currency contract is a commitment to purchase or sell a foreign
currency at a future date, at a negotiated rate. The Fund may enter into foreign
currency contracts for operational purposes and to seek to protect against
adverse exchange rate fluctuations. Risks to the Fund include the potential
inability of the counterparty to meet the terms of the contract.
The net U.S. dollar value of foreign currency underlying all contractual
commitments held by the Fund and the resulting unrealized appreciation or
depreciation are determined using foreign currency exchange rates as provided by
a reliable bank, dealer or pricing service. Unrealized appreciation and
depreciation on foreign currency contracts are reported in the Statement of
Assets and Liabilities.
38 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
The Fund may realize a gain or loss upon the closing or settlement of the
foreign currency transactions. Realized gains and losses are reported with all
other foreign currency gains and losses in the Statement of Operations.
Securities denominated in foreign currency to cover net exposure on
outstanding foreign currency contracts are noted in the Statement of Investments
where applicable.
================================================================================
6.Option Activity
The Fund may buy and sell put and call options, or write put and covered call
options on portfolio securities in order to produce incremental earnings or
protect against changes in the value of portfolio securities.
The Fund generally purchases put options or writes covered call options to
hedge against adverse movements in the value of portfolio holdings. When an
option is written, the Fund receives a premium and becomes obligated to sell or
purchase the underlying security at a fixed price, upon exercise of the option.
Options are valued daily based upon the last sale price on the principal
exchange on which the option is traded and unrealized appreciation or
depreciation is recorded. The Fund will realize a gain or loss upon the
expiration or closing of the option transaction. When an option is exercised,
the proceeds on sales for a written call option, the purchase cost for a written
put option, or the cost of the security for a purchased put or call option is
adjusted by the amount of premium received or paid.
Securities designated to cover outstanding call options are noted in the
Statement of Investments where applicable. Shares subject to call, expiration
date, exercise price, premium received and market value are detailed in a note
to the Statement of Investments. Options written are reported as a liability in
the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Realized gains and losses are reported
in the Statement of Operations.
The risk in writing a call option is that the Fund gives up the opportunity
for profit if the market price of the security increases and the option is
exercised. The risk in writing a put option is that the Fund may incur a loss if
the market price of the security decreases and the option is exercised. The risk
in buying an option is that the Fund pays a premium whether or not the option is
exercised. The Fund also has the additional risk of not being able to enter into
a closing transaction if a liquid secondary market does not exist.
Written option activity for the year ended September 30, 2000, was as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Call Options
-----------------------------------
Number of Amount of
Contracts Premiums
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C>
Options outstanding as of September 30, 1999 5,141 $ 2,350,634
Options written 14,207 5,821,804
Options closed or expired (9,169) (4,311,284)
Options exercised (1,890) (846,930)
-----------------------------------
Options outstanding as of September 30, 2000 8,289 $ 3,014,224
===================================
</TABLE>
39 OPPENHEIMER MULTIPLE STRATEGIES FUND
<PAGE>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
================================================================================
7.Illiquid Securities
As of September 30, 2000, investments in securities included issues that are
illiquid. A security may be considered illiquid if it lacks a readily available
market or if its valuation has not changed for a certain period of time. The
Fund intends to invest no more than 10% of its net assets (determined at the
time of purchase and reviewed periodically) in illiquid securities. The
aggregate value of illiquid securities subject to this limitation as of
September 30, 2000, was $17,829,099, which represents 2.39% of the Fund's net
assets. Certain restricted securities, eligible for resale to qualified
institutional investors, are not subject to that limit.
================================================================================
8.Bank Borrowings
The Fund may borrow from a bank for temporary or emergency purposes including,
without limitation, funding of shareholder redemptions provided asset coverage
for borrowings exceeds 300%. The Fund has entered into an agreement which
enables it to participate with other Oppenheimer funds in an unsecured line of
credit with a bank, which permits borrowings up to $400 million, collectively.
Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at a rate equal to
the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.45%. Borrowings are payable 30 days after such
loan is executed. The Fund also pays a commitment fee equal to its pro rata
share of the average unutilized amount of the credit facility at a rate of 0.08%
per annum.
The Fund had no borrowings outstanding during the year ended September 30,
2000.
--------
1No commission will be paid on sales of Class A shares purchased with the
redemption proceeds of shares of another mutual fund offered as an investment
option in a retirement plan in which Oppenheimer funds are also offered as
investment options under a special arrangement with the Distributor, if the
purchase occurs more than 30 days after the Oppenheimer funds are added as an
investment option under that plan.
2 Ms. Macaskill and Mr. Griffith are not Directors of Oppenheimer Money
Market Fund, Inc.; Mr. Griffiths is also not a Trustee of Oppenheimer
Discovery Fund.
3 However, that commission will not be paid on purchases of shares in amounts of
$1 million or more (including any right of accumulation) by a Retirement Plan
that pays for the purchase with the redemption proceeds of Class C shares of one
or more Oppenheimer funds held by the Plan for more than one year.
4 This provision does not apply to IRAs.
5 This provision does not apply to 403(b)(7) custodial plans if the
participant is less than age 55, nor to IRAs.
6 This provision does not apply to IRAs.
7 This provision does not apply to loans from 403(b)(7) custodial plans. 8 This
provision does not apply to 403(b)(7) custodial plans if the participant is less
than age 55, nor to IRAs.
<PAGE>
A-5
Appendix A
RATINGS DEFINITIONS
Below are summaries of the rating definitions used by the nationally-recognized
rating agencies listed below. Those ratings represent the opinion of the agency
as to the credit quality of issues that they rate. The summaries below are based
upon publicly-available information provided by the rating organizations.
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Long-Term (Taxable) Bond Ratings
Aaa: Bonds rated "Aaa" are judged to be the best quality. They carry the
smallest degree of investment risk. Interest payments are protected by a large
or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various
protective elements are likely to change, the changes that can be expected are
most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa: Bonds rated "Aa" are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together
with the "Aaa" group, they comprise what are generally known as high-grade
bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection
may not be as large as with "Aaa" securities or fluctuation of protective
elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present
which make the long-term risk appear somewhat larger than that of "Aaa"
securities.
A: Bonds rated "A" possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be
considered as upper-medium grade obligations. Factors giving security to
principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present which
suggest a susceptibility to impairment some time in the future.
Baa: Bonds rated "Baa" are considered medium-grade obligations; that is, they
are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal
security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be
lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time.
Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and have speculative
characteristics as well.
Ba: Bonds rated "Ba" are judged to have speculative elements. Their future
cannot be considered well-assured. Often the protection of interest and
principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during
both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes
bonds in this class.
B: Bonds rated "B" generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment.
Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of
the contract over any long period of time may be small.
Caa: Bonds rated "Caa" are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or
there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or
interest.
Ca: Bonds rated "Ca" represent obligations which are speculative in a high
degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.
C: Bonds rated "C" are the lowest class of rated bonds and can be regarded as
having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.
Con. (...): Bonds for which the security depends on the completion of some act
or the fulfillment of some condition are rated conditionally. These bonds are
secured by (a) earnings of projects under construction, (b) earnings of projects
unseasoned in operating experience, (c) rentals that begin when facilities are
completed, or (d) payments to which some other limiting condition attaches. The
parenthetical rating denotes probable credit stature upon completion of
construction or elimination of the basis of the condition.
Moody's applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating
classification from "Aa" through "Caa." The modifier "1" indicates that the
obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier
"2" indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier "3" indicates a ranking in
the lower end of that generic rating category. Advanced refunded issues that are
secured by certain assets are identified with a # symbol.
Short-Term Ratings - Taxable Debt
These ratings apply to the ability of issuers to honor senior debt obligations
having an original maturity not exceeding one year:
Prime-1: Issuer has a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term
debt obligations.
Prime-2: Issuer has a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt
obligations. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more
subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while appropriate, may be
more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
Prime-3: Issuer has an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term
obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may
be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in
changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively
high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.
Not Prime: Issuer does not fall within any Prime rating category.
Standard & Poor's Rating Services
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Long-Term Credit Ratings
AAA: Bonds rated "AAA" have the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's.
The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is
extremely strong.
AA: Bonds rated "AA" differ from the highest rated obligations only in small
degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation is very strong.
A: Bonds rated "A" are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of
changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in
higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial
commitment on the obligation is still strong.
BBB: Bonds rated "BBB" exhibit adequate protection parameters. However, adverse
economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a
weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation.
BB, B, CCC, CC, and C
Bonds rated "BB", "B", "CCC", "CC" and "C" are regarded as having significant
speculative characteristics. "BB" indicates the least degree of speculation, and
"C" the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and
protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or
major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: Bonds rated "BB" are less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative
issues. However, these face major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse
business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's
inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B: Bonds rated "B" are more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated
"BB", but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial
commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic
conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its
financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC: Bonds rated "CCC" are currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and are dependent
upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to
meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse
business, financial or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have
the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC: Bonds rated "CC" are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C: A subordinated debt or preferred stock obligation rated "C" is currently
highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The "C" rating may be used to cover a situation
where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action has been taken, but
payments on this obligation are being continued. A "C" also will be assigned to
a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but
that is currently paying.
D: Bonds rated "D" are in default. Payments on the obligation are not being made
on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless
Standard and Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace
period. The "D" rating will also be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy
petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are
jeopardized.
The ratings from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or
minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories. The
"r" symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant noncredit
risks.
Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1: Obligation is rated in the highest category. The obligor's capacity to meet
its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, a
plus (+) sign designation indicates the obligor's capacity to meet its financial
obligation is extremely strong.
A-2: Obligation is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes
in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating
categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on
the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3: Obligation exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse
economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a
weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation.
B: Obligation is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The
obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to
the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation.
C: Obligation is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon
favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to
meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
D: Obligation is in payment default. Payments on the obligation have not been
made on the due date even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless
Standard and Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace
period. The "D" rating will also be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy
petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are
jeopardized.
Fitch, Inc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Long-Term Credit Ratings
Investment Grade:
AAA: Highest Credit Quality. "AAA" ratings denote the lowest expectation of
credit risk. They are assigned only in the case of exceptionally strong
capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly
unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very High Credit Quality. "AA" ratings denote a very low expectation of
credit risk. They indicate a very strong capacity for timely payment of
financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to
foreseeable events.
A: High Credit Quality. "A" ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk.
The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered
strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in
circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good Credit Quality. "BBB" ratings indicate that there is currently a
low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial
commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and
in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the
lowest investment-grade category.
Speculative Grade:
BB: Speculative. "BB" ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit
risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over
time. However, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow
financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not
investment grade.
B: Highly Speculative. "B" ratings indicate that significant credit risk is
present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are
currently being met. However, capacity for continued payment is contingent
upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
CCC, CC C: High Default Risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for
meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable
business or economic developments. A "CC" rating indicates that default of
some kind appears probable. "C" ratings signal imminent default.
DDD, DD, and D: Default. The ratings of obligations in this category are based
on their prospects for achieving partial or full recovery in a reorganization or
liquidation of the obligor. While expected recovery values are highly
speculative and cannot be estimated with any precision, the following serve as
general guidelines. "DDD" obligations have the highest potential for recovery,
around 90%-100% of outstanding amounts and accrued interest. "DD" indicates
potential recoveries in the range of 50%-90%, and "D" the lowest recovery
potential, i.e., below 50%.
Entities rated in this category have defaulted on some or all of their
obligations. Entities rated "DDD" have the highest prospect for resumption of
performance or continued operation with or without a formal reorganization
process. Entities rated "DD" and "D" are generally undergoing a formal
reorganization or liquidation process; those rated "DD" are likely to satisfy a
higher portion of their outstanding obligations, while entities rated "D" have a
poor prospect for repaying all obligations.
Plus (+) and minus (-) signs may be appended to a rating symbol to denote
relative status within the major rating categories. Plus and minus signs are not
added to the "AAA" category or to categories below "CCC," nor to short-term
ratings other than "F1" (see below).
International Short-Term Credit Ratings
F1: Highest credit quality. Strongest capacity for timely payment of
financial commitments. May have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally
strong credit feature.
F2: Good credit quality. A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of
financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the
case of higher ratings.
F3: Fair credit quality. Capacity for timely payment of financial
commitments is adequate. However, near-term adverse changes could result in a
reduction to non-investment grade.
B: Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial
commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and
economic conditions.
C: High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for
meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable
business and economic environment.
D: Default. Denotes actual or imminent payment default.
<PAGE>
B-1
Appendix B
Industry Classifications
Aerospace/Defense Food and Drug Retailers
Air Transportation Gas Utilities
Asset-Backed Health Care/Drugs
Auto Parts and Equipment Health Care/Supplies & Services
Automotive Homebuilders/Real Estate
Bank Holding Companies Hotel/Gaming
Banks Industrial Services
Beverages Information Technology
Broadcasting Insurance
Broker-Dealers Leasing & Factoring
Building Materials Leisure
Cable Television Manufacturing
Chemicals Metals/Mining
Commercial Finance Nondurable Household Goods
Communication Equipment Office Equipment
Computer Hardware Oil - Domestic
Computer Software Oil - International
Conglomerates Paper
Consumer Finance Photography
Consumer Services Publishing
Containers Railroads & Truckers
Convenience Stores Restaurants
Department Stores Savings & Loans
Diversified Financial Shipping
Diversified Media Special Purpose Financial
Drug Wholesalers Specialty Printing
Durable Household Goods Specialty Retailing
Education Steel
Electric Utilities Telecommunications - Long Distance
Electrical Equipment Telephone - Utility
Electronics Textile, Apparel & Home Furnishings
Energy Services Tobacco
Entertainment/Film Trucks and Parts
Environmental Wireless Services
Food
<PAGE>
C-12
Appendix C
OppenheimerFunds Special Sales Charge Arrangements and Waivers
In certain cases, the initial sales charge that applies to purchases of Class A
shares1 of the Oppenheimer funds or the contingent deferred sales charge that
may apply to Class A, Class B or Class C shares may be waived.2 That is because
of the economies of sales efforts realized by OppenheimerFunds Distributor,
Inc., (referred to in this document as the "Distributor"), or by dealers or
other financial institutions that offer those shares to certain classes of
investors.
Not all waivers apply to all funds. For example, waivers relating to Retirement
Plans do not apply to Oppenheimer municipal funds, because shares of those funds
are not available for purchase by or on behalf of retirement plans. Other
waivers apply only to shareholders of certain funds.
For the purposes of some of the waivers described below and in the Prospectus
and Statement of Additional Information of the applicable Oppenheimer funds, the
term "Retirement Plan" refers to the following types of plans: (1) plans
qualified under Sections 401(a) or 401(k) of the Internal Revenue
Code,
(2) non-qualified deferred compensation plans, (3) employee benefit plans3 (4)
Group Retirement Plans4 (5) 403(b)(7) custodial plan accounts (6) Individual
Retirement Accounts ("IRAs"), including traditional IRAs,
Roth IRAs, SEP-IRAs, SARSEPs or SIMPLE plans
The interpretation of these provisions as to the applicability of a special
arrangement or waiver in a particular case is in the sole discretion of the
Distributor or the transfer agent (referred to in this document as the "Transfer
Agent") of the particular Oppenheimer fund. These waivers and special
arrangements may be amended or terminated at any time by a particular fund, the
Distributor, and/or OppenheimerFunds, Inc. (referred to in this document as the
"Manager").
Waivers that apply at the time shares are redeemed must be requested by the
shareholder and/or dealer in the redemption request.
--------------
1. Certain waivers also apply to Class M shares of Oppenheimer Convertible
Securities Fund.
2. In the case of Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Fund, a continuously-offered
closed-end fund, references to contingent deferred sales charges mean the
Fund's Early Withdrawal Charges and references to "redemptions" mean
"repurchases" of shares.
3. An "employee benefit plan" means any plan or arrangement, whether or not it
is "qualified" under the Internal Revenue Code, under which Class A shares of
an Oppenheimer fund or funds are purchased by a fiduciary or other
administrator for the account of participants who are employees of a single
employer or of affiliated employers. These may include, for example, medical
savings accounts, payroll deduction plans or similar plans. The fund accounts
must be registered in the name of the fiduciary or administrator purchasing
the shares for the benefit of participants in the plan.
4. The term "Group Retirement Plan" means any qualified or non-qualified
retirement plan for employees of a corporation or sole proprietorship,
members and employees of a partnership or association or other organized
group of persons (the members of which may include other groups), if the
group has made special arrangements with the Distributor and all members of
the group participating in (or who are eligible to participate in) the plan
purchase Class A shares of an Oppenheimer fund or funds through a single
investment dealer, broker or other financial institution designated by the
group. Such plans include 457 plans, SEP-IRAs, SARSEPs, SIMPLE plans and
403(b) plans other than plans for public school employees. The term "Group
Retirement Plan" also includes qualified retirement plans and non-qualified
deferred compensation plans and IRAs that purchase Class A shares of an
Oppenheimer fund or funds through a single investment dealer, broker or other
financial institution that has made special arrangements with the Distributor
enabling those plans to purchase Class A shares at net asset value but
subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge.
I. Applicability of Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charges in Certain Cases
Purchases of Class A Shares of Oppenheimer Funds That Are Not Subject to Initial
Sales Charge but May Be Subject to the Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
(unless a waiver applies).
There is no initial sales charge on purchases of Class A shares of any of
the Oppenheimer funds in the cases listed below. However, these purchases may be
subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge if redeemed within 18
months of the end of the calendar month of their purchase, as described in the
Prospectus (unless a waiver described elsewhere in this Appendix applies to the
redemption). Additionally, on shares purchased under these waivers that are
subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge, the Distributor will
pay the applicable commission described in the Prospectus under "Class A
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge."3 This waiver provision applies to:
|_| Purchases of Class A shares aggregating $1 million or more. |_| Purchases by
a Retirement Plan (other than an IRA or 403(b)(7)
custodial plan) that:
(1) buys shares costing $500,000 or more, or
(2) has, at the time of purchase, 100 or more eligible employees or total
plan assets of $500,000 or more, or
(3) certifies to the Distributor that it projects to have annual plan
purchases of $200,000 or more.
|_| Purchases by an OppenheimerFunds-sponsored Rollover IRA, if the
purchases are made:
(1) through a broker, dealer, bank or registered investment adviser
that has made special arrangements with the Distributor for those
purchases, or
(2) by a direct rollover of a distribution from a qualified Retirement
Plan if the administrator of that Plan has made special
arrangements with the Distributor for those purchases.
|_| Purchases of Class A shares by Retirement Plans that have any of the
following record-keeping arrangements:
(1) The record keeping is performed by Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith,
Inc. ("Merrill Lynch") on a daily valuation basis for the
Retirement Plan. On the date the plan sponsor signs the
record-keeping service agreement with Merrill Lynch, the Plan
must have $3 million or more of its assets invested in (a)
mutual funds, other than those advised or managed by Merrill
Lynch Asset Management, L.P. ("MLAM"), that are made available
under a Service Agreement between Merrill Lynch and the mutual
fund's principal underwriter or distributor, and (b) funds
advised or managed by MLAM (the funds described in (a) and (b)
are referred to as "Applicable Investments").
(2) The record keeping for the Retirement Plan is performed on a daily
valuation basis by a record keeper whose services are provided
under a contract or arrangement between the Retirement Plan and
Merrill Lynch. On the date the plan sponsor signs the record
keeping service agreement with Merrill Lynch, the Plan must
have $3 million or more of its assets (excluding assets
invested in money market funds) invested in Applicable
Investments.
(3) The record keeping for a Retirement Plan is handled under a
service agreement with Merrill Lynch and on the date the plan
sponsor signs that agreement, the Plan has 500 or more eligible
employees (as determined by the Merrill Lynch plan conversion
manager).
|_| Purchases by a Retirement Plan whose record keeper had a
cost-allocation agreement with the Transfer Agent on or before May 1,
1999.
II. Waivers of Class A Sales Charges of Oppenheimer Funds
A. Waivers of Initial and Contingent Deferred Sales Charges for Certain
Purchasers.
Class A shares purchased by the following investors are not subject to any Class
A sales charges (and no commissions are paid by the Distributor on such
purchases):
|_| The Manager or its affiliates.
|_| Present or former officers, directors, trustees and employees (and
their "immediate families") of the Fund, the Manager and its
affiliates, and retirement plans established by them for their
employees. The term "immediate family" refers to one's spouse,
children, grandchildren, grandparents, parents, parents-in-law,
brothers and sisters, sons- and daughters-in-law, a sibling's
spouse, a spouse's siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews;
relatives by virtue of a remarriage (step-children, step-parents,
etc.) are included.
|_| Registered management investment companies, or separate accounts of
insurance companies having an agreement with the Manager or the
Distributor for that purpose.
|_| Dealers or brokers that have a sales agreement with the Distributor, if
they purchase shares for their own accounts or for retirement plans for
their employees.
|_| Employees and registered representatives (and their spouses) of dealers
or brokers described above or financial institutions that have
entered into sales arrangements with such dealers or brokers (and
which are identified as such to the Distributor) or with the
Distributor. The purchaser must certify to the Distributor at the
time of purchase that the purchase is for the purchaser's own
account (or for the benefit of such employee's spouse or minor
children).
|_| Dealers, brokers, banks or registered investment advisors that have
entered into an agreement with the Distributor providing specifically
for the use of shares of the Fund in particular investment products
made available to their clients. Those clients may be charged a
transaction fee by their dealer, broker, bank or advisor for the
purchase or sale of Fund shares.
|_| Investment advisors and financial planners who have entered into an
agreement for this purpose with the Distributor and who charge an
advisory, consulting or other fee for their services and buy shares for
their own accounts or the accounts of their clients.
|_| "Rabbi trusts" that buy shares for their own accounts, if the purchases
are made through a broker or agent or other financial intermediary that
has made special arrangements with the Distributor for those purchases.
|_| Clients of investment advisors or financial planners (that have entered
into an agreement for this purpose with the Distributor) who buy
shares for their own accounts may also purchase shares without sales
charge but only if their accounts are linked to a master account of
their investment advisor or financial planner on the books and
records of the broker, agent or financial intermediary with which
the Distributor has made such special arrangements . Each of these
investors may be charged a fee by the broker, agent or financial
intermediary for purchasing shares.
|_| Directors, trustees, officers or full-time employees of OpCap Advisors
or its affiliates, their relatives or any trust, pension, profit
sharing or other benefit plan which beneficially owns shares for those
persons.
|_| Accounts for which Oppenheimer Capital (or its successor) is the
investment advisor (the Distributor must be advised of this
arrangement) and persons who are directors or trustees of the company
or trust which is the beneficial owner of such accounts.
|_| A unit investment trust that has entered into an appropriate agreement
with the Distributor.
|_| Dealers, brokers, banks, or registered investment advisers that have
entered into an agreement with the Distributor to sell shares to
defined contribution employee retirement plans for which the dealer,
broker or investment adviser provides administration services.
|_| Retirement Plans and deferred compensation plans and trusts used to
fund those plans (including, for example, plans qualified or created
under sections 401(a), 401(k), 403(b) or 457 of the Internal Revenue
Code), in each case if those purchases are made through a broker, agent
or other financial intermediary that has made special arrangements with
the Distributor for those purchases.
|_| A TRAC-2000 401(k) plan (sponsored by the former Quest for Value
Advisors) whose Class B or Class C shares of a Former Quest for Value
Fund were exchanged for Class A shares of that Fund due to the
termination of the Class B and Class C TRAC-2000 program on November
24, 1995.
|_| A qualified Retirement Plan that had agreed with the former Quest for
Value Advisors to purchase shares of any of the Former Quest for Value
Funds at net asset value, with such shares to be held through
DCXchange, a sub-transfer agency mutual fund clearinghouse, if that
arrangement was consummated and share purchases commenced by December
31, 1996.
B. Waivers of Initial and Contingent Deferred Sales Charges in Certain
Transactions.
Class A shares issued or purchased in the following transactions are not subject
to sales charges (and no commissions are paid by the Distributor on such
purchases):
|_| Shares issued in plans of reorganization, such as mergers, asset
acquisitions and exchange offers, to which the Fund is a party.
|_| Shares purchased by the reinvestment of dividends or other
distributions reinvested from the Fund or other Oppenheimer funds
(other than Oppenheimer Cash Reserves) or unit investment trusts for
which reinvestment arrangements have been made with the Distributor.
|_| Shares purchased through a broker-dealer that has entered into a
special agreement with the Distributor to allow the broker's
customers to purchase and pay for shares of Oppenheimer funds using
the proceeds of shares redeemed in the prior 30 days from a mutual
fund (other than a fund managed by the Manager or any of its
subsidiaries) on which an initial sales charge or contingent
deferred sales charge was paid. This waiver also applies to shares
purchased by exchange of shares of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund,
Inc. that were purchased and paid for in this manner. This waiver
must be requested when the purchase order is placed for shares of
the Fund, and the Distributor may require evidence of qualification
for this waiver.
|_| Shares purchased with the proceeds of maturing principal units of any
Qualified Unit Investment Liquid Trust Series.
|_| Shares purchased by the reinvestment of loan repayments by a
participant in a Retirement Plan for which the Manager or an affiliate
acts as sponsor.
C. Waivers of the Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge for Certain
Redemptions.
The Class A contingent deferred sales charge is also waived if shares that would
otherwise be subject to the contingent deferred sales charge are redeemed in the
following cases:
|_| To make Automatic Withdrawal Plan payments that are limited annually to
no more than 12% of the account value adjusted annually.
|_| Involuntary redemptions of shares by operation of law or involuntary
redemptions of small accounts (please refer to "Shareholder Account
Rules and Policies," in the applicable fund Prospectus).
|_| For distributions from Retirement Plans, deferred compensation plans or
other employee benefit plans for any of the following purposes:
(1) Following the death or disability (as defined in the Internal
Revenue Code) of the participant or beneficiary. The death or
disability must occur after the participant's account was
established.
(2) To return excess contributions.
(3) To return contributions made due to a mistake of fact.
(4) Hardship withdrawals, as defined in the plan.4
(5) Under a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, as defined in the Internal
Revenue Code, or, in the case of an IRA, a divorce or separation
agreement described in Section 71(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(6) To meet the minimum distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue
Code.
(7) To make "substantially equal periodic payments" as described in
Section 72(t) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(8) For loans to participants or beneficiaries.
(9) Separation from service.5
(10) Participant-directed redemptions to purchase shares of a mutual
fund (other than a fund managed by the Manager or a subsidiary of
the Manager) if the plan has made special arrangements with the
Distributor.
(11) Plan termination or "in-service distributions," if the redemption
proceeds are rolled over directly to an OppenheimerFunds-sponsored
IRA.
|_| For distributions from Retirement Plans having 500 or more eligible
employees, except distributions due to termination of all of the
Oppenheimer funds as an investment option under the Plan.
|_| For distributions from 401(k) plans sponsored by broker-dealers that
have entered into a special agreement with the Distributor allowing
this waiver.
III. Waivers of Class B, Class C and Class N Sales Charges of
Oppenheimer Funds
The Class B, Class C and Class N contingent deferred sales charges will not be
applied to shares purchased in certain types of transactions or redeemed in
certain circumstances described below.
A. Waivers for Redemptions in Certain Cases.
The Class B, Class C and Class N contingent deferred sales charges will be
waived for redemptions of shares in the following cases: |_| Shares redeemed
involuntarily, as described in "Shareholder Account
Rules and Policies," in the applicable Prospectus.
|_| Redemptions from accounts other than Retirement Plans following the
death or disability of the last surviving shareholder, including a
trustee of a grantor trust or revocable living trust for which the
trustee is also the sole beneficiary. The death or disability must have
occurred after the account was established, and for disability you must
provide evidence of a determination of disability by the Social
Security Administration.
|_| Distributions from accounts for which the broker-dealer of record has
entered into a special agreement with the Distributor allowing this
waiver.
|_| Redemptions of Class B shares held by Retirement Plans whose records
are maintained on a daily valuation basis by Merrill Lynch or an
independent record keeper under a contract with Merrill Lynch.
|_| Redemptions of Class C shares of Oppenheimer U.S. Government Trust from
accounts of clients of financial institutions that have entered into a
special arrangement with the Distributor for this purpose.
|_| Redemptions requested in writing by a Retirement Plan sponsor of Class
C shares of an Oppenheimer fund in amounts of $1 million or more held
by the Retirement Plan for more than one year, if the redemption
proceeds are invested in Class A shares of one or more Oppenheimer
funds.
|_| Distributions from Retirement Plans or other employee benefit plans for
any of the following purposes:
(1) Following the death or disability (as defined in the Internal
Revenue Code) of the participant or beneficiary. The death or
disability must occur after the participant's account was
established in an Oppenheimer fund.
(2) To return excess contributions made to a participant's account.
(3) To return contributions made due to a mistake of fact.
(4) To make hardship withdrawals, as defined in the plan.6
(5) To make distributions required under a Qualified Domestic Relations
Order or, in the case of an IRA, a divorce or separation agreement
described in Section 71(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(6) To meet the minimum distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue
Code.
(7) To make "substantially equal periodic payments" as described in
Section 72(t) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(8) For loans to participants or beneficiaries.7 (9) On account of the
participant's separation from service.8 (10) Participant-directed redemptions to
purchase shares of a mutual fund
(other than a fund managed by the Manager or a subsidiary of the
Manager) offered as an investment option in a Retirement Plan if
the plan has made special arrangements with the Distributor.
(11) Distributions made on account of a plan termination or
"in-service" distributions, if the redemption proceeds are rolled
over directly to an OppenheimerFunds-sponsored IRA.
(12) Distributions from Retirement Plans having 500 or more eligible
employees, but excluding distributions made because of the Plan's
elimination as investment options under the Plan of all of the
Oppenheimer funds that had been offered.
(13) For distributions from a participant's account under an Automatic
Withdrawal Plan after the participant reaches age 59 1/2 , as long
as the aggregate value of the distributions does not exceed 10% of
the account's value, adjusted annually.
(14) Redemptions of Class B shares under an Automatic Withdrawal Plan
for an account other than a Retirement Plan, if the aggregate
value of the redeemed shares does not exceed 10% of the account's
value, adjusted annually.
|_|Redemptions of Class B shares or Class C shares under an Automatic
Withdrawal Plan from an account other than a Retirement Plan if the
aggregate value of the redeemed shares does not exceed 10% of the
account's value annually.
B. Waivers for Shares Sold or Issued in Certain Transactions.
The contingent deferred sales charge is also waived on Class B, Class C and
Class N shares sold or issued in the following cases: |_| Shares sold to the
Manager or its affiliates.
|_| Shares sold to registered management investment companies or separate
accounts of insurance companies having an agreement with the Manager or
the Distributor for that purpose.
|_| Shares issued in plans of reorganization to which the Fund is a party. |_|
Shares sold to present or former officers, directors, trustees or
employees (and their "immediate families" as defined above in
Section I.A.) of the Fund, the Manager and its affiliates and
retirement plans established by them for their employees.
<PAGE>
IV. Special Sales Charge Arrangements for Shareholders of Certain Oppenheimer
Funds Who Were Shareholders of Former
Quest for Value Funds
The initial and contingent deferred sales charge rates and waivers for Class A,
Class B and Class C shares described in the Prospectus or Statement of
Additional Information of the Oppenheimer funds are modified as described below
for certain persons who were shareholders of the former Quest for Value Funds.
To be eligible, those persons must have been shareholders on November 24, 1995,
when OppenheimerFunds, Inc. became the investment advisor to those former Quest
for Value Funds. Those funds include:
<PAGE>
Oppenheimer Quest Value Fund, Inc. Oppenheimer Quest Small Cap
Value Fund
Oppenheimer Quest Balanced Value Fund Oppenheimer Quest Global Value
Fund
Oppenheimer Quest Opportunity Value
Fund
These arrangements also apply to shareholders of the following funds when
they merged (were reorganized) into various Oppenheimer funds on November 24,
1995:
Quest for Value U.S. Government Quest for Value New York Tax-Exempt
Income Fund Fund
Quest for Value Investment Quality Quest for Value National Tax-Exempt
Income Fund Fund
Quest for Value Global Income Fund Quest for Value California Tax-Exempt
Fund
All of the funds listed above are referred to in this Appendix as the
"Former Quest for Value Funds." The waivers of initial and contingent deferred
sales charges described in this Appendix apply to shares of an Oppenheimer fund
that are either:
|_| acquired by such shareholder pursuant to an exchange of shares of an
Oppenheimer fund that was one of the Former Quest for Value Funds, or
|_| purchased by such shareholder by exchange of shares of another
Oppenheimer fund that were acquired pursuant to the merger of any of
the Former Quest for Value Funds into that other Oppenheimer fund on
November 24, 1995.
A. Reductions or Waivers of Class A Sales Charges.
|X| Reduced Class A Initial Sales Charge Rates for Certain
Former Quest for Value Funds Shareholders.
Purchases by Groups and Associations. The following table sets forth the initial
sales charge rates for Class A shares purchased by members of "Associations"
formed for any purpose other than the purchase of securities. The rates in the
table apply if that Association purchased shares of any of the Former Quest for
Value Funds or received a proposal to purchase such shares from OCC Distributors
prior to November 24, 1995.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial Sales Initial Sales
Number of Eligible Charge as a % of Charge as a % of Commission as %
Employees or Members Offering Price Net Amount Invested of Offering Price
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 or Fewer 2.50% 2.56% 2.00%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At least 10 but not 2.00% 2.04% 1.60%
more than 49
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>
For purchases by Associations having 50 or more eligible employees or
members, there is no initial sales charge on purchases of Class A shares, but
those shares are subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales charge
described in the applicable fund's Prospectus.
Purchases made under this arrangement qualify for the lower of either the
sales charge rate in the table based on the number of members of an Association,
or the sales charge rate that applies under the Right of Accumulation described
in the applicable fund's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.
Individuals who qualify under this arrangement for reduced sales charge rates as
members of Associations also may purchase shares for their individual or
custodial accounts at these reduced sales charge rates, upon request to the
Distributor.
|X| Waiver of Class A Sales Charges for Certain Shareholders. Class A
shares purchased by the following investors are not subject to any Class A
initial or contingent deferred sales charges:
|_| Shareholders who were shareholders of the AMA Family of Funds on
February 28, 1991 and who acquired shares of any of the Former Quest
for Value Funds by merger of a portfolio of the AMA Family of Funds.
|_| Shareholders who acquired shares of any Former Quest for Value Fund
by merger of any of the portfolios of the Unified Funds.
|X| Waiver of Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge in Certain
Transactions. The Class A contingent deferred sales charge will not apply to
redemptions of Class A shares purchased by the following investors who were
shareholders of any Former Quest for Value Fund:
Investors who purchased Class A shares from a dealer that is or was not
permitted to receive a sales load or redemption fee imposed on a shareholder
with whom that dealer has a fiduciary relationship, under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and regulations adopted under that law.
B. Class A, Class B and Class C Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Waivers.
|X| Waivers for Redemptions of Shares Purchased Prior to March 6, 1995. In
the following cases, the contingent deferred sales charge will be waived for
redemptions of Class A, Class B or Class C shares of an Oppenheimer fund. The
shares must have been acquired by the merger of a Former Quest for Value Fund
into the fund or by exchange from an Oppenheimer fund that was a Former Quest
for Value Fund or into which such fund merged. Those shares must have been
purchased prior to March 6, 1995 in connection with:
|_| withdrawals under an automatic withdrawal plan holding only either
Class B or Class C shares if the annual withdrawal does not exceed
10% of the initial value of the account value, adjusted annually,
and
|_| liquidation of a shareholder's account if the aggregate net asset
value of shares held in the account is less than the required
minimum value of such accounts.
|X| Waivers for Redemptions of Shares Purchased on or After March 6, 1995
but Prior to November 24, 1995. In the following cases, the contingent deferred
sales charge will be waived for redemptions of Class A, Class B or Class C
shares of an Oppenheimer fund. The shares must have been acquired by the merger
of a Former Quest for Value Fund into the fund or by exchange from an
Oppenheimer fund that was a Former Quest For Value Fund or into which such
Former Quest for Value Fund merged. Those shares must have been purchased on or
after March 6, 1995, but prior to November 24, 1995: |_| redemptions following
the death or disability of the shareholder(s) (as
evidenced by a determination of total disability by the U.S.
Social Security Administration);
|_| withdrawals under an automatic withdrawal plan (but only for Class B
or Class C shares) where the annual withdrawals do not exceed 10% of
the initial value of the account value; adjusted annually, and
|_| liquidation of a shareholder's account if the aggregate net asset
value of shares held in the account is less than the required
minimum account value.
A shareholder's account will be credited with the amount of any contingent
deferred sales charge paid on the redemption of any Class A, Class B or Class C
shares of the Oppenheimer fund described in this section if the proceeds are
invested in the same Class of shares in that fund or another Oppenheimer fund
within 90 days after redemption.
V. Special Sales Charge Arrangements for Shareholders of Certain
Oppenheimer Funds Who Were Shareholders of Connecticut Mutual Investment
Accounts, Inc.
The initial and contingent deferred sale charge rates and waivers for Class A
and Class B shares described in the respective Prospectus (or this Appendix) of
the following Oppenheimer funds (each is referred to as a "Fund" in this
section):
o Oppenheimer U. S. Government Trust,
o Oppenheimer Bond Fund,
o Oppenheimer Disciplined Value Fund and
o Oppenheimer Disciplined Allocation Fund
are modified as described below for those Fund shareholders who were
shareholders of the following funds (referred to as the "Former Connecticut
Mutual Funds") on March 1, 1996, when OppenheimerFunds, Inc. became the
investment adviser to the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds:
Connecticut Mutual Liquid Account Connecticut Mutual Total Return
Account
Connecticut Mutual Government Securities CMIA LifeSpan Capital Appreciation
Account Account
Connecticut Mutual Income Account CMIA LifeSpan Balanced Account
Connecticut Mutual Growth Account CMIA Diversified Income Account
A. Prior Class A CDSC and Class A Sales Charge Waivers.
|_| Class A Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. Certain shareholders of a
Fund and the other Former Connecticut Mutual Funds are entitled to continue to
make additional purchases of Class A shares at net asset value without a Class A
initial sales charge, but subject to the Class A contingent deferred sales
charge that was in effect prior to March 18, 1996 (the "prior Class A CDSC").
Under the prior Class A CDSC, if any of those shares are redeemed within one
year of purchase, they will be assessed a 1% contingent deferred sales charge on
an amount equal to the current market value or the original purchase price of
the shares sold, whichever is smaller (in such redemptions, any shares not
subject to the prior Class A CDSC will be redeemed first).
Those shareholders who are eligible for the prior Class A CDSC are: (1)
persons whose purchases of Class A shares of a Fund and other Former
Connecticut Mutual Funds were $500,000 prior to March 18, 1996, as a
result of direct purchases or purchases pursuant to the Fund's
policies on Combined Purchases or Rights of Accumulation, who still
hold those shares in that Fund or other Former Connecticut Mutual
Funds, and
(2) persons whose intended purchases under a Statement of Intention
entered into prior to March 18, 1996, with the former general
distributor of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds to purchase shares
valued at $500,000 or more over a 13-month period entitled those
persons to purchase shares at net asset value without being subject
to the Class A initial sales charge.
Any of the Class A shares of a Fund and the other Former Connecticut
Mutual Funds that were purchased at net asset value prior to March 18, 1996,
remain subject to the prior Class A CDSC, or if any additional shares are
purchased by those shareholders at net asset value pursuant to this arrangement
they will be subject to the prior Class A CDSC.
|_| Class A Sales Charge Waivers. Additional Class A shares of a Fund may
be purchased without a sales charge, by a person who was in one (or more) of the
categories below and acquired Class A shares prior to March 18, 1996, and still
holds Class A shares:
(1) any purchaser, provided the total initial amount invested in the Fund
or any one or more of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds
totaled $500,000 or more, including investments made pursuant
to the Combined Purchases, Statement of Intention and Rights of
Accumulation features available at the time of the initial
purchase and such investment is still held in one or more of
the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds or a Fund into which such
Fund merged;
(2) any participant in a qualified plan, provided that the total
initial amount invested by the plan in the Fund or any one or more
of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds totaled $500,000 or more;
(3) Directors of the Fund or any one or more of the Former Connecticut
Mutual Funds and members of their immediate families;
(4) employee benefit plans sponsored by Connecticut Mutual Financial
Services, L.L.C. ("CMFS"), the prior distributor of the Former
Connecticut Mutual Funds, and its affiliated companies;
(5) one or more members of a group of at least 1,000 persons (and
persons who are retirees from such group) engaged in a common
business, profession, civic or charitable endeavor or other
activity, and the spouses and minor dependent children of such
persons, pursuant to a marketing program between CMFS and such
group; and
(6) an institution acting as a fiduciary on behalf of an individual or
individuals, if such institution was directly compensated by the
individual(s) for recommending the purchase of the shares of the
Fund or any one or more of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds,
provided the institution had an agreement with CMFS.
Purchases of Class A shares made pursuant to (1) and (2) above may be
subject to the Class A CDSC of the Former Connecticut Mutual Funds described
above.
Additionally, Class A shares of a Fund may be purchased without a sales
charge by any holder of a variable annuity contract issued in New York State by
Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company through the Panorama Separate Account
which is beyond the applicable surrender charge period and which was used to
fund a qualified plan, if that holder exchanges the variable annuity contract
proceeds to buy Class A shares of the Fund.
B. Class A and Class B Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Waivers.
In addition to the waivers set forth in the Prospectus and in this Appendix,
above, the contingent deferred sales charge will be waived for redemptions of
Class A and Class B shares of a Fund and exchanges of Class A or Class B shares
of a Fund into Class A or Class B shares of a Former Connecticut Mutual Fund
provided that the Class A or Class B shares of the Fund to be redeemed or
exchanged were (i) acquired prior to March 18, 1996 or (ii) were acquired by
exchange from an Oppenheimer fund that was a Former Connecticut Mutual Fund.
Additionally, the shares of such Former Connecticut Mutual Fund must have been
purchased prior to March 18, 1996:
(1) by the estate of a deceased shareholder;
(2) upon the disability of a shareholder, as defined in Section 72(m)(7) of
the Internal Revenue Code;
(3) for retirement distributions (or loans) to participants or
beneficiaries from retirement plans qualified under Sections 401(a)
or 403(b)(7)of the Code, or from IRAs, deferred compensation plans
created under Section 457 of the Code, or other employee benefit
plans;
(4) as tax-free returns of excess contributions to such retirement or
employee benefit plans;
(5) in whole or in part, in connection with shares sold to any state,
county, or city, or any instrumentality, department, authority, or
agency thereof, that is prohibited by applicable investment laws from
paying a sales charge or commission in connection with the purchase
of shares of any registered investment management company;
(6) in connection with the redemption of shares of the Fund due to a
combination with another investment company by virtue of a merger,
acquisition or similar reorganization transaction;
(7) in connection with the Fund's right to involuntarily redeem or
liquidate the Fund;
(8) in connection with automatic redemptions of Class A shares and Class
B shares in certain retirement plan accounts pursuant to an Automatic
Withdrawal Plan but limited to no more than 12% of the original value
annually; or
(9) as involuntary redemptions of shares by operation of law, or under
procedures set forth in the Fund's Articles of Incorporation, or as
adopted by the Board of Directors of the Fund.
VI. Special Reduced Sales Charge for Former Shareholders of
Advance America Funds, Inc.
Shareholders of Oppenheimer Municipal Bond Fund, Oppenheimer U.S. Government
Trust, Oppenheimer Strategic Income Fund and Oppenheimer Equity Income Fund who
acquired (and still hold) shares of those funds as a result of the
reorganization of series of Advance America Funds, Inc. into those Oppenheimer
funds on October 18, 1991, and who held shares of Advance America Funds, Inc. on
March 30, 1990, may purchase Class A shares of those four Oppenheimer funds at a
maximum sales charge rate of 4.50%.
VII. Sales Charge Waivers on Purchases of Class M Shares of
Oppenheimer Convertible Securities Fund
Oppenheimer Convertible Securities Fund (referred to as the "Fund" in this
section) may sell Class M shares at net asset value without any initial sales
charge to the classes of investors listed below who, prior to March 11, 1996,
owned shares of the Fund's then-existing Class A and were permitted to purchase
those shares at net asset value without sales charge: |_| the Manager and its
affiliates, |_| present or former officers, directors, trustees and employees
(and
their "immediate families" as defined in the Fund's Statement of
Additional Information) of the Fund, the Manager and its affiliates,
and retirement plans established by them or the prior investment
advisor of the Fund for their employees,
|_| registered management investment companies or separate accounts of
insurance companies that had an agreement with the Fund's prior
investment advisor or distributor for that purpose,
|_| dealers or brokers that have a sales agreement with the Distributor, if
they purchase shares for their own accounts or for retirement plans for
their employees,
|_| employees and registered representatives (and their spouses) of dealers
or brokers described in the preceding section or financial institutions
that have entered into sales arrangements with those dealers or brokers
(and whose identity is made known to the Distributor) or with the
Distributor, but only if the purchaser certifies to the Distributor at
the time of purchase that the purchaser meets these qualifications,
|_| dealers, brokers, or registered investment advisors that had entered
into an agreement with the Distributor or the prior distributor of the
Fund specifically providing for the use of Class M shares of the Fund
in specific investment products made available to their clients, and
|_| dealers, brokers or registered investment advisors that had entered
into an agreement with the Distributor or prior distributor of the
Fund's shares to sell shares to defined contribution employee
retirement plans for which the dealer, broker, or investment advisor
provides administrative services.
<PAGE>
Oppenheimer Multiple Strategies Fund
Internet Web Site:
www.oppenheimerfunds.com
Investment Adviser
OppenheimerFunds, Inc.
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048-0203
Distributor
OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.
Two World Trade Center
New York, New York 10048-0203
Transfer Agent
OppenheimerFunds Services
P.O. Box 5270
Denver, Colorado 80217
1-800-525-7048
Custodian Bank
The Bank of New York
One Wall Street
New York, New York 10015
Independent Auditors
KPMG LLP
707 Seventeenth Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
Legal Counsel
Mayer, Brown & Platt
1675 Broadway
New York, New York 10019
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PX240.0101