This prospectus sets forth concisely the information about Scudder High Yield
Bond Fund, a series of Scudder Portfolio Trust, an open-end management
investment company, that a prospective investor should know before investing.
Please retain it for future reference.
If you require more detailed information, a Statement of Additional Information
dated June 28, 1996, as amended from time to time, may be obtained without
charge by writing Scudder Investor Services, Inc., Two International Place,
Boston, MA 02110-4103 or calling 1-800-225-2470. The Statement, which is
incorporated by reference into this prospectus, has been filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Fund invests without limitation in lower quality bonds, commonly referred to
as junk bonds. Bonds of this type are considered to be speculative with regard
to the payment of interest and return of principal. They carry greater risks,
including the risk of default, than other debt securities. Purchasers should
carefully assess the risks associated with an investment in the Fund. Refer to
"Additional information about policies and investments" and "Special risk
considerations" for further information.
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE
ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A
CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
Scudder
High Yield
Bond Fund
Prospectus
June 28, 1996
A pure no-load(TM) (no sales charges) mutual fund seeking a high level of
current income and, secondarily, capital appreciation through investment
primarily in below investment-grade domestic debt securities.
<PAGE>
Expense information
How to compare a Scudder pure no-load(TM) fund
This information is designed to help you understand the various costs and
expenses of investing in Scudder High Yield Bond Fund (the "Fund"). By reviewing
this table and those in other mutual funds' prospectuses, you can compare the
Fund's fees and expenses with those of other funds. With Scudder's pure
no-load(TM) funds, you pay no commissions to purchase or redeem shares, or to
exchange from one fund to another. As a result, all of your investment goes to
work for you.
1) Shareholder transaction expenses: Expenses charged directly to your
individual account in the Fund for various transactions.
Sales commissions to purchase shares (sales load) NONE
Commissions to reinvest dividends NONE
Deferred sales charge NONE
Redemption fees payable to the Fund 1.00%*
Exchange fees payable to the Fund 1.00%*
2) Annual Fund operating expenses: Estimated expenses paid by the Fund before
it distributes its net investment income, expressed as a percentage of the
Fund's average daily net assets for the initial fiscal period.
Investment management fee (after waiver) 0%**
12b-1 fees NONE
Other expenses (after waiver and reimbursement) 0%**
----
Total Fund operating expenses 0%**
====
Example
Based on the estimated level of total Fund operating expenses listed above, the
total expenses relating to a $1,000 investment, assuming a 5% annual return and
redemption at the end of each period, are listed below. Investors do not pay
these expenses directly; they are paid by the Fund before it distributes its net
investment income to shareholders.
1 Year 3 Years
------ -------
$0 $0
See "Fund organization--Investment adviser" for further information about the
investment management fee. This example assumes reinvestment of all dividends
and distributions and that the percentage amounts listed under "Annual Fund
operating expenses" remain the same each year. This example should not be
considered a representation of past or future expenses or return. Actual Fund
expenses and return vary from year to year and may be higher or lower than those
shown.
* There may be a 1% fee retained by the Fund which is imposed only on
redemptions or exchanges of shares held less than one year. You may redeem
by writing or calling the Fund. If you wish to receive redemption proceeds
via wire, there is a $5 wire service fee. For additional information,
please refer to "Transaction information--Exchanging and redeeming shares."
** Until June 30, 1997, the Adviser and certain of its subsidiaries have
agreed to waive all of their fees payable by the Fund to the extent
necessary so that the total annualized expenses of the Fund do not exceed
0% of average daily net assets. If the Adviser and its subsidiaries had not
agreed to waive all of their fees, it is estimated that annualized Fund
expenses would be: investment management fee 0.70%, other expenses 1.12%
and total operating expenses 1.82% for the initial fiscal period.
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A message from Scudder's chairman
Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc., investment adviser to the Scudder Family of
Funds, was founded in 1919. We offered America's first no-load mutual fund in
1928. Today, we manage in excess of $100 billion for many private accounts and
over 50 mutual fund portfolios. We manage the mutual funds in a special program
for the American Association of Retired Persons, as well as the fund options
available through Scudder Horizon Plan, a tax-advantaged variable annuity. We
also advise The Japan Fund and nine closed-end funds that invest in countries
around the world.
The Scudder Family of Funds is designed to make investing easy and less costly.
It includes money market, tax free, income and growth funds as well as IRAs,
401(k)s, Keoghs and other retirement plans.
Services available to all shareholders include toll-free access to the
professional service representatives of Scudder Investor Relations, easy
exchange among funds, shareholder reports, informative newsletters and the
walk-in convenience of Scudder Funds Centers.
All Scudder mutual funds are pure no-load(TM). This means you pay no commissions
to purchase or redeem your shares or to exchange from one fund to another. There
are no "12b-1" fees either, which many other funds now charge to support their
marketing efforts. All of your investment goes to work for you. We look forward
to welcoming you as a shareholder.
/s/Daniel Pierce
Scudder High Yield Bond Fund
Investment objectives
o a high level of current income and, secondarily, capital appreciation
Investment characteristics
o a diversified, actively managed portfolio consisting primarily of high
yield/high risk bonds
o a focus on intermediate- and long-term securities
o designed as a long-term investment, which involves above-average bond fund
risk
o a pure no-load(TM) fund with no sales charges, commissions or 12b-1 fees
o a 1% redemption and exchange fee on shares held less than one year,
retained by the Fund for the benefit of remaining shareholders
Contents
Investment objectives and policies 4
Why invest in the Fund? 6
Additional information about policies
and investments 6
Special risk considerations 9
Distribution and performance information 13
Purchases 14
Exchanges and redemptions 15
Fund organization 16
Transaction information 17
Shareholder benefits 21
Trustees and Officers 24
Appendix 25
Investment products and services 27
How to contact Scudder Back cover
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Investment objectives and policies
Scudder High Yield Bond Fund (the "Fund"), a diversified series of Scudder
Portfolio Trust, seeks a high level of current income and, secondarily, capital
appreciation through investment primarily in below investment-grade domestic
debt securities.
While the Fund's primary investment objective is high current income, it also
pursues capital appreciation. Capital appreciation can occur, for example, from
an improvement in the financial condition or credit rating of issuers whose
securities are held by the Fund, or from a general drop in the level of interest
rates, or a combination of both factors.
The Fund can invest without limit in lower- quality domestic debt securities,
sometimes referred to as "high yield" or "junk" bonds. These are non-investment
grade debt securities, which are considered speculative investments by the major
credit rating agencies. High yield bonds involve a greater risk of default and
price volatility than U.S. Government bonds and other high quality fixed-income
securities. Please refer to "Special risk considerations" for further
information.
The Fund is designed as a long-term investment for investors able to bear
credit, interest rate and other risks in exchange for the potential for high
current income and capital appreciation. To encourage a long-term investment
horizon, the Fund maintains a 1% redemption and exchange fee for shares held
less than one year. This fee, described more fully below, is payable to the Fund
for the benefit of remaining shareholders.
Except as otherwise indicated, the Fund's investment objectives and policies are
not fundamental and may be changed without a vote of shareholders. Shareholders
will receive written notice of any change in the Fund's objectives. If there is
a change in investment objectives, shareholders should consider whether the Fund
remains an appropriate investment in light of their then current financial
position and needs. There can be no assurance that the Fund's objectives will be
met.
Investments
In pursuit of its investment objectives, the Fund, under normal market
conditions, invests at least 65% of its total assets in high yield, below
investment-grade domestic debt securities. The Fund defines "domestic debt
securities" as securities of companies domiciled in the U.S. or organized under
the laws of the U.S. or for which the U.S. trading market is a primary market.
Below investment-grade securities are rated "Ba1" or below by Moody's Investors
Services, Inc. ("Moody's") or "BB+" or below by Standard and Poor's ("S&P"), or,
if unrated, are of equivalent quality as determined by the Fund's investment
adviser, Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc. (the "Adviser"). The Fund's Adviser
intends to focus investments on those securities qualifying for a Ba or B rating
from Moody's or a BB or B rating from S&P, but has the flexibility to acquire
securities qualifying for any rating category, as well as defaulted securities
and non-rated securities. Below investment-grade securities are considered
predominantly speculative with respect to their capacity to pay interest and
repay principal in accordance with their terms and generally involve a greater
risk of default and more volatility in price than securities in higher rating
categories. Please refer to the attached "Appendix" for further information.
In addition to domestic debt securities, the Fund may invest in a variety of
other securities consistent with its investment objectives. These other
investments may include convertible and preferred securities, U.S. Treasury and
Agency bonds, Brady bonds, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, common
stocks and warrants, securities issued by real estate investment trusts, bank
loans, loan participations, dollar rolls, indexed securities and restricted
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securities, such as those acquired through private placements.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities. While
it is anticipated that the majority of the Fund's foreign investments will be
denominated in U.S. dollars, the Fund may invest, within the aforementioned
limit, in foreign bonds denominated in local currencies, including those issued
in emerging markets. The Fund considers "emerging markets" to include any
country that is defined as an emerging or developing economy by any one of the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (i.e., the World Bank),
the International Finance Corporation or the United Nations or its authorities.
The Fund invests primarily in medium- and long-term fixed-income securities.
However, there is no limitation as to the weighted average maturity of the
Fund's portfolio and no restriction on the maturity of any individual security
held in the portfolio. The Adviser will adjust the average portfolio maturity in
light of actual or projected changes in economic and market conditions.
Although the Fund is designed to provide monthly income to shareholders, it can
invest in non-income producing debt securities. Such securities include zero
coupon or other original issue discount bonds, which may pay interest only at
maturity, or pay-in-kind bonds, which pay interest in the form of additional
securities.
The Fund may invest in when-issued or forward-delivery securities, and may
engage in strategic transactions and utilize derivatives. More information about
these investment techniques is provided under "Additional information about
policies and investments."
To provide for redemptions, or in anticipation of investment in longer-term debt
securities, the Fund may hold a portion of its portfolio investments in cash or
cash equivalents including repurchase agreements and other types of money market
instruments. In addition, to provide for redemptions or distributions, the Fund
may borrow from banks in an amount not exceeding the value of one-third of the
Fund's total assets. The Fund does not expect to borrow for investment purposes.
For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets
in cash or money market instruments or invest all or a substantial portion of
its assets in high quality domestic debt securities.
Investment process
The Fund involves above-average bond fund risk. Investing in high yielding,
lower-quality bonds involves various types of risks including the risk of
default; that is, the chance that issuers of bonds held in the portfolio will
not make timely payment of either interest or principal. Risk of default can
increase with changes in the financial condition of a company or with changes in
the overall economy, such as a recession. In comparison to investing in higher
quality issues, high yield bond investors may be rewarded for the additional
risk of high yield bonds through higher interest payments and the opportunity
for capital appreciation.
The Adviser attempts to manage the risks of high yield investing, as well as to
enhance investment return, through careful monitoring of business and economic
conditions in the U.S. and abroad, and through conducting its own credit
research, along with utilizing the ratings and analysis provided by major rating
agencies such as Moody's and S&P. The Adviser monitors, on a regular basis, the
creditworthiness and business prospects of companies represented in the
portfolio.
Further, the Adviser attempts to manage risk through portfolio diversification.
The Fund will typically invest in a variety of issuers and industries. Using a
research-intensive security selection process, the Adviser will focus primarily
5
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Investment objectives and policies (cont'd)
on the following types of high yield opportunities:
o Young, growing companies with attractive business opportunities and
positive credit trends
o Companies with stable to growing cash flows that have the ability to
improve the strength of their balance sheets
o Established companies that may have experienced financial setbacks, but are
displaying evidence of improving business trends
o Securities judged to be undervalued
The Adviser will rely on fundamental corporate credit analysis, incorporating
proprietary credit screening tools.
Why invest in the Fund?
Scudder High Yield Bond Fund offers investors a convenient way to participate in
a diversified, professionally managed portfolio of potentially higher yielding
domestic debt securities.
Over the course of this decade, the market for higher yielding domestic debt
securities has changed dramatically. U.S. high yield bonds now total over $300
billion, about a quarter of the entire U.S. corporate bond market. The average
quality of the overall high yield bond category has improved. Growing companies
that may not have access to more traditional sources of financing are using high
yield bonds to raise capital. As a result of their need to borrow in order to
fuel growth, they must pay out higher levels of income in order to compensate
investors for additional credit risk. The conditions of these companies can
improve over time, thus offering the prospect for price appreciation as well.
By owning shares in the Fund, investors enjoy the opportunity to receive high
monthly income and growth of investment capital over time. In return for these
potential benefits, shareholders must be willing to accept a significantly
higher amount of risk when compared with most funds owning U.S. Government bonds
and other investment- grade debt securities. Changes in interest rates may have
a less direct or dominant impact on high yield bonds than on higher quality
issues of similar maturities. However, the price of high yield bonds can change
significantly or suddenly due to a host of factors including changes in interest
rates, fundamental credit quality, market psychology, government regulations,
U.S. economic growth and, at times, stock market activity. As a result,
investors should be comfortable with the possibility of wide fluctuations in the
Fund's share price and should not rely on the Fund as a sole source of
investment income. Instead, the Fund should be only one part of a balanced
investment program.
The Fund provides diversification and the other advantages of professional fund
management. The Adviser has been managing bond portfolios since the 1920's and
as of May 31, 1996 oversees over $1.5 billion invested in high yield bonds.
In addition, the Fund offers all the benefits of the Scudder Family of Funds.
Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc. manages a diverse family of pure no-load(TM)
funds and provides a wide range of services to help investors meet their
investment needs. Please refer to "Investment products and services" for
additional information.
Additional information about policies and investments
Investment restrictions
The Fund has adopted certain fundamental policies, which may not be changed
without a vote of shareholders and which are designed to reduce the Fund's
investment risk.
The Fund may not borrow money, except as a temporary measure for extraordinary
or emergency purposes or except in connection with reverse repurchase
agreements, and may not make loans except through the lending of portfolio
6
<PAGE>
securities, the purchase of debt securities or through repurchase agreements.
In addition, as a matter of nonfundamental policy, the Fund may not purchase a
security if as a result more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in
illiquid securities.
A complete description of these and other policies and restrictions is contained
under "Investment Restrictions" in the Fund's Statement of Additional
Information.
Brady Bonds
The Fund may invest in Brady Bonds, which are securities created through the
exchange of existing commercial bank loans to public and private entities in
certain emerging markets for new bonds in connection with debt restructurings
under a debt restructuring plan introduced by former U.S. Secretary of the
Treasury, Nicholas F. Brady (the "Brady Plan"). Brady Plan debt restructurings
have been implemented to date in Argentina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Costa Rica,
Jordan, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Brady Bonds have been issued since 1989, and for that reason do not have a long
payment history. Brady Bonds may be collateralized or uncollateralized, are
issued in various currencies (but primarily the dollar) and are actively traded
in over-the-counter secondary markets. Dollar- denominated, collateralized Brady
Bonds, which may be fixed-rate bonds or floating-rate bonds, are generally
collateralized in full as to principal by U.S. Treasury zero coupon bonds having
the same maturity as the bonds.
Brady Bonds are often viewed as having three or four valuation components: the
collateralized repayment of principal at final maturity; the collateralized
interest payments; the uncollateralized interest payments; and any
uncollateralized repayment of principal at maturity, (these uncollateralized
amounts constituting the "residual risk"). In light of the residual risk of
Brady Bonds and the history of defaults of countries issuing Brady Bonds with
respect to commercial bank loans by public and private entities, investments in
Brady Bonds may be viewed as speculative.
Convertible securities
The Fund may invest in convertible securities, which may offer higher income
than the common stocks into which they are convertible. The convertible
securities in which the Fund may invest consist of bonds, notes, debentures and
preferred stocks, which may be converted or exchanged at a stated or
determinable exchange ratio into underlying shares of common stock.
Illiquid Securities
The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities for which there is not
an active trading market, or which have resale restrictions. Such securities may
have been acquired through private placements (transactions in which the
securities acquired have not been registered with the SEC). These illiquid
securities generally offer a higher return than more readily marketable
securities, but carry the risk that the Fund may not be able to dispose of them
at an advantageous time or price. Some restricted securities purchased by the
Fund, however, may be considered liquid despite resale restrictions. The Fund's
Board of Trustees has delegated to the Adviser the authority to determine the
liquidity of restricted securities that can be resold to institutional investors
("Rule 144A Securities") and privately placed commercial paper pursuant to
guidelines approved by the Fund's Board of Trustees.
Mortgage and other asset-backed securities
The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities, which are securities
representing interests in pools of mortgage loans. These securities provide
shareholders with payments consisting of both interest and principal as the
7
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Additional information about policies and investments (cont'd)
mortgages in the underlying mortgage pools are paid off.
The Fund may also invest in securities representing interests in pools of
certain other consumer loans, such as automobile loans or credit card
receivables. In some cases, principal and interest payments are partially
guaranteed by a letter of credit from a financial institution.
Real estate-related instruments
The Fund may purchase instruments such as real estate investment trusts,
commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities, and real estate
financings.
Zero coupon securities
The Fund may invest in zero coupon securities, which pay no cash income and are
sold at substantial discounts from their maturity value. When held to maturity,
their entire income, which consists of accretion of discount, comes from the
difference between the issue price and their maturity value.
When-issued securities
The Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or forward delivery basis, for
payment and delivery at a later date. The price and yield are generally fixed on
the date of commitment to purchase. During the period between purchase and
settlement, no interest accrues to the Fund. At the time of settlement, the
market value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price.
Repurchase agreements
As a means of earning income for periods as short as overnight, the Fund may
enter into repurchase agreements with selected banks and broker/ dealers. Under
a repurchase agreement, the Fund acquires securities, subject to the seller's
agreement to repurchase them at a specified time and price.
The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with any party deemed creditworthy
by the Adviser, including foreign banks and broker/dealers, if the transaction
is entered into for investment purposes and the counterparty's creditworthiness
is at least equal to that of issuers of securities which the Fund may purchase.
Foreign securities
While the Fund generally emphasizes investments in companies domiciled in the
U.S., it may invest in listed and unlisted foreign securities that meet the same
criteria as the Fund's domestic holdings. The Fund may invest in foreign
securities when their anticipated performance is believed by the Adviser to
offer more potential than domestic alternatives in keeping with the investment
objectives of the Fund. The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit issued by
foreign and domestic branches of U.S. banks.
Strategic Transactions and derivatives
The Fund may, but is not required to, utilize various other investment
strategies as described below to hedge various market risks (such as interest
rates, currency exchange rates, and broad or specific equity or fixed-income
market movements), to manage the effective maturity or duration of the Fund's
portfolio or to enhance potential gain. These strategies may be executed through
the use of derivative contracts. Such strategies are generally accepted as a
part of modern portfolio management and are regularly utilized by many mutual
funds and other institutional investors. Techniques and instruments may change
over time as new instruments and strategies are developed or regulatory changes
occur.
In the course of pursuing these investment strategies, the Fund may purchase and
sell exchange-listed and over-the-counter put and call options on securities,
equity and fixed-income indices and other financial instruments, purchase and
sell financial futures contracts and options thereon, enter into various
8
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interest rate transactions such as swaps, caps, floors or collars, and enter
into various currency transactions such as currency forward contracts, currency
futures contracts, currency swaps or options on currencies or currency futures
(collectively, all the above are called "Strategic Transactions").
Strategic Transactions may be used without limit to attempt to protect against
possible changes in the market value of securities held in or to be purchased
for the Fund's portfolio resulting from securities markets or currency exchange
rate fluctuations, to protect the Fund's unrealized gains in the value of its
portfolio securities, to facilitate the sale of such securities for investment
purposes, to manage the effective maturity or duration of the Fund's portfolio,
or to establish a position in the derivatives markets as a temporary substitute
for purchasing or selling particular securities. Some Strategic Transactions may
also be used to enhance potential gain although no more than 5% of the Fund's
assets will be committed to Strategic Transactions entered into for non-hedging
purposes. Any or all of these investment techniques may be used at any time and
in any combination, and there is no particular strategy that dictates the use of
one technique rather than another, as use of any Strategic Transaction is a
function of numerous variables including market conditions. The ability of the
Fund to utilize these Strategic Transactions successfully will depend on the
Adviser's ability to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be
assured. The Fund will comply with applicable regulatory requirements when
implementing these strategies, techniques and instruments. Strategic
Transactions involving financial futures and options thereon will be purchased,
sold or entered into only for bona fide hedging, risk management or portfolio
management purposes and not for speculative purposes. Please refer to "Risk
factors--Strategic Transactions and derivatives" for more information.
Special risk considerations
The Fund's risks are determined by the nature of the securities held and the
portfolio management strategies used by the Adviser. The following are
descriptions of certain risks related to the investments and techniques that the
Fund may use from time to time. In light of the following, when you sell your
shares of the Fund, they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them.
High yield/high risk securities. The Fund may invest in debt securities which
are rated below investment-grade (hereinafter referred to as "lower rated
securities") or which are unrated, but deemed equivalent to those rated below
investment-grade by the Adviser. The lower the ratings of such debt securities,
the greater their risks. These debt instruments generally offer a higher current
yield than that available from higher grade issues, but typically involve
greater risk. The yields on high yield/high risk bonds will fluctuate over time.
In general, prices of all bonds rise when interest rates fall and fall when
interest rates rise. Lower rated and unrated securities are especially subject
to adverse changes in general economic conditions and to changes in the
financial condition of their issuers. During periods of economic downturn or
rising interest rates, issuers of these instruments may experience financial
stress that could adversely affect their ability to make payments of principal
and interest and increase the possibility of default.
Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental
analysis, may also decrease the values and liquidity of these securities
especially in a market characterized by only a small amount of trading.
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Special risk considerations (cont'd)
In cases where market quotations are not available, lower rated securities are
valued using guidelines established by the Fund's Board of Trustees. Perceived
credit quality in this market can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and may not
fully reflect the actual risk posed by a particular lower rated or unrated
security.
Please refer to the attached "Appendix" for further information concerning debt
securities ratings. For a more complete description of the risks of high
yield/high risk securities, please refer to the Fund's Statement of Additional
Information.
Illiquid securities. The absence of a trading market can make it difficult to
ascertain a market value for illiquid securities. Disposing of illiquid
securities may involve time-consuming negotiation and legal expenses, and it may
be difficult or impossible for the Fund to sell them promptly at an acceptable
price.
Convertible securities. While convertible securities generally offer lower
yields than non-convertible debt securities of similar quality, their prices may
reflect changes in the value of the underlying common stock. Convertible
securities generally entail less credit risk than the issuer's common stock.
The Fund may be required to permit the issuer of a convertible security to
redeem the security and convert it into the underlying common stock or the cash
value of the underlying common stock. Thus, the Fund may not be able to control
whether the issuer of a convertible security chooses to convert that security.
If the issuer chooses to do so, this action could have an adverse effect on the
Fund's ability to achieve its investment objectives.
Real estate-related instruments. Real estate-elated instruments are sensitive to
factors such as changes in real estate values and property taxes, interest
rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, supply and demand, and the
management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Real estate-related
instruments may also be affected by tax and regulatory requirements, such as
those relating to the environment.
Mortgage and other asset-backed securities. Unscheduled or early payments on the
underlying mortgages may shorten the securities' effective maturities and lessen
their growth potential. The Fund may agree to purchase or sell these securities
with payment and delivery taking place at a future date. A decline in interest
rates may lead to a faster rate of repayment of the underlying mortgages, and
expose the Fund to a lower rate of return upon reinvestment. To the extent that
such mortgage-backed securities are held by the Fund, the prepayment right of
mortgagors may limit the increase in net asset value of the Fund because the
value of the mortgage-backed securities held by the Fund may not appreciate as
rapidly as the price of non-callable debt securities. Asset-backed securities
are subject to the risk of prepayment and the risk that the underlying loans
will not be repaid.
Zero coupon securities. Zero coupon securities are subject to greater market
value fluctuations from changing interest rates than debt obligations of
comparable maturities that make current cash distributions of interest.
Repurchase agreements. If the seller under a repurchase agreement becomes
insolvent, the Fund's right to dispose of the securities may be restricted, or
the value of the securities may decline before the Fund is able to dispose of
them. In the event of the commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings
with respect to the seller of the securities before repurchase of the securities
under a repurchase agreement, the Fund may encounter delay and incur costs,
including a decline in the value of the securities, before being able to sell
the securities.
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Foreign securities. Investments in foreign securities involve special
considerations due to limited information, higher brokerage costs, different
accounting standards, thinner trading markets as compared to domestic markets
and the likely impact of foreign taxes on the yield from debt securities. They
may also entail other risks, such as the possibility of one or more of the
following: imposition of dividend or interest withholding or confiscatory taxes;
currency blockages or transfer restrictions; expropriation, nationalization or
other adverse political or economic developments; less government supervision
and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers and listed companies; and the
difficulty of enforcing obligations in other countries. Purchases of foreign
securities are usually made in foreign currencies and, as a result, the Fund may
incur currency conversion costs and may be affected favorably or unfavorably by
changes in the value of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar.
Further, it may be more difficult for the Fund's agents to keep currently
informed about corporate actions which may affect the prices of portfolio
securities. Communications between the U.S. and foreign countries may be less
reliable than within the U.S., increasing the risk of delayed settlements of
portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. The
Fund's ability and decisions to purchase and sell portfolio securities may be
affected by laws or regulations relating to the convertibility and repatriation
of assets.
Investing in emerging markets. Securities of many issuers in emerging markets
may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable domestic
issuers. Emerging markets also have different clearance and settlement
procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have
been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it
difficult to conduct such transactions. Delays in settlement could result in
temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the Fund is uninvested and no
return is earned thereon. The inability of the Fund to make intended security
purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive
investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to
settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent
declines in value of the portfolio security or, if the Fund has entered into a
contract to sell the security, in possible liability to the purchaser. Costs
associated with transactions in foreign securities are generally higher than
costs associated with transactions in U.S. securities. Such transactions also
involve additional costs for the purchase or sale of foreign currency.
Foreign investment in certain emerging market debt obligations is restricted or
controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions or controls may at times limit
or preclude foreign investment in certain emerging market debt obligations and
increase the costs and expenses of the Fund. Certain emerging markets require
prior governmental approval of investments by foreign persons, and/or impose
additional taxes on foreign investors. These markets may also restrict
investment opportunities in issuers in industries deemed important to national
interests.
Certain emerging markets may require governmental approval for the repatriation
of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities by foreign
investors. In addition, if a deterioration occurs in an emerging market's
balance of payments or for other reasons, a country could impose temporary
restrictions on foreign capital remittances. The Fund could be adversely
affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval
for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any
restrictions on investments.
11
<PAGE>
Special risk considerations (cont'd)
Throughout the last decade many emerging markets have experienced, and continue
to experience, high rates of inflation. In certain countries inflation has at
times accelerated rapidly to hyperinflationary levels, creating a negative
interest rate environment and sharply eroding the value of outstanding financial
assets in those countries. Increases in inflation could have an adverse effect
on the Fund's non-dollar denominated securities and on the issuers of debt
obligations generally.
Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S.
economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation,
capital reinvestment, resources, self-sufficiency and balance of payments
position. The securities markets, values of securities, yields and risks
associated with securities markets in different countries may change
independently of each other.
Investment in sovereign debt can involve a high degree of risk. Holders of
sovereign debt (including the Fund) may be requested to participate in the
rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to governmental entities.
There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which sovereign debt on which governmental
entities have defaulted may be collected in whole or in part. Securities traded
in certain emerging European securities markets may be subject to risks due to
the inexperience of financial intermediaries, the lack of modern technology and
the lack of a sufficient capital base to expand business operations.
Additionally, former Communist regimes of a number of Eastern European countries
had expropriated a large amount of property, the claims on which have not been
entirely settled. There can be no assurance that the Fund's investments in
Eastern Europe would not also be expropriated, nationalized or otherwise
confiscated. Finally, any change in the leadership or policies of Eastern
European countries, or the countries that exercise a significant influence over
those countries, may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of
foreign investment policies now occurring and adversely affect existing
investment opportunities. For a more complete description of the risks of
investing in emerging markets, please refer to the Fund's Statement of
Additional Information.
Strategic Transactions and derivatives. Strategic Transactions, including
derivative contracts, have risks associated with them including possible default
by the other party to the transaction, illiquidity and, to the extent the
Adviser's view as to certain market movements is incorrect, the risk that the
use of such Strategic Transactions could result in losses greater than if they
had not been used. Use of put and call options may result in losses to the Fund,
force the sale or purchase of portfolio securities at inopportune times or for
prices higher than (in the case of put options) or lower than (in the case of
call options) current market values, limit the amount of appreciation the Fund
can realize on its investments or cause the Fund to hold a security it might
otherwise sell. The use of currency transactions can result in the Fund
incurring losses as a result of a number of factors including the imposition of
exchange controls, suspension of settlements or the inability to deliver or
receive a specified currency. The use of options and futures transactions
entails certain other risks. In particular, the variable degree of correlation
between price movements of futures contracts and price movements in the related
portfolio position of the Fund creates the possibility that losses on the
hedging instrument may be greater than gains in the value of the Fund's
position. In addition, futures and options markets may not be liquid in all
circumstances and certain over-the-counter options may have no markets. As a
result, in certain markets, the Fund might not be able to close out a
transaction without incurring substantial losses, if at all. Although the use of
12
<PAGE>
futures contracts and options transactions for hedging should tend to minimize
the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged position, at the
same time they tend to limit any potential gain which might result from an
increase in value of such position. Finally, the daily variation margin
requirements for futures contracts would create a greater ongoing potential
financial risk than would purchases of options, where the exposure is limited to
the cost of the initial premium. Losses resulting from the use of Strategic
Transactions would reduce net asset value, and possibly income, and such losses
can be greater than if the Strategic Transactions had not been utilized. The
Strategic Transactions that the Fund may use and some of their risks are
described more fully in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
Distribution and performance information
Dividends and capital gains distributions
The Fund's dividends from its net investment income are declared daily and
distributed monthly. The Fund intends to distribute net realized capital gains
after utilization of capital loss carryforwards, if any, in November or December
to prevent application of a federal excise tax, although an additional
distribution may be made, if necessary. Any dividends or capital gains
distributions declared in October, November or December with a record date in
such a month and paid during the following January will be treated by
shareholders for federal income tax purposes as if received on December 31 of
the calendar year declared. According to preference, shareholders may receive
distributions in cash or have them reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.
Distributions are not subject to the 1% redemption fee, whether paid in cash or
reinvested. If an investment is in the form of a retirement plan, all dividends
and capital gains distributions must be reinvested into the shareholder's
account.
Generally, dividends from net investment income are taxable to shareholders as
ordinary income. Long-term capital gains distributions, if any, are taxable as
long-term capital gains regardless of the length of time shareholders have owned
shares. Short-term capital gains and any other taxable income distributions are
taxable as ordinary income.
The Fund sends detailed tax information about the amount and type of its
distributions to its shareholders by January 31 of the following year.
Under normal investment conditions, it is anticipated that the Fund's portfolio
turnover rate will not exceed 100% for the initial fiscal year. However,
economic and market conditions may necessitate more active trading, resulting in
a higher portfolio turnover rate. A higher rate involves greater brokerage
expenses to the Fund and may result in the realization of net capital gains,
which would be taxable to shareholders when distributed.
Performance information
From time to time, quotations of the Fund's performance may be included in
advertisements, sales literature or shareholder reports. All performance figures
are historical, show the performance of a hypothetical investment and are not
intended to indicate future performance. The "SEC yield" of the Fund is an
annualized expression of the net income generated by the Fund over a specified
30-day (one month) period as a percentage of the Fund's share price on the last
day of that period. This yield is calculated according to methods required by
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), and therefore may not equate
to the level of income paid to shareholders. "Total return" is the change in
value of an investment in the Fund for a specified period. The "average annual
total return" of the Fund is the average annual compound rate of return of an
investment in the Fund assuming the investment has been held for
(Continued on page 16)
13
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
Purchases
Opening Minimum initial investment: $1,000; IRAs $500
an account Group retirement plans (401(k), 403(b), etc.) have similar or lower minimums.
See appropriate plan literature.
o By Mail
Make checks Send your completed and signed application and check
payable to "The
Scudder Funds." by regular mail to: or by express, registered,
or certified mail to:
The Scudder Funds Scudder Shareholder Services
P.O. Box 2291 Center
Boston, MA 42 Longwater Drive
02107-2291 Norwell, MA
02061-1612
o By Wire Please see Transaction information--Purchasing shares-- By
wire for details, including the ABA wire transfer number. Then call
1-800-225-5163 for instructions.
o In Person Visit one of our Funds Centers to complete your application with the help
of a Scudder representative. Funds Center locations are listed under
Shareholder benefits.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Purchasing Minimum additional investment: $100; IRAs $50
additional shares Group retirement plans (401(k), 403(b), etc.) have similar or lower minimums.
See appropriate plan literature.
Make checks o By Mail Send a check with a Scudder investment slip, or with a letter of
payable to "The instruction including your account number and the complete Fund name, to
Scudder Funds." the appropriate address listed above.
o By Wire Please see Transaction information--Purchasing shares-- By wire for details,
including the ABA wire transfer number.
o In Person Visit one of our Funds Centers to make an additional
investment in your Scudder fund
account. Funds Center locations are
listed under Shareholder benefits.
o By Telephone Please see Transaction information--Purchasing shares--
By AutoBuy for more details.
o By Automatic You may arrange to make investments on a regular basis through
Investment Plan automatic deductions from your bank checking account. Please call
($50 minimum) 1-800-225-5163 for more information and an enrollment form.
14
<PAGE>
Exchanges and redemptions
Exchanging shares Minimum investments: $1,000 to establish a new account;
$100 to exchange among existing accounts
o By Telephone To speak with a service representative, call 1-800-225-5163 from
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. eastern time or to access SAIL(TM), Scudder's Automated
Information Line, call 1-800-343-2890 (24 hours a day).
There may be a o By Mail Print or type your instructions and include:
1% fee payable or Fax - the name of the Fund and the account number you are exchanging from;
to the Fund for - your name(s) and address as they appear on your account;
exchanges of - the dollar amount or number of shares you wish to exchange;
shares held less - the name of the Fund you are exchanging into;
than one year - your signature(s) as it appears on your account; and
- a daytime telephone number.
Send your instructions
by regular mail to: or by express, registered, or by fax to:
or certified mail to:
The Scudder Funds Scudder Shareholder Services 1-800-821-6234
P.O. Box 2291 Center
Boston, MA 42 Longwater Drive
02107-2291 Norwell, MA
02061-1612
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Redeeming shares o By Telephone To speak with a service representative, call 1-800-225-5163 from 8 a.m. to
8 p.m. eastern time or to access SAIL(TM), Scudder's Automated
Information Line, call 1-800-343-2890 (24 hours a day). You may
have redemption proceeds sent to your predesignated bank account,
or redemption proceeds of up to $50,000 sent to your
address of record.
There may be a o By Mail Send your instructions for redemption to the appropriate address or fax number
1% fee payable or Fax above and include:
to the Fund for - the name of the Fund and account number you are redeeming from;
redemption of - your name(s) and address as they appear on your account;
shares held less - the dollar amount or number of shares you wish to redeem;
than one year - your signature(s) as it appears on your account; and
- a daytime telephone number.
A signature guarantee is required for redemptions over $50,000. See Transaction
information--Redeeming shares.
o By Automatic You may arrange to receive automatic cash payments periodically.
Withdrawal Call 1-800-225-5163 for more information and an enrollment form.
Plan
</TABLE>
15
<PAGE>
Distribution and performance information (cont'd)
(Continued from page 13)
one year and the life of the Fund. "Cumulative total return" represents the
cumulative change in value of an investment in the Fund for various periods. All
types of total return calculations assume that all dividends and capital gains
distributions during the period were reinvested. "Capital change" measures
return from capital, including reinvestment of any capital gains distributions
but does not include the reinvestment of dividends.
Performance will vary based upon, among other things, changes in market
conditions and the level of the Fund's expenses.
Fund organization
Scudder High Yield Bond Fund is a diversified series of Scudder Portfolio Trust
(the "Trust"), an open-end management investment company registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"). The Trust was organized as a
Massachusetts business trust in September, 1984 and on December 31, 1984,
assumed the business of its predecessor, which was organized as a Massachusetts
corporation in 1928.
The Fund's activities are supervised by the Trust's Board of Trustees.
Shareholders have one vote for each share held on matters on which they are
entitled to vote. The Trust is not required to and has no current intention of
holding annual shareholder meetings, although special meetings may be called for
purposes such as electing or removing Trustees, changing fundamental investment
policies or approving an investment advisory contract. Shareholders will be
assisted in communicating with other shareholders in connection with removing a
Trustee as if Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act were applicable.
Investment adviser
The Fund retains the investment management firm of Scudder, Stevens & Clark,
Inc., a Delaware corporation, to manage the Fund's daily investment and business
affairs subject to the policies established by the Board of Trustees. The
Trustees have overall responsibility for the management of the Fund under
Massachusetts law. The Fund pays the Adviser an annual fee of 0.70% of the
Fund's average daily net assets. The fee is payable monthly, provided that the
Fund will make such interim payments as may be requested by the Adviser not to
exceed 75% of the amount of the fee then accrued on the books of the Fund and
unpaid.
The Adviser has agreed to maintain the annualized expenses of the Fund at no
more than 0% of the average daily net assets of the Fund until June 30, 1997.
Under the Investment Management Agreement with the Adviser, the Fund is
responsible for all of its expenses, including fees and expenses incurred in
connection with membership in investment company organizations; brokers'
commissions; legal, auditing and accounting expenses; taxes and governmental
fees; the fees and expenses of the transfer agent; the expenses of and the fees
for registering or qualifying securities for sale; the fees and expenses of
Trustees, officers and employees of the Trust who are not affiliated with the
Adviser; the cost of printing and distributing reports and notices to
shareholders; and the fees and disbursements of custodians.
All of the Fund's expenses are paid out of gross investment income. Shareholders
pay no direct charges or fees for investment or administrative services.
Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc. is located at Two International Place, Boston,
Massachusetts.
Transfer agent
Scudder Service Corporation, P.O. Box 2291, Boston, Massachusetts 02107-2291, a
subsidiary of the Adviser, is the transfer, shareholder servicing and
16
<PAGE>
dividend-paying agent for the Fund.
Underwriter
Scudder Investor Services, Inc., a subsidiary of the Adviser, is the Fund's
principal underwriter. Scudder Investor Services, Inc. confirms, as agent, all
purchases of shares of the Fund. Scudder Investor Relations is a telephone
information service provided by Scudder Investor Services, Inc.
Custodian
State Street Bank and Trust Company is the Fund's custodian.
Fund accounting agent
Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation, a subsidiary of the Adviser, is responsible
for determining the daily net asset value per share and maintaining the general
accounting records of the Fund.
Transaction information
Purchasing shares
Purchases are executed at the next calculated net asset value per share after
the Fund's transfer agent receives the purchase request in good order. Purchases
are made in full and fractional shares. (See "Share price.") The Fund reserves
the right to reject any purchase order for any reason.
By check. If you purchase shares with a check that does not clear, your purchase
will be canceled and you will be subject to any losses or fees incurred in the
transaction. Checks must be drawn on or payable through a U.S. bank. If you
purchase shares by check and redeem them within seven business days of purchase,
the Fund may hold redemption proceeds until the purchase check has cleared,
which may take up to seven business days. If you purchase shares by federal
funds wire, you may avoid this delay. Redemption or exchange requests by
telephone prior to the expiration of the seven-day period will not be accepted.
By wire. To open a new account by wire, first call Scudder at 1-800-225-5163 to
obtain an account number. A representative will instruct you to send a
completed, signed application to the transfer agent. Accounts cannot be opened
without a completed, signed application and a Scudder fund account number.
Contact your bank to arrange a wire transfer to:
The Scudder Funds
State Street Bank and Trust Company
Boston, MA 02101
ABA Number 011000028
DDA Account 9903-5552
Your wire instructions must also include:
- -- the name of the fund in which the money is to be invested,
- -- the account number of the fund, and
- -- the name(s) of the account holder(s).
The account will be established once the application and money order are
received in good order.
You may also make additional investments of $100 or more to your existing
account by wire.
By telephone order. To a limited extent, certain financial institutions may
place orders to purchase shares unaccompanied by payment prior to the close of
regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange"), normally 4:00
p.m. eastern time, and receive that day's price. Please call 1-800-854-8525 for
more information, including the dividend treatment and method and manner of
payment for Fund shares.
By "AutoBuy." If you elected "AutoBuy" for your account, you can call toll-free
to purchase shares. The money will be automatically transferred from your
predesignated bank checking account. Your bank must be a member of the Automated
Clearing House for you to use this service. If you did not elect "AutoBuy," call
1-800-225-5163 for more information.
To purchase additional shares, call 1-800-225-5163. Purchases must be for at
least $250 but not more than $250,000. Proceeds in the amount of your purchase
17
<PAGE>
Transaction information (cont'd)
will be transferred from your bank checking account in two or three business
days following your call. For requests received by the close of regular trading
on the Exchange, shares will be purchased at the net asset value per share
calculated at the close of trading on the day of your call. "AutoBuy" requests
received after the close of regular trading on the Exchange will begin their
processing and be purchased at the net asset value calculated the following
business day.
If you purchase shares by "AutoBuy" and redeem them within seven days of the
purchase, the Fund may hold the redemption proceeds for a period of up to seven
business days. If you purchase shares and there are insufficient funds in your
bank account, the purchase will be canceled and you will be subject to any
losses or fees incurred in the transaction. "AutoBuy" transactions are not
available for Scudder IRA accounts and most other retirement plan accounts.
Exchanging and redeeming shares
Upon the redemption or exchange of shares held less than one year, a fee of 1%
of the current net asset value of the shares will be assessed and retained by
the Fund for the benefit of the remaining shareholders. The fee is waived for
all shares purchased through certain retirement plans, including 401(k) plans,
403(b) plans, 457 plans, Keogh accounts, and Profit Sharing and Money Purchase
Pension Plans. However, if such shares are purchased through a broker, financial
institution or recordkeeper maintaining an omnibus account for the shares, such
waiver may not apply. (Before purchasing shares, please check with your account
representative concerning the availability of the fee waiver.) In addition, this
waiver does not apply to IRA and SEP-IRA accounts. This fee is intended to
encourage long-term investment in the Fund, to avoid transaction and other
expenses caused by early redemptions, and to facilitate portfolio management.
The fee is not a deferred sales charge, is not a commission paid to the Adviser
or its subsidiaries, and does not benefit the Adviser in any way. The Fund
reserves the right to modify the terms of or terminate this fee at any time.
The fee applies to redemptions from the Fund and exchanges to other Scudder
funds, but not to dividend or capital gains distributions which have been
automatically reinvested in the Fund.
The fee is applied to the shares being redeemed or exchanged in the order in
which they were purchased. See "Exchanges and Redemptions" in the Fund's
Statement of Additional Information for a more detailed description of the
redemption fee.
Exchanges. Your new account will have the same registration and address as your
existing account.
The exchange requirements for corporations, other organizations, trusts,
fiduciaries, agents, institutional investors and retirement plans may be
different from those for regular accounts. Please call 1-800-225-5163 for more
information, including information about the transfer of special account
features.
You can also make exchanges among your Scudder fund accounts on SAIL, the
Scudder Automated Information Line, by calling 1-800-343-2890.
Redemptions by telephone. This is the quickest and easiest way to sell Fund
shares. If you elected telephone redemption to your bank on your application,
you can call to request that federal funds be sent to your authorized bank
account. If you did not elect telephone redemption to your bank on your
application, call 1-800-225-5163 for more information.
Redemption proceeds will be wired to your bank unless otherwise requested. If
your bank cannot receive federal reserve wires, redemption proceeds will be
mailed to your bank. There will be a $5 charge for all wire redemptions.
18
<PAGE>
You can also make redemptions from your Scudder fund account on SAIL by calling
1-800-343-2890.
If you open an account by wire, you cannot redeem shares by telephone until the
Fund's transfer agent has received your completed and signed application.
Telephone redemption is not available for shares held in Scudder IRA accounts
and most other Scudder retirement plan accounts.
In the event that you are unable to reach the Fund by telephone, you should
write to the Fund; see "How to contact Scudder" for the address.
By "AutoSell." If you elected "AutoSell" for your account, you can call
toll-free to redeem shares. The money will be automatically transferred to your
predesignated bank checking account. Your bank must be a member of the Automated
Clearing House for you to use this service. If you did not elect "AutoSell,"
call 1-800-225-5163 for more information.
To redeem shares, call 1-800-225-5163. Redemptions must be for at least $250.
Proceeds in the amount of your redemption (less any applicable redemption fee)
will be transferred to your bank checking account in two or three business days
following your call. For requests received by the close of regular trading on
the Exchange, shares will be redeemed at the net asset value per share
calculated at the close of trading on the day of your call. "AutoSell" requests
received after the close of regular trading on the Exchange will begin their
processing and be redeemed at the net asset value calculated the following
business day.
"AutoSell" transactions are not available for Scudder IRA accounts and most
other retirement plan accounts.
Signature guarantees. For your protection and to prevent fraudulent redemptions,
on written redemption requests in excess of $50,000 we require an original
signature and an original signature guarantee for each person in whose name the
account is registered. (The Fund reserves the right, however, to require a
signature guarantee for all redemptions.) You can obtain a signature guarantee
from most banks, credit unions or savings associations, or from broker/dealers,
municipal securities broker/dealers, government securities broker/dealers,
national securities exchanges, registered securities associations or clearing
agencies deemed eligible by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Signature
guarantees by notaries public are not acceptable. Redemption requirements for
corporations, other organizations, trusts, fiduciaries, agents, institutional
investors and retirement plans may be different from those for regular accounts.
For more information, please call 1-800-225-5163.
Telephone transactions
Shareholders automatically receive the ability to exchange by telephone and the
right to redeem by telephone up to $50,000 to their address of record.
Shareholders also may, by telephone, request that redemption proceeds be sent to
a predesignated bank account. The Fund uses procedures designed to give
reasonable assurance that telephone instructions are genuine, including
recording telephone calls, testing a caller's identity and sending written
confirmation of telephone transactions. If the Fund does not follow such
procedures, it may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent
telephone instructions. The Fund will not be liable for acting upon instructions
communicated by telephone that it reasonably believes to be genuine.
Share price
Purchases and redemptions, including exchanges, are made at net asset value.
Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation determines net asset value per share as of
the close of regular trading on the Exchange, normally 4 p.m. eastern time, on
each day the Exchange is open for trading. Net asset value per share is
calculated by dividing the value of total Fund assets, less all liabilities, by
19
<PAGE>
Transaction information (cont'd)
the total number of shares outstanding.
Processing time
All purchase and redemption requests must be received in good order by the
Fund's transfer agent. Those requests received by the close of regular trading
on the Exchange are executed at the net asset value per share calculated at the
close of trading that day. Purchase and redemption requests received after the
close of regular trading on the Exchange will be executed the following business
day. Purchase orders received by the Fund's transfer agent before the close of
regular trading on the Exchange on any business day generally begin earning
income on the next business day. Redeemed shares earn income on the day the
redemption request is executed.
If you wish to make a purchase of $500,000 or more, you should notify Scudder
Investor Relations by calling 1-800-225-5163.
The Fund will normally send redemption proceeds within one business day
following the redemption request, but may take up to seven business days (or
longer in the case of shares recently purchased by check).
Short-term trading
Purchases and sales should be made for long-term investment purposes only. The
Fund and Scudder Investor Services, Inc. each reserves the right to restrict
purchases of Fund shares (including exchanges) when a pattern of frequent
purchases and sales made in response to short-term fluctuations in the Fund's
share price appears evident.
Tax information
A redemption of shares, including an exchange into another Scudder fund, is a
sale of shares and may result in a gain or loss for income tax purposes.
Tax identification number
Be sure to complete the Tax Identification Number section of the Fund's
application when you open an account. Federal tax law requires the Fund to
withhold 31% of taxable dividends, capital gains distributions and redemption
and exchange proceeds from accounts (other than those of certain exempt payees)
without a certified Social Security or tax identification number and certain
other certified information or upon notification from the IRS or a broker that
withholding is required. The Fund reserves the right to reject new account
applications without a certified Social Security or tax identification number.
The Fund also reserves the right, following 30 days' notice, to redeem all
shares in accounts without a certified Social Security or tax identification
number. A shareholder may avoid involuntary redemption by providing the Fund
with a tax identification number during the 30-day notice period.
Minimum balances
Shareholders should maintain a share balance worth at least $1,000, which amount
may be changed by the Board of Trustees. Scudder retirement plans have similar
or lower minimum share balance requirements. The Fund reserves the right,
following 60 days' written notice to shareholders, to redeem all shares in
sub-minimum accounts, including accounts of new investors, where a reduction in
value has occurred due to a redemption or exchange out of the account.
Reductions in value that result solely from market activity will not trigger an
involuntary redemption. The Fund will mail the proceeds of the redeemed account
to the shareholder. The shareholder may restore the share balance to $1,000 or
more during the 60-day notice period and must maintain it at no lower than that
minimum to avoid involuntary redemption.
Third party transactions
If purchases and redemptions of Fund shares are arranged and settlement is made
at an investor's election through a member of the National Association of
20
<PAGE>
Securities Dealers, Inc., other than Scudder Investor Services, Inc., that
member may, at its discretion, charge a fee for that service.
Redemption-in-kind
The Fund reserves the right, if conditions exist which make cash payments
undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase order by making
payment in whole or in part in readily marketable securities chosen by the Fund
and valued as they are for purposes of computing the Fund's net asset value (a
redemption-in-kind). If payment is made in securities, a shareholder may incur
transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash. The Trust has
elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, as a result
of which the Fund is obligated to redeem shares, with respect to any one
shareholder during any 90-day period, solely in cash up to the lesser of
$250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of the Fund at the beginning of the
period.
Shareholder benefits
Experienced professional management
Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc., one of the nation's most experienced investment
management firms, actively manages your Scudder fund investment. Professional
management is an important advantage for investors who do not have the time or
expertise to invest directly in individual securities.
A team approach to investing
Scudder High Yield Bond Fund is managed by a team of Scudder investment
professionals, who each play an important role in the Fund's management process.
Team members work together to develop investment strategies and select
securities for the Fund's portfolio. They are supported by Scudder's large staff
of economists, research analysts, traders and other investment specialists who
work in Scudder's offices across the United States and abroad. Scudder believes
its team approach benefits Fund investors by bringing together many disciplines
and leveraging Scudder's extensive resources.
Kelly D. Babson, Lead Portfolio Manager, is a portfolio manager in Scudder's
Global Bond Group, with 15 years experience in fixed-income investing including
ten years of high yield portfolio management prior to joining Scudder.
Christopher L. Gootkind, Portfolio Manager, has been doing credit research at
Scudder since 1986, and is currently head of Corporate Credit Research in
Scudder's Global Bond Group. Mr. Gootkind is a portfolio manager for Scudder
Short Term Bond Fund. Stephen A. Wohler, Portfolio Manager, is currently
Director of Scudder's Global Bond Group, overseeing all of fixed-income
investing for the firm. He is the Active Value Product Leader, as well as a
member of the portfolio management teams for Scudder Income Fund and Scudder
Zero Coupon 2000 Fund.
SAIL(TM)--Scudder Automated Information Line
For personalized account information including fund prices, yields and account
balances, to perform transactions in existing Scudder fund accounts, or to
obtain information on any Scudder fund, shareholders can call Scudder's
Automated Information Line (SAIL) at 1-800-343-2890, 24 hours a day. During
periods of extreme economic or market changes, or other conditions, it may be
difficult for you to effect telephone transactions in your account. In such an
event you should write to the Fund; please see "How to contact Scudder" for the
address.
Investment flexibility
Scudder offers toll-free telephone exchange between funds at current net asset
value. You can move your investments among money market, income, growth,
tax-free and growth and income funds with a simple toll-free call or, if you
prefer, by sending your instructions through the mail or by fax. Telephone and
fax redemptions and exchanges are subject to termination and their terms are
21
<PAGE>
Shareholder benefits (cont'd)
subject to change at any time by the Fund or the transfer agent. In some cases,
the transfer agent or Scudder Investor Services, Inc. may impose additional
conditions on telephone transactions.
Dividend reinvestment plan
You may have dividends and distributions automatically reinvested in additional
Fund shares. Please call 1-800-225-5163 to request this feature.
Shareholder statements
You receive a detailed account statement every time you purchase or redeem
shares. All of your statements should be retained to help you keep track of
account activity and the cost of shares for tax purposes.
Shareholder reports
In addition to account statements, you receive periodic shareholder reports
highlighting relevant information, including investment results and a review of
portfolio changes.
To reduce the volume of mail you receive, only one copy of most Fund reports,
such as the Fund's Annual Report, may be mailed to your household (same surname,
same address). Please call 1-800-225-5163 if you wish to receive additional
shareholder reports.
Newsletters
Four times a year, Scudder sends you Perspectives, an informative newsletter
covering economic and investment developments, service enhancements and other
topics of interest to Scudder fund investors.
Scudder Funds Centers
As a convenience to shareholders who like to conduct business in person, Scudder
Investor Services, Inc. maintains Funds Centers in Boca Raton, Boston, Chicago,
Cincinnati, Los Angeles, New York, Portland (OR), San Diego, San Francisco and
Scottsdale.
T.D.D. service for the hearing impaired
Scudder's full range of investor information and shareholder services is
available to hearing impaired investors through a toll-free T.D.D. (Telephone
Device for the Deaf) service. If you have access to a T.D.D., call
1-800-543-7916 for investment information or specific account questions and
transactions.
22
<PAGE>
Scudder tax-advantaged retirement plans
Scudder offers a variety of tax-advantaged retirement plans for individuals,
businesses and non-profit organizations. These flexible plans are designed for
use with the Scudder Family of Funds (except Scudder tax-free funds, which are
inappropriate for such plans). Scudder Funds offer a broad range of investment
objectives and can be used to seek almost any investment goal. Using Scudder's
retirement plans can help shareholders save on current taxes while building
their retirement savings.
o Scudder No-Fee IRAs. These retirement plans allow a maximum annual
contribution of $2,000 per person for anyone with earned income. Many
people can deduct all or part of their contributions from their taxable
income, and all investment earnings accrue on a tax deferred basis. The
Scudder No-Fee IRA charges no annual custodial fee.
o 401(k) Plans. 401(k) plans allow employers and employees to make
tax-deductible retirement contributions. Scudder offers a full service
program that includes recordkeeping, prototype plan, employee
communications and trustee services, as well as investment options.
o Profit Sharing and Money Purchase Pension Plans. These plans allow
corporations, partnerships and people who are self-employed to make annual,
tax-deductible contributions of up to $30,000 for each person covered by
the plans. Plans may be adopted individually or paired to maximize
contributions. These are sometimes known as Keogh plans.
o 403(b) Plans. Retirement plans for tax-exempt organizations and school
systems to which employers and employees may both contribute.
o SEP-IRAs. Easily administered retirement plans for small businesses and
self-employed individuals. The maximum annual contribution to SEP-IRA
accounts is adjusted each year for inflation.
o Scudder Horizon Plan. A no-load variable annuity that lets you build assets
by deferring taxes on your investment earnings. You can start with $2,500
or more.
Scudder Trust Company (an affiliate of the Adviser) is Trustee or Custodian for
some of these plans and is paid an annual fee for some of the above retirement
plans. For information about establishing a Scudder No-Fee IRA, SEP-IRA, Profit
Sharing Plan, Money Purchase Pension Plan or a Scudder Horizon Plan, please call
1-800-225-2470. For information about 401(k)s or 403(b)s please call
1-800-323-6105. To effect transactions in existing IRA, SEP-IRA, Profit Sharing
or Pension Plan accounts, call 1-800-225-5163.
The variable annuity contract is provided by Charter National Life Insurance
Company (in New York State, Intramerica Life Insurance Company [S 1802]). The
contract is offered by Scudder Insurance Agency, Inc. (in New York State, Nevada
and Montana, Scudder Insurance Agency of New York, Inc.). CNL, Inc. is the
Principal Underwriter. Scudder Horizon Plan is not available in all states.
23
<PAGE>
Trustees and Officers
Daniel Pierce*
President and Trustee
Henry P. Becton, Jr.
Trustee; President and General Manager, WGBH Educational Foundation
Dudley H. Ladd*
Trustee
David S. Lee*
Vice President and Trustee
George M. Lovejoy, Jr.
Trustee; President and Director,
Fifty Associates
Wesley W. Marple, Jr.
Trustee; Professor of Business Administration,
Northeastern University, College of Business Administration
Jean C. Tempel
Trustee; General Partner, TL Ventures
Jerard K. Hartman*
Vice President
William M. Hutchinson*
Vice President
Thomas W. Joseph*
Vice President
Valerie F. Malter*
Vice President
Thomas F. McDonough*
Vice President, Secretary and
Assistant Treasurer
Pamela A. McGrath*
Vice President and Treasurer
Edward J. O'Connell*
Vice President and Assistant Treasurer
Coleen Downs Dinneen*
Assistant Secretary
*Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc.
24
<PAGE>
Appendix
The following is a description of the ratings given by S&P and Moody's to
corporate and municipal bonds.
S&P:
Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to pay interest
and repay principal is extremely strong. Debt rated AA has a very strong
capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the highest rated
issues only in small degree. Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest
and repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse
effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher
rated categories. Debt rated BBB is regarded as having an adequate capacity to
pay interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate
protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are
more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal
for debt in this category than in higher rated categories.
Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded as having predominantly speculative
characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. BB
indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such debt
will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are
outweighted by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
Debt rated BB has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative
issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse
business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate
capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The BB rating category
is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or
implied BBB- rating. Debt rated B has a greater vulnerability to default but
currently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments.
Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity
or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The B rating category is
also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or
implied BB or BB- rating.
Debt rated CCC has a currently identifiable vulnerability to default, and is
dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet
timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse
business, financial, or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the
capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The CCC rating category is also
used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied
B or B- rating. The rating CC typically is applied to debt subordinated to
senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC rating. The rating C
typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an
actual or implied CCC- debt rating. The C rating may be used to cover a
situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments
are continued. The rating C1 is reserved for income bonds on which no interest
is being paid. Debt rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used
when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even
if the applicable grace period had not expired, unless S&P believes that such
payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used
upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are
jeopardized.
Moody's:
Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the
smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edge."
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, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the
25
<PAGE>
Appendix (cont'd)
fundamentally strong position of such issues. Bonds which are 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 in Aaa
securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or
there may be other elements present which make the long term risks appear
somewhat larger than in Aaa securities. Bonds which are 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 sometime in the future.
Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade obligations, i.e., 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 in fact have
speculative characteristics as well. Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have
speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often
the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and
thereby not well safeguarded during other good and bad times over the future.
Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class. Bonds which are 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.
Bonds which are 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.
Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high
degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.
Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and issues so rated
can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real
investment standing.
26
<PAGE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<C> <C>
Investment products and services
The Scudder Family of Funds Income
Money market Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund
Scudder Cash Investment Trust Scudder Global Bond Fund
Scudder U.S. Treasury Money Fund Scudder GNMA Fund
Tax free money market+ Scudder High Yield Bond Fund
Scudder Tax Free Money Fund Scudder Income Fund
Scudder California Tax Free Money Fund* Scudder International Bond Fund
Scudder New York Tax Free Money Fund* Scudder Short Term Bond Fund
Tax free+ Scudder Zero Coupon 2000 Fund
Scudder California Tax Free Fund* Growth
Scudder High Yield Tax Free Fund Scudder Capital Growth Fund
Scudder Limited Term Tax Free Fund Scudder Development Fund
Scudder Managed Municipal Bonds Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund
Scudder Massachusetts Limited Term Tax Free Fund* Scudder Global Discovery Fund
Scudder Massachusetts Tax Free Fund* Scudder Global Fund
Scudder Medium Term Tax Free Fund Scudder Gold Fund
Scudder New York Tax Free Fund* Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund
Scudder Ohio Tax Free Fund* Scudder International Fund
Scudder Pennsylvania Tax Free Fund* Scudder Latin America Fund
Growth and Income Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund
Scudder Balanced Fund Scudder Quality Growth Fund
Scudder Growth and Income Fund Scudder Small Company Value Fund
Scudder Value Fund
The Japan Fund
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Retirement Plans and Tax-Advantaged Investments
IRAs 403(b) Plans
Keogh Plans SEP-IRAs
Scudder Horizon Plan*+++ (a variable annuity) Profit Sharing and
401(k) Plans Money Purchase Pension Plans
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Closed-end Funds#
The Argentina Fund, Inc. Scudder New Europe Fund, Inc.
The Brazil Fund, Inc. Scudder World Income Opportunities Fund, Inc.
The First Iberian Fund, Inc.
The Korea Fund, Inc. Institutional Cash Management
The Latin America Dollar Income Fund, Inc. Scudder Institutional Fund, Inc.
Montgomery Street Income Securities, Inc. Scudder Fund, Inc.
Scudder New Asia Fund, Inc. Scudder Treasurers Trust(TM)++
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
For complete information on any of the above Scudder funds, including management
fees and expenses, call or write for a free prospectus. Read it carefully before
you invest or send money. +A portion of the income from the tax-free funds may
be subject to federal, state and local taxes. *Not available in all states. +++A
no-load variable annuity contract provided by Charter National Life Insurance
Company and its affiliate, offered by Scudder's insurance agencies,
1-800-225-2470. #These funds, advised by Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc., are
traded on various stock exchanges. ++For information on Scudder Treasurers
Trust(TM), an institutional cash management service that utilizes certain
portfolios of Scudder Fund, Inc. ($100,000 minimum), call: 1-800-541-7703.
27
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<C> <C>
How to contact Scudder
Account Service and Information: Please address all correspondence
to:
The Scudder Funds
For existing account service Scudder Investor Relations P.O. Box 2291
and transactions 1-800-225-5163 Boston, Massachusetts
02107-2291
For personalized information Scudder Automated
about your Scudder accounts; Information Line (SAIL)
exchanges and redemptions; or 1-800-343-2890
information on any Scudder fund
Investment Information: Or Stop by a Scudder Funds Center:
To receive information about Scudder Investor Relations Many shareholders enjoy the
the Scudder funds, for 1-800-225-2470 personal, one-on-one service of
additional applications and the Scudder Funds Centers. Check
prospectuses, or for for a Funds Center near you--they
investment questions can be found in the following
cities:
For establishing 401(k) and Scudder Defined Boca Raton New York
403(b) plans Contribution Services Boston Portland, OR
1-800-323-6105 Chicago San Diego
Cincinnati San Francisco
Los Angeles Scottsdale
For information on Scudder Treasurers Trust(TM), an For information on Scudder
institutional cash management service for corporations, Institutional Funds*, funds
non-profit organizations and trusts which utilizes designed to meet the broad
certain portfolios of Scudder Fund, Inc.* ($100,000 investment management and service
minimum), call: 1-800-541-7703. needs of banks and other
institutions, call:
1-800-854-8525.
</TABLE>
Scudder Investor Relations and Scudder Funds Centers are services provided
through Scudder Investor Services, Inc., Distributor.
* Contact Scudder Investor Services, Inc., Distributor, to receive a
prospectus with more complete information, including management fees and
expenses. Please read it carefully before you invest or send money.
<PAGE>
SCUDDER HIGH YIELD BOND FUND
A Pure No-Load(TM) (No Sales Charges) Mutual Fund
which seeks to provide a high level of current income and,
secondarily, capital appreciation through investment
primarily in below investment-grade
domestic debt securities
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
June 28, 1996
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus and should
be read in conjunction with the prospectus of Scudder High Yield Bond Fund dated
June 28, 1996, as amended from time to time, a copy of which may be obtained
without charge by writing to Scudder Investor Services, Inc., Two International
Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-4103.
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
<S> <C>
THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES.........................................................................1
General Investment Objectives and Policies...................................................................1
Investments..................................................................................................1
Investment process...........................................................................................2
Development of the High Yield Bond Market....................................................................3
High Yield Bonds-Portfolio Diversification...................................................................3
Risk Factors.................................................................................................5
Investment Restrictions.....................................................................................24
PURCHASES............................................................................................................26
Additional Information About Opening An Account.............................................................26
Additional Information About Making Subsequent Investments by AutoBuy.......................................26
Checks......................................................................................................27
Wire Transfer of Federal Funds..............................................................................27
Share Price.................................................................................................27
Share Certificates..........................................................................................27
Other Information...........................................................................................28
EXCHANGES AND REDEMPTIONS............................................................................................28
Special Redemption and Exchange Information.................................................................28
Exchanges...................................................................................................28
Redemption by Telephone.....................................................................................29
Redemption by AutoSell......................................................................................30
Redemption by Mail or Fax...................................................................................30
Redemption-In-Kind..........................................................................................31
Other Information...........................................................................................31
FEATURES AND SERVICES OFFERED BY THE FUND............................................................................32
The Pure No-Load(TM) Concept................................................................................32
Dividends and Capital Gain Distribution Options.............................................................33
Diversification.............................................................................................33
Scudder Funds Centers.......................................................................................33
Reports to Shareholders.....................................................................................33
Transaction Summaries.......................................................................................33
THE SCUDDER FAMILY OF FUNDS..........................................................................................34
SPECIAL PLAN ACCOUNTS................................................................................................37
Scudder Retirement Plans: Profit-Sharing and Money Purchase Pension Plans for Corporations and
Self-Employed Individuals..............................................................................37
Scudder 401(k): Cash or Deferred Profit-Sharing Plan for Corporations and Self-Employed Individuals.........37
Scudder IRA: Individual Retirement Account.................................................................38
Scudder 403(b) Plan.........................................................................................38
Automatic Withdrawal Plan...................................................................................39
Group or Salary Deduction Plan..............................................................................39
Automatic Investment Plan...................................................................................39
Uniform Transfers/Gifts to Minors Act.......................................................................40
Scudder Trust Company.......................................................................................40
DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS DISTRIBUTIONS............................................................................40
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION..............................................................................................40
Average Annual Total Return.................................................................................40
Cumulative Total Return.....................................................................................41
i
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Page
Total Return................................................................................................41
Capital Change..............................................................................................41
SEC Yield...................................................................................................41
Comparison of Fund Performance..............................................................................42
FUND ORGANIZATION....................................................................................................45
INVESTMENT ADVISER...................................................................................................46
Personal Investments by Employees of the Adviser............................................................49
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS................................................................................................49
REMUNERATION.........................................................................................................51
DISTRIBUTOR..........................................................................................................51
TAXES................................................................................................................52
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS...............................................................................................55
Brokerage Commissions.......................................................................................55
Portfolio Turnover..........................................................................................56
NET ASSET VALUE......................................................................................................56
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...............................................................................................58
Experts.....................................................................................................58
Other Information...........................................................................................58
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.................................................................................................58
APPENDIX
</TABLE>
ii
<PAGE>
THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
(See "Investment objective and policies" and
"Additional information about policies and
investments" in the Fund's prospectus.)
Scudder High Yield Bond Fund (the "Fund"), is a pure no-load,(TM)
diversified series of Scudder Portfolio Trust (the "Trust"), an open-end
management investment company which continuously offers and redeems its shares
at net asset value. It is a company of the type commonly known as a mutual fund.
General Investment Objectives and Policies
Scudder High Yield Bond Fund seeks a high level of current income and,
secondarily, capital appreciation through investment primarily in below
investment-grade domestic debt securities.
While the Fund's primary investment objective is high current income,
it also pursues capital appreciation. Capital appreciation can occur, for
example, from an improvement in the financial condition or credit rating of
issuers whose securities are held by the Fund, or from a general drop in the
level of interest rates, or a combination of both factors.
The Fund can invest without limit in lower-quality domestic debt
securities, sometimes referred to as "high yield" or "junk" bonds. These are
non-investment grade debt securities, which are considered speculative
investments by the major credit rating agencies. High yield bonds involve a
greater risk of default and price volatility than U.S. Government bonds and
other high quality fixed-income securities.
The Fund is designed as a long-term investment for investors able to
bear credit, interest rate and other risks in exchange for the potential for
high current income and capital appreciation. To encourage a long-term
investment horizon, the Fund maintains a 1% redemption and exchange fee for
shares held less than one year. This fee, described more fully below, is payable
to the Fund for the benefit of remaining shareholders.
Except as otherwise indicated, the Fund's investment objectives and
policies are not fundamental and may be changed without a vote of shareholders.
Shareholders will receive written notice of any change in the Fund's objectives.
If there is a change in investment objectives, shareholders should consider
whether the Fund remains an appropriate investment in light of their then
current financial position and needs. There can be no assurance that the Fund's
objectives will be met.
Investments
In pursuit of its investment objectives, the Fund, under normal market
conditions, invests at least 65% of its total assets in high yield, below
investment-grade domestic debt securities. The Fund defines "domestic debt
securities" as securities of companies domiciled in the U.S. or organized under
the laws of the U.S. or for which the U.S. trading market is a primary market.
Below investment-grade securities are rated "Ba1" or below by Moody's Investors
Services, Inc. ("Moody's") or "BB+" or below by Standard and Poor's ("S&P"), or,
if unrated, are of equivalent quality as determined by the Fund's investment
adviser, Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc. (the "Adviser"). The Fund's Adviser
intends to focus investments on those securities qualifying for a Ba or B rating
from Moody's or a BB or B rating from S&P, but has the flexibility to acquire
securities qualifying for any rating category, as well as defaulted securities
and non-rated securities. Below investment-grade securities are considered
predominantly speculative with respect to their capacity to pay interest and
repay principal in accordance with their terms and generally involve a greater
risk of default and more volatility in price than securities in higher rating
categories. Please refer to the attached "Appendix" for further information.
In addition to domestic debt securities, the Fund may invest in a
variety of other securities consistent with its investment objectives. These
other investments may include convertible and preferred securities, U.S.
Treasury and Agency bonds, Brady bonds, mortgage-backed and asset-backed
securities, common stocks and warrants, securities issued by real estate
investment trusts, bank loans, loan participations, dollar rolls, indexed
securities and restricted securities, such as those acquired through private
placements.
<PAGE>
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign
securities. While it is anticipated that the majority of the Fund's foreign
investments will be denominated in U.S. dollars, the Fund may invest, within the
aforementioned limit, in foreign bonds denominated in local currencies,
including those issued in emerging markets. The Fund considers "emerging
markets" to include any country that is defined as an emerging or developing
economy by any one of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(i.e., the World Bank), the International Finance Corporation or the United
Nations or its authorities.
The Fund invests primarily in medium- and long-term fixed-income
securities. However, there is no limitation as to the weighted average maturity
of the Fund's portfolio and no restriction on the maturity of any individual
security held in the portfolio. The Adviser will adjust the average portfolio
maturity in light of actual or projected changes in economic and market
conditions.
Although the Fund is designed to provide monthly income to
shareholders, it can invest in non-income producing debt securities. Such
securities include zero coupon or other original issue discount bonds, which may
pay interest only at maturity, or pay-in-kind bonds, which pay interest in the
form of additional securities.
The Fund may invest in when-issued or forward-delivery securities, and
may engage in strategic transactions and utilize derivatives.
To provide for redemptions, or in anticipation of investment in
longer-term debt securities, the Fund may hold a portion of its portfolio
investments in cash or cash equivalents including repurchase agreements and
other types of money market instruments. In addition, to provide for redemptions
or distributions, the Fund may borrow from banks in an amount not exceeding the
value of one-third of the Fund's total assets. The Fund does not expect to
borrow for investment purposes.
For temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its
assets in cash or money market instruments or invest all or a substantial
portion of its assets in high quality domestic debt securities.
Investment process
The Fund involves above-average bond fund risk. Investing in high
yielding, lower-quality bonds involves various types of risks including the risk
of default; that is, the chance that issuers of bonds held in the portfolio will
not make timely payment of either interest or principal. Risk of default can
increase with changes in the financial condition of a company or with changes in
the overall economy, such as a recession. In comparison to investing in higher
quality issues, high yield bond investors may be rewarded for the additional
risk of high yield bonds through higher interest payments and the opportunity
for capital appreciation.
The Adviser attempts to manage the risks of high yield investing, as
well as to enhance investment return, through careful monitoring of business and
economic conditions in the U.S. and abroad, and through conducting its own
credit research along with utilizing the ratings and analysis provided by major
rating agencies such as Moody's and S&P. The Adviser monitors, on a regular
basis, the creditworthiness and business prospects of companies represented in
the portfolio.
Further, the Adviser attempts to manage risk through portfolio
diversification. The Fund will typically invest in a variety of issuers and
industries. Using a research-intensive security selection process, the Adviser
will focus primarily on the following types of high yield opportunities:
0 Young, growing companies with attractive business opportunities and
positive credit trends
0 Companies with stable to growing cash flows that have the ability to
improve the strength of their balance sheets
0 Established companies that may have experienced financial setbacks, but are
displaying evidence of improving business trends
0 Securities judged to be undervalued
2
<PAGE>
The Adviser will rely on fundamental corporate credit analysis,
incorporating proprietary credit screening tools.
Development of the High Yield Bond Market
Over the course of this decade, the market for higher yielding domestic debt
securities has changed dramatically. U.S. high yield bonds now total over $300
billion, about a quarter of the entire U.S. corporate bond market.
(BAR CHART DATA)
Year Billions of Dollars
---- -------------------
1986 $ 81.20
1987 $123.30
1988 $157.90
1989 $188.30
1990 $226.20
1991 $227.00
1992 $220.20
1993 $231.50
1994 $277.60
1995 $299.80
1996 $326.50
Source: CS First Boston. High Yield Index Performance Review -- Chart depicts
market size at the beginning of the year.
In the early 1970s high yield bonds emerged as a way for new companies,
companies with troubled credit histories, or any company without access to more
traditional financing to raise capital. The category grew and changed from a
small, illiquid market for special circumstances, to a larger, more liquid
market offering an alternative way to raise capital to companies of every size
and structure.
As the economy strengthened throughout the 1980s, some companies began to
replace more and more of the equity in their capital structure with high yield
debt. In the late 1980s, many companies had little equity supporting the
outstanding debt. Those who had anticipated continuing growth and increasing
cash flows to contribute to debt service found that as the economy slowed, they
were unable to pay their creditors. This led to defaults and the high yield bond
market nearly collapsed under the weight of several factors including a
recession, the bankruptcy of a major high yield bond underwriter, and the forced
withdrawal of thrifts from this market.
Expanding companies are now turning to the high yield bond market for financing
real growth. The average quality of the overall high yield bond category has
improved. There are many opportunities to buy the debt of growing companies or
companies that may not yet have the track record necessary to utilize more
traditional sources of financing. The conditions of these borrowing companies
can improve over time, and as the quality of the debt improves, the prospect for
price appreciation adds to the return from income.
High Yield Bonds-Portfolio Diversification
The benefits of investing in high yield debt securities include the potential
for superior yields and also portfolio diversification which may result in
enhanced total returns with the potential for reduced overall portfolio risk.
The yield spread offered by high yield bonds during the period from 1987-1995 is
depicted in the following chart.
3
<PAGE>
(LINE CHART DATA)
Yields
---------------------
Lehman Lehman
High Yield Corporate
Date Index Index
---- ----- -----
1/31/87 12.21% 8.97%
2/28/87 11.98% 8.95%
3/31/87 12.00% 9.07%
4/30/87 12.73% 9.66%
5/31/87 12.70% 9.85%
6/30/87 12.66% 9.70%
7/31/87 12.68% 9.82%
8/31/87 12.76% 10.04%
9/30/87 13.61% 10.60%
10/31/87 14.48% 10.20%
11/30/87 14.14% 10.14%
12/31/87 13.91% 9.98%
1/31/88 13.48% 9.47%
2/29/88 13.12% 9.35%
3/31/88 13.54% 9.60%
4/30/88 13.53% 9.80%
5/31/88 13.74% 10.01%
6/30/88 13.65% 9.75%
7/31/88 13.73% 9.91%
8/31/88 13.91% 10.10%
9/30/88 13.78% 9.88%
10/31/88 13.75% 9.75%
11/30/88 13.79% 10.07%
12/31/88 13.97% 10.17%
1/31/89 13.84% 9.96%
2/28/89 14.03% 10.24%
3/31/89 14.52% 10.42%
4/30/89 14.64% 10.15%
5/31/89 14.20% 9.78%
6/30/89 14.18% 9.30%
7/31/89 14.33% 8.99%
8/31/89 14.44% 9.43%
9/30/89 14.96% 9.50%
10/31/89 15.77% 9.46%
11/30/89 15.96% 9.10%
12/31/89 16.08% 9.21%
1/31/90 16.53% 9.85%
2/28/90 17.05% 9.64%
3/31/90 16.95% 9.79%
4/30/90 17.50% 10.12%
5/31/90 17.66% 9.66%
6/30/90 16.92% 9.48%
7/31/90 16.55% 9.34%
8/31/90 17.66% 9.74%
9/30/90 19.63% 9.83%
10/31/90 20.89% 9.88%
11/30/90 20.84% 9.67%
12/31/90 20.94% 9.52%
1/31/91 20.50% 9.43%
2/28/91 18.01% 9.13%
3/31/91 16.00% 9.02%
4/30/91 15.45% 8.89%
5/31/91 15.17% 8.87%
6/30/91 14.54% 9.04%
7/31/91 14.08% 8.88%
8/31/91 13.84% 8.53%
9/30/91 13.64% 8.21%
10/31/91 13.24% 8.09%
11/30/91 13.12% 7.99%
12/31/91 13.37% 7.49%
1/31/92 12.47% 7.88%
2/29/92 11.56% 7.85%
3/31/92 11.28% 8.13%
4/30/92 11.40% 8.10%
5/31/92 11.61% 7.81%
6/30/92 11.62% 7.58%
7/31/92 11.42% 7.14%
8/31/92 10.77% 7.02%
9/30/92 10.69% 6.87%
10/31/92 11.07% 7.39%
11/30/92 11.05% 7.54%
12/31/92 10.86% 7.32%
1/31/93 9.79% 6.97%
2/28/93 9.43% 6.67%
3/31/93 9.30% 6.68%
4/30/93 9.22% 6.60%
5/31/93 9.12% 6.73%
6/30/93 8.78% 6.39%
7/31/93 8.71% 6.33%
8/31/93 8.99% 6.03%
9/30/93 9.24% 6.09%
10/31/93 9.05% 6.11%
11/30/93 9.14% 6.38%
12/31/93 9.07% 6.38%
1/31/94 8.61% 6.17%
2/28/94 8.88% 6.69%
3/31/94 9.92% 7.32%
4/30/94 10.28% 7.64%
5/31/94 10.36% 7.82%
6/30/94 10.45% 7.96%
7/31/94 10.41% 7.66%
8/31/94 10.41% 7.74%
9/30/94 10.64% 8.18%
10/31/94 10.81% 8.37%
11/30/94 11.21% 8.63%
12/31/94 11.28% 8.67%
1/31/95 11.19% 8.38%
2/28/95 10.77% 7.97%
3/31/95 10.86% 7.94%
4/30/95 10.50% 7.76%
5/31/95 9.92% 7.03%
6/30/95 10.02% 6.96%
7/31/95 9.91% 7.14%
8/31/95 10.07% 6.98%
9/30/95 10.00% 6.91%
10/31/95 10.02% 6.76%
11/30/95 9.98% 6.51%
12/31/95 9.84% 6.34%
1/31/96 9.52% 6.27%
2/29/96 9.69% 6.76%
3/31/96 9.84% 7.03%
4/30/96 9.96% 7.27%
Source: Lehman Brothers. High quality corporate bond yields represented by
Lehman Brothers Corporate Bond Index; high yield bond yields by Lehman Brothers
High Yield Bond Index. This chart does not represent the performance of any
Scudder fund.
High yield bonds show a relatively low correlation with both stocks and
investment grade bonds. Due to this low correlation, high yield bonds offer
diversification benefits to both equity and income portfolios.
The following graph represents the historical risks and returns of
selected unmanaged indices which track the performance of various combinations
of United States securities (stocks, bonds, and high-yield bonds) for the ten
year period ended December 31, 1995 (rebalanced annually); results for other
periods will vary. The graph uses ten year annualized returns of the Lehman High
Yield Bond Index, the Lehman Corporate Bond Index and the S&P 500 Index. Risk is
measured by the standard deviation in the overall portfolio performance within
each index.
(XY-SCATTER CHART DATA)--Returns and Volatility High Yield/Bonds/S&P 500
Annualized Volatility Annualized Return
--------------------- -----------------
100%HY 7.49% 12.34%
Bonds 4.96% 9.85%
S&P 500 15.04% 15.60%
20%HY/80%Bonds 4.71% 10.35%
20%HY/80%S&P 12.95% 14.95%
40%Bonds/60%S&P 10.21% 13.30%
Cash 0.20% 5.86%
10Yr Treasury 7.62% 9.73%
Source: Lehman Brothers, 1986-1995. Rebalancing occurs annually.
4
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As shown above, a portfolio invested 20% in high yield bonds and 80% in
investment grade bonds earned slightly greater returns with less volatility than
a portfolio invested exclusively in investment grade bonds. A portfolio invested
20% in high yield bonds and 80% in the S&P 500 has substantially less
volatility, with only slightly less return, than a portfolio invested
exclusively in the S&P 500. Performance of an index is historical, and does not
represent performance of the Fund, and is not a guarantee of future results.
Risk Factors
Debt Securities. The Fund may invest in securities rated lower than Baa/BBB and
in unrated securities of equivalent quality in the Adviser's judgment. The Fund
may invest in debt securities which are rated as low as C by Moody's or D by
S&P. Such securities may be in default with respect to payment of principal or
interest. The Fund may also purchase investment-grade bonds, which are those
rated Aaa, Aa, A or Baa by Moody's or AAA, AA, A or BBB by S&P or, if unrated,
judged to be of equivalent quality as determined by the Adviser. Bonds rated Baa
or BBB may have speculative elements as well as investment-grade
characteristics. For more information about debt security ratings please refer
to the attached "Appendix."
The Adviser expects that a portion of the Fund's investments will be
purchased at a discount to par value. To the extent developments in emerging
markets result in improving credit fundamentals and rating upgrades for
countries in emerging markets, the Adviser believes that there is the potential
for capital appreciation as the improving fundamentals become reflected in the
price of the debt instruments. The Adviser also believes that a country's
sovereign credit rating (with respect to foreign currency denominated issues)
acts as a "ceiling" on the rating of all debt issuers from that country. Thus,
the ratings of private sector companies cannot be higher than that of their home
countries. The Adviser believes, however, that many companies in emerging market
countries, if rated on a stand alone basis without regard to the rating of the
home country, possess fundamentals that could justify a higher credit rating,
particularly if they are major exporters and receive the bulk of their revenues
in U.S. dollars or other hard currencies. The Adviser seeks to identify such
opportunities and benefit from this type of market inefficiency.
High Yield, High Risk Securities. Below investment-grade securities (rated Ba
and lower by Moody's and BB and lower by S&P) or unrated securities of
equivalent quality, in which the Fund may invest carry a high degree of risk
(including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuers of such
securities), generally involve greater volatility of price and risk of principal
and income, and may be less liquid, than securities in the higher rating
categories and are considered speculative. The lower the ratings of such debt
securities, the greater their risks. See the Appendix to this Statement of
Additional Information for a more complete description of the ratings assigned
by ratings organizations and their respective characteristics.
Economic downturns may disrupt the high yield market and impair the
ability of issuers to repay principal and interest. Also, an increase in
interest rates would likely have an adverse impact on the value of such
obligations. During an economic downturn or period of rising interest rates,
highly leveraged issues may experience financial stress which could adversely
affect their ability to service their principal and interest payment
obligations. Prices and yields of high yield securities will fluctuate over time
and, during periods of economic uncertainty, volatility of high yield securities
may adversely affect a Fund's net asset value. In addition, investments in high
yield zero coupon or pay-in-kind bonds, rather than income-bearing high yield
securities, may be more speculative and may be subject to greater fluctuations
in value due to changes in interest rates.
The trading market for high yield securities may be thin to the extent
that there is no established retail secondary market or because of a decline in
the value of such securities. A thin trading market may limit the ability of a
Fund to accurately value high yield securities in the Fund's portfolio and to
dispose of those securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions may
decrease the values and liquidity of high yield securities. These securities may
also involve special registration responsibilities, liabilities and costs, and
liquidity and valuation difficulties.
Credit quality in the high yield securities market can change suddenly
and unexpectedly, and even recently issued credit ratings may not fully reflect
the actual risks posed by a particular high-yield security. For these reasons,
it is the policy of the Adviser not to rely exclusively on ratings issued by
established credit rating agencies, but to supplement such ratings with its own
independent and on-going review of credit quality. The achievement of a Fund's
investment objective by investment in such securities may be more dependent on
the Adviser's credit analysis than is the case for higher quality bonds. Should
5
<PAGE>
the rating of a portfolio security be downgraded, the Adviser will determine
whether it is in the best interest of the Fund to retain or dispose of such
security.
Prices for below investment-grade securities may be affected by
legislative and regulatory developments. For example, federal rules require
savings and loan institutions to gradually reduce their holdings of this type of
security. Also, Congress has from time to time considered legislation which
would restrict or eliminate the corporate tax deduction for interest payments in
these securities and regulate corporate restructurings. Such legislation may
significantly depress the prices of outstanding securities of this type. For
more information regarding tax issues related to high yield securities, see
"TAXES."
Illiquid Securities. The Fund may occasionally purchase securities other than in
the open market. While such purchases may often offer attractive opportunities
for investment not otherwise available on the open market, the securities so
purchased are often "restricted securities" or "not readily marketable," i.e.,
securities which cannot be sold to the public without registration under the
Securities Act of 1933 or the availability of an exemption from registration
(such as Rules 144 or 144A) or because they are subject to other legal or
contractual delays in or restrictions on resale.
Generally speaking, restricted securities may be sold only to qualified
institutional buyers, or in a privately negotiated transaction to a limited
number of purchasers, or in limited quantities after they have been held for a
specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption
from registration, or in a public offering for which a registration statement is
in effect under the Securities Act of 1933. The Fund may be deemed to be an
"underwriter" for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933 when selling restricted
securities to the public, and in such event the Fund may be liable to purchasers
of such securities if the registration statement prepared by the issuer, or the
prospectus forming a part of it, is materially inaccurate or misleading.
The Adviser will monitor the liquidity of such restricted securities
subject to the supervision of the Board of Directors. In reaching liquidity
decisions, the Adviser will consider the following factors: (1) the frequency of
trades and quotes for the security (2). the number of dealers wishing to
purchase or sell the security and the number of their potential purchasers, (3)
dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the
security and the nature of the marketplace trades (i.e. the time needed to
dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of
the transfer.)
The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in securities
that are deemed to be illiquid.
Brady Bonds. The Fund may invest in Brady Bonds, which are securities created
through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to public and private
entities in certain emerging markets for new bonds in connection with debt
restructurings under a debt restructuring plan introduced by former U.S.
Secretary of the Treasury, Nicholas F. Brady (the "Brady Plan"). Brady Plan debt
restructurings have been implemented to date in Argentina, Bulgaria, Brazil,
Costa Rica, Jordan, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland, Uruguay and
Venezuela.
Brady Bonds have been issued only recently, and for that reason do not
have a long payment history. Brady Bonds may be collateralized or
uncollateralized, are issued in various currencies (but primarily the dollar)
and are actively traded in over-the-counter secondary markets.
Dollar-denominated, collateralized Brady Bonds, which may be fixed-rate
bonds or floating-rate bonds, are generally collateralized in full as to
principal by U.S. Treasury zero coupon bonds having the same maturity as the
bonds. Interest payments on these Brady Bonds generally are collateralized by
cash or securities in an amount that, in the case of fixed rate bonds, is equal
to at least one year of rolling interest payments or, in the case of floating
rate bonds, initially is equal to at least one year's rolling interest payments
based on the applicable interest rate at that time and is adjusted at regular
intervals thereafter. Brady Bonds are often viewed as having three or four
valuation components: the collateralized repayment of principal at final
maturity; the collateralized interest payments; the uncollateralized interest
payments; and any uncollateralized repayment of principal at maturity (these
uncollateralized amounts constitute the "residual risk"). In light of the
residual risk of Brady Bonds and the history of defaults of countries issuing
Brady Bonds, with respect to commercial bank loans by public and private
entities, investments in Brady Bonds may be viewed as speculative. Approximately
$152 billion in Brady Bonds have been issued in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe,
Latin America and the Middle East, with over 90% of these Brady Bonds being
denominated in U.S. dollars.
6
<PAGE>
Convertible Securities. The Fund may invest in convertible securities, that is,
bonds, notes, debentures, preferred stocks and other securities which are
convertible into common stock. Investments in convertible securities can provide
an opportunity for capital appreciation and/or income through interest and
dividend payments by virtue of their conversion or exchange features.
The convertible securities in which the Fund may invest are either
fixed-income or zero coupon debt securities which may be converted or exchanged
at a stated or determinable exchange ratio into underlying shares of common
stock. The exchange ratio for any particular convertible security may be
adjusted from time to time due to stock splits, dividends, spin-offs, other
corporate distributions or scheduled changes in the exchange ratio. Convertible
debt securities and convertible preferred stocks, until converted, have general
characteristics similar to both debt and equity securities. Although to a lesser
extent than with debt securities generally, the market value of convertible
securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to
increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion or
exchange feature, the market value of convertible securities typically changes
as the market value of the underlying common stocks changes, and, therefore,
also tends to follow movements in the general market for equity securities. A
unique feature of convertible securities is that as the market price of the
underlying common stock declines, convertible securities tend to trade
increasingly on a yield basis, and so may not experience market value declines
to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the
underlying common stock increases, the prices of the convertible securities tend
to rise as a reflection of the value of the underlying common stock, although
typically not as much as the underlying common stock. While no securities
investments are without risk, investments in convertible securities generally
entail less risk than investments in common stock of the same issuer.
As debt securities, convertible securities are investments which
provide for a stream of income (or in the case of zero coupon securities,
accretion of income) with generally higher yields than common stocks. Of course,
like all debt securities, there can be no assurance of income or principal
payments because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their
obligations. Convertible securities generally offer lower yields than
non-convertible securities of similar quality because of their conversion or
exchange features.
Pay-In-Kind Securities. The Fund may invest in securities which pay interest
either in cash or additional securities at the issuer's option. These securities
are generally high yield securities and in addition to the other risks
associated with investing in high yield securities are subject to the risks that
the interest payments which consist of additional securities are also subject to
the risks of high yield securities.
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with member
banks of the Federal Reserve System and any broker/dealer which is recognized as
a reporting government securities dealer if the creditworthiness of the bank or
broker/dealer has been reviewed and determined satisfactory by the Adviser.
A repurchase agreement provides a means for the Fund to earn income on
funds for periods as short as overnight. It is an arrangement under which the
Fund acquires a security ("Obligation") and the seller agrees, at the time of
sale, to repurchase the Obligation at a specified time and price. Obligations
subject to a repurchase agreement are held in a segregated account and the value
of such obligations is kept at least equal to the repurchase price on a daily
basis. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the
difference being income to the Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may
be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to the Fund together with the
repurchase price upon repurchase. In either case, the income to the Fund is
unrelated to the interest rate on the Obligation itself. Obligations will be
held by the Fund's custodian or in the Federal Reserve Book Entry System.
For purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
"1940 Act"), a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan from the Fund to the
seller of the Obligation subject to the repurchase agreement and is therefore
subject to the Fund's investment restriction applicable to loans. It is not
clear whether a court would consider the Obligation purchased by the Fund
subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by the Fund or as being
collateral for a loan by the Fund to the seller. In the event of the
commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller
of the Obligation before repurchase of the Obligation under a repurchase
agreement, the Fund may encounter delay and incur costs before being able to
sell the security. Delays may cause loss of interest or decline in price of the
Obligation. If the court characterizes the transaction as a loan and the Fund
has not perfected a security interest in the Obligation, the Fund may be
required to return the Obligation to the seller's estate and be treated as an
7
<PAGE>
unsecured creditor of the seller. As an unsecured creditor, the Fund would be at
the risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the
transaction. As with any unsecured debt instrument purchased for the Fund, the
Adviser seeks to minimize the risk of loss through repurchase agreements by
analyzing the creditworthiness of the obligor, in this case, the seller of the
Obligation. Apart from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there
is also the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the Obligation, in which
case the Fund may incur a loss if the proceeds to the Fund of its sale of the
securities underlying the repurchase agreement to a third party are less than
the repurchase price. To protect against such potential loss, if the market
value (including interest) of the Obligation subject to the repurchase agreement
becomes less than the repurchase price (including interest), the Fund will
direct the seller of the Obligation to deliver additional securities so that the
value (including interest) of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement
will equal or exceed the repurchase price. It is possible that the Fund will be
unsuccessful in seeking to impose on the seller a contractual obligation to
deliver additional securities.
Zero Coupon Securities. The Fund may invest in zero coupon securities which pay
no cash income and are sold at substantial discounts from their value at
maturity. When held to maturity, their entire income, which consists of
accretion of discount, comes from the difference between the issue price and
their value at maturity. Zero coupon securities are subject to greater market
value fluctuations from changing interest rates than debt obligations of
comparable maturities which make current distributions of interest (cash). Zero
coupon securities which are convertible into common stock offer the opportunity
for capital appreciation as increases (or decreases) in market value of such
securities closely follows the movements in the market value of the underlying
common stock. Zero coupon convertible securities generally are expected to be
less volatile than the underlying common stocks, as they usually are issued with
maturities of 15 years or less and are issued with options and/or redemption
features exercisable by the holder of the obligation entitling the holder to
redeem the obligation and receive a defined cash payment.
Zero coupon securities include securities issued directly by the U.S.
Treasury, and U.S. Treasury bonds or notes and their unmatured interest coupons
and receipts for their underlying principal ("coupons") which have been
separated by their holder, typically a custodian bank or investment brokerage
firm. A holder will separate the interest coupons from the underlying principal
(the "corpus") of the U.S. Treasury security. A number of securities firms and
banks have stripped the interest coupons and receipts and then resold them in
custodial receipt programs with a number of different names, including "Treasury
Income Growth Receipts" (TIGRS(TM)) and Certificate of Accrual on Treasuries
(CATS(TM)). The underlying U.S. Treasury bonds and notes themselves are held in
book-entry form at the Federal Reserve Bank or, in the case of bearer securities
(i.e., unregistered securities which are owned ostensibly by the bearer or
holder thereof), in trust on behalf of the owners thereof. Counsel to the
underwriters of these certificates or other evidences of ownership of the U.S.
Treasury securities have stated that, for federal tax and securities purposes,
in their opinion purchasers of such certificates, such as the Fund, most likely
will be deemed the beneficial holder of the underlying U.S. Government
securities. The Fund understands that the staff of the Division of Investment
Management of the SEC no longer considers such privately stripped obligations to
be U.S. Government securities, as defined in the 1940 Act.
The U.S. Treasury has facilitated transfers of ownership of zero coupon
securities by accounting separately for the beneficial ownership of particular
interest coupon and corpus payments on Treasury securities through the Federal
Reserve book-entry record keeping system. The Federal Reserve program as
established by the Treasury Department is known as "STRIPS" or "Separate Trading
of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities." Under the STRIPS program,
the Fund will be able to have its beneficial ownership of zero coupon securities
recorded directly in the book-entry record-keeping system in lieu of having to
hold certificates or other evidences of ownership of the underlying U.S.
Treasury securities.
When U.S. Treasury obligations have been stripped of their unmatured
interest coupons by the holder, the principal or corpus is sold at a deep
discount because the buyer receives only the right to receive a future fixed
payment on the security and does not receive any rights to periodic interest
(cash) payments. Once stripped or separated, the corpus and coupons may be sold
separately. Typically, the coupons are sold separately or grouped with other
coupons with like maturity dates and sold bundled in such form. Purchasers of
stripped obligations acquire, in effect, discount obligations that are
economically identical to the zero coupon securities that the Treasury sells
itself (see "TAXES").
Indexed Securities. The Fund may invest in indexed securities, the value of
which is linked to currencies, interest rates, commodities, indices or other
financial indicators ("reference instruments"). Most indexed securities have
maturities of three years or less.
8
<PAGE>
Indexed securities differ from other types of debt securities in which
the Fund may invest in several respects. First, the interest rate or, unlike
other debt securities, the principal amount payable at maturity of an indexed
security may vary based on changes in one or more specified reference
instruments, such as an interest rate compared with a fixed interest rate or the
currency exchange rates between two currencies (neither of which need be the
currency in which the instrument is denominated). The reference instrument need
not be related to the terms of the indexed security. For example, the principal
amount of a U.S. dollar denominated indexed security may vary based on the
exchange rate of two foreign currencies. An indexed security may be positively
or negatively indexed; that is, its value may increase or decrease if the value
of the reference instrument increases. Further, the change in the principal
amount payable or the interest rate of an indexed security may be a multiple of
the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying
reference instrument(s).
Investment in indexed securities involves certain risks. In addition to
the credit risk of the security's issuer and the normal risks of price changes
in response to changes in interest rates, the principal amount of indexed
securities may decrease as a result of changes in the value of reference
instruments. Further, in the case of certain indexed securities in which the
interest rate is linked to a reference instrument, the interest rate may be
reduced to zero, and any further declines in the value of the security may then
reduce the principal amount payable on maturity. Finally, indexed securities may
be more volatile than the reference instruments underlying indexed securities.
When-Issued Securities. The Fund may from time to time purchase securities on a
"when-issued" or "forward delivery" basis. The price of such securities, which
may be expressed in yield terms, is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase
is made, but delivery and payment for the when-issued or forward delivery
securities takes place at a later date. During the period between purchase and
settlement, no payment is made by the Fund to the issuer and no interest accrues
to the Fund. To the extent that assets of the Fund are held in cash pending the
settlement of a purchase of securities, the Fund would earn no income; however,
it is the Fund's intention to be fully invested to the extent practicable and
subject to the policies stated above. While when-issued or forward delivery
securities may be sold prior to the settlement date, the Fund intends to
purchase such securities with the purpose of actually acquiring them unless a
sale appears desirable for investment reasons. At the time the Fund makes the
commitment to purchase a security on a when-issued or forward delivery basis, it
will record the transaction and reflect the value of the security in determining
its net asset value. The market value of the when-issued or forward delivery
securities may be more or less than the purchase price. The Fund does not
believe that its net asset value or income will be adversely affected by its
purchase of securities on a when-issued or forward delivery basis.
Lending of Portfolio Securities. The Fund may seek to increase its income by
lending portfolio securities. Under present regulatory policies, including those
of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the SEC, such loans
may be made to member firms of the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange"), and
would be required to be secured continuously by collateral in cash, U.S.
Government securities or other high grade debt obligations maintained on a
current basis at an amount at least equal to the market value and accrued
interest of the securities loaned. The Fund would have the right to call a loan
and obtain the securities loaned on no more than five days' notice. During the
existence of a loan, the Fund would continue to receive the equivalent of the
interest paid by the issuer on the securities loaned and would also receive
compensation based on investment of the collateral. As with other extensions of
credit there are risks of delay in recovery or even loss of rights in the
collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. However, the
loans would be made only to firms deemed by the Adviser to be of good standing,
and when, in the judgment of the Adviser, the consideration which can be earned
currently from securities loans of this type justifies the attendant risk. If
the Fund determines to make securities loans, the value of the securities loaned
will not exceed 30% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the time any loan
is made.
Dollar Roll Transactions. The Fund may enter into "dollar roll" transactions,
which consist of the sale by the Fund to a bank or broker/dealer (the
"counterparty") of GNMA certificates or other mortgage-backed securities
together with a commitment to purchase from the counterparty similar, but not
identical, securities at a future date, at the same price. The counterparty
receives all principal and interest payments, including prepayments, made on the
security while the counterparty is the holder. The Fund receives compensation
from the counterparty as consideration for entering into the commitment to
repurchase. The compensation is paid in the form of a fee or alternatively, a
lower price for the security upon its repurchase. Dollar rolls may be renewed
over a period of several months with a different repurchase and repurchase price
and a cash settlement made at each renewal without physical delivery of
securities. Moreover, the transaction may be preceded by a firm commitment
9
<PAGE>
agreement pursuant to which the Fund agrees to buy a security on a future date.
The Fund will not use such transactions for leveraging purposes and,
accordingly, will segregate cash, U.S. Government securities or other liquid
high grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet its purchase
obligations under the transactions. The Fund will also maintain asset coverage
of at least 300% for all outstanding firm commitments, dollar rolls and other
borrowings.
Dollar rolls are treated for purposes of the 1940 Act as borrowings of
the Fund because they involve the sale of a security coupled with an agreement
to repurchase. Like all borrowings, a dollar roll involves costs to the Fund.
For example, while the Fund receives either a fee or alternatively, a lower
price for the security upon its repurchase as consideration for agreeing to
repurchase the security, the Fund forgoes the right to receive all principal and
interest payments while the counterparty holds the security. These payments to
the counterparty may exceed the fee received by the Fund, thereby effectively
charging the Fund interest on its borrowing. Further, although the Fund can
estimate the amount of expected principal prepayment over the term of the dollar
roll, a variation in the actual amount of prepayment could increase or decrease
the cost of the Fund's borrowing.
The entry into dollar rolls involves potential risks of loss which are
different from those related to the securities underlying the transactions. For
example, if the counterparty becomes insolvent, the Fund's right to purchase
from the counterparty might be restricted. Additionally, the value of such
securities may change adversely before the Fund is able to purchase them.
Similarly, the Fund may be required to purchase securities in connection with a
dollar roll at a higher price than may otherwise be available on the open
market. Since, as noted above, the counterparty is required to deliver a
similar, but not identical security to the Fund, the security which the Fund is
required to buy under the dollar roll may be worth less than an identical
security. Finally, there can be no assurance that the Fund's use of the cash
that it receives from a dollar roll will provide a return that exceeds borrowing
costs.
The Trustees of the Fund have adopted guidelines to ensure that the
securities received are substantially identical to those sold. To reduce the
risk of default, the Fund will engage in such transactions only with banks and
broker/dealers selected pursuant to such guidelines.
Borrowing. The Fund is authorized to borrow money for purposes of liquidity and
to provide for redemptions and distributions. The Fund will borrow only when the
Adviser believes that borrowing will benefit the Fund after taking into account
considerations such as the costs of the borrowing. The Fund does not expect to
borrow for investment purposes, to increase return or leverage the portfolio.
Borrowing by the Fund will involve special risk considerations. Although the
principal of the Fund's borrowings will be fixed, the Fund's assets may change
in value during the time a borrowing is outstanding, thus increasing exposure to
capital risk.
Real Estate Investment Trusts. Equity real estate investment trusts ("REITs")
are dependent upon management skills, may not be diversified and are subject to
the risks of financing projects. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow
dependency, the possibility of defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation and the
possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and failure to continue
to maintain an exemption from registration as a registered investment company
under the Investment Company Act of 1940. By investing in REITs indirectly
through a fund, a shareholder will bear not only his or her proportionate share
of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the
REITs.
Mortgage-Backed Securities and Mortgage Pass-Through Securities. The Fund may
also invest in mortgage-backed securities, which are interests in pools of
mortgage loans, including mortgage loans made by savings and loan institutions,
mortgage bankers, commercial banks, and others. Pools of mortgage loans are
assembled as securities for sale to investors by various governmental,
government-related, and private organizations as further described below. The
Fund may also invest in debt securities which are secured with collateral
consisting of mortgage-backed securities (see "Collateralized Mortgage
Obligations"), and in other types of mortgage-related securities.
A decline in interest rates may lead to a faster rate of repayment of
the underlying mortgages, and expose the Fund to a lower rate of return upon
reinvestment. To the extent that such mortgage-backed securities are held by the
Fund, the prepayment right will tend to limit to some degree the increase in net
asset value of the Fund because the value of the mortgage-backed securities held
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by the Fund may not appreciate as rapidly as the price of non-callable debt
securities.
Interests in pools of mortgage-backed securities differ from other
forms of debt securities, which normally provide for periodic payment of
interest in fixed amounts with principal payments at maturity or specified call
dates. Instead, these securities provide a monthly payment which consists of
both interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a
"pass-through" of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on their
mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such
securities. Additional payments are caused by repayments of principal resulting
from the sale of the underlying property, refinancing, or foreclosure, net of
fees or costs which may be incurred. Some mortgage-related securities such as
securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA") are
described as "modified pass-through." These securities entitle the holder to
receive all interest and principal payments owed on the mortgage pool, net of
certain fees, at the scheduled payment dates regardless of whether or not the
mortgagor actually makes the payment.
The principal governmental guarantor of mortgage-related securities is
GNMA. GNMA is a wholly-owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department
of Housing and Urban Development. GNMA is authorized to guarantee, with the full
faith and credit of the U.S. Government, the timely payment of principal and
interest on securities issued by institutions approved by GNMA (such as savings
and loan institutions, commercial banks, and mortgage bankers) and backed by
pools of FHA-insured or VA-guaranteed mortgages. These guarantees, however, do
not apply to the market value or yield of mortgage-backed securities or to the
value of each Fund's shares. Also, GNMA securities often are purchased at a
premium over the maturity value of the underlying mortgages. This premium is not
guaranteed and will be lost if prepayment occurs.
Government-related guarantors (i.e., not backed by the full faith and
credit of the U.S. Government) include the Federal National Mortgage Association
("FNMA") and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"). FNMA is a
government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders. It is
subject to general regulation by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
FNMA purchases conventional (i.e., not insured or guaranteed by any government
agency) mortgages from a list of approved seller/servicers which include state
and federally-chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks,
commercial banks, credit unions, and mortgage bankers. Pass-through securities
issued by FNMA are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by
FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
FHLMC is a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. Government and was
created by Congress in 1970 for the purpose of increasing the availability of
mortgage credit for residential housing. Its stock is owned by the twelve
Federal Home Loan Banks. FHLMC issues Participation Certificates ("PCs") which
represent interests in conventional mortgages from FHLMC's national portfolio.
FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of
principal, but PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S.
Government.
Commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage
insurance companies, mortgage bankers, and other secondary market issuers also
create pass-through pools of conventional mortgage loans. Such issuers may, in
addition, be the originators and/or servicers of the underlying mortgage loans
as well as the guarantors of the mortgage-related securities. Pools created by
such non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than
government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect
government or agency guarantees of payments. However, timely payment of interest
and principal of these pools may be supported by various forms of insurance or
guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance, and
letters of credit. The insurance and guarantees are issued by governmental
entities, private insurers, and the mortgage poolers. Such insurance and
guarantees and the creditworthiness of the issuers thereof will be considered in
determining whether a mortgage-related security meets the Fund's investment
quality standards. There can be no assurance that the private insurers or
guarantors can meet their obligations under the insurance policies or guarantee
arrangements. The Fund may buy mortgage-related securities without insurance or
guarantees, if through an examination of the loan experience and practices of
the originators/servicers and poolers, the Adviser determines that the
securities meet the Fund's quality standards. Although the market for such
securities is becoming increasingly liquid, securities issued by certain private
organizations may not be readily marketable.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations ("CMO"s). A CMO is a hybrid between a
mortgage-backed bond and a mortgage pass-through security. Similar to a bond,
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<PAGE>
interest and prepaid principal are paid, in most cases, semiannually. CMOs may
be collateralized by whole mortgage loans but are more typically collateralized
by portfolios of mortgage pass-through securities guaranteed by GNMA, FHLMC, or
FNMA, and their income streams.
CMOs are structured into multiple classes, each bearing a different
stated maturity. Actual maturity and average life will depend upon the
prepayment experience of the collateral. CMOs provide for a modified form of
call protection through a de facto breakdown of the underlying pool of mortgages
according to how quickly the loans are repaid. Monthly payment of principal
received from the pool of underlying mortgages, including prepayments, is first
returned to investors holding the shortest maturity class. Investors holding the
longer maturity classes receive principal only after the first class has been
retired. An investor is partially guarded against a sooner than desired return
of principal because of the sequential payments.
In a typical CMO transaction, a corporation issues multiple series,
(e.g., A, B, C, Z) of CMO bonds ("Bonds"). Proceeds of the Bond offering are
used to purchase mortgages or mortgage pass-through certificates ("Collateral").
The Collateral is pledged to a third party trustee as security for the Bonds.
Principal and interest payments from the Collateral are used to pay principal on
the Bonds in the order A, B, C, Z. The Series A, B, and C bonds all bear current
interest. Interest on the Series Z Bond is accrued and added to principal and a
like amount is paid as principal on the Series A, B, or C Bond currently being
paid off. When the Series A, B, and C Bonds are paid in full, interest and
principal on the Series Z Bond begins to be paid currently. With some CMOs, the
issuer serves as a conduit to allow loan originators (primarily builders or
savings and loan associations) to borrow against their loan portfolios.
FHLMC Collateralized Mortgage Obligations. FHLMC CMOs are debt obligations of
FHLMC issued in multiple classes having different maturity dates which are
secured by the pledge of a pool of conventional mortgage loans purchased by
FHLMC. Unlike FHLMC PCs, payments of principal and interest on the CMOs are made
semiannually, as opposed to monthly. The amount of principal payable on each
semiannual payment date is determined in accordance with FHLMC's mandatory
sinking fund schedule, which, in turn, is equal to approximately 100% of FHA
prepayment experience applied to the mortgage collateral pool. All sinking fund
payments in the CMOs are allocated to the retirement of the individual classes
of bonds in the order of their stated maturities. Payment of principal on the
mortgage loans in the collateral pool in excess of the amount of FHLMC's minimum
sinking fund obligation for any payment date are paid to the holders of the CMOs
as additional sinking fund payments. Because of the "pass-through" nature of all
principal payments received on the collateral pool in excess of FHLMC's minimum
sinking fund requirement, the rate at which principal of the CMOs is actually
repaid is likely to be such that each class of bonds will be retired in advance
of its scheduled maturity date.
If collection of principal (including prepayments) on the mortgage
loans during any semiannual payment period is not sufficient to meet FHLMC's
minimum sinking fund obligation on the next sinking fund payment date, FHLMC
agrees to make up the deficiency from its general funds.
Criteria for the mortgage loans in the pool backing the CMOs are
identical to those of FHLMC PCs. FHLMC has the right to substitute collateral in
the event of delinquencies and/or defaults.
Other Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Adviser expects that governmental,
government-related, or private entities may create mortgage loan pools and other
mortgage-related securities offering mortgage pass-through and
mortgage-collateralized investments in addition to those described above. The
mortgages underlying these securities may include alternative mortgage
instruments, that is, mortgage instruments whose principal or interest payments
may vary or whose terms to maturity may differ from customary long-term fixed
rate mortgages. The Fund will not purchase mortgage-backed securities or any
other assets which, in the opinion of the Adviser, are illiquid if, as a result,
more than 15% of the value of the Fund's total assets will be illiquid. As new
types of mortgage-related securities are developed and offered to investors, the
Adviser will, consistent with the Fund's investment objectives, policies, and
quality standards, consider making investments in such new types of
mortgage-related securities.
Other Asset-Backed Securities. The securitization techniques used to develop
mortgaged-backed securities are now being applied to a broad range of assets.
Through the use of trusts and special purpose corporations, various types of
assets, including automobile loans, computer leases and credit card receivables,
are being securitized in pass-through structures similar to the mortgage
pass-through structures described above or in a structure similar to the CMO
structure. Consistent with the Fund's investment objectives and policies, the
Fund may invest in these and other types of asset-backed securities that may be
developed in the future. In general, the collateral supporting these securities
is of shorter maturity than mortgage loans and is less likely to experience
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<PAGE>
substantial prepayments with interest rate fluctuations.
Several types of asset-backed securities have already been offered to
investors, including Certificates for Automobile ReceivablesSM ("CARSSM").
CARSSM represent undivided fractional interests in a trust ("Trust") whose
assets consist of a pool of motor vehicle retail installment sales contracts and
security interests in the vehicles securing the contracts. Payments of principal
and interest on CARSSM are passed through monthly to certificate holders, and
are guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter
of credit issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trustee or
originator of the Trust. An investor's return on CARSSM may be affected by early
prepayment of principal on the underlying vehicle sales contracts. If the letter
of credit is exhausted, the trust may be prevented from realizing the full
amount due on a sales contract because of state law requirements and
restrictions relating to foreclosure sales of vehicles and the obtaining of
deficiency judgments following such sales or because of depreciation, damage to
or loss of a vehicle, the application of federal and state bankruptcy and
insolvency laws, or other factors. As a result, certificate holders may
experience delays in payments or losses if the letter of credit is exhausted.
Asset-backed securities present certain risks that are not presented by
mortgage-backed securities. Primarily, these securities may not have the benefit
of any security interest in the related assets. Credit card receivables are
generally unsecured and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number
of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which give such debtors the
right to set off certain amounts owed on the credit cards, thereby reducing the
balance due. There is the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral
may not, in some cases, be available to support payments on these securities.
Asset-backed securities are often backed by a pool of assets
representing the obligations of a number of different parties. To lessen the
effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, the
securities may contain elements of credit support which fall into two
categories: (i) liquidity protection, and (ii) protection against losses
resulting from ultimate default by an obligor on the underlying assets.
Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, generally by the
entity administering the pool of assets, to ensure that the receipt of payments
on the underlying pool occurs in a timely fashion. Protection against losses
results from payment of the insurance obligations on at least a portion of the
assets in the pool. This protection may be provided through guarantees, policies
or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties,
through various means of structuring the transaction or through a combination of
such approaches. The Fund will not pay any additional or separate fees for
credit support. The degree of credit support provided for each issue is
generally based on historical information respecting the level of credit risk
associated with the underlying assets. Delinquency or loss in excess of that
anticipated or failure of the credit support could adversely affect the return
on an investment in such a security.
The Fund may also invest in residual interests in asset-backed
securities. In the case of asset-backed securities issued in a pass-through
structure, the cash flow generated by the underlying assets is applied to make
required payments on the securities and to pay related administrative expenses.
The residual in an asset-backed security pass-through structure represents the
interest in any excess cash flow remaining after making the foregoing payments.
The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a particular issue of
asset-backed securities will depend on, among other things, the characteristics
of the underlying assets, the coupon rates on the securities, prevailing
interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the actual prepayment
experience on the underlying assets. Asset-backed security residuals not
registered under the Securities Act of 1933 may be subject to certain
restrictions on transferability and, as described above, will be subject to the
Adviser's determination regarding liquidity. In addition, there may be no liquid
market for such securities.
The availability of asset-backed securities may be affected by
legislative or regulatory developments. It is possible that such developments
may require the Fund to dispose of any then existing holdings of such
securities.
Foreign Securities. Investors should recognize that investing in foreign
securities involves certain special considerations, including those set forth
below, which are not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities and
which may favorably or unfavorably affect the Fund's performance. As foreign
companies are not generally subject to uniform accounting and auditing and
financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those
applicable to domestic companies, there may be less publicly available
information about a foreign company than about a domestic company. Volume and
liquidity in most foreign bond markets are less than the volume and liquidity in
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<PAGE>
the U.S. and at times, volatility of price can be greater than in the U.S.
Further, foreign markets have different clearance and settlement procedures and
in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to
keep pace with the volume of securities transactions making it difficult to
conduct such transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary
periods when assets of the Fund are uninvested and no return is earned thereon.
The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement
problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities.
Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems either
could result in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the
portfolio security or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the
security, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Further, the Fund
may encounter difficulties or be unable to pursue legal remedies and obtain
judgments in foreign courts. There is generally less government supervision and
regulation of business and industry practices, brokers and listed companies than
in the U.S. It may be more difficult for the Fund's agents to keep currently
informed about corporate actions or other matters which may affect the prices of
portfolio securities. Communications between the U.S. and foreign countries may
be less reliable than within the U.S., thus increasing the risk of delayed
settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio
securities. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the
possibility of nationalization, expropriation, the imposition of withholding or
confiscatory taxes, political, social, or economic instability, or diplomatic
developments which could affect U.S. investments in those countries. Investments
in foreign securities may also entail certain risks, such as possible currency
blockages or transfer restrictions, and the difficulty of enforcing rights in
other countries. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or
unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national
product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and
balance of payments position.
These considerations generally are more of a concern in developing
countries. For example, the possibility of revolution and the dependence on
foreign economic assistance may be greater in these countries than in developed
countries. The management of the Fund seeks to mitigate the risks associated
with these considerations through active professional management.
Investments in foreign securities usually will involve currencies of
foreign countries. Moreover, the Fund may temporarily hold funds in bank
deposits in foreign currencies during the completion of investment programs and
the value of these assets for the Fund as measured in U.S. dollars may be
affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency exchange rates
and exchange control regulations, and the Fund may incur costs in connection
with conversions between various currencies. Although the Fund values its assets
daily in terms of U.S. dollars, it does not intend to convert its holdings of
foreign currencies, if any, into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. It may do so
from time to time, and investors should be aware of the costs of currency
conversion. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for
conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the "spread")
between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies.
Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate,
while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire to resell that
currency to the dealer. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange
transactions, if any, either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate
prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market or through forward foreign
currency exchange contracts. (See "Currency Transactions" for more information.)
To the extent that the Fund invests in foreign securities, the Fund's
share price could reflect the movements of the different bond markets in which
it is invested and the currencies in which the investments are denominated; the
strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies could account
for part of that Fund's investment performance.
Investing in Emerging Markets. Most emerging securities markets may have
substantially less volume and are subject to less government supervision than
U.S. securities markets. Securities of many issuers in emerging markets may be
less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable domestic issuers. In
addition, there is less regulation of securities exchanges, securities dealers,
and listed and unlisted companies in emerging markets than in the U.S.
Emerging markets also have different clearance and settlement
procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have
been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions. Delays in
settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the
Fund is uninvested and no cash is earned thereon. The inability of the Fund to
make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund
to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio
securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund
due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio security or, if the Fund
14
<PAGE>
has entered into a contract to sell the security, could result in possible
liability to the purchaser. Costs associated with transactions in foreign
securities are generally higher than costs associated with transactions in U.S.
securities. Such transactions also involve additional costs for the purchase or
sale of foreign currency.
Foreign investment in certain emerging market debt obligations is
restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions or controls may
at times limit or preclude foreign investment in certain emerging markets debt
obligations and increase the costs and expenses of the Fund. Certain emerging
markets require prior governmental approval of investments by foreign persons,
limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company, limit
the investment by foreign persons only to a specific class of securities of a
company that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for
purchase by domiciliaries of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on
foreign investors. Certain emerging markets may also restrict investment
opportunities in issuers in industries deemed important to national interest.
Certain emerging markets may require governmental approval for the
repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of
securities by foreign investors. In addition, if a deterioration occurs in an
emerging market's balance of payments or for other reasons, a country could
impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. The Fund could be
adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required
governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application
to the Fund of any restrictions on investments.
In the course of investment in emerging market debt obligations, the
Fund will be exposed to the direct or indirect consequences of political, social
and economic changes in one or more emerging markets. Political changes in
emerging market countries may affect the willingness of an emerging market
country governmental issuer to make or provide for timely payments of its
obligations. The country's economic status, as reflected, among other things, in
its inflation rate, the amount of its external debt and its gross domestic
product, also affects its ability to honor its obligations. While the Fund
manages its assets in a manner that will seek to minimize the exposure to such
risks, and will further reduce risk by owning the bonds of many issuers, there
can be no assurance that adverse political, social or economic changes will not
cause the Fund to suffer a loss of value in respect of the securities in the
Fund's portfolio.
The risk also exists that an emergency situation may arise in one or
more emerging markets as a result of which trading of securities may cease or
may be substantially curtailed and prices for the Fund's securities in such
markets may not be readily available. The Trust may suspend redemption of its
shares for any period during which an emergency exists, as determined by the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Accordingly if the Fund believes
that appropriate circumstances exist, it will promptly apply to the SEC for a
determination that an emergency is present. During the period commencing from
the Fund's identification of such condition until the date of the SEC action,
the Fund's securities in the affected markets will be valued at fair value
determined in good faith by or under the direction of the Trust 's Board of
Trustees.
Volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets are less than in the
U.S. and securities of many foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile
than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Fixed commissions on foreign
securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S.
exchanges, although the Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results
on its portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision
and regulation of business and industry practices, securities exchanges,
brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the U.S. Mail service between the
U.S. and foreign countries may be slower or less reliable than within the U.S.,
thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or
loss of certificates for portfolio securities. In addition, with respect to
certain emerging markets, there is the possibility of expropriation or
confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic
developments which could affect the Fund's investments in those countries.
Moreover, individual emerging market economies may differ favorably or
unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national
product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and
balance of payments position. The chart below sets forth the risk ratings of
selected emerging market countries' sovereign debt securities.
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Sovereign Risk Ratings for Selected Emerging Market Countries as of 2/23/96
(Source: J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc., Emerging Markets Research)
Country Moody's Standard & Poor's
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chile Baa1 A-
Turkey Ba3 B+
Mexico Ba2 BB
Czech Republic Baa1 A
Hungary Ba1 BB+
Colombia Baa3 BBB-
Venezuela Ba2 B+
Morocco NR NR
Argentina B1 BB-
Brazil B1 B+
Poland Baa3 BB
Ivory Coast NR NR
The Fund may have limited legal recourse in the event of a default with
respect to certain debt obligations it holds. If the issuer of a fixed-income
security owned by the Fund defaults, the Fund may incur additional expenses to
seek recovery. Debt obligations issued by emerging market country governments
differ from debt obligations of private entities; remedies from defaults on debt
obligations issued by emerging market governments, unlike those on private debt,
must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself. The Fund's ability
to enforce its rights against private issuers may be limited. The ability to
attach assets to enforce a judgment may be limited. Legal recourse is therefore
somewhat diminished. Bankruptcy, moratorium and other similar laws applicable to
private issuers of debt obligations may be substantially different from those of
other countries. The political context, expressed as an emerging market
governmental issuer's willingness to meet the terms of the debt obligation, for
example, is of considerable importance. In addition, no assurance can be given
that the holders of commercial bank debt may not contest payments to the holders
of debt obligations in the event of default under commercial bank loan
agreements. With four exceptions, (Panama, Cuba, Costa Rica and Yugoslavia), no
sovereign emerging markets borrower has defaulted on an external bond issue
since World War II.
Income from securities held by the Fund could be reduced by a
withholding tax on the source or other taxes imposed by the emerging market
countries in which the Fund makes its investments. The Fund's net asset value
may also be affected by changes in the rates or methods of taxation applicable
to the Fund or to entities in which the Fund has invested. The Adviser will
consider the cost of any taxes in determining whether to acquire any particular
investments, but can provide no assurance that the taxes will not be subject to
change.
Many emerging markets have experienced substantial, and in some periods
extremely high rates of inflation for many years. Inflation and rapid
fluctuations in inflation rates have had and may continue to have adverse
effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market
countries. In an attempt to control inflation, wage and price controls have been
imposed in certain countries. Of these countries, some, in recent years, have
begun to control inflation through prudent economic policies.
Emerging market governmental issuers are among the largest debtors to
commercial banks, foreign governments, international financial organizations and
other financial institutions. Certain emerging market governmental issuers have
not been able to make payments of interest on or principal of debt obligations
as those payments have come due. Obligations arising from past restructuring
agreements may affect the economic performance and political and social
stability of those issuers.
Governments of many emerging market countries have exercised and
continue to exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private
sector through the ownership or control of many companies, including some of the
largest in any given country. As a result, government actions in the future
could have a significant effect on economic conditions in emerging markets,
which in turn, may adversely affect companies in the private sector, general
market conditions and prices and yields of certain of the securities in the
Fund's portfolio. Expropriation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization,
16
<PAGE>
political, economic or social instability or other similar developments have
occurred frequently over the history of certain emerging markets and could
adversely affect the Fund's assets should these conditions recur.
The ability of emerging market country governmental issuers to make
timely payments on their obligations is likely to be influenced strongly by the
issuer's balance of payments, including export performance, and its access to
international credits and investments. An emerging market whose exports are
concentrated in a few commodities could be vulnerable to a decline in the
international prices of one or more of those commodities. Increased
protectionism on the part of an emerging market's trading partners could also
adversely affect the country's exports and diminish its trade account surplus,
if any. To the extent that emerging markets receive payment for its exports in
currencies other than dollars or non-emerging market currencies, its ability to
make debt payments denominated in dollars or non-emerging market currencies
could be affected.
To the extent that an emerging market country cannot generate a trade
surplus, it must depend on continuing loans from foreign governments,
multilateral organizations or private commercial banks, aid payments from
foreign governments and on inflows of foreign investment. The access of emerging
markets to these forms of external funding may not be certain, and a withdrawal
of external funding could adversely affect the capacity of emerging market
country governmental issuers to make payments on their obligations. In addition,
the cost of servicing emerging market debt obligations can be affected by a
change in international interest rates since the majority of these obligations
carry interest rates that are adjusted periodically based upon international
rates.
Another factor bearing on the ability of emerging market countries to
repay debt obligations is the level of international reserves of the country.
Fluctuations in the level of these reserves affect the amount of foreign
exchange readily available for external debt payments and thus could have a
bearing on the capacity of emerging market countries to make payments on these
debt obligations.
Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest indirectly in securities of emerging
country issuers through sponsored or unsponsored American Depositary Receipts
("ADRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), International Depositary Receipts
("IDRs") and other types of Depositary Receipts (which, together with ADRs, GDRs
and IDRs are hereinafter referred to as "Depositary Receipts"). Depositary
Receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the
underlying securities into which they may be converted. In addition, the issuers
of the stock of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose
material information in the U.S. and, therefore, there may not be a correlation
between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. ADRs
are Depositary Receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company which
evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation.
GDRs, IDRs and other types of Depositary Receipts are typically issued by
foreign banks or trust companies, although they also may be issued by United
States banks or trust companies, and evidence ownership of underlying securities
issued by either a foreign or a United States corporation. Generally, Depositary
Receipts in registered form are designed for use in the United States securities
markets and Depositary Receipts in bearer form are designed for use in
securities markets outside the United States. For purposes of the Fund's
investment policies, the Fund's investments in ADRs, GDRs and other types of
Depositary Receipts will be deemed to be investments in the underlying
securities. Depositary Receipts other than those denominated in U.S. dollars
will be subject to foreign currency exchange rate risk. Certain Depositary
Receipts may not be listed on an exchange and therefore may be illiquid
securities.
Strategic Transactions and Derivatives. The Fund may, but is not required to,
utilize various other investment strategies as described below to hedge various
market risks (such as interest rates, currency exchange rates, and broad or
specific equity or fixed-income market movements), to manage the effective
maturity or duration of fixed-income securities in the Fund's portfolio, or to
enhance potential gain. These strategies may be executed through the use of
derivative contracts. Such strategies are generally accepted as a part of modern
portfolio management and are regularly utilized by many mutual funds and other
institutional investors. Techniques and instruments may change over time as new
instruments and strategies are developed or regulatory changes occur.
In the course of pursuing these investment strategies, the Fund may
purchase and sell exchange-listed and over-the-counter put and call options on
securities, equity and fixed-income indices and other financial instruments,
purchase and sell financial futures contracts and options thereon, enter into
various interest rate transactions such as swaps, caps, floors or collars, and
enter into various currency transactions such as currency forward contracts,
currency futures contracts, currency swaps or options on currencies or currency
futures (collectively, all the above are called "Strategic Transactions").
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Strategic Transactions may be used without limit to attempt to protect against
possible changes in the market value of securities held in or to be purchased
for the Fund's portfolio resulting from securities markets or currency exchange
rate fluctuations, to protect the Fund's unrealized gains in the value of its
portfolio securities, to facilitate the sale of such securities for investment
purposes, to manage the effective maturity or duration of fixed-income
securities in the Fund's portfolio, or to establish a position in the
derivatives markets as a temporary substitute for purchasing or selling
particular securities. Some Strategic Transactions may also be used to enhance
potential gain although no more than 5% of the Fund's assets will be committed
to Strategic Transactions entered into for non-hedging purposes. Any or all of
these investment techniques may be used at any time and in any combination, and
there is no particular strategy that dictates the use of one technique rather
than another, as use of any Strategic Transaction is a function of numerous
variables including market conditions. The ability of the Fund to utilize these
Strategic Transactions successfully will depend on the Adviser's ability to
predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. The Fund will
comply with applicable regulatory requirements when implementing these
strategies, techniques and instruments. Strategic Transactions involving
financial futures and options thereon will be purchased, sold or entered into
only for bona fide hedging, risk management or portfolio management purposes and
not for speculative purposes.
Strategic Transactions, including derivative contracts, have risks
associated with them including possible default by the other party to the
transaction, illiquidity and, to the extent the Adviser's view as to certain
market movements is incorrect, the risk that the use of such Strategic
Transactions could result in losses greater than if they had not been used. Use
of put and call options may result in losses to the Fund, force the sale or
purchase of portfolio securities at inopportune times or for prices higher than
(in the case of put options) or lower than (in the case of call options) current
market values, limit the amount of appreciation the Fund can realize on its
investments or cause the Fund to hold a security it might otherwise sell. The
use of currency transactions can result in the Fund incurring losses as a result
of a number of factors including the imposition of exchange controls, suspension
of settlements, or the inability to deliver or receive a specified currency. The
use of options and futures transactions entails certain other risks. In
particular, the variable degree of correlation between price movements of
futures contracts and price movements in the related portfolio position of the
Fund creates the possibility that losses on the hedging instrument may be
greater than gains in the value of the Fund's position. In addition, futures and
options markets may not be liquid in all circumstances and certain
over-the-counter options may have no markets. As a result, in certain markets,
the Fund might not be able to close out a transaction without incurring
substantial losses, if at all. Although the use of futures and options
transactions for hedging should tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a
decline in the value of the hedged position, at the same time they tend to limit
any potential gain which might result from an increase in value of such
position. Finally, the daily variation margin requirements for futures contracts
would create a greater ongoing potential financial risk than would purchases of
options, where the exposure is limited to the cost of the initial premium.
Losses resulting from the use of Strategic Transactions would reduce net asset
value, and possibly income, and such losses can be greater than if the Strategic
Transactions had not been utilized.
General Characteristics of Options. Put options and call options typically have
similar structural characteristics and operational mechanics regardless of the
underlying instrument on which they are purchased or sold. Thus, the following
general discussion relates to each of the particular types of options discussed
in greater detail below. In addition, many Strategic Transactions involving
options require segregation of Fund assets in special accounts, as described
below under "Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts."
A put option gives the purchaser of the option, upon payment of a
premium, the right to sell, and the writer the obligation to buy, the underlying
security, commodity, index, currency or other instrument at the exercise price.
For instance, the Fund's purchase of a put option on a security might be
designed to protect its holdings in the underlying instrument (or, in some
cases, a similar instrument) against a substantial decline in the market value
by giving the Fund the right to sell such instrument at the option exercise
price. A call option, upon payment of a premium, gives the purchaser of the
option the right to buy, and the seller the obligation to sell, the underlying
instrument at the exercise price. The Fund's purchase of a call option on a
security, financial future, index, currency or other instrument might be
intended to protect the Fund against an increase in the price of the underlying
instrument that it intends to purchase in the future by fixing the price at
which it may purchase such instrument. An American style put or call option may
be exercised at any time during the option period while a European style put or
call option may be exercised only upon expiration or during a fixed period prior
thereto. The Fund is authorized to purchase and sell exchange listed options and
over-the-counter options ("OTC options"). Exchange listed options are issued by
a regulated intermediary such as the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"), which
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guarantees the performance of the obligations of the parties to such options.
The discussion below uses the OCC as an example, but is also applicable to other
financial intermediaries.
With certain exceptions, OCC issued and exchange listed options
generally settle by physical delivery of the underlying security or currency,
although in the future cash settlement may become available. Index options and
Eurodollar instruments are cash settled for the net amount, if any, by which the
option is "in-the-money" (i.e., where the value of the underlying instrument
exceeds, in the case of a call option, or is less than, in the case of a put
option, the exercise price of the option) at the time the option is exercised.
Frequently, rather than taking or making delivery of the underlying instrument
through the process of exercising the option, listed options are closed by
entering into offsetting purchase or sale transactions that do not result in
ownership of the new option.
The Fund's ability to close out its position as a purchaser or seller
of an OCC or exchange listed put or call option is dependent, in part, upon the
liquidity of the option market. Among the possible reasons for the absence of a
liquid option market on an exchange are: (i) insufficient trading interest in
certain options; (ii) restrictions on transactions imposed by an exchange; (iii)
trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions imposed with respect to
particular classes or series of options or underlying securities including
reaching daily price limits; (iv) interruption of the normal operations of the
OCC or an exchange; (v) inadequacy of the facilities of an exchange or OCC to
handle current trading volume; or (vi) a decision by one or more exchanges to
discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options),
in which event the relevant market for that option on that exchange would cease
to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange would generally continue
to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
The hours of trading for listed options may not coincide with the hours
during which the underlying financial instruments are traded. To the extent that
the option markets close before the markets for the underlying financial
instruments, significant price and rate movements can take place in the
underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the option markets.
OTC options are purchased from or sold to securities dealers, financial
institutions or other parties ("Counterparties") through direct bilateral
agreement with the Counterparty. In contrast to exchange listed options, which
generally have standardized terms and performance mechanics, all the terms of an
OTC option, including such terms as method of settlement, term, exercise price,
premium, guarantees and security, are set by negotiation of the parties. The
Fund will only sell OTC options (other than OTC currency options) that are
subject to a buy-back provision permitting the Fund to require the Counterparty
to sell the option back to the Fund at a formula price within seven days. The
Fund expects generally to enter into OTC options that have cash settlement
provisions, although it is not required to do so.
Unless the parties provide for it, there is no central clearing or
guaranty function in an OTC option. As a result, if the Counterparty fails to
make or take delivery of the security, currency or other instrument underlying
an OTC option it has entered into with the Fund or fails to make a cash
settlement payment due in accordance with the terms of that option, the Fund
will lose any premium it paid for the option as well as any anticipated benefit
of the transaction. Accordingly, the Adviser must assess the creditworthiness of
each such Counterparty or any guarantor or credit enhancement of the
Counterparty's credit to determine the likelihood that the terms of the OTC
option will be satisfied. The Fund will engage in OTC option transactions only
with U.S. government securities dealers recognized by the Federal Reserve Bank
of New York as "primary dealers" or broker/dealers, domestic or foreign banks or
other financial institutions which have received (or the guarantors of the
obligation of which have received) a short-term credit rating of A-1 from S&P or
P-1 from Moody's or an equivalent rating from any nationally recognized
statistical rating organization ("NRSRO") or, in the case of OTC currency
transactions, are determined to be of equivalent credit quality by the Adviser.
The staff of the SEC currently takes the position that OTC options purchased by
the Fund, and portfolio securities "covering" the amount of the Fund's
obligation pursuant to an OTC option sold by it (the cost of the sell-back plus
the in-the-money amount, if any) are illiquid, and are subject to the Fund's
limitation on investing no more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid
securities.
If the Fund sells a call option, the premium that it receives may serve
as a partial hedge, to the extent of the option premium, against a decrease in
the value of the underlying securities or instruments in its portfolio or will
increase the Fund's income. The sale of put options can also provide income.
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The Fund may purchase and sell call options on securities including
U.S. Treasury and agency securities, mortgage-backed securities, corporate debt
securities, equity securities (including convertible securities) and Eurodollar
instruments that are traded on U.S. and foreign securities exchanges and in the
over-the-counter markets, and on securities indices, currencies and futures
contracts. All calls sold by the Fund must be "covered" (i.e., the Fund must own
the securities or futures contract subject to the call) or must meet the asset
segregation requirements described below as long as the call is outstanding.
Even though the Fund will receive the option premium to help protect it against
loss, a call sold by the Fund exposes the Fund during the term of the option to
possible loss of opportunity to realize appreciation in the market price of the
underlying security or instrument and may require the Fund to hold a security or
instrument which it might otherwise have sold.
The Fund may purchase and sell put options on securities including U.S.
Treasury and agency securities, mortgage-backed securities, foreign sovereign
debt, corporate debt securities, equity securities (including convertible
securities) and Eurodollar instruments (whether or not it holds the above
securities in its portfolio), and on securities indices, currencies and futures
contracts other than futures on individual corporate debt and individual equity
securities. The Fund will not sell put options if, as a result, more than 50% of
the Fund's assets would be required to be segregated to cover its potential
obligations under such put options other than those with respect to futures and
options thereon. In selling put options, there is a risk that the Fund may be
required to buy the underlying security at a disadvantageous price above the
market price.
General Characteristics of Futures. The Fund may enter into financial futures
contracts or purchase or sell put and call options on such futures as a hedge
against anticipated interest rate, currency or equity market changes, for
duration management and for risk management purposes. Futures are generally
bought and sold on the commodities exchanges where they are listed with payment
of initial and variation margin as described below. The sale of a futures
contract creates a firm obligation by the Fund, as seller, to deliver to the
buyer the specific type of financial instrument called for in the contract at a
specific future time for a specified price (or, with respect to index futures
and Eurodollar instruments, the net cash amount). Options on futures contracts
are similar to options on securities except that an option on a futures contract
gives the purchaser the right in return for the premium paid to assume a
position in a futures contract and obligates the seller to deliver such
position.
The Fund's use of financial futures and options thereon will in all
cases be consistent with applicable regulatory requirements and in particular
the rules and regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and will
be entered into only for bona fide hedging, risk management (including duration
management) or other portfolio management purposes. Typically, maintaining a
futures contract or selling an option thereon requires the Fund to deposit with
a financial intermediary as security for its obligations an amount of cash or
other specified assets (initial margin) which initially is typically 1% to 10%
of the face amount of the contract (but may be higher in some circumstances).
Additional cash or assets (variation margin) may be required to be deposited
thereafter on a daily basis as the mark to market value of the contract
fluctuates. The purchase of an option on financial futures involves payment of a
premium for the option without any further obligation on the part of the Fund.
If the Fund exercises an option on a futures contract it will be obligated to
post initial margin (and potential subsequent variation margin) for the
resulting futures position just as it would for any position. Futures contracts
and options thereon are generally settled by entering into an offsetting
transaction but there can be no assurance that the position can be offset prior
to settlement at an advantageous price, nor that delivery will occur.
The Fund will not enter into a futures contract or related option
(except for closing transactions) if, immediately thereafter, the sum of the
amount of its initial margin and premiums on open futures contracts and options
thereon would exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets (taken at current value);
however, in the case of an option that is in-the-money at the time of the
purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in calculating the 5%
limitation. The segregation requirements with respect to futures contracts and
options thereon are described below.
Options on Securities Indices and Other Financial Indices. The Fund also may
purchase and sell call and put options on securities indices and other financial
indices and in so doing can achieve many of the same objectives it would achieve
through the sale or purchase of options on individual securities or other
instruments. Options on securities indices and other financial indices are
similar to options on a security or other instrument except that, rather than
settling by physical delivery of the underlying instrument, they settle by cash
settlement, i.e., an option on an index gives the holder the right to receive,
upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the index
upon which the option is based exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than,
in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option (except if, in the case
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of an OTC option, physical delivery is specified). This amount of cash is equal
to the excess of the closing price of the index over the exercise price of the
option, which also may be multiplied by a formula value. The seller of the
option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of
this amount. The gain or loss on an option on an index depends on price
movements in the instruments making up the market, market segment, industry or
other composite on which the underlying index is based, rather than price
movements in individual securities, as is the case with respect to options on
securities.
Currency Transactions. The Fund may engage in currency transactions with
Counterparties in order to hedge the value of portfolio holdings denominated in
particular currencies against fluctuations in relative value. Currency
transactions include forward currency contracts, exchange listed currency
futures, exchange listed and OTC options on currencies, and currency swaps. A
forward currency contract involves a privately negotiated obligation to purchase
or sell (with delivery generally required) a specific currency at a future date,
which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon
by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. A currency swap is
an agreement to exchange cash flows based on the notional difference among two
or more currencies and operates similarly to an interest rate swap, which is
described below. The Fund may enter into currency transactions with
Counterparties which have received (or the guarantors of the obligations which
have received) a credit rating of A-1 or P-1 by S&P or Moody's, respectively, or
that have an equivalent rating from a NRSRO or are determined to be of
equivalent credit quality by the Adviser.
The Fund's dealings in forward currency contracts and other currency
transactions such as futures, options, options on futures and swaps will be
limited to hedging involving either specific transactions or portfolio
positions. Transaction hedging is entering into a currency transaction with
respect to specific assets or liabilities of the Fund, which will generally
arise in connection with the purchase or sale of its portfolio securities or the
receipt of income therefrom. Position hedging is entering into a currency
transaction with respect to portfolio security positions denominated or
generally quoted in that currency.
The Fund will not enter into a transaction to hedge currency exposure
to an extent greater, after netting all transactions intended wholly or
partially to offset other transactions, than the aggregate market value (at the
time of entering into the transaction) of the securities held in its portfolio
that are denominated or generally quoted in or currently convertible into such
currency, other than with respect to proxy hedging or cross hedging as described
below.
The Fund may also cross-hedge currencies by entering into transactions
to purchase or sell one or more currencies that are expected to decline in value
relative to other currencies to which the Fund has or in which the Fund expects
to have portfolio exposure.
To reduce the effect of currency fluctuations on the value of existing
or anticipated holdings of portfolio securities, the Fund may also engage in
proxy hedging. Proxy hedging is often used when the currency to which the Fund's
portfolio is exposed is difficult to hedge or to hedge against the dollar. Proxy
hedging entails entering into a commitment or option to sell a currency whose
changes in value are generally considered to be correlated to a currency or
currencies in which some or all of the Fund's portfolio securities are or are
expected to be denominated, in exchange for U.S. dollars. The amount of the
commitment or option would not exceed the value of the Fund's securities
denominated in correlated currencies. For example, if the Adviser considers that
the Austrian schilling is correlated to the German deutschemark (the "D-mark"),
the Fund holds securities denominated in schillings and the Adviser believes
that the value of schillings will decline against the U.S. dollar, the Adviser
may enter into a commitment or option to sell D-marks and buy dollars. Currency
hedging involves some of the same risks and considerations as other transactions
with similar instruments. Currency transactions can result in losses to the Fund
if the currency being hedged fluctuates in value to a degree or in a direction
that is not anticipated. Further, there is the risk that the perceived
correlation between various currencies may not be present or may not be present
during the particular time that the Fund is engaging in proxy hedging. If the
Fund enters into a currency hedging transaction, the Fund will comply with the
asset segregation requirements described below.
Risks of Currency Transactions. Currency transactions are subject to risks
different from those of other portfolio transactions. Because currency control
is of great importance to the issuing governments and influences economic
planning and policy, purchases and sales of currency and related instruments can
be negatively affected by government exchange controls, blockages, and
manipulations or exchange restrictions imposed by governments. These can result
in losses to the Fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or funds in
settlement of obligations and could also cause hedges it has entered into to be
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rendered useless, resulting in full currency exposure as well as incurring
transaction costs. Buyers and sellers of currency futures are subject to the
same risks that apply to the use of futures generally. Further, settlement of a
currency futures contract for the purchase of most currencies must occur at a
bank based in the issuing nation. Trading options on currency futures is
relatively new, and the ability to establish and close out positions on such
options is subject to the maintenance of a liquid market which may not always be
available. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate based on factors extrinsic to
that country's economy.
Combined Transactions. The Fund may enter into multiple transactions, including
multiple options transactions, multiple futures transactions, multiple currency
transactions (including forward currency contracts) and multiple interest rate
transactions and any combination of futures, options, currency and interest rate
transactions ("component" transactions), instead of a single Strategic
Transaction, as part of a single or combined strategy when, in the opinion of
the Adviser, it is in the best interests of the Fund to do so. A combined
transaction will usually contain elements of risk that are present in each of
its component transactions. Although combined transactions are normally entered
into based on the Adviser's judgment that the combined strategies will reduce
risk or otherwise more effectively achieve the desired portfolio management
goal, it is possible that the combination will instead increase such risks or
hinder achievement of the portfolio management objective.
Swaps, Caps, Floors and Collars. Among the Strategic Transactions into which the
Fund may enter are interest rate, currency and index swaps and the purchase or
sale of related caps, floors and collars. The Fund expects to enter into these
transactions primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment
or portion of its portfolio, to protect against currency fluctuations, as a
duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of
securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date. The Fund intends to
use these transactions as hedges and not as speculative investments and will not
sell interest rate caps or floors where it does not own securities or other
instruments providing the income stream the Fund may be obligated to pay.
Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their
respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of floating
rate payments for fixed rate payments with respect to a notional amount of
principal. A currency swap is an agreement to exchange cash flows on a notional
amount of two or more currencies based on the relative value differential among
them and an index swap is an agreement to swap cash flows on a notional amount
based on changes in the values of the reference indices. The purchase of a cap
entitles the purchaser to receive payments on a notional principal amount from
the party selling such cap to the extent that a specified index exceeds a
predetermined interest rate or amount. The purchase of a floor entitles the
purchaser to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party
selling such floor to the extent that a specified index falls below a
predetermined interest rate or amount. A collar is a combination of a cap and a
floor that preserves a certain return within a predetermined range of interest
rates or values.
The Fund will usually enter into swaps on a net basis, i.e., the two
payment streams are netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates
specified in the instrument, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may
be, only the net amount of the two payments. Inasmuch as these swaps, caps,
floors and collars are entered into for good faith hedging purposes, the Adviser
and the Fund believe such obligations do not constitute senior securities under
the 1940 Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to its
borrowing restrictions. The Fund will not enter into any swap, cap, floor or
collar transaction unless, at the time of entering into such transaction, the
unsecured long-term debt of the Counterparty, combined with any credit
enhancements, is rated at least A by S&P or Moody's or has an equivalent rating
from a NRSRO or is determined to be of equivalent credit quality by the Adviser.
If there is a default by the Counterparty, the Fund may have contractual
remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. The swap market
has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and
investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing
standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become
relatively liquid. Caps, floors and collars are more recent innovations for
which standardized documentation has not yet been fully developed and,
accordingly, they are less liquid than swaps.
Eurodollar Instruments. The Fund may make investments in Eurodollar instruments.
Eurodollar instruments are U.S. dollar-denominated futures contracts or options
thereon which are linked to the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"),
although foreign currency-denominated instruments are available from time to
time. Eurodollar futures contracts enable purchasers to obtain a fixed rate for
the lending of funds and sellers to obtain a fixed rate for borrowings. The Fund
might use Eurodollar futures contracts and options thereon to hedge against
changes in LIBOR, to which many interest rate swaps and fixed income instruments
are linked.
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Risks of Strategic Transactions Outside the U.S. When conducted outside the
U.S., Strategic Transactions may not be regulated as rigorously as in the U.S.,
may not involve a clearing mechanism and related guarantees, and are subject to
the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in, or the prices of, foreign
securities, currencies and other instruments. The value of such positions also
could be adversely affected by: (i) other complex foreign political, legal and
economic factors, (ii) lesser availability than in the U.S. of data on which to
make trading decisions, (iii) delays in the Fund's ability to act upon economic
events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the U.S., (iv)
the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and
margin requirements than in the U.S., and (v) lower trading volume and
liquidity.
Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts. Many Strategic Transactions, in
addition to other requirements, require that the Fund segregate liquid high
grade assets with its custodian to the extent Fund obligations are not otherwise
"covered" through ownership of the underlying security, financial instrument or
currency. In general, either the full amount of any obligation by the Fund to
pay or deliver securities or assets must be covered at all times by the
securities, instruments or currency required to be delivered, or, subject to any
regulatory restrictions, an amount of cash or liquid high grade securities at
least equal to the current amount of the obligation must be segregated with the
custodian. The segregated assets cannot be sold or transferred unless equivalent
assets are substituted in their place or it is no longer necessary to segregate
them. For example, a call option written by the Fund will require the Fund to
hold the securities subject to the call (or securities convertible into the
needed securities without additional consideration) or to segregate liquid
high-grade securities sufficient to purchase and deliver the securities if the
call is exercised. A call option sold by the Fund on an index will require the
Fund to own portfolio securities which correlate with the index or to segregate
liquid high grade assets equal to the excess of the index value over the
exercise price on a current basis. A put option written by the Fund requires the
Fund to segregate liquid, high grade assets equal to the exercise price.
Except when the Fund enters into a forward contract for the purchase or
sale of a security denominated in a particular currency, which requires no
segregation, a currency contract which obligates the Fund to buy or sell
currency will generally require the Fund to hold an amount of that currency or
liquid securities denominated in that currency equal to the Fund's obligations
or to segregate liquid high grade assets equal to the amount of the Fund's
obligation.
OTC options entered into by the Fund, including those on securities,
currency, financial instruments or indices and OCC issued and exchange listed
index options, will generally provide for cash settlement. As a result, when the
Fund sells these instruments it will only segregate an amount of assets equal to
its accrued net obligations, as there is no requirement for payment or delivery
of amounts in excess of the net amount. These amounts will equal 100% of the
exercise price in the case of a non cash-settled put, the same as an OCC
guaranteed listed option sold by the Fund, or the in-the-money amount plus any
sell-back formula amount in the case of a cash-settled put or call. In addition,
when the Fund sells a call option on an index at a time when the in-the-money
amount exceeds the exercise price, the Fund will segregate, until the option
expires or is closed out, cash or cash equivalents equal in value to such
excess. OCC issued and exchange listed options sold by the Fund other than those
above generally settle with physical delivery, or with an election of either
physical delivery or cash settlement and the Fund will segregate an amount of
assets equal to the full value of the option. OTC options settling with physical
delivery, or with an election of either physical delivery or cash settlement
will be treated the same as other options settling with physical delivery.
In the case of a futures contract or an option thereon, the Fund must
deposit initial margin and possible daily variation margin in addition to
segregating assets sufficient to meet its obligation to purchase or provide
securities or currencies, or to pay the amount owed at the expiration of an
index-based futures contract. Such assets may consist of cash, cash equivalents,
liquid debt or equity securities or other acceptable assets.
With respect to swaps, the Fund will accrue the net amount of the
excess, if any, of its obligations over its entitlements with respect to each
swap on a daily basis and will segregate an amount of cash or liquid high grade
securities having a value equal to the accrued excess. Caps, floors and collars
require segregation of assets with a value equal to the Fund's net obligation,
if any.
Strategic Transactions may be covered by other means when consistent
with applicable regulatory policies. The Fund may also enter into offsetting
transactions so that its combined position, coupled with any segregated assets,
equals its net outstanding obligation in related options and Strategic
Transactions. For example, the Fund could purchase a put option if the strike
price of that option is the same or higher than the strike price of a put option
sold by the Fund. Moreover, instead of segregating assets if the Fund held a
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futures or forward contract, it could purchase a put option on the same futures
or forward contract with a strike price as high or higher than the price of the
contract held. Other Strategic Transactions may also be offset in combinations.
If the offsetting transaction terminates at the time of or after the primary
transaction no segregation is required, but if it terminates prior to such time,
assets equal to any remaining obligation would need to be segregated.
The Fund's activities involving Strategic Transactions may be limited
by the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code for
qualification as a regulated investment company. (See "TAXES.")
Investment Restrictions
Unless specified to the contrary, the following restrictions may not be
changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities
of the Fund which, under the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder and as used in
this Statement of Additional Information, means the lesser of (1) 67% or more of
the voting securities present at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50%
of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by
proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
Any investment restrictions herein which involve a maximum percentage
of securities or assets shall not be considered to be violated unless an excess
over the percentage occurs immediately after and is caused by an acquisition or
encumbrance of securities or assets of, or borrowings by, the Fund.
As a matter of fundamental policy the Fund may not:
1. with respect to 75% of its total assets taken at market value,
purchase more than 10% of the voting securities of any one issuer
or invest more than 5% of the value of its total assets in the
securities of any one issuer, except obligations issued or
guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies, or
instrumentalities and except securities of other investment
companies;
2. borrow money except as a temporary measure for extraordinary or
emergency purposes or except in connection with reverse
repurchase agreements provided that the Fund maintains asset
coverage of 300% for all borrowings;
3. purchase or sell real estate (except that the Fund may invest in
(i) securities of companies which deal in real estate or
mortgages, and (ii) securities secured by real estate or
interests therein, and that the Fund reserves freedom of action
to hold and to sell real estate acquired as a result of the
Fund's ownership of securities); or purchase or sell physical
commodities or contracts relating to physical commodities;
4. act as an underwriter of securities issued by others, except to
the extent that it may be deemed an underwriter in connection
with the disposition of portfolio securities of the Fund;
5. issue senior securities, except as appropriate to evidence
indebtedness which it is permitted to incur, and except for
shares of the separate classes or series of the Trust; provided
that collateral arrangements with respect to currency-related
contracts, futures contracts, options or other permitted
investments, including deposits of initial and variation margin,
are not considered to be the issuance of senior securities for
purposes of this restriction;
6. purchase any securities which would cause more than 25% of the
market value of its total assets at the time of such purchase to
be invested in the securities of one or more issuers having their
principal business activities in the same industry, provided that
there is no limitation with respect to investments in obligations
issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or
instrumentalities (for the purposes of this restriction,
telephone companies are considered to be in a separate industry
from gas and electric public utilities, wholly-owned finance
companies are considered to be in the same industry of their
parents if their activities are primarily related to financing
the activities of their parents and each foreign government, its
agencies or instrumentalities as well as supranational
organizations as a group, are each considered to be a separate
industry);
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7. make loans to other persons, except (a) loans of portfolio
securities, and (b) to the extent the entry into repurchase
agreements, loan assignments and loan participations and the
purchase of debt securities in accordance with its investment
objective and investment policies may be deemed to be loans.
As a matter of nonfundamental policy the Fund may not:
(a) purchase or retain securities of any open-end investment company,
or securities of closed-end investment companies except by
purchase in the open market where no commission or profit to a
sponsor or dealer results from such purchases, or except when
such purchase, though not made in the open market, is part of a
plan of merger, consolidation, reorganization or acquisition of
assets; in any event the Fund may not purchase more than 3% of
the outstanding voting securities of another investment company,
may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in another
investment company, and may not invest more than 10% of its total
assets in other investment companies;
(b) pledge, mortgage or hypothecate its assets in excess, together
with permitted borrowings, of 1/3 of its total assets;
(c) purchase or retain securities of an issuer any of whose officers,
directors, trustees or security holders is an officer, director
or trustee of the Fund or a member, officer, director or trustee
of the investment adviser of the Fund if one or more of such
individuals owns beneficially more than one-half of one percent
(1/2%) of the outstanding shares or securities or both (taken at
market value) of such issuer and such individuals owning more
than one-half of one percent (1/2%) of such shares or securities
together own beneficially more than 5% of such shares or
securities or both;
(d) invest more than 15% of its net assets in securities that are
deemed to be illiquid;
(e) purchase securities of any issuer with a record of less than
three years continuous operations, including predecessors, and in
equity securities which are not readily marketable except U.S.
Government securities, securities of such issuers which are rated
by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating
organization, municipal obligations and obligations issued or
guaranteed by any foreign government or its agencies or
instrumentalities, if such purchase would cause the investments
of the Fund in all such issuers to exceed 5% of the total assets
of the Fund taken at market value;
(f) buy options on securities or financial instruments, unless the
aggregate premiums paid on all such options held by the Fund at
any time do not exceed 20% of its net assets; or sell put options
on securities if, as a result, the aggregate value of the
obligations underlying such put options would exceed 50% of the
Fund's net assets;
(g) enter into futures contracts or purchase options thereon unless
immediately after the purchase, the value of the aggregate
initial margin with respect to all futures contracts entered into
on behalf of the Fund and the premiums paid for options on
futures contracts does not exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets
provided that in the case of an option that is in-the-money at
the time of purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in
computing the 5% limit;
(h) invest in oil, gas or other mineral leases, or exploration or
development programs (although it may invest in issuers which own
or invest in such interests);
(i) purchase or sell real estate limited partnership interests;
(j) make securities loans if the value of such securities loaned
exceeds 30% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the time
any loan is made; all loans of portfolio securities will be fully
collateralized and marked to market daily. The Fund has no
current intention of making loans of portfolio securities that
would amount to greater than 5% of its total assets;
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(k) borrow money in excess of 5% of its total assets (taken at market
value), except for temporary or emergency purposes, or borrow
other than from banks; however, in the case of reverse repurchase
agreements, the Fund may invest in such agreements with other
than banks subject to total asset coverage of 300% for such
agreements and all borrowing;
(l) purchase warrants if as a result warrants taken at the lower of
cost or market value would represent more than 5% of the value of
the Fund's net assets or more than 2% of its net assets in
warrants that are not listed on the New York or American Stock
Exchanges or on an exchange with comparable listing requirements
(for this purpose, warrants attached to securities will be deemed
to have no value); and
(m) purchase securities on margin or make short sales unless, by
virtue of its ownership of other securities, it has the right to
obtain the same securities in the same amount as the securities
sold at no additional cost and, if the right is conditional, the
sale is made upon the same conditions, except that the Fund may
maintain short positions in forward currency contracts, options
and futures contracts, subject to any legal requirements
concerning segregation.
PURCHASES
(See "Purchases" and "Transaction information" in the Fund's prospectus)
Additional Information About Opening An Account
Clients having a regular investment counsel account with the Adviser or
its affiliates and members of their immediate families, officers and employees
of the Adviser or of any affiliated organization and their immediate families,
members of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD") and
banks may, if they prefer, subscribe initially for at least $1,000 of Fund
shares through Scudder Investor Services, Inc. (the "Distributor") by letter,
fax or telephone.
Shareholders of other Scudder funds who have submitted an account
application and have a certified taxpayer identification number, clients having
a regular investment counsel account with the Adviser or its affiliates and
members of their immediate families, officers and employees of the Adviser or of
any affiliated organization and their immediate families, members of the NASD
and banks may open an account by wire. These investors must call 1-800-225-5163
to get an account number. During the call, the investor will be asked to
indicate the Fund name, amount to be wired ($1,000 minimum), name of bank or
trust company from which the wire will be sent, the exact registration of the
new account, the taxpayer identification or Social Security number, address and
telephone number. The investor must then call the bank to arrange a wire
transfer to The Scudder Funds, State Street Bank and Trust Company, Boston, MA
02110, ABA Number 011000028, Account Number: 9903-5552. The investor must give
the Scudder fund name, account name and new account number. Finally, the
investor must send the completed and signed application to the Fund promptly.
The minimum initial purchase amount is less than $1,000 under certain
special plan accounts.
Additional Information About Making Subsequent Investments by AutoBuy
Shareholders, whose predesignated bank account of record is a Member of
the Automated Clearing House Network (ACH) and have elected to participate in
the AutoBuy program, may purchase shares of the Fund by telephone. Through this
service shareholders may purchase up to $250,000 but not less than $250. To
purchase shares by AutoBuy, shareholders should call before 4 p.m. eastern time.
Proceeds in the amount of your purchase will be transferred from your bank
checking account in two or three business days following your call. Shares will
be purchased at the net asset value per share calculated at the close of trading
on the business day following your call. AutoBuy requests after 4 p.m. eastern
time will begin their processing the following business day. If you purchase
shares by AutoBuy and redeem them within seven days of the purchase, the Fund
may hold the redemption proceeds for a period of up to seven business days. If
you purchase shares and there are insufficient funds in your bank account the
purchase will be canceled and you will be subject to any losses or fees incurred
in the transaction. Auto Buy transactions are not available for Scudder IRA
accounts and most other retirement plan accounts.
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In order to request purchases by AutoBuy, shareholders must have
completed and returned to the Transfer Agent the application, including the
designation of a bank account from which the purchase payment will be debited.
New investors wishing to establish AutoBuy may so indicate on the application.
Existing shareholders who wish to add AutoBuy to their account may do so by
completing an AutoBuy Enrollment Form. After sending in an enrollment form
shareholders should allow for 15 days for this service to be available.
The Fund employs procedures, including recording telephone calls,
testing a caller's identity, and sending written confirmation of telephone
transactions, designed to give reasonable assurance that instructions
communicated by telephone are genuine. and to discourage fraud. To the extent
that the Fund does not follow such procedures, it may be liable for losses due
to unauthorized or fraudulent telephone instructions. The Fund will not be
liable for acting upon instructions communicated by telephone that it reasonably
believes to be genuine.
Checks
A certified check is not necessary, but checks are only accepted
subject to collection at full face value in U.S. funds and must be drawn on, or
payable through, a U.S. bank.
If shares of the Fund are purchased by a check which proves to be
uncollectible, the Fund reserves the right to cancel the purchase immediately
and the purchaser will be responsible for any loss incurred by the Fund or the
principal underwriter by reason of such cancellation. If the purchaser is a
shareholder, the Fund will have the authority, as agent of the shareholder, to
redeem shares in the account in order to reimburse the Fund or the principal
underwriter for the loss incurred. Investors whose orders have been canceled may
be prohibited from, or restricted in, placing future orders in any of the
Scudder funds.
Wire Transfer of Federal Funds
To obtain the net asset value determined as of the close of regular
trading on a selected day, your bank must forward federal funds by wire transfer
and provide the required account information so as to be available to the Fund
prior to the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4 p.m. eastern
time).
The bank sending an investor's federal funds by bank wire may charge
for the service. Presently the Distributor pays a fee for receipt by the
Custodian of "wired funds," but the right to charge investors for this service
is reserved.
Boston banks are closed on certain holidays although the Exchange may
be open. These holidays include Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (the 3rd Monday in
January), Columbus Day (the 2nd Monday in October) and Veterans Day (November
11). Investors are not able to purchase shares by wiring federal funds on such
holidays because the Custodian is not open to receive such federal funds on
behalf of the Fund.
Share Price
Purchases will be filled without sales charge at the net asset value
next computed after receipt of the application in good order. Net asset value
normally will be computed as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange on
each day during which the Exchange is open for trading. Orders received after
the close of regular trading on the Exchange will receive the next day's net
asset value. If the order has been placed by a member of the NASD, other than
the Distributor, it is the responsibility of that member broker, rather than the
Fund, to forward the purchase order to the Fund's transfer agent in Boston by
the close of regular trading on the Exchange.
Share Certificates
Due to the desire of the Fund's management to afford ease of
redemption, certificates will not be issued to indicate ownership in the Fund.
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Other Information
If purchases or redemptions of Fund shares are arranged and settlement
is made at the investor's election through a member of the NASD other than the
Distributor, that member may, at its discretion, charge a fee for that service.
The Board of Trustees and the Distributor each have the right to limit
the amount of purchases by and to refuse to sell to any person, and each may
suspend or terminate the offering of shares of the Fund at any time.
The Tax Identification Number section of the application must be
completed when opening an account. Applications and purchase orders without a
certified tax identification number and certain other certified information
(e.g., from exempt organizations, certification of exempt status) will be
returned to the investor.
The Fund may issue shares of the Fund at net asset value in connection
with any merger or consolidation with, or acquisition of the assets of, any
investment company (or series thereof) or personal holding company, subject to
the requirements of the 1940 Act.
EXCHANGES AND REDEMPTIONS
(See "Exchanges and redemptions" and "Transaction information" in
the Fund's prospectus.)
Special Redemption and Exchange Information
In general, shares of the Fund may be exchanged or redeemed at net
asset value. However, shares of the Fund held for less than one year are
redeemable at a price equal to 99% of the then current net asset value per
share. This 1% discount, referred to in the prospectus and this statement of
additional information as a redemption fee, directly affects the amount a
shareholder who is subject to the discount receives upon exchange or redemption.
It is intended to encourage long-term investment in the Fund, to avoid
transaction and other expenses caused by early redemptions and to facilitate
portfolio management. The fee is not a deferred sales charge, is not a
commission paid to the Adviser or its subsidiaries, and does not benefit the
Adviser in any way. The Fund reserves the right to modify the terms of or
terminate this fee at any time.
The redemption discount will not be applied to (a) a redemption of
shares of the Fund outstanding for one year or more, (b) shares purchased
through certain retirement plans, including 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, 457
plans, Keogh accounts, and Profit Sharing and Money Purchase Pension Plans, (c)
a redemption of reinvestment shares (i.e., shares purchased through the
reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions paid by the Fund), or
(d) a redemption of shares by the Fund upon exercise of its right to liquidate
accounts (i) falling below the minimum account size by reason of shareholder
redemptions or (ii) when the shareholder has failed to provide tax
identification information. However, if shares are purchased for a retirement
plan account through a broker, financial institution or recordkeeper maintaining
an omnibus account for the shares, such waiver may not apply. (Before purchasing
shares, please check with your account representative concerning the
availability of the fee waiver.) In addition, this waiver does not apply to IRA
and SEP-IRA accounts. For this purpose and without regard to the shares actually
redeemed, shares will be treated as redeemed as follows: first, reinvestment
shares; second, purchased shares held one year or more; and third, purchased
shares held for less than one year. Finally, if a redeeming shareholder acquires
Fund shares through a transfer from another shareholder, applicability of the
discount, if any, will be determined by reference to the date the shares were
originally purchased, and not from the date of transfer between shareholders.
Exchanges
Exchanges are comprised of a redemption from one Scudder fund and a
purchase into another Scudder fund. The purchase side of the exchange may be
either an additional investment into an existing account or may involve opening
a new account in another fund. When an exchange involves a new account, the new
account will be established with the same registration, tax identification
number, address, telephone redemption option, "Scudder Automated Information
Line" (SAIL) transaction authorization and dividend option as the existing
account. Other features will not carry over automatically to the new account.
Exchanges into a new fund account must be for a minimum of $1,000. When an
exchange represents an additional investment into an existing account, the
account receiving the exchange proceeds must have identical registration, tax
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identification number, address, and account options/features as the account of
origin. Exchanges into an existing account must be for $100 or more. If the
account receiving the exchange proceeds is different in any respect, the
exchange request must be in writing and must contain an original signature
guarantee as described under "Transaction information--Redeeming
shares--Signature guarantees" in the Fund's prospectus.
Exchange orders received before the close of regular trading on the
Exchange on any business day ordinarily will be executed at the respective net
asset value determined on that day. Exchange orders received after the close of
regular trading on the Exchange will be executed on the following business day.
Investors may also request, at no extra charge, to have exchanges
automatically executed on a predetermined schedule from one Scudder Fund to an
existing account in another Scudder Fund at current net asset value through
Scudder's Automatic Exchange Program. Exchanges must be for a minimum of $50.
Shareholders may add this free feature over telephone or in writing. Automatic
Exchanges will continue until the shareholder requests by telephone or in
writing to have the feature removed, or until the originating account is
depleted. The Trust and the Transfer Agent each reserves the right to suspend or
terminate the privilege of the Automatic Exchange Program at any time.
There is no charge to the shareholder for any exchange described above.
However, shares that are exchanged may be subject to the Fund's 1% redemption
fee. (See "Special Redemption and Exchange Information." An exchange into
another Scudder fund is a redemption of shares, and therefore may result in tax
consequences (gain or loss) to the shareholder, and the proceeds of such an
exchange may be subject to backup withholding. (See "TAXES.")
Investors currently receive the exchange privilege, including exchange
by telephone, automatically without having to elect it. The Trust employs
procedures, including recording telephone calls, testing a caller's identity,
and sending written confirmation of telephone transactions, designed to give
reasonable assurance that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine,
and to discourage fraud. To the extent that the Trust does not follow such
procedures, it may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent
telephone instructions. The Trust will not be liable for acting upon
instructions communicated by telephone that it reasonably believes to be
genuine. The Trust, the Fund and the Transfer Agent each reserves the right to
suspend or terminate the privilege of exchanging by telephone or fax at any
time.
The Scudder funds into which investors may make an exchange are listed
under "THE SCUDDER FAMILY OF FUNDS" herein. Before making an exchange,
shareholders should obtain a prospectus of the Scudder fund into which the
exchange is being contemplated from the Distributor.
Scudder retirement plans may have different exchange requirements.
Please refer to appropriate plan literature.
Redemption by Telephone
Shareholders currently receive the right, automatically without having
to elect it, to redeem by telephone up to $50,000 and have the proceeds mailed
to their address of record. Shareholders may also request by telephone to have
the proceeds mailed or wired to their predesignated bank account. In order to
request wire redemptions by telephone, shareholders must have completed and
returned to the Transfer Agent the application, including the designation of a
bank account to which the redemption proceeds are to be sent.
(a) NEW INVESTORS wishing to establish the telephone redemption
privilege must complete the appropriate section on the
application.
(b) EXISTING SHAREHOLDERS (except those who are Scudder IRA, Scudder
pension and profit-sharing, Scudder 401(k) and Scudder 403(b)
Planholders) who wish to establish telephone redemption to a
predesignated bank account or who want to change the bank account
previously designated to receive redemption proceeds should
either return a Telephone Redemption Option Form (available upon
request), or send a letter identifying the account and specifying
the exact information to be changed. The letter must be signed
exactly as the shareholder's name(s) appears on the account. An
original signature and an original
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signature guarantee are required for each person in whose name
the account is registered.
If a request for a redemption to a shareholder's bank account is made
by telephone or fax, payment will be made by Federal Reserve bank wire to the
bank account designated on the application, unless a request is made that the
redemption be mailed to the designated bank account. There will be a $5 charge
for all wire redemptions.
Note: Investors designating a savings bank to receive their
telephone redemption proceeds are advised that if the savings
bank is not a participant in the Federal Reserve System,
redemption proceeds must be wired through a commercial bank
which is a correspondent of the savings bank. As this may
delay receipt by the shareholder's account, it is suggested
that investors wishing to use a savings bank discuss wire
procedures with their bank and submit any special wire
transfer information with the telephone redemption
authorization. If appropriate wire information is not
supplied, redemption proceeds will be mailed to the designated
bank.
The Trust employs procedures, including recording telephone calls,
testing a caller's identity, and sending written confirmation of telephone
transactions, designed to give reasonable assurance that instructions
communicated by telephone are genuine, and to discourage fraud. To the extent
that the Trust does not follow such procedures, it may be liable for losses due
to unauthorized or fraudulent telephone instructions. The Trust will not be
liable for acting upon instructions communicated by telephone that it reasonably
believes to be genuine.
Redemption requests by telephone (technically a repurchase by agreement
between a Fund and the shareholder) of shares purchased by check will not be
accepted until the purchase check has cleared which may take up to seven
business days.
Redemption by AutoSell
Shareholders, whose predesignated bank account of record is a member of
the Automated Clearing House Network (ACH) and have elected to participate in
the AutoSell program may sell shares of the Fund by telephone. To sell shares by
AutoSell, shareholders should call before 4 p.m. eastern time. Redemptions must
be for at least $250. Proceeds in the amount of your redemption (less any
applicable redemption fee) will be transferred to your bank checking account in
two or three business days following your call. Shares will be redeemed at the
net asset value per share calculated at the close of trading on the day of your
call. AutoBuy requests after 4 p.m. eastern time will begin their processing the
following business day. AutoSell transactions are not available for Scudder IRA
accounts and most other retirement plan accounts.
In order to request redemptions by AutoSell, shareholders must have
completed and returned to the Transfer Agent the application, including the
designation of a bank account from which the purchase payment will be debited.
New investors wishing to establish AutoSell may so indicate on the application.
Existing shareholders who wish to add AutoSell to their account may do so by
completing an AutoSell Enrollment Form. After sending in an enrollment form,
shareholders should allow for 15 days for this service to be available.
The Fund employs procedures, including recording telephone calls,
testing a caller's identity, and sending written confirmation of telephone
transactions, designed to give reasonable assurance that instructions
communicated by telephone are genuine, and to discourage fraud. To the extent
that the Fund does not follow such procedures, it may be liable for losses due
to unauthorized or fraudulent telephone instructions. The Fund will not be
liable for acting upon instructions communicated by telephone that it reasonably
believes to be genuine.
Redemption by Mail or Fax
In order to ensure proper authorization before redeeming shares, the
Transfer Agent may request additional documents such as, but not restricted to,
stock powers, trust instruments, certificates of death, appointments as
executor, certificates of corporate authority and waivers of tax (required in
some states when settling estates).
It is suggested that shareholders holding shares registered in other
than individual names contact the Transfer Agent prior to redemptions to ensure
that all necessary documents accompany the request. When shares are held in the
name of a corporation, trust, fiduciary agent, attorney or partnership, the
Transfer Agent requires, in addition to the stock power, certified evidence of
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authority to sign. These procedures are for the protection of shareholders and
should be followed to ensure prompt payment. Redemption requests must not be
conditional as to date or price of the redemption. Proceeds of a redemption will
be sent within five business days after receipt by the Transfer Agent of a
request for redemption that complies with the above requirements. Delays of more
than seven days of payment for shares tendered for redemption may result, but
only until the purchase check has cleared.
The requirements for IRA redemptions are different from those for
regular accounts. For more information please call 1-800-225-5163.
Redemption-In-Kind
The Trust reserves the right, if conditions exist which make cash
payments undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase order by
making payment in whole or in part in readily marketable securities chosen by
the Trust and valued as they are for purposes of computing the Fund's net asset
value (a redemption-in-kind). If payment is made in securities, a shareholder
may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities into cash. The
Trust has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act as a
result of which the Trust is obligated to redeem shares, with respect to any one
shareholder during any 90 day period, solely in cash up to the lesser of
$250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of the Fund at the beginning of the
period.
Other Information
If a shareholder redeems all shares in the account after the record
date of a dividend, the shareholder will receive in addition to the net asset
value thereof (less any applicable redemption fee), all declared but unpaid
dividends thereon. The value of shares redeemed or repurchased may be more or
less than the shareholder's cost depending on the net asset value at the time of
redemption or repurchase. A wire charge may be applicable for redemption
proceeds wired to an investor's bank account. Redemption of shares, including an
exchange into another Scudder fund, may result in tax consequences (gain or
loss) to the shareholder and the proceeds of such redemptions may be subject to
backup withholding. (See "TAXES.")
Shareholders who wish to redeem shares from Special Plan Accounts
should contact the employer, trustee or custodian of the Plan for the
requirements.
The determination of net asset value may be suspended at times and a
shareholder's right to redeem shares and to receive payment may be suspended at
times during which (a) the Exchange is closed, other than customary weekend and
holiday closings, (b) trading on the Exchange is restricted for any reason, (c)
an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities
owned by it is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable
for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets, or (d) a
governmental body having jurisdiction over the Fund may by order permit such a
suspension for the protection of the Fund's shareholders; provided that
applicable rules and regulations of the SEC (or any succeeding governmental
authority) shall govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (b), (c) or
(d) exist.
If transactions at any time reduce a shareholder's account balance in
the Fund to below $1,000 in value, the Fund may notify the shareholder that,
unless the account balance is brought up to at least $1,000, the Fund will
redeem all shares and close the account by making payment to the shareholder.
The shareholder has sixty days to bring the account balance up to $1,000 before
any action will be taken by the Fund. (This policy applies to accounts of new
shareholders, but does not apply to certain Special Plan Accounts.) The Trustees
have the authority to change the minimum account size.
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FEATURES AND SERVICES OFFERED BY THE FUND
(See "Shareholder benefits" in the Fund's
prospectus.)
The Pure No-Load(TM) Concept
Investors are encouraged to be aware of the full ramifications of
mutual fund fee structures, and of how Scudder distinguishes its funds from the
vast majority of mutual funds available today. The primary distinction is
between load and no-load funds.
Load funds generally are defined as mutual funds that charge a fee for
the sale and distribution of fund shares. There are three types of loads:
front-end loads, back-end loads, and asset-based 12b-1 fees. 12b-1 fees are
distribution-related fees charged against fund assets and are distinct from
service fees, which are charged for personal services and/or maintenance of
shareholder accounts. Asset-based sales charges and service fees are typically
paid pursuant to distribution plans adopted under 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
A front-end load is a sales charge, which can be as high as 8.50% of
the amount invested. A back-end load is a contingent deferred sales charge,
which can be as high as 8.50% of either the amount invested or redeemed. The
maximum front-end or back-end load varies, and depends upon whether or not a
fund also charges a 12b-1 fee and/or a service fee or offers investors various
sales-related services such as dividend reinvestment. The maximum charge for a
12b-1 fee is 0.75% of a fund's average annual net assets, and the maximum charge
for a service fee is 0.25% of a fund's average annual net assets.
A no-load fund does not charge a front-end or back-end load, but can
charge a small 12b-1 fee and/or service fee against fund assets. Under the
National Association of Securities Dealers Rules of Fair Practice, a mutual fund
can call itself a "no-load" fund only if the 12b-1 fee and/or service fee does
not exceed 0.25% of a fund's average annual net assets.
Because Scudder funds do not pay any asset-based sales charges or
service fees, Scudder developed and trademarked the phrase pure no-load(TM) to
distinguish Scudder funds from other no-load mutual funds. Scudder pioneered the
no-load concept when it created the nation's first no-load fund in 1928, and
later developed the nation's first family of no-load mutual funds.
The following chart shows the potential long-term advantage of
investing $10,000 in a Scudder pure no-load fund over investing the same amount
in a load fund that collects an 8.50% front-end load, a load fund that collects
only a 0.75% 12b-1 and/or service fee, and a no-load fund charging only a 0.25%
12b-1 and/or service fee. The hypothetical figures in the chart show the value
of an account assuming a constant 10% rate of return over the time periods
indicated and reinvestment of dividends and distributions.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
====================================================================================================================
Scudder Load Fund with 0.75% No-Load Fund with
YEARS Pure No-Load(TM)Fund 8.50% Load Fund 12b-1 Fee 0.25% 12b-1 Fee
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
10 $ 25,937 $ 23,733 $ 24,222 $ 25,354
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15 41,772 38,222 37,698 40,371
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20 67,275 61,557 58,672 64,282
====================================================================================================================
</TABLE>
Investors are encouraged to review the fee tables on page 2 of the
Fund's prospectus for more specific information about the rates at which
management fees and other expenses are assessed.
32
<PAGE>
Dividends and Capital Gain Distribution Options
Investors have freedom to choose whether to receive cash or to reinvest
any dividends from net investment income or distributions from realized capital
gains in additional shares of the Fund. A change of instructions for the method
of payment must be received by the Transfer Agent at least five days prior to a
dividend record date. Shareholders may change their dividend option either by
calling 1-800-225-5163 or by sending written instructions to the Transfer Agent.
Please include your account number with your written request. See "How to
contact Scudder" in the Prospectus for the address.
Reinvestment is usually made at the closing net asset value determined
on the business day following the record date. Investors may leave standing
instructions with the Transfer Agent designating their option for either
reinvestment or cash distribution of any income dividends or capital gains
distributions. If no election is made, dividends and distributions will be
invested in additional shares of the Fund.
Investors may also have dividends and distributions automatically
deposited in their predesignated bank account through Scudder's
DistributionsDirect Program. Shareholder who elect to participate in the
DistributionsDirect Program, and whose predesignated checking account of record
is with a member bank of the Automated Clearing House Network (ACH) can have
income and capital gain distributions automatically deposited to their personal
bank account usually within three business days after the Fund pays its
distribution. A DistributionsDirect request form can be obtained by calling
1-800-225-5163. Confirmation statements will be mailed to shareholders as
notification that distributions have been deposited.
Investors choosing to participate in Scudder's Automatic Withdrawal
Plan must reinvest any dividends or capital gains. For most retirement plan
accounts, the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains is also required.
Diversification
Your investment represents an interest in a large, diversified
portfolio of securities. Diversification may protect you against the possible
risks of concentrating in fewer securities or in a specific market sector.
Scudder Funds Centers
Investors may visit any of the Funds Centers maintained by the
Distributor. The Centers are designed to provide individuals with services
during any business day. Investors may pick up literature or obtain assistance
with opening an account, adding monies or special options to existing accounts,
making exchanges within the Scudder Family of Funds, redeeming shares, or
opening retirement plans. Checks should not be mailed to the Centers but to "The
Scudder Funds" at the address listed under "How to Contact Scudder" in the
Prospectus.
Reports to Shareholders
The Fund issues to its shareholders audited annual financial
statements, including a list of investments held and statements of assets and
liabilities, operations, changes in net assets and financial highlights. The
Fund presently intends to distribute to shareholders informal quarterly reports
during the intervening quarters, containing certain performance and investment
highlights of the Fund. Each distribution will be accompanied by a brief
explanation of the source of the distribution.
Transaction Summaries
Annual summaries of all transactions in each Fund account are available
to shareholders. The summaries may be obtained by calling 1-800-225-5163.
33
<PAGE>
THE SCUDDER FAMILY OF FUNDS
(See "Investment products and services" in the Fund's
prospectus.)
The Scudder Family of Funds is America's first family of mutual funds
and the nation's oldest family of no-load mutual funds. To assist investors in
choosing a Scudder fund, descriptions of the Scudder funds' objectives follow.
Initial purchases in each Scudder fund must be at least $1,000 or $500 in the
case of IRAs. Subsequent purchases must be for $100 or more. Minimum investments
for special plan accounts may be lower.
MONEY MARKET
Scudder Cash Investment Trust ("SCIT") seeks to maintain the stability
of capital, and consistent therewith, to maintain the liquidity of
capital and to provide current income through investment in a
supervised portfolio of short-term debt securities. SCIT intends to
seek to maintain a constant net asset value of $1.00 per share,
although in certain circumstances this may not be possible.
Scudder U.S. Treasury Money Fund seeks to provide safety, liquidity and
stability of capital and consistent therewith to provide current income
through investment in a supervised portfolio of U.S. Government and
U.S. Government guaranteed obligations with maturities of not more than
762 calendar days. The Fund intends to seek to maintain a constant net
asset value of $1.00 per share, although in certain circumstances this
may not be possible.
INCOME
Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund seeks to provide high current
income and, secondarily, long-term capital appreciation through
investments primarily in high-yielding debt securities issued in
emerging markets.
Scudder Global Bond Fund seeks to provide total return with an emphasis
on current income by investing primarily in high-grade bonds
denominated in foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. As a secondary
objective, the Fund will seek capital appreciation.
Scudder GNMA Fund seeks to provide investors with high current income
from a portfolio of high-quality GNMA securities.
Scudder High Yield Bond Fund seeks to provide a high level of current
income and, secondarily, capital appreciation through investment
primarily in below investment grade domestic debt securities.
Scudder Income Fund seeks to earn a high level of income consistent
with the prudent investment of capital through a flexible investment
program emphasizing high-grade bonds.
Scudder International Bond Fund seeks to provide income from a
portfolio of high-grade bonds denominated in foreign currencies. As a
secondary objective, the Fund seeks protection and possible enhancement
of principal value by actively managing currency, bond market and
maturity exposure and by security selection.
Scudder Short Term Bond Fund seeks to provide a higher and more stable
level of income than is normally provided by money market investments,
and more price stability than investments in intermediate- and
long-term bonds.
Scudder Zero Coupon 2000 Fund seeks to provide as high an investment
return over a selected period as is consistent with the minimization of
reinvestment risks through investments primarily in zero coupon
securities.
34
<PAGE>
TAX FREE MONEY MARKET
Scudder Tax Free Money Fund ("STFMF") is designed to provide investors
with income exempt from regular federal income tax while seeking
stability of principal. STFMF seeks to maintain a constant net asset
value of $1.00 per share, although in certain circumstances this may
not be possible.
Scudder California Tax Free Money Fund* is designed to provide
California taxpayers income exempt from California state and regular
federal income taxes, and seeks stability of capital and the
maintenance of a constant net asset value of $1.00 per share, although
in certain circumstances this may not be possible.
Scudder New York Tax Free Money Fund* is designed to provide New York
taxpayers income exempt from New York state, New York City and regular
federal income taxes, and seeks stability of capital and the
maintenance of a constant net asset value of $1.00 per share, although
in certain circumstances this may not be possible.
TAX FREE
Scudder High Yield Tax Free Fund seeks to provide high income which is
exempt from regular federal income tax by investing in investment-grade
municipal securities.
Scudder Limited Term Tax Free Fund seeks to provide as high a level of
income exempt from regular federal income tax as is consistent with a
high degree of principal stability.
Scudder Managed Municipal Bonds seeks to provide income which is exempt
from regular federal income tax primarily through investments in
long-term municipal securities with an emphasis on high quality.
Scudder Medium Term Tax Free Fund seeks to provide a high level of
income free from regular federal income taxes and to limit principal
fluctuation by investing in high-grade municipal securities of
intermediate maturities.
Scudder California Tax Free Fund* seeks to provide income exempt from
both California and regular federal income taxes through the
professional and efficient management of a portfolio consisting of
California state, municipal and local government obligations.
Scudder Massachusetts Limited Term Tax Free Fund* seeks to provide as
high a level of income exempt from Massachusetts personal and regular
federal income tax as is consistent with a high degree of principal
stability.
Scudder Massachusetts Tax Free Fund* seeks to provide income exempt
from both Massachusetts and regular federal income taxes through the
professional and efficient management of a portfolio consisting of
Massachusetts state, municipal and local government obligations.
Scudder New York Tax Free Fund* seeks to provide income exempt from New
York state, New York City and regular federal income taxes through the
professional and efficient management of a portfolio consisting of
investments in New York state, municipal and local government
obligations.
Scudder Ohio Tax Free Fund* seeks to provide income exempt from both
Ohio and regular federal income taxes through the professional and
efficient management of a portfolio consisting of Ohio state, municipal
and local government obligations.
Scudder Pennsylvania Tax Free Fund* seeks to provide income exempt from
both Pennsylvania and regular federal income taxes through a portfolio
consisting of Pennsylvania state, municipal and local government
obligations.
- --------------
* These funds are not available for sale in all states. For information,
contact Scudder Investor Services, Inc.
35
<PAGE>
GROWTH AND INCOME
Scudder Balanced Fund seeks to provide a balance of growth and income,
as well as long-term preservation of capital, from a diversified
portfolio of equity and fixed income securities.
Scudder Growth and Income Fund seeks to provide long-term growth of
capital, current income, and growth of income through a portfolio
invested primarily in common stocks and convertible securities by
companies which offer the prospect of growth of earnings while paying
current dividends.
GROWTH
Scudder Capital Growth Fund seeks to maximize long-term growth of
capital through a broad and flexible investment program emphasizing
common stocks.
Scudder Development Fund seeks to achieve long-term growth of capital
primarily through investments in marketable securities, principally
common stocks, of relatively small or little-known companies which in
the opinion of management have promise of expanding their size and
profitability or of gaining increased market recognition for their
securities, or both.
Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund seeks to provide long-term growth
of capital primarily through equity investments in emerging markets
around the globe.
Scudder Global Discovery Fund seeks above-average capital appreciation
over the long term by investing primarily in the equity securities of
small companies located throughout the world.
Scudder Global Fund seeks long-term growth of capital primarily through
a diversified portfolio of marketable equity securities selected on a
worldwide basis. It may also invest in debt securities of U.S.
and foreign issuers. Income is an incidental consideration.
Scudder Gold Fund seeks maximum return (principal change and income)
consistent with investing in a portfolio of gold-related equity
securities and gold.
Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund seeks long-term growth of capital
through investments primarily in the equity securities of European
companies.
Scudder International Fund seeks long-term growth of capital through
investment principally in a diversified portfolio of marketable equity
securities selected primarily to permit participation in non-U.S.
companies and economies with prospects for growth. It also invests in
fixed-income securities of foreign governments and companies, with a
view toward total investment return.
Scudder Latin America Fund seeks to provide long-term capital
appreciation through investment primarily in the securities of Latin
American issuers.
Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund seeks long-term growth of capital
through investment primarily in the equity securities of Pacific Basin
companies, excluding Japan.
Scudder Quality Growth Fund seeks to provide long-term growth of
capital through investment primarily in the equity securities of
seasoned, financially strong U.S. growth companies.
Scudder Small Company Value Fund invests for long-term growth of
capital by seeking out undervalued stocks of small U.S. companies.
Scudder Value Fund seeks long-term growth of capital through investment
in undervalued equity securities.
36
<PAGE>
The Japan Fund, Inc. seeks capital appreciation through investment in
Japanese securities, primarily in common stocks of Japanese companies.
The net asset values of most Scudder Funds can be found daily in the
"Mutual Funds" section of The Wall Street Journal under "Scudder Funds," and in
other leading newspapers throughout the country. Investors will notice the net
asset value and offering price are the same, reflecting the fact that no sales
commission or "load" is charged on the sale of shares of the Scudder Funds. The
latest seven-day yields for the money-market funds can be found every Monday and
Thursday in the "Money-Market Funds" section of The Wall Street Journal. This
information also may be obtained by calling the Scudder Automated Information
Line (SAIL) at 1-800-343-2890.
The Scudder Family of Funds offers many conveniences and services,
including: active professional investment management; broad and diversified
investment portfolios; pure no-load funds with no commissions to purchase or
redeem shares or Rule 12b-1 distribution fees; individual attention from a
service representative of Scudder Investor Relations; easy telephone exchanges
into other Scudder funds; shares redeemable at net asset value at any time.
SPECIAL PLAN ACCOUNTS
(See "Scudder tax-advantaged retirement plans," "Purchases--By
Automatic Investment Plan" and "Exchanges and redemptions--By
Automatic Withdrawal Plan" in the Fund's prospectus.)
Detailed information on any Scudder investment plan, including the
applicable charges, minimum investment requirements and disclosures made
pursuant to Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") requirements, may be obtained
by contacting Scudder Investor Services, Inc., Two International Place, Boston,
Massachusetts 02110-4103 or by calling toll free, 1-800-225-2470. It is
advisable for an investor considering the funding of the investment plans
described below to consult with an attorney or other investment or tax adviser
with respect to the suitability requirements and tax aspects thereof.
Shares of the Fund may also be a permitted investment under profit
sharing and pension plans and IRA's other than those offered by the Fund's
distributor depending on the provisions of the relevant plan or IRA.
None of the plans assures a profit or guarantees protection against
depreciation, especially in declining markets.
Scudder Retirement Plans: Profit-Sharing and Money Purchase
Pension Plans for Corporations and Self-Employed Individuals
Shares of the Fund may be purchased as the investment medium under a
plan in the form of a Scudder Profit-Sharing Plan (including a version of the
Plan which includes a cash-or-deferred feature) or a Scudder Money Purchase
Pension Plan (jointly referred to as the Scudder Retirement Plans) adopted by a
corporation, a self-employed individual or a group of self-employed individuals
(including sole proprietorships and partnerships), or other qualifying
organization. Each of these forms was approved by the IRS as a prototype. The
IRS's approval of an employer's plan under Section 401(a) of the Internal
Revenue Code will be greatly facilitated if it is in such approved form. Under
certain circumstances, the IRS will assume that a plan, adopted in this form,
after special notice to any employees, meets the requirements of Section 401(a)
of the Internal Revenue Code.
Scudder 401(k): Cash or Deferred Profit-Sharing Plan
for Corporations and Self-Employed Individuals
Shares of the Fund may be purchased as the investment medium under a
plan in the form of a Scudder 401(k) Plan adopted by a corporation, a
self-employed individual or a group of self-employed individuals (including sole
proprietors and partnerships), or other qualifying organization. This plan has
been approved as a prototype by the IRS.
37
<PAGE>
Scudder IRA: Individual Retirement Account
Shares of the Fund may be purchased as the underlying investment for an
Individual Retirement Account which meets the requirements of Section 408(a) of
the Internal Revenue Code.
A single individual who is not an active participant in an
employer-maintained retirement plan, a simplified employee pension plan, or a
tax-deferred annuity program (a "qualified plan"), and a married individual who
is not an active participant in a qualified plan and whose spouse is also not an
active participant in a qualified plan, are eligible to make tax deductible
contributions of up to $2,000 to an IRA prior to the year such individual
attains age 70 1/2. In addition, certain individuals who are active participants
in qualified plans (or who have spouses who are active participants) are also
eligible to make tax-deductible contributions to an IRA; the annual amount, if
any, of the contribution which such an individual will be eligible to deduct
will be determined by the amount of his, her, or their adjusted gross income for
the year. Whenever the adjusted gross income limitation prohibits an individual
from contributing what would otherwise be the maximum tax-deductible
contribution he or she could make, the individual will be eligible to contribute
the difference to an IRA in the form of nondeductible contributions.
An eligible individual may contribute as much as $2,000 of qualified
income (earned income or, under certain circumstances, alimony) to an IRA each
year (up to $2,250 for married couples if one spouse has earned income of no
more than $250). All income and capital gains derived from IRA investments are
reinvested and compound tax-deferred until distributed. Such tax-deferred
compounding can lead to substantial retirement savings.
The table below shows how much individuals would accumulate in a fully
tax-deductible IRA by age 65 (before any distributions) if they contribute
$2,000 at the beginning of each year, assuming average annual returns of 5, 10,
and 15%. (At withdrawal, accumulations in this table will be taxable.)
Value of IRA at Age 65
Assuming $2,000 Deductible Annual Contribution
<TABLE>
- ---------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------
Starting Annual Rate of Return
Age of ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contributions 5% 10% 15%
- ---------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
25 $253,680 $973,704 $4,091,908
35 139,522 361,887 999,914
45 69,439 126,005 235,620
55 26,414 35,062 46,699
</TABLE>
This next table shows how much individuals would accumulate in non-IRA
accounts by age 65 if they start with $2,000 in pretax earned income at the
beginning of each year (which is $1,380 after taxes are paid), assuming average
annual returns of 5, 10 and 15%. (At withdrawal, a portion of the accumulation
in this table will be taxable.)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Value of a Non-IRA Account at
Age 65 Assuming $1,380 Annual Contributions
(post tax, $2,000 pretax) and a 31% Tax Bracket
- ---------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------
Starting Annual Rate of Return
Age of ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contributions 5% 10% 15%
- ---------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
25 $119,318 $287,021 $741,431
35 73,094 136,868 267,697
45 40,166 59,821 90,764
55 16,709 20,286 24,681
</TABLE>
Scudder 403(b) Plan
Shares of the Fund may also be purchased as the underlying investment
for tax sheltered annuity plans under the provisions of Section 403(b)(7) of the
Internal Revenue Code. In general, employees of tax-exempt organizations
38
<PAGE>
described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (such as hospitals,
churches, religious, scientific, or literary organizations and educational
institutions) or a public school system are eligible to participate in a 403(b)
plan.
Automatic Withdrawal Plan
Non-retirement plan shareholders may establish an Automatic Withdrawal
Plan to receive monthly, quarterly or periodic redemptions from his or her
account for any designated amount of $50 or more. Payments are mailed at the end
of each month. The check amounts may be based on the redemption of a fixed
dollar amount, fixed share amount, percent of account value or declining
balance. The Plan provides for income dividends and capital gains distributions,
if any, to be reinvested in additional shares. Shares are then liquidated as
necessary to provide for withdrawal payments. Since the withdrawals are in
amounts selected by the investor and have no relationship to yield or income,
payments received cannot be considered as yield or income on the investment and
the resulting liquidations may deplete or possibly extinguish the initial
investment. Requests for increases in withdrawal amounts or to change payee must
be submitted in writing, signed exactly as the account is registered and contain
signature guarantee(s) as described under "Transaction information--Redeeming
shares--Signature guarantees" in the Fund's prospectus. Any such requests must
be received by the Fund's transfer agent by the 15th of the month in which such
change is to take effect. An Automatic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any
time by the shareholder, the Trust or its agent on written notice, and will be
terminated when all shares of the Fund under the Plan have been liquidated or
upon receipt by the Trust of notice of death of the shareholder.
An Automatic Withdrawal Plan request form can be obtained by calling
1-800-225-5163.
Group or Salary Deduction Plan
An investor may join a Group or Salary Deduction Plan where
satisfactory arrangements have been made with Scudder Investor Services, Inc.
for forwarding regular investments through a single source. The minimum annual
investment is $240 per investor which may be made in monthly, quarterly,
semiannual or annual payments. The minimum monthly deposit per investor is $20.
Except for trustees or custodian fees for certain retirement plans, at present
there is no separate charge for maintaining group or salary deduction plans;
however, the Trust, and its agents reserve the right to establish a maintenance
charge in the future depending on the services required by the investor.
The Trust reserves the right, after notice has been given to the
shareholder, to redeem and close a shareholder's account in the event that the
shareholder ceases participating in the group plan prior to investment of $1,000
per individual or in the event of a redemption which occurs prior to the
accumulation of that amount or which reduces the account value to less than
$1,000 and the account value is not increased to $1,000 within a reasonable time
after notification. An investor in a plan who has not purchased shares for six
months shall be presumed to have stopped making payments under the plan.
Automatic Investment Plan
Shareholders may arrange to make periodic investments through automatic
deductions from checking accounts by completing the appropriate form and
providing the necessary documentation to establish this service. The minimum
investment is $50.
The Automatic Investment Plan involves an investment strategy called
dollar cost averaging. Dollar cost averaging is a method of investing whereby a
specific dollar amount is invested at regular intervals. By investing the same
dollar amount each period, when shares are priced low the investor will purchase
more shares than when the share price is higher. Over a period of time this
investment approach may allow the investor to reduce the average price of the
shares purchased. However, this investment approach does not assure a profit or
protect against loss. This type of regular investment program may be suitable
for various investment goals such as, but not limited to, college planning or
saving for a home.
39
<PAGE>
Uniform Transfers/Gifts to Minors Act
Grandparents, parents or other donors may set up custodian accounts for
minors. The minimum initial investment is $1,000 unless the donor agrees to
continue to make regular share purchases for the account through Scudder's
Automatic Investment Plan (AIP). In this case, the minimum initial investment is
$500.
The Trust reserves the right, after notice has been given to the
shareholder and custodian, to redeem and close a shareholder's account in the
event that regular investments to the account cease before the $1,000 minimum is
reached.
Scudder Trust Company
Annual service fees are paid by the Fund to Scudder Trust Company, an
affiliate of the Adviser, for certain retirement plan accounts and are included
in the fees paid to the Transfer Agent.
DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS DISTRIBUTIONS
(See "Distribution and performance
information--Dividends and capital gains
distributions" in the Fund's prospectus.)
The Fund intends to follow the practice of distributing substantially
all of its investment company taxable income, which includes any excess of net
realized short-term capital gains over net realized long-term capital losses.
The Fund may follow the practice of distributing the entire excess of net
realized long-term capital gains over net realized short-term capital losses.
However, the Fund may retain all or part of such gain for reinvestment, after
paying the related federal taxes for which shareholders may then be able to
claim a credit against their federal tax liability. If the Fund does not
distribute the amount of capital gains and/or ordinary income required to be
distributed by an excise tax provision of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund
may be subject to that excise tax. In certain circumstances, the Fund may
determine that it is in the interest of shareholders to distribute less than the
required amount. (See "TAXES.")
The Fund's dividends from its net investment income are declared daily
and distributed monthly. The Fund intends to distribute net realized capital
gains after utilization of capital loss carryforwards, if any, in November or
December to prevent application of a federal excise tax, although an additional
distribution may be made, if necessary. Any dividends or capital gains
distributions declared in October, November or December with a record date in
such a month and paid during the following January will be treated by
shareholders for federal income tax purposes as if received on December 31 of
the calendar year declared. According to preference, shareholders may receive
distributions in cash or have them reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.
Distributions are not subject to the 1% redemption fee, whether paid in cash or
reinvested. If an investment is in the form of a retirement plan, all dividends
and capital gains distributions must be reinvested into the shareholder's
account. Distributions of investment company taxable income and net realized
capital gains are taxable (see "TAXES"), whether made in shares or cash.
Additional distributions may be made if necessary.
Both types of distributions will be made in shares of the Fund and
confirmation will be mailed to each shareholder unless a shareholder has elected
to receive cash, in which case a check will be sent.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
(See "Distribution and performance information--Performance
information in the Fund's prospectus.)
From time to time, quotations of the Fund's performance may be included
in advertisements, sales literature or reports to shareholders or prospective
investors. These performance figures are calculated in the following manner:
Average Annual Total Return
Average Annual Total Return is the average annual compound rate of
return for periods of one year and the life of the Fund, all ended on the last
day of a recent calendar quarter. Average Annual Total Return quotations reflect
40
<PAGE>
changes in the price of the Fund's shares and assume that all dividends and
capital gains distributions during the respective periods were reinvested in
Fund shares. Average Annual Total Return is calculated by finding the average
annual compound rates of return of a hypothetical investment over such periods
according to the following formula (Average Annual Total Return is then
expressed as a percentage):
T = (ERV/P)^(1/n) - 1
Where:
P = a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000
T = Average Annual Total Return
n = number of years
ERV = ending redeemable value: ERV is the value,
at the end of the applicable period, of a
hypothetical $1,000 investment made at the
beginning of the applicable period.
Cumulative Total Return
Cumulative Total Return is the cumulative rate of return on a
hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 for a specified period. Cumulative
Total Return quotations reflect changes in the price of the Fund's shares and
assume that all dividends and capital gains distributions during the period were
reinvested in Fund shares. Cumulative Total Return is calculated by finding the
cumulative rates of return of a hypothetical investment over such periods,
according to the following formula (Cumulative Total Return is then expressed as
a percentage):
C = (ERV/P) - 1
Where:
C = Cumulative Total Return
P = a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000
ERV = ending redeemable value: ERV is the value,
at the end of the applicable period, of a
hypothetical $1,000 investment made at the
beginning of the applicable period.
Total Return
Total Return is the rate of return on an investment for a specified
period of time calculated in the same manner as Cumulative Total Return.
Capital Change
Capital Change measures the return from invested capital including
reinvested capital gains distributions. Capital Change does not include the
reinvestment of income dividends.
SEC Yield
The Fund's yield is the net annualized yield based on a specified
30-day (or one month) period assuming semiannual compounding of income. Yield is
calculated by dividing the net investment income per share earned during the
period by the maximum offering price per share on the last day of the period,
according to the following formula:
41
<PAGE>
YIELD = 2[((a-b)/cd + 1)^6 - 1]
Where:
a = dividends and interest earned during the period, including
amortization of market premium or accretion of market discount
b = expenses accrued for the period (net of reimbursements)
c = the average daily number of shares outstanding during the
period that were entitled to receive dividends
d = the maximum offering price per share on the last day of the period
Calculation of a Fund's SEC yield does not take into account "Section
988 Transactions." (See "TAXES.")
Quotations of the Fund's performance are historical and are not
intended to indicate future performance. An investor's shares when redeemed may
be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance of the Fund will
vary based on changes in market conditions and the level of the Fund's expenses.
Comparison of Fund Performance
A comparison of the quoted non-standard performance offered for various
investments is valid only if performance is calculated in the same manner. Since
there are different methods of calculating performance, investors should
consider the effects of the methods used to calculate performance when comparing
performance of the Fund with performance quoted with respect to other investment
companies or types of investments.
In connection with communicating its performance to current or
prospective shareholders, the Fund also may compare these figures to the
performance of unmanaged indices which may assume reinvestment of dividends or
interest but generally do not reflect deductions for administrative and
management costs. Examples include, but are not limited to the Dow Jones
Industrial Average, the Consumer Price Index, Standard & Poor's 500 Composite
Stock Price Index (S&P 500), the NASDAQ OTC Composite Index, the NASDAQ
Industrials Index, the Russell 2000 Index, and statistics published by the Small
Business Administration.
From time to time, in advertising and marketing literature, this Fund's
performance may be compared to the performance of broad groups of mutual funds
with similar investment goals, as tracked by independent organizations such as,
Investment Company Data, Inc. ("ICD"), Lipper Analytical Services, Inc.
("Lipper"), CDA Investment Technologies, Inc. ("CDA"), Morningstar, Inc., Value
Line Mutual Fund Survey and other independent organizations. When these
organizations' tracking results are used, the Fund will be compared to the
appropriate fund category, that is, by fund objective and portfolio holdings, or
to the appropriate volatility grouping, where volatility is a measure of a
fund's risk. For instance, a Scudder growth fund will be compared to funds in
the growth fund category; a Scudder income fund will be compared to funds in the
income fund category; and so on. Scudder funds (except for money market funds)
may also be compared to funds with similar volatility, as measured statistically
by independent organizations. In addition, the Fund's performance may also be
compared to the performance of broad groups of comparable mutual funds.
Unmanaged indices with which the Fund's performance may be compared include, but
are not limited to, the following:
Lehman Corporate Bond Index
Lehman High Yield Bond Index
S&P 500 Index
From time to time, in marketing and other Fund literature, Trustees and
officers of the Fund, the Fund's portfolio manager, or members of the portfolio
management team may be depicted and quoted to give prospective and current
shareholders a better sense of the outlook and approach of those who manage the
Fund. In addition, the amount of assets that the Adviser has under management in
various geographical areas may be quoted in advertising and marketing materials.
The Fund may be advertised as an investment choice in Scudder's college
planning program. The description may contain illustrations of projected future
college costs based on assumed rates of inflation and examples of hypothetical
fund performance, calculated as described above.
42
<PAGE>
Statistical and other information, as provided by the Social Security
Administration, may be used in marketing materials pertaining to retirement
planning in order to estimate future payouts of social security benefits.
Estimates may be used on demographic and economic data.
Marketing and other Fund literature may include a description of the
potential risks and rewards associated with an investment in the Fund. The
description may include a "risk/return spectrum" which compares the Fund to
other Scudder funds or broad categories of funds, such as money market, bond or
equity funds, in terms of potential risks and returns. Money market funds are
designed to maintain a constant $1.00 share price and have a fluctuating yield.
Share price, yield and total return of a bond fund will fluctuate. The share
price and return of an equity fund also will fluctuate. The description may also
compare the Fund to bank products, such as certificates of deposit. Unlike
mutual funds, certificates of deposit are insured up to $100,000 by the U.S.
government and offer a fixed rate of return.
Because bank products guarantee the principal value of an investment
and money market funds seek stability of principal, these investments are
considered to be less risky than investments in either bond or equity funds,
which may involve the loss of principal. However, all long-term investments,
including investments in bank products, may be subject to inflation risk, which
is the risk of erosion of the value of an investment as prices increase over a
long time period. The risks/returns associated with an investment in bond or
equity funds depend upon many factors. For bond funds these factors include, but
are not limited to, a fund's overall investment objective, the average portfolio
maturity, credit quality of the securities held, and interest rate movements.
For equity funds, factors include a fund's overall investment objective, the
types of equity securities held and the financial position of the issuers of the
securities. The risks/returns associated with an investment in international
bond or equity funds also will depend upon currency exchange rate fluctuation.
A risk/return spectrum generally will position the various investment
categories in the following order: bank products, money market funds, bond funds
and equity funds. Shorter-term bond funds generally are considered less risky
and offer the potential for less return than longer-term bond funds. The same is
true of domestic bond funds relative to international bond funds, and bond funds
that purchase higher quality securities relative to bond funds that purchase
lower quality securities. Growth and income equity funds are generally
considered to be less risky and offer the potential for less return than growth
funds. In addition, international equity funds usually are considered more risky
than domestic equity funds but generally offer the potential for greater return.
Risk/return spectrums also may depict funds that invest in both
domestic and foreign securities or a combination of bond and equity securities.
Scudder's Theme: Build Create Provide. Marketing and fund literature may refer
to Scudder's theme: "Build Create Provide." This theme intends to encapsulate
the composition of a sound investment philosophy, one through which Scudder can
help provide investors appropriate avenues for pursuing dreams. Individuals
recognize the need to build investment plans that are suitable and directed at
achieving one's financial goals. The desired result from planning and a
long-term commitment to it is the ability to build wealth over time. While there
are no guarantees in the pursuit of wealth through investing, Scudder believes
that a sound investment plan can enhance one's ability to achieve financial
goals that are clearly defined and appropriately approached. Wealth, while a
relative term, may be defined as the freedom to provide for those interests
which you hold most important -- your family, future, and/or your community.
Evaluation of Fund performance or other relevant statistical
information made by independent sources may also be used in advertisements
concerning the Fund, including reprints of, or selections from, editorials or
articles about this Fund. Sources for Fund performance information and articles
about the Fund include the following:
American Association of Individual Investors' Journal, a monthly publication of
the AAII that includes articles on investment analysis techniques.
Asian Wall Street Journal, a weekly Asian newspaper that often reviews U.S.
mutual funds investing internationally.
Banxquote, an on-line source of national averages for leading money market and
bank CD interest rates, published on a weekly basis by Masterfund, Inc. of
Wilmington, Delaware.
43
<PAGE>
Barron's, a Dow Jones and Company, Inc. business and financial weekly that
periodically reviews mutual fund performance data.
Business Week, a national business weekly that periodically reports the
performance rankings and ratings of a variety of mutual funds investing abroad.
CDA Investment Technologies, Inc., an organization which provides performance
and ranking information through examining the dollar results of hypothetical
mutual fund investments and comparing these results against appropriate market
indices.
Consumer Digest, a monthly business/financial magazine that includes a "Money
Watch" section featuring financial news.
Financial Times, Europe's business newspaper, which features from time to time
articles on international or country-specific funds.
Financial World, a general business/financial magazine that includes a "Market
Watch" department reporting on activities in the mutual fund industry.
Forbes, a national business publication that from time to time reports the
performance of specific investment companies in the mutual fund industry.
Fortune, a national business publication that periodically rates the performance
of a variety of mutual funds.
The Frank Russell Company, a West-Coast investment management firm that
periodically evaluates international stock markets and compares foreign equity
market performance to U.S. stock market performance.
Global Investor, a European publication that periodically reviews the
performance of U.S. mutual funds investing internationally.
IBC/Donoghue's Money Fund Report, a weekly publication of the Donoghue
Organization, Inc., of Holliston, Massachusetts, reporting on the performance of
the nation's money market funds, summarizing money market fund activity and
including certain averages as performance benchmarks, specifically "Donoghue's
Money Fund Average," and "Donoghue's Government Money Fund Average."
Ibbotson Associates, Inc., a company specializing in investment research and
data.
Investment Company Data, Inc., an independent organization which provides
performance ranking information for broad classes of mutual funds.
Investor's Daily, a daily newspaper that features financial, economic, and
business news.
Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly investment advisory publication
that periodically features the performance of a variety of securities.
Lipper Analytical Services, Inc.'s Mutual Fund Performance Analysis, a weekly
publication of industry-wide mutual fund averages by type of fund.
Money, a monthly magazine that from time to time features both specific funds
and the mutual fund industry as a whole.
Morgan Stanley International, an integrated investment banking firm that
compiles statistical information.
Mutual Fund Values, a biweekly Morningstar, Inc. publication that provides
ratings of mutual funds based on fund performance, risk and portfolio
characteristics.
44
<PAGE>
The New York Times, a nationally distributed newspaper which regularly covers
financial news.
The No-Load Fund Investor, a monthly newsletter, published by Sheldon Jacobs,
that includes mutual fund performance data and recommendations for the mutual
fund investor.
No-Load Fund*X, a monthly newsletter, published by DAL Investment Company, Inc.,
that reports on mutual fund performance, rates funds and discusses investment
strategies for the mutual fund investor.
Personal Investing News, a monthly news publication that often reports on
investment opportunities and market conditions.
Personal Investor, a monthly investment advisory publication that includes a
"Mutual Funds Outlook" section reporting on mutual fund performance measures,
yields, indices and portfolio holdings.
Smart Money, a national personal finance magazine published monthly by Dow Jones
and Company, Inc. and The Hearst Corporation. Focus is placed on ideas for
investing, spending and saving.
Success, a monthly magazine targeted to the world of entrepreneurs and growing
business, often featuring mutual fund performance data.
United Mutual Fund Selector, a semi-monthly investment newsletter, published by
Babson United Investment Advisors, that includes mutual fund performance data
and reviews of mutual fund portfolios and investment strategies.
USA Today, a leading national daily newspaper.
U.S. News and World Report, a national news weekly that periodically reports
mutual fund performance data.
Value Line Mutual Fund Survey, an independent organization that provides
biweekly performance and other information on mutual funds.
The Wall Street Journal, a Dow Jones and Company, Inc. newspaper which regularly
covers financial news.
Wiesenberger Investment Companies Services, an annual compendium of information
about mutual funds and other investment companies, including comparative data on
funds' backgrounds, management policies, salient features, management results,
income and dividend records and price ranges.
Working Woman, a monthly publication that features a "Financial Workshop"
section reporting on the mutual fund/financial industry.
Worth, a national publication put out 10 times per year by Capital Publishing
Company, a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments. Focus is placed on personal
financial journalism.
FUND ORGANIZATION
(See "Fund organization" in the Fund's
prospectus.)
The Fund is a separate series of Scudder Portfolio Trust, formerly
Scudder Income Fund, a Massachusetts business trust established under a
Declaration of Trust dated September 20, 1984, as amended. The Trust's
predecessor was organized as a Massachusetts corporation in 1928 by the
investment counsel firm of Scudder, Stevens & Clark.
On November 4, 1987, the par value of the shares of beneficial interest
of the Trust was changed from no par value to $0.01 par value per share. The
Trust's authorized capital consists of an unlimited number of shares of
beneficial interest of $0.01 par value, all of which are of one class and have
equal rights as to voting, dividends, and liquidation. The Trustees have the
authority to issue two or more series of shares and to designate the relative
rights and preferences as between the different series. If more than one series
of shares were issued and a series were unable to meet its obligations, the
remaining series might have to assume the unsatisfied obligations of that
series. All shares issued and outstanding will be fully paid and non-assessable
45
<PAGE>
by the Trust, and redeemable as described in this combined Statement of
Additional Information and in each Fund's prospectus.
The assets of the Trust received for the issue or sale of the shares of
each series and all income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, subject only
to the rights of creditors, are specifically allocated to such series and
constitute the underlying assets of such series. The underlying assets of each
series are segregated on the books of account, and are to be charged with the
liabilities in respect to such series and with a proportionate share of the
general liabilities of the Trust. If a series were unable to meet its
obligations, the assets of all other series may in some circumstances be
available to creditors for that purpose, in which case the assets of such other
series could be used to meet liabilities which are not otherwise properly
chargeable to them. Expenses with respect to any two or more series are to be
allocated in proportion to the asset value of the respective series except where
allocations of direct expenses can otherwise be fairly made. The officers of the
Trust, subject to the general supervision of the Trustees, have the power to
determine which liabilities are allocable to a given series, or which are
general or allocable to two or more series. In the event of the dissolution or
liquidation of the Trust or any series, the holders of the shares of any series
are entitled to receive as a class the underlying assets of such shares
available for distribution to shareholders.
Shares of the Trust entitle their holders to one vote per share;
however, separate votes are taken by each series on matters affecting an
individual series. For example, a change in investment policy for a series would
be voted upon only by shareholders of the series involved. Additionally,
approval of the investment advisory agreement is a matter to be determined
separately by each series. Approval by the shareholders of one series is
effective as to that series whether or not enough votes are received from the
shareholders of the other series to approve such agreement as to the other
series.
The Trustees, in their discretion, may authorize the division of shares
of a series into different classes, permitting shares of different classes to be
distributed by different methods. Although shareholders of different classes of
a series would have an interest in the same portfolio of assets, shareholders of
different classes may bear different expenses in connection with different
methods of distribution. The Trustees have no present intention of taking the
action necessary to effect the division of shares into separate classes (which
under present regulations would require a Fund first to obtain an exemptive
order from the SEC), nor of changing the method of distribution of shares of a
Fund.
The Declaration of Trust provides that obligations of the Trust are not
binding upon the Trustees individually but only upon the property of the Trust,
that the Trustees and officers will not be liable for errors of judgment or
mistakes of fact or law, and that the Trust will indemnify its Trustees and
officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with litigation
in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Trust, except if
it is determined, in the manner provided in the Declaration of Trust, that they
have not acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that their actions were in
the best interests of the Trust. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust
protects or indemnifies a Trustee or officer against any liability to which he
would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his
office.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
(See "Fund organization--Investment adviser" in the
Fund's prospectus.)
Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc., an investment counsel firm, acts as
investment adviser to the Fund. This organization is one of the most experienced
investment management firms in the U.S. It was established as a partnership in
1919 and pioneered the practice of providing investment counsel to individual
clients on a fee basis. In 1928 it introduced the first no-load mutual fund to
the public. In 1953, the Adviser introduced the Scudder International Fund, the
first mutual fund available in the U.S. investing internationally in securities
of issuers in several foreign countries. The firm reorganized from a partnership
to a corporation on June 28, 1985.
The principal source of the Adviser's income is professional fees
received from providing continuous investment advice, and the firm derives no
income from brokerage or underwriting of securities. Today, it provides
investment counsel for many individuals and institutions, including insurance
companies, colleges, industrial corporations, and financial and banking
organizations. In addition, it manages Montgomery Street Income Securities,
Inc., Scudder California Tax Free Trust, Scudder Cash Investment Trust, Scudder
Equity Trust, Scudder Fund, Inc., Scudder Funds Trust, Scudder Global Fund,
Inc., Scudder GNMA Fund, Scudder Portfolio Trust, Scudder Institutional Fund,
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<PAGE>
Inc., Scudder International Fund, Inc., Scudder Investment Trust, Scudder
Municipal Trust, Scudder Mutual Funds, Inc., Scudder New Asia Fund, Inc.,
Scudder New Europe Fund, Inc., Scudder Securities Trust, Scudder State Tax Free
Trust, Scudder Tax Free Money Fund, Scudder Tax Free Trust, Scudder U.S.
Treasury Money Fund, Scudder Variable Life Investment Fund, Scudder World Income
Opportunities Fund, Inc., The Argentina Fund, Inc., The Brazil Fund, Inc., The
First Iberian Fund, Inc., The Korea Fund, Inc., The Japan Fund, Inc. and The
Latin America Dollar Income Fund, Inc. Some of the foregoing companies or trusts
have two or more series.
The Adviser also provides investment advisory services to the mutual
funds which comprise the AARP Investment Program from Scudder. The AARP
Investment Program from Scudder has assets over $12 billion and includes the
AARP Growth Trust, AARP Income Trust, AARP Tax Free Income Trust and AARP Cash
Investment Funds.
The Adviser maintains a large research department, which conducts
continuous studies of the factors that affect the position of various
industries, companies and individual securities. The Adviser receives published
reports and statistical compilations from issuers and other sources, as well as
analyses from brokers and dealers who may execute portfolio transactions for the
Adviser's clients. However, the Adviser regards this information and material as
an adjunct to its own research activities. Scudder's international investment
management team travels the world, researching hundreds of companies. In
selecting the securities in which the Fund may invest, the conclusions and
investment decisions of the Adviser with respect to the Fund are based primarily
on the analyses of its own research department.
Certain investments may be appropriate for the Fund and also for other
clients advised by the Adviser. Investment decisions for the Fund and other
clients are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives
and after consideration of such factors as their current holdings, availability
of cash for investment and the size of their investments generally. Frequently,
a particular security may be bought or sold for only one client or in different
amounts and at different times for more than one but less than all clients.
Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one
or more other clients are selling the security. In addition, purchases or sales
of the same security may be made for two or more clients on the same day. In
such event, such transactions will be allocated among the clients in a manner
believed by the Adviser to be equitable to each. In some cases, this procedure
could have an adverse effect on the price or amount of the securities purchased
or sold by the Fund. Purchase and sale orders for the Fund may be combined with
those of other clients of the Adviser in the interest of achieving the most
favorable net results to the Fund.
The Investment Management Agreement (the "Agreement") dated June 28,
1996 was approved by the Trustees of the Trust on April 9, 1996 and by the
initial shareholder of the Fund on June 27, 1996. The Agreement will continue in
effect until September 30, 1997 and from year to year thereafter only if its
continuance is approved annually by the vote of a majority of those Trustees who
are not parties to such Agreement or interested persons of the Adviser or the
Trust, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such
approval, and either by a vote of the Trust's Trustees or of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Agreement may be terminated at
any time without payment of penalty by either party on sixty days' written
notice, and automatically terminates in the event of its assignment.
Under the Agreement, the Adviser regularly provides the Fund with
continuing investment management for the Fund's portfolio consistent with the
Fund's investment objectives, policies and restrictions and determines what
securities shall be purchased, held or sold and what portion of the Fund's
assets shall be held uninvested, subject to the Fund's Articles, By-Laws, the
1940 Act, the Code of 1986 and to the Fund's investment objective, policies and
restrictions, and subject, further, to such policies and instructions as the
Board of Trustees of the Fund may from time to time establish.
Under the Agreement, the Adviser renders significant administrative
services (not otherwise provided by third parties) necessary for the Fund's
operations as an open-end investment company including, but not limited to,
preparing reports and notices to the Trustees and shareholders; supervising,
negotiating contractual arrangements with, and monitoring various third-party
service providers to the Fund (such as the Fund's transfer agent, pricing
agents, custodian, accountants and others); preparing and making filings with
the SEC and other regulatory agencies; assisting in the preparation and filing
of the Fund's federal, state and local tax returns; preparing and filing the
Fund's federal excise tax returns; assisting with investor and public relations
matters; monitoring the valuation of securities and the calculation of net asset
47
<PAGE>
value; monitoring the registration of shares of the Fund under applicable
federal and state securities laws; maintaining the Fund's books and records to
the extent not otherwise maintained by a third party; assisting in establishing
accounting policies of the Fund; assisting in the resolution of accounting and
legal issues; establishing and monitoring the Fund's operating budget;
processing the payment of the Fund's bills; assisting the Fund in, and otherwise
arranging for, the payment of distributions and dividends and otherwise
assisting the Fund in the conduct of its business, subject to the direction and
control of the Trustees.
The Adviser pays the compensation and expenses (except expenses
incurred attending Board and committee meetings outside New York, New York or
Boston, Massachusetts) of all Trustees, officers and executive employees of the
Trust affiliated with the Adviser and makes available, without expense to the
Fund, the services of such Trustees, officers and employees of the Adviser as
may duly be elected officers of the Trust, subject to their individual consent
to serve and to any limitations imposed by law, and provides the Fund's office
space and facilities.
For these services the Fund pays the Adviser an annual fee equal to
0.70% of the Fund's average daily net assets, payable monthly, provided the Fund
will make such interim payments as may be requested by the Adviser not to exceed
75% of the amount of the fee then accrued on the books of the Fund and unpaid.
Until June 30, 1997, the Adviser has agreed to maintain the total annualized
expenses of the Fund at 0% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.
Under the Agreement the Fund is responsible for all of its other
expenses including: organizational costs, fees and expenses incurred in
connection with membership in investment company organizations; brokers'
commissions; legal, auditing and accounting expenses; taxes and governmental
fees; the fees and expenses of the Transfer Agent; the cost of preparing share
certificates or any other expenses of issue, sale, underwriting, distribution,
redemption or repurchase of shares; the expenses of and the fees for registering
or qualifying securities for sale; the fees and expenses of Trustees, officers
and employees of the Fund who are not affiliated with the Adviser; the cost of
printing and distributing reports and notices to stockholders; and the fees and
disbursements of custodians. The Fund may arrange to have third parties assume
all or part of the expenses of sale, underwriting and distribution of shares of
the Fund. The Fund is also responsible for its expenses of shareholders'
meetings, the cost of responding to shareholders' inquiries, and its expenses
incurred in connection with litigation, proceedings and claims and the legal
obligation it may have to indemnify its officers and Trustees of the Fund with
respect thereto.
The Agreement expressly provides that the Adviser shall not be required
to pay a pricing agent of any Fund for portfolio pricing services, if any.
The Agreement requires the Adviser to reimburse the Fund for all or a
portion of advances of its management fee to the extent annual expenses of the
Fund (including the management fee stated above) exceed the limitations
prescribed by any state in which such Fund's shares are offered for sale.
Management has been advised that, while most states have eliminated expense
limitations, the lowest of such limitations is presently 2 1/2% of average daily
net assets up to $30 million, 2% of the next $70 million of average daily net
assets and 1 1/2% of average daily net assets in excess of that amount. Certain
expenses such as brokerage commissions, taxes, extraordinary expenses and
interest are excluded from such limitations. Any such fee advance required to be
returned to the Fund will be returned as promptly as practicable after the end
of the Fund's fiscal year. However, no fee payment will be made to the Adviser
during any fiscal year which will cause year to date expenses to exceed the
cumulative pro rata expense limitations at the time of such payment.
The Agreement also provides that the Fund may use any name derived from
the name "Scudder, Stevens & Clark" only as long as the Agreement or any
extension, renewal or amendment thereof remains in effect.
In reviewing the terms of the Agreement and in discussions with the
Adviser concerning such Agreement, the Trustees of the Trust who are not
"interested persons" of the Adviser are represented by independent counsel at
the Fund's expense.
The Agreement provides that the Adviser shall not be liable for any
error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in
connection with matters to which the Agreement relates, except a loss resulting
from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the
Adviser in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by the
Adviser of its obligations and duties under the Agreement.
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Officers and employees of the Adviser from time to time may have
transactions with various banks, including the Fund's custodian bank. It is the
Adviser's opinion that the terms and conditions of those transactions which have
occurred were not influenced by existing or potential custodial or other Fund
relationships.
None of the officers or Trustees of the Trust may have dealings with
the Fund as principals in the purchase or sale of securities, except as
individual subscribers to or holders of shares of the Fund.
Personal Investments by Employees of the Adviser
Employees of the Adviser are permitted to make personal securities
transactions, subject to requirements and restrictions set forth in the
Adviser's Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics contains provisions and
requirements designed to identify and address certain conflicts of interest
between personal investment activities and the interests of investment advisory
clients such as the Funds. Among other things, the Code of Ethics, which
generally complies with standards recommended by the Investment Company
Institute's Advisory Group on Personal Investing, prohibits certain types of
transactions absent prior approval, imposes time periods during which personal
transactions may not be made in certain securities, and requires the submission
of duplicate broker confirmations and monthly reporting of securities
transactions. Additional restrictions apply to portfolio managers traders,
research analysts and others involved in the investment advisory process.
Exceptions to these and other provisions of the Code of Ethics may be granted in
particular circumstances after review by the appropriate personnel.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Position with
Underwriter, Scudder
Position with Investor Services,
Name, Age, and Address Fund Principal Occupation** Inc.
- ---------------------- ---- ---------------------- ----
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Daniel Pierce (62)+*= President and Trustee Chairman of the Board and Vice President,
Managing Director of Director and Assistant
Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Treasurer
Inc.
Henry P. Becton, Jr. (52) Trustee President and General --
WGBH Manager, WGBH Educational
125 Western Avenue Foundation
Allston, MA
Dudley H. Ladd (52)+* Trustee Managing Director of Senior Vice President
Scudder, Stevens & Clark, and Director
Inc.
David S. Lee (62)+*= Trustee and Vice Managing Director of President, Director
President Scudder, Stevens & Clark, and Assistant Treasurer
Inc.
George M. Lovejoy, Jr. (66)= Trustee President and Director, --
160 Federal Street Fifty Associates
Boston, MA
Wesley W. Marple, Jr. (64) Trustee Professor of Business --
413 Hayden Hall Administration, Northeastern
360 Huntington Ave. University, College of
Boston, MA Business Administration
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<PAGE>
Position with
Underwriter, Scudder
Position with Investor Services,
Name, Age, and Address Fund Principal Occupation** Inc.
- ---------------------- ---- ---------------------- ----
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Jean C. Tempel (53) Trustee General Partner, --
Ten Post Office Square TL Ventures
Suite 1325
Boston, MA
Jerard K. Hartman (63)# Vice President Managing Director of --
Scudder, Stevens & Clark,
Inc.
William M. Hutchinson (48)+ Vice President Principal of Scudder, --
Stevens & Clark, Inc.
Thomas W. Joseph (57)+ Vice President Principal of Scudder, Vice President,
Stevens & Clark, Inc. Director, Treasurer
and Assistant Clerk
Valerie F. Malter (38)# Vice President Principal of Scudder, --
Stevens & Clark, Inc.
Thomas F. McDonough (49)+ Vice President, Principal of Scudder, Clerk
Secretary and Stevens & Clark, Inc.
Assistant Treasurer
Pamela A. McGrath (42)+ Vice President Managing Director of --
and Treasurer Scudder, Stevens & Clark,
Inc.
Edward J. O'Connell (51)# Vice President Principal of Scudder, Assistant Treasurer
and Assistant Stevens & Clark, Inc.
Treasurer
Coleen Downs Dinneen (35)+ Assistant Vice President of Scudder, Assistant Clerk
Secretary Stevens & Clark, Inc.
</TABLE>
* Messrs. Ladd, Lee and Pierce are considered by the Trust and its counsel to
be persons who are "interested persons" of the Adviser or of the Trust
(within the meaning of the 1940 Act).
** Unless otherwise stated, all the Trustees and officers have been associated
with their respective companies for more than five years, but not
necessarily in the same capacity.
= Messrs. Lee, Lovejoy, Marple and Pierce are members of the Executive
Committee, which has the power to declare dividends from ordinary income
and distributions of realized capital gains to the same extent as the Board
is so empowered.
+ Address: Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts
# Address: 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York
All Trustees and officers as a group owned less than 1% of the Fund's
outstanding shares as of the commencement of operations.
The Trustees and officers of the Trust also serve in similar capacities
with other Scudder funds.
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REMUNERATION
Several of the officers and Trustees of the Trust may be officers or
employees of the Adviser or of the Distributor, the Transfer Agent, Scudder
Trust Company or Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation, from whom they receive
compensation, as a result of which they may be deemed to participate in the fees
paid by the Trust. The Trust pays no direct remuneration to any officer of the
Trust. However, each of the Trust's Trustees who is not affiliated with the
Adviser will be compensated for all expenses relating to Trust business
(specifically including travel expenses relating to Trust business). Each of
these unaffiliated Trustees receives an annual Trustee's fee of $4,000 plus $300
for attending each Trustees' meeting, audit committee meeting or meeting held
for the purpose of considering arrangements between the Fund and the Adviser or
any of its affiliates. Each unaffiliated Trustee also receives $100 per
committee meeting attended other than those set forth above.
The following Compensation Table provides, in tabular form, the following data:
Column (1): all Trustees who receive compensation from the Trust.
Column (2): aggregate compensation received by a Trustee from all the series of
the Trust.
Columns (3) and (4): pension or retirement benefits accrued or proposed be paid
by the Trust. Scudder Portfolio Trust does not pay its Trustees such benefits.
Column (5): total compensation received by a Trustee from the Trust, plus
compensation received from all funds for which a Trustee serves in a fund
complex. The total number of funds from which a Trustee receives such
compensation is also provided. Generally, compensation received by a Trustee for
serving on the board of a closed-end fund is greater than the compensation
received by a Trustee for serving on the board of an open-end fund.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Compensation Table
for the year ended December 31, 1995*
===================== ============================== ==================== ===================== =========================
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
Pension or Total Compensation From
Retirement Estimated Annual Scudder Portfolio Trust
Name of Person, Aggregate Compensation from Benefits Accrued As Benefits Upon and Fund Complex Paid
Position Scudder Portfolio Trust** Part of Fund Expenses Retirement to Trustee
===================== ============================== ==================== ===================== =========================
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Henry P. Becton, Jr., $16,600 N/A N/A $82,800
Trustee (15 funds)
George M. Lovejoy, $17,800 N/A N/A $112,900
Trustee (12 funds)
Wesley W. Marple, Jr., $17,800 N/A N/A $93,100
Trustee (15 funds)
Jean C. Tempel, $17,200 N/A N/A $92,200
Trustee (15 funds)
</TABLE>
* Scudder High Yield Bond Fund commenced operations on June 28, 1996.
** Scudder Portfolio Trust consists of three Funds: Scudder Balanced Fund,
Scudder Income Fund and Scudder High Yield Bond Fund.
DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust has an underwriting agreement with Scudder Investor Services,
Inc., a Massachusetts corporation, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the
Adviser. The Trust's underwriting agreement dated October 13, 1992 will remain
in effect until September 30, 1996 and from year to year thereafter only if its
continuance is approved annually by a majority of the Trustees who are not
parties to such agreement or interested persons of any such party and either by
vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees or a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of a Fund. The underwriting agreement was last approved by the
Trustees on August 8, 1995.
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<PAGE>
Under the underwriting agreement, the Trust is responsible for: the
payment of all fees and expenses in connection with the preparation and filing
with the SEC of its registration statement and prospectus and any amendments and
supplements thereto; the registration and qualification of shares for sale in
the various states, including registering the Trust as a broker/dealer in
various states, as required; the fees and expenses of preparing, printing and
mailing prospectuses annually to existing shareholders (see below for expenses
relating to prospectuses paid by the Distributor), notices, proxy statements,
reports or other communications to shareholders of the Funds; the cost of
printing and mailing confirmations of purchases of shares and the prospectuses
accompanying such confirmations; any issuance taxes and/or any initial transfer
taxes; a portion of shareholder toll-free telephone charges and expenses of
customer service representatives; the cost of wiring funds for share purchases
and redemptions (unless paid by the shareholder who initiates the transaction);
the cost of printing and postage of business reply envelopes; and a portion of
the cost of computer terminals used by both a Fund and the Distributor.
The Distributor will pay for printing and distributing prospectuses or
reports prepared for its use in connection with the offering of a Fund's shares
to the public and preparing, printing and mailing any other literature or
advertising in connection with the offering of shares of each Fund to the
public. The Distributor will pay all fees and expenses in connection with its
qualification and registration as a broker or dealer under federal and state
laws, a portion of the cost of toll-free telephone service and expenses of
service representatives, a portion of the cost of computer terminals, and
expenses of any activity which is primarily intended to result in the sale of
shares issued by a Fund, unless a Rule 12b-1 plan is in effect which provides
that a Fund will bear some or all of such expenses. As agent, the Distributor
currently offers the Funds' shares on a continuous basis to investors in all
states. The underwriting agreement provides that the Distributor accepts orders
for shares at net asset value and no sales commission or load is charged the
investor. The Distributor has made no firm commitment to acquire shares of each
Fund.
Note: Although the Trust does not currently have a 12b-1 Plan and the
Trustees have no current intention of adopting one, a Fund will also
pay those fees and expenses permitted to be paid or assumed by the
Trust pursuant to a 12b-1 Plan, if any, adopted by the Trust,
notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary in the underwriting
agreement.
TAXES
(See "Distribution and performance information --
Dividends and capital gains distributions" and
"Transaction information--Tax information,
Tax identification number" in the Fund's prospectus.)
The Fund has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company
under Subchapter M of the Code, or a predecessor statute and has qualified as
such since its inception. It intends to continue to qualify for such treatment.
Such qualification does not involve governmental supervision or management of
investment practices or policy.
A regulated investment company qualifying under Subchapter M of the
Code is required to distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its
investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gain) and
generally is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes
annually its investment company taxable income and net realized capital gains in
the manner required under the Code.
The Fund is subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on amounts
required to be but not distributed under a prescribed formula. The formula
requires payment to shareholders during a calendar year of distributions
representing at least 98% of the Fund's ordinary income for the calendar year,
at least 98% of the excess of its capital gains over capital losses (adjusted
for certain ordinary losses) realized during the one-year period ending October
31 during such year, and all ordinary income and capital gains for prior years
that were not previously distributed.
Investment company taxable income generally is made up of dividends,
interest and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital
losses, less expenses. Net realized capital gains for a fiscal year are computed
by taking into account any capital loss carryforward of the Fund.
If any net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized
short-term capital losses are retained by the Fund for reinvestment, requiring
federal income taxes to be paid thereon by the Fund, the Fund intends to elect
to treat such capital gains as having been distributed to shareholders. As a
result, each shareholder will report such capital gains as long-term capital
52
<PAGE>
gains, will be able to claim a proportionate share of federal income taxes paid
by the Fund on such gains as a credit against the shareholder's federal income
tax liability, and will be entitled to increase the adjusted tax basis of the
shareholder's Fund shares by the difference between the shareholder's pro rata
share of such gains and the shareholder's tax credit. If the Fund makes such an
election, it may not be treated as having met the excise tax distribution
requirement.
Distributions of investment company taxable income are taxable to
shareholders as ordinary income.
Dividends from domestic corporations are not expected to comprise a
substantial part of the Fund's gross income. If any such dividends constitute a
portion of the Fund's gross income, a portion of the income distributions of the
Fund may be eligible for the 70% deduction for dividends received by
corporations. Shareholders will be informed of the portion of dividends which so
qualify. The dividends-received deduction is reduced to the extent the shares of
the Fund with respect to which the dividends are received are treated as
debt-financed under federal income tax law and is eliminated if either those
shares or the shares of the Fund are deemed to have been held by the Fund or
shareholder, as the case may be, for less than 46 days.
Distributions of the excess of net long-term capital gain over net
short-term capital loss are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain,
regardless of the length of time the shares of the Fund have been held by such
shareholders. Such distributions are not eligible for the dividends-received
deduction. Any loss realized upon the redemption of shares held at the time of
redemption for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to
the extent of any amounts treated as distributions of long-term capital gain
during such six-month period.
Distributions of investment company taxable income and net realized
capital gains will be taxable as described above, whether received in shares or
in cash. Shareholders electing to receive distributions in the form of
additional shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each
share so received equal to the net asset value of a share on the reinvestment
date.
All distributions of investment company taxable income and net realized
capital gain, whether received in shares or in cash, must be reported by each
shareholder on his or her federal income tax return. Dividends declared in
October, November or December with a record date in such a month will be deemed
to have been received by shareholders on December 31, if paid during January of
the following year. Redemptions of shares, including exchanges for shares of
another Scudder fund, may result in tax consequences (gain or loss) to the
shareholder and are also subject to these reporting requirements.
A qualifying individual may make a deductible IRA contribution for any
taxable year only if (i) neither the individual nor his or her spouse (unless
filing separate returns) is an active participant in an employer's retirement
plan, or (ii) the individual (and his or her spouse, if applicable) has an
adjusted gross income below a certain level ($40,050 for married individuals
filing a joint return, with a phase-out of the deduction for gross income
between $40,050 and $50,000; $25,050 for a single individual, with a phase-out
for adjusted gross income between $25,050 and $35,000). However, an individual
not permitted to make a deductible contribution to an IRA for any such taxable
year may nonetheless make nondeductible contributions up to $2,000 to an IRA (up
to $2,250 to IRAs for an individual and his or her nonearning spouse) for that
year. There are special rules for determining how withdrawals are to be taxed if
an IRA contains both deductible and nondeductible amounts. In general, a
proportionate amount of each withdrawal will be deemed to be made from
nondeductible contributions; amounts treated as a return of nondeductible
contributions will not be taxable. Also, annual contributions may be made to a
spousal IRA even if the spouse has earnings in a given year if the spouse elects
to be treated as having no earnings (for IRA contribution purposes) for the
year.
Distributions by the Fund result in a reduction in the net asset value
of the Fund's shares. Should a distribution reduce the net asset value below a
shareholder's cost basis, such distribution would nevertheless be taxable to the
shareholder as ordinary income or capital gain as described above, even though,
from an investment standpoint, it may constitute a partial return of capital. In
particular, investors should consider the tax implications of buying shares just
prior to a distribution. The price of shares purchased at that time includes the
amount of the forthcoming distribution. Those purchasing just prior to a
distribution will then receive a partial return of capital upon the
distribution, which will nevertheless be taxable to them.
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<PAGE>
Equity options (including covered call options written on portfolio
stock) and over-the-counter options on debt securities written or purchased by
the Fund will be subject to tax under Section 1234 of the Code. In general, no
loss will be recognized by the Fund upon payment of a premium in connection with
the purchase of a put or call option. The character of any gain or loss
recognized (i.e. long-term or short-term) will generally depend, in the case of
a lapse or sale of the option, on the Fund's holding period for the option, and
in the case of the exercise of a put option, on the Fund's holding period for
the underlying property. The purchase of a put option may constitute a short
sale for federal income tax purposes, causing an adjustment in the holding
period of any property in the Fund's portfolio similar to the property
underlying the put option. If the Fund writes an option, no gain is recognized
upon its receipt of a premium. If the option lapses or is closed out, any gain
or loss is treated as short-term capital gain or loss. If a call option written
by the Fund is exercised, the character of the gain or loss depends on the
holding period of the underlying stock.
Many futures and forward contracts entered into by the Fund and listed
nonequity options written or purchased by the Fund (including options on debt
securities, options on futures contracts, options on securities indices and
options on currencies), will be governed by Section 1256 of the Code. Absent a
tax election to the contrary, gain or loss attributable to the lapse, exercise
or closing out of any such position generally will be treated as 60% long-term
and 40% short-term capital gain or loss, and on the last trading day of the
Fund's fiscal year, all outstanding Section 1256 positions will be marked to
market (i.e., treated as if such positions were closed out at their closing
price on such day), with any resulting gain or loss recognized as 60% long-term
and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Under Section 988 of the Code,
discussed below, foreign currency gain or loss from foreign currency-related
forward contracts, certain futures and options and similar financial instruments
entered into or acquired by the Fund will be treated as ordinary income or loss.
Subchapter M requires the Fund to realize less than 30% of its annual
gross income from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities and certain
options, futures and forward contracts held for less than three months. The
Fund's options, futures and forward transactions may increase the amount of
gains realized by the Fund that are subject to this 30% limitation. Accordingly,
the amount of such transactions that the Fund may undertake may be limited.
Positions of a Fund which consist of at least one position not governed
by Section 1256 and at least one futures or forward contract or nonequity option
or other position governed by Section 1256 which substantially diminishes the
Fund's risk of loss with respect to such other position will be treated as a
"mixed straddle." Although mixed straddles are subject to the straddle rules of
Section 1092 of the Code, the operation of which may cause deferral of losses,
adjustments in the holding periods of securities and conversion of short-term
capital losses into long-term capital losses, certain tax elections exist for
them which reduce or eliminate the operation of these rules. The Fund will
monitor its transactions in options, foreign currency futures and forward
contracts and may make certain tax elections in connection with these
investments.
Under the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in
exchange rates which occur between the time the Fund accrues receivables or
liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually
collects such receivables or pays such liabilities generally are treated as
ordinary income or ordinary loss. Similarly, on disposition of debt securities
denominated in a foreign currency and on disposition of certain options, futures
and forward contracts, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value
of foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract
and the date of disposition are also treated as ordinary gain or loss. These
gains or losses, referred to under the Code as "Section 988" gains or losses,
may increase or decrease the amount of the Fund's investment company taxable
income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income.
If the Fund holds zero coupon securities or other securities which are
issued at a discount a portion of the difference between the issue price and the
face value of such securities ("original issue discount") will be treated as
income to the Fund each year, even though the Fund will not receive cash
interest payments from these securities. This original issue discount (imputed
income) will comprise a part of the investment company taxable income of the
Fund which must be distributed to shareholders in order to maintain the
qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company and to avoid federal
income tax at the Fund level. Shareholders will be subject to income tax on such
original issue discount, whether or not they elect to receive their
distributions in cash. If a fund acquires a debt instrument at a market
discount, a portion of the gain recognized (if any) on disposition of such
instrument may be treated as ordinary income.
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<PAGE>
If the Fund invests in certain high yield original issue discount
obligations issued by corporations, a portion of the original issue discount
accruing on the obligation may be eligible for the deduction for dividends
received by corporations. In such event, dividends of investment company taxable
income received from the Fund by its corporate shareholders, to the extent
attributable to such portion of accrued original issue discount, may be eligible
for this deduction for dividends received by corporations if so designated by
the Fund in a written notice to shareholders.
The Fund will be required to report to the Internal Revenue Service all
distributions of investment company taxable income and capital gains as well as
gross proceeds from the redemption or exchange of Fund shares, except in the
case of certain exempt shareholders. Under the backup withholding provisions of
Section 3406 of the Code, distributions of investment company taxable income and
capital gains and proceeds from the redemption or exchange of the shares of a
regulated investment company may be subject to withholding of federal income tax
at the rate of 31% in the case of non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish
the investment company with their taxpayer identification numbers and with
required certifications regarding their status under the federal income tax law.
Withholding may also be required if a Fund is notified by the IRS or a broker
that the taxpayer identification number furnished by the shareholder is
incorrect or that the shareholder has previously failed to report interest or
dividend income. If the withholding provisions are applicable, any such
distributions and proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in additional
shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld.
Shareholders of the Fund may be subject to state and local taxes on
distributions received from the Fund and on redemptions of the Fund's shares.
The foregoing discussion of U.S. federal income tax law relates solely
to the application of that law to U.S. persons, i.e., U.S. citizens and
residents and U.S. corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates. Each
shareholder who is not a U.S. person should consider the U.S. and foreign tax
consequences of ownership of shares of the Fund, including the possibility that
such a shareholder may be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or
at a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty) on amounts constituting
ordinary income received by him or her, where such amounts are treated as income
from U.S. sources under the Code.
Dividend and interest income received by the Fund from sources outside
the U.S. may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such foreign
jurisdictions. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce
or eliminate these foreign taxes, however, and foreign countries generally do
not impose taxes on capital gains respecting investments by foreign investors.
Shareholders should consult their tax advisers about the application of
the provisions of tax law described in this statement of additional information
in light of their particular tax situations.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Brokerage Commissions
To the maximum extent feasible the Adviser places orders for portfolio
transactions through the Distributor which in turn places orders on behalf of
the Fund with other broker/dealers. The Distributor receives no commissions,
fees or other remuneration from the Fund for this service. Allocation of
brokerage is supervised by the Adviser.
The primary objective of the Adviser in placing orders for the purchase
and sale of securities for the Fund's portfolio is to obtain the most favorable
net results, taking into account such factors as price, commission (negotiable
in the case of U.S. national securities exchange transactions) where applicable,
size of order, difficulty of execution and skill required of the executing
broker/dealer. The Adviser seeks to evaluate the overall reasonableness of
brokerage commissions paid (to the extent applicable) through the familiarity of
the Distributor with commissions charged on comparable transactions, as well as
by comparing commissions paid by the Fund to reported commissions paid by
others. The Adviser reviews on a routine basis commission rates, execution and
settlement services performed, making internal and external comparisons.
The Fund's purchases and sales of fixed-income securities are generally
placed by the Adviser with primary market makers for these securities on a net
basis, without any brokerage commission being paid by the Fund. Trading does,
however, involve transaction costs. Transactions with dealers serving as primary
market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices. Purchases of
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<PAGE>
underwritten issues may be made which will include an underwriting fee paid to
the underwriter. Portfolio transactions in debt securities may also be placed on
an agency basis, with a commission being charged.
When it can be done consistently with the policy of obtaining the most
favorable net results, it is the Adviser's practice to place such orders with
broker/dealers who supply market quotations to the custodian of the Fund for
appraisal purposes, or who supply research, market and statistical information
to the Fund. The term "research, market and statistical information" includes
advice as to the value of securities; the advisability of investing in,
purchasing or selling securities; the availability of securities or purchasers
or sellers of securities; and analyses and reports concerning issuers,
industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy and the
performance of accounts. The Adviser is not authorized when placing portfolio
transactions for the Fund to pay a brokerage commission (to the extent
applicable) in excess of that which another broker might charge for executing
the same transaction solely on account of the receipt of research, market or
statistical information. The Adviser does not place orders with brokers or
dealers on the basis that the broker or dealer has or has not sold shares of the
Fund. In effecting transactions in over-the-counter securities, orders are
placed with the principal market makers for the security being traded unless,
after exercising care, it appears that more favorable results are available
elsewhere.
Subject also to obtaining the most favorable net results, the Adviser
may place brokerage transactions through the Custodian and a credit against the
custodian fee due to State Street Bank and Trust Company equal to one-half of
the commission on any such transaction will be given on any such transaction.
Except for implementing the policy stated above, there is no intention to place
portfolio transactions with particular broker/dealers or groups thereof.
Although certain research, market and statistical information from
broker/dealers may be useful to the Fund and to the Adviser, it is the opinion
of the Adviser that such information only supplements its own research effort
since the information must still be analyzed, weighed and reviewed by the
Adviser's staff. Such information may be useful to the Adviser in providing
services to clients other than the Fund and not all such information is used by
the Adviser in connection with the Fund. Conversely, such information provided
to the Adviser by broker/dealers through whom other clients of the Adviser
effect securities transactions may be useful to the Adviser in providing
services to the Fund.
The Trustees review from time to time whether the recapture for the
benefit of the Fund of some portion of the brokerage commissions or similar fees
paid by the Fund on portfolio transactions is legally permissible and advisable.
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund's average annual portfolio turnover rate is the ratio of the
lesser of sales or purchases to the monthly average value of the portfolio
securities owned during the year, excluding all securities with maturities or
expiration dates at the time of acquisition of one year or less. A higher rate
involves greater brokerage transaction expenses to the Fund and may result in
the realization of net capital gains, which would be taxable to shareholders
when distributed. Purchases and sales are made for the Fund's portfolio whenever
necessary, in management's opinion, to meet the Fund's objective. Under normal
market conditions, it is anticipated that the Fund's portfolio turnover rate
will not exceed 100% for the initial fiscal year.
NET ASSET VALUE
The net asset value of shares of the Fund will be computed as of the
close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange) on each
day the Exchange is open for trading (the "Value Time). The Exchange is
scheduled to be closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Presidents
Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and
Christmas. Net asset value per share is determined by dividing the value of the
total assets of a Fund, less all liabilities, by the total number of shares
outstanding.
An equity security traded on one or more U.S. or foreign exchanges (and
not subject to restrictions against sale by a Fund on such exchanges) will be
valued at its most recent sale price on such exchange as of the Value Time.
Lacking any sales, the security will be valued at the calculated mean between
the most recent bid quotation and the most recent asked quotation (the
"Calculated Mean") on such exchange as of the Value Time. If there are no such
bid and asked quotations, the security will be valued at the most recent bid
quotation on such exchange as of the Value Time. An unlisted equity security
which is traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated
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<PAGE>
Quotation ("NASDAQ") system will be valued at the most recent sale price if
there are any sales of such security reported on such system as of the Value
Time. If there are no such sales on the NASDAQ system, such security will be
valued at the high or "inside" bid quotation as of the Value Time. The value of
such security not quoted on the NASDAQ System, but traded in another
over-the-counter market, will be the most recent sale price if there are any
sales of such security on such market as of the Value Time. If there are no such
sales, such security will be valued at the calculated mean quotation for such
security as of the Value Time. If there is no Calculated Mean quotation, such
security will be valued at the most recent bid quotation as of the Value Time.
Debt securities, other than short-term securities, are valued at prices
supplied by the Fund's pricing agent which reflects broker/dealer supplied
valuations and electronic data processing techniques. Short-term securities with
remaining maturities of sixty days or less are valued by the amortized cost
method, which the Board believes approximates market value. If it is not
possible to value a particular debt security pursuant to these valuation
methods, the value of such security will be the most recent bid quotation
supplied by a bona fide marketmaker as of the Value Time. As a last resort, the
Adviser may generate the price of that debt security taking into account such
factors as it deems appropriate; a valuation method which will not be used with
respect to a particular security for longer than ten (10) consecutive trading
days, or on a date as of which the net asset value per share is to be determined
for securities the aggregate value of which exceeds 5% of the Fund's net assets,
without the approval of the committee or person the Board so designates to
determine the portfolio asset value and calculate the value of any debt
instrument, share of stock or other portfolio security (the "Valuing Agent").
Options contracts on securities, currencies, futures and other
financial instruments traded on an exchange are valued at their most recent sale
price on such exchange as of the Value Time. If no sales are reported on such
exchange, the value will be the Calculated Mean quotation, or if the Calculated
Mean quotation is not available, at the most recent bid quotation in the case of
purchased options, or the most recent asked quotation in the case of written
options. Option contracts on securities, currencies, futures and other financial
instruments traded over-the-counter will be valued at the most recent bid
quotation in the case of purchased options and at the most recent asked
quotation in the case of written options. Futures contracts will be valued at
the most recent settlement price as of the Value Time. Foreign currency forward
contracts will be valued at the value of the underlying currency at the
prevailing currency exchange rate as of the Value Time.
If a security is traded on one or more than one exchanges, or in the
over-the-counter market, quotations shall be taken from the market in which the
security is traded most extensively.
If, in the opinion of the Valuing Agent of the Fund, the value of an
asset as determined in accordance with these procedures does not represent the
fair market value of the asset, the value of the asset shall be taken to be an
amount which, in the opinion of the Valuing Agent of the Fund, represents fair
market value on the basis of all available information. If a portfolio asset
cannot be valued in accordance with the foregoing rules because a recent sale
price, Calculated Mean quotation, bid quotation or other quotation is not
available on the date which the net asset value per share is to be determined
(the "Value Date"), the Valuing Agent will notify the Adviser and, unless
otherwise instructed by the Adviser, may value the asset as previously
determined by the foregoing rules (or, in the case of a newly acquired asset, at
cost) for up to ten (10) consecutive trading days, after which a Valuing Agent
fair market value determination is required.
The value of other portfolio holdings owned by each Fund shall be
determined in a manner which, in the discretion of the Valuing Agent of the
Fund, most fairly reflects fair market value of the property on the value date.
Following the valuations of security or other portfolio assets in terms
of the currency in which the market quotation used is expressed ("Local
Currency"), the Valuing Agent shall calculate these assets in terms of U.S.
dollars on the basis of conversion of the Local Currencies into U.S. dollars at
the prevailing currency exchange rates on the Value Date.
The officers of the Fund may enter into one or more agreements with one
or more persons appointed as pricing agents to assist the Valuing Agent in
determining the value of the assets of the Fund, as approved by such officers.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Experts
The Financial highlights of the Fund will be included in the prospectus
and the Financial Statements incorporated by reference in this Statement of
Additional Information in reliance on the report of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P.,
independent accountants, and given on the authority of that firm as experts in
accounting and auditing.
Other Information
Many of the investment changes in the Fund will be made at prices
different from those prevailing at the time they may be reflected in a regular
report to shareholders of the Fund. These transactions will reflect investment
decisions made by the Adviser in the light of its other portfolio holdings and
tax considerations and should not be construed as recommendations for similar
action by other investors.
The CUSIP number of the Fund is 811192-30-1.
The Fund's fiscal year end is the last day of February.
Dechert Price & Rhoads acts as general counsel for the Fund.
The Fund employs State Street Bank and Trust Company as Custodian.
Costs of $22,147.27 incurred by the Fund in conjunction with its
organization are amortized over the five year period beginning June 28, 1996.
Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation, Two International Place, Boston,
Massachusetts, 02110-4103, a subsidiary of the Adviser, computes net asset value
for the Fund. The Fund pays Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation an annual fee
equal to 0.025% of the first $150 million of average daily net assets, 0.0075%
of such assets in excess of $150 million and 0.0045% of such assets in excess of
$1 billion, plus holding and transaction charges for this service.
Scudder Service Corporation ("Service Corporation"), P.O. Box 2291,
Boston, Massachusetts, 02107-2291, a subsidiary of the Adviser, is the transfer
and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund. Service Corporation also serves as
shareholder service agent and provides subaccounting and recordkeeping services
for shareholder accounts in certain retirement and employee benefit plans. The
Fund pays Service Corporation an annual fee for each account maintained for a
participant.
The Fund's prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information omit
certain information contained in the Registration Statement which the Fund has
filed with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933 and reference is hereby made
to the Registration Statement for further information with respect to the Fund
and the securities offered hereby. This Registration Statement and its
amendments are available for inspection by the public at the SEC in Washington,
D.C.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Statement of Assets and Liabilities dated June 26, 1996 and the
Report of Independent Accountants are included herein.
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APPENDIX
The following is a description of the ratings given by Moody's and S&P
to corporate bonds.
Ratings of Corporate Bonds
S&P:
Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to pay
interest and repay principal is extremely strong. Debt rated AA has a very
strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the highest
rated issues only in small degree. Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay
interest and repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the
adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in
higher rated categories. Debt rated BBB is regarded as having an adequate
capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits
adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing
circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and
repay principal for debt in this category than in higher rated categories.
Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded as having predominantly
speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay
principal. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While
such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these
are outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
Debt rated BB has less near-term vulnerability to default than other
speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to
adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to
inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The BB
rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is
assigned an actual or implied BBB- rating. Debt rated B has a greater
vulnerability to default but currently has the capacity to meet interest
payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic
conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay
principal. The B rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior
debt that is assigned an actual or implied BB or BB- rating.
Debt rated CCC has a currently identifiable vulnerability to default,
and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to
meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of
adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, it is not likely to have
the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The CCC rating category is
also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or
implied B or B- rating. The rating CC typically is applied to debt subordinated
to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC rating. The rating C
typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an
actual or implied CCC- debt rating. The C rating may be used to cover a
situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments
are continued. The rating C1 is reserved for income bonds on which no interest
is being paid. Debt rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used
when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even
if the applicable grace period had not expired, unless S&P believes that such
payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used
upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are
jeopardized.
Moody's:
Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They
carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as
"gilt edge." 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, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair
the fundamentally strong position of such issues. Bonds which are 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 in Aaa
securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or
there may be other elements present which make the long term risks appear
somewhat larger than in Aaa securities. Bonds which are rated A possess many
favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper medium grade
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obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered
adequate but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to
impairment sometime in the future.
Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade obligations,
i.e., 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 in
fact have speculative characteristics as well. Bonds which are rated Ba are
judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as 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. Bonds
which are 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.
Bonds which are 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. Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative
in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked
shortcomings. Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and
issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever
attaining any real investment standing.
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SCUDDER HIGH YIELD BOND FUND
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
June 26, 1996
Assets
Cash................................................ $1,200
Deferred organization expense (Note)................ 22,147
--------
Total assets........................................ 23,347
--------
Liabilities
Accrued liabilities (Note).......................... 22,147
--------
Total liabilities................................... 22,147
--------
Net Assets............................................ $1,200
========
Net Assets consist of:
Shares of beneficial interest....................... 1
Additional paid-in capital.......................... 1,199
--------
Net Assets............................................ $1,200
========
Net asset value, offering and redemption price
per share ($1,200/100 outstanding shares of
beneficial interest, $.01 par value, unlimited
number of shares authorized).......................... $12.00
========
The accompanying note is an integral part of the financial statement.
Scudder High Yield Bond Fund (the "Fund") is a separate series of Scudder
Portfolio Trust, formerly Scudder Income Fund, a Massachusetts business trust
established under a Declaration of Trust dated September 20, 1984, as amended.
The Trust's authorized capital consists of an unlimited number of shares of
beneficial interest of $0.01 par value, all of which are of one class and have
equal rights as to voting, dividends, and liquidation. The Trustees have the
authority to issue two or more series of shares and to designate the relative
rights and preferences as among the different series. If more than one series of
shares were issued and a series were unable to meet its obligations, the
remaining series might have to assume the unsatisfied obligations of that
series. The Fund has had no operations to date other than matters relating to
its organization and registration as a diversified series.
Costs incurred by the Fund in connection with its organization, estimated at
$22,147, will be amortized on a straight-line basis over a five-year period
beginning at the commencement of operations of the Fund. In the event that any
of the initial shares of the Fund are redeemed during the amortization period,
the redemption proceeds will be reduced by any unamortized organization expenses
in the same proportion as the number of shares being redeemed bears to the
number of initial shares outstanding at the time of such redemption. Offering
costs, including initial registration costs, will be charged to expense during
the Fund's first year of operations.
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
To the Trustees of Scudder Portfolio Trust and the Shareholder of Scudder High
Yield Bond Fund:
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Scudder
High Yield Bond Fund as of June 26, 1996. This financial statement is the
responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on this financial statement based on our audit.
We have conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statement. 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 audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statement referred to above presents fairly, in
all material respects, the financial position of Scudder High Yield Bond Fund as
of June 26, 1996 in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
Boston, Massachusetts COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P.
June 27, 1996