MFS SERIES TRUST XI
485APOS, 2000-11-29
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<PAGE>


    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 29, 2000

                                                     1933 Act File No. 33-68310
                                                     1940 Act File No. 811-7992

===============================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                                ----------------

                                    FORM N-1A
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                         POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 13


                                       AND

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                       THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

                                AMENDMENT NO. 14


                             MFS(R) SERIES TRUST XI
                 (FORMERLY KNOWN AS MFS UNION STANDARD TRUST)
              (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

               500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116
                   (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

       Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code: 617-954-5000
         Stephen E. Cavan, Massachusetts Financial Services Company,
               500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116
                     (Name and Address of Agent for Service)

                APPROXIMATE DATE OF PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING:
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)

      |_| immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
      |_| on [date] pursuant to paragraph (b)

      |X| 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)

      |_| on [date] pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)

      |_| 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii)

      |_| on pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) of rule 485.
      If appropriate, check the following box:
      |_| this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a
          previously filed post-effective amendment

===============================================================================
<PAGE>

                             VERTEX(SM) ALL CAP FUND

                           VERTEX(SM) CONTRARIAN FUND


         SUPPLEMENT DATED FEBRUARY 1, 2001 TO THE CURRENT PROSPECTUS

This Supplement describes each fund's class I shares, and it supplements certain
information in the funds' Prospectus dated February 1, 2001. The caption
headings used in this Supplement correspond with the caption headings used in
the Prospectus.


You may purchase class I shares only if you are an eligible institutional
investor, as described under the caption "Description of Share Classes" below.


1. RISK RETURN SUMMARY

The performance table is not included because each fund's class I shares have
not had a full calendar year of investment operations.

2. EXPENSE SUMMARY


   EXPENSE  TABLE.  The "Expense  Table"  describes the fees and expenses that
   you may pay when you buy,  redeem and hold  shares of each fund.  The table
   is supplemented as follows:

                                                                        Class I
      Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a
        percentage of offering price) ...............................     None
      Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of
        original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever
        is less) ....................................................     None

   ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (EXPENSES THAT ARE DEDUCTED FROM FUND ASSETS):

                                                  VERTEX ALL      VERTEX
                                                  CAP FUND    CONTRARIAN FUND
                                                  --------    ---------------

   Management Fees............................      4.00%          4.00%
   Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees .....      None           None
   Other Expenses(1)..........................      1.04%          1.86%
                                                    -----          -----
   Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses.......      5.04%          5.86%
     Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement .      0.00%          0.00%
                                                    -----          -----
     Net Expenses (1).........................      5.04%          5.86%

-----------------
(1) Each fund has an expense offset arrangement which reduces the fund's
    custodian fee based upon the amount of cash maintained by the fund with its
    custodian and dividend disbursing agent, and may enter into other such
    arrangements and directed brokerage arrangements (which would also have the
    effect of reducing the fund's expenses). Any such fee reductions are not
    reflected. Had these expense reductions been taken into account, "Net
    Expenses" would be 5.01% for the Vertex All Cap Fund and 5.85% for the
    Vertex Contrarian Fund.


EXAMPLE OF EXPENSES

The "Example of Expenses" table is intended to help you compare the cost of
investing in each fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

These examples assume that:

    o You invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and you
      redeem your shares at the end of the time periods;

    o Your investment has a 5% return each year and dividends and other
      distributions are reinvested; and


    o The funds' operating expenses remain the same.


The table is supplemented as follows:

          SHARE CLASS            YEAR 1        YEAR 3       YEAR 5       YEAR 10
          -----------            ------        ------       ------       -------

          CLASS I SHARES
          Vertex All Cap Fund     $504         $1,511      $2,517        $5,030
          Vertex   Contrarian     $583         $1,735      $2,868        $5,614
          Fund

3. DESCRIPTIONS OF SHARE CLASSES


The "Description of Share Classes" is supplemented as follows:

If you are an eligible institutional investor (as described below), you may
purchase class I shares at net asset value without an initial sales charge or
CDSC upon redemption. Class I shares do not have annual distribution and service
fees, and do not convert to any other class of shares of the fund.

The following eligible institutional investors may purchase class I shares:

    o certain retirement plans established for the benefit of employees of VIM,
      the Funds' investment adviser, Massachusetts Financial Services Company
      ("MFS"), the corporate parent of VIM, and employees of MFS's affiliates;

    o any fund distributed by MFS Fund Distributors ("MFD"), if the fund seeks
      to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in shares of
      the fund and other MFS funds:

In no event will the fund, MFS, MFD or any of their affiliates pay any sales
commissions or compensation to any third party in connection with the sale of
class I shares. The payment of any such sales commission or compensation would,
under the funds' policies, disqualify the purchaser as an eligible investor in
class I shares.


4. HOW TO PURCHASE, EXCHANGE AND REDEEM SHARES


The discussion of "How to Purchase, Exchange and Redeem Shares" is supplemented
as follows:

You may purchase, redeem and exchange class I shares only through your MFD
representative or by contacting MFSC (see the back cover of the Prospectus for
address and phone number). You may exchange your class I shares for class I
shares of another MFS Fund (if you are eligible to purchase them) and for shares
of the MFS Money Market Fund at net asset value.


5.    FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

THE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS ARE NOT INCLUDED BECAUSE EACH FUND'S CLASS I SHARES
HAVE NOT HAD A FULL CALENDAR YEAR OF INVESTMENT OPERATIONS.

                THE DATE OF THIS SUPPLEMENT IS FEBRUARY 1, 2001.

<PAGE>


                                                                    PROSPECTUS
                                                              FEBRUARY 1, 2001

VERTEX(SM) ALL CAP FUND                                          CLASS A SHARES
VERTEX(SM) CONTRARIAN FUND                                       CLASS B SHARES
                                                                 CLASS C SHARES

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Prospectus describes each of the funds listed above. The investment
objective of each fund is capital appreciation.

THIS PROSPECTUS DESCRIBES THREE CLASSES OF SHARES FOR EACH FUND. CURRENTLY,
ONLY CLASS A SHARES ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. CLASS A SHARES ARE ONLY
AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT NET ASSET VALUE AND MAY ONLY BE SOLD TO RESIDENTS OF
MASSACHUSETTS WHO ARE:

o EMPLOYEES (OR CERTAIN RELATIVES OF EMPLOYEES) OF MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL
  SERVICES COMPANY (REFERRED TO AS MFS) AND ITS AFFILATES; OR

o MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BOARDS OF THE VARIOUS FUNDS SPONSORED BY MFS.


THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE
FUNDS' SHARES OR DETERMINED WHETHER THIS PROSPECTUS IS ACCURATE OR COMPLETE.
ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU OTHERWISE IS COMMITTING A CRIME.

<PAGE>

-----------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------

                                                                          Page
  I       Risk Return Summary ..........................................     1

          1. Vertex(SM) All Cap Fund ...................................     1

          2. Vertex(SM) Contrarian Fund ................................     8

  II      Expense Summary ..............................................    15

  III     Certain Investment Strategies and Risks ......................    19

  IV      Management of the Funds ......................................    20

  V       Description of Share Classes .................................    22

  VI      How to Purchase, Exchange and Redeem Shares ..................    26

  VII     Investor Services and Programs ...............................    30

  VIII    Other Information ............................................    32

  IX      Financial Highlights .........................................    35

          Appendix A -- Investment Techniques and Practices ............   A-1
<PAGE>

---------------------
I RISK RETURN SUMMARY
---------------------

1:  VERTEX ALL CAP FUND

o   INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE


    The fund's investment objective is capital appreciation. This objective
    may be changed without shareholder approval.


o   PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES

    The fund invests, under normal market conditions, at least 65% of its
    total assets in common stocks and related securities, such as preferred
    stocks, convertible securities and depositary receipts for those
    securities. The fund is flexibly managed, with the ability to invest in
    issuers of all market capitalizations and industry focus. The fund may
    invest, without limitation, in all markets, domestic and foreign, may
    invest in securities listed on securities exchanges or not so listed, and
    may at times maintain large weightings of securities of companies located
    in a particular country or region. The fund may pursue a "growth
    strategy," by investing in companies which the fund's investment adviser,
    Vertex Investment Management, Inc. (referred to as VIM or the adviser)
    believes offer superior prospects for growth, or a "value strategy," by
    investing in companies which the adviser believes are undervalued.

      VIM uses a bottom-up, as opposed to a top-down, investment style in
    managing the equity-oriented funds (such as the fund) it advises. This
    means that securities are selected based upon fundamental analysis (such
    as an analysis of earnings, cash flow, competitive position and
    management's abilities) performed by the fund's portfolio manager and
    VIM's large group of equity research analysts.


      The fund may engage in a variety of investment practices to benefit from
    declines in the price of securities and commodities. For example, the fund
    may establish "short" positions in specific securities or stock indices
    through short sales or investments in a variety of derivative instruments,
    including options, futures contracts and options on futures. In a short
    sale, the fund borrows a security it does not own and then sells it in
    anticipation of a fall in the security's price. The fund must replace the
    security it borrowed by purchasing the security at its market value at the
    time of replacement. The fund may also engage in short sales "against the
    box" where the fund owns or has the right to obtain, at no additional
    cost, the securities that are sold short. Up to 100% of the fund's net
    assets may be devoted to short positions. The fund may also establish
    "long" positions in specific securities or stock indices through options,
    futures contracts and options on futures. These positions are designed to
    benefit the fund if the prices of the underlying securities increase.


      The fund may borrow from banks up to 50% of its net assets to invest in
    portfolio securities (leveraging) or for liquidity or investment purposes.
    The fund may also enter into reverse repurchase agreements and lend
    portfolio securities, which may also be considered borrowings, and
    pursuant to which the fund may receive assets to invest in portfolio
    securities or for liquidity or investment purposes. Leveraging by means of
    borrowing will exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the
    value of the securities or other investments in the fund's portfolio
    relative to its net assets, and, therefore, may increase the fund's
    volatility.

      The fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in fixed income
    securities, including lower rated bonds, commonly known as junk bonds,
    which are bonds assigned lower credit ratings by credit rating agencies or
    which are unrated and considered by the adviser to be comparable to lower
    rated bonds.

      The fund is a non-diversified fund. This means that the fund may invest
    a relatively high percentage of its assets in a small number of issuers.

o   PRINCIPAL RISKS

    The principal risks of investing in the fund and the circumstances
    reasonably likely to cause the value of your investment in the fund to
    decline are described below. The share price of the fund generally changes
    daily based on market conditions and other factors. Please note that there
    are many circumstances which could cause the value of your investment in
    the fund to decline, and which could prevent the fund from achieving its
    objective, that are not described here.

    The principal risks of investing in the fund are:

    o Risk of Substantial Losses: The fund engages in a number of investment
      practices that could cause the fund's investment performance to be
      extremely volatile. These practices, which may include the substantial use
      of leverage, short sales and various derivative investment techniques, are
      either not commonly used by mutual funds or not used to the degree to
      which the fund uses them. The specific risks associated with these
      investment practices are described below. You could lose all of your
      investment in the fund.

    o Market Risk: This is the risk that the price of a security held by the
      fund will fall due to changing economic, political or market conditions or
      disappointing earnings results.

    o Company Risk: Prices of securities react to the economic condition of the
      company that issued the security. The fund's equity investments in an
      issuer may rise and fall based on the issuer's actual and anticipated
      earnings, changes in management and the potential for takeovers and
      acquisitions.

    o Effect of IPOs: The fund may participate in the initial public offering
      (IPO) market, and a significant portion of the fund's returns may be
      attributable to its investment in IPO's which may have a magnified
      investment performance impact during the periods when the fund has a small
      asset base. Like any past performance, there is no assurance that, as the
      fund's assets grow, it will continue to experience substantially similar
      performance by investment in IPOs.

    o Over-the-Counter Risk: Over-the-counter (OTC) transactions involve risks
      in addition to those associated with transactions in securities traded on
      exchanges. OTC-listed companies may have limited product lines, markets or
      financial resources. Many OTC stocks trade less frequently and in smaller
      volume than exchange-listed stocks. The values of these stocks may be more
      volatile than exchange-listed stocks, and the fund may experience
      difficulty in establishing or closing out positions in these stocks at
      prevailing market prices.

    o Leverage Risk: If the fund purchases portfolio securities with proceeds
      from bank borrowings or reverse repurchase agreements or engages in other
      forms of leveraged investments, the net asset value of the fund's shares
      generally will increase or decrease at a greater rate than would otherwise
      be the case. Any income or gains earned from a leveraged investment in
      excess of the costs associated with leveraging (such as interest and other
      administrative expenses to borrow money) will cause the value of the
      fund's shares and distributions on the fund's shares to rise more quickly
      than would otherwise be the case. Conversely, if the income or gains
      earned from a leveraged investment fail to cover the costs associated with
      leveraging, the value of the fund's shares and distributions on the fund's
      shares will fall more quickly than would otherwise be the case. Leverage
      is speculative and substantially increases the risk of investing in fund
      shares.

    o Short Sales Risk: The fund will suffer a loss if it sells a security short
      and the value of the security rises rather than falls. Because the fund
      must purchase the security it borrowed in a short sale at prevailing
      market rates, the potential loss may be greater for a short sale than for
      a short sale "against the box."

    o Derivatives Risk:

        > Hedging Risk: when a derivative is used as a hedge against an opposite
          position that the fund also holds, any loss generated by the
          derivative should be substantially offset by gains on the hedged
          investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate
          losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains.

        > Correlation Risk: When the fund uses derivatives to hedge, it takes
          the risk that changes in the value of the derivative will not match
          those of the asset being hedged. Incomplete correlation can result in
          unanticipated losses.

        > Investment Risk: When the fund uses derivatives as an investment
          vehicle to gain market exposure, rather than for hedging purposes, any
          loss on the derivative investment will not be offset by gains on
          another hedged investment. The fund is therefore directly exposed to
          the risks of that derivative. Gains or losses from derivative
          investments may be substantially greater than the derivative's
          original cost.

        > Availability Risk: Derivatives may not be available to the fund upon
          acceptable terms. As a result, the fund may be unable to use
          derivatives for hedging or other purposes.

        > Credit Risk: When the fund uses derivatives, it is subject to the risk
          that the other party to the agreement will not be able to perform.


    o Foreign Securities Risk: Investments in foreign securities involve risks
      relating to political, social and economic developments abroad, as well as
      risks resulting from the differences between the regulations to which U.S.
      and foreign issuers and markets are subject:

        > These risks may include the seizure by the government of company
          assets, excessive taxation, withholding taxes on dividends and
          interest, limitations on the use or transfer of portfolio assets, and
          political or social instability.


        > Enforcing legal rights may be difficult, costly and slow in foreign
          countries, and there may be special problems enforcing claims against
          foreign governments.

        > Foreign companies may not be subject to accounting standards or
          governmental supervision comparable to U.S. companies, and there may
          be less public information about their operations.

        > Foreign markets may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S.
          markets.


        > Foreign securities often trade in currencies other than the U.S.
          dollar, and the fund may directly hold foreign currencies and purchase
          and sell foreign currencies through forward exchange contracts.
          Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the fund's net asset
          value, the value of dividends and interest earned, and gains and
          losses realized on the sale of securities. An increase in the strength
          of the U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies may cause the
          value of the fund to decline. Certain foreign currencies may be
          particularly volatile, and foreign governments may intervene in the
          currency markets, causing a decline in value or liquidity in the
          fund's foreign currency holdings. By entering into forward foreign
          currency exchange contracts, the fund may be required to forego the
          benefits of advantageous changes in exchange rates and, in the case of
          forward contracts entered into for the purpose of increasing return,
          the fund may sustain losses which will reduce its gross income. A
          forward foreign currency exchange contract involves the risk that the
          party with which the fund enters into the contract may fail to perform
          its obligations to the fund.

    o Emerging Markets Risk: Emerging markets are generally defined as countries
      in the initial stages of their industrialization cycles with low per
      capita income. The markets of emerging markets countries are generally
      more volatile than the markets of developed countries with more mature
      economies. All of the risks of investing in foreign securities described
      above are heightened by investing in emerging markets countries.

    o Investment Focus Risk: Because the fund may invest a substantial amount of
      its assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of
      countries, economic, political and social conditions in these countries
      will have a significant impact on its investment performance.

    o Interest Rate Risk: When interest rates rise, the prices of fixed income
      securities in the fund's portfolio will generally fall. Conversely, when
      interest rates fall, the prices of fixed income securities in the fund's
      portfolio will generally rise.


    o Maturity Risk: Interest rate risk will generally affect the price of a
      fixed income security more if the security has a longer maturity. Fixed
      income securities with longer maturities will therefore be more volatile
      than other fixed income securities with shorter maturities. Conversely,
      fixed income securities with shorter maturities will be less volatile but
      generally provide lower returns than fixed income securities with longer
      maturities. The average maturity of the series' fixed income investments
      will affect the volatility of the fund's share price.

    o Credit Risk: Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a fixed income
      security will not be able to pay principal and interest when due. Rating
      agencies assign credit ratings to certain fixed income securities to
      indicate their credit risk. The price of a fixed income security will
      generally fall if the issuer defaults on its obligation to pay principal
      or interest, the rating agencies downgrade the issuer's credit rating or
      other news affects the market's perception of the issuer's credit risk.


    o Liquidity Risk: The fixed income securities purchased by the fund may be
      traded in the OTC market rather than on an organized exchange and are
      subject to liquidity risk. This means that they may be harder to purchase
      or sell at a fair price. The inability to purchase or sell these fixed
      income securities at a fair price could have a negative impact on the
      fund's performance.


    o Junk Bond Risk:

        > Higher Credit Risk: Junk bonds are subject to a substantially higher
          degree of credit risk than higher rated bonds. During recessions, a
          high percentage of issuers of junk bonds may default on payments of
          principal and interest. The price of a junk bond may therefore
          fluctuate drastically due to bad news about the issuer or the economy
          in general.

        > Higher Liquidity Risk: During recessions and periods of broad market
          declines, junk bonds could become less liquid, meaning that they will
          be harder to value or sell at a fair price.

    o Non-Diversified Status Risk: Because the fund may invest a higher
      percentage of its assets in a small number of issuers, the fund is more
      susceptible to any single economic, political or regulatory event
      affecting those issuers than is a diversified fund.

    o Active or Frequent Trading Risk: The fund has engaged and may engage in
      active and frequent trading to achieve its principal investment
      strategies. This may result in the realization and distribution to
      shareholders of higher capital gains as compared to a fund with less
      active trading policies, which would increase your tax liability. Frequent
      trading also increases transaction costs, which could detract from the
      fund's performance.

    An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or
    guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other
    government agency.
<PAGE>

o   BAR CHART AND PERFORMANCE TABLE

    The bar chart shows the annual total return of the fund's class A shares
    for the first full calendar year since the fund's inception. The chart and
    related notes do not take into account any sales charges (loads) that you
    may be required to pay upon purchase or redemption of the fund's shares,
    but do include the reinvestment of distributions. Any sales charge will
    reduce your return. The return of the fund's other classes of shares will
    differ from the class A returns shown in the bar chart, depending upon the
    expenses of those classes.


                       1999                     191.85%

      The total return for the year-to-date period ended September 30, 2000
    was 94.97%. During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest
    quarterly return was 65.39% (for the calendar quarter ended December 31,
    1999) and the lowest quarterly return was 6.80% (for the calendar quarter
    ended September 30, 1999).

<PAGE>

o   PERFORMANCE TABLE

    This table shows how the average annual total returns of each class of the
    fund compare to a broad measure of market performance and assumes the
    reinvestment of distributions.

    AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999
    ..........................................................................
                                                           1 Year        Life*
    Class A shares                                         175.06%      113.60%

    Class B shares                                            N/A          N/A

    Class C shares                                            N/A          N/A


    Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Index++**         21.04%       19.85%


    ------
    ++ Source: Standard & Poor's Micropal, Inc.
     * Fund performance figures are for the period from the commencement of the
       fund's investment operations, May 1, 1998, through December 31, 1999.
       Class B and class C shares were not available for sale during the period.
       Index returns are from May 1, 1998.

    ** The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Index is a broad-based,
       unmanaged, but commonly used measure of common stock total return
       performance. It is comprised of 500 widely held common stocks listed on
       the New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock
       Market.

    Class A share performance takes into account the deduction of the 5.75%
    maximum sales charge.

<PAGE>

2:  VERTEX CONTRARIAN FUND

o   INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE


    The fund's investment objective is capital appreciation. This objective
    may be changed without shareholder approval.


o   PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES


    The fund invests, under normal market conditions, at least 65% of its
    total assets in common stocks and related securities, such as preferred
    stocks, convertible securities and depositary receipts for those
    securities. The fund is flexibly managed, with the ability to invest in
    issuers of all market capitalizations and industry focus. The fund may
    invest, without limitation, in all markets, domestic and foreign, may
    invest in securities listed on securities exchanges or not so listed, and
    may at times maintain large weightings of securities of companies located
    in a particular country or region. The fund may pursue a "growth
    strategy", by investing in companies which VIM believes offer superior
    prospects for growth, or a "value strategy", by investing in companies
    which the adviser believes are undervalued.

      While the fund may invest in companies with any market capitalization,
    it generally focuses on small to medium market capitalization companies,
    defined by the fund as companies with market capitalizations up to the top
    of the Russell Midcap(TM) Growth Index range at the time of the fund's
    investment. This index is a widely recognized, unmanaged index of mid-cap
    common stock prices. The fund's investments may include securities listed
    on a securities exchange or traded in the over-the-counter markets.

      VIM uses a bottom-up, as opposed to a top-down, investment style in
    managing the equity-oriented funds (such as the fund) it advises. This
    means that securities are selected based upon fundamental analysis (such
    as an analysis of earnings, cash flow, competitive position and
    management's abilities) performed by the fund's portfolio manager and
    VIM's large group of equity research analysts.

      The fund may engage in a variety of investment practices to benefit from
    declines in the price of securities and commodities. For example, the fund
    may establish "short" positions in specific securities or stock indices
    through short sales or investments in a variety of derivative instruments,
    including options, futures contracts and options on futures. In a short
    sale, the fund borrows a security it does not own and then sells it in
    anticipation of a fall in the security's price. The fund must replace the
    security it borrowed by purchasing the security at its market value at the
    time of replacement. The fund may also engage in short sales "against the
    box" where the fund owns or has the right to obtain, at no additional
    cost, the securities that are sold short. Up to 100% of the fund's net
    assets may be devoted to short positions. The fund may also establish
    "long" positions in specific securities or stock indices through options,
    futures contracts and options on futures. These positions are designed to
    benefit the fund if the prices of the underlying securities increase.


      The fund may borrow from banks up to 50% of its net assets to invest in
    portfolio securities (leveraging) or for liquidity or investment purposes.
    The fund may also enter into reverse repurchase agreements and lend
    portfolio securities, which may also be considered borrowings, and
    pursuant to which the fund may receive assets to invest in portfolio
    securities or for liquidity or investment purposes. Leveraging by means of
    borrowing will exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the
    value of the securities or other investments in the fund's portfolio
    relative to its net assets, and, therefore, may increase the fund's
    volatility.

      The fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in fixed income
    securities, including lower rated bonds, commonly known as junk bonds,
    which are bonds assigned lower credit ratings by credit rating agencies or
    which are unrated and considered by the adviser to be comparable to lower
    rated bonds.

      The fund is a non-diversified fund. This means that the fund may invest
    a relatively high percentage of its assets in a small number of issuers.

o   PRINCIPAL RISKS

    The principal risks of investing in the fund and the circumstances
    reasonably likely to cause the value of your investment in the fund to
    decline are described below. As with any non-money market mutual fund, the
    share price of the fund will generally change daily based on market
    conditions and other factors. Please note that there are many
    circumstances which could cause the value of your investment in the fund
    to decline, and which could prevent the fund from achieving its objective,
    that are not described here.

    The principal risks of investing in the fund are:

    o Risk of Substantial Losses: The fund engages in a number of investment
      practices that could cause the fund's investment performance to be
      extremely volatile. These practices, which may include the substantial use
      of leverage, short sales and various derivative investment techniques, are
      either not commonly used by mutual funds or not used to the degree to
      which the fund uses them. The specific risks associated with these
      investment practices are described below. You could lose all of your
      investment in the fund.

    o Market Risk: This is the risk that the price of a security held by the
      fund will fall due to changing economic, political or market conditions or
      disappointing earnings results.

    o Company Risk: Prices of securities react to the economic condition of the
      company that issued the security. The fund's equity investments in an
      issuer may rise and fall based on the issuer's actual and anticipated
      earnings, changes in management and the potential for takeovers and
      acquisitions.



    o Effect of IPOs: The fund may participate in the IPO market, and a
      significant portion of the fund's returns may be attributable to its
      investment in IPO's which may have a magnified investment performance
      impact during the periods when the fund has a small asset base. Like any
      past performance, there is no assurance that, as the fund's assets grow,
      it will continue to experience substantially similar performance by
      investment in IPOs.

    o Over-the-Counter Risk: OTC transactions involve risks in addition to those
      associated with transactions in securities traded on exchanges. OTC-listed
      companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources.
      Many OTC stocks trade less frequently and in smaller volume than
      exchange-listed stocks. The values of these stocks may be more volatile
      than exchange-listed stocks, and the fund may experience difficulty in
      establishing or closing out positions in these stocks at prevailing market
      prices.


    o Leverage Risk: If the fund purchases portfolio securities with proceeds
      from bank borrowings or reverse repurchase agreements or engages in other
      forms of leveraged investments, the net asset value of the fund's shares
      generally will increase or decrease at a greater rate than would otherwise
      be the case. Any income or gains earned from a leveraged investment in
      excess of the costs associated with leveraging (such as interest and other
      administrative expenses to borrow money) will cause the value of the
      fund's shares and distributions on the fund's shares to rise more quickly
      than would otherwise be the case. Conversely, if the income or gains
      earned from a leveraged investment fail to cover the costs associated with
      leveraging, the value of the fund's shares and distributions on the fund's
      shares will fall more quickly than would otherwise be the case. Leverage
      is speculative and substantially increases the risk of investing in fund
      shares.

    o Short Sales Risk: The fund will suffer a loss if it sells a security short
      and the value of the security rises rather than falls. Because the fund
      must purchase the security it borrowed in a short sale at prevailing
      market rates, the potential loss may be greater for a short sale than for
      a short sale "against the box."

    o Derivatives Risk:


        > Hedging Risk: when a derivative is used as a hedge against an opposite
          position that the fund also holds, any loss generated by the
          derivative should be substantially offset by gains on the hedged
          investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate
          losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains.


        > Correlation Risk: When the fund uses derivatives to hedge, it takes
          the risk that changes in the value of the derivative will not match
          those of the asset being hedged. Incomplete correlation can result in
          unanticipated losses.

        > Investment Risk: When the fund uses derivatives as an investment
          vehicle to gain market exposure, rather than for hedging purposes, any
          loss on the derivative investment will not be offset by gains on
          another hedged investment. The fund is therefore directly exposed to
          the risks of that derivative. Gains or losses from derivative
          investments may be substantially greater than the derivative's
          original cost.

        > Availability Risk: Derivatives may not be available to the fund upon
          acceptable terms. As a result, the fund may be unable to use
          derivatives for hedging or other purposes.

        > Credit Risk: When the fund uses derivatives, it is subject to the risk
          that the other party to the agreement will not be able to perform.


    o Foreign Securities Risk: Investments in foreign securities involve risks
      relating to political, social and economic developments abroad, as well as
      risks resulting from the differences between the regulations to which U.S.
      and foreign issuers and markets are subject:


        > These risks may include the seizure by the government of company
          assets, excessive taxation, withholding taxes on dividends and
          interest, limitations on the use or transfer of portfolio assets, and
          political or social instability.

        > Enforcing legal rights may be difficult, costly and slow in foreign
          countries, and there may be special problems enforcing claims against
          foreign governments.

        > Foreign companies may not be subject to accounting standards or
          governmental supervision comparable to U.S. companies, and there may
          be less public information about their operations.

        > Foreign markets may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S.
          markets.


        > Foreign securities often trade in currencies other than the U.S.
          dollar, and the fund may directly hold foreign currencies and purchase
          and sell foreign currencies through forward exchange contracts.
          Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the fund's net asset
          value, the value of dividends and interest earned, and gains and
          losses realized on the sale of securities. An increase in the strength
          of the U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies may cause the
          value of the fund to decline. Certain foreign currencies may be
          particularly volatile, and foreign governments may intervene in the
          currency markets, causing a decline in value or liquidity in the
          fund's foreign currency holdings. By entering into forward foreign
          currency exchange contracts, the fund may be required to forego the
          benefits of advantageous changes in exchange rates and, in the case of
          forward contracts entered into for the purpose of increasing return,
          the fund may sustain losses which will reduce its gross income. A
          forward foreign currency exchange contract involves the risk that the
          party with which the fund enters into the contract may fail to perform
          its obligations to the fund.

    o Emerging Markets Risk: Emerging markets are generally defined as countries
      in the initial stages of their industrialization cycles with low per
      capita income. The markets of emerging markets countries are generally
      more volatile than the markets of developed countries with more mature
      economies. All of the risks of investing in foreign securities described
      above are heightened by investing in emerging markets countries.


    o Investment Focus Risk: Because the fund may invest a substantial amount of
      its assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of
      countries, economic, political and social conditions in these countries
      will have a significant impact on its investment performance.


    o Interest Rate Risk: When interest rates rise, the prices of fixed income
      securities in the fund's portfolio will generally fall. Conversely, when
      interest rates fall, the prices of fixed income securities in the fund's
      portfolio will generally rise.


    o Maturity Risk: Interest rate risk will generally affect the price of a
      fixed income security more if the security has a longer maturity. Fixed
      income securities with longer maturities will therefore be more volatile
      than other fixed income securities with shorter maturities. Conversely,
      fixed income securities with shorter maturities will be less volatile but
      generally provide lower returns than fixed income securities with longer
      maturities. The average maturity of the series' fixed income investments
      will affect the volatility of the fund's share price.

    o Credit Risk: Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a fixed income
      security will not be able to pay principal and interest when due. Rating
      agencies assign credit ratings to certain fixed income securities to
      indicate their credit risk. The price of a fixed income security will
      generally fall if the issuer defaults on its obligation to pay principal
      or interest, the rating agencies downgrade the issuer's credit rating or
      other news affects the market's perception of the issuer's credit risk.


    o Liquidity Risk: The fixed income securities purchased by the fund may be
      traded in the OTC market rather than on an organized exchange and are
      subject to liquidity risk. This means that they may be harder to purchase
      or sell at a fair price. The inability to purchase or sell these fixed
      income securities at a fair price could have a negative impact on the
      fund's performance.


    o Junk Bond Risk:

        > Higher Credit Risk: Junk bonds are subject to a substantially higher
          degree of credit risk than higher rated bonds. During recessions, a
          high percentage of issuers of junk bonds may default on payments of
          principal and interest. The price of a junk bond may therefore
          fluctuate drastically due to bad news about the issuer or the economy
          in general.

        > Higher Liquidity Risk: During recessions and periods of broad market
          declines, junk bonds could become less liquid, meaning that they will
          be harder to value or sell at a fair price.


    o Non-Diversified Status Risk: Because the fund may invest a higher
      percentage of its assets in a small number of issuers, the fund is more
      susceptible to any single economic, political or regulatory event
      affecting those issuers than is a diversified fund.


    o Active or Frequent Trading Risk: The fund has engaged and may engage in
      active and frequent trading to achieve its principal investment
      strategies. This may result in the realization and distribution to
      shareholders of higher capital gains as compared to a fund with less
      active trading policies, which would increase your tax liability. Frequent
      trading also increases transaction costs, which could detract from the
      fund's performance.

    An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or
    guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other
    government agency.
<PAGE>

o   BAR CHART AND PERFORMANCE TABLE

    The bar chart shows the annual total return of the fund's class A shares
    for the first full calendar year since the fund's inception. The chart and
    related notes do not take into account any sales charges (loads) that you
    may be required to pay upon purchase or redemption of the fund's shares,
    but do include the reinvestment of distributions. Any sales charge will
    reduce your return. The return of the fund's other classes of shares will
    differ from the class A returns shown in the bar chart, depending upon the
    expenses of those classes.


                        1999                  261.37%

      The total return for the year-to-date period ended September 30, 2000
    was 79.61%. During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest
    quarterly return was 115.44% (for the calendar quarter ended December 31,
    1999) and the lowest quarterly return was 8.82% (for the calendar quarter
    ended September 30, 1999).

<PAGE>

o   PERFORMANCE TABLE

    This table shows how the average annual total returns of each class of the
    fund compare to a broad measure of market performance and various other
    market indicators and assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

    AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999
    ..........................................................................
                                                           1 Year        Life*

    Class A shares                                         240.59%      161.42%

    Class B shares                                            N/A          N/A

    Class C shares                                            N/A          N/A


    Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Index++**         21.04%       19.85%


    ------
    ++ Source: Standard & Poor's Micropal, Inc.
     * Fund performance figures are for the period from the commencement of the
       fund's investment operations, May 1, 1998, through December 31, 1999.
       Class B and class C shares were not available for sale during the period.
       Index returns are from May 1, 1998.

    ** The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Index is a broad-based,
       unmanaged, but commonly used measure of common stock total return
       performance. It is comprised of 500 widely held common stocks listed on
       the New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock
       Market.


    Class A share performance takes into account the deduction of the 5.75%
    maximum sales charge.
<PAGE>

------------------
II EXPENSE SUMMARY
------------------

o   EXPENSE TABLE

    This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay when you buy,
    redeem and hold shares of each fund.

1:  VERTEX ALL CAP FUND

    SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment):
    ..........................................................................
                                                     CLASS A    CLASS B  CLASS C

    Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on
    Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)      5.75%        N/A     N/A

    Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a
    percentage of original purchase price or
    redemption proceeds, whichever is less) ...   See Below(1)   4.00%    1.00%

    ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses that are deducted from fund
    assets):
    ..........................................................................


    Management Fees .............................     4.00%     4.00%     4.00%
    Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees(2) ....     0.35%     1.00%     1.00%
    Other Expenses(3)............................     1.04%     1.04%     1.04%
                                                     ------     -----     -----
    Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses ........     5.39%     6.04%     6.04%
        Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(4)  (0.35)%       N/A       N/A
                                                     ------     -----     -----
        Net Expenses(4) .........................     5.04%     6.04%     6.04%


    ------
    (1) An initial sales charge will not be deducted from your purchase if you
        buy $1 million or more of class A shares, or if you are investing
        through a retirement plan and your class A purchase meets certain
        requirements. However, in this case, a contingent deferred sales
        charge (referred to as a CDSC) of 1% may be deducted from your
        redemption proceeds if you redeem your investment within 12 months.

    (2) The fund adopted a distribution plan under Rule 12b-1 that permits it
        to pay marketing and other fees to support the sale and distribution
        of class A, B and C shares and the services provided to you by your
        financial adviser (referred to as distribution and service fees).
    (3) The fund has an expense offset arrangement which reduces the fund's
        custodian fee based upon the amount of cash maintained by the fund
        with its custodian and dividend disbursing agent. The fund may enter
        into other similar arrangements and directed brokerage arrangements,
        which would also have the effect of reducing the fund's expenses. Any
        such fee reductions are not reflected in the table. Had these fee
        reductions been taken into account "Net Expenses" would be 5.01% for
        class A, 6.01% for class B and 6.01% for class C shares.
    (4) MFD has contractually agreed to waive its right to receive its class A
        distribution and service fees. This contractual fee arrangement will
        continue until at least February 1, 2002, unless changed with the
        consent of the board of trustees which oversees the fund.

<PAGE>

o   EXAMPLE OF EXPENSES

    These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in
    the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

    The examples assume that:

    o You invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and you
      redeem your shares at the end of the time periods;

    o Your investment has a 5% return each year and dividends and other
      distributions are reinvested; and

    o The fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that the fund's
      total operating expenses are assumed to be the fund's "Net Expenses" for
      the first year, and the fund's "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" for
      subsequent years (see the table above).

    Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, under these assumptions
    your costs would be:

    SHARE CLASS                           YEAR 1     YEAR 3    YEAR 5   YEAR 10
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Class A shares                        $1,050     $2,062    $3,065    $5,541
    Class B shares(1)
      Assuming redemption at end of
        period                            $1,001     $2,084    $3,142    $5,623
      Assuming no redemption              $  601     $1,784    $2,942    $5,623
    Class C shares
      Assuming redemption at end of
        period                            $  701     $1,784    $2,942    $5,735
      Assuming no redemption              $  601     $1,784    $2,942    $5,735


    ------
    (1) Class B shares convert to Class A shares approximately eight years
        after purchase; therefore, years nine and ten reflect Class A
        expenses.
<PAGE>

2:  VERTEX CONTRARIAN FUND

    SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment):
    ..........................................................................
                                                     CLASS A    CLASS B  CLASS C
    Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on
    Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)    5.75%        N/A      N/A

    Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a
    percentage of original purchase price or
    redemption proceeds, whichever is less) .... See Below(1)   4.00%    1.00%

    ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses that are deducted from fund
    assets):
    ..........................................................................


    Management Fees .............................     4.00%      4.00%    4.00%
    Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees(2) ....     0.35%      1.00%    1.00%
    Other Expenses(3) ...........................     1.86%      1.86%    1.86%
                                                     ------      -----    -----
    Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses ........     6.21%      6.86%    6.86%
        Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(4)  (0.35)%      0.00%    0.00%
                                                     ------      -----    -----
        Net Expenses(4) .........................     5.86%      6.86%    6.86%


    ------
    (1) An initial sales charge will not be deducted from your purchase if you
        buy $1 million or more of class A shares, or if you are investing
        through a retirement plan and your class A purchase meets certain
        requirements. However, in this case, a contingent deferred sales
        charge (referred to as a CDSC) of 1% may be deducted from your
        redemption proceeds if you redeem your investment within 12 months.

    (2) The fund adopted a distribution plan under Rule 12b-1 that permits it
        to pay marketing and other fees to support the sale and distribution
        of class A, B and C shares and the services provided to you by your
        financial adviser (referred to as distribution and service fees).
    (3) The fund has an expense offset arrangement which reduces the fund's
        custodian fee based upon the amount of cash maintained by the fund
        with its custodian and dividend disbursing agent. The fund may enter
        into other similar arrangements and directed brokerage arrangements,
        which would also have the effect of reducing the fund's expenses. Any
        such fee reductions are not reflected in the table. Had these fee
        reductions been taken into account "Net Expenses" would be 5.85% for
        class A, 6.85% for class B and 6.85% for class C shares.
    (4) MFD has contractually agreed to waive its right to receive its class A
        distribution and service fees. This contractual fee arrangement will
        continue until at least February 1, 2002, unless changed with the
        consent of the board of trustees which oversees the fund.

<PAGE>

o   EXAMPLE OF EXPENSES

    These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in
    the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

    The examples assume that:

    o You invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and you
      redeem your shares at the end of the time periods;

    o Your investment has a 5% return each year and dividends and other
      distributions are reinvested; and

    o The fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that the fund's
      total operating expenses are assumed to be the fund's "Net Expenses" for
      the first year, and the fund's "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" for
      subsequent years (see the table above).

    Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, under these assumptions
    your costs would be:

    SHARE CLASS                           YEAR 1     YEAR 3    YEAR 5   YEAR 10
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Class A shares                        $1,125     $2,271    $3,390    $6,071
    Class B shares(1)
      Assuming redemption at end of
        period                            $1,080     $2,301    $3,474    $6,152
      Assuming no redemption              $  680     $2,001    $3,274    $6,152
    Class C shares
      Assuming redemption at end of
        period                            $  780     $2,001    $3,274    $6,255
      Assuming no redemption              $  680     $2,001    $3,274    $6,255


    ------
    (1) Class B shares convert to Class A shares approximately eight years
        after purchase; therefore, years nine and ten reflect Class A
        expenses.
<PAGE>

-------------------------------------------
III CERTAIN INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
-------------------------------------------

o   FURTHER INFORMATION ON INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

    Each fund may invest in various types of securities and engage in various
    investment techniques and practices which are not the principal focus of
    the fund and therefore are not described in this Prospectus. The types of
    securities and investment techniques and practices in which each fund may
    engage, including the principal investment techniques and practices
    described above, are identified in Appendix A to this Prospectus, and are
    discussed, together with their risks, in the fund's Statement of
    Additional Information (referred to as the SAI), which you may obtain by
    contacting MFS Service Center, Inc. (see back cover for address and phone
    number).

o   TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE POLICIES

    In addition, each fund may depart from its principal investment strategies
    by temporarily investing for defensive purposes when adverse market,
    economic or political conditions exist. While a fund invests defensively,
    it may not be able to pursue its investment objectives. A fund's defensive
    investment position may not be effective in protecting its value.
<PAGE>

--------------------------
IV MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
--------------------------

o   INVESTMENT ADVISER

    Each fund's investment adviser is Vertex Investment Management, Inc.
    (referred as VIM or the adviser) which is located at 500 Boylston Street,
    Boston, Massachusetts 02116. VIM provides investment management and
    related administrative services and facilities to the funds, including
    portfolio management and trade execution.


      VIM is a wholly owned subsidiary of Massachusetts Financial Services
    Company (referred to as MFS) which has extensive investment management
    experience. MFS is America's oldest mutual fund organization. MFS and its
    predecessor organizations have a history of money management dating from
    1924 and the founding of the first mutual fund, Massachusetts Investors
    Trust. Net assets under the management of the MFS organization were
    approximately $152.56 billion as of October 31, 2000. MFS is located at
    500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116.


      As compensation for its services, each fund pays the adviser a
    management fee that is comprised to two components. The first component is
    a basic fee equal to 2.00% per annum of each fund's average daily net
    assets (referred to as the basic fee). The second component is a
    performance fee adjustment.

      Each fund pays the adviser, at the end of each month, the basic fee of
    2.00% (prorated for the month based upon the number of days in the month)
    of such fund's average daily net assets (computed over the course of that
    month), adjusted upward or downward by 0.20% (prorated for the month based
    upon the number of days in the month) of such fund's average daily net
    asssets (computed over the course of the prior 12 months) for each full
    percentage point that the fund's performance during the prior 12 months
    (referred to as the performance period) exceeds or lags the performance of
    the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Index (referred to as the S&P
    500 Index). The maximum adjustment (up or down) for a fund's fiscal year
    shall not exceed 2.00%, so that the minimum and maximum management fee
    paid by a fund during any fiscal year will be 0% and 4%, respectively. The
    S&P 500 Index is a broad-based, popular, unmanaged index commonly used to
    measure common stock total return performance.

      Shareholders of each Fund approved an increase in management fees
    effective October 1, 1999. In calculating the performance fee adjustment
    for Performance Periods which include a month or months ended on or prior
    to September 30, 1999, the performance fee adjustment will be calculated
    taking into account the performance fee adjustment that was in effect
    during this period.

      Each fund's performance is calculated based on the net asset value per
    share of the fund's class A shares. For purposes of calculating the
    performance adjustment, any dividends or capital gains distributions paid
    by each fund are treated as if reinvested in class A shares at the net
    asset value per share as of the record date of payment. The performance of
    the S&P 500 Index is based on changes in its value over the performance
    period and is adjusted to include as if reinvested any cash distributions
    from the companies whose securities comprise the Index.

      Because the adjustment to the basic fee is based on the comparative
    performance of each fund and the record of the S&P 500 Index, the
    controlling factor is not whether the fund's performance is up or down,
    but whether it is up or down more or less than the record of the Index.
    The comparative investment records of the funds is based solely on the
    relevant performance period without regard to cumulative performance over
    a longer or shorter period of time.

      From time to time, the board of trustees that oversees the funds,
    without shareholder approval, may determine that another securities index
    is a more appropriate benchmark than the S&P 500 Index for purposes of
    evaluating the performance of a fund. In such event, a successor index may
    be substituted for the Index. However, the calculation of the performance
    adjustment for any portion of the performance period prior to the adoption
    of the successor index would still be based upon the fund's performance
    compared to the S&P 500 Index.

      The basic fee is computed daily, the performance fee adjustment is
    calculated once per month and the entire management fee, allocated to each
    class of shares proportionate to its average net assets, is normally paid
    monthly.

o   PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

    VERTEX ALL CAP FUND --             John W. Ballen, President and Chief
                                       Investment Officer of MFS, has been
                                       employed by MFS in the investment area
                                       since 1984. Mr. Ballen has been the
                                       fund's portfolio manager since March
                                       1999. Toni Y. Shimura, a Senior Vice
                                       President of MFS, has been employed by
                                       MFS in the investment area since 1987.
                                       Ms. Shimura became a portfolio manager of
                                       the fund on
                                       February 1, 2000.


    VERTEX CONTRARIAN FUND --          Mark Regan, a Senior Vice President of
                                       MFS, has been employed by MFS in the
                                       investment management area since 1989.
                                       Mr. Regan became portfolio manager of the
                                       fund effective July 10, 2000.

o   ADMINISTRATOR


    MFS provides each fund with certain financial, legal, compliance,
    shareholder communications and other administrative services. MFS is
    reimbursed by each fund for a portion of the costs it incurs in providing
    these services.

o   DISTRIBUTOR

    MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (referred to as MFD), a wholly owned
    subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares each fund.

o   SHAREHOLDER SERVICING AGENT

    MFS Service Center, Inc. (referred to as MFSC), a wholly owned subsidiary
    of MFS, performs transfer agency and certain other services for each fund,
    for which it receives compensation from each fund.
<PAGE>

------------------------------
V DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CLASSES
------------------------------

    Each fund offers class A, B and C shares through this prospectus. Each
    fund also offers an additional class of shares, class I shares,
    exclusively to certain institutional investors. Class I shares are made
    available through a separate prospectus supplement provided to
    institutional investors eligible to purchase them. Class A and class I
    shares are the only classes presently available for sale.

o   SALES CHARGES

    You may be subject to an initial sales charge when you purchase, or a CDSC
    when you redeem, class A, B or C shares. These sales charges are described
    below. In certain circumstances, these sales charges are waived. These
    circumstances are described in the SAI. Special considerations concerning
    the calculation of the CDSC that apply to each of these classes of shares
    are described below under the heading "Calculation of CDSC."

      If you purchase your fund shares through a financial adviser (such as a
    broker or bank), the adviser may receive commissions or other concessions
    which are paid from various sources, such as from the sales charges and
    distribution and service fees, or from the adviser, MFS or MFD. These
    commissions and concessions are described in the SAI.

o   CLASS A SHARES

    You may purchase class A shares at net asset value plus an initial sales
    charge (referred to as the offering price), but in some cases you may
    purchase class A shares without an initial sales charge but subject to a
    1% CDSC upon redemption within one year. Class A shares have annual
    distribution and service fees up to a maximum of 0.35% of net assets
    annually.

    PURCHASES SUBJECT TO AN INITIAL SALES CHARGE. The amount of the initial
    sales charge you pay when you buy class A shares differs depending upon
    the amount you invest, as follows:
                                               SALES CHARGE* AS PERCENTAGE OF:
                                               -------------------------------
                                                  Offering        Net Amount
    Amount of Purchase                              Price          Invested

    Less than $50,000                                5.75%           6.10%
    $50,000 but less than $100,000                   4.75            4.99
    $100,000 but less than $250,000                  4.00            4.17
    $250,000 but less than $500,000                  2.95            3.04
    $500,000 but less than $1,000,000                2.20            2.25
    $1,000,000 or more                              None**          None**

    ------
     * Because of rounding in the calculation of offering price, actual sales
       charges you pay may be more or less than those calculated using these
       percentages.
    ** A 1% CDSC will apply to such purchases, as discussed below.

    PURCHASES SUBJECT TO A CDSC (BUT NOT AN INITIAL SALES CHARGE). You pay no
    initial sales charge when you invest $1 million or more in class A shares.
    However, a CDSC of 1% will be deducted from your redemption proceeds if
    you redeem within 12 months of your purchase.

      In addition, purchases made under the following four categories are not
    subject to an initial sales charge; however, a CDSC of 1% will be deducted
    from redemption proceeds if the redemption is made within 12 months of
    purchase:

    o Investments in class A shares by certain retirement plans subject to the
      Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (referred to
      as ERISA), if, prior to July 1, 1996

        > the plan had established an account with MFSC; and

        > the sponsoring organization had demonstrated to the satisfaction of
          MFD that either;

            + the employer had at least 25 employees; or

            + the total purchases by the retirement plan of class A shares of
              the MFS Family of Funds (the MFS funds) would be in the amount of
              at least $250,000 within a reasonable period of time, as
              determined by MFD in its sole discretion.

    o Investments in class A shares by certain retirement plans subject to
      ERISA, if

        > the retirement plan and/or sponsoring organization participates in the
          MFS Corporate Plan Services 401(k) Plan or any similar recordkeeping
          system made available by MFSC (referred to as the MFS participant
          recordkeeping system);

        > the plan establishes an account with MFSC on or after July 1, 1996;
          and

        > the total purchases by the retirement plan (or by multiple plans
          maintained by the same plan sponsor) of class A shares of the MFS
          Funds will be in the amount of at least $500,000 within a reasonable
          period of time, as determined by MFD in its sole discretion.

    o Investments in class A shares by certain retirement plans subject to
      ERISA, if

        > the plan establishes an account with MFSC on or after July 1, 1996;
          and

        > the plan has, at the time of purchase, either alone or in aggregate
          with other plans maintained by the same plan sponsor, a market value
          of $500,000 or more invested in shares of any class or classes of the
          MFS funds.

          THE RETIREMENT PLANS WILL QUALIFY UNDER THIS CATEGORY ONLY IF THE
          PLANS OR THEIR SPONSORING ORGANIZATION INFORMS MFSC PRIOR TO THE
          PURCHASES THAT THE PLANS HAVE A MARKET VALUE OF $500,000 OR MORE
          INVESTED IN SHARES OF ANY CLASS OR CLASSES OF THE MFS FUNDS; MFSC HAS
          NO OBLIGATION INDEPENDENTLY TO DETERMINE WHETHER SUCH PLANS QUALIFY
          UNDER THIS CATEGORY.

    o Investment in class A shares by certain retirement plans subject to ERISA,
      if

        > the plan established an account with MFSC between July 1, 1997 and
          December 31, 1999;

        > the plan records are maintained on a pooled basis by MFSC; and

        > the sponsoring organization demonstrates to the satisfaction of MFD
          that, at the time of purchase, the employer has at least 200 eligible
          employees and the plan has aggregate assets of at least $2,000,000.

o   CLASS B SHARES

    You may purchase class B shares at net asset value without an initial
    sales charge, but if you redeem your shares within the first six years you
    may be subject to a CDSC (declining from 4.00% during the first year to 0%
    after six years). Class B shares have annual distribution and service fees
    up to a maximum of 1.00% of net assets annually.

    The CDSC is imposed according to the following schedule:

                                                           CONTINGENT DEFERRED
    YEAR OF REDEMPTION AFTER PURCHASE                         SALES CHARGE
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    First                                                          4%
    Second                                                         4%
    Third                                                          3%
    Fourth                                                         3%
    Fifth                                                          2%
    Sixth                                                          1%
    Seventh and following                                          0%

    If you hold Class B shares for approximately eight years, they will
    convert to class A shares of the fund. All class B shares you purchased
    through the reinvestment of dividends and distributions will be held in a
    separate sub-account. Each time any class B shares in your account convert
    to class A shares, a proportionate number of the class B shares in the
    sub-account will also convert to class A shares.

o   CLASS C SHARES

    You may purchase class C shares at net asset value without an initial
    sales charge, but if you redeem your shares within the first year you may
    be subject to a CDSC of 1.00%. Class C shares have annual distribution and
    service fees up to a maximum of 1.00% of net assets annually. Class C
    shares do not convert to any other class of shares of the fund.

o   CALCULATION OF CDSC

    As discussed above, certain investments in class A, B and C shares will be
    subject to a CDSC. Two different aging schedules apply to the calculation
    of the CDSC:

    o Purchases of class A shares made on any day during a calendar month will
      age one month on the last day of the month, and each subsequent month.

    o Purchases of class C shares, and purchases of class B shares on or after
      January 1, 1993, made on any day during a calendar month will age one year
      at the close of business on the last day of that month in the following
      calendar year, and each subsequent year.

    No CDSC is assessed on the value of your account represented by
    appreciation or additional shares acquired through the automatic
    reinvestment of dividends or capital gain distributions. Therefore, when
    you redeem your shares, only the value of the shares in excess of these
    amounts (i.e., your direct investment) is subject to a CDSC.

      The CDSC will be applied in a manner that results in the CDSC being
    imposed at the lowest possible rate, which means that the CDSC will be
    applied against the lesser of your direct investment or the total cost of
    your shares. The applicability of a CDSC will not be affected by exchanges
    or transfers of registration, except as described in the SAI.

o   DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE FEES

    Each fund has adopted a plan under Rule 12b-1 that permits it to pay
    marketing and other fees to support the sale and distribution of class A,
    B and C shares and the services provided to you by your financial adviser.
    These annual distribution and service fees may equal up to 0.35% for class
    A shares (a 0.10% distribution fee and a 0.25% service fee) and 1.00% for
    each of class B and class C shares (a 0.75% distribution fee and a 0.25%
    service fee), and are paid out of the assets of these classes. Over time,
    these fees will increase the cost of your shares and may cost you more
    than paying other types of sales charges. MFS has waived its right to
    receive the class A service fee and the class A distribution fee as
    described under "Expense Summary."
<PAGE>

----------------------------------------------
VI HOW TO PURCHASE, EXCHANGE AND REDEEM SHARES
----------------------------------------------

    You may purchase, exchange and redeem class A, B and C shares of each fund
    in the manner described below. In addition, you may be eligible to
    participate in certain investor services and programs to purchase,
    exchange and redeem these classes of shares, which are described in the
    next section under the caption "Investor Services and Programs."

o   HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES

    INITIAL PURCHASE. You can establish an account by having your financial
    adviser process your purchase. The minimum initial investment is $1,000.
    However, in the following circumstances the minimum initial investment is
    only $50 per account:

    o if you establish an automatic investment plan;

    o if you establish an automatic exchange plan; or

    o if you establish an account under either:

        > tax-deferred retirement programs (other than IRAs) where investments
          are made by means of group remittal statements; or

        > employer sponsored investment programs.

    The minimum initial investment for IRAs is $250 per account. The maximum
    investment in class C shares is $1,000,000 per transaction. Class C shares
    are not available for purchase by any retirement plan qualified under
    Section 401(a) or 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code if the plan or its
    sponsor subscribes to certain recordkeeping services made available by
    MFSC, such as the Corporate Plan Services 401(k) Plan.

    ADDING TO YOUR ACCOUNT. There are several easy ways you can make
    additional investments of at least $50 to your account:

    o send a check with the returnable portion of your statement;

    o ask your financial adviser to purchase shares on your behalf;

    o wire additional investments through your bank (call MFSC first for
      instructions); or

    o authorize transfers by phone between your bank account and your MFS
      account (the maximum purchase amount for this method is $100,000). You
      must elect this privilege on your account application if you wish to use
      it.

o   HOW TO EXCHANGE SHARES

    You can exchange your shares for shares of the same class of certain other
    MFS funds at net asset value by having your financial adviser process your
    exchange request or by contacting MFSC directly. The minimum exchange
    amount is generally $1,000 ($50 for exchanges made under the automatic
    exchange plan). Shares otherwise subject to a CDSC will not be charged a
    CDSC in an exchange. However, when you redeem the shares acquired through
    the exchange, the shares you redeem may be subject to a CDSC, depending
    upon when you originally purchased the shares you exchanged. For purposes
    of computing the CDSC, the length of time you have owned your shares will
    be measured from the date of original purchase and will not be affected by
    any exchange.

      Sales charges may apply to exchanges made from the MFS money market
    funds. Certain qualified retirement plans may make exchanges between the
    MFS funds and the MFS Fixed Fund, a bank collective investment fund, and
    sales charges may also apply to these exchanges. Call MFSC for information
    concerning these sales charges.

      Exchanges may be subject to certain limitations and are subject to the
    MFS funds' policies concerning excessive trading practices, which are
    policies designed to protect the funds and their shareholders from the
    harmful effect of frequent exchanges. These limitations and policies are
    described below under the captions "Right to Reject or Restrict Purchase
    and Exchange Orders" and "Excessive Trading Practices." You should read
    the prospectus of the MFS fund into which you are exchanging and consider
    the differences in objectives, policies and rules before making any
    exchange.

o   HOW TO REDEEM SHARES

    You may redeem your shares either by having your financial adviser process
    your redemption or by contacting MFSC directly. The fund sends out your
    redemption proceeds within seven days after your request is received in
    good order. "Good order" generally means that the stock power, written
    request for redemption, letter of instruction or certificate must be
    endorsed by the record owner(s) exactly as the shares are registered. In
    addition, you need to have your signature guaranteed and/or submit
    additional documentation to redeem your shares. See "Signature Guarantee/
    Additional Documentation" below, or contact MFSC for details (see back
    cover page for address and phone number).

      Under unusual circumstances such as when the New York Stock Exchange is
    closed, trading on the Exchange is restricted or if there is an emergency,
    the fund may suspend redemptions or postpone payment. If you purchased the
    shares you are redeeming by check, the fund may delay the payment of the
    redemption proceeds until the check has cleared, which may take up to 15
    days from the purchase date.

    REDEEMING DIRECTLY THROUGH MFSC

    o BY TELEPHONE. You can call MFSC to have shares redeemed from your account
      and the proceeds wired or mailed (depending on the amount redeemed)
      directly to a pre-designated bank account. MFSC will request personal or
      other information from you and will generally record the calls. MFSC will
      be responsible for losses that result from unauthorized telephone
      transactions if it does not follow reasonable procedures designed to
      verify your identity. You must elect this privilege on your account
      application if you wish to use it.

    o BY MAIL. To redeem shares by mail, you can send a letter to MFSC with the
      name of your fund, your account number, and the number of shares or dollar
      amount to be sold.

    REDEEMING THROUGH YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISER. You can call your financial
    adviser to process a redemption on your behalf. Your financial adviser
    will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documents to MFSC and may
    charge you for this service.

    SIGNATURE GUARANTEE/ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION. In order to protect against
    fraud, each fund requires that your signature be guaranteed in order to
    redeem your shares. Your signature may be guaranteed by an eligible bank,
    broker, dealer, credit union, national securities exchange, registered
    securities association, clearing agency, or savings association. MFSC may
    require additional documentation for certain types of registrations and
    transactions. Signature guarantees and this additional documentation shall
    be accepted in accordance with policies established by MFSC, and MFSC may
    make certain de minimis exceptions to these requirements.

o   OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

    RIGHT TO REJECT OR RESTRICT PURCHASE AND EXCHANGE ORDERS. Purchases and
    exchanges should be made for investment purposes only. The MFS funds each
    reserve the right to reject or restrict any specific purchase or exchange
    request. Because an exchange request involves both a request to redeem
    shares of one fund and to purchase shares of another fund, the MFS funds
    consider the underlying redemption and purchase requests conditioned upon
    the acceptance of each of these underlying requests. Therefore, in the
    event that the MFS funds reject an exchange request, neither the
    redemption nor the purchase side of the exchange will be processed. When a
    fund determines that the level of exchanges on any day may be harmful to
    its remaining shareholders, the fund may delay the payment of exchange
    proceeds for up to seven days to permit cash to be raised through the
    orderly liquidation of its portfolio securities to pay the redemption
    proceeds. In this case, the purchase side of the exchange will be delayed
    until the exchange proceeds are paid by the redeeming fund.

    EXCESSIVE TRADING PRACTICES. The MFS funds do not permit market-timing or
    other excessive trading practices. Excessive, short-term (market-timing)
    trading practices may disrupt portfolio management strategies and harm
    fund performance. As noted above, the MFS funds reserve the right to
    reject or restrict any purchase order (including exchanges) from any
    investor. To minimize harm to the MFS funds and their shareholders, the
    MFS funds will exercise these rights if an investor has a history of
    excessive trading or if an investor's trading, in the judgment of the MFS
    funds, has been or may be disruptive to a fund. In making this judgment,
    the MFS funds may consider trading done in multiple accounts under common
    ownership or control.

    REINSTATEMENT PRIVILEGE. After you have redeemed shares, you have a one-time
    right to reinvest the proceeds within 90 days of the redemption at the
    current net asset value (without an initial sales charge). If the redemption
    involved a CDSC, your account will be credited with the appropriate amount
    of the CDSC paid; however, your new shares will be subject to a CDSC which
    will be determined from the date you originally purchased the shares
    redeemed. This privilege applies to shares of the MFS money market funds
    only under certain circumstances.

    IN-KIND DISTRIBUTIONS. The MFS funds have reserved the right to pay
    redemption proceeds by a distribution in-kind of portfolio securities
    (rather than cash). In the event that a fund makes an in-kind distribution,
    you could incur the brokerage and transaction charges when converting the
    securities to cash. None of the funds expects to make in-kind distributions,
    and if a fund does, it will pay, during any 90-day period, your redemption
    proceeds in cash up to either $250,000 or 1% of the fund's net assets,
    whichever is less.

    INVOLUNTARY REDEMPTIONS/SMALL ACCOUNTS. Because it is costly to maintain
    small accounts, the MFS funds have generally reserved the right to
    automatically redeem shares and close your account when it contains less
    than $500 due to your redemptions or exchanges. Before making this
    automatic redemption, you will be notified and given 60 days to make
    additional investments to avoid having your shares redeemed.
<PAGE>

----------------------------------
VII INVESTOR SERVICES AND PROGRAMS
----------------------------------

    As a shareholder of a fund, you have available to you a number of services
    and investment programs. Some of these services and programs may not be
    available to you if your shares are held in the name of your financial
    adviser or if your investment in a fund is made through a retirement plan.

o   DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS


    The following distribution options are generally available to all
    accounts, and you may change your distribution option as often as you
    desire by notifying MFSC:


    o Dividend and capital gain distributions reinvested in additional shares
      (this option will be assigned if no other option is specified);

    o Dividend distributions in cash; capital gain distributions reinvested in
      additional shares; or

    o Dividend and capital gain distributions in cash.


    Reinvestments (net of any required backup withholding) will be made in
    additional full and fractional shares of the distributing class of shares
    at the net asset value as of the close of business on the record date.
    Distributions in amounts less than $10 will automatically be reinvested in
    additional shares of the fund. If you have elected to receive
    distributions in cash, and the postal or other delivery service is unable
    to deliver checks to your address of record, or you do not respond to
    mailings from MFSC with regard to uncashed distribution checks, your
    distribution option will automatically be converted to having all
    distributions reinvested in additional shares. Your request to change a
    distribution option must be received by MFSC by the record date for a
    distribution in order to be effective for that distribution. No interest
    will accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distribution or redemption
    checks.


o   PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION PROGRAMS

    For your convenience, the following purchase and redemption programs are
    made available to you with respect to class A, B and C shares, without
    extra charge:

    AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN. You can make cash investments of $50 or more
    through your checking account or savings account on any day of the month.
    If you do not specify a date, the investment will automatically occur on
    the first business day of the month.

    AUTOMATIC EXCHANGE PLAN. If you have an account balance of at least $5,000
    in any MFS fund, you may participate in the automatic exchange plan, a
    dollar-cost averaging program. This plan permits you to make automatic
    monthly or quarterly exchanges from your account in an MFS fund for shares
    of the same class of shares of other MFS funds. You may make exchanges of
    at least $50 to up to six different funds under this plan. Exchanges will
    generally be made at net asset value without any sales charges. If you
    exchange shares out of the MFS Money Market Fund or MFS Government Money
    Market Fund, or if you exchange class A shares out of the MFS Cash Reserve
    Fund, into class A shares of any other MFS fund, you will pay the initial
    sales charge if you have not already paid this charge on these shares.

    REINVEST WITHOUT A SALES CHARGE. You can reinvest dividend and capital
    gain distributions into your account without a sales charge to add to your
    investment easily and automatically.

    DISTRIBUTION INVESTMENT PROGRAM. You may purchase shares of any MFS fund
    without paying an initial sales charge or a CDSC upon redemption by
    automatically reinvesting a minimum of $50 of dividend and capital gain
    distributions from the same class of another MFS fund.

    LETTER OF INTENT (LOI). If you intend to invest $50,000 or more in the MFS
    funds (including the MFS Fixed Fund) within 13 months, you may buy class A
    shares of the funds at the reduced sales charge as though the total amount
    were invested in class A shares in one lump sum. If you intend to invest
    $1 million or more under this program, the time period is extended to 36
    months. If the intended purchases are not completed within the time
    period, shares will automatically be redeemed from a special escrow
    account established with a portion of your investment at the time of
    purchase to cover the higher sales charge you would have paid had you not
    purchased your shares through this program.

    RIGHT OF ACCUMULATION. You will qualify for a lower sales charge on your
    purchases of class A shares when your new investment in class A shares,
    together with the current (offering price) value of all your holdings in
    the MFS funds (including the MFS Fixed Fund), reaches a reduced sales
    charge level.

    SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN. You may elect to automatically receive (or
    designate someone else to receive) regular periodic payments of at least
    $100. Each payment under this systematic withdrawal is funded through the
    redemption of your fund shares. For class B and C shares, you can receive
    up to 10% (15% for certain IRA distributions) of the value of your account
    through these payments in any one year (measured at the time you establish
    this plan). You will incur no CDSC on class B and C shares redeemed under
    this plan. For class A shares, there is no similar percentage limitation;
    however, you may incur the CDSC (if applicable) when class A shares are
    redeemed under this plan.
<PAGE>

----------------------
VIII OTHER INFORMATION
----------------------

o   PRICING OF FUND SHARES

    The price of each class of each fund's shares is based on its net asset
    value. The net asset value of each class of shares is determined at the
    close of regular trading each day that the New York Stock Exchange (the
    "NYSE") is open for trading (generally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (referred
    to as the valuation time). The NYSE is closed on most national holidays and
    Good Friday. To determine net asset value, each fund values its assets at
    current market values, or at fair value as determined by the Adviser under
    the direction of the Board of Trustees that oversees the fund if current
    market values are unavailable. Fair value pricing may be used by each fund
    when current market values are unavailable or when an event occurs after the
    close of the exchange on which the fund's portfolio securities are
    principally traded that is likely to have changed the value of the
    securities. The use of fair value pricing by a fund may cause the net asset
    value of its shares to differ significantly from the net asset value that
    would be calculated using current market values.

      You will receive the net asset value next calculated, after the
    deduction of applicable sales charges and any required backup withholding,
    if your order is complete (has all required information) and MFSC receives
    your order by:

    o the valuation time, if placed directly by you (not through a financial
      adviser such as a broker or bank) to MFSC; or

    o MFSC's close of business, if placed through a financial adviser, so long
      as the financial adviser (or its authorized designee) received your order
      by the valuation time.

    Each fund invests in certain securities which are primarily listed on
    foreign exchanges that trade on weekends and other days when the fund does
    not price its shares. Therefore, the value of a fund's shares may change
    on days when you will not be able to purchase or redeem the fund's shares.

o   DISTRIBUTIONS

    Each fund intends to pay substantially all of its net income (excluding
    any realized net capital gains) to shareholders as dividends at least
    annually. Each fund also distributes realized net capital gains at least
    annually.

o   TAX CONSIDERATIONS


    The following discussion is very general. You are urged to consult your
    tax adviser regarding the effect that an investment in a fund may have on
    your particular tax situation.


    TAXABILITY OF DISTRIBUTIONS. As long as a fund qualifies for treatment as
    a regulated investment company (which each fund has done in the past and
    intends to do in the future), it pays no federal income tax on the
    earnings and gains it distributes to shareholders.


    You will normally have to pay federal income tax, and any state or local
    taxes, on the distributions you receive from a fund, whether you take the
    distributions in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. Distributions
    designated as capital gain dividends are taxable as long-term capital
    gains. Other distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income. Some
    dividends paid in January may be taxable as if they had been paid the
    previous December.


    The Form 1099 that is mailed to you every January details your
    distributions and how they are treated for federal income tax purposes.

    Each fund's distributions will reduce its net asset value per share.
    Therefore, if you buy shares shortly before the record date of a
    distribution, you will pay the full price for the shares and then
    effectively may receive a portion of the purchase price back as a taxable
    distribution.


    If you are neither a citizen nor a resident of the United States, each fund
    will withhold U.S. federal income tax at the rate of 30% on taxable
    dividends and other payments that are subject to such withholding. You may
    be able to arrange for a lower withholding rate under an applicable tax
    treaty if you supply the appropriate documentation required by the fund.
    Each fund is also required in certain circumstances to apply backup
    withholding at the rate of 31% on dividends, capital gain distributions and
    redemption proceeds payable to any non-corporate shareholder (including a
    shareholder who is neither a citizen nor a resident of the United States)
    who does not furnish to that fund certain information and certifications or,
    in the case of dividends and capital gain distributions, who is otherwise
    subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding will not, however, be
    applied to payments that have been subject to 30% withholding. Prospective
    investors should read each fund's Account Application for additional
    information regarding backup withholding of federal income tax.


    TAXABILITY OF TRANSACTIONS. When you redeem, sell or exchange shares, it is
    generally considered a taxable event for you. Depending on the purchase
    price and the redemption price of the shares you redeem, sell or exchange,
    you may have a gain or a loss on the transaction. You are responsible for
    any tax liabilities generated by your transaction.

o   UNIQUE NATURE OF FUNDS


    MFS may serve as the investment adviser to other funds that have investment
    goals and principal investment policies and risks similar to each fund, and
    which may be managed by the fund's portfolio manager(s). While each fund may
    have many similarities to these other funds, its investment performance will
    differ from their investment performance. This is due to a number of
    differences between the funds, including differences in sales charges,
    expense ratios and cash flows.


o   PROVISION OF ANNUAL AND SEMIANNUAL REPORTS AND PROSPECTUSES

    The fund produces financial reports every six months and updates its
    prospectus annually. To avoid sending duplicate copies of materials to
    households, only one copy of a fund's annual and semiannual report and
    prospectus will be mailed to shareholders having the same residential
    address on the fund's records. However, any shareholder may contact MFSC
    (see back cover for address and phone number) to request that copies of
    these reports and prospectuses be sent personally to that shareholder.
<PAGE>

-----------------------
IX FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
-----------------------

    The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund's
    financial performance since each fund's inception. Certain information
    reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the
    table represent the rate by which an investor would have earned (or lost) on
    an investment in the fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This
    information has been audited by the fund's independent auditors, whose
    report, together with the fund's financial statements, are included in the
    fund's Annual Report to shareholders. The fund's Annual Report is available
    upon request by contacting MFSC (see back cover for address and telephone
    number). These financial statements are incorporated by reference into the
    SAI. The funds' independent auditors are Ernst & Young LLP.
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
VERTEX ALL CAP FUND

<CAPTION>
                                                               YEAR ENDED          YEAR ENDED        PERIOD ENDED
                                                            SEPTEMBER 30,       SEPTEMBER 30,       SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                                     2000                1999               1998*
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  CLASS A
<S>                                                                <C>                 <C>                 <C>
Per share data (for a share outstanding
  throughout each period):
Net asset value - beginning of period                              $21.50              $10.10              $10.00
                                                                   ------              ------              ------
Income from investment operations# -
  Net investment loss(S)                                           $(1.19)             $(0.21)             $(0.07)
  Net realized and unrealized gain on investments
    and foreign currency                                            19.83               12.30                0.17
                                                                   ------              ------              ------
      Total from investment operations                             $18.64              $12.09              $ 0.10
                                                                   ------              ------              ------
Less distributions declared to shareholders from net realized
  gain on investments and foreign currency transactions           $(12.35)             $(0.69)             $ --
                                                                   ------              ------              ------
Net asset value - end of period                                    $27.79              $21.50              $10.10
                                                                   ======              ======              ======
Total return                                                        94.97%             125.33%               1.00%++
Ratios (to average net assets)/Supplemental data(S):
  Expenses##(+)                                                      4.15%               2.08%               2.39%+
  Net investment loss                                               (3.73)%             (1.26)%             (1.43)%+
Portfolio turnover                                                  1,609%              1,249%                446%
Net assets at end of period (000 Omitted)                         $11,221              $4,948              $1,031

  (S) Subject to reimbursement by the fund, the investment adviser has voluntarily agreed, under a temporary expense
      reimbursement agreement to pay all the fund's operating expenses, exclusive of management and distribution and
      service fees, in excess of 2.00% through the year ended September 30, 2000. In consideration, the fund pays
      the investment adviser a fee not greater than 2.00% of average daily net assets. Prior to March 1, 2000, the
      investment advisor voluntarily waived its fee. In addition, the distributor voluntarily waived its fee for the
      periods indicated. To the extent actual expenses were over/under this limitation and the waivers had not been
      in place, the net investment loss per share and the ratios would have been:
        Net investment loss                                        $(1.46)             $(0.56)             $(0.36)
        Ratios (to average net assets):
          Expenses##                                                 5.01%               4.26%               8.62%+
          Net investment loss                                       (4.59)%             (3.44)%             (7.66)%+


  * For the period from the commencement of the Fund's investment operations, May 1, 1998, through September 30, 1998.
  + Annualized.
 ++ Not annualized.
  # Per share data are based on average shares outstanding.
 ## Ratios do not reflect expense reductions from certain expense offset arrangements.

(+) Excluding dividend expense on securities sold short, the ratio of expenses to average net assets was 4.14%,
    2.00%, and 2.00% for the year ended September 30, 2000, the year ended September 30, 1999, and the period ended
    September 30, 1998, respectively.

</TABLE>
<PAGE>

<TABLE>

VERTEX CONTRARIAN FUND

<CAPTION>
                                                               YEAR ENDED          YEAR ENDED        PERIOD ENDED
                                                            SEPTEMBER 30,       SEPTEMBER 30,       SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                                     2000                1999               1998*
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  CLASS A
<S>                                                               <C>                  <C>                 <C>
Per share data (for a share outstanding
  throughout each period):
Net asset value - beginning of period                             $ 23.44              $ 9.58              $10.00
                                                                  -------              ------              ------
Income (loss) from investment operations# -
  Net investment income (loss)(S)                                $  (1.76)             $(0.37)            $  0.04
  Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments
   and foreign currency                                             59.88               14.45               (0.46)
                                                                  -------              ------              ------
      Total from investment operations                            $ 58.12              $14.08              $(0.42)
                                                                  -------              ------              ------
Less distributions declared to shareholders -
  From net investment income                                      $  --                $(0.02)             $ --
  From net realized gain on investments and foreign
   currency transactions                                           (33.34)              (0.20)               --
                                                                  -------              ------              ------
      Total distributions declared to shareholders                $(33.34)             $(0.22)             $ --
                                                                  -------              ------              ------
Net asset value - end of period                                   $ 48.22              $23.44              $ 9.58
                                                                  =======              ======              ======
Total return                                                       297.36%             149.05%(++)          (4.20)%++
Ratios (to average net assets)/Supplemental data(S):
  Expenses##(+)                                                      4.38%               2.41%               2.03%+
  Net investment income (loss)                                      (3.42)%             (1.97)%              0.91%+
Portfolio turnover                                                  1,508%              1,553%                243%
Net assets at end of period (000 Omitted)                         $33,532              $4,263              $  389

  (S) Subject to reimbursement by the fund, the investment adviser has voluntarily agreed under a temporary expense
      reimbursement agreement to pay all of the fund's operating expenses, exclusive of management and distribution
      and service fees, in excess of 2.00%. In consideration, the fund pays the investment adviser a reimbursement
      fee not greater than 2.00% of average daily net assets. Prior to March 1, 2000, the investment adviser
      voluntarily waived its fee. In addition, the distributor voluntarily waived its fee for the periods indicated.
      To the extent actual expenses were over this limitation and the waivers had not been in place, the net
      investment loss per share and the ratios would have been:
        Net investment loss                                      $  (2.12)             $(1.01)             $(0.64)
        Ratios (to average net assets):
          Expenses##                                                 5.08%               5.83%              15.69%+
          Net investment loss                                       (4.12)%             (5.39)%            (12.78)%+

   * For the period from the commencement of the fund's investment operations, May 1, 1998, through September 30,
     1998.

   + Annualized.
  ++ Not annualized.
   # Per share data are based on average shares outstanding.
  ## Ratios do not reflect expense reductions from certain expense offset arrangements.

(+)  Excluding dividend expense on securities sold short, the ratio of expenses to average net assets was 4.33%,
     2.02% and 2.03% for the years ended September 30, 2000 and 1999, and the period ended September 30, 1998,
     respectively.
(++) On September 30, 1999, the fund had certain "as of" securities transactions which were recorded after year-end
     for book purposes but are presented as of year-end for financial statement presentation. These transactions
     reduced the fund's total return from 155.74% to 149.05%.

</TABLE>
<PAGE>

----------                                                 -------------------
APPENDIX A                                                 VERTEX ALL CAP FUND
----------                                                 -------------------

o   INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES

    In pursuing its investment objective, the fund may engage in the following
    principal and non-principal investment techniques and practices.
    Investment techniques and practices which are the principal focus of the
    fund are described, together with their risks, in the Risk Return Summary
    of the Prospectus. Both principal and non-principal investment techniques
    and practices are described, together with their risks, in the SAI.


    INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES/PRACTICES
    ..........................................................................
    SYMBOLS                   x  permitted                  -- not permitted
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Debt Securities
      Asset-Backed Securities
        Collateralized Mortgage Obligations and Multiclass
          Pass-Through Securities                                  x
        Corporate Asset-Backed Securities                          x
        Mortgage Pass-Through Securities                           x
        Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities                        x
      Corporate Securities                                         x
      Loans and Other Direct Indebtedness                          x
      Lower Rated Bonds                                            x
      Municipal Bonds                                              x
      Speculative Bonds                                            x
      U.S. Government Securities                                   x
      Variable and Floating Rate Obligations                       x
      Zero Coupon Bonds, Deferred Interest Bonds and PIK Bonds     x
    Equity Securities                                              x
    Foreign Securities Exposure
      Brady Bonds                                                  x
      Depositary Receipts                                          x
      Dollar-Denominated Foreign Debt Securities                   x
      Emerging Markets                                             x
      Foreign Securities                                           x
    Forward Contracts                                              x
    Futures Contracts                                              x
    Indexed Securities/Structured Products                         x
    Inverse Floating Rate Obligations                              x
    Investment in Other Investment Companies
      Open-End Funds                                               x
      Closed-End Funds                                             x
    Lending of Portfolio Securities                                x
    Leveraging Transactions
      Bank Borrowings                                              x
      Mortgage "Dollar-Roll" Transactions                          x
      Reverse Repurchase Agreements                                x
    Options
      Options on Foreign Currencies                                x
      Options on Futures Contracts                                 x
      Options on Securities                                        x
      Options on Stock Indices                                     x
      Reset Options                                                x
      "Yield Curve" Options                                        x
    Repurchase Agreements                                          x
    Restricted Securities                                          x
    Short Sales                                                    x
    Short Sales Against the Box                                    x
    Short Term Instruments                                         x
    Swaps and Related Derivative Instruments                       x
    Temporary Borrowings                                           x
    Temporary Defensive Positions                                  x
    Warrants                                                       x
    "When-Issued" Securities                                       x
<PAGE>

----------                                              ----------------------
APPENDIX A                                              VERTEX CONTRARIAN FUND
----------                                              ----------------------

o   INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES

    In pursuing its investment objective, the fund may engage in the following
    principal and non-principal investment techniques and practices.
    Investment techniques and practices which are the principal focus of the
    fund are described, together with their risks, in the Risk Return Summary
    of the Prospectus. Both principal and non-principal investment techniques
    and practices are described, together with their risks, in the SAI.

    INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES/PRACTICES
    ..........................................................................
    SYMBOLS                   x  permitted                  -- not permitted
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Debt Securities
      Asset-Backed Securities
        Collateralized Mortgage Obligations and Multiclass
          Pass-Through Securities                                  x
        Corporate Asset-Backed Securities                          x
        Mortgage Pass-Through Securities                           x
        Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities                        x
      Corporate Securities                                         x
      Loans and Other Direct Indebtedness                          x
      Lower Rated Bonds                                            x
      Municipal Bonds                                              x
      Speculative Bonds                                            x
      U.S. Government Securities                                   x
      Variable and Floating Rate Obligations                       x
      Zero Coupon Bonds, Deferred Interest Bonds and PIK Bonds     x
    Equity Securities                                              x
    Foreign Securities Exposure
      Brady Bonds                                                  x
      Depositary Receipts                                          x
      Dollar-Denominated Foreign Debt Securities                   x
      Emerging Markets                                             x
      Foreign Securities                                           x
    Forward Contracts                                              x
    Futures Contracts                                              x
    Indexed Securities/Structured Products                         x
    Inverse Floating Rate Obligations                              x
    Investment in Other Investment Companies
      Open-End Funds                                               x
      Closed-End Funds                                             x
    Lending of Portfolio Securities                                x
    Leveraging Transactions
      Bank Borrowings                                              x
      Mortgage "Dollar-Roll" Transactions                          x
      Reverse Repurchase Agreements                                x
    Options
      Options on Foreign Currencies                                x
      Options on Futures Contracts                                 x
      Options on Securities                                        x
      Options on Stock Indices                                     x
      Reset Options                                                x
      "Yield Curve" Options                                        x
    Repurchase Agreements                                          x
    Restricted Securities                                          x
    Short Sales                                                    x
    Short Sales Against the Box                                    x
    Short Term Instruments                                         x
    Swaps and Related Derivative Instruments                       x
    Temporary Borrowings                                           x
    Temporary Defensive Positions                                  x
    Warrants                                                       x
    "When-Issued" Securities                                       x
<PAGE>


VERTEX(SM) ALL CAP FUND
VERTEX(SM) CONTRARIAN FUND


If you want more information about a fund, the following documents are available
free upon request:

ANNUAL/SEMIANNUAL REPORTS. These reports contain information about a fund's
actual investments. Annual reports discuss the effect of recent market
conditions and the fund's investment strategy on the fund's performance during
its last fiscal year.

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI). The SAI, dated February 1, 2000 as
revised April 1, 2000, provides more detailed information about the funds and is
incorporated into this prospectus by reference.

  YOU CAN GET FREE COPIES OF THE ANNUAL/SEMIANNUAL REPORTS, THE SAI AND OTHER
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS, AND MAKE INQUIRIES ABOUT THE FUNDS, BY
CONTACTING:

    MFS Service Center, Inc.
    2 Avenue de Lafayette
    Boston, MA 02111-1738
    Telephone: 1-800-225-2606
    Internet: HTTP://WWW.MFS.COM

Information about a fund (including its prospectus, SAI and shareholder
reports) can be reviewed and copied at the:

    Public Reference Room
    Securities and Exchange Commission
    Washington, D.C., 20549-6009

Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by
calling the Commission at (202) 942-8090. Reports and other information about
the funds are available on the Edgar database on the Commission's Internet
website at HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV, and copies of this information may be obtained,
upon payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at [email protected]
or by writing the Public Reference Section at the above address.

    The funds' Investment Company Act file number is 811-7992

                                                            VER-1-XI  03/00  1M
<PAGE>


                                                        STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL
                                                                    INFORMATION

                                                               FEBRUARY 1, 2001

VERTEX(SM) ALL CAP FUND
VERTEX(SM) CONTRARIAN FUND


EACH A SERIES OF MFS SERIES TRUST XI
500 BOYLSTON STREET, BOSTON, MA 02116
(617) 954-5000


This Statement of Additional Information, as amended or supplemented from time
to time (the "SAI"), sets forth information which may be of interest to
investors but which is not necessarily included in the Funds' Prospectus dated
February 1, 2001. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus a
copy of which may be obtained without charge by contacting MFS Service Center,
Inc. (see back cover of Part II of this SAI for address and phone number).


This SAI is divided into two Parts -- Part I and Part II. Part I contains
information that is particular to each Fund, while Part II contains information
that generally applies to each of the funds in the MFS Family of Funds (the "MFS
Funds"). Each Part of the SAI has a variety of appendices which can be found at
the end of Part I and Part II, respectively.

THIS SAI IS NOT A PROSPECTUS AND IS AUTHORIZED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO PROSPECTIVE
INVESTORS ONLY IF PRECEDED OR ACCOMPANIED BY A CURRENT PROSPECTUS.


                                                         VER-13-XI  03/00  300
<PAGE>

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
PART I
Part I of this SAI contains information that is particular to each Fund.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                                                          Page
I         Definitions ...................................................     3
II        Management of the Funds .......................................     3
          The Funds .....................................................     3
          Trustees and Officers -- Identification and Background ........     3
          Trustees Compensation .........................................     3
          Affiliated Service Provider Compensation ......................     3
III       Sales Charges and Distribution Plan Payments ..................     3
          Sales Charges .................................................     3
          Distribution Plan  Payments ...................................     3
IV        Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage Commissions ..............     3
V         Share Ownership ...............................................     3
VI        Performance Information .......................................     4
VII       Investment Techniques, Practices, Risks and Restrictions ......     4
          Investment Techniques, Practices and Risks ....................     4
          Investment Restrictions .......................................     4
VIII      Tax Considerations ............................................     5
IX        Independent Auditors and Financial Statements .................     5
          Appendix A -- Trustees and Officers -- Identification and
                        Background ......................................   A-1
          Appendix B -- Trustee Compensation ............................   B-1
          Appendix C -- Affiliated Service Provider Compensation ........   C-1
          Appendix D -- Sales Charges and Distribution Plan Payments ....   D-1
          Appendix E -- Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage Commissions    E-1
          Appendix F -- Share Ownership .................................   F-1
          Appendix G -- Performance Information .........................   G-1
<PAGE>

I     DEFINITIONS

      "Fund" - VertexSM All Cap Fund, and VertexSM Contrarian Fund, each a
      series of the Trust.

      "Trust" - MFS Series Trust XI, a Massachusetts business trust organized on
      September 1, 1993. The Trust was known as MFS Union Standard Trust prior
      to January 28, 1998.


      "VIM" or the "Adviser" - Vertex Investment Management, Inc., a Delaware
      corporation.

      "MFS" - Massachusetts Financial Services Company, a Delaware corporation.

      "MFD" - MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

      "MFSC" - MFS Service Center, Inc., a Delaware corporation.


      "Prospectus" - The Prospectus of the Fund, dated February 1, 2001, as
      amended or supplemented from time to time.


II    MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

      THE FUNDS
      Each Fund is a non-diversified series of the Trust. The Trust is an
      open-end management investment company.

      The Fund and its Adviser and its Distributor have adopted a code of ethics
      as required under the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("the 1940 Act").
      Subject to certain conditions and restrictions, this code permits
      personnel subject to the code to invest in securities for their own
      accounts, including securities that may be purchased, held or sold by the
      Fund. Securities transactions by some of these persons may be subject to
      prior approval of the Adviser's Compliance Department. Securities
      transactions of certain personnel are subject to quarterly reporting and
      review requirements. The code is on public file with, and is available
      from, the SEC. See the back cover of the prospectus for information on
      obtaining a copy.

      TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS - IDENTIFICATION AND BACKGROUND
      The identification and background of the Trustees and officers of the
      Trust are set forth in Appendix A of this Part I.

      TRUSTEE COMPENSATION
      Compensation paid to the non-interested Trustees and to Trustees who are
      not officers of the Trust, for certain specified periods, is set forth in
      Appendix B of this Part I.

      AFFILIATED SERVICE PROVIDER COMPENSATION
      Compensation paid by each Fund to its affiliated service providers -- to
      VIM, for investment advisory, to MFS for administrative services, and to
      MFSC, for transfer agency services -- for certain specified periods is set
      forth in Appendix C to this Part I.


      VIM has contractually agreed, subject to reimbursement, to bear expenses
      for each Fund such that "Other Expenses" do not exceed 2.00% annually. The
      reimbursement by each fund to VIM will be accomplished by the payment of
      an expense reimbursement fee to VIM computed and paid monthly at a
      percentage of each fund's average daily net assets for its then current
      fiscal year, with a limitation that immediately after such payment the
      fund's "Other Expenses" will not exceed 2.00%. The obligation of VIM to
      bear the funds' "Other Expenses" pursuant to this arrangement, and the
      funds' obligation to pay the reimbursement fee to VIM, terminates on the
      earlier of the date on which payments made by the fund equal the prior
      payment of such reimbursable expenses by VIM, or May 1, 2001. These
      contractual fee arrangements will continue until at least February 1,
      2002, unless changed with the consent of the board of trustees which
      oversees the funds.


III   SALES CHARGES AND DISTRIBUTION PLAN PAYMENTS

      SALES CHARGES
      Sales charges paid in connection with the purchase and sale of Fund shares
      for certain specified periods are set forth in Appendix D to this Part I,
      together with each Fund's schedule of dealer reallowances.

      DISTRIBUTION PLAN PAYMENTS
      Payments made by each Fund under the Distribution Plan for its most recent
      fiscal year end are set forth in Appendix D to this Part I.

IV    PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS
      Brokerage commissions paid by each Fund for certain specified periods, and
      information concerning purchases by each Fund of securities issued by its
      regular broker-dealers for its most recent fiscal year, are set forth in
      Appendix E to this Part I.

      Broker-dealers may be willing to furnish statistical, research and other
      factual information or services to the Adviser for no consideration other
      than brokerage or underwriting commissions. Securities may be bought or
      sold from time to time through such broker-dealers, on behalf of each
      Fund. The Trustees (together with the Trustees of certain other MFS funds)
      have directed the Adviser to allocate a total of $43,800 of commission
      business from certain MFS funds (including the Funds) to the Pershing
      Division of Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette as consideration for the annual
      renewal of certain publications provided by Lipper Analytical Securities
      Corporation (which provides information useful to the Trustees in
      reviewing the relationship between the Funds and the Adviser).

V     SHARE OWNERSHIP
      Information concerning the ownership of Fund shares by Trustees and
      officers of the Trust as a group, by investors who control a Fund, if any,
      and by investors who own 5% or more of any class of Fund shares, if any,
      is set forth in Appendix F to this Part I.

VI    PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
      Performance information as quoted by the Funds in sales literature and
      marketing materials, is set forth in Appendix G to this Part I.

VII   INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES, PRACTICES, RISKS AND RESTRICTIONS

      INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES, PRACTICES AND RISKS
      The investment objective and principal investment policies of each Fund
      are described in the Prospectus. In pursuing its investment objective and
      principal investment policies, each Fund may engage in a number of
      investment techniques and practices, which involve certain risks. These
      investment techniques and practices, which may be changed without
      shareholder approval unless indicated otherwise, are identified in
      Appendix A to the Prospectus, and are more fully described, together with
      their associated risks, in Part II of this SAI. The following percentage
      limitations, as a percentage of such Fund's net assets, apply to these
      investment techniques and practices:


               INVESTMENT                                       PERCENTAGE
               LIMITATION                                       LIMITATION
               ----------                                       ----------

      1. VERTEX ALL CAP FUND
         Foreign Securities: ............................. 100% of total assets
         Lower Rated Bonds: ..............................  35% of total assets
         Securities Lending: .............................  30% of total assets
         Short Sales: .................................... 100% of total assets

      2. VERTEX CONTRARIAN FUND
         Foreign Securities .............................. 100% of total assets
         Lower Rated Bonds: ..............................  35% of total assets
         Securities Lending: .............................  30% of total assets
         Short Sales: .................................... 100% of total assets


      INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
      Each Fund has adopted the following restrictions which cannot be changed
      without the approval of the holders of a majority of a Fund's shares
      (which, as used in this SAI, means the lesser of (i) more than 50% of the
      outstanding shares of the Trust or a series or class, as applicable, or
      (ii) 67% or more of the outstanding shares of the Trust or a series or
      class, as applicable, present at a meeting at which holders of more than
      50% of the outstanding shares of the Trust or a series or class, as
      applicable, are represented in person or by proxy).

      Except for Investment Restriction (1) and nonfundamental investment policy
      (1), these investment restrictions and policies are adhered to at the time
      of purchase or utilization of assets; a subsequent change in circumstances
      will not be considered to result in a violation of any of the
      restrictions. In the event of a violation of nonfundamental investment
      policy (1), the Fund will reduce the percentage of its assets invested in
      illiquid investments in due course, taking into account the best interests
      of shareholders.

      Terms used below (such as Options and Futures Contracts) are defined in
      Part II of this SAI.

      Each Fund may not:

        (1) Borrow amounts from banks in excess of 33 1/3% of its total assets,
            including amounts borrowed.

        (2) Underwrite securities issued by other persons except insofar as the
            Fund may technically be deemed an underwriter under the Securities
            Act of 1933 in selling a portfolio security.

        (3) Purchase or sell real estate (excluding securities secured by real
            estate or interests therein and securities of companies, such as
            real estate investment trusts, which deal in real estate or
            interests therein), interests in oil, gas or mineral leases,
            commodities or commodity contracts (excluding Options, Options on
            Futures Contracts, Options on Stock Indices, Options on Foreign
            Currency and any other type of option, Futures Contracts, any other
            type of futures contract, and Forward Contracts) in the ordinary
            course of its business. Each Fund reserves the freedom of action to
            hold and to sell real estate, mineral leases, commodities or
            commodity contracts (including Options, Options on Futures
            Contracts, Options on Stock Indices, Options on Foreign Currency and
            any other type of option, Futures Contracts, any other type of
            futures contract, and Forward Contracts) acquired as a result of the
            ownership of securities.

        (4) Issue any senior securities except as permitted by the 1940 Act. For
            purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect
            to any type of option (including Options on Futures Contracts,
            Options, Options on Stock Indices and Options on Foreign
            Currencies), short sale, Forward Contracts, Futures Contracts, any
            other type of futures contract, and collateral arrangements with
            respect to initial and variation margin, are not deemed to be the
            issuance of a senior security.

        (5) Make loans to other persons. For these purposes, the purchase of
            short-term commercial paper, the purchase of a portion or all of an
            issue of debt securities, the lending of portfolio securities, or
            the investment of a Fund's assets in repurchase agreements, shall
            not be considered the making of a loan.

        (6) Purchase any securities of an issuer of a particular industry, if as
            a result, 25% or more of its total assets would be invested in
            securities of issuers whose principal business activities are in the
            same industry (except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
            Government or its agencies and instrumentalities and repurchase
            agreements collateralized by such obligations).

      In addition, each Fund has the following nonfundamental policies which may
      be changed without shareholder approval.

      Each Fund will not:

        (1) Invest in illiquid investments, including securities subject to
            legal or contractual restrictions on resale or for which there is no
            readily available market (e.g., trading in the security is
            suspended, or, in the case of unlisted securities, where no market
            exists), if more than 15% of a Fund's net assets (taken at market
            value) would be invested in such securities. Repurchase agreements
            maturing in more than seven days will be deemed to be illiquid for
            purposes of a Fund's limitation on investment in illiquid
            securities. Securities that are not registered under the 1933 Act
            and sold in reliance on Rule 144A thereunder, but are determined to
            be liquid by the Trust's Board of Trustees (or its delegee), will
            not be subject to this 15% limitation.

        (2) Invest for the purpose of exercising control or management.

VIII  TAX CONSIDERATIONS
      For a discussion of tax considerations, see Part II of this SAI.

IX    INDEPENDENT AUDITORS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
      Ernst & Young LLP are the Funds' independent auditors, providing audit
      services, tax services, and assistance and consultation with respect to
      the preparation of filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


        The Portfolio of Investments and the Statement of Assets and Liabilities
      at September 30, 2000, the Statement of Operations for the year ended
      September 30, 2000, the Statement of Changes in Net Assets for each of the
      two years in the period ended September 30, 2000, the Notes to Financial
      Statements and the Report of the Independent Auditors, each of which is
      included in the Annual Report to Shareholders of each Fund, are
      incorporated by reference into this SAI in reliance upon the report of
      Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors, given upon their authority as
      experts in accounting and auditing. A copy of the Annual Report
      accompanies this SAI.

<PAGE>

-------------------
PART I - APPENDIX A
-------------------

    TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS - IDENTIFICATION AND BACKGROUND
    The Trustees and officers of the Trust are listed below, together with
    their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may
    have varied during that period.)

    TRUSTEES

    JEFFREY L. SHAMES,* Chairman and President
    (born 6/2/55)
    Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman and Chief Executive
    Officer

    NELSON J. DARLING, JR. (born 12/27/20)
    Private Investor and Trustee
    Address: Boston, Massachusetts

    WILLIAM R. GUTOW (born 9/27/41)
    Private Investor and Real Estate Consultant; Capitol Entertainment
    Management Company (video franchise), Vice Chairman
    Address: Dallas, Texas

    OFFICERS


    JAMES O. YOST,* Treasurer (born 6/12/60)
    Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President


    ELLEN MOYNIHAN,* Assistant Treasurer (born 11/13/57)
    Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since September
    1996); Deloitte & Touche LLP, Senior Manager (until September 1996)


    MARK E. BRADLEY,* Assistant Treasurer (born 11/23/59)
    Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March
    1997); Putnam Investments, Vice President (prior to March 1997)

    STEPHEN E. CAVAN,* Secretary and Clerk
    (born 11/6/53)
    Vertex Investment Management Inc., Secretary; Massachusetts Financial
    Services Company, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

    JAMES R. BORDEWICK, JR.,* Assistant Secretary and
    Assistant Clerk (born 3/6/59)
    Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and
    Associate General Counsel

    LAURA F. HEALY*, Assistant Treasurer (born 3/20/64)
    Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since December
    1996); State Street Bank Fund Administration Group, Assistant Vice
    President (prior to December 1996)

    ROBERT R. FLAHERTY*, Assistant Treasurer (born 9/18/63) Massachusetts
    Financial Services Company, Vice President (since August 2000), UAM Fund
    Services, Senior Vice President (since 1996), Chase Global Fund Services,
    Vice President (1995 to 1996)


    ----------------
    *"Interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Adviser, whose
     address is 500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116.

    Each Trustee and officer holds comparable positions with certain
    affiliates of VIM or with certain other funds of which VIM or an affiliate
    of VIM is the investment adviser or distributor. Mr. Shames, Director of
    MFD, and Mr. Cavan, the Secretary of MFD, hold similar positions with
    certain other VIM affiliates.
<PAGE>

-------------------
PART I - APPENDIX B
-------------------

    TRUSTEE COMPENSATION

    Each Fund pays the compensation of non-interested Trustees and of Trustees
    who are not officers of the Trust, who currently receive from each Fund a
    fee of $250 per year plus $70 per meeting and $70 per committee meeting
    attended, together with such Trustee's out-of-pocket expenses.


    TRUSTEE COMPENSATION TABLE
    ...........................................................................
                                                                  TOTAL TRUSTEE
                                                                    FEES FROM
                                                TRUSTEES FEES       FUNDS AND
    TRUSTEE                                   FROM EACH FUND(1)  FUND COMPLEX(2)
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Nelson J. Darling, Jr.                         $2,950            $54,625
    William R. Gutow                                2,950            109,625
    Jeffrey L. Shames                                   0                  0

    ----------------
    (1) For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000.


    (2) Information provided is provided for calendar year 1999. Mr. Darling
        served as Trustee of 27 funds within the MFS fund complex (having
        aggregate net assets at December 31, 1999, of approximately $5.1
        billion) and Mr. Gutow served as Trustee of 61 funds within the MFS
        complex (having aggregate net assets at December 31, 1999, of
        approximately $20.5 billion).
<PAGE>

-------------------
PART I - APPENDIX C
-------------------
<TABLE>

    AFFILIATED SERVICE PROVIDER COMPENSATION
    ..........................................................................

    Each Fund paid compensation to its affiliated service providers over the specified periods as follows:


<CAPTION>
    VERTEX ALL CAP FUND
    ................................................................................................................................

                             PAID TO VIM         AMOUNT        PAID TO MFS FOR       PAID TO MFSC       AMOUNT         AGGREGATE
                             FOR ADVISORY        WAIVED        ADMINISTRATIVE        FOR TRANSFER       WAIVED       AMOUNT PAID TO
    FISCAL YEAR ENDED          SERVICES          BY VIM           SERVICES         AGENCY SERVICES     BY MFSC     VIM, MFS AND MFSC
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    <S>                        <C>              <C>                <C>                 <C>                <C>           <C>
    September 30, 2000         $182,487         $152,825           $1,734              $11,570            $0            $195,791
    September 30, 1999                0           43,479              451                3,020             0               3,471
    September 30, 1998*               0            5,848               59                  438             0                 497

<CAPTION>
    VERTEX CONTRARIAN FUND
    ...............................................................................................................................

                             PAID TO VIM         AMOUNT        PAID TO MFS FOR       PAID TO MFSC       AMOUNT         AGGREGATE
                             FOR ADVISORY        WAIVED        ADMINISTRATIVE        FOR TRANSFER       WAIVED       AMOUNT PAID TO
    FISCAL YEAR ENDED          SERVICES          BY VIM           SERVICES         AGENCY SERVICES     BY MFSC     VIM, MFS AND MFSC
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    <S>                        <C>              <C>                <C>                 <C>                <C>           <C>
    September 30, 2000         $539,067         $123,354           $3,678              $23,052            $0            $565,797
    September 30, 1999                0           35,878              336                2,474             0               2,810
    September 30, 1998*               0            2,322               23                  175             0                 198


    * From May 1, 1998, the commencement of each Fund's investment operations.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

-------------------
PART I - APPENDIX D
-------------------
<TABLE>

    SALES CHARGES AND DISTRIBUTION PLAN PAYMENTS

    SALES CHARGES
    ..................................................................................................................

    The following sales charges were paid by each Fund during the specified period:

<CAPTION>
                                     CLASS A INITIAL SALES CHARGES:                              CDSC PAID TO MFD ON:

                                               RETAINED          REALLOWED      CLASS A       CLASS B         CLASS C
    FISCAL YEAR END           TOTAL             BY MFD          TO DEALERS      SHARES        SHARES          SHARES
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    <S>                         <C>               <C>               <C>           <C>          <C>               <C>

    September 30, 2000          $0                N/A               N/A           $0            N/A              N/A


    DEALER REALLOWANCES
    ..................................................................................................................

    As shown above, MFD pays (or "reallows") a portion of the Class A initial sales charge to dealers. The dealer
    reallowance as expressed as a percentage of the Class A shares' offering price is:

<CAPTION>
                                                                   DEALER REALLOWANCE AS A
    AMOUNT OF PURCHASE                                            PERCENT OF OFFERING PRICE
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       <S>                                                                  <C>
        Less than $50,000                                                   5.00%
        $50,000 but less than $100,000                                      4.00%
        $100,000 but less than $250,000                                     3.20%
        $250,000 but less than $500,000                                     2.25%
        $500,000 but less than $1,000,000                                   1.70%
        $1,000,000 or more                                                  None*

    ----------------
    * A CDSC will apply to such purchase.

    DISTRIBUTION PLAN PAYMENTS
    ..................................................................................................................


    During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2000, each Fund made the following Distribution Plan payments:


<CAPTION>
                                                           AMOUNT OF DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE FEES:
    CLASS OF SHARES                                PAID BY FUND        RETAINED BY MFD       PAID TO DEALERS
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    <S>                                                 <C>                   <C>                   <C>
    Class A Shares                                      $0                    $0                    $0
    Class B Shares                                     N/A                   N/A                   N/A
    Class C Shares                                     N/A                   N/A                   N/A

    Distribution plan payments retained by MFD are used to compensate MFD for commissions advanced by MFD to dealers
    upon sale of Fund shares.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

-------------------
PART I - APPENDIX E
-------------------

    PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS

    BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS
    ..........................................................................
    The following brokerage commissions were paid by each Fund during the
    specified time periods:

                                                         BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS
                              BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS         PAID BY VERTEX
    FISCAL YEAR END        PAID BY VERTEX ALL CAP FUND      CONTRARIAN FUND
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    September 30, 2000              $155,153                   $536,845
    September 30, 1999                60,790                     67,422
    September 30, 1998*               18,471                      1,105


    * From May 1, 1998, the commmencement of the funds' investment operations.

    SECURITIES ISSUED BY REGULAR BROKER-DEALERS
    ..........................................................................

    During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2000, each Fund purchased
    securities issued by the following regular broker-dealers of the Fund,
    which had the following values as of September 30, 2000:

                                                                  VALUE OF
                                                                 SECURITIES
                                                                   AS OF
    FUND                              BROKER-DEALER          SEPTEMBER 30, 2000
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Vertex All Cap Fund       Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.              $153,120
                              Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co.        100,581
                              Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.                95,184
    Vertex Contrarian Fund    N/A                                         N/A

<PAGE>

-------------------
PART I - APPENDIX F
-------------------

    SHARE OWNERSHIP

    OWNERSHIP BY TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

    As of October 31, 2000, the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group
    owned less than 1% of any class of each Fund's shares.


    25% OR GREATER OWNERSHIP
    The following table identifies those investors who own 25% or more of a
    Fund's shares (all share classes taken together), and are therefore
    presumed to control a Fund.

                                      PERCENTAGE
    NAME AND ADDRESS OF INVESTOR       OWNERSHIP                 FUND
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    John William Ballen                  51.94%           Vertex All Cap Fund
    Southborough, MA 01772               35.96%           Vertex Contrarian Fund


    5% OR GREATER OWNERSHIP OF SHARE CLASS
    The following table identifies those investors who own 5% or more of any
    class of a Fund's shares:

     NAME AND ADDRESS OF
     INVESTOR OWNERSHIP                  PERCENTAGE                FUND
    ............................................................................

    MFS Heritage Trust Co. Trustee  9.42% of Class A shares  Vertex All Cap Fund
    IRA A/C David E. Barnes
    Duxbury, MA 02332-4402

<PAGE>

-------------------
PART I - APPENDIX G
-------------------

<TABLE>
    PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
    ...........................................................................................................................

    VERTEX ALL CAP FUND

    All performance quotations are as of September 30, 2000.

<CAPTION>

                                                    AVERAGE ANNUAL
                                                     TOTAL RETURNS              ACTUAL 30-
                                               -------------------------        DAY YIELD       30-DAY YIELD       CURRENT
                                                             LIFE OF           (INCLUDING       (WITHOUT ANY       DISTRIBUTION
                                               1 YEAR         FUND*             WAIVERS)         WAIVERS)          RATE+
                                               --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     <S>                                       <C>            <C>               <C>              <C>                <C>

    Class A Shares, with initial sales
    charge (5.75%)                             83.76%         80.78%            N/A              N/A                N/A

    Class A Shares, at net asset value         94.97%         85.27%            N/A              N/A                N/A


    Class B Shares, with CDSC (declining
    over 6 years from 4% to 0%)                N/A            N/A               N/A              N/A                N/A

    Class B Shares, at net asset value         N/A            N/A               N/A              N/A                N/A

    Class C Shares, with CDSC (1% for
    first year)                                N/A            N/A               N/A              N/A                N/A

    Class C Shares, at net asset value         N/A            N/A               N/A              N/A                N/A


    Class I Shares, at net asset value         95.04%         85.29%            N/A              N/A                N/A


    ------------------
    * From the commencement of the fund's investment operations on May 1, 1998.
    + Annualized, based upon the last distribution.


    The Fund commenced investment operations on May 1, 1998 with the offering of class A shares and subsequently
    offered class I shares on May 1, 2000.

    Class I share performance includes the performance of the Fund's class A shares for periods prior to the offering
    of class I shares. Class I share performance generally would have been higher than class A share performance had
    class I shares been offered for the entire period, because operating expenses (e.g., distribution and service fees)
    attributable to class I shares are lower than those of class A shares. Class I share performance has been adjusted
    to take into account the fact that class I shares have no initial sales charge.


    Performance results include any applicable expense subsidies and waivers, which may cause the results to be more
    favorable.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

-------------------
PART I - APPENDIX G
-------------------

<TABLE>
    PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
    ...........................................................................................................................

    VERTEX CONTRARIAN FUND


    All performance quotations are as of September 30, 2000.


<CAPTION>
                                                    AVERAGE ANNUAL
                                                     TOTAL RETURNS              ACTUAL 30-
                                               -------------------------        DAY YIELD       30-DAY YIELD       CURRENT
                                                             LIFE OF           (INCLUDING       (WITHOUT ANY       DISTRIBUTION
                                               1 YEAR         FUND*             WAIVERS)         WAIVERS)          RATE+
                                               --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     <S>                                       <C>            <C>               <C>              <C>                <C>

    Class A Shares, with initial sales
    charge (5.75%)                             274.51%        147.41%           N/A              N/A                N/A

    Class A Shares, at net asset value         297.36%        153.55%           N/A              N/A                N/A


    Class B Shares, with CDSC (declining
    over 6 years from 4% to 0%)                N/A            N/A               N/A              N/A                N/A

    Class B Shares, at net asset value         N/A            N/A               N/A              N/A                N/A

    Class C Shares, with CDSC (1% for
    first year)                                N/A            N/A               N/A              N/A                N/A

    Class C Shares, at net asset value         N/A            N/A               N/A              N/A                N/A


    Class I Shares, at net asset value         296.87%        153.42%           N/A              N/A                N/A


    ----------------------
    * From the commencement of the fund's investment operations on May 1, 1998.
    + Annualized, based upon the last distribution.


    The Fund commenced investment operations on May 1, 1998 with the offering of class A shares and subsequently
    offered class I shares on August 1, 2000.

    Class I share performance includes the performance of the Fund's class A shares for periods prior to the offering
    of class I shares. Class I share performance generally would have been higher than class A share performance had
    class I shares been offered for the entire period, because operating expenses (e.g., distribution and service fees)
    attributable to class I shares are lower than those of class A shares. Class I share performance has been adjusted
    to take into account the fact that class I shares have no initial sales charge.

    Performance results include any applicable expense subsidies and waivers, which may cause the results to be more
    favorable.

</TABLE>
<PAGE>



<PAGE>

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

PART II

Part II of this SAI describes policies and practices that apply to each of the
Funds in the MFS Family of Funds. References in this Part II to a "Fund" means
each Fund in the MFS Family of Funds, unless noted otherwise. References in this
Part II to a "Trust" means the Massachusetts business trust of which the Fund is
a series, or, if the Fund is not a series of a Massachusetts business trust,
references to a "Trust" shall mean the Fund.

  -----------------
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  -----------------
                                                                          PAGE
I     Management of the Fund ..........................................     1
      Trustees/Officers ...............................................     1
      Investment Adviser ..............................................     1
      Administrator ...................................................     2
      Custodian .......................................................     2
      Shareholder Servicing Agent .....................................     2
      Distributor .....................................................     2
II    Principal Share Characteristics .................................     2
      Class A Shares ..................................................     2
      Class B Shares, Class C Shares and Class I Shares ...............     2
      Waiver of Sales Charges .........................................     3
      Dealer Commissions and Concessions ..............................     3
      General .........................................................     3
III   Distribution Plan ...............................................     3
      Features Common to Each Class of Shares .........................     3
      Features Unique to Each Class of Shares .........................     4
IV    Investment Techniques, Practices and Risks ......................     5
V     Net Income and Distributions ....................................     5
      Money Market Funds ..............................................     5
      Other Funds .....................................................     5
VI    Tax Considerations ..............................................     5
      Taxation of the Fund ............................................     5
      Taxation of Shareholders ........................................     6
      Special Rules for Municipal Fund Distributions ..................     7
VII   Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage Commissions ................     8
VIII  Determination of Net Asset Value ................................     9
      Money Market Funds ..............................................     9
      Other Funds .....................................................    10
IX    Performance Information .........................................    10
      Money Market Funds ..............................................    10
      Other Funds .....................................................    11
      General .........................................................    12
      MFS Firsts ......................................................    12
X     Shareholder Services ............................................    13
      Investment and Withdrawal Programs ..............................    13
      Exchange Privilege ..............................................    15
      Tax-Deferred Retirement Plans ...................................    16
XI    Description of Shares, Voting Rights and Liabilities ............    17
      Appendix A -- Waivers of Sales Charges ..........................   A-1
      Appendix B -- Dealer Commissions and Concessions ................   B-1
      Appendix C -- Investment Techniques, Practices and Risks ........   C-1
      Appendix D -- Description of Bond Ratings .......................   D-1

<PAGE>

I     MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

      TRUSTEES/OFFICERS
      BOARD OVERSIGHT -- The Board of Trustees which oversees the Fund provides
      broad supervision over the affairs of the Fund. The Adviser is responsible
      for the investment management of the Fund's assets, and the officers of
      the Trust are responsible for its operations.

      TRUSTEE RETIREMENT PLAN -- The Trust has a retirement plan for Trustees
      who are non-interested Trustees and Trustees who are not officers of the
      Trust. Under this plan, a Trustee will retire upon reaching a specified
      age (see Part I -- "Appendix B ") ("Retirement Age") and if the Trustee
      has completed at least 5 years of service, he would be entitled to annual
      payments during his lifetime of up to 50% of such Trustee's average annual
      compensation (based on the three years prior to his retirement) depending
      on his length of service. A Trustee may also retire prior to his
      Retirement Age and receive reduced payments if he has completed at least 5
      years of service. Under the plan, a Trustee (or his beneficiaries) will
      also receive benefits for a period of time in the event the Trustee is
      disabled or dies. These benefits will also be based on the Trustee's
      average annual compensation and length of service. The Fund will accrue
      its allocable portion of compensation expenses under the retirement plan
      each year to cover the current year's service and amortize past service
      cost.

      INDEMNIFICATION OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS -- The Declaration of Trust of
      the Trust provides 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,
      unless, as to liabilities of the Trust or its shareholders, it is
      determined that they engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
      negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in their offices,
      or with respect to any matter, unless it is adjudicated that they did not
      act in good faith in the reasonable belief that their actions were in the
      best interest of the Trust. In the case of settlement, such
      indemnification will not be provided unless it has been determined
      pursuant to the Declaration of Trust, that they have not engaged in
      willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of
      their duties.

      INVESTMENT ADVISER
      The Trust has retained Massachusetts Financial Services Company ("MFS" or
      the "Adviser") as the Fund's investment adviser. MFS and its predecessor
      organizations have a history of money management dating from 1924. MFS is
      a subsidiary of Sun Life of Canada (U.S.) Financial Services Holdings,
      Inc., which in turn is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Sun Life of
      Canada (an insurance company).

         MFS has retained, on behalf of certain MFS Funds, sub-investment
      advisers to assist MFS in the management of the Fund's assets. A
      description of these sub-advisers, the services they provide and their
      compensation is provided under the caption "Management of the Fund -- Sub-
      Adviser" in Part I of this SAI for Funds which use sub-advisers.

      INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT -- The Adviser manages the Fund pursuant to
      an Investment Advisory Agreement (the "Advisory Agreement"). Under the
      Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides the Fund with overall investment
      advisory services. Subject to such policies as the Trustees may determine,
      the Adviser makes investment decisions for the Fund. For these services
      and facilities, the Adviser receives an annual management fee, computed
      and paid monthly, as disclosed in the Prospectus under the heading
      "Management of the Fund[s]."

         The Adviser pays the compensation of the Trust's officers and of any
      Trustee who is an officer of the Adviser. The Adviser also furnishes at
      its own expense all necessary administrative services, including office
      space, equipment, clerical personnel, investment advisory facilities, and
      all executive and supervisory personnel necessary for managing the Fund's
      investments and effecting its portfolio transactions.

         The Trust pays the compensation of the Trustees who are not officers of
      MFS and all expenses of the Fund (other than those assumed by MFS)
      including but not limited to: advisory and administrative services;
      governmental fees; interest charges; taxes; membership dues in the
      Investment Company Institute allocable to the Fund; fees and expenses of
      independent auditors, of legal counsel, and of any transfer agent,
      registrar or dividend disbursing agent of the Fund; expenses of
      repurchasing and redeeming shares and servicing shareholder accounts;
      expenses of preparing, printing and mailing prospectuses, periodic
      reports, notices and proxy statements to shareholders and to governmental
      officers and commissions; brokerage and other expenses connected with the
      execution, recording and settlement of portfolio security transactions;
      insurance premiums; fees and expenses of State Street Bank and Trust
      Company, the Fund's custodian, for all services to the Fund, including
      safekeeping of funds and securities and maintaining required books and
      accounts; expenses of calculating the net asset value of shares of the
      Fund; and expenses of shareholder meetings. Expenses relating to the
      issuance, registration and qualification of shares of the Fund and the
      preparation, printing and mailing of prospectuses are borne by the Fund
      except that the Distribution Agreement with MFD requires MFD to pay for
      prospectuses that are to be used for sales purposes. Expenses of the Trust
      which are not attributable to a specific series are allocated between the
      series in a manner believed by management of the Trust to be fair and
      equitable.

         The Advisory Agreement has an initial two year term and continues in
      effect thereafter only if such continuance is specifically approved at
      least annually by the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the
      Fund's shares (as defined in "Investment Restrictions" in Part I of this
      SAI) and, in either case, by a majority of the Trustees who are not
      parties to the Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any such party.
      The Advisory Agreement terminates automatically if it is assigned and may
      be terminated without penalty by vote of a majority of the Fund's shares
      (as defined in "Investment Restrictions" in Part I of this SAI), or by
      either party on not more than 60 days" nor less than 30 days" written
      notice. The Advisory Agreement provides that if MFS ceases to serve as the
      Adviser to the Fund, the Fund will change its name so as to delete the
      initials "MFS" and that MFS may render services to others and may permit
      other fund clients to use the initials "MFS" in their names. The Advisory
      Agreement also provides that neither the Adviser nor its personnel shall
      be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss
      arising out of any investment or for any act or omission in the execution
      and management of the Fund, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith or
      gross negligence in the performance of its or their duties or by reason of
      reckless disregard of its or their obligations and duties under the
      Advisory Agreement.

      ADMINISTRATOR
      MFS provides the Fund with certain financial, legal, compliance,
      shareholder communications and other administrative services pursuant to a
      Master Administrative Services Agreement. Under this Agreement, the Fund
      pays MFS an administrative fee up to 0.015% per annum of the Fund's
      average daily net assets. This fee reimburses MFS for a portion of the
      costs it incurs to provide such services.

      CUSTODIAN
      State Street Bank and Trust Company (the "Custodian") is the custodian of
      the Fund's assets. The Custodian's responsibilities include safekeeping
      and controlling the Fund's cash and securities, handling the receipt and
      delivery of securities, determining income and collecting interest and
      dividends on the Fund's investments, maintaining books of original entry
      for portfolio and fund accounting and other required books and accounts,
      and calculating the daily net asset value of each class of shares of the
      Fund. The Custodian does not determine the investment policies of the Fund
      or decide which securities the Fund will buy or sell. The Fund may,
      however, invest in securities of the Custodian and may deal with the
      Custodian as principal in securities transactions. The Custodian also acts
      as the dividend disbursing agent of the Fund.

      SHAREHOLDER SERVICING AGENT
      MFS Service Center, Inc. ("MFSC"), a wholly owned subsidiary of MFS, is
      the Fund's shareholder servicing agent, pursuant to an Amended and
      Restated Shareholder Servicing Agreement (the "Agency Agreement"). The
      Shareholder Servicing Agent's responsibilities under the Agency Agreement
      include administering and performing transfer agent functions and the
      keeping of records in connection with the issuance, transfer and
      redemption of each class of shares of the Fund. For these services, MFSC
      will receive a fee calculated as a percentage of the average daily net
      assets of the Fund at an effective annual rate of up to 0.1125%. In
      addition, MFSC will be reimbursed by the Fund for certain expenses
      incurred by MFSC on behalf of the Fund. The Custodian has contracted with
      MFSC to perform certain dividend disbursing agent functions for the Fund.

      DISTRIBUTOR
      MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. ("MFD"), a wholly owned subsidiary of MFS,
      serves as distributor for the continuous offering of shares of the Fund
      pursuant to an Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement (the
      "Distribution Agreement"). The Distribution Agreement has an initial two
      year term and continues in effect thereafter only if such continuance is
      specifically approved at least annually by the Board of Trustees or by
      vote of a majority of the Fund's shares (as defined in "Investment
      Restrictions" in Part I of this SAI) and in either case, by a majority of
      the Trustees who are not parties to the Distribution Agreement or
      interested persons of any such party. The Distribution Agreement
      terminates automatically if it is assigned and may be terminated without
      penalty by either party on not more than 60 days' nor less than 30 days'
      notice.

II    PRINCIPAL SHARE CHARACTERISTICS
      Set forth below is a description of Class A, B, C and I shares offered by
      the MFS Family of Funds. Some MFS Funds may not offer each class of shares
      -- see the Prospectus of the Fund to determine which classes of shares the
      Fund offers.

      CLASS A SHARES
      MFD acts as agent in selling Class A shares of the Fund to dealers. The
      public offering price of Class A shares of the Fund is their net asset
      value next computed after the sale plus a sales charge which varies based
      upon the quantity purchased. The public offering price of a Class A share
      of the Fund is calculated by dividing the net asset value of a Class A
      share by the difference (expressed as a decimal) between 100% and the
      sales charge percentage of offering price applicable to the purchase (see
      "How to Purchase, Exchange and Redeem Shares" in the Prospectus). The
      sales charge scale set forth in the Prospectus applies to purchases of
      Class A shares of the Fund alone or in combination with shares of all
      classes of certain other funds in the MFS Family of Funds and other funds
      (as noted under Right of Accumulation) by any person, including members of
      a family unit (e.g., husband, wife and minor children) and bona fide
      trustees, and also applies to purchases made under the Right of
      Accumulation or a Letter of Intent (see "Investment and Withdrawal
      Programs" below). A group might qualify to obtain quantity sales charge
      discounts (see "Investment and Withdrawal Programs" below). Certain
      purchases of Class A shares may be subject to a 1% CDSC instead of an
      initial sales charge, as described in the Fund's Prospectus.

      CLASS B SHARES, CLASS C SHARES AND CLASS I SHARES
      MFD acts as agent in selling Class B, Class C and Class I shares of the
      Fund. The public offering price of Class B, Class C and Class I shares is
      their net asset value next computed after the sale. Class B and C shares
      are generally subject to a CDSC, as described in the Fund's Prospectus.

      WAIVER OF SALES CHARGES
      In certain circumstances, the initial sales charge imposed upon purchases
      of Class A shares and the CDSC imposed upon redemptions of Class A, B and
      C shares are waived. These circumstances are described in Appendix A of
      this Part II. Such sales are made without a sales charge to promote good
      will with employees and others with whom MFS, MFD and/or the Fund have
      business relationships, because the sales effort, if any, involved in
      making such sales is negligible, or in the case of certain CDSC waivers,
      because the circumstances surrounding the redemption of Fund shares were
      not foreseeable or voluntary.

      DEALER COMMISSIONS AND CONCESSIONS
      MFD pays commission and provides concessions to dealers that sell Fund
      shares. These dealer commissions and concessions are described in Appendix
      B of this Part II.

      GENERAL
      Neither MFD nor dealers are permitted to delay placing orders to benefit
      themselves by a price change. On occasion, MFD may obtain brokers loans
      from various banks, including the custodian banks for the MFS Funds, to
      facilitate the settlement of sales of shares of the Fund to dealers. MFD
      may benefit from its temporary holding of funds paid to it by investment
      dealers for the purchase of Fund shares.

III   DISTRIBUTION PLAN
      The Trustees have adopted a Distribution Plan for Class A, Class B and
      Class C shares (the "Distribution Plan") pursuant to Section 12(b) of the
      1940 Act and Rule 12b-1 thereunder (the "Rule") after having concluded
      that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Distribution Plan would
      benefit the Fund and each respective class of shareholders. The provisions
      of the Distribution Plan are severable with respect to each Class of
      shares offered by the Fund. The Distribution Plan is designed to promote
      sales, thereby increasing the net assets of the Fund. Such an increase may
      reduce the expense ratio to the extent the Fund's fixed costs are spread
      over a larger net asset base. Also, an increase in net assets may lessen
      the adverse effect that could result were the Fund required to liquidate
      portfolio securities to meet redemptions. There is, however, no assurance
      that the net assets of the Fund will increase or that the other benefits
      referred to above will be realized.

         In certain circumstances, the fees described below may not be imposed,
      are being waived or do not apply to certain MFS Funds. Current
      distribution and service fees for each Fund are reflected under the
      caption "Expense Summary" in the Prospectus.

      FEATURES COMMON TO EACH CLASS OF SHARES
      There are features of the Distribution Plan that are common to each Class
      of shares, as described below.

      SERVICE FEES -- The Distribution Plan provides that the Fund may pay MFD a
      service fee of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to
      the class of shares to which the Distribution Plan relates (i.e., Class A,
      Class B or Class C shares, as appropriate) (the "Designated Class")
      annually in order that MFD may pay expenses on behalf of the Fund relating
      to the servicing of shares of the Designated Class. The service fee is
      used by MFD to compensate dealers which enter into a sales agreement with
      MFD in consideration for all personal services and/or account maintenance
      services rendered by the dealer with respect to shares of the Designated
      Class owned by investors for whom such dealer is the dealer or holder of
      record. MFD may from time to time reduce the amount of the service fees
      paid for shares sold prior to a certain date. Service fees may be reduced
      for a dealer that is the holder or dealer of record for an investor who
      owns shares of the Fund having an aggregate net asset value at or above a
      certain dollar level. Dealers may from time to time be required to meet
      certain criteria in order to receive service fees. MFD or its affiliates
      are entitled to retain all service fees payable under the Distribution
      Plan for which there is no dealer of record or for which qualification
      standards have not been met as partial consideration for personal services
      and/or account maintenance services performed by MFD or its affiliates to
      shareholder accounts.

      DISTRIBUTION FEES -- The Distribution Plan provides that the Fund may pay
      MFD a distribution fee in addition to the service fee described above
      based on the average daily net assets attributable to the Designated Class
      as partial consideration for distribution services performed and expenses
      incurred in the performance of MFD's obligations under its distribution
      agreement with the Fund. MFD pays commissions to dealers as well as
      expenses of printing prospectuses and reports used for sales purposes,
      expenses with respect to the preparation and printing of sales literature
      and other distribution related expenses, including, without limitation,
      the cost necessary to provide distribution-related services, or personnel,
      travel, office expense and equipment. The amount of the distribution fee
      paid by the Fund with respect to each class differs under the Distribution
      Plan, as does the use by MFD of such distribution fees. Such amounts and
      uses are described below in the discussion of the provisions of the
      Distribution Plan relating to each Class of shares. While the amount of
      compensation received by MFD in the form of distribution fees during any
      year may be more or less than the expenses incurred by MFD under its
      distribution agreement with the Fund, the Fund is not liable to MFD for
      any losses MFD may incur in performing services under its distribution
      agreement with the Fund.

      OTHER COMMON FEATURES -- Fees payable under the Distribution Plan are
      charged to, and therefore reduce, income allocated to shares of the
      Designated Class. The provisions of the Distribution Plan relating to
      operating policies as well as initial approval, renewal, amendment and
      termination are substantially identical as they relate to each Class of
      shares covered by the Distribution Plan.

      The Distribution Plan remains in effect from year to year only if its
      continuance is specifically approved at least annually by vote of both the
      Trustees and a majority of the Trustees who are not "interested persons"
      or financially interested parties of such Plan ("Distribution Plan
      Qualified Trustees"). The Distribution Plan also requires that the Fund
      and MFD each shall provide the Trustees, and the Trustees shall review, at
      least quarterly, a written report of the amounts expended (and purposes
      therefor) under such Plan. The Distribution Plan may be terminated at any
      time by vote of a majority of the Distribution Plan Qualified Trustees or
      by vote of the holders of a majority of the respective class of the Fund's
      shares (as defined in "Investment Restrictions" in Part I of this SAI).
      All agreements relating to the Distribution Plan entered into between the
      Fund or MFD and other organizations must be approved by the Board of
      Trustees, including a majority of the Distribution Plan Qualified
      Trustees. Agreements under the Distribution Plan must be in writing, will
      be terminated automatically if assigned, and may be terminated at any time
      without payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Distribution
      Plan Qualified Trustees or by vote of the holders of a majority of the
      respective class of the Fund's shares. The Distribution Plan may not be
      amended to increase materially the amount of permitted distribution
      expenses without the approval of a majority of the respective class of the
      Fund's shares (as defined in "Investment Restrictions" in Part I of this
      SAI) or may not be materially amended in any case without a vote of the
      Trustees and a majority of the Distribution Plan Qualified Trustees. The
      selection and nomination of Distribution Plan Qualified Trustees shall be
      committed to the discretion of the non-interested Trustees then in office.
      No Trustee who is not an "interested person" has any financial interest in
      the Distribution Plan or in any related agreement.

      FEATURES UNIQUE TO EACH CLASS OF SHARES
      There are certain features of the Distribution Plan that are unique to
      each class of shares, as described below.

      CLASS A SHARES -- Class A shares are generally offered pursuant to an
      initial sales charge, a substantial portion of which is paid to or
      retained by the dealer making the sale (the remainder of which is paid to
      MFD). In addition to the initial sales charge, the dealer also generally
      receives the ongoing 0.25% per annum service fee, as discussed above.

         No service fees will be paid: (i) to any dealer who is the holder or
      dealer or record for investors who own Class A shares having an aggregate
      net asset value less than $750,000, or such other amount as may be
      determined from time to time by MFD (MFD, however, may waive this minimum
      amount requirement from time to time); or (ii) to any insurance company
      which has entered into an agreement with the Fund and MFD that permits
      such insurance company to purchase Class A shares from the Fund at their
      net asset value in connection with annuity agreements issued in connection
      with the insurance company's separate accounts.

         The distribution fee paid to MFD under the Distribution Plan is equal,
      on an annual basis, to 0.10% of the Fund's average daily net assets
      attributable to Class A shares (0.25% per annum for certain Funds). As
      noted above, MFD may use the distribution fee to cover distribution-
      related expenses incurred by it under its distribution agreement with the
      Fund, including commissions to dealers and payments to wholesalers
      employed by MFD (e.g., MFD pays commissions to dealers with respect to
      purchases of $1 million or more and purchases by certain retirement plans
      of Class A shares which are sold at net asset value but which are subject
      to a 1% CDSC for one year after purchase). In addition, to the extent that
      the aggregate service and distribution fees paid under the Distribution
      Plan do not exceed 0.35% per annum of the average daily net assets of the
      Fund attributable to Class A shares (0.50% per annum for certain Funds),
      the Fund is permitted to pay such distribution-related expenses or other
      distribution-related expenses.

      CLASS B SHARES -- Class B shares are offered at net asset value without an
      initial sales charge but subject to a CDSC. MFD will advance to dealers
      the first year service fee described above at a rate equal to 0.25% of the
      purchase price of such shares and, as compensation therefor, MFD may
      retain the service fee paid by the Fund with respect to such shares for
      the first year after purchase. Dealers will become eligible to receive the
      ongoing 0.25% per annum service fee with respect to such shares commencing
      in the thirteenth month following purchase.

         Except in the case of the first year service fee, no service fees will
      be paid to any securities dealer who is the holder or dealer of record for
      investors who own Class B shares having an aggregate net asset value of
      less than $750,000 or such other amount as may be determined by MFD from
      time to time. MFD, however, may waive this minimum amount requirement from
      time to time.

         Under the Distribution Plan, the Fund pays MFD a distribution fee
      equal, on an annual basis, to 0.75% of the Fund's average daily net assets
      attributable to Class B shares. As noted above, this distribution fee may
      be used by MFD to cover its distribution-related expenses under its
      distribution agreement with the Fund (including the 3.75% commission it
      pays to dealers upon purchase of Class B shares).

      CLASS C SHARES -- Class C shares are offered at net asset value without an
      initial sales charge but subject to a CDSC of 1.00% upon redemption during
      the first year. MFD will pay a commission to dealers of 1.00% of the
      purchase price of Class C shares purchased through dealers at the time of
      purchase. In compensation for this 1.00% commission paid by MFD to
      dealers, MFD will retain the 1.00% per annum Class C distribution and
      service fees paid by the Fund with respect to such shares for the first
      year after purchase, and dealers will become eligible to receive from MFD
      the ongoing 1.00% per annum distribution and service fees paid by the Fund
      to MFD with respect to such shares commencing in the thirteenth month
      following purchase.

         This ongoing 1.00% fee is comprised of the 0.25% per annum service fee
      paid to MFD under the Distribution Plan (which MFD in turn pays to
      dealers), as discussed above, and a distribution fee paid to MFD (which
      MFD also in turn pays to dealers) under the Distribution Plan, equal, on
      an annual basis, to 0.75% of the Fund's average daily net assets
      attributable to Class C shares.

IV   INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES, PRACTICES AND RISKS
      Set forth in Appendix C of this Part II is a description of investment
      techniques and practices which the MFS Funds may generally use in pursuing
      their investment objectives and principal investment policies, and the
      risks associated with these investment techniques and practices. The Fund
      will engage only in certain of these investment techniques and practices,
      as identified in Part I. Investment practices and techniques that are not
      identified in Part I do not apply to the Fund.

V     NET INCOME AND DISTRIBUTIONS

      MONEY MARKET FUNDS
      The net income attributable to each MFS Fund that is a money market fund
      is determined each day during which the New York Stock Exchange is open
      for trading (see "Determination of Net Asset Value" below for a list of
      days the Exchange is closed).

         For this purpose, the net income attributable to shares of a money
      market fund (from the time of the immediately preceding determination
      thereof) shall consist of (i) all interest income accrued on the portfolio
      assets of the money market fund, (ii) less all actual and accrued expenses
      of the money market fund determined in accordance with generally accepted
      accounting principles, and (iii) plus or minus net realized gains and
      losses and net unrealized appreciation or depreciation on the assets of
      the money market fund, if any. Interest income shall include discount
      earned (including both original issue and market discount) on discount
      paper accrued ratably to the date of maturity.

         Since the net income is declared as a dividend each time the net income
      is determined, the net asset value per share (i.e., the value of the net
      assets of the money market fund divided by the number of shares
      outstanding) remains at $1.00 per share immediately after each such
      determination and dividend declaration. Any increase in the value of a
      shareholder's investment, representing the reinvestment of dividend
      income, is reflected by an increase in the number of shares in the
      shareholder's account.

         It is expected that the shares of the money market fund will have a
      positive net income at the time of each determination thereof. If for any
      reason the net income determined at any time is a negative amount, which
      could occur, for instance, upon default by an issuer of a portfolio
      security, the money market fund would first offset the negative amount
      with respect to each shareholder account from the dividends declared
      during the month with respect to each such account. If and to the extent
      that such negative amount exceeds such declared dividends at the end of
      the month (or during the month in the case of an account liquidated in its
      entirety), the money market fund could reduce the number of its
      outstanding shares by treating each shareholder of the money market fund
      as having contributed to its capital that number of full and fractional
      shares of the money market fund in the account of such shareholder which
      represents its proportion of such excess. Each shareholder of the money
      market fund will be deemed to have agreed to such contribution in these
      circumstances by its investment in the money market fund. This procedure
      would permit the net asset value per share of the money market fund to be
      maintained at a constant $1.00 per share.

      OTHER FUNDS
      Each MFS Fund other than the MFS money market funds intends to distribute
      to its shareholders dividends equal to all of its net investment income
      with such frequency as is disclosed in the Fund's prospectus. These Funds'
      net investment income consists of non-capital gain income less expenses.
      In addition, these Funds intend to distribute net realized short- and
      long-term capital gains, if any, at least annually. Shareholders will be
      informed of the tax consequences of such distributions, including whether
      any portion represents a return of capital, after the end of each calendar
      year.

VI    TAX CONSIDERATIONS
      The following discussion is a brief summary of some of the important
      federal (and, where noted, state) income tax consequences affecting the
      Fund and its shareholders. The discussion is very general, and therefore
      prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors about the
      impact an investment in the Fund may have on their own tax situations.

      TAXATION OF THE FUND
      FEDERAL TAXES -- The Fund (even if it is a fund in a Trust with multiple
      series) is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes
      under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). The Fund
      has elected (or in the case of a new Fund, intends to elect) to be, and
      intends to qualify to be treated each year as, a "regulated investment
      company" under Subchapter M of the Code by meeting all applicable
      requirements of Subchapter M, including requirements as to the nature of
      the Fund's gross income, the amount of its distributions (as a percentage
      of both its overall income and any tax-exempt income), and the composition
      of its portfolio assets. As a regulated investment company, the Fund will
      not be subject to any federal income or excise taxes on its net investment
      income and net realized capital gains that it distributes to shareholders
      in accordance with the timing requirements imposed by the Code. The Fund's
      foreign-source income, if any, may be subject to foreign withholding
      taxes. If the Fund failed to qualify as a "regulated investment company"
      in any year, it would incur a regular federal corporate income tax on all
      of its taxable income, whether or not distributed, and Fund distributions
      would generally be taxable as ordinary dividend income to the
      shareholders.

      MASSACHUSETTS TAXES -- As long as it qualifies as a regulated investment
      company under the Code, the Fund will not be required to pay Massachusetts
      income or excise taxes.

      TAXATION OF SHAREHOLDERS
      TAX TREATMENT OF DISTRIBUTIONS -- Subject to the special rules discussed
      below for Municipal Funds, shareholders of the Fund normally will have to
      pay federal income tax and any state or local income taxes on the
      dividends and capital gain distributions they receive from the Fund. Any
      distributions from ordinary income and from net short-term capital gains
      are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income for federal income tax
      purposes whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares.
      Distributions of net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term
      capital gain over net short-term capital loss), whether paid in cash or
      reinvested in additional shares, are taxable to shareholders as long-term
      capital gains for federal income tax purposes without regard to the length
      of time the shareholders have held their shares. Any Fund dividend that is
      declared in October, November, or December of any calendar year, payable
      to shareholders of record in such a month, and paid during the following
      January will be treated as if received by the shareholders on December 31
      of the year in which the dividend is declared. The Fund will notify
      shareholders regarding the federal tax status of its distributions after
      the end of each calendar year.

         Any Fund distribution, other than dividends that are declared by the
      Fund on a daily basis, will have the effect of reducing the per share net
      asset value of Fund shares by the amount of the distribution. Shareholders
      purchasing shares shortly before the record date of any such distribution
      (other than an exempt-interest dividend) may thus pay the full price for
      the shares and then effectively receive a portion of the purchase price
      back as a taxable distribution.

      DIVIDENDS-RECEIVED DEDUCTION -- If the Fund receives dividend income from
      U.S. corporations, a portion of the Fund's ordinary income dividends is
      normally eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations if
      the recipient otherwise qualifies for that deduction with respect to its
      holding of Fund shares. Availability of the deduction for particular
      corporate shareholders is subject to certain limitations, and deducted
      amounts may be subject to the alternative minimum tax or result in certain
      basis adjustments.

      DISPOSITION OF SHARES -- In general, any gain or loss realized upon a
      disposition of Fund shares by a shareholder that holds such shares as a
      capital asset will be treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the
      shares have been held for more than twelve months and otherwise as a
      short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a
      disposition of Fund shares held for six months or less will be treated as
      a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions of net capital
      gain made with respect to those shares. Any loss realized upon a
      disposition of shares may also be disallowed under rules relating to "wash
      sales." Gain may be increased (or loss reduced) upon a redemption of Class
      A Fund shares held for 90 days or less followed by any purchase (including
      purchases by exchange or by reinvestment) without payment of an additional
      sales charge of Class A shares of the Fund or of any other shares of an
      MFS Fund generally sold subject to a sales charge.

      DISTRIBUTION/ACCOUNTING POLICIES -- The Fund's current distribution and
      accounting policies will affect the amount, timing, and character of
      distributions to shareholders and may, under certain circumstances, make
      an economic return of capital taxable to shareholders.

      U.S. TAXATION OF NON-U.S. PERSONS -- Dividends and certain other payments
      (but not including distributions of net capital gains) to persons who are
      not citizens or residents of the United States or U.S. entities ("Non-U.S.
      Persons") are generally subject to U.S. tax withholding at the rate of
      30%. The Fund intends to withhold at that rate on taxable dividends and
      other payments to Non-U.S. Persons that are subject to such withholding.
      The Fund may withhold at a lower rate permitted by an applicable treaty if
      the shareholder provides the documentation required by the Fund. Any
      amounts overwithheld may be recovered by such persons by filing a claim
      for refund with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service within the time period
      appropriate to such claims.

      BACKUP WITHHOLDING -- The Fund is also required in certain circumstances
      to apply backup withholding at the rate of 31% on taxable dividends and
      capital gain distributions (and redemption proceeds, if applicable) paid
      to any non-corporate shareholder (including a Non-U.S. Person) who does
      not furnish to the Fund certain information and certifications or who is
      otherwise subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding will not,
      however, be applied to payments that have been subject to 30% withholding.

      FOREIGN INCOME TAXATION OF NON-U.S. PERSONS -- Distributions received from
      the Fund by Non-U.S. Persons may also be subject to tax under the laws of
      their own jurisdictions.

      STATE AND LOCAL INCOME TAXES: U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES -- Dividends paid
      by the Fund that are derived from interest on obligations of the U.S.
      Government and certain of its agencies and instrumentalities (but
      generally not distributions of capital gains realized upon the disposition
      of such obligations) may be exempt from state and local income taxes. The
      Fund generally intends to advise shareholders of the extent, if any, to
      which its dividends consist of such interest. Shareholders are urged to
      consult their tax advisors regarding the possible exclusion of such
      portion of their dividends for state and local income tax purposes.

      CERTAIN SPECIFIC INVESTMENTS -- Any investment in zero coupon bonds,
      deferred interest bonds, payment-in-kind bonds, certain stripped
      securities, and certain securities purchased at a market discount will
      cause the Fund to recognize income prior to the receipt of cash payments
      with respect to those securities. To distribute this income (as well as
      non-cash income described in the next two paragraphs) and avoid a tax on
      the Fund, the Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities that
      it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in
      additional taxable gain or loss to the Fund. Any investment in residual
      interests of a CMO that has elected to be treated as a real estate
      mortgage investment conduit, or "REMIC," can create complex tax problems,
      especially if the Fund has state or local governments or other tax-exempt
      organizations as shareholders.

      OPTIONS, FUTURES CONTRACTS, AND FORWARD CONTRACTS -- The Fund's
      transactions in options, Futures Contracts, Forward Contracts, short sales
      "against the box," and swaps and related transactions will be subject to
      special tax rules that may affect the amount, timing, and character of
      Fund income and distributions to shareholders. For example, certain
      positions held by the Fund on the last business day of each taxable year
      will be marked to market (i.e., treated as if closed out) on that day, and
      any gain or loss associated with the positions will be treated as 60%
      long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Certain positions held
      by the Fund that substantially diminish its risk of loss with respect to
      other positions in its portfolio may constitute "straddles," and may be
      subject to special tax rules that would cause deferral of Fund losses,
      adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities, and conversion of
      short-term into long-term capital losses. Certain tax elections exist for
      straddles that may alter the effects of these rules. The Fund will limit
      its activities in options, Futures Contracts, Forward Contracts, short
      sales "against the box" and swaps and related transactions to the extent
      necessary to meet the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code.

      FOREIGN INVESTMENTS -- Special tax considerations apply with respect to
      foreign investments by the Fund. Foreign exchange gains and losses
      realized by the Fund may be treated as ordinary income and loss. Use of
      foreign currencies for non-hedging purposes and investment by the Fund in
      certain "passive foreign investment companies" may be limited in order to
      avoid a tax on the Fund. The Fund may elect to mark to market any
      investments in "passive foreign investment companies" on the last day of
      each year. This election may cause the Fund to recognize income prior to
      the receipt of cash payments with respect to those investments; in order
      to distribute this income and avoid a tax on the Fund, the Fund may be
      required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have
      continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or
      loss to the Fund.

      FOREIGN INCOME TAXES -- Investment income received by the Fund and gains
      with respect to foreign securities may be subject to foreign income taxes
      withheld at the source. The United States has entered into tax treaties
      with many foreign countries that may entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of
      tax or an exemption from tax on such income; the Fund intends to qualify
      for treaty reduced rates where available. It is not possible, however, to
      determine the Fund's effective rate of foreign tax in advance, since the
      amount of the Fund's assets to be invested within various countries is not
      known.

         If the Fund holds more than 50% of its assets in foreign stock and
      securities at the close of its taxable year, it may elect to "pass
      through" to its shareholders foreign income taxes paid by it. If the Fund
      so elects, shareholders will be required to treat their pro rata portions
      of the foreign income taxes paid by the Fund as part of the amounts
      distributed to them by it and thus includable in their gross income for
      federal income tax purposes. Shareholders who itemize deductions would
      then be allowed to claim a deduction or credit (but not both) on their
      federal income tax returns for such amounts, subject to certain
      limitations. Shareholders who do not itemize deductions would (subject to
      such limitations) be able to claim a credit but not a deduction. No
      deduction will be permitted to individuals in computing their alternative
      minimum tax liability. If the Fund is not eligible, or does not elect, to
      "pass through" to its shareholders foreign income taxes it has paid,
      shareholders will not be able to claim any deduction or credit for any
      part of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund.

      SPECIAL RULES FOR MUNICIPAL FUND DISTRIBUTIONS The following special rules
      apply to shareholders of funds whose objective is to invest primarily in
      obligations that pay interest that is exempt from federal income tax
      ("Municipal Funds").

      TAX EXEMPT DISTRIBUTIONS -- The portion of a Municipal Fund's
      distributions of net investment income that is attributable to interest
      from tax-exempt securities will be designated by the Fund as an "exempt-
      interest dividend" under the Code and will generally be exempt from
      federal income tax in the hands of shareholders so long as at least 50% of
      the total value of the Fund's assets consists of tax-exempt securities at
      the close of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year. Distributions of
      tax-exempt interest earned from certain securities may, however, be
      treated as an item of tax preference for shareholders under the federal
      alternative minimum tax, and all exempt-interest dividends may increase a
      corporate shareholder's alternative minimum tax. Except when the Fund
      provides actual monthly percentage breakdowns, the percentage of income
      designated as tax-exempt will be applied uniformly to all distributions by
      the Fund of net investment income made during each fiscal year of the Fund
      and may differ from the percentage of distributions consisting of
      tax-exempt interest in any particular month. Shareholders are required to
      report exempt-interest dividends received from the Fund on their federal
      income tax returns.

      TAXABLE DISTRIBUTIONS -- A Municipal Fund may also earn some income that
      is taxable (including interest from any obligations that lose their
      federal tax exemption) and may recognize capital gains and losses as a
      result of the disposition of securities and from certain options and
      futures transactions. Shareholders normally will have to pay federal
      income tax on the non-exempt-interest dividends and capital gain
      distributions they receive from the Fund, whether paid in cash or
      reinvested in additional shares. However, the Fund does not expect that
      the non-tax-exempt portion of its net investment income, if any, will be
      substantial. Because the Fund expects to earn primarily tax-exempt
      interest income, it is expected that no Fund dividends will qualify for
      the dividends-received deduction for corporations.

      CONSEQUENCES OF DISTRIBUTIONS BY A MUNICIPAL FUND: EFFECT OF ACCRUED TAX-
      EXEMPT INCOME -- Shareholders redeeming shares after tax-exempt income has
      been accrued but not yet declared as a dividend should be aware that a
      portion of the proceeds realized upon redemption of the shares will
      reflect the existence of such accrued tax-exempt income and that this
      portion will be subject to tax as a capital gain even though it would have
      been tax-exempt had it been declared as a dividend prior to the
      redemption. For this reason, if a shareholder wishes to redeem shares of a
      Municipal Fund that does not declare dividends on a daily basis, the
      shareholder may wish to consider whether he or she could obtain a better
      tax result by redeeming immediately after the Fund declares dividends
      representing substantially all the ordinary income (including tax-exempt
      income) accrued for that month.

      CERTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR MUNICIPAL FUND SHAREHOLDERS -- Interest
      on indebtedness incurred by shareholders to purchase or carry Fund shares
      will not be deductible for federal income tax purposes. Exempt-interest
      dividends are taken into account in calculating the amount of social
      security and railroad retirement benefits that may be subject to federal
      income tax. Entities or persons who are "substantial users" (or persons
      related to "substantial users") of facilities financed by private activity
      bonds should consult their tax advisors before purchasing Fund shares.

      CONSEQUENCES OF REDEMPTION OF SHARES -- Any loss realized on a redemption
      of Municipal Fund shares held for six months or less will be disallowed to
      the extent of any exempt-interest dividends received with respect to those
      shares. If not disallowed, any such loss will be treated as a long-term
      capital loss to the extent of any distributions of net capital gain made
      with respect to those shares.

      STATE AND LOCAL INCOME TAXES: MUNICIPAL OBLIGATIONS -- The exemption of
      exempt-interest dividends for federal income tax purposes does not
      necessarily result in exemption under the income tax laws of any state or
      local taxing authority. Some states do exempt from tax that portion of an
      exempt-interest dividend that represents interest received by a regulated
      investment company on its holdings of securities issued by that state and
      its political subdivisions and instrumentalities. Therefore, the Fund will
      report annually to its shareholders the percentage of interest income
      earned by it during the preceding year on Municipal Bonds and will
      indicate, on a state-by-state basis only, the source of such income.

VII   PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS
      Specific decisions to purchase or sell securities for the Fund are made by
      persons affiliated with the Adviser. Any such person may serve other
      clients of the Adviser, or any subsidiary of the Adviser in a similar
      capacity. Changes in the Fund's investments are reviewed by the Trust's
      Board of Trustees.

         The primary consideration in placing portfolio security transactions is
      execution at the most favorable prices. The Adviser has complete freedom
      as to the markets in and broker-dealers through which it seeks this
      result. In the U.S. and in some other countries debt securities are traded
      principally in the over-the-counter market on a net basis through dealers
      acting for their own account and not as brokers. In other countries both
      debt and equity securities are traded on exchanges at fixed commission
      rates. The cost of securities purchased from underwriters includes an
      underwriter's commission or concession, and the prices at which securities
      are purchased and sold from and to dealers include a dealer's mark-up or
      mark-down. The Adviser normally seeks to deal directly with the primary
      market makers or on major exchanges unless, in its opinion, better prices
      are available elsewhere. Subject to the requirement of seeking execution
      at the best available price, securities may, as authorized by the Advisory
      Agreement, be bought from or sold to dealers who have furnished
      statistical, research and other information or services to the Adviser. At
      present no arrangements for the recapture of commission payments are in
      effect.

         Consistent with the foregoing primary consideration, the Conduct Rules
      of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD") and such
      other policies as the Trustees may determine, the Adviser may consider
      sales of shares of the Fund and of the other investment company clients of
      MFD as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute the Fund's
      portfolio transactions.

         Under the Advisory Agreement and as permitted by Section 28(e) of the
      Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Adviser may cause the Fund to pay a
      broker-dealer which provides brokerage and research services to the
      Adviser, an amount of commission for effecting a securities transaction
      for the Fund in excess of the amount other broker-dealers would have
      charged for the transaction, if the Adviser determines in good faith that
      the greater commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the
      brokerage and research services provided by the executing broker-dealer
      viewed in terms of either a particular transaction or their respective
      overall responsibilities to the Fund or to their other clients. Not all of
      such services are useful or of value in advising the Fund.

         The term "brokerage and research services" includes advice as to the
      value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or
      selling securities, and the availability of securities or of purchasers or
      sellers of securities; furnishing analyses and reports concerning issues,
      industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy
      and the performance of accounts; and effecting securities transactions and
      performing functions incidental thereto, such as clearance and settlement.

         Although commissions paid on every transaction will, in the judgment of
      the Adviser, be reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage
      services provided, commissions exceeding those which another broker might
      charge may be paid to broker-dealers who were selected to execute
      transactions on behalf of the Fund and the Adviser's other clients in part
      for providing advice as to the availability of securities or of purchasers
      or sellers of securities and services in effecting securities transactions
      and performing functions incidental thereto, such as clearance and
      settlement.

         Broker-dealers may be willing to furnish statistical, research and
      other factual information or services ("Research") to the Adviser for no
      consideration other than brokerage or underwriting commissions. Securities
      may be bought or sold from time to time through such broker-dealers, on
      behalf of the Fund.

         The Adviser's investment management personnel attempt to evaluate the
      quality of Research provided by brokers. The Adviser sometimes uses
      evaluations resulting from this effort as a consideration in the selection
      of brokers to execute portfolio transactions.

         The management fee of the Adviser will not be reduced as a consequence
      of the Adviser's receipt of brokerage and research service. To the extent
      the Fund's portfolio transactions are used to obtain brokerage and
      research services, the brokerage commissions paid by the Fund will exceed
      those that might otherwise be paid for such portfolio transactions, or for
      such portfolio transactions and research, by an amount which cannot be
      presently determined. Such services would be useful and of value to the
      Adviser in serving both the Fund and other clients and, conversely, such
      services obtained by the placement of brokerage business of other clients
      would be useful to the Adviser in carrying out its obligations to the
      Fund. While such services are not expected to reduce the expenses of the
      Adviser, the Adviser would, through use of the services, avoid the
      additional expenses which would be incurred if it should attempt to
      develop comparable information through its own staff.

         In certain instances there may be securities which are suitable for the
      Fund's portfolio as well as for that of one or more of the other clients
      of the Adviser or any subsidiary of the Adviser. Investment decisions for
      the Fund and for such other clients are made with a view to achieving
      their respective investment objectives. It may develop that a particular
      security is bought or sold for only one client even though it might be
      held by, or bought or sold for, other clients. Likewise, a particular
      security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more other
      clients are selling that same security. Some simultaneous transactions are
      inevitable when several clients receive investment advice from the same
      investment adviser, particularly when the same security is suitable for
      the investment objectives of more than one client. When two or more
      clients are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same
      security, the securities are allocated among clients in a manner believed
      by the adviser to be equitable to each. It is recognized that in some
      cases this system could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume
      of the security as far as the Fund is concerned. In other cases, however,
      the Fund believes that its ability to participate in volume transactions
      will produce better executions for the Fund.

VIII  DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
      The net asset value per share of each class of the Fund is determined each
      day during which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading. (As of
      the date of this SAI, the Exchange is open for trading every weekday
      except for the following holidays (or the days on which they are
      observed): New Year's Day; Martin Luther King Day; Presidents' Day; Good
      Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving Day and
      Christmas Day.) This determination is made once each day as of the close
      of regular trading on the Exchange by deducting the amount of the
      liabilities attributable to the class from the value of the assets
      attributable to the class and dividing the difference by the number of
      shares of the class outstanding.

      MONEY MARKET FUNDS
      Portfolio securities of each MFS Fund that is a money market fund are
      valued at amortized cost, which the Board of Trustees which oversees the
      money market fund has determined in good faith constitutes fair value for
      the purposes of complying with the 1940 Act. This valuation method will
      continue to be used until such time as the Board of Trustees determines
      that it does not constitute fair value for such purposes. Each money
      market fund will limit its portfolio to those investments in U.S.
      dollar-denominated instruments which its Board of Trustees determines
      present minimal credit risks, and which are of high quality as determined
      by any major rating service or, in the case of any instrument that is not
      so rated, of comparable quality as determined by the Board of Trustees.
      Each money market fund has also agreed to maintain a dollar-weighted
      average maturity of 90 days or less and to invest only in securities
      maturing in 13 months or less. The Board of Trustees which oversees each
      money market fund has established procedures designed to stabilize its net
      asset value per share, as computed for the purposes of sales and
      redemptions, at $1.00 per share. If the Board determines that a deviation
      from the $1.00 per share price may exist which may result in a material
      dilution or other unfair result to investors or existing shareholders, it
      will take corrective action it regards as necessary and appropriate, which
      action could include the sale of instruments prior to maturity (to realize
      capital gains or losses); shortening average portfolio maturity;
      withholding dividends; or using market quotations for valuation purposes.

      OTHER FUNDS
      The following valuation techniques apply to each MFS Fund that is not a
      money market fund.

         Equity securities in the Fund's portfolio are valued at the last sale
      price on the exchange on which they are primarily traded or on the Nasdaq
      stock market system for unlisted national market issues, or at the last
      quoted bid price for listed securities in which there were no sales during
      the day or for unlisted securities not reported on the Nasdaq stock market
      system. Bonds and other fixed income securities (other than short-term
      obligations) of U.S. issuers in the Fund's portfolio are valued on the
      basis of valuations furnished by a pricing service which utilizes both
      dealer-supplied valuations and electronic data processing techniques which
      take into account appropriate factors such as institutional-size trading
      in similar groups of securities, yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity,
      type of issue, trading characteristics and other market data without
      exclusive reliance upon quoted prices or exchange or over-the-counter
      prices, since such valuations are believed to reflect more accurately the
      fair value of such securities. Forward Contracts will be valued using a
      pricing model taking into consideration market data from an external
      pricing source. Use of the pricing services has been approved by the Board
      of Trustees.

         All other securities, futures contracts and options in the Fund's
      portfolio (other than short-term obligations) for which the principal
      market is one or more securities or commodities exchanges (whether
      domestic or foreign) will be valued at the last reported sale price or at
      the settlement price prior to the determination (or if there has been no
      current sale, at the closing bid price) on the primary exchange on which
      such securities, futures contracts or options are traded; but if a
      securities exchange is not the principal market for securities, such
      securities will, if market quotations are readily available, be valued at
      current bid prices, unless such securities are reported on the Nasdaq
      stock market system, in which case they are valued at the last sale price
      or, if no sales occurred during the day, at the last quoted bid price.
      Short-term obligations in the Fund's portfolio are valued at amortized
      cost, which constitutes fair value as determined by the Board of Trustees.
      Short-term obligations with a remaining maturity in excess of 60 days will
      be valued upon dealer supplied valuations. Portfolio investments for which
      there are no such quotations or valuations are valued at fair value as
      determined in good faith by or at the direction of the Board of Trustees.

         Generally, trading in foreign securities is substantially completed
      each day at various times prior to the close of regular trading on the
      Exchange. Occasionally, events affecting the values of such securities may
      occur between the times at which they are determined and the close of
      regular trading on the Exchange which will not be reflected in the
      computation of the Fund's net asset value unless the Trustees deem that
      such event would materially affect the net asset value in which case an
      adjustment would be made.

         All investments and assets are expressed in U.S. dollars based upon
      current currency exchange rates. A share's net asset value is effective
      for orders received by the dealer prior to its calculation and received by
      MFD prior to the close of that business day.

IX    PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

      MONEY MARKET FUNDS
      Each MFS Fund that is a money market fund will provide current annualized
      and effective annualized yield quotations based on the daily dividends of
      shares of the money market fund. These quotations may from time to time be
      used in advertisements, shareholder reports or other communications to
      shareholders.

         Any current yield quotation of a money market fund which is used in
      such a manner as to be subject to the provisions of Rule 482(d) under the
      1933 Act shall consist of an annualized historical yield, carried at least
      to the nearest hundredth of one percent based on a specific seven calendar
      day period and shall be calculated by dividing the net change in the value
      of an account having a balance of one share of that class at the beginning
      of the period by the value of the account at the beginning of the period
      and multiplying the quotient by 365/7. For this purpose the net change in
      account value would reflect the value of additional shares purchased with
      dividends declared on the original share and dividends declared on both
      the original share and any such additional shares, but would not reflect
      any realized gains or losses from the sale of securities or any unrealized
      appreciation or depreciation on portfolio securities. In addition, any
      effective yield quotation of a money market fund so used shall be
      calculated by compounding the current yield quotation for such period by
      multiplying such quotation by 7/365, adding 1 to the product, raising the
      sum to a power equal to 365/7, and subtracting 1 from the result. These
      yield quotations should not be considered as representative of the yield
      of a money market fund in the future since the yield will vary based on
      the type, quality and maturities of the securities held in its portfolio,
      fluctuations in short-term interest rates and changes in the money market
      fund's expenses.

      OTHER FUNDS
      Each MFS Fund that is not a money market fund may quote the following
      performance results.

      TOTAL RATE OF RETURN -- The Fund will calculate its total rate of return
      for each class of shares for certain periods by determining the average
      annual compounded rates of return over those periods that would cause an
      investment of $1,000 (made with all distributions reinvested and
      reflecting the CDSC or the maximum public offering price) to reach the
      value of that investment at the end of the periods. The Fund may also
      calculate (i) a total rate of return, which is not reduced by any
      applicable CDSC and therefore may result in a higher rate of return, (ii)
      a total rate of return assuming an initial account value of $1,000, which
      will result in a higher rate of return since the value of the initial
      account will not be reduced by any applicable sales charge and/or (iii)
      total rates of return which represent aggregate performance over a period
      or year- by-year performance, and which may or may not reflect the effect
      of the maximum or other sales charge or CDSC.

         The Fund offers multiple classes of shares which were initially offered
      for sale to, and purchased by, the public on different dates (the class
      "inception date"). The calculation of total rate of return for a class of
      shares which has a later class inception date than another class of shares
      of the Fund is based both on (i) the performance of the Fund's newer class
      from its inception date and (ii) the performance of the Fund's oldest
      class from its inception date up to the class inception date of the newer
      class.

         As discussed in the Prospectus, the sales charges, expenses and expense
      ratios, and therefore the performance, of the Fund's classes of shares
      differ. In calculating total rate of return for a newer class of shares in
      accordance with certain formulas required by the SEC, the performance will
      be adjusted to take into account the fact that the newer class is subject
      to a different sales charge than the oldest class (e.g., if the newer
      class is Class A shares, the total rate of return quoted will reflect the
      deduction of the initial sales charge applicable to Class A shares; if the
      newer class is Class B shares, the total rate of return quoted will
      reflect the deduction of the CDSC applicable to Class B shares). However,
      the performance will not be adjusted to take into account the fact that
      the newer class of shares bears different class specific expenses than the
      oldest class of shares (e.g., Rule 12b-1 fees). Therefore, the total rate
      of return quoted for a newer class of shares will differ from the return
      that would be quoted had the newer class of shares been outstanding for
      the entire period over which the calculation is based (i.e., the total
      rate of return quoted for the newer class will be higher than the return
      that would have been quoted had the newer class of shares been outstanding
      for the entire period over which the calculation is based if the class
      specific expenses for the newer class are higher than the class specific
      expenses of the oldest class, and the total rate of return quoted for the
      newer class will be lower than the return that would be quoted had the
      newer class of shares been outstanding for this entire period if the class
      specific expenses for the newer class are lower than the class specific
      expenses of the oldest class).

         Any total rate of return quotation provided by the Fund should not be
      considered as representative of the performance of the Fund in the future
      since the net asset value of shares of the Fund will vary based not only
      on the type, quality and maturities of the securities held in the Fund's
      portfolio, but also on changes in the current value of such securities and
      on changes in the expenses of the Fund. These factors and possible
      differences in the methods used to calculate total rates of return should
      be considered when comparing the total rate of return of the Fund to total
      rates of return published for other investment companies or other
      investment vehicles. Total rate of return reflects the performance of both
      principal and income. Current net asset value and account balance
      information may be obtained by calling 1-800-MFS-TALK (637-8255).

      YIELD -- Any yield quotation for a class of shares of the Fund is based on
      the annualized net investment income per share of that class for the 30-
      day period. The yield for each class of the Fund is calculated by dividing
      the net investment income allocated to that class earned during the period
      by the maximum offering price per share of that class of the Fund on the
      last day of the period. The resulting figure is then annualized. Net
      investment income per share of a class is determined by dividing (i) the
      dividends and interest allocated to that class during the period, minus
      accrued expense of that class for the period by (ii) the average number of
      shares of the class entitled to receive dividends during the period
      multiplied by the maximum offering price per share on the last day of the
      period. The Fund's yield calculations assume a maximum sales charge of
      5.75% in the case of Class A shares and no payment of any CDSC in the case
      of Class B and Class C shares.

      TAX-EQUIVALENT YIELD -- The tax-equivalent yield for a class of shares of
      a Fund is calculated by determining the rate of return that would have to
      be achieved on a fully taxable investment in such shares to produce the
      after-tax equivalent of the yield of that class. In calculating tax-
      equivalent yield, a Fund assumes certain federal tax brackets for
      shareholders and does not take into account state taxes.

      CURRENT DISTRIBUTION RATE -- Yield, which is calculated according to a
      formula prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, is not
      indicative of the amounts which were or will be paid to the Fund's
      shareholders. Amounts paid to shareholders of each class are reflected in
      the quoted "current distribution rate" for that class. The current
      distribution rate for a class is computed by (i) annualizing the
      distributions (excluding short-term capital gains) of the class for a
      stated period; (ii) adding any short-term capital gains paid within the
      immediately preceding twelve-month period; and (iii) dividing the result
      by the maximum offering price or net asset value per share on the last day
      of the period. The current distribution rate differs from the yield
      computation because it may include distributions to shareholders from
      sources other than dividends and interest, such as premium income for
      option writing, short-term capital gains and return of invested capital,
      and may be calculated over a different period of time. The Fund's current
      distribution rate calculation for Class B shares and Class C shares
      assumes no CDSC is paid.

      GENERAL
      From time to time the Fund may, as appropriate, quote Fund rankings or
      reprint all or a portion of evaluations of fund performance and operations
      appearing in various independent publications, including but not limited
      to the following: Money, Fortune, U.S. News and World Report, Kiplinger's
      Personal Finance, The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, Investors Business
      Daily, Newsweek, Financial World, Financial Planning, Investment Advisor,
      USA Today, Pensions and Investments, SmartMoney, Forbes, Global Finance,
      Registered Representative, Institutional Investor, the Investment Company
      Institute, Johnson's Charts, Morningstar, Lipper Analytical Securities
      Corporation, CDA Wiesenberger, Shearson Lehman and Salomon Bros. Indices,
      Ibbotson, Business Week, Lowry Associates, Media General, Investment
      Company Data, The New York Times, Your Money, Strangers Investment
      Advisor, Financial Planning on Wall Street, Standard and Poor's,
      Individual Investor, The 100 Best Mutual Funds You Can Buy, by Gordon K.
      Williamson, Consumer Price Index, and Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Fund
      performance may also be compared to the performance of other mutual funds
      tracked by financial or business publications or periodicals. The Fund may
      also quote evaluations mentioned in independent radio or television
      broadcasts and use charts and graphs to illustrate the past performance of
      various indices such as those mentioned above and illustrations using
      hypothetical rates of return to illustrate the effects of compounding and
      tax-deferral. The Fund may advertise examples of the effects of periodic
      investment plans, including the principle of dollar cost averaging. In
      such a program, an investor invests a fixed dollar amount in a fund at
      periodic intervals, thereby purchasing fewer shares when prices are high
      and more shares when prices are low. While such a strategy does not assure
      a profit or guard against a loss in a declining market, the investor's
      average cost per share can be lower than if fixed numbers of shares are
      purchased at the same intervals.

         From time to time, the Fund may discuss or quote its current portfolio
      manager as well as other investment personnel, including such persons'
      views on: the economy; securities markets; portfolio securities and their
      issuers; investment philosophies, strategies, techniques and criteria used
      in the selection of securities to be purchased or sold for the Fund; the
      Fund's portfolio holdings; the investment research and analysis process;
      the formulation and evaluation of investment recommendations; and the
      assessment and evaluation of credit, interest rate, market and economic
      risks, and similar or related matters.

         The Fund may also use charts, graphs or other presentation formats to
      illustrate the historical correlation of its performance to fund
      categories established by Morningstar (or other nationally recognized
      statistical ratings organizations) and to other MFS Funds.


         From time to time the Fund may also discuss or quote the views of its
      distributor, its investment adviser and other financial planning, legal,
      tax, accounting, insurance, estate planning and other professionals, or
      from surveys, regarding individual and family financial planning. Such
      views may include information regarding: retirement planning, including
      issues concerning social security; tax management strategies; estate
      planning; general investment techniques (e.g., asset allocation and
      disciplined saving and investing); business succession; ideas and
      information provided through the MFS Heritage Planning(SM) program, an
      intergenerational financial planning assistance program; issues with
      respect to insurance (e.g., disability and life insurance and Medicare
      supplemental insurance); issues regarding financial and health care
      management for elderly family members; the history of the mutual fund
      industry; investor behavior; and other similar or related matters.


         From time to time, the Fund may also advertise annual returns showing
      the cumulative value of an initial investment in the Fund in various
      amounts over specified periods, with capital gain and dividend
      distributions invested in additional shares or taken in cash, and with no
      adjustment for any income taxes (if applicable) payable by shareholders.

      MFS FIRSTS
      MFS has a long history of innovations.

      o  1924 -- Massachusetts Investors Trust is established as the first
         open-end mutual fund in America.

      o  1924 -- Massachusetts Investors Trust is the first mutual fund to make
         full public disclosure of its operations in shareholder reports.

      o  1932 -- One of the first internal research departments is established
         to provide in-house analytical capability for an investment management
         firm.

      o  1933 -- Massachusetts Investors Trust is the first mutual fund to
         register under the Securities Act of 1933 ("Truth in Securities Act" or
         "Full Disclosure Act").

      o  1936 -- Massachusetts Investors Trust is the first mutual fund to allow
         shareholders to take capital gain distributions either in additional
         shares or in cash.

      o  1976 -- MFS(R) Municipal Bond Fund is among the first municipal bond
         funds established.

      o  1979 -- Spectrum becomes the first combination fixed/ variable annuity
         with no initial sales charge.

      o  1981 -- MFS(R) Global Governments Fund is established as America's
         first globally diversified fixed-income mutual fund.

      o  1984 -- MFS(R) Municipal High Income Fund is the first open-end mutual
         fund to seek high tax-free income from lower-rated municipal
         securities.

      o  1986 -- MFS(R) Managed Sectors Fund becomes the first mutual fund to
         target and shift investments among industry sectors for shareholders.

      o  1986 -- MFS(R) Municipal Income Trust is the first closed-end,
         high-yield municipal bond fund traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

      o  1987 -- MFS(R) Multimarket Income Trust is the first closed-end,
         multimarket high income fund listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

      o  1989 -- MFS(R) Regatta becomes America's first non-qualified market
         value adjusted fixed/variable annuity.

      o  1990 -- MFS(R) Global Total Return Fund is the first global balanced
         fund.

      o  1993 -- MFS(R) Global Growth Fund is the first global emerging markets
         fund to offer the expertise of two sub-advisers.

      o  1993 -- MFS(R) becomes money manager of MFS(R) Union Standard(R) Equity
         Fund, the first fund to invest principally in companies deemed to be
         union-friendly by an advisory board of senior labor officials, senior
         managers of companies with significant labor contracts, academics and
         other national labor leaders or experts.

X     SHAREHOLDER SERVICES

      INVESTMENT AND WITHDRAWAL PROGRAMS
      The Fund makes available the following programs designed to enable
      shareholders to add to their investment or withdraw from it with a minimum
      of paper work. These programs are described below and, in certain cases,
      in the Prospectus. The programs involve no extra charge to shareholders
      (other than a sales charge in the case of certain Class A share purchases)
      and may be changed or discontinued at any time by a shareholder or the
      Fund.

      LETTER OF INTENT -- If a shareholder (other than a group purchaser
      described below) anticipates purchasing $50,000 or more of Class A shares
      of the Fund alone or in combination with shares of any class of MFS Funds
      or MFS Fixed Fund (a bank collective investment fund) within a 13-month
      period (or 36-month period, in the case of purchases of $1 million or
      more), the shareholder may obtain Class A shares of the Fund at the same
      reduced sales charge as though the total quantity were invested in one
      lump sum by completing the Letter of Intent section of the Account
      Application or filing a separate Letter of Intent application (available
      from MFSC) within 90 days of the commencement of purchases. Subject to
      acceptance by MFD and the conditions mentioned below, each purchase will
      be made at a public offering price applicable to a single transaction of
      the dollar amount specified in the Letter of Intent application. The
      shareholder or his dealer must inform MFD that the Letter of Intent is in
      effect each time shares are purchased. The shareholder makes no commitment
      to purchase additional shares, but if his purchases within 13 months (or
      36 months in the case of purchases of $1 million or more) plus the value
      of shares credited toward completion of the Letter of Intent do not total
      the sum specified, he will pay the increased amount of the sales charge as
      described below. Instructions for issuance of shares in the name of a
      person other than the person signing the Letter of Intent application must
      be accompanied by a written statement from the dealer stating that the
      shares were paid for by the person signing such Letter. Neither income
      dividends nor capital gain distributions taken in additional shares will
      apply toward the completion of the Letter of Intent. Dividends and
      distributions of other MFS Funds automatically reinvested in shares of the
      Fund pursuant to the Distribution Investment Program will also not apply
      toward completion of the Letter of Intent.

         Out of the shareholder's initial purchase (or subsequent purchases if
      necessary), 5% of the dollar amount specified in the Letter of Intent
      application shall be held in escrow by MFSC in the form of shares
      registered in the shareholder's name. All income dividends and capital
      gain distributions on escrowed shares will be paid to the shareholder or
      to his order. When the minimum investment so specified is completed
      (either prior to or by the end of the 13-month period or 36-month period,
      as applicable), the shareholder will be notified and the escrowed shares
      will be released.

         If the intended investment is not completed, MFSC will redeem an
      appropriate number of the escrowed shares in order to realize such
      difference. Shares remaining after any such redemption will be released by
      MFSC. By completing and signing the Account Application or separate Letter
      of Intent application, the shareholder irrevocably appoints MFSC his
      attorney to surrender for redemption any or all escrowed shares with full
      power of substitution in the premises.

      RIGHT OF ACCUMULATION -- A shareholder qualifies for cumulative quantity
      discounts on the purchase of Class A shares when his new investment,
      together with the current offering price value of all holdings of Class A,
      Class B and Class C shares of that shareholder in the MFS Funds or MFS
      Fixed Fund reaches a discount level. See "Purchases" in the Prospectus for
      the sales charges on quantity discounts. A shareholder must provide MFSC
      (or his investment dealer must provide MFD) with information to verify
      that the quantity sales charge discount is applicable at the time the
      investment is made.

      SUBSEQUENT INVESTMENT BY TELEPHONE -- Each shareholder may purchase
      additional shares of any MFS Fund by telephoning MFSC toll-free at (800)
      225-2606. The minimum purchase amount is $50 and the maximum purchase
      amount is $100,000. Shareholders wishing to avail themselves of this
      telephone purchase privilege must so elect on their Account Application
      and designate thereon a bank and account number from which purchases will
      be made. If a telephone purchase request is received by MFSC on any
      business day prior to the close of regular trading on the Exchange
      (generally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time), the purchase will occur at the
      closing net asset value of the shares purchased on that day. MFSC may be
      liable for any losses resulting from unauthorized telephone transactions
      if it does not follow reasonable procedures designed to verify the
      identity of the caller. MFSC will request personal or other information
      from the caller, and will normally also record calls. Shareholders should
      verify the accuracy of confirmation statements immediately after their
      receipt.

      DISTRIBUTION INVESTMENT PROGRAM -- Distributions of dividends and capital
      gains made by the Fund with respect to a particular class of shares may be
      automatically invested in shares of the same class of one of the other MFS
      Funds, if shares of that fund are available for sale. Such investments
      will be subject to additional purchase minimums. Distributions will be
      invested at net asset value (exclusive of any sales charge) and will not
      be subject to any CDSC. Distributions will be invested at the close of
      business on the payable date for the distribution. A shareholder
      considering the Distribution Investment Program should obtain and read the
      prospectus of the other fund and consider the differences in objectives
      and policies before making any investment.

      SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN -- A shareholder may direct MFSC to send him
      (or anyone he designates) regular periodic payments based upon the value
      of his account. Each payment under a Systematic Withdrawal Plan ("SWP")
      must be at least $100, except in certain limited circumstances. The
      aggregate withdrawals of Class B and Class C shares in any year pursuant
      to a SWP generally are limited to 10% of the value of the account at the
      time of establishment of the SWP. SWP payments are drawn from the proceeds
      of share redemptions (which would be a return of principal and, if
      reflecting a gain, would be taxable). Redemptions of Class B and Class C
      shares will be made in the following order: (i) shares representing
      reinvested distributions; (ii) shares representing undistributed capital
      gains and income; and (iii) to the extent necessary, shares representing
      direct investments subject to the lowest CDSC. The CDSC will be waived in
      the case of redemptions of Class B and Class C shares pursuant to a SWP,
      but will not be waived in the case of SWP redemptions of Class A shares
      which are subject to a CDSC. To the extent that redemptions for such
      periodic withdrawals exceed dividend income reinvested in the account,
      such redemptions will reduce and may eventually exhaust the number of
      shares in the shareholder's account. All dividend and capital gain
      distributions for an account with a SWP will be received in full and
      fractional shares of the Fund at the net asset value in effect at the
      close of business on the record date for such distributions. To initiate
      this service, shares having an aggregate value of at least $5,000 either
      must be held on deposit by, or certificates for such shares must be
      deposited with, MFSC. With respect to Class A shares, maintaining a
      withdrawal plan concurrently with an investment program would be
      disadvantageous because of the sales charges included in share purchases
      and the imposition of a CDSC on certain redemptions. The shareholder may
      deposit into the account additional shares of the Fund, change the payee
      or change the dollar amount of each payment. MFSC may charge the account
      for services rendered and expenses incurred beyond those normally assumed
      by the Fund with respect to the liquidation of shares. No charge is
      currently assessed against the account, but one could be instituted by
      MFSC on 60 days' notice in writing to the shareholder in the event that
      the Fund ceases to assume the cost of these services. The Fund may
      terminate any SWP for an account if the value of the account falls below
      $5,000 as a result of share redemptions (other than as a result of a SWP)
      or an exchange of shares of the Fund for shares of another MFS Fund. Any
      SWP may be terminated at any time by either the shareholder or the Fund.

      INVEST BY MAIL -- Additional investments of $50 or more may be made at any
      time by mailing a check payable to the Fund directly to MFSC. The
      shareholder's account number and the name of his investment dealer must be
      included with each investment.


      GROUP PURCHASES -- A bona fide group and all its members may be treated at
      MFD's discretion as a single purchaser and, under the Right of
      Accumulation (but not the Letter of Intent) obtain quantity sales charge
      discounts on the purchase of Class A shares if the group (1) gives its
      endorsement or authorization to the investment program so it may be used
      by the investment dealer to facilitate solicitation of the membership,
      thus effecting economies of sales effort; (2) has been in existence for at
      least six months and has a legitimate purpose other than to purchase
      mutual fund shares at a discount; (3) is not a group of individuals whose
      sole organizational nexus is as credit cardholders of a company,
      policyholders of an insurance company, customers of a bank or
      broker-dealer, clients of an investment adviser or other similar groups;
      and (4) agrees to provide certification of membership of those members
      investing money in the MFS Funds upon the request of MFD.


      AUTOMATIC EXCHANGE PLAN -- Shareholders having account balances of at
      least $5,000 in any MFS Fund may participate in the Automatic Exchange
      Plan. The Automatic Exchange Plan provides for automatic exchanges of
      funds from the shareholder's account in an MFS Fund for investment in the
      same class of shares of other MFS Funds selected by the shareholder (if
      available for sale). Under the Automatic Exchange Plan, exchanges of at
      least $50 each may be made to up to six different funds effective on the
      seventh day of each month or of every third month, depending whether
      monthly or quarterly exchanges are elected by the shareholder. If the
      seventh day of the month is not a business day, the transaction will be
      processed on the next business day. Generally, the initial transfer will
      occur after receipt and processing by MFSC of an application in good
      order. Exchanges will continue to be made from a shareholder's account in
      any MFS Fund, as long as the balance of the account is sufficient to
      complete the exchanges. Additional payments made to a shareholder's
      account will extend the period that exchanges will continue to be made
      under the Automatic Exchange Plan. However, if additional payments are
      added to an account subject to the Automatic Exchange Plan shortly before
      an exchange is scheduled, such funds may not be available for exchanges
      until the following month; therefore, care should be used to avoid
      inadvertently terminating the Automatic Exchange Plan through exhaustion
      of the account balance.

         No transaction fee for exchanges will be charged in connection with the
      Automatic Exchange Plan. However, exchanges of shares of MFS Money Market
      Fund, MFS Government Money Market Fund and Class A shares of MFS Cash
      Reserve Fund will be subject to any applicable sales charge. Changes in
      amounts to be exchanged to the Fund, the funds to which exchanges are to
      be made and the timing of exchanges (monthly or quarterly), or termination
      of a shareholder's participation in the Automatic Exchange Plan will be
      made after instructions in writing or by telephone (an "Exchange Change
      Request") are received by MFSC in proper form (i.e., if in writing --
      signed by the record owner(s) exactly as shares are registered; if by
      telephone -- proper account identification is given by the dealer or
      shareholder of record). Each Exchange Change Request (other than
      termination of participation in the program) must involve at least $50.
      Generally, if an Exchange Change Request is received by telephone or in
      writing before the close of business on the last business day of a month,
      the Exchange Change Request will be effective for the following month's
      exchange.

         A shareholder's right to make additional investments in any of the MFS
      Funds, to make exchanges of shares from one MFS Fund to another and to
      withdraw from an MFS Fund, as well as a shareholder's other rights and
      privileges are not affected by a shareholder's participation in the
      Automatic Exchange Plan. The Automatic Exchange Plan is part of the
      Exchange Privilege. For additional information regarding the Automatic
      Exchange Plan, including the treatment of any CDSC, see "Exchange
      Privilege" below.

      REINSTATEMENT PRIVILEGE -- Shareholders of the Fund and shareholders of
      the other MFS Funds (except MFS Money Market Fund, MFS Government Money
      Market Fund and holders of Class A shares of MFS Cash Reserve Fund in the
      case where shares of such funds are acquired through direct purchase or
      reinvested dividends) who have redeemed their shares have a one-time right
      to reinvest the redemption proceeds in the same class of shares of any of
      the MFS Funds (if shares of the fund are available for sale) at net asset
      value (without a sales charge) and, if applicable, with credit for any
      CDSC paid. In the case of proceeds reinvested in MFS Money Market Fund,
      MFS Government Money Market Fund and Class A shares of MFS Cash Reserve
      Fund, the shareholder has the right to exchange the acquired shares for
      shares of another MFS Fund at net asset value pursuant to the exchange
      privilege described below. Such a reinvestment must be made within 90 days
      of the redemption and is limited to the amount of the redemption proceeds.
      If the shares credited for any CDSC paid are then redeemed within six
      years of the initial purchase in the case of Class B shares or 12 months
      of the initial purchase in the case of Class C shares and certain Class A
      shares, a CDSC will be imposed upon redemption. Although redemptions and
      repurchases of shares are taxable events, a reinvestment within a certain
      period of time in the same fund may be considered a "wash sale" and may
      result in the inability to recognize currently all or a portion of a loss
      realized on the original redemption for federal income tax purposes.
      Please see your tax adviser for further information.

      EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE
      Subject to the requirements set forth below, some or all of the shares of
      the same class in an account with the Fund for which payment has been
      received by the Fund (i.e., an established account) may be exchanged for
      shares of the same class of any of the other MFS Funds (if available for
      sale and if the purchaser is eligible to purchase the Class of shares) at
      net asset value. Exchanges will be made only after instructions in writing
      or by telephone (an "Exchange Request") are received for an established
      account by MFSC.

      EXCHANGES AMONG MFS FUNDS (excluding exchanges from MFS money market
      funds) -- No initial sales charge or CDSC will be imposed in connection
      with an exchange from shares of an MFS Fund to shares of any other MFS
      Fund, except with respect to exchanges from an MFS money market fund to
      another MFS Fund which is not an MFS money market fund (discussed below).
      With respect to an exchange involving shares subject to a CDSC, the CDSC
      will be unaffected by the exchange and the holding period for purposes of
      calculating the CDSC will carry over to the acquired shares.

      EXCHANGES FROM AN MFS MONEY MARKET FUND -- Special rules apply with
      respect to the imposition of an initial sales charge or a CDSC for
      exchanges from an MFS money market fund to another MFS Fund which is not
      an MFS money market fund. These rules are described under the caption "How
      to Purchase, Exchange and Redeem Shares" in the Prospectuses of those MFS
      money market funds.

      EXCHANGES INVOLVING THE MFS FIXED FUND -- Class A shares of any MFS Fund
      held by certain qualified retirement plans may be exchanged for units of
      participation of the MFS Fixed Fund (a bank collective investment fund)
      (the "Units"), and Units may be exchanged for Class A shares of any MFS
      Fund. With respect to exchanges between Class A shares subject to a CDSC
      and Units, the CDSC will carry over to the acquired shares or Units and
      will be deducted from the redemption proceeds when such shares or Units
      are subsequently redeemed, assuming the CDSC is then payable (the period
      during which the Class A shares and the Units were held will be aggregated
      for purposes of calculating the applicable CDSC). In the event that a
      shareholder initially purchases Units and then exchanges into Class A
      shares subject to an initial sales charge of an MFS Fund, the initial
      sales charge shall be due upon such exchange, but will not be imposed with
      respect to any subsequent exchanges between such Class A shares and Units
      with respect to shares on which the initial sales charge has already been
      paid. In the event that a shareholder initially purchases Units and then
      exchanges into Class A shares subject to a CDSC of an MFS Fund, the CDSC
      period will commence upon such exchange, and the applicability of the CDSC
      with respect to subsequent exchanges shall be governed by the rules set
      forth above in this paragraph.

      GENERAL -- Each Exchange Request must be in proper form (i.e., if in
      writing -- signed by the record owner(s) exactly as the shares are
      registered; if by telephone -- proper account identification is given by
      the dealer or shareholder of record), and each exchange must involve
      either shares having an aggregate value of at least $1,000 ($50 in the
      case of retirement plan participants whose sponsoring organizations
      subscribe to MFS FUNDamental 401(k) Plan or another similar 401(k)
      recordkeeping system made available by MFSC) or all the shares in the
      account. Each exchange involves the redemption of the shares of the Fund
      to be exchanged and the purchase of shares of the same class of the other
      MFS Fund. Any gain or loss on the redemption of the shares exchanged is
      reportable on the shareholder's federal income tax return, unless both the
      shares received and the shares surrendered in the exchange are held in a
      tax-deferred retirement plan or other tax-exempt account. No more than
      five exchanges may be made in any one Exchange Request by telephone. If
      the Exchange Request is received by MFSC prior to the close of regular
      trading on the Exchange the exchange usually will occur on that day if all
      the requirements set forth above have been complied with at that time.
      However, payment of the redemption proceeds by the Fund, and thus the
      purchase of shares of the other MFS Fund, may be delayed for up to seven
      days if the Fund determines that such a delay would be in the best
      interest of all its shareholders. Investment dealers which have satisfied
      criteria established by MFD may also communicate a shareholder's Exchange
      Request to MFD by facsimile subject to the requirements set forth above.

         Additional information with respect to any of the MFS Funds, including
      a copy of its current prospectus, may be obtained from investment dealers
      or MFSC. A shareholder considering an exchange should obtain and read the
      prospectus of the other fund and consider the differences in objectives
      and policies before making any exchange.

         Any state income tax advantages for investment in shares of each state-
      specific series of MFS Municipal Series Trust may only benefit residents
      of such states. Investors should consult with their own tax advisers to be
      sure this is an appropriate investment, based on their residency and each
      state's income tax laws. The exchange privilege (or any aspect of it) may
      be changed or discontinued and is subject to certain limitations imposed
      from time to time at the discretion of the Funds in order to protect the
      Funds.

      TAX-DEFERRED RETIREMENT PLANS
      Shares of the Fund may be purchased by all types of tax-deferred
      retirement plans. MFD makes available, through investment dealers, plans
      and/or custody agreements, the following:

      o  Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) (for individuals who
         desire to make limited contributions to a tax-deferred retirement
         program and, if eligible, to receive a federal income tax deduction for
         amounts contributed);

      o  Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (Roth IRAs) (for individuals who
         desire to make limited contributions to a tax-favored retirement
         program);

      o  Simplified Employee Pension (SEP-IRA) Plans;

      o  Retirement Plans Qualified under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue
         Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code");

      o  403(b) Plans (deferred compensation arrangements for employees of
         public school systems and certain non-profit organizations); and

      o  Certain other qualified pension and profit-sharing plans.

         The plan documents provided by MFD designate a trustee or custodian
      (unless another trustee or custodian is designated by the individual or
      group establishing the plan) and contain specific information about the
      plans. Each plan provides that dividends and distributions will be
      reinvested automatically. For further details with respect to any plan,
      including fees charged by the trustee, custodian or MFD, tax consequences
      and redemption information, see the specific documents for that plan. Plan
      documents other than those provided by MFD may be used to establish any of
      the plans described above. Third party administrative services, available
      for some corporate plans, may limit or delay the processing of
      transactions.

         An investor should consult with his tax adviser before establishing
      any of the tax-deferred retirement plans described above.

         Class C shares are not currently available for purchase by any
      retirement plan qualified under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a) or
      403(b) if the retirement plan and/or the sponsoring organization subscribe
      to the MFS FUNDamental 401(k) Plan or another similar Section 401(a) or
      403(b) recordkeeping program made available by MFSC.

XI    DESCRIPTION OF SHARES, VOTING RIGHTS AND LIABILITIES
      The Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number
      of full and fractional Shares of Beneficial Interest (without par value)
      of one or more separate series and to divide or combine the shares of any
      series into a greater or lesser number of shares without thereby changing
      the proportionate beneficial interests in that series. The Declaration of
      Trust further authorizes the Trustees to classify or reclassify any series
      of shares into one or more classes. Each share of a class of the Fund
      represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets of the Fund
      allocable to that class. Upon liquidation of the Fund, shareholders of
      each class of the Fund are entitled to share pro rata in the Fund's net
      assets allocable to such class available for distribution to shareholders.
      The Trust reserves the right to create and issue a number of series and
      additional classes of shares, in which case the shares of each class of a
      series would participate equally in the earnings, dividends and assets
      allocable to that class of the particular series.

         Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share held and may vote
      in the election of Trustees and on other matters submitted to meetings of
      shareholders. To the extent a shareholder of the Fund owns a controlling
      percentage of the Fund's shares, such shareholder may affect the outcome
      of such matters to a greater extent than other Fund shareholders. Although
      Trustees are not elected annually by the shareholders, the Declaration of
      Trust provides that a Trustee may be removed from office at a meeting of
      shareholders by a vote of two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the
      Trust. A meeting of shareholders will be called upon the request of
      shareholders of record holding in the aggregate not less than 10% of the
      outstanding voting securities of the Trust. No material amendment may be
      made to the Declaration of Trust without the affirmative vote of a
      majority of the Trust's outstanding shares (as defined in "Investment
      Restrictions" in Part I of this SAI). The Trust or any series of the Trust
      may be terminated (i) upon the merger or consolidation of the Trust or any
      series of the Trust with another organization or upon the sale of all or
      substantially all of its assets (or all or substantially all of the assets
      belonging to any series of the Trust), if approved by the vote of the
      holders of two-thirds of the Trust's or the affected series' outstanding
      shares voting as a single class, or of the affected series of the Trust,
      except that if the Trustees recommend such merger, consolidation or sale,
      the approval by vote of the holders of a majority of the Trust's or the
      affected series' outstanding shares will be sufficient, or (ii) upon
      liquidation and distribution of the assets of a Fund, if approved by the
      vote of the holders of two-thirds of its outstanding shares of the Trust,
      or (iii) by the Trustees by written notice to its shareholders. If not so
      terminated, the Trust will continue indefinitely.

         The Trust is an entity of the type commonly known as a "Massachusetts
      business trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust
      may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners
      for its obligations. However, the Declaration of Trust contains an express
      disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust
      and provides for indemnification and reimbursement of expenses out of
      Trust property for any shareholder held personally liable for the
      obligations of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the
      Trust shall maintain appropriate insurance (for example, fidelity bonding
      and errors and omissions insurance) for the protection of the Trust and
      its shareholders and the Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the
      Trust covering possible tort and other liabilities. Thus, the risk of a
      shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability
      is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and
      the Trust itself was unable to meet its obligations.

         The Declaration of Trust further provides that obligations of the Trust
      are not binding upon the Trustees individually but only upon the property
      of the Trust and that the Trustees will not be liable for any action or
      failure to act, but nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects a Trustee
      against any liability to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of
      his willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless
      disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.

<PAGE>

--------------------
PART II - APPENDIX A
--------------------

    WAIVERS OF SALES CHARGES
    This Appendix sets forth the various circumstances in which all applicable
    sales charges are waived (Section I), the initial sales charge and the CDSC
    for Class A shares are waived (Section II), and the CDSC for Class B and
    Class C shares is waived (Section III). Some of the following information
    will not apply to certain funds in the MFS Family of Funds, depending on
    which classes of shares are offered by such fund. As used in this Appendix,
    the term "dealer" includes any broker, dealer, bank (including bank trust
    departments), registered investment adviser, financial planner and any other
    financial institutions having a selling agreement or other similar agreement
    with MFD.

I   WAIVERS OF ALL APPLICABLE SALES CHARGES
    In the following circumstances, the initial sales charge imposed on
    purchases of Class A shares and the CDSC imposed on certain redemptions of
    Class A shares and on redemptions of Class B and Class C shares, as
    applicable, are waived:

    DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT
      o Shares acquired through dividend or capital gain reinvestment; and

      o  Shares acquired by automatic reinvestment of distributions of dividends
         and capital gains of any fund in the MFS Funds pursuant to the
         Distribution Investment Program.

    CERTAIN ACQUISITIONS/LIQUIDATIONS
      o  Shares acquired on account of the acquisition or liquidation of assets
         of other investment companies or personal holding companies.

    AFFILIATES OF AN MFS FUND/CERTAIN DEALERS.
    Shares acquired by:
      o  Officers, eligible directors, employees (including retired employees)
         and agents of MFS, Sun Life or any of their subsidiary companies;

      o  Trustees and retired trustees of any investment company for which MFD
         serves as distributor;

      o  Employees, directors, partners, officers and trustees of any
         sub-adviser to any MFS Fund;

      o  Employees or registered representatives of dealers;

      o  Certain family members of any such individual and their spouses or
         domestic partners identified above and certain trusts, pension,
         profit-sharing or other retirement plans for the sole benefit of such
         persons, provided the shares are not resold except to the MFS Fund
         which issued the shares; and

      o  Institutional Clients of MFS or MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc.

    INVOLUNTARY REDEMPTIONS (CDSC WAIVER ONLY)
      o  Shares redeemed at an MFS Fund's direction due to the small size of a
         shareholder's account. See "Redemptions and Repurchases -- General --
         Involuntary Redemptions/Small Accounts" in the Prospectus.

    RETIREMENT PLANS (CDSC WAIVER ONLY).
    Shares redeemed on account of distributions made under the following
    circumstances:

      o  Individual Retirement Accounts ("IRAs")

         >   Death or disability of the IRA owner.

      o  Section 401(a) Plans ("401(a) Plans") and Section 403(b) Employer
         Sponsored Plans ("ESP Plans")

         >   Death, disability or retirement of 401(a) or ESP Plan participant;

         >   Loan from 401(a) or ESP Plan;

         >   Financial hardship (as defined in Treasury Regulation Section
             1.401(k)-1(d)(2), as amended from time to time);

         >   Termination of employment of 401(a) or ESP Plan participant
             (excluding, however, a partial or other termination of the Plan);

         >   Tax-free return of excess 401(a) or ESP Plan contributions;

         >   To the extent that redemption proceeds are used to pay expenses (or
             certain participant expenses) of the 401(a) or ESP Plan (e.g.,
             participant account fees), provided that the Plan sponsor
             subscribes to the MFS FUNDamental 401(k) Plan or another similar
             recordkeeping system made available by MFSC (the "MFS Participant
             Recordkeeping System");

         >   Distributions from a 401(a) or ESP Plan that has invested its
             assets in one or more of the MFS Funds for more than 10 years from
             the later to occur of: (i) January 1, 1993 or (ii) the date such
             401(a) or ESP Plan first invests its assets in one or more of the
             MFS Funds. The sales charges will be waived in the case of a
             redemption of all of the 401(a) or ESP Plan's shares in all MFS
             Funds (i.e., all the assets of the 401(a) or ESP Plan invested in
             the MFS Funds are withdrawn), unless immediately prior to the
             redemption, the aggregate amount invested by the 401(a) or ESP Plan
             in shares of the MFS Funds (excluding the reinvestment of
             distributions) during the prior four years equals 50% or more of
             the total value of the 401(a) or ESP Plan's assets in the MFS
             Funds, in which case the sales charges will not be waived; and

         >   Shares purchased by certain retirement plans or trust accounts if:
             (i) the plan is currently a party to a retirement plan
             recordkeeping or administration services agreement with MFD or one
             of its affiliates and (ii) the shares purchased or redeemed
             represent transfers from or transfers to plan investments other
             than the MFS Funds for which retirement plan recordkeeping services
             are provided under the terms of such agreement.

      o  Section 403(b) Salary Reduction Only Plans ("SRO Plans")

         >   Death or disability of SRO Plan participant.


      o  Nonqualified deferred compensation plans (currently a party to a
         retirement plan recordkeeping or administrative services agreement with
         MFD or one of its affiliates)

         >   Eligible participant distributions, such as distributions due to
             death, disability, financial hardship, retirement and termination
             of employment.


    CERTAIN TRANSFERS OF REGISTRATION
    (CDSC WAIVER ONLY).
    Shares transferred:
      o  To an IRA rollover account where any sales charges with respect to the
         shares being reregistered would have been waived had they been
         redeemed; and

      o  From a single account maintained for a 401(a) Plan to multiple accounts
         maintained by MFSC on behalf of individual participants of such Plan,
         provided that the Plan sponsor subscribes to the MFS FUNDamental 401(k)
         Plan or another similar recordkeeping system made available by MFSC.

    LOAN REPAYMENTS
      o  Shares acquired pursuant to repayments by retirement plan participants
         of loans from 401(a) or ESP Plans with respect to which such Plan or
         its sponsoring organization subscribes to the MFS FUNDamental 401(k)
         Program or the MFS Recordkeeper Plus Program (but not the MFS
         Recordkeeper Program).

II  WAIVERS OF CLASS A SALES CHARGES
    In addition to the waivers set forth in Section I above, in the following
    circumstances the initial sales charge imposed on purchases of Class A
    shares and the CDSC imposed on certain redemptions of Class A shares are
    waived:

    WRAP ACCOUNT AND FUND "SUPERMARKET"
    INVESTMENTS
      o  Shares acquired by investments through certain dealers (including
         registered investment advisers and financial planners) which have
         established certain operational arrangements with MFD which include a
         requirement that such shares be sold for the sole benefit of clients
         participating in a "wrap" account, mutual fund "supermarket" account or
         a similar program under which such clients pay a fee to such dealer.

    INVESTMENT BY INSURANCE COMPANY SEPARATE
    ACCOUNTS
      o  Shares acquired by insurance company separate accounts.

    RETIREMENT PLANS
      o  Administrative Services Arrangements

         >   Shares acquired by retirement plans or trust accounts whose third
             party administrators or dealers have entered into an administrative
             services agreement with MFD or one of its affiliates to perform
             certain administrative services, subject to certain operational and
             minimum size requirements specified from time to time by MFD or one
             or more of its affiliates.


      o  Reinvestment of Distributions from Qualified Retirement Plans


         >   Shares acquired through the automatic reinvestment in Class A
             shares of Class A or Class B distributions which constitute
             required withdrawals from qualified retirement plans.


      o  Reinvestment of Redemption Proceeds from Class B Shares

         >   Shares acquired by a retirement plan whose sponsoring organization
             subscribes to the MFS Participant Recordkeeping System where the
             purchase represents the immediate reinvestment of proceeds from the
             plan's redemption of its Class B shares of the MFS Funds and is
             equal to or exceeds $500,000, either alone or in aggregate with the
             current market value of the plan's existing Class A shares.

    SHARES REDEEMED ON ACCOUNT OF DISTRIBUTIONS MADE UNDER THE FOLLOWING
    CIRCUMSTANCES:


      o  IRAs

         >   Distributions made on or after the IRA owner has attained the age
             of 59 1/2 years old; and

         >   Tax-free returns of excess IRA contributions.

      o  401(a) Plans

         >   Distributions made on or after the 401(a) Plan participant has
             attained the age of 59 1/2 years old; and

         >   Certain involuntary redemptions and redemptions in connection with
             certain automatic withdrawals from a 401(a) Plan.

      o  ESP Plans and SRO Plans

         >   Distributions made on or after the ESP or SRO Plan participant has
             attained the age of 59 1/2 years old.

      o  401(a) Plans and ESP Plans

         >   where the retirement plan and/or sponsoring organization does not
             subscribe to the MFS Participant Recordkeeping System; and

         >   where the retirement plan and/or sponsoring organization
             demonstrates to the satisfaction of, and certifies to, MFSC that
             the retirement plan has, at the time of certification or will have
             pursuant to a purchase order placed with the certification, a
             market value of $500,000 or more invested in shares of any class or
             classes of the MFS Family of Funds and aggregate assets of at least
             $10 million;

    provided, however, that the CDSC will not be waived (i.e., it will be
    imposed) (a) with respect to plans which establish an account with MFSC on
    or after November 1, 1997, in the event that the plan makes a complete
    redemption of all of its shares in the MFS Family of Funds, or (b) with
    respect to plans which establish an account with MFSC prior to November 1,
    1997, in the event that there is a change in law or regulations which result
    in a material adverse change to the tax advantaged nature of the plan, or in
    the event that the plan and/or sponsoring organization: (i) becomes
    insolvent or bankrupt; (ii) is terminated under ERISA or is liquidated or
    dissolved; or (iii) is acquired by, merged into, or consolidated with any
    other entity.

    PURCHASES OF AT LEAST $5 MILLION
    (CDSC WAIVER ONLY)

      o  Shares acquired of Eligible Funds (as defined below) if the
         shareholder's investment equals or exceeds $5 million in one or more
         Eligible Funds (the "Initial Purchase") (this waiver applies to the
         shares acquired from the Initial Purchase and all shares of Eligible
         Funds subsequently acquired by the shareholder); provided that the
         dealer through which the Initial Purchase is made enters into an
         agreement with MFD to accept delayed payment of commissions with
         respect to the Initial Purchase and all subsequent investments by the
         shareholder in the Eligible Funds subject to such requirements as may
         be established from time to time by MFD (for a schedule of the amount
         of commissions paid by MFD to the dealer on such investments, see
         "Purchases -- Class A Shares -- Purchases subject to a CDSC" in the
         Prospectus). The Eligible Funds are all funds included in the MFS
         Family of Funds, except for Massachusetts Investors Trust,
         Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Fund, MFS Municipal Bond Fund, MFS
         Municipal Limited Maturity Fund, MFS Money Market Fund, MFS Government
         Money Market Fund and MFS Cash Reserve Fund.

    BANK TRUST DEPARTMENTS AND LAW FIRMS

      o  Shares acquired by certain bank trust departments or law firms acting
         as trustee or manager for trust accounts which have entered into an
         administrative services agreement with MFD and are acquiring such
         shares for the benefit of their trust account clients.

    INVESTMENT OF PROCEEDS FROM CERTAIN REDEMPTIONS OF CLASS I SHARES.

      o  The initial sales charge imposed on purchases of Class A shares, and
         the contingent deferred sales charge imposed on certain redemptions of
         Class A shares, are waived with respect to Class A shares acquired of
         any of the MFS Funds through the immediate reinvestment of the proceeds
         of a redemption of Class I shares of any of the MFS Funds.

III WAIVERS OF CLASS B AND CLASS C SALES CHARGES
    In addition to the waivers set forth in Section I above, in the following
    circumstances the CDSC imposed on redemptions of Class B and Class C shares
    is waived:

    SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN
      o  Systematic Withdrawal Plan redemptions with respect to up to 10% per
         year (or 15% per year, in the case of accounts registered as IRAs where
         the redemption is made pursuant to Section 72(t) of the Internal
         Revenue Code of 1986, as amended) of the account value at the time of
         establishment.

    DEATH OF OWNER
      o  Shares redeemed on account of the death of the account owner if the
         shares are held solely in the deceased individual's name or in a living
         trust for the benefit of the deceased individual.

    DISABILITY OF OWNER
      o  Shares redeemed on account of the disability of the account owner if
         shares are held either solely or jointly in the disabled individual's
         name or in a living trust for the benefit of the disabled individual
         (in which case a disability certification form is required to be
         submitted to MFSC).

    RETIREMENT PLANS.
    Shares redeemed on account of distributions made under the following
    circumstances:

      o  IRAs, 401(a) Plans, ESP Plans and SRO Plans

         >   Distributions made on or after the IRA owner or the 401(a), ESP or
             SRO Plan participant, as applicable, has attained the age of 70 1/2
             years old, but only with respect to the minimum distribution under
             Code rules;

         >   Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension Plans ("SAR-SEP
             Plans");

         >   Distributions made on or after the SAR- SEP Plan participant has
             attained the age of 70 1/2 years old, but only with respect to the
             minimum distribution under applicable Code rules; and

         >   Death or disability of a SAR-SEP Plan participant.

      o  401(a) and ESP Plans Only (Class B CDSC Waiver Only)

         >   By a retirement plan whose sponsoring organization subscribes to
             the MFS Participant Recordkeeping System and which established an
             account with MFSC between July 1, 1996 and December 31, 1998;
             provided, however, that the CDSC will not be waived (i.e., it will
             be imposed) in the event that there is a change in law or
             regulations which results in a material adverse change to the tax
             advantaged nature of the plan, or in the event that the plan and/or
             sponsoring organization: (i) becomes insolvent or bankrupt; (ii) is
             terminated under ERISA or is liquidated or dissolved; or (iii) is
             acquired by, merged into, or consolidated with any other entity.

         >   By a retirement plan whose sponsoring organization subscribes to
             the MFS Recordkeeper Plus product and which established its account
             with MFSC on or after January 1, 1999 (provided that the plan
             establishment paperwork is received by MFSC in good order on or
             after November 15, 1998). A plan with a pre-existing account(s)
             with any MFS Fund which switches to the MFS Recordkeeper Plus
             product will not become eligible for this waiver category.

<PAGE>

  --------------------
  PART II - APPENDIX B
  --------------------

    DEALER COMMISSIONS AND CONCESSIONS
    This Appendix describes the various commissions paid and concessions made to
    dealers by MFD in connection with the sale of Fund shares. As used in this
    Appendix, the term "dealer" includes any broker, dealer, bank (including
    bank trust departments), registered investment adviser, financial planner
    and any other financial institutions having a selling agreement or other
    similar agreement with MFD.

    CLASS A SHARES
    Purchases Subject to an Initial Sales Charge. For purchases of Class A
    shares subject to an initial sales charge, MFD reallows a portion of the
    initial sales charge to dealers (which are alike for all dealers), as shown
    in Appendix D to Part I of this SAI. The difference between the total amount
    invested and the sum of (a) the net proceeds to the Fund and (b) the dealer
    reallowance, is the amount of the initial sales charge retained by MFD (as
    shown in Appendix D to Part I of this SAI). Because of rounding in the
    computation of offering price, the portion of the sales charge retained by
    MFD may vary and the total sales charge may be more or less than the sales
    charge calculated using the sales charge expressed as a percentage of the
    offering price or as a percentage of the net amount invested as listed in
    the Prospectus.

      Purchases Subject to a CDSC (but not an Initial Sales Charge). For
    purchases of Class A shares subject to a CDSC, MFD pays commissions to
    dealers on new investments made through such dealers as follows:

    COMMISSION
    PAID BY MFD
    TO DEALERS               CUMULATIVE PURCHASE AMOUNT
    ------------------------------------------------------

    1.00%                    On the first $2,000,000, plus
    0.80%                    Over $2,000,000 to $3,000,000, plus
    0.50%                    Over $3,000,000 to $50,000,000, plus
    0.25%                    Over $50,000,000


      Except for those employer sponsored retirement plans described below, for
    purposes of determining the level of commissions to be paid to dealers with
    respect to a shareholder's new investment in Class A shares purchases for
    each shareholder account (and certain other accounts for which the
    shareholder is a record or beneficial holder) will be aggregated over a
    12-month period (commencing from the date of the first such purchase).

      In the case of employer sponsored retirement plans whose account
    application or other account establishment paperwork is received in good
    order after December 31, 1999, purchases will be aggregated as described
    above but the cumulative purchase amount will not be re-set after the date
    of the first such purchase.

    CLASS B SHARES

    For purchases of Class B shares, MFD will pay commissions to dealers of
    3.75% of the purchase price of Class B shares purchased through dealers. MFD
    will also advance to dealers the first year service fee payable under the
    Fund's Distribution Plan at a rate equal to 0.25% of the purchase price of
    such shares. Therefore, the total amount paid to a dealer upon the sale of
    Class B shares is 4% of the purchase price of the shares (commission rate of
    3.75% plus a service fee equal to 0.25% of the purchase price).

      For purchases of Class B shares by a retirement plan whose sponsoring
    organization subscribes to the MFS Participant Recordkeeping System and
    which established its account with MFSC between July 1, 1996 and December
    31, 1998, MFD pays an amount to dealers equal to 3.00% of the amount
    purchased through such dealers (rather than the 4.00% payment described
    above), which is comprised of a commission of 2.75% plus the advancement of
    the first year service fee equal to 0.25% of the purchase price payable
    under the Fund's Distribution Plan.

      For purchases of Class B shares by a retirement plan whose sponsoring
    organization subscribes to the MFS Recordkeeper Plus product and which has
    established its account with MFSC on or after January 1, 1999 (provided that
    the plan establishment paperwork is received by MFSC in good order on or
    after November 15, 1998), MFD pays no up front commissions to dealers, but
    instead pays an amount to dealers equal to 1% per annum of the average daily
    net assets of the Fund attributable to plan assets, payable at the rate of
    0.25% at the end of each calendar quarter, in arrears. This commission
    structure is not available with respect to a plan with a pre-existing
    account(s) with any MFS Fund which seeks to switch to the MFS Recordkeeper
    Plus product.

    CLASS C SHARES
    For purchases of Class C shares, MFD will pay dealers 1.00% of the purchase
    price of Class C shares purchased through dealers and, as compensation
    therefor, MFD will retain the 1.00% per annum distribution and service fee
    paid under the Fund's Distribution Plan to MFD for the first year after
    purchase.

    ADDITIONAL DEALER COMMISSIONS/CONCESSIONS
    Dealers may receive different compensation with respect to sales of Class A,
    Class B and Class C shares. In addition, from time to time, MFD may pay
    dealers 100% of the applicable sales charge on sales of Class A shares of
    certain specified Funds sold by such dealer during a specified sales period.
    In addition, MFD or its affiliates may, from time to time, pay dealers an
    additional commission equal to 0.50% of the net asset value of all of the
    Class B and/or Class C shares of certain specified Funds sold by such dealer
    during a specified sales period. In addition, from time to time, MFD, at its
    expense, may provide additional commissions, compensation or promotional
    incentives ("concessions") to dealers which sell or arrange for the sale of
    shares of the Fund. Such concessions provided by MFD may include financial
    assistance to dealers in connection with preapproved conferences or
    seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives
    and other employees, payment for travel expenses, including lodging,
    incurred by registered representatives and other employees for such seminars
    or training programs, seminars for the public, advertising and sales
    campaigns regarding one or more Funds, and/ or other dealer-sponsored
    events. From time to time, MFD may make expense reimbursements for special
    training of a dealer's registered representatives and other employees in
    group meetings or to help pay the expenses of sales contests. Other
    concessions may be offered to the extent not prohibited by state laws or any
    self-regulatory agency, such as the NASD.

<PAGE>

  --------------------
  PART II - APPENDIX C
  --------------------

    INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES, PRACTICES AND RISKS
    Set forth below is a description of investment techniques and practices
    which the MFS Funds may generally use in pursuing their investment
    objectives and principal investment policies, and the risks associated with
    these investment techniques and practices. The Fund will engage only in
    certain of these investment techniques and practices, as identified in
    Appendix A of the Fund's Prospectus. Investment practices and techniques
    that are not identified in Appendix A of the Fund's Prospectus do not apply
    to the Fund.

    INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES
    DEBT SECURITIES
    To the extent the Fund invests in the following types of debt securities,
    its net asset value may change as the general levels of interest rates
    fluctuate. When interest rates decline, the value of debt securities can be
    expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of debt
    securities can be expected to decline. The Fund's investment in debt
    securities with longer terms to maturity are subject to greater volatility
    than the Fund's shorter-term obligations. Debt securities may have all types
    of interest rate payment and reset terms, including fixed rate, adjustable
    rate, zero coupon, contingent, deferred, payment in kind and auction rate
    features.

    ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES: The Fund may purchase the following types of
    asset-backed securities:

      COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS AND MULTICLASS PASS-THROUGH
    SECURITIES: The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in collateralized
    mortgage obligations or "CMOs," which are debt obligations collateralized by
    mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities (such collateral referred
    to collectively as "Mortgage Assets"). Unless the context indicates
    otherwise, all references herein to CMOs include multiclass pass-through
    securities.

      Interest is paid or accrues on all classes of the CMOs on a monthly,
    quarterly or semi-annual basis. The principal of and interest on the
    Mortgage Assets may be allocated among the several classes of a CMO in
    innumerable ways. In a common structure, payments of principal, including
    any principal prepayments, on the Mortgage Assets are applied to the classes
    of a CMO in the order of their respective stated maturities or final
    distribution dates, so that no payment of principal will be made on any
    class of CMOs until all other classes having an earlier stated maturity or
    final distribution date have been paid in full. Certain CMOs may be stripped
    (securities which provide only the principal or interest factor of the
    underlying security). See "Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities" below for a
    discussion of the risks of investing in these stripped securities and of
    investing in classes consisting of interest payments or principal payments.

      The Fund may also invest in parallel pay CMOs and Planned Amortization
    Class CMOs ("PAC Bonds"). Parallel pay CMOs are structured to provide
    payments of principal on each payment date to more than one class. These
    simultaneous payments are taken into account in calculating the stated
    maturity date or final distribution date of each class, which, as with other
    CMO structures, must be retired by its stated maturity date or final
    distribution date but may be retired earlier.

      CORPORATE ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES: The Fund may invest in corporate
    asset-backed securities. These securities, issued by trusts and special
    purpose corporations, are backed by a pool of assets, such as credit card
    and automobile loan receivables, representing the obligations of a number of
    different parties. These securities present certain risks. For instance, in
    the case of credit card receivables, these securities may not have the
    benefit of any security interest in the related collateral. 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. Most issuers of automobile
    receivables permit the servicers to retain possession of the underlying
    obligations. If the servicer were to sell these obligations to another
    party, there is a risk that the purchaser would acquire an interest superior
    to that of the holders of the related automobile receivables. In addition,
    because of the large number of vehicles involved in a typical issuance and
    technical requirements under state laws, the trustee for the holders of the
    automobile receivables may not have a proper security interest in all of the
    obligations backing such receivables. Therefore, there is the possibility
    that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not, in some cases, be
    available to support payments on these securities. The underlying assets
    (e.g., loans) are also subject to prepayments which shorten the securities'
    weighted average life and may lower their return.

      Corporate asset-backed securities are 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 resulting from ultimate default ensures payment through
    insurance policies or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor
    from third parties. 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.

      MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH SECURITIES: The Fund may invest in mortgage
    pass-through securities. Mortgage pass-through securities are securities
    representing interests in "pools" of mortgage loans. Monthly payments of
    interest and principal by the individual borrowers on mortgages are passed
    through to the holders of the securities (net of fees paid to the issuer or
    guarantor of the securities) as the mortgages in the underlying mortgage
    pools are paid off. The average lives of mortgage pass-throughs are variable
    when issued because their average lives depend on prepayment rates. The
    average life of these securities is likely to be substantially shorter than
    their stated final maturity as a result of unscheduled principal prepayment.
    Prepayments on underlying mortgages result in a loss of anticipated
    interest, and all or part of a premium if any has been paid, and the actual
    yield (or total return) to the Fund may be different than the quoted yield
    on the securities. Mortgage premiums generally increase with falling
    interest rates and decrease with rising interest rates. Like other fixed
    income securities, when interest rates rise the value of a mortgage
    pass-through security generally will decline; however, when interest rates
    are declining, the value of mortgage pass-through securities with prepayment
    features may not increase as much as that of other fixed-income securities.
    In the event of an increase in interest rates which results in a decline in
    mortgage prepayments, the anticipated maturity of mortgage pass-through
    securities held by the Fund may increase, effectively changing a security
    which was considered short or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into
    a long-term security. Long- term securities generally fluctuate more widely
    in response to changes in interest rates than short or intermediate-term
    securities.

      Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage pass-through securities
    (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by
    the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities
    guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA")); or
    guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government (such as
    the Federal National Mortgage Association "FNMA") or the Federal Home Loan
    Mortgage Corporation, ("FHLMC") which are supported only by the
    discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency's
    obligations). Mortgage pass-through securities may also be issued by
    non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan
    institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and
    other secondary market issuers). Some of these mortgage pass-through
    securities may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees.

      Interests in pools of mortgage-related 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 prepayments of principal
    resulting from the sale, refinancing or foreclosure of the underlying
    property, net of fees or costs which may be incurred. Some mortgage
    pass-through securities (such as securities issued by the GNMA) are
    described as "modified pass-through." These securities entitle the holder to
    receive all interests and principal payments owed on the mortgages in the
    mortgage pool, net of certain fees, at the scheduled payment dates
    regardless of whether the mortgagor actually makes the payment.

      The principal governmental guarantor of mortgage pass-through 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 Federal Housing Administration
    ("FHA") insured or Veterans Administration ("VA") guaranteed mortgages.
    These guarantees, however, do not apply to the market value or yield of
    mortgage pass-through securities. GNMA securities are often 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., whose guarantees are not backed by
    the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government) include FNMA and 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 residential
    mortgages (i.e., mortgages not insured or guaranteed by any governmental
    agency) 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 by FNMA of
    principal and interest.

      FHLMC is also a government-sponsored corporation owned by private
    stockholders. FHLMC issues Participation Certificates ("PCs") which
    represent interests in conventional mortgages (i.e., not federally insured
    or guaranteed) for FHLMC's national portfolio. FHLMC guarantees timely
    payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal regardless of the
    status of the underlying mortgage loans.

      Commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage
    insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers
    also create pass through pools of mortgage loans. Such issuers may also be
    the originators and/or servicers of the underlying 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
    in the former pools. However, timely payment of interest and principal of
    mortgage loans in 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. 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 also buy mortgage-related securities without insurance or guarantees.

      STRIPPED MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES: The Fund may invest a portion of its
    assets in stripped mortgage-backed securities ("SMBS") which are derivative
    multiclass mortgage securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of
    the U.S. Government, or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage
    loans, including savings and loan institutions, mortgage banks, commercial
    banks and investment banks.

      SMBS are usually structured with two classes that receive different
    proportions of the interest and principal distributions from a pool of
    mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving some of
    the interest and most of the principal from the Mortgage Assets, while the
    other class will receive most of the interest and the remainder of the
    principal. In the most extreme case, one class will receive all of the
    interest (the interest-only or "I0" class) while the other class will
    receive all of the principal (the principal-only or "P0" class). The yield
    to maturity on an I0 is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal
    payments, including prepayments on the related underlying Mortgage Assets,
    and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on
    such security's yield to maturity. If the underlying Mortgage Assets
    experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may
    fail to fully recoup its initial investment in these securities. The market
    value of the class consisting primarily or entirely of principal payments
    generally is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates.
    Because SMBS were only recently introduced, established trading markets for
    these securities have not yet developed, although the securities are traded
    among institutional investors and investment banking firms.

      CORPORATE SECURITIES: The Fund may invest in debt securities, such as
    convertible and non-convertible bonds, notes and debentures, issued by
    corporations, limited partnerships and other similar entities.

      LOANS AND OTHER DIRECT INDEBTEDNESS: The Fund may purchase loans and other
    direct indebtedness. In purchasing a loan, the Fund acquires some or all of
    the interest of a bank or other lending institution in a loan to a
    corporate, governmental or other borrower. Many such loans are secured,
    although some may be unsecured. Such loans may be in default at the time of
    purchase. Loans that are fully secured offer the Fund more protection than
    an unsecured loan in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or
    principal. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral
    from a secured loan would satisfy the corporate borrowers obligation, or
    that the collateral can be liquidated.

      These loans are made generally to finance internal growth, mergers,
    acquisitions, stock repurchases, leveraged buy-outs and other corporate
    activities. Such loans are typically made by a syndicate of lending
    institutions, represented by an agent lending institution which has
    negotiated and structured the loan and is responsible for collecting
    interest, principal and other amounts due on its own behalf and on behalf of
    the others in the syndicate, and for enforcing its and their other rights
    against the borrower. Alternatively, such loans may be structured as a
    novation, pursuant to which the Fund would assume all of the rights of the
    lending institution in a loan or as an assignment, pursuant to which the
    Fund would purchase an assignment of a portion of a lenders interest in a
    loan either directly from the lender or through an intermediary. The Fund
    may also purchase trade or other claims against companies, which generally
    represent money owned by the company to a supplier of goods or services.
    These claims may also be purchased at a time when the company is in default.

      Certain of the loans and the other direct indebtedness acquired by the
    Fund may involve revolving credit facilities or other standby financing
    commitments which obligate the Fund to pay additional cash on a certain date
    or on demand. These commitments may have the effect of requiring the Fund to
    increase its investment in a company at a time when the Fund might not
    otherwise decide to do so (including at a time when the company's financial
    condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid). To the extent
    that the Fund is committed to advance additional funds, it will at all times
    hold and maintain in a segregated account cash or other high grade debt
    obligations in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments.

      The Fund's ability to receive payment of principal, interest and other
    amounts due in connection with these investments will depend primarily on
    the financial condition of the borrower. In selecting the loans and other
    direct indebtedness which the Fund will purchase, the Adviser will rely upon
    its own (and not the original lending institution's) credit analysis of the
    borrower. As the Fund may be required to rely upon another lending
    institution to collect and pass onto the Fund amounts payable with respect
    to the loan and to enforce the Fund's rights under the loan and other direct
    indebtedness, an insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the lending
    institution may delay or prevent the Fund from receiving such amounts. In
    such cases, the Fund will evaluate as well the creditworthiness of the
    lending institution and will treat both the borrower and the lending
    institution as an "issuer" of the loan for purposes of certain investment
    restrictions pertaining to the diversification of the Fund's portfolio
    investments. The highly leveraged nature of many such loans and other direct
    indebtedness may make such loans and other direct indebtedness especially
    vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Investments
    in such loans and other direct indebtedness may involve additional risk to
    the Fund.

      LOWER RATED BONDS: The Fund may invest in fixed income securities rated Ba
    or lower by Moody's or BB or lower by S&P, Fitch or Duff & Phelps and
    comparable unrated securities (commonly known as "junk bonds"). See Appendix
    D for a description of bond ratings. No minimum rating standard is required
    by the Fund. These securities are considered speculative and, while
    generally providing greater income than investments in higher rated
    securities, will involve greater risk of principal and income (including the
    possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuers of such securities) and
    may involve greater volatility of price (especially during periods of
    economic uncertainty or change) than securities in the higher rating
    categories and because yields vary over time, no specific level of income
    can ever be assured. These lower rated high yielding fixed income securities
    generally tend to reflect economic changes (and the outlook for economic
    growth), short-term corporate and industry developments and the market's
    perception of their credit quality (especially during times of adverse
    publicity) to a greater extent than higher rated securities which react
    primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates (although
    these lower rated fixed income securities are also affected by changes in
    interest rates). In the past, economic downturns or an increase in interest
    rates have, under certain circumstances, caused a higher incidence of
    default by the issuers of these securities and may do so in the future,
    especially in the case of highly leveraged issuers. The prices for these
    securities may be affected by legislative and regulatory developments. The
    market for these lower rated fixed income securities may be less liquid than
    the market for investment grade fixed income securities. Furthermore, the
    liquidity of these lower rated securities may be affected by the market's
    perception of their credit quality. Therefore, the Adviser's judgment may at
    times play a greater role in valuing these securities than in the case of
    investment grade fixed income securities, and it also may be more difficult
    during times of certain adverse market conditions to sell these lower rated
    securities to meet redemption requests or to respond to changes in the
    market.

      While the Adviser may refer to ratings issued by established credit rating
    agencies, it is not the Fund's policy to rely exclusively on ratings issued
    by these rating agencies, but rather to supplement such ratings with the
    Adviser's own independent and ongoing review of credit quality. To the
    extent a Fund invests in these lower rated securities, the achievement of
    its investment objectives may be a more dependent on the Adviser's own
    credit analysis than in the case of a fund investing in higher quality fixed
    income securities. These lower rated securities may also include zero coupon
    bonds, deferred interest bonds and PIK bonds.

      MUNICIPAL BONDS: The Fund may invest in debt securities issued by or on
    behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and the
    District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies or
    instrumentalities, the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax
    ("Municipal Bonds"). Municipal Bonds include debt securities which pay
    interest income that is subject to the alternative minimum tax. The Fund may
    invest in Municipal Bonds whose issuers pay interest on the Bonds from
    revenues from projects such as multifamily housing, nursing homes, electric
    utility systems, hospitals or life care facilities.

      If a revenue bond is secured by payments generated from a project, and the
    revenue bond is also secured by a lien on the real estate comprising the
    project, foreclosure by the indenture trustee on the lien for the benefit of
    the bondholders creates additional risks associated with owning real estate,
    including environmental risks.

      Housing revenue bonds typically are issued by a state, county or local
    housing authority and are secured only by the revenues of mortgages
    originated by the authority using the proceeds of the bond issue. Because of
    the impossibility of precisely predicting demand for mortgages from the
    proceeds of such an issue, there is a risk that the proceeds of the issue
    will be in excess of demand, which would result in early retirement of the
    bonds by the issuer. Moreover, such housing revenue bonds depend for their
    repayment upon the cash flow from the underlying mortgages, which cannot be
    precisely predicted when the bonds are issued. Any difference in the actual
    cash flow from such mortgages from the assumed cash flow could have an
    adverse impact upon the ability of the issuer to make scheduled payments of
    principal and interest on the bonds, or could result in early retirement of
    the bonds. Additionally, such bonds depend in part for scheduled payments of
    principal and interest upon reserve funds established from the proceeds of
    the bonds, assuming certain rates of return on investment of such reserve
    funds. If the assumed rates of return are not realized because of changes in
    interest rate levels or for other reasons, the actual cash flow for
    scheduled payments of principal and interest on the bonds may be inadequate.
    The financing of multi-family housing projects is affected by a variety of
    factors, including satisfactory completion of construction within cost
    constraints, the achievement and maintenance of a sufficient level of
    occupancy, sound management of the developments, timely and adequate
    increases in rents to cover increases in operating expenses, including
    taxes, utility rates and maintenance costs, changes in applicable laws and
    governmental regulations and social and economic trends.

      Electric utilities face problems in financing large construction programs
    in inflationary periods, cost increases and delay occasioned by
    environmental considerations (particularly with respect to nuclear
    facilities), difficulty in obtaining fuel at reasonable prices, the cost of
    competing fuel sources, difficulty in obtaining sufficient rate increases
    and other regulatory problems, the effect of energy conservation and
    difficulty of the capital market to absorb utility debt.

      Health care facilities include life care facilities, nursing homes and
    hospitals. Life care facilities are alternative forms of long-term housing
    for the elderly which offer residents the independence of condominium life
    style and, if needed, the comprehensive care of nursing home services. Bonds
    to finance these facilities have been issued by various state industrial
    development authorities. Since the bonds are secured only by the revenues of
    each facility and not by state or local government tax payments, they are
    subject to a wide variety of risks. Primarily, the projects must maintain
    adequate occupancy levels to be able to provide revenues adequate to
    maintain debt service payments. Moreover, in the case of life care
    facilities, since a portion of housing, medical care and other services may
    be financed by an initial deposit, there may be risk if the facility does
    not maintain adequate financial reserves to secure estimated actuarial
    liabilities. The ability of management to accurately forecast inflationary
    cost pressures weighs importantly in this process. The facilities may also
    be affected by regulatory cost restrictions applied to health care delivery
    in general, particularly state regulations or changes in Medicare and
    Medicaid payments or qualifications, or restrictions imposed by medical
    insurance companies. They may also face competition from alternative health
    care or conventional housing facilities in the private or public sector.
    Hospital bond ratings are often based on feasibility studies which contain
    projections of expenses, revenues and occupancy levels. A hospital's gross
    receipts and net income available to service its debt are influenced by
    demand for hospital services, the ability of the hospital to provide the
    services required, management capabilities, economic developments in the
    service area, efforts by insurers and government agencies to limit rates and
    expenses, confidence in the hospital, service area economic developments,
    competition, availability and expense of malpractice insurance, Medicaid and
    Medicare funding, and possible federal legislation limiting the rates of
    increase of hospital charges.

      The Fund may invest in municipal lease securities. These are undivided
    interests in a portion of an obligation in the from of a lease or
    installment purchase which is issued by state and local governments to
    acquire equipment and facilities. Municipal leases frequently have special
    risks not normally associated with general obligation or revenue bonds.
    Leases and installment purchase or conditional sale contracts (which
    normally provide for title to the leased asset to pass eventually to the
    governmental issuer) have evolved as a means for governmental issuers to
    acquire property and equipment without meeting the constitutional and
    statutory requirements for the issuance of debt. The debt-issuance
    limitations are deemed to be inapplicable because of the inclusion in many
    leases or contracts of "non-appropriation" clauses that provide that the
    governmental issuer has no obligation to make future payments under the
    lease or contract unless money is appropriated for such purpose by the
    appropriate legislative body on a yearly or other periodic basis. Although
    the obligations will be secured by the leased equipment or facilities, the
    disposition of the property in the event of non-appropriation or foreclosure
    might, in some cases, prove difficult. There are, of course, variations in
    the security of municipal lease securities, both within a particular
    classification and between classifications, depending on numerous factors.

      The Fund may also invest in bonds for industrial and other projects, such
    as sewage or solid waste disposal or hazardous waste treatment facilities.
    Financing for such projects will be subject to inflation and other general
    economic factors as well as construction risks including labor problems,
    difficulties with construction sites and the ability of contractors to meet
    specifications in a timely manner. Because some of the materials, processes
    and wastes involved in these projects may include hazardous components,
    there are risks associated with their production, handling and disposal.

      SPECULATIVE BONDS: The Fund may invest in fixed income and convertible
    securities rated Baa by Moody's or BBB by S&P, Fitch or Duff & Phelps and
    comparable unrated securities. See Appendix D for a description of bond
    ratings. These securities, while normally exhibiting adequate protection
    parameters, have speculative characteristics and changes in economic
    conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened
    capacity to make principal and interest payments than in the case of higher
    grade securities.

      U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES: The Fund may invest in U.S. Government
    Securities including (i) U.S. Treasury obligations, all of which are backed
    by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government and (ii) U.S. Government
    Securities, some of which are backed by the full faith and credit of the
    U.S. Treasury, e.g., direct pass-through certificates of the GNMA; some of
    which are backed only by the credit of the issuer itself, e.g., obligations
    of the Student Loan Marketing Association; and some of which are supported
    by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the
    agency's obligations, e.g., obligations of the FNMA.

      U.S. Government Securities also include interests in trust or other
    entities representing interests in obligations that are issued or
    guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies, authorities or
    instrumentalities.

      VARIABLE AND FLOATING RATE OBLIGATIONS: The Fund may invest in floating or
    variable rate securities. Investments in floating or variable rate
    securities normally will involve industrial development or revenue bonds
    which provide that the rate of interest is set as a specific percentage of a
    designated base rate, such as rates on Treasury Bonds or Bills or the prime
    rate at a major commercial bank, and that a bondholder can demand payment of
    the obligations on behalf of the Fund on short notice at par plus accrued
    interest, which amount may be more or less than the amount the bondholder
    paid for them. The maturity of floating or variable rate obligations
    (including participation interests therein) is deemed to be the longer of
    (i) the notice period required before the Fund is entitled to receive
    payment of the obligation upon demand or (ii) the period remaining until the
    obligation's next interest rate adjustment. If not redeemed by the Fund
    through the demand feature, the obligations mature on a specified date which
    may range up to thirty years from the date of issuance.

      ZERO COUPON BONDS, DEFERRED INTEREST BONDS AND PIK BONDS: The Fund may
    invest in zero coupon bonds, deferred interest bonds and bonds on which the
    interest is payable in kind ("PIK bonds"). Zero coupon and deferred interest
    bonds are debt obligations which are issued at a significant discount from
    face value. The discount approximates the total amount of interest the bonds
    will accrue and compound over the period until maturity or the first
    interest payment date at a rate of interest reflecting the market rate of
    the security at the time of issuance. While zero coupon bonds do not require
    the periodic payment of interest, deferred interest bonds provide for a
    period of delay before the regular payment of interest begins. PIK bonds are
    debt obligations which provide that the issuer may, at its option, pay
    interest on such bonds in cash or in the form of additional debt
    obligations. Such investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for
    cash to meet debt service, but also require a higher rate of return to
    attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of such cash. Such
    investments may experience greater volatility in market value than debt
    obligations which make regular payments of interest. The Fund will accrue
    income on such investments for tax and accounting purposes, which is
    distributable to shareholders and which, because no cash is received at the
    time of accrual, may require the liquidation of other portfolio securities
    to satisfy the Fund's distribution obligations.

    EQUITY SECURITIES
    The Fund may invest in all types of equity securities, including the
    following: common stocks, preferred stocks and preference stocks; securities
    such as bonds, warrants or rights that are convertible into stocks; and
    depositary receipts for those securities. These securities may be listed on
    securities exchanges, traded in various over-the-counter markets or have no
    organized market.

    FOREIGN SECURITIES EXPOSURE
    The Fund may invest in various types of foreign securities, or securities
    which provide the Fund with exposure to foreign securities or foreign
    currencies, as discussed below:

    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,
    Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jordan,
    Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Slovenia,
    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 U.S. dollar) and are actively traded in over-the-counter
    secondary markets. U.S. 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.

    DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS: The Fund may invest in American Depositary Receipts
    ("ADRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") and other types of depositary
    receipts. ADRs are certificates by a U.S. depositary (usually a bank) and
    represent a specified quantity of shares of an underlying non- U.S. stock on
    deposit with a custodian bank as collateral. GDRs and other types of
    depositary receipts are typically issued by foreign banks or trust companies
    and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a foreign
    or a U.S. company. Generally, ADRs are in registered form and are designed
    for use in U.S. securities markets and GDRs are in bearer form and are
    designed for use in foreign securities markets. For the purposes of the
    Fund's policy to invest a certain percentage of its assets in foreign
    securities, the investments of the Fund in ADRs, GDRs and other types of
    depositary receipts are deemed to be investments in the underlying
    securities.

      ADRs may be sponsored or unsponsored. A sponsored ADR is issued by a
    depositary which has an exclusive relationship with the issuer of the
    underlying security. An unsponsored ADR may be issued by any number of U.S.
    depositories. Under the terms of most sponsored arrangements, depositories
    agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings and voting instructions,
    and to provide shareholder communications and other information to the ADR
    holders at the request of the issuer of the deposited securities. The
    depository of an unsponsored ADR, on the other hand, is under no obligation
    to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the
    deposited securities or to pass through voting rights to ADR holders in
    respect of the deposited securities. The Fund may invest in either type of
    ADR. Although the U.S. investor holds a substitute receipt of ownership
    rather than direct stock certificates, the use of the depositary receipts in
    the United States can reduce costs and delays as well as potential currency
    exchange and other difficulties. The Fund may purchase securities in local
    markets and direct delivery of these ordinary shares to the local depositary
    of an ADR agent bank in foreign country. Simultaneously, the ADR agents
    create a certificate which settles at the Fund's custodian in five days. The
    Fund may also execute trades on the U.S. markets using existing ADRs. A
    foreign issuer of the security underlying an ADR is generally not subject to
    the same reporting requirements in the United States as a domestic issuer.
    Accordingly, information available to a U.S. investor will be limited to the
    information the foreign issuer is required to disclose in its country and
    the market value of an ADR may not reflect undisclosed material information
    concerning the issuer of the underlying security. ADRs may also be subject
    to exchange rate risks if the underlying foreign securities are denominated
    in a foreign currency.

    DOLLAR-DENOMINATED FOREIGN DEBT SECURITIES: The Fund may invest in
    dollar-denominated foreign debt securities. Investing in dollar-denominated
    foreign debt represents a greater degree of risk than investing in domestic
    securities, due to less publicly available information, less securities
    regulation, war or expropriation. Special considerations may include higher
    brokerage costs and thinner trading markets. Investments in foreign
    countries could be affected by other factors including extended settlement
    periods.


    EMERGING MARKETS: The Fund may invest in securities of government,
    government-related, supranational and corporate issuers located in emerging
    markets. Emerging markets include any country determined by the Adviser to
    have an emerging market economy, taking into account a number of factors,
    including whether the country has a low- to middle-income economy according
    to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the country's
    foreign currency debt rating, its political and economic stability and the
    development of its financial and capital markets. The Adviser determines
    whether an issuer's principal activities are located in an emerging market
    country by considering such factors as its country of organization, the
    principal trading market for securities, the source of its revenues and the
    location of its assets. Such investments entail significant risks as
    described below.


    o  Company Debt -- 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, 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.

    o  Default; Legal Recourse -- The Fund may have limited legal recourse in
       the event of a default with respect to certain debt obligations it may
       hold. 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 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.

    o  Foreign Currencies -- The securities in which the Fund invests may be
       denominated in foreign currencies and international currency units and
       the Fund may invest a portion of its assets directly in foreign
       currencies. Accordingly, the weakening of these currencies and units
       against the U.S. dollar may result in a decline in the Fund's asset
       value.

       Some emerging market countries also may have managed currencies, which
       are not free floating against the U.S. dollar. In addition, there is risk
       that certain emerging market countries may restrict the free conversion
       of their currencies into other currencies. Further, certain emerging
       market currencies may not be internationally traded. Certain of these
       currencies have experienced a steep devaluation relative to the U.S.
       dollar. Any devaluations in the currencies in which a Fund's portfolio
       securities are denominated may have a detrimental impact on the Fund's
       net asset value.

    o  Inflation -- 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.

    o  Liquidity; Trading Volume; Regulatory Oversight -- The securities markets
       of emerging market countries are substantially smaller, less developed,
       less liquid and more volatile than the major securities markets in the
       U.S. Disclosure and regulatory standards are in many respects less
       stringent than U.S. standards. Furthermore, there is a lower level of
       monitoring and regulation of the markets and the activities of investors
       in such markets.

       The limited size of many emerging market securities markets and limited
       trading volume in the securities of emerging market issuers compared to
       volume of trading in the securities of U.S. issuers could cause prices to
       be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and
       competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, limited market
       size may cause prices to be unduly influenced by traders who control
       large positions. Adverse publicity and investors' perceptions, whether or
       not based on in-depth fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and
       liquidity of portfolio securities.

       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 Fund 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 Board of Trustees.

    o  Sovereign Debt -- Investment in sovereign debt can involve a high degree
       of risk. The governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign
       debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest
       when due in accordance with the terms of such debt. A governmental
       entity's willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a
       timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow
       situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of
       sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative
       size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the
       governmental entity's policy towards the International Monetary Fund and
       the political constraints to which a governmental entity may be subject.
       Governmental entities may also be dependent on expected disbursements
       from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to
       reduce principal and interest on their debt. The commitment on the part
       of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may
       be conditioned on a governmental entity's implementation of economic
       reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such
       debtor's obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such
       levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due
       may result in the cancellation of such third parties' commitments to lend
       funds to the governmental entity, which may further impair such debtor's
       ability or willingness to service its debts in a timely manner.
       Consequently, governmental entities may default on their sovereign debt.
       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 proceedings by which
       sovereign debt on which governmental entities have defaulted may be
       collected in whole or in part.

       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.

       The ability of emerging market 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 tarnish
       its trade account surplus, if any. To the extent that emerging markets
       receive payment for their 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.

    o  Withholding -- 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.


    FOREIGN SECURITIES: The Fund may invest in dollar-denominated and non
    dollar-denominated foreign securities. The issuer's principal activities
    generally are deemed to be located in a particular country if: (a) the
    security is issued or guaranteed by the government of that country or any of
    its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities; (b) the issuer is organized
    under the laws of, and maintains a principal office in, that country; (c)
    the issuer has its principal securities trading market in that country; (d)
    the issuer derives 50% or more of its total revenues from goods sold or
    services performed in that country; or (e) the issuer has 50% or more of its
    assets in that country.

      Investing in securities of foreign issuers generally involves risks not
    ordinarily associated with investing in securities of domestic issuers.
    These include changes in currency rates, exchange control regulations,
    securities settlement practices, governmental administration or economic or
    monetary policy (in the United States or abroad) or circumstances in
    dealings between nations. Costs may be incurred in connection with
    conversions between various currencies. Special considerations may also
    include more limited information about foreign issuers, higher brokerage
    costs, different accounting standards and thinner trading markets. Foreign
    securities markets may also be less liquid, more volatile and less subject
    to government supervision than in the United States. Investments in foreign
    countries could be affected by other factors including expropriation,
    confiscatory taxation and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual
    obligations and could be subject to extended settlement periods. As a result
    of its investments in foreign securities, the Fund may receive interest or
    dividend payments, or the proceeds of the sale or redemption of such
    securities, in the foreign currencies in which such securities are
    denominated. Under certain circumstances, such as where the Adviser believes
    that the applicable exchange rate is unfavorable at the time the currencies
    are received or the Adviser anticipates, for any other reason, that the
    exchange rate will improve, the Fund may hold such currencies for an
    indefinite period of time. While the holding of currencies will permit the
    Fund to take advantage of favorable movements in the applicable exchange
    rate, such strategy also exposes the Fund to risk of loss if exchange rates
    move in a direction adverse to the Fund's position. Such losses could reduce
    any profits or increase any losses sustained by the Fund from the sale or
    redemption of securities and could reduce the dollar value of interest or
    dividend payments received. The Fund's investments in foreign securities may
    also include "privatizations." Privatizations are situations where the
    government in a given country, including emerging market countries, sells
    part or all of its stakes in government owned or controlled enterprises. In
    certain countries, the ability of foreign entities to participate in
    privatizations may be limited by local law and the terms on which the
    foreign entities may be permitted to participate may be less advantageous
    than those afforded local investors.


    FORWARD CONTRACTS
    The Fund may enter into contracts for the purchase or sale of a specific
    currency at a future date at a price set at the time the contract is entered
    into (a "Forward Contract"), for hedging purposes (e.g., to protect its
    current or intended investments from fluctuations in currency exchange
    rates) as well as for non-hedging purposes.

      A Forward Contract to sell a currency may be entered into where the Fund
    seeks to protect against an anticipated increase in the exchange rate for a
    specific currency which could reduce the dollar value of portfolio
    securities denominated in such currency. Conversely, the Fund may enter into
    a Forward Contract to purchase a given currency to protect against a
    projected increase in the dollar value of securities denominated in such
    currency which the Fund intends to acquire.

      If a hedging transaction in Forward Contracts is successful, the decline
    in the dollar value of portfolio securities or the increase in the dollar
    cost of securities to be acquired may be offset, at least in part, by
    profits on the Forward Contract. Nevertheless, by entering into such Forward
    Contracts, the Fund may be required to forego all or a portion of the
    benefits which otherwise could have been obtained from favorable movements
    in exchange rates. The Fund does not presently intend to hold Forward
    Contracts entered into until the value date, at which time it would be
    required to deliver or accept delivery of the underlying currency, but will
    seek in most instances to close out positions in such Contracts by entering
    into offsetting transactions, which will serve to fix the Fund's profit or
    loss based upon the value of the Contracts at the time the offsetting
    transaction is executed.

      The Fund will also enter into transactions in Forward Contracts for other
    than hedging purposes, which presents greater profit potential but also
    involves increased risk. For example, the Fund may purchase a given foreign
    currency through a Forward Contract if, in the judgment of the Adviser, the
    value of such currency is expected to rise relative to the U.S. dollar.
    Conversely, the Fund may sell the currency through a Forward Contract if the
    Adviser believes that its value will decline relative to the dollar.

      The Fund will profit if the anticipated movements in foreign currency
    exchange rates occur, which will increase its gross income. Where exchange
    rates do not move in the direction or to the extent anticipated, however,
    the Fund may sustain losses which will reduce its gross income. Such
    transactions, therefore, could be considered speculative and could involve
    significant risk of loss.

      The use by the Fund of Forward Contracts also involves the risks described
    under the caption "Special Risk Factors -- Options, Futures, Forwards, Swaps
    and Other Derivative Transactions" in this Appendix.

    FUTURES CONTRACTS
    The Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts ("Futures Contracts") on
    stock indices, foreign currencies, interest rates or interest-rate related
    instruments, indices of foreign currencies or commodities. The Fund may also
    purchase and sell Futures Contracts on foreign or domestic fixed income
    securities or indices of such securities including municipal bond indices
    and any other indices of foreign or domestic fixed income securities that
    may become available for trading. Such investment strategies will be used
    for hedging purposes and for non-hedging purposes, subject to applicable
    law.

      A Futures Contract is a bilateral agreement providing for the purchase and
    sale of a specified type and amount of a financial instrument, foreign
    currency or commodity, or for the making and acceptance of a cash
    settlement, at a stated time in the future for a fixed price. By its terms,
    a Futures Contract provides for a specified settlement month in which, in
    the case of the majority of commodities, interest rate and foreign currency
    futures contracts, the underlying commodities, fixed income securities or
    currency are delivered by the seller and paid for by the purchaser, or on
    which, in the case of index futures contracts and certain interest rate and
    foreign currency futures contracts, the difference between the price at
    which the contract was entered into and the contract's closing value is
    settled between the purchaser and seller in cash. Futures Contracts differ
    from options in that they are bilateral agreements, with both the purchaser
    and the seller equally obligated to complete the transaction. Futures
    Contracts call for settlement only on the expiration date and cannot be
    "exercised" at any other time during their term.

      The purchase or sale of a Futures Contract differs from the purchase or
    sale of a security or the purchase of an option in that no purchase price is
    paid or received. Instead, an amount of cash or cash equivalents, which
    varies but may be as low as 5% or less of the value of the contract, must be
    deposited with the broker as "initial margin." Subsequent payments to and
    from the broker, referred to as "variation margin," are made on a daily
    basis as the value of the index or instrument underlying the Futures
    Contract fluctuates, making positions in the Futures Contract more or less
    valuable -- a process known as "mark-to-market."

      Purchases or sales of stock index futures contracts are used to attempt to
    protect the Fund's current or intended stock investments from broad
    fluctuations in stock prices. For example, the Fund may sell stock index
    futures contracts in anticipation of or during a market decline to attempt
    to offset the decrease in market value of the Fund's securities portfolio
    that might otherwise result. If such decline occurs, the loss in value of
    portfolio securities may be offset, in whole or part, by gains on the
    futures position. When the Fund is not fully invested in the securities
    market and anticipates a significant market advance, it may purchase stock
    index futures contracts in order to gain rapid market exposure that may, in
    part or entirely, offset increases in the cost of securities that the Fund
    intends to purchase. As such purchases are made, the corresponding positions
    in stock index futures contracts will be closed out. In a substantial
    majority of these transactions, the Fund will purchase such securities upon
    termination of the futures position, but under unusual market conditions, a
    long futures position may be terminated without a related purchase of
    securities.

      Interest rate Futures Contracts may be purchased or sold to attempt to
    protect against the effects of interest rate changes on the Fund's current
    or intended investments in fixed income securities. For example, if the Fund
    owned long-term bonds and interest rates were expected to increase, the Fund
    might enter into interest rate futures contracts for the sale of debt
    securities. Such a sale would have much the same effect as selling some of
    the long-term bonds in the Fund's portfolio. If interest rates did increase,
    the value of the debt securities in the portfolio would decline, but the
    value of the Fund's interest rate futures contracts would increase at
    approximately the same rate, subject to the correlation risks described
    below, thereby keeping the net asset value of the Fund from declining as
    much as it otherwise would have.

      Similarly, if interest rates were expected to decline, interest rate
    futures contracts may be purchased to hedge in anticipation of subsequent
    purchases of long-term bonds at higher prices. Since the fluctuations in the
    value of the interest rate futures contracts should be similar to that of
    long-term bonds, the Fund could protect itself against the effects of the
    anticipated rise in the value of long-term bonds without actually buying
    them until the necessary cash became available or the market had stabilized.
    At that time, the interest rate futures contracts could be liquidated and
    the Fund's cash reserves could then be used to buy long-term bonds on the
    cash market. The Fund could accomplish similar results by selling bonds with
    long maturities and investing in bonds with short maturities when interest
    rates are expected to increase. However, since the futures market may be
    more liquid than the cash market in certain cases or at certain times, the
    use of interest rate futures contracts as a hedging technique may allow the
    Fund to hedge its interest rate risk without having to sell its portfolio
    securities.

      The Fund may purchase and sell foreign currency futures contracts for
    hedging purposes, to attempt to protect its current or intended investments
    from fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Such fluctuations could reduce
    the dollar value of portfolio securities denominated in foreign currencies,
    or increase the dollar cost of foreign- denominated securities to be
    acquired, even if the value of such securities in the currencies in which
    they are denominated remains constant. The Fund may sell futures contracts
    on a foreign currency, for example, where it holds securities denominated in
    such currency and it anticipates a decline in the value of such currency
    relative to the dollar. In the event such decline occurs, the resulting
    adverse effect on the value of foreign-denominated securities may be offset,
    in whole or in part, by gains on the futures contracts.

      Conversely, the Fund could protect against a rise in the dollar cost of
    foreign-denominated securities to be acquired by purchasing futures
    contracts on the relevant currency, which could offset, in whole or in part,
    the increased cost of such securities resulting from a rise in the dollar
    value of the underlying currencies. Where the Fund purchases futures
    contracts under such circumstances, however, and the prices of securities to
    be acquired instead decline, the Fund will sustain losses on its futures
    position which could reduce or eliminate the benefits of the reduced cost of
    portfolio securities to be acquired.

      The use by the Fund of Futures Contracts also involves the risks described
    under the caption "Special Risk Factors -- Options, Futures, Forwards, Swaps
    and Other Derivative Transactions" in this Appendix.

    INDEXED SECURITIES
    The Fund may purchase securities with principal and/or interest payments
    whose prices are indexed to the prices of other securities, securities
    indices, currencies, precious metals or other commodities, or other
    financial indicators. Indexed securities typically, but not always, are debt
    securities or deposits whose value at maturity or coupon rate is determined
    by reference to a specific instrument or statistic. The Fund may also
    purchase indexed deposits with similar characteristics. Gold- indexed
    securities, for example, typically provide for a maturity value that depends
    on the price of gold, resulting in a security whose price tends to rise and
    fall together with gold prices. Currency-indexed securities typically are
    short-term to intermediate-term debt securities whose maturity values or
    interest rates are determined by reference to the values of one or more
    specified foreign currencies, and may offer higher yields than U.S. dollar
    denominated securities of equivalent issuers. Currency-indexed securities
    may be positively or negatively indexed; that is, their maturity value may
    increase when the specified currency value increases, resulting in a
    security that performs similarly to a foreign- denominated instrument, or
    their maturity value may decline when foreign currencies increase, resulting
    in a security whose price characteristics are similar to a put on the
    underlying currency. Currency-indexed securities may also have prices that
    depend on the values of a number of different foreign currencies relative to
    each other. Certain indexed securities may expose the Fund to the risk of
    loss of all or a portion of the principal amount of its investment and/or
    the interest that might otherwise have been earned on the amount invested.

      The performance of indexed securities depends to a great extent on the
    performance of the security, currency, or other instrument to which they are
    indexed, and may also be influenced by interest rate changes in the U.S. and
    abroad. At the same time, indexed securities are subject to the credit risks
    associated with the issuer of the security, and their values may decline
    substantially if the issuer's creditworthiness deteriorates. Recent issuers
    of indexed securities have included banks, corporations, and certain U.S.
    Government-sponsored entities.

    INVERSE FLOATING RATE OBLIGATIONS
    The Fund may invest in so-called "inverse floating rate obligations" or
    "residual interest bonds" or other obligations or certificates relating
    thereto structured to have similar features. In creating such an obligation,
    a municipality issues a certain amount of debt and pays a fixed interest
    rate. Half of the debt is issued as variable rate short term obligations,
    the interest rate of which is reset at short intervals, typically 35 days.
    The other half of the debt is issued as inverse floating rate obligations,
    the interest rate of which is calculated based on the difference between a
    multiple of (approximately two times) the interest paid by the issuer and
    the interest paid on the short-term obligation. Under usual circumstances,
    the holder of the inverse floating rate obligation can generally purchase an
    equal principal amount of the short term obligation and link the two
    obligations in order to create long-term fixed rate bonds. Because the
    interest rate on the inverse floating rate obligation is determined by
    subtracting the short-term rate from a fixed amount, the interest rate will
    decrease as the short-term rate increases and will increase as the
    short-term rate decreases. The magnitude of increases and decreases in the
    market value of inverse floating rate obligations may be approximately twice
    as large as the comparable change in the market value of an equal principal
    amount of long-term bonds which bear interest at the rate paid by the issuer
    and have similar credit quality, redemption and maturity provisions.

    INVESTMENT IN OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES
    The Fund may invest in other investment companies. The total return on such
    investment will be reduced by the operating expenses and fees of such other
    investment companies, including advisory fees.

      OPEN-END FUNDS. The Fund may invest in open-end investment companies.

      CLOSED-END FUNDS. The Fund may invest in closed-end investment companies.
    Such investment may involve the payment of substantial premiums above the
    value of such investment companies' portfolio securities.

    LENDING OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
    The Fund may seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities.
    Such loans will usually be made only to member firms of the New York Stock
    Exchange (the "Exchange") (and subsidiaries thereof) and member banks of the
    Federal Reserve System, and would be required to be secured continuously by
    collateral in cash, an irrevocable letter of credit or United States
    ("U.S.") Treasury securities maintained on a current basis at an amount at
    least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. The Fund would
    have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time
    on customary industry settlement notice (which will not usually exceed five
    business days). For the duration of a loan, the Fund would continue to
    receive the equivalent of the interest or dividends paid by the issuer on
    the securities loaned. The Fund would also receive a fee from the borrower
    or compensation from the investment of the collateral, less a fee paid to
    the borrower (if the collateral is in the form of cash). The Fund would not,
    however, have the right to vote any securities having voting rights during
    the existence of the loan, but the Fund would call the loan in anticipation
    of an important vote to be taken among holders of the securities or of the
    giving or withholding of their consent on a material matter affecting the
    investment. 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.

    LEVERAGING TRANSACTIONS
    The Fund may engage in the types of transactions described below, which
    involve "leverage" because in each case the Fund receives cash which it can
    invest in portfolio securities and has a future obligation to make a
    payment. The use of these transactions by the Fund will generally cause its
    net asset value to increase or decrease at a greater rate than would
    otherwise be the case. Any investment income or gains earned from the
    portfolio securities purchased with the proceeds from these transactions
    which is in excess of the expenses associated from these transactions can be
    expected to cause the value of the Fund's shares and distributions on the
    Fund's shares to rise more quickly than would otherwise be the case.
    Conversely, if the investment income or gains earned from the portfolio
    securities purchased with proceeds from these transactions fail to cover the
    expenses associated with these transactions, the value of the Fund's shares
    is likely to decrease more quickly than otherwise would be the case and
    distributions thereon will be reduced or eliminated. Hence, these
    transactions are speculative, involve leverage and increase the risk of
    owning or investing in the shares of the Fund. These transactions also
    increase the Fund's expenses because of interest and similar payments and
    administrative expenses associated with them. Unless the appreciation and
    income on assets purchased with proceeds from these transactions exceed the
    costs associated with them, the use of these transactions by a Fund would
    diminish the investment performance of the Fund compared with what it would
    have been without using these transactions.

    BANK BORROWINGS: The Fund may borrow money for investment purposes from
    banks and invest the proceeds in accordance with its investment objectives
    and policies.

    MORTGAGE "DOLLAR ROLL" TRANSACTIONS: The Fund may enter into mortgage
    "dollar roll" transactions pursuant to which it sells mortgage-backed
    securities for delivery in the future and simultaneously contracts to
    repurchase substantially similar securities on a specified future date.
    During the roll period, the Fund foregoes principal and interest paid on the
    mortgage-backed securities. The Fund is compensated for the lost interest by
    the difference between the current sales price and the lower price for the
    future purchase (often referred to as the "drop") as well as by the interest
    earned on, and gains from, the investment of the cash proceeds of the
    initial sale. The Fund may also be compensated by receipt of a commitment
    fee.

      If the income and capital gains from the Fund's investment of the cash
    from the initial sale do not exceed the income, capital appreciation and
    gain or loss that would have been realized on the securities sold as part of
    the dollar roll, the use of this technique will diminish the investment
    performance of the Fund compared with what the performance would have been
    without the use of the dollar rolls. Dollar roll transactions involve the
    risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is required to
    purchase may decline below the agreed upon repurchase price of those
    securities. If the broker/dealer to whom the Fund sells securities becomes
    insolvent, the Fund's right to purchase or repurchase securities may be
    restricted. Successful use of mortgage dollar rolls may depend upon the
    Adviser's ability to correctly predict interest rates and prepayments. There
    is no assurance that dollar rolls can be successfully employed.

    REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS: The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase
    agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund will sell securities
    and receive cash proceeds, subject to its agreement to repurchase the
    securities at a later date for a fixed price reflecting a market rate of
    interest. There is a risk that the counter party to a reverse repurchase
    agreement will be unable or unwilling to complete the transaction as
    scheduled, which may result in losses to the Fund. The Fund will invest the
    proceeds received under a reverse repurchase agreement in accordance with
    its investment objective and policies.

    OPTIONS
    The Fund may invest in the following types of options, which involve the
    risks described under the caption "Special Risk Factors -- Options, Futures,
    Forwards, Swaps and Other Derivative Transactions" in this Appendix:

    OPTIONS ON FOREIGN CURRENCIES: The Fund may purchase and write options on
    foreign currencies for hedging and non-hedging purposes in a manner similar
    to that in which Futures Contracts on foreign currencies, or Forward
    Contracts, will be utilized. For example, a decline in the dollar value of a
    foreign currency in which portfolio securities are denominated will reduce
    the dollar value of such securities, even if their value in the foreign
    currency remains constant. In order to protect against such diminutions in
    the value of portfolio securities, the Fund may purchase put options on the
    foreign currency. If the value of the currency does decline, the Fund will
    have the right to sell such currency for a fixed amount in dollars and will
    thereby offset, in whole in part, the adverse effect on its portfolio which
    otherwise would have resulted.

      Conversely, where a rise in the dollar value of a currency in which
    securities to be acquired are denominated is projected, thereby increasing
    the cost of such securities, the Fund may purchase call options thereon. The
    purchase of such options could offset, at least partially, the effect of the
    adverse movements in exchange rates. As in the case of other types of
    options, however, the benefit to the Fund deriving from purchases of foreign
    currency options will be reduced by the amount of the premium and related
    transaction costs. In addition, where currency exchange rates do not move in
    the direction or to the extent anticipated, the Fund could sustain losses on
    transactions in foreign currency options which would require it to forego a
    portion or all of the benefits of advantageous changes in such rates. The
    Fund may write options on foreign currencies for the same types of hedging
    purposes. For example, where the Fund anticipates a decline in the dollar
    value of foreign-denominated securities due to adverse fluctuations in
    exchange rates it could, instead of purchasing a put option, write a call
    option on the relevant currency. If the expected decline occurs, the option
    will most likely not be exercised, and the diminution in value of portfolio
    securities will be offset by the amount of the premium received less related
    transaction costs. As in the case of other types of options, therefore, the
    writing of Options on Foreign Currencies will constitute only a partial
    hedge.

      Similarly, instead of purchasing a call option to hedge against an
    anticipated increase in the dollar cost of securities to be acquired, the
    Fund could write a put option on the relevant currency which, if rates move
    in the manner projected, will expire unexercised and allow the Fund to hedge
    such increased cost up to the amount of the premium. Foreign currency
    options written by the Fund will generally be covered in a manner similar to
    the covering of other types of options. As in the case of other types of
    options, however, the writing of a foreign currency option will constitute
    only a partial hedge up to the amount of the premium, and only if rates move
    in the expected direction. If this does not occur, the option may be
    exercised and the Fund would be required to purchase or sell the underlying
    currency at a loss which may not be offset by the amount of the premium.
    Through the writing of options on foreign currencies, the Fund also may be
    required to forego all or a portion of the benefits which might otherwise
    have been obtained from favorable movements in exchange rates. The use of
    foreign currency options for non-hedging purposes, like the use of other
    types of derivatives for such purposes, presents greater profit potential
    but also significant risk of loss and could be considered speculative.

    OPTIONS ON FUTURES CONTRACTS: The Fund also may purchase and write options
    to buy or sell those Futures Contracts in which it may invest ("Options on
    Futures Contracts") as described above under "Futures Contracts." Such
    investment strategies will be used for hedging purposes and for non- hedging
    purposes, subject to applicable law.

      An Option on a Futures Contract provides the holder with the right to
    enter into a "long" position in the underlying Futures Contract, in the case
    of a call option, or a "short" position in the underlying Futures Contract,
    in the case of a put option, at a fixed exercise price up to a stated
    expiration date or, in the case of certain options, on such date. Upon
    exercise of the option by the holder, the contract market clearinghouse
    establishes a corresponding short position for the writer of the option, in
    the case of a call option, or a corresponding long position in the case of a
    put option. In the event that an option is exercised, the parties will be
    subject to all the risks associated with the trading of Futures Contracts,
    such as payment of initial and variation margin deposits. In addition, the
    writer of an Option on a Futures Contract, unlike the holder, is subject to
    initial and variation margin requirements on the option position.

      A position in an Option on a Futures Contract may be terminated by the
    purchaser or seller prior to expiration by effecting a closing purchase or
    sale transaction, subject to the availability of a liquid secondary market,
    which is the purchase or sale of an option of the same type (i.e., the same
    exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously purchased or
    sold. The difference between the premiums paid and received represents the
    Fund's profit or loss on the transaction.

      Options on Futures Contracts that are written or purchased by the Fund on
    U.S. exchanges are traded on the same contract market as the underlying
    Futures Contract, and, like Futures Contracts, are subject to regulation by
    the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") and the performance
    guarantee of the exchange clearinghouse. In addition, Options on Futures
    Contracts may be traded on foreign exchanges. The Fund may cover the writing
    of call Options on Futures Contracts (a) through purchases of the underlying
    Futures Contract, (b) through ownership of the instrument, or instruments
    included in the index, underlying the Futures Contract, or (c) through the
    holding of a call on the same Futures Contract and in the same principal
    amount as the call written where the exercise price of the call held (i) is
    equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written or (ii) is
    greater than the exercise price of the call written if the Fund owns liquid
    and unencumbered assets equal to the difference. The Fund may cover the
    writing of put Options on Futures Contracts (a) through sales of the
    underlying Futures Contract, (b) through the ownership of liquid and
    unencumbered assets equal to the value of the security or index underlying
    the Futures Contract, or (c) through the holding of a put on the same
    Futures Contract and in the same principal amount as the put written where
    the exercise price of the put held (i) is equal to or greater than the
    exercise price of the put written or where the exercise price of the put
    held (ii) is less than the exercise price of the put written if the Fund
    owns liquid and unencumbered assets equal to the difference. Put and call
    Options on Futures Contracts may also be covered in such other manner as may
    be in accordance with the rules of the exchange on which the option is
    traded and applicable laws and regulations. Upon the exercise of a call
    Option on a Futures Contract written by the Fund, the Fund will be required
    to sell the underlying Futures Contract which, if the Fund has covered its
    obligation through the purchase of such Contract, will serve to liquidate
    its futures position. Similarly, where a put Option on a Futures Contract
    written by the Fund is exercised, the Fund will be required to purchase the
    underlying Futures Contract which, if the Fund has covered its obligation
    through the sale of such Contract, will close out its futures position.

      The writing of a call option on a Futures Contract for hedging purposes
    constitutes a partial hedge against declining prices of the securities or
    other instruments required to be delivered under the terms of the Futures
    Contract. If the futures price at expiration of the option is below the
    exercise price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium,
    less related transaction costs, which provides a partial hedge against any
    decline that may have occurred in the Fund's portfolio holdings. The writing
    of a put option on a Futures Contract constitutes a partial hedge against
    increasing prices of the securities or other instruments required to be
    delivered under the terms of the Futures Contract. If the futures price at
    expiration of the option is higher than the exercise price, the Fund will
    retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a partial hedge
    against any increase in the price of securities which the Fund intends to
    purchase. If a put or call option the Fund has written is exercised, the
    Fund will incur a loss which will be reduced by the amount of the premium it
    receives. Depending on the degree of correlation between changes in the
    value of its portfolio securities and the changes in the value of its
    futures positions, the Fund's losses from existing Options on Futures
    Contracts may to some extent be reduced or increased by changes in the value
    of portfolio securities.

      The Fund may purchase Options on Futures Contracts for hedging purposes
    instead of purchasing or selling the underlying Futures Contracts. For
    example, where a decrease in the value of portfolio securities is
    anticipated as a result of a projected market-wide decline or changes in
    interest or exchange rates, the Fund could, in lieu of selling Futures
    Contracts, purchase put options thereon. In the event that such decrease
    occurs, it may be offset, in whole or in part, by a profit on the option.
    Conversely, where it is projected that the value of securities to be
    acquired by the Fund will increase prior to acquisition, due to a market
    advance or changes in interest or exchange rates, the Fund could purchase
    call Options on Futures Contracts rather than purchasing the underlying
    Futures Contracts.

    OPTIONS ON SECURITIES: The Fund may write (sell) covered put and call
    options, and purchase put and call options, on securities. Call and put
    options written by the Fund may be covered in the manner set forth below.

      A call option written by the Fund is "covered" if the Fund owns the
    security underlying the call or has an absolute and immediate right to
    acquire that security without additional cash consideration (or for
    additional cash consideration if the Fund owns liquid and unencumbered
    assets equal to the amount of cash consideration) upon conversion or
    exchange of other securities held in its portfolio. A call option is also
    covered if the Fund holds a call on the same security and in the same
    principal amount as the call written where the exercise price of the call
    held (a) is equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written or
    (b) is greater than the exercise price of the call written if the Fund owns
    liquid and unencumbered assets equal to the difference. A put option written
    by the Fund is "covered" if the Fund owns liquid and unencumbered assets
    with a value equal to the exercise price, or else holds a put on the same
    security and in the same principal amount as the put written where the
    exercise price of the put held is equal to or greater than the exercise
    price of the put written or where the exercise price of the put held is less
    than the exercise price of the put written if the Fund owns liquid and
    unencumbered assets equal to the difference. Put and call options written by
    the Fund may also be covered in such other manner as may be in accordance
    with the requirements of the exchange on which, or the counterparty with
    which, the option is traded, and applicable laws and regulations. If the
    writer's obligation is not so covered, it is subject to the risk of the full
    change in value of the underlying security from the time the option is
    written until exercise.

      Effecting a closing transaction in the case of a written call option will
    permit the Fund to write another call option on the underlying security with
    either a different exercise price or expiration date or both, or in the case
    of a written put option will permit the Fund to write another put option to
    the extent that the Fund owns liquid and unencumbered assets. Such
    transactions permit the Fund to generate additional premium income, which
    will partially offset declines in the value of portfolio securities or
    increases in the cost of securities to be acquired. Also, effecting a
    closing transaction will permit the cash or proceeds from the concurrent
    sale of any securities subject to the option to be used for other
    investments of the Fund, provided that another option on such security is
    not written. If the Fund desires to sell a particular security from its
    portfolio on which it has written a call option, it will effect a closing
    transaction in connection with the option prior to or concurrent with the
    sale of the security.

      The Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if the premium
    paid in connection with the closing of an option written by the Fund is less
    than the premium received from writing the option, or if the premium
    received in connection with the closing of an option purchased by the Fund
    is more than the premium paid for the original purchase. Conversely, the
    Fund will suffer a loss if the premium paid or received in connection with a
    closing transaction is more or less, respectively, than the premium received
    or paid in establishing the option position. Because increases in the market
    price of a call option will generally reflect increases in the market price
    of the underlying security, any loss resulting from the repurchase of a call
    option previously written by the Fund is likely to be offset in whole or in
    part by appreciation of the underlying security owned by the Fund.

      The Fund may write options in connection with buy-and-write transactions;
    that is, the Fund may purchase a security and then write a call option
    against that security. The exercise price of the call option the Fund
    determines to write will depend upon the expected price movement of the
    underlying security. The exercise price of a call option may be below
    ("in-the-money"), equal to ("at-the-money") or above ("out-of-the- money")
    the current value of the underlying security at the time the option is
    written. Buy-and-write transactions using in-the-money call options may be
    used when it is expected that the price of the underlying security will
    decline moderately during the option period. Buy-and-write transactions
    using out-of-the-money call options may be used when it is expected that the
    premiums received from writing the call option plus the appreciation in the
    market price of the underlying security up to the exercise price will be
    greater than the appreciation in the price of the underlying security alone.
    If the call options are exercised in such transactions, the Fund's maximum
    gain will be the premium received by it for writing the option, adjusted
    upwards or downwards by the difference between the Fund's purchase price of
    the security and the exercise price, less related transaction costs. If the
    options are not exercised and the price of the underlying security declines,
    the amount of such decline will be offset in part, or entirely, by the
    premium received.

      The writing of covered put options is similar in terms of risk/return
    characteristics to buy-and-write transactions. If the market price of the
    underlying security rises or otherwise is above the exercise price, the put
    option will expire worthless and the Fund's gain will be limited to the
    premium received, less related transaction costs. If the market price of the
    underlying security declines or otherwise is below the exercise price, the
    Fund may elect to close the position or retain the option until it is
    exercised, at which time the Fund will be required to take delivery of the
    security at the exercise price; the Fund's return will be the premium
    received from the put option minus the amount by which the market price of
    the security is below the exercise price, which could result in a loss.
    Out-of-the-money, at-the-money and in-the-money put options may be used by
    the Fund in the same market environments that call options are used in
    equivalent buy-and-write transactions.

      The Fund may also write combinations of put and call options on the same
    security, known as "straddles" with the same exercise price and expiration
    date. By writing a straddle, the Fund undertakes a simultaneous obligation
    to sell and purchase the same security in the event that one of the options
    is exercised. If the price of the security subsequently rises sufficiently
    above the exercise price to cover the amount of the premium and transaction
    costs, the call will likely be exercised and the Fund will be required to
    sell the underlying security at a below market price. This loss may be
    offset, however, in whole or part, by the premiums received on the writing
    of the two options. Conversely, if the price of the security declines by a
    sufficient amount, the put will likely be exercised. The writing of
    straddles will likely be effective, therefore, only where the price of the
    security remains stable and neither the call nor the put is exercised. In
    those instances where one of the options is exercised, the loss on the
    purchase or sale of the underlying security may exceed the amount of the
    premiums received.

      By writing a call option, the Fund limits its opportunity to profit from
    any increase in the market value of the underlying security above the
    exercise price of the option. By writing a put option, the Fund assumes the
    risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying security for an
    exercise price above its then-current market value, resulting in a capital
    loss unless the security subsequently appreciates in value. The writing of
    options on securities will not be undertaken by the Fund solely for hedging
    purposes, and could involve certain risks which are not present in the case
    of hedging transactions. Moreover, even where options are written for
    hedging purposes, such transactions constitute only a partial hedge against
    declines in the value of portfolio securities or against increases in the
    value of securities to be acquired, up to the amount of the premium.

      The Fund may also purchase options for hedging purposes or to increase its
    return. Put options may be purchased to hedge against a decline in the value
    of portfolio securities. If such decline occurs, the put options will permit
    the Fund to sell the securities at the exercise price, or to close out the
    options at a profit. By using put options in this way, the Fund will reduce
    any profit it might otherwise have realized in the underlying security by
    the amount of the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs.

      The Fund may also purchase call options to hedge against an increase in
    the price of securities that the Fund anticipates purchasing in the future.
    If such increase occurs, the call option will permit the Fund to purchase
    the securities at the exercise price, or to close out the options at a
    profit. The premium paid for the call option plus any transaction costs will
    reduce the benefit, if any, realized by the Fund upon exercise of the
    option, and, unless the price of the underlying security rises sufficiently,
    the option may expire worthless to the Fund.

    OPTIONS ON STOCK INDICES: The Fund may write (sell) covered call and put
    options and purchase call and put options on stock indices. In contrast to
    an option on a security, an option on a stock index provides the holder with
    the right but not the obligation to make or receive a cash settlement upon
    exercise of the option, rather than the right to purchase or sell a
    security. The amount of this settlement is generally equal to (i) the
    amount, if any, by which the fixed exercise price of the option exceeds (in
    the case of a call) or is below (in the case of a put) the closing value of
    the underlying index on the date of exercise, multiplied by (ii) a fixed
    "index multiplier." The Fund may cover written call options on stock indices
    by owning securities whose price changes, in the opinion of the Adviser, are
    expected to be similar to those of the underlying index, or by having an
    absolute and immediate right to acquire such securities without additional
    cash consideration (or for additional cash consideration if the Fund owns
    liquid and unencumbered assets equal to the amount of cash consideration)
    upon conversion or exchange of other securities in its portfolio. Where the
    Fund covers a call option on a stock index through ownership of securities,
    such securities may not match the composition of the index and, in that
    event, the Fund will not be fully covered and could be subject to risk of
    loss in the event of adverse changes in the value of the index. The Fund may
    also cover call options on stock indices by holding a call on the same index
    and in the same principal amount as the call written where the exercise
    price of the call held (a) is equal to or less than the exercise price of
    the call written or (b) is greater than the exercise price of the call
    written if the Fund owns liquid and unencumbered assets equal to the
    difference. The Fund may cover put options on stock indices by owning liquid
    and unencumbered assets with a value equal to the exercise price, or by
    holding a put on the same stock index and in the same principal amount as
    the put written where the exercise price of the put held (a) is equal to or
    greater than the exercise price of the put written or (b) is less than the
    exercise price of the put written if the Fund owns liquid and unencumbered
    assets equal to the difference. Put and call options on stock indices may
    also be covered in such other manner as may be in accordance with the rules
    of the exchange on which, or the counterparty with which, the option is
    traded and applicable laws and regulations.

      The Fund will receive a premium from writing a put or call option, which
    increases the Fund's gross income in the event the option expires
    unexercised or is closed out at a profit. If the value of an index on which
    the Fund has written a call option falls or remains the same, the Fund will
    realize a profit in the form of the premium received (less transaction
    costs) that could offset all or a portion of any decline in the value of the
    securities it owns. If the value of the index rises, however, the Fund will
    realize a loss in its call option position, which will reduce the benefit of
    any unrealized appreciation in the Fund's stock investments. By writing a
    put option, the Fund assumes the risk of a decline in the index. To the
    extent that the price changes of securities owned by the Fund correlate with
    changes in the value of the index, writing covered put options on indices
    will increase the Fund's losses in the event of a market decline, although
    such losses will be offset in part by the premium received for writing the
    option.

      The Fund may also purchase put options on stock indices to hedge its
    investments against a decline in value. By purchasing a put option on a
    stock index, the Fund will seek to offset a decline in the value of
    securities it owns through appreciation of the put option. If the value of
    the Fund's investments does not decline as anticipated, or if the value of
    the option does not increase, the Fund's loss will be limited to the premium
    paid for the option plus related transaction costs. The success of this
    strategy will largely depend on the accuracy of the correlation between the
    changes in value of the index and the changes in value of the Fund's
    security holdings.

      The purchase of call options on stock indices may be used by the Fund to
    attempt to reduce the risk of missing a broad market advance, or an advance
    in an industry or market segment, at a time when the Fund holds uninvested
    cash or short-term debt securities awaiting investment. When purchasing call
    options for this purpose, the Fund will also bear the risk of losing all or
    a portion of the premium paid if the value of the index does not rise. The
    purchase of call options on stock indices when the Fund is substantially
    fully invested is a form of leverage, up to the amount of the premium and
    related transaction costs, and involves risks of loss and of increased
    volatility similar to those involved in purchasing calls on securities the
    Fund owns.

      The index underlying a stock index option may be a "broad-based" index,
    such as the Standard & Poor's 500 Index or the New York Stock Exchange
    Composite Index, the changes in value of which ordinarily will reflect
    movements in the stock market in general. In contrast, certain options may
    be based on narrower market indices, such as the Standard & Poor's 100
    Index, or on indices of securities of particular industry groups, such as
    those of oil and gas or technology companies. A stock index assigns relative
    values to the stocks included in the index and the index fluctuates with
    changes in the market values of the stocks so included. The composition of
    the index is changed periodically.

    RESET OPTIONS:
    In certain instances, the Fund may purchase or write options on U.S.
    Treasury securities which provide for periodic adjustment of the strike
    price and may also provide for the periodic adjustment of the premium during
    the term of each such option. Like other types of options, these
    transactions, which may be referred to as "reset" options or "adjustable
    strike" options grant the purchaser the right to purchase (in the case of a
    call) or sell (in the case of a put), a specified type of U.S. Treasury
    security at any time up to a stated expiration date (or, in certain
    instances, on such date). In contrast to other types of options, however,
    the price at which the underlying security may be purchased or sold under a
    "reset" option is determined at various intervals during the term of the
    option, and such price fluctuates from interval to interval based on changes
    in the market value of the underlying security. As a result, the strike
    price of a "reset" option, at the time of exercise, may be less advantageous
    than if the strike price had been fixed at the initiation of the option. In
    addition, the premium paid for the purchase of the option may be determined
    at the termination, rather than the initiation, of the option. If the
    premium for a reset option written by the Fund is paid at termination, the
    Fund assumes the risk that (i) the premium may be less than the premium
    which would otherwise have been received at the initiation of the option
    because of such factors as the volatility in yield of the underlying
    Treasury security over the term of the option and adjustments made to the
    strike price of the option, and (ii) the option purchaser may default on its
    obligation to pay the premium at the termination of the option. Conversely,
    where the Fund purchases a reset option, it could be required to pay a
    higher premium than would have been the case at the initiation of the
    option.

    "YIELD CURVE" OPTIONS: The Fund may also enter into options on the "spread,"
    or yield differential, between two fixed income securities, in transactions
    referred to as "yield curve" options. In contrast to other types of options,
    a yield curve option is based on the difference between the yields of
    designated securities, rather than the prices of the individual securities,
    and is settled through cash payments. Accordingly, a yield curve option is
    profitable to the holder if this differential widens (in the case of a call)
    or narrows (in the case of a put), regardless of whether the yields of the
    underlying securities increase or decrease.

      Yield curve options may be used for the same purposes as other options on
    securities. Specifically, the Fund may purchase or write such options for
    hedging purposes. For example, the Fund may purchase a call option on the
    yield spread between two securities, if it owns one of the securities and
    anticipates purchasing the other security and wants to hedge against an
    adverse change in the yield spread between the two securities. The Fund may
    also purchase or write yield curve options for other than hedging purposes
    (i.e., in an effort to increase its current income) if, in the judgment of
    the Adviser, the Fund will be able to profit from movements in the spread
    between the yields of the underlying securities. The trading of yield curve
    options is subject to all of the risks associated with the trading of other
    types of options. In addition, however, such options present risk of loss
    even if the yield of one of the underlying securities remains constant, if
    the spread moves in a direction or to an extent which was not anticipated.
    Yield curve options written by the Fund will be "covered". A call (or put)
    option is covered if the Fund holds another call (or put) option on the
    spread between the same two securities and owns liquid and unencumbered
    assets sufficient to cover the Fund's net liability under the two options.
    Therefore, the Fund's liability for such a covered option is generally
    limited to the difference between the amount of the Fund's liability under
    the option written by the Fund less the value of the option held by the
    Fund. Yield curve options may also be covered in such other manner as may be
    in accordance with the requirements of the counterparty with which the
    option is traded and applicable laws and regulations. Yield curve options
    are traded over-the-counter and because they have been only recently
    introduced, established trading markets for these securities have not yet
    developed.

    REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
    The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with sellers who are member
    firms (or a subsidiary thereof) of the New York Stock Exchange or members of
    the Federal Reserve System, recognized primary U.S. Government securities
    dealers or institutions which the Adviser has determined to be of comparable
    creditworthiness. The securities that the Fund purchases and holds through
    its agent are U.S. Government securities, the values of which are equal to
    or greater than the repurchase price agreed to be paid by the seller. 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 standard rate due to the Fund together with the
    repurchase price on repurchase. In either case, the income to the Fund is
    unrelated to the interest rate on the Government securities.

      The repurchase agreement provides that in the event the seller fails to
    pay the amount agreed upon on the agreed upon delivery date or upon demand,
    as the case may be, the Fund will have the right to liquidate the
    securities. If at the time the Fund is contractually entitled to exercise
    its right to liquidate the securities, the seller is subject to a proceeding
    under the bankruptcy laws or its assets are otherwise subject to a stay
    order, the Fund's exercise of its right to liquidate the securities may be
    delayed and result in certain losses and costs to the Fund. The Fund has
    adopted and follows procedures which are intended to minimize the risks of
    repurchase agreements. For example, the Fund only enters into repurchase
    agreements after the Adviser has determined that the seller is creditworthy,
    and the Adviser monitors that seller's creditworthiness on an ongoing basis.
    Moreover, under such agreements, the value of the securities (which are
    marked to market every business day) is required to be greater than the
    repurchase price, and the Fund has the right to make margin calls at any
    time if the value of the securities falls below the agreed upon collateral.

    RESTRICTED SECURITIES
    The Fund may purchase securities that are not registered under the
    Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("1933 Act") ("restricted securities"),
    including those that can be offered and sold to "qualified institutional
    buyers" under Rule 144A under the 1933 Act ("Rule 144A securities") and
    commercial paper issued under Section 4(2) of the 1933 Act ("4(2) Paper"). A
    determination is made, based upon a continuing review of the trading markets
    for the Rule 144A security or 4(2) Paper, whether such security is liquid
    and thus not subject to the Fund's limitation on investing in illiquid
    investments. The Board of Trustees has adopted guidelines and delegated to
    MFS the daily function of determining and monitoring the liquidity of Rule
    144A securities and 4(2) Paper. The Board, however, retains oversight of the
    liquidity determinations focusing on factors such as valuation, liquidity
    and availability of information. Investing in Rule 144A securities could
    have the effect of decreasing the level of liquidity in the Fund to the
    extent that qualified institutional buyers become for a time uninterested in
    purchasing these Rule 144A securities held in the Fund's portfolio. Subject
    to the Fund's limitation on investments in illiquid investments, the Fund
    may also invest in restricted securities that may not be sold under Rule
    144A, which presents certain risks. As a result, the Fund might not be able
    to sell these securities when the Adviser wishes to do so, or might have to
    sell them at less than fair value. In addition, market quotations are less
    readily available. Therefore, judgment may at times play a greater role in
    valuing these securities than in the case of unrestricted securities.

    SHORT SALES
    The Fund may seek to hedge investments or realize additional gains through
    short sales. The Fund may make short sales, which are transactions in which
    the Fund sells a security it does not own, in anticipation of a decline in
    the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the Fund
    must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is
    obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market
    price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less
    than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the
    security is replaced, the Fund is required to repay the lender any dividends
    or interest which accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the
    security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would
    increase the cost of the security sold. The net proceeds of the short sale
    will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin
    requirements, until the short position is closed out. The Fund also will
    incur transaction costs in effecting short sales.

      The Fund will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of
    the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on
    which the Fund replaces the borrowed security. The Fund will realize a gain
    if the price of the security declines between those dates. The amount of any
    gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount
    of the premium, dividends or interest the Fund may be required to pay in
    connection with a short sale.

      Whenever the Fund engages in short sales, it identifies liquid and
    unencumbered assets in an amount that, when combined with the amount of
    collateral deposited with the broker connection with the short sale, equals
    the current market value of the security sold short.

    SHORT SALES AGAINST THE BOX
    The Fund may make short sales "against the box," i.e., when a security
    identical to one owned by the Fund is borrowed and sold short. If the Fund
    enters into a short sale against the box, it is required to segregate
    securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short (or
    securities convertible or exchangeable into such securities) and is required
    to hold such securities while the short sale is outstanding. The Fund will
    incur transaction costs, including interest, in connection with opening,
    maintaining, and closing short sales against the box.


    SHORT TERM INSTRUMENTS

    The Fund may hold cash and invest in cash equivalents, such as short-term
    U.S. Government Securities, commercial paper and bank instruments.

    SWAPS AND RELATED DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS
    The Fund may enter into interest rate swaps, currency swaps and other types
    of available swap agreements, including swaps on securities, commodities and
    indices, and related types of derivatives, such as caps, collars and floors.
    A swap is an agreement between two parties pursuant to which each party
    agrees to make one or more payments to the other on regularly scheduled
    dates over a stated term, based on different interest rates, currency
    exchange rates, security or commodity prices, the prices or rates of other
    types of financial instruments or assets or the levels of specified indices.
    Under a typical swap, one party may agree to pay a fixed rate or a floating
    rate determined by reference to a specified instrument, rate or index,
    multiplied in each case by a specified amount (the "notional amount"), while
    the other party agrees to pay an amount equal to a different floating rate
    multiplied by the same notional amount. On each payment date, the
    obligations of parties are netted, with only the net amount paid by one
    party to the other. All swap agreements entered into by the Fund with the
    same counterparty are generally governed by a single master agreement, which
    provides for the netting of all amounts owed by the parties under the
    agreement upon the occurrence of an event of default, thereby reducing the
    credit risk to which such party is exposed.

      Swap agreements are typically individually negotiated and structured to
    provide exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market
    factors. Swap agreements may be entered into for hedging or non-hedging
    purposes and therefore may increase or decrease the Fund's exposure to the
    underlying instrument, rate, asset or index. Swap agreements can take many
    different forms and are known by a variety of names. The Fund is not limited
    to any particular form or variety of swap agreement if the Adviser
    determines it is consistent with the Fund's investment objective and
    policies.

      For example, the Fund may enter into an interest rate swap in order to
    protect against declines in the value of fixed income securities held by the
    Fund. In such an instance, the Fund would agree with a counterparty to pay a
    fixed rate (multiplied by a notional amount) and the counterparty would
    agree to pay a floating rate multiplied by the same notional amount. If
    interest rates rise, resulting in a diminution in the value of the Fund's
    portfolio, the Fund would receive payments under the swap that would offset,
    in whole or part, such diminution in value. The Fund may also enter into
    swaps to modify its exposure to particular markets or instruments, such as a
    currency swap between the U.S. dollar and another currency which would have
    the effect of increasing or decreasing the Fund's exposure to each such
    currency. The Fund might also enter into a swap on a particular security, or
    a basket or index of securities, in order to gain exposure to the underlying
    security or securities, as an alternative to purchasing such securities.
    Such transactions could be more efficient or less costly in certain
    instances than an actual purchase or sale of the securities.

      The Fund may enter into other related types of over-the-counter
    derivatives, such as "caps", "floors", "collars" and options on swaps, or
    "swaptions", for the same types of hedging or non-hedging purposes. Caps and
    floors are similar to swaps, except that one party pays a fee at the time
    the transaction is entered into and has no further payment obligations,
    while the other party is obligated to pay an amount equal to the amount by
    which a specified fixed or floating rate exceeds or is below another rate
    (multiplied by a notional amount). Caps and floors, therefore, are also
    similar to options. A collar is in effect a combination of a cap and a
    floor, with payments made only within or outside a specified range of prices
    or rates. A swaption is an option to enter into a swap agreement. Like other
    types of options, the buyer of a swaption pays a non-refundable premium for
    the option and obtains the right, but not the obligation, to enter into the
    underlying swap on the agreed-upon terms.

      The Fund will maintain liquid and unencumbered assets to cover its current
    obligations under swap and other over-the-counter derivative transactions.
    If the Fund enters into a swap agreement on a net basis (i.e., the two
    payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the
    case may be, only the net amount of the two payments), the Fund will
    maintain liquid and unencumbered assets with a daily value at least equal to
    the excess, if any, of the Fund's accrued obligations under the swap
    agreement over the accrued amount the Fund is entitled to receive under the
    agreement. If the Fund enters into a swap agreement on other than a net
    basis, it will maintain liquid and unencumbered assets with a value equal to
    the full amount of the Fund's accrued obligations under the agreement.

      The most significant factor in the performance of swaps, caps, floors and
    collars is the change in the underlying price, rate or index level that
    determines the amount of payments to be made under the arrangement. If the
    Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of such factors, the investment
    performance of the Fund would be less than what it would have been if these
    investment techniques had not been used. If a swap agreement calls for
    payments by the Fund, the Fund must be prepared to make such payments when
    due. In addition, if the counterparty's creditworthiness would decline, the
    value of the swap agreement would be likely to decline, potentially
    resulting in losses.

      If the counterparty defaults, the Fund's risk of loss consists of the net
    amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. The
    Fund anticipates that it will be able to eliminate or reduce its exposure
    under these arrangements by assignment or other disposition or by entering
    into an offsetting agreement with the same or another counterparty, but
    there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

      The uses by the Fund of swaps and related derivative instruments also
    involves the risks described under the caption "Special Risk Factors --
    Options, Futures, Forwards, Swaps and Other Derivative Transactions" in
    this Appendix.

    TEMPORARY BORROWINGS
    The Fund may borrow money for temporary purposes (e.g., to meet redemption
    requests or settle outstanding purchases of portfolio securities).

    TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE POSITIONS
    During periods of unusual market conditions when the Adviser believes that
    investing for temporary defensive purposes is appropriate, or in order to
    meet anticipated redemption requests, a large portion or all of the assets
    of the Fund may be invested in cash (including foreign currency) or cash
    equivalents, including, but not limited to, obligations of banks (including
    certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, time deposits and repurchase
    agreements), commercial paper, short-term notes, U.S. Government Securities
    and related repurchase agreements.

    WARRANTS
    The Fund may invest in warrants. Warrants are securities that give the Fund
    the right to purchase equity securities from the issuer at a specific price
    (the "strike price") for a limited period of time. The strike price of
    warrants typically is much lower than the current market price of the
    underlying securities, yet they are subject to similar price fluctuations.
    As a result, warrants may be more volatile investments than the underlying
    securities and may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well
    as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting
    rights with respect to the underlying securities and do not represent any
    rights in the assets of the issuing company. Also, the value of the warrant
    does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities and
    a warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to the
    expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other
    types of investments.

    "WHEN-ISSUED" SECURITIES
    The Fund may purchase securities on a "when-issued" or on a "forward
    delivery" basis which means that the securities will be delivered to the
    Fund at a future date usually beyond customary settlement time. The
    commitment to purchase a security for which payment will be made on a future
    date may be deemed a separate security. In general, the Fund does not pay
    for such securities until received, and does not start earning interest on
    the securities until the contractual settlement date. While awaiting
    delivery of securities purchased on such bases, a Fund will identify liquid
    and unencumbered assets equal to its forward delivery commitment.

    SPECIAL RISK FACTORS -- OPTIONS, FUTURES, FORWARDS, SWAPS AND OTHER
    DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS

    RISK OF IMPERFECT CORRELATION OF HEDGING INSTRUMENTS WITH THE FUND'S
    PORTFOLIO: The Fund's ability effectively to hedge all or a portion of its
    portfolio through transactions in derivatives, including options, Futures
    Contracts, Options on Futures Contracts, Forward Contracts, swaps and other
    types of derivatives depends on the degree to which price movements in the
    underlying index or instrument correlate with price movements in the
    relevant portion of the Fund's portfolio. In the case of derivative
    instruments based on an index, the portfolio will not duplicate the
    components of the index, and in the case of derivative instruments on fixed
    income securities, the portfolio securities which are being hedged may not
    be the same type of obligation underlying such derivatives. The use of
    derivatives for "cross hedging" purposes (such as a transaction in a Forward
    Contract on one currency to hedge exposure to a different currency) may
    involve greater correlation risks. Consequently, the Fund bears the risk
    that the price of the portfolio securities being hedged will not move in the
    same amount or direction as the underlying index or obligation.

      If the Fund purchases a put option on an index and the index decreases
    less than the value of the hedged securities, the Fund would experience a
    loss which is not completely offset by the put option. It is also possible
    that there may be a negative correlation between the index or obligation
    underlying an option or Futures Contract in which the Fund has a position
    and the portfolio securities the Fund is attempting to hedge, which could
    result in a loss on both the portfolio and the hedging instrument. It should
    be noted that stock index futures contracts or options based upon a narrower
    index of securities, such as those of a particular industry group, may
    present greater risk than options or futures based on a broad market index.
    This is due to the fact that a narrower index is more susceptible to rapid
    and extreme fluctuations as a result of changes in the value of a small
    number of securities. Nevertheless, where the Fund enters into transactions
    in options or futures on narrowly-based indices for hedging purposes,
    movements in the value of the index should, if the hedge is successful,
    correlate closely with the portion of the Fund's portfolio or the intended
    acquisitions being hedged.

      The trading of derivatives for hedging purposes entails the additional
    risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the
    derivative and the price of the underlying index or obligation. The
    anticipated spread between the prices may be distorted due to the
    differences in the nature of the markets such as differences in margin
    requirements, the liquidity of such markets and the participation of
    speculators in the derivatives markets. In this regard, trading by
    speculators in derivatives has in the past occasionally resulted in market
    distortions, which may be difficult or impossible to predict, particularly
    near the expiration of such instruments.

      The trading of Options on Futures Contracts also entails the risk that
    changes in the value of the underlying Futures Contracts will not be fully
    reflected in the value of the option. The risk of imperfect correlation,
    however, generally tends to diminish as the maturity date of the Futures
    Contract or expiration date of the option approaches.

      Further, with respect to options on securities, options on stock indices,
    options on currencies and Options on Futures Contracts, the Fund is subject
    to the risk of market movements between the time that the option is
    exercised and the time of performance thereunder. This could increase the
    extent of any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with such
    transactions.

      In writing a covered call option on a security, index or futures contract,
    the Fund also incurs the risk that changes in the value of the instruments
    used to cover the position will not correlate closely with changes in the
    value of the option or underlying index or instrument. For example, where
    the Fund covers a call option written on a stock index through segregation
    of securities, such securities may not match the composition of the index,
    and the Fund may not be fully covered. As a result, the Fund could be
    subject to risk of loss in the event of adverse market movements.

      The writing of options on securities, options on stock indices or Options
    on Futures Contracts constitutes only a partial hedge against fluctuations
    in the value of the Fund's portfolio. When the Fund writes an option, it
    will receive premium income in return for the holder's purchase of the right
    to acquire or dispose of the underlying obligation. In the event that the
    price of such obligation does not rise sufficiently above the exercise price
    of the option, in the case of a call, or fall below the exercise price, in
    the case of a put, the option will not be exercised and the Fund will retain
    the amount of the premium, less related transaction costs, which will
    constitute a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the
    Fund's portfolio holdings or any increase in the cost of the instruments to
    be acquired.

      Where the price of the underlying obligation moves sufficiently in favor
    of the holder to warrant exercise of the option, however, and the option is
    exercised, the Fund will incur a loss which may only be partially offset by
    the amount of the premium it received. Moreover, by writing an option, the
    Fund may be required to forego the benefits which might otherwise have been
    obtained from an increase in the value of portfolio securities or other
    assets or a decline in the value of securities or assets to be acquired. In
    the event of the occurrence of any of the foregoing adverse market events,
    the Fund's overall return may be lower than if it had not engaged in the
    hedging transactions. Furthermore, the cost of using these techniques may
    make it economically infeasible for the Fund to engage in such transactions.

    RISKS OF NON-HEDGING TRANSACTIONS: The Fund may enter transactions in
    derivatives for non-hedging purposes as well as hedging purposes. Non-
    hedging transactions in such instruments involve greater risks and may
    result in losses which may not be offset by increases in the value of
    portfolio securities or declines in the cost of securities to be acquired.
    The Fund will only write covered options, such that liquid and unencumbered
    assets necessary to satisfy an option exercise will be identified, unless
    the option is covered in such other manner as may be in accordance with the
    rules of the exchange on which, or the counterparty with which, the option
    is traded and applicable laws and regulations. Nevertheless, the method of
    covering an option employed by the Fund may not fully protect it against
    risk of loss and, in any event, the Fund could suffer losses on the option
    position which might not be offset by corresponding portfolio gains. The
    Fund may also enter into futures, Forward Contracts or swaps for non-hedging
    purposes. For example, the Fund may enter into such a transaction as an
    alternative to purchasing or selling the underlying instrument or to obtain
    desired exposure to an index or market. In such instances, the Fund will be
    exposed to the same economic risks incurred in purchasing or selling the
    underlying instrument or instruments. However, transactions in futures,
    Forward Contracts or swaps may be leveraged, which could expose the Fund to
    greater risk of loss than such purchases or sales. Entering into
    transactions in derivatives for other than hedging purposes, therefore,
    could expose the Fund to significant risk of loss if the prices, rates or
    values of the underlying instruments or indices do not move in the direction
    or to the extent anticipated.

      With respect to the writing of straddles on securities, the Fund incurs
    the risk that the price of the underlying security will not remain stable,
    that one of the options written will be exercised and that the resulting
    loss will not be offset by the amount of the premiums received. Such
    transactions, therefore, create an opportunity for increased return by
    providing the Fund with two simultaneous premiums on the same security, but
    involve additional risk, since the Fund may have an option exercised against
    it regardless of whether the price of the security increases or decreases.

    RISK OF A POTENTIAL LACK OF A LIQUID SECONDARY MARKET: Prior to exercise or
    expiration, a futures or option position can only be terminated by entering
    into a closing purchase or sale transaction. This requires a secondary
    market for such instruments on the exchange on which the initial transaction
    was entered into. While the Fund will enter into options or futures
    positions only if there appears to be a liquid secondary market therefor,
    there can be no assurance that such a market will exist for any particular
    contract at any specific time. In that event, it may not be possible to
    close out a position held by the Fund, and the Fund could be required to
    purchase or sell the instrument underlying an option, make or receive a cash
    settlement or meet ongoing variation margin requirements. Under such
    circumstances, if the Fund has insufficient cash available to meet margin
    requirements, it will be necessary to liquidate portfolio securities or
    other assets at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so. The inability to
    close out options and futures positions, therefore, could have an adverse
    impact on the Fund's ability effectively to hedge its portfolio, and could
    result in trading losses.

      The liquidity of a secondary market in a Futures Contract or option
    thereon may be adversely affected by "daily price fluctuation limits,"
    established by exchanges, which limit the amount of fluctuation in the price
    of a contract during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been
    reached in the contract, no trades may be entered into at a price beyond the
    limit, thus preventing the liquidation of open futures or option positions
    and requiring traders to make additional margin deposits. Prices have in the
    past moved to the daily limit on a number of consecutive trading days.

      The trading of Futures Contracts and options is also subject to the risk
    of trading halts, suspensions, exchange or clearinghouse equipment failures,
    government intervention, insolvency of a brokerage firm or clearinghouse or
    other disruptions of normal trading activity, which could at times make it
    difficult or impossible to liquidate existing positions or to recover excess
    variation margin payments.

    MARGIN: Because of low initial margin deposits made upon the establishment
    of a futures, forward or swap position (certain of which may require no
    initial margin deposits) and the writing of an option, such transactions
    involve substantial leverage. As a result, relatively small movements in the
    price of the contract can result in substantial unrealized gains or losses.
    Where the Fund enters into such transactions for hedging purposes, any
    losses incurred in connection therewith should, if the hedging strategy is
    successful, be offset, in whole or in part, by increases in the value of
    securities or other assets held by the Fund or decreases in the prices of
    securities or other assets the Fund intends to acquire. Where the Fund
    enters into such transactions for other than hedging purposes, the margin
    requirements associated with such transactions could expose the Fund to
    greater risk.

    POTENTIAL BANKRUPTCY OF A CLEARINGHOUSE OR BROKER: When the Fund enters into
    transactions in exchange-traded futures or options, it is exposed to the
    risk of the potential bankruptcy of the relevant exchange clearinghouse or
    the broker through which the Fund has effected the transaction. In that
    event, the Fund might not be able to recover amounts deposited as margin, or
    amounts owed to the Fund in connection with its transactions, for an
    indefinite period of time, and could sustain losses of a portion or all of
    such amounts. Moreover, the performance guarantee of an exchange
    clearinghouse generally extends only to its members and the Fund could
    sustain losses, notwithstanding such guarantee, in the event of the
    bankruptcy of its broker.

    TRADING AND POSITION LIMITS: The exchanges on which futures and options are
    traded may impose limitations governing the maximum number of positions on
    the same side of the market and involving the same underlying instrument
    which may be held by a single investor, whether acting alone or in concert
    with others (regardless of whether such contracts are held on the same or
    different exchanges or held or written in one or more accounts or through
    one or more brokers). Further, the CFTC and the various contract markets
    have established limits referred to as "speculative position limits" on the
    maximum net long or net short position which any person may hold or control
    in a particular futures or option contract. An exchange may order the
    liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits and it may
    impose other sanctions or restrictions. The Adviser does not believe that
    these trading and position limits will have any adverse impact on the
    strategies for hedging the portfolios of the Fund.

    RISKS OF OPTIONS ON FUTURES CONTRACTS: The amount of risk the Fund assumes
    when it purchases an Option on a Futures Contract is the premium paid for
    the option, plus related transaction costs. In order to profit from an
    option purchased, however, it may be necessary to exercise the option and to
    liquidate the underlying Futures Contract, subject to the risks of the
    availability of a liquid offset market described herein. The writer of an
    Option on a Futures Contract is subject to the risks of commodity futures
    trading, including the requirement of initial and variation margin payments,
    as well as the additional risk that movements in the price of the option may
    not correlate with movements in the price of the underlying security, index,
    currency or Futures Contract.

    RISKS OF TRANSACTIONS IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES AND OVER-THE-COUNTER DERIVATIVES
    AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS NOT CONDUCTED ON U.S. EXCHANGES: Transactions in
    Forward Contracts on foreign currencies, as well as futures and options on
    foreign currencies and transactions executed on foreign exchanges, are
    subject to all of the correlation, liquidity and other risks outlined above.
    In addition, however, such transactions are subject to the risk of
    governmental actions affecting trading in or the prices of currencies
    underlying such contracts, which could restrict or eliminate trading and
    could have a substantial adverse effect on the value of positions held by
    the Fund. Further, the value of such positions could be adversely affected
    by a number of other complex political and economic factors applicable to
    the countries issuing the underlying currencies.

      Further, unlike trading in most other types of instruments, there is no
    systematic reporting of last sale information with respect to the foreign
    currencies underlying contracts thereon. As a result, the available
    information on which trading systems will be based may not be as complete as
    the comparable data on which the Fund makes investment and trading decisions
    in connection with other transactions. Moreover, because the foreign
    currency market is a global, 24-hour market, events could occur in that
    market which will not be reflected in the forward, futures or options market
    until the following day, thereby making it more difficult for the Fund to
    respond to such events in a timely manner.

      Settlements of exercises of over-the-counter Forward Contracts or foreign
    currency options generally must occur within the country issuing the
    underlying currency, which in turn requires traders to accept or make
    delivery of such currencies in conformity with any U.S. or foreign
    restrictions and regulations regarding the maintenance of foreign banking
    relationships, fees, taxes or other charges.

      Unlike transactions entered into by the Fund in Futures Contracts and
    exchange-traded options, options on foreign currencies, Forward Contracts,
    over-the-counter options on securities, swaps and other over-the-counter
    derivatives are not traded on contract markets regulated by the CFTC or
    (with the exception of certain foreign currency options) the SEC. To the
    contrary, such instruments are traded through financial institutions acting
    as market-makers, although foreign currency options are also traded on
    certain national securities exchanges, such as the Philadelphia Stock
    Exchange and the Chicago Board Options Exchange, subject to SEC regulation.
    In an over-the-counter trading environment, many of the protections afforded
    to exchange participants will not be available. For example, there are no
    daily price fluctuation limits, and adverse market movements could therefore
    continue to an unlimited extent over a period of time. Although the
    purchaser of an option cannot lose more than the amount of the premium plus
    related transaction costs, this entire amount could be lost. Moreover, the
    option writer and a trader of Forward Contracts could lose amounts
    substantially in excess of their initial investments, due to the margin and
    collateral requirements associated with such positions.

      In addition, over-the-counter transactions can only be entered into with a
    financial institution willing to take the opposite side, as principal, of
    the Fund's position unless the institution acts as broker and is able to
    find another counterparty willing to enter into the transaction with the
    Fund. Where no such counterparty is available, it will not be possible to
    enter into a desired transaction. There also may be no liquid secondary
    market in the trading of over-the-counter contracts, and the Fund could be
    required to retain options purchased or written, or Forward Contracts or
    swaps entered into, until exercise, expiration or maturity. This in turn
    could limit the Fund's ability to profit from open positions or to reduce
    losses experienced, and could result in greater losses.

      Further, over-the-counter transactions are not subject to the guarantee of
    an exchange clearinghouse, and the Fund will therefore be subject to the
    risk of default by, or the bankruptcy of, the financial institution serving
    as its counterparty. One or more of such institutions also may decide to
    discontinue their role as market-makers in a particular currency or
    security, thereby restricting the Fund's ability to enter into desired
    hedging transactions. The Fund will enter into an over-the-counter
    transaction only with parties whose creditworthiness has been reviewed and
    found satisfactory by the Adviser.

      Options on securities, options on stock indices, Futures Contracts,
    Options on Futures Contracts and options on foreign currencies may be traded
    on exchanges located in foreign countries. Such transactions may not be
    conducted in the same manner as those entered into on U.S. exchanges, and
    may be subject to different margin, exercise, settlement or expiration
    procedures. As a result, many of the risks of over-the-counter trading may
    be present in connection with such transactions.

      Options on foreign currencies traded on national securities exchanges are
    within the jurisdiction of the SEC, as are other securities traded on such
    exchanges. As a result, many of the protections provided to traders on
    organized exchanges will be available with respect to such transactions. In
    particular, all foreign currency option positions entered into on a national
    securities exchange are cleared and guaranteed by the Options Clearing
    Corporation (the "OCC"), thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default.
    Further, a liquid secondary market in options traded on a national
    securities exchange may be more readily available than in the
    over-the-counter market, potentially permitting the Fund to liquidate open
    positions at a profit prior to exercise or expiration, or to limit losses in
    the event of adverse market movements.

      The purchase and sale of exchange-traded foreign currency options,
    however, is subject to the risks of the availability of a liquid secondary
    market described above, as well as the risks regarding adverse market
    movements, margining of options written, the nature of the foreign currency
    market, possible intervention by governmental authorities and the effects of
    other political and economic events. In addition, exchange-traded options on
    foreign currencies involve certain risks not presented by the
    over-the-counter market. For example, exercise and settlement of such
    options must be made exclusively through the OCC, which has established
    banking relationships in applicable foreign countries for this purpose. As a
    result, the OCC may, if it determines that foreign governmental restrictions
    or taxes would prevent the orderly settlement of foreign currency option
    exercises, or would result in undue burdens on the OCC or its clearing
    member, impose special procedures on exercise and settlement, such as
    technical changes in the mechanics of delivery of currency, the fixing of
    dollar settlement prices or prohibitions on exercise.

    POLICIES ON THE USE OF FUTURES AND OPTIONS ON FUTURES CONTRACTS: In order to
    assure that the Fund will not be deemed to be a "commodity pool" for
    purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act, regulations of the CFTC require that
    the Fund enter into transactions in Futures Contracts, Options on Futures
    Contracts and Options on Foreign Currencies traded on a CFTC- regulated
    exchange only (i) for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined in CFTC
    regulations), or (ii) for non-bona fide hedging purposes, provided that the
    aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish such non-bona
    fide hedging positions does not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the
    Fund's assets, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized
    losses on any such contracts the Fund has entered into, and excluding, in
    computing such 5%, the in-the-money amount with respect to an option that is
    in-the-money at the time of purchase.

<PAGE>

  --------------------
  PART II - APPENDIX D
  --------------------

                           DESCRIPTION OF BOND RATINGS

    The ratings of Moody's, S&P and Fitch represent their opinions as to the
    quality of various debt instruments. It should be emphasized, however, that
    ratings are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, debt
    instruments with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different
    yields while debt instruments of the same maturity and coupon with different
    ratings may have the same yield.

                         MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC.

    Aaa: 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 edged." 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.

    Aa: 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 risk appear somewhat
    larger than the Aaa securities.

    A: 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 some time in the
    future.

    Baa: 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.

    Ba: 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.

    B: 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.

    Caa: 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.

    Ca: 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.

    C: 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.


                        STANDARD & POOR'S RATINGS SERVICES

    AAA: An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard &
    Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the
    obligation is EXTREMELY STRONG.


    AA: An obligation rated AA differs from the highest rated obligations only
    in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on
    the obligation is VERY STRONG.

    A: An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects
    of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in
    higher rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its
    financial commitment on the obligation is still STRONG.

    BBB: An obligation rated BBB exhibits ADEQUATE protection parameters.
    However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more
    likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial
    commitment on the obligation.

    Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are regarded as having significant
    speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation
    and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and
    protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties
    or major exposures to adverse conditions.

    BB: An obligation rated BB is LESS VULNERABLE to nonpayment than other
    speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or
    exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could
    lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment
    on the obligation.

    B: An obligation rated B is MORE VULNERABLE to nonpayment than obligations
    rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial
    commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic
    conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet
    its financial commitment on the obligation.

    CCC: An obligation rated CCC is CURRENTLY VULNERABLE to nonpayment, and is
    dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for
    the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event
    of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions the obligor is not
    likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the
    obligation.

    CC: An obligation rated CC is CURRENTLY HIGHLY VULNERABLE to nonpayment.


    C: Subordinated debt or preferred stock obligation rated C is CURRENTLY
    HIGHLY VULNERABLE to nonpayment. The C rating may be used to cover a
    situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action has
    been taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued. A C rating
    will also be assigned to a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or
    sinking fund payments, but that is currently paying.


    D: An obligation rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is
    used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the
    applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's 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 or the taking of a
    similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.

    PLUS (+) OR MINUS (-) The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the
    addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major
    rating categories.

    R: This symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant
    noncredit risks. It highlights risks to principal or volatility of expected
    returns which are not addressed in the credit rating. Examples include:
    obligations linked or indexed to equities, currencies, or commodities;
    obligations exposed to severe prepayment risk -- such as interest-only or
    principal-only mortgage securities; and obligations with unusually risky
    interest terms, such as inverse floaters.

                                    FITCH IBCA

    AAA: Highest credit quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of
    credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity
    for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly
    unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

    AA: Very high credit quality. AA ratings denote a very low expectation of
    credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of
    financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to
    foreseeable events.

    A: High credit quality. A ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk.
    The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered
    strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in
    circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

    BBB: Good credit quality. BBB ratings indicate that there is currently a low
    expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial
    commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and
    in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the
    lowest investment-grade category.

    Speculative Grade

    BB: Speculative. BB ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit
    risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change
    over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to
    allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category
    are not investment grade.

    B: Highly speculative. B ratings indicate that significant credit risk is
    present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are
    currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent
    upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.

    CCC, CC, C: High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for
    meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable
    business or economic developments. A CC rating indicates that default of
    some kind appears probable. C ratings signal imminent default.


    DDD, DD, D: Default. The ratings of obligations in this category are based
    on their prospects for achieving partial or full recovery in a
    reorganization or liquidation of the obligor. While expected recovery values
    are highly speculative and cannot be estimated with any precision, the
    following serve as general guidelines. DDD obligations have the highest
    potential for recovery, around 90% - 100% of outstanding amounts and accrued
    interest. DD indicates expected recoveries in the range of 50% - 90% and D
    the lowest recovery potential, i.e. below 50%.


                         DUFF & PHELPS CREDIT RATING CO.

    AAA: Highest credit quality. The risk factors are negligible, being only
    slightly more than for risk-free U.S. Treasury debt.

    AA+, AA, AA-: High credit quality. Protection factors are strong. Risk is
    modest but may vary slightly from time to time because of economic
    conditions.

    A+, A, A-: Protection factors are average but adequate. However, risk
    factors are more variable and greater in periods of economic stress.

    BBB+, BBB, BBB-: Below-average protection factors but still considered
    sufficient for prudent investment. Considerable variability in risk during
    economic cycles.

    BB+, BB, BB-: Below investment grade but deemed likely to meet obligations
    when due. Present or prospective financial protection factors fluctuate
    according to industry conditions or company fortunes. Overall quality may
    move up or down frequently within this category.

    B+, B, B-: Below investment grade and possessing risk that obligations will
    not be met when due. Financial protection factors will fluctuate widely
    according to economic cycles, industry conditions and/or company fortunes.
    Potential exists for frequent changes in the rating within this category or
    into a higher or lower rating grade.


    CCC: Well below investment grade securities. Considerable uncertainty exists
    as to timely payment of principal, interest or preferred dividends.
    Protection factors are narrow and risk can be substantial with unfavorable
    economic/industry conditions, and/or with unfavorable company developments.

    DD: Defaulted debt obligations. Issuer failed to meet scheduled principal
    and/or interest payments.


    DP: Preferred stock with dividend arrearages.

<PAGE>

INVESTMENT ADVISER
MFS Investment Management(R)
500 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116
(617) 954-5000

DISTRIBUTOR
MFS Fund Distributors, Inc.
500 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116
(617) 954-5000

CUSTODIAN AND DIVIDEND DISBURSING AGENT
State Street Bank and Trust Company
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110


SHAREHOLDER SERVICING AGENT
MFS Service Center, Inc.
2 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, MA 02111-1738
Toll free: (800) 225-2606


MAILING ADDRESS:
P.O. Box 2281, Boston, MA 02107-9906

[logo] M F S (R)
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
WE INVENTED THE MUTUAL FUND(R)

500 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116

                                                               MFS-13P2 - 1/00


<PAGE>

                               MFS SERIES TRUST XI


                             VERTEX(SM) ALL CAP FUND
                           VERTEX(SM) CONTRARIAN FUND


                                     PART C

ITEM 23.    EXHIBITS

            1 (a) Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, dated January 24,
                  1996.  (5)

              (b) Amendment to the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust,
                  dated January 29, 1997 - Abolishment of MFS Union Standard
                  Research Fund, a series of MFS Union Standard Trust. (9)

              (c) Certification of Amendment to the Declaration of Trust, dated
                  July 30, 1997 - Redesignation of Series of Shares. (12).

              (d) Amendment to the Declaration of Trust, dated January 28, 1998.
                  (1)

              (e) Amendment to the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust to
                  terminate the Vertex Growth Fund and the Vertex Discovery
                  Fund, dated November 2, 1998. (7)

              (f) Certification of Amendment to Declaration of Trust -
                  Redesignation of Series, dated July 31, 1998. (7)

              (g) Amendment to the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust to
                  terminate the Vertex U.S. All Cap Fund, dated December 23,
                  1999. (15)

              (h) Amendment to the Declaration of Trust to establish Vertex
                  Income Fund as a new series. (15)


              (i) Form of Amendment to the Declaration of Trust to establish
                  Vertex International Fund as a new series. (16)


            2     By-Laws, dated September 1, 1993. (3)

            3     Form of Share Certificate.  (2)

            4 (a) Investment Advisory Agreement by and between MFS Union
                  Standard Trust on behalf of MFS Union Standard Equity Fund
                  and Massachusetts Financial Services Company, dated
                  December 8, 1993. (3)

              (b) Investment Advisory Agreement by and between MFS Series Trust
                  XI on behalf of Vertex All Cap Fund and Vertex Investment
                  Management, Inc., dated October 1, 1999. (13)

              (c) Investment Advisory Agreement by and between MFS Series Trust
                  XI on behalf of Vertex U.S. All Cap Fund and Vertex Investment
                  Management, Inc., dated October 1, 1999. (13)

              (d) Investment Advisory Agreement by and between MFS Series Trust
                  XI on behalf of Vertex Contrarian Fund and Vertex Investment
                  Management, Inc., dated October 1, 1999. (13)


              (e) Investment Advisory Agreement by and between MFS Series Trust
                  XI on behalf of Vertex Income Fund and Vertex Investment
                  Management, dated June 30, 2000. (16)

              (f) Form of Investment Advisory Agreement by and between MFS
                  Series Trust XI on behalf of Vertex International Fund and
                  Vertex Investment Management. (16)


            5 (a) Amended and Restated Master Distribution Agreement, dated as
                  of December 8, 1993 and Amended and Restated as of July 30,
                  1997. (12)

              (b) Dealer Agreement between MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. ("MFD")
                  and a dealer and the Mutual Fund Agreement between MFD and a
                  bank effective November 29, 1999. (8)

            6     Not Applicable.

            7 (a) Custodian Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank
                  and Trust Company, dated December 8, 1993.  (4)

              (b) Amendment to the Custodian Agreement, dated December 8, 1993.
                  (3)

              (c) Amendment to Custodian Contract, dated November 17, 1995. (4)

            8 (a) Amended and Restated Shareholder Servicing Agent Agreement,
                  dated November 17, 1995 between Registrant and MFS and
                  Amendment to Amended and Restated Shareholder Servicing Agent
                  Agreement, dated April 1, 1999. (13)

              (b) Proxy Services Agreement between MFS Union Standard Trust and
                  American Capital Strategies Ltd., dated December 8, 1993. (4)

              (c) Dividend Disbursing Agency Agreement between Registrant and
                  State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated December 8, 1993.
                  (3)

              (d) Master Administrative Services Agreement, as amended, dated
                  March 1, 1997, as amended and restated April 1, 1999. (6)

              (e) Exchange Privilege Agreement dated July 31, 1997. (10)


            9 (a) Opinion and Consent of Counsel, dated October 11, 2000. (16)

              (b) Legal Opinion Consent, dated November 20, 2000; filed
                  herewith.

           10 (a) Consent of Ernst & Young LLP on behalf of Vertex All Cap Fund
                  and Vertex Contrarian Fund; filed herewith.


              (b) Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP on behalf of MFS Union
                  Standard Equity Fund. (13)

           11     Not Applicable.

           12     Investment Representation Letter, dated November 19, 1993. (3)

           13     Not Applicable.

           14     Not Applicable.

           15     Amended and Restated Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3(d) under the
                  Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended and restated as of
                  July 30, 1998 (Exhibit A dated April 12, 2000). (11)

           16     Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the Investment
                  Company Act of 1940. (14)


              Power of Attorney dated July 26, 2000.  (16)


-----------------
 (1) Incorporated by reference to the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No.
     8 filed with the SEC on via EDGAR February 12, 1998.
 (2) Incorporated by reference to MFS Municipal Series Trust (File Nos. 2-92915
     and 811-4096) Post-Effective Amendment No. 28 filed with the SEC via EDGAR
     on July 28, 1995.
 (3) Incorporated by reference to Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 3
     filed with the SEC via EDGAR on September 1, 1995.
 (4) Incorporated by reference to Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 4
     filed with the SEC via EDGAR on January 26, 1996.
 (5) Incorporated by reference to Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 5
     filed with the SEC via EDGAR on January 28, 1997.
 (6) Incorporated by reference to MFS Series Trust III (File Nos. 2-60491 and
     811-2794) Post-Effective Amendment No. 28, filed with the SEC via EDGAR on
     March 31, 1999.
 (7) Incorporated by reference to Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 9
     filed with the SEC via EDGAR on November 25, 1998.
 (8) Incorporated by reference to MFS Series Trust V (File Nos. 2-38613 and
     811-2031) Post-Effective Amendment No. 48, filed with the SEC via EDGAR on
     November 29, 1999.
 (9) Incorporated by reference to Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 6
     filed with the SEC via EDGAR on June 24, 1997.
(10) Incorporated by reference to Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Fund's
     (File Nos. 2-14677 and 811-859) Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 filed with
     the SEC via EDGAR on October 29, 1997.
(11) Incorporated by reference to MFS Government Limited Maturity Fund (File
     Nos. 2-96738 and 811-4253) Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 filed with the
     SEC via EDGAR on April 28, 2000.
(12) Incorporated by reference to Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 7
     filed with the SEC via EDGAR on January 28, 1998.
(13) Incorporated by reference to Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 10
     filed with the SEC via EDGAR on November 29, 1999.
(14) Incorporated by reference to MFS Series Trust IX (File Nos. 2-50409 and
     811-2464) Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 filed with the SEC via EDGAR on
     August 28, 2000.

(15) Incorporated by reference to Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 11
     filed with the SEC via EDGAR on February 10, 2000.
(16) Incorporated by reference to Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 12
     filed with the SEC via EDGAR on October 13, 2000.


ITEM 24.    PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT

            Not applicable.

ITEM 25.    INDEMNIFICATION

            Section 5.3 of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Declaration of
Trust provides that every person who is or has been a Trustee or officer of the
Registrant shall be indemnified by the Registrant against all liability and
against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any
claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or
otherwise by virtue of his being or having been a Trustee or officer and against
amounts paid or incurred by him in the settlement thereof. However, Section 5.3
further provides that no indemnification shall be provided to a Trustee or
officer:

            (i)     against any liability to the Registrant or the shareholders
                    of the Registrant by reason of a final adjudication by the
                    court or other body before which the proceeding was brought
                    that he engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
                    negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in
                    the conduct of his office;

            (ii)    with respect to any matter as to which he shall have been
                    finally adjudicated not to have acted in good faith in the
                    reasonable belief that his action was in the best interest
                    of the Registrant; or

            (iii)   in the event of a settlement involving a payment by a
                    Trustee or officer or other disposition not involving a
                    final adjudication as provided in paragraph (i) or (ii)
                    above resulting in a payment by a Trustee or officer, unless
                    there has been either a determination that such Trustee or
                    officer did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith,
                    gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
                    involved in the conduct of his office by the court or other
                    body approving the settlement or other disposition or by a
                    reasonable determination, based upon a review of readily
                    available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry)
                    that he did not engage in such conduct:

                    (A)   by vote of a majority of the Disinterested Trustees
                          (as defined below) acting on the matter (provided that
                          a majority of the Disinterested Trustees then in
                          office act on the matter); or

                    (B)   by written opinion of independent legal counsel.

            The term "Disinterested Trustee" is defined as one who is not an
interested person of the Registrant and against whom none of such actions, suits
or other proceedings or another action, suit or other proceeding on the same or
similar grounds is then or had been pending.

            Expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim,
action, suit, or proceeding of the character described in Section 5.3 of the
Registrant's Declaration of Trust shall be advanced by the Registrant prior to
final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the
recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he is not
entitled to indemnification under Section 5.3, provided that either:

            (i)     such undertaking is secured by a surety bond or some other
                    appropriate security or the Registrant shall be insured
                    against losses arising out of any such advances; or

            (ii)    a majority of the Disinterested Trustees acting on the
                    matter (provided that a majority of the Disinterested
                    Trustees then in office act on the matter) or an independent
                    legal counsel in a written opinion, shall determine, based
                    upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a
                    full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe
                    that the recipient ultimately will be found entitled to
                    indemnification.

            Section 9 of the Amended and Restated Shareholder Servicing Agent
Agreement between the Registrant and MFS Service Center, Inc. ("MFSC") specifies
that the Registrant will indemnify MFSC against and hold MFSC harmless from any
and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (including reasonable
counsel fees and expenses) resulting from any claim, demand, action or suit not
resulting from MFSC's bad faith or negligence, and arising out of, or in
connection with, MFSC's duties on behalf of the Registrant under such Agreement.
In addition, Section 9 provides that the Registrant will indemnify MFSC against
and hold MFSC harmless from any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
expenses (including reasonable counsel fees and expenses) resulting from any
claim, demand, action or suit as a result of MFSC acting in accordance with any
instructions reasonably believed by MFSC to have been executed or orally
communicated by any person duly authorized by the Registrant or its principal
underwriter, or as a result of acting in accordance with written or oral advice
reasonably believed by MFSC to have been given by counsel for the Registrant, or
as a result of acting in accordance with any instrument or share certificate
reasonably believed by MFSC to have been genuine and signed, countersigned or
executed by any person or persons authorized to sign, countersign or execute the
same (unless contributed to by MFSC's gross negligence or bad faith).

            The Trustees and officers of the Registrant and the personnel of the
Registrant's investment adviser and distributor will be insured as of the
effective date of this Registration Statement under an errors and omissions
liability insurance policy. The Registrant and its officers are also insured
under the fidelity bond required by Rule 17g-1 under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended.

ITEM 26.    BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISER


            MFS serves as investment adviser to the following open-end Funds
comprising the MFS Family of Funds (except the Vertex Funds mentioned below):
Massachusetts Investors Trust; Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Fund; MFS
Growth Opportunities Fund; MFS Government Securities Fund; MFS Government
Limited Maturity Fund; MFS Series Trust I (which has 12 series: MFS Managed
Sectors Fund, MFS Cash Reserve Fund, MFS Global Asset Allocation Fund, MFS
Strategic Growth Fund, MFS Research Growth and Income Fund, MFS Core Growth
Fund, MFS Equity Income Fund, MFS New Discovery Fund, MFS Technology Fund, MFS
Research International Fund, MFS Global Telecommunications Fund and MFS Japan
Equity Fund); MFS Series Trust II (which has two series: MFS Emerging Growth
Fund and MFS Large Cap Growth Fund); MFS Series Trust III (which has three
series: MFS High Income Fund, MFS Municipal High Income Fund and MFS High Yield
Opportunities Fund); MFS Series Trust IV (which has four series: MFS Money
Market Fund, MFS Government Money Market Fund, MFS Municipal Bond Fund and MFS
Mid Cap Growth Fund); MFS Series Trust V (which has five series: MFS Total
Return Fund, MFS Research Fund, MFS International New Discovery Fund, MFS
International Strategic Growth Fund and MFS International Value Fund); MFS
Series Trust VI (which has three series: MFS Global Total Return Fund, MFS
Utilities Fund and MFS Global Equity Fund); MFS Series Trust VII (which has two
series: MFS Global Governments Fund and MFS Capital Opportunities Fund); MFS
Series Trust VIII (which has two series: MFS Strategic Income Fund and MFS
Global Growth Fund); MFS Series Trust IX (which has eight series: MFS Bond Fund,
MFS Limited Maturity Fund, MFS Municipal Limited Maturity Fund, MFS Research
Bond Fund, MFS Intermediate Investment Grade Bond Fund, MFS Emerging
Opportunities Fund, MFS Large Cap Value Fund and MFS High Quality Bond Fund);
MFS Series Trust X (which has 11 series: MFS Government Mortgage Fund, MFS
Emerging Markets Equity Fund, MFS International Growth Fund, MFS International
Growth and Income Fund, MFS Strategic Value Fund, MFS Emerging Markets Debt
Fund, MFS Income Fund, MFS European Equity Fund, MFS High Yield Fund, MFS
Concentrated Growth Fund and MFS New Endeavor Fund); MFS Series Trust XI (which
has four series: MFS Union Standard Equity Fund, Vertex All Cap Fund, Vertex
Contrarian Fund and Vertex Income Fund); and MFS Municipal Series Trust (which
has 18 series: MFS Alabama Municipal Bond Fund, MFS Arkansas Municipal Bond
Fund, MFS California Municipal Bond Fund, MFS Florida Municipal Bond Fund, MFS
Georgia Municipal Bond Fund, MFS Maryland Municipal Bond Fund, MFS Massachusetts
Municipal Bond Fund, MFS Mississippi Municipal Bond Fund, MFS New York Municipal
Bond Fund, MFS North Carolina Municipal Bond Fund, MFS Pennsylvania Municipal
Bond Fund, MFS South Carolina Municipal Bond Fund, MFS Tennessee Municipal Bond
Fund, MFS Virginia Municipal Bond Fund, MFS West Virginia Municipal Bond Fund,
MFS Municipal Income Fund, MFS New York High Income Tax Free Fund and MFS
Massachusetts High Income Tax Free Fund) (the "MFS Funds"). The principal
business address of each of the MFS Funds is 500 Boylston Street, Boston,
Massachusetts 02116.

            MFS also serves as investment adviser of the following open-end
Funds: MFS Institutional Trust ("MFSIT") (which has seven series) and MFS
Variable Insurance Trust ("MVI") (which has 16 series). The principal business
address of each of the aforementioned funds is 500 Boylston Street, Boston,
Massachusetts 02116.

            In addition, MFS serves as investment adviser to the following
closed-end funds: MFS Municipal Income Trust, MFS Multimarket Income Trust, MFS
Government Markets Income Trust, MFS Intermediate Income Trust, MFS Charter
Income Trust and MFS Special Value Trust (the "MFS Closed-End Funds"). The
principal business address of each of the MFS Closed-End Funds is 500 Boylston
Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116.

            Lastly, MFS serves as investment adviser to MFS/Sun Life Series
Trust ("MFS/SL") (which has 30 series), Money Market Variable Account, High
Yield Variable Account, Capital Appreciation Variable Account, Government
Securities Variable Account, Global Governments Variable Account, Total Return
Variable Account and Managed Sectors Variable Account (collectively, the
"Accounts"). The principal business address of MFS/SL is 500 Boylston Street,
Boston, Massachusetts 02116. The principal business address of each of the
aforementioned Accounts is One Sun Life Executive Park, Wellesley Hills,
Massachusetts 02181.

            VERTEX INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC., a Delaware corporation and a
wholly owned subsidiary of MFS, whose principal business address is 500 Boylston
Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116 ("Vertex"), serves as investment adviser to
Vertex All Cap Fund, Vertex Contrarian Fund and Vertex Income Fund, each a
series of MFS Series Trust XI. The principal business address of the
aforementioned Funds is 500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116.

            MFS INTERNATIONAL LTD. ("MIL"), a limited liability company
organized under the laws of Bermuda and a subsidiary of MFS, whose principal
business address is Cedar House, 41 Cedar Avenue, Hamilton HM12 Bermuda, serves
as investment adviser to and distributor for MFS American Funds known as the MFS
Funds after January 1999 (which will have 11 portfolios as of January 1999):
U.S. Equity Fund, U.S. Emerging Growth Fund, U.S. High Yield Bond Fund, U.S.
Dollar Reserve Fund, Charter Income Fund, U.S. Research Fund, U.S. Strategic
Growth Fund, Global Equity Fund, European Equity Fund and European Corporate
Bond Fund) (the "MIL Funds"). The MIL Funds are organized in Luxembourg and
qualify as an undertaking for collective investments in transferable securities
(UCITS). The principal business address of the MIL Funds is 47, Boulevard Royal,
L-2449 Luxembourg. MIL also serves as investment adviser to and distributor for
MFS Meridian U.S. Government Bond Fund, MFS Meridian Charter Income Fund, MFS
Meridian Global Governments Fund, MFS Meridian U.S. Emerging Growth Fund, MFS
Meridian Global Equity Fund, MFS Meridian Limited Maturity Fund, MFS Meridian
Global Growth Fund, MFS Meridian Money Market Fund, MFS Meridian Global Balanced
Fund, MFS Meridian U.S. Equity Fund, MFS Meridian Research Fund, MFS Meridian
U.S. High Yield Fund, MFS Meridian Emerging Markets Debt Fund, MFS Meridian
Strategic Growth Fund and MFS Meridian Global Asset Allocation Fund and the MFS
Meridian Research International Fund (collectively the "MFS Meridian Funds").
Each of the MFS Meridian Funds is organized as an exempt company under the laws
of the Cayman Islands. The principal business address of each of the MFS
Meridian Funds is P.O. Box 309, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West
Indies.

            MFS INTERNATIONAL (U.K.) LTD. ("MIL-UK"), a private limited company
registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales whose current
address is Eversheds, Senator House, 85 Queen Victoria Street, London, England
EC4V 4JL, is involved primarily in marketing and investment research activities
with respect to private clients and the MIL Funds and the MFS Meridian Funds.

            MFS INSTITUTIONAL ADVISORS (AUSTRALIA) LTD. ("MFSI-AUSTRALIA"), a
private limited company organized under the Corporations Law of New South Wales,
Australia whose current address is Level 27, Australia Square, 264 George
Street, Sydney, NSW2000, Australia, is involved primarily in investment
management and distribution of Australian superannuation unit trusts and acts as
an investment adviser to institutional accounts.

            MFS HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD. ("MFS HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA"), a
private limited company organized pursuant to the Corporations Law of New South
Wales, Australia whose current address is Level 27, Australia Square, 264 George
Street, Sydney, NSW2000 Australia, and whose function is to serve primarily as a
holding company.

            MFS FUND DISTRIBUTORS, INC. ("MFD"), a wholly owned subsidiary of
MFS, serves as distributor for the MFS Funds, MVI and MFSIT.

            MFS SERVICE CENTER, INC. ("MFSC"), a wholly owned subsidiary of MFS,
serves as shareholder servicing agent to the MFS Funds, the MFS Closed-End
Funds, MFSIT and MVI.

            MFS INSTITUTIONAL ADVISORS, INC. ("MFSI"), a wholly owned subsidiary
of MFS, provides investment advice to substantial private clients.

            MFS RETIREMENT SERVICES, INC. ("RSI"), a wholly owned subsidiary of
MFS, markets MFS products to retirement plans and provides administrative and
record keeping services for retirement plans.

            MFS INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT K.K. ("MIMCO"), a wholly owned subsidiary
of MFS, is a corporation incorporated in Japan. MIMCO, whose address is
Kamiyacho-Mori Building, 3-20, Tranomon 4-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, is
involved in investment management activities.

            MFS HERITAGE TRUST COMPANY ("MFS TRUST"), a New Hampshire-chartered
limited-purpose trust company whose current address is 650 Elm Street, Suite
404, Manchester, NH 03101, provides directed trustee services to retirement
plans.

            MFS ORIGINAL RESEARCH PARTNERS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company and a wholly owned subsidiary of MFS whose address is 500 Boylston
Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, is an adviser to domestic pooled private
investment vehicles.

            MFS ORIGINAL RESEARCH ADVISORS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company and a wholly owned subsidiary of MFS whose address is 500 Boylston
Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, is an adviser to offshore pooled private
investment vehicles.

            MFS

            The Directors of MFS are Jeffrey L. Shames, Arnold D. Scott, John W.
Ballen, Kevin R. Parke, Thomas J. Cashman, Jr., Joseph W. Dello Russo, William
W. Scott, Donald A. Stewart, James Prieur and William W. Stinson. Mr. Shames is
the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ballen is President and Chief
Investment Officer, Mr. Arnold Scott is a Senior Executive Vice President, Mr.
William Scott, Mr. Cashman, Mr. Dello Russo and Mr. Parke are Executive Vice
Presidents (Mr. Dello Russo is also Chief Financial Officer and Chief
Administrative Officer and Mr. Parke is also Chief Equity Officer), Stephen E.
Cavan is a Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of MFS, Robert
T. Burns is a Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel and an Assistant
Secretary of MFS, and Thomas B. Hastings is a Vice President and Treasurer of
MFS.

            MASSACHUSETTS INVESTORS TRUST
            MASSACHUSETTS INVESTORS GROWTH STOCK FUND
            MFS GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND
            MFS GOVERNMENT SECURITIES FUND
            MFS GOVERNMENT LIMITED MATURITY FUND
            MFS SERIES TRUST I
            MFS SERIES TRUST II
            MFS SERIES TRUST III
            MFS SERIES TRUST IV
            MFS SERIES TRUST V
            MFS SERIES TRUST VI
            MFS SERIES TRUST VII
            MFS SERIES TRUST VIII
            MFS SERIES TRUST IX
            MFS SERIES TRUST X
            MFS SERIES TRUST XI
            MFS MUNICIPAL SERIES TRUST
            MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
            MFS INSTITUTIONAL TRUST
            MFS MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST
            MFS MULTIMARKET INCOME TRUST
            MFS GOVERNMENT MARKETS INCOME TRUST
            MFS INTERMEDIATE INCOME TRUST
            MFS CHARTER INCOME TRUST MFS SPECIAL VALUE TRUST

            Jeffrey L. Shames is Chairman and President, Stephen E. Cavan is the
Secretary and Clerk, James O. Yost, a Senior Vice President of MFS, is the
Treasurer, Ellen M. Moynihan, Laura F. Healy, Robert R. Flaherty and Mark E.
Bradley, Vice Presidents of MFS, are the Assistant Treasurers, James R.
Bordewick, Jr., Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel of MFS, is
the Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk.

            MFS/SUN LIFE SERIES TRUST

            C. James Prieur, President and Director of Sun Life Assurance
Company of Canada, is the President, S Stephen E. Cavan is the Secretary and
Clerk, James O. Yost is the Treasurer, Ellen M. Moynihan, Laura F. Healy, Robert
R. Flaherty and Mark E. Bradley are the Assistant Treasurers, James R.
Bordewick, Jr., is the Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk.

            MONEY MARKET VARIABLE ACCOUNT
            HIGH YIELD VARIABLE ACCOUNT
            CAPITAL APPRECIATION VARIABLE ACCOUNT
            GOVERNMENT SECURITIES VARIABLE ACCOUNT
            TOTAL RETURN VARIABLE ACCOUNT
            GLOBAL GOVERNMENTS VARIABLE ACCOUNT
            MANAGED SECTORS VARIABLE ACCOUNT

            C.  James  Prieur  is  the  President,  Stephen  E.  Cavan  is the
Secretary, and James R. Bordewick, Jr., is the Assistant Secretary.

            MIL FUNDS

            Jeffrey L. Shames is Chairman, Richard W. S. Baker, Arnold D. Scott
and William F. Waters are Directors, Stephen E. Cavan is the Secretary, James O.
Yost is the Treasurer, Ellen M. Moynihan, Laura F. Healy, Robert R. Flaherty and
Mark E. Bradley are the Assistant Treasurers, and James R. Bordewick, Jr. is the
Assistant Secretary.

            MFS MERIDIAN FUNDS

            Jeffrey L. Shames is Chairman, Richard W. S. Baker, Arnold D. Scott
and William F. Waters are Directors, Stephen E. Cavan is the Secretary, James O.
Yost is the Treasurer, James R. Bordewick, Jr. is the Assistant Secretary and
Ellen M. Moynihan, Laura F. Healy, Robert R. Flaherty and Mark E. Bradley are
the Assistant Treasurers.

            VERTEX

            Jeffrey L. Shames is the Chairman and President, Arnold D. Scott is
a Director, Kevin R. Parke and John W. Ballen are Executive Vice Presidents,
John D. Laupheimer is a Senior Vice President, Brian E. Stack is a Vice
President, Joseph W. Dello Russo is the Treasurer, Thomas B. Hastings is the
Assistant Treasurer, Stephen E. Cavan is the Secretary and Robert T. Burns is
the Assistant Secretary.

            MIL

            Peter D. Laird is President and a Director, Arnold D. Scott, Jeffrey
L. Shames and Thomas J. Cashman, Jr. are Directors, Stephen E. Cavan is a
Director, Senior Vice President and the Clerk, Robert T. Burns is an Assistant
Clerk, Joseph W. Dello Russo, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer of MFS, is the Treasurer and Thomas B. Hastings is the Assistant
Treasurer.

            MIL-UK

            Peter D. Laird is President and a Director, Thomas J. Cashman,
Arnold D. Scott and Jeffrey L. Shames are Directors, Stephen E. Cavan is a
Director and the Secretary, Joseph W. Dello Russo is the Treasurer, Thomas B.
Hastings is the Assistant Treasurer and Robert T. Burns is the Assistant
Secretary.

            MFSI - AUSTRALIA

            Thomas J. Cashman, Jr. is President and a Director, Graham E.
Lenzer, John A. Gee and David Adiseshan are Directors, Stephen E. Cavan is the
Secretary, Joseph W. Dello Russo is the Treasurer, Thomas B. Hastings is the
Assistant Treasurer, and Robert T. Burns is the Assistant Secretary.

            MFS HOLDINGS - AUSTRALIA

            Jeffrey L. Shames is the President and a Director, Arnold D. Scott,
Thomas J. Cashman, Jr., and Graham E. Lenzer are Directors, Stephen E. Cavan is
the Secretary, Joseph W. Dello Russo is the Treasurer, Thomas B. Hastings is the
Assistant Treasurer, and Robert T. Burns is the Assistant Secretary.

            MFD

            Arnold D. Scott and Jeffrey L. Shames are Directors, William W.
Scott, Jr., an Executive Vice President of MFS, is the President, Stephen E.
Cavan is the Secretary, Robert T. Burns is the Assistant Secretary, Joseph W.
Dello Russo is the Treasurer, and Thomas B. Hastings is the Assistant Treasurer.

            MFSC

            Arnold D. Scott and Jeffrey L. Shames are Directors, Joseph A.
Recomendes, a Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of MFS, is
Vice Chairman and a Director, Janet A. Clifford is the President, Joseph W.
Dello Russo is the Treasurer, Thomas B. Hastings is the Assistant Treasurer,
Stephen E. Cavan is the Secretary, and Robert T. Burns is the Assistant
Secretary.

            MFSI

            Thomas J. Cashman, Jr. is Chairman and a Director, Jeffrey L.
Shames, and Arnold D. Scott are Directors, Joseph J. Trainor is the President
and a Director, Leslie J. Nanberg is a Senior Vice President, a Managing
Director and a Director, Kevin R. Parke is the Executive Vice President and a
Managing Director, George F. Bennett, Jr., John A. Gee, Brianne Grady, Joseph A.
Kosciuszek and Joseph J. Trainor are Senior Vice Presidents and Managing
Directors, Joseph W. Dello Russo is the Treasurer, Thomas B. Hastings is the
Assistant Treasurer and Robert T. Burns is the Secretary.

            RSI

            Arnold D. Scott is the Chairman and a Director, Martin E. Beaulieu
is the President, William W. Scott, Jr. is a Director, Joseph W. Dello Russo is
the Treasurer, Thomas B. Hastings is the Assistant Treasurer, Stephen E. Cavan
is the Secretary and Robert T. Burns is the Assistant Secretary.

            MIMCO

            Jeffrey L. Shames, Arnold D. Scott and Mamoru Ogata are Directors,
Shaun Moran is the Representative Director, Joseph W. Dello Russo is the
Statutory Auditor, Robert DiBella is the President and Thomas B. Hastings is the
Assistant Statutory Auditor.

            MFS TRUST

            The Directors of MFS Trust are Martin E. Beaulieu, Stephen E. Cavan,
Janet A. Clifford, Joseph W. Dello Russo and Joseph A. Kosciuszek. Mr. Cavan is
President, Mr. Dello Russo is Treasurer, and Robert T. Burns is Clerk of MFS
Trust.

            MFS ORIGINAL RESEARCH PARTNERS, LLC

            Joseph J. Trainor is the President and a Manager, Jeffrey L. Shames,
John W. Ballen and Kevin R. Parke are Managers, Joseph W. Dello Russo is the
Treasurer, Stephen E. Cavan is the Secretary, Thomas B. Hastings is the
Assistant Treasurer and Robert T. Burns is the Assistant Secretary.

            MFS ORIGINAL RESEARCH ADVISORS, LLC

            Joseph J. Trainor is the President and a Manager, Jeffrey L. Shames,
John W. Ballen and Kevin R. Parke are Managers, Joseph W. Dello Russo is the
Treasurer, Stephen E. Cavan is the Secretary, Thomas B. Hastings is the
Assistant Treasurer and Robert T. Burns is the Assistant Secretary.

            In addition, the following persons, Directors or officers of MFS,
have the affiliations indicated:

            Donald A. Stewart          Chairman, Sun Life Assurance Company
                                         of Canada, Sun Life Centre, 150 King
                                         Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
                                         (Mr. Stewart is also an officer
                                         and/or Director of various
                                         subsidiaries and affiliates of Sun
                                         Life)

            C. James Prieur            President and a Director, Sun Life
                                         Assurance Company of Canada, Sun Life
                                         Centre, 150 King Street West,
                                         Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Mr. Prieur
                                         is also an officer and/or Director of
                                         various subsidiaries and affiliates
                                         of Sun Life)

            William W. Stinson         Director, Sun Life Assurance Company
                                         of Canada, Sun Life Centre, 150 King
                                         Street West,  Toronto, Ontario,
                                         Canada; Director, United Dominion
                                         Industries Limited, Charlotte, N.C.;
                                         Director, PanCanadian Petroleum
                                         Limited, Calgary, Alberta; Director,
                                         LWT Services, Inc., Calgary Alberta;
                                         Director, Western Star Trucks, Inc.,
                                         Kelowna, British Columbia; Director,
                                         Westshore Terminals Income Fund,
                                         Vancouver, British Columbia; Director
                                         (until 4/99), Canadian Pacific Ltd.,
                                         Calgary, Alberta


ITEM 27.    DISTRIBUTORS

            (a) Reference is hereby made to Item 26 above.

            (b) Reference is hereby made to Item 26 above; the principal
business address of each of these persons is 500 Boylston Street, Boston,
Massachusetts 02116.

            (c) Not applicable.

ITEM 28.    LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS

            The accounts and records of the Registrant are located, in whole or
in part, at the office of the Registrant and the following locations:

                NAME                               ADDRESS
                ----                               -------

            Massachusetts Financial             500 Boylston Street
              Services Company                  Boston, MA  02116

            MFS Fund Distributors, Inc.         500 Boylston Street
                                                Boston, MA  02116

            State Street Bank and               State Street South
              Trust Company                     5-West
                                                North Quincy, MA 02171

            MFS Service Center, Inc.            2 Avenue de LaFayette
                                                Boston, MA  02111

            The Registrant's corporate documents are kept by the Registrant at
its offices. Portfolio brokerage orders, other purchase orders, reasons for
brokerage allocation and lists of persons authorized to transact business for
the Registrant are kept by Massachusetts Financial Services Company at 500
Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116. Shareholder account records are
kept by MFS Service Center, Inc. at 500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts
02116. Transaction journals, receipts for the acceptance and delivery of
securities and cash, ledgers and trial balances are kept by State Street Bank
and Trust Company at State Street South, 5-West, North Quincy, Massachusetts
02171.

ITEM 29.    MANAGEMENT SERVICES

            Not applicable.

ITEM 30.    UNDERTAKINGS

            Not applicable.
<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the
Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this
Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Boston and
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the 27th day of November, 2000.

                                          MFS(R) SERIES TRUST XI


                                          By:     JAMES R. BORDEWICK, JR.
                                          Name:   James R. Bordewick, Jr.
                                          Title:  Assistant Clerk and Assistant
Secretary

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Post-Effective Amendment to its Registration Statement has been signed below by
the following persons in the capacities indicated on November 27, 2000.

            SIGNATURE                                  TITLE

JEFFREY L. SHAMES*                        Chairman, President (Principal
---------------------------                 Executive Officer) and Trustee
Jeffrey L. Shames


JAMES O. YOST                             Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer
---------------------------                 and Principal Accounting Officer)
James O. Yost


WILLIAM R. GUTOW*                         Trustee
---------------------------
William R. Gutow


NELSON J. DARLING, JR.*                   Trustee
---------------------------
Nelson J. Darling, Jr.


                                          *By:     JAMES R. BORDEWICK, JR.
                                                   ---------------------------
                                          Name:    James R. Bordewick, Jr.
                                                     As Attorney-in-fact

                                          Executed by James R. Bordewick, Jr. on
                                          behalf of those indicated pursuant to
                                          a Power of Attorney dated July 26,
                                          2000 incorporated by reference to the
                                          Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment
                                          No. 12, filed with the Securities and
                                          Exchange Commission via EDGAR on
                                          October 13, 2000.
<PAGE>

                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT NO.                DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBITS                PAGE NO.
-----------                -----------------------                --------

    9   (b)     Legal Opinion Consent, dated November
                  27, 2000.

   10   (a)     Consent of Ernst & Young LLP on behalf of
                  Vertex All Cap Fund and Vertex Contrarian
                  Fund.



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