Morningstar® Investment Profile™   Morningstar®
Disclosure
  Format
for Print
Federated Hermes Managed Volatility II P
Release date as of 2024-02-29. Data on page is subject to change.
Snapshot Ratings & Risk Portfolio Nuts & Bolts
  Morningstar Report
Overall Morningstar
Rating™
What is this?
As of 2024-02-29
Out of 230
Tactical Allocation Funds
Morningstar®
Style Box™
What is this?
As of 2023-12-31
As of 2023-12-31
Total Fund Assets ($ Mil)
180.38
View Historical Morningstar Star Ratings and Definitions
  Investment Objective & Strategy  
The investment seeks high current income and moderate capital appreciation.
The fund invests in both equity and fixed-income securities that have high income potential. The analysis seeks to identify securities likely to have predictable returns based on a number of strategies such as valuation, market sentiment, profitability and capital use. It may buy or sell foreign currencies or foreign currency forwards in lieu of or in addition to non-dollar denominated fixed-income securities in order to hedge or increase or decrease its exposure to foreign interest rate and/or currency markets.
  Morningstar Category: Tactical Allocation
Tactical Allocation portfolios seek to provide capital appreciation and income by actively shifting allocations across investments. These portfolios have material shifts across equity regions, and bond sectors on a frequent basis. To qualify for the tactical allocation category, the fund must have minimum exposures of 10% in bonds and 20% in equity. Next, the fund must historically demonstrate material shifts in sector or regional allocations either through a gradual shift over three years or through a series of material shifts on a quarterly basis. Within a three-year period, typically the average quarterly changes between equity regions and bond sectors exceeds 15% or the difference between the maximum and minimum exposure to a single equity region or bond sector exceeds 50%. 
  Investment Risks
There are no additional fund specific investment risks (e.g. liquidity risk, currency risk, foreign investment risk, etc.) associated with this fund beyond the normal risks generally associated with investing in a mutual fund.
  Portfolio Profile
Asset Allocation
% of Net Assets
U.S. Stocks 61.3
Non-U.S. Stocks 0.5
Bonds 32.3
Cash 4.3
Other 1.7
Total 100.0
Asset Allocation Long/Short/Net Graph
Data through 2023-12-31
Morningstar Equity Sectors
% of Stocks
Cyclical 32.57
Basic Materials 3.25
Consumer Cyclical 8.15
Financial Services 17.17
Real Estate 4.00
Sensitive 42.90
Communication Services 6.55
Energy 5.92
Industrials 11.02
Technology 19.41
Defensive 24.53
Consumer Defensive 7.13
Healthcare 13.75
Utilities 3.65
Data through 2023-12-31
Morningstar Fixed-Income Sectors
% Fund
Government 47.45
Corporate 19.86
Securitized 22.64
Municipal 0.00
Cash & Equivalents 10.04
Derivative 0.00
Data through 2023-12-31
Credit Analysis
% Bonds
AAA 4.10
AA 64.70
A 7.50
BBB 14.60
BB 2.00
B 1.90
Below B 1.00
Not Rated 4.20
Data through 2023-12-31
Credit Analysis Graph
Holding Status
Total Number of Stock Holdings 276
Total Number of Bond Holdings 313
% of Net Assets in Top 10 Holdings 68.53
Turnover % (as of 2023-12-31) 47.00
30 Day SEC Yield % 2.78
Top Holdings
Sector Country Maturity Date Market Value ($000) % of Net Assets
Future on E-mini S&P 500 Futures --- USA 2024-03-15 67,480 28.74
Federated Mortgage Core Portfolio --- USA --- 26,891 11.45
10 Year Treasury Note Future Mar 24 --- USA 2024-03-19 -26,529 11.30
2 Year Treasury Note Future Mar 24 --- USA 2024-03-28 12,355 5.26
Us 5yr Note (Cbt) Mar24 Xcbt 20240328 --- --- 2024-03-28 8,702 3.71
United States Treasury Notes 2.75% --- USA 2027-07-31 5,472 2.33
Federated Project and Trade Fin Cor --- USA --- 3,897 1.66
United States Treasury Notes 2.625% --- USA 2027-05-31 3,638 1.55
United States Treasury Notes 2.5% --- USA 2024-04-30 3,467 1.48
Federated Hermes High Income Bond II P --- USA --- 2,458 1.05
Data through 2023-12-31
  Principal Risks   
Short Sale, Credit and Counterparty, Extension, Prepayment (Call), Currency, Emerging Markets, Foreign Securities, Loss of Money, Not FDIC Insured, Country or Region, Quantitative Investing, Value Investing, Interest Rate, Market/Market Volatility, Equity Securities, High-Yield Securities, Other, Restricted/Illiquid Securities, Underlying Fund/Fund of Funds, Derivatives, Leverage, Management, Mid-Cap, Large Cap
Show Risk Definitions
  Other Information
Inception Date: 1994-02-10
Portfolio Manager(s)
Jerome D. Conner   (2014-04-08)
Jerome D. Conner, CFA, is a portfolio manager at Federated Investment Management Company focusing on asset allocation, interest rate strategy and security selection. He has been with Federated Investment Management Company since 2002; has worked in investment management since 1995; has managed investment portfolios since 2010. Education: B.S., U.S. Naval Academy; M.S., Boston University.
Ian L. Miller   (2017-04-30)
Mr. Miller joined Federated in January 2006 as a Quantitative Analyst. ; has worked in investment management since 2006; and has managed investment portfolios since 2012. Miller earned a B.S. in Molecular Biology from Clarion University and an M.S. in Biotechnology from The John Hopkins University.
Damian M. McIntyre   (2015-04-30)
Damian M. McIntyre, CFA , FRM and CAIA, Portfolio Manager, has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since January 2017 and served as associate portfolio manager since April 2015. Mr. McIntyre joined Federated in 2008 as an Associate Quantitative Analyst and has been responsible for assisting with the investment process in the Global Equity Area, focusing on Managed Risk strategies. Mr. McIntyre received his B.S., Computational Finance, and an M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance, Economics and Strategy from Carnegie Mellon University.
Ihab L. Salib   (2013-05-13)
Responsible for product strategy, portfolio management, and research in the international fixed income area. Previous associations: Senior Trader, global fixed income and foreign exchange securities, Federated Hermes; Associate Director, Senior Analyst/Trader, UBS Brinson; Various positions at Bank of New York and Bankers Trust Company. B.A., State University of New York at Stony Brook. Joined Federated Hermes 1999.
Dana L. Meissner   (2020-04-30)
Dana L. Meissner, CFA, FRM and CAIA, Senior Portfolio Manager, has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since April 2020. Mr. Meissner is jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. He has been with the Adviser or an affiliate since 2000; has worked in investment management since 2000; and has managed investment portfolios since 2009. Education: M.S.I.A., Carnegie Mellon University; M.S. and B.S., University of Toledo.
Todd A. Abraham   (1999-02-28)
Todd A. Abraham, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager of Federated Investment Management Company (“FIMC”). Mr. Abraham is a Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of the Government/Mortgage-backed Fixed Income Group. He is responsible for overseeing the macro risk elements in the portfolio. He has been with FIMC or an affiliate since 1993; has worked in investment management since 1993; has managed investment portfolios since 1995. Education: B.S., Indiana University of Pennsylvania; M.B.A., Loyola College.
Mark E. Durbiano   (1994-02-10)
Mark E. Durbiano, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager, Head of the Domestic High Yield Group is responsible for portfolio management and research in the fixed income area, concentrating in the domestic high yield sector. Mr. Durbiano joined Federated in 1982 and has been Senior Portfolio Manager and Senior Vice President since 1996. He received a B.A. from Dickinson College and an M.B.A. from University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Durbiano has 38 years of investment experience.
Investment Advisor(s)
Federated Investment Management Company
Federated Equity Mgmt Co. Of Penn
Issuer
Federated
Subadvisor(s)
---
Show Data Definitions

© Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc.
All rights reserved. Morningstar, the Morningstar logo, Morningstar.com, Morningstar Tools are either trademark or service marks of Morningstar, Inc. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or any losses arising from any use of information. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Returns will vary and shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold.
 Symetra
Morningstar® Investment Profile™   Morningstar®
Disclosure
  Format
for Print
Federated Hermes Managed Volatility II P
Release date as of 2024-02-29. Data on page is subject to change.
Snapshot Ratings & Risk Portfolio Nuts & Bolts
  Morningstar Ratings
Morningstar
Return
Morningstar
Risk
Morningstar
Rating
Number of
Funds
3-Year Average Average 230
5-Year Average Average 211
10-Year Average Average 141
Overall Average Average 230
Morningstar Category: Tactical Allocation | Number of Funds in Category: 230
Data through 2024-02-29
Ratings reflect risk-adjusted performance and are derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three, five and ten-year (if applicable) time periods.
  Volatility Measurements
Standard Deviation 11.33
Mean 4.09
Sharpe Ratio 0.16
Trailing 3-Yr as of 2024-02-29
  Modern Portfolio Theory Statistics
Best Fit Index
Morningstar Lifetime Mod 2040 TR USD
R-Squared 88
Beta 0.70
Alpha 0.44
Trailing 3-Yr as of 2024-02-29
  Principal Risks   
Short Sale, Credit and Counterparty, Extension, Prepayment (Call), Currency, Emerging Markets, Foreign Securities, Loss of Money, Not FDIC Insured, Country or Region, Quantitative Investing, Value Investing, Interest Rate, Market/Market Volatility, Equity Securities, High-Yield Securities, Other, Restricted/Illiquid Securities, Underlying Fund/Fund of Funds, Derivatives, Leverage, Management, Mid-Cap, Large Cap
Show Risk Definitions
  Investment Risks
There are no additional fund specific investment risks (e.g. liquidity risk, currency risk, foreign investment risk, etc.) associated with this fund beyond the normal risks generally associated with investing in a mutual fund.
Show Data Definitions

© Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc.
All rights reserved. Morningstar, the Morningstar logo, Morningstar.com, Morningstar Tools are either trademark or service marks of Morningstar, Inc. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or any losses arising from any use of information. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Returns will vary and shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold.
 Symetra
Morningstar® Investment Profile™   Morningstar®
Disclosure
  Format
for Print
Federated Hermes Managed Volatility II P
Release date as of 2024-02-29. Data on page is subject to change.
Snapshot Ratings & Risk Portfolio Nuts & Bolts
  Style Box Details for Stock Holdings
Size
Average Mkt Cap $Mil 111,947
   
Market Capitalization % of Portfolio
Giant 32.18
Large 36.09
Medium 25.54
Small 5.71
Micro 0.47
   
Investment Valuation Stock
Portfolio
Forward P/E 15.9
Price/Book 2.8
Price/Sales 1.7
Price/Cash Flow 10.9
Dividend Yield 2.1
Long-Term Earnings 10.4
Historical Earnings 15.3
Sales Growth 11.5
Cash-Flow Growth 11.6
Book-Value Growth 1.1
As of 2023-12-31
Data as of 2023-12-31
  Style Box Details for Bond Holdings
Average Eff Duration 6.00 Yrs
Average Eff Maturity 8.40 Yrs
Average Wtd Coupon 3.30
Average Wtd Price 97.11
As of 2023-12-31
Data as of 2023-12-31
  Asset Allocation
% of Net Assets
U.S. Stocks 61.3
Non-U.S. Stocks 0.5
Bonds 32.3
Cash 4.3
Other 1.7
Total 100.0
Asset Allocation Long/Short/Net Graph
Data through 2023-12-31
  Morningstar Equity Sectors
% of Stocks
Cyclical 32.57
Basic Materials 3.25
Consumer Cyclical 8.15
Financial Services 17.17
Real Estate 4.00
Sensitive 42.90
Communication Services 6.55
Energy 5.92
Industrials 11.02
Technology 19.41
Defensive 24.53
Consumer Defensive 7.13
Healthcare 13.75
Utilities 3.65
Data through 2023-12-31
  Morningstar Fixed-Income Sectors
% Fund
Government 47.45
Corporate 19.86
Securitized 22.64
Municipal 0.00
Cash & Equivalents 10.04
Derivative 0.00
Data through 2023-12-31
  Credit Analysis
% Bonds
AAA 4.10
AA 64.70
A 7.50
BBB 14.60
BB 2.00
B 1.90
Below B 1.00
Not Rated 4.20
Data through 2023-12-31
Credit Analysis Graph
  Top 25 Holdings
Total Number of Stock Holdings 276
Total Number of Bond Holdings 313
% of Net Assets in Top 10 Holdings 68.53
Turnover % (as of 2023-12-31) 47.00
30 Day SEC Yield % 2.78
Top 25 Holdings
Sector Country Maturity Date Market Value ($000) % of Net Assets
Future on E-mini S&P 500 Futures --- USA 2024-03-15 67,480 28.74
Federated Mortgage Core Portfolio --- USA --- 26,891 11.45
10 Year Treasury Note Future Mar 24 --- USA 2024-03-19 -26,529 11.30
2 Year Treasury Note Future Mar 24 --- USA 2024-03-28 12,355 5.26
Us 5yr Note (Cbt) Mar24 Xcbt 20240328 --- --- 2024-03-28 8,702 3.71
United States Treasury Notes 2.75% --- USA 2027-07-31 5,472 2.33
Federated Project and Trade Fin Cor --- USA --- 3,897 1.66
United States Treasury Notes 2.625% --- USA 2027-05-31 3,638 1.55
United States Treasury Notes 2.5% --- USA 2024-04-30 3,467 1.48
Federated Hermes High Income Bond II P --- USA --- 2,458 1.05
United States Treasury Bonds 2.875% --- USA 2052-05-15 2,354 1.00
United States Treasury Notes 4.375% --- USA 2030-11-30 2,160 0.92
Federated Emerging Markets Core --- USA --- 2,150 0.92
Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class B USA --- 2,103 0.90
Us Ultra Bond Cbt Mar24 Xcbt 20240319 --- --- 2024-03-19 -1,870 0.80
JPMorgan Chase & Co USA --- 1,869 0.80
United States Treasury Notes 5% --- USA 2025-09-30 1,818 0.77
Exxon Mobil Corp USA --- 1,666 0.71
United States Treasury Notes 3.5% --- USA 2033-02-15 1,552 0.66
Johnson & Johnson USA --- 1,520 0.65
Merck & Co Inc USA --- 1,194 0.51
Walmart Inc USA --- 1,174 0.50
Cisco Systems Inc USA --- 1,084 0.46
Wells Fargo & Co USA --- 1,062 0.45
Linde PLC USA --- 1,020 0.43
Data through 2023-12-31
Show Data Definitions

© Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc.
All rights reserved. Morningstar, the Morningstar logo, Morningstar.com, Morningstar Tools are either trademark or service marks of Morningstar, Inc. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or any losses arising from any use of information. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Returns will vary and shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold.
 Symetra
Morningstar® Investment Profile™   Morningstar®
Disclosure
  Format
for Print
Federated Hermes Managed Volatility II P
Release date as of 2024-02-29. Data on page is subject to change.
Snapshot Ratings & Risk Portfolio Nuts & Bolts
  Fees and Expenses Taken from prospectus dated 2023-04-30  
Maximum Fees
Administrative 0.10%
Management 0.75%
12b-1 ---
Actual Fees
12b-1 ---
Management 0.75%
Expense Ratio 0.95%
(taken from annual report dated 2023-12-31)
Total Annual Operating Expense 1.08%
Waiver Data
Type Date %
ExpenseRatio Voluntary 2024-05-01 0.11
  Management
Inception Date: 1994-02-10
Mngr Name Jerome D. Conner
Mngr Start Date 2014-04-08
Biography
Jerome D. Conner, CFA, is a portfolio manager at Federated Investment Management Company focusing on asset allocation, interest rate strategy and security selection. He has been with Federated Investment Management Company since 2002; has worked in investment management since 1995; has managed investment portfolios since 2010. Education: B.S., U.S. Naval Academy; M.S., Boston University.
Mngr Name Ian L. Miller
Mngr Start Date 2017-04-30
Biography
Mr. Miller joined Federated in January 2006 as a Quantitative Analyst. ; has worked in investment management since 2006; and has managed investment portfolios since 2012. Miller earned a B.S. in Molecular Biology from Clarion University and an M.S. in Biotechnology from The John Hopkins University.
Mngr Name Damian M. McIntyre
Mngr Start Date 2015-04-30
Biography
Damian M. McIntyre, CFA , FRM and CAIA, Portfolio Manager, has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since January 2017 and served as associate portfolio manager since April 2015. Mr. McIntyre joined Federated in 2008 as an Associate Quantitative Analyst and has been responsible for assisting with the investment process in the Global Equity Area, focusing on Managed Risk strategies. Mr. McIntyre received his B.S., Computational Finance, and an M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance, Economics and Strategy from Carnegie Mellon University.
Mngr Name Ihab L. Salib
Mngr Start Date 2013-05-13
Biography
Responsible for product strategy, portfolio management, and research in the international fixed income area. Previous associations: Senior Trader, global fixed income and foreign exchange securities, Federated Hermes; Associate Director, Senior Analyst/Trader, UBS Brinson; Various positions at Bank of New York and Bankers Trust Company. B.A., State University of New York at Stony Brook. Joined Federated Hermes 1999.
Mngr Name Dana L. Meissner
Mngr Start Date 2020-04-30
Biography
Dana L. Meissner, CFA, FRM and CAIA, Senior Portfolio Manager, has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since April 2020. Mr. Meissner is jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. He has been with the Adviser or an affiliate since 2000; has worked in investment management since 2000; and has managed investment portfolios since 2009. Education: M.S.I.A., Carnegie Mellon University; M.S. and B.S., University of Toledo.
Mngr Name Todd A. Abraham
Mngr Start Date 1999-02-28
Biography
Todd A. Abraham, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager of Federated Investment Management Company (“FIMC”). Mr. Abraham is a Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of the Government/Mortgage-backed Fixed Income Group. He is responsible for overseeing the macro risk elements in the portfolio. He has been with FIMC or an affiliate since 1993; has worked in investment management since 1993; has managed investment portfolios since 1995. Education: B.S., Indiana University of Pennsylvania; M.B.A., Loyola College.
Mngr Name Mark E. Durbiano
Mngr Start Date 1994-02-10
Biography
Mark E. Durbiano, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager, Head of the Domestic High Yield Group is responsible for portfolio management and research in the fixed income area, concentrating in the domestic high yield sector. Mr. Durbiano joined Federated in 1982 and has been Senior Portfolio Manager and Senior Vice President since 1996. He received a B.A. from Dickinson College and an M.B.A. from University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Durbiano has 38 years of investment experience.
Investment Advisor(s)
Federated Investment Management Company
Federated Equity Mgmt Co. Of Penn
Web Site
FederatedInvestors.com
Issuer
Federated
Subadvisor(s)
---
Show Data Definitions

© Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc.
All rights reserved. Morningstar, the Morningstar logo, Morningstar.com, Morningstar Tools are either trademark or service marks of Morningstar, Inc. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or any losses arising from any use of information. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Returns will vary and shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold.

Morningstar Investment Profilessm: Disclosure Statement
Morningstar Rating, Risk and Return
The Morningstar RatingTM for funds, or "star rating", is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product's monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The Morningstar Rating does not include any adjustment for sales loads. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods.
For private funds, the Morningstar Rating presented is hypothetical, because Morningstar does not independently analyze private funds. Rather, the rating is assigned as a means to compare these funds with the universe of mutual funds that Morningstar rates. The evaluation of this investment does not affect the retail mutual fund data published by Morningstar.
Overall ratings represent a weighted average of specific time period (3-, 5- and 10-year) ratings.
The Morningstar Return rates a fund's performance relative to other managed products in its Morningstar Category. It is an assessment of a product's excess return over a risk-free rate (the return of the 90-day Treasury Bill) in comparison with the products in its Morningstar category. In each Morningstar category, the top 10% of products earn a High Morningstar Return (High), the next 22.5% Above Average (+Avg), the middle 35% Average (Avg), the next 22.5% Below Average (-Avg), and the bottom 10% Low (Low). Morningstar Return is measured for up to three time periods (three, five, and 10 years). These separate measures are then weighted and averaged to produce an overall measure for the product. Products with less than three years of performance history are not rated.
Morningstar Risk evaluates a fund's downside volatility relative to that of other products in its Morningstar Category. It is an assessment of the variations in monthly returns, with an emphasis on downside variations, in comparison with the products in its Morningstar category. In each Morningstar category, the 10% of products with the lowest measured risk are described as Low Risk (Low), the next 22.5% Below Average (-Avg), the middle 35% Average (Avg), the next 22.5% Above Average (+Avg), and the top 10% High (High). Morningstar Risk is measured for up to three time periods (three, five, and 10 years). These separate measures are then weighted and averaged to produce an overall measure for the product. Products with less than three years of performance history are not rated.
Federated Hermes Managed Volatility II P
Morningstar Ratings (Relative to Category)
  Morningstar ReturnMorningstar RiskMorningstar Rating# of Funds
3-year AverageAverage230
5-year AverageAverage211
10-year AverageAverage141
Overall AverageAverage230
Morningstar Category : Tactical Allocation | Number of Funds in Category: 230
Data through 2024-02-29
Risk Measures
R-squared reflects the percentage of an investment option's movements that are explained by movements in its benchmark index, showing the degree of correlation between the investment option and the benchmark.
Beta is a measure of an investment option's sensitivity to market movements. A portfolio with a beta greater than 1 is more volatile than the market, and a portfolio with a beta less than 1 is less volatile than the market. Alpha measures the difference between an investment option's actual returns and its expected performance, given its level of risk (as measured by beta).
The Sharpe ratio uses standard deviation and excess return to determine reward per unit of risk.
Standard deviation is a statistical measure of the volatility of the investment option's returns.
Mean represents the annualized three-year geometric return.
Morningstar Style BoxTM
The Morningstar Style Box reveals a fund's investment strategy as of the date noted on this report.
For equity funds, the vertical axis shows the market capitalization of the long stocks owned, and the horizontal axis shows the investment style (value, blend, or growth). A darkened cell in the style box matrix indicates the weighted average style of the portfolio.
For portfolios holding fixed-income investments, a Fixed Income Style Box is calculated. The vertical axis shows the credit quality based on credit ratings and the horizontal axis shows interest-rate sensitivity as measured by effective duration. There are three credit categories - "High", "Medium", and "Low"; and there are three interest rate sensitivity categories - "Limited", "Moderate", and "Extensive"; resulting in nine possible combinations. As in the Equity Style Box, the combination of credit and interest rate sensitivity for a portfolio is represented by a darkened square in the matrix. Morningstar uses credit rating information from credit rating agencies (CRAs) that have been designated Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (NRSROs) by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States. For a list of all NRSROs, please visit https://www.sec.gov/ocr/ocr-current-nrsros.html. Additionally, Morningstar will use credit ratings from CRAs which have been recognized by foreign regulatory institutions that are deemed the equivalent of the NRSRO designation. To determine the rating applicable to a holding and the subsequent holding weighted value of a portfolio two methods may be employed. First is a common methodology approach where if a case exists such that two CRAs have rated a holding, the lower rating of the two should be applied; if three or more CRAs have rated a holding, the median rating should be applied; and in cases where there are more than two ratings and a median rating cannot be determined, the lower of the two middle ratings should be applied. Alternatively, if there is more than one rating available an average can be calculated from all and applied. Please Note: Morningstar, Inc. is not an NRSRO nor does it issue a credit rating on the fund. Credit ratings for any security held in a portfolio can change over time.
Morningstar uses the credit rating information to calculate a weighted-average credit quality value for the portfolio. This value is based only upon those holdings which are considered to be classified as "fixed income", such a government, corporate, or securitized issues. Other types of holdings such as equities and many, though not all, types of derivatives are excluded. The weighted-average credit quality value is represented by a rating symbol which corresponds to the long-term rating symbol schemas employed by most CRAs. Note that this value is not explicitly published but instead serves as an input in the Style Box calculation. This symbol is then used to map to a Style Box credit quality category of "low," "medium," or "high". Funds with a "low" credit quality category are those whose weighted-average credit quality is determined to be equivalent to the commonly used High Yield classification, meaning a rating below "BBB", portfolios assigned to the "high" credit category have either a "AAA" or "AA+" average credit quality value, while "medium" are those with an average rating of "AA-" inclusive to "BBB-". It is expected and intended that the majority of portfolios will be assigned a credit category of "medium".
For assignment to an interest-rate sensitivity category, Morningstar uses the average effective duration of the portfolio. From this value there are three distinct methodologies employed to determine assignment to category. Portfolio which are assigned to Morningstar municipal-bond categories employ static breakpoints between categories. These breakpoints are: "Limited" equal to 4.5 years or less, "Moderate" equal to 4.5 years to less than 7 years; and "Extensive" equal to more than 7 years. For portfolios assigned to Morningstar categories other than U.S. Taxable, including all domiciled outside the United States, static duration breakpoints are also used: "Limited" equals less than or equal to 3.5 years, "Moderate" equals greater than 3.5 years but less than or equal to 6 years, and "Extensive" is assigned to portfolios with effective durations of more than 6 years.
Note: Interest-rate sensitivity for non-U.S. domiciled portfolios (excluding those in Morningstar convertible categories) may be assigned using average modified duration when average effective duration is not available.
For portfolios Morningstar classifies as U.S. Taxable Fixed-Income, interest-rate sensitivity category assignment is based on the effective duration of the Morningstar Core Bond Index (MCBI). The classification assignment is dynamically determined relative to the benchmark index value. A "Limited" category will be assigned to portfolios whose average effective duration is between 25% to 75% of MCBI average effective duration, where the average effective duration is between 75% to 125% of the MCBI the portfolio will be classified as "Moderate", and those portfolios with an average effective duration value 125% or greater of the average effective duration of the MCBI will be classified as "Extensive".
Investment Risk
Foreign Securities Investment Options:/Emerging Market Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest in foreign securities involve special additional risks. These risks include, but are not limited to, currency risk, political risk, and risk associated with varying accounting standards. Investing in emerging markets may accentuate these risks.
Sector Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest exclusively in one sector or industry involve additional risks. The lack of industry diversification subjects the investor to increased industry-specific risks.
Non-Diversified Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest more of their assets in a single issuer involve additional risks, including share price fluctuations, because of the increased concentration of investments.
Small Cap Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest in stocks of small companies involve additional risks. Smaller companies typically have a higher risk of failure, and are not as well established as larger blue-chip companies. Historically, smaller-company stocks have experienced a greater degree of market volatility than the overall market average.
Mid Cap Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest in companies with market capitalizations below $10 billion involve additional risks. The securities of these companies may be more volatile and less liquid than the securities of larger companies.
High-Yield Bond Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest in lower-rated debt securities (commonly referred to as junk bonds) involve additional risks because of the lower credit quality of the securities in the portfolio. The investor should be aware of the possible higher level of volatility, and increased risk of default.
Yield
The yield of an investment option refers to the income generated by an investment in that investment option over an identified period of time. The SEC 30-day yield refers to the income generated by an investment over an identified 30-day period. The SEC 30-day yield is calculated by dividing: (I) the net investment income per share of the investment option earned over a 30-day period; by (II) the maximum offering price per share of the investment option on the last day of the period. This number is then annualized using semi-annual compounding. This means that the amount of income generated during the 30-day period is assumed to be generated each month over a 12-month period and is reinvested every six months. The yield does not necessarily reflect income actually earned by investing in the investment option because of certain adjustments required by the SEC and, therefore, may not correlate to the dividends or other distributions paid to shareholders.