- Investment grade bonds
- Junk bonds
- Foreign and emerging markets debt
- Corporate bonds
- US Treasury obligations
- Other US Government and agency securities
- Asset-backed
- Mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities
- Mortgage TBAs
- Private placements
- Restricted securities and other unregistered securities
- Variable and floating rate instruments
Securities Characteristics
- At least 70% of fund's net assets in investment grade as rated by nationally recognized statistical rating organization
- Max 30% of net assets in below investment grade
- 25% of fund's assets may be invested in foreign securities
- Duration of three years or less
Market Sector Exposure Ranges
Fund Investment Characteristics
- At least 85% in USD or hedged back to USD
- Max 25% in "sub-prime" mortgage-related securities
- Fund may enter in "dollar rolls" (selling MBS and at the same time contracts to buy back very similar securities on a future date)
- May use derivatives such as futures, options, swaps, and forward contracts for risk management and leverage.
Investment Process
The adviser uses both a top down and bottom up research process as well as a combination of fundamental and quantitative inputs to allocate the Fund’s assets among a range of sectors.
Prospectus is here.
Final Prospectus is here.
Final Statement of Additional Information is here.
MORE ETF HEARSAY
What are the Fund’s main investment strategies?
Consistent with the Fund’s dual objective of seeking total return and preservation of capital, the Fund uses a multi-sector strategy in order to create a diversified portfolio that generates total return while managing risk. The Fund principally invests in traditional fixed income sectors (for example, investment grade corporate bonds), while also having the flexibility to allocate its assets to extended sectors such as below investment grade securities (also known as high yield or junk bonds) and foreign and emerging markets debt. The Fund may invest in corporate bonds, U.S. treasury obligations and other U.S. government and agency securities, asset-backed, mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities, mortgage TBAs, private placements, credit risk transfer securities, credit-linked notes, restricted securities and other unregistered securities, and variable and floating rate instruments. Under normal conditions, at least 70% of the Fund’s net assets must be invested in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) or in securities that are unrated but are deemed by the adviser to be of comparable quality. The Fund will not invest more than 30% of its net assets in below investment grade securities (or the unrated equivalent) under normal conditions. Up to 25% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in foreign securities including sovereign and agency debt.
The Fund seeks to maintain a duration of three years or less, although under certain market conditions such as in periods of significant volatility in interest rates and spreads, the Fund’s duration may be longer than three years. Duration is a measure of price sensitivity of a debt security or a portfolio of debt securities to relative changes in interest rates. For instance, a duration of “three years” means that a security’s or portfolio’s price would be expected to decrease by approximately 3% with a 1% increase in interest rates (assuming a parallel shift in yield curve).
The Fund may invest across the full range of market sectors. As of the date of this prospectus, ranges for certain broad market sectors are as follows. The Fund may change these ranges if J.P. Morgan Investment Inc. (JPMIM or the adviser) determines in its discretion that the market environment has significantly changed.
Market Sector | Min | Max |
| U.S. Treasury & Agency | 10% | 50% |
| U.S. Agency Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities | 10% | 30% |
| Asset-Backed Securities | 0% | 20% |
| Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities | 0% | 20% |
| Investment Grade Corporate Debt Securities | 20% | 50% |
| High Yield Corporate Debt | 0% | 20% |
| Emerging Markets Debt | 0% | 15% |
The adviser will invest across the credit spectrum to provide the Fund exposure to various credit rating categories. Under normal conditions, at least 70% of the Fund’s net assets must be invested in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade by a NRSRO or in securities that are unrated but are deemed by the adviser to be of comparable quality. The balance of the Fund’s assets are not required to meet any minimum quality rating although the Fund will not, under normal conditions, invest more than 30% of its net assets in below investment grade securities (or the unrated equivalent). Such securities may include so called “distressed debt.” Distressed debt includes securities of issuers experiencing financial or operating difficulties, securities where the issuer has defaulted in the payment of interest or principal or in the performance of its covenants or agreements, securities of issuers that may be involved in bankruptcy proceedings, reorganizations or financial restructurings or securities of issuers operating in troubled industries.
Up to 25% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in foreign securities. Foreign securities include securities issued by foreign governments and their agencies and instrumentalities and companies that are incorporated outside the United States, including securities from issuers in countries whose economies are less developed (emerging markets). Such investments may include below investment grade securities or the unrated equivalent subject to the limitations on below investment grade securities described above. The Fund’s investments may include securities denominated in foreign currencies. Currently, the Fund anticipates at least 85% of the Fund’s net assets will be denominated in U.S. dollars or hedged back to U.S. dollars. However, from time to time, the Fund may have greater exposure to non-U.S. dollar investments to take advantage of market conditions.
The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities at the adviser’s discretion. Mortgage-related and mortgage-backed securities may be structured as collateralized mortgage obligations (agency and non-agency), stripped mortgage backed securities (interest-only or principal-only), commercial mortgage-backed securities, and mortgage pass-through securities. The Fund expects to invest no more than 25% of its assets in “sub-prime” mortgage-related securities at the time of purchase. The Fund may also enter into “dollar rolls” in which the Fund sells mortgage-backed securities and at the same time contracts to buy back very similar securities on a future date.
In addition to direct investments in securities, derivatives, which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, exchange rate or index, may be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, swaps and forward contracts as tools in the management of portfolio assets. The Fund may use derivatives to hedge various investments, for risk management and/or to increase income or gain to the Fund. In addition to the mortgage dollar rolls as described above, the Fund may utilize other relative value strategies involving credit-oriented trades (such as credit default swaps or credit default swap indices), combinations of derivatives, and combinations of derivatives and fixed income securities. The Fund may also utilize foreign currency derivatives such as currency forwards to hedge its non- dollar investments back to the U.S. dollar or use such derivatives to gain or adjust exposure to particular foreign securities, markets or currencies.
Investment Process: The adviser uses both a top down and bottom up research process as well as a combination of fundamental and quantitative inputs to allocate the Fund’s assets among a range of sectors. In buying and selling investments for the Fund, the adviser looks for market sectors and individual securities that it believes will perform well over time. The adviser selects individual securities after performing a risk/reward analysis to address the Fund’s dual objective of seeking total return and preservation of capital. Such analysis includes an evaluation of interest rate risk, credit risk, duration, liquidity, currency risk, legal provisions and the structure of the transaction. Generally, the adviser will sell a security when, based on fundamental credit analysis and the considerations described above, the adviser believes the issuer’s credit quality or the investment’s valuation will materially deteriorate or when the adviser believes that there is better relative value available in the market in other investments. As part of its investment process, the adviser also considers certain environmental, social and governance factors that it believes could have a material negative or positive impact on the risk profiles of certain securities or countries in which the Fund may invest. These determinations may not be conclusive and securities or countries that may be negatively impacted by such factors may be purchased and retained by the Fund while the Fund may divest or not invest in securities of issuers that may be positively impacted by such factors.
As part of its principal investment strategy and for temporary defensive purposes, any portion of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in cash and cash equivalents.
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