Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to maximize income, to the extent consistent with preservation of capital, through investment in short-term bonds and income-producing securities.
Investment Strategy
The Fund uses an active strategy, seeking relative value to earn incremental income. The Fund typically invests at least 65% of net assets in investment grade debt securities, as assessed at the time of purchase. The remaining 35% of the Fund's assets may be in below-investment grade, high-yield debt securities. These securities involve greater risk of default or price declines than investment grade debt securities. The Fund invests principally in bonds issued by U.S. corporations, the U.S. government or its agencies, and U.S. government-sponsored enterprises. The Fund may also invest in trust preferred securities, taxable municipal securities, asset-backed securities, including commercial mortgage-backed securities, repurchase agreements, and foreign debt securities. Under normal circumstances, the Fund's average portfolio duration will range from one to three years. The Fund seeks to avoid investing in tobacco companies.
Investment Risk
Investment in mutual funds involves risk, including possible loss of principal invested. You could lose money on your investment in the Fund or the Fund could underperform because of the following risks: the market prices of bonds held by the Fund may fall; individualinvestments of the Fund may not perform as expected; and/or the Fund’s portfolio management practices may not achieve the desired result. Bond funds are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk. When interest rates rise, the value of fixed-income securities will generally fall. In addition, the credit quality of the securities may deteriorate, which could lead to default or bankruptcy of the issuer where the issuer becomes unable to pay its obligations when due. Investments in high-yield, high risk bonds can involve a substantial risk of loss. An active trading style can result in higher turnover (exceeding 100%), may translate to higher transaction costs, may increase your tax liability, and may affect Fund performance. The Fund is nondiversified and may be more volatile than a diversified fund.