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Form 497K DREYFUS BOND FUNDS INC

December 28, 2016 1:20 PM EST

             

 

Dreyfus Municipal Bond Fund

 

Summary Prospectus
December 30, 2016

       
 

Ticker Symbol: DRTAX

Before you invest, you may want to review the fund's prospectus, which contains more information about the fund and its risks. You can find the fund's prospectus and other information about the fund, including the statement of additional information and most recent reports to shareholders, online at www.dreyfus.com/funddocuments. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) or by sending an e-mail request to [email protected]. The fund's prospectus and statement of additional information, dated December 30, 2016 (each as revised or supplemented), are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus.

Investment Objective

The fund seeks to maximize current income exempt from federal income tax, to the extent consistent with the preservation of capital.

Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund.

   

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Management fees

0.60%

Other expenses (including shareholder services fees)

0.13%

Total annual fund operating expenses

0.73%

Example

The Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

       

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$75

$233

$406

$906

Portfolio Turnover

The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 16.38% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategy

To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests substantially all of its net assets in municipal bonds that provide income exempt from federal income tax. Municipal bonds are debt securities or other obligations issued by states, territories and possessions of the United States (such as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands) and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, or multistate agencies and authorities, and certain other

   


0054SP1216

 

specified securities, the interest from which is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, exempt from federal income tax. The fund invests at least 75% of its assets in municipal bonds rated, at the time of purchase, A or higher or the unrated equivalent as determined by The Dreyfus Corporation. The fund may invest up to 25% of its assets in municipal bonds rated below A or the unrated equivalent as determined by The Dreyfus Corporation, including bonds of below investment grade credit quality ("high yield" or "junk" bonds).

The dollar-weighted average maturity of the fund's portfolio is not restricted, but normally exceeds ten years.

The portfolio managers focus on identifying undervalued sectors and securities. To select municipal bonds for the fund, the portfolio managers use fundamental credit analysis to estimate the relative value and attractiveness of various sectors and securities and actively trade among various sectors, based on their apparent relative values.

Although the fund seeks to provide income exempt from federal income tax, income from some of its holdings may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. In addition, the fund may invest temporarily in taxable obligations, including when the portfolio managers believe acceptable municipal bonds are not available for investment. During such periods, the fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Principal Risks

An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. It is not a complete investment program. The fund's share price fluctuates, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money.

· Municipal securities risk. The amount of public information available about municipal securities is generally less than that for corporate equities or bonds. Special factors, such as legislative changes, and state and local economic and business developments, may adversely affect the yield and/or value of the fund's investments in municipal securities. Other factors include the general conditions of the municipal securities market, the size of the particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. Changes in economic, business or political conditions relating to a particular municipal project, municipality, or state, territory or possession of the United States in which the fund invests may have an impact on the fund's share price.

· Interest rate risk. Prices of bonds and other fixed rate fixed-income securities tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in rates will adversely affect fixed-income securities and, accordingly, will cause the value of the fund's investments in these securities to decline. During periods of very low interest rates, which occur from time to time due to market forces or actions of governments and/or their central banks, including the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in the U.S., the fund may be subject to a greater risk of principal decline from rising interest rates. When interest rates fall, the fund's investments in new securities may be at lower yields and may reduce the fund's income. The magnitude of these fluctuations in the market price of fixed-income securities is generally greater for securities with longer effective maturities and durations because such instruments do not mature, reset interest rates or become callable for longer periods of time. The change in the value of a fixed-income security or portfolio can be approximated by multiplying its duration by a change in interest rates. For example, the market price of a fixed-income security with a duration of three years would be expected to decline 3% if interest rates rose 1%. Conversely, the market price of the same security would be expected to increase 3% if interest rates fell 1%. Risks associated with rising interest rates are heightened given that interest rates in the United States and other countries currently are at or near historic lows. Unlike investment grade bonds, however, the prices of high yield bonds may fluctuate unpredictably and not necessarily inversely with changes in interest rates.

· Credit risk. Failure of an issuer of a security to make timely interest or principal payments when due, or a decline or perception of a decline in the credit quality of the security, can cause the security's price to fall. The lower a security's credit rating, the greater the chance that the issuer of the security will default or fail to meet its payment obligations.

· High yield securities risk. High yield ("junk") securities involve greater credit risk, including the risk of default, than investment grade securities, and are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's ability to make principal and interest payments. The prices of high yield securities can fall in response to bad news about the issuer or its industry, or the economy in general, to a greater extent than those of higher rated securities.

· Liquidity risk. When there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities, it can become more difficult to sell the securities in a timely manner at or near their perceived value. In such a market, the value of such securities and the fund's share price may fall dramatically, even during periods of declining interest rates. The secondary market for certain municipal bonds tends to be less well developed or liquid than many other securities markets, which may adversely affect the fund's ability to sell such municipal bonds at attractive prices. Investments that are illiquid or that trade in lower volumes may be more difficult to value. The market for below investment grade securities may be less liquid and therefore these securities may be harder to value or sell at an acceptable price, especially during times of market volatility or decline. Liquidity risk also may refer to the risk that the fund will not be able to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable time period stated in this prospectus

   

Dreyfus Municipal Bond Fund Summary

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because of unusual market conditions, an unusually high volume of redemption requests, or other reasons. To meet redemption requests, the fund may be forced to sell securities at an unfavorable time and/or under unfavorable conditions, which may adversely affect the fund's share price.

Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The bar chart shows changes in the performance of the fund's shares from year to year. The table compares the average annual total returns of the fund's shares to those of a broad measure of market performance. The fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future. More recent performance information may be available at www.dreyfus.com.

   

Year-by-Year Total Returns as of 12/31 each year (%)

Best Quarter
Q3, 2009: 8.15%

Worst Quarter
Q4, 2010: -5.04%

The fund's year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2016 was 4.13%.

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through U.S. tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

       

Average Annual Total Returns (as of 12/31/15)

 

1 Year

5 Years

10 Years

Fund returns before taxes

3.60%

5.51%

4.14%

Fund returns after taxes on distributions

3.60%

5.51%

4.14%

Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares

3.48%

5.11%

4.10%

Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Municipal Bond Index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes

3.30%

5.35%

4.72%

Portfolio Management

The fund's investment adviser is The Dreyfus Corporation (Dreyfus).

The fund's primary portfolio managers are Daniel Marques and Daniel Rabasco, positions they have held since December 2009 and February 2012, respectively. Mr. Marques is a senior portfolio manager for institutional accounts and Director of Individual Portfolio Management at Standish Mellon Asset Management Company LLC (Standish), an affiliate of Dreyfus. Mr. Rabasco is the Chief Investment Officer for Tax Sensitive Fixed Income at Standish. Messrs. Marques and Rabasco also are employees of Dreyfus.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

In general, the fund's minimum initial investment is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $100. You may sell (redeem) your shares on any business day by calling 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) or by visiting www.dreyfus.com. If you invested in the fund through a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or financial adviser, you may mail your request to sell shares to Dreyfus Institutional Department, P.O. Box 9882, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8082. If you invested directly through the fund, you may mail your request to sell shares to Dreyfus Shareholder Services, P.O. Box 9879, Providence, Rhode

   

Dreyfus Municipal Bond Fund Summary

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Island 02940-8079. If you are an Institutional Direct accountholder, please contact your BNY Mellon relationship manager for instructions.

Tax Information

The fund anticipates that dividends paid by the fund generally will be exempt from federal income taxes. However, the fund may realize and distribute taxable income and capital gains from time to time as a result of the fund's normal investment activities.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

This prospectus does not constitute an offer or solicitation in any state or jurisdiction in which, or to any person to whom, such offering or solicitation may not lawfully be made.

   

Dreyfus Municipal Bond Fund Summary

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