Form 485APOS Federated Hermes Managed

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February 20, 2026 9:31 AM EST

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1933 Act File No. 333-128884
1940 Act File No. 811-21822

As Filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 20, 2026

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549

Form N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933	☒
Pre-Effective Amendment No.	☐
Post-Effective Amendment No. 89	☒
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940	☒
Amendment No. 91	☒

Federated Hermes Managed Pool Series
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Federated Hermes Funds
4000 Ericsson Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086-7561
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(412) 288-1900
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code)

Peter J. Germain, Esquire
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-3779
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

☐ immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

☐ On __________ pursuant to paragraph (b)

☐ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

☒ On April 28, 2026 pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

☐ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)

☐ On _________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

If appropriate, check the following:

☐ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

Prospectus

April 28, 2026

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IF EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

Ticker | FMBPX

Federated Hermes Mortgage Strategy Portfolio

A Portfolio of Federated Hermes Managed Pool Series

A mutual fund seeking to provide total return, by investing primarily in a mortgage-backed securities mutual fund and individual mortgage-backed securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs). The Fund is used to implement certain fixed-income investment strategies and, at times, overlay derivatives to manage yield curve and duration changes and/or hedge portfolio risk for eligible investors in wrap fee, separately managed and other discretionary investment accounts that are advised or sub-advised by Federated Investment Counseling (FIC), a subsidiary of Federated Hermes Inc. (“Federated Hermes,” formerly, Federated Investors, Inc.), or its affiliates, or certain other discretionary managers. Shares of the Fund held for an eligible investor may be purchased only at the direction of FIC or other discretionary managers to such wrap fee, separately managed or other discretionary investment accounts.

As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Not FDIC Insured ▪ May Lose Value ▪ No Bank Guarantee

CONTENTS

Fund Summary Information	1
What are the Fund’s Investment Strategies?	6
Information About the Underlying Fund	6
What are the Principal Securities in Which the Fund and the Underlying Fund May Invest?	7
What are the Specific Investment Risks of the Fund and the Underlying Fund?	12
How to Invest in the Fund	16
What Do Shares Cost?	18
Valuation of Portfolio Securities by the Fund and the Underlying Fund	18
How to Purchase Shares	19
How to Redeem Shares	19
Account and Share Information	21
Who Manages the Fund?	22
Financial Information	23
Appendix A: Hypothetical Investment and Expense Information	24

Fund Summary Information

Federated Hermes Mortgage Strategy Portfolio (the “Fund”)

RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: FEES AND EXPENSES

[To be Filed by Amendment]

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell Shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

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, as applicable)	None
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends (and other Distributions) (as a percentage of offering price)	None
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)	None
Exchange Fee	None

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

Management Fee	None
Distribution (12b-1) Fee	None
Other Expenses	0.12%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	0.02%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.14%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements1	(0.12)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	0.02%

The Adviser will not charge a fee for its advisory services to the Fund. The Adviser has contractually agreed to reimburse all expenses of the Fund, excluding

extraordinary expenses. Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are not direct obligations of the Fund and are not contractual reimbursements under the

investment advisory contract. Shareholders must approve any change to the contractual reimbursements. Investors should carefully consider the separate fees

charged in connection with investment in the Fund.

Example

This 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 for the time periods indicated and then redeem or hold 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 operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect sales charges (loads) on reinvested dividends. If these sales charges (loads) were included, your costs would be higher. Although your actual costs and returns may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

1 Year	$14
3 Years	$45
5 Years	$79
10 Years	$179

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 rate 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 3% of the average value of its portfolio.

RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENTS, RISKS and PERFORMANCE

What are the Fund’s Main Investment Strategies?

The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing primarily in the Mortgage Core Fund (the “Underlying Fund”), a portfolio of Federated Hermes Core Trust, and, at times, overlaying derivatives to manage yield curve and duration changes and/or hedge portfolio risk across all investments, as described below. The investment objective of the Underlying Fund is to provide total return. Under normal market conditions, the Underlying Fund invests primarily in mortgage-backed securities (MBS) of investment-grade quality and seeks to provide returns consistent with investments in the market for U.S. home mortgages. The Underlying Fund will invest in MBS that are issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or U.S. government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). The Underlying Fund may invest in non-agency MBS, which are those not issued or guaranteed by GSEs. The Underlying Fund also may invest in U.S. government securities, asset-backed securities (ABS), commercial MBS (CMBS) and certain derivative instruments.

Federated Investment Counseling (FIC), a subsidiary of Federated Hermes, currently manages the Federated Hermes Core Plus SMA and Federated Hermes Core Aggregate SMA (together, the “Federated SMAs”). The Federated SMAs invest in a number of Federated funds, including the Fund, to manage their investment program. In the future, eligible investors may include other wrap fee, separately managed and other discretionary investment accounts that are advised or sub-advised by FIC, its affiliates, or certain other discretionary managers.

The Federated SMAs invest in the Fund to gain exposure to MBS. The Fund, in turn, in addition to investing in the Underlying Fund, invests in derivatives instruments, in particular Treasury futures for more effective management of yield curve and duration changes and to better hedge portfolio risk across the Federated SMAs’ investments. As a result, the Fund’s derivatives portfolio is managed in a manner to facilitate efficient yield curve and duration changes and/or to hedge portfolio risk across the Federated SMAs and not just the Fund, which may result in exposure to derivatives that exceeds or differs from the Fund’s exposure to the underlying instrument.

When selecting investments for its portfolio, the Fund can invest in securities directly or in other investment companies, including, for example, the Underlying Fund and other funds advised by Federated Investment Management Company (the “Adviser” or the “Underlying Fund Adviser”) or its affiliates. The Fund’s investment in the Underlying Fund is generally expected to be a substantial portion of the Fund’s portfolio.

The Underlying Fund typically seeks to maintain an overall average dollar-weighted portfolio duration that is within one year above or below the Bloomberg US Mortgage Backed Securities Index (the “Index”). The average dollar-weighted duration of the Index is approximately 5.63 years as of December 31, 2025. At times, the Underlying Fund Adviser’s calculation of portfolio duration may result in variances outside this range. Duration is a measure of the price volatility of a fixed-income security as a result of changes in market rates of interest, based on the weighted average timing of the instrument’s expected fixed interest and principal payments. The Underlying Fund Adviser seeks to create a portfolio, consisting of MBS, derivative instruments and other securities, that outperforms the Index.

Based on fundamental analysis, the Fund/Underlying Fund Adviser will consider a variety of factors when making decisions to purchase or sell particular securities or derivative instruments. The Fund/Underlying Fund may, but is not required to, use derivative instruments, which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, exchange rate or index, and may be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund/Underlying Fund can invest, or to manage yield curve and duration changes and/or hedge against a potential loss in the underlying asset. There can be no assurance that the Fund/Underlying Fund’s use of derivative or hybrid instruments will work as intended.

The Adviser employs the same management, security selection and derivative strategies when the Fund invests directly in the securities, instruments and investments in which the Underlying Fund invests.

The Fund will invest its assets so that at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in mortgage investments. The Fund will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any change in this investment policy. Derivative investments made by the Fund/Underlying Fund that provide investment exposure to investments suggested by the Fund’s/Underlying Fund’s name are included within such fund’s 80% policy and are calculated at notional value.

What are the Main Risks of Investing in the Fund?

All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. Shareholders of the Fund will be exposed to the same risks as the Underlying Fund, which broadly consist of the risks of investing in mortgage-backed securities, as well as derivative contracts. The primary factors that may reduce the Fund’s and the Underlying Fund’s returns include:

■ MBS Risk. A rise in interest rates may cause the value of MBS held by the Fund/Underlying Fund to decline. Certain MBS issued by GSEs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. A non-agency MBS is subject to the risk that the value of such security will decline, because the security is not issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the U.S. government or a GSE. These securities may have exposure to borrowers with weakened credit histories, increasing the potential for default (subprime risk). The Fund’s/Underlying Fund’s investments in collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) may entail greater market, prepayment and liquidity risks than other MBS.The liquidity of non-agency MBS and CMO’s may also vary dramatically over time.

■ Interest Rate Risk. Prices of fixed-income securities generally fall when interest rates rise. The longer the duration of a fixed-income security, the more susceptible it is to interest-rate risk. Recent and potential future changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or their governments are likely to affect the level of interest rates.

■ Risk Related to the Economy. The value of the Fund’s portfolio may decline in tandem with a drop in the overall value of the markets in which the Fund invests and/or other markets. Global economic, political and financial conditions including geopolitical and other events (e.g., wars, sanctions and terrorism), legislative changes, industry or economic trends and developments, natural disasters or public health risks, such as epidemics or pandemics, may, from time to time, and for varying periods of time, have a significant effect on the economies of many nations, including the U.S., and financial markets generally and cause the Fund to experience volatility, illiquidity, loss of value, shareholder redemptions, and/or other potentially adverse effects. Among other investments, lower-grade bonds and loans may be particularly sensitive to changes in the economy.

■ Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk includes the possibility that a party to a transaction involving the Fund will fail to meet its obligations. This could cause the Fund to lose money or to lose the benefit of the transaction or prevent the Fund from selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategy.

■ Credit Risk. It is possible that borrowers of non-agency MBS in which the Fund/Underlying Fund invests will fail to pay interest or principal on these securities when due, which would result in the Fund/Underlying Fund losing money.

■ Prepayment and Extension Risk. When homeowners prepay their mortgages in response to lower interest rates, the Fund/Underlying Fund will be required to reinvest the proceeds at the lower interest rates available. Also, when interest rates fall, the prices of MBS may not rise to as great an extent as those of other fixed-income securities due to the potential prepayment of higher interest mortgages. When interest rates rise, homeowners are less likely to prepay their mortgages. A decreased rate of prepayments lengthens the expected maturity of a MBS, and the price of MBS may decrease more than the price of other fixed income securities when interest rates rise.

■ Risk of Security Downgrades. The downgrade of the credit of a security held by the Fund/Underlying Fund may decrease its value. Fixed-income securities with lower ratings tend to have a higher probability that a borrower will default or fail to meet its payment obligations.

■ Liquidity Risk. The non-agency MBS and CMOs in which the Fund/Underlying Fund invests may be less readily marketable and may be subject to greater fluctuation in price than other securities.

■ Leverage Risk. Leverage risk is created when an investment exposes the Fund/Underlying Fund to a level of risk that exceeds the amount invested. Changes in the value of such an investment magnify the Fund’s/Underlying Fund’s risk of loss and potential for gain.

■ Risk Transfer Notes Risk. Risk Transfer Notes may be issued by GSEs and non-GSEs. Non-GSEs are private issuers such as banks or other financial institutions. The risks associated with an investment in Risk Transfer Notes will be different than the risks associated with an investment in MBS. The Notes are the corporate obligations of the issuer and are often not secured by the Reference Obligation, the mortgaged properties or the borrowers’ payments under the Reference Obligations. Holders of the Notes are general creditors of the issuer and will be subject to the risk that the issuer will be unable to meet its obligation to pay the principal and interest of the Notes in accordance with their terms of issuance. The Notes may be considered high risk and complex securities.

■ Event-Linked Bonds and Other Insurance-Linked Securities Risk. The Fund/Underlying Fund may invest in “event-linked” bonds, which sometimes are referred to as “insurance-linked securities” or ILS. Event-linked bonds are debt obligations for which the return of principal and the payment of interest are contingent on the non-occurrence of a pre-defined “trigger” event, such as an event that leads to physical or economic loss. Event-linked bonds are typically rated by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating agency, but also may be unrated. The rating for an event-linked bond primarily reflects the rating agency’s calculated probability that a pre-defined trigger event will occur. This rating also assesses the event-linked bond’s credit risk and the model used to calculate the probability of a trigger event.

■ Risk of Lease-Backed and Rental-Based MBS. The market for lease-backed securities and rental-based MBS is new and there may be variation in how the securities are collateralized. By way of nonlimiting example, some structures may afford a bondholder with indirect, limited or even no rights to the underlying real estate. Further, different classes of a particular issue may receive different credit ratings than other classes of the same issue depending upon the level of collateral or distribution of collateral in a default scenario.

■ Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) Risk. The value of asset-backed securities (ABS) may be affected by certain factors, such as interest rate risk, credit risk, prepayment risk and the availability of information concerning the pool of underlying assets and its structure. Under certain market conditions, ABS may be less liquid and may be difficult to value. Movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain types of ABS. ABS can also be subject to the risk of default on the underlying assets.

■ Risk of Investing in Derivative Instruments. The Fund’s/Underlying Fund’s exposure to derivative contracts and hybrid instruments (either directly or through its investment in another investment company) involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the asset, index, rate or instrument underlying a derivative, due to failure of a counterparty, or the failure of the counterparty to meet its obligations under the contract, or due to tax or regulatory constraints. Derivatives may create investment leverage in the Fund/Underlying Fund, which magnifies the Fund’s/Underlying Fund’s exposure to the underlying investment. As the Fund’s derivatives portfolio is managed in a manner to facilitate efficient yield curve and duration changes and to hedge portfolio risk across the Federated SMAs and not just the Fund, the Fund’s exposure to derivatives may, at times, exceed or differ from the Fund’s exposure to the underlying instrument. Derivative instruments may be difficult to value, may be illiquid and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. Over-the-counter derivative contracts generally carry greater liquidity risk than exchange-traded contracts. The loss on derivative transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment.

■ Exchange-Traded Funds Risk. An investment in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional fund (i.e., one that is not exchange-traded) that has the same investment objectives, strategies and policies. The price of an ETF can fluctuate up or down, and the Fund could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down.

■ Share Ownership Concentration Risk. A majority of the Underlying Fund’s shares may be held by other funds advised by the Adviser and its affiliates. It is possible that some or all of these other funds will decide to purchase or redeem shares of the Underlying Fund simultaneously or within a short period of time of one another in order to execute their asset allocation strategies, which could have adverse consequences for the Underlying Fund and its other shareholders, such as the Fund.

■ Underlying Fund Risk. The risk that the Fund’s performance is closely related to the risks associated with the securities and other investments held by another investment company in which the Fund invests, such as the Underlying Fund, and that the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective will depend upon the ability of such other investment company to achieve its investment objective. The Fund indirectly bears any underlying fund fees and expenses.

■ Technology Risk. The Adviser uses various technologies in managing the Fund, consistent with its investment objective and strategy described in this prospectus. For example, proprietary and third-party data and systems are utilized to support decision making for the Fund. Data imprecision, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems, which may negatively affect Fund performance.

The Shares offered by this Prospectus are not deposits or obligations of any bank, are not endorsed or guaranteed by any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.

Performance: Bar Chart and Table

[To be Filed by Amendment]

Risk/Return Bar Chart

The bar chart and performance table below reflect historical performance data for the Fund and are intended to help you analyze the Fund’s investment risks in light of its historical returns. The bar chart shows the variability of the Fund’s Shares total returns on a calendar year-by-year basis. The Average Annual Total Return Table shows returns averaged over the stated periods, and includes comparative performance information with a broad-based securities market index.

The Fund’s performance is also compared to a secondary index to show how the Fund’s performance compares with the returns of an index with similar investments. The Fund’s performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future results. Updated performance information for the Fund is available by calling 1-800-341-7400.

Within the periods shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 7.57% (quarter ended December 31, 2023). Its lowest quarterly return was (5.18)% (quarter ended September 30, 2022).

Average Annual Total Return Table

In addition to Return Before Taxes, Return After Taxes is shown for the Fund to illustrate the effect of federal taxes on Fund returns. Actual after-tax returns depend on each investor’s personal tax situation, and are likely to differ from those shown. After-tax returns are calculated using a standard set of assumptions. The stated returns assume the highest historical federal income and capital gains tax rates. These after-tax returns do not reflect the effect of any applicable state and local taxes. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors holding Shares through a 401(k) plan, an Individual Retirement Account or other tax-advantaged investment plans.

(For the Period Ended December 31, 2025)

Fund:	1 Year	5 Years	10 Years
Return Before Taxes	8.80%	0.34%	1.87%
Return After Taxes on Distributions	6.66%	(1.21)%	0.47%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares	5.16%	(0.42)%	0.82%
Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond TR USD Index1	7.30%	(0.36)%	2.01%
Bloomberg US Mortgage-Backed Securities Index2 (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	8.58%	0.15%	1.59%

The Fund has designated the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index as the new broad-based securities market index in accordance with the SEC’s

revised requirements for such an index. The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade,

U.S. dollar denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market.

The Bloomberg US Mortgage-Backed Securities Index covers agency mortgage-backed pass-through securities (both fixed-rate and hybrid ARM) issued

by Ginnie Mae (GNMA), Fannie Mae (FNMA), and Freddie Mac (FHLMC).

FUND MANAGEMENT

The Fund’s Investment Adviser is Federated Investment Management Company.

Liam O’Connell, CFA, Portfolio Manager has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since February of 2018.

Robert Schwartz, Associate Portfolio Manager, has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since April of 2026.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

There is no required minimum initial or subsequent investment amount to invest in Fund Shares.

Shares of the Fund held for an Eligible Investor (see “How to Invest in the Fund”) may be purchased only at the direction of Federated Investment Counseling (FIC), a subsidiary of Federated Hermes, Inc. (“Federated Hermes”) or another Discretionary Manager of the Eligible Account (see “How to Invest in the Fund”). Shares of the Fund may be purchased any day the NYSE is open. An account may be established and Shares purchased by submitting an Account Application and purchase request in good order to the Fund’s Transfer Agent, SS&C GIDS, Inc. Shares of the Fund may be redeemed any day the NYSE is open. Redemption requests should be made in accordance with procedures established by the Transfer Agent.

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions are taxable as ordinary income or capital gains except when your investment is through a 401(k) plan, an Individual Retirement Account or other tax-advantaged investment plan.

Payments to DISCRETIONARY MANAGERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

Shares of the Fund held for an Eligible Investor may be purchased only at the direction of FIC or another Discretionary Manager of the Eligible Account. Discretionary Managers receive no fee from the Fund for their services. If you purchase the Fund through a Discretionary Manager, the Fund and/or its related companies do not pay the Discretionary Manager for the sale of Fund Shares and related services. Ask your salesperson or visit your Discretionary Manager’s website for more information.

What are the Fund’s Investment Strategies?

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide total return by investing primarily in a mortgage-backed securities mutual fund and individual mortgage-backed securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), and, at times, overlaying derivatives to manage yield curve and duration changes and/or hedge portfolio risk across all investments, as described below. While there is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective, it endeavors to do so by following the principal strategies and policies described in this Prospectus. The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides information about the Fund’s non-principal strategies.

The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, primarily in the Mortgage Core Fund (the “Underlying Fund”), a portfolio of Federated Hermes Core Trust.

The Federated SMAs invest in the Fund to gain exposure to MBS. The Fund, in turn, in addition to investing in the Underlying Fund, invests in derivatives instruments, in particular Treasury futures for more effective management of yield curve and duration changes and to better hedge portfolio risk across the Federated SMAs’ investments. As a result, the Fund’s derivatives portfolio is managed in a manner to facilitate efficient yield curve and duration changes and to hedge portfolio risk across the Federated SMAs and not just the Fund, which may result in exposure to derivatives that exceeds or differs from the Fund’s exposure to the underlying instrument.

In the future, eligible investors may include other wrap fee, separately managed and other discretionary investment accounts that are advised or sub-advised by FIC, its affiliates, or certain other discretionary managers.

When selecting investments for the Fund, the Adviser can invest directly in individual securities or other investment companies, including, for example, the Underlying Fund and other funds advised by the Adviser or its affiliates (together, the “Affiliated Underlying Funds”). These Affiliated Underlying Funds may include funds which are not available for general investment by the public. The investment companies in which the Fund invests are managed independently of the Fund and may incur additional expenses. The Fund’s investment in the Underlying Fund is generally expected to be a substantial portion of the Fund’s portfolio.

The Fund will invest its assets so that at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in mortgage investments. The Fund will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any change in this investment policy. Derivative investments made by the Fund that provide investment exposure to investments suggested by the Fund’s name are included within the Fund’s 80% policy and are calculated at notional value.

Temporary Investments

The Fund may temporarily depart from its principal investment strategies by investing its assets in shorter-term debt securities and similar obligations or holding cash. It may do this in response to unusual circumstances, such as: adverse market, economic, or other conditions (for example, to help avoid potential losses, or during periods when there is a shortage of appropriate securities); to maintain liquidity to meet shareholder redemptions; or to accommodate cash inflows. It is possible that such investments could affect the Fund’s investment returns and/or the ability to achieve the Fund’s investment objective.

Information About the Underlying Fund

This section of the Prospectus describes the investment objective and principal investment strategies of the Underlying Fund. A description of the various types of securities in which the Underlying Fund invests, and the Fund may invest, and the risks, immediately follows this section. The Underlying Fund is managed independently of the Fund.

The investment objective of the Underlying fund is to provide total return.

The Underlying Fund Adviser manages the portfolio by targeting a dollar weighted average duration relative to that of the Bloomberg US Mortgage Backed Securities Index (the “Index”).

The Underlying Fund seeks total return, which is defined as income plus capital appreciation. Under normal market conditions, the Underlying Fund invests primarily in mortgage-backed securities (MBS) of investment-grade quality and seeks to provide returns consistent with investments in the market for U.S. home mortgages. A security is considered investment grade quality if it is either: (i) rated within the four highest ratings categories by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (an NRSRO); or (ii) if unrated, considered by the Underlying Fund Adviser to be of investment grade quality. The Underlying Fund will invest in MBS that are issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or U.S˃ government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). The Underlying Fund may invest in non-agency MBS, which are those not issued or guaranteed by GSEs. The Underlying Fund also may invest in U.S. government securities, asset-backed securities, and certain derivative instruments.

The Underlying Fund typically seeks to maintain an overall average dollar-weighted portfolio duration that is within one year above or below the Index. The average dollar-weighted duration of the Index is approximately 5.63 years as of December 31, 2025. At times, the Underlying Fund Adviser’s calculation of portfolio duration may result in variances outside this range. Duration is a measure of the price volatility of a fixed-income security as a result of changes in market rates of interest, based on the weighted average timing of the instrument’s expected fixed interest and principal payments. For example, if interest rates rise by 1% (in a parallel shift) the NAV of a fund with an average duration of five years theoretically would decline about 5.0%. Securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations.

The Underlying Fund Adviser seeks to create a portfolio, consisting of MBS, derivative instruments and other securities, that outperforms the Index. In implementing the Underlying Fund’s investment strategy, the Underlying Fund Adviser typically will take into consideration : (i) overall levels of interest rates; (ii) volatility of interest rates; (iii) relative interest rates of securities with longer and shorter durations (known as a “yield curve”); and (iv) relative interest rates of different types of securities (such as U.S. government securities and MBS).

Based on fundamental analysis, the Underlying Fund Adviser will consider a variety of factors when making decisions to purchase or sell particular securities or derivative contracts, including: the securities’ specific interest rate and prepayment risks; and price sensitivity to changes in market spread levels and in the level of interest rate volatility. In analyzing MBS, the Underlying Fund Adviser also may consider the average interest rates of the underlying loans, the prior and expected prepayments, any ratings issued by NRSROs, and any guarantee of the security or underlying loans by a GSE or non-agency issuer. The Underlying Fund does not limit the amount of its portfolio that may be invested in non-agency MBS.

The Underlying Fund may, but is not required to, use derivative instruments, which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, exchange rate or index, and may be used as substitutes for securities in which the Underlying Fund can invest, or to hedge against a potential loss in the underlying asset. The Underlying Fund may use futures contracts, options, options on futures (including those relating to interest rates) and swaps as tools in the management of portfolio assets, or other elements of its investment strategy. There can be no assurance that the Underlying Fund’s use of derivative instruments will work as intended. Derivative investments made by the Underlying Fund that provide investment exposure to investments suggested by the Fund’s name are included within the Fund’s 80% policy (as described below) and are calculated at notional value.

The Underlying Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in mortgage investments. The Underlying Fund will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any change in this investment policy.

What are the Principal Securities in Which the Fund and the Underlying Fund May Invest?

The following provides general information on the Fund’s and the Underlying Fund’s principal investments. The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides information about the Fund’s and the Underlying Fund’s non-principal investments and may provide additional information about the Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s principal investments.

Fixed-Income Securities

The Fund and Underlying Fund may invest in the fixed-income securities described below. The Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s fixed-income investments may include bonds, notes (including structured notes), mortgage-related securities, asset-backed securities and money market instruments. Fixed-income securities may be issued by: U.S. corporations or entities; U.S. banks; and the U.S. government, its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or GSEs. These securities may have all types of interest rate payment and reset terms, including fixed-rate, adjustable-rate and zero-coupon.

Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) (A Fixed-Income Security)

An MBS is a type of pass-through security, which is a pooled debt obligation repackaged as interests that pass principal and interest through an intermediary to investors. In the case of MBS, the ownership interests are issued by a trust and represent participation interests in pools of adjustable and fixed-rate mortgage loans. MBS are most commonly issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government (or one of its agencies or instrumentalities) (“agency MBS”), but also may be issued or guaranteed by private entities (“non-agency MBS”). Unlike conventional debt obligations, MBS provide monthly payments derived from the monthly interest and principal payments (including any prepayments) made by the individual borrowers on the pooled mortgage loans. Most MBS make these payments monthly; however, certain MBS are backed by mortgage loans which do not generate monthly payments but rather generate payments less frequently.

The mortgage loan collateral for non-agency MBS consists of residential mortgage loans that do not conform to GSE underwriting guidelines. Non-agency MBS generally offer a higher yield than agency MBS because there are no direct or indirect government guarantees of payment.

The non-agency and agency MBS acquired by the Fund and the Underlying Fund could be secured by fixed-rate mortgages, adjustable-rate mortgages or hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages. Adjustable-rate mortgages are mortgages whose interest rates are periodically reset when market rates change. A hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (“hybrid ARM”) is a type of mortgage in which the interest rate is fixed for a specified period and then resets periodically, or floats, for the remaining mortgage term. Hybrid ARMs are usually referred to by their fixed and floating periods. For example, a “5/1 ARM” refers to a mortgage with a five-year fixed interest rate period, followed by 25 annual interest rate adjustment periods.

The Fund and the Underlying Fund also may invest in collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs). The two types of CMOs are: (1) MBS that are collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities; and (2) multi-class pass-through securities, which are interests in a trust composed of mortgage loans or other MBS. CMOs may be issued by U.S. governmental or government-related enterprises, or by private entities, such as banks and others. CMOs are issued in multiple classes, often referred to as “tranches,” with each tranche having a specific fixed or floating coupon rate, and stated maturity or final distribution date. CMOs are subject to the uncertainty of the timing of cash flows that results from the rate of prepayments on the underlying mortgages serving as collateral and from the structure of the particular CMO transaction (that is, the priority of the individual tranches). An increase or decrease in prepayment rates (resulting from a decrease or increase in mortgage interest rates) may cause the CMOs to be retired substantially earlier or later than their stated maturities or final distribution dates, and will affect the yields and prices of CMOs.

Mortgage dollar rolls are transactions in which the Fund and the Underlying Fund sell MBS for delivery in the current month with a simultaneous contract entered to repurchase substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) securities on a specified future date and price (a “mortgage roll”). During the roll period, the Fund and the Underlying Fund forego principal and interest paid on the MBS. Mortgage dollar roll transactions may be used to seek to increase the Fund’s and the Underlying Fund’s income. The Fund and the Underlying Fund use repurchase agreements and short-term, fixed-income securities to secure their obligations in these transactions.

Investments in MBS expose the Fund and the Underlying Fund to MBS, interest rate, prepayment and credit risks.

Asset-Backed Securities (A Type of Fixed-Income Security)

Asset-backed securities are securities issued by trusts and special purpose entities that are backed by pools of assets, such as automobile loans and credit-card receivables, and which pass through the payments on the underlying obligations to the security holders (less servicing fees paid to the servicer or fees for any credit enhancement). Typically, the originator of the loan or accounts receivable transfers it to a specially created trust, which repackages it as an issuance of securities with a minimum denomination and a specific term. The securities then are privately placed or publicly offered. Issuers of asset-backed securities may have limited ability to enforce the security interest in the underlying assets, and credit enhancements (if any) may be inadequate in the event of default. Asset-backed securities may take the form of commercial paper, notes or pass-through certificates. Asset-backed securities have prepayment risks, interest rate risks, credit risks, and in certain instances, liquidity risks.

U.S. Government Securities (A Type of Fixed-Income Security)

U.S. government securities include U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ in their yields, maturities and times of issuance, and obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities (“agency obligations”). Agency obligations may be guaranteed by the U.S. government or they may be backed by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the obligations, or the credit of the agency or instrumentality. As a result of their high credit quality and market liquidity, U.S. government securities

generally provide lower current yields than obligations of other issuers. While certain U.S. government-sponsored enterprises (such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Federal National Mortgage Association) may be chartered or sponsored by acts of Congress, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or any other segment of the U.S. government.

Risk Transfer Notes

The Fund and the Underlying Fund may invest in fixed- or floating-rate unsecured general obligations issued from time to time by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae or other issuers. These obligations are referred to as “Risk Transfer Notes.” Typically, such Notes are issued at par and have stated final maturities. Often, the Notes are structured so that: (i) interest is paid directly by the issuer; and (ii) principal is paid by the issuer in accordance with the principal payments and default performance of a certain pool of mortgage loans of either single-family or multi-family properties (“Reference Obligations”). The issuer selects the pool of Reference Obligations based on that issuer’s eligibility criteria. The performance of the Notes will be directly affected by the performance of the Reference Obligations selected by the issuer. Such Notes are issued in tranches to which are allocated certain principal repayments and credit losses corresponding to the seniority of the particular tranche. Each tranche of Notes will have credit exposure to the Reference Obligations and the yield to maturity will be directly related to the amount and timing of certain defined credit events on the Reference Obligations, any prepayments by borrowers and any removals of a Reference Obligation from the pool.

While the structure of Risk Transfer Notes mimics the cash flows of a mezzanine securitized tranche, the Notes may not be directly linked to the Reference Obligations. Thus, the payment of principal and interest on the Notes is tied to the performance of the pool of Reference Obligations. However, the actual cash flow from the Reference Obligation may not be made available to the holders of the Notes. This is different than in the case of covered notes, where the issuer default would allow investors to have an additional lien on the underlying loans.

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (A Type of Mortgage-Backed Security)

Commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) represent interests in mortgage loans on commercial real estate, such as loans for hotels, shopping centers, office buildings and apartment buildings. Generally, the interest and principal payments on these loans are passed on to investors in CMBS according to a schedule of payments. The Fund and Underlying Fund may invest in individual CMBS issues or, alternately, may gain exposure to the overall CMBS market by investing in a derivative contract, the performance of which is related to changes in the value of a domestic CMBS index. The risks associated with CMBS reflect the risks of investing in the commercial real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans and are therefore different from the risks of other types of MBS. Additionally, CMBS expose the Fund and Underlying Fund to interest rate, liquidity and credit risks.

Lease-Backed Securities and Rental-Based MBS

Rental-based MBS are mortgage-backed securities where the underlying properties are rental homes. In rental-based MBS, the mortgage loan or loans may be different in structure from typical owner occupied single family mortgage as the loans may be secured by more than one property and the mortgage loans may have terms and conditions that are different from a typical owner occupied single family home mortgage. The structure of the MBS themselves may also have characteristics that are different than typical MBS. Lease-backed securities are securities whereby the investor cash flows are generated from lease payments on rental properties.

EVENT-LINKED BONDS AND OTHER INSURANCE-LINKED SECURITIES

The Fund and Underlying Fund may invest in “event-linked” bonds, which sometimes are referred to as “insurance-linked securities” or ILS or “catastrophe” bonds. Event-linked bonds are debt obligations for which the return of principal and the payment of interest are contingent on the non-occurrence of a pre-defined “trigger” event. For some event-linked bonds, the trigger event’s magnitude may be based on losses to a company or industry, industry indexes or readings of scientific instruments rather than specified actual losses. The Fund and Underlying Fund are entitled to receive principal and interest payments so long as no trigger event occurs of the description and magnitude specified by the instrument. Event-linked bonds may be issued by government agencies, insurance companies, reinsurers, special purpose corporations or other on-shore or off-shore entities. The Fund and Underlying Fund may invest in interests in pooled entities that invest primarily in event-linked bonds.

Event-linked bonds are typically rated by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating agency, but also may be unrated. The rating for an event-linked bond primarily reflects the rating agency’s calculated probability that a pre-defined trigger event will occur. This rating also assesses the event-linked bond’s credit risk and the model used to calculate the probability of a trigger event.

In addition to event-linked bonds, the Fund and Underlying Fund may also invest in other insurance-linked securities, including structured reinsurance instruments such as quota share instruments (a form of proportional reinsurance whereby an investor participates in the premiums and losses of a reinsurer’s portfolio of catastrophe-oriented policies, sometimes referred to as “reinsurance sidecars”) and collateralized reinsurance investments, industry loss warranties, and other insurance- and reinsurance-related securities. Quota share instruments and other structured reinsurance instruments generally will be considered illiquid securities by the Fund and Underlying Fund.

DERIVATIVE CONTRACTS

Derivative contracts are financial instruments that derive their value from underlying securities, commodities, currencies, indices, or other assets or instruments, including other derivative contracts (each a “Reference Instrument” and collectively, “Reference Instruments”). The most common types of derivative contracts are swaps, futures and options, and major asset classes include interest rates, equities, commodities and foreign exchange. Each party to a derivative contract may sometimes be referred to as a “counterparty.” Some derivative contracts require payments relating to an actual, future trade involving the Reference Instrument. These types of derivatives are frequently referred to as “physically settled” derivatives. Other derivative contracts require payments relating to the income or returns from, or changes in the market value of, a Reference Instrument. These types of derivatives are known as “cash-settled” derivatives since they require cash payments in lieu of delivery of the Reference Instrument.

Many derivative contracts are traded on exchanges. In these circumstances, the relevant exchange sets all the terms of the contract except for the price. Parties to an exchange-traded derivative contract make payments through the exchange. Most exchanges require traders to maintain margin accounts through their brokers to cover their potential obligations to the exchange. Parties to the contract make (or collect) daily payments to the margin accounts to reflect losses (or gains) in the value of their contracts. This protects traders against a potential default by their counterparty. Trading contracts on an exchange also allows traders to hedge or mitigate certain risks or carry out more complex trading strategies by entering into offsetting contracts.

The Fund may also trade derivative contracts over-the-counter (OTC), meaning off-exchange, in transactions negotiated directly between the Fund and an eligible counterparty, which may be a financial institution. OTC contracts do not necessarily have standard terms, so they may be less liquid and more difficult to close out than exchange-traded derivative contracts. In addition, OTC contracts with more specialized terms may be more difficult to value than exchange-traded contracts, especially in times of financial stress.

The market for swaps and other OTC derivatives was largely unregulated prior to the enactment of federal legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”). Regulations enacted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) under the Dodd-Frank Act require the Fund to clear certain types of swap contracts (including certain interest rate and credit default swaps) through a central clearinghouse known as a derivatives clearing organization (DCO).

To clear a swap through a DCO, the Fund will submit the contract to, and post margin with, a futures commission merchant (FCM) that is a clearinghouse member. The Fund may enter into the swap with a counterparty other than the FCM and arrange for the contract to be transferred to the FCM for clearing or enter into the contract with the FCM itself. If the Fund must centrally clear a transaction, the CFTC’s regulations also generally require that the swap be executed on a registered exchange (either a designated contract market (DCM) or swap execution facility (SEF)). Central clearing is presently required only for certain swaps; the CFTC is expected to impose a mandatory central clearing requirement for additional derivative instruments over time.

DCOs, DCMs, SEFs and FCMs are all subject to regulatory oversight by the CFTC. In addition, certain derivative market participants that act as market makers and engage in a significant amount of “dealing” activity are also required to register as swap dealers with the CFTC. Among other things, swap dealers are subject to minimum capital requirements and business conduct standards and must also post and collect initial and variation margin on uncleared swaps with certain of their counterparties. Because of this, if the Fund enters into uncleared swaps with any swap dealers, it may be subject to initial and variation margin requirements that could impact the Fund’s ability to enter into swaps in the OTC market, including making transacting in uncleared swaps significantly more expensive.

At this point in time, most of the Dodd-Frank Act has been fully implemented, though a small number of remaining rulemakings are unfinished or are subject to phase-in periods. Any future regulatory or legislative activity would not necessarily have a direct, immediate effect upon the Fund, though it is within the realm of possibility that, upon implementation of these measures or any future measures, they could potentially limit or completely restrict the ability of the Fund to use these instruments as a part of its investment strategy, increase the costs of using these instruments or make them less effective.

Depending on how the Fund uses derivative contracts and the relationships between the market value of a derivative contract and the Reference Instrument, derivative contracts may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to the risks of the Reference Instrument and may also expose the Fund to liquidity and leverage risks. OTC contracts also expose the Fund to credit risks in the event that a counterparty defaults on the contract, although this risk may be mitigated by submitting the contract for clearing through a DCO, or certain other factors, such as collecting margin from the counterparty.

As discussed above, a counterparty’s exposure under a derivative contract may in some cases be required to be secured with initial and/or variation margin (a form of “collateral”).

The Fund may invest in a derivative contract if it is permitted to own, invest in, or otherwise have economic exposure to the Reference Instrument. The Fund’s derivatives portfolio is managed in a manner to facilitate efficient yield curve and duration changes and to hedge portfolio risk across the Federated SMAs and not just the Fund, which may result in exposure to derivatives that exceeds or differs from the Fund’s exposure to the underlying instrument. The Fund is not required to own a Reference Instrument in order to buy or sell a derivative contract relating to that Reference Instrument. The Fund may trade in the following specific types and/or combinations of derivative contracts:

Investing in Securities of Other Investment Companies

The Fund may invest its assets in securities of other investment companies, including the securities of affiliated and non-affiliated exchange-traded funds and money market funds, as an efficient means of implementing its investment strategies, managing its uninvested cash and/or other investment reasons consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and investment strategies. These other investment companies are managed independently of the Fund and incur additional fees and/or expenses which would, therefore, be borne indirectly by the Fund in connection with any such investment. These investments also can create conflicts of interest for the Adviser to the Fund and the investment adviser to another investment company in which it invests. For example, a conflict of interest can arise due to the possibility that the Adviser to the Fund could make a decision to redeem the Fund’s investment in such other investment company. In the case of an investment in an Affiliated Underlying Fund, a conflict of interest can arise if, because of the Fund’s investment in the Affiliated Underlying Fund, the Affiliated Underlying Fund is able to garner more assets, thereby growing the Affiliated Underlying Fund and increasing the management fees received by the investment adviser to the Affiliated Underlying Fund, which would either be the Adviser or an affiliate of the Adviser. However, the Adviser believes that the benefits and efficiencies of making investments in other investment companies should outweigh the potential additional fees and/or expenses and resulting conflicts of interest. In light of the Fund’s investments in other investment companies, other registered investment companies may be limited in their ability to invest in the Fund.

Investing in Exchange-Traded Funds

The Fund may invest in affiliated and non-affiliated exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as an efficient means of carrying out its investment strategies. As with traditional mutual funds, ETFs charge asset-based fees, although these fees tend to be relatively low. ETFs are traded on stock exchanges or on the over-the-counter market. ETFs do not charge initial sales charges or redemption fees and investors pay only customary brokerage fees to buy and sell ETF shares.

OTHER INVESTMENTS, TRANSACTIONS, TECHNIQUES

Derivatives Regulation and Asset Coverage

The regulation of the U.S. and non-U.S. derivatives markets has undergone substantial change in recent years and such change may continue. In addition, effective August 19, 2022, Rule 18f-4 (the “Derivatives Rule”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), replaced the asset segregation framework previously used by funds to comply with limitations on leverage imposed by the 1940 Act. The Derivatives Rule generally mandates that a fund either limit derivatives exposure to 10% or less of its net assets, or in the alternative implement: (i) limits on leverage calculated based value-at-risk (VAR); (ii) a written derivatives risk management program (DRMP) administered by a derivatives risk manager appointed by the Fund’s Board, including a majority of the independent Board members, that is periodically reviewed by the Board; and (iii) new reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Investment Ratings for Investment-Grade Securities

The Adviser will determine whether a security is investment grade based upon the credit ratings given by one or more NRSROs. For example, S&P Global Ratings, an NRSRO, assigns ratings to investment-grade securities (AAA, AA, A and BBB including modifiers, sub-categories and gradations) based on their assessment of the likelihood of the issuer’s inability to pay interest or principal (default) when due on each security. Lower credit ratings correspond to higher credit risk. If a security has not received a rating, the Fund must rely entirely upon the Adviser’s credit assessment that the

security is comparable to investment grade. The presence of a ratings modifier, sub-category or gradation (for example, a (+) or (-)) is intended to show relative standing within the major rating categories and does not affect the security credit rating for purposes of the Fund’s investment parameters. If a security is downgraded below the minimum quality grade discussed above, the Adviser will reevaluate the security, but will not be required to sell it.

Additional Information Regarding the Security Selection Process

As part of analysis in its security selection process, among other factors, the Adviser also evaluates whether environmental, social and governance factors could have a positive or negative impact on the risk/return profiles of many issuers or guarantors in the universe of securities in which the Fund may invest. This may include primary information that the Adviser and its affiliates capture through direct interactions or engagements with issuers or guarantors. Such interactions and engagements are undertaken to seek to improve long-term risk-adjusted returns, and to create long-term value for investors, consistent with applicable fiduciary duties and relevant objectives. The level of interaction with a company, governmental body or other entity (as applicable) can be subject to any limitations required, either explicitly or implicitly, in the jurisdiction in which a company, governmental body or other entity (as applicable) is domiciled in an effort to comply with applicable laws and/or to avoid legal or regulatory risk for the Fund and/or investors. This qualitative analysis does not automatically result in including or excluding specific securities but may be used by Federated Hermes as an additional input in its primary analysis.

Repurchase Agreements

Repurchase agreements are transactions in which the Fund and Underlying Fund buy a security from a dealer, bank or other financial institution and agrees to sell the security back at a mutually agreed-upon time and price. The repurchase price exceeds the sale price, reflecting the Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s return on the transaction. This return is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying security. The Fund and Underlying Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only with dealers, banks and other financial institutions, deemed creditworthy by the Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s Adviser. A repurchase agreement executed with a dealer or bank may be submitted to a clearing agency and, upon acceptance, the clearing agency becomes the counterparty to the repurchase agreement.

The Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s custodian or subcustodian will take possession of the securities subject to repurchase agreements. The Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s Adviser or subcustodian will monitor the value of the underlying security each day to ensure that the value of the security always equals or exceeds the repurchase price.

Repurchase agreements are subject to credit risk since it is possible for the counterparty to default on its obligations under the agreement at a time when the purchased securities have declined in value of the insolvency of the counterparty results in certain costs and delays in being able to sell the purchased securities. The Fund and Underlying Fund invest in overnight repurchase agreements in order to maintain sufficient cash to pay for daily net redemptions and portfolio transactions. The Fund and Underlying Fund use repurchase agreements to secure its obligations in connection with mortgage dollar roll transactions.

What are the Specific Investment Risks of the Fund and the Underlying Fund?

The following provides general information on the risks associated with the types of securities and other investments in which the Fund and the Underlying Fund principally invest. The Fund and the Underlying Fund may invest in other types of securities or investments as non-principal investments. Any additional risks associated with investing in such other non-principal investments are described in the Fund’s SAI. The Fund’s SAI also may provide additional information about the risks associated with the types of securities in which the Fund and the Underlying Fund principally invest.

MBS Risk

MBS have unique risks. A rise in interest rates may cause the value of MBS held by the Fund and the Underlying Fund to decline. The mortgage loans underlying MBS generally are subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment and to a lesser rate of principal prepayments in an increasing interest rate environment. If the underlying mortgages are paid off sooner than expected, the Fund and the Underlying Fund may have to reinvest this money in mortgage-backed or other securities that have lower yields. Hybrid ARMs also involve special risks. Like ARMs, hybrid ARMs have periodic and lifetime limitations on the increases that can be made to the interest rates that mortgagors pay. Therefore, if during a floating rate period, interest rates rise above the interest rate limits of the hybrid ARM, the Fund and the Underlying Fund will not benefit from further increases in interest rates. See “Prepayment Risk” and “Interest Rate Risk.” CMOs with complex or highly variable prepayment terms generally entail greater market, prepayment and liquidity risks than other MBS. For example, their prices are more volatile and their trading market may be more limited.

MBS are subject to the risk that payments made on a security will not be made when due. Payments on MBS are primarily derived from the interest and principal payments of the underlying mortgages. Some MBS also have guarantees or other structural features that provide additional support for interest and principal payments on the MBS if payments on the underlying mortgages are not made. MBS are subject to the risk that the underlying mortgage borrowers fail to make timely payments of interest and principal and that any guarantee or other structural feature, if present, is insufficient to enable the timely payment of interest and principal on the MBS. The structure of certain CMO interests held by the Fund or the Underlying Fund may cause the Fund or the Underlying Fund to be paid in interest and/or principal on its investment only after holders of other interests in that particular CMO have received the full repayment of principal or interest on their investments. MBS are most commonly issued or guaranteed by GSEs, but also may be issued or guaranteed by private entities, which generally entail greater risk. Certain MBS issued by GSEs are not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, but are, however, supported through federal subsidies, loans or other benefits. The Fund and the Underlying Fund also may invest in certain MBS issued by GSEs that have no explicit financial support and are supported only by the credit of the applicable GSEs (in addition to the underlying mortgages and related debt service payments). The U.S. government has provided financial support to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, but there is no assurance that it will support these or other GSEs in the future. Although certain MBS are guaranteed as to timely payment of interest and principal by a GSE, the market prices for such securities are not guaranteed and will fluctuate. See “Credit Risk.”

INTEREST RATE RISK

Prices of fixed-income securities rise and fall in response to changes in interest rates. Generally, when interest rates rise, prices of fixed-income securities fall. However, market factors, such as the demand for particular fixed-income securities, may cause the price of certain fixed-income securities to fall while the prices of other securities rise or remain unchanged.

The longer the duration of a fixed-income security, the more susceptible it is to interest rate risk. The duration of a fixed-income security may be equal to or shorter than the stated maturity of a fixed income security. Recent and potential future changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or their governments are likely to affect the level of interest rates. Duration measures the price sensitivity of a fixed-income security given a change in interest rates. For example, if a fixed-income security has an effective duration of three years, a 1% increase in general interest rates would be expected to cause the security’s value to decline about 3% while a 1% decrease in general interest rates would be expected to cause the security’s value to increase about 3%.

RISK RELATED TO THE ECONOMY

The value of the Fund’s portfolio may decline in tandem with a drop in the overall value of the markets in which the Fund invests and/or other markets based on negative developments in the United States and global economies. Global economic, political and financial conditions including geopolitical and other events (e.g., wars, sanctions and terrorism), legislative changes, industry or economic trends and developments, natural disasters or public health risks, such as epidemics or pandemics, may, from time to time, and for varying periods of time, have a significant effect on the economies of many nations, including the U.S., and financial markets generally and cause volatility, illiquidity and/or other potentially adverse effects in the financial markets, including the fixed-income market. The commencement or threat thereof, continuation or ending of government policies and economic stimulus programs, changes in monetary policy, tariffs and other trade restrictions, political or economic sanctions, increases or decreases in interest rates, or other factors or events that affect the financial markets, including the fixed-income markets, may contribute to the development of or increase in volatility, illiquidity, shareholder redemptions and other adverse effects which could negatively impact the Fund’s performance. For example, the value of certain portfolio securities may rise or fall in response to changes in interest rates, which could result from a change in government policies, and has the potential to cause investors to move out of certain portfolio securities, including fixed-income securities, on a large scale. This may increase redemptions from funds that hold large amounts of certain securities and may result in decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the financial markets. Market factors, such as the demand for particular portfolio securities, may cause the price of certain portfolio securities to fall while the prices of other securities rise or remain unchanged. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected. In particular, the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine as well as the Chinese government’s substantial control over the Chinese economy and other governmental actions, and any sanctions or developments related to these events and actions, present material uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally and the performance of the Fund, and its investments or operations could be negatively impacted whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to the countries or regions directly affected. Among other investments, lower-grade bonds may be particularly sensitive to changes in the economy.

Counterparty Risk

Counterparty risk includes the possibility that a party to a transaction involving the Fund will fail to meet its obligations. This could cause the Fund to lose money or to lose the benefit of the transaction or prevent the Fund from selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategy.

CREDIT RISK

Fixed-income securities in which the Fund and Underlying Fund invest are subject to the risk of non-payment of scheduled principal and interest. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances may reduce the capacity of the party obligated to make principal and interest payments on such instruments when due, which may lead to defaults on such payments. Such non-payments and defaults may reduce the value of Fund and Underlying Fund shares and income distributions. Many fixed-income securities receive credit ratings from NRSROs that assign ratings to securities by assessing the likelihood of an issuer and/or guarantor default. Higher credit ratings correspond to lower perceived credit risk and lower credit ratings correspond to higher perceived credit risk. Credit ratings may be upgraded or downgraded from time to time as an NRSRO’s assessment of the financial condition of a party obligated to make payments with respect to such securities and credit risk changes. The impact of any downgrade in a credit rating can be uncertain. Credit rating downgrades may lead to increased interest rates and volatility in financial markets, which in turn could negatively affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, its share price and its investment performance. Credit ratings are not a guarantee of quality. Credit ratings may lag behind the current financial conditions of the issuer and/or guarantor and do not provide assurance against default or other loss of money. Credit ratings do not protect against a decline in the value of a security.

PREPAYMENT and extension RISK

Unlike traditional fixed-income securities, which pay a fixed rate of interest until maturity (when the entire principal amount is due), payments on MBS include both interest and a partial payment of principal. Partial payment of principal may be comprised of scheduled principal payments, as well as unscheduled payments from the voluntary prepayment, refinancing or foreclosure of the underlying loans. These unscheduled prepayments of principal create risks that can adversely affect the Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s MBS holdings.

The mortgage loans underlying MBS are generally subject to a greater rate of principal prepayments in a declining interest rate environment and to a lesser rate of principal prepayments in a rising interest rate environment. Under certain interest and prepayment rate scenarios, the Fund and Underlying Fund may fail to recover the full amount of its investment in MBS, notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee. Because faster-than-expected prepayments typically are invested in lower yielding securities, MBS are less effective than conventional bonds in “locking in” a specified yield rate. For premium bonds, prepayment risk may be elevated. In a rising interest rate environment, a declining prepayment rate will extend the average life of many MBS. This possibility is often referred to as extension risk. Extending the average life of an MBS increases the risk of depreciation due to future increases in market interest rates.

RISK OF SECURITY DOWNGRADES

An investment-grade security held by the Fund and Underlying Fund may be downgraded to below investment grade after the Fund and Underlying Fund have acquired the security. In the event that the credit rating of a security held by the Fund and Underlying Fund is downgraded, the credit quality deteriorates after purchase or the security defaults, the Fund and Underlying Fund will not be obligated to dispose of that security and may continue to hold the security if, in the opinion of the Adviser, such investment is appropriate in the circumstances, although it may choose to do so in the sole discretion of the Adviser. The downgrade of the credit of a security held by the Fund and Underlying Fund may decrease its value. Fixed-income securities with lower ratings tend to have a higher probability that a borrower will default or fail to meet its payment obligations.

LIQUIDITY RISK

The secondary market for some securities held by the Fund and Underlying Fund is less liquid than for more widely traded fixed-income securities. In certain situations, the Fund and Underlying Fund could find it more difficult to sell such securities at desirable times and/or prices. Liquidity risk also refers to the possibility that the Fund and Underlying Fund may not be able to sell a security or close out a derivative contract when it wants to. If this happens, the Fund and Underlying Fund will be required to continue to hold the security or keep the position open, and the Fund and Underlying Fund could incur losses.

LEVERAGE RISK

Leverage risk is created when an investment, which includes, for example, an investment in a derivative contract, exposes the Fund and Underlying Fund to a level of risk that exceeds the amount invested. Changes in the value of such an investment magnify the Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s risk of loss and potential for gain. Investments can have these same results if their returns are based on a multiple of a specified index, security or other benchmark.

RISK TRANSFER NOTES RISK

Risk Transfer Notes may be issued by GSEs and non-GSEs. Non-GSEs are private issuers such as banks or other financial institutions. The risks associated with an investment in Risk Transfer Notes will be different than the risks associated with an investment in MBS. The Notes are the corporate obligations of the issuer and are often not secured by the Reference Obligation, the mortgaged properties or the borrowers’ payments under the Reference Obligations. Holders of the Notes are general creditors of the issuer and will be subject to the risk that the issuer will be unable to meet its obligation to pay the principal and interest of the Notes in accordance with their terms of issuance. The Notes may be considered high risk and complex securities.

Event Linked Bonds and other insurance-linked securities Risk

The Fund may invest in “event-linked” bonds, which sometimes are referred to as “insurance-linked securities” or ILS. Event-linked bonds are debt obligations for which the return of principal and the payment of interest are contingent on the non-occurrence of a pre-defined “trigger” event, such as an event that leads to physical or economic loss. Event-linked bonds are typically rated by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating agency, but also may be unrated. The rating for an event-linked bond primarily reflects the rating agency’s calculated probability that a pre-defined trigger event will occur. This rating also assesses that event-linked bond’s credit risk and the model used to calculate the probability of a trigger event.

RISK OF LEASE-BACKED SECURITIES AND RENTAL-BASED MBS

The market for lease-backed securities and rental-based MBS is new and there may be variation in how the securities are collateralized. By way of nonlimiting example, some structures may afford a bondholder with indirect, limited or even no rights to the underlying real estate. Further, different classes of a particular issue may receive different credit ratings than other classes of the same issue depending upon the level of collateral or distribution of collateral in a default scenario. Several factors may adversely affect the performance of an investment in these lease-backed securities and rental-based MBS. First, the renters of the pooled properties underlying the securities generally sign monthly or yearly leases, increasing the likelihood of the renters canceling their leases. As a result, renters have the opportunity to not renew their leases, which would result in decreased payments being made into the pooled structure. Second, renters may also have low incentive for paying their rent on time. Finally, there is risk related to the ability of large institutional investors to manage rental homes where there are potentially greater maintenance costs given the lack of construction uniformity.

ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES (ABS) Risk

The value of asset-backed securities (ABS) may be affected by certain factors such as interest rate risk, the availability of information concerning the pool of underlying assets and its structure, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool or the originator of the underlying assets and the ability of the servicing agent to service the underlying collateral. Under certain market conditions, ABS may be less liquid and may be difficult to value. Movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain types of ABS

RISK OF INVESTING IN DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

events. Derivative instruments may be difficult to value, may be illiquid and may be subject to wide swings in valuation caused by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. OTC derivative contracts generally carry greater liquidity risk than exchange-traded contracts. This risk may be increased in times of financial stress, if the trading market for OTC derivative contracts becomes restricted. The loss on derivative transactions may substantially exceed the initial investment.

EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS RISK

An investment in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional fund (i.e., one that is not exchange-traded) that has the same investment objectives, strategies and policies. The price of an ETF can fluctuate up or down, and the Fund could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down. In addition, ETFs may be subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional funds: (i) the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade above or below its net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; or (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.

Share Ownership Concentration Risk

A majority of the Underlying Fund’s Shares may be held by other funds advised by the Adviser and its affiliates. It is possible that some or all of these other funds will decide to purchase or redeem shares of the Underlying Fund simultaneously or within a short period of time of one another in order to execute their asset allocation strategies. Accordingly, there is a risk that the trading activities of these shareholders could disrupt the Fund’s investment strategies, which could have adverse consequences for the Fund and other Underlying Fund shareholders (e.g., by requiring the Fund to sell investments at inopportune times or causing the Fund to maintain larger-than-expected cash positions pending acquisition of investments).

UNDERLYING FUND RISK

The risk that the Fund’s performance is closely related to the risks associated with the securities and other investments held by another investment company in which the Fund invests, such as the Underlying Fund, and that the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective will depend upon the ability of such other investment company to achieve its investment objective. Investment companies incur certain expenses, such as management fees and other operating expenses, and, therefore, any investment by the Fund in shares of other investment companies will be subject to two layers of fees and expenses. However, solely with respect to investments in Affiliated Underlying Funds, to avoid charging duplicative management fees, the Adviser will waive and/or reimburse the Fund’s Management Fee in an amount equal to any net management fees charged by an Affiliated Underlying Fund to the Fund on the Fund’s net assets invested in such Affiliated Underlying Fund. The Fund may earn capital gains from sales of shares of other investment companies in which it invests and/or receive distributions of capital gains from such investment companies. The Fund distributes any net capital gains earned to its shareholders no less frequently than annually. Fund distributions of dividends and capital gains are taxable to you whether paid in cash or reinvested in the Fund. Dividends are taxable at different rates depending on the source of dividend income. Distributions of net short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of net long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your Shares.

technology Risk

The Adviser uses various technologies in managing the Fund, consistent with its investment objective(s) and strategy described in this Prospectus. For example, proprietary and third-party data and systems are utilized to support decision-making for the Fund. Data imprecision, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems, which may negatively affect Fund performance.

How to Invest in the Fund

The Fund is used to implement fixed-income investment strategies for investors in wrap fee, separately managed and other discretionary investment accounts that are advised or sub-advised by Federated Investment Counseling (FIC), a subsidiary of Federated Hermes, or its affiliates, or certain other third-party discretionary managers that have a business relationship with FIC as described below. The Fund is advised by Federated Investment Management Company (the “Adviser”), another subsidiary of Federated Hermes, and an affiliate of FIC.

For purposes of this Prospectus: (1) the fixed-income investment strategies implemented through investments in the Fund are referred to as the “Fixed-Income Strategies”; (2) the investors in the wrap fee, separately managed and other discretionary investment accounts that may be permitted to invest in the Fund are referred to as “Eligible Investors”; (3) the wrap fee, separately managed and other discretionary investment accounts in which Eligible Investors may invest are referred to as “Eligible Accounts”; and (4) FIC, its affiliates and any other third-party discretionary managers that may invest Eligible Investors’ assets in the Fund are referred to as “Discretionary Managers.”

Eligible Investors in the Fund do not include investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”), as amended, or private funds exempt from registration under the 1940 Act pursuant to Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act, unless appropriate exemptive relief is obtained under the 1940 Act and the Fund determines to accept the purchase order for such an investment. In addition, unless the Fund determines to accept a purchase order for an investment, an Eligible Investor in the Fund does not include: (i) a non-resident alien within the meaning of I.R.C. § 7701(b)(1)(B) who is a natural person; (ii) a covered expatriate (i.e., a U.S. citizen temporarily residing abroad) within the meaning of I.R.C. § 877A(g)(1)(A); (iii) a foreign institutional investor; or (iv) a fund or investor in the European Union.

At any time that an investor in the Fund ceases to be an Eligible Investor and FIC (or its affiliate) is acting in a discretionary capacity, the Fund will redeem the Fund’s Shares held by such investor. At any time that an investor in the Fund (through a relationship with a third-party discretionary manager that has a business relationship with FIC (or its affiliate)) ceases to be an Eligible Investor, the third-party discretionary manager will redeem the Fund’s Shares held by such investor. In all circumstances, Federated Securities Corp. reserves the right to authorize the liquidation of shares for ineligible investors.

The Fixed-Income Strategies may include investments in individual securities, as well as Shares of the Fund, depending upon the type of Eligible Account, the applicable investment objectives, restrictions and investment mandate of an Eligible Investor, instructions provided by an Eligible Investor or Discretionary Manager or other relevant factors. The Fund is designed to purchase securities required for the Fixed-Income Strategies that cannot be efficiently held individually in Eligible Accounts, but can be effectively held in a pooled vehicle, such as a mutual fund.

When the Fund is used to implement Fixed-Income Strategies for wrap fee and separately managed accounts, the wrap fee program sponsors or separately managed account managers typically will have contracts with Eligible Investors to provide investment management, custody and/or other services to Eligible Investors in connection with investments in Eligible Accounts. Eligible Investors typically will pay negotiated asset-based fees, which may vary, for the services. In wrap fee programs, the fees generally will be aggregated or “bundled.” FIC, or an affiliate, will be engaged as an adviser or sub-adviser to manage, on a discretionary basis, assets of the Eligible Investors invested in the Eligible Accounts in accordance with one or more Fixed-Income Strategies developed by FIC or an affiliate. FIC, or an affiliate, typically will receive negotiated asset-based investment advisory fees for managing the Eligible Investors’ assets and performing other administrative services. These fees received by FIC or an affiliate, may vary between wrap fee program sponsors and/or separately managed account managers, and typically will be paid out of the aggregated fees charged to Eligible Investors by the wrap fee program sponsors and/or separately managed account managers. The fees received by FIC, or an affiliate, will be paid for separate account advisory services which are separate from the Adviser’s management of the Fund. Where FIC, or an affiliate, will be the Discretionary Manager for Eligible Accounts of Eligible Investors, FIC, or an affiliate, will implement the applicable Fixed-Income Strategies through, among other possible investments, purchasing and redeeming Shares of the Fund on behalf of the Eligible Investors. In such cases, the Fund will be used to implement certain investment strategies offered by FIC, including an investment strategy for Eligible Accounts. The Adviser does not charge a fee for its advisory services to the Fund and has contractually agreed to reimburse all operating expenses, excluding extraordinary expenses, incurred by the Fund. However, as discussed above in “Investing in Securities of Other Investment Companies,” the Fund may invest its assets in securities of other investment companies, including the securities of affiliated money market funds, as an efficient means of implementing its investment strategies, managing its uninvested cash and/or other investment reasons consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and investment strategies. For example, the Fund may decide to have any excess cash swept on a daily basis into an affiliated money market fund. These other investment companies are managed independently of the Fund and incur additional fees and/or expenses which would, therefore, be borne indirectly by the Fund in connection with any such investment.

If the Fund is used to implement Fixed-Income Strategies for other separately managed or discretionary investment accounts, FIC, or an affiliate, will not manage, on a discretionary basis, the accounts of the Eligible Investors invested in these types of Eligible Accounts. The Discretionary Managers of the Eligible Investors’ accounts will be third-party discretionary managers. These Discretionary Managers typically will have contracts with Eligible Investors to provide investment management, custody and/or other services to Eligible Investors in connection with investments in these Eligible Accounts. Eligible Investors typically will pay negotiated asset-based fees, which may vary, for the services. These Discretionary Managers will be engaged as advisers or sub-advisers to manage, on a discretionary basis, assets of

the Eligible Investors invested in these Eligible Accounts in accordance with one or more Fixed-Income Strategies developed by these Discretionary Managers. These Discretionary Managers will have separate contracts with FIC, or an affiliate, to provide these Discretionary Managers with one or more model portfolios for Fixed-Income Strategies developed by FIC or an affiliate, as well as recommendations for updates to the model portfolios. These Discretionary Managers will use the model portfolios, and recommended updates, at their discretion to develop the Discretionary Managers’ Fixed-Income Strategies. FIC, or an affiliate, will not have discretionary authority over Eligible Investors’ accounts. As compensation for providing the model portfolios and recommended updates, FIC, or an affiliate, typically will receive negotiated asset-based fees, which will be determined based on the amount of assets under management these Discretionary Managers manage in accordance with their Fixed-Income Strategies that they develop using the model portfolios, and recommended updates, provided by FIC or an affiliate. These fees received by FIC or an affiliate, may vary between Discretionary Managers, and will be paid to FIC, or an affiliate, by these Discretionary Managers. The fees received by FIC, or an affiliate, will be paid for services separate from the Adviser’s management of the Fund. These Discretionary Managers will have the option to implement their Fixed-Income Strategies through, among other possible investments, purchasing and redeeming Shares of the Fund on behalf of the Eligible Investors.

Shareholders of the Fund, as Eligible Investors, are strongly encouraged to read carefully the wrap fee brochure or other disclosure documents provided to them in connection with their investments in wrap fee, separately managed or other discretionary investment accounts (i.e., the Eligible Accounts). To the extent that an Eligible Investor has imposed investment restrictions on its Eligible Accounts, the Fund may hold investments that are inconsistent with the Eligible Investor’s investment restrictions. These brochures and disclosure documents will contain information about the fees charged to Eligible Investors in connection with their investments in the Eligible Accounts. These brochures and other disclosure documents will contain information about the fees paid or received by the wrap fee program sponsors, or Discretionary Managers or other third-parties, to or from FIC, or its affiliates, in connection with the Eligible Investors’ investments in the Eligible Accounts. These brochures and disclosure documents also will contain other important information regarding the Discretionary Managers and Eligible Accounts, such as minimum Eligible Account sizes. Shareholders of the Fund, as Eligible Investors, pay no additional fees or expenses to purchase Shares of the Fund.

To the extent permitted under applicable law, the Fund may also be used as an investment option for other investment companies managed by the Adviser or an affiliate. These other investment companies are referred to in this Prospectus as “Affiliated Funds.” As a result, at any time, shareholders of the Fund may include Eligible Investors and, to the extent permitted under applicable law, Affiliated Funds.

Shares of the Fund held by an Eligible Investor may be purchased or redeemed only at the direction of FIC or another Discretionary Manager of the Eligible Account. To the extent the Fund is permitted as an investment option for an Affiliated Fund, Shares also may be purchased and redeemed at the discretion of an Affiliated Fund’s adviser. Shares can be purchased or redeemed on any day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open.

What Do Shares Cost?

CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

When the Fund receives a transaction request in proper form (as described in this Prospectus under the sections entitled “How to Purchase Shares” and “How to Redeem Shares”), it is processed at the next calculated net asset value of a Share (NAV). A Share’s NAV is determined as of the end of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) each day the NYSE is open. The Fund calculates the NAV by valuing its assets, subtracting its liabilities, and dividing the balance by the number of Shares outstanding. The Fund’s current NAV and/or public offering price may be found at FederatedHermes.com/us, via online news sources and in certain newspapers.

Eligible Investors can purchase, redeem or exchange Shares any day the NYSE is open.

When the Fund holds fixed-income securities that trade on days the NYSE is closed, the value of the Fund’s assets may change on days you cannot purchase or redeem Shares.

Valuation of Portfolio Securities by the Fund and the Underlying Fund

Each of the Fund and the Underlying Fund generally values portfolio securities in calculating NAV as follows:

■ Fixed-income securities are fair valued using price evaluations provided by a pricing service approved by the Adviser.

■ Derivative contracts listed on exchanges are valued at their reported settlement or closing price, except that options are valued at the mean of closing bid and ask quotations.

■ OTC derivative contracts are fair valued using price evaluations provided by a pricing service approved by the Adviser.

If any price, quotation, price evaluation or other pricing source is not readily available when the NAV is calculated, if the Fund and the Underlying Fund cannot obtain price evaluations from a pricing service or from more than one dealer for an investment within a reasonable period of time as set forth in the Adviser’s valuation policies and procedures, or if information furnished by a pricing service, in the opinion of the Valuation Committee, is deemed not representative of the fair value of such security, the Fund and the Underlying Fund use the fair value of the investment determined in accordance with the procedures generally described below. There can be no assurance that the Fund and the Underlying Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it sold the investment at approximately the time at which the Fund and the Underlying Fund determine its NAV per share.

Shares of other mutual funds are valued based upon their reported NAVs. The prospectuses for these mutual funds explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.

Fair Valuation

Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Board has designated the Adviser as the Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s valuation designee to perform the fair valuation determination for securities and other assets held by the Fund. The Adviser, acting through its “Valuation Committee,” is responsible for determining the fair value of investments for which market quotations are not readily available. The Valuation Committee is comprised of officers of the Adviser and certain of the Adviser’s affiliated companies and determines fair value and oversees the calculation of the NAV. The Valuation Committee is subject to Board oversight and certain reporting and other requirements intended to provide the Board the information it needs to oversee the Adviser’s fair value determinations.

The Valuation Committee is also authorized to use pricing services to provide fair price evaluations of the current fair value of certain investments for purposes of calculating the NAV. In the event that market quotations and price evaluations are not available for an investment, the Valuation Committee determines the fair value of the investment in accordance with procedures adopted by the Adviser as the valuation designee. The Board periodically reviews the fair valuations made by the Valuation Committee. The Board has also approved the Adviser’s fair valuation and significant events procedures as part of the Fund’s compliance program and will review any changes made to the procedures. The Fund’s and the Underlying Fund’s Statements of Additional Information (SAI) discuss the methods used by pricing services and the Valuation Committee in valuing investments.

Using fair value to price investments may result in a value that is different from an investment’s most recent closing price and from the prices used by other registered funds to calculate their NAVs. The application of the fair value procedures to an investment represents a good faith determination of such investment’s fair value. There can be no assurance that the Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it sold the investment at approximately the time at which the Fund determines its NAV per share, and the actual value could be materially different.

How to Purchase Shares

Shares of the Fund held for an Eligible Investor may be purchased only at the direction of FIC or another Discretionary Manager of the Eligible Account. To the extent the Fund is permitted as an investment option for an Affiliated Fund, Shares also may be purchased at the discretion of the Affiliated Fund’s adviser. Shares of the Fund may be purchased any day the NYSE is open. An account may be established and Shares purchased by submitting an Account Application and purchase request in good order to the Fund’s Transfer Agent, SS&C GIDS, Inc.

Payment by federal funds must be received by the Fund’s custodian by 3:00 p.m. (Eastern time) the next business day following the receipt of the purchase order. The Fund reserves the right to reject any request to purchase Shares.

How to Redeem Shares

Shares of the Fund held by an Eligible Investor may be redeemed only at the direction of FIC or another Discretionary Manager of the Eligible Investor’s Eligible Account. Shares held by an Affiliated Fund may be redeemed at the discretion of an Affiliated Fund’s adviser.

Shares held by or on behalf of a shareholder who ceases to be an Eligible Investor (as defined above) must be redeemed and each shareholder on whose behalf FIC or another Discretionary Manager has purchased Shares agrees to any such redemption. If FIC (or its affiliate) is acting in a discretionary capacity, the Fund will redeem the Fund’s Shares held by such investor. If the Fund Shares were purchased through a relationship with a third-party Discretionary Manager that has a business relationship with FIC (or its affiliate), the third-party Discretionary Manager will redeem the Fund’s Shares held by such investor. In all circumstances, Federated Securities Corp. reserves the right to authorize the liquidation of shares for ineligible investors. The Fund will attempt to provide the applicable Discretionary Manager and/or wrap program sponsor with advance notice of any such redemption on behalf of the shareholder.

Shares of the Fund may be redeemed any day the NYSE is open by submitting a redemption request in good order to the Fund’s Transfer Agent, SS&C GIDS, Inc. Redemption requests received before the end of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) will receive a redemption amount based on that day’s NAV.

Redemption proceeds normally are wired or mailed within one business day for each method of payment after receiving a timely request in proper form. Depending upon the method of payment, when shareholders receive redemption proceeds can differ. Payment may be delayed for up to seven days under certain circumstances (see “Limitations on Redemption Proceeds”).

PAYMENT METHODS FOR REDEMPTIONS

Redemption proceeds will be paid by one of the following methods established by the Discretionary Manager or affiliated Adviser:

■ an electronic transfer to the shareholder’s wrap fee, separately managed or discretionary investment account (i.e., Eligible Account) custodied at a financial institution that is an ACH member;

■ wire payment to the shareholder’s wrap fee, separately managed or discretionary investment account (i.e., Eligible Account) custodied at a domestic commercial bank that is a Federal Reserve System member; or

■ check mailed to the qualified custodian of the shareholder’s wrap fee, separately managed or discretionary investment accounts (i.e., Eligible Account).

Methods the Fund May Use to Meet Redemption Requests

The Fund intends to pay Share redemptions in cash. To ensure that the Fund has cash to meet Share redemptions on any day, the Fund typically expects to hold a cash or cash equivalent reserve or sell portfolio securities.

In unusual or stressed circumstances, the Fund may generate cash in the following ways:

■ Inter-fund Borrowing and Lending. The SEC has granted an exemption that permits the Fund and all other funds advised by subsidiaries of Federated Hermes (“Federated Hermes funds”) to lend and borrow money for certain temporary purposes directly to and from other Federated Hermes funds. Inter-fund borrowing and lending is permitted only: (a) to meet shareholder redemption requests; (b) to meet commitments arising from “failed” trades; and (c) for other temporary purposes. All inter-fund loans must be repaid in seven days or less.

■ Committed Line of Credit. The Fund participates with certain other Federated Hermes funds, on a several basis, in an up to $500,000,000 unsecured, 364-day, committed, revolving line of credit (LOC) agreement. The LOC was made available to temporarily finance the repurchase or redemption of shares of the funds, failed trades, payment of dividends, settlement of trades and for other short-term, temporary or emergency general business purposes. The Fund cannot borrow under the LOC if an inter-fund loan is outstanding.

■ Redemption in Kind. Although the Fund intends to pay Share redemptions in cash, it reserves the right to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by an “in-kind” distribution of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Because the Fund has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, the Fund is obligated to pay Share redemptions to any one shareholder in cash only up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets represented by such Share class during any 90-day period. Redemptions in kind are made consistent with the procedures adopted by the Fund’s Board, which generally include distributions of a pro rata share of the Fund’s portfolio assets. Redemption in kind is not as liquid as a cash redemption. If redemption is made in kind, securities received may be subject to market risk and the shareholder could incur taxable gains and brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.

LIMITATIONS ON REDEMPTION PROCEEDS

Redemption proceeds normally are wired or mailed within one business day after receiving a request in proper form. Payment may be delayed up to seven days:

■ to allow a purchase to clear;

■ during periods of market volatility;

■ when a shareholder’s trade activity or amount adversely impacts the Fund’s ability to manage its assets; or

■ during any period when the Federal Reserve wire or applicable Federal Reserve banks are closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings.

If a redemption of Shares recently purchased by check (including a cashier’s check or certified check), money order, bank draft or ACH is requested, redemption proceeds may not be made available up to seven calendar days to allow the Fund to collect payment on the instrument used to purchase such Shares. If the purchase instrument does not clear, any purchase order will be canceled and the party submitting such payment will be responsible for any losses incurred by the Fund as a result of the canceled order.

In addition, redemptions may be suspended, or the payment of proceeds may be delayed, during any period:

■ when the NYSE is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings;

■ when trading on the NYSE is restricted, as determined by the SEC;

■ in which an emergency exists, as determined by the SEC, so that disposal of the Fund’s investments or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable; or

■ as the SEC may by order permit for the protection of Fund shareholders.

You will not accrue interest or dividends on uncashed redemption checks from the Fund when checks are undeliverable and returned to the Fund.

Share Certificates

The Fund does not issue share certificates.

Account and Share Information

CONFIRMATIONS AND ACCOUNT STATEMENTS

Shareholders will receive confirmation of purchases and redemptions and periodic statements reporting all account activity, including dividends and capital gains paid.

Certain states, including the State of Texas, have laws that allow shareholders to designate a representative to receive abandoned or unclaimed property (“escheatment”) notifications by completing and submitting a designation form that generally can be found on the official state website. If a shareholder resides in an applicable state and elects to designate a representative to receive escheatment notifications, escheatment notices generally will be delivered as required by such state laws, including, as applicable, to both the shareholder and the designated representative. A completed designation form may be mailed to the Fund (if Shares are held directly with the Fund) or to the shareholder’s financial intermediary (if Shares are not held directly with the Fund). Shareholders should refer to relevant state law for the shareholder’s specific rights and responsibilities under his or her state’s escheatment law(s), which can generally be found on a state’s official website.

DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS

The Fund declares any dividends daily and pays them monthly to shareholders. If you purchase Shares by wire, you begin earning dividends on the day your wire is received. If you purchase Shares by check, you begin earning dividends on the business day after the Fund receives your check. In either case, you earn dividends through the day your redemption request is received. Dividends on investments in the Fund are generally paid in cash and dividend reinvestment is generally not available.

In addition, the Fund pays any capital gains at least annually, and may make such special distributions of dividends and capital gains as may be necessary to meet applicable regulatory requirements. If the Fund declares more than one distribution of capital gains during the course of a calendar year, the Fund will attempt to pay all distributions at one time at the end of the year.

Shares purchased just before the record date for a capital gain distribution will pay the full price for the Shares and then receive a portion of the price back in the form of a taxable distribution. Investors should consider the tax implications of purchasing Shares shortly before the record date for a capital gain.

Under the federal securities laws, the Fund is required to provide a notice to shareholders regarding the source of distributions made by the Fund if such distributions are from sources other than ordinary investment income. In addition, important information regarding the Fund’s distributions, if applicable, is available at FederatedHermes.com/us/product-landing/managed-account-pools.do. Select a product name, then click “Distributions and Taxes.”

TAX INFORMATION

The Fund and/or your financial intermediary provides year-end tax information and an annual statement of each shareholder’s account activity to assist shareholders in completing their federal, state and local tax returns. Fund distributions of dividends and capital gains are taxable to shareholders whether paid in cash or reinvested in the Fund. Dividends are taxable at different rates depending on the source of dividend income. Distributions of net short-term capital gains are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Distributions of net long-term capital gains are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains regardless of how long a shareholder has owned the Shares.

Fund distributions are expected to be both dividends and capital gains. Redemptions and exchanges are taxable sales. Please consult your tax adviser regarding your federal, state and local tax liability.

FREQUENT TRADING POLICIES

Frequent or short-term trading into and out of the Fund can have adverse consequences for the Fund and its shareholders who use the Fund as a long-term investment vehicle. Such trading in significant amounts can disrupt the Fund’s investment strategies (e.g., by requiring it to sell investments at inopportune times or maintain excessive short-term cash positions to support redemptions), increase brokerage and administrative costs and affect the timing and amount of taxable gains distributed by the Fund. Investors engaged in such trading may also seek to profit by anticipating changes in the Fund’s NAV in advance of the time as of which NAV is calculated. Given that: (a) the Fund is used exclusively to implement certain Fixed Income Strategies for Eligible Investors in Eligible Accounts and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, as an investment option for Affiliated Funds as described in this Prospectus; (b) FIC has the ability to limit Eligible Investors’ investments in the Fund and Fund Share purchases, and redemptions for Eligible Accounts will be at the direction of FIC or another Discretionary Manager; (c) with respect to Eligible Accounts, Fund Share purchases and redemptions will be made on a frequent basis generally only for account initialization, rebalancing and liquidation purposes, or in order to invest new monies or accommodate reductions in Eligible Account size; and (d) individual Eligible Investors will not be in a position to effect purchase or redemption orders directly, the Fund does not anticipate that, in the normal case, frequent or short-term trading into and out of the Fund will have significant unanticipated or adverse consequences for the Fund and its shareholders. For these reasons, the Fund’s Board has not adopted policies or procedures to discourage frequent or short-term trading of the Fund’s Shares.

Other funds in the Federated Hermes family of funds may impose monitoring policies. Under normal market conditions, such monitoring policies are designed to protect the funds being monitored and their shareholders, and the operation of such policies and shareholder investments under such monitoring are not expected to have materially adverse impact on the Federated Hermes funds or their shareholders. If you plan to purchase shares of another Federated Hermes fund, please read the prospectus of that other Federated Hermes fund for more information.

The Fund may invest in affiliated investment companies whose boards have determined not to adopt frequent trading policies. The Fund therefore may be exposed to any adverse consequences of any frequent or short-term trading in such funds, to the extent of the Fund’s investment therein.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

Information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available at FederatedHermes.com/us/product-landing/managed-account-pools.do. Select a product name then click on “Characteristics.” A complete listing of the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of the end of each calendar quarter is posted on the website 30 days (or the next business day) after the end of the quarter and remains posted for six months thereafter.

Summary portfolio composition information as of the close of each month is posted on the website 15 days (or the next business day) after month-end and remains posted until replaced by the information for the succeeding month. The summary portfolio composition information may include identification of the Fund’s top 10 holdings.

You may also access portfolio information as of the end of the Fund’s fiscal quarters at FederatedHermes.com/us/product-landing/managed-account-pools.do. Select a product then click on “Documents.” The Fund’s Form N-CSR contains complete listings of the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of the end of the Fund’s second and fourth fiscal quarters. Fiscal quarter information is made available on the website within 70 days after the end of the fiscal quarter. This information is also available in reports filed with the SEC at the SEC’s website at sec.gov.

Each fiscal quarter, the Fund will file with the SEC a complete schedule of its monthly portfolio holdings on “Form N-PORT.” The Fund’s holdings as of the end of the third month of every fiscal quarter, as reported on Form N-PORT, will be publicly available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov within 60 days of the end of the fiscal quarter upon filing. You may also access this information via the link to the Fund at FederatedHermes.com/us/product-landing/managed-account-pools.do.

In addition, from time to time (for example, during periods of unusual market conditions), additional information regarding the Fund’s portfolio holdings and/or composition may be posted to FederatedHermes.com/us/product-landing/managed-account-pools.do. If and when such information is posted, its availability will be noted on, and the information will be accessible from, the home page of the website.

Who Manages the Fund?

The Board governs the Fund. The Board selects and oversees the Adviser, Federated Investment Management Company. The Adviser manages the Fund’s assets, including buying and selling portfolio securities. Federated Advisory Services Company (FASC), an affiliate of the Adviser, provides certain support services to the Adviser. The fee for these services is paid by the Adviser and not by the Fund. The address of the Adviser and FASC is 1001 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779.

The Adviser and other advisory subsidiaries of Federated Hermes combined, advise approximately 99 registered investment companies spanning equity, fixed-income and money market mutual funds and also manage a variety of other pooled investment vehicles, private investment companies and customized separately managed accounts (including non-U.S./offshore funds). Federated Hermes’ assets under management totaled approximately $902.6 billion as of December 31, 2025. Federated Hermes was established in 1955 as Federated Investors, Inc. and is one of the largest investment managers in the United States with more than 2,000 employees. Federated Hermes provides investment products to more than 11,000 investment professionals and institutions.

The Adviser advises approximately 66 registered investment companies and also manages sub-advised funds. The Adviser’s assets under management totaled approximately $575.4 billion as of December 31, 2025.

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

Liam O’Connell

Liam O’Connell, CFA, Portfolio Manager, has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since February of 2018.

Mr. O’Connell is responsible for day to day management of the Fund focusing on asset allocation, interest rate strategy and security selection. He has been with the Adviser or an affiliate since 2003; has worked in investment management since 2003; has managed investment portfolios since 2005. Education: B.S., Webb Institute of Naval Architecture; M.S., Johns Hopkins University; M.B.A., Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Robert Schwartz

Robert Schwartz, Associate Portfolio Manager, has been the Fund’s portfolio manager since April of 2026.

Mr. Schwartz is responsible for implementation of the derivatives strategy within the Mortgage Managed Account Pool. He has been with the Adviser or an affiliate since 2021; has worked in investment management since 2020; has managed investment portfolios since 2026. Education: B.S., Indiana University of Pennsylvania; M.B.A., Carnegie Mellon University.

The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, management of other accounts and ownership of securities in the Fund.

ADVISORY FEES

The Adviser will not charge an advisory fee for its services to the Fund.

The Adviser’s affiliate, FIC, may benefit from the Fund being used to implement Fixed Income Strategies for Eligible Investors’ Eligible Accounts.

A discussion of the Board’s review of the Fund’s investment advisory contract is available in the Fund’s Form N-CSR for the periods ended December 31 and June 30, respectively.

Financial Information

[To be Filed by Amendment]

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

The Financial Highlights will help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for its past five fiscal years. Some of the information is presented on a per Share basis. Total returns represent the rate an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains.

This information has been audited by [REDACTED], an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s audited financial statements, is included in the Fund’s filing on Form N-CSR.

Appendix A: Hypothetical Investment and Expense Information

The following chart provides additional hypothetical information about the effect of the Fund’s expenses, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s assumed returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated expenses that would be incurred in respect of a hypothetical investment of $10,000, assuming a 5% return each year, and no redemption of Shares. The chart also assumes that the Fund’s annual expense ratio stays the same throughout the 10-year period (except for the impact of changes in contractual expense limitations) and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used in the chart is the same as stated in the “Fees and Expenses” table of this Prospectus (and thus does not reflect any other fee waiver or expense reimbursement currently in effect). The maximum amount of any sales charge that might be imposed on the purchase of Shares (and deducted from the hypothetical initial investment of $10,000; the “Front-End Sales Charge”) is reflected in the “Hypothetical Expenses” column. The hypothetical investment information does not reflect the effect of charges (if any) normally applicable to redemptions of Shares (e.g., deferred sales charges, redemption fees). Mutual fund returns, as well as fees and expenses, may fluctuate over time, and your actual investment returns and total expenses may be higher or lower than those shown below.

FEDERATED HERMES MORTGAGE STRATEGY PORTFOLIO
ANNUAL EXPENSE RATIO: 0.14%
MAXIMUM FRONT-END SALES CHARGE: NONE
Year	Hypothetical Beginning Investment	Hypothetical Performance Earnings	Investment After Returns	Hypothetical Expenses	Hypothetical Ending Investment
1	¤10,000.00	¤500.00	¤10,500.00	¤14.34	¤10,486.00
2	¤10,486.00	¤524.30	¤11,010.30	¤15.04	¤10,995.62
3	¤10,995.62	¤549.78	¤11,545.40	¤15.77	¤11,530.01
4	¤11,530.01	¤576.50	¤12,106.51	¤16.53	¤12,090.37
5	¤12,090.37	¤604.52	¤12,694.89	¤17.34	¤12,677.96
6	¤12,677.96	¤633.90	¤13,311.86	¤18.18	¤13,294.11
7	¤13,294.11	¤664.71	¤13,958.82	¤19.06	¤13,940.20
8	¤13,940.20	¤697.01	¤14,637.21	¤19.99	¤14,617.69
9	¤14,617.69	¤730.88	¤15,348.57	¤20.96	¤15,328.11
10	¤15,328.11	¤766.41	¤16,094.52	¤21.98	¤16,073.06
Cumulative		¤6,248.01		¤179.19

An SAI dated April 28, 2026, is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Additional information about the Fund and its investments is contained in the Fund’s SAI, Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR as they become available. In Form N-CSR, you will find, among other information, the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements. The Annual Report’s Management’s Discussion of Fund Performance discusses market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI contains a description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of its portfolio securities. To obtain the SAI, Annual Report, Semi-Annual Report and other information, such as financial statements, without charge, and to make inquiries or request e-delivery, call your financial intermediary, Discretionary Manager or the Fund at 1-800-341-7400. You may also access the Fund’s Prospectus, SAI, Annual Report, Semi-Annual Report, financial statements, and other information on the Fund’s website at FederatedHermes.com/us/FundInformation.

These documents, as well as additional information about the Fund (including portfolio holdings, performance and distributions) are also available at FederatedHermes.com/us/product-landing/managedaccount-pools.do.

You can obtain information about the Fund (including the SAI) by accessing Fund information from the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. You can purchase copies of this information by contacting the SEC by email at [email protected].

Federated Hermes Mortgage Strategy Portfolio
Federated Hermes Funds
4000 Ericsson Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086-7561

Federated Securities Corp., Distributor

Investment Company Act File No. 811-21822

CUSIP 31421P407

35541 (4/26)

Statement of Additional Information

April 28, 2026

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION THE INFOMRATION IN THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATON IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

Ticker | FMBPX

Federated Hermes Mortgage Strategy Portfolio

A Portfolio of Federated Hermes Managed Pool Series

This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a Prospectus. Read this SAI in conjunction with the Prospectus, for Federated Hermes Mortgage Strategy Portfolio (the “Fund”), dated April 28, 2026.

This SAI incorporates by reference the Fund’s annual financial statements filed on Form N-CSR. Obtain the Fund’s Prospectus, SAI, Annual Report, Semi-Annual Report and other information, such as financial statements, without charge by calling 1-800-341-7400. You may also access the Fund’s Prospectus, SAI, Annual Report, Semi-Annual Report, financial statements and other information on the Fund’s website at FederatedHermes.com/us/FundInformation.

	Contents
1	How is the Fund Organized?
1	Securities in Which the Fund and the Underlying Fund Invests
9	Investment Risks
12	Investment Objective and Investment Limitations
13	What Do Shares Cost?
16	How to Invest in the Fund?
19	Purchases In-Kind
19	Redemption In-Kind
19	Massachusetts Partnership Law
19	Account and Share Information
20	Tax Information
20	Who Manages and Provides Services to the Fund?
37	Financial Information
37	Investment Ratings
42	Addresses
43	Appendix

Federated Hermes Mortgage Strategy Portfolio
Federated Hermes Funds
4000 Ericsson Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086-7561

Federated Securities Corp., Distributor

35542 (4/26)

How is the Fund Organized?

The Fund is a diversified portfolio of Federated Hermes Managed Pool Series (the “Trust”). The Trust is an open-end, management investment company that was established under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on October 3, 2005. The Trust may offer separate series of shares representing interests in separate portfolios of securities. The Fund’s investment adviser is Federated Investment Management Company (the “Adviser”). As more fully explained in the Fund’s Prospectus, the Fund is used to implement fixed-income investment strategies for eligible investors in wrap fee, separately managed and other discretionary investment accounts that are advised or subadvised by Federated Investment Counseling (FIC), a subsidiary of Federated Hermes Inc., (“Federated Hermes,” formerly, Federated Investors, Inc.), or its affiliates or certain other discretionary managers. Shares of the Fund held for an eligible investor may be purchased only at the direction of FIC or other discretionary managers to such wrap fee, separately managed or other discretionary investment accounts. Effective June 26, 2020, the Trust changed its name from Federated Managed Pool Series to Federated Hermes Managed Pool Series and the Fund changed its name from Federated Mortgage Strategy Portfolio to Federated Hermes Mortgage Strategy Portfolio.

For purposes of this SAI: (1) the fixed income investment strategies implemented through investments in the Fund are referred to as the “Fixed Income Strategies”; (2) the investors in the wrap fee, separately managed and other discretionary investment accounts that may be permitted to invest in the Fund are referred to as “Eligible Investors”; (3) the wrap fee, separately managed and other discretionary investment accounts in which Eligible Investors may invest are referred to as “Eligible Accounts”; and (4) FIC, its affiliates and any other third-party discretionary managers that may invest Eligible Investors’ assets in the Fund are referred to as “Discretionary Managers.”

Securities in Which the Fund and the Underlying Fund Invests

The principal securities or other investments in which the Fund and Mortgage Core Fund (the “Underlying Fund”) invest are described in the Fund’s Prospectus. The Fund and the Underlying Fund also may invest in securities or other investments as non-principal investments for any purpose that is consistent with its investment objective. The following information is either additional information, in respect of a principal security or other investment referenced in the Prospectus, or information in respect of a non-principal security or other investment (in which case there is no related disclosure in the Prospectus). Effective February 25, 2021, the Underlying Fund changed its name from Federated Mortgage Core Portfolio to Mortgage Core Fund.

SECURITIES DESCRIPTIONS AND TECHNIQUES

Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) (A Fixed-Income Security)

An MBS is a type of pass-through security, which is a pooled debt obligation repackaged as interests that pass principal and interest through an intermediary to investors. In the case of MBS, the ownership interest is in a pool of mortgage loans. MBS represent participation interests in pools of adjustable and fixed-rate mortgage loans. MBS are most commonly issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government (or one of its agencies or instrumentalities), but also may be issued or guaranteed by other private issuers (“non-agency MBS”). Unlike conventional debt obligations, MBS provide monthly payments derived from the monthly interest and principal payments (including any prepayments) made by the individual borrowers on the pooled mortgage loans.

There are two markets for MBS. A specified pool transaction is a trade in which the pool number of the security to be delivered on the settlement date is known at the time the trade is made. This is in contrast with the typical MBS transaction, called a TBA (“To Be Announced”) transaction, in which the type of MBS to be delivered is specified at the time of trade but the actual pool numbers of the securities that will be delivered are not known at the time of the trade. The pool numbers of the pools to be delivered at settlement are announced shortly before settlement takes place. The terms of the TBA trade may be made more specific if desired. Generally, agency pass-through MBS are traded on a TBA basis. The Fund may enter into TBA trades in order to buy or sell MBS on a delayed delivery basis.

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (A Type of Mortgage-Backed Security)

Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), including interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), allocate payments and prepayments from an underlying pass-through certificate among holders of different classes of mortgage-backed securities. This creates different prepayment and interest rate risks for each CMO class. The degree of increased or decreased prepayment risks depends upon the structure of the CMOs. However, the actual returns on any type of mortgage-backed security depend upon the performance of the underlying pool of mortgages, which no one can predict with certainty and will vary among pools.

Sequential CMOs (A Type of CMO)

In a sequential pay CMO, one class of CMOs receives all principal payments and prepayments. The next class of CMOs receives all principal payments after the first class is paid off. This process repeats for each sequential class of CMO. As a result, each class of sequential pay CMOs reduces the prepayment risks of subsequent classes.

PACs, TACs and Companion Classes (Types of CMOs)

More sophisticated CMOs include planned amortization classes (PACs) and targeted amortization classes (TACs). PACs and TACs are issued with companion classes. PACs and TACs receive principal payments and prepayments at a specified rate. The companion classes receive principal payments and prepayments in excess of the specified rate. In addition, PACs will receive the companion classes’ share of principal payments, if necessary, to cover a shortfall in the prepayment rate. This helps PACs and TACs to control prepayment risks by increasing the risks to their companion classes.

IOs and POs (Types of CMOs)

CMOs may allocate interest payments to one class (“Interest Only” or IOs) and principal payments to another class (“Principal Only” or POs). POs increase in value when prepayment rates increase. In contrast, IOs decrease in value when prepayments increase, because the underlying mortgages generate less interest payments. However, IOs tend to increase in value when interest rates rise (and prepayments decrease), making IOs a useful hedge against interest rate risks.

Floaters and Inverse Floaters (Types of CMOs)

Another variant allocates interest payments between two classes of CMOs. One class (“Floaters”) receives a share of interest payments based upon a market index. The other class (“Inverse Floaters”) receives any remaining interest payments from the underlying mortgages. Floater classes receive more interest (and Inverse Floater classes receive correspondingly less interest) as interest rates rise. This shifts prepayment and interest rate risks from the Floater to the Inverse Floater class, reducing the price volatility of the Floater class and increasing the price volatility of the Inverse Floater class.

Z Classes and Residual Classes (Types of CMOs)

CMOs must allocate all payments received from the underlying mortgages to some class. To capture any unallocated payments, CMOs generally have an accrual (Z) class. Z classes do not receive any payments from the underlying mortgages until all other CMO classes have been paid off. Once this happens, holders of Z class CMOs receive all payments and prepayments.

CMBX Indexes

CMBX Indexes are indexes that track the commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) market. The indexes represent 25 tranches of CMBS, each with a different credit rating. These indexes enable investors to gauge the market and take long or short positions via credit default swaps, which put specific interest rate spreads on each risk class. The pricing is based on the spreads themselves rather than on a pricing mechanism.

Treasury Securities

Treasury securities are direct obligations of the federal government of the United States. Treasury securities are generally regarded as having minimal credit risks.

U.S. Government Securities (A Fixed-Income Security)

Government securities are issued or guaranteed by a federal agency or instrumentality acting under federal authority. Some government securities, including those issued by Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States and are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal.

Other government securities receive support through federal subsidies, loans or other benefits, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. For example, the U.S. Treasury is authorized to purchase specified amounts of securities issued by (or otherwise make funds available to) the Federal Home Loan Bank System, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), and Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) in support of such obligations.

Some government agency securities have no explicit financial support and are supported only by the credit of the applicable agency, instrumentality or corporation. The U.S. government has provided financial support to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, but there is no assurance that it will support these or other agencies in the future.

Investors regard government securities as having minimal credit risks but not as low as Treasury securities.

The Fund treats mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by a federal agency or instrumentality as government securities. Although such a guarantee helps protect against credit risk, it does not eliminate it entirely or reduce other risks.

Additional Information Related to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The extreme and unprecedented volatility and disruption that impacted the capital and credit markets beginning in 2008 led to market concerns regarding the ability of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to withstand future credit losses associated with securities held in their investment portfolios, and on which they provide guarantees, without the direct support of the federal government. On September 7, 2008, both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were placed under the conservatorship of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Under the plan of conservatorship, the FHFA assumed control of, and generally has the power to direct, the operations of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and is empowered to exercise all powers collectively held by their respective shareholders, directors and officers, including the power to: (1) take over the assets of and operate Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae with all the powers of the shareholders, the directors and the officers of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and conduct all business of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; (2) collect all obligations and money due to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; (3) perform all functions of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae which are consistent with the conservator’s appointment; (4) preserve and conserve the assets and property of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; and (5) contract for assistance in fulfilling any function, activity, action or duty of the conservator.

In connection with the actions taken by the FHFA, the Treasury has entered into certain preferred stock purchase agreements (SPAs) with each of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae which establish the Treasury as the holder of a new class of senior preferred stock in each of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The senior preferred stock was issued in connection with financial contributions from the Treasury to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Although the SPAs are subject to amendment from time to time, currently the Treasury is obligated to provide such financial contributions up to an aggregate maximum amount determined by a formula set forth in the SPAs, and until such aggregate maximum amount is reached, there is not a specific end date to the Treasury’s obligations.

The future status and role of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could be impacted by (among other things) the actions taken and restrictions placed on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s operations and activities under the SPAs, market responses to developments in Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, downgrades or upgrades in the credit ratings assigned to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs) or ratings services, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership, structure and/or mission of these institutions, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on, any securities guaranteed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

The FHFA previously announced plans to consider ending the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In the event that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are taken out of conservatorship, it is unclear how the capital structure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be constructed and what effects, if any, there may be on Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s creditworthiness and guarantees of certain mortgage-backed securities. It is also unclear whether the Treasury would continue to enforce its rights or perform its obligations under the senior preferred stock programs. Should Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s conservatorship end, there could be an adverse impact on the value of their securities, which could cause the Fund’s investments to lose value.

In addition, the future of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and other U.S. government-sponsored enterprises that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government (GSEs), remains in question as the U.S. government continues to consider options ranging from structural reform, nationalization, privatization, or consolidation, to outright elimination. The issues that have led to significant U.S. government support for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have sparked serious debate regarding the continued role of the U.S. government in providing mortgage loan liquidity.

Zero-Coupon Securities (A Fixed-Income Security)

Zero-coupon securities do not pay interest or principal until final maturity unlike debt securities that provide periodic payments of interest (referred to as a coupon payment). Investors buy zero-coupon securities at a price below the amount payable at maturity. The difference between the purchase price and the amount paid at maturity represents interest on the zero-coupon security. Investors must wait until maturity to receive interest and principal, which increases the interest rate and credit risks of a zero-coupon security. A zero-coupon, step-up security converts to a coupon security before final maturity.

There are many forms of zero-coupon securities. Some are issued at a discount and are referred to as zero-coupon or capital appreciation bonds. Others are created from interest bearing bonds by separating the right to receive the bond’s coupon payments from the right to receive the bond’s principal due at maturity, a process known as coupon stripping. Treasury STRIPs, IOs and POs are the most common forms of stripped, zero-coupon securities. In addition, some securities give the issuer the option to deliver additional securities in place of cash interest payments, thereby increasing the amount payable at maturity. These are referred to as pay-in-kind, PIK securities or toggle securities.

foreign MBS

Foreign MBS are backed by mortgage loans for real estate located outside of the U.S. The foreign MBS in which the Fund intends to invest will involve real estate located in developed markets, as compared to emerging markets, and will be denominated in U.S. dollars. Along with risks involved with domestic MBS, the foreign MBS are subject to the risks of foreign investing.

FOREIGN ABS

Foreign ABS are backed by pools of assets, such as automobile loans and credit-card receivables located outside of the United States. The foreign ABS in which the Fund intends to invest will involve pools of assets located in developed markets, as compared to emerging markets, and will be denominated in U.S. dollars. Along with risks involved with domestic ABS, the foreign ABS are subject to the risks of foreign investing.

Derivative Contracts

Derivative contracts are financial instruments that derive their value from underlying securities, commodities, currencies, indices or other assets or instruments, including other derivative contracts (each a “Reference Instrument” and collectively, “Reference Instruments”). The most common types of derivative contracts are swaps, futures and options, and the major asset classes include interest rates, equities, commodities and foreign exchange. Each party to a derivative contract may sometimes be referred to as a “counterparty.” Some derivative contracts require payments relating to an actual, future trade involving the Reference Instrument. These types of derivatives are frequently referred to as “physically settled” derivatives. Other derivative contracts require payments relating to the income or returns from, or changes in the market value of, a Reference Instrument. These types of derivatives are known as “cash settled” derivatives, since they require cash payments in lieu of delivery of the Reference Instrument.

Many derivative contracts are traded on exchanges. In these circumstances, the relevant exchange sets all the terms of the contract except for the price. Parties to an exchange-traded derivative contract make payments through the exchange. Most exchanges require traders to maintain margin accounts through their brokers to cover their potential obligations to the exchange. Parties to the contract make or collect daily payments to the margin accounts to reflect losses (or gains), respectively, in the value of their contracts. This protects traders against a potential default by their counterparty. Trading contracts on an exchange also allows traders to hedge or mitigate certain risks or carry out more complex trading strategies by entering into offsetting contracts.

For example, the Fund and the Underlying Fund could close out an open contract to buy an asset at a future date by entering into an offsetting contract to sell the same asset on the same date. If the offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund and the Underlying Fund realizes a gain; if it is less, the Fund and the Underlying Fund realizes a loss. Exchanges may limit the amount of open contracts permitted at any one time. Such limits may prevent the Fund and the Underlying Fund from closing out a position. If this happens, the Fund and Underlying Fund will be required to keep the contract open (even if it is losing money on the contract), and to make any payments required under the contract (even if it has to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices to do so). Inability to close out a contract could also harm the Fund by preventing it from disposing of or trading any assets it has been using to secure its obligations under the contract.

The Fund and the Underlying Fund may also trade derivative contracts over-the-counter (OTC), meaning off-exchange, in transactions negotiated directly between the Fund or the Underlying Fund and an eligible counterparty, which may be a financial institution. OTC contracts do not necessarily have standard terms, so they may be less liquid and more difficult to close out than exchange-traded derivative contracts. In addition, OTC contracts with more specialized terms may be more difficult to value than exchange traded contracts, especially in times of financial stress.

The market for swaps and other OTC derivatives was largely unregulated prior to the enactment of federal legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”). Regulations enacted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) under the Dodd-Frank Act require the Fund and Underlying Fund to clear certain types of swap contracts (including certain interest rate and credit default swaps) through a central clearinghouse known as a derivatives clearing organization (DCO).

To clear a swap through a DCO, the Fund and the Underlying Fund will submit the contract to, and post margin with, a futures commission merchant (FCM) that is a clearinghouse member. The Fund and the Underlying Fund may enter into the swap with a counterparty other than the FCM and arrange for the contract to be transferred to the FCM for clearing or enter into the contract with the FCM itself. If the Fund or the Underlying Fund must centrally clear a transaction, the CFTC’s regulations also generally require that the swap be executed on a registered exchange (either a designated contract market (DCM) or swap execution facility (SEF)). Central clearing is presently required only for certain swaps; the CFTC is expected to impose a mandatory central clearing requirement for additional derivative instruments over time.

DCOs, DCMs, SEFs and FCMs are all subject to regulatory oversight by the CFTC. In addition, certain derivative market participants that act as market makers, and engage in a significant amount of “dealing” activity are as also required to register as swap dealers with the CFTC. Among other things, swap dealers are subject to minimum capital requirements and business conduct standards and must also post and collect initial and variation margin on uncleared swaps with certain of their counterparties. Because of this, if the Fund enters into uncleared swaps with any swap dealers, it may be subject to initial and variation margin requirements that could impact the Fund’s ability to enter into swaps in the OTC market, including making transacting in uncleared swaps significantly more expensive.

Depending on how the Fund uses derivative contracts and the relationships between the market value of a derivative contract and the Reference Instrument, derivative contracts may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to the risks of the Reference Instrument and may also expose the Fund to liquidity and leverage risk. OTC contracts also expose the Fund to credit risk in the event that a counterparty defaults on the contract, although this risk may be mitigated by submitting the contract for clearing through a DCO, or certain other factors, such as collecting margin from the counterparty.

The Fund may invest in a derivative contract if it is permitted to own, invest in or otherwise have economic exposure to the Reference Instrument. The Fund is not required to own a Reference Instrument in order to buy or sell a derivative contract relating to that Reference Instrument. The Fund may trade in the following specific types and/or combinations of derivative contracts:

Futures Contracts (A Type of Derivative)

Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a Reference Instrument at a specified price, date and time. Entering into a contract to buy a Reference Instrument is commonly referred to as buying a contract or holding a long position in the asset. Entering into a contract to sell a Reference Instrument is commonly referred to as selling a contract or holding a short position in the Reference Instrument. Futures contracts are considered to be commodity contracts. The Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s Adviser has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act with respect to the Fund and Underlying Fund and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation with respect to the Fund or Underlying Fund. Futures contracts traded OTC are frequently referred to as forward contracts. The Fund and Underlying Fund can buy or sell financial futures (such as index futures and security futures).

Option Contracts (A Type of Derivative)

Option contracts (also called “options”) are rights to buy or sell a Reference Instrument for a specified price (the “exercise price”) during, or at the end of, a specified period. The seller (or “writer”) of the option receives a payment, or premium, from the buyer, which the writer keeps regardless of whether the buyer uses (or exercises) the option. Options may be bought or sold on a wide variety of Reference Instruments. Options that are written on futures contracts will be subject to margin requirements similar to those applied to futures contracts.

The Fund and Underlying Fund may buy and/or sell the following types of options:

Call Options

A call option gives the holder (“buyer”) the right to buy the Reference Instrument from the seller (“writer”) of the option. The Fund and Underlying Fund may use call options in the following ways:

■ Buy call options on a Reference Instrument in anticipation of an increase in the value of the Reference Instrument; and

■ Write call options on a Reference Instrument to generate income from premiums, and in anticipation of a decrease or only limited increase in the value of the Reference Instrument. If the Fund and Underlying Fund write a call option on a Reference Instrument that it owns and that call option is exercised, the Fund and Underlying Fund forego any possible profit from an increase in the market price of the Reference Instrument over the exercise price plus the premium received.

Put Options

A put option gives the holder the right to sell the Reference Instrument to the writer of the option. The Fund and Underlying Fund may use put options in the following ways:

■ Buy put options on a Reference Instrument in anticipation of a decrease in the value of the Reference Instrument; and

■ Write put options on a Reference Instrument to generate income from premiums, and in anticipation of an increase or only limited decrease in the value of the Reference Instrument. In writing puts, there is a risk that the Fund and Underlying Fund may be required to take delivery of the Reference Instrument when its current market price is lower than the exercise price.

The Fund and Underlying Fund may also buy or write options, as needed, to close out existing option positions.

Finally, the Fund and Underlying Fund may enter into combinations of options contracts in an attempt to benefit from changes in the prices of those options contracts (without regard to changes in the value of the Reference Instrument).

Swap Contracts (A Type of Derivative)

A swap contract (also known as a “swap”) is a type of derivative contract in which two parties agree to pay each other (swap) the returns derived from Reference Instruments. Most swaps do not involve the delivery of the underlying assets by either party, and the parties might not own the Reference Instruments. The payments are usually made on a net basis so that, on any given day, the Fund and Underlying Fund would receive (or pay) only the amount by which its payment under the contract is less than (or exceeds) the amount of the other party’s payment. Swap agreements are sophisticated instruments that can take many different forms and are known by a variety of names. Common swap agreements that the Fund and Underlying Fund may use include:

Interest Rate Swaps

Interest rate swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make regular payments equal to a fixed or floating interest rate times a stated principal amount (commonly referred to as a “notional principal amount”) in return for payments equal to a different fixed or floating rate times the same principal amount, for a specific period.

Total Return Swaps

A total return swap is an agreement between two parties whereby one party agrees to make payments of the total return from a Reference Instrument (or a basket of such instruments) during the specified period, in return for payments equal to a fixed or floating rate of interest or the total return from another Reference Instrument. Alternately, a total return swap can be structured so that one party will make payments to the other party if the value of a Reference Instrument increases, but receive payments from the other party if the value of that instrument decreases.

Credit Default Swaps

A credit default swap (CDS) is an agreement between two parties whereby one party (the “Protection Buyer”) agrees to make payments over the term of the CDS to the other party (the “Protection Seller”), provided that no designated event of default, restructuring or other credit related event (each a “Credit Event”) occurs with respect to Reference Instrument that is usually a particular bond, loan or the unsecured credit of an issuer, in general (the “Reference Obligation”). Many CDS are physically settled, which means that if a Credit Event occurs, the Protection Seller must pay the Protection Buyer the full notional value, or “par value,” of the Reference Obligation in exchange for delivery by the Protection Buyer of the Reference Obligation or another similar obligation issued by the issuer of the Reference Obligation (the “Deliverable Obligation”). The Counterparties agree to the characteristics of the Deliverable Obligation at the time that they enter into the CDS. Alternately, a CDS can be “cash settled,” which means that upon the occurrence of a Credit Event, the Protection Buyer will receive a payment from the Protection Seller equal to the difference between the par amount of the Reference Obligation and its market value at the time of the Credit Event. The Fund and Underlying Fund may be either the Protection Buyer or the Protection Seller in a CDS. If the Fund and Underlying Fund are Protection Buyers and no Credit Event occurs, the Fund and Underlying Fund will lose their entire investment in the CDS (i.e., an amount equal to the payments made to the Protection Seller over the term of the CDS). However, if a Credit Event occurs, the Fund and Underlying Fund (as Protection Buyers) will deliver the Deliverable Obligation and receive a payment equal to the full notional value of the Reference Obligation, even though the Reference Obligation may have little or no value. If the Fund and Underlying Fund are the Protection Sellers and no Credit Event occurs, the Fund and Underlying Fund will receive a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the CDS. However, if a Credit Event occurs, the Fund and Underlying Fund (as Protection Sellers) will pay the Protection Buyer the full notional value of the Reference Obligation and receive the Deliverable Obligation from the Protection Buyer. A CDS may involve greater risks than if the Fund and Underlying Fund invested directly in the Reference Obligation. For example, a CDS may increase credit risk since the Fund and Underlying Fund have exposure to both the issuer of the Reference Obligation and the Counterparty to the CDS.

Caps and Floors

Caps and Floors are contracts in which one party agrees to make payments only if an interest rate or index goes above (Cap) or below (Floor) a certain level in return for a fee from the other party.

Short Sales

The Fund may sell a security short in an effort to take advantage of an anticipated decline in the price of the security. In a short sale, the Fund sells a security it does not own, and must borrow the security in order to deliver it at completion of the sale. The Fund then has an obligation to replace the borrowed security (e.g., to purchase the security at a future date and deliver it to the lender of the security). In order to cover its obligation to purchase such securities in the future, the Fund holds short-term liquid securities such as money market funds, U.S. Treasury securities or government agency securities. If the value of the security sold short declines between the time that the Fund borrows the security and the time it repurchases and returns the security to the lender, the Fund makes a profit on the difference (less any interest, fees and/or dividend payments the Fund is required to pay the lender). If it has to buy the security back at a higher price, a loss results. The Fund may incur expenses in selling securities short and such expenses are investment expenses of the Fund.

OTHER INVESTMENTS, TRANSACTIONS, TECHNIQUES

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

Reverse repurchase agreements (which are considered a type of special transaction for asset segregation or asset coverage purposes) are repurchase agreements in which the Fund and Underlying Fund are the sellers (rather than the buyers) of the securities, and agree to repurchase them at an agreed-upon time and price. A reverse repurchase agreement may be viewed as a type of borrowing by the Fund and Underlying Fund. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to credit risks. In addition, reverse repurchase agreements create leverage risks because the Fund and Underlying Fund must repurchase the underlying security at a higher price, regardless of the market value of the security at the time of repurchase. The Fund and Underlying Fund may borrow an amount up to one third of the Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s net assets (exclusive of such borrowings) for leverage purposes.

Hedging

Hedging transactions are intended to reduce specific risks. For example, to protect the Fund and Underlying Fund against circumstances that would normally cause the Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s portfolio securities to decline in value, the Fund and Underlying Fund may buy or sell a derivative contract that would normally increase in value under the same circumstances. The Fund and Underlying Fund may also attempt to hedge by using combinations of different derivative contracts, or derivative contracts and securities. The Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s ability to hedge may be limited by the costs of the derivative contracts. The Fund and Underlying Fund may attempt to lower the cost of hedging by entering into transactions that provide only limited protection, including transactions that: (1) hedge only a portion of its portfolio; (2) use derivative contracts that cover a narrow range of circumstances; or (3) involve the sale of derivative contracts with different terms. Consequently, hedging transactions will not eliminate risk even if they work as intended. In addition, hedging strategies are not always successful, and could result in increased expenses and losses to the Fund and Underlying Fund.

Securities Lending

The Fund and Underlying Fund may lend portfolio securities to borrowers that the Adviser deems creditworthy. In return, the Fund and Underlying Fund receive cash or liquid securities from the borrower as collateral. The borrower must furnish additional collateral if the market value of the loaned securities increases. Also, the borrower must pay the Fund and Underlying Fund the equivalent of any dividends or interest received on the loaned securities.

The Fund and Underlying Fund will reinvest cash collateral in securities that qualify as an acceptable investment for the Fund and Underlying Fund. However, the Fund and Underlying Fund must pay interest to the borrower for the use of cash collateral. An acceptable investment into which the Fund may reinvest cash collateral includes, among other acceptable investments, securities of affiliated money market funds (including affiliated institutional prime money market funds with a “floating” net asset value that can impose redemption fees and liquidity gates, impose certain operational impediments to investing cash collateral, and, if net asset value decreases, result in the Fund having to cover the decrease in the value of the cash collateral).

Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund and Underlying Fund or the borrower. The Fund and Underlying Fund will not have the right to vote on securities while they are on loan. However, the Fund and Underlying Fund will attempt to terminate a loan in an effort to reacquire the securities in time to vote on matters that are deemed to be material by the Adviser. There can be no assurance that the Fund and Underlying Fund will have sufficient notice of such matters to be able to terminate the loan in time to vote thereon. The Fund and Underlying Fund may pay administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan and may pay a negotiated portion of the interest earned on the cash collateral to a securities lending agent or broker.

Securities lending activities are subject to interest rate risks and counterparty credit risks.

Derivatives Regulation and Asset Coverage

The regulation of the U.S. and non-U.S. derivatives markets has undergone substantial change in recent years and such change may continue. In addition, effective August 19, 2022, Rule 18f-4 (the “Derivatives Rule”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), replaced the asset segregation framework previously used by funds to comply with limitations on leverage imposed by the 1940 Act. The Derivatives Rule generally mandates that a fund either limit derivatives exposure to 10% or less of its net assets, or in the alternative implement: (i) limits on leverage calculated based value-at-risk (VAR); and (ii) a written derivatives risk management program (DRMP) administered by a derivatives risk manager appointed by the Fund’s Board, including a majority of the independent Board members, that is periodically reviewed by the Board.

In accordance with the requirements of Section 18 of the 1940 Act, any borrowings by the Fund will be made only to the extent the value of its assets, less its liabilities other than borrowings, is equal to at least 300% of all of its borrowings (the “300% Asset Coverage Ratio”). The Derivatives Rule permits the Fund to enter into reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, notwithstanding limitations on the issuance of senior securities under Section 18 of the 1940 Act, provided that the Fund either (i) treats these transactions as derivatives transactions under the Derivatives Rule, or (ii) ensures that the 300% Asset Coverage Ratio with respect to such transactions and any other borrowings in the aggregate. While reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions aggregated with other indebtedness do not need to be included in the calculation of whether a fund satisfies the Limited Derivatives Users exception, for funds subject to the VAR testing requirement, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions must be included for purposes of such testing whether treated as derivatives transactions or not. See “Borrowing Money and Issuing Senior Securities” and “Additional Information” below.

INTER-FUND BORROWING AND THIRD-PARTY LENDING ARRANGEMENTS

Inter-Fund Borrowing

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has granted an exemption that permits the Fund and all other funds (“Federated Hermes funds”) advised by subsidiaries of Federated Hermes, Inc. (“Federated Hermes,” formerly, Federated Investors, Inc.) to lend and borrow money for certain temporary purposes directly to and from other Federated Hermes funds. Participation in this inter-fund lending program is voluntary for both borrowing and lending Federated Hermes funds, and an inter-fund loan is only made if it benefits each participating Federated Hermes fund. Federated Hermes administers the program according to procedures approved by the Fund’s Board, and the Board monitors the operation of the program. Any inter-fund loan must comply with certain conditions set out in the exemption, which are designed to assure fairness and protect all participating Federated Hermes funds.

For example, inter-fund lending is permitted only: (a) to meet shareholder redemption requests; (b) to meet commitments arising from “failed” trades; and (c) for other temporary purposes. All inter-fund loans must be repaid in seven days or less. The Fund’s participation in this program must be consistent with its investment policies and limitations, and must meet certain percentage tests. Inter-fund loans may be made only when the rate of interest to be charged is more attractive to the lending Federated Hermes fund than market-competitive rates on overnight repurchase agreements (“Repo Rate”) and more attractive to the borrowing Federated Hermes fund than the rate of interest that would be charged by an unaffiliated bank for short-term borrowings (“Bank Loan Rate”), as determined by the Board. The interest rate imposed on inter-fund loans is the average of the Repo Rate and the Bank Loan Rate.

Third-Party Line of Credit

The Fund participates with certain other Federated Hermes funds, on a several basis, in an up to $500,000,000 unsecured, 364-day, committed, revolving line of credit (LOC) agreement. The LOC was made available to temporarily finance the repurchase or redemption of shares of the Fund, failed trades, payment of dividends, settlement of trades and for other short-term, temporary or emergency general business purposes. The Fund cannot borrow under the LOC if an inter-fund loan is outstanding. The Fund’s ability to borrow under the LOC also is subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act and various conditions precedent that must be satisfied before the Fund can borrow. Loans under the LOC are charged interest at a fluctuating rate per annum equal to (a) the highest, on any day, of: (i) the federal funds effective rate; (ii) the published secured overnight financing rate plus an assigned percentage; and (iii) 0.0%; plus (b) a margin. Any fund eligible to borrow under the LOC pays its pro rata share of a commitment fee based on the amount of the lenders’ commitment that has not been utilized, quarterly in arrears and at maturity. As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, there were no outstanding loans. During the most recently ended fiscal year, the Fund did not utilize the LOC.

LIQUIDITY RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

The Fund has adopted and implemented a written liquidity risk management program (LRMP) and related procedures to assess and manage the liquidity risk of the Fund in accordance with Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act and Rule 22e-4 thereunder. The Board has designated the Adviser, together with Federated Hermes, Inc.’s (“Federated Hermes,” formerly Federated Investors, Inc.) other affiliated registered investment advisory subsidiaries that serve as investment advisers to other Federated Hermes funds, to collectively serve as the administrator of the LRMP and the related procedures (the “Administrator”). Rule 22e-4 defines “liquidity risk” as the risk that the Fund will be unable to meet requests to redeem shares issued by the Fund without significant dilution of the remaining investors’ interests in the Fund. As a part of the LRMP, the Administrator is responsible for classifying the liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio investments in accordance with Rule 22e-4. As part of the LRMP, the Administrator is also responsible for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing the Fund’s liquidity risk, for making periodic reports to the Board and the SEC regarding the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, and for notifying the Board and the SEC of certain liquidity events specified in Rule 22e-4. The liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio investments is determined based on relevant market, trading and investment-specific considerations under the LRMP.

Investment Risks

There are many risk factors which may affect an investment in the Fund. The Fund’s and the Underlying Fund’s principal risks are described in its Prospectus or Private Offering Memorandum, respectively. The following information is either additional information in respect of a principal risk factor referenced in the Prospectus or Private Offering Memorandum or information in respect of an additional risk factor applicable to the Fund and the Underlying Fund (in which case there is no related disclosure in the Prospectus or Private Offering Memorandum).

Risk of Investing in Derivative Contracts and Hybrid Instruments

The Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s exposure to derivative contracts and hybrid instruments (either directly or through its investment in another investment company) involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. First, changes in the value of the derivative contracts and hybrid instruments in which the Fund and Underlying Fund invest may not be correlated with changes in the value of the underlying Reference Instruments or, if they are correlated, may move in the opposite direction than originally anticipated. Second, while some strategies involving derivatives may reduce the risk of loss, they may also reduce potential gains or, in some cases, result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in portfolio holdings. Third, there is a risk that derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may be erroneously priced or improperly valued and, as a result, the Fund and Underlying Fund may need to make increased cash payments to the counterparty. Fourth, exposure to derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may have tax consequences to the Fund and Underlying Fund and its shareholders. For example, derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may cause the Fund and Underlying Fund to realize increased ordinary income or short-term capital gains (which are treated as ordinary income for Federal income tax purposes) and, as a result, may increase taxable distributions to shareholders. In addition, under certain circumstances certain derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may cause the Fund and Underlying Fund to: (a) incur an excise tax on a portion of the income related to those contracts and instruments; and/or (b) reclassify, as a return of capital, some or all of the distributions previously made to shareholders during the fiscal year as dividend income. Fifth, a common provision in OTC derivative contracts permits the counterparty to terminate any such contract between it and the Fund and Underlying Fund, if the value of the Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s total net assets declines below a specified level over a given time period. Factors that may contribute to such a decline (which usually must be substantial) include significant shareholder redemptions and/or a marked decrease in the market value of the Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s investments. Any such termination of the Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s OTC derivative contracts may adversely affect the Fund and Underlying Fund (for example, by increasing losses and/or costs, and/or preventing the Fund and Underlying Fund from fully implementing its investment strategies). Sixth, the Fund and Underlying Fund may use a derivative contract to benefit from a decline in the value of a Reference Instrument. If the value of the Reference Instrument declines during the term of the contract, the Fund and Underlying Fund make a profit on the difference (less any payments the Fund and Underlying Fund are required to pay under the terms of the contract). Any such strategy involves risk. There is no assurance that the Reference Instrument will decline in value during the term of the contract and make a profit for the Fund and Underlying Fund. The Reference Instrument may instead appreciate in value creating a loss for the Fund and Underlying Fund. Seventh, a default or failure by a CCP or an FCM (also sometimes called a “futures broker”), or the failure of a contract to be transferred from an Executing Dealer to the FCM for clearing, may expose the Fund and Underlying Fund to losses, increase its costs, or prevent the Fund and Underlying Fund from

entering or exiting derivative positions, accessing margin or fully implementing its investment strategies. The central clearing of a derivative and trading of a contract over a SEF could reduce the liquidity in, or increase costs of entering into or holding, any contracts. Finally, derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may also involve other risks described herein or in the Fund’s Prospectus or Underlying Fund’s Private Operating Memorandum, such as interest rate, credit, liquidity and leverage risks.

Risks Associated with the Investment Activities of Other Accounts

Investment decisions for the Fund and Underlying Fund are made independently from those of other accounts managed by the Adviser and accounts managed by affiliates of the Adviser. Therefore, it is possible that investment-related actions taken by such other accounts could adversely impact the Fund and Underlying Fund with respect to, for example, the value of Fund and Underlying Fund’s portfolio holdings, and/or prices paid to or received by the Fund and Underlying Fund on its portfolio transactions, and/or the Fund’s and Underlying Fund’s ability to obtain or dispose of portfolio securities. Related considerations are discussed elsewhere in this SAI under “Brokerage Transactions and Investment Allocation.”

Risk of foreign investing

Foreign MBS and ABS may pose additional risks because foreign economic or political conditions may be more or less favorable than those of the United States. Securities in foreign markets may also be subject to taxation policies that reduce returns for U.S. investors.

The returns on foreign MBS and ABS may reflect government policies and local market economic conditions that may differ from those that affect MBS and ABS backed by mortgage loans for U.S. residential real estate or pools of assets located in the U.S. These differences offer an opportunity for portfolio diversification and may cause the Fund’s or Underlying Fund’s performance to be better or worse than the Bloomberg US Mortgage-Backed Securities Index.

RISK OF INVESTING IN CERTAIN MBS

MBS backed by participations in reverse mortgages may carry risks different from and in addition to risks of other MBS. A reverse mortgage is a home loan in which a lender makes a loan to a homeowner based on the equity in the home. To qualify for a reverse mortgage loan, a homeowner must be older than a certain specified age. Unlike a traditional mortgage, there are no scheduled payments of principal or interest. Repayment does not occur until, in most cases, the borrower ceases to own the home (including, as a result of the borrower’s death) or to use it as a primary residence. Accordingly, the timing of payments made on these loans (and, by extension, MBS backed by such loans) is uncertain and may occur sooner or later than anticipated. The rate of principal and total amount of interest payments on any reverse mortgages is based on many factors, including relevant interest rates and borrower mortality, that may in turn affect the value of the pools of such mortgages. Due to the nature of reverse mortgages, they may react differently from traditional mortgages to economic, geographic and other factors. There is a limited amount of historical data regarding the performance of reverse MBS pools.

RISK ASSOCIATED WITH COMPLEX CMOs

CMOs with complex or highly variable prepayment terms, such as companion classes, IOs, POs, Inverse Floaters and residuals, generally entail greater market, prepayment and liquidity risks than other mortgage-backed securities. For example, their prices are more volatile and their trading market may be more limited.

SHORT SALE RISK

The Fund may incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the sale and the date on which the Fund repurchases the security. The risk is that the security’s price moves in the opposite direction than expected causing the Fund to lose money.

CYBERSECURITY AND OPERATIONAL RISK

Like other funds and business enterprises, Federated Hermes’ business relies on the security and reliability of information and communications technology, systems and networks. Federated Hermes uses digital technology, including, for example, networked systems, email and the Internet, as well as mobile devices and “cloud”-based service offerings, to conduct business operations and engage clients, customers, employees, products, accounts, shareholders and relevant service providers, among others. Federated Hermes, as well as its funds and certain service providers, also generate, compile and process information for purposes of preparing and making filings or reports to governmental agencies, or providing reports or statements to customers, and a cybersecurity attack or incident that impacts that information, or the generation and filing processes, can prevent required regulatory filings and reports from being made, or reports or statements from being delivered, or cause the inadvertent release of confidential information (possibly resulting in the violation of applicable privacy laws). The use of the Internet and other

electronic media and technology exposes the Fund, the Fund’s shareholders, and the Fund’s service providers, and their respective operations, to potential risks from cybersecurity attacks or incidents (collectively, “cyber-events”). The work-from-home environment necessitated by the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic has increased the risk of cyber incidents given the increase in cyber attack surface stemming from the use of personal devices and non-office or personal technology.

Cyber-events can result from intentional (or deliberate) attacks or unintentional events by insiders (e.g., employees) or third parties, including cybercriminals, competitors, nation-states and “hacktivists,” among others. Cyber-events can include, for example, phishing, credential harvesting or use of stolen access credentials, unauthorized access to systems, networks or devices (such as, for example, through “hacking” activity), structured query language attacks, infection from or spread of malware, ransomware, computer viruses or other malicious software code, corruption of data, exfiltration of data to malicious sites, the dark web or other locations or threat actors, and attacks (including, but not limited to, denial of service attacks on websites) which shut down, disable, slow, impair or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, technology, connectivity or website or Internet access, functionality or performance. Like other funds and business enterprises, the Fund and its service providers have experienced, and will continue to experience, cyber-events on a daily basis. In addition to intentional cyber-events, unintentional cyber-events can occur, such as, for example, the inadvertent release of confidential information. Cyber-events can also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on the service providers’ systems or websites rendering them unavailable to intended users or via “ransomware” that renders the systems inoperable until appropriate actions are taken. To date, cyber-events have not had a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business operations or performance.

Cyber-events can affect, potentially in a material way, Federated Hermes’ relationships with its customers, employees, products, accounts, shareholders and relevant service providers. Any cyber-event could adversely impact the Fund and its shareholders and cause the Fund to incur financial loss and expense, as well as face exposure to regulatory penalties, reputational damage, damage to employee perceptions of the company, and additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and credit monitoring for impacted individuals. A cyber-event can cause the Fund, or its service providers, to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, lose operational capacity (such as, for example, the loss of the ability to process transactions, generate or make filings or deliver reports or statements, calculate the Fund’s NAV, or allow shareholders to transact business or other disruptions to operations), and/or fail to comply with applicable privacy and other laws. Among other potentially harmful effects, cyber-events also can result in theft, unauthorized monitoring and failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support the Fund and its service providers. In addition, cyber-events affecting issuers in which the Fund invests could cause the Fund’s investments to lose value.

The Fund’s Adviser and its relevant affiliates have established risk management systems reasonably designed to seek to reduce the risks associated with cyber-events. The Fund’s Adviser employs various measures aimed at mitigating cybersecurity risk, including, among others, use of firewalls, system segmentation, system monitoring, virus scanning, periodic penetration testing, employee phishing training and an employee cybersecurity awareness campaign. Among other service provider management efforts, Federated Hermes also conducts due diligence on key service providers relating to cybersecurity. Federated Hermes has established a committee to oversee Federated Hermes’ information security and data governance efforts, and updates on cyber-events and risks are reviewed with relevant committees, as well as Federated Hermes’ and the Fund’s Boards of Directors or Trustees (or a committee thereof), on a periodic (generally quarterly) basis (and more frequently when circumstances warrant) as part of risk management oversight responsibilities. However, there is no guarantee that the efforts of Federated Hermes, the Fund’s Adviser or its affiliates, or other service providers, will succeed, either entirely or partially as there are limits on Federated Hermes’ and the Fund’s ability to prevent, detect or mitigate cyber-events. Among other reasons, the cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, the nature of malicious cyber-events is becoming increasingly sophisticated and the Fund’s Adviser, and its relevant affiliates, cannot control the cyber systems and cybersecurity systems of issuers or third-party service providers.

The Fund can be exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties, or other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or system failures. In addition, other disruptive events, including, but not limited to, natural disasters and public health crises (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), can adversely affect the Fund’s ability to conduct business, in particular if the Fund’s employees or the employees of its service providers are unable or unwilling to perform their responsibilities as a result of any such event. Even if the Fund’s employees and the employees of its service providers are able to work remotely, those remote work arrangements could result in the Fund’s business operations being less efficient than under normal circumstances, could lead to delays in its processing of transactions, and could increase the risk of cyber-events.

Investment Objective and Investment Limitations

Fundamental Investment Objective

The Fund’s total return will consist of two components: (1) changes in the market value of its portfolio securities (both realized and unrealized appreciation); and (2) income received from its portfolio securities. The investment objective may not be changed by the Fund’s Board without shareholder approval.

Investment Limitations

Concentration

The Fund will not make investments that will result in the concentration of its investments in the securities of issuers primarily engaged in the same industry. For purposes of this restriction, the term concentration has the meaning set forth in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”), any rule or order thereunder, or any SEC staff interpretation thereof. Government securities, municipal securities and bank instruments will not be deemed to constitute an industry.

Underwriting

The Fund may not underwrite the securities of other issuers, except that the Fund may engage in transactions involving the acquisition, disposition or resale of its portfolio securities, under circumstances where it may be considered to be an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933.

Investing in Commodities

The Fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities, provided that the Fund may purchase securities of companies that deal in commodities. For purposes of this restriction, investments in transactions involving futures contracts and options, forward currency contracts, swap transactions and other financial contracts or derivative instruments that settle by payment of cash are not deemed to be investments in commodities.

Investing in Real Estate

The Fund may not purchase or sell real estate, provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from investing in issuers which invest, deal, or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein, or investing in securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein. The Fund may exercise its rights under agreements relating to such securities, including the right to enforce security interests and to hold real estate acquired by reason of such enforcement until that real estate can be liquidated in an orderly manner.

Borrowing Money and Issuing Senior Securities

The Fund may borrow money, directly or indirectly, and issue senior securities to the maximum extent permitted under the 1940 Act, any rule or order thereunder, or any SEC staff interpretation thereof.

Lending

The Fund may not make loans, provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from purchasing debt obligations, entering into repurchase agreements, lending its assets to broker/dealers or institutional investors and investing in loans, including assignments and participation interests.

The above limitations are fundamental and cannot be changed unless authorized by the Board and by the “vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities,” as defined by the 1940 Act, which means the lesser of (a) 67% of the shares of the Fund present or represented by proxy at a meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present or represented at the meeting or (b) more than 50% of outstanding shares of the Fund. The following limitations, however, may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified before any material change in these limitations becomes effective.

Illiquid Investments

The Fund will not make investments in holdings for which there is no readily available market, or enter into repurchase agreements or purchase time deposits that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment, if immediately after and as a result, the value of such investments would exceed, in the aggregate, 15% of the Fund’s net assets.

Purchases on Margin

The Fund will not purchase securities on margin, provided that the Fund may obtain short-term credits necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities and further provided that the Fund may make margin deposits in connection with its use of financial options and futures, forward and spot currency contracts, swap transactions and other financial contracts or derivative instruments.

Pledging Assets

The Fund will not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any of its assets, provided that this shall not apply to the transfer of securities in connection with any permissible borrowing or to collateral arrangements in connection with permissible activities.

Additional Information

As a matter of non-fundamental investment policy regarding certain of the Fund’s investment restrictions, please note the following additional information.

With respect to securities comprising 75% of the value of its total assets, the Fund will not purchase securities of any one issuer (other than cash, cash items, securities issued or guaranteed by the government of the United States or its agencies or instrumentalities and repurchase agreements collateralized by such U.S. government securities, and securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of the value of its total assets would be invested in securities of that issuer, or the Fund would own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer. Should the Fund determine to operate as a non diversified investment company in excess of these limits, it will first seek shareholder approval to do so.

In applying the concentration and diversification restrictions, each governmental subdivision, including states and the District of Columbia, territories, possessions of the United States, or their political subdivisions, agencies authorities, instrumentalities, or similar entities, will be considered a separate issuer if its assets and revenues are separate from those of the government body creating it and the security is backed only by its own assets and revenues, industrial development bonds backed only by the assets and revenues of a nongovernmental user are considered to be issued solely by that user. If in the case of an industrial development bond or government-issued security, a governmental or some other entity guarantees the security, such a guarantee would be considered a separate security issued by the guarantor, subject to the same restrictions. The Fund considers certificates of deposit and demand and time deposits issued by a U.S. branch of a domestic bank or savings association having capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100,000,000 at the time of investment to be “cash items” and “bank instruments.”

In applying the concentration restriction, the Fund will adhere to the requirements of the 1940 Act which limits investments in a particular industry or group of industries to no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets. Further, in applying the concentration restriction: (a) utility companies will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission, electric and telephone will each be considered a separate industry; (b) financial service companies will be classified according to the end users of their services, for example, automobile finance, bank finance and diversified finance will each be considered a separate industry; and (c) asset-backed securities will be classified according to the underlying assets securing such securities. For purposes of the above limitations, municipal securities are those securities issued by governments or political subdivisions of governments.

Except with respect to borrowing money, if a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or net assets will not result in a violation of such limitation.

In applying the borrowing limitation, in accordance with Section 18(f)(1) of the 1940 Act and current SEC rules and guidance, the Fund is permitted to borrow money, directly or indirectly, provided that immediately after any such borrowing, the Fund has asset coverage of at least 300% for all of the Fund’s borrowings, and provided further that in the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300% the Fund shall, within three business days, reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%.

Non-Fundamental Names Rule Policy

What Do Shares Cost?

Valuation Of Portfolio Securities by the Fund and the Underlying Fund

A Share’s NAV is determined as of the end of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) each day the NYSE is open. The Fund and the Underlying Fund each calculate their NAV by valuing their assets, subtracting their liabilities and dividing the balance by the number of shares outstanding. The NAV is calculated to the nearest whole cent per share.

In calculating its NAV, the Fund and the Underlying Fund generally values investments as follows:

■ Equity securities listed on a U.S. securities exchange or traded through the U.S. national market system are valued at their last reported sale price or official closing price in their principal exchange or market. If a price is not readily available, such equity securities are valued based upon the mean of closing bid and ask quotations from one or more dealers.

■ Other equity securities traded primarily in the United States are valued based upon the mean of closing bid and ask quotations from one or more dealers.

■ Equity securities traded primarily through securities exchanges and regulated market systems outside the United States are valued at their last reported sale price or official closing price in their principal exchange or market. These prices may be adjusted for significant events occurring after the closing of such exchanges or market systems as described below. If a price is not readily available, such equity securities are valued based upon the mean of closing bid and ask quotations from one or more dealers.

■ Fixed-income securities are fair valued using price evaluations provided by a pricing service approved by the Adviser. The methods used by pricing services to determine such price evaluations are described below.

■ Futures contracts listed on exchanges are valued at their reported settlement price. Option contracts listed on exchanges are based upon the mean of closing bid and ask quotations reported by the exchange or from one or more futures commission merchants.

■ OTC derivative contracts are fair valued using price evaluations provided by a pricing service approved by the Adviser. The methods used by pricing services to determine such price evaluations are described below. If a price evaluation from a pricing service is not readily available, such derivative contracts may be fair valued based upon price evaluations from one or more dealers or using a recognized pricing model for the contract.

■ Shares of other mutual funds or non-exchange-traded investment companies are valued based upon their reported NAVs. The prospectuses for these mutual funds explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.

If any price, quotation, price evaluation or other pricing source is not readily available when the NAV is calculated, if the Fund and the Underlying Fund cannot obtain price evaluations from a pricing service or from more than one dealer for an investment within a reasonable period of time as set forth in the Adviser’s valuation policies and procedures, or if information furnished by a pricing service, in the opinion of the Valuation Committee, is deemed not representative of the fair value of such security, the Fund and the Underlying Fund will use the fair value of the investment determined in accordance with the procedures described below. There can be no assurance that the Fund and the Underlying Fund could purchase or sell an investment at the price used to calculate the Fund’s and the Underlying Fund’s NAV. The Fund and the Underlying Fund will not use a pricing service or dealer who is an affiliated person of the Adviser to value investments.

Non-investment assets and liabilities are valued in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The NAV calculation includes expenses, dividend income, interest income, other income and realized and unrealized investment gains and losses through the date of the calculation. Changes in holdings of investments and in the number of outstanding shares are included in the calculation not later than the first business day following such change. Any assets or liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are converted into U.S. dollars using an exchange rate obtained from a third-party.

The Fund and the Underlying Fund follow procedures that are common in the mutual fund industry regarding errors made in the calculation of its NAV. This means that, generally, the Fund and the Underlying Fund will not correct errors of less than one cent per Share.

Fair Valuation and Significant Events Procedures

Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Board has designated the Adviser as the Fund’s and the Underlying Fund’s valuation designee to perform the fair value determination for securities and other assets held by the Fund and the Underlying Fund. The Adviser, acting through its “Valuation Committee,” is responsible for determining the fair value of investments for which market quotations are not readily available. The Valuation Committee is comprised of officers of the Adviser and certain of the Adviser’s affiliated companies and determines fair value and oversees the calculation of the NAV. The Valuation Committee is also authorized to use pricing services to provide price evaluations of the current fair value of certain investments for purposes of calculating the NAV. The Valuation Committee is subject to Board oversight and certain reporting and other requirements intended to provide the Board the information it needs to oversee the Adviser’s fair valuation determinations.

Pricing Service Valuations. The Valuation Committee, subject to Board oversight, is authorized to use pricing services that provide daily fair value evaluations of the current value of certain investments, primarily fixed-income securities and OTC derivatives contracts. Different pricing services may provide different price evaluations for the same security because of differences in their methods of evaluating market values. Factors considered by pricing services in evaluating an investment

include the yields or prices of investments of comparable quality, coupon, maturity, call rights and other potential prepayments, terms and type, reported transactions, indications as to values from dealers and general market conditions. A pricing service may find it more difficult to apply these and other factors to relatively illiquid or volatile investments, which may result in less frequent or more significant changes in the price evaluations of these investments. If a pricing service determines that it does not have sufficient information to use its standard methodology, it may evaluate an investment based on the present value of what investors can reasonably expect to receive from the issuer’s operations or liquidation.

Special valuation considerations may apply with respect to the Fund’s “odd-lot” positions, if any, as the Fund may receive lower prices when it sells such positions than it would receive for sales of institutional round lot positions. Typically, these securities are valued assuming orderly transactions of institutional round lot sizes, but the Fund may hold or, from time to time, transact in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes.

The Valuation Committee oversees the Fund’s and the Underlying Fund’s pricing services, which includes, among other things, monitoring significant or unusual price fluctuations above predetermined tolerance levels from the prior day, back-testing of pricing services’ prices against actual sale transactions, conducting periodic due diligence meetings and reviews and periodically reviewing the inputs, assumptions and methodologies used by these pricing services. If information furnished by a pricing service is not readily available or, in the opinion of the Valuation Committee, is deemed not representative of the fair value of such security, the security will be fair valued by the Valuation Committee in accordance with procedures established by the Adviser as discussed below in “Fair Valuation Procedures.”

Some pricing services provide a single price evaluation reflecting the bid-side of the market for an investment (a “bid” evaluation). Other pricing services offer both bid evaluations and price evaluations indicative of a price between the bid and ask prices for the investment (a “mid” evaluation). The Fund and the Underlying Fund normally use bid evaluations for any U.S. Treasury and Agency securities, mortgage-backed securities and municipal securities. The Fund and the Underlying Fund normally use mid evaluations for any other types of fixed-income securities and any OTC derivative contracts.

Fair Valuation Procedures. The Adviser has established procedures for determining the fair value of investments for which price evaluations from pricing services or dealers and market quotations are not readily available. The procedures define an investment’s “fair value” as the price that the Fund and the Underlying Fund might reasonably expect to receive upon its current sale. The procedures assume that any sale would be made to a willing buyer in the ordinary course of trading. The procedures require consideration of factors that vary based on the type of investment and the information available. Factors that may be considered in determining an investment’s fair value include: (1) the last reported price at which the investment was traded; (2) information provided by dealers or investment analysts regarding the investment or the issuer; (3) changes in financial conditions and business prospects disclosed in the issuer’s financial statements and other reports; (4) publicly announced transactions (such as tender offers and mergers) involving the issuer; (5) comparisons to other investments or to financial indices that are correlated to the investment; (6) with respect to fixed-income investments, changes in market yields and spreads; (7) with respect to investments that have been suspended from trading, the circumstances leading to the suspension; and (8) other factors that might affect the investment’s value.

The Valuation Committee is responsible for the day-to-day implementation of these procedures subject to the oversight of the Board. The Valuation Committee may also authorize the use of a financial valuation model to determine the fair value of a specific type of investment. The Board periodically reviews the fair valuations made by the Valuation Committee. The Board has also approved the Adviser’s fair valuation procedures and significant events procedures as part of the Fund’s and the Underlying Fund’s compliance program and will review any changes made to the procedures.

Significant Events. The Adviser has adopted procedures requiring an investment to be priced at its fair value whenever the Adviser determines that a significant event affecting the value of the investment has occurred between the time as of which the price of the investment would otherwise be determined and the time as of which the NAV is computed. An event is considered significant if there is both an affirmative expectation that the investment’s value will change in response to the event and a reasonable basis for quantifying the resulting change in value. Examples of significant events that may occur after the close of the principal market on which a security is traded, or after the time of a price evaluation provided by a pricing service or dealer, include:

■ With respect to securities traded principally in foreign markets, significant trends in U.S. equity markets or in the trading of foreign securities index futures contracts;

■ Political or other developments affecting the economy or markets in which an issuer conducts its operations or its securities are traded; and

■ Announcements concerning matters such as acquisitions, recapitalizations or litigation developments, or a natural disaster affecting the issuer’s operations or regulatory changes or market developments affecting the issuer’s industry.

The Adviser has adopted procedures whereby the Valuation Committee uses a pricing service to provide factors to update the fair value of equity securities traded principally in foreign markets from the time of the close of their respective foreign stock exchanges to the pricing time of the Fund. The pricing service uses models that correlate changes between the closing and opening price of equity securities traded primarily in non-U.S. markets to changes in prices in U.S.-traded securities and derivative contracts. The pricing service seeks to employ the model that provides the most significant correlation based on a periodic review of the results. The model uses the correlation to adjust the reported closing price of a foreign equity security based on information available up to the close of the NYSE.

The fair valuation of securities following a significant event can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities for short-term traders to profit at the expense of long-term investors in the Fund. For example, such arbitrage opportunities may exist when the market on which portfolio securities are traded closes before the Fund calculates its NAV, which is typically the case with Asian and European markets. However, there is no assurance that these significant event procedures will prevent dilution of the NAV by short-term traders.

For other significant events, the Fund and the Underlying Fund may seek to obtain more current quotations or price evaluations from alternative pricing sources. If a reliable alternative pricing source is not available, the fair value of the investment is determined using the methods discussed above in “Fair Valuation Procedures.” The Board periodically reviews fair valuations made in response to significant events.

How to Invest in the Fund?

The Fund is used to implement Fixed-Income Strategies for investors in wrap fee accounts or separately managed accounts that are advised or subadvised by FIC, or its affiliates (i.e., Eligible Accounts). The Fund may also be used to implement Fixed-Income Strategies for Eligible Investors in separately managed or other discretionary investment accounts (i.e., also Eligible Accounts) that are advised or subadvised by FIC, its affiliates or, in certain cases, by other third-party discretionary investment managers that have a business relationship with FIC. Shares of the Fund held for an Eligible Investor may be purchased only at the direction of FIC or another Discretionary Manager of the Eligible Account.

Eligible Investors in the Fund do not include investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”), or private funds exempt from registration under the 1940 Act pursuant to Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act, unless appropriate exemptive relief is obtained under the 1940 Act and the Fund determines to accept the purchase order for such an investment. In addition, unless the Fund determines to accept a purchase order for an investment, an Eligible Investor in the Fund does not include: (i) a non-resident alien within the meaning of I.R.C. § 7701(b)(1)(B) who is a natural person; (ii) a covered expatriate (i.e., a U.S. citizen temporarily residing abroad) within the meaning of I.R.C. § 877A(g)(1)(A); (iii) a foreign institutional investor; or (iv) a fund or investor in the European Union.

Additional Payments To OTHERS (INCLUDING Financial Intermediaries)

The Distributor may pay out of its own resources amounts to certain financial intermediaries, including broker-dealers, banks, registered investment advisers, independent financial planners and retirement plan administrators, and other persons. In some cases, such payments may be made by, or funded from the resources of, companies affiliated with the Distributor (including the Adviser). While Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) regulations limit the sales charges that you may bear, there are no limits with regard to the amounts that the Distributor may pay out of its own resources. In connection with these payments, the financial intermediary may elevate the prominence or profile of the Fund and/or other Federated Hermes funds within the financial intermediary’s organization by, for example, placement on a list of preferred or recommended funds, and/or granting the Distributor preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the funds in various ways within the financial intermediary’s organization. Financial intermediaries and other persons may receive payments under some or all categories described below. These payments assist in the Distributor’s efforts to support the sale of Shares and compensate financial intermediaries and other persons for performing ancillary services in connection with effecting sales of the funds. These payments are negotiated and may be based on such factors as: the number or value of Shares that the financial intermediary or

other person sells, may sell or arrange for the sale of Shares; the value of client assets invested; the level and types of services or support furnished by the financial intermediary; or the Fund’s and/or other Federated Hermes funds’ relationship with the financial intermediary. Not all financial intermediaries and other persons receive such payments and the amount of compensation may vary. You should ask your financial intermediary, or any other person that provides services to you, for information about any payments it receives from the Distributor or the Federated Hermes funds and any services it provides, as well as the fees and/or commissions it charges.

The categories of additional payments are described below.

Supplemental Payments

The Distributor may make supplemental payments to certain financial intermediaries that are holders or dealers of record for accounts in one or more of the Federated Hermes funds. These payments may be based on such factors as: the number or value of Shares the financial intermediary sells or may sell; the value of client assets invested; or the type and nature of services or support furnished by the financial intermediary.

Processing Support Payments

The Distributor may make payments to certain financial intermediaries that offer Federated Hermes investment companies to help offset their costs associated with client accounts in the fund. The types of payments that the Distributor may make under this category include, but are not limited to: payment for administrative services, like account maintenance support and statement processing; payment for costs associated with transacting in the funds, like payment of ticket charges on a per-transaction basis; payment of networking fees; and payment for ancillary services related to setting up funds on the financial intermediary’s mutual fund trading system, including technology and programming set-up, platform development and maintenance or similar services.

Retirement Plan Program Servicing Payments

The Distributor may make payments to certain financial intermediaries who sell Federated Hermes fund shares through retirement plan programs. A financial intermediary may perform retirement plan program services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform retirement plan program services. In addition to participant recordkeeping, reporting or transaction processing, retirement plan program services may include: services rendered to a plan in connection with fund/investment selection and monitoring; employee enrollment and education; plan balance rollover or separation; or other similar services.

Marketing Support Payments

From time to time, the Distributor, at its expense, may provide additional compensation to financial intermediaries, or other persons, that sell or arrange for the sale of Shares. Such compensation, provided by the Distributor, may include “finders” or “referral fees” or directing investors to a fund, financial assistance to financial intermediaries that enable the Distributor to participate in or present at meetings, conferences or seminars, sales or education and training programs for invited registered representatives and other employees, client entertainment, client and investor events and other financial intermediary-sponsored events. The Distributor may also provide additional compensation for the provision of sales or intermediary-related data and analytics to the Adviser and/or its affiliates.

The Distributor also may hold or sponsor, at its expense, sales events, conferences and programs for employees or associated persons of financial intermediaries and may pay the travel and lodging expenses of attendees. The Distributor also may provide, at its expense, meals and entertainment in conjunction with meetings with financial intermediaries. Other compensation may be offered to the extent not prohibited by applicable federal or state law or regulations, or the rules of any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA. These payments may vary depending on the nature of the event or the relationship.

For the year ended December 31, 2025, the following is a list of FINRA member firms that received additional payments from the Distributor or an affiliate. Additional payments may also be made to certain other financial intermediaries or other persons that are not FINRA member firms that sell Federated Hermes fund shares or provide services to the Federated Hermes funds and shareholders. These firms are not included in this list. Any additions, modifications or deletions to the member firms identified in this list that have occurred since December 31, 2025, are not reflected. You should ask your financial intermediary or any other person that provides services to you for information about any additional payments it receives from the Distributor.

&Partners
ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc.
AE Wealth Management, LLC
Aegis Financial
Alera Investment Advisors, LLC
Allegheny Investments Limited
American Century Investment Services, Inc.

American Enterprise Investment Services Inc.
AON Securities LLC
Arkadios Capital
Assetmark, Inc.
AuguStar Distributors, Inc.
Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc.
BlackRock Investments, LLC

BofA Securities, Inc.
Bolton Global Capital, Inc.
Broadridge Business Process Outsourcing, LLC
Callan
Cambridge Financial Group, Inc.
Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.
Cedrus Wealth Group
Cetera Advisors LLC
Cetera Financial Specialists LLC
Cetera Investment Services LLC
Cetera Wealth Services LLC
Charles Schwab & Company, Inc.
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Citizens Securities, Inc.
CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors, LLC
Commonwealth Financial Network
D.A. Davidson & Co.
Davenport & Company LLC
Deschutes Investment Consulting, LLC
Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc.
Dynasty Wealth Management, LLC
Edward D. Jones & Co., LP
Ellsworth Advisors, LLC
Empower Financial Services, Inc.
Envestnet PMC
Epic Advisors
Equitable Advisors, LLC
Equitable Financial Life Insurance Co
Essex Financial Services, Inc.
FBL Marketing Services, LLC
FBS Investment Services, Inc.
Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, LLC (FIIOC)
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC
Fifth Third Securities, Inc.
Financial Concepts Unlimited, Inc.
FIS Brokerage & Securities Services LLC
Focused Alpha, LLC
Goldman Sachs & Co., LLC
HighTower Securities, LLC
Hilltop Securities, Inc.
HUB International Investment Services, Inc.
Huntington Securities, Inc.
IFC Advisors, LLC
Insigneo Securities, LLC
Institutional Cash Distributors, LLC
Interactive Brokers LLC
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
Jefferies LLC
JW Cole Financial, Inc.
Kestra Investment Services, LLC
Key Investment Services LLC
KeyBanc Capital Markets, Inc.

Keystone Financial Planning, Inc.
Kinetic Investment Management, Inc.
Krilogy Financial LLC
Lantz Financial, LLC
Leafhouse Financial Advisors, LLC
Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC
Lyrical Partners, L.P.
LPL Enterprise, LLC
LPL Financial LLC
Marquette Associates, Inc.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith Incorporated
Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corporation
Mizuho Securities USA, LLC
MML Investors, Inc.
Moloney Securities Co., Inc.
Morgan Stanley & Company, LLC
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
Multi-Bank Securities, Inc.
Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc.
Mutual Securities, Inc.
National Financial Services LLC
Nationwide Investment Services Corporation
NewEdge Securities, Inc.
Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC
NYLIFE Distributors LLC
Oppenheimer & Company, Inc.
Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC
Osaic FA, Inc.
Osaic Wealth, Inc.
Pacific Life Fund Advisors LLC
Parks Capital
Paychex Securities Corp.
Pershing LLC
Piper Sander & Co.
Planmember Securities Corp.
PNC Capital Markets, LLC
PNC Investments LLC
Principal Securities, Inc.
Private Advisor Group, LLC
Rademacher Financial, Inc.
Raleigh Capital Management Inc.
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
RMR Wealth Builders, Inc.
Robert W Baird & Co, Inc.
Rockefeller Capital Management
SageSpring Wealth Partners
Sammons Financial Network, LLC
Sanctuary Securities, Inc.
Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, LLC
Security Distributors, LLC
Sentry Advisors, LLC
Spectrum Investment Advisors, Inc.

State Street Global Markets, LLC
Stephens Inc.
Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
StoneX Financial Inc.
Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America
The Huntington Investment Company
Thrivent Investment Management Inc.
Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc.
Treasury Brokerage
Truist Investment Services, Inc.
Truist Securities, Inc.
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
UBS Financial Services, Inc.

UBS Securities LLC
UMB Financial Services, Inc.
United Planners Financial Services of America, L.P.
Validus Capital LLC
Vanguard Marketing Corporation
Victory Financial Group, LLC
Vision Financial Markets, LLC
Voya Financial Advisors, Inc.
Voya Retirement Advisors, LLC
Webb Financial Group, LLC
Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
Wintrust Investments, LLC
World Investment Advisors, LLC

Purchases In-Kind

You may contact the Distributor to request a purchase of Shares using securities you own. The Fund reserves the right to determine whether to accept your securities and the minimum market value to accept. The Fund will value your securities in the same manner as it values its assets. An in-kind purchase may be treated as a sale of your securities for federal tax purposes; please consult your tax adviser regarding potential tax liability.

Redemption In-Kind

Although the Fund generally intends to pay Share redemptions in cash, it reserves the right, on its own initiative or in response to a shareholder request, to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution of the Fund’s portfolio securities.

Because the Fund has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, the Fund is obligated to pay Share redemptions to any one shareholder in cash only up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets represented by such Share class during any 90-day period.

Any Share redemption payment greater than this amount will also be in cash unless the Fund elects to pay all or a portion of the remainder of the redemption in portfolio securities, valued in the same way as the Fund determines its NAV.

Redemption in-kind is not as liquid as a cash redemption. Shareholders receiving the portfolio securities could have difficulty selling them, may incur related transaction costs and would be subject to risks of fluctuations in the securities’ values prior to sale.

Massachusetts Partnership Law

Under certain circumstances, shareholders may be held personally liable as partners under Massachusetts law for obligations of the Trust. To protect its shareholders, the Trust has filed legal documents with Massachusetts that expressly disclaim the liability of its shareholders for acts or obligations of the Trust.

In the unlikely event a shareholder is held personally liable for the Trust’s obligations, the Trust is required by the Declaration of Trust to use its property to protect or compensate the shareholder. On request, the Trust will defend any claim made and pay any judgment against a shareholder for any act or obligation of the Trust. Therefore, financial loss resulting from liability as a shareholder will occur only if the Trust itself cannot meet its obligations to indemnify shareholders and pay judgments against them.

Account and Share Information

Voting Rights

Each Share of the Fund gives the shareholder one vote in Trustee elections and other matters submitted to shareholders for vote.

All Shares of the Trust have equal voting rights, except that in matters affecting only a particular Fund or class, only Shares of that Fund or class are entitled to vote.

Trustees may be removed by the Board or by shareholders at a special meeting. A special meeting of shareholders will be called by the Board upon the written request of shareholders who own at least 10% of the Trust’s outstanding Shares of all series entitled to vote.

[To be filed by Amendment]

As of February XX, 2026, the following shareholders owned of record, beneficially, or both, 5% or more of outstanding Shares: Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, New York, NY, owned approximately 108,336,437 Shares (61.61%); Raymond James, St. Petersburg, FL, owned approximately 35,735,026 Shares (20.32%) and Zions First National Bank, Salt Lake City, UT, owned approximately 12,361,024 Shares (7.03%).

Shareholders owning 25% or more of outstanding Shares may be in control and be able to affect the outcome of certain matters presented for a vote of shareholders.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is organized in the State of Delaware.

Tax Information

Federal Income Tax

The Fund intends to meet requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) applicable to regulated investment companies. If these requirements are not met, it will not receive special tax treatment and will be subject to federal corporate income tax.

The Fund will be treated as a single, separate entity for federal income tax purposes so that income earned and capital gains and losses realized by the Trust’s other portfolios will be separate from those realized by the Fund.

The Fund is entitled to a loss carryforward, which may reduce the taxable income or gain that the Fund would realize, and to which the shareholder would be subject, in the future.

Tax Basis Information

The Fund’s Transfer Agent and/or your financial intermediary is required to provide you with the cost basis information on the sale of any of your Shares in the Fund, subject to certain exceptions.

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS

If the Fund or the Underlying Fund purchase foreign securities, its investment income may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes that could reduce the return on these securities. Tax treaties between the United States and foreign countries, however, may reduce or eliminate the amount of foreign taxes to which the Fund or the Underlying Fund would be subject. The effective rate of foreign tax cannot be predicted since the amount of Fund or Underlying Fund assets to be invested within various countries is uncertain. However, the Fund and the Underlying Fund intend to operate so as to qualify for treaty-reduced tax rates when applicable.

Distributions from the Fund or Underlying Fund may be based on estimates of book income for the year. Book income generally consists solely of the income generated by the securities in the portfolio, whereas tax-basis income includes, in addition, gains or losses attributable to currency fluctuation. Due to differences in the book and tax treatment of fixed-income securities denominated in foreign currencies, it is difficult to project currency effects on an interim basis. Therefore, to the extent that currency fluctuations cannot be anticipated, a portion of distributions to shareholders could later be designated as a return of capital, rather than income, for income tax purposes, which may be of particular concern to simple trusts.

If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s or the Underlying Fund’s assets at the end of the tax year is represented by stock or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund or the Underlying Fund will qualify for certain Code provisions that allow their shareholders to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction on their U.S. income tax returns. The Code may limit a shareholder’s ability to claim a foreign tax credit. Shareholders who elect to deduct their portion of the Fund’s foreign taxes rather than take the foreign tax credit must itemize deductions on their income tax returns.

Who Manages and Provides Services to the Fund?

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is responsible for managing the Trust’s business affairs and for exercising all the Trust’s powers except those reserved for the shareholders. The following tables give information about each Trustee and the senior officers of the Fund. Where required, the tables separately list Trustees who are “interested persons” of the Fund (i.e., “Interested” Trustees) and those who are not (i.e., “Independent” Trustees). Unless otherwise noted, the address of each person listed is 1001 Liberty Avenue,

Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779. The address of all Independent Trustees listed is 4000 Ericsson Drive, Warrendale, PA 15086-7561; Attention: Mutual Fund Board. As of December 31, 2025, the Trust comprised five portfolios, and the Federated Hermes Complex consisted of 30 investment companies (comprising 99 portfolios). Unless otherwise noted, each Officer is elected annually. Unless otherwise noted, each Trustee oversees all portfolios in the Federated Hermes Complex and serves for an indefinite term.

As of [To be filed by Amendment], the Fund’s Board and Officers as a group owned less than 1% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares.

qualifications of Independent Trustees

Individual Trustee qualifications are noted in the “Independent Trustees Background and Compensation” chart. In addition, the following characteristics are among those that were considered for each existing Trustee and will be considered for any Nominee Trustee.

■ Outstanding skills in disciplines deemed by the Independent Trustees to be particularly relevant to the role of Independent Trustee and to the Federated Hermes funds, including legal, accounting, business management, the financial industry generally and the investment industry particularly.

■ Desire and availability to serve for a substantial period of time, taking into account the Board’s current mandatory retirement age of 75 years.

■ No conflicts which would interfere with qualifying as independent.

■ Appropriate interpersonal skills to work effectively with other Independent Trustees.

■ Understanding and appreciation of the important role occupied by Independent Trustees in the regulatory structure governing regulated investment companies.

■ Diversity of background.

Interested Trustees Background and Compensation

Name Birth Date Positions Held with Trust Date Service Began	Principal Occupation(s) for Past Five Years, Other Directorships Held and Previous Position(s)	Aggregate Compensation From Fund (past fiscal year)	Total Compensation From Fund and Federated Hermes Complex (past calendar year)
J. Christopher Donahue* Birth Date: April 11, 1949 President and Trustee Indefinite Term Began serving: October 2005	Principal Occupations: Principal Executive Officer and President of certain of the Funds in the Federated Hermes Complex; Director or Trustee of the Funds in the Federated Hermes Complex; Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Federated Hermes, Inc.; Trustee, Federated Administrative Services and Director, Federated Administrative Services, Inc.; Trustee and Chairman, Federated Advisory Services Company; Director or Trustee and Chairman, Federated Investment Management Company, Federated Global Investment Management Corp., Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania, and Federated MDTA LLC; Trustee, Federated Investment Counseling; Trustee, Federated Shareholder Services Company; Director, Federated Services Company. Previous Positions: President, Federated Investment Counseling; President and Chief Executive Officer, Federated Investment Management Company, Federated Global Investment Management Corp. and Passport Research, Ltd.; Chairman, Passport Research, Ltd.	$0	$0
John B. Fisher* Birth Date: May 16, 1956 Trustee Indefinite Term Began serving: May 2016	Principal Occupations: Principal Executive Officer and President of certain of the Funds in the Federated Hermes Complex; Director or Trustee of certain of the Funds in the Federated Hermes Complex; Director and Vice President, Federated Hermes, Inc.; President, Director/Trustee and CEO, Federated Advisory Services Company, Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania, Federated Global Investment Management Corp., Federated Investment Counseling, Federated Investment Management Company and Federated MDTA LLC; Director, Federated Investors Trust Company. Previous Positions: President and Director of the Institutional Sales Division of Federated Securities Corp.; President and CEO of Passport Research, Ltd.; Director and President, Technology, Federated Services Company.	$0	$0

Reasons for “interested” status: J. Christopher Donahue and John B. Fisher are interested due to their beneficial ownership of shares of Federated Hermes, Inc. and due to positions they hold with Federated Hermes, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

Independent Trustees Background, Qualifications and Compensation

Name Birth Date Positions Held with Trust Date Service Began	Principal Occupation(s) and Other Directorships Held for Past Five Years, Previous Position(s) and Qualifications	Aggregate Compensation From Fund (past fiscal year)	Total Compensation From Fund and Federated Hermes Complex (past calendar year)
John G. Carson Birth Date: May 15, 1965 Trustee Indefinite Term Began serving: January 2025	Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee of the Federated Hermes Complex; Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer, Northstar Asset Management (Financial Services); formerly, Chief Compliance Officer, Northstar Asset Management. Other Directorships Held: None. Qualifications: Mr. Carson has served in various business management roles throughout his career. Mr. Carson was a Vice President at the Glenmede Trust Company and a Managing Director at Oppenheimer & Company. Prior to that he spent more than a decade with the Bank of America/Merrill Lynch as a Director of Institutional Sales. Earlier on, Mr. Carson held similar positions for Wertheim Schroder/Schroders PLC and Drexel Burnham Lambert.	$1,092.82	$352,000
G. Thomas Hough Birth Date: February 28, 1955 Trustee Indefinite Term Began serving: August 2015	Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee and Chair of the Board of Directors or Trustees of the Federated Hermes Complex; formerly, Vice Chair, Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting firm) (Retired). Other Directorships Held: Director, Chair of the Audit Committee, Member of the Compensation Committee, Equifax, Inc.; Lead Director, Member of the Audit and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees, Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. Qualifications: Mr. Hough has served in accounting, business management and directorship positions throughout his career. Mr. Hough most recently held the position of Americas Vice Chair of Assurance with Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting firm). Mr. Hough serves on the President’s Cabinet and Business School Board of Visitors for the University of Alabama. Mr. Hough previously served as a Director and Member of the Audit, Governance, and Compensation Committees at Publix Super Markets, Inc., as well as on the Business School Board of Visitors for Wake Forest University. In addition, he previously served as an Executive Committee member of the United States Golf Association.	$1,092.82	$405,000
Karen L. Larrimer Birth Date: December 10, 1962 Trustee Indefinite Term Began serving: January 2025	Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee of the Federated Hermes Complex; formerly, Executive Vice President and Head of Retail Banking and Chief Customer Officer, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (Retired). Other Directorships Held: None. Qualifications: Ms. Larrimer has served in several business and financial management roles and directorship positions throughout her career. She previously held the position of Executive Vice President and Head of Retail Banking and Chief Customer Officer, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Prior to those roles, Ms. Larrimer held several executive positions at PNC, including Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President for Business Banking. In addition to her various roles at PNC, Ms. Larrimer previously was an assistant director at Ernst & Young LLP and served in several leadership roles at Mellon Bank. Ms. Larrimer also currently holds the positions on not for profit or for profit boards of directors as follows: Director, Highmark Inc. (health insurance organization); Director, Modern Executive Solutions (executive search and advisory solutions firm); Director and former Chair, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh; Director and former Chair, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania; and Emeritus Director, Goodwill Industries Pittsburgh. Ms. Larrimer has held the positions of: President, Duquesne Club of Pittsburgh; Trustee, Robert Morris University; Director, PNC Foundation; and Director, numo (fintech incubator).	$863.46	$320,000

Name Birth Date Positions Held with Trust Date Service Began	Principal Occupation(s) and Other Directorships Held for Past Five Years, Previous Position(s) and Qualifications	Aggregate Compensation From Fund (past fiscal year)	Total Compensation From Fund and Federated Hermes Complex (past calendar year)
Max F. Miller Birth Date: December 6, 1968 Trustee Indefinite Term Began serving: January 2025	Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee of the Federated Hermes Complex; Associate Professor, Director of Entrepreneurial Studies, Director–Ignite Business Incubator, Washington & Jefferson College. Other Directorships Held: None. Qualifications: Mr. Miller has served in several legal, business, and academic roles and directorship positions throughout his career. Mr. Miller serves as Associate Professor of Business & Entrepreneurship, Director of Entrepreneurial Studies, and Director of Ignite Business Incubator at Washington & Jefferson College. He also serves as President and Chief Tasting Officer of Raise Your Spirits, an experiential engagement firm. Mr. Miller previously served as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Urban Innovation 21, an economic development focused public- private partnership; Director of VIP Experiences of MetroMe, a mobile app providing concierge services; Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America; and Director of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s Innovation Practice Institute. Prior to those roles, Mr. Miller held various operations, marketing and legal leadership roles at H.J. Heinz Company and was an attorney for Federated Investors, Inc. (now Federated Hermes, Inc.) from May 3, 1994, to November 11, 1997.	$863.46	$320,000
Frank J. Nasta Birth Date: October 11, 1964 Trustee Indefinite Term Began serving: January 2025	Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee of the Federated Hermes Complex; Chair of the Mutual Fund Advisory Committee and the European Fund Advisory Committee (industry forums sponsored by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.)1 (Retired). Other Directorships Held: None. Qualifications: Mr. Nasta has served in various legal, compliance, and business roles in the investment management industry throughout his career. He previously was a Managing Director of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Head of Legal for the JPMorgan U.S. Mutual Funds business. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Mr. Nasta was a Partner, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Member of the Board of Directors of J. & W. Seligman, an investment management firm. Mr. Nasta previously served as the chair of the Investment Company Institute’s (the “ICI”) SEC Rules Committee, the ICI’s Mutual Funds Conference Advisory Committee, and the Investment Management Regulation Committee of the New York City Bar Association. He also previously served as a Director of The International Preschools in New York City. 1 Mr. Nasta served as Chair of these committees in the capacity of a non- employee consultant, has never been an employee of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., and has resigned from these positions, effective December 31, 2024, in connection with his election to the Board.	$863.46	$320,000
Thomas M. O’Neill Birth Date: June 14, 1951 Trustee Indefinite Term Began serving: August 2006	Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee and Chair of the Audit Committee of the Federated Hermes Complex; Sole Proprietor, Navigator Management Company (investment and strategic consulting). Other Directorships Held: None. Qualifications: Mr. O’Neill has served in several business, mutual fund and financial management roles and directorship positions throughout his career. Mr. O’Neill serves as Director, Medicines for Humanity. Mr. O’Neill previously served as Chief Executive Officer and President, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer, Fleet Investment Advisors; President and Chief Executive Officer, Aeltus Investment Management, Inc.; General Partner, Hellman, Jordan Management Co., Boston, MA; Chief Investment Officer, The Putnam Companies, Boston, MA; and Credit Analyst and Lending Officer, Fleet Bank.	$1,044.24	$387,000

Name Birth Date Positions Held with Trust Date Service Began	Principal Occupation(s) and Other Directorships Held for Past Five Years, Previous Position(s) and Qualifications	Aggregate Compensation From Fund (past fiscal year)	Total Compensation From Fund and Federated Hermes Complex (past calendar year)
Madelyn A. Reilly Birth Date: February 2, 1956 Trustee Indefinite Term Began serving: November 2020	Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee of the Federated Hermes Complex; formerly, Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary of Board of Directors, Duquesne University (Retired). Other Directorships Held: None. Qualifications: Ms. Reilly has served in various business and legal management roles throughout her career. Ms. Reilly previously served as Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary of Board of Directors and Director of Risk Management and Associate General Counsel, Duquesne University. Prior to her work at Duquesne University, Ms. Reilly served as Assistant General Counsel of Compliance and Enterprise Risk as well as Senior Counsel of Environment, Health and Safety, PPG Industries. Ms. Reilly currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of UPMC Mercy Hospital, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities, Pittsburgh, and as a member of the Duquesne Kline Law School Advisory Board.	$948.81	$352,000
John S. Walsh Birth Date: November 28, 1957 Trustee Indefinite Term Began serving: November 2005	Principal Occupations: Director or Trustee of the Federated Hermes Complex; Chairman and Director, Heat Wagon, Inc. (manufacturer of construction temporary heaters); Chairman and Director, Manufacturers Products, Inc. (distributor of portable construction heaters); Chairman, Portable Heater Parts, a division of Manufacturers Products, Inc.; formerly, President, Heat Wagon, Inc. and Manufacturers Products, Inc. Other Directorships Held: None. Qualifications: Mr. Walsh has served in several business management roles and directorship positions throughout his career. Mr. Walsh previously served as President at Heat Wagon, Inc. (manufacturer of construction temporary heaters), Manufacturers Products, Inc. (distributor of portable construction heaters), and Portable Heater Parts, a division of Manufacturers Products, Inc. Mr. Walsh previously served as Vice President, Walsh & Kelly, Inc. (paving contractors).	$949.81	$352,000

OFFICERS*

Name Birth Date Positions Held with Trust Date Service Began	Principal Occupation(s) and Previous Position(s)
Jeremy D. Boughton Birth Date: September 29, 1976 Treasurer Officer since: March 2024	Principal Occupations: Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Federated Hermes Complex; Senior Vice President, Federated Administrative Services, Federated Administrative Services, Inc., Federated Advisory Services Company, Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania, Federated Global Investment Management Corp., Federated Investment Counseling, Federated Investment Management Company and Federated MDTA, LLC. Formerly, Controller, Federated Hermes, Inc. and Financial and Operations Principal for Federated Securities Corp. Mr. Boughton has received the Certified Public Accountant designation. Previous Positions: Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, Federated Investors Management Company; Treasurer, Federated Investors Trust Company; Assistant Treasurer, Federated Administrative Services, Federated Administrative Services, Inc., Federated Securities Corp., Federated Advisory Services Company, Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania, Federated Global Investment Management Corp., Federated Investment Counseling, Federated Investment Management Company, Federated MDTA, LLC and Federated Hermes (UK) LLP, as well as other subsidiaries of Federated Hermes, Inc.
Peter J. Germain Birth Date: September 3, 1959 CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER, SECRETARY and EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Officer since: October 2005	Principal Occupations: Mr. Germain is Chief Legal Officer, Secretary and Executive Vice President of the Federated Hermes Complex. He is Chief Legal Officer, Secretary and Executive Vice President, Federated Hermes, Inc.; Trustee and Senior Vice President, Federated Investors Management Company; Trustee and President, Federated Administrative Services; Director and President, Federated Administrative Services, Inc.; Director and Vice President, Federated Securities Corp.; Director and Secretary, Federated Private Asset Management, Inc.; and Secretary, Federated Shareholder Services Company. Mr. Germain joined Federated Hermes, Inc. in 1984 and is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Previous Positions: Deputy General Counsel, Special Counsel, Managing Director of Mutual Fund Services, Federated Hermes, Inc.; Senior Vice President, Federated Services Company; and Senior Corporate Counsel, Federated Hermes, Inc.

Name Birth Date Positions Held with Trust Date Service Began	Principal Occupation(s) and Previous Position(s)
Stephen Van Meter Birth Date: June 5, 1975 CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Officer since: July 2015	Principal Occupations: Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Federated Hermes Complex; Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of Federated Hermes, Inc. and Chief Compliance Officer of certain of its subsidiaries. Mr. Van Meter joined Federated Hermes, Inc. in October 2011. He holds FINRA licenses under Series 3, 7, 24 and 66. Previous Positions: Mr. Van Meter previously held the position of Compliance Operating Officer, Federated Hermes, Inc. Prior to joining Federated Hermes, Inc., Mr. Van Meter served at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in the positions of Senior Counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, Division of Investment Management and Senior Counsel, Division of Enforcement.
Robert J. Ostrowski Birth Date: April 26, 1963 Chief Investment Officer Officer since: September 2006	Principal Occupations: Robert J. Ostrowski joined Federated Hermes, Inc. in 1987 as an Investment Analyst and became a Portfolio Manager in 1990. He was named Chief Investment Officer of Federated Hermes, Inc. taxable fixed-income products in 2004 and also serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager. Mr. Ostrowski became an Executive Vice President of the Fund’s Adviser in 2009 and served as a Senior Vice President of the Fund’s Adviser from 1997 to 2009. Mr. Ostrowski has received the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He received his M.S. in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University.
Stephen F. Auth Birth Date: September 13, 1956 101 Park Avenue 41st Floor New York, NY 10178 CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER Officer since: February 2015	Principal Occupations: Stephen F. Auth is Chief Investment Officer of various Funds in the Federated Hermes Complex; Executive Vice President, Federated Investment Counseling, Federated Global Investment Management Corp. and Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania. Previous Positions: Executive Vice President, Federated Investment Management Company and Passport Research, Ltd. (investment advisory subsidiary of Federated Hermes); Senior Vice President, Global Portfolio Management Services Division; Senior Vice President, Federated Investment Management Company and Passport Research, Ltd.; Senior Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, Prudential Investments.

Officers do not receive any compensation from the Fund.

In addition, the Fund has appointed an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer.

DIRECTOR/TRUSTEE EMERITUS PROGRAM

The Board has created a position of Director/Trustee Emeritus, whereby a former Director/Trustee who was not an “interested person” of the Federated Hermes Funds and who has completed a minimum of five years of service as a Director/Trustee, may, in the sole discretion of the Independent Directors/Trustees, be recommended to the full Board of Directors/Trustees of the Fund to serve as Director/Trustee Emeritus.

A Director/Trustee Emeritus receives an annual fee in an amount equal to a percent of the annual base compensation paid to an Independent Director/Trustee. In the case of a Director/Trustee Emeritus who had previously served at least five years but less than 10 years as a Director/Trustee, the percent will be 10%. In the case of a Director/Trustee Emeritus who had previously served at least 10 years as a Director/Trustee, the percent will be 20%. The Director/Trustee Emeritus will be reimbursed for any expenses incurred in connection with their service, including expenses of travel and lodging incurred in attendance at Board meetings. If a Director/Trustee Emeritus is requested to perform services in addition to those specified below, the Director/Trustee Emeritus may, upon mutual agreement with the Board, be compensated beyond the amounts described above.

A Director/Trustee Emeritus will continue to receive relevant materials concerning the Funds, will be expected to attend at least one regularly scheduled quarterly meeting of the Board each year and may consult with the Board, any committee of the Board, or an individual Director/Trustee from time to time. A Director/Trustee Emeritus will not participate in separate meetings of the Independent Directors/Trustees. A Director/Trustee Emeritus does not serve in an advisory function as to investments by the Funds. A Director/Trustee Emeritus does not have any voting rights at Board meetings and is not subject to election by shareholders of the Funds. A Director/Trustee Emeritus shall maintain all information received in such role as confidential.

A Director/Trustee Emeritus will be permitted to serve in such capacity at the sole discretion of the Independent Directors/Trustees, but the annual fee will cease to be paid at the end of the calendar year during which a Director/Trustee has attained the age of 80 years, thereafter the position will be honorary.

The following table shows the fees paid to each Director/Trustee Emeritus for the Fund’s most recently ended fiscal year and the portion of that fee paid by the Fund or Corporation/Trust.1

EMERITUS Trustees and Compensation

Director/Trustee Emeritus	Compensation From the Fund (past fiscal year)	Total Compensation Paid to Director/Trustee Emeritus1 (past calendar year)
John T. Collins	$149.68	$64,000.00
Maureen Lally-Green	$149.68	$64,000.00
P. Jerome Richey	$149.68	$64,000.00

The fees paid to a Director/Trustee are allocated among the funds that were in existence at the time the Director/Trustee elected Emeritus status, based on each fund’s net assets at that time.

BOARD LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

As required under the terms of certain regulatory settlements, the Chairman of the Board is not an interested person of the Fund and neither the Chairman, nor any firm with which the Chairman is affiliated, has a prior relationship with Federated Hermes or its affiliates or (other than his position as a Trustee) with the Fund.

Committees of the Board

Board Committee	Committee Members	Committee Functions	Meetings Held During Last Fiscal Year
Executive	J. Christopher Donahue G. Thomas Hough Madelyn A. Reilly John S. Walsh	In between meetings of the full Board, the Executive Committee generally may exercise all the powers of the full Board in the management and direction of the business and conduct of the affairs of the Trust in such manner as the Executive Committee shall deem to be in the best interests of the Trust. However, the Executive Committee cannot elect or remove Board members, increase or decrease the number of Trustees, elect or remove any Officer, declare dividends, issue shares or recommend to shareholders any action requiring shareholder approval.	One
Audit	John G. Carson Thomas M. O’Neill Madelyn A. Reilly John S. Walsh	The purposes of the Audit Committee are to oversee the accounting and financial reporting process of the Fund, the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting and the quality, integrity and independent audit of the Fund’s financial statements. The Committee also oversees or assists the Board with the oversight of compliance with legal requirements relating to those matters, approves the engagement and reviews the qualifications, independence and performance of the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, acts as a liaison between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Board and reviews the Fund’s internal audit function.	Seven
Nominating	John G. Carson G. Thomas Hough Karen L. Larrimer Max F. Miller Frank J. Nasta Thomas M. O’Neill Madelyn A. Reilly John S. Walsh	The Nominating Committee, whose members consist of all Independent Trustees, selects and nominates persons for election to the Fund’s Board when vacancies occur. The Committee will consider candidates recommended by shareholders, Independent Trustees, officers or employees of any of the Fund’s agents or service providers and counsel to the Fund. Any shareholder who desires to have an individual considered for nomination by the Committee must submit a recommendation in writing to the Secretary of the Fund, at the Fund’s address appearing on the back cover of this SAI. The recommendation should include the name and address of both the shareholder and the candidate and detailed information concerning the candidate’s qualifications and experience. In identifying and evaluating candidates for consideration, the Committee shall consider such factors as it deems appropriate. Those factors will ordinarily include: integrity, intelligence, collegiality, judgment, diversity, skill, business and other experience, qualification as an “Independent Trustee,” the existence of material relationships which may create the appearance of a lack of independence, financial or accounting knowledge and experience and dedication and willingness to devote the time and attention necessary to fulfill Board responsibilities.	One

BOARD’S ROLE IN RISK OVERSIGHT

The Board’s role in overseeing the Fund’s general risks includes receiving performance reports for the Fund and risk management reports from Federated Hermes’ Chief Risk Officer at each regular Board meeting. The Chief Risk Officer is responsible for enterprise risk management at Federated Hermes, which includes risk management committees for investment management and for investor services. The Board also receives regular reports from the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer regarding significant compliance risks.

On behalf of the Board, the Audit Committee plays a key role overseeing the Fund’s financial reporting and valuation risks. The Audit Committee meets regularly with the Fund’s Principal Financial Officer and outside auditors, as well as with Federated Hermes’ Chief Audit Executive to discuss financial reporting and audit issues, including risks relating to financial controls.

Board Ownership Of Shares In The Fund And In The Federated Hermes Family Of Investment Companies As Of December 31, 2025

Interested Board Member Name	Dollar Range of Shares Owned in Federated Hermes Mortgage Strategy Portfolio	Aggregate Dollar Range of Shares Owned in Federated Hermes Family of Investment Companies
J. Christopher Donahue	None	Over $100,000
John B. Fisher	None	Over $100,000
Independent Board Member Name
John G. Carson	None	$50,001 - $100,000
G. Thomas Hough	None	Over $100,000
Karen L. Larrimer	None	Over $100,000
Max F. Miller	None	None
Frank J. Nasta	None	None
Thomas M. O’Neill	None	Over $100,000
Madelyn A. Reilly	None	Over $100,000
John S. Walsh	None	Over $100,000

INVESTMENT ADVISER for the fund and the underlying fund

Federated Investment Management Company is the Adviser to both the Fund and the Underlying Fund. Federated Investment Management Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Federated.

The Adviser conducts investment research and makes investment decisions for the Fund. The Adviser has entered into an agreement with the Fund to reimburse the Fund for certain administrative expenses (other than extraordinary expenses) such that it is anticipated that the net expenses of the Fund will be 0.00% for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2011. Shareholders must approve any change to the contractual waiver or reimbursement.

The Underlying Fund is managed independently of the Fund. The Underlying Fund’s Adviser does not charge a fee for its services to the Underlying Fund.

The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or any Fund shareholder for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding, or sale of any security or for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its contract with the Trust.

In December 2017, Federated Investors, Inc., now Federated Hermes, became a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The PRI is a voluntary and aspirational investor initiative in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and the United Nations Global Compact. As a signatory to the PRI, Federated Hermes makes certain commitments with respect to evaluation of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues with respect to its investments and implements those commitments where consistent with our fiduciary duties and relevant objectives. Being a signatory to the PRI is not legally binding and does not obligate Federated Hermes to take, or not take, any particular action as it relates to investment decisions or other activities.

In July 2018, Federated Investors, Inc., now Federated Hermes, acquired a majority interest in Federated Hermes Limited (FHL) (formerly, Hermes Fund Managers Limited), a pioneer of integrated ESG investing. Federated Hermes now owns 100% of FHL. FHL’s experience with ESG issues contributes to Federated Hermes’ understanding of material risks and opportunities these issues may present.

EOS at Federated Hermes, which was established as Hermes Equity Ownership Services Limited (EOS) in 2004 as an affiliate of FHL and Hermes Investment Management Limited, is a 50+ member engagement and stewardship affiliate that conducts long-term, objectives-driven dialogue with board and senior executive level representatives of approximately 1,000 unique issuers annually. Such interactions and engagements are undertaken to seek to improve long-term risk-adjusted returns, and to create long-term value for investors, consistent with applicable fiduciary duties and relevant objectives. The level of interaction with a company, governmental body or other entity (as applicable) can be subject to any limitations required, either explicitly or implicitly, in the jurisdiction in which a company, governmental body or other entity (as applicable) is domiciled in an effort to comply with applicable law and/or to avoid legal or regulatory risk for the Fund and/or investors. EOS at Federated Hermes Limited’s engagement seeks to address the most material ESG risks and opportunities through constructive and continuous discussions with the goal of improving long-term results for investors. Engagers’ deep understanding across sectors, themes and regional markets, along with language and cultural expertise, allows EOS to provide insights to companies on the merits of addressing ESG risks and the positive benefits of capturing opportunities. Federated Hermes investment management teams have access to the insights gained from understanding a company’s approach to these long-term strategic matters as an additional input to improve portfolio risk/return characteristics.

Portfolio Manager Information

As a general matter, certain conflicts of interest may arise in connection with a portfolio manager’s management of a fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of other funds/pooled investment vehicles or accounts (collectively, including the Fund, as applicable, “accounts”) for which the portfolio manager is responsible, on the other. For example, it is possible that the various accounts managed could have different investment strategies that, at times, might conflict with one another to the possible detriment of the Fund. Alternatively, to the extent that the same investment opportunities might be desirable for more than one account, possible conflicts could arise in determining how to allocate them. Other potential conflicts can include, for example, conflicts created by specific portfolio manager compensation arrangements (including, for example, the allocation or weighting given to the performance of the Fund or other accounts or activities for which the portfolio manager is responsible in calculating the portfolio manager’s compensation), and conflicts relating to selection of brokers or dealers to execute Fund portfolio trades and/or specific uses of commissions from Fund portfolio trades (for example, research or “soft dollars”). The Adviser has adopted policies and procedures and has structured the portfolio managers’ compensation in a manner reasonably designed to safeguard the Fund from being negatively affected as a result of any such potential conflicts.

The following information about the Fund’s Portfolio Managers is provided as of the end of the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year unless otherwise indicated.

Liam O’Connell, Portfolio Manager

Types of Accounts Managed by Liam O’Connell	Total Number of Additional Accounts Managed/Total Assets*
Registered Investment Companies	10/$8.3 billion
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	0/$0
Other Accounts	1/$77.2 million

None of the Accounts has an advisory fee that is based on the performance of the account.

Dollar value range of shares owned in the Fund: None.

Liam O’Connell is paid a fixed base salary and a variable annual incentive. Base salary is determined within a market competitive, position-specific salary range, based on the portfolio manager’s experience and performance. The annual incentive amount is determined based primarily on Investment Product Performance (IPP) and may also include a discretionary component based on a variety of factors deemed relevant, such as financial measures and performance and may be paid entirely in cash, or in a combination of cash and restricted stock of Federated Hermes, Inc. (“Federated Hermes”). The total combined annual incentive opportunity is intended to be competitive in the market for this portfolio manager role.

The Fund will gain exposure to mortgage-backed securities by investing in another fund (the “Mortgage Core Fund”). IPP is measured on a rolling one, three and five calendar year pre-tax gross total return basis versus the Mortgage Core Fund’s representative performance index (i.e., Bloomberg U.S. Mortgage Backed Securities Index). Mr. O’Connell manages the Mortgage Core Fund according to its specific investment program. Thus, although Mr. O’Connell is not responsible for making investment decisions directly on behalf of the Fund, the mortgage-backed, fixed-income portion of the Fund’s portfolio may be subject to his management of the Mortgage Core Fund. Performance periods are adjusted if a portfolio manager has been managing an account for less than five years; accounts with less than one year of performance history under a portfolio manager may be excluded.

As noted above, Mr. O’Connell is also the portfolio manager for other accounts in addition to the Mortgage Core Fund. Such other accounts may have different benchmarks and performance measures. The allocation or weighting given to the performance of the Mortgage Core Fund or other accounts or activities for which Mr. O’Connell is responsible when his compensation is calculated may be equal or can vary.

In addition, Mr. O’Connell serves on one or more Investment Teams that establish guidelines on various performance drivers (e.g., currency, duration, sector, volatility and/or yield curve) for taxable, fixed-income accounts. A portion of the IPP score is based on Federated Hermes’ senior management’s assessment of team contributions.

For purposes of calculating the annual incentive amount, each account managed by the portfolio manager currently is categorized into one of two IPP groups (which may be adjusted periodically). Within each performance measurement period and IPP group, IPP currently is calculated on the basis of an assigned weighting to each account managed or activity engaged in by the portfolio manager and included in the IPP groups. At the account level, the weighting assigned to the Mortgage Core Fund is lesser than or equal to the weighting assigned to other accounts or activities used to determine IPP (but can be adjusted periodically). Additionally, a portion of Mr. O’Connell’s IPP score is based on the performance of the accounts for which he provides research and analytic support. A portion of the bonus tied to the IPP score may be adjusted based on management’s assessment of overall contributions to account performance and any other factors as deemed relevant.

Any individual allocations from the discretionary pool may be determined, by executive management on a discretionary basis using various factors, such as, for example, on a product, strategy or asset class basis, and considering overall contributions and any other factors deemed relevant (and may be adjusted periodically).

In addition, Mr. O’Connell was awarded a grant of restricted Federated Hermes stock. Awards of restricted stock are discretionary and are made in variable amounts based on the subjective judgment of Federated Hermes’ senior management.

Robert Schwartz, Portfolio Manager

Types of Accounts Managed by Robert Schwartz	Total Number of Additional Accounts Managed/Total Assets*
Registered Investment Companies	0/$0
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	0/$0
Other Accounts	57/$5.1 billion

None of the Accounts has an advisory fee that is based on the performance of the account.

Dollar value range of shares owned in the Fund: None.

Robert Schwartz is paid a fixed base salary and a variable annual incentive. Base salary is determined within a market competitive, position-specific salary range, based on the portfolio manager’s experience and performance. The annual incentive amount is determined based primarily on Investment Product Performance (IPP) and may also include a discretionary component based on a variety of factors deemed relevant, such as financial measures and performance and may be paid entirely in cash, or in a combination of cash and restricted stock of Federated Hermes, Inc. (“Federated Hermes”). The total combined annual incentive opportunity is intended to be competitive in the market for this portfolio manager role.

IPP is calculated based on other accounts managed by the portfolio manager. IPP is measured on a rolling one, three and five calendar year pre-tax gross return basis versus the other accounts’ designated peer groups. Performance periods are adjusted if a portfolio manager has been managing an account for less than five years; accounts with less than one year of performance history under a portfolio manager may be excluded.

As noted above, Mr. Schwartz is also the portfolio manager for other accounts. Such other accounts may have different benchmarks and performance measures. The allocation or weighting given to the performance of the other accounts for which Mr. Schwartz is responsible when his compensation is calculated may be equal or can vary.

For purposes of calculating the annual incentive amount, each account managed by the portfolio manager currently is categorized into one IPP group (which may be adjusted periodically). Within each performance measurement period and IPP group, IPP currently is calculated on the basis of an assigned weighting to each account managed by the portfolio manager and included in the IPP group (but can be adjusted periodically). A portion of the bonus tied to the IPP score may be adjusted based on management’s assessment of overall contributions to account performance and any other factors as deemed relevant.

Services Agreement

Federated Advisory Services Company, an affiliate of the Adviser, provides certain support services to the Adviser. The fee for these services is paid by the Adviser and not by the Fund.

Other Related Services

Affiliates of the Adviser may, from time to time, provide certain electronic equipment and software to institutional customers in order to facilitate the purchase of Fund Shares offered by the Distributor.

Code Of Ethics Restrictions On Personal Trading

As required by Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act (as applicable), the Fund, its Adviser and its Distributor have adopted codes of ethics. These codes govern securities trading activities of investment personnel, Fund Trustees and certain other employees. Although they do permit these people to trade in securities, including those that the Fund could buy, as well as Shares of the Fund, they also contain significant safeguards designed to protect the Fund and its shareholders from abuses in this area, such as requirements to obtain prior approval for, and to report, particular transactions.

Voting Proxies On Fund Portfolio Securities

The Board has delegated to the Adviser authority to vote proxies on the securities held in the Fund’s portfolio. The Board has also approved the Adviser’s policies and procedures for voting the proxies, which are described below.

Proxy Voting Policies

As an investment adviser with a fiduciary duty to the Fund and its shareholders, the Adviser’s general policy is to cast proxy votes in favor of management proposals and shareholder proposals that the Adviser anticipates will enhance the long-term value of the securities being voted in a manner that is consistent with the investment objectives of the Fund. Generally, this will mean voting for proposals that the Adviser believes will improve the management of a company, increase the rights or preferences of the voted securities, or increase the chance that a premium offer would be made for the company or for the voted securities. This approach to voting proxy proposals will be referred to hereafter as the “General Policy.”

The Adviser generally votes consistently on the same matter when securities of an issuer are held by multiple client portfolios. However, the Adviser may vote differently if a client’s investment objectives differ from those of other clients or if a client explicitly instructs the Adviser to vote differently.

The following examples illustrate how the General Policy may apply to the most common management proposals and shareholder proposals. However, whether the Adviser supports or opposes a proposal will always depend on a thorough understanding of the Fund’s investment objectives and the specific circumstances described in the proxy statement and other available information.

Corporate Governance

On matters related to the board of directors, generally, the Adviser will vote to elect nominees to the board in uncontested elections except in certain circumstances, such as where the director: (1) has not attended at least 75% of the board meetings during the previous year; (2) serves as the company’s chief financial officer, unless the company is headquartered in the UK or Ireland where this is market practice; (3) has become “overboarded” (i.e., more than five public company boards for retired executives and more than two such boards for CEOs); (4) is a non-independent, non-executive director on the board of a U.S. domestic issuer where less than two-thirds of the directors are independent; (5) is a non-independent, non-executive director on the board of a foreign issuer where less than half of the directors are independent; (6) is a non-independent member of the audit committee; (7) is the chair of the nominating or governance committee when the roles of chair of the board and CEO are combined and there is no lead independent director; (8) served on the compensation committee during a period in which compensation appears excessive relative to performance and peers; or (9) served on a board that did not implement a shareholder proposal that the Adviser supported and received more than 50% shareholder support the previous year.

In addition, the Adviser will generally vote in favor of: (10) a full slate of directors, where the directors are elected as a group and not individually, unless more than half of the nominees are not independent; (11) shareholder proposals to declassify the board of directors; (12) shareholder proposals to require a majority voting standard in the election of directors; (13) shareholder proposals to separate the roles of chair of the board and CEO; (14) a proposal to require a company’s audit committee to be comprised entirely of independent directors; and (15) shareholder proposals to eliminate supermajority voting requirements in company bylaws.

On other matters of corporate governance, generally, the Adviser will vote: (1) in favor of proposals to grant shareholders the right to call a special meeting if owners of at least 10% of the outstanding stock agree; (2) on a case-by-case basis for shareholder proposals to grant shareholders the right to act by written consent when the company does not already grant shareholders the right to call a special meeting; (3) on a case-by-case basis for proposals to adopt or amend shareholder rights plans (also known as “poison pills”); and (4) in favor of shareholder proposals calling for “Proxy Access,” that is, a bylaw change allowing shareholders owning at least 3% of the outstanding common stock for at least three years to nominate candidates for election to the board of directors.

Notwithstanding the above, the Adviser may vote in a manner that diverges from the General Policy based on its evaluation of the specific facts and circumstances of the vote. For example, if a Federated Hermes investment professional has insights into a proxy voting issue as it relates to a specific portfolio company, the investment professional may determine to vote in a manner that contravenes the guidelines set out in the General Policy. The process for casting such votes will be overseen by the Proxy Voting Committee. See further the Proxy Voting Procedures below.

Shareholder Proposals on Environmental and Social Issues

The Adviser will vote shareholder proposals of an environmental or social nature on a case-by-case basis. The Adviser’s general approach to analyzing these proposals calls for considering the language of the proposal, and whether it is overly prescriptive, the financial materiality of the proposal’s objective and the practices followed by the company’s industry peers. This analysis utilizes research reports from the Adviser’s proxy service providers, company filings, as well as reports published by the company and other outside organizations.

Environmental

The Adviser will generally support proposals calling for enhanced reporting on the company’s business practices, including policies, strategic initiatives and oversight mechanisms, related to environmental risks. To reach a final voting decision, the Adviser will take into consideration:

■ The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure;

■ Whether the company has formally committed to implementation of a reporting program based on well-established, generally accepted frameworks;

■ Whether the company’s current level of disclosure is comparable to that of industry peers; and

■ Whether there are significant controversies or litigation associated with the company’s environmental performance.

Social

The Adviser will generally support resolutions in the social category when they call for measures to enhance disclosure that would enable investors to make high-quality risk assessments of the company’s social issues, such as their human capital management practices. The Adviser will generally oppose proposals calling for a change in the company’s product line or methods of distribution.

Political Activities

The Adviser will generally support enhanced disclosure of policies, practices and oversight of corporate political activity when the current level of disclosure falls short of disclosure provided by industry peers. The Adviser will oppose proposals prohibiting the company’s participation in any part of the political process, such as making political contributions and joining trade associations.

Capital Structure

On matters of capital structure, generally, the Adviser will vote: (1) on a case-by-case basis for proposals to authorize the issuance of new shares if not connected to an M&A transaction and the potential dilution is more than 10%; (2) against proposals to create multiple-class voting structures where one class has superior voting rights to the other classes; (3) in favor of proposals to authorize reverse stock splits unless the amount of authorized shares is not also reduced proportionately. Some foreign issuers annually request shareholders to approve general share issuance authorities as a matter of routine business. On these matters, the Adviser will vote in favor of proposals to authorize issuance of shares with and without pre-emptive rights unless the size of the authorities would unreasonably dilute existing shareholders.

Executive Compensation

Votes on executive compensation come in many forms, including, but not limited to: advisory votes on U.S. executive compensation plans (“Say On Pay”); advisory and binding votes on the design or implementation of non-U.S. executive remuneration plans; and votes to approve new equity plans or amendments to existing plans. Generally, the Adviser will support compensation arrangements that are believed to sufficiently align executive compensation outcomes with the company’s long-term performance.

Say On Pay

The Adviser will generally vote in favor of these proposals unless the plan has failed to align executive compensation with corporate performance, or the design of the plan is likely to lead to misalignment in the future. We support the principle of an annual shareholder vote on executive pay and will generally vote accordingly on proposals which set the frequency of the Say On Pay vote.

Remuneration Policy

In some markets, shareholders are provided a vote on the remuneration policy, which sets out the structural elements of a company’s executive compensation plan on a forward-looking basis. The Adviser will generally support these proposals unless:

■ The design of the remuneration policy fails to appropriately link executive compensation with corporate performance and shareholder value;

■ Total compensation appears excessive relative to the company’s industry peer group considering local market dynamics; or

■ There is insufficient disclosure to enable an informed judgment, particularly as it relates to the disclosure of the maximum amounts of compensation that may be awarded.

Remuneration Report

Markets with remuneration policy proposals typically also feature proposals which request shareholders to approve the annual remuneration report. The remuneration report provides shareholders with details concerning the implementation in the previous year of the remuneration policy. The Adviser will generally support these proposals unless:

■ Implementation decisions during the period in question are not appropriately aligned with corporate performance and shareholder value; or

■ The level of disclosure is not sufficient to permit an evaluation of the company’s pay practices in the period covered by the report.

Equity Plans

The Adviser will generally vote in favor of equity plan proposals unless they:

■ Result in unreasonable dilution to existing shareholders;

■ Permit replacement of “underwater” options with new options on more favorable terms for the recipient; or

■ Omit the criteria for determining the granting or vesting of awards.

M&A Activity

On matters relating to corporate transactions, the Adviser will generally vote in favor of mergers, acquisitions, and sales of assets if the Adviser’s analysis of the proposed business strategy and the transaction price would have a positive impact on the total return for shareholders.

Contested Elections

If a shareholders meeting is contested–that is, shareholders are presented with director nominees from company management and nominees from one or more dissident shareholders–the Adviser will analyze the proposed business strategies of both groups and vote in a way that maximizes expected total return for the Fund.

Cost/Benefit Analysis

In addition, the Adviser will not vote any proxy if it determines that the consequences or costs of voting outweigh the potential benefit of voting. For example, if a foreign market requires shareholders voting proxies to retain the voted shares until the meeting date (thereby rendering the shares “illiquid” for some period), the Adviser will not vote proxies for such shares. In addition, the Adviser is not obligated to incur any expense to send a representative to a shareholder meeting or to translate proxy materials into English.

Securities Lending Recall

To the extent that the Adviser is permitted to loan securities, the Adviser does not have the right to vote on securities while they are on loan. However, the Adviser will take all reasonable steps to recall shares prior to the record date when the meeting concerns issues that the Adviser believes materially affect shareholder value, provided that the Adviser considers that the benefits of voting on the securities are greater than the associated costs, including the opportunity cost of the lost revenue that would otherwise be generated by the loan. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will have sufficient notice of such matters to be able to terminate the loan in time to vote thereon.

Issuer Feedback

The Adviser will consider feedback from issuers on the voting recommendations of the Adviser’s proxy service provider(s) if the feedback is provided at least five days before the voting cut-off date.

Best Efforts

If proxies are not delivered in a timely or otherwise appropriate basis, the Adviser may not be able to vote a particular proxy.

For an Adviser that employs a quantitative investment strategy for certain funds or accounts that does not make use of qualitative research (“Non-Qualitative Accounts”), the Adviser may not have the kind of research to make decisions about how to vote proxies for them. Therefore, the Adviser will vote the proxies of these Non-Qualitative Accounts as follows: (a) in accordance with the Standard Voting Instructions (defined below); (b) if the Adviser is casting votes for the same proxy on behalf of a regular qualitative account and a Non-Qualitative Account, the Non-Qualitative Account would vote in the same manner as the regular qualitative account; (c) if neither of the first two conditions apply, as the proxy service provider is recommending; and (d) if none of the previous conditions apply, as recommended by the Proxy Voting Committee.

Proxy Voting Procedures

The Adviser has established a Proxy Voting Committee (“Proxy Committee”), to exercise all voting discretion granted to the Adviser by the Board in accordance with the proxy voting policies. To assist it in carrying out the day-to-day operations related to proxy voting, the Proxy Committee has created the Proxy Voting Management Group (PVMG). The day-to-day operations related to proxy voting are carried out by the Proxy Voting Team (PVT) and overseen by the PVMG. The PVT comprises a team of professionals who specialize in proxy voting and corporate governance best practices. In addition to managing the operational aspects of proxy vote execution, the PVT’s responsibilities include: engaging with investee companies on proxy voting and corporate governance matters; managing the relationship with, and monitoring the effectiveness of, Federated Hermes’ proxy service providers, and reporting on these to the PVMG and the Proxy Committee; providing input on specific case-by-case vote decisions made by the Adviser’s investment professionals; facilitating the proxy voting process, including by presenting the proxy voting decisions made by the Adviser’s investment professionals to the Proxy Committee; preparing proxy voting data for filing on Form N-PX with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; providing proxy voting reports to clients and investment companies as they are requested from time to time; and, keeping the Proxy Committee informed of any emerging or developing issues related to corporate governance and proxy voting to guide future policy development.

The Adviser has compiled a list of specific voting instructions based on the General Policy (the “Standard Voting Instructions”). The Standard Voting Instructions and any modifications to them are approved by the Proxy Committee. The Standard Voting Instructions may call for an investment professional to review the ballot question and provide a voting recommendation to the Proxy Committee. The foregoing notwithstanding, the Proxy Committee always has the authority to determine a final voting decision.

The Adviser has hired a proxy voting service provider to perform various proxy voting related administrative services such as ballot reconciliation, vote processing, and recordkeeping functions. The Proxy Committee has supplied the proxy service provider with the Standard Voting Instructions. The Proxy Committee retains the right to modify the Standard Voting Instructions at any time or to vote contrary to them at any time to cast proxy votes in a manner that the Proxy Committee believes is in accordance with the General Policy. If the Standard Voting Instructions require case-by-case handling for a proposal, the PVT will work with the investment professionals and the proxy service provider to develop a voting recommendation for the Proxy Committee and to communicate the Proxy Committee’s final voting decision to the proxy service provider. Further, if the Standard Voting Instructions require the PVT to analyze a ballot question and make the final voting decision, the PVT will report such votes to the Proxy Committee on a quarterly basis for review.

Conflicts of Interest

The Adviser has adopted procedures to address situations where a matter on which a proxy is sought may present a potential conflict between the interests of the Fund (and its shareholders) and those of the Adviser or Distributor. This may occur where a significant business relationship exists between the Adviser (or its affiliates) and a company involved with a proxy vote.

A company that is a proponent, opponent, or the subject of a proxy vote, and which to the knowledge of the Proxy Committee has this type of significant business relationship, is referred to below as an “Interested Company.”

The Adviser has implemented the following procedures to avoid concerns that the conflicting interests of the Adviser or its affiliates have influenced proxy votes. Any employee of the Adviser or its affiliates who is contacted by an Interested Company regarding proxies to be voted by the Adviser must refer the Interested Company to a member of the Proxy Committee and must inform the Interested Company that the Proxy Committee has exclusive authority to determine how the proxy will be voted. Any Proxy Committee member contacted by an Interested Company must report it to the full Proxy Committee and provide a written summary of the communication. This requirement includes engagement meetings with investee companies and does not include

communications with proxy solicitation firms. Under no circumstances will the Proxy Committee or any member of the Proxy Committee make a commitment to an Interested Company regarding the voting of proxies or disclose to an Interested Company how the Proxy Committee has directed such proxies to be voted. If the Standard Voting Instructions already provide specific direction on the proposal in question, the Proxy Committee shall not alter or amend such directions. If the Standard Voting Instructions require the Proxy Committee to provide further direction, the Proxy Committee shall do so in accordance with the proxy voting policies, without regard for the interests of the Adviser with respect to the Interested Company. If the Proxy Committee provides any direction as to the voting of proxies relating to a proposal affecting an Interested Company, it must disclose annually to the Fund’s Board information regarding: the significant business relationship; any material communication with the Interested Company; the matter(s) voted on; and how, and why, the Adviser voted as it did. In certain circumstances it may be appropriate for the Adviser to vote in the same proportion as all other shareholders, as to not affect the outcome beyond helping to establish a quorum at the shareholders’ meeting. This is referred to as “proportional voting.” If the Fund owns shares of another Federated Hermes mutual fund, generally the Adviser will proportionally vote the client’s proxies for that fund or seek direction from the Board or the client on how the proposal should be voted. If the Fund owns shares of an unaffiliated mutual fund, the Adviser may proportionally vote the Fund’s proxies for that fund depending on the size of the position. If the Fund owns shares of an unaffiliated exchange-traded fund, the Adviser will proportionally vote the Fund’s proxies for that fund.

Downstream Affiliates

If the Proxy Committee gives further direction, or seeks to vote contrary to the Standard Voting Instructions, for a proxy relating to a portfolio company in which the Fund owns more than 10% of the portfolio company’s outstanding voting securities at the time of the vote (“Downstream Affiliate”), the Proxy Committee must first receive guidance from counsel to the Proxy Committee as to whether any relationship between the Adviser and the portfolio company, other than such ownership of the portfolio company’s securities, gives rise to an actual conflict of interest. If counsel determines that an actual conflict exists, the Proxy Committee must address any such conflict with the executive committee of the board of directors or trustees of any investment company client prior to taking any action on the proxy at issue.

Proxy Advisors’ Conflicts of Interest

Proxy advisory firms may have significant business relationships with the subjects of their research and voting recommendations. For example, a significant vendor for a proxy advisory firm may be a public company with an upcoming shareholders’ meeting, and the proxy advisory firm has published a research report which includes voting recommendations. In another example, a proxy advisory firm consulting client may be a public company on which the proxy advisory firm will write a research report, with voting recommendations, for its institutional clients. These and similar situations give rise to an actual or apparent conflict of interest.

To mitigate concerns that the conflicting interests of proxy advisory firms have influenced their proxy voting recommendations, the Adviser will take the following steps:

■ A due diligence team made up of employees of the Adviser and/or its affiliates will meet with its primary proxy advisor on an annual basis and determine through a review of their policies and procedures and through inquiry that they have established a system of internal controls that provide reasonable assurance that their voting recommendations are not influenced by their various conflicts of interest.

■ If a proxy advisory firm provides material consulting services to corporate issuers, the PVT will annually review a sample of the proxy advisor’s research reports on those issuers which are consulting clients to assess potential bias in its voting recommendations. If evidence of bias is found, the results of the examination will be presented to the Proxy Voting Management Group and a decision would be made as to the further use of that advisory firm’s research reports.

■ Whenever the standard voting guidelines call for voting a proposal in accordance with a proxy advisory firm’s recommendation and the proxy advisory firm has disclosed that they have a conflict of interest with respect to that issuer, the PVT will take the following steps: (a) the PVT will obtain a copy of the research report published by an alternative proxy advisory firm for that issuer; and (b) the Director of Proxy Voting, or their designee, will review both proxy advisory firm research reports and determine what vote will be cast. The PVT will report all proxies voted in this manner to the Proxy Committee on a quarterly basis. Alternatively, the PVT may seek direction from the Committee on how the proposal shall be voted.

Proxy Voting Report

A report on Form N-PX of how the Fund voted any proxies during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available via the Proxy Voting Record (Form N-PX) link associated with the Fund at FederatedHermes.com/us/product-landing/managed-account-pools.do. Select a product name, then click “Documents” and click on “Proxy Voting Record Report.” You may also obtain this information without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-341-7400. Form N-PX filings are also available at the SEC’s website at sec.gov.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

Information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available at FederatedHermes.com/us/product-landing/managed-account-pools.do. Select a product and then click on the “Characteristics” tab. You may also obtain this information by calling 1-800-341-7400. A complete listing of the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of the end of each calendar quarter is posted on the website 30 days (or the next business day) after the end of the quarter and remains posted for six months thereafter.

You may also access portfolio information as of the end of the Fund’s fiscal quarters at FederatedHermes.com/us/product-landing/managed-account-pools.do. Select a product and then click on the “Documents” tab. The Fund’s Form N-CSR contains complete listings of the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of the end of the Fund’s second and fourth fiscal quarters. Fiscal quarter information is made available on the website within 70 days after the end of the fiscal quarter. This information is also available in reports filed with the SEC at the SEC’s website at sec.gov.

The disclosure policy of the Fund and the Adviser prohibits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information to any investor or intermediary before the same information is made available to other investors. Employees of the Adviser or its affiliates who have access to nonpublic information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings are prohibited from trading securities on the basis of this information. Such persons must report all personal securities trades and obtain pre-clearance for all personal securities trades other than mutual fund shares.

Firms that provide administrative, custody, financial, accounting, legal or other services to the Fund may receive nonpublic information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings for purposes relating to their services. The Fund may also provide portfolio holdings information to publications that rate, rank or otherwise categorize investment companies and to commodities exchange clearing corporations in connection with qualifying the Fund’s Shares for use as margin collateral. Traders or portfolio managers may provide “interest” lists to facilitate portfolio trading if the list reflects only that subset of the portfolio for which the trader or portfolio manager is seeking market interest. A list of service providers, publications and other third parties who may receive nonpublic portfolio holdings information appears in the Appendix to this SAI.

The furnishing of nonpublic portfolio holdings information to any third party (other than authorized governmental or regulatory personnel) requires the prior approval of the President of the Adviser and of the Chief Compliance Officer of the Fund. The President of the Adviser and the Chief Compliance Officer will approve the furnishing of nonpublic portfolio holdings information to a third party only if they consider the furnishing of such information to be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. In that regard, and to address possible conflicts between the interests of Fund shareholders and those of the Adviser and its affiliates, the following procedures apply. No consideration may be received by the Fund, the Adviser, any affiliate of the Adviser or any of their employees in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information. Before information is furnished, the third party must sign a written agreement that it will safeguard the confidentiality of the information, will use it only for the purposes for which it is furnished and will not use it in connection with the trading of any security. Persons approved to receive nonpublic portfolio holdings information will receive it as often as necessary for the purpose for which it is provided. Such information may be furnished as frequently as daily and often with no time lag between the date of the information and the date it is furnished. The Board receives and reviews annually a list of the persons who receive nonpublic portfolio holdings information and the purposes for which it is furnished.

Brokerage Transactions And Investment Allocation

When selecting brokers and dealers to handle the purchase and sale of portfolio instruments, the Adviser looks for prompt execution of the order at a favorable price. Fixed-income securities are generally traded in an over-the-counter market on a net basis (i.e., without commission) through dealers acting as principal or in transactions directly with the issuer. Dealers derive an undisclosed amount of compensation by offering securities at a higher price than they bid for them. Some fixed-income securities may have only one primary market maker. The Adviser seeks to use dealers it believes to be actively and effectively trading the security being purchased or sold, but may not always obtain the lowest purchase price or highest sale price with respect to a security. The Adviser makes decisions on portfolio transactions and selects brokers and dealers subject to review by the Fund’s Board.

Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those of other accounts managed by the Adviser and accounts managed by affiliates of the Adviser. When the Fund and one or more of those accounts invests in, or disposes of, the same security, available investments or opportunities for sales will be allocated among the Fund and the account(s) in a manner believed by the Adviser to be equitable. While the coordination and ability to participate in volume transactions may benefit the Fund, it is possible that this procedure could adversely impact the price paid or received and/or the position obtained or disposed of by the Fund. Investment decisions, and trading, for certain separately managed or wrap-fee accounts, and other accounts, of the Adviser and/or certain investment adviser affiliates of the Adviser, are generally made, and conducted, independently from the Fund. It is possible that such independent trading activity could adversely impact the prices paid or received and/or positions obtained or disposed of by the Fund.

Administrator

Federated Administrative Services (FAS), a subsidiary of Federated Hermes, provides administrative personnel and services, including certain legal, compliance and financial administrative services (“Administrative Services”), necessary for the operation of the Fund. FAS provides Administrative Services for a fee based upon the rates set forth below paid on the average daily net assets of the Fund. For purposes of determining the appropriate rate breakpoint, “Investment Complex” is defined as all of the Federated Hermes funds subject to a fee under the Administrative Services Agreement with FAS. FAS is also entitled to reimbursement for certain out-of-pocket expenses incurred in providing Administrative Services to the Fund.

Administrative Services Fee Rate	Average Daily Net Assets of the Investment Complex
0.100%	on assets up to $50 billion
0.075%	on assets over $50 billion

Custodian

State Street Bank and Trust Company, Boston, Massachusetts, is custodian for the securities and cash of the Fund. Foreign instruments purchased by the Fund are held by foreign banks participating in a network coordinated by State Street Bank and Trust Company.

Transfer Agent And Dividend Disbursing Agent

SS&C GIDS, Inc., the Fund’s registered transfer agent, maintains all necessary shareholder records.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund, [To be filed by Amendment], conducts its audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), which require it to plan and perform its audits to provide reasonable assurance about whether the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement.

Securities Lending Activities

The services provided to the Fund by Citibank, N.A. as securities lending agent may include the following: selecting securities previously identified by the Fund as available for loan to be loaned; locating borrowers identified in the securities lending agency agreement; negotiating loan terms; monitoring daily the value of the loaned securities and collateral; requiring additional collateral as necessary; marking to market non-cash collateral; instructing the Fund’s custodian with respect to the transfer of loaned securities; indemnifying the Fund in the event of a borrower default; and arranging for return of loaned securities to the Fund at loan termination.

The Fund did not participate in any securities lending activities during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year.

Gross income from securities lending activities	$00.00
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Fees paid to securities lending agent from a revenue split	$00.00
Fees paid for any cash collateral management service (including fees deducted from a pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle) that are not included in the revenue split	—
Administrative fees not included in revenue split	—
Indemnification fee not included in revenue split	—
Rebate (paid to borrower)	$00.00
Other fees not included in revenue split (specify)	—
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	$00.00
Net income from securities lending activities	$00.00

[To be Filed by Amendment]

Financial Information

The Financial Statements for the Fund for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, are incorporated herein by reference to the annual financial statements filed on Form N-CSR of Federated Hermes Mortgage Strategy Portfolio dated December 31, 2025.

Investment Ratings

S&P Global RatingS (S&P) LONG-TERM Issue RATINGS

Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P’s analysis of the following considerations: the likelihood of payment-capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; the nature of and provisions of the obligation; and the protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.

AAA—An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P. 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 to a 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—A “C” rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the “C” rating may be assigned to subordinated debt, preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instrument’s terms or when preferred stock is the subject of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.

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, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days, irrespective of any grace period. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” upon completion of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par.

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.

S&P Rating Outlook

An S&P rating outlook assesses the potential direction of a long-term credit rating over the intermediate term (typically six months to two years). In determining a rating outlook, consideration is given to any changes in the economic and/or fundamental business conditions.

Positive—Positive means that a rating may be raised.

Negative—Negative means that a rating may be lowered.

Stable—Stable means that a rating is not likely to change.

Developing—Developing means a rating may be raised or lowered.

N.M.—N.M. means not meaningful.

S&P Short-Term Issue RATINGS

Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the United States, for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days–including commercial paper.

A-1—A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

A-2—A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.

A-3—A short-term obligation rated “A-3” 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.

B—A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

C—A short-term obligation rated “C” 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.

D—A short-term 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, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. 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.

MOODY’S Investor Services, Inc. (MOODY’s) LONG-TERM RATINGS

Moody’s long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both on the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default.

Aaa—Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

Aa—Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

A—Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium-grade and are subject to low credit risk.

Baa—Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

Ba—Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

B—Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

Caa—Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

Ca—Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

C—Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2 and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aaa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

MOODY’S Short-Term RATINGS

Moody’s short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of 13 months or less and reflect the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments.

P-1—Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated P-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-2—Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated P-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-3—Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated P-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

NP—Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

FITCH Ratings, INC. (Fitch) LONG-TERM Debt RATINGs

Fitch long-term ratings report Fitch’s opinion on an entity’s relative vulnerability to default on financial obligations. The “threshold” default risk addressed by the rating is generally that of the financial obligations whose non-payment would best reflect the uncured failure of that entity. As such, Fitch long-term ratings also address relative vulnerability to bankruptcy, administrative receivership or similar concepts, although the agency recognizes that issuers may also make pre-emptive and therefore voluntary use of such mechanisms.

AAA: Highest Credit Quality—“AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

AA: Very High Credit Quality—“AA” ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

A: High Credit Quality—“A” ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

BBB: Good Credit Quality—“BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

BB: Speculative—“BB” ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments.

B: Highly Speculative—“B” ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.

CCC: Substantial Credit Risk—Default is a real possibility.

CC: Very High Levels of Credit Risk—Default of some kind appears probable.

C: Exceptionally High Levels of Credit Risk—Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a “C” category rating for an issuer include: (a) the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation; (b) the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or (c) Fitch otherwise believes a condition of “RD” or “D” to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange.

RD: Restricted Default—“RD” ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch’s opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include: (a) the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt; (b) the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation; (c) the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or (d) execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.

D: Default—“D” ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch’s opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business.

Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange.

“Imminent” default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.

In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency’s opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer’s financial obligations or local commercial practice.

FITCH SHORT-TERM DEBT RATINGs

A Fitch short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short-term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.

F1: Highest Short-Term Credit Quality—Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

F2: Good Short-Term Credit Quality—Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

F3: Fair Short-Term Credit Quality—The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

B: Speculative Short-Term Credit Quality—Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

C: High Short-Term Default Risk—Default is a real possibility.

RD: Restricted Default—Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only.

D: Default—Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

A.M. BEST Company, Inc. (a.m. best) LONG-TERM DEBT and Preferred Stock RATINGS

A Best’s long-term debt rating is Best’s independent opinion of an issuer/entity’s ability to meet its ongoing financial obligations to security holders when due.

aaa: Exceptional—Assigned to issues where the issuer has an exceptional ability to meet the terms of the obligation.

aa: Very Strong—Assigned to issues where the issuer has a very strong ability to meet the terms of the obligation.

a: Strong—Assigned to issues where the issuer has a strong ability to meet the terms of the obligation.

bbb: Adequate—Assigned to issues where the issuer has an adequate ability to meet the terms of the obligation; however, the issue is more susceptible to changes in economic or other conditions.

bb: Speculative—Assigned to issues where the issuer has speculative credit characteristics, generally due to a modest margin or principal and interest payment protection and vulnerability to economic changes.

b: Very Speculative—Assigned to issues where the issuer has very speculative credit characteristics, generally due to a modest margin of principal and interest payment protection and extreme vulnerability to economic changes.

ccc, cc, c: Extremely Speculative—Assigned to issues where the issuer has extremely speculative credit characteristics, generally due to a minimal margin of principal and interest payment protection and/or limited ability to withstand adverse changes in economic or other conditions.

d: In Default—Assigned to issues in default on payment of principal, interest or other terms and conditions, or when a bankruptcy petition or similar action has been filed.

Ratings from “aa” to “ccc” may be enhanced with a “+” (plus) or “-” (minus) to indicate whether credit quality is near the top or bottom of a category.

A.M. BEST SHORT-TERM DEBT RATINGS

A Best’s short-term debt rating is Best’s opinion of an issuer/entity’s ability to meet its financial obligations having original maturities of generally less than one year, such as commercial paper.

AMB-1+ Strongest—Assigned to issues where the issuer has the strongest ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

AMB-1 Outstanding—Assigned to issues where the issuer has an outstanding ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

AMB-2 Satisfactory—Assigned to issues where the issuer has a satisfactory ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

AMB-3 Adequate—Assigned to issues where the issuer has an adequate ability to repay short-term debt obligations; however, adverse economic conditions likely will reduce the issuer’s capacity to meet its financial commitments.

AMB-4 Speculative—Assigned to issues where the issuer has speculative credit characteristics and is vulnerable to adverse economic or other external changes, which could have a marked impact on the company’s ability to meet its financial commitments.

d: In Default—Assigned to issues in default on payment of principal, interest or other terms and conditions, or when a bankruptcy petition or similar action has been filed.

A.M. Best Rating Modifiers

Both long- and short-term credit ratings can be assigned a modifier.

u—Indicates the rating may change in the near term, typically within six months. Generally is event-driven, with positive, negative or developing implications.

pd—Indicates ratings assigned to a company that chose not to participate in A.M. Best’s interactive rating process (discontinued in 2010).

i—Indicates rating assigned is indicative.

A.M. BEST RATING OUTLOOK

A.M. Best Credit Ratings are assigned a Rating Outlook that indicates the potential direction of a credit rating over an intermediate term, generally defined as the next 12 to 36 months.

Positive—Indicates possible ratings upgrade due to favorable financial/market trends relative to the current trading level.

Negative—Indicates possible ratings downgrade due to unfavorable financial/market trends relative to the current trading level.

Stable—Indicates low likelihood of rating change due to stable financial/market trends.

Not Rated

Certain nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs) may designate certain issues as NR, meaning that the issue or obligation is not rated.

Addresses

Federated Hermes Mortgage Strategy Portfolio

Federated Hermes Funds
4000 Ericsson Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086-7561

Distributor

Federated Securities Corp.
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Investment Adviser

Federated Investment Management Company
1001 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Custodian

State Street Bank and Trust Company
1 Iron Street
Boston, MA 02110

Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent

SS&C GIDS, Inc.
P.O. Box 219318
Kansas City, MO 64121-9318

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

[To Be Filed By Amendment]

Appendix

The following is a list of persons, other than the Adviser and its affiliates, that have been approved to receive nonpublic portfolio holdings information concerning the Federated Hermes Complex; however, certain persons below might not receive such information concerning the Fund:

CUSTODIAN(S)

State Street Bank and Trust Company

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

[To be filed by Amendment]

LEGAL COUNSEL

Kirkland & Ellis LLP
K&L Gates LLP

Financial PrinterS

Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc.
Donnelley Financial Solutions

Proxy Voting Administrator

Glass Lewis & Co., LLC

SECURITY PRICING SERVICES

Bloomberg L.P.
S&P Global Ratings
JPMorgan PricingDirect
London Stock Exchange Group PLC (LSEG)

RATINGS AGENCIES

Fitch Ratings, Inc.
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
S&P Global Ratings

Other SERVICE PROVIDERS

Other types of service providers that have been approved to receive nonpublic portfolio holdings information include service providers offering, for example, trade order management systems, portfolio analytics, or performance and accounting systems, such as:

ACA Technology Surveillance, Inc.
Bank of America
Bank of New York Mellon Corporation
Bloomberg L.P.
Charles River Development
Citibank, N.A.
Eagle Investment Systems LLC
Electra Information Systems
FactSet Research Systems Inc.
FISGlobal
Institutional Shareholder Services
Investortools, Inc.
MSCI ESG Research LLC
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Star Compliance
Sustainalytics U.S. Inc.

Item 28. Exhibits

(a)	Declaration of Trust
	Conformed copy of Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Registrant dated October 3, 2005, including Amendments	+

(b)	By-Laws
	Conformed Copy of Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant (effective June 26, 2020) including Amendments	+

(c)

Not Applicable

(d)	Investment Advisory Contracts

	Federated Investment Management Company
1	Conformed copy of the Investment Advisory Contract of the Registrant dated December 1, 2005, including Exhibit A and Limited Power of Attorney dated June 1, 2017	+

	Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania
2	Conformed copy of the Investment Advisory Contract of the Registrant dated December 1, 2014, including Exhibit A and Limited Power of Attorney dated June 1, 2017	+

(e)	Underwriting Contracts
	Conformed copy of the Distributor’s Contract of the Registrant dated December 1, 2005, including Exhibits	+

(f)	Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts
	Not applicable

(g)	Custodian Agreements
1	Conformed copy of Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement dated March 1, 2017 by and between State Street Bank and Trust Company and the Registrant, including Appendix A	+
2	Conformed copy of Custody Agreement dated June 7, 2005 by and between The Bank of New York Mellon and the Registrant, including Amendments and Exhibits	+

(h)	Other Material Contracts

1	Services Agreement
(a)	Conformed copy of Services Agreement between Federated Advisory Services Company and Federated Investment Management Company dated January 1, 2004, including Schedule 1	+
(b)	Conformed copy of Services Agreement between Federated Advisory Services Company and Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania dated January 1, 2004, including Schedule 1	+

2	Transfer Agency Agreement
	Conformed copy of the Transfer Agency Services Agreement between the Federated Hermes Funds and DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. dated June 1, 2022	+

3	Administrative Services Agreement
	Conformed copy of the Fifth Amended and Restated Agreement for Administrative Services between the Federated Funds and Federated Administrative Services dated September 1, 2025, including Exhibits	+

4	Financial Administration and Accounting Agreement
(a)	Conformed copy of the Financial Administration and Accounting Services Agreement between the Federated Hermes Funds and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated March 1, 2011, as amended, including Exhibit A	+
(b)	Conformed copy of the Fund Accounting Agreement between the Federated Hermes Funds and The Bank of New York Mellon dated March 1, 2011, as amended, including Schedule I	+

(i)	Legal Opinion
	Conformed copy of Opinion and Consent of Counsel as to legality of shares being registered, as filed in Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 on Form N-1A June 6, 2006 (File Nos. 333-128884 and 811-21822)

(j)	Other Opinions
1	Conformed copy of Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, Ernst & Young (FCP, FHYSP, and FMSP)	N/A
2	Conformed copy of Consent of Independent Registered Public Accountant Firm, Ernst & Young (FIBSP)	N/A
3	Conformed copy of Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, Ernst & Young (FIDSP)	N/A

(k)	Omitted Financial Statements
	Not Applicable

(l)	Initial Capital Agreements
	Conformed copy of Initial Capital Understanding, as filed in Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 on June 6, 2006 on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-128884 and 811-21822)

(m)	Rule 12b-1 Plan
	Not applicable

(n)	Rule 18f-3 Plan
	Not applicable

(o)	Powers of Attorney
	Conformed copy of Power of Attorney of the Registrant dated January 1, 2025, as filed via EDGAR in Post-Effective Amendment No. 86 on February 25, 2025 on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-128884 and 811-21822)

(p)	Codes of Ethics
	Conformed copy of the Federated Hermes, Inc. Code of Ethics for Access Persons, effective November 13, 2024	+

Exhibit is being filed electronically with registration statement

Exhibit List for Inline Interactive Data File Submission. [To be filed by Amendment]

Index No.	Description of Exhibit
EX-101.SCH	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund:

None

Item 30. Indemnification

Indemnification is provided to Officers and Trustees of the Registrant pursuant to the Registrant's By-Laws, as amended. This includes indemnification against: (a) any liabilities or expenses incurred in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or proceeding in which an Officer or Trustee may be or may have been involved; and (b) any liabilities and expenses incurred by an Officer or Trustee as a result of having provided personally identifiable information to a regulator or counterparty by or with whom the Registrant (or its series, as applicable) is regulated or engages in business to satisfy a legal or procedural requirement of such regulator or counterparty.

The Investment Advisory Contract, and Sub-advisory Agreement as applicable, (collectively, “Advisory Contracts”) between the Registrant and the investment adviser, and sub-adviser as applicable, (collectively, “Advisers”) of its series, provide that, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the obligations or duties under the Advisory Contracts on the part of the Advisers, Advisers shall not be liable to the Registrant or to any shareholder for any act or omission in the course of or connected in any way with rendering services or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding, or sale of any security.

The Registrant’s distribution contract contains provisions limiting the liability, and providing for indemnification, of the Officers and Trustees under certain circumstances.

Registrant's Trustees and Officers are covered by an Investment Trust Errors and Omissions Policy.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to Trustees, Officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the By-Laws, as amended, or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and, therefore, is unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by Trustees), Officers, or controlling persons of the Registrant in connection with the successful defense of any act, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such Trustees, Officers, or controlling persons in connection with the shares being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issues.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities may be permitted pursuant to Section 17 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 for Trustees, Officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the By-Laws, as amended, or otherwise, the Registrant is aware of the position of the Securities and Exchange Commission as set forth in Investment Company Act Release No. IC-11330. Therefore, the Registrant undertakes that in addition to complying with the applicable provisions of the By-Laws, as amended, or otherwise, in the absence of a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before which the proceeding was brought, that an indemnification payment will not be made unless in the absence of such a decision, a reasonable determination based upon factual review has been made (i) by a majority vote of a quorum of non-party Trustees who are not interested persons of the Registrant or (ii) by independent legal counsel in a written opinion that the indemnitee was not liable for an act of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of duties. The Registrant further undertakes that advancement of expenses incurred in the defense of a proceeding (upon undertaking for repayment unless it is ultimately determined that indemnification is appropriate) against an Officer, Trustee or controlling person of the Registrant will not be made absent the fulfillment of at least one of the following conditions: (i) the indemnitee provides security for his undertaking; (ii) the Registrant is insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances; or (iii) a majority of a quorum of disinterested non-party Trustees or independent legal counsel in a written opinion makes a factual determination that there is reason to believe the indemnitee will be entitled to indemnification.

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser: Federated Investment Management Company
For a description of the other business of the Investment Adviser, see the section entitled “Who Manages the Fund?” in Part A. The affiliations with the Registrant of two of the Trustees and two of the Officers of the Investment Adviser are included in Part B of this Registration Statement under "Who Manages and Provides Services to the Fund?" The remaining Trustees of the Investment Adviser and, in parentheses, their principal occupations are: Thomas R. Donahue, (Chief Financial Officer, Federated Hermes, Inc.), 1001 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222-3779, John B. Fisher, (Vice Chairman, Federated Hermes, Inc.) 1001 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222-3779 and James J. Gallagher, II, Partner, Morris James LLP, 3205 Avenue, N. Suite 100, Wilmington, DE 19803. The business address of each of the Officers of the Investment Adviser is 1001 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-3779. These individuals are also officers of a majority of the Investment Advisers to the investment companies in the Federated Hermes Fund Complex described in Part B of this Registration Statement.
The Officers of the Investment Adviser are:
Chairman:	J. Christopher Donahue
President/ Chief Executive Officer:	John B. Fisher
Executive Vice Presidents:	Deborah A. Cunningham Anne H. Kruczek Robert J. Ostrowski Timothy G. Trebilcock
Senior Vice Presidents:	Todd Abraham Jeremy Boughton Mark E. Durbiano Donald T. Ellenberger Eamonn G. Folan Richard J. Gallo John T. Gentry Kathryn P. Glass Michael R. Granito Lori A. Hensler Susan R. Hill William R. Jamison Tracey L. Lusk Judith J. Mackin Christopher P. McGinley Mary Jo Ochson Ihab Salib Michael W. Sirianni, Jr. Nicholas S. Tripodes Paige Wilhelm
Vice Presidents:	John Badeer Patrick D. Benacci Christopher S. Bodamer G. Andrew Bonnewell Hanan Callas David B. Catalane, Jr. Nicholas S. Cecchini James Chelmu Leslie Ciferno Jerome Conner Lee R. Cunningham, II Gregory Czamara, V B. Anthony Delserone, Jr. Jason DeVito Bryan Dingle Ann Ferentino Kevin M. Fitzpatrick Timothy P. Gannon James L. Grant Brandon Ray Hochstetler Nathan H. Kehm Allen J. Knizner Daniel James Mastalski Robert J. Matthews Karl Mocharko Joseph M. Natoli Nicholas Navari Gene Neavin Bob Nolte Liam O’Connell Bradley S. Payne John Polinski Rae Ann Rice Braden Rotberg Brian Ruffner Thomas C. Scherr John Scullion John Sidawi Paul Smith Peter Snook Kyle Stewart Randal Stuckwish Mary Ellen Tesla Frank Tetlow James Damen Thompson Anthony A. Venturino Patrick O. Watson Mark Weiss George B. Wright Christopher Wu John E. Wyda
Assistant Vice Presidents:	Patrick B. Cooper Robert Gasior Christopher David Herkins Christopher F. Hopkins Jeff J. Ignelzi Bennett L. Lo Corey Mergenthaler Derek Allen Plaski Patrick J. Reilly Steven J. Slanika Tyler R. Stenger Sarah E. Swartz Yifei Wang Michael S. Wilson
Secretary:	G. Andrew Bonnewell
Assistant Secretaries:	Jonathan M. Lushko George F. Magera
Treasurer:	Thomas R. Donahue
Assistant Treasurers:	Autumn L. Favero Richard A. Novak
Chief Compliance Officer:	Stephen Van Meter

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser: Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania
For a description of the other business of the Investment Adviser, see the section entitled “Who Manages the Fund?” in Part A. The affiliations with the Registrant of one of the Trustees and two of the Officers of the Investment Adviser are included in Part B of this Registration Statement under "Who Manages and Provides Services to the Fund?" The remaining Trustees of the Investment Adviser and, in parentheses, their principal occupations are: Thomas R. Donahue, (Chief Financial Officer, Federated Hermes, Inc.), 1001 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222-3779, John B. Fisher, (Vice Chairman, Federated Hermes, Inc.) 1001 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222-3779 and James J. Gallagher, II, Partner, Morris James LLP, 3205 Avenue, N. Suite 100, Wilmington, DE 19803. The business address of each of the Officers of the Investment Adviser is 1001 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-3779. These individuals are also officers of a majority of the Investment Advisers to the investment companies in the Federated Hermes Fund Complex described in Part B of this Registration Statement.
The Officers of the Investment Adviser are:
Chairman	J. Christopher Donahue
President/ Chief Executive Officer:	John B. Fisher
Executive Vice President	Stephen F. Auth Anne H. Kruczek Timothy G. Trebilcock
Senior Vice Presidents:	Deborah D. Bickerstaff Jeremy D. Boughton Michael R. Granito Stephen Gutch Lori A. Hensler Judith J. Mackin Dana L. Meissner Ian L. Miller Daniel Peris Michael R. Tucker
Vice Presidents:	P. Ryan Bend G. Andrew Bonnewell Megan G. Dolan Jared Hoff Chad Hudson Michael Jura Damian McIntyre Brian Charles Smalley Paul Smith Frank Tetlow
Secretary:	G. Andrew Bonnewell
Assistant Secretaries:	Jonathan M. Lushko George F. Magera
Treasurer:	Thomas R. Donahue
Assistant Treasurers:	Autumn L. Favero Richard A. Novak
Chief Compliance Officer:	Stephen Van Meter

Item 32. Principal Underwriters:
(a)	Federated Securities Corp., the Distributor for shares of the Registrant, acts as principal underwriter for the following investment companies, including the Registrant:
	Federated Hermes Adjustable Rate Securities Trust
	Federated Hermes Adviser Series
	Federated Hermes Core Trust
	Federated Hermes Core Trust III
	Federated Hermes Equity Funds
	Federated Hermes ETF Trust
	Federated Hermes Fixed Income Securities, Inc.
	Federated Hermes Global Allocation Fund
	Federated Hermes Government Income Trust
	Federated Hermes High Yield Trust
	Federated Hermes Income Securities Trust
	Federated Hermes Index Trust
	Federated Hermes Institutional Trust
	Federated Hermes Insurance Series
	Federated Hermes Intermediate Municipal Trust
	Federated Hermes Investment Series Funds, Inc.
	Federated Hermes Managed Pool Series
	Federated Hermes MDT Series
	Federated Hermes Money Market Obligations Trust
	Federated Hermes Municipal Bond Fund, Inc.
	Federated Hermes Municipal Securities Income Trust
	Federated Hermes Premier Municipal Income Fund
	Federated Hermes Project and Trade Finance Tender Fund
	Federated Hermes Short-Intermediate Duration Municipal Trust
	Federated Hermes Short-Intermediate Government Trust
	Federated Hermes Strategic Dividend Growth Fund, Inc.
	Federated Hermes Sustainable High Yield Bond Fund, Inc.
	Federated Hermes Total Return Government Bond Fund
	Federated Hermes Total Return Series, Inc.
	Federated Hermes World Investment Series, Inc.

(b)
(1) Positions and Offices with Distributor	(2) Name	(3) Positions and Offices With Registrant
Executive Vice President, Assistant Secretary and Director:	Thomas R. Donahue
President and Director:	Paul Uhlman
Vice President and Director:	Peter J. Germain
Director:	Frank C. Senchak

(1) Positions and Offices with Distributor	(2) Name	(3) Positions and Offices With Registrant
Executive Vice Presidents:	Bryan M. Burke Charles L. Davis, Jr. Peter W. Eisenbrandt Anne H. Kruczek Solon A. Person Brian S. Ronayne
Senior Vice Presidents:	Irving Anderson Jeff Antonacci Marc J. Benacci Christopher D. Berg Daniel G. Berry William Boarts Jack Bohnet Zachary James Bono Edwin J. Brooks, III Mark Carroll Daniel P. Casey Scott J. Charlton James S. Conely Michael DiMarsico Jack C. Ebenreiter Heather W. Froehlich James Getz, Jr. Erik Gosule Dayna C. Haferkamp Vincent L. Harper, Jr. Bruce E. Hastings Jeffrey S. Jones Ryan W. Jones Todd W. Jones Philip L. Judson Scott D. Kavanagh Nicholas R. Kemerer Michael Koenig Edwin C. Koontz Jane E. Lambesis David M. Larrick Michael Liss Judith J. Mackin Paul J. Magan Brian McInis Diane Marzula Daniel Patrick McGrath Richard C. Mihm Vincent T. Morrow John C. Mosko Alec H. Neilly Theodore A. Noethling, IV James E. Ostrowski Stephen Otto Mark B. Patsy Richard P. Paulson Diane M. Robinson Tom Schinabeck Peter C. Siconolfi Bradley W. Smith John A. Staley Mark J. Strubel Jonathan P. Sullivan David A. Wasik G. Walter Whalen Brian R. Willer Lewis C. Williams Theodore E. Williams James J. Wojciak Michael Wolff Daniel R. Wroble Erik Zettlemayer
Vice Presidents:	Frank Amato Paul Anderson Neil Benjamin Apfelbaum, II Catherine M. Applegate Jeff D. Aronsohn, Jr. Kenneth C. Baber Justin A. Bard Raisa E. Barkaloff Joshua W. Billiel Matthew A. Boyle Thomas R. Brown Dan Casey Edward R. Costello Stephen J. Costlow Mary Ellen Coyne Casey Curtin Caitlyn (Grande) D’Alessandro David G. Dankmyer Christopher T. Davis Lori J. Defilippi Charles R. Ebbs Mark A. Flisek Maya Gorokhovskiy (Ferd) David D. Gregoire Raymond J. Hanley Adam Michele Heurich George M. Hnaras Scott A. Holick Michael Honer Christopher Jackson Timothy H. Johnson Andrew R. Kehler Scott Robert Kelley Patrick Kelly Robert H. Kern Shawn E. Knutson Andrew Paul Larson John S. Larson Anthony W. Lennon Justin Levy John P. Liekar Jonathan Lipinski Alexi A. Maravel Thomas Andrew Marik Stephen R. Massey Meghan McAndrew Catherine McGee Samuel McGowan Michael Meehan Mark J. Murphy Marcus Persichetti Luke Anthony Raffa Max E. Recker Emory Redd Ionnis (Yiannis) Repoulis Kaitlyn Ross John R. Rush Melissa R. Ryan John Shrewsbury Justin J. Slomkowski Derrick Stancick Jason Straker Gregory Tzanoukakis Scott A. Vallina James M. Wagner David Wasik Jennifer M. Weaver Littell Wilson Jr.

Assistant Vice Presidents:	Debbie Adams-Marshall Matthew Alan Cichowicz Courtney Comstock Adina Davis Katlyn Alexis Davis Christopher DiBartolomeo Madison Dischinger Rebecca R. Donahue Michelle Ausefski Doyle Andrew Druckenbroad Lucie Gordon Elizabeth Krah Graner Kristen C. Kiesling Katerina Alexandra Kotulak Leah Kaitlin Leitzel Clara L. Matvey Jennifer M. McSorley Patrick Joseph O’Reilly David J. Pallof, Jr. Carol Anne Sheppard Laura Vickerman Rita L. Willis
Secretary:	Kary A. Moore
Assistant Secretaries:	Thomas R. Donahue
	George F. Magera
Treasurer:	Richard A. Novak
Assistant Treasurer:	Autumn L. Favero
Chief Compliance Officer:	Stephen Van Meter

(c)

Not Applicable

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records:

All accounts and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rules 31a-1 through 31a-3 promulgated thereunder and those records required to be maintained at one of the following locations:

Registrant

Federated Hermes Funds

4000 Ericsson Drive

Warrendale, PA 15086-7561

(Notices should be sent to the Agent for Service at the address listed on the facing page of this filing.)

Federated Administrative Services

(Administrator)

1001 Liberty Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Federated Securities Corp.

(Distributor)

1001 Liberty Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Federated Investment Management Company

(Adviser)

1001 Liberty Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania

(Adviser)

1001 Liberty Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3779

SS&C GIDS, Inc.

(Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent)

P.O. Box 219318

Kansas City, MO 64121-9318

State Street Bank and Trust Company

(Custodian)

1 Iron Street

Boston, MA 02110

Bank of New York Mellon
(Custodian)

One Wall Street

New York, NY 10286

Item 34. Management Services: Not applicable.

Item 35. Undertakings:

Registrant hereby undertakes to comply with the provisions of Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act with respect to the removal of Trustees and the calling of special shareholder meetings by shareholders.

SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant, FEDERATED HERMES MANAGED POOL SERIES, has duly caused this Amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Pittsburgh and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on the 20^th day of February 2026.
FEDERATED HERMES MANAGED POOL SERIES
BY: /s/ George F. Magera George F. Magera, Assistant Secretary
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment to its Registration Statement has been signed below by the following person in the capacity and on the date indicated:
NAME	TITLE	DATE
BY: /s/ George F. Magera George F. Magera, Assistant Secretary	Attorney In Fact For the Persons Listed Below	February 20, 2026
J. Christopher Donahue*	President and Trustee (Principal Executive Officer)
Jeremy D. Boughton*	Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer/Principal Accounting Officer)
John B. Fisher*	Trustee
John G. Carson*	Trustee
G. Thomas Hough*	Trustee
Karen L. Larrimer*	Trustee
Max Miller*	Trustee
Frank L. Nasta*	Trustee
Thomas M. O’Neill*	Trustee
Madelyn A. Reilly*	Trustee
John S. Walsh*	Trustee
*By Power of Attorney