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Form 497 GOLDMAN SACHS TRUST

December 14, 2020 5:26 PM EST

PART B

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

DATED APRIL 29, 2020, AS SUPPLEMENTED DECEMBER 14, 2020

 

     CLASS A    CLASS C    INSTITUTIONAL    INVESTOR    CLASS R    CLASS R6    SERVICE    CLASS P

FUND

   SHARES    SHARES    SHARES    SHARES    SHARES    SHARES    SHARES    SHARES

GOLDMAN SACHS ABSOLUTE RETURN TRACKER FUND

   GARTX    GCRTX    GJRTX    GSRTX    GRRTX    GARUX       GSGPX

GOLDMAN SACHS COMMODITY STRATEGY FUND

   GSCAX    GSCCX    GCCIX    GCCTX    GCCRX    GCCUX       GGRPX

GOLDMAN SACHS ALTERNATIVE PREMIA FUND

   GDAFX    GDCFX    GDIFX    GDHFX    GDRFX    GDHUX       GSSPX

GOLDMAN SACHS MANAGED FUTURES STRATEGY FUND

   GMSAX    GMSCX    GMSSX    GFIRX    GFFRX    GMSWX       GMQPX

GOLDMAN SACHS REAL ESTATE SECURITIES FUND

   GREAX    GRECX    GREIX    GRETX    GRERX    GREUX    GRESX    GMJPX

GOLDMAN SACHS INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE SECURITIES FUND

   GIRAX    GIRCX    GIRIX    GIRTX       GIRUX       GGEPX

GOLDMAN SACHS GLOBAL REAL ESTATE SECURITIES FUND

   GARGX    GARKX    GARSX    GARJX    GARHX    GARVX       GGUPX

GOLDMAN SACHS GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

   GGIAX    GGICX    GGIDX    GGINX    GGIEX    GGIJX       GGWPX

GOLDMAN SACHS U.S. EQUITY DIVIDEND AND PREMIUM FUND

   GSPAX    GSPQX    GSPKX    GVIRX       GIDWX       GSFPX

GOLDMAN SACHS INTERNATIONAL EQUITY DIVIDEND AND PREMIUM FUND

   GIDAX    GIDCX    GIDHX    GIRVX       GIDUX       GGHPX

GOLDMAN SACHS U.S. TAX-MANAGED EQUITY FUND

   GCTAX    GCTCX    GCTIX    GQIRX       GCTRX    GCTSX    GSDPX

GOLDMAN SACHS INTERNATIONAL TAX- MANAGED EQUITY FUND

   GATMX    GCTMX    GHTMX    GITRX       GHTRX       GGCPX

(Alternative, Real Estate Securities and Tax-Advantaged Equity Funds of Goldman Sachs Trust)

71 South Wacker Drive

Chicago, Illinois 60606

This Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) is not a prospectus. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the prospectuses for the Goldman Sachs Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Goldman Sachs Commodity Strategy Fund, Goldman Sachs Alternative Premia Fund, Goldman Sachs Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Goldman Sachs Real Estate Securities Fund, Goldman Sachs International Real Estate Securities Fund, Goldman Sachs Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Goldman Sachs Global Infrastructure Fund, Goldman Sachs U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, Goldman Sachs International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, Goldman Sachs U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund, and Goldman Sachs International Tax-Managed Equity Fund, each dated April 29, 2020, as they may be further amended and/or supplemented from time to time (the “Prospectuses”), and which may be obtained without charge from Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC by calling the applicable telephone number, or writing to one of the addresses, listed below or from institutions (“Intermediaries”) acting on behalf of their customers.


The audited financial statements and related report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm for each Fund, contained in each Fund’s 2019 Annual Report, are incorporated herein by reference in the section “FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.” No other portions of each Fund’s Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein. A Fund’s Annual Report may be obtained upon request and without charge by calling Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC toll-free at 1-800-526-7384 (for Class A, Class C, Investor and Class R Shareholders) or 1-800-621-2550 (for Class R6, Institutional, Service and Class P Shareholders). GSAM® is a registered service mark of Goldman Sachs & Co LLC.

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

INTRODUCTION

     B-1  

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

     B-1  

DESCRIPTION OF INVESTMENT SECURITIES AND PRACTICES

     B-9  

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

     B-54  

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

     B-62  

MANAGEMENT SERVICES

     B-75  

POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

     B-92  

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

     B-105  

NET ASSET VALUE

     B-109  

SHARES OF THE TRUST

     B-111  

TAXATION

     B-115  

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     B-122  

PROXY VOTING

     B-123  

PAYMENTS TO INTERMEDIARIES

     B-124  

OTHER INFORMATION

     B-129  

DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLANS

     B-133  

OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING MAXIMUM SALES CHARGE, PURCHASES, REDEMPTIONS, EXCHANGES AND DIVIDENDS

     B-136  

SERVICE PLAN AND SHAREHOLDER ADMINISTRATION PLAN

     B-140  

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

     B-141  

APPENDIX A DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

     1-A  

APPENDIX B GSAM PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES SUMMARY

     1-B  

APPENDIX C STATEMENT OF INTENTION

     1-C  

 

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GOLDMAN SACHS ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.

Investment Adviser

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC

Distributor

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC

Transfer Agent

71 South Wacker Drive

Chicago, Illinois 60606

Toll-free (in U.S.) 800-526-7384 (for Class A, Class C, Investor and Class R Shareholders) or 800-621-2550 (for Class R6, Institutional, Service and Class P Shareholders).

 

 

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INTRODUCTION

Goldman Sachs Trust (the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment company. The Trust is organized as a Delaware statutory trust and was established by a Declaration of Trust dated January 28, 1997. The Trust is a successor to a Massachusetts business trust that was combined with the Trust on April 30, 1997. The following series of the Trust are described in this SAI: Goldman Sachs Absolute Return Tracker Fund (“Absolute Return Tracker Fund”), Goldman Sachs Commodity Strategy Fund (“Commodity Strategy Fund”), Goldman Sachs Alternative Premia Fund (prior to October 30, 2017, Goldman Sachs Dynamic Allocation Fund) (“Alternative Premia Fund”), Goldman Sachs Managed Futures Strategy Fund (“Managed Futures Strategy Fund”), Goldman Sachs Real Estate Securities Fund (“Real Estate Securities Fund”), Goldman Sachs International Real Estate Securities Fund (“International Real Estate Securities Fund”), Goldman Sachs Global Real Estate Securities Fund (“Global Real Estate Securities Fund”), Goldman Sachs Global Infrastructure Fund (“Global Infrastructure Fund”), Goldman Sachs U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund (“U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund”), Goldman Sachs International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund (“International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund”), Goldman Sachs U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund (prior to April 30, 2014, the Goldman Sachs Structured Tax-Managed Equity Fund) (“U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund”), and Goldman Sachs International Tax-Managed Equity Fund (prior to April 30, 2014, the Goldman Sachs Structured International Tax-Managed Equity Fund) (“International Tax-Managed Equity Fund”) (collectively referred to herein as the “Funds”).

The Trustees of the Trust have authority under the Declaration of Trust to create and classify shares into separate series and to classify and reclassify any series or portfolio of shares into one or more classes without further action by shareholders, and have created the Funds and other series pursuant thereto. Additional series may be added in the future from time to time. The Real Estate Securities Fund currently offers eight classes of shares: Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Class R Shares, Investor Shares, Class R6 Shares, Institutional Shares, Service Shares and Class P Shares. The Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund currently offer seven classes of shares: Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Class R Shares, Investor Shares, Class R6 Shares, Institutional Shares and Class P Shares. The U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund currently offers seven classes of shares: Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Investor Shares, Class R6 Shares, Institutional Shares, Service Shares and Class P Shares. The International Real Estate Securities Fund, U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund currently offer six classes of shares: Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Investor Shares, Class R6 Shares, Institutional Shares and Class P Shares. See “SHARES OF THE TRUST.” Prior to August 15, 2017, Investor Shares were named Class IR Shares.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (“GSAM” or the “Investment Adviser”), an affiliate of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (“Goldman Sachs”), serves as the investment adviser to the Funds. In addition, Goldman Sachs serves as each Fund’s distributor (the “Distributor”) and transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”). JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“JPMorgan Chase”) serves as custodian to each Fund except for the Global Infrastructure Fund. The Global Infrastructure Fund’s custodian is The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”).

The following information relates to and supplements the description of each Fund’s investment policies contained in the Prospectuses. See the Prospectuses for a more complete description of the Funds’ investment objectives and policies. Investing in the Funds entails certain risks and there is no assurance that a Fund will achieve its objective. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the same meaning as in the Prospectuses.

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

Each Fund has a distinct investment objective and policies. There can be no assurance that a Fund’s investment objective will be achieved. Each of the Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund, U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund is a diversified, open-end management investment company as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Act” or “1940 Act”). Each of the Global Infrastructure Fund, Real Estate Securities Fund and International Real Estate Securities Fund is a non-diversified, open-end management investment company (as defined in the Act). The investment objective and policies of each Fund, and the associated risks of each Fund, are discussed in the Funds’ Prospectuses, which should be read carefully before an investment is made. All investment objectives and investment policies not specifically designated as fundamental may be changed without shareholder approval. However, shareholders will be provided with sixty (60) days’ notice in the manner prescribed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) before any change in each of the Global Infrastructure Fund’s, Real Estate Securities Fund’s, International Real Estate Securities Fund’s, Global Real Estate Securities Fund’s, U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund’s, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund’s, U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund’s or International Tax-Managed Equity Fund’s policy to invest at least 80% of its net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes (measured at the time of purchase) (“Net Assets”) in the particular type of investment suggested by its name. Additional information about the Funds, their policies, and the investment instruments they may hold, is provided below.

 

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Each Fund’s share price will fluctuate with market, economic and, to the extent applicable, foreign exchange conditions, so that an investment in any of the Funds may be worth more or less when redeemed than when purchased. None of the Funds should be relied upon as a complete investment program.

Each of the Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund may pursue its investment objective by investing up to 25% of its total assets in a wholly-owned subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (with respect to the Absolute Return Tracker Fund, the “ART Subsidiary,” with respect to the Commodity Strategy Fund, the “CSF Subsidiary,” with respect to the Alternative Premia Fund, the “AP Subsidiary,” with respect to the Managed Futures Strategy Fund, the “MFS Subsidiary” and together, the “Subsidiaries”). The Subsidiaries are advised by GSAM and are generally subject to the same fundamental, non-fundamental and certain other investment restrictions as the Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund or Managed Futures Strategy Fund, as applicable; however, the Subsidiaries (unlike the Funds) are able to invest without limitation in commodity index-linked securities and other commodity-linked securities and derivative instruments. Each Fund and its respective Subsidiary test for compliance with certain investment restrictions on a consolidated basis, except that with respect to its investments in certain securities that may involve leverage, each Subsidiary complies with requirements to identify cash or liquid assets on its books to the same extent as the Funds. For more information about these practices, see “DESCRIPTION OF INVESTMENT SECURITIES AND PRACTICES—Asset Segregation.” By investing in the Subsidiaries, each Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with its respective Subsidiary’s investments. The derivatives and other investments held by the Subsidiaries are subject to the same risks that would apply to similar investments if held directly by the Funds. See below “DESCRIPTION OF INVESTMENT SECURITIES AND PRACTICES—Investments in the Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries” for a more detailed discussion of the Subsidiaries.

The Trust, on behalf of the Global Infrastructure Fund, U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund and Global Real Estate Securities Fund, has filed a notice of eligibility claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and therefore is not subject to registration or regulation as a CPO under the CEA.

The Investment Adviser is subject to registration and regulation as a CPO under the CEA with respect to its service as investment adviser to the Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund and the Subsidiaries. The Investment Adviser is exempt from certain Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) recordkeeping, reporting and disclosure requirements under CFTC Rule 4.7 with respect to the Subsidiaries.

In addition, the Investment Adviser has claimed temporary relief from registration as a CPO under the CEA for the International Real Estate Securities Fund, Real Estate Securities Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund, and therefore is not subject to registration or regulation as a CPO under the CEA.

The following discussion supplements the information in the Funds’ Prospectuses.

General Information Regarding the Funds (except the Managed Futures Strategy Fund)

The Investment Adviser may purchase for the Funds common stocks, preferred stocks, interests in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and, with respect to the Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund and Global Real Estate Securities Fund, other real estate industry companies, including REIT-like entities or real estate operating companies whose products and services are related to the real estate industry, convertible debt obligations, convertible preferred stocks, equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures, limited liability companies and similar enterprises, shares of other investment companies (including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”)), warrants and stock purchase rights and synthetic and derivative instruments (such as swaps and futures contracts) that have economic characteristics similar to equity securities (“equity investments”). The Investment Adviser utilizes first-hand fundamental research, including visiting company facilities to assess operations and to meet decision-makers, in choosing a Fund’s securities. The Investment Adviser may also use macro analysis of numerous economic and valuation variables to anticipate changes in company earnings and the overall investment climate. The Investment Adviser is able to draw on the research and market expertise of the Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research Department and other affiliates of the Investment Adviser, as well as information provided by other securities dealers. Equity investments in a Fund’s portfolio will generally be sold when the Investment Adviser believes that the market price fully reflects or exceeds the investments’ fundamental valuation or when other more attractive investments are identified. For the Alternative Premia Fund, U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund, and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund, the Investment Adviser utilizes advanced quantitative tools for both stock selection and portfolio construction. For rebalancings, the computer optimizer calculates numerous security combinations and numerous weightings to identify an efficient risk/return given the Fund’s benchmark.

 

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Absolute Return Tracker Fund

The Absolute Return Tracker Fund’s investment objective is to seek to deliver long-term total return consistent with investment results that approximate the return and risk patterns of a diversified universe of hedge funds. The Fund’s Investment Adviser believes that hedge funds derive a large portion of their returns from exposure to sources of market risk (“Market Exposures”) and “Trading Strategies” involving long and/or short positions in Market Exposures and/or individual securities or baskets of securities. In seeking to meet its investment objective, the Fund uses a dynamic investment process to seek to identify the appropriate weights to Market Exposures and Trading Strategies that approximate the return and risk patterns of specific hedge fund sub-strategies. The hedge fund sub-strategies whose returns the Fund seeks to approximate include, but are not limited to, Equity Long Short, Event Driven, Relative Value, and Macro sub-strategies (each a “Hedge Fund Sub-Strategy”). To establish the Market Exposures and Trading Strategies that drive the returns of the Hedge Fund Sub-Strategies the Investment Adviser uses industry analysis of hedge funds, including hedge fund return databases, prime brokerage reports, industry participants and regulatory filings and other public sources. The Investment Adviser then applies a quantitative methodology, in combination with a qualitative overlay, to assess the appropriate weight to each Market Exposure and Trading Strategy. The Fund may seek to establish long and/or short positions in a multitude of Market Exposures, including but not limited to:

 

   

U.S. and non-U.S. (including emerging market) equity indices;

 

   

U.S. and non-U.S. (including emerging market) fixed income indices;

 

   

Credit indices;

 

   

Interest rates;

 

   

Commodity indices;

 

   

Master limited partnership (“MLP”) indices;

 

   

Foreign currency exchange rates;

 

   

Baskets of top positions held by hedge funds;

 

   

Single stocks and single commodities;

 

   

Volatility; and

 

   

Market momentum / trends.

The Fund invests in instruments that the Investment Adviser believes will assist the Fund in gaining exposure to the Market Exposures. The instruments in which the Fund may invest include, but are not limited to:

 

   

Equity securities (including securities that may convert into equity securities);

 

   

U.S. corporate bonds and other fixed income securities (including non-investment grade fixed income securities);

 

   

Futures (including equity index futures, interest rate futures, bond futures and volatility futures);

 

   

Swaps (including total return swaps and credit default swaps on indices);

 

   

Options (including listed equity index put and call options, listed government bond future put and call options and swaptions);

 

   

Structured notes (including commodity linked notes);

 

   

ETFs;

 

   

Forward contracts (including currency forward contracts on developed and emerging markets currencies);

 

   

Wholly-owned subsidiary;

 

   

Asset and mortgage-backed securities and REITs

 

   

U.S. Government Securities (as defined below), including agency debentures, and other high quality debt securities; and

 

   

Cash equivalents.

The Fund seeks to gain exposure to the commodities markets by investing in the ART Subsidiary. The ART Subsidiary is advised by the Investment Adviser and seeks to gain commodities exposure. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the ART Subsidiary. The ART Subsidiary primarily obtains its commodity exposure by investing in commodity-linked derivative instruments (which may include total return swaps on commodity indexes, sub-indexes and single commodities, as well as commodity (U.S. or foreign) futures, commodity options and commodity-linked notes). Commodity-linked swaps are derivative instruments whereby the cash flows agreed upon between counterparties are dependent upon the price of the underlying commodity or commodity index over the life of the swap. Commodity futures contracts are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that provide for the sale or purchase of, or economic exposure to the price of, a commodity or a specified basket of commodities at a future time. An option on commodities gives the purchaser the right (and the writer of the option the obligation) to assume a position in a commodity or a specified basket of commodities at a specified exercise price within a specified period of time. The value of these commodity-linked derivatives will rise and fall in response to changes in the underlying commodity or commodity index. Commodity-linked derivatives expose the ART Subsidiary and the Fund economically to movements in commodity prices. Such instruments may be leveraged so that small changes in

 

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the underlying commodity prices would result in disproportionate changes in the value of the instrument. Neither the Fund nor the ART Subsidiary invests directly in physical commodities. The ART Subsidiary may also invest in other instruments, including fixed income securities, either as investments or to serve as margin or collateral for its swap positions, and foreign currency transactions (including forward contracts).

The Fund may from time to time hold foreign currencies. Additionally, as a result of the Fund’s use of derivatives, the Fund may also hold as collateral significant amounts of U.S. Department of the Treasury (“U.S. Treasury”) or short-term investments, including money market funds, repurchase agreements, cash and time deposits. In managing the collateral portion of the Fund’s investment strategy, the Investment Adviser generally seeks capital preservation.

The weighting of a Market Exposure or Trading Strategy within the Fund may be positive or negative. A negative weighting will result from establishing a short position with respect to a Market Exposure or Trading Strategy. As a result of the Fund’s negative weightings in various Market Exposures from time to time, the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) per share may decline during certain periods, even if the value of any or all of the Market Exposures or Trading Strategies increases during that time. Additionally, the sum of the Fund’s target weightings to each Market Exposure or Trading Strategy may not equal 100%.

The Fund does not invest in hedge funds.

From time to time, the Investment Adviser will monitor, and may make changes to, the selection or weight of individual or groups of securities, currencies or markets in the Fund. Such changes (which may be the result of changes in the Fund’s quantitative methodology, the manner of applying the Fund’s quantitative methodology or the judgment of the Investment Adviser) may include: (i) evolutionary changes to the structure of Fund’s quantitative methodology (e.g., changing the methodology, adding or removing asset classes); (ii) changes in trading procedures (e.g., trading frequency or the manner in which the Fund uses futures); or (iii) changes to the weight of individual or groups of securities, currencies or markets in the Fund based on the Investment Adviser’s judgment. Any such changes will preserve the Fund’s basic investment philosophy of combining qualitative and quantitative methods of selecting investments using a disciplined investment process.

Commodity Strategy Fund

The Commodity Strategy Fund’s investment objective is to seek long-term total return. The Fund primarily gains exposure to the commodities markets by investing in the CSF Subsidiary. The CSF Subsidiary primarily obtains its commodity exposure by investing in commodity-linked derivative instruments (which may include total return swaps), which expose the CSF Subsidiary and the Fund economically to movements in commodity prices.

The Commodity Strategy Fund seeks to provide exposure to the commodities markets by investing, through the CSF Subsidiary, in commodity-linked investments whose returns seek to correspond to the performance of commodities indices, including the S&P GSCI Total Return Index (Gross, USD, Unhedged) (“S&P GSCI”), or components of these indices. The S&P GSCI is a composite index of commodity sector returns, representing an unleveraged, long-only investment in commodity futures that is diversified across the spectrum of commodities. The returns are calculated on a fully-collateralized basis with full reinvestment. The combination of these attributes provides investors with a representative and realistic picture of realizable returns attainable in the commodity markets. Individual components qualify for inclusion in the S&P GSCI on the basis of liquidity and are weighted by their respective world production quantities. The principles behind the construction of the index are public and designed to allow easy and cost-efficient investment implementation. Possible means of implementation include the purchase of S&P GSCI-related instruments, such as the S&P GSCI futures contract traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) or over-the-counter derivatives, or the direct purchase of the underlying futures contracts. In pursuing its objective, the Commodity Strategy Fund attempts to provide long and/or short exposure to the returns of real assets that trade in the commodity markets without direct investment in physical commodities. The Fund uses the S&P GSCI as its performance benchmark, but the Fund is actively managed and will not attempt to replicate the index. The Commodity Strategy Fund may, therefore, invest in securities that are not included in the S&P GSCI or seek to hedge the exposure of components of the S&P GSCI. The weights for the 2019 S&P GSCI are as follows:

Energy: 61.20%

Industrial Metals: 10.04%

Precious Metals: 5.03%

Agriculture: 16.50%

Livestock: 7.30%

The Fund also attempts to enhance returns by investing in fixed income securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. Government Securities, corporate debt securities, privately issued mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and structured notes based on the performance of a broad-based commodities index and other commodity-linked derivative securities.

 

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Alternative Premia Fund

The Alternative Premia Fund seeks to provide exposure to Alternative Risk Premia using both long and short positions within a variety of asset classes. Alternative Risk Premia are multi-asset, quantitatively-driven investment strategies that seek to capture diversified sources of returns. The Fund also seeks to maintain a consistent level of volatility over the long term.

The Investment Adviser’s Quantitative Investment Strategies Team (“QIS Team”) uses a disciplined, rigorous and quantitative approach, in combination with a qualitative overlay, in allocating to, and within, the Alternative Risk Premia in which the Fund invests.

The Investment Adviser may, in its discretion, make changes to the quantitative methodology used by the Fund, and the Fund may use other proprietary methodologies based on the Investment Adviser’s proprietary research. Additionally, the Investment Adviser may add new and remove existing Alternative Risk Premia from time to time in its sole discretion.

The Fund may gain exposure to the commodities markets by investing in the AP Subsidiary. The AP Subsidiary is advised by the Investment Adviser and seeks to gain commodities exposure. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the AP Subsidiary. The AP Subsidiary primarily obtains its commodity exposure by investing in commodity-linked derivative instruments, which may include but are not limited to total return swaps, commodity (U.S. or foreign) futures and commodity-linked notes. Commodity-linked swaps are derivative instruments whereby the cash flows agreed upon between counterparties are dependent upon the price of the underlying commodity or commodity index over the life of the swap. Commodity futures contracts are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that provide for the sale or purchase of, or economic exposure to the price of, a commodity or a specified basket of commodities at a future time. The value of these commodity-linked derivatives will rise and fall in response to changes in the underlying commodity or commodity index. Commodity-linked derivatives expose the AP Subsidiary and the Fund economically to movements in commodity prices. Such instruments may be leveraged so that small changes in the underlying commodity prices would result in disproportionate changes in the value of the instrument. Neither the Fund nor the AP Subsidiary invests directly in physical commodities. The AP Subsidiary may also invest in other instruments, including fixed income securities, either as investments or to serve as margin or collateral for its swap positions, and foreign currency transactions (including forward contracts).

From time to time, the Investment Adviser will monitor, and may make changes to, the selection or weight of individual or groups of securities, currencies or markets in the Fund. Such changes (which may be the result of changes in the Investment Adviser’s Alternative Risk Premia, the method of applying the Alternative Risk Premia or the judgment of the Investment Adviser) may include: (i) evolutionary changes to the structure of the Alternative Risk Premia (e.g., the addition of new factors or a new means of weighting the factors); (ii) changes in trading procedures (e.g., trading frequency or the manner in which the Fund uses futures); or (iii) changes to the weight of individual or groups of securities, currencies or markets in the Fund based on the Investment Adviser’s judgment.

Global Infrastructure Fund

The Global Infrastructure Fund’s investment objective is to seek total return comprised of long-term growth of capital and income.

The Fund will invest primarily in the common stock of issuers that are engaged in or related to the infrastructure group or industries (“infrastructure companies”). An issuer is engaged in or related to the infrastructure group of industries if it is involved in the ownership, development, construction, renovation, financing, management, sale or operation of infrastructure assets, or that provide the services and raw materials necessary for the construction and maintenance of infrastructure assets. Infrastructure assets include, but are not limited to, utilities, energy, transportation, real estate, media, telecommunications and capital goods.

The Fund will invest in the securities of infrastructure companies that are economically tied to at least three countries, including the United States. Although the Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, primarily in the securities of infrastructure companies that are economically tied to developed countries (namely developed countries in North America and Europe), the Fund may also invest in the securities of infrastructure companies that are economically tied to emerging countries.

Real Estate Securities, International Real Estate Securities and Global Real Estate Securities Funds

The investment objective of each of the Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund and Global Real Estate Securities Fund is to seek total return comprised of long-term growth of capital and dividend income.

The investment strategy of each Fund is based on the premise that property market fundamentals are the primary determinant of growth which underlies the success of companies in the real estate industry. Each Fund’s research and investment process focuses on companies that can achieve sustainable growth in cash flow and dividend paying capability over time. This process is comprised of real estate market research and securities analysis. The Investment Adviser will take into account fundamental trends in underlying property markets as determined by proprietary models, research of local real estate market, earnings, cash flow growth and stability, the relationship between asset values and market prices of the securities and dividend payment history. The Investment Adviser will attempt to purchase securities so that its underlying portfolio will be varied geographically and by property type.

 

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U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium and International Equity Dividend and Premium Funds

The U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund’s investment objective is to seek to maximize income and total return. The International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund’s investment objective is to seek to maximize total return with an emphasis on income.

Stock Selection and Portfolio Construction. The U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund seeks to maintain an equity portfolio that will produce a gross return similar to that of its equity benchmark, the S&P 500® Index. The International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund seeks to maintain an equity portfolio that will produce a gross return similar to that of its equity benchmark, the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Europe, Australasia, Far East (EAFE) Index (Net, USD, Unhedged). However, because of the impact of call options written by each Fund, the return of each Fund is not expected to closely track its benchmark, even if the return of the portfolio securities held by each Fund resembles the return of the benchmark. In addition, the return of each Fund may trail the return of its benchmark for short or extended periods of time.

Generally, each Fund will seek to hold certain of the higher dividend paying stocks within each industry and sector while still maintaining industry and sector weights that are similar to those of its benchmark. The Investment Adviser will consider annualized dividend yields, scheduled dividend record dates and any extraordinary dividends when evaluating securities. The Investment Adviser will generally not seek to outperform the benchmark through active security selection.

The Investment Adviser will use proprietary quantitative techniques, including optimization tools, a risk model, and a transactions cost model, in combination with a qualitative overlay, in identifying a portfolio of stocks that it believes may enhance expected dividend yield while limiting deviations when compared to the benchmark. As a result of the qualitative overlay, a Fund’s investments may not correspond to those generated by the Investment Adviser’s proprietary models for a number of reasons including, but not limited to, corporate actions (e.g., reorganizations, mergers and buy-outs), industry events and/or trading liquidity. Each Fund may invest in stocks other than those generated by the Investment Adviser’s proprietary models, at the discretion of the Investment Adviser. In addition, the Investment Adviser may, in its discretion, make changes to its quantitative techniques, or use other quantitative techniques that are based on the Investment Adviser’s proprietary research. Deviations are constrained with regards to position sizes, industry weights, sector weights, volatility as compared to the market (i.e., Beta) and estimated tracking error.

From time to time, the Investment Adviser will monitor, and may make changes to, the selection or weight of individual or groups of securities, currencies or markets in a Fund. Such changes (which may be the result of changes in the quantitative techniques, the manner of applying these quantitative techniques or the judgment of the Investment Adviser) may include: (i) evolutionary changes to the structure of these quantitative techniques (e.g., changing the calculation of the algorithm); (ii) changes in trading procedures (e.g., trading frequency or the manner in which a Fund uses options); or (iii) changes to the weight of individual or groups of securities, currencies or markets in a Fund based on the Investment Adviser’s judgment. Any such changes will preserve a Fund’s basic investment philosophy of combining qualitative and quantitative methods of selecting investments using a disciplined investment process.

Call Writing. Each Fund will regularly write call options in order to generate additional cash flow. It is anticipated that the calls will typically be written against the relevant Fund’s benchmark or against ETFs linked to the relevant benchmark or against other national or regional indices. The goal of each Fund’s call writing is to generate an amount of premium that, when annualized and added to each Fund’s expected dividend yield, provides an attractive level of cash flow. Call writing, however, entails certain risks.

The Investment Adviser anticipates generally writing index call options, or call options on ETFs, with expirations of three months or less. Outstanding call options will be rolled forward upon expiration, so that there will generally be some options outstanding.

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity and International Tax-Managed Equity Funds

The U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund’s investment objective is to seek to provide long-term after-tax growth of capital through tax-sensitive participation in a broadly diversified portfolio of U.S. equity securities. The International Tax-Managed Equity Fund’s investment objective is to seek to provide long-term after-tax growth of capital through tax-sensitive participation in a broadly diversified portfolio of international equity securities.

Quantitative Style. The U.S. Tax-Managed Equity and International Tax-Managed Equity Funds are managed using both quantitative and fundamental techniques, and, from time to time in the Investment Adviser’s discretion, in combination with a qualitative overlay. The Funds’ investment process and the proprietary multifactor models used to implement it are discussed below.

Investment Process. The Investment Adviser begins with a broad universe of U.S. equity investments for the U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund, and international equity investments for the International Tax-Managed Equity Fund. As described more fully below, the Investment Adviser uses proprietary multifactor models (the “Multifactor Models”) to forecast the returns of individual securities.

 

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The Multifactor Models rely on some or all of the following investment pillars and themes to forecast the returns of individual securities (although additional pillars or themes may be added in the future without prior notice):

 

   

Fundamental Mispricings

 

   

Valuation: The Valuation theme attempts to capture potential mispricings of securities, typically by comparing a measure of the company’s intrinsic value to its market value.

 

   

High Quality Business Models

 

   

Profitability: The Profitability theme seeks to assess whether a company is earning more than its cost of capital.

 

   

Quality: The Quality theme assesses both firm and management quality.

 

   

Management: The Management theme assesses the characteristics, policies and strategic decisions of company management.

 

   

Market Themes and Trends

 

   

Momentum: The Momentum theme seeks to predict drifts in stock prices caused by delayed investor reaction to company-specific information and information about related companies.

 

   

Sentiment Analysis

 

   

Sentiment: The Sentiment theme reflects selected investment views and decisions of individuals and financial intermediaries.

In building a diversified portfolio for the U.S. Tax-Managed Equity and International Tax-Managed Equity Funds, the Investment Adviser utilizes optimization techniques to seek to construct the most efficient risk/return portfolio given each Fund’s benchmark. Each Fund’s portfolio is primarily composed of securities that the Investment Adviser believes maximizes the portfolio’s risk/return tradeoff and has risk characteristics and industry weightings similar to that of the Russell 3000® Index for the U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund, and the MSCI EAFE Index for the International Tax-Managed Equity Fund.

Multifactor Models. The Multifactor Models are systematic rating systems that seek to forecast the returns of different equity markets, currencies and individual equity investments according to fundamental and other investment characteristics. Each Fund uses one or more Multifactor Models (and, from time to time in the Investment Adviser’s discretion, in combination with a qualitative overlay) that seek to forecast the returns of securities in its portfolio. Each Multifactor Model may incorporate common variables including, but not limited to, measures of value, price, momentum, profitability, quality, management and sentiment. The Investment Adviser believes that all of the factors used in the Multifactor Models impact the performance of the securities, currencies and markets in the forecast universe. As a result of the qualitative overlay, the Funds’ investments may not correspond to, and the Funds may invest in securities, currencies and markets other than, those generated by the Multifactor Models.

The weightings assigned to the factors in the Multifactor Models can be but are not necessarily derived using a statistical formulation that considers each factor’s historical performance, volatility and stability of ranking in different market environments, and judgment. Because they include many disparate factors, the Investment Adviser believes that all the Multifactor Models are broader in scope and provide a more thorough evaluation than traditional investment processes. Securities and markets ranked highest by the relevant Multifactor Model do not have one dominant investment characteristic; rather, they possess an attractive combination of investment characteristics. By using a variety of relevant factors to select securities, currencies or markets, the Investment Adviser believes that each Fund will be better balanced and have more consistent performance than an investment portfolio that uses only one or two factors to select such investments.

From time to time, the Investment Adviser will monitor, and may make changes to, the selection or weight of individual or groups of securities, currencies or markets in a Fund. Such changes (which may be the result of changes in the Multifactor Models, the method of applying the Multifactor Models, or the judgment of the Investment Adviser) may include: (i) evolutionary changes to the structure of the Multifactor Models (e.g., the addition of new factors or a new means of weighting the factors); (ii) changes in trading

 

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procedures (e.g., trading frequency or the manner in which a Fund uses futures); or (iii) changes to the weight of individual or groups of securities, currencies or markets in a Fund based on the Investment Adviser’s judgment. Any such changes will preserve a Fund’s basic investment philosophy of selecting investments using a disciplined investment process combining quantitative methods with a qualitative overlay when determined appropriate in the Investment Adviser’s discretion.

Other Information. Because normal settlement for equity securities is three trading days (for certain international markets settlement may be longer), the Funds will need to hold cash balances to satisfy shareholder redemption requests. Such cash balances will normally range from 2% to 5% of a Fund’s net assets. Additionally, the Funds may purchase futures contracts to manage their cash position. For example, if cash balances are equal to 5% of the net assets, a Fund may enter into long futures contracts covering an amount equal to 5% of the Fund’s net assets. As cash balances fluctuate based on new contributions or withdrawals, a Fund may enter into additional contracts or close out existing positions.

General Information Regarding the Managed Futures Strategy Fund

The Managed Futures Strategy Fund’s investment objective is to seek to generate long-term absolute return. The Fund implements a trend-following strategy that takes long and/or short positions in a wide range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, commodities and currencies, among others, to seek long-term absolute return. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in a portfolio of equities, equity index futures, bonds, bond futures, equity swaps, interest rate swaps, currency forwards and non-deliverable forwards, options, ETFs, and structured securities. As a result of the Fund’s use of derivatives, the Fund may also hold significant amounts of U.S. Treasuries or short-term investments, including money market funds, repurchase agreements, cash and time deposits. The Fund’s investments will be made without restriction as to issuer capitalization, country, currency, maturity, or credit rating.

The Investment Adviser seeks to identify price trends in various asset classes over short-, medium-, and long-term horizons via a proprietary investment model, in combination with a qualitative overlay. Upon identifying a trend in a given instrument or asset, the Fund will take a long or short position in the instrument or asset. Long positions benefit from an increase in price of the underlying instrument or asset, while short positions benefit from a decrease in price of the underlying instrument or asset. The size of the Fund’s position in an instrument or asset will primarily be related to the strength of the overall trend identified by the investment model.

The Fund may implement short positions and may do so by using swaps or futures, or through short sales of any instrument that the Fund may purchase for investment. For example, the Fund may enter into a futures contract pursuant to which it agrees to sell an asset (that it does not currently own) at a specified price at a specified point in the future. This gives the Fund a short position with respect to that asset. The Fund may use leverage (e.g., by borrowing or through derivatives). As a result, the sum of the Fund’s investment exposures may at times exceed the amount of assets invested in the Fund, although these exposures may vary over time.

The Fund may seek exposure to the commodities markets by investing in commodity index-linked structured notes. The Fund may also take long and/or short positions in commodities by investing in other investment companies, ETFs or other pooled investment vehicles. Although it does not currently intend to do so, the Fund may also invest through a wholly-owned subsidiary, which would be advised by the Investment Adviser and would seek to gain commodities exposure. Such investments would be made only to the extent permissible under applicable law then in effect, or in reliance upon a private letter ruling from the IRS or an opinion of counsel, or other applicable guidance or relief provided by the IRS or other agencies.

From time to time, the Investment Adviser will monitor, and may make changes to, the selection or weight of individual or groups of securities, currencies or markets in the Fund. Such changes (which may be the result of changes in the proprietary investment model, the method of applying the model or the judgment of the Investment Adviser) may include: (i) evolutionary changes to the structure of the model (e.g., the addition of new factors or a new means of weighting the factors); (ii) changes in trading procedures (e.g., trading frequency or the manner in which the Fund uses futures); or (iii) changes to the weight of individual or groups of securities, currencies or markets in the Fund based on the Investment Adviser’s judgment. Any such changes will preserve the Fund’s basic investment philosophy of combining qualitative and quantitative methods of selecting investments using a disciplined investment process.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF INVESTMENT SECURITIES AND PRACTICES

The investment securities and practices and related risks applicable to each Fund are presented below in alphabetical order, and not in the order of importance or potential exposure.

Asset Segregation

As investment companies registered with the SEC, the Funds must identify on their books (often referred to as “asset segregation”) liquid assets, or engage in other SEC- or SEC staff-approved or other appropriate measures, to “cover” open positions with respect to certain kinds of derivative instruments. In the case of swaps, futures contracts, options, forward contracts and other derivative instruments that do not cash settle, for example, a Fund must identify on its books liquid assets equal to the full notional amount of the instrument while the positions are open, to the extent there is not a permissible offsetting position or a contractual “netting” agreement with respect to swaps (other than credit default swaps where the Fund is the protection seller). However, with respect to certain swaps, futures contracts, options, forward contracts and other derivative instruments that are required to cash settle, a Fund may identify liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market net obligations (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability) under the instrument, if any, rather than its full notional amount. Forwards and futures contracts that do not cash settle may be treated as cash settled for asset segregation purposes when the Funds have entered into a contractual arrangement with a third party futures commission merchant (“FCM”) or other counterparty to off-set the Funds’ exposure under the contract and, failing that, to assign their delivery obligation under the contract to the counterparty. The Funds reserve the right to modify their asset segregation policies in the future in their discretion, consistent with the 1940 Act and SEC or SEC staff guidance. By identifying assets equal to only its net obligations under certain instruments, a Fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to identify assets equal to the full notional amount of the instrument.

In November 2019, the SEC published a proposed rulemaking related to the use of derivatives and certain other transactions by registered investment companies that would, if adopted, for the most part rescind the guidance of the SEC and its staff regarding asset segregation and cover transactions. Instead of complying with current guidance, a Fund would need to trade derivatives and other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations (except reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions) subject to a value-at-risk (“VaR”) leverage limit, certain other derivatives risk management program and testing requirements and requirements related to board and SEC reporting. These new requirements would apply unless a Fund qualified as a “limited derivatives user,” as defined in the SEC’s proposal. If a Fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, it would need to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness when calculating the Fund’s asset coverage ratio. Reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions would not be included in the calculation of whether a Fund is a limited derivatives user. Any new requirements, if adopted, may increase the cost of a Fund’s investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.

Asset-Backed Securities

Asset-backed securities represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, assets such as motor vehicle installment sales, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements and other categories of receivables. Such assets are securitized through the use of trusts and special purpose corporations. Payments or distributions of principal and interest may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or a pool insurance policy issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trust or corporation, or other credit enhancements may be present.

The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund may invest in asset-backed securities. Such securities are often subject to more rapid repayment than their stated maturity date would indicate as a result of the pass-through of prepayments of principal on the underlying loans. During periods of declining interest rates, prepayment of loans underlying asset-backed securities can be expected to accelerate. Accordingly, a Fund’s ability to maintain positions in such securities will be affected by reductions in the principal amount of such securities resulting from prepayments, and its ability to reinvest the returns of principal at comparable yields is subject to generally prevailing interest rates at that time. To the extent that a Fund invests in asset-backed securities, the values of the Fund’s portfolio securities will vary with changes in market interest rates generally and the differentials in yields among various kinds of asset-backed securities.

Asset-backed securities present certain additional risks because asset-backed securities generally do not have the benefit of a security interest in collateral that is comparable to mortgage assets. Credit card receivables are generally unsecured and the debtors on such receivables are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which give such debtors the right to set-off certain amounts owed on the credit cards, thereby reducing the balance due. Automobile receivables generally are secured, but by automobiles rather than residential real property. Most issuers of automobile receivables permit the loan servicers to

 

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retain possession of the underlying obligations. If the servicer were to sell these obligations to another party, there is a risk that the purchaser would acquire an interest superior to that of the holders of the asset-backed securities. In addition, because of the large number of vehicles involved in a typical issuance and technical requirements under state laws, the trustee for the holders of the automobile receivables may not have a proper security interest in the underlying automobiles. Therefore, if the issuer of an asset-backed security defaults on its payment obligations, there is the possibility that, in some cases, a Fund will be unable to possess and sell the underlying collateral and that the Fund’s recoveries on repossessed collateral may not be available to support payments on these securities.

Bank Obligations

Each Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. or foreign banks. Bank obligations, including without limitation, time deposits, bankers’ acceptances and certificates of deposit, may be general obligations of the parent bank or may be limited to the issuing branch by the terms of the specific obligations or by government regulation. Banks are subject to extensive but different governmental regulations which may limit both the amount and types of loans which may be made and interest rates which may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry is largely dependent upon the availability and cost of funds for the purpose of financing lending operations under prevailing money market conditions. General economic conditions as well as exposure to credit losses arising from possible financial difficulties of borrowers play an important part in the operation of this industry.

Certificates of deposit are certificates evidencing the obligation of a bank to repay funds deposited with it for a specified period of time at a specified rate. Certificates of deposit are negotiable instruments and are similar to saving deposits but have a definite maturity and are evidenced by a certificate instead of a passbook entry. Banks are required to keep reserves against all certificates of deposit. Fixed time deposits are bank obligations payable at a stated maturity date and bearing interest at a fixed rate. Fixed time deposits may be withdrawn on demand by the investor, but may be subject to early withdrawal penalties which vary depending upon market conditions and the remaining maturity of the obligation. The Funds may invest in deposits in U.S. and European banks satisfying the standards set forth above.

Collateralized Loan Obligations and Other Collateralized Debt Obligations

The Commodity Strategy Fund may invest in collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)and other similarly structured investments. A CLOs is an asset-backed securitiy whose underlying collateral is a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign floating rate and fixed rate senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. In addition to the normal risks associated with loan- and credit-related securities discussed elsewhere in the Prospectus (e.g., loan-related investments risk, interest rate risk and default risk), investments in CLOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to, the risk that: (i) distributions from the collateral may not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Funds may invest in tranches of CLOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the structure and complexity of the transaction and the legal documents could lead to disputes among investors regarding the characterization of proceeds; and (v) the CLO’s manager may perform poorly. CLOs may charge management and other administrative fees, which are in addition to those of a Fund.

CLOs issue classes or “tranches” that offer various maturity, risk and yield characteristics. Losses caused by defaults on underlying assets are borne first by the holders of subordinate tranches. Tranches are categorized as senior, mezzanine and subordinated/equity, according to their degree of risk. If there are defaults or the CLO’s collateral otherwise underperforms, scheduled payments to senior tranches take precedence over those of mezzanine tranches, and scheduled payments to mezzanine tranches take precedence over those of subordinated/equity tranches. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the collateral and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Because it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CLO trust typically has higher ratings and lower yields than its underlying collateral, and may be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity and mezzanine tranches, more senior tranches of CLOs can experience losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of more subordinatetranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CLO securities as a class. The Funds’ investments in CLOs principally consist of senior tranches and, to a lesser extent, mezzanine tranches.

Typically, CLOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CLOs may have limited pricing transparency. However, an active dealer market may exist for CLOs allowing a CDO to qualify under the Rule 144A “safe harbor” from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”) for resales of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. These and other factors discussed in the section below, entitled “Illiquid Investments,” may impact the liquidity of investments in CLOs.

The Funds may also invest in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), which are structured similarly to CLOs, but are backed by pools of assets that are debt securities (rather than being limited only to loans), typically including bonds, other structured finance securities (including other asset-backed securities and other CDOs) and/or synthetic instruments. Like CLOs, the risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type and quality of the collateral securities and the tranche of the CDO in which a Fund invests. CDOs collateralized by pools of asset-backed securities carry the same risks as investments in asset-backed securities directly, including losses with respect to the collateral underlying those asset-backed securities. In addition, certain CDOs may not hold their underlying collateral directly, but rather, use derivatives such as swaps to create “synthetic” exposure to the collateral pool. Such CDOs entail the risks associated with derivative instruments.

 

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Commercial Paper and Other Short-Term Corporate Obligations

The Funds may invest in commercial paper and other short-term obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. corporations, non-U.S. corporations or other entities. Commercial paper represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued in bearer form by banks or bank holding companies, corporations and finance companies.

Commodity-Linked Investments

The Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund may seek to provide exposure to the investment returns of real assets that trade in the commodity markets through investments in commodity-linked derivative securities, such as structured notes, discussed below, which are designed to provide this exposure without direct investment in physical commodities or commodities futures contracts. The Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund and Alternative Premia Fund may also seek to provide exposure to the investment returns of real assets that trade in the commodity markets through investments in the Subsidiaries. Real assets are assets such as oil, gas, industrial and precious metals, livestock, and agricultural or meat products, or other items that have tangible properties, as compared to stocks or bonds, which are financial instruments. In choosing investments, the Investment Adviser seeks to provide exposure to various commodities and commodity sectors. The value of commodity-linked derivative securities held by a Fund and/or a Subsidiary may be affected by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, overall market movements and other factors affecting the value of particular industries or commodities, such as weather, disease, embargoes, acts of war or terrorism, or political and regulatory developments.

The prices of commodity-linked derivative securities may move in different directions than investments in traditional equity and debt securities when the value of those traditional securities is declining due to adverse economic conditions. As an example, during periods of rising inflation, debt securities have historically tended to decline in value due to the general increase in prevailing interest rates. Conversely, during those same periods of rising inflation, the prices of certain commodities, such as oil and metals, have historically tended to increase. Of course, there cannot be any guarantee that these investments will perform in that manner in the future, and at certain times the price movements of commodity-linked instruments have been parallel to those of debt and equity securities. Commodities have historically tended to increase and decrease in value during different parts of the business cycle than financial assets. Nevertheless, at various times, commodities prices may move in tandem with the prices of financial assets and thus may not provide overall portfolio diversification benefits. Under favorable economic conditions, the Funds’ investments may be expected to underperform an investment in traditional securities. Over the long term, the returns on the Funds’ investments are expected to exhibit low or negative correlation with stocks and bonds.

Because commodity-linked investments are available from a relatively small number of issuers, a Fund’s investments will be particularly subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the issuer of the commodity-linked derivative (which issuer may also serve as counterparty to a substantial number of the Fund’s commodity-linked and other derivative investments) will not fulfill its contractual obligations.

For the Commodity Strategy Fund, the Investment Adviser generally intends to invest in commodity-linked investments whose returns are linked to the S&P GSCI. However, the Commodity Strategy Fund is not an index fund and the Investment Adviser may make allocations that differ from the weightings in the S&P GSCI or seek to hedge the exposure of components of the S&P GSCI.

Convertible Securities

Each Fund (other than the Alternative Premia Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund) may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a specified amount of common stock of the same or different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest that is generally paid or accrued on debt or a dividend that is paid or accrued on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics, in that they generally (i) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities, (ii) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying common stock due to their fixed-income characteristics and (iii) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.

The value of a convertible security is a function of its “investment value” (determined by its yield in comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege) and its “conversion value” (the security’s worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock). The investment value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value normally declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline.

 

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The credit standing of the issuer and other factors may also have an effect on the convertible security’s investment value. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed-income security.

A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to convert the security into the underlying common stock, sell it to a third party, or permit the issuer to redeem the security. Any of these actions could have an adverse effect on a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective, which, in turn, could result in losses to the Fund.

In evaluating a convertible security, the Investment Adviser will give primary emphasis to the attractiveness of the underlying common stock. Convertible debt securities are equity investments for purposes of each Fund’s investment policies.

Corporate Debt Obligations

Each Fund may, under normal market conditions, invest in corporate debt obligations, including obligations of industrial, utility and financial issuers. Corporate debt obligations include bonds, notes, debentures and other obligations of corporations to pay interest and repay principal. The U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund may only invest in debt securities that are cash equivalents. Corporate debt obligations are subject to the risk of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligations and may also be subject to price volatility due to such factors as market interest rates, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity.

Corporate debt obligations rated BBB or Baa are considered medium grade obligations with speculative characteristics, and adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances may weaken their issuers’ capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Medium to lower rated and comparable non-rated securities tend to offer higher yields than higher rated securities with the same maturities because the historical financial condition of the issuers of such securities may not have been as strong as that of other issuers. The price of corporate debt obligations will generally fluctuate in response to fluctuations in supply and demand for similarly rated securities. In addition, the price of corporate debt obligations will generally fluctuate in response to interest rate levels. Fluctuations in the prices of portfolio securities subsequent to their acquisition will not affect cash income from such securities but will be reflected in a Fund’s NAV.

Because medium to lower rated securities generally involve greater risks of loss of income and principal than higher rated securities, investors should consider carefully the relative risks associated with investment in securities which carry medium to lower ratings and in comparable unrated securities. In addition to the risk of default, there are the related costs of recovery on defaulted issues. The Investment Adviser will attempt to reduce these risks through portfolio diversification and by analysis of each issuer and its ability to make timely payments of income and principal, as well as broad economic trends and corporate developments.

The Investment Adviser employs its own credit research and analysis, which includes a study of an issuer’s existing debt, capital structure, ability to service debt and pay dividends, sensitivity to economic conditions, operating history and current earnings trend. The Investment Adviser continually monitors the investments in a Fund’s portfolio and evaluates whether to dispose of or to retain corporate debt obligations whose credit ratings or credit quality may have changed. If after its purchase, a portfolio security is assigned a lower rating or ceases to be rated, a Fund may continue to hold the security if the Investment Adviser believes it is in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders.

Currency Swaps, Mortgage Swaps, Credit Swaps, Total Return Swaps, Equity Swaps, Options on Swaps, Index Swaps, Interest Rate Swaps and Interest Rate Caps, Floors and Collars

The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund may enter into mortgage, credit, total return, index, equity and interest rate swaps for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return. The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund may also enter into currency swaps for both hedging purposes and to seek to increase total return. The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund and U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund may enter into other interest rate swap arrangements such as rate caps, floors and collars, for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return. The Absolute Return Tracker Fund may enter into currency, mortgage, credit, total return, index, equity and interest rate swaps and other interest rate swap arrangements such as rate

 

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caps, floors and collars in an attempt to match the returns of the Market Exposures. The Managed Futures Strategy Fund may enter into index, interest rate, mortgage, credit, currency, equity and total return swaps for both hedging purposes and to seek to increase total return. The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund and U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund may also purchase and write (sell) options on swaps, commonly referred to as swaptions.

In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns, differentials in rates of return or some other amount earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency or security, or in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index. Bilateral swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors. Cleared swaps are transacted through FCMs that are members of central clearinghouses with the clearinghouse serving as a central counterparty similar to transactions in futures contracts. Funds post initial and variation margin by making payments to their clearing member FCMs.

Currency swaps involve the exchange by a Fund with another party of their respective rights to make or receive payments in specified currencies. Mortgage swaps are similar to interest rate swaps in that they represent commitments to pay and receive interest. The notional principal amount, however, is tied to a reference pool or pools of mortgages. Index swaps involve the exchange by a Fund with another party of payments based on a notional principal amount of a specified index or indices. Credit swaps (also referred to as credit default swaps) involve the exchange of a floating or fixed rate payment in return for assuming potential credit losses of an underlying security, or pool of securities. Total return swaps are contracts that obligate a party to pay or receive interest in exchange for the payment by the other party of the total return generated by a security, a basket of securities, an index or an index component. Equity swap contracts may be structured in different ways. For example, as a total return swap where a counterparty may agree to pay a Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the equity swap contract would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks (or a group of stocks), plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. In other cases, the counterparty and a Fund may each agree to pay the difference between the relative investment performances that would have been achieved if the notional amount of the equity swap contract had been invested in different stocks (or a group of stocks). Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by a Fund with another party of commitments to pay or receive payments for floating rate payments based on interest rates at specified intervals in the future. Two types of interest rate swaps include “fixed-for-floating rate swaps” and “basis swaps.” Fixed-for-floating rate swaps involve the exchange of payments based on a fixed interest rate for payments based on a floating interest rate index. By contrast, basis swaps involve the exchange of payments based on two different floating interest rate indices.

A swaption is an option to enter into a swap agreement. Like other types of options, the buyer of a swaption pays a non-refundable premium for the option and obtains the right, but not the obligation, to enter into or modify an underlying swap or to modify the terms of an existing swap on agreed-upon terms. The seller of a swaption, in exchange for the premium, becomes obligated (if the option is exercised) to enter into or modify an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms, which generally entails a greater risk of loss than incurred in buying a swaption. The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate, to receive payment of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling the interest rate floor. An interest rate collar is the combination of a cap and a floor that preserves a certain return within a predetermined range of interest rates. Because interest rate, mortgage swaps and interest rate caps, floors and collars are individually negotiated, a Fund expects to achieve an acceptable degree of correlation between its portfolio investments and its swap, cap, floor and collar positions.

A great deal of flexibility may be possible in the way swap transactions are structured. However, generally a Fund will enter into interest rate, total return, credit, mortgage, equity and index swaps on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Interest rate, total return, credit, index, equity and mortgage swaps do not normally involve the delivery of securities, other underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to interest rate, total return, credit, index, equity and mortgage swaps is normally limited to the net amount of interest payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to an interest rate, total return, credit, index, equity or mortgage swap defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of interest payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any. In contrast, currency swaps usually involve the delivery of a gross payment stream in one designated currency in exchange for the gross payment stream in another designated currency. Therefore, the entire payment stream under a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations.

As a result of recent regulatory developments, certain standardized swaps are currently subject to mandatory central clearing and some of these cleared swaps must be traded on an exchange or swap execution facility (“SEF”). A SEF is a trading platform in which multiple market participants can execute swap transactions by accepting bids and offers made by multiple other participants on the platform. Transactions executed on a SEF may increase market transparency and liquidity but may cause a Fund to incur increased expenses to execute swaps. Central clearing should decrease counterparty risk and increase liquidity compared to bilateral swaps because

 

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central clearing interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participant’s swap. However, central clearing does not eliminate counterparty risk or liquidity risk entirely. In addition, depending on the size of a Fund and other factors, the margin required under the rules of a clearinghouse and by a clearing member may be in excess of the collateral required to be posted by the Fund to support its obligations under a similar bilateral swap. However, the CFTC and other applicable regulators have adopted rules imposing certain margin requirements, including minimums, on uncleared swaps, which may result in the Fund and its counterparties posting higher margin amounts for uncleared swaps. Requiring margin on uncleared swaps may reduce, but not eliminate, counterparty credit risk.

A credit swap may have as reference obligations one or more securities that may, or may not, be currently held by a Fund. The protection “buyer” in a credit swap is generally obligated to pay the protection “seller” an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the swap provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the “par value” (full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. A Fund may be either the protection buyer or seller in the transaction. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer generally may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity whose value may have significantly decreased. As a seller, a Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, a Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, a Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. If a credit event occurs, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the Fund as seller, coupled with the upfront or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the Fund.

The use of swaps, swaptions and interest rate caps, floors and collars, is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all possible market conditions. If the Investment Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, credit quality, interest rates and currency exchange rates, the investment performance of a Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if this investment technique were not used.

In addition, these transactions can involve greater risks than if a Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly because, in addition to general market risks, swaps are subject to liquidity risk, counterparty risk, credit risk and pricing risk. Regulators also may impose limits on an entity’s or group of entities’ positions in certain swaps. However, certain risks are reduced (but not eliminated) if a Fund invests in cleared swaps. Bilateral swap agreements are two party contracts that may have terms of greater than seven days. Moreover, a Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap counterparty. Many swaps are complex and often valued subjectively. Swaps and other derivatives may also be subject to pricing or “basis” risk, which exists when the price of a particular derivative diverges from the price of corresponding cash market instruments. Under certain market conditions it may not be economically feasible to imitate a transaction or liquidate a position in time to avoid a loss or take advantage of an opportunity. If a swap transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.

Certain rules also require centralized reporting of detailed information about many types of cleared and uncleared swaps. This information is available to regulators and, to a more limited extent and on an anonymous basis, to the public. Reporting of swap data may result in greater market transparency, which may be beneficial to funds that use swaps to implement trading strategies. However, these rules place potential additional administrative obligations on these funds, and the safeguards established to protect anonymity may not function as expected.

The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments which are traded in the interbank market. These and other factors discussed in the section below, entitled “Illiquid Investments,” may impact the liquidity of investments in swaps.

Custodial Receipts and Trust Certificates

Each Fund (except the Managed Futures Strategy Fund) may invest in custodial receipts and trust certificates, which may be underwritten by securities dealers or banks, representing interests in securities held by a custodian or trustee. The securities so held may include obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises (“U.S. Government Securities”), municipal securities or other types of securities in which a Fund may invest. The custodial receipts or trust certificates are underwritten by securities dealers or banks and may evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on the underlying securities, or, in some cases, the payment obligation of a third party that has entered into an interest rate swap or other arrangement with the custodian or trustee. For certain securities laws purposes, custodial receipts and trust certificates may not

 

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be considered obligations of the U.S. Government or other issuer of the securities held by the custodian or trustee. As a holder of custodial receipts and trust certificates, a Fund will bear its proportionate share of the fees and expenses charged to the custodial account or trust. Each Fund may also invest in separately issued interests in custodial receipts and trust certificates.

Although under the terms of a custodial receipt or trust certificate a Fund would typically be authorized to assert its rights directly against the issuer of the underlying obligation, a Fund could be required to assert through the custodian bank or trustee those rights as may exist against the underlying issuers. Thus, in the event an underlying issuer fails to pay principal and/or interest when due, a Fund may be subject to delays, expenses and risks that are greater than those that would have been involved if a Fund had purchased a direct obligation of the issuer. In addition, in the event that the trust or custodial account in which the underlying securities have been deposited is determined to be an association taxable as a corporation, instead of a non-taxable entity, the yield on the underlying securities would be reduced in recognition of any taxes paid.

Certain custodial receipts and trust certificates may be synthetic or derivative instruments that have interest rates that reset inversely to changing short-term rates and/or have embedded interest rate floors and caps that require the issuer to pay an adjusted interest rate if market rates fall below or rise above a specified rate. Because some of these instruments represent relatively recent innovations, and the trading market for these instruments is less developed than the markets for traditional types of instruments, it is uncertain how these instruments will perform under different economic and interest-rate scenarios. Also, because these instruments may be leveraged, their market values may be more volatile than other types of fixed income instruments and may present greater potential for capital gain or loss. The possibility of default by an issuer or the issuer’s credit provider may be greater for these derivative instruments than for other types of instruments. In some cases, it may be difficult to determine the fair value of a derivative instrument because of a lack of reliable objective information and an established secondary market for some instruments may not exist. In many cases, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has not ruled on the tax treatment of the interest or payments received on the derivative instruments and, accordingly, purchases of such instruments are based on the opinion of counsel to the sponsors of the instruments.

Deferred Interest, Pay-In-Kind and Capital Appreciation Bonds

The Commodity Strategy Fund’s investments in fixed income securities may include deferred interest, pay-in-kind (“PIK”) and capital appreciation bonds. Deferred interest and capital appreciation bonds are debt securities issued or sold at a discount from their face value and which do not entitle the holder to any periodic payment of interest prior to maturity or a specified date. The original issue discount varies depending on the time remaining until maturity or cash payment date, prevailing interest rates, the liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. These securities also may take the form of debt securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons, the coupons themselves or receipts or certificates representing interests in such stripped debt obligations or coupons.

PIK securities may be debt obligations or preferred shares that provide the issuer with the option of paying interest or dividends on such obligations in cash or in the form of additional securities rather than cash. Similar to deferred interest bonds, PIK securities are designed to give an issuer flexibility in managing cash flow. PIK securities that are debt securities can be either senior or subordinated debt and generally trade flat (i.e., without accrued interest). The trading price of PIK debt securities generally reflects the market value of the underlying debt plus an amount representing accrued interest since the last interest payment.

The market prices of deferred interest, capital appreciation bonds and PIK securities generally are more volatile than the market prices of interest bearing securities and are likely to respond to a greater degree to changes in interest rates than interest bearing securities having similar maturities and credit quality. Moreover, deferred interest, capital appreciation and PIK securities involve the additional risk that, unlike securities that periodically pay interest to maturity, a Fund will realize no cash until a specified future payment date unless a portion of such securities is sold and, if the issuer of such securities defaults, a Fund may obtain no return at all on its investment. The valuation of such investments requires judgment regarding the collection of future payments. In addition, even though such securities do not provide for the payment of current interest in cash, a Fund is nonetheless required to accrue income on such investments for each taxable year and generally is required to distribute such accrued amounts (net of deductible expenses, if any) to avoid being subject to tax. Because no cash is generally received at the time of the accrual, a Fund may be required to liquidate other portfolio securities to obtain sufficient cash to satisfy federal tax distribution requirements applicable to the Fund. A portion of the discount with respect to stripped tax-exempt securities or their coupons may be taxable. See “TAXATION.”

Dividend-Paying Investments

A Fund’s investments in dividend-paying securities could cause the Fund to underperform other funds that invest in similar asset classes but employ a different investment style. Securities that pay dividends, as a group, can fall out of favor with the market, causing such securities to underperform securities that do not pay dividends. Depending upon market conditions and political and legislative responses to such conditions, dividend-paying securities that meet a Fund’s investment criteria may not be widely available and/or may be highly concentrated in only a few market sectors. For example, in response to the outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus

 

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(known as COVID-19), the U.S. Government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act in March 2020, which established loan programs for certain issuers impacted by COVID-19. Among other conditions, borrowers under these loan programs are generally restricted from paying dividends. The adoption of new legislation could further limit or restrict the ability of issuers to pay dividends. To the extent that dividend-paying securities are concentrated in only a few market sectors, a Fund may be subject to the risks of volatile economic cycles and/or conditions or developments that may be particular to a sector to a greater extent than if its investments were diversified across different sectors. In addition, issuers that have paid regular dividends or distributions to shareholders may not continue to do so at the same level or at all in the future. A sharp rise in interest rates or an economic downturn could cause an issuer to abruptly reduce or eliminate its dividend. This may limit the ability of the Fund to produce current income.

Events Relating to the Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Markets and the Overall Economy

The unprecedented disruption in the residential mortgage-backed securities market (and in particular, the “subprime” residential mortgage market), the broader mortgage-backed securities market and the asset-backed securities market in 2008 and 2009 resulted in downward price pressures and increasing foreclosures and defaults in residential and commercial real estate. Concerns over inflation, energy costs, geopolitical issues, the availability and cost of credit, the mortgage market and a depressed real estate market contributed to increased volatility and diminished expectations for the economy and markets going forward, and contributed to dramatic declines in the housing market, with falling home prices and increasing foreclosures and unemployment, and significant asset write-downs by financial institutions. These conditions prompted a number of financial institutions to seek additional capital, to merge with other institutions and, in some cases, to fail or seek bankruptcy protection. Between 2008 and 2009, the market for Mortgage-Backed Securities (as well as other asset-backed securities) was particularly adversely impacted by, among other factors, the failure and subsequent sale of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. to J.P. Morgan Chase, the merger of Bank of America Corporation and Merrill Lynch & Co., the insolvency of Washington Mutual Inc., the failure and subsequent bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., the extension of approximately $152 billion in emergency credit by the U.S. Treasury to American International Group Inc., and, as described above, the conservatorship and the control by the U.S. Government of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”). The global markets also saw an increase in volatility due to uncertainty surrounding the level and sustainability of sovereign debt of certain countries that are part of the European Union (the “EU”), including Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy, as well as the sustainability of the EU itself. Concerns over the level and sustainability of the sovereign debt of the United States have aggravated this volatility. No assurance can be made that this uncertainty will not lead to further disruption of the credit markets in the United States or around the globe. These events, coupled with the general global economic downturn, have resulted in a substantial level of uncertainty in the financial markets, particularly with respect to mortgage-related investments.

These events may lead to further declines in income from, or the value of, real estate, including the real estate which secures the Mortgage-Backed Securities which may be held by certain of the Funds. Additionally, a lack of credit liquidity, adjustments of mortgages to higher rates and decreases in the value of real property have occurred and may reoccur, and potentially prevent borrowers from refinancing their mortgages, which may increase the likelihood of default on their mortgage loans. These economic conditions, coupled with high levels of real estate inventory and elevated incidence of underwater mortgages, may also adversely affect the amount of proceeds the holder of a mortgage loan or mortgage-backed securities (including the Mortgaged-Backed Securities in which certain of the Funds may invest) would realize in the event of a foreclosure or other exercise of remedies. Moreover, even if such Mortgage-Backed Securities are performing as anticipated, the value of such securities in the secondary market may nevertheless fall or continue to fall as a result of deterioration in general market conditions for such Mortgage-Backed Securities or other asset-backed or structured products. Trading activity associated with market indices may also drive spreads on those indices wider than spreads on Mortgage-Backed Securities, thereby resulting in a decrease in value of such Mortgage-Backed Securities, including the Mortgage-Backed Securities owned by a Fund.

The U.S. Government, the Federal Reserve, the U.S. Treasury, the SEC, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) and other governmental and regulatory bodies have taken or are considering taking actions to address the financial crisis. These actions include, but are not limited to, the enactment by the U.S. Congress of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”), which was signed into law on July 21, 2010 and imposes a new regulatory framework over the U.S. financial services industry and the consumer credit markets in general, and the promulgation of additional regulations in this area could affect these securities. Given the broad scope, sweeping nature, and relatively recent enactment of some of these regulatory measures, the potential impact they could have on any of the asset-backed or Mortgage-Backed Securities which may be held by a Fund is unknown. There can be no assurance that these measures will not have an adverse effect on the value or marketability of any asset-backed or Mortgage-Backed Securities which may be held by a Fund. Furthermore, no assurance can be made that the U.S. Government or any U.S. regulatory body (or other authority or regulatory body) will not continue to take further legislative or regulatory action in response to the economic crisis or otherwise, and the effect of such actions, if taken, cannot be known.

Among its other provisions, the Dodd-Frank Act creates a liquidation framework under which the FDIC may be appointed as receiver following a “systemic risk determination” by the Secretary of Treasury (in consultation with the President) for the resolution of certain nonbank financial companies and other entities, defined as “covered financial companies”, and commonly referred to as

 

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“systemically important entities”, in the event such a company is in default or in danger of default and the resolution of such a company under other applicable law would have serious adverse effects on financial stability in the United States, and also for the resolution of certain of their subsidiaries. No assurances can be given that this new liquidation framework would not apply to the originators of asset-backed securities, including Mortgage-Backed Securities, or their respective subsidiaries, including the issuers and depositors of such securities, although the expectation embedded in the Dodd-Frank Act is that the framework will be invoked only very rarely. Guidance from the FDIC indicates that such new framework will largely be exercised in a manner consistent with the existing bankruptcy laws, which is the insolvency regime that would otherwise apply to the sponsors, depositors and issuing entities with respect to asset-backed securities, including Mortgage-Backed Securities. The application of such liquidation framework to such entities could result in decreases or delays in amounts paid on, and hence the market value of, the Mortgage-Backed or asset-backed securities that are owned by a Fund.

Delinquencies, defaults and losses on residential mortgage loans may increase substantially over certain periods, which may affect the performance of the Mortgage-Backed Securities in which certain of the Funds may invest. Mortgage loans backing non-agency Mortgage-Backed Securities are more sensitive to economic factors that could affect the ability of borrowers to pay their obligations under the mortgage loans backing these securities. In addition, housing prices and appraisal values in many states and localities over certain periods have declined or stopped appreciating. A continued decline or an extended flattening of those values may result in additional increases in delinquencies and losses on Mortgage-Backed Securities generally (including the Mortgaged-Backed Securities that a Fund may invest in as described above).

The foregoing adverse changes in market conditions and regulatory climate may reduce the cash flow which a Fund, to the extent it invests in Mortgage-Backed Securities or other asset-backed securities, receives from such securities and increase the incidence and severity of credit events and losses in respect of such securities. In addition, interest rate spreads for Mortgage-Backed Securities and other asset-backed securities are subject to widening and increased volatility due to these adverse changes in market conditions. In the event that interest rate spreads for Mortgage-Backed Securities and other asset-backed securities widen following the purchase of such assets by a Fund, the market value of such securities is likely to decline and, in the case of a substantial spread widening, could decline by a substantial amount. Furthermore, adverse changes in market conditions may result in reduced liquidity in the market for Mortgage-Backed Securities and other asset-backed securities (including the Mortgaged-Backed Securities and other asset-backed securities in which certain of the Funds may invest) and increased unwillingness by banks, financial institutions and investors to extend credit to servicers, originators and other participants in the market for Mortgage-Backed and other asset-backed securities. As a result, the liquidity and/or the market value of any Mortgage-Backed or asset-backed securities that are owned by a Fund may experience further declines after they are purchased by a Fund.

Foreign Investments

The Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund and Global Infrastructure Fund may invest a portion of their assets, and each of the International Real Estate Securities Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, International Tax-Managed Equity Fund and International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund may invest a substantial portion of their assets, in foreign securities. Under normal circumstances, the Absolute Return Tracker Fund will invest in foreign securities as may be necessary to achieve exposure to the Market Exposures, as discussed in “Investment Objectives and Policies—Absolute Return Tracker Fund” above. Each of the U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund and U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund may invest in equity securities of foreign issuers which are traded in the United States.

Investments in foreign securities may offer potential benefits not available from investments solely in U.S. dollar-denominated or quoted securities of domestic issuers. Such benefits may include the opportunity to invest in foreign issuers that appear, in the opinion of the Investment Adviser, to offer the potential for better long term growth of capital and income than investments in U.S. securities, the opportunity to invest in foreign countries with economic policies or business cycles different from those of the United States and the opportunity to reduce fluctuations in portfolio value by taking advantage of foreign securities markets that do not necessarily move in a manner parallel to U.S. markets. Investing in the securities of foreign issuers also involves, however, certain special risks, including those discussed in the Funds’ Prospectuses and those set forth below, which are not typically associated with investing in U.S. dollar-denominated securities or quoted securities of U.S. issuers. Many of these risks are more pronounced for investments in emerging countries.

With respect to investments in certain foreign countries, there exist certain economic, political and social risks, including the risk of adverse political developments, nationalization, military unrest, social instability, war and terrorism, confiscation without fair compensation, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitations on the movement of funds and other assets between different countries, or diplomatic developments, any of which could adversely affect a Fund’s investments in those countries. Governments in certain foreign countries continue to participate to a significant degree, through ownership interest or regulation, in their respective economies. Action by these governments could have a significant effect on market prices of securities and dividend payments.

 

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Many countries throughout the world are dependent on a healthy U.S. economy and are adversely affected when the U.S. economy weakens or its markets decline. Additionally, many foreign country economies are heavily dependent on international trade and are adversely affected by protective trade barriers and economic conditions of their trading partners. Protectionist trade legislation enacted by those trading partners could have a significant adverse effect on the securities markets of those countries. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.

Investments in foreign securities often involve currencies of foreign countries. Accordingly, a Fund that invests in foreign securities may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and in exchange control regulations and may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The Funds may be subject to currency exposure independent of their securities positions. To the extent that a Fund is fully invested in foreign securities while also maintaining net currency positions, it may be exposed to greater combined risk. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. They generally are determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets and the relative merits of investments in different countries, actual or anticipated changes in interest rates and other complex factors, as seen from an international perspective. Currency exchange rates also can be affected unpredictably by intervention (or failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad. To the extent that a portion of a Fund’s total assets, adjusted to reflect the Fund’s net position after giving effect to currency transactions, is denominated or quoted in the currencies of foreign countries, the Fund will be more susceptible to the risk of adverse economic and political developments within those countries. A Fund’s net currency positions may expose it to risks independent of its securities positions.

Because foreign issuers generally are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies, there may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a U.S. company. Volume and liquidity in most foreign securities markets are less than in the United States and securities of many foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. The securities of foreign issuers may be listed on foreign securities exchanges or traded in foreign over-the-counter markets. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although each Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on its portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of foreign securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed and unlisted companies than in the United States, and the legal remedies for investors may be more limited than the remedies available in the United States. For example, there may be no comparable provisions under certain foreign laws to insider trading and similar investor protections that apply with respect to securities transactions consummated in the United States. Mail service between the United States and foreign countries may be slower or less reliable than within the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlement of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities.

Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when some of a Fund’s assets are uninvested and no return is earned on such assets. The inability of a Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio securities or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser.

These and other factors discussed in the section below, entitled “Illiquid Investments,” may impact the liquidity of investments in securities of foreign issuers.

Each Fund may invest in foreign securities which take the form of sponsored and unsponsored American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”). The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund, International Tax-Managed Equity Fund and International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund may also invest in European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) or other similar instruments representing securities of foreign issuers (together, “Depositary Receipts”). ADRs represent the right to receive securities of foreign issuers deposited in a domestic bank or a correspondent bank. ADRs are traded on domestic exchanges or in the U.S. over-the-counter market and, generally, are in registered form. EDRs and GDRs are receipts evidencing an arrangement with a non-U.S. bank similar to that for ADRs and are designed for use in the non-U.S. securities markets. EDRs and GDRs are not necessarily quoted in the same currency as the underlying security.

To the extent a Fund acquires Depositary Receipts through banks which do not have a contractual relationship with the foreign issuer of the security underlying the Depositary Receipts to issue and service such unsponsored Depositary Receipts, there is an increased possibility that the Fund will not become aware of and be able to respond to corporate actions such as stock splits or rights offerings involving the foreign issuer in a timely manner. In addition, the lack of information may result in inefficiencies in the valuation of such instruments. Investment in Depositary Receipts does not eliminate all the risks inherent in investing in securities of non-U.S. issuers.

 

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The market value of Depositary Receipts is dependent upon the market value of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the relative value of the currencies in which the Depositary Receipts and the underlying securities are quoted. However, by investing in Depositary Receipts, such as ADRs, which are quoted in U.S. dollars, a Fund may avoid currency risks during the settlement period for purchases and sales.

As described more fully below, each Fund, other than the U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund, may invest in countries with emerging economies or securities markets. Political and economic structures in many of such countries may be undergoing significant evolution and rapid development, and such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. Certain of such countries have in the past failed to recognize private property rights and have at times nationalized or expropriated the assets of, or ignored internationally accepted standards of due process against, private companies. In addition, a country may take these and other retaliatory actions against a specific private company, including a Fund or the Investment Adviser. There may not be legal recourse against these actions, which could arise in connection with the commercial activities of Goldman Sachs or its affiliates or otherwise, and a Fund could be subject to substantial losses. In addition, a Fund or the Investment Adviser may determine not to invest in, or may limit its overall investment in, a particular issuer, country or geographic region due to, among other things, heightened risks regarding repatriation restrictions, confiscation of assets and property, expropriation or nationalization. See “Investing in Emerging Countries” below.

Foreign Government Obligations

Foreign government obligations include securities, instruments and obligations issued or guaranteed by a foreign government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. Investment in foreign government obligations can involve a high degree of risk. The governmental entity that controls the repayment of foreign government obligations may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt. A governmental entity’s willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the governmental entity’s policy towards the International Monetary Fund and the political constraints to which a governmental entity may be subject. Governmental entities may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to reduce principal and interest on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on a governmental entity’s implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor’s obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties’ commitments to lend funds to the governmental entity, which may further impair such debtor’s ability or willingness to service its debts in a timely manner. Consequently, governmental entities may default on their debt. Holders of foreign government obligations (including the Funds) may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to governmental agencies.

Investing in Emerging Countries

The securities markets of emerging countries are less liquid and subject to greater price volatility, and have a smaller market capitalization, than the U.S. securities markets. In certain countries, there may be fewer publicly traded securities and the market may be dominated by a few issuers or sectors. Issuers and securities markets in such countries are not subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements or as comprehensive government regulations as are issuers and securities markets in the U.S. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of emerging country issuers may not reflect their financial position or results of operations in the same manner as financial statements for U.S. issuers. Substantially less information may be publicly available about emerging country issuers than is available about issuers in the United States.

Emerging country securities markets are typically marked by a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of ownership of such securities by a limited number of investors. The markets for securities in certain emerging countries are in the earliest stages of their development. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in emerging countries may not be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these securities markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of emerging country securities may also affect a Fund’s ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

With respect to investments in certain emerging market countries, antiquated legal systems may have an adverse impact on the Funds. For example, while the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation is generally limited to the amount of the shareholder’s investment, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain emerging market countries. Similarly, the rights of investors in emerging market companies may be more limited than those of shareholders of U.S. corporations.

 

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Transaction costs, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups, in emerging countries may be higher than in the United States and other developed securities markets. In addition, existing laws and regulations are often inconsistently applied. As legal systems in emerging countries develop, foreign investors may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. In circumstances where adequate laws exist, it may not be possible to obtain swift and equitable enforcement of the law.

Custodial and/or settlement systems in emerging markets countries may not be fully developed. To the extent a Fund invests in emerging markets, Fund assets that are traded in such markets and which have been entrusted to such sub-custodians in those markets may be exposed to risks for which the sub-custodian will have no liability.

Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain emerging countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may limit a Fund’s investment in certain emerging countries and may increase the expenses of the Fund. Certain emerging countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit investment by foreign persons to only a specified percentage of an issuer’s outstanding securities or a specific class of securities which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals.

The repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of securities sales from emerging countries may be subject to restrictions which require governmental consents or prohibit repatriation entirely for a period of time, which may make it difficult for a Fund to invest in such emerging countries. A Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for such repatriation. Even where there is no outright restriction on repatriation of capital, the mechanics of repatriation may affect certain aspects of the operation of a Fund. A Fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before investing in certain emerging countries.

Emerging countries may be subject to a substantially greater degree of economic, political and social instability and disruption than is the case in the United States, Japan and most Western European countries. This instability may result from, among other things, the following: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision making, including changes or attempted changes in governments through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic or social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection or conflict; and (vi) the absence of developed legal structures governing foreign private investments and private property. Such economic, political and social instability could disrupt the principal financial markets in which the Funds may invest and adversely affect the value of the Funds’ assets. A Fund’s investments can also be adversely affected by any increase in taxes or by political, economic or diplomatic developments.

A Fund may seek investment opportunities within former “Eastern bloc” countries. Most of these countries had a centrally planned, socialist economy for a substantial period of time. The governments of many of these countries have more recently been implementing reforms directed at political and economic liberalization, including efforts to decentralize the economic decision-making process and move towards a market economy. However, business entities in Eastern European countries do not have an extended history of operating in a market-oriented economy, and the ultimate impact of these countries’ attempts to move toward more market-oriented economies is currently unclear. In addition, any change in the leadership or policies of these countries may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of foreign investment policies now occurring and adversely affect existing investment opportunities.

The economies of emerging countries may differ unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources, self-sufficiency and balance of payments. Many emerging countries have experienced in the past, and continue to experience, high rates of inflation. In certain countries inflation has at times accelerated rapidly to hyperinflationary levels, creating a negative interest rate environment and sharply eroding the value of outstanding financial assets in those countries. Other emerging countries, on the other hand, have recently experienced deflationary pressures and are in economic recessions. The economies of many emerging countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by protective trade barriers and the economic conditions of their trading partners. In addition, the economies of some emerging countries are vulnerable to weakness in world prices for their commodity exports.

A Fund’s income and, in some cases, capital gains from foreign stocks and securities will be subject to applicable taxation in certain of the countries in which it invests, and treaties between the U.S. and such countries may not be available in some cases to reduce the otherwise applicable tax rates. See “TAXATION.”

From time to time, certain of the companies in which a Fund may invest may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions or embargos imposed by the U.S. Government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. Government as state sponsors of terrorism. For example, the United Nations Security Council has imposed certain sanctions relating to Iran and Sudan and both countries are embargoed countries by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Treasury.

 

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In addition, from time to time, certain of the companies in which a Fund may invest may engage in, or have dealings with countries or companies that engage in, activities that may not be considered socially and/or environmentally responsible. Such activities may relate to human rights issues (such as patterns of human rights abuses or violations, persecution or discrimination), impacts to local communities in which companies operate and environmental sustainability. For a description of the Investment Adviser’s approach to responsible and sustainable investing, please see GSAM’s Statement on Responsible and Sustainable Investing at https://www.gsam.com/content/dam/gsam/pdfs/common/en/public/miscellaneous/GSAM_statement_on_respon_sustainable_investing.pdf.

As a result, a company may suffer damage to its reputation if it is identified as a company which engages in, or has dealings with countries or companies that engage in, the above referenced activities. As an investor in such companies, a Fund would be indirectly subject to those risks.

The Investment Adviser is committed to complying fully with sanctions in effect as of the date of this Statement of Additional Information and any other applicable sanctions that may be enacted in the future with respect to Sudan or any other country.

Investing in Australia

The Australian economy is heavily dependent on the economies of Asia, Europe and the U.S. as key trading partners, and in particular, on the price and demand for agricultural products and natural resources. By total market capitalization, the Australian stock market is small relative to the U.S. stock market and issues may trade with lesser liquidity. Australian reporting, accounting and auditing standards differ substantially from U.S. standards. In general, Australian corporations do not provide all of the disclosure required by U.S. law and accounting practice, and such disclosure may be less timely and less frequent than that required of U.S. companies.

Investing in Europe

Certain of the Funds may operate in euros and/ or may hold euros and/or euro-denominated bonds and other obligations. The euro requires participation of multiple sovereign states forming the Euro zone and is therefore sensitive to the credit, general economic and political position of each such state, including each state’s actual and intended ongoing engagement with and/or support for the other sovereign states then forming the EU, in particular those within the Euro zone. Changes in these factors might materially adversely impact the value of securities that a Fund has invested in.

European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the European Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”) imposes for membership. Europe’s economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several EU countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal, have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions.

In a June 2016 referendum, citizens of the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU. In March 2017, the United Kingdom formally notified the European Council of its intention to withdraw from the EU (commonly known as “Brexit”) by invoking Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, which triggered a two-year period of negotiations on the terms of Brexit. Brexit has resulted in volatility in European and global markets and may also lead to weakening in political, regulatory, consumer, corporate and financial confidence in the markets of the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. The longer term economic, legal, political, regulatory and social framework to be put in place between the United Kingdom and the EU remains unclear and may lead to ongoing political, regulatory and economic uncertainty and periods of exacerbated volatility in both the United Kingdom and in wider European markets for some time. Additionally, the decision made in the British referendum may lead to a call for similar referenda in other European jurisdictions, which may cause increased economic volatility in European and global markets. The mid-to long-term uncertainty may have an adverse effect on the economy generally and on the value of a Fund’s investments. This may be due to, among other things: fluctuations in asset values and exchange rates; increased illiquidity of investments located, traded or listed within the United Kingdom, the EU or elsewhere; changes in the willingness or ability of counterparties to enter into transactions at the price and terms on which a Fund is prepared to transact; and/or changes in legal and regulatory regimes to which certain of a Fund’s assets are or become subject. Fluctuations in the value of the British Pound and/or the Euro, along with the potential downgrading of the United Kingdom’s sovereign credit rating, may also have an impact on the performance of a Fund’s assets or investments economically tied to the United Kingdom or Europe.

 

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The effects of Brexit will depend, in part, on agreements the United Kingdom negotiates to retain access to EU markets including, but not limited to, trade and finance agreements. Brexit could lead to legal and tax uncertainty and potentially divergent national laws and regulations as the United Kingdom determines which EU laws to replace or replicate. The extent of the impact of the withdrawal in the United Kingdom and in global markets as well as any associated adverse consequences remain unclear, and the uncertainty may have a significant negative effect on the value of a Fund’s investments. While certain measures are being proposed and/or will be introduced, at the EU level or at the member state level, which are designed to minimize disruption in the financial markets, it is not currently possible to determine whether such measures would achieve their intended effects.

On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom withdrew from the EU subject to a withdrawal agreement that permits the United Kingdom to effectively remain in the EU from an economic perspective during a transition phase that expires at the end of 2020. During this transition phase, the United Kingdom and the EU will seek to negotiate and finalize a new, more permanent trade deal. Due to political uncertainty, it is not possible to anticipate whether the United Kingdom and the EU will be able to agree on and implement a new trade agreement or what the nature of such trade arrangement will be. In the event that no agreement is reached, the relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU would be based on the World Trade Organization rules.

Other economic challenges facing the region include high levels of public debt, significant rates of unemployment, aging populations, and heavy regulation in certain economic sectors. European policy makers have taken unprecedented steps to respond to the economic crisis and to boost growth in the region, which has increased the risk that regulatory uncertainty could negatively affect the value of a Fund’s investments.

Certain countries have applied to become new member countries of the EU, and these candidate countries’ accessions may become more controversial to the existing EU members. Some member states may repudiate certain candidate countries joining the EU upon concerns about the possible economic, immigration and cultural implications. Also, Russia may be opposed to the expansion of the EU to members of the former Soviet bloc and may, at times, take actions that could negatively impact EU economic activity.

Investing in Eastern Europe

Certain of the Funds may seek investment opportunities within Eastern Europe. Most Eastern European countries had a centrally planned, socialist economy for a substantial period of time. The governments of many Eastern European countries have more recently been implementing reforms directed at political and economic liberalization, including efforts to decentralize the economic decision-making process and move towards a market economy. However, business entities in many Eastern European countries do not have an extended history of operating in a market-oriented economy, and the ultimate impact of Eastern European countries’ attempts to move toward more market-oriented economies is currently unclear. Any change in the leadership or policies of Eastern European countries may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of foreign investment policies now occurring and adversely affect existing investment opportunities. In addition, Eastern European markets are particularly sensitive to social, economic and currency events in Western Europe and Russia. Russia may attempt to assert its influence in the region through military measures.

Where a Fund invests in securities issued by companies incorporated in or whose principal operations are located in Eastern Europe, other risks may also be encountered. Legal, political, economic and fiscal uncertainties in Eastern European markets may affect the value of the Funds’ investment in such securities. The currencies in which these investments may be denominated may be unstable, may be subject to significant depreciation and may not be freely convertible. Existing laws and regulations may not be consistently applied. The markets of the countries of Eastern Europe are still in the early stages of their development, have less volume, are less highly regulated, are less liquid and experience greater volatility than more established markets. Settlement of transactions may be subject to delay and administrative uncertainties. Custodians are not able to offer the level of service and safekeeping, settlement and administration services that is customary in more developed markets, and there is a risk that the Fund will not be recognized as the owner of securities held on its behalf by a sub-custodian.

Investing in Asia

Although many countries in Asia have experienced a relatively stable political environment over the last decade, there is no guarantee that such stability will be maintained in the future. As an emerging region, many factors may affect such stability on a country-by-country as well as on a regional basis – increasing gaps between the rich and poor, agrarian unrest, instability of existing coalitions in politically-fractionated countries, hostile relations with neighboring countries, and ethnic, religious and racial disaffection – and may result in adverse consequences to a Fund. The political history of some Asian countries has been characterized by political uncertainty, intervention by the military in civilian and economic spheres, and political corruption. Such developments, if they continue to occur, could reverse favorable trends toward market and economic reform, privatization, and removal of trade barriers, and could result in significant disruption to securities markets.

The legal infrastructure in each of the countries in Asia is unique and often undeveloped. In most cases, securities laws are evolving and far from adequate for the protection of the public from serious fraud. Investment in Asian securities involves considerations and possible risks not typically involved with investment in other issuers, including changes in governmental administration or economic or monetary policy or changed circumstances in dealings between nations. The application of tax laws (e.g., the imposition of

 

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withholding taxes on dividend or interest payments) or confiscatory taxation may also affect investment in Asian securities. Higher expenses may result from investments in Asian securities than would from investments in other securities because of the costs that must be incurred in connection with conversions between various currencies and brokerage commissions that may be higher than more established markets. Asian securities markets also may be less liquid, more volatile and less subject to governmental supervision than elsewhere. Investments in countries in the region could be affected by other factors not present elsewhere, including lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, inadequate settlement procedures and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations.

Some Asian economies have limited natural resources, resulting in dependence on foreign sources for energy and raw materials and economic vulnerability to global fluctuations of price and supply. Certain countries in Asia are especially prone to natural disasters, such as flooding, drought and earthquakes. Combined with the possibility of man-made disasters, the occurrence of such disasters may adversely affect companies in which a Fund is invested and, as a result, may result in adverse consequences to the Fund. Many of the countries in Asia periodically have experienced significant inflation. Should the governments and central banks of the countries in Asia fail to control inflation, this may have an adverse effect on the performance of a Fund’s investments in Asian securities. Several of the countries in Asia remain dependent on the U.S. economy as their largest export customer, and future barriers to entry into the U.S. market or other important markets could adversely affect a Fund’s performance. Intraregional trade is becoming an increasingly significant percentage of total trade for the countries in Asia. Consequently, the intertwined economies are becoming increasingly dependent on each other, and any barriers to entry to markets in Asia in the future may adversely affect a Fund’s performance.

Certain Asian countries may have managed currencies which are maintained at artificial levels to the U.S. dollar rather than at levels determined by the market. This type of system can lead to sudden and large adjustments in the currency which, in turn, can have a disruptive and negative effect on foreign investors. Certain Asian countries also may restrict the free conversion of their currency into foreign currencies, including the U.S. dollar. There is no significant foreign exchange market for certain currencies, and it would, as a result, be difficult to engage in foreign currency transactions designed to protect the value of a Fund’s interests in securities denominated in such currencies.

Although the Funds will generally attempt to invest in those markets which provide the greatest freedom of movement of foreign capital, there is no assurance that this will be possible or that certain countries in Asia will not restrict the movement of foreign capital in the future. Changes in securities laws and foreign ownership laws may have an adverse effect on a Fund.

Investing in Greater China. Investing in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) involves a high degree of risk and special considerations not typically associated with investing in other more established economies or securities markets. Such risks may include: (a) greater social, economic and political uncertainty (including the risk of armed conflict); (b) the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; (c) dependency on exports and the corresponding importance of international trade; (d) the imposition of tariffs or other trade barriers by the U.S. or foreign governments on exports from Mainland China; (e) increasing competition from Asia’s other low-cost emerging economies; (f) greater price volatility and smaller market capitalization of securities markets; (g) decreased liquidity, particularly of certain share classes of Chinese securities; (h) currency exchange rate fluctuations (with respect to investments in Mainland China and Taiwan) and the lack of available currency hedging instruments; (i) higher rates of inflation; (j) controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital and on a Fund’s ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; (k) greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy; (l) uncertainty regarding the People’s Republic of China’s commitment to economic reforms; (m) the fact that Chinese companies may be smaller, less seasoned and newly-organized companies; (n) the differences in, or lack of, auditing and financial reporting standards which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers; (o) the fact that statistical information regarding the economy of Greater China may be inaccurate or not comparable to statistical information regarding the U.S. or other economies; (p) less extensive, and still developing, legal systems and regulatory frameworks regarding the securities markets, business entities and commercial transactions; (q) the fact that the settlement period of securities transactions in foreign markets may be longer; (r) the fact that it may be more difficult, or impossible, to obtain and/or enforce a judgment than in other countries; and (s) the rapid and erratic nature of growth, particularly in the People’s Republic of China, resulting in inefficiencies and dislocations.

Mainland China. Investments in Mainland China are subject to the risks associated with greater governmental control over the economy, political and legal uncertainties and currency fluctuations or blockage. In particular, the Chinese Communist Party exercises significant control over economic growth in Mainland China through the allocation of resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.

Because the local legal system is still developing, it may be more difficult to obtain or enforce judgments with respect to investments in Mainland China. Chinese companies may not be subject to the same disclosure, accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as U.S. companies. Thus, there may be less information publicly available about Chinese companies than about most U.S. companies. Government supervision and regulation of Chinese stock exchanges, currency markets, trading systems and brokers may be more or less rigorous than that present in the U.S. The procedures and rules governing transactions and custody in Mainland China also may involve delays in payment, delivery or recovery of money or investments. The imposition of tariffs or other trade barriers by the U.S. or other foreign governments on exports from Mainland China may also have an adverse impact on Chinese issuers and China’s economy as a whole.

 

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Foreign investments in Mainland China are somewhat restricted. Securities listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are divided into two classes of shares: A shares and B Shares. Ownership of A Shares is restricted to Chinese investors, Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (“QFIIs”) who have obtained a QFII license, and participants in the Shanghai-Hong Kong and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programs (“Stock Connect”). B shares may be owned by Chinese and foreign investors. The Funds may obtain exposure to the A share market in the People’s Republic of China by either investing directly in A shares through participation in Stock Connect, or by investing in participatory notes issued by banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions, or other structured or derivative instruments that are designed to replicate, or otherwise provide exposure to, the performance of A shares of Chinese companies. The Funds may also invest directly in B shares on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges.

As a result of investing in the People’s Republic of China, a Fund may be subject to withholding and various other taxes imposed by the People’s Republic of China. To date, a 10% withholding tax has been levied on cash dividends, distributions and interest payments from companies listed in the People’s Republic of China to foreign investors, unless the withholding tax can be reduced by an applicable income tax treaty.

As of November 17, 2014, foreign mutual funds, which qualify as Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (“QFIIs”) and/or RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (“RQFIIs”), are temporarily exempt from enterprise income tax on capital gains arising from securities trading in the People’s Republic of China. It is currently unclear when this preferential treatment would end. If the preferential treatment were to end, such capital gains would be subject to a 10% withholding tax in the People’s Republic of China. Meanwhile, the purchase and sale of publicly traded equities by a QFII/RQFII is exempt from value-added tax in the People’s Republic of China.

The tax law and regulations of the People’s Republic of China are constantly changing, and they may be changed with retrospective effect to the advantage or disadvantage of shareholders. The interpretation and applicability of the tax law and regulations by tax authorities may not be as consistent and transparent as those of more developed nations, and may vary from region to region. It should also be noted that any provision for taxation made by the Investment Adviser may be excessive or inadequate to meet final tax liabilities. Consequently, shareholders may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending upon the final tax liabilities, the level of provision and when they subscribed and/or redeemed their shares of a Fund.

Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Since Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, it has been governed by the Basic Law, a “quasi-constitution.” The Basic Law guarantees a high degree of autonomy in certain matters, including economic matters, until 2047. Attempts by the government of the People’s Republic of China to exert greater control over Hong Kong’s economic, political or legal structures or its existing social policy, could negatively affect investor confidence in Hong Kong, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance.

In addition, the Hong Kong dollar trades within a fixed trading band rate to (or is “pegged” to) the U.S. dollar. This fixed exchange rate has contributed to the growth and stability of the economy, but could be discontinued. It is uncertain what effect any discontinuance of the currency peg and the establishment of an alternative exchange rate system would have on the Hong Kong economy.

Taiwan. The prospect of political reunification of the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan has engendered hostility between the two regions’ governments. This situation poses a significant threat to Taiwan’s economy, as heightened conflict could potentially lead to distortions in Taiwan’s capital accounts and have an adverse impact on the value of investments throughout Greater China.

Investing in Japan. Japan’s economy is heavily dependent upon international trade and is especially sensitive to any adverse effects arising from trade tariffs and other protectionist measures, as well as the economic condition of its trading partners. Japan’s high volume of exports has caused trade tensions with Japan’s primary trading partners, particularly with the United States. The relaxing of official and de facto barriers to imports, or hardships created by the actions of trading partners, could adversely affect Japan’s economy. Because the Japanese economy is so dependent on exports, any fall-off in exports may be seen as a sign of economic weakness, which may adversely affect Japanese markets. In addition, Japan’s export industry, its most important economic sector, depends heavily on imported raw materials and fuels, including iron ore, copper, oil and many forest products. Japan has historically depended on oil for most of its energy requirements. Almost all of its oil is imported, the majority from the Middle East. In the past, oil prices have had a major impact on the domestic economy, but more recently Japan has worked to reduce its dependence on oil by encouraging energy conservation and use of alternative fuels. However, Japan remains sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices, and a substantial rise in world oil or commodity prices could have a negative effect on its economy.

The Japanese yen has fluctuated widely during recent periods and may be affected by currency volatility elsewhere in Asia, especially Southeast Asia. In addition, the yen has had a history of unpredictable and volatile movements against the U.S. dollar. A weak yen is disadvantageous to U.S. shareholders investing in yen-denominated securities. A strong yen, however, could be an impediment to strong continued exports and economic recovery, because it makes Japanese goods sold in other countries more expensive and reduces the value of foreign earnings repatriated to Japan.

 

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The performance of the global economy could have a major impact upon equity returns in Japan. As a result of the strong correlation with the economy of the U.S., Japan’s economy and its stock market are vulnerable to any unfavorable economic conditions in the U.S. and poor performance of U.S. stock markets. The growing economic relationship between Japan and its other neighboring countries in the Southeast Asia region, especially China, also exposes Japan’s economy to changes to the economic climates in those countries.

Like many developed countries, Japan faces challenges to its competitiveness. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s and Japan’s economy fell into a long recession. After a few years of mild recovery in the mid-2000s, the Japanese economy fell into another recession in part due to the recent global economic crisis. This economic recession was likely compounded by an unstable financial sector, low domestic consumption, and certain corporate structural weaknesses, which remain some of the major issues facing the Japanese economy. Japan is reforming its political process and deregulating its economy to address this situation. However, there is no guarantee that these efforts will succeed in making the performance of the Japanese economy more competitive.

Japan has experienced natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tidal waves, of varying degrees of severity. The risks of such phenomena, and the resulting damage, continue to exist and could have a severe and negative impact on a Fund’s holdings in Japanese securities. Japan also has one of the world’s highest population densities. A significant percentage of the total population of Japan is concentrated in the metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. Therefore, a natural disaster centered in or very near to one of these cities could have a particularly devastating effect on Japan’s financial markets. Japan’s recovery from the recession has been affected by economic distress resulting from the earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck northeastern Japan in March 2011 causing major damage along the coast, including damage to nuclear power plants in the region. Since the earthquake, Japan’s financial markets have fluctuated dramatically. The disaster caused large personal losses, reduced energy supplies, disrupted manufacturing, resulted in significant declines in stock market prices and resulted in an appreciable decline in Japan’s economic output. Although production levels are recovering in some industries as work is shifted to factories in areas not directly affected by the disaster, the timing of a full economic recovery is uncertain, and foreign business whose supply chains are dependent on production or manufacturing in Japan may decrease their reliance on Japanese industries in the future.

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund may, to the extent consistent with their investment policies, enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for hedging purposes and to seek to protect against anticipated changes in future foreign currency exchange rates. The Absolute Return Tracker Fund may also enter into foreign currency transactions to seek a closer correlation between the Fund’s overall currency exposures and the currency exposures of the Market Exposures. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are traded in the interbank market between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are generally charged at any stage for trades.

At the maturity of a forward contract a Fund may either accept or make delivery of the currency specified in the contract or, at or prior to maturity, enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. Closing transactions with respect to forward contracts are often, but not always, effected with the currency trader who is a party to the original forward contract.

A Fund may, from time to time, engage in non-deliverable forward transactions to manage currency risk or to gain exposure to a currency without purchasing securities denominated in that currency. A non-deliverable forward is a transaction that represents an agreement between a Fund and a counterparty (usually a commercial bank) to pay the other party the amount that it would have cost based on current market rates as of the termination date to buy or sell a specified (notional) amount of a particular currency at an agreed upon foreign exchange rate on an agreed upon future date. If the counterparty defaults, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreement related to the transaction, but the Fund may be delayed or prevented from obtaining payments owed to it pursuant to non-deliverable forward transactions. Such non-deliverable forward transactions will be settled in cash.

A Fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in several circumstances. First, when a Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated or quoted in a foreign currency, or when a Fund anticipates the receipt in a foreign currency of dividend or interest payments on such a security which it holds, the Fund may desire to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of the security or the U.S. dollar equivalent of such dividend or interest payment, as the case may be. By entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed amount of dollars, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying transactions, the Fund will attempt to protect itself against an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the subject foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold, or on which the dividend or interest payment is declared, and the date on which such payments are made or received.

 

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Additionally, when the Investment Adviser believes that the currency of a particular foreign country may suffer a substantial decline against the U.S. dollar, it may enter into a forward contract to sell, for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars, the amount of foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of such Fund’s portfolio securities quoted or denominated in such foreign currency. The precise matching of the forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. Using forward contracts to protect the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities against a decline in the value of a currency does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. It simply establishes a rate of exchange which a Fund can achieve at some future point in time. The precise projection of short-term currency market movements is not possible, and short-term hedging provides a means of fixing the U.S. dollar value of only a portion of a Fund’s foreign assets.

The Funds may engage in cross-hedging by using forward contracts in one currency to hedge against fluctuations in the value of securities quoted or denominated in a different currency. In addition, the Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund may enter into foreign currency transactions to seek a closer correlation between a Fund’s overall currency exposure and the currency exposure of a Fund’s performance benchmark.

While a Fund may enter into forward contracts to reduce currency exchange rate risks, transactions in such contracts involve certain other risks. Thus, while a Fund may benefit from such transactions, unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in any such transactions. Moreover, there may be imperfect correlation between a Fund’s portfolio holdings of securities quoted or denominated in a particular currency and forward contracts entered into by such Fund. Such imperfect correlation may cause a Fund to sustain losses which will prevent the Fund from achieving a complete hedge or expose the Fund to risk of foreign exchange loss.

Certain forward foreign currency exchange contracts and other currency transactions are not exchange traded or cleared. Markets for trading such foreign forward currency contracts offer less protection against defaults than is available when trading in currency instruments on an exchange. Such forward contracts are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the contract will default on its obligations. Because these contracts are not guaranteed by an exchange or clearinghouse, a default on a contract would deprive a Fund of unrealized profits, transaction costs or the benefits of a currency hedge or force the Fund to cover its purchase or sale commitments, if any, at the current market price. In addition, the institutions that deal in forward currency contracts are not required to continue to make markets in the currencies they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity. To the extent that a portion of a Fund’s total assets, adjusted to reflect the Fund’s net position after giving effect to currency transactions, is denominated or quoted in the currencies of foreign countries, the Fund will be more susceptible to the risk of adverse economic and political developments within those countries.

These and other factors discussed in the section below, entitled “Illiquid Investments,” may impact the liquidity of investments in issuers of emerging country securities.

Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts

Each Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts and may also purchase and write call and put options on futures contracts. Each Fund (other than the U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund) may purchase and sell futures contracts based on various securities, securities indices, foreign currencies and other financial instruments and indices. The U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund may engage in transactions only with respect to U.S. equity indices. The Absolute Return Tracker Fund may also engage in futures and related options transactions in an attempt to match the returns of the Market Exposures. Each Fund will engage in futures and related options transactions in order to seek to increase total return or to hedge against changes in interest rates, securities prices or, to the extent a Fund invests in foreign securities, currency exchange rates, or to otherwise manage its term structure, sector selection and duration of its fixed income securities holdings in accordance with its investment objective and policies. Each Fund may also enter into closing purchase and sale transactions with respect to such contracts and options.

Futures contracts utilized by mutual funds have historically been traded on U.S. exchanges or boards of trade that are licensed and regulated by the CFTC or with respect to certain funds on foreign exchanges. More recently, certain futures may also be traded either over-the-counter or on trading facilities such as derivatives transaction execution facilities, exempt boards of trade or electronic trading facilities that are licensed and/or regulated to varying degrees by the CFTC. Also, certain single stock futures and narrow based security index futures may be traded either over-the-counter or on trading facilities such as contract markets, derivatives transaction execution facilities and electronic trading facilities that are licensed and/or regulated to varying degrees by both the CFTC and the SEC or on foreign exchanges.

 

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Neither the CFTC, National Futures Association (“NFA”), SEC nor any domestic exchange regulates activities of any foreign exchange or boards of trade, including the execution, delivery and clearing of transactions, or has the power to compel enforcement of the rules of a foreign exchange or board of trade or any applicable foreign law. This is true even if the exchange is formally linked to a domestic market so that a position taken on the market may be liquidated by a transaction on another market. Moreover, such laws or regulations will vary depending on the foreign country in which the foreign futures or foreign options transaction occurs. For these reasons, a Fund’s investments in foreign futures or foreign options transactions may not be provided the same protections in respect of transactions on United States exchanges. In particular, persons who trade foreign futures or foreign options contracts may not be afforded certain of the protective measures provided by the CEA, the CFTC’s regulations and the rules of the NFA and any domestic exchange, including the right to use reparations proceedings before the CFTC and arbitration proceedings provided by the NFA or any domestic futures exchange. Similarly, those persons may not have the protection of the U.S. securities laws.

Futures Contracts

A futures contract may generally be described as an agreement between two parties to buy and sell particular financial instruments for an agreed price during a designated month (or to deliver the final cash settlement price, in the case of a contract relating to an index or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the end of trading in the contract).

When interest rates are rising or securities prices are falling, a Fund can seek through the sale of futures contracts to offset a decline in the value of its current portfolio securities. When interest rates are falling or securities prices are rising, a Fund, through the purchase of futures contracts, can attempt to secure better rates or prices than might later be available in the market when it effects anticipated purchases. Similarly, the Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund can purchase and sell futures contracts on a specified currency in order to seek to increase total return or to protect against changes in currency exchange rates. For example, a Fund can purchase futures contracts on foreign currency to establish the price in U.S. dollars of a security quoted or denominated in such currency that such Fund has acquired or expects to acquire. In addition, the Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund may enter into futures transactions to seek a closer correlation between a Fund’s overall currency exposures and the currency exposures of a Fund’s performance benchmark.

Positions taken in the futures market are not normally held to maturity, but are instead liquidated through offsetting transactions which may result in a profit or a loss. While each Fund will usually liquidate futures contracts on securities or currency in this manner, a Fund may instead make or take delivery of the underlying securities or currency whenever it appears economically advantageous for the Fund to do so. A clearing corporation associated with the exchange on which futures are traded guarantees that, if still open, the sale or purchase will be performed on the settlement date.

Hedging Strategies Using Futures Contracts

When a Fund uses futures for hedging purposes, the Fund often seeks to establish with more certainty than would otherwise be possible the effective price or rate of return on portfolio securities (or securities that the Fund proposes to acquire) or the exchange rate of currencies in which portfolio securities are quoted or denominated. A Fund may, for example, take a “short” position in the futures market by selling futures contracts to seek to hedge against an anticipated rise in interest rates or a decline in market prices or, except in the case of the U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund, foreign currency rates that would adversely affect the dollar value of such Fund’s portfolio securities. Such futures contracts may include contracts for the future delivery of securities held by a Fund or securities with characteristics similar to those of a Fund’s portfolio securities. Similarly, each Fund, other than the U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund, may sell futures contracts on a currency in which its portfolio securities are quoted or denominated, or sell futures contracts on one currency to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the value of securities quoted or denominated in a different currency if there is an established historical pattern of correlation between the two currencies. If, in the opinion of the Investment Adviser, there is a sufficient degree of correlation between price trends for a Fund’s portfolio securities and futures contracts based on other financial instruments, securities indices or other indices, a Fund may also enter into such futures contracts as part of its hedging strategy. Although under some circumstances prices of securities in a Fund’s portfolio may be more or less volatile than prices of such futures contracts, the Investment Adviser will attempt to estimate the extent of this volatility difference based on historical patterns and compensate for any such differential by having a Fund enter into a greater or lesser number of futures contracts or by attempting to achieve only a partial hedge against price changes affecting a Fund’s portfolio securities. When hedging of this character is successful, any depreciation in the value of portfolio securities will be substantially offset by appreciation in the value of the futures position. On the other hand, any unanticipated appreciation in the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities would be substantially offset by a decline in the value of the futures position.

 

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On other occasions, a Fund may take a “long” position by purchasing such futures contracts. This may be done, for example, when a Fund anticipates the subsequent purchase of particular securities when it has the necessary cash, but expects the prices or currency exchange rates (except in the case of the U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund) then available in the applicable market to be less favorable than prices or rates that are currently available.

Options on Futures Contracts

The acquisition of put and call options on futures contracts will give a Fund the right (but not the obligation), for a specified price, to sell or to purchase, respectively, the underlying futures contract at any time during the option period. As the purchaser of an option on a futures contract, a Fund obtains the benefit of the futures position if prices move in a favorable direction but limits its risk of loss in the event of an unfavorable price movement to the loss of the premium and transaction costs.

The writing of a call option on a futures contract generates a premium which may partially offset a decline in the value of a Fund’s assets. By writing a call option, a Fund becomes obligated, in exchange for the premium, to sell a futures contract if the option is exercised, which may have a value higher than the exercise price. The writing of a put option on a futures contract generates a premium, which may partially offset an increase in the price of securities that a Fund intends to purchase. However, a Fund becomes obligated (upon the exercise of the option) to purchase a futures contract if the option is exercised, which may have a value lower than the exercise price. Thus, the loss incurred by a Fund in writing options on futures is potentially unlimited and may exceed the amount of the premium received. A Fund will incur transaction costs in connection with the writing of options on futures.

The holder or writer of an option on a futures contract may terminate its position by selling or purchasing an offsetting option on the same financial instrument. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected. A Fund’s ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid market.

Other Considerations

A Fund will engage in transactions in futures contracts and related options transactions only to the extent such transactions are consistent with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) for maintaining its qualification as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes. Transactions in futures contracts and options on futures involve brokerage costs, require margin deposits and, in certain cases, require the Fund to identify on its books cash or liquid assets.

While transactions in futures contracts and options on futures may reduce certain risks, such transactions themselves entail certain other risks. Thus, unanticipated changes in interest rates, securities prices or currency exchange rates (except in the case of the U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund) may result in a poorer overall performance for a Fund than if it had not entered into any futures contracts or options transactions. When futures contracts and options are used for hedging purposes, perfect correlation between a Fund’s futures positions and portfolio positions may be impossible to achieve, particularly where futures contracts based on individual equity or corporate fixed income securities are currently not available. In the event of an imperfect correlation between a futures position and a portfolio position which is intended to be protected, the desired protection may not be obtained and a Fund may be exposed to risk of loss. In addition, it is not possible for a Fund to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities quoted or denominated in foreign currencies because the value of such securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of independent factors unrelated to currency fluctuations. The profitability of a Fund’s trading in futures depends upon the ability of the Investment Adviser to analyze correctly the futures markets.

A Fund may cover its transactions in futures contracts and related options by identifying on its books cash or liquid assets or by other means, in any manner permitted by applicable law. For more information about these practices, see “Description of Investment Securities and Practices – Asset Segregation.”

High Yield Securities

The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund and Global Infrastructure Fund may invest in bonds rated BB+ or below by Standard & Poor’s Rating Group (“Standard & Poor’s”), or Ba1 or below by Moody’s Investor Services, Inc. (“Moody’s”) (or comparable rated and unrated securities). These bonds are commonly referred to as “junk bonds,” are non-investment grade and are considered speculative. Each of the Real Estate Securities and International Real Estate Securities Funds may invest up to 20% of its total assets in non-investment grade securities, the Global Real Estate Securities Fund and the Global Infrastructure Fund may invest up to 20% of its Net Assets in non-investment grade securities, and the Commodity Strategy Fund may invest up to 10% of its Net Assets in non-investment grade securities. The ability of issuers of high yield securities to make principal and interest payments may be questionable because such issuers are often less creditworthy companies or are highly leveraged and generally less able than more established or less leveraged entities to make scheduled payments of principal and interest. High yield

 

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securities are also issued by governmental issuers that may have difficulty in making all scheduled interest and principal payments. In some cases, such high yield securities may be highly speculative, have poor prospects for reaching investment grade standing and be in default. As a result, investment in such bonds will entail greater risks than those associated with investments in investment grade bonds (i.e., bonds rated AAA, AA, A or BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Aaa, Aa, A or Baa by Moody’s). Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high yield securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher quality debt securities, and the ability of a Fund to achieve its investment objective may, to the extent of its investments in high yield securities, be more dependent upon such creditworthiness analysis than would be the case if the Fund were investing in higher quality securities. See Appendix A for a description of the corporate bond and preferred stock ratings by Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, Fitch, Inc. (“Fitch”) and Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited (“DBRS”).

The market values of high yield, fixed income securities tend to reflect individual corporate or municipal developments to a greater extent than do those of higher rated securities, which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. Issuers of high yield securities that are highly leveraged may not be able to make use of more traditional methods of financing. Their ability to service debt obligations may be more adversely affected by economic downturns or their inability to meet specific projected business forecasts than would be the case for issuers of higher-rated securities. Negative publicity about the junk bond market and investor perceptions regarding lower-rated securities, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may depress the prices for high yield securities. In the lower quality segments of the fixed income securities market, changes in perceptions of issuers’ creditworthiness tend to occur more frequently and in a more pronounced manner than do changes in higher quality segments of the fixed income securities market, resulting in greater yield and price volatility. Another factor which causes fluctuations in the prices of high yield securities is the supply and demand for similarly rated securities. In addition, the prices of investments fluctuate in response to the general level of interest rates. Fluctuations in the prices of portfolio securities subsequent to their acquisition will not affect cash income from such securities but will be reflected in a Fund’s NAV.

The risk of loss from default for the holders of high yield securities is significantly greater than is the case for holders of other debt securities because high yield securities are generally unsecured and are often subordinated to the rights of other creditors of the issuers of such securities. Investment by a Fund in already defaulted securities poses an additional risk of loss should nonpayment of principal and interest continue in respect of such securities. Even if such securities are held to maturity, recovery by a Fund of its initial investment and any anticipated income or appreciation is uncertain. In addition, a Fund may incur additional expenses to the extent that it is required to seek recovery relating to the default in the payment of principal or interest on such securities or otherwise protect its interests. A Fund may be required to liquidate other portfolio securities to satisfy annual distribution obligations of the Fund in respect of accrued interest income on securities which are subsequently written off, even though the Fund has not received any cash payments of such interest.

The secondary market for high yield securities is concentrated in relatively few markets and is dominated by institutional investors, including mutual funds, insurance companies and other financial institutions. Accordingly, the secondary market for such securities may not be as liquid as and may be more volatile than the secondary market for higher-rated securities. In addition, the trading volume for high-yield securities is generally lower than that of higher rated securities. The secondary market for high yield securities could contract under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer. These factors may have an adverse effect on the ability of a Fund to dispose of particular portfolio investments when needed to meet their redemption requests or other liquidity needs. The Investment Adviser could find it difficult to sell these investments or may be able to sell the investments only at prices lower than if such investments were widely traded. Prices realized upon the sale of such lower rated or unrated securities, under these circumstances, may be less than the prices used in calculating the NAV of a Fund. A less liquid secondary market also may make it more difficult for a Fund to obtain precise valuations of the high yield securities in their portfolios.

The adoption of new legislation could adversely affect the secondary market for high yield securities and the financial condition of issuers of these securities. The form of any future legislation, and the probability of such legislation being enacted, is uncertain.

Non-investment grade securities also present risks based on payment expectations. High yield securities frequently contain “call” or buy-back features which permit the issuer to call or repurchase the security from its holder. If an issuer exercises such a “call option” and redeems the security, a Fund may have to replace such security with a lower-yielding security, resulting in a decreased return for investors. In addition, if a Fund experiences net redemptions of its shares, it may be forced to sell its higher-rated securities, resulting in a decline in the overall credit quality of its portfolio and increasing its exposure to the risks of high yield securities.

Credit ratings issued by credit rating agencies are designed to evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments of rated securities. They do not, however, evaluate the market value risk of non-investment grade securities and, therefore, may not fully reflect the true risks of an investment. In addition, credit rating agencies may or may not make timely changes in a rating to reflect changes in the economy or in the conditions of the issuer that affect the market value of the security. Consequently, credit ratings are used only as a preliminary indicator of investment quality. Investments in non-investment grade and comparable unrated obligations will be more dependent on the Investment Adviser’s credit analysis than would be the case with investments in investment-grade debt obligations.

 

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The Investment Adviser employs its own credit research and analysis, which includes a study of an issuer’s existing debt, capital structure, ability to service debt and to pay dividends, sensitivity to economic conditions, operating history and current trend of earnings. The Investment Adviser continually monitors the investments in the Funds’ portfolios and evaluates whether to dispose of or to retain non-investment grade and comparable unrated securities whose credit ratings or credit quality may have changed. If after its purchase, a portfolio security is assigned a lower rating or ceases to be rated, a Fund may continue to hold the security if the Investment Adviser believes it is in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders.

An economic downturn could severely affect the ability of highly leveraged issuers of junk bond investments to service their debt obligations or to repay their obligations upon maturity. Factors having an adverse impact on the market value of junk bonds will have an adverse effect on a Fund’s NAV to the extent it invests in such investments. In addition, a Fund may incur additional expenses to the extent it is required to seek recovery upon a default in payment of principal or interest on its portfolio holdings.

These and other factors discussed in the section below, entitled “Illiquid Investments,” may impact the liquidity of investments in high yield securities.

Illiquid Investments

Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, a Fund may not acquire any “illiquid investment” if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments that are assets. An “illiquid investment” is any investment that a 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. The Trust has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to categorize each Fund’s portfolio investments and identify illiquid investments pursuant to Rule 22e-4, and the Trustees have approved the designation of the Investment Adviser to administer the Trust’s liquidity risk management program and related procedures. In determining whether an investment is an illiquid investment, the Investment Adviser will take into account actual or estimated daily transaction volume of an investment, group of related investments or asset class and other relevant market, trading, and investment-specific considerations. In addition, in determining the liquidity of an investment, the Investment Adviser must determine whether trading varying portions of a position in a particular portfolio investment or asset class, in sizes that a Fund would reasonably anticipate trading, is reasonably expected to significantly affect its liquidity, and if so, the Fund must take this determination into account when classifying the liquidity of that investment or asset class.

In addition to actual or estimated daily transaction volume of an investment, group of related investments or asset class and other relevant market, trading, and investment-specific considerations, the following factors, among others, will generally impact the classification of an investment as an “illiquid investment”: (i) any investment that is placed on the Investment Adviser’s restricted trading list; and (ii) any investment that is delisted or for which there is a trading halt at the close of the trading day on the primary listing exchange at the time of classification (and in respect of which no active secondary market exists). Investments purchased by a Fund that are liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid due to these and other events and circumstances. If one or more investments in a Fund’s portfolio become illiquid, the Fund may exceed the 15% limitation in illiquid investments. In the event that changes in the portfolio or other external events cause a Fund to exceed this limit, the Fund must take steps to bring its illiquid investments that are assets to or below 15% of its net assets within a reasonable period of time. This requirement would not force a Fund to liquidate any portfolio instrument where the Fund would suffer a loss on the sale of that instrument.

Inverse Floating Rate Securities

The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund and U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund may invest in leveraged inverse floating rate debt instruments (“inverse floaters”). The interest rate on an inverse floater resets in the opposite direction from the market rate of interest to which the inverse floater is indexed. An inverse floater may be considered to be leveraged to the extent that its interest rate varies by a magnitude that exceeds the magnitude of the change in the index rate of interest. The higher degree of leverage inherent in inverse floaters is associated with greater volatility in their market values. Accordingly, the duration of an inverse floater may exceed its stated final maturity. Certain inverse floaters may be illiquid securities for purposes of the 15% limitation on investments in such securities.

Investing in Master Limited Partnerships

Each Fund may invest in Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”). MLPs are publicly traded partnerships primarily engaged in the transportation, storage, processing, refining, marketing, exploration, production, and mining of minerals and natural resources. Investments in securities of MLPs involve risks that differ from investments in common stock, including risks related to limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP, risks related to potential conflicts of interest between the MLP and the MLP’s general partner, cash flow risks, dilution risks and risks related to the general partner’s right to require unit-holders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price, resulting from regulatory changes or other reasons. Certain MLP securities may trade in lower

 

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volumes due to their smaller capitalizations. Accordingly, those MLPs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements, may lack sufficient market liquidity to enable a Fund to effect sales at an advantageous time or without a substantial drop in price, and investment in those MLPs may restrict a Fund’s ability to take advantage of other investment opportunities. MLPs are generally considered interest-rate sensitive investments. During periods of interest rate volatility, these investments may not provide attractive returns. Depending on the state of interest rates in general, the use of MLPs could enhance or harm the overall performance of a Fund.

MLPs are subject to various risks related to the underlying operating companies they control, including dependence upon specialized management skills and the risk that such companies may lack or have limited operating histories. The success of a Fund’s investments also will vary depending on the underlying industry represented by the MLP’s portfolio. A Fund must recognize income that it receives from underlying MLPs for tax purposes, even if the Fund does not receive cash distributions from the MLPs in an amount necessary to pay such tax liability. Certain MLPs in which a Fund may invest depend upon their parent or sponsor entities for the majority of their revenues. If the parent or sponsor entities fail to make payments or satisfy their obligations to an MLP, the revenues and cash flows of that MLP and ability of that MLP to make distributions to unit holders such as a Fund would be adversely affected.

Certain MLPs in which a Fund invests depend upon a limited number of customers for substantially all of their revenue. Similarly, certain MLPs in which a Fund may invest depend upon a limited number of suppliers of goods or services to continue their operations. The loss of those customers or suppliers could have a material adverse effect on an MLP’s results of operations and cash flow, and on its ability to make distributions to unit holders such as a Fund.

In addition, a percentage of a distribution received by a Fund as the holder of an MLP interest may be treated as a return of capital, which would reduce a Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the interests of the MLP, which will result in an increase in the amount of income or gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by a Fund for tax purposes upon the sale of any such interests or upon subsequent distributions in respect of such interests. Furthermore, any return of capital distribution received from the MLP may require a Fund to restate the character of its distributions and amend any shareholder tax reporting previously issued.

MLPs generally do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level. Rather, each partner is allocated a share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law, or a change in the underlying business mix of a given MLP, could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in the MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax (as well as state and local income taxes) on its taxable income. The classification of an MLP as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP. If any MLP in which a Fund invests were treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it could result in a reduction of the value of the Fund’s investment in the MLP and lower income to the Fund.

Investment in Unseasoned Companies

Each Fund may invest in companies (including predecessors) which have operated less than three years. The securities of such companies may have limited liquidity, which can result in their being priced higher or lower than might otherwise be the case. In addition, investments in unseasoned companies are more speculative and entail greater risk than do investments in companies with an established operating record.

Investments in the Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries

Each of the Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund may invest in a Subsidiary. Investments in a Subsidiary are expected to provide the Funds with exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of Subchapter M of the Code and IRS revenue rulings, as discussed below under “TAXATION—Fund Taxation.” The Subsidiaries are companies organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, and each Subsidiary is overseen by its own board of directors. Each of the Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund and Commodity Strategy Fund is currently the sole shareholder of its respective Subsidiary. The Subsidiaries may invest without limitation in commodity index-linked securities (including leveraged and unleveraged structured notes) and other commodity-linked securities and derivative instruments that provide exposure to the performance of the commodity markets. Although a Fund may invest in commodity-linked derivative instruments directly, the Fund may gain exposure to these derivative instruments indirectly by investing in its respective Subsidiary. Each Subsidiary also invests in fixed income securities, which are intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary’s derivative positions. To the extent that a Fund invests in its respective Subsidiary, it may be subject to the risks associated with those derivative instruments and other securities, which are discussed elsewhere in the applicable Prospectus and this SAI.

Each Subsidiary is not an investment company registered under the 1940 Act and, unless otherwise noted in the applicable Prospectus and this SAI, is not subject to all of the investor protections of the 1940 Act and other U.S. regulations. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Funds and/or the Subsidiaries to operate as described in the applicable Prospectus and this SAI and could negatively affect the Funds and their shareholders.

 

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Although the Managed Futures Strategy Fund does not currently intend to do so, the Fund may also invest through a wholly-owned subsidiary, which would be advised by the Investment Adviser and would seek to gain commodities exposure, or in commodity-linked investments. Such investments would be made only to the extent permissible under applicable law then in effect, or in reliance upon a private letter ruling from the IRS or an opinion of counsel, or other applicable guidance or relief provided by the IRS or other agencies.

Lending of Portfolio Securities

Each Fund (other than the Commodity Strategy Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund) may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other institutions, including Goldman Sachs. By lending its securities, a Fund attempts to increase its net investment income.

Securities loans are required to be secured continuously by collateral in cash, cash equivalents, letters of credit or U.S. Government Securities equal to at least 100% of the value of the loaned securities. This collateral must be valued, or “marked to market,” daily. Borrowers are required to furnish additional collateral to the Fund as necessary to fully cover their obligations.

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, a Fund may reinvest that cash in short-term investments and pay the borrower a pre-negotiated fee or “rebate” from any return earned on the investment. Investing the collateral subjects it to market depreciation or appreciation, and a Fund is responsible for any loss that may result from its investment of the borrowed collateral. Cash collateral may be invested in, among other things, other registered or unregistered funds, including private investing funds or money market funds that are managed by the Investment Adviser or its affiliates, and which pay the Investment Adviser or its affiliates for their services. If a Fund would receive non-cash collateral, the Fund receives a fee from the borrower equal to a negotiated percentage of the market value of the loaned securities.

For the duration of any securities loan, a Fund will continue to receive the equivalent of the interest, dividends or other distributions paid by the issuer on the loaned securities. A Fund will not have the right to vote its loaned securities during the period of the loan, but the Fund may attempt to recall a loaned security in anticipation of a material vote if it desires to do so. A Fund will have the right to terminate a loan at any time and recall the loaned securities within the normal and customary settlement time for securities transactions.

Securities lending involves certain risks. A Fund may lose money on its investment of cash collateral, resulting in a loss of principal, or may fail to earn sufficient income on its investment to cover the fee or rebate it has agreed to pay the borrower. A Fund may incur losses in connection with its securities lending activities that exceed the value of the interest income and fees received in connection with such transactions. Securities lending subjects a Fund to the risk of loss resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process, and to additional credit, counterparty and market risk. These risks could be greater with respect to non-U.S. securities. Engaging in securities lending could have a leveraging effect, which may intensify the other risks associated with investments in a Fund. In addition, a Fund bears the risk that the price of the securities on loan will increase while they are on loan, or that the price of the collateral will decline in value during the period of the loan, and that the counterparty will not provide, or will delay in providing, additional collateral. A Fund also bears the risk that a borrower may fail to return securities in a timely manner or at all, either because the borrower fails financially or for other reasons. If a borrower of securities fails financially, a Fund may also lose its rights in the collateral. A Fund could experience delays and costs in recovering loaned securities or in gaining access to and liquidating the collateral, which could result in actual financial loss and which could interfere with portfolio management decisions or the exercise of ownership rights in the loaned securities. If a Fund is not able to recover the securities lent, the Fund may sell the collateral and purchase replacement securities in the market. However, a Fund will incur transaction costs on the purchase of replacement securities. These events could trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. In determining whether to lend securities to a particular borrower, and throughout the period of the loan, the creditworthiness of the borrower will be considered and monitored. Loans will only be made to firms deemed to be of good standing, and where the consideration that can be earned currently from securities loans of this type is deemed to justify the attendant risk. It is intended that the value of securities loaned by a Fund will not exceed one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the loan collateral).

A Fund will consider the loaned securities as assets of the Fund, but will not consider any collateral as a Fund asset except when determining total assets for the purpose of the “above one-third” limitation. Loan collateral (including any investment of the collateral) is not subject to the percentage limitations stated elsewhere in this SAI or in the applicable Prospectus regarding investing in fixed income securities and cash equivalents.

The Funds’ Board of Trustees has approved the Absolute Return Tracker Fund’s, the Alternative Premia Fund’s, the Global Infrastructure Fund’s, the Global Real Estate Securities Fund’s, the International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund’s, the International Real Estate Securities Fund’s, International Tax-Managed Equity Fund’s, the U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund’s and the U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund’s participation in a securities lending program and has adopted policies and procedures relating thereto. Under the current securities lending program, the Funds have retained an affiliate of the Investment Adviser to serve as their securities lending agent.

 

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For its services, the securities lending agent may receive a fee from a Fund, including a fee based on the returns earned on the Fund’s investment of cash received as collateral for the loaned securities. In addition, a Fund may make brokerage and other payments to Goldman Sachs and its affiliates in connection with the Fund’s portfolio investment transactions. Each Fund’s Board of Trustees periodically reviews reports on securities loan transactions for which a Goldman Sachs affiliate has acted as lending agent for compliance with the Fund’s securities lending procedures. Goldman Sachs also has been approved as a borrower under each Fund’s securities lending program, subject to certain conditions.

Mortgage Dollar Rolls

Each Fund (other than the Managed Futures Strategy Fund) may enter into mortgage “dollar rolls” in which a Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts with the same counterparty to repurchase similar, but not identical securities on a specified future date. During the roll period, a Fund loses the right to receive principal and interest paid on the securities sold. However, a Fund would benefit to the extent of any difference between the price received for the securities sold and the lower forward price for the future purchase or fee income plus the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the securities sold until the settlement date of the forward purchase. All cash proceeds will be invested in instruments that are permissible investments for the Fund. Each Fund will identify on its books until the settlement date cash or liquid assets, as permitted by applicable law, in an amount equal to its forward purchase price.

For financial reporting and tax purposes, the Fund treats mortgage dollar rolls as two separate transactions; one involving the purchase of a security and a separate transaction involving a sale. The Fund does not currently intend to enter into mortgage dollar rolls for financing and does not treat them as borrowings.

Mortgage dollar rolls involve certain risks including the following: if the broker-dealer to whom the Fund sells the security becomes insolvent, the Fund’s right to purchase or repurchase the mortgage-related securities subject to the mortgage dollar roll may be restricted. Also, the instrument which the Fund is required to repurchase may be worth less than an instrument which the Fund originally held. Successful use of mortgage dollar rolls will depend upon the Investment Adviser’s ability to manage the Fund’s interest rate and mortgage prepayments exposure. For these reasons, there is no assurance that mortgage dollar rolls can be successfully employed. The use of this technique may diminish the investment performance of the Fund compared to what such performance would have been without the use of mortgage dollar rolls.

Mortgage Loans and Mortgage-Backed Securities

The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund and Global Infrastructure Fund may invest in mortgage loans, mortgage pass-through securities and other securities representing an interest in or collateralized by adjustable and fixed rate mortgage loans (“Mortgage-Backed Securities”). Mortgage-Backed Securities are subject to both call risk and extension risk. Because of these risks, these securities can have significantly greater price and yield volatility than traditional fixed income securities.

General Characteristics of Mortgage Backed Securities.

In general, each mortgage pool underlying Mortgage-Backed Securities consists of mortgage loans evidenced by promissory notes secured by first mortgages or first deeds of trust or other similar security instruments creating a first lien on owner occupied and non-owner occupied one-unit to four-unit residential properties, multi-family (i.e., five-units or more) properties, agricultural properties, commercial properties and mixed use properties (the “Mortgaged Properties”). The Mortgaged Properties may consist of detached individual dwelling units, multi-family dwelling units, individual condominiums, townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, row houses, individual units in planned unit developments, other attached dwelling units (“Residential Mortgaged Properties”) or commercial properties, such as office properties, retail properties, hospitality properties, industrial properties, healthcare related properties or other types of income producing real property (“Commercial Mortgaged Properties”). Residential Mortgaged Properties may also include residential investment properties and second homes. In addition, the Mortgage-Backed Securities which are residential mortgage-backed securities may also consist of mortgage loans evidenced by promissory notes secured entirely or in part by second priority mortgage liens on Residential Mortgaged Properties.

The investment characteristics of adjustable and fixed rate Mortgage-Backed Securities differ from those of traditional fixed income securities. The major differences include the payment of interest and principal on Mortgage-Backed Securities on a more frequent (usually monthly) schedule, and the possibility that principal may be prepaid at any time due to prepayments on the underlying mortgage loans or other assets. These differences can result in significantly greater price and yield volatility than is the case with

 

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traditional fixed income securities. As a result, if a Fund purchases Mortgage-Backed Securities at a premium, a faster than expected prepayment rate will reduce both the market value and the yield to maturity from their anticipated levels. A prepayment rate that is slower than expected will have the opposite effect, increasing yield to maturity and market value. Conversely, if a Fund purchases Mortgage-Backed Securities at a discount, faster than expected prepayments will increase, while slower than expected prepayments will reduce yield to maturity and market value. To the extent that a Fund invests in Mortgage-Backed Securities, the Investment Adviser may seek to manage these potential risks by investing in a variety of Mortgage-Backed Securities and by using certain hedging techniques.

Prepayments on a pool of mortgage loans are influenced by changes in current interest rates and a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors (such as changes in mortgagor housing needs, job transfers, unemployment, mortgagor equity in the mortgage properties and servicing decisions). The timing and level of prepayments cannot be predicted. A predominant factor affecting the prepayment rate on a pool of mortgage loans is the difference between the interest rates on outstanding mortgage loans and prevailing mortgage loan interest rates (giving consideration to the cost of any refinancing). Generally, prepayments on mortgage loans will increase during a period of falling mortgage interest rates and decrease during a period of rising mortgage interest rates. Accordingly, the amounts of prepayments available for reinvestment by a Fund are likely to be greater during a period of declining mortgage interest rates. If general interest rates decline, such prepayments are likely to be reinvested at lower interest rates than a Fund was earning on the Mortgage-Backed Securities that were prepaid. Due to these factors, Mortgage-Backed Securities may be less effective than U.S. Treasury and other types of debt securities of similar maturity at maintaining yields during periods of declining interest rates. Because a Fund’s investments in Mortgage-Backed Securities are interest-rate sensitive, a Fund’s performance will depend in part upon the ability of the Fund to anticipate and respond to fluctuations in market interest rates and to utilize appropriate strategies to maximize returns to the Fund, while attempting to minimize the associated risks to its investment capital. Prepayments may have a disproportionate effect on certain Mortgage-Backed Securities and other multiple class pass-through securities, which are discussed below.

The rate of interest paid on Mortgage-Backed Securities is normally lower than the rate of interest paid on the mortgages included in the underlying pool due to (among other things) the fees paid to any servicer, special servicer and trustee for the trust fund which holds the mortgage pool, other costs and expenses of such trust fund, fees paid to any guarantor, such as Ginnie Mae (as defined below) or to any credit enhancers, mortgage pool insurers, bond insurers and/or hedge providers, and due to any yield retained by the issuer. Actual yield to the holder may vary from the coupon rate, even if adjustable, if the Mortgage-Backed Securities are purchased or traded in the secondary market at a premium or discount. In addition, there is normally some delay between the time the issuer receives mortgage payments from the servicer and the time the issuer (or the trustee of the trust fund which holds the mortgage pool) makes the payments on the Mortgage-Backed Securities, and this delay reduces the effective yield to the holder of such securities.

The issuers of certain mortgage-backed obligations may elect to have the pool of mortgage loans (or indirect interests in mortgage loans) underlying the securities treated as a Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit (“REMIC”), which is subject to special federal income tax rules. A description of the types of mortgage loans and mortgage-backed securities in which certain of the Funds may invest is provided below. The descriptions are general and summary in nature, and do not detail every possible variation of the types of securities that are permissible investments for a Fund.

Certain General Characteristics of Mortgage Loans

Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans (“ARMs”). The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, Alternative Premia Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund may invest in ARMs. ARMs generally provide for a fixed initial mortgage interest rate for a specified period of time. Thereafter, the interest rates (the “Mortgage Interest Rates”) may be subject to periodic adjustment based on changes in the applicable index rate (the “Index Rate”). The adjusted rate would be equal to the Index Rate plus a fixed percentage spread over the Index Rate established for each ARM at the time of its origination. ARMs allow a Fund to participate in increases in interest rates through periodic increases in the securities coupon rates. During periods of declining interest rates, coupon rates may readjust downward resulting in lower yields to a Fund.

Adjustable interest rates can cause payment increases that some mortgagors may find difficult to make. However, certain ARMs may provide that the Mortgage Interest Rate may not be adjusted to a rate above an applicable lifetime maximum rate or below an applicable lifetime minimum rate for such ARM. Certain ARMs may also be subject to limitations on the maximum amount by which the Mortgage Interest Rate may adjust for any single adjustment period (the “Maximum Adjustment”). Other ARMs (“Negatively Amortizing ARMs”) may provide instead or as well for limitations on changes in the monthly payment on such ARMs. Limitations on monthly payments can result in monthly payments which are greater or less than the amount necessary to amortize a Negatively Amortizing ARM by its maturity at the Mortgage Interest Rate in effect in any particular month. In the event that a monthly payment is not sufficient to pay the interest accruing on a Negatively Amortizing ARM, any such excess interest is added to the principal balance of the loan, causing negative amortization, and will be repaid through future monthly payments. It may take borrowers under Negatively Amortizing ARMs longer periods of time to build up equity and may increase the likelihood of default by such borrowers. In the event that a monthly payment exceeds the sum of the interest accrued at the applicable Mortgage Interest Rate and the principal payment

 

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which would have been necessary to amortize the outstanding principal balance over the remaining term of the loan, the excess (or “accelerated amortization”) further reduces the principal balance of the ARM. Negatively Amortizing ARMs do not provide for the extension of their original maturity to accommodate changes in their Mortgage Interest Rate. As a result, unless there is a periodic recalculation of the payment amount (which there generally is), the final payment may be substantially larger than the other payments. After the expiration of the initial fixed rate period and upon the periodic recalculation of the payment to cause timely amortization of the related mortgage loan, the monthly payment on such mortgage loan may increase substantially which may, in turn, increase the risk of the borrower defaulting in respect of such mortgage loan. These limitations on periodic increases in interest rates and on changes in monthly payments protect borrowers from unlimited interest rate and payment increases, but may result in increased credit exposure and prepayment risks for lenders. When interest due on a mortgage loan is added to the principal balance of such mortgage loan, the related mortgaged property provides proportionately less security for the repayment of such mortgage loan. Therefore, if the related borrower defaults on such mortgage loan, there is a greater likelihood that a loss will be incurred upon any liquidation of the mortgaged property which secures such mortgage loan.

ARMs also have the risk of prepayment. The rate of principal prepayments with respect to ARMs has fluctuated in recent years. The value of Mortgage-Backed Securities collateralized by ARMs is less likely to rise during periods of declining interest rates than the value of fixed-rate securities during such periods. Accordingly, ARMs may be subject to a greater rate of principal repayments in a declining interest rate environment resulting in lower yields to a Fund. For example, if prevailing interest rates fall significantly, ARMs could be subject to higher prepayment rates (than if prevailing interest rates remain constant or increase) because the availability of low fixed-rate mortgages may encourage mortgagors to refinance their ARMs to “lock-in” a fixed-rate mortgage. On the other hand, during periods of rising interest rates, the value of ARMs will lag behind changes in the market rate. ARMs are also typically subject to maximum increases and decreases in the interest rate adjustment which can be made on any one adjustment date, in any one year, or during the life of the security. In the event of dramatic increases or decreases in prevailing market interest rates, the value of a Fund’s investment in ARMs may fluctuate more substantially because these limits may prevent the security from fully adjusting its interest rate to the prevailing market rates. As with fixed-rate mortgages, ARM prepayment rates vary in both stable and changing interest rate environments.

There are two main categories of indices which provide the basis for rate adjustments on ARMs: those based on U.S. Treasury securities and those derived from a calculated measure, such as a cost of funds index or a moving average of mortgage rates. Indices commonly used for this purpose include the one-year, three-year and five-year constant maturity Treasury rates, the three-month Treasury bill rate, the 180-day Treasury bill rate, rates on longer-term Treasury securities, the 11th District Federal Home Loan Bank Cost of Funds, the National Median Cost of Funds, the one-month, three-month, six-month or one-year London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), the prime rate of a specific bank, or commercial paper rates. Some indices, such as the one-year constant maturity Treasury rate, closely mirror changes in market interest rate levels. Others, such as the 11th District Federal Home Loan Bank Cost of Funds index, tend to lag behind changes in market rate levels and tend to be somewhat less volatile. The degree of volatility in the market value of ARMs in a Fund’s portfolio and, therefore, in the NAV of the Fund’s shares, will be a function of the length of the interest rate reset periods and the degree of volatility in the applicable indices.

Fixed-Rate Mortgage Loans. Generally, fixed-rate mortgage loans included in mortgage pools (the “Fixed-Rate Mortgage Loans”) will bear simple interest at fixed annual rates and have original terms to maturity ranging from 5 to 40 years. Fixed-Rate Mortgage Loans generally provide for monthly payments of principal and interest in substantially equal installments for the term of the mortgage note in sufficient amounts to fully amortize principal by maturity, although certain Fixed-Rate Mortgage Loans provide for a large final “balloon” payment upon maturity.

Certain Legal Considerations of Mortgage Loans. The following is a discussion of certain legal and regulatory aspects of the mortgage loans in which certain of the Funds may invest. This discussion is not exhaustive, and does not address all of the legal or regulatory aspects affecting mortgage loans. These regulations may impair the ability of a mortgage lender to enforce its rights under the mortgage documents. These regulations may also adversely affect a Fund’s investments in Mortgage-Backed Securities (including those issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities) by delaying the Fund’s receipt of payments derived from principal or interest on mortgage loans affected by such regulations.

 

  1.

Foreclosure. A foreclosure of a defaulted mortgage loan may be delayed due to compliance with statutory notice or service of process provisions, difficulties in locating necessary parties or legal challenges to the mortgagee’s right to foreclose. Depending upon market conditions, the ultimate proceeds of the sale of foreclosed property may not equal the amounts owed on the Mortgage-Backed Securities. Furthermore, courts in some cases have imposed general equitable principles upon foreclosure generally designed to relieve the borrower from the legal effect of default and have required lenders to undertake affirmative and expensive actions to determine the causes for the default and the likelihood of loan reinstatement.

 

  2.

Rights of Redemption. In some states, after foreclosure of a mortgage loan, the borrower and foreclosed junior lienors are given a statutory period in which to redeem the property, which right may diminish the mortgagee’s ability to sell the property.

 

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  3.

Legislative Limitations. In addition to anti-deficiency and related legislation, numerous other federal and state statutory provisions, including the federal bankruptcy laws and state laws affording relief to debtors, may interfere with or affect the ability of a secured mortgage lender to enforce its security interest. For example, a bankruptcy court may grant the debtor a reasonable time to cure a default on a mortgage loan, including a payment default. The court in certain instances may also reduce the monthly payments due under such mortgage loan, change the rate of interest, reduce the principal balance of the loan to the then-current appraised value of the related mortgaged property, alter the mortgage loan repayment schedule and grant priority of certain liens over the lien of the mortgage loan. If a court relieves a borrower’s obligation to repay amounts otherwise due on a mortgage loan, the mortgage loan servicer will not be required to advance such amounts, and any loss may be borne by the holders of securities backed by such loans. In addition, numerous federal and state consumer protection laws impose penalties for failure to comply with specific requirements in connection with origination and servicing of mortgage loans.

 

  4.

“Due-on-Sale” Provisions. Fixed-rate mortgage loans may contain a so-called “due-on-sale” clause permitting acceleration of the maturity of the mortgage loan if the borrower transfers the property. The Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982 sets forth nine specific instances in which no mortgage lender covered by that Act may exercise a “due-on-sale” clause upon a transfer of property. The inability to enforce a “due-on-sale” clause or the lack of such a clause in mortgage loan documents may result in a mortgage loan being assumed by a purchaser of the property that bears an interest rate below the current market rate.

 

  5.

Usury Laws. Some states prohibit charging interest on mortgage loans in excess of statutory limits. If such limits are exceeded, substantial penalties may be incurred and, in some cases, enforceability of the obligation to pay principal and interest may be affected.

 

  6.

Recent Governmental Action, Legislation and Regulation. The rise in the rate of foreclosures of properties in certain states or localities has resulted in legislative, regulatory and enforcement action in such states or localities seeking to prevent or restrict foreclosures, particularly in respect of residential mortgage loans. Actions have also been brought against issuers and underwriters of residential Mortgage-Backed Securities collateralized by such residential mortgage loans and investors in such residential Mortgage-Backed Securities. Legislative or regulatory initiatives by federal, state or local legislative bodies or administrative agencies, if enacted or adopted, could delay foreclosure or the exercise of other remedies, provide new defenses to foreclosure, or otherwise impair the ability of the loan servicer to foreclose or realize on a defaulted residential mortgage loan included in a pool of residential mortgage loans backing such residential Mortgage-Backed Securities. While the nature or extent of limitations on foreclosure or exercise of other remedies that may be enacted cannot be predicted, any such governmental actions that interfere with the foreclosure process could increase the costs of such foreclosures or exercise of other remedies in respect of residential mortgage loans which collateralize Mortgage-Backed Securities held by a Fund, delay the timing or reduce the amount of recoveries on defaulted residential mortgage loans which collateralize Mortgage-Backed Securities held by a Fund, and consequently, could adversely impact the yields and distributions a Fund may receive in respect of its ownership of Mortgage-Backed Securities collateralized by residential mortgage loans. For example, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 authorizes bankruptcy courts to assist bankrupt borrowers by restructuring residential mortgage loans secured by a lien on the borrower’s primary residence. Bankruptcy judges are permitted to reduce the interest rate of the bankrupt borrower’s residential mortgage loan, extend its term to maturity to up to 40 years or take other actions to reduce the borrower’s monthly payment. As a result, the value of, and the cash flows in respect of, the Mortgage-Backed Securities collateralized by these residential mortgage loans may be adversely impacted, and, as a consequence, a Fund’s investment in such Mortgage-Backed Securities could be adversely impacted. Other federal legislation, including the Home Affordability Modification Program (“HAMP”), encourages servicers to modify residential mortgage loans that are either already in default or are at risk of imminent default. Furthermore, HAMP provides incentives for servicers to modify residential mortgage loans that are contractually current. This program, as well other legislation and/or governmental intervention designed to protect consumers, may have an adverse impact on servicers of residential mortgage loans by increasing costs and expenses of these servicers while at the same time decreasing servicing cash flows. Such increased financial pressures may have a negative effect on the ability of servicers to pursue collection on residential mortgage loans that are experiencing increased delinquencies and defaults and to maximize recoveries on the sale of underlying residential mortgaged properties following foreclosure. Other legislative or regulatory actions include insulation of servicers from liability for modification of residential mortgage loans without regard to the terms of the applicable servicing agreements. The foregoing legislation and current and future governmental regulation activities may have the effect of reducing returns to a Fund to the extent it has invested in Mortgage-Backed Securities collateralized by these residential mortgage loans.

Government Guaranteed Mortgage-Backed Securities.

There are several types of government guaranteed Mortgage-Backed Securities currently available, including guaranteed mortgage pass-through certificates and multiple class securities, which include guaranteed Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit Certificates (“REMIC Certificates”), other collateralized mortgage obligations and stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities. A Fund is permitted to invest in other types of Mortgage-Backed Securities that may be available in the future to the extent consistent with its investment policies and objective.

 

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A Fund’s investments in Mortgage-Backed Securities may include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Ginnie Mae securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which means that the U.S. Government guarantees that the interest and principal will be paid when due. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, and as a result, they have historically been viewed by the market as high quality securities with low credit risks. From time to time, proposals have been introduced before Congress for the purpose of restricting or eliminating federal sponsorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Trust cannot predict what legislation, if any, may be proposed in the future in Congress as regards such sponsorship or which proposals, if any, might be enacted. Such proposals, if enacted, might materially and adversely affect the availability of government guaranteed Mortgage-Backed Securities and the liquidity and value of a Fund’s portfolio.

There is risk that the U.S. Government will not provide financial support to its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. A Fund may purchase U.S. Government Securities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, such as those issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. Government Securities held by a Fund may greatly exceed such issuers’ current resources, including such issuers’ legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future. Below is a general discussion of certain types of guaranteed Mortgage-Backed Securities in which certain of the Funds may invest.

Ginnie Mae Certificates. Ginnie Mae is a wholly-owned corporate instrumentality of the United States. Ginnie Mae is authorized to guarantee the timely payment of the principal of and interest on certificates that are based on and backed by a pool of mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”), or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration (“VA”), or by pools of other eligible mortgage loans. In order to meet its obligations under any guaranty, Ginnie Mae is authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury in an unlimited amount. The National Housing Act provides that the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government is pledged to the timely payment of principal and interest by Ginnie Mae of amounts due on Ginnie Mae certificates.

Fannie Mae Certificates. Fannie Mae is a stockholder-owned corporation chartered under an act of the United States Congress. Generally, Fannie Mae Certificates are issued and guaranteed by Fannie Mae and represent an undivided interest in a pool of mortgage loans (a “Pool”) formed by Fannie Mae. A Pool consists of residential mortgage loans either previously owned by Fannie Mae or purchased by it in connection with the formation of the Pool. The mortgage loans may be either conventional mortgage loans (i.e., not insured or guaranteed by any U.S. Government agency) or mortgage loans that are either insured by the FHA or guaranteed by the VA. However, the mortgage loans in Fannie Mae Pools are primarily conventional mortgage loans. The lenders originating and servicing the mortgage loans are subject to certain eligibility requirements established by Fannie Mae. Fannie Mae has certain contractual responsibilities. With respect to each Pool, Fannie Mae is obligated to distribute scheduled installments of principal and interest after Fannie Mae’s servicing and guaranty fee, whether or not received, to Certificate holders. Fannie Mae also is obligated to distribute to holders of Certificates an amount equal to the full principal balance of any foreclosed mortgage loan, whether or not such principal balance is actually recovered. The obligations of Fannie Mae under its guaranty of the Fannie Mae Certificates are obligations solely of Fannie Mae. See “Certain Additional Information with Respect to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae” below.

Freddie Mac Certificates. Freddie Mac is a publicly held U.S. Government sponsored enterprise. A principal activity of Freddie Mac currently is the purchase of first lien, conventional, residential and multifamily mortgage loans and participation interests in such mortgage loans and their resale in the form of mortgage securities, primarily Freddie Mac Certificates. A Freddie Mac Certificate represents a pro rata interest in a group of mortgage loans or participations in mortgage loans (a “Freddie Mac Certificate group”) purchased by Freddie Mac. Freddie Mac guarantees to each registered holder of a Freddie Mac Certificate the timely payment of interest at the rate provided for by such Freddie Mac Certificate (whether or not received on the underlying loans). Freddie Mac also guarantees to each registered Certificate holder ultimate collection of all principal of the related mortgage loans, without any offset or deduction, but does not, generally, guarantee the timely payment of scheduled principal. The obligations of Freddie Mac under its guaranty of Freddie Mac Certificates are obligations solely of Freddie Mac. See “Certain Additional Information with Respect to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae” below.

The mortgage loans underlying the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae Certificates consist of adjustable rate or fixed-rate mortgage loans with original terms to maturity of up to forty years. These mortgage loans are usually secured by first liens on one-to-four-family residential properties or multi-family projects. Each mortgage loan must meet the applicable standards set forth in the law creating Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. A Freddie Mac Certificate group may include whole loans, participation interests in whole loans, undivided interests in whole loans and participations comprising another Freddie Mac Certificate group.

 

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Conventional Mortgage Loans. The conventional mortgage loans underlying the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae Certificates consist of adjustable rate or fixed-rate mortgage loans normally with original terms to maturity of between five and thirty years. Substantially all of these mortgage loans are secured by first liens on one- to four-family residential properties or multi-family projects. Each mortgage loan must meet the applicable standards set forth in the law creating Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. A Freddie Mac Certificate group may include whole loans, participation interests in whole loans, undivided interests in whole loans and participations comprising another Freddie Mac Certificate group.

Certain Additional Information with Respect to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The volatility and disruption that impacted the capital and credit markets during late 2008 and into 2009 have led to increased market concerns about Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s ability 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 6, 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 has 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 addition, in connection with the actions taken by the FHFA, the U.S. Treasury entered into certain preferred stock purchase agreements with each of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae which established the U.S. Treasury as the holder of a new class of senior preferred stock in each of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which stock was issued in connection with financial contributions from the U.S. Treasury to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The conditions attached to the financial contribution made by the U.S. Treasury to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and the issuance of this senior preferred stock placed significant restrictions on the activities of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae must obtain the consent of the U.S. Treasury to, among other things, (i) make any payment to purchase or redeem its capital stock or pay any dividend other than in respect of the senior preferred stock issued to the U.S. Treasury, (ii) issue capital stock of any kind, (iii) terminate the conservatorship of the FHFA except in connection with a receivership, or (iv) increase its debt beyond certain specified levels. In addition, significant restrictions were placed on the maximum size of each of Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s respective portfolios of mortgages and Mortgage-Backed Securities, and the purchase agreements entered into by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae provide that the maximum size of their portfolios of these assets must decrease by a specified percentage each year. On June 16, 2010, FHFA ordered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s stock de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) after the price of common stock in Fannie Mae fell below the NYSE minimum average closing price of $1 for more than 30 days.

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 as a result of the senior preferred stock investment made by the U.S. Treasury, market responses to developments at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, 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 Mortgage-Backed Securities guaranteed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, including any such Mortgage-Backed Securities held by a Fund.

Privately Issued Mortgage-Backed Securities.

To the extent consistent with their investment policies, the Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, Alternative Premia Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund may invest in privately issued Mortgage-Backed Securities. Privately issued Mortgage-Backed Securities are generally backed by pools of conventional (i.e., non-government guaranteed or insured) mortgage loans. The seller or servicer of the underlying mortgage obligations will generally make representations and warranties to certificate-holders as to certain characteristics of the mortgage loans and as to the accuracy of certain information furnished to the trustee in respect of each such mortgage loan. Upon a breach of any representation or warranty that materially and adversely affects the interests of the related certificate-holders in a mortgage loan, the seller or servicer generally will be obligated either to cure the breach in all material respects, to repurchase the mortgage loan or, if the related agreement so provides, to substitute in its place a mortgage loan pursuant to the conditions set forth therein. Such a repurchase or substitution obligation may constitute the sole remedy available to the related certificate-holders or the trustee for the material breach of any such representation or warranty by the seller or servicer.

Mortgage Pass-Through Securities

To the extent consistent with their investment policies, the Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund and Global Infrastructure Fund may invest in both government guaranteed and privately issued mortgage pass-through securities (“Mortgage Pass-Throughs”) that are fixed or adjustable rate Mortgage-Backed Securities which provide for monthly payments that are a “pass-through” of the monthly interest and principal payments (including any prepayments) made by the individual borrowers on the pooled mortgage loans, net of any fees or other amounts paid to any guarantor, administrator

 

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and/or servicer of the underlying mortgage loans. The seller or servicer of the underlying mortgage obligations will generally make representations and warranties to certificate-holders as to certain characteristics of the mortgage loans and as to the accuracy of certain information furnished to the trustee in respect of each such mortgage loan. Upon a breach of any representation or warranty that materially and adversely affects the interests of the related certificate-holders in a mortgage loan, the seller or servicer generally may be obligated either to cure the breach in all material respects, to repurchase the mortgage loan or, if the related agreement so provides, to substitute in its place a mortgage loan pursuant to the conditions set forth therein. Such a repurchase or substitution obligation may constitute the sole remedy available to the related certificate-holders or the trustee for the material breach of any such representation or warranty by the seller or servicer. The following discussion describes certain aspects of only a few of the wide variety of structures of Mortgage Pass-Throughs that are available or may be issued.

General Description of Certificates.

Mortgage Pass-Throughs may be issued in one or more classes of senior certificates and one or more classes of subordinate certificates. Each such class may bear a different pass-through rate. Generally, each certificate will evidence the specified interest of the holder thereof in the payments of principal or interest or both in respect of the mortgage pool comprising part of the trust fund for such certificates.

Any class of certificates may also be divided into subclasses entitled to varying amounts of principal and interest. If a REMIC election has been made, certificates of such subclasses may be entitled to payments on the basis of a stated principal balance and stated interest rate, and payments among different subclasses may be made on a sequential, concurrent, pro rata or disproportionate basis, or any combination thereof. The stated interest rate on any such subclass of certificates may be a fixed rate or one which varies in direct or inverse relationship to an objective interest index.

Generally, each registered holder of a certificate will be entitled to receive its pro rata share of monthly distributions of all or a portion of principal of the underlying mortgage loans or of interest on the principal balances thereof, which accrues at the applicable mortgage pass-through rate, or both. The difference between the mortgage interest rate and the related mortgage pass-through rate (less the amount, if any, of retained yield) with respect to each mortgage loan will generally be paid to the servicer as a servicing fee. Because certain adjustable rate mortgage loans included in a mortgage pool may provide for deferred interest (i.e., negative amortization), the amount of interest actually paid by a mortgagor in any month may be less than the amount of interest accrued on the outstanding principal balance of the related mortgage loan during the relevant period at the applicable mortgage interest rate. In such event, the amount of interest that is treated as deferred interest will generally be added to the principal balance of the related mortgage loan and will be distributed pro rata to certificate-holders as principal of such mortgage loan when paid by the mortgagor in subsequent monthly payments or at maturity.

Ratings. The ratings assigned by a rating organization to Mortgage Pass-Throughs generally address the likelihood of the receipt of distributions on the underlying mortgage loans by the related certificate-holders under the agreements pursuant to which such certificates are issued. A rating organization’s ratings normally take into consideration the credit quality of the related mortgage pool, including any credit support providers, structural and legal aspects associated with such certificates, and the extent to which the payment stream on such mortgage pool is adequate to make payments required by such certificates. A rating organization’s ratings on such certificates do not, however, constitute a statement regarding frequency of prepayments on the related mortgage loans. In addition, the rating assigned by a rating organization to a certificate may not address the possibility that, in the event of the insolvency of the issuer of certificates where a subordinated interest was retained, the issuance and sale of the senior certificates may be recharacterized as a financing and, as a result of such recharacterization, payments on such certificates may be affected. A rating organization may downgrade or withdraw a rating assigned by it to any Mortgage Pass-Through at any time, and no assurance can be made that any ratings on any Mortgage Pass-Throughs included in a Fund will be maintained, or that if such ratings are assigned, they will not be downgraded or withdrawn by the assigning rating organization.

In the past, rating agencies have placed on credit watch or downgraded the ratings previously assigned to a large number of mortgage-backed securities (which may include certain of the Mortgage-Backed Securities in which a Fund may have invested or may in the future be invested), and may continue to do so in the future. In the event that any Mortgage-Backed Security held by a Fund is placed on credit watch or downgraded, the value of such Mortgage-Backed Security may decline and the Fund may consequently experience losses in respect of such Mortgage-Backed Security.

Credit Enhancement. Mortgage pools created by non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher yield than government and government-related pools because of the absence of direct or indirect government or agency payment guarantees. To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, Mortgage Pass-Throughs may contain elements of credit support. Credit support falls generally into two categories: (i) liquidity protection and (ii) protection against losses resulting from default by an obligor on the underlying assets. Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, generally by the entity administering the pools of mortgages, the provision of a reserve fund, or a combination thereof, to ensure, subject to certain limitations, that scheduled payments on the underlying pool are made in a timely fashion. Protection against losses resulting from default ensures ultimate payment of the obligations on at least a portion of the assets in the pool. Such credit support can be provided by, among other things, payment guarantees, letters of credit, pool insurance, subordination, or any combination thereof.

 

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Subordination; Shifting of Interest; Reserve Fund. In order to achieve ratings on one or more classes of Mortgage Pass-Throughs, one or more classes of certificates may be subordinate certificates which provide that the rights of the subordinate certificate-holders to receive any or a specified portion of distributions with respect to the underlying mortgage loans may be subordinated to the rights of the senior certificate holders. If so structured, the subordination feature may be enhanced by distributing to the senior certificate-holders on certain distribution dates, as payment of principal, a specified percentage (which generally declines over time) of all principal payments received during the preceding prepayment period (“shifting interest credit enhancement”). This will have the effect of accelerating the amortization of the senior certificates while increasing the interest in the trust fund evidenced by the subordinate certificates. Increasing the interest of the subordinate certificates relative to that of the senior certificates is intended to preserve the availability of the subordination provided by the subordinate certificates. In addition, because the senior certificate-holders in a shifting interest credit enhancement structure are entitled to receive a percentage of principal prepayments which is greater than their proportionate interest in the trust fund, the rate of principal prepayments on the mortgage loans may have an even greater effect on the rate of principal payments and the amount of interest payments on, and the yield to maturity of, the senior certificates.

In addition to providing for a preferential right of the senior certificate-holders to receive current distributions from the mortgage pool, a reserve fund may be established relating to such certificates (the “Reserve Fund”). The Reserve Fund may be created with an initial cash deposit by the originator or servicer and augmented by the retention of distributions otherwise available to the subordinate certificate-holders or by excess servicing fees until the Reserve Fund reaches a specified amount.

The subordination feature, and any Reserve Fund, are intended to enhance the likelihood of timely receipt by senior certificate-holders of the full amount of scheduled monthly payments of principal and interest due to them and will protect the senior certificate-holders against certain losses; however, in certain circumstances the Reserve Fund could be depleted and temporary shortfalls could result. In the event that the Reserve Fund is depleted before the subordinated amount is reduced to zero, senior certificate-holders will nevertheless have a preferential right to receive current distributions from the mortgage pool to the extent of the then outstanding subordinated amount. Unless otherwise specified, until the subordinated amount is reduced to zero, on any distribution date any amount otherwise distributable to the subordinate certificates or, to the extent specified, in the Reserve Fund will generally be used to offset the amount of any losses realized with respect to the mortgage loans (“Realized Losses”). Realized Losses remaining after application of such amounts will generally be applied to reduce the ownership interest of the subordinate certificates in the mortgage pool. If the subordinated amount has been reduced to zero, Realized Losses generally will be allocated pro rata among all certificate-holders in proportion to their respective outstanding interests in the mortgage pool.

Alternative Credit Enhancement. As an alternative, or in addition to the credit enhancement afforded by subordination, credit enhancement for Mortgage Pass-Throughs may be provided through bond insurers, or at the mortgage loan-level through mortgage insurance, hazard insurance, or through the deposit of cash, certificates of deposit, letters of credit, a limited guaranty or by such other methods as are acceptable to a rating agency. In certain circumstances, such as where credit enhancement is provided by bond insurers, guarantees or letters of credit, the security is subject to credit risk because of its exposure to the credit risk of an external credit enhancement provider.

Voluntary Advances. Generally, in the event of delinquencies in payments on the mortgage loans underlying the Mortgage Pass-Throughs, the servicer may agree to make advances of cash for the benefit of certificate-holders, but generally will do so only to the extent that it determines such voluntary advances will be recoverable from future payments and collections on the mortgage loans or otherwise.

Optional Termination. Generally, the servicer may, at its option with respect to any certificates, repurchase all of the underlying mortgage loans remaining outstanding at such time the aggregate outstanding principal balance of such mortgage loans is less than a specified percentage (generally 5-10%) of the aggregate outstanding principal balance of the mortgage loans as of the cut-off date specified with respect to such series.

Multiple Class Mortgage-Backed Securities and Collateralized Mortgage Obligations. A Fund (other than the U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund) may invest in multiple class securities including collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) and REMIC Certificates. These securities may be issued by U.S. Government agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac or by trusts formed by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, insurance companies, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. In general, CMOs are debt obligations of a legal entity that are collateralized by, and multiple class Mortgage-Backed Securities represent direct ownership interests in, a pool of mortgage loans or Mortgage-Backed Securities the payments on which are used to make payments on the CMOs or multiple class Mortgage-Backed Securities.

 

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Fannie Mae REMIC Certificates are issued and guaranteed as to timely distribution of principal and interest by Fannie Mae. In addition, Fannie Mae will be obligated to distribute the principal balance of each class of REMIC Certificates in full, whether or not sufficient funds are otherwise available.

Freddie Mac guarantees the timely payment of interest on Freddie Mac REMIC Certificates and also guarantees the payment of principal as payments are required to be made on the underlying mortgage participation certificates (“PCs”). PCs represent undivided interests in specified level payment, residential mortgages or participations therein purchased by Freddie Mac and placed in a PC pool. With respect to principal payments on PCs, Freddie Mac generally guarantees ultimate collection of all principal of the related mortgage loans without offset or deduction but the receipt of the required payments may be delayed. Freddie Mac also guarantees timely payment of principal of certain PCs.

CMOs and guaranteed REMIC Certificates issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are types of multiple class Mortgage-Backed Securities. The REMIC Certificates represent beneficial ownership interests in a REMIC trust, generally consisting of mortgage loans or Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae guaranteed Mortgage-Backed Securities (the “Mortgage Assets”). The obligations of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac under their respective guaranty of the REMIC Certificates are obligations solely of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, respectively. See “Certain Additional Information with Respect to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.”

CMOs and REMIC Certificates are issued in multiple classes. Each class of CMOs or REMIC Certificates, often referred to as a “tranche,” is issued at a specific adjustable or fixed interest rate and must be fully retired no later than its final distribution date. Principal prepayments on the mortgage loans or the Mortgage Assets underlying the CMOs or REMIC Certificates may cause some or all of the classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates to be retired substantially earlier than their final distribution dates. Generally, interest is paid or accrues on all classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates on a monthly basis.

The principal of and interest on the Mortgage Assets may be allocated among the several classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates in various ways. In certain structures (known as “sequential pay” CMOs or REMIC Certificates), payments of principal, including any principal prepayments, on the Mortgage Assets generally are applied to the classes of CMOs or REMIC Certificates in the order of their respective final distribution dates. Thus, no payment of principal will be made on any class of sequential pay CMOs or REMIC Certificates until all other classes having an earlier final distribution date have been paid in full.

Additional structures of CMOs and REMIC Certificates include, among others, “parallel pay” CMOs and REMIC Certificates. Parallel pay CMOs or REMIC Certificates are those which are structured to apply principal payments and prepayments of the Mortgage Assets to two or more classes concurrently on a proportionate or disproportionate basis. These simultaneous payments are taken into account in calculating the final distribution date of each class.

A wide variety of REMIC Certificates may be issued in parallel pay or sequential pay structures. These securities include accrual certificates (also known as “Z-Bonds”), which only accrue interest at a specified rate until all other certificates having an earlier final distribution date have been retired and are converted thereafter to an interest-paying security, and planned amortization class (“PAC”) certificates, which are parallel pay REMIC Certificates that generally require that specified amounts of principal be applied on each payment date to one or more classes or REMIC Certificates (the “PAC Certificates”), even though all other principal payments and prepayments of the Mortgage Assets are then required to be applied to one or more other classes of the PAC Certificates. The scheduled principal payments for the PAC Certificates generally have the highest priority on each payment date after interest due has been paid to all classes entitled to receive interest currently. Shortfalls, if any, are added to the amount payable on the next payment date. The PAC Certificate payment schedule is taken into account in calculating the final distribution date of each class of PAC. In order to create PAC tranches, one or more tranches generally must be created that absorb most of the volatility in the underlying mortgage assets. These tranches tend to have market prices and yields that are much more volatile than other PAC classes.

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities. Commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) are a type of Mortgage Pass-Through that are primarily backed by a pool of commercial mortgage loans. The commercial mortgage loans are, in turn, generally secured by commercial mortgaged properties (such as office properties, retail properties, hospitality properties, industrial properties, healthcare related properties or other types of income producing real property). CMBS generally entitle the holders thereof to receive payments that depend primarily on the cash flow from a specified pool of commercial or multifamily mortgage loans. CMBS will be affected by payments, defaults, delinquencies and losses on the underlying mortgage loans. The underlying mortgage loans generally are secured by income producing properties such as office properties, retail properties, multifamily properties, manufactured housing, hospitality properties, industrial properties and self-storage properties. Because issuers of CMBS have no significant assets other than the underlying commercial real estate loans and because of the significant credit risks inherent in the underlying collateral, credit risk is a correspondingly important consideration with respect to the related CMBS. Certain of the mortgage loans underlying CMBS constituting part of the collateral interests may be delinquent, in default or in foreclosure.

 

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Commercial real estate lending may expose a lender (and the related Mortgage-Backed Security) to a greater risk of loss than certain other forms of lending because it typically involves making larger loans to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers. In addition, in the case of certain commercial mortgage loans, repayment of loans secured by commercial and multifamily properties depends upon the ability of the related real estate project to generate income sufficient to pay debt service, operating expenses and leasing commissions and to make necessary repairs, tenant improvements and capital improvements, and in the case of loans that do not fully amortize over their terms, to retain sufficient value to permit the borrower to pay off the loan at maturity through a sale or refinancing of the mortgaged property. The net operating income from and value of any commercial property is subject to various risks, including changes in general or local economic conditions and/or specific industry segments; declines in real estate values; declines in rental or occupancy rates; increases in interest rates, real estate tax rates and other operating expenses; changes in governmental rules, regulations and fiscal policies; acts of God; terrorist threats and attacks and social unrest and civil disturbances. In addition, certain of the mortgaged properties securing the pools of commercial mortgage loans underlying CMBS may have a higher degree of geographic concentration in a few states or regions. Any deterioration in the real estate market or economy or adverse events in such states or regions, may increase the rate of delinquency and default experience (and as a consequence, losses) with respect to mortgage loans related to properties in such state or region. Pools of mortgaged properties securing the commercial mortgage loans underlying CMBS may also have a higher degree of concentration in certain types of commercial properties. Accordingly, such pools of mortgage loans represent higher exposure to risks particular to those types of commercial properties. Certain pools of commercial mortgage loans underlying CMBS consist of a fewer number of mortgage loans with outstanding balances that are larger than average. If a mortgage pool includes mortgage loans with larger than average balances, any realized losses on such mortgage loans could be more severe, relative to the size of the pool, than would be the case if the aggregate balance of the pool were distributed among a larger number of mortgage loans. Certain borrowers or affiliates thereof relating to certain of the commercial mortgage loans underlying CMBS may have had a history of bankruptcy. Certain mortgaged properties securing the commercial mortgage loans underlying CMBS may have been exposed to environmental conditions or circumstances. The ratings in respect of certain of the CMBS comprising the Mortgage-Backed Securities may have been withdrawn, reduced or placed on credit watch since issuance. In addition, losses and/or appraisal reductions may be allocated to certain of such CMBS and certain of the collateral or the assets underlying such collateral may be delinquent and/or may default from time to time.

CMBS held by a Fund may be subordinated to one or more other classes of securities of the same series for purposes of, among other things, establishing payment priorities and offsetting losses and other shortfalls with respect to the related underlying mortgage loans. Realized losses in respect of the mortgage loans included in the CMBS pool and trust expenses generally will be allocated to the most subordinated class of securities of the related series. Accordingly, to the extent any CMBS is or becomes the most subordinated class of securities of the related series, any delinquency or default on any underlying mortgage loan may result in shortfalls, realized loss allocations or extensions of its weighted average life and will have a more immediate and disproportionate effect on the related CMBS than on a related more senior class of CMBS of the same series. Further, even if a class is not the most subordinate class of securities, there can be no assurance that the subordination offered to such class will be sufficient on any date to offset all losses or expenses incurred by the underlying trust. CMBS are typically not guaranteed or insured, and distributions on such CMBS generally will depend solely upon the amount and timing of payments and other collections on the related underlying commercial mortgage loans.

Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Funds (other than the Managed Futures Strategy Fund, U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund) may invest in stripped mortgage-backed securities (“SMBS”), which are derivative multiclass mortgage securities, issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities or non-governmental originators. SMBS are usually structured with two different classes: one that receives substantially all of the interest payments (the interest-only, or “IO” and/or the high coupon rate with relatively low principal amount, or “IOette”), and the other that receives substantially all of the principal payments (the principal-only, or “PO”), from a pool of mortgage loans.

Certain SMBS may not be readily marketable. The market value of POs generally is unusually volatile in response to changes in interest rates. The yields on IOs and IOettes are generally higher than prevailing market yields on other Mortgage-Backed Securities because their cash flow patterns are more volatile and there is a greater risk that the initial investment will not be fully recouped. A Fund’s investment in SMBS may require the Fund to sell certain of its portfolio securities to generate sufficient cash to satisfy certain income distribution requirements. These and other factors discussed in the section above, entitled “Illiquid Investments,” may impact the liquidity of investments in SMBS.

Municipal Securities

The Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund and Alternative Premia Fund may invest in municipal securities. Municipal securities consist of bonds, notes and other instruments issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States (including the District of Columbia) and their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities, the interest on which is exempt from regular federal income tax. Municipal securities are often issued to obtain funds for various public purposes. Municipal securities also include “private activity bonds” or industrial development bonds, which are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds for privately operated facilities, such as airports and waste disposal facilities, and, in some cases, commercial and industrial facilities.

 

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The yields and market values of municipal securities are determined primarily by the general level of interest rates, the creditworthiness of the issuers of municipal securities and economic and political conditions affecting such issuers. Due to their tax exempt status, the yields and market prices of municipal securities may be adversely affected by changes in tax rates and policies, which may have less effect on the market for taxable fixed-income securities. Moreover, certain types of municipal securities, such as housing revenue bonds, involve prepayment risks which could affect the yield on such securities. The credit rating assigned to municipal securities may reflect the existence of guarantees, letters of credit or other credit enhancement features available to the issuers or holders of such municipal securities.

Investments in municipal securities are subject to the risk that the issuer could default on its obligations. Such a default could result from the inadequacy of the sources or revenues from which interest and principal payments are to be made or the assets collateralizing such obligations. Revenue bonds, including private activity bonds, are backed only by specific assets or revenue sources and not by the full faith and credit of the governmental issuer.

Non-Diversified Status

Because the Global Infrastructure Fund, Real Estate Securities Fund and International Real Estate Securities Fund are each “non-diversified” under the Act, they are subject only to certain federal tax diversification requirements. Pursuant to such requirements, a Fund must diversify its holdings so that, in general, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the fair market value of the Fund’s total (gross) assets is comprised of cash, cash items, U.S. Government Securities, securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities limited in respect of any one issuer to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total (gross) assets is invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government Securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), two or more issuers controlled by the Fund and engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or certain publicly traded partnerships.

Options on Securities, Securities Indices and Foreign Currencies

Writing Options

Each Fund may write (sell) call and put options on any securities in which it may invest or any securities index consisting of securities in which it may invest. A Fund may write such options on securities that are listed on national domestic securities exchanges or foreign securities exchanges or traded in the over-the-counter market. A Fund may also, to the extent it invests in foreign securities, write (sell) put and call options on foreign currencies. A call option written by a Fund obligates that Fund to sell specified securities to the holder of the option at a specified price if the option is exercised on or before the expiration date. Depending upon the type of call option, the purchaser of the call option either (i) has the right to any appreciation in the value of the security over a fixed price (the “exercise price”) on a certain date in the future (the “expiration date”) or (ii) has the right to any appreciation in the value of the security over the exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the option. If the purchaser exercises the option, a Fund pays the purchaser the difference between the price of the security and the exercise price of the option. The premium, the exercise price and the market value of the security determine the gain or loss realized by a Fund as the seller of the call option. A Fund can also repurchase the call option prior to the expiration date, ending its obligation. In this case, the cost of entering into closing purchase transactions will determine the gain or loss realized by a Fund. All call options written by a Fund are covered, which means that such Fund will own the securities subject to the option as long as the option is outstanding or such Fund will use the other methods described below. A Fund’s purpose in writing call options is to realize greater income than would be realized on portfolio securities transactions alone. However, a Fund may forego the opportunity to profit from an increase in the market price of the underlying security.

A put option written by a Fund would obligate such Fund to purchase specified securities from the option holder at a specified price if, depending upon the type of put option, either (i) the option is exercised at any time on or before the expiration date or (ii) the option is exercised on the expiration date. All put options written by a Fund would be covered, which means that such Fund will identify on its books cash or liquid assets with a value at least equal to the exercise price of the put option (less any margin on deposit) or will use the other methods described below. For more information about these practices, see “Description of Investment Securities and Practices — Asset Segregation.”

The purpose of writing such options is to generate additional income for the Fund. However, in return for the option premium, each Fund accepts the risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the securities’ market value at the time of purchase.

In the case of a call option, the option is “covered” if a Fund owns the instrument underlying the call or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that instrument without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, liquid assets in such amount are identified on its books) upon conversion or exchange of other instruments held by it. A call option is also covered if a Fund holds a call on the same instrument as the option written where the exercise price of the option held is (i) equal to or

 

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less than the exercise price of the option written, or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the option written provided the Fund identifies liquid assets in the amount of the difference. A put option is also covered if a Fund holds a put on the same instrument as the option written where the exercise price of the option held is (i) equal to or higher than the exercise price of the option written, or (ii) less than the exercise price of the option written provided the Fund identifies on its books liquid assets in the amount of the difference. A Fund may also cover options on securities by identifying cash or liquid assets, as permitted by applicable law, with a value, when added to any margin on deposit that is equal to the market value of the securities in the case of a call option. Identified cash or liquid assets may be quoted or denominated in any currency.

Each Fund may also write (sell) call and put options on any securities index comprised of securities in which it may invest. Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security. The U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund expects that, under normal circumstances, it will sell call options on the S&P 500 Index or related ETFs in an amount that is between 20% and 75% of the value of the U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund’s portfolio.

A Fund may cover call options on a securities index by owning securities whose price changes are expected to be similar to those of the underlying index, or by having an absolute and immediate right to acquire such securities without additional cash consideration (or for additional consideration which has been identified by the Fund on its books) upon conversion or exchange of other securities in its portfolio. A Fund may also cover call and put options on a securities index by identifying cash or liquid assets, as permitted by applicable law, with a value, when added to any margin on deposit, that is equal to the market value of the underlying securities in the case of a call option or the exercise price in the case of a put option, or by owning offsetting options as described above.

A Fund may terminate its obligations under an exchange traded call or put option by purchasing an option identical to the one it has written. Obligations under over-the-counter options may be terminated only by entering into an offsetting transaction with the counterparty to such option. Such purchases are referred to as “closing purchase transactions.”

Purchasing Options

Each Fund may purchase put and call options on any securities in which it may invest or any securities index comprised of securities in which it may invest. A Fund may also, to the extent that it invests in foreign securities, purchase put and call options on foreign currencies. A Fund may also enter into closing sale transactions in order to realize gains or minimize losses on options it had purchased.

A Fund may purchase call options in anticipation of an increase, or put options in anticipation of a decrease (“protective puts”) in the market value of securities or other instruments of the type in which it may invest. The purchase of a call option would entitle a Fund, in return for the premium paid, to purchase specified securities or other instruments at a specified price during the option period. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain on the purchase of a call option if, during the option period, the value of such securities or other instruments exceeded the sum of the exercise price, the premium paid and transaction costs; otherwise the Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option.

The purchase of a put option would entitle a Fund, in exchange for the premium paid, to sell specified securities or other instruments at a specified price during the option period. The purchase of protective puts is designed to offset or hedge against a decline in the market value of a Fund’s securities or other instruments. Put options may also be purchased by a Fund for the purpose of affirmatively benefiting from a decline in the price of securities or other instruments which it does not own. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying securities or other instruments decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to cover the premium and transaction costs; otherwise such a Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the put option. Gains and losses on the purchase of put options would tend to be offset by countervailing changes in the value of the underlying portfolio securities or other instruments.

A Fund would purchase put and call options on securities indices for the same purposes as it would purchase options on individual securities. For a description of options on securities indices, see “Writing Options” above.

Yield Curve Options

The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund may enter into options on the yield “spread” or differential between two securities. Such transactions are referred to as “yield curve” options. In contrast to other types of options, a yield curve option is based on the difference between the yields of designated securities, rather than the prices of the individual securities, and is settled through cash payments. Accordingly, a yield curve option is profitable to the holder if this differential widens (in the case of a call) or narrows (in the case of a put), regardless of whether the yields of the underlying securities increase or decrease.

 

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These Funds may purchase or write yield curve options for the same purposes as other options on securities. For example, the Funds may purchase a call option on the yield spread between two securities if they own one of the securities and anticipate purchasing the other security and want to hedge against an adverse change in the yield spread between the two securities. These funds may also purchase or write yield curve options in an effort to increase current income if, in the judgment of the Investment Adviser, the Funds will be able to profit from movements in the spread between the yields of the underlying securities. The trading of yield curve options is subject to all of the risks associated with the trading of other types of options. In addition, however, such options present risk of loss even if the yield of one of the underlying securities remains constant, or if the spread moves in a direction or to an extent which was not anticipated.

Yield curve options written by a Fund will be “covered.” A call (or put) option is covered if a Fund holds another call (or put) option on the spread between the same two securities and identifies on its books cash or liquid assets sufficient to cover the Fund’s net liability under the two options. Therefore, a Fund’s liability for such a covered option is generally limited to the difference between the amount of such Fund’s liability under the option written by the Fund less the value of the option held by the Fund. Yield curve options may also be covered in such other manner as may be in accordance with the requirements of the counterparty with which the option is traded and applicable laws and regulations. Yield curve options are traded over-the-counter and established trading markets for these options may not exist.

Risks Associated with Options Transactions

There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular exchange-traded option or at any particular time. If a Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to options it has written, the Fund will not be able to sell the underlying securities or dispose of the assets identified on its books to cover the position until the options expire or are exercised. Similarly, if a Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options it has purchased, it will have to exercise the options in order to realize any profit and will incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of underlying securities.

Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening or closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

There can be no assurance that higher trading activity, order flow or other unforeseen events will not, at times, render certain of the facilities of the Options Clearing Corporation or various exchanges inadequate. Such events have, in the past, resulted in the institution by an exchange of special procedures, such as trading rotations, restrictions on certain types of order or trading halts or suspensions with respect to one or more options. These special procedures may limit liquidity.

Each Fund may purchase and sell both options that are traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges and options traded over-the-counter with broker-dealers who make markets in these options. The ability to terminate over-the-counter options is more limited than with exchange-traded options and may involve the risk that broker-dealers participating in such transactions will not fulfill their obligations.

Transactions by each Fund in options will be subject to limitations established by each of the exchanges, boards of trade or other trading facilities on which such options are traded governing the maximum number of options in each class which may be written or purchased by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert regardless of whether the options are written or purchased on the same or different exchanges, boards of trade or other trading facility or are held in one or more accounts or through one or more brokers. Thus, the number of options which a Fund may write or purchase may be affected by options written or purchased by other investment advisory clients of the Investment Adviser. An exchange, board of trade or other trading facility may order the liquidation of positions found to be in excess of these limits, and it may impose certain other sanctions.

The writing and purchase of options is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of options to seek to increase total return involves the risk of loss if the Investment Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of fluctuations in securities prices or interest rates. The successful use

 

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of options for hedging purposes also depends in part on the ability of the Investment Adviser to manage future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the options and securities (or currency) markets. If the Investment Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of changes in securities prices or determination of the correlation between the securities or securities indices on which options are written and purchased and the securities in a Fund’s investment portfolio, the Fund may incur losses that it would not otherwise incur. The writing of options could increase a Fund’s portfolio turnover rate and, therefore, associated brokerage commissions or spreads.

Writing and Purchasing Currency Call and Put Options

The Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund may, to the extent that they invest in foreign securities, write and purchase put and call options on foreign currencies. As with other kinds of option transactions, however, the writing of an option on foreign currency will constitute only a partial hedge, up to the amount of the premium received. If an option that a Fund has written is exercised, the Fund could be required to purchase or sell foreign currencies at disadvantageous exchange rates, thereby incurring losses. The purchase of an option on foreign currency may constitute an effective hedge against exchange rate fluctuations; however, in the event of exchange rate movements adverse to a Fund’s position, the Fund may forfeit the entire amount of the premium plus related transaction costs. Options on foreign currencies may be traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges or over-the-counter.

Options on currency may also be used for cross-hedging purposes, which involves writing or purchasing options on one currency to seek to hedge against changes in exchange rates for a different currency with a pattern of correlation, or to seek to increase total return when the Investment Adviser anticipates that the currency will appreciate or depreciate in value, but the securities quoted or denominated in that currency do not present attractive investment opportunities and are not included in the Fund’s portfolio.

A currency call option written by a Fund obligates the Fund to sell a specified currency to the holder of the option at a specified price if the option is exercised before the expiration date. A currency put option written by a Fund obligates the Fund to purchase a specified currency from the option holder at a specified price if the option is exercised before the expiration date. The writing of currency options involves a risk that a Fund will, upon exercise of the option, be required to sell currency subject to a call at a price that is less than the currency’s market value or be required to purchase currency subject to a put at a price that exceeds the currency’s market value. Written put and call options on foreign currencies may be covered in a manner similar to written put and call options on securities and securities indices described under “Options on Securities and Securities Indices—Writing Options” above.

A Fund may terminate its obligations under a call or put option by purchasing an option identical to the one it has written. Such purchases are referred to as “closing purchase transactions.” A Fund may enter into closing sale transactions in order to realize gains or minimize losses on options purchased by the Fund.

A Fund may purchase call options on foreign currency in anticipation of an increase in the U.S. dollar value of currency in which securities to be acquired by a Fund are quoted or denominated. The purchase of a call option would entitle the Fund, in return for the premium paid, to purchase specified currency at a specified price during the option period. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of such currency exceeded the sum of the exercise price, the premium paid and transaction costs; otherwise the Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option.

A Fund may purchase put options in anticipation of a decline in the U.S. dollar value of currency in which securities in its portfolio are quoted or denominated (“protective puts”). The purchase of a put option would entitle a Fund, in exchange for the premium paid, to sell specified currency at a specified price during the option period. The purchase of protective puts is usually designed to offset or hedge against a decline in the dollar value of a Fund’s portfolio securities due to currency exchange rate fluctuations. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying currency decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to more than cover the premium and transaction costs; otherwise the Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the put option. Gains and losses on the purchase of protective put options would tend to be offset by countervailing changes in the value of underlying currency or portfolio securities.

In addition to using options for the hedging purposes described above, the Funds may use options on currency to seek to increase total return. The Funds may write (sell) put and call options on any currency in an attempt to realize greater income than would be realized on portfolio securities transactions alone. However, in writing call options for additional income, the Funds may forego the opportunity to profit from an increase in the market value of the underlying currency. Also, when writing put options, the Funds accept, in return for the option premium, the risk that they may be required to purchase the underlying currency at a price in excess of the currency’s market value at the time of purchase.

 

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Special Risks Associated with Options on Currency. An exchange traded options position may be closed out only on an options exchange that provides a secondary market for an option of the same series. Although a Fund will generally purchase or write only those options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time. For some options no secondary market on an exchange may exist. In such event, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular options, with the result that a Fund would have to exercise its options in order to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the sale of underlying securities pursuant to the exercise of put options. If a Fund as a call option writer is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying currency (or security quoted or denominated in that currency) or dispose of the identified assets, until the option expires or it delivers the underlying currency upon exercise.

There is no assurance that higher than anticipated trading activity or other unforeseen events will not, at times, render certain of the facilities of the Options Clearing Corporation inadequate, and thereby result in the institution by an exchange of special procedures which may interfere with the timely execution of customers’ orders.

A Fund may purchase and write over-the-counter options. Trading in over-the-counter options is subject to the risk that the other party will be unable or unwilling to close out options purchased or written by a Fund.

The amount of the premiums which a Fund may pay or receive may be adversely affected as new or existing institutions, including other investment companies, engage in or increase their option purchasing and writing activities.

Pooled Investment Vehicles

Each Fund may invest in securities of pooled investment vehicles, including other investment companies and ETFs. A Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by pooled investment vehicles in which it invests, in addition to the management fees (and other expenses) paid by the Fund. A Fund’s investments in other investment companies are subject to statutory limitations prescribed by the Act, including in certain circumstances a prohibition on the Fund acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any other investment company, and a prohibition on investing more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets in securities of any one investment company or more than 10% of its total assets in the securities of all investment companies. Many ETFs, however, have obtained exemptive relief from the SEC to permit unaffiliated funds (such as the Funds) to invest in their shares beyond these statutory limits, subject to certain conditions and pursuant to contractual arrangements between the ETFs and the investing funds. A Fund may rely on these exemptive orders in investing in ETFs. Moreover, subject to applicable law and/or pursuant to an exemptive order obtained from the SEC or under an exemptive rule adopted by the SEC, the Funds may invest in investment companies, including ETFs and money market funds, for which an Investment Adviser, or any of its affiliates, serves as investment adviser, administrator and/or distributor. With respect to a Fund’s investments in money market funds, to the extent that a Fund invests in a money market fund for which an Investment Adviser or any of its affiliates acts as investment adviser, the management fees payable by the Fund to the Investment Adviser will, to the extent required by the SEC, be reduced by an amount equal to the Fund’s proportionate share of the management fees paid by such money market fund to its investment adviser. Although the Funds do not expect to do so in the foreseeable future, each Fund is authorized to invest substantially all of its assets in a single open-end investment company or series thereof that has substantially the same investment policies and fundamental restrictions as the Fund. Additionally, if any Fund serves as an “underlying Fund” to another Goldman Sachs Fund, that Fund may invest in a percentage of its assets in other investment companies only if those instruments are consistent with applicable law and/or exemptive relief obtained from the SEC.

Each Fund (other than the U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund) may purchase shares of investment companies investing primarily in foreign securities, including “country funds.” Country funds have portfolios consisting primarily of securities of issuers located in specified foreign countries or regions.

ETFs are pooled investment vehicles issuing shares which are traded like traditional equity securities on a stock exchange. An ETF represents a portfolio of securities or other assets, which is often designed to track a particular market segment or index. An investment in an ETF, like one in any pooled investment vehicle, carries risks of its underlying securities. An ETF may fail to accurately track the returns of the market segment or index that it is designed to track, and the price of an ETF’s shares may fluctuate or lose money. In addition, because they, unlike other pooled investment vehicles, are traded on an exchange, ETFs are subject to the following risks: (i) the market price of the ETF’s shares may trade at a premium or discount to the ETF’s NAV; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF may not develop or be maintained; and (iii) there is no assurance that the requirements of the exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the ETF will continue to be met or remain unchanged. In the event substantial market or other disruptions affecting ETFs should occur in the future, the liquidity and value of a Fund’s shares could also be substantially and adversely affected.

 

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Portfolio Turnover

Each Fund may engage in active short-term trading to benefit from price disparities among different issues of securities or among the markets for equity securities, or for other reasons. As a result of active management, it is anticipated that the portfolio turnover rate may vary greatly from year to year as well as within a particular year, and may be affected by changes in the holdings of specific issuers, changes in country and currency weightings, cash requirements for redemption of shares and by requirements which enable the Funds to receive favorable tax treatment. The Funds are not restricted by policy with regard to portfolio turnover and will make changes in their investment portfolios from time to time as business and economic conditions as well as market prices may dictate. Portfolio turnover is subject to many factors, including but not limited to market conditions, model development and portfolio construction considerations. It can change from year to year without notice.

Preferred Securities

Each Fund (other than the Managed Futures Strategy Fund) may invest in preferred securities. Unlike debt securities, the obligations of an issuer of preferred stock, including dividend and other payment obligations, may not typically be accelerated by the holders of preferred stock on the occurrence of an event of default (such as a covenant default or filing of a bankruptcy petition) or other non-compliance by the issuer with the terms of the preferred stock. Often, however, on the occurrence of any such event of default or non-compliance by the issuer, preferred stockholders will be entitled to gain representation on the issuer’s board of directors or increase their existing board representation. In addition, preferred stockholders may be granted voting rights with respect to certain issues on the occurrence of any event of default.

Real Estate Investment Trusts

Each Fund (other than the Managed Futures Strategy Fund) may invest in shares of REITs. The Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund and Global Real Estate Securities Fund expect that a substantial portion of their assets will be invested in real estate industry companies, including REITs and entities similar to REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in real estate or real estate related loans. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. Like regulated investment companies such as the Funds, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with certain requirements under the Code. A Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any expenses paid by REITs in which it invests in addition to the expenses paid by a Fund.

Investing in REITs involves certain unique risks. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by such REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified (except to the extent the Code requires), and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibilities of failing to qualify for the exemption from tax for distributed income under the Code and failing to maintain their exemptions from the Act. REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are also subject to interest rate risks.

Repurchase Agreements

Each Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with counterparties approved by the Investment Adviser pursuant to procedures by the Board of Trustees that furnish collateral at least equal in value or market price to the amount of their repurchase obligation. Repurchase agreements involving obligations other than U.S. Government Securities may be subject to additional risks. A repurchase agreement is an arrangement under which a Fund purchases securities and the seller agrees to repurchase the securities within a particular time and at a specified price. Custody of the securities is maintained by a Fund’s custodian (or subcustodian). The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to a Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to a Fund together with the repurchase price on repurchase. In either case, the income to a Fund is unrelated to the interest rate on the security subject to the repurchase agreement.

For purposes of the Act and generally for tax purposes, a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan from a Fund to the seller of the security. For other purposes, it is not always clear whether a court would consider the security purchased by a Fund subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by a Fund or as being collateral for a loan by a Fund to the seller. In the event of commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller of the security before repurchase of the security under a repurchase agreement, a Fund may encounter delay and incur costs before being able to sell the security. Such a delay may involve loss of interest or a decline in price of the security. If the court characterizes the transaction as a loan and a Fund has not perfected a security interest in the security, a Fund may be required to return the security to the seller’s estate and be treated as an unsecured creditor of the seller. As an unsecured creditor, a Fund would be at risk of losing some or all of the principal and interest involved in the transaction.

 

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Apart from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the security. However, if the market value of the security subject to the repurchase agreement becomes less than the repurchase price (including accrued interest), a Fund will direct the seller of the security to deliver additional securities so that the market value of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement equals or exceeds the repurchase price. Certain repurchase agreements which provide for settlement in more than seven days can be liquidated before the nominal fixed term on seven days or less notice.

The Funds, together with other registered investment companies having advisory agreements with the Investment Adviser or its affiliates, may transfer uninvested cash balances into a single joint account, the daily aggregate balance of which will be invested in one or more repurchase agreements.

Restricted Securities

A Fund may purchase securities and other financial instruments that are not registered or that are offered in an exempt non-public offering (“Restricted Securities”) under the 1933 Act, including securities eligible for resale to “qualified institutional buyers” pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. The purchase price and subsequent valuation of Restricted Securities may reflect a discount from the price at which such securities trade when they are not restricted, because the restriction makes them less liquid. The amount of the discount from the prevailing market price is expected to vary depending upon the type of security, the character of the issuer, the party who will bear the expenses of registering the Restricted Securities and prevailing supply and demand conditions. These and other factors discussed in the section above, entitled “Illiquid Investments,” may impact the liquidity of investments in Restricted Securities

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

The Funds (except for the Global Infrastructure Fund) may borrow money by entering into transactions called reverse repurchase agreements. Under these arrangements, a Fund may sell portfolio securities to dealers in U.S. Government Securities or members of the Federal Reserve System, with an agreement to repurchase the security on an agreed date, price and interest payment. For certain Funds, these reverse repurchase agreements may involve foreign government securities. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the possible risk that the value of portfolio securities the Fund relinquishes may decline below the price the Fund must pay when the transaction closes. Borrowings may magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested resulting in an increase in the speculative character of a Fund’s outstanding shares.

When a Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it identifies on its books cash or liquid assets that have a value equal to or greater than the repurchase price. The identified amount is then continuously monitored by the Investment Adviser to make sure that an appropriate value is maintained. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings under the Act.

Short Sales

The Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund may engage in short sales. Short sales are transactions in which a Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividend which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. There will also be other costs associated with short sales.

A Fund will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security. The Fund will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. This result is the opposite of what one would expect from a cash purchase of a long position in a security. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of any premium or amounts in lieu of interest the Fund may be required to pay in connection with a short sale, and will be also decreased by any transaction or other costs.

Until a Fund replaces a borrowed security in connection with a short sale, the Fund will (a) identify on its books cash or liquid assets at such a level that the identified assets plus any amount deposited as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short or (b) otherwise cover its short position in accordance with applicable law.

There is no guarantee that a Fund will be able to close out a short position at any particular time or at an acceptable price. During the time that a Fund is short a security, it is subject to the risk that the lender of the security will terminate the loan at a time when the Fund is unable to borrow the same security from another lender. If that occurs, the Fund may be “bought in” at the price required to purchase the security needed to close out the short position, which may be a disadvantageous price.

The Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Real Estate Securities Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund may also engage in short sales against the box. As noted above, a short

 

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sale is made by selling a security the seller does not own. A short sale is “against the box” to the extent that the seller contemporaneously owns or has the right to obtain, at no added cost, securities identical to those sold short. It may be entered into by a Fund, for example, to lock in a sales price for a security the Fund does not wish to sell immediately. If a Fund sells securities short against the box, it may protect itself from loss if the price of the securities declines in the future, but will lose the opportunity to profit on such securities if the price rises.

If a Fund effects a short sale of securities at a time when it has an unrealized gain on the securities, it may be required to recognize that gain as if it had actually sold the securities (as a “constructive sale”) on the date it effects the short sale. However, such constructive sale treatment may not apply if a Fund closes out the short sale with securities other than the appreciated securities held at the time of the short sale and if certain other conditions are satisfied. Uncertainty regarding the tax consequences of effecting short sales may limit the extent to which a Fund may effect short sales.

Risks of Qualified Financial Contracts

Regulations adopted by federal banking regulators under the Dodd-Frank Act, which are scheduled to take effect throughout 2019, require that certain qualified financial contracts (“QFCs”) with counterparties that are part of U.S. or foreign global systemically important banking organizations be amended to include contractual restrictions on close-out and cross-default rights. QFCs include, but are not limited to, securities contracts, commodities contracts, forward contracts, repurchase agreements, securities lending agreements and swaps agreements, as well as related master agreements, security agreements, credit enhancements, and reimbursement obligations. If a covered counterparty of a Fund or certain of the covered counterparty’s affiliates were to become subject to certain insolvency proceedings, the Fund may be temporarily unable to exercise certain default rights, and the QFC may be transferred to another entity. These requirements may impact a Fund’s credit and counterparty risks.

Structured Notes

The Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund and Global Infrastructure Fund may invest in structured notes, which may be privately issued. Structured notes are derivative debt securities, the interest rate and/or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. The value of the principal of and/or interest on structured notes is determined by reference to changes in the return, interest rate or value at maturity of a specific asset, reference rate or index (the “reference instrument”) or the relative change in two or more reference instruments. The terms of structured notes may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity, which may result in a loss of invested capital. The interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption may also be increased or decreased, depending upon changes in the applicable reference instruments. Structured notes may be positively or negatively indexed, so that an increase in value of the reference instrument may produce an increase or a decrease in the interest rate or value of the structured note at maturity. In addition, changes in the interest rate or the value of the structured note at maturity may be calculated as a specified multiple of the change in the value of the reference instrument; therefore, the value of such note may be very volatile. Structured notes may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the reference instrument. Structured notes may also be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities.

Temporary Investments

Each Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes (and to the extent it is permitted to invest in the following), invest a certain percentage of its total assets in: U.S. Government Securities; commercial paper rated at least A-2 by Standard & Poor’s, P-2 by Moody’s or having a comparable rating by another NRSRO (or, if unrated, determined by the Investment Adviser to be of comparable credit quality); certificates of deposit; bankers’ acceptances; repurchase agreements; non-convertible preferred stocks and non-convertible corporate bonds with a remaining maturity of less than one year; ETFs; other investment companies; and cash items. When a Fund’s assets are invested in such instruments, the Fund may not be achieving its investment objective.

U.S. Government Securities

Each Fund may invest in U.S. Government Securities, which are obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. Some U.S. Government Securities (such as Treasury bills, notes and bonds, which differ only in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance) are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States. Others, such as obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises, are supported either by (i) the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, (ii) the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the issuer or (iii) the credit of the issuer. The U.S. government is under no legal obligation, in general, to purchase the obligations of its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support to the U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises in the future, and the U.S. Government may be unable to pay debts when due.

 

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U.S. Government Securities include (to the extent consistent with the Act) securities for which the payment of principal and interest is backed by an irrevocable letter of credit issued by the U.S. government, or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. U.S. Government Securities may also include (to the extent consistent with the Act) participations in loans made to foreign governments or their agencies that are guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. The secondary market for certain of these participations is extremely limited. In the absence of a suitable secondary market, such participations are regarded as illiquid. These and other factors discussed in the section above, entitled “Illiquid Investments,” may impact the liquidity of investments in these participations

Each Fund may also purchase U.S. Government Securities in private placements and may also invest in separately traded principal and interest components of securities guaranteed or issued by the U.S. Treasury that are traded independently under the separate trading of registered interest and principal of securities program (“STRIPS”). Each Fund may also invest in zero coupon U.S. Treasury securities and in zero coupon securities issued by financial institutions which represent a proportionate interest in underlying U.S. Treasury securities.

Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities. The Funds (except for the International Real Estate Fund) may invest in U.S. Government Securities, called “Treasury inflation-protected securities” or “TIPS,” which are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. The interest rate on TIPS is fixed at issuance, but over the life of the bond this interest may be paid on an increasing or decreasing principal value that has been adjusted for inflation. Although repayment of the greater of the adjusted or original bond principal upon maturity is guaranteed, the market value of TIPS is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate.

The values of TIPS generally fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates, which are in turn tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates will decline, leading to an increase in the value of TIPS. In contrast, if nominal interest rates were to increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates will rise, leading to a decrease in the value of TIPS. If inflation is lower than expected during the period the Fund holds TIPS, the Fund may earn less on the TIPS than on a conventional bond. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in the currency exchange rates), investors in TIPS may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bonds’ inflation measure. There can be no assurance that the inflation index for TIPS will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services.

Any increase in principal value of TIPS caused by an increase in the consumer price index is taxable in the year the increase occurs, even though the Fund holding TIPS will not receive cash representing the increase at that time. As a result, a Fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments, including when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its distribution requirements as a regulated investment company.

If a Fund invests in TIPS, it will be required to treat as original issue discount any increase in the principal amount of the securities that occurs during the course of its taxable year. If a Fund purchases such inflation protected securities that are issued in stripped form either as stripped bonds or coupons, it will be treated as if it had purchased a newly issued debt instrument having original issue discount.

Because a Fund is required to distribute substantially all of its net investment income (including accrued original issue discount), the Fund’s investment in either zero coupon bonds or TIPS may require it to distribute to shareholders an amount greater than the total cash income it actually receives. Accordingly, in order to make the required distributions, a Fund may be required to borrow or liquidate securities.

Variable and Floating Rate Securities

The interest rates payable on certain debt securities in which a Fund may invest are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. Variable and floating rate obligations are debt instruments issued by companies or other entities with interest rates that reset periodically (typically, daily, monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually) in response to changes in the market rate of interest on which the interest rate is based. Moreover, such obligations may fluctuate in value in response to interest rate changes if there is a delay between changes in market interest rates and the interest reset date for the obligation, or for other reasons. The value of these obligations is generally more stable than that of a fixed rate obligation in response to changes in interest rate levels, but they may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline.

 

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Warrants and Stock Purchase Rights

Each Fund (other than the Alternative Premia Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund) may invest in warrants or stock purchase rights (“rights”) (in addition to those acquired in units or attached to other securities) which entitle the holder to buy equity securities at a specific price for a specific period of time. A Fund will invest in warrants and rights only if such equity securities are deemed appropriate by the Investment Adviser for investment by the Fund. The U.S. Tax-Managed Equity and International Tax-Managed Equity Funds have no present intention of acquiring warrants or rights. Warrants and rights have no voting rights, receive no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer.

When-Issued Securities and Forward Commitments

Each Fund (other than the Managed Futures Strategy Fund) may purchase securities on a when-issued basis, including TBA securities, or purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis beyond the customary settlement time. TBA securities, which are usually mortgage-backed securities, are purchased on a forward commitment basis with an approximate principal amount and no defined maturity date. These transactions involve a commitment by a Fund to purchase or sell securities at a future date. The price of the underlying securities (usually expressed in terms of yield) and the date when the securities will be delivered and paid for (the settlement date) are fixed at the time the transaction is negotiated. In addition, recently finalized rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) include mandatory margin requirements that require the Fund to post collateral in connection with its TBA transactions. There is no similar requirement applicable to the Fund’s TBA counterparties. The required collateralization of TBA trades could increase the cost of TBA transactions to the Fund and impose added operational complexity. When-issued purchases and forward commitment transactions are negotiated directly with the other party, and such commitments are not traded on exchanges. A Fund will generally purchase securities on a when-issued basis or purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis only with the intention of completing the transaction and actually purchasing or selling the securities. If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, however, a Fund may dispose of or negotiate a commitment after entering into it. A Fund may also sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the Fund on the settlement date. A Fund may realize a capital gain or loss in connection with these transactions. For purposes of determining a Fund’s duration, the maturity of when-issued or forward commitment securities will be calculated from the commitment date. A Fund is generally required to identify on its books cash and liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price unless the Fund’s obligations are otherwise covered. Alternatively, each Fund may enter into offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities that it owns. Securities purchased or sold on a when-issued or forward commitment basis involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date or if the value of the security to be sold increases prior to the settlement date.

Zero Coupon Bonds

Each Fund’s investments in fixed income securities may include zero coupon bonds. Zero coupon bonds are debt obligations issued or purchased at a discount from face value. The discount approximates the total amount of interest the bonds would have accrued and compounded over the period until maturity. A zero coupon bond pays no interest to its holder during its life and its value consists of the difference between its face value at maturity and its cost. Such investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for cash to meet debt service but also require a higher rate of return to attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of such cash. Such investments may experience greater volatility in market value than debt obligations which provide for regular payments of interest. Moreover, zero coupon bonds involve the additional risk that, unlike securities that periodically pay interest to maturity, a Fund will realize no cash until a specified future payment date unless a portion of such securities is sold and, if the issuer of such securities defaults, the Fund may obtain no return at all on its investment. The valuation of such investments requires judgment regarding the collection of futures payments. A Fund will accrue income on such investments for each taxable year which (net of deductible expenses, if any) is distributable to shareholders and which, because no cash is generally received at the time of accrual, may require the liquidation of other portfolio securities to obtain sufficient cash to satisfy the Fund’s distribution obligations.

Special Note Regarding Regulatory Changes and Other Market Events

Federal, state, and foreign governments, regulatory agencies, and self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the Funds or the instruments in which the Funds invest, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Future legislation or regulation or other governmental actions could limit or preclude the Funds’ ability to achieve their investment objectives or otherwise adversely impact an investment in the Funds. Furthermore, worsened market conditions, including as a result of U.S. government shutdowns or the perceived creditworthiness of the United States, could have a negative impact on securities markets.

The Funds’ investments, payment obligations and financing terms may be based on floating rates, such LIBOR, EURIBOR and other similar types of reference rates (each, a “Reference Rate”). On July 27, 2017, the Chief Executive of the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) which regulates LIBOR, announced that the FCA will no longer persuade nor compel banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR and certain other Reference Rates after 2021. Such announcement indicates that the continuation of LIBOR and other Reference Rates on the current basis cannot and will not be guaranteed after 2021. This announcement and any additional regulatory or market changes may have an adverse impact on a Fund’s investments, performance or financial condition. Until then, the Funds may continue to invest in instruments that reference such rates or otherwise use such Reference Rates due to favorable liquidity or pricing.

 

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In advance of 2021, regulators and market participants will seek to work together to identify or develop successor Reference Rates and how the calculation of associated spreads (if any) should be adjusted. Additionally, prior to 2021, it is expected that industry trade associations and participants will focus on the transition mechanisms by which the Reference Rates and spreads (if any) in existing contracts or instruments may be amended, whether through marketwide protocols, fallback contractual provisions, bespoke negotiations or amendments or otherwise. Nonetheless, the termination of certain Reference Rates presents risks to the Funds. At this time, it is not possible to exhaustively identify or predict the effect of any such changes, any establishment of alternative Reference Rates or any other reforms to Reference Rates that may be enacted in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. The elimination of a Reference Rate or any other changes or reforms to the determination or supervision of Reference Rates may affect the value, liquidity or return on certain Fund investments and may result in costs incurred in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades, adversely impacting a Fund’s overall financial condition or results of operations. The impact of any successor or substitute Reference Rate, if any, will vary on an investment-by-investment basis, and any differences may be material and/or create material economic mismatches, especially if investments are used for hedging or similar purposes. In addition, although certain Fund investments may provide for a successor or substitute Reference Rate (or terms governing how to determine a successor or substitute Reference Rate) if the Reference Rate becomes unavailable, certain Fund investments may not provide such a successor or substitute Reference Rate (or terms governing how to determine a successor or substitute Reference Rate). Accordingly, there may be disputes as to: (i) any successor or substitute Reference Rate; or (ii) the enforceability of any Fund investment that does not provide such a successor or substitute Reference Rate (or terms governing how to determine a successor or substitute Reference Rate). The Investment Adviser, Goldman Sachs and/or their affiliates may have discretion to determine a successor or substitute Reference Rate, including any price or other adjustments to account for differences between the successor or substitute Reference Rate and the previous rate. The successor or substitute Reference Rate and any adjustments selected may negatively impact a Fund’s investments, performance or financial condition, including in ways unforeseen by the Investment Adviser, Goldman Sachs and/or their affiliates. In addition, any successor or substitute Reference Rate and any pricing adjustments imposed by a regulator or by counterparties or otherwise may adversely affect a Fund’s performance and/or NAV, and may expose a Fund to additional tax, accounting and regulatory risks.

In the aftermath of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, the financial sector experienced reduced liquidity in credit and other fixed income markets, and an unusually high degree of volatility, both domestically and internationally. While entire markets were impacted, issuers that had exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets were particularly affected. The instability in the financial markets led the U.S. government to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and certain segments of the financial markets. For example, the Dodd-Frank Act, which was enacted in 2010, provides for broad regulation of financial institutions, consumer financial products and services, broker-dealers, over-the-counter derivatives, investment advisers, credit rating agencies and mortgage lending.

Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such ownership or disposition may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of the Funds’ portfolio holdings.

In addition, global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, and political, economic and other conditions and events (including, but not limited to, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics, and social unrest) in one country, region, or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Furthermore, the occurrence of, among other events, natural or man-made disasters, severe weather or geological events, fires, floods, earthquakes, outbreaks of disease (such as COVID-19, avian influenza or H1N1/09), epidemics, pandemics, malicious acts, cyber-attacks, terrorist acts or the occurrence of climate change, may also adversely impact the performance of a Fund. Such events may result in, among other things, closing borders, exchange closures, health screenings, healthcare service delays, quarantines, cancellations, supply chain disruptions, lower consumer demand, market volatility and general uncertainty. Such events could adversely impact issuers, markets and economies over the short- and long-term, including in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. A Fund could be negatively impacted if the value of a portfolio holding were harmed by such political or economic conditions or events. Moreover, such negative political and economic conditions and events could disrupt the processes necessary for a Fund’s operations. See “Special Note Regarding Operational, and Cyber Security and Litigation Risks” for additional information on operational risks.

Special Note Regarding Operational, Cyber Security and Litigation Risks

An investment in a Fund may be negatively impacted because of the operational risks arising from factors such as processing errors and human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, changes in personnel, and errors caused by third-party service providers or trading counterparties. The use of certain investment strategies that involve manual or additional processing, such as over-the-counter derivatives, increases these risks. Although a Fund attempts to minimize such failures through controls and oversight, it is not possible to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls that completely eliminate or mitigate the occurrence of such failures. A Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

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A Fund is also susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. In general, cyber-attacks result from deliberate attacks, but other events may have effects similar to those caused by cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among others, stealing or corrupting confidential information and other data that is maintained online or digitally for financial gain, denial-of-service attacks on websites causing operational disruption, and the unauthorized release of confidential information and other data. Cyber-attacks affecting a Fund or its investment adviser, sub-adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediary or other third-party service provider may adversely impact the Fund and its shareholders. These cyber-attacks have the ability to cause significant disruptions and impact business operations; to result in financial losses; to prevent shareholders from transacting business; to interfere with a Fund’s calculation of NAV and to lead to violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs and/or additional compliance costs. Similar to operational risk in general, a Fund and its service providers, including GSAM, have instituted risk management systems designed to minimize the risks associated with cyber security. However, there is a risk that these systems will not succeed (or that any remediation efforts will not be successful), especially because a Fund does not directly control the risk management systems of the service providers to the Fund, its trading counterparties or the issuers in which the Fund may invest. Moreover, there is a risk that cyber-attacks will not be detected.

The Funds may be subject to third-party litigation, which could give rise to legal liability. These matters involving the Funds may arise from their activities and investments and could have a materially adverse effect on the Funds, including the expense of defending against claims and paying any amounts pursuant to settlements or judgments. There can be no guarantee that these matters will not arise in the normal course of business. If the Funds were to be found liable in any suit or proceeding, any associated damages and/or penalties could have a materially adverse effect on the Funds’ finances, in addition to being materially damaging to their reputation.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The investment restrictions set forth below have been adopted by the Trust as fundamental policies that cannot be changed with respect to a Fund without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the Act) of the affected Fund. The investment objective of each Fund and all other investment policies or practices of each Fund are considered by the Trust not to be fundamental and accordingly may be changed without shareholder approval. For purposes of the Act, a “majority” of the outstanding voting securities means the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the shares of the Trust or a Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Trust or a Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Trust or a Fund.

For purposes of the following limitations (except for the asset coverage requirement with respect to borrowings, which is subject to different requirements under the Act), any limitation which involves a maximum percentage shall not be considered violated unless an excess over the percentage occurs immediately after, and is caused by, an acquisition or encumbrance of securities or assets of, or borrowings by, a Fund. With respect to each Fund’s fundamental investment restrictions on borrowings, below, in the event that asset coverage (as defined in the Act) at any time falls below 300%, the Fund, within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays) or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations, will reduce the amount of its borrowings to the extent required so that the asset coverage of such borrowings will be at least 300%.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions

Each Fund may, notwithstanding any other fundamental investment restriction or policy, invest some or all of its assets in a single open-end investment company or series thereof with substantially the same fundamental investment restrictions and policies as the Fund.

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:

 

  (1)

Invest 25% of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries (excluding the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities). Nonetheless, to the extent one or more Component Market Factors are or become concentrated in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund’s investments may exceed this 25% limitation to the extent that it is necessary to gain exposure to those Component Market Factors to track the GS-ART Index.1

 

1 

Effective April 2, 2012, this exception is not applicable to the Fund, as the Fund no longer tracks the GS-ART Index.

 

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  (2)

Borrow money, except (a) the Fund may borrow from banks (as defined in the Act) or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 33-1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed), (b) the Fund may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, (c) the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities, (d) the Fund may purchase securities on margin to the extent permitted by applicable law, and (e) the Fund may engage in portfolio transactions, such as mortgage dollar rolls which are accounted for as financings.

The following interpretation applies to, but is not part of, this fundamental policy: In determining whether a particular investment in portfolio instruments or participation in portfolio transactions is subject to this borrowing policy, the accounting treatment of such instrument or participation shall be considered, but shall not by itself be determinative. Whether a particular instrument or transaction constitutes a borrowing shall be determined by the Board, after consideration of all of the relevant circumstances.

 

  (3)

Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, and (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law.

 

  (4)

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting.

 

  (5)

Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities or other investments that are secured by real estate or interests therein or that reflect the return of an index of real estate values, securities of real estate investment trusts and mortgage-related securities and may hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities.

 

  (6)

Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts, including structured notes, futures contracts and options on such contracts, that are commodities or commodity contracts or that represent indices of commodities prices or that reflect the return of such indices.

 

  (7)

Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.

The Fund was previously registered as a non-diversified investment company. Pursuant to current positions of the SEC staff, the Fund’s classification changed from non-diversified to diversified, and the Fund will not be able to become non-diversified unless it seeks and obtains the approval of shareholders. Accordingly, the Fund may not make any investment inconsistent with the Fund’s classification as a diversified company under the Act.

Commodity Strategy Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:

 

  (1)

Invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (excluding the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) except that this restriction shall not apply to the Fund’s counterparties in foreign currency transactions.

 

  (2)

Borrow money, except (a) to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund may borrow from banks (as defined in the Act), other affiliated investment companies and other persons or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 33-1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed), (b) the Fund may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, (c) the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities, (d) the Fund may purchase securities on margin to the extent permitted by applicable law and (e) the Fund may engage in transactions in mortgage dollar rolls which are accounted for as financings.

The following interpretation applies to, but is not part of, this fundamental policy: In determining whether a particular investment in portfolio instruments or participation in portfolio transactions is subject to this borrowing policy, the accounting treatment of such instrument or participation shall be considered, but shall not by itself be determinative. Whether a particular instrument or transaction constitutes a borrowing shall be determined by the Board, after consideration of all of the relevant circumstances.

 

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  (3)

Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law and (d) loans to affiliates of the Fund to the extent permitted by law.

 

  (4)

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting.

 

  (5)

Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, securities of real estate investment trusts and mortgage-related securities and may hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities.

 

  (6)

Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts that are commodities or commodity contracts.

 

  (7)

Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.

The Fund was previously registered as a non-diversified investment company. Pursuant to current positions of the SEC staff, the Fund’s classification has changed from non-diversified to diversified, and the Fund will not be able to become non-diversified unless it seeks and obtains the approval of shareholders. Accordingly, the Fund may not make any investment inconsistent with the Fund’s classification as a diversified company under the Act.

Alternative Premia Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:

 

  (1)

Invest 25% of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same group of industries (excluding the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities).

 

  (2)

Borrow money, except (a) the Fund may borrow from banks (as defined in the Act), or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 33-1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed), (b) the Fund may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, (c) the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities, (d) the Fund may purchase securities on margin to the extent permitted by applicable law and (e) the Fund may engage in transactions in mortgage dollar rolls which are accounted for as financings.

The following interpretation applies to, but is not part of, this fundamental policy: In determining whether a particular investment in portfolio instruments or participation in portfolio transactions is subject to this borrowing policy, the accounting treatment of such instrument or participation shall be considered, but shall not by itself be determinative. Whether a particular instrument or transaction constitutes a borrowing shall be determined by the Board, after consideration of all of the relevant circumstances.

 

  (3)

Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, and (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law.

 

  (4)

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting.

 

  (5)

Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities or investments that are secured by real estate or interests therein, or that reflect the return of an index of real estate values, and may hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities.

 

  (6)

Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts, including structured notes, futures contracts and options on such contracts, that are commodities or commodity contracts or that represent indices of commodities prices or that reflect the return of such indices.

 

  (7)

Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.

The Fund was previously registered as a non-diversified investment company. Pursuant to current positions of the SEC staff, the Fund’s classification has changed from non-diversified to diversified, and the Fund will not be able to become non-diversified unless it seeks and obtains the approval of shareholders. Accordingly, the Fund may not make any investment inconsistent with the Fund’s classification as a diversified company under the Act.

 

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Managed Futures Strategy Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:

 

  (1)

Invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (excluding the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities), except that this restriction shall not apply to the Fund’s counterparties in foreign currency transactions.

 

  (2)

Borrow money, except that (a) to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund may borrow from banks (as defined in the Act), other affiliated investment companies and other persons or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 33-1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed); (b) the Fund may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, borrow up to an additional 5% of its net assets for temporary purposes, (c) the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities, (d) the Fund may purchase securities on margin to the extent permitted by applicable law and (e) the Fund may engage in transactions in mortgage dollar rolls which are accounted for as financings.

The following interpretation applies to, but is not part of, this fundamental policy: In determining whether a particular investment in portfolio instruments or participation in portfolio transactions is subject to this borrowing policy, the accounting treatment of such instrument or participation shall be considered, but shall not by itself be determinative. Whether a particular instrument or transaction constitutes a borrowing shall be determined by the Board, after consideration of all of the relevant circumstances.

 

  (3)

Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law and (d) loans to affiliates of the Fund to the extent permitted by law.

 

  (4)

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting.

 

  (5)

Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities or other investments that are secured by real estate or interests therein, securities or other investments that reflect the return of or index of real estate values, securities of real estate investment trusts and mortgage-related securities and may hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities.

 

  (6)

Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts, including structured notes, futures contracts and options on such contracts that are commodities or commodity contracts, or that represent indices of commodities prices, or that reflect the return of such indices.

 

  (7)

Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.

The Fund was previously registered as a non-diversified investment company. Pursuant to current positions of the SEC staff, the Fund’s classification has changed from non-diversified to diversified, and the Fund will not be able to become non-diversified unless it seeks and obtains the approval of shareholders. Accordingly, the Fund may not make any investment inconsistent with the Fund’s classification as a diversified company under the Act.

Real Estate Securities Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:

 

  (1)

Invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (excluding the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities), except that the Fund will invest at least 25% or more of its total assets in the real estate industry.

 

  (2)

Borrow money, except (a) the Fund may borrow from banks (as defined in the Act) or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 33-1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed), (b) the Fund may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, (c) the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities, (d) the Fund may purchase securities on margin to the extent permitted by applicable law, and (e) the Fund may engage in portfolio transactions, such as mortgage dollar rolls which are accounted for as financings.

 

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The following interpretation applies to, but is not part of, this fundamental policy: In determining whether a particular investment in portfolio instruments or participation in portfolio transactions is subject to this borrowing policy, the accounting treatment of such instrument or participation shall be considered, but shall not by itself be determinative. Whether a particular instrument or transaction constitutes a borrowing shall be determined by the Board, after consideration of all of the relevant circumstances.

 

  (3)

Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, and (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law.

 

  (4)

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting.

 

  (5)

Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, securities of real estate investment trusts and mortgage-related securities and may hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities.

 

  (6)

Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts that are commodities or commodity contracts.

 

  (7)

Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.

International Real Estate Securities Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:

 

  (1)

Invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (excluding the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities), except that the Fund will invest at least 25% or more of its total assets in the real estate industry.

 

  (2)

Borrow money, except (a) to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund may borrow from banks (as defined in the Act), other affiliated investment companies and other persons or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 33-1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed); (b) the Fund may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, (c) the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities, (d) the Fund may purchase securities on margin to the extent permitted by applicable law and (e) the Fund may engage in transactions in mortgage dollar rolls which are accounted for as financings.

The following interpretation applies to, but is not part of, this fundamental policy: In determining whether a particular investment in portfolio instruments or participation in portfolio transactions is subject to this borrowing policy, the accounting treatment of such instrument or participation shall be considered, but shall not by itself be determinative. Whether a particular instrument or transaction constitutes a borrowing shall be determined by the Board, after consideration of all of the relevant circumstances.

 

  (3)

Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law and (d) loans to affiliates of the Fund to the extent permitted by law.

 

  (4)

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting.

 

  (5)

Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, securities of real estate investment trusts and other entities and companies in the real estate industry, and mortgage-related securities and may hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities.

 

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  (6)

Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts that are commodities or commodity contracts.

 

  (7)

Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:

 

  (1)

Invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (for the purposes of this restriction, the U.S. Government, state and municipal governments and their agencies, authorities and instrumentalities are not deemed to be industries), provided that during normal market conditions, the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in the real estate industry;

 

  (2)

Borrow money, except as permitted by the Act, or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction.

The following interpretation applies to, but is not part of, this fundamental policy: In determining whether a particular investment in portfolio instruments or participation in portfolio transactions is subject to this borrowing policy, the accounting treatment of such instrument or participation shall be considered, but shall not by itself be determinative. Whether a particular instrument or transaction constitutes a borrowing shall be determined by the Board, after consideration of all of the relevant circumstances;

 

  (3)

Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations, loan interests and other interests or obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law or pursuant to an exemptive order granted under the Act, or (d) loans to affiliates of the Fund to the extent permitted by law;

 

  (4)

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting;

 

  (5)

Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, or that reflect the return of an index of real estate values, securities of issuers which invest or deal in real estate, securities of real estate investment trusts and mortgage-related securities and may hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities;

 

  (6)

Invest in physical commodities, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts in accordance with its investment objective and policies, including without limitation, structured notes, futures contracts, swaps, options on commodities, currencies, swaps and futures, ETFs, investment pools and other instruments, regardless of whether such instrument is considered to be a commodity; and

 

  (7)

Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.

The Fund was previously registered as a non-diversified investment company. Pursuant to current positions of the SEC staff, the Fund’s classification has changed from non-diversified to diversified, and the Fund will not be able to become non-diversified unless it seeks and obtains the approval of shareholders. Accordingly, the Fund may not make any investment inconsistent with the Fund’s classification as a diversified company under the Act.

Global Infrastructure Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:

 

  (1)

Invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (for the purposes of this restriction, the U.S. Government, state and municipal governments and their agencies, authorities and instrumentalities are not deemed to be industries), provided that during normal market conditions, the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in the infrastructure group of industries;

 

  (2)

Borrow money, except as permitted by the Act, or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction.

 

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The following interpretation applies to, but is not part of, this fundamental policy: In determining whether a particular investment in portfolio instruments or participation in portfolio transactions is subject to this borrowing policy, the accounting treatment of such instrument or participation shall be considered, but shall not by itself be determinative. Whether a particular instrument or transaction constitutes a borrowing shall be determined by the Board, after consideration of all of the relevant circumstances;

 

  (3)

Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations, loan interests and other interests or obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law or pursuant to an exemptive order granted under the Act, or (d) loans to affiliates of the Fund to the extent permitted by law;

 

  (4)

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting;

 

  (5)

Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, or that reflect the return of an index of real estate values, securities of issuers which invest or deal in real estate, securities of real estate investment trusts and mortgage-related securities and may hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities;

 

  (6)

Invest in physical commodities, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts in accordance with its investment objective and policies, including without limitation, structured notes, futures contracts, swaps, options on commodities, currencies, swaps and futures, ETFs, investment pools and other instruments, regardless of whether such instrument is considered to be a commodity; and

 

  (7)

Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:

 

  (1)

Make any investment inconsistent with the Fund’s classification as a diversified company under the Act.

 

  (2)

Invest 25% of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (excluding the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities).

 

  (3)

Borrow money, except (a) to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund may borrow from banks (as defined in the Act), other affiliated investment companies and other persons or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 33-1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed), (b) the Fund may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, (c) the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities, and (d) the Fund may purchase securities on margin to the extent permitted by applicable law.

The following interpretation applies to, but is not part of, this fundamental policy: In determining whether a particular investment in portfolio instruments or participation in portfolio transactions is subject to this borrowing policy, the accounting treatment of such instrument or participation shall be considered, but shall not by itself be determinative. Whether a particular instrument or transaction constitutes a borrowing shall be determined by the Board, after consideration of all of the relevant circumstances.

 

  (4)

Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law and (d) loans to affiliates of the Fund to the extent permitted by law.

 

  (5)

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting.

 

  (6)

Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, securities of real estate investment trusts and mortgage-related securities and may hold and sell real estate acquired by a Fund as a result of the ownership of securities.

 

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  (7)

Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts that are commodities or commodity contracts.

 

  (8)

Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, each Fund may not:

 

  (1)

Make any investment inconsistent with the Fund’s classification as a diversified company under the Act.

 

  (2)

Invest 25% of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (excluding the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities).

 

  (3)

Borrow money, except (a) to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund may borrow from banks (as defined in the Act), other affiliated investment companies and other persons or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 33-1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed); (b) the Fund may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, (c) the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities, (d) the Fund may purchase securities on margin to the extent permitted by applicable law and (e) the Fund may engage in transactions in mortgage dollar rolls which are accounted for as financings.

The following interpretation applies to, but is not part of, this fundamental policy: In determining whether a particular investment in portfolio instruments or participation in portfolio transactions is subject to this borrowing policy, the accounting treatment of such instrument or participation shall be considered, but shall not by itself be determinative. Whether a particular instrument or transaction constitutes a borrowing shall be determined by the Board, after consideration of all of the relevant circumstances.

 

  (4)

Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law and (d) loans to affiliates of the Fund to the extent permitted by law.

 

  (5)

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting.

 

  (6)

Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, securities of real estate investment trusts and mortgage-related securities and may hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities.

 

  (7)

Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts that are commodities or commodity contracts.

 

  (8)

Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:

 

  (1)

Make any investment inconsistent with the Fund’s classification as a diversified company under the Act.

 

  (2)

Invest 25% of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (excluding the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities).

 

  (3)

Borrow money, except (a) the Fund may borrow from banks (as defined in the Act), or through reverse repurchase agreements in amounts up to 33-1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed), (b) the Fund may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, borrow up to an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, (c) the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities, and (d) the Fund may purchase securities on margin to the extent permitted by applicable law.

 

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The following interpretation applies to, but is not part of, this fundamental policy: In determining whether a particular Investment in portfolio instruments or participation in portfolio transactions is subject to this borrowing policy, the accounting treatment of such instrument or participation shall be considered, but shall not by itself be determinative. Whether a particular instrument or transaction constitutes a borrowing shall be determined by the Board, after consideration of all of the relevant circumstances.

 

  (4)

Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, and (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law.

 

  (5)

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting.

 

  (6)

Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein, securities of real estate investment trusts and mortgage-related securities and may hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities.

 

  (7)

Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts that are commodities or commodity contracts.

 

  (8)

Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.

For purposes of the Funds’ industry concentration policies, the Investment Adviser may analyze the characteristics of a particular issuer and instrument and may assign an industry classification consistent with those characteristics. The Investment Adviser may, but need not, consider industry classifications provided by third parties, and the classifications applied to Fund investments will be informed by applicable law.

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

The Trust’s Leadership Structure

The business and affairs of the Funds are managed under the direction of the Board of Trustees (the “Board”), subject to the laws of the State of Delaware and the Trust’s Declaration of Trust. The Trustees are responsible for deciding matters of overall policy and reviewing the actions of the Trust’s service providers. The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise each Fund’s daily business operations. Trustees who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Trust as defined in the Act are referred to as “Independent Trustees.” Trustees who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Trust are referred to as “Interested Trustees.” The Board is currently composed of seven Independent Trustees and one Interested Trustee. The Board has selected an Independent Trustee to act as Chair, whose duties include presiding at meetings of the Board and its Committees, except as otherwise specified in the applicable Committee charter documents, and acting as a focal point to address significant issues that may arise between regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings. In the performance of the Chair’s duties, the Chair will consult with the other Independent Trustees and the Funds’ officers and legal counsel, as appropriate. The Chair may perform other functions as requested by the Board from time to time.

The Board meets as often as necessary to discharge its responsibilities. Currently, the Board conducts regular, in-person meetings at least six times a year, and holds special in-person or telephonic meetings as necessary to address specific issues that require attention prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. In addition, the Independent Trustees meet at least annually to review, among other things, investment management agreements, distribution (Rule 12b-1) and/or service plans and related agreements, transfer agency agreements and certain other agreements providing for the compensation of Goldman Sachs and/or its affiliates by the Funds, and to consider such other matters as they deem appropriate.

The Board has established five standing committees—Audit, Governance and Nominating, Compliance, Valuation and Contract Review Committees. The Board may establish other committees, or nominate one or more Trustees to examine particular issues related to the Board’s oversight responsibilities, from time to time. Each Committee meets periodically to perform its delegated oversight functions and reports its findings and recommendations to the Board. For more information on the Committees, see the section “STANDING BOARD COMMITTEES,” below.

The Trustees have determined that the Trust’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Trustees to effectively perform their oversight responsibilities.

 

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Trustees of the Trust

Information pertaining to the Trustees of the Trust as of April 29, 2020 is set forth below.

Independent Trustees

 

Name, Address and Age1

  

Position(s)

Held with the

Trust

  

Term of

Office and

Length of
Time Served2

  

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustee3
   Other
Directorships Held
by Trustee4

Jessica Palmer

Age: 71

   Chair of the Board of Trustees    Since 2018 (Trustee since 2007)   

Ms. Palmer is retired. She was formerly Consultant, Citigroup Human Resources Department (2007–2008); Managing Director, Citigroup Corporate and Investment Banking (previously, Salomon Smith Barney/Salomon Brothers) (1984–2006). Ms. Palmer was a Member of the Board of Trustees of Indian Mountain School (private elementary and secondary school) (2004–2009).

 

Chair of the Board of Trustees—Goldman Sachs Trust and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust

   103    None

Dwight L. Bush

Age: 63

   Trustee    Since 2020   

Ambassador Bush is President and CEO of D.L. Bush & Associates (a financial advisory and private investment firm) (2002–2014 and 2017– present); and was formerly U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco (2014–2017) and a Member of the Board of Directors of Santander Bank, N.A. (2018–2019). Previously, Ambassador Bush served as an Advisory Board Member of Goldman Sachs Trust and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust (October 2019– January 2020).

 

Trustee—Goldman Sachs Trust and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust.

 

   103    None

Kathryn A. Cassidy

Age: 66

   Trustee    Since 2015   

Ms. Cassidy is retired. Formerly, she was Advisor to the Chairman (May 2014–December 2014); and Senior Vice President and Treasurer (2008–2014), General Electric Company & General Electric Capital Corporation (technology and financial services companies).

 

Trustee—Goldman Sachs Trust and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust.

   103    None

 

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Name, Address and Age1

  

Position(s)

Held with the

Trust

  

Term of

Office and

Length of
Time Served2

  

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustee3
   Other
Directorships Held
by Trustee4

Diana M. Daniels

Age: 70

   Trustee    Since 2007   

Ms. Daniels is retired. Formerly, she was Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, The Washington Post Company (1991–2006). Ms. Daniels is a Trustee Emeritus and serves as a Presidential Councillor of Cornell University (2013–Present); former Member of the Legal Advisory Board, New York Stock Exchange (2003–2006) and of the Corporate Advisory Board, Standish Mellon Management Advisors (2006–2007).

 

Trustee—Goldman Sachs Trust and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust.

   103    None

Joaquin Delgado

Age: 60

   Trustee    Since 2020   

Dr. Delgado is retired. He is Director, Hexion Inc. (a specialty chemical manufacturer) (2019– present); and Director, Stepan Company (a specialty chemical manufacturer) (2011– present); and was formerly Executive Vice President, Consumer Business Group of 3M Company (July 2016–July 2019); and Executive Vice President, Health Care Business Group of 3M Company (October 2012–July 2016). Previously, Dr. Delgado served as an Advisory Board Member of Goldman Sachs Trust and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust (October 2019– January 2020).

 

Trustee—Goldman Sachs Trust and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust.

   103    Stepan
Company (a
specialty
chemical
manufacturer)

Roy W. Templin

Age: 59

   Trustee    Since 2013   

Mr. Templin is retired. He is Director, Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (a designer and manufacturer of ceiling, wall and suspension system solutions) (2016–Present); and was formerly Chairman of the Board of Directors, Con-Way Incorporated (a transportation, logistics and supply chain management service company) (2014–2015); Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Whirlpool Corporation (an appliance manufacturer and marketer) (2004–2012). Previously, Mr. Templin served as an Advisory Board Member of Goldman Sachs Trust and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust (June 2013 – October 2013).

 

Trustee—Goldman Sachs Trust and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust.

   103    Armstrong
World
Industries, Inc.
(a ceiling, wall
and suspension
systems
solutions
manufacturer)

Gregory G. Weaver

Age: 68

   Trustee    Since 2015   

Mr. Weaver is retired. He is Director, Verizon Communications Inc. (2015–Present); and was formerly Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte & Touche LLP (a professional services firm) (2001–2005 and 2012–2014); and Member of the Board of Directors, Deloitte & Touche LLP (2006–2012).

 

Trustee—Goldman Sachs Trust and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust.

   103    Verizon
Communications
Inc.

 

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Name, Address and Age1

  

Position(s)

Held with the

Trust

  

Term of

Office and

Length of
Time Served2

  

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Portfolios in
Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustee3
   Other
Directorships Held
by Trustee4
Interested Trustee

James A. McNamara*

Age: 57

   President and Trustee    Since 2007   

Advisory Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2018–Present); Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2000–December 2017); Director of Institutional Fund Sales, GSAM (April 1998–December 2000); and Senior Vice President and Manager, Dreyfus Institutional Service Corporation (January 1993–April 1998).

 

President and Trustee—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs MLP Income Opportunities Fund; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

   168    None

 

* 

Mr. McNamara is considered to be an “Interested Trustee” because he holds positions with Goldman Sachs and owns securities issued by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Mr. McNamara holds comparable positions with certain other companies of which Goldman Sachs, GSAM or an affiliate thereof is the investment adviser, administrator and/or distributor.

1 

Each Trustee may be contacted by writing to the Trustee, c/o Goldman Sachs, 200 West Street, New York, New York, 10282, Attn: Caroline Kraus.

2 

Subject to such policies as may be adopted by the Board from time-to-time, each Trustee holds office for an indefinite term, until the earliest of: (a) the election of his or her successor; (b) the date the Trustee resigns or is removed by the Board or shareholders, in accordance with the Trust’s Declaration of Trust; or (c) the termination of the Trust. The Board has adopted policies which provide that (a) no Trustee shall hold office for more than 15 years and (b) a Trustee shall retire as of December 31st of the calendar year in which he or she reaches his or her 74th birthday, unless a waiver of such requirements shall have been adopted by a majority of the other Trustees. These policies may be changed by the Trustees without shareholder vote.

3 

The Goldman Sachs Fund Complex includes certain other companies listed above for each respective Trustee. As of April 29, 2020, Goldman Sachs Trust consisted of 90 portfolios (88 of which offered shares to the public); Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust consisted of 13 portfolios; Goldman Sachs Trust II consisted of 19 portfolios (17 of which offered shares to the public); Goldman Sachs ETF Trust consisted of 42 portfolios (21 of which offered shares to the public); and Goldman Sachs MLP Income Opportunities Fund, Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund, Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund each consisted of one portfolio. Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund did not offer shares to the public.

4 

This column includes only directorships of companies required to report to the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (i.e., “public companies”) or other investment companies registered under the Act.

The significance or relevance of a Trustee’s particular experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills is considered by the Board on an individual basis. Experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills common to all Trustees include the ability to critically review, evaluate and discuss information provided to them and to interact effectively with the other Trustees and with representatives of the Investment Adviser and its affiliates, other service providers, legal counsel and the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, the capacity to address financial and legal issues and exercise reasonable business judgment, and a commitment to the representation of the interests of the Funds and their shareholders. The Governance and Nominating Committee’s charter contains certain other factors that are considered by the Governance and Nominating Committee in identifying and evaluating potential nominees to serve as Independent Trustees. Based on each Trustee’s experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills, considered individually and with respect to the experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills of other Trustees, the Board has concluded that each Trustee should serve as a Trustee. Below is a brief discussion of the experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills of each individual Trustee as of April 29, 2020 that led the Board to conclude that such individual should serve as a Trustee.

Jessica Palmer. Ms. Palmer has served as a Trustee since 2007 and Chair of the Board since 2018. Ms. Palmer worked at Citigroup Corporate and Investment Banking (previously, Salomon Smith Barney/Salomon Brothers) for over 20 years, where she was a Managing Director. While at Citigroup Corporate and Investment Banking, Ms. Palmer was Head of Global Risk Management, Chair of the Global Commitment Committee, Co-Chair of International Investment Banking (New York) and Head of Fixed Income Capital Markets. Ms.

 

B-65


Palmer was also a member of the Management Committee and Risk Management Operating Committee of Citigroup, Inc. Ms. Palmer was also Assistant Vice President of the International Division at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Ms. Palmer was also a member of the Board of Trustees of a private elementary and secondary school. Based on the foregoing, Ms. Palmer is experienced with financial and investment matters.

Dwight L. Bush. Ambassador Bush has served as a Trustee since 2020. Ambassador Bush also serves as President and CEO of D.L. Bush & Associates, a financial advisory and private investment firm. From 2014 to 2017, he served as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco. Prior to his service as U.S. Ambassador, he established and served as CEO of Urban Trust Bank and UTB Education Finance, LLC, an integrated provider of education credit services. Ambassador Bush was previously Vice President of Corporate Development for SLM Corporation (commonly known as Sallie Mae). Formerly, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of Santander Bank, N.A., JER Investors Trust, a specialty real estate finance company, and as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of CASI Pharmaceuticals (formerly Entremed, Inc.) where he was Chairman of the Audit Committee. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for several philanthropic organizations, including the Middle East Investment Initiative and the American Council of Young Political Leaders, and has served on the executive committee of Cornell University. Ambassador Bush previously served on the Trust’s Advisory Board. Based on the foregoing, Ambassador Bush is experienced with financial and investment matters.

Kathryn A. Cassidy. Ms. Cassidy has served as a Trustee since 2015. Previously, Ms. Cassidy held several senior management positions at General Electric Company (“GE”) and General Electric Capital Corporation (“GECapital”) and its subsidiaries, where she worked for 35 years, most recently as Advisor to the Chairman of GECapital and Senior Vice President and Treasurer of GE and GECapital. As Senior Vice President and Treasurer, Ms. Cassidy led capital markets and treasury matters of multiple initial public offerings. Ms. Cassidy was responsible for managing global treasury operations, including global funding, hedging, derivative accounting and execution, cash and liquidity management, cash operations and treasury services, and global regulatory compliance and reporting for liquidity, derivatives, market risk and counterparty credit risk. Ms. Cassidy also serves as a Director of buildOn, a not-for-profit organization, where she serves as Chair of the Finance Committee. Based on the foregoing, Ms. Cassidy is experienced with financial and investment matters.

Diana M. Daniels. Ms. Daniels has served as a Trustee since 2007. Ms. Daniels also serves as a Trustee Emeritus and Presidential Councillor of Cornell University. Ms. Daniels held several senior management positions at The Washington Post Company and its subsidiaries, where she worked for 29 years. While at The Washington Post Company, Ms. Daniels served as Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary to the Board of Directors and Secretary to the Audit Committee. Previously, Ms. Daniels served as Vice President and General Counsel of Newsweek, Inc. Ms. Daniels has also served as Vice Chair and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Cornell University and as a member of the Corporate Advisory Board of Standish Mellon Management Advisors and of the Legal Advisory Board of New York Stock Exchange. Ms. Daniels is also a member of the American Law Institute and of the Advisory Council of the Inter-American Press Association. Based on the foregoing, Ms. Daniels is experienced with legal, financial and investment matters.

Joaquin Delgado. Dr. Delgado has served as a Trustee since 2020. Dr. Delgado is a member of the Board of Directors for Stepan Company, a publicly-traded specialty chemical manufacturer, and Hexion Inc., a privately held specialty chemical manufacturer. Previously, Dr. Delgado held several senior management positions at 3M Company, where he worked for over 30 years, most recently as Executive Vice President of 3M Company’s Consumer Business Group. As Executive Vice President, Vice President, and General Manager at 3M Company, Dr. Delgado directed mergers and acquisitions worldwide, and was responsible for managing global operations in specialized markets such as semiconductors, consumer electronics, communications, medical and office supplies and software. Dr. Delgado also serves as a Director of MacPhail Center for Music, a not-for-profit organization. Dr. Delgado previously served on the Trust’s Advisory Board. Based on the foregoing, Dr. Delgado is experienced with financial and investment matters.

Roy W. Templin. Mr. Templin has served as a Trustee since 2013. Mr. Templin is a member of the Board of Directors of Armstrong World Industries, Inc., a ceiling, wall and suspension system solutions manufacturer, where he serves as Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee, Management Development and Compensation Committee and Audit Committee. Previously, Mr. Templin served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Con-Way Incorporated, a transportation, logistics and supply-chain management services company, prior to its sale to XPO Logistics, Inc. in 2015. Mr. Templin held a number of senior management positions at Whirlpool Corporation, an appliance manufacturer and marketer, including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Vice President and Corporate Controller there. At Whirlpool, Mr. Templin served on the Executive Committee and was responsible for all aspects of finance globally, including treasury, accounting, risk management, investor relations, internal auditing, tax and facilities. Prior to joining Whirlpool, Mr. Templin served in several roles at Kimball International, a furniture and electronic assemblies manufacturer, including Vice President of Finance and Chief Accounting Officer. Mr. Templin was also a Director of Corporate Finance for Cummins, Inc., a diesel engine manufacturer, a Director of Financial Development at NCR Corporation, a computer hardware and electronics company, and a member of the audit staff of Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP). Mr. Templin is a certified public accountant and a certified management accountant. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Templin is experienced with accounting, financial and investment matters.

Gregory G. Weaver. Mr. Weaver has served as a Trustee since 2015. Mr. Weaver has been designated as the Board’s “audit committee financial expert” given his extensive accounting and finance experience. Mr. Weaver also serves as a Director of Verizon Communications Inc., where he serves as Chair of the Audit Committee. Previously, Mr. Weaver was a partner with Deloitte & Touche

 

 

B-66


LLP for 30 years. He was the firm’s first chairman and chief executive officer from 2001–2005, and was elected to serve a second term (2012–2014). While serving as chairman at Deloitte & Touche LLP, Mr. Weaver led the audit and enterprise risk services practice, overseeing all operations, strategic positioning, audit quality, and talent matters. Mr. Weaver also served as a member of the firm’s Board of Directors for six years where he served on the Governance Committee and Partner Earnings and Benefits Committee and was chairman of the Elected Leaders Committee and Strategic Investment Committee. Mr. Weaver is also a Board member and Audit Committee chair of the YMCA of Westfield, New Jersey. Mr. Weaver has also served as President of the Council of Boy Scouts of America in Long Rivers, Connecticut, President of A Better Chance in Glastonbury, Connecticut, as a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council and as a board member of the Stan Ross Department of Accountancy, Baruch College. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Weaver is experienced with accounting, financial and investment matters.

James A. McNamara. Mr. McNamara has served as a Trustee and President of the Trust since 2007 and has served as an officer of the Trust since 2001. Mr. McNamara is an Advisory Director to Goldman Sachs. Prior to retiring as Managing Director at Goldman Sachs in 2017, Mr. McNamara was head of Global Third Party Distribution at GSAM and was previously head of U.S. Third Party Distribution. Prior to that role, Mr. McNamara served as Director of Institutional Fund Sales. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Mr. McNamara was Vice President and Manager at Dreyfus Institutional Service Corporation. Based on the foregoing, Mr. McNamara is experienced with financial and investment matters.

Officers of the Trust

Information pertaining to the officers of the Trust as of December 14, 2020 is set forth below.

 

Name, Age and Address

  

Position(s) Held

with the Trust

  

Term of Office and

Length of Time Served1

  

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

James A. McNamara

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

Age: 58

  

Trustee and

President

   Since 2007   

Advisory Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2018 – Present); Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2000 – December 2017); Director of Institutional Fund Sales, GSAM (April 1998 – December 2000); and Senior Vice President and Manager, Dreyfus Institutional Service Corporation (January 1993 – April 1998).

 

President and Trustee—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

Joseph F. DiMaria

30 Hudson Street

Jersey City, NJ 07302

Age: 52

   Treasurer, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer    Since 2017 (Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer since 2019)   

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (November 2015 – Present) and Vice President – Mutual Fund Administration, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (May 2010 – October 2015).

 

Treasurer, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer—Goldman Sachs Trust (previously Assistant Treasurer (2016)); Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust (previously Assistant Treasurer (2016)); Goldman Sachs Trust II (previously Assistant Treasurer (2017)); Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund (previously Assistant Treasurer (2017)); Goldman Sachs ETF Trust (previously Assistant Treasurer (2017)); Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

 

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Name, Age and Address

  

Position(s) Held

with the Trust

  

Term of Office and

Length of Time Served1

  

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Julien Yoo

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

Age: 49

   Chief Compliance Officer    Since 2019   

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2020–Present); Vice President, Goldman Sachs (December 2014–December 2019); and Vice President, Morgan Stanley Investment Management (2005–2010).

 

Chief Compliance Officer—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc.; Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC; Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit II LLC; Goldman Sachs Middle Market Lending Corp.; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

Peter W. Fortner
30 Hudson Street Jersey City, NJ 07302

Age: 62

   Assistant Treasurer    Since 2000   

Vice President, Goldman Sachs (July 2000–Present); Principal Accounting Officer, Commerce Bank Mutual Fund Complex (2008–Present); and Treasurer of Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund (2019–Present).

 

Assistant Treasurer—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

Allison Fracchiolla

30 Hudson Street

Jersey City, NJ 07302

Age: 37

   Assistant Treasurer    Since 2014   

Vice President, Goldman Sachs (January 2013–Present).

 

Assistant Treasurer—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; and Goldman Sachs ETF Trust.

Tyler Hanks

222 S. Main St

Salt Lake City,

UT 84101

Age: 38

   Assistant Treasurer    Since 2019   

Vice President, Goldman Sachs (January 2016—Present); and Associate, Goldman Sachs (January 2014—January 2016).

 

Assistant Treasurer—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

Kirsten Frivold Imohiosen

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

Age: 50

   Assistant Treasurer    Since 2019   

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2018–Present); and Vice President, Goldman Sachs (May 1999–December 2017).

 

Assistant Treasurer—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc.; Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC; Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit II LLC; Goldman Sachs Middle Market Lending Corp.; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

 

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Name, Age and Address

  

Position(s) Held

with the Trust

  

Term of Office and

Length of Time Served1

  

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Steven Z. Indich

30 Hudson Street

Jersey City, NJ 07302

Age: 51

   Assistant Treasurer    Since 2019   

Vice President, Goldman Sachs (February 2010 – Present).

 

Assistant Treasurer—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc.; Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC; Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit II LLC; Goldman Sachs Middle Market Lending Corp.; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

Carol Liu

30 Hudson Street

Jersey City, NJ 07302

Age: 45

   Assistant Treasurer    Since 2019   

Vice President, Goldman Sachs (October 2017 – Present); Tax Director, The Raine Group LLC (August 2015 – October 2017); and Tax Director, Icon Investments LLC (January 2012 – August 2015).

 

Assistant Treasurer—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc.; Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC; Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit II LLC; Goldman Sachs Middle Market Lending Corp.; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

Christopher Bradford

30 Hudson Street

Jersey City, NJ 07302

Age: 39

   Vice President    Since 2020   

Vice President, Goldman Sachs (January 2014–Present).

 

Vice President—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund.

Jesse Cole

71 South Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

Age: 57

   Vice President    Since 1998   

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (December 2006 – Present); Vice President, GSAM (June 1998 – Present); and Vice President, AIM Management Group, Inc. (investment adviser) (April 1996 – June 1998).

 

Vice President—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; and Goldman Sachs Trust II.

Miriam L. Cytryn

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

Age: 62

   Vice President    Since 2008   

Vice President, GSAM (2008 – Present); Vice President of Divisional Management, Investment Management Division (2007 – 2008); Vice President and Chief of Staff, GSAM US Distribution (2003 – 2007); and Vice President of Employee Relations, Goldman Sachs (1996 – 2003).

 

Vice President—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; and Goldman Sachs Trust II.

 

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Name, Age and Address

  

Position(s) Held

with the Trust

  

Term of Office and

Length of Time Served1

  

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Frank Murphy

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

Age: 46

   Vice President    Since 2019   

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (2015 – Present); Vice President, Goldman Sachs (2003 – 2014); Associate, Goldman Sachs (2001 – 2002); and Analyst, Goldman Sachs (1999 – 2001).

 

Vice President—Goldman Sachs Trust; and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust.

Patrick Hyland

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

Age: 46

   Vice President    Since 2019   

Vice President, Goldman Sachs (2010 – Present).

 

Vice President—Goldman Sachs Trust; and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust.

Emily Stecher

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

Age: 33

   Vice President    Since 2020   

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2020–Present); Vice President, Goldman Sachs (January 2015–December 2019).

 

Vice President—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund.

Caroline L. Kraus

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

Age: 43

   Secretary    Since 2012   

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2016–Present); Vice President, Goldman Sachs (August 2006–December 2015); Senior Counsel, Goldman Sachs (January 2020–Present); Associate General Counsel, Goldman Sachs (2012–December 2019); Assistant General Counsel, Goldman Sachs (August 2006–December 2011); and Associate, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP (2002–2006).

 

Secretary—Goldman Sachs Trust (previously Assistant Secretary (2012)); Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust (previously Assistant Secretary (2012)); Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc.; Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC; Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit II LLC; Goldman Sachs Middle Market Lending Corp.; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

David A. Fishman

200 West Street
New York, NY 10282

Age: 56

   Assistant Secretary    Since 2001   

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (December 2001 – Present); and Vice President, Goldman Sachs (1997 – December 2001).

 

Assistant Secretary—Goldman Sachs Trust; and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust.

 

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Name, Age and Address

  

Position(s) Held

with the Trust

  

Term of Office and

Length of Time Served1

  

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Robert Griffith

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

Age: 46

   Assistant Secretary    Since 2011   

Vice President, Goldman Sachs (August 2011 – Present); Associate General Counsel, Goldman Sachs (December 2014 – Present); Assistant General Counsel, Goldman Sachs (August 2011 – December 2014); Vice President and Counsel, Nomura Holding America, Inc. (2010 – 2011); and Associate, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (2005 – 2010).

 

Assistant Secretary—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

Shaun Cullinan

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

Age: 40

   Assistant Secretary    Since 2018   

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (2018 – Present); Vice President, Goldman Sachs (2009 – 2017); Associate, Goldman Sachs (2006 – 2008); Analyst, Goldman Sachs (2004 – 2005).

 

Assistant Secretary—Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; and Goldman Sachs Trust II.

 

1

Officers hold office at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Each officer holds comparable positions with certain other companies of which Goldman Sachs, GSAM or an affiliate thereof is the investment adviser, administrator and/or distributor.

Standing Board Committees

The Audit Committee oversees the audit process and provides assistance to the Board with respect to fund accounting, tax compliance and financial statement matters. In performing its responsibilities, the Audit Committee selects and recommends annually to the Board an independent registered public accounting firm to audit the books and records of the Trust for the ensuing year, and reviews with the firm the scope and results of each audit. All of the Independent Trustees serve on the Audit Committee and Mr. Weaver serves as Chair of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee held five meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.

The Governance and Nominating Committee has been established to: (i) assist the Board in matters involving mutual fund governance, which includes making recommendations to the Board with respect to the effectiveness of the Board in carrying out its responsibilities in governing the Funds and overseeing their management; (ii) select and nominate candidates for appointment or election to serve as Independent Trustees and work to retain high-performing Independent Trustees; and (iii) advise the Board on ways to improve its effectiveness. All of the Independent Trustees serve on the Governance and Nominating Committee. The Governance and Nominating Committee held three meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. As stated above, each Trustee holds office for an indefinite term until the occurrence of certain events. In filling Board vacancies, the Governance and Nominating Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Nominee recommendations should be submitted to the Trust at its mailing address stated in the Funds’ Prospectuses and should be directed to the attention of the Goldman Sachs Trust Governance and Nominating Committee.

The Compliance Committee has been established for the purpose of overseeing the compliance processes: (i) of the Funds; and (ii) insofar as they relate to services provided to the Funds, of the Funds’ Investment Adviser, Distributor, administrator (if any), and Transfer Agent, except that compliance processes relating to the accounting and financial reporting processes, and certain related matters, are overseen by the Audit Committee. In addition, the Compliance Committee provides assistance to the full Board with respect to compliance matters. The Compliance Committee met five times during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. All of the Independent Trustees serve on the Compliance Committee.

The Valuation Committee is authorized to act for the Board in connection with the valuation of portfolio securities held by the Funds in accordance with the Trust’s Valuation Procedures. Messrs. McNamara and DiMaria serve on the Valuation Committee. The Valuation Committee met twelve times during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.

The Contract Review Committee has been established for the purpose of overseeing the processes of the Board for reviewing and monitoring performance under the Funds’ investment management, distribution, transfer agency, and certain other agreements with the Funds’ Investment Adviser and its affiliates. The Contract Review Committee is also responsible for overseeing the Board’s processes for considering and reviewing performance under the operation of the Funds’ distribution, service, shareholder administration and other plans, and any agreements related to the plans, whether or not such plans and agreements are adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act. The Contract Review Committee also provides appropriate assistance to the Board in connection with the Board’s approval, oversight and review of the Funds’ other service providers including, without limitation, the Funds’ custodian/accounting agent, sub-transfer agents, professional (legal and accounting) firms and printing firms. The Contract Review Committee met two times during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. All of the Independent Trustees serve on the Contract Review Committee.

Risk Oversight

The Board is responsible for the oversight of the activities of the Funds, including oversight of risk management. Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Funds is the responsibility of GSAM or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk), subject to supervision by GSAM. The risks of the Funds include, but are not limited to, liquidity risk, investment risk, compliance risk, operational risk, reputational risk, credit risk and counterparty risk. Each of GSAM and the other service providers have their own

 

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independent interest in risk management and their policies and methods of risk management may differ from the Funds and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result, the Board recognizes that it is not possible to identify all of the risks that may affect the Funds or to develop processes and controls to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects, and that some risks are simply beyond the control of the Funds or GSAM, its affiliates or other service providers.

The Board effectuates its oversight role primarily through regular and special meetings of the Board and Board committees. In certain cases, risk management issues are specifically addressed in reports, presentations and discussions. For example, on an annual basis, GSAM will provide the Board with a written report that addresses the operation, adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s liquidity risk management program, which is designed to assess and manage the Fund’s liquidity risk. GSAM also has a risk management team that assists GSAM in managing investment risk. Representatives from the risk management team meet regularly with the Board to discuss their analysis and methodologies. In addition, investment risk is discussed in the context of regular presentations to the Board on Fund strategy and performance. Other types of risk are addressed as part of presentations on related topics (e.g. compliance policies) or in the context of presentations focused specifically on one or more risks. The Board also receives reports from GSAM management on operational risks, reputational risks and counterparty risks relating to the Funds.

Board oversight of risk management is also performed by various Board committees. For example, the Audit Committee meets with both the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and GSAM’s internal audit group to review risk controls in place that support the Funds as well as test results, and the Compliance Committee meets with the CCO and representatives of GSAM’s compliance group to review testing results of the Funds’ compliance policies and procedures and other compliance issues. Board oversight of risk is also performed as needed between meetings through communications between GSAM and the Board. The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight. The Board’s oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Fund’s investments or activities.

Trustee Ownership of Fund Shares

The following table shows the dollar range of shares beneficially owned by each Trustee in the Funds and other portfolios of the Goldman Sachs Fund Complex as of December 31, 2019, unless otherwise noted.

 

Name of Trustee

  

Dollar Range of

Equity Securities in the Funds1

   Aggregate Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in All

Portfolios in Fund Complex
Overseen By Trustee

Jessica Palmer

   None    Over $100,000

Dwight L. Bush2

   None    None

Kathryn A. Cassidy

   Absolute Return Tracker Fund: $10,001–$50,000    Over
$100,000

Diana M. Daniels

   None    Over $100,000

Joaquin Delgado2

   None    None

James A. McNamara

   U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund: Over $100,000    Over $100,000

Roy W. Templin

   International Real Estate Securities Fund: Over $100,000    Over $100,000

Gregory G. Weaver

   None    Over $100,000

 

1

Includes the value of shares beneficially owned by each Trustee in each Fund described in this SAI.

2

Ambassador Bush and Dr. Delgado began serving as Trustees effective January 23, 2020.

As of April 1, 2020, the Trustees and Officers of the Trust as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of beneficial interest of each class of each Fund, except for the International Real Estate Securities Fund. As of April 1, 2020, the Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as a group, owned 1.61% of the International Real Estate Securities Fund’s outstanding Institutional Shares.

 

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Board Compensation

Each Independent Trustee is compensated with a unitary annual fee for his or her services as a Trustee of the Trust and as a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee, Compliance Committee, Contract Review Committee, and Audit Committee. The Chair and “audit committee financial expert” receive additional compensation for their services. The Independent Trustees are also reimbursed for reasonable travel expenses incurred in connection with attending meetings. The Trust may also pay the reasonable incidental costs of a Trustee to attend training or other types of conferences relating to the investment company industry.

 

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The following tables set forth certain information with respect to the compensation of each Trustee of the Trust for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019:

Trustee Compensation

Aggregate Compensation from each Fund:

 

Name of Trustee   Absolute
Return
Tracker
    Commodity
Strategy
    Alternative
Premia
    Managed
Futures
Strategy
    Real Estate
Securities
    International
Real Estate
Securities
    Global Real
Estate
Securities
    Global
Infrastructure
    U.S. Equity
Dividend
and
Premium
    International
Equity
Dividend and
Premium
    U.S. Tax-
Managed
Equity
    International
Tax-Managed
Equity
 

Jessica Palmer1

  $ 4,929     $ 3,833     $ 3,737     $ 3,805     $ 3,774     $ 3,741     $ 3,806     $ 3,787     $ 4,872     $ 3,829     $ 4,393     $ 3,994  

Dwight L. Bush2

    823       633       619       632       626       621       630       628       792       634       724       661  

Kathryn A. Cassidy

    3,286       2,556       2,491       2,536       2,516       2,494       2,537       2,525       3,248       2,553       2,929       2,663  

Diana M. Daniels

    3,286       2,556       2,491       2,536       2,516       2,494       2,537       2,525       3,248       2,553       2,929       2,663  

Joaquin Delgado2

    823       633       619       632       626       621       630       628       792       634       724       661  

James A. McNamara3

    —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

Roy W. Templin

    3,286       2,556       2,491       2,536       2,516       2,494       2,537       2,525       3,248       2,553       2,929       2,663  

Gregory G. Weaver4

    3,821       2,971       2,896       2,949       2,925       2,899       2,950       2,935       3,777       2,968       3,405       3,096  

 

Name of Trustee

   Pension or Retirement
Benefits Accrued
as Part Of the Trust’s
Expenses
     Total Compensation From
Fund Complex (including the
Funds)*
 

Jessica Palmer1

   $ 0      $ 498,000  

Dwight L Bush2

     0        83,000  

Kathryn A. Cassidy

     0        332,000  

Diana M. Daniels

     0        332,000  

Joaquin Delgado2

     0        83,000  

James A. McNamara3

     —          —    

Roy W. Templin

     0        332,000  

Gregory G. Weaver4

     0        386,000  

 

*

Represents fees paid to each Trustee during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 from the Goldman Sachs Fund Complex.

1

Includes compensation as Board Chair.

2

Includes compensation Ambassador Bush and Dr. Delgado received as Advisory Board Members during the fiscal year. Ambassador Bush and Dr. Delgado began serving as Advisory Board Members effective October 16, 2019 and as Trustees effective January 23, 2020.

3

Mr. McNamara is an Interested Trustee, and as such, receives no compensation from the Funds or the Goldman Sachs Fund Complex.

4

Includes compensation as “audit committee financial expert,” as defined in Item 3 of Form N-CSR.

 

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Miscellaneous

Class A Shares of the Funds may be sold at NAV without payment of any sales charge to Goldman Sachs, its affiliates and their respective officers, partners, directors or employees (including retired employees and former partners), any partnership of which Goldman Sachs is a general partner, any Trustee or officer of the Trust and designated family members of any of the above individuals. These and the Funds’ other sales load waivers are due to the nature of the investors and/or the reduced sales effort and expense that are needed to obtain such investments.

The Trust, its Investment Adviser and principal underwriter have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the Act that permit personnel subject to their particular codes of ethics to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds.

MANAGEMENT SERVICES

As stated in the Funds’ Prospectuses, GSAM, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, serves as Investment Adviser to the Funds. GSAM will also serve as investment adviser to the Subsidiaries. GSAM is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and an affiliate of Goldman Sachs. Prior to the end of April 2003, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, a business unit of the Investment Management Division of Goldman Sachs served as the Funds’ investment adviser. In April 2003, GSAM assumed Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s investment advisory responsibilities for the Funds. See “Service Providers” in the Funds’ Prospectuses for a description of the Investment Adviser’s duties to the Funds.

Founded in 1869, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a publicly-held financial holding company and a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm. Goldman Sachs is a leader in developing portfolio strategies and in many fields of investing and financing, participating in financial markets worldwide and serving individuals, institutions, corporations and governments. Goldman Sachs is also among the principal market sources for current and thorough information on companies, industrial sectors, markets, economies and currencies, and trades and makes markets in a wide range of equity and debt securities 24 hours a day. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in countries throughout the world. It has trading professionals throughout the United States, as well as in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Seoul, Sao Paulo and other major financial centers around the world. The active participation of Goldman Sachs in the world’s financial markets enhances its ability to identify attractive investments. Goldman Sachs has agreed to permit the Funds to use the name “Goldman Sachs” or a derivative thereof as part of each Fund’s name for as long as each Fund’s Management Agreement (as described below) is in effect.

A Fund’s management agreement (each, a “Management Agreement”) provides that GSAM, in its capacity as Investment Adviser, may render similar services to others so long as the services under the Management Agreement are not impaired thereby. The Funds’ Management Agreements were most recently approved by the Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to such agreement or “interested persons” (as such term is defined in the Act) of any party thereto (the “non-interested Trustees”), on June 11-12, 2019. These management arrangements were last approved by the shareholders of the Funds then in existence on April 21, 1997. The management arrangements for those Funds which commenced investment operations after April 21, 1997 were last approved by the initial sole shareholder of each such Fund prior to the Fund’s commencement of operations. A discussion regarding the Trustees’ basis for approving the Management Agreements in 2019 with respect to each Fund is available in the Funds’ semi-annual reports for the period ended June 30, 2019.

The Management Agreements will remain in effect until June 30, 2020 and will continue in effect with respect to each Fund from year to year thereafter provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the vote of a majority of such Fund’s outstanding voting securities or a majority of the Trustees of the Trust, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

The Management Agreements will terminate automatically if assigned (as defined in the Act). The Management Agreements are terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Fund on 60 days’ written notice to the Investment Adviser or by the Investment Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust.

Pursuant to the Management Agreements, the Investment Adviser is entitled to receive the fees set forth below, payable monthly based on each Fund’s average daily net assets. Also included below are the actual management fee rates paid by each Fund (after reflection of any management fee waivers, as indicated in each Fund’s prospectuses) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. The management fee waivers will remain in effect through at least April 29, 2021, and prior to such date, the Investment Adviser may not terminate these arrangements without the approval of the Board of Trustees. The management fee waivers may be modified or terminated by the Investment Adviser at its discretion and without shareholder approval after such date, although the Investment Adviser does not presently intend to do

 

B-75


so. The Actual Rate may not correlate to the Contractual Rate as a result of these management fee waivers that may be in effect from time to time. The Investment Adviser may waive a portion of its management fee payable by a Fund in an amount equal to any management fees it earns as an investment adviser to any of the affiliated funds in which the Fund invests.

 

Fund

  

Contractual Rate

  

Actual Rate for the Fiscal Year

Ended December 31, 2019

Absolute Return Tracker Fund    0.70% on the first $1 billion    0.54%*
   0.63% on the next $1 billion   
   0.60% on the next $3 billion   
   0.59% on the next $3 billion   
   0.53% over $8 billion   
Commodity Strategy Fund    0.50% on the first $2 billion    0.41%**
   0.45% on the next $3 billion   
   0.43% on the next $3 billion   
   0.42% over $8 billion   
Alternative Premia Fund    0.79% on the first $1 billion    0.66%***
   0.71% on the next $1 billion   
   0.68% on the next $3 billion   
   0.66% on the next $3 billion   
   0.65% over $8 billion   
Managed Futures Strategy Fund    1.00% on the first $1 billion    0.88%****
   0.90% on the next $1 billion   
   0.86% on the next $3 billion   
   0.84% on the next $3 billion   
   0.82% over $8 billion   
Real Estate Securities Fund    0.87% on the first $1 billion    0.87%
   0.78% on the next $1 billion   
   0.74% on the next $3 billion   
   0.73% on the next $3 billion   
   0.71% over $8 billion   
International Real Estate Securities Fund    0.95% on the first $2 billion    0.95%
   0.86% on the next $3 billion   
   0.81% on the next $3 billion   
   0.80% over $8 billion   
Global Real Estate Securities Fund    0.93% on the first $1 billion    0.93%
   0.84% on the next $1 billion   
   0.80% on the next $3 billion   
   0.78% on the next $3 billion   
   0.76% over $8 billion   
Global Infrastructure Fund    0.90% on the first $1 billion    0.90%
   0.81% on the next $1 billion   
   0.77% on the next $3 billion   
   0.75% on the next $3 billion   
   0.74% over $8 billion   
U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund    0.75% on the first $1 billion    0.69%
   0.68% on the next $1 billion   
   0.65% on the next $3 billion   
   0.64% on the next $3 billion   
   0.63% over $8 billion   
International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund    0.81% on the first $1 billion    0.81%
   0.73% on the next $1 billion   
   0.69% on the next $3 billion   
   0.68% on the next $3 billion   
   0.67% over $8 billion   

 

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Fund

  

Contractual Rate

  

Actual Rate for the Fiscal Year

Ended December 31, 2019

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund    0.70% on the first $1 billion    0.67%
   0.63% on the next $1 billion   
   0.60% on the next $3 billion   
   0.59% on the next $3 billion   
   0.58% over $8 billion   
International Tax-Managed Equity Fund    0.85% on the first $1 billion    0.85%
   0.77% on the next $1 billion   
   0.73% on the next $3 billion   
   0.72% on the next $3 billion   
   0.71% over $8 billion   

 

*

Reflects combined management fees paid to GSAM by the Fund and the ART Subsidiary after fee waivers. The Investment Adviser has contractually agreed to waive the Absolute Return Tracker Fund’s management fee in an amount equal to the management fee paid to the Investment Adviser by the ART Subsidiary. This arrangement may not be discontinued by the Investment Adviser as long as its contract with the ART Subsidiary is in place.

**

Reflects combined management fees paid to GSAM by the Fund and the CSF Subsidiary after fee waivers. The Investment Adviser has contractually agreed to waive the Commodity Strategy Fund’s management fee in an amount equal to the management fee paid to the Investment Adviser by the CSF Subsidiary. This arrangement may not be discontinued by the Investment Adviser as long as its contract with the CSF Subsidiary is in place.

***

Reflects combined management fees paid to GSAM by the Fund and the AP Subsidiary after fee waivers. The Investment Adviser has contractually agreed to waive the Alternative Premia Fund’s management fee in an amount equal to the management fee paid to the Investment Adviser by the AP Subsidiary. This arrangement may not be discontinued by the Investment Adviser as long as its contract with the AP Subsidiary is in place.

****

Reflects combined management fees paid to GSAM by the Fund and the MFS Subsidiary after fee waivers. The Investment Adviser has contractually agreed to waive the Managed Futures Strategy Fund’s management fee in an amount equal to the management fee paid to the Investment Adviser by the MFS Subsidiary. This arrangement may not be discontinued by the Investment Adviser as long as its contract with the MFS Subsidiary is in place.

For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the amounts of the fees incurred by each of the following Funds under the Management Agreement were as follows (with and without the fee limitations that were then in effect):

 

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     2019      2018      2017  
   With Fee      Without Fee      With Fee      Without Fee      With Fee      Without Fee  

Fund

   Limitations      Limitations      Limitations      Limitations      Limitations      Limitations  

Absolute Return Tracker Fund1

   $  16,449,736      $ 19,603,520      $ 12,766,739      $ 17,774,775      $ 7,945,346      $ 15,227,306  

Commodity Strategy Fund2

     1,305,561        1,851,372        1,608,976        1,979,215        1,548,114        1,839,817  

Alternative Premia Fund3

     528,377        675,626        758,980        972,313        2,384,337        3,074,282  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund4

     2,173,377        2,674,694        2,418,961        2,763,753        872,476        1,099,096  

Real Estate Securities Fund5

     1,460,470        1,463,739        1,970,477        2,074,587        3,149,721        3,624,015  

International Real Estate Securities Fund6

     808,890        811,044        1,029,542        1,069,165        1,796,851        1,986,519  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund7

     2,372,671      $ 2,379,580        3,033,447        3,176,959        1,881,784        2,128,063  

Global Infrastructure Fund8

     1,795,052      $ 1,798,119        2,014,094        2,015,744        1,067,123        1,068,931  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund9

     20,348,896      $ 20,385,483        23,227,180        23,255,734        21,938,808        21,992,485  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund10

     2,498,743      $ 2,498,956        3,159,407        3,161,053        3,108,081        3,110,103  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund11

     11,503,465      $ 11,506,786        10,781,919        10,795,184        8,851,563        8,871,989  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund12

     6,091,596      $ 6,091,738        5,991,250        5,994,083        4,969,974        4,973,122  

 

1

The Investment Adviser waived approximately $3,153,784, $5,008,036 and $7,281,960 of its management fee for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

2

The Investment Adviser waived approximately $545,811, $370,239 and $291,703 of its management fee for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

3

The Investment Adviser waived approximately $147,249, $213,333, and $689,945 of its management fee for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

4

The Investment Adviser waived approximately $501,317, $344,792 and $226,620 of its management fee for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

5

The Investment Adviser waived approximately $3,269, $104,110 and $474,294 of its management fee for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

6

The Investment Adviser waived approximately $2,154, $39,623 and $189,668 of its management fee for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

7

The Investment Adviser waived approximately $6,909, $143,512 and $246,279 of its management fee for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

8

The Investment Adviser waived approximately $3,067, $1,650 and $1,808 of its management fee for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

9

The Investment Adviser waived approximately $36,587, $28,554 and $53,677 of its management fee for the fiscal years ended December 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

10

The Investment Adviser waived approximately $213, $1,646 and $2,022 of its management fee for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

11

The Investment Adviser waived approximately $$3,321, $13,265 and $20,426 of its management fee for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

12

The Investment Adviser waived approximately $$142, $2,833 and $3,148 of its management fee for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

 

B-78


Unless required to be performed by others pursuant to agreements with the Funds, the Investment Adviser also performs certain administrative services for each Fund under the Management Agreement. Such administrative services include, subject to the general supervision of the Trustees of the Trust, (i) providing supervision of all aspects of the Fund’s non-investment operations; (ii) providing the Fund with personnel to perform such executive, administrative and clerical services as are reasonably necessary to provide effective administration of the Fund; (iii) arranging for, at the Fund’s expense, the preparation of the Fund’s required tax returns, the preparation and submission of reports to existing shareholders, the periodic updating and the Fund’s prospectuses and statement of additional information, and the preparation of reports filed with the SEC and other regulatory authorities; (iv) maintaining all of the Fund’s records; and (v) providing the Fund with adequate office space and all necessary office equipment and services.

As discussed in “INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES” above, each of the Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund may pursue its investment objective by investing in a Subsidiary. Each Subsidiary has entered into a separate contract with GSAM whereby GSAM provides investment advisory and other services to that Subsidiary (each, a “Subsidiary Management Agreement”). In consideration of these services, each Subsidiary pays GSAM a management fee at the annual rate of 0.42% of its net assets. GSAM has contractually agreed to waive the advisory fee it receives from each of the Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund in amounts equal to the advisory fee paid to GSAM by each of the Subsidiaries. These waivers may not be terminated by GSAM and will remain in effect for as long as each respective Subsidiary Management Agreement is in place. Each Subsidiary Management Agreement is terminable by either of its respective parties or the Fund’s Board, without penalty, on 60 days’ prior written notice, and shall terminate automatically in the event (i) it is “assigned” by GSAM (as defined in the 1940 Act); or (ii) the Management Agreement between the Trust, acting for and on behalf of each of the Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund and Managed Futures Strategy Fund and GSAM is terminated.

Legal Proceedings. On October 22, 2020, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. announced a settlement of matters involving 1Malaysia Development Bhd. (1MDB), a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, with the United States Department of Justice as well as criminal and civil authorities in the United Kingdom, Singapore and Hong Kong. Further information regarding the 1MDB settlement can be found at https://www.goldmansachs.com/media-relations/press-releases/current/goldman-sachs-2020-10-22.html. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. previously entered into a settlement agreement with the Government of Malaysia and 1MDB to resolve all criminal and regulatory proceedings in Malaysia relating to 1MDB.

The Investment Adviser, Goldman Sachs and certain of their affiliates have received exemptive relief from the SEC to permit them to continue serving as investment adviser and principal underwriter for U.S.-registered investment companies.

 

B-79


Portfolio Managers — Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers

The following table discloses accounts within each type of category listed below for which the portfolio managers are jointly and primarily responsible for day to day portfolio management as of December 31, 2019, unless otherwise noted.

For each portfolio manager listed below, the total number of accounts managed is a reflection of accounts within the strategy they oversee or manage, as well as accounts which participate in the sector they manage. There are multiple portfolio managers involved with each account.

 

    Number of Other Accounts Managed and Total Assets by
Account Type
    Number of Other Accounts and Total Assets for Which
Advisory Fee is Performance Based
 
    Registered                             Registered                          
    Investment     Other Pooled    

Other

    Investment     Other Pooled     Other  
    Companies     Investment Vehicles     Accounts     Companies     Investment Vehicles     Accounts  
Name of   Number of     Assets     Number of     Assets     Number of     Assets     Number of     Assets     Number of     Assets     Number of     Assets  
Portfolio Manager   Accounts     Managed     Accounts     Managed     Accounts     Managed     Accounts     Managed     Accounts     Managed     Accounts     Managed  

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

                       

QIS Team

                       

Federico Gilly

    6     $ 6,153       8     $ 3,164       10     $ 6,219       —         —         —         —         —         —    

Oliver Bunn

    4     $ 4,494       2     $ 820       1     $ 0       —         —         —         —         —         —    

Commodity Strategy Fund

                       

Commodity Strategy Team

                       

Samuel Finkelstein

    63     $ 299,508       438     $ 276,903       29,085     $ 459,577       —         —         3     $ 1,101       46     $ 19,729  

Peter Stone

    36     $ 20,387       195     $ 75,106       6,117     $ 250,340       —         —         3     $ 1,101       29     $ 17,347  

Alternative Premia Fund

                       

QIS Team

                       

Federico Gilly

    6     $ 6,153       8     $ 3,164       10     $ 6,219       —         —         —         —         —         —    

James Park1

    5     $ 3,768       10     $ 3,489       13     $ 1,527       —         —         —         —         1     $ 116  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

                —              

QIS Team

                       

James Park

    6     $ 5,215       9     $ 4,889       10     $ 2,063       —         —         —         —         1     $ 129  

Momoko Ono

    6     $ 5,215       9     $ 4,889       10     $ 2,063       —         —         —         —         1     $ 129  

Real Estate Securities Fund

                       

Real Estate Securities Team

                       

Nora Creedon

    3     $ 763       8     $ 1,620       18     $ 576       —         —         —         —         —         —    

Kristin Kuney

    1     $ 158       4     $ 1,354       10     $ 301       —         —         —         —         —         —    

Timothy Ryan

    1     $ 158       1     $ 1,184       10     $ 301       —         —         —         —         —         —    

International Real Estate Securities Fund

                       

Real Estate Securities Team

                       

Frankie Chun Wah Lee

    3     $ 591       5     $ 217       8     $ 275       —         —         —         —         —         —    

Abhinav Zutshi

    2     $ 352       0       —         0       —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

 

B-80


    Number of Other Accounts Managed and Total Assets by
Account Type
    Number of Other Accounts and Total Assets for Which
Advisory Fee is Performance Based
 
    Registered                             Registered                          
    Investment     Other Pooled    

Other

    Investment     Other Pooled     Other  
    Companies     Investment Vehicles     Accounts     Companies     Investment Vehicles     Accounts  
Name of   Number of     Assets     Number of     Assets     Number of     Assets     Number of     Assets     Number of     Assets     Number of     Assets  
Portfolio Manager   Accounts     Managed     Accounts     Managed     Accounts     Managed     Accounts     Managed     Accounts     Managed     Accounts     Managed  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

                       

Real Estate Securities Team

                       

Nora Creedon

    3     $ 763       8     $ 1,620       18     $ 576       —         —         —         —         —         —    

Frankie Chun Wah Lee

    3     $ 591       5     $ 217       8     $ 275       —         —         —         —         —         —    

Global Infrastructure Fund

                       

Global Infrastructure Team

                       

Kristin Kuney

    1     $ 158       4     $ 1354       10     $ 301       —         —         —         —         —         —    

Nora Creedon

    3     $ 763       8     $ 1,620       18     $ 576       —         —         —         —         —         —    

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

                       

QIS Team

                       

Monali Vora

    12     $ 5,832       2     $ 1,027       11,977     $ 85,124       —         —         —         —         —         —    

Aron Kershner

    12     $ 5,832       2     $ 1,027       11,977     $ 85,124       —         —         —         —         —         —    

John Sienkiewicz

    2     $ 2,778       —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

                       

QIS Team

                       

Monali Vora

    12     $ 5,832       2     $ 1,027       11,977     $ 85,124       —         —         —         —         —         —    

Aron Kershner

    12     $ 5,832       2     $ 1,027       11,977     $ 85,124       —         —         —         —         —         —    

John Sienkiewicz

    2     $ 2,778       —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

                       

QIS Team

                       

Osman Ali

    38     $ 27,427       31     $ 15,619       37     $ 9,061       —         —         —         —         4     $ 1,558  

Monali Vora

    12     $ 5,832       2     $ 1,027       11,977     $ 85,124       —         —         —         —         —         —    

John Sienkiewicz

    2     $ 2,778       —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

                       

QIS Team

                       

Osman Ali

    38     $ 27,427       31     $ 15,619       37     $ 9,061       —         —         —         —         4     $ 1,558  

Monali Vora

    12     $ 5,832       2     $ 1,027       11,977     $ 85,124       —         —         —         —         —         —    

John Sienkiewicz

    2     $ 2,778       —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

 

Assets are preliminary, in millions, unless otherwise noted, as of December 31, 2019.

 

Includes wrap as a single account.

1 

Information is as of October 31, 2020.

 

B-81


Conflicts of Interest. The Investment Adviser’s portfolio managers are often responsible for managing one or more of the Funds as well as other accounts, including proprietary accounts, separate accounts and other pooled investment vehicles, such as unregistered hedge funds. A portfolio manager may manage a separate account or other pooled investment vehicle which may have materially higher fee arrangements than the Fund and may also have a performance-based fee. The side-by-side management of these funds may raise potential conflicts of interest relating to cross trading, the allocation of investment opportunities and the aggregation and allocation of trades.

The Investment Adviser has a fiduciary responsibility to manage all client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. It seeks to provide best execution of all securities transactions and aggregate and then allocate securities to client accounts in a fair and timely manner. To this end, the Investment Adviser has developed policies and procedures designed to mitigate and manage the potential conflicts of interest that may arise from side-by-side management. In addition, the Investment Adviser and the Funds have adopted policies limiting the circumstances under which cross-trades may be effected between a Fund and another client account. The Investment Adviser conducts periodic reviews of trades for consistency with these policies. For more information about conflicts of interests that may arise in connection with the portfolio manager’s management of the Fund’s investments and the investments of other accounts, see “POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.”

Portfolio Managers — Compensation

Compensation for portfolio managers of the Investment Adviser is comprised of a base salary and year-end discretionary variable compensation. The base salary is fixed from year to year. Year-end discretionary variable compensation is primarily a function of each portfolio manager’s individual performance and his or her contribution to overall team performance; the performance of GSAM and Goldman Sachs; the team’s net revenues for the past year which in part is derived from advisory fees, and for certain accounts, performance-based fees; and anticipated compensation levels among competitor firms. Portfolio managers are rewarded, in part, for their delivery of investment performance, which is reasonably expected to meet or exceed the expectations of clients and fund shareholders in terms of: excess return over an applicable benchmark, peer group ranking, risk management and factors specific to certain funds such as yield or regional focus. Performance is judged over 1-, 3- and 5-year time horizons.

For compensation purposes, the benchmarks for these Funds are:

 

   

Absolute Return Tracker Fund: HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index (net of management, administrative and performance/incentive fees)

 

   

Commodity Strategy Fund: S&P GSCI Total Return Index (Gross, USD, Unhedged)

 

   

Alternative Premia Fund: Bank of America Merrill Lynch USD LIBOR One-Month Constant Maturity Index, MSCI All Country World Index Investable Market Index (Net, USD, Unhedged) and Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index (Gross, USD, Unhedged)

 

   

Managed Futures Strategy Fund: Bank of America Merrill Lynch USD LIBOR Constant Maturity Index

 

   

International Real Estate Securities Fund: FTSE EPRA Nareit Developed ex US Real Estate Securities Index (Gross, USD, Unhedged)

 

   

Real Estate Securities Fund: Wilshire U.S. Real Estate Securities Index

 

   

Global Real Estate Securities Fund: FTSE EPRA Nareit Developed Index (Gross, USD, Unhedged)

 

   

Global Infrastructure Fund: Dow Jones Brookfield Global Infrastructure Index

 

   

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund: S&P 500 Index and Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (Gross, USD, Unhedged)

 

   

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund: MSCI EAFE Index and Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index (Gross, USD, Unhedged)

 

   

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund: Russell 3000® Index

 

   

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund: MSCI EAFE Index

The discretionary variable compensation for portfolio managers is also significantly influenced by various factors, including: (1) effective participation in team research discussions and process; and (2) management of risk in alignment with the targeted risk parameters and investment objectives of a Fund. Other factors may also be considered including: (1) general client/shareholder orientation and (2) teamwork and leadership.

 

B-82


As part of their year-end discretionary variable compensation and subject to certain eligibility requirements, portfolio managers may receive deferred equity-based and similar awards, in the form of: (1) shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (restricted stock units); and, (2) for certain portfolio managers, performance-tracking (or “phantom”) shares of a Fund or multiple funds. Performance-tracking shares are designed to provide a rate of return (net of fees) equal to that of the Fund(s) that a portfolio manager manages, or one or more other eligible funds, as determined by senior management, thereby aligning portfolio manager compensation with fund shareholder interests. The awards are subject to vesting requirements, deferred payment and clawback and forfeiture provisions. GSAM, Goldman Sachs or their affiliates expect, but are not required to, hedge the exposure of the performance-tracking shares of a Fund by, among other things, purchasing shares of the relevant Fund(s).

Other Compensation—In addition to base salary and year-end discretionary variable compensation, the Investment Adviser has a number of additional benefits in place including (1) a 401(k) program that enables employees to direct a percentage of their base salary and bonus income into a tax-qualified retirement plan; and (2) investment opportunity programs in which certain professionals may participate subject to certain eligibility requirements.

Portfolio Managers — Portfolio Managers’ Ownership of Securities in the Funds They Manage

The following table shows the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities, including those beneficially owned as well as those owned pursuant to the deferred compensation plan discussed above, in the Funds they manage as of June 30, 2020, unless otherwise noted:

 

     Dollar Range of Equity Securities

Name of Portfolio Manager

   Beneficially Owned by Portfolio Manager
Absolute Return Tracker Fund   

Federico Gilly

   $100,001–$500,000

Oliver Bunn

   $50,001–$100,000
Commodity Strategy Fund   

Samuel Finkelstein

   $100,001–$500,000

Peter Stone

   $10,001–$50,000
Alternative Premia Fund   

Federico Gilly

   $50,001–$100,000

James Park1

   None
Managed Futures Strategy Fund   

James Park

   $100,001–$500,000

Momoko Ono

   $50,001–$100,000
Real Estate Securities Fund   

Nora Creedon

   $100,001–$500,000

Kristin Kuney

   $50,001–$100,000

Timothy Ryan

   $100,001–$500,000
International Real Estate Securities Fund   

Frankie Chun Wah Lee

   None

Abhinav Zutshi

   $1–$10,000
Global Real Estate Securities Fund   

Nora Creedon

   $50,001–$100,000

Frankie Chun Wah Lee

   None
Global Infrastructure Fund   

Kristin Kuney

   $10,001–$50,000

Nora Creedon

   $50,001–$100,000
U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund   

Monali Vora

   $100,001–$500,000

Aron Kershner

   $50,001–$100,000

John Sienkiewicz

   None
International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund   

Monali Vora

   $10,001–$50,000

Aron Kershner

   $10,001–$50,000

John Sienkiewicz

   $1–$10,000
U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund   

Osman Ali

   $10,001–$50,000

Monali Vora

   $50,001–$100,000

John Sienkiewicz

   None
International Tax-Managed Equity Fund   

Osman Ali

   $10,001–$50,000

Monali Vora

   $10,001–$50,000

John Sienkiewicz

   None

 

1 

Information is as of October 31, 2020.

 

B-83


Distributor and Transfer Agent

Distributor. Goldman Sachs, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, serves as the exclusive distributor of shares of the Funds pursuant to a “best efforts” arrangement as provided by a distribution agreement with the Trust on behalf of each Fund. Shares of the Funds are offered and sold on a continuous basis by Goldman Sachs, acting as agent. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, after the Prospectuses and periodic reports have been prepared, set in type and mailed to shareholders, Goldman Sachs will pay for the printing and distribution of copies thereof used in connection with the offering to prospective investors. Goldman Sachs will also pay for other supplementary sales literature and advertising costs. Goldman Sachs may enter into sales agreements with certain Intermediaries to solicit subscriptions for Class A, Class C, Investor, Class R, Class R6 and Class P Shares of the Funds. Goldman Sachs receives a portion of the sales charge imposed on the sale, in the case of Class A Shares, or redemption in the case of Class A and Class C Shares, of such Fund shares.

Goldman Sachs retained approximately the following combined commissions on sales of Class A and Class C Shares during the following periods:

 

     Fiscal year ended      Fiscal year ended      Fiscal year ended  

Fund

   December 31, 2019      December 31, 2018      December 31, 2017  

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

   $ 10,987      $ 15,989      $ 17,659  

Commodity Strategy Fund

   $ 3,879      $ 10,361      $ 10,030  

Alternative Premia Fund

   $ 2,027      $ 431      $ 1,776  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

   $ 615      $ 2,956      $ 1,590  

Real Estate Securities Fund

   $ 2,352      $ 1,251      $ 2,580  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

   $ 16      $ 373      $ 2,086  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

     —        $ 308      $ 3  

Global Infrastructure Fund*

   $ 1,063      $ 4,628        —    

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

   $  40,342      $ 59,600      $ 119,381  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

   $ 3,229      $ 278      $ 1,605  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

   $ 2,487      $ 4,619      $ 3,361  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

   $ 930      $ 1,989      $ 4,915  

Dealer Reallowances. Class A Shares of the Funds are sold subject to a front-end sales charge, as described in the applicable Prospectuses and in this SAI in the section “SHARES OF THE TRUST.” Goldman Sachs may pay commissions to Intermediaries that sell Class A Shares of the Funds in the form of a “reallowance” of all or a portion of the sales charge paid on the purchase of those shares. Goldman Sachs reallows the following amounts, expressed as a percentage of each Fund’s offering price with respect to purchases of Class A Shares under $50,000 (or $100,000 in the case of the Commodity Strategy Fund):

 

Fund

   Dealer Reallowance as
Percentage of Offering Price
 

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

     6.39

Commodity Strategy Fund

     5.08

Alternative Premia Fund

     6.55

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

     6.04

Real Estate Securities Fund

     6.39

International Real Estate Securities Fund

     6.04

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

     0.00

Global Infrastructure Fund

     6.37

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     6.30

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     6.17

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     5.78

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     6.57

 

B-84


Dealer allowances may be changed periodically. During special promotions, the entire sales charge may be reallowed to Intermediaries. Intermediaries to whom substantially the entire sales charge is reallowed may be deemed to be “underwriters” under the 1933 Act.

Transfer Agent. Goldman Sachs, 71 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606, serves as the Trust’s transfer and dividend disbursing agent. Under its transfer agency agreement with the Trust, Goldman Sachs has undertaken with the Trust with respect to each Fund to: (i) record the issuance, transfer and redemption of shares; (ii) provide purchase and redemption confirmations and quarterly statements, as well as certain other statements; (iii) provide certain information to the Trust’s custodian and the relevant sub-custodian in connection with redemptions; (iv) provide dividend crediting and certain disbursing agent services; (v) maintain shareholder accounts; (vi) provide certain state Blue Sky and other information; (vii) provide shareholders and certain regulatory authorities with tax related information; (viii) respond to shareholder inquiries; and (ix) render certain other miscellaneous services. For its transfer agency and dividend disbursing agent services, Goldman Sachs is entitled to receive a fee equal to, on an annualized basis, the following percentages:

 

Fund and Class

   Transfer Agency Fee  

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

  

Alternative Premia Fund

  

Global Infrastructure Fund

  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

  

Class A

     0.17

Class C

     0.17  

Institutional

     0.04  

Investor

     0.17  

Class R

     0.17  

Class R6

     0.03  

Class P

     0.03  

Commodity Strategy Fund

  

Class A

     0.13

Class C

     0.13  

Institutional

     0.04  

Investor

     0.13  

Class R

     0.13  

Class R6

     0.03  

Class P

     0.03  

Real Estate Securities Fund

  

Class A

     0.17

Class C

     0.17  

Institutional

     0.04  

Investor

     0.17  

Class R

     0.17  

Service

     0.04  

Class R6

     0.03  

Class P

     0.03  

 

B-85


International Real Estate Securities Fund

  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

  

Class A

     0.17

Class C

     0.17  

Institutional

     0.04  

Investor

     0.17  

Class R6

     0.03  

Class P

     0.03  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

  

Class A

     0.17

Class C

     0.17  

Institutional

     0.04  

Investor

     0.17  

Service

     0.04  

Class R6

     0.03  

Class P

     0.03  

Goldman Sachs may pay to certain intermediaries who perform transfer agent services to shareholders a networking or sub-transfer agent fee. These payments will be made from the transfer agency fees noted above and in the Funds’ Prospectuses.

As compensation for the services rendered to the Trust by Goldman Sachs as transfer and dividend disbursing agent and the assumption by Goldman Sachs of the expenses related thereto, Goldman Sachs received fees for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 from each Fund as follows under the fee schedules then in effect:

 

     Fiscal year ended      Fiscal year ended      Fiscal year ended  

Fund

   December 31, 2019*      December 31, 2018*      December 31, 2017  

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

        

Class A Shares

   $ 138,615      $ 114,864      $ 61,583  

Class C Shares

     31,377        30,492        23,964  

Institutional Shares

     974,240        770,407        502,535  

Investor Shares

     539,426        311,840        95,066  

Class P Shares**

     57,118        28,193        —    

Class R Shares

     3,950        3,844        4,304  

Class R6 Shares

     2,148        1,472        453  

Commodity Strategy Fund

        

Class A Shares

     32,894        58,590        63,774  

Class C Shares

     3,311        4,126        4,076  

Institutional Shares

     79,763        132,477        120,189  

Investor Shares

     12,191        11,003        13,514  

Class P Shares**

     870        915        —    

Class R Shares

     3,018        3,583        4,397  

Class R6 Shares

     23,575        633        247  

Alternative Premia Fund

        

Class A Shares

     14,764        19,283        34,185  

Class C Shares

     11,168        21,426        32,640  

Institutional Shares

     5,541        10,084        118,429  

Investor Shares

     14,031        12,880        17,513  

Class P Shares**

     4        20        —    

Class R Shares

     166        23        22  

Class R6 Shares

     12,877        18,370        49  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

        

Class A Shares

     15,812        14,305        18,435  

Class C Shares

     5,646        6,351        6,366  

Institutional Shares

     29,795        47,984        46,290  

 

B-86


Investor Shares

     187,962        205,717        92,924  

Class P Shares**

     99        66        —    

Class R Shares

     1,004        1,047        809  

Class R6 Shares***

     15,481        8,955        —    

Real Estate Securities Fund

        

Class A Shares

     50,117        54,941        86,863  

Class C Shares

     5,716        14,498        25,791  

Institutional Shares

     12,472        45,262        113,781  

Service Shares

     686        811        1,033  

Investor Shares

     13,965        15,792        20,942  

Class P Shares**

     27,887        18,062        —    

Class R Shares

     3,102        4,239        6,385  

Class R6 Shares

     236        427        22  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

        

Class A Shares

     5,375        6,934        9,031  

Class C Shares

     328        1,066        1,813  

Institutional Shares

     2,958        21,694        73,256  

Investor Shares

     193        206        400  

Class P Shares**

     22,362        14,772        —    

Class R6 Shares

     21        132        4  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

        

Class A Shares

     770        2,246        1,258  

Class C Shares

     97        50        65  

Institutional Shares

     829        18,223        80,744  

Investor Shares

     56        51        51  

Class P Shares**

     12,544        3,247        —    

Class R Shares

     54        50        51  

Class R6 Shares

     63,429        80,963        6  

Global Infrastructure Fund

        

Class A Shares

     2,224.00        1,914        69  

Class C Shares

     3,906        1,846        102  

Institutional Shares

     380        11,131        47,438  

Investor Shares

     1,005        423        51  

Class P Shares*

     890        685        —    

Class R Shares

     54        49        50  

Class R6 Shares

     57,527        57,452        6  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

        

Class A Shares

     343,807        460,745        496,203  

Class C Shares

     248,804        305,525        305,158  

Institutional Shares

     483,132        740,743        949,836  

Investor Shares

     799,677        873,292        698,158  

Class P Shares**

     198,463        139,190        —    

Class R6 Shares***

     81,354        45,336        —    

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

        

Class A Shares

     4,426        6,138        8,728  

Class C Shares

     1,689        5,690        6,091  

Institutional Shares

     4,761        80,175        148,595  

Investor Shares

     17,731        11,705        8,292  

Class P Shares**

     44,890        30,972        —    

Class R6 Shares***

     40,002        22,050        —    

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

        

Class A Shares

     110,649        98,581        90,275  

Class C Shares

     28,343        37,129        41,466  

Institutional Shares

     15,830        291,100        483,877  

Service Shares

     528        315        269  

 

B-87


Investor Shares

     34,984        32,089        29,391  

Class P Shares**

     36,556        11,526        —    

Class R6 Shares***

     435,927        222,666        —    

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

        

Class A Shares

     14,965        19,565        10,725  

Class C Shares

     3,386        6,389        2,656  

Institutional Shares

     6,933        135,870        227,508  

Investor Shares

     30,208        27,774        16,612  

Class P Shares**

     19,752        10,018        —    

Class R6 Shares***

     181,724        90,679        —    

 

Prior to July 28, 2017, the fee for transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent services with respect to Class R6 Shares was 0.02%.

*

Prior to July 1, 2019, the fee for transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent services with respect to Class A, Class C, Investor and Class R Shares was 0.18%.

**

Class P shares of the Fund commenced operations on April 17, 2018.

***

Class R6 Shares of the Fund commenced operations on April 30, 2018.

The Trust’s distribution and transfer agency agreements each provide that Goldman Sachs may render similar services to others so long as the services Goldman Sachs provides thereunder are not impaired thereby. Such agreements also provide that the Trust will indemnify Goldman Sachs against certain liabilities.

Expenses

The Trust, on behalf of each Fund, is responsible for the payment of each Fund’s respective expenses. The expenses include, without limitation, the fees payable to the Investment Adviser, service fees and shareholder administration fees paid to Intermediaries, the fees and expenses of the Trust’s custodian and sub-custodians, transfer agent fees and expenses, pricing service fees and expenses, brokerage fees and commissions, filing fees for the registration or qualification of the Trust’s shares under federal or state securities laws, expenses of the organization of the Funds, fees and expenses incurred by the Trust in connection with membership in investment company organizations including, but not limited to, the Investment Company Institute, taxes, interest, costs of liability insurance, fidelity bonds or indemnification, any costs, expenses or losses arising out of any liability of, or claim for damages or other relief asserted against, the Trust for violation of any law, legal, tax and auditing fees and expenses (including the cost of legal and certain accounting services rendered by employees of Goldman Sachs or its affiliates with respect to the Trust), expenses of preparing and setting in type the Prospectuses, SAIs, proxy material, reports and notices and the printing and distributing of the same to the Trust’s shareholders and regulatory authorities, any expenses assumed by a Fund pursuant to its distribution and service plans, compensation and expenses of its Independent Trustees, the fees and expenses of pricing services, dividend expenses on short sales and extraordinary expenses, if any, incurred by the Trust. Except for fees and expenses under any service plan, shareholder administration plan or distribution and service plan applicable to a particular class and transfer agency fees and expenses, all Fund expenses are borne on a non-class specific basis.

Fees and expenses borne by the Funds relating to legal counsel, registering shares of a Fund, holding meetings and communicating with shareholders may include an allocable portion of the cost of maintaining an internal legal and compliance department. Each Fund may also bear an allocable portion of the Investment Adviser’s costs of performing certain accounting services not being provided by a Fund’s custodian.

The imposition of the Investment Adviser’s fees, as well as other operating expenses, will have the effect of reducing the total return to investors. From time to time, the Investment Adviser may waive receipt of its fees and/or assume certain expenses of a Fund, which would have the effect of lowering that Fund’s overall expense ratio and increasing total return to investors at the time such amounts are waived or assumed, as the case may be.

 

B-88


As of April 29, 2020, the Investment Adviser has agreed to reduce or limit certain “Other Expenses” of the Funds (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, transfer agency fees and expenses, service fees and shareholder administration fees (as applicable), taxes, dividend and interest expenses on short sales (as applicable), interest, brokerage fees, expenses of shareholder meetings, litigation and indemnification, and extraordinary expenses) to the following annual percentage rates of each Fund’s average daily net assets through at least April 29, 2021:

 

Fund

   Other Expenses  

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

     0.014

Commodity Strategy Fund

     0.074  

Alternative Premia Fund

     0.114  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

     0.254  

Real Estate Securities Fund

     0.004  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

     0.004  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

     0.004  

Global Infrastructure Fund

     0.054  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     0.014  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     0.044  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     0.044  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     0.014  

Such reductions or limits, if any, are calculated monthly on a cumulative basis during each Fund’s fiscal year. The Investment Adviser may not terminate the arrangements prior to April 29, 2021 without the approval of the Board of Trustees. The expense limitations may be modified or terminated by the Investment Adviser at its discretion and without shareholder approval after such date, although the Investment Adviser does not presently intend to do so. The Funds’ “Other Expenses” may be further reduced by any custody and transfer agency fee credits received by the Funds.

Reimbursement and Other Expense Reductions

For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the amounts of certain “Other Expenses” of each of the following Funds were reduced by the Investment Adviser in the following amounts under expense limitations that were then in effect:

 

Fund

   Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2019
     Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2018
     Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2017
 

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

   $ 968,869      $ 798,370      $ 479,374  

Commodity Strategy Fund

     364,556        197,645        181,487  

Alternative Premia Fund

     483,250        360,965        506,092  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

     —          33,753        96,262  

Real Estate Securities Fund

     450,647        331,164        345,543  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

     434,146        370,807        353,444  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

     443,199        334,241        239,494  

Global Infrastructure Fund

     255,935        240,704        362,456  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     692,150        587,574        438,023  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     346,628        170,841        —    

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     —          —          —    

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     588,424        513,314        245,120  

 

In addition, the Funds have entered into certain expense offset arrangements with the custodian resulting in a reduction of each Fund’s expenses. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, each Fund’s custody fees were reduced by the following approximate amounts under such arrangements:

 

Fund

   Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2019
     Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2018
     Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2017
 

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

   $ 315,089      $ 75,323      $ 34,232  

Commodity Strategy Fund

   $ 126,264        83,238        63,307  

Alternative Premia Fund

   $ 34,777        37,339        32,673  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

   $ 68,250        36,906        21,372  

Real Estate Securities Fund

   $ 3,399        1,489        4,270  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

   $ 2,980        1,045        1,942  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

     —          —          —    

Global Infrastructure Fund

     —          —          —    

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

   $ 14,367        11,068        42,107  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

   $ 559        634        3,442  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

   $ 71,600        17,657        16,415  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

   $ 12,506        5,271        5,705  

 

 

B-89


The Funds have also entered into certain expense offset arrangements with the Transfer Agent resulting in a reduction of each Fund’s expenses. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 there were no reductions in each Fund’s transfer agency fees.

Custodian and Sub-Custodians

JPMorgan Chase, 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017, is the custodian of the Funds’ portfolio securities and cash (except for the Global Infrastructure Fund). BNYM, 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286, is the custodian of the Global Infrastructure Fund’s portfolio securities and cash. JPMorgan Chase and BNYM also maintain the accounting records for the Funds for which they serve as custodian. JPMorgan Chase and BNYM may appoint domestic and foreign sub-custodians and use depositories from time to time to hold securities and other instruments purchased by the Trust in foreign countries and to hold cash and currencies for the Funds.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 101 Seaport Boulevard, Suite 500, Boston, Massachusetts, 02210, is the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm. In addition to audit services, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP provides assistance on certain non-audit matters.

Securities Lending

Pursuant to exemptive relief granted by the SEC, the Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, International Real Estate Securities Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund, U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund have each entered into an agreement to lend their securities through a securities lending agent, Goldman Sachs Bank USA doing business as Goldman Sachs Agency Lending (“GSAL”), to certain qualified borrowers, including Goldman Sachs and its affiliates (the “Securities Lending Agency Agreement”). As securities lending agent of the Funds, GSAL administers the Funds’ securities lending program. These services include arranging the securities loans with approved borrowers and collecting fees and rebates due to the Funds from each borrower. GSAL also collects and maintains collateral intended to secure the obligations of each borrower and marks to market daily the value of loaned securities. If a borrower defaults on a loan, GSAL is authorized to exercise contractual remedies on behalf of the lending Fund and, pursuant to the terms of the Securities Lending Agency Agreement, has agreed to indemnify the Fund for certain losses, which exclude losses associated with collateral reinvestment. GSAL may also, in its capacity as securities lending agent, invest cash received as collateral in pre-approved investments in accordance with the Securities Lending Agency Agreement. GSAL maintains records of loans made and income derived therefrom and makes available such records that the Funds deem necessary to monitor the securities lending program. GSAL will also monitor the Funds’ securities lending activities on a daily basis to ensure compliance with the terms of the exemptive relief.

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Funds earned income and incurred the following costs and expenses as a result of their securities lending activities:

 

     Absolute Return
Tracker
     Global Real Estate
Securities
     U.S. Equity
Dividend and
Premium
     International Equity
Dividend and
Premium
 

Gross Income from Securities Lending Activities1

   $ 389,170      $ 44,436      $ 66,015      $ 34,151  

Fees and/or Compensation for Securities Lending Activities and Related Services

           

Revenue Split2

   $ 11,370      $ 3,005      $ 3,527      $ 2,707  

Cash Collateral Management Fees3

   $ 28,430      $ 2,554      $ 4,890      $ 1,606  

Rebates to Borrowers

   $ 247,017      $ 11,829      $ 25,844      $ 5,474  

Aggregate Fees/Compensation for Securities Lending Activities

   $ 286,817      $ 17,387      $ 34,261      $ 9,787  

Net Income from the Securities Lending Activities

   $ 102,353      $ 27,048      $ 31,754      $ 24,365  

 

B-90


.    U.S. Tax-
Managed Equity
     International Tax-
Managed Equity
 

Gross Income from Securities Lending Activities1

   $ 24,199      $ 88,107  

Fees and/or Compensation for Securities Lending Activities and Related Services

     

Revenue Split2

   $ 893      $ 6,483  

Cash Collateral Management Fees3

   $ 2,110      $ 4,093  

Rebates to Borrowers

   $ 13,155      $ 19,183  

Aggregate Fees/Compensation for Securities Lending Activities

   $ 16,158      $ 29,759  

Net Income from the Securities Lending Activities

   $ 8,040      $ 58,348  

Amounts shown above may differ from amounts disclosed in a Fund’s Annual Report as a result of timing differences, reconciliations, and certain other adjustments.

 

1 

Gross income includes income from the reinvestment of cash collateral, premium income (i.e., rebates paid by the borrower to the lending Fund), loan fees paid by borrowers when collateral is noncash, management fees from a pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle that are deducted from the vehicle’s assets before income is distributed, and any other income.

2 

Revenue split represents the share of revenue generated by the securities lending program and paid to GSAL.

3 

Cash collateral management fees include the contractual management fees deducted from a pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle that are not included in the revenue split. The contractual management fees are derived from the pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle’s most recently available prospectus or offering memorandum. Actual fees incurred from a pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle may differ due to other expenses, fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

 

B-91


POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

General Categories of Conflicts Associated with the Funds

Goldman Sachs (which, for purposes of this “POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST” section, shall mean, collectively, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., the Investment Adviser and their affiliates, directors, partners, trustees, managers, members, officers and employees) is a worldwide, full-service investment banking, broker-dealer, asset management and financial services organization and a major participant in global financial markets. As such, it provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and individuals. Goldman Sachs acts as broker-dealer, investment adviser, investment banker, underwriter, research provider, administrator, financier, adviser, market maker, trader, prime broker, derivatives dealer, clearing agent, lender, counterparty, agent, principal, distributor, investor or in other commercial capacities for accounts or companies or affiliated or unaffiliated investment funds (including pooled investment vehicles and private funds). In those and other capacities, Goldman Sachs advises and deals with clients and third parties in all markets and transactions and purchases, sells, holds and recommends a broad array of investments, including securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps, indices, baskets and other financial instruments and products, for its own account and for the accounts of clients and of its personnel. In addition, Goldman Sachs has direct and indirect interests in the global fixed income, currency, commodity, equities, bank loan and other markets. In certain cases, the Investment Adviser causes the Funds to invest in products and strategies sponsored, managed or advised by Goldman Sachs or in which Goldman Sachs has an interest, either directly or indirectly, or otherwise restricts the Funds from making such investments, as further described herein. In this regard, Goldman Sachs’ activities and dealings with other clients and third parties may affect the Funds in ways that may disadvantage the Funds and/or benefit Goldman Sachs or other Accounts.

In addition, the Investment Adviser’s activities on behalf of certain other entities that are not investment advisory clients of the Investment Adviser create conflicts of interest between such entities, on the one hand, and Accounts (including the Funds), on the other hand, that are the same as or similar to the conflicts that arise between the Funds and other Accounts, as described herein. In managing conflicts of interest that arise as a result of the foregoing, the Investment Adviser generally will be subject to fiduciary requirements. For purposes of this “POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST” section, “Funds” shall mean, collectively, the Funds and any of the other Goldman Sachs Funds, and “Accounts” shall mean Goldman Sachs’ own accounts, accounts in which personnel of Goldman Sachs have an interest, accounts of Goldman Sachs’ clients, including separately managed accounts (or separate accounts), and investment vehicles that Goldman Sachs sponsors, manages or advises, including the Funds.

The conflicts herein do not purport to be a complete list or explanation of the conflicts associated with the financial or other interests the Investment Adviser or Goldman Sachs may have now or in the future. Additional information about potential conflicts of interest regarding the Investment Adviser and Goldman Sachs is set forth in the Investment Adviser’s Form ADV. A copy of Part 1 and Part 2A of the Investment Adviser’s Form ADV is available on the SEC’s website (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov).

The Sale of Fund Shares and the Allocation of Investment Opportunities

Sales Incentives and Related Conflicts Arising from Goldman Sachs’ Financial and Other Relationships with Intermediaries

Goldman Sachs and its personnel, including employees of the Investment Adviser, receive benefits and earn fees and compensation for services provided to Accounts (including the Funds) and in connection with the distribution of the Funds. Any such fees and compensation are generally paid directly or indirectly out of the fees payable to the Investment Adviser in connection with the management of such Accounts (including the Funds). Moreover, Goldman Sachs and its personnel, including employees of the Investment Adviser, have relationships (both involving and not involving the Funds, and including without limitation placement, brokerage, advisory and board relationships) with distributors, consultants and others who recommend, or engage in transactions with or for, the Funds. Such distributors, consultants and other parties may receive compensation from Goldman Sachs or the Funds in connection with such relationships. As a result of these relationships, distributors, consultants and other parties have conflicts that create incentives for them to promote the Funds.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Goldman Sachs and the Funds have in the past made, and may in the future make, payments to authorized dealers and other financial intermediaries and to salespersons to promote the Funds. These payments may be made out of Goldman Sachs’ assets or amounts payable to Goldman Sachs. These payments create an incentive for such persons to highlight, feature or recommend the Funds.

 

B-92


Allocation of Investment Opportunities Among the Funds and Other Accounts

The Investment Adviser manages or advises multiple Accounts (including Accounts in which Goldman Sachs and its personnel have an interest) that have investment objectives that are the same or similar to the Funds and that seek to make or sell investments in the same securities or other instruments, sectors or strategies as the Funds. This creates potential conflicts, particularly in circumstances where the availability or liquidity of such investment opportunities is limited (e.g., in local and emerging markets, high yield securities, fixed income securities, regulated industries, small capitalization, direct or indirect investments in private investment funds, investments in master limited partnerships in the oil and gas industry and initial public offerings/new issues).

Accounts (including the Funds) may invest in other Accounts (including the Funds) at or near the establishment of such Accounts, which may facilitate the Accounts achieving a specified size or scale.

The Investment Adviser does not receive performance-based compensation in respect of its investment management activities on behalf of the Funds, but may simultaneously manage Accounts for which the Investment Adviser receives greater fees or other compensation (including performance-based fees or allocations) than it receives in respect of the Funds. The simultaneous management of Accounts that pay greater fees or other compensation and the Funds creates a conflict of interest as the Investment Adviser has an incentive to favor Accounts with the potential to receive greater fees when allocating resources, services, functions or investment opportunities among Accounts. For instance, the Investment Adviser will be faced with a conflict of interest when allocating scarce investment opportunities given the possibly greater fees from Accounts that pay performance-based fees. To address these types of conflicts, the Investment Adviser has adopted policies and procedures under which it will allocate investment opportunities in a manner that it believes is consistent with its obligations and fiduciary duties as an investment adviser. However, the availability, amount, timing, structuring or terms of an investment available to the Funds differ from, and performance may be lower than, the investments and performance of other Accounts in certain cases.

To address these potential conflicts, the Investment Adviser has developed allocation policies and procedures that provide that the Investment Adviser’s personnel making portfolio decisions for Accounts will make investment decisions for, and allocate investment opportunities among, such Accounts consistent with the Investment Adviser’s fiduciary obligations. These policies and procedures may result in the pro rata allocation (on a basis determined by the Investment Adviser) of limited opportunities across eligible Accounts managed by a particular portfolio management team, but in other cases such allocation may not be pro rata.

Allocation-related decisions for the Funds and other Accounts are made by reference to one or more factors. Factors may include: the Account’s portfolio and its investment horizons and objectives (including with respect to portfolio construction), guidelines and restrictions (including legal and regulatory restrictions affecting certain Accounts or affecting holdings across Accounts); client instructions; strategic fit and other portfolio management considerations, including different desired levels of exposure to certain strategies; the expected future capacity of the Funds and the applicable Accounts; limits on the Investment Adviser’s brokerage discretion; cash and liquidity needs and other considerations; the availability (or lack thereof) of other appropriate or substantially similar investment opportunities; and differences in benchmark factors and hedging strategies among Accounts. Suitability considerations, reputational matters and other considerations may also be considered.

In a case in which one or more Accounts are intended to be the Investment Adviser’s primary investment vehicles focused on, or to receive priority with respect to, a particular trading strategy, other Accounts (including the Funds) may not have access to such strategy or may have more limited access than would otherwise be the case. To the extent that such Accounts are managed by areas of Goldman Sachs other than the Investment Adviser, such Accounts will not be subject to the Investment Adviser’s allocation policies. Investments by such Accounts may reduce or eliminate the availability of investment opportunities to, or otherwise adversely affect, the Fund. Furthermore, in cases in which one or more Accounts are intended to be the Investment Adviser’s primary investment vehicles focused on, or receive priority with respect to, a particular trading strategy or type of investment, such Accounts have specific policies or guidelines with respect to Accounts or other persons receiving the opportunity to invest alongside such Accounts with respect to one or more investments (“Co-Investment Opportunities”). As a result, certain Accounts or other persons will receive allocations to, or rights to invest in, Co-Investment Opportunities that are not available generally to the Funds.

In addition, in some cases the Investment Adviser makes investment recommendations to Accounts that make investment decisions independently of the Investment Adviser. In circumstances in which there is limited availability of an investment opportunity, if such Accounts invest in the investment opportunity at the same time as, or prior to, a Fund, the availability of the investment opportunity for the Fund will be reduced irrespective of the Investment Adviser’s policies regarding allocations of investments.

The Investment Adviser, from time to time, develops and implements new trading strategies or seeks to participate in new trading strategies and investment opportunities. These strategies and opportunities are not employed in all Accounts or employed pro rata among Accounts where they are used, even if the strategy or opportunity is consistent with the objectives of such Accounts. Further, a trading strategy employed for a Fund that is similar to, or the same as, that of another Account may be implemented differently, sometimes to a material extent. For example, a Fund may invest in different securities or other assets, or invest in the same securities and other assets but in different proportions, than another Account with the same

 

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or similar trading strategy. The implementation of the Fund’s trading strategy depends on a variety of factors, including the portfolio managers involved in managing the trading strategy for the Account, the time difference associated with the location of different portfolio management teams, and the factors described above and in Item 6 (“PERFORMANCE-BASED FEES AND SIDE-BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT—Side-by-Side Management of Advisory Accounts; Allocation of Opportunities”) of the Investment Adviser’s Form ADV.

During periods of unusual market conditions, the Investment Adviser may deviate from its normal trade allocation practices. For example, this may occur with respect to the management of unlevered and/or long-only Accounts that are typically managed on a side-by-side basis with levered and/or long-short Accounts.

The Investment Adviser and the Funds may receive notice of, or offers to participate in, investment opportunities from third parties for various reasons. The Investment Adviser in its sole discretion will determine whether a Fund will participate in any such investment opportunities and investors should not expect that the Fund will participate in any such investment opportunities unless the opportunities are received pursuant to contractual requirements, such as preemptive rights or rights offerings, under the terms of the Fund’s investments. Some or all Funds may, from time to time, be offered investment opportunities that are made available through Goldman Sachs businesses outside of the Investment Adviser, including, for example, interests in real estate and other private investments. In this regard, a conflict of interest exists to the extent that Goldman Sachs controls or otherwise influences the terms and pricing of such investments and/or retains other benefits in connection therewith. However, Goldman Sachs businesses outside of the Investment Adviser are under no obligation or other duty to provide investment opportunities to the Funds, and generally are not expected to do so. Further, opportunities sourced within particular portfolio management teams within the Investment Adviser may not be allocated to Accounts (including the Funds) managed by such teams or by other teams. Opportunities not allocated (or not fully allocated) to the Funds or other Accounts managed by the Investment Adviser may be undertaken by Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser), including for Goldman Sachs Accounts, or made available to other Accounts or third parties, and the Funds will not receive any compensation related to such opportunities. Additional information about the Investment Adviser’s allocation policies is set forth in Item 6 (“PERFORMANCE-BASED FEES AND SIDE-BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT—Side-by-Side Management of Advisory Accounts; Allocation of Opportunities”) of the Investment Adviser’s Form ADV.

As a result of the various considerations above, there will be cases in which certain Accounts (including Accounts in which Goldman Sachs and personnel of Goldman Sachs have an interest) receive an allocation of an investment opportunity at times that the Funds do not, or when the Funds receive an allocation of such opportunities but on different terms than other Accounts (which may be less favorable). The application of these considerations may cause differences in the performance of different Accounts that employ strategies the same or similar to those of the Funds.

Multiple Accounts (including the Funds) may participate in a particular investment or incur expenses applicable in connection with the operation or management of the Accounts, or otherwise may be subject to costs or expenses that are allocable to more than one Account (which may include, without limitation, research expenses, technology expenses, expenses relating to participation in bondholder groups, restructurings, class actions and other litigation, and insurance premiums). The Investment Adviser may allocate investment-related and other expenses on a pro rata or different basis. Certain Accounts are, by their terms or by determination of the Investment Adviser, on a case-by-case basis, not responsible for their share of such expenses, and, in addition, the Investment Adviser has agreed with certain Accounts to cap the amount of expenses (or the amount of certain types of expenses) borne by such Accounts, which results in such Accounts not bearing the full share of expenses they would otherwise have borne as described above. As a result, certain Accounts are responsible for bearing a different or greater amount of expenses, while other Accounts do not bear any, or do not bear their full share, of such expenses. The Investment Adviser may bear any such expenses on behalf of certain Accounts and not for others, as it determines in its sole discretion.

Accounts will generally incur expenses with respect to the consideration and pursuit of transactions that are not ultimately consummated (“broken-deal expenses”). Examples of broken-deal expenses include (i) research costs, (ii) fees and expenses of legal, financial, accounting, consulting or other advisers (including the Investment Adviser or its affiliates) in connection with conducting due diligence or otherwise pursuing a particular non-consummated transaction, (iii) fees and expenses in connection with arranging financing for a particular non-consummated transaction, (iv) travel, entertainment and overtime meal and transportation costs, (v) deposits or down payments that are forfeited in connection with, or amounts paid as a penalty for, a particular non-consummated transaction and (vi) other expenses incurred in connection with activities related to a particular non-consummated transaction.

The Investment Adviser has adopted a policy relating to the allocation of broken-deal expenses among Accounts (including the Funds) and other potential investors. Pursuant to the policy, broken-deal expenses generally will be allocated among Accounts in the manner that the Investment Adviser determines to be fair and equitable, which will be pro rata or on a different basis.

 

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Goldman Sachs’ Financial and Other Interests May Incentivize Goldman Sachs to Promote the Sale of Fund Shares

Goldman Sachs and its personnel have interests in promoting sales of Fund shares, and the compensation from such sales may be greater than the compensation relating to sales of interests in other Accounts. Therefore, Goldman Sachs and its personnel may have a financial interest in promoting Fund shares over interests in other Accounts.

Management of the Funds by the Investment Adviser

Considerations Relating to Information Held by Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs has established certain information barriers and other policies to address the sharing of information between different businesses within Goldman Sachs. As a result of information barriers, the Investment Adviser generally will not have access, or will have limited access, to certain information and personnel in other areas of Goldman Sachs relating to business transactions for clients (including transactions in investing, banking, prime brokerage and certain other areas), and generally will not manage the Funds with the benefit of information held by such other areas. Goldman Sachs, due to its access to and knowledge of funds, markets and securities based on its prime brokerage and other businesses, may make decisions based on information or take (or refrain from taking) actions with respect to interests in investments of the kind held (directly or indirectly) by the Funds in a manner that may be adverse to the Funds, and will not have any obligation or other duty to share information with the Investment Adviser.

In limited circumstances, however, including for purposes of managing business and reputational risk, and subject to policies and procedures, personnel on one side of an information barrier may have access to information and personnel on the other side of the information barrier through “wall crossings.” The Investment Adviser faces conflicts of interest in determining whether to engage in such wall crossings. Information obtained in connection with such wall crossings may limit or restrict the ability of the Investment Adviser to engage in or otherwise effect transactions on behalf of the Funds (including purchasing or selling securities that the Investment Adviser may otherwise have purchased or sold for an Account in the absence of a wall crossing). In managing conflicts of interest that arise as a result of the foregoing, the Investment Adviser generally will be subject to fiduciary requirements. Information barriers also exist between certain businesses within the Investment Adviser, and the conflicts described herein with respect to information barriers and otherwise with respect to Goldman Sachs and the Investment Adviser will also apply to the businesses within the Investment Adviser. There may also be circumstances in which, as a result of information held by certain portfolio management teams in the Investment Adviser, the Investment Adviser limits an activity or transaction for a Fund, including if the Fund is managed by a portfolio management team other than the team holding such information.

In addition, regardless of the existence of information barriers, Goldman Sachs will not have any obligation or other duty to make available for the benefit of the Funds any information regarding Goldman Sachs’ trading activities, strategies or views, or the activities, strategies or views used for other Accounts. Furthermore, to the extent that the Investment Adviser has access to fundamental analysis and proprietary technical models or other information developed by Goldman Sachs and its personnel, or other parts of the Investment Adviser, the Investment Adviser will not be under any obligation or other duty to effect transactions on behalf of Accounts (including the Funds) in accordance with such analysis and models. In the event Goldman Sachs elects not to share certain information with the Investment Adviser or personnel involved in decision-making for Accounts (including the Funds), the Funds may make investment decisions that differ from those they would have made if Goldman Sachs had provided such information, which may be disadvantageous to the Funds.

Different areas of the Investment Adviser and Goldman Sachs take views, and make decisions or recommendations, that are different than other areas of the Investment Adviser and Goldman Sachs. Different portfolio management teams within the Investment Adviser make decisions based on information or take (or refrain from taking) actions with respect to Accounts they advise in a manner different than or adverse to the Funds. Such teams may not share information with the Funds’ portfolio management teams, including as a result of certain information barriers and other policies, and will not have any obligation or other duty to do so.

Goldman Sachs operates a business known as Goldman Sachs Securities Services (“GSS”), which provides prime brokerage, administrative and other services to clients which may involve investment funds (including pooled investment vehicles and private funds) in which one or more Accounts invest (“Underlying Funds”) or markets and securities in which Accounts invest. GSS and other parts of Goldman Sachs have broad access to information regarding the current status of certain markets, investments and funds and detailed information about fund operators that is not available to the Investment Adviser. In addition, Goldman Sachs may act as a prime broker to one or more Underlying Funds, in which case Goldman Sachs will have information concerning the investments and transactions of such Underlying Funds that is not available to the Investment Adviser. As a result of these and other activities, parts of Goldman Sachs may be in possession of information in respect of markets, investments, investment advisers that are affiliated or unaffiliated with Goldman Sachs and Underlying Funds, which, if known to the Investment Adviser, might cause the Investment Adviser to seek to dispose of, retain or increase interests in investments held by Accounts or acquire certain positions on behalf of Accounts, or take other actions. Goldman Sachs will be under no obligation or other duty to make any such information available to the Investment Adviser or personnel involved in decision-making for Accounts (including the Funds).

 

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Valuation of the Funds’ Investments

The Investment Adviser, while not the primary valuation agent of the Funds, performs certain valuation services related to securities and assets held in the Funds. The Investment Adviser performs such valuation services in accordance with its valuation policies. The Investment Adviser may value an identical asset differently than another division or unit within Goldman Sachs values the asset, including because such other division or unit has information or uses valuation techniques and models that it does not share with, or that are different than those of, the Investment Adviser. This is particularly the case in respect of difficult-to-value assets. The Investment Adviser may also value an identical asset differently in different Accounts, including because different Accounts are subject to different valuation guidelines pursuant to their respective governing agreements (e.g., in connection with certain regulatory restrictions applicable to different Accounts). Differences in valuation may also exist because different third-party vendors are hired to perform valuation functions for the Accounts, the Accounts are managed or advised by different portfolio management teams within the Investment Adviser that employ different valuation policies or procedures, or otherwise. The Investment Adviser will face a conflict with respect to valuations generally because of their effect on the Investment Adviser’s fees and other compensation. Furthermore, the application of particular valuation policies with respect to the Funds will, under certain circumstances, result in improved performance of the Funds.

Goldman Sachs’ and the Investment Adviser’s Activities on Behalf of Other Accounts

The Investment Adviser provides advisory services to the Funds. Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser), the clients it advises, and its personnel have interests in and advise Accounts that have investment objectives or portfolios similar to, related to or opposed to those of the Funds. Goldman Sachs may receive greater fees or other compensation (including performance-based fees) from such Accounts than it does from the Funds, in which case Goldman Sachs is incentivized to favor such Accounts. In addition, Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser), the clients it advises, and its personnel may engage (or consider engaging) in commercial arrangements or transactions with Accounts, and/or may compete for commercial arrangements or transactions in the same types of companies, assets securities and other instruments, as the Funds. Such arrangements, transactions or investments may adversely affect such Funds by, for example, limiting their ability to engage in such activity or affecting the pricing or terms of such arrangements, transactions or investments. Moreover, a particular Fund on the one hand, and Goldman Sachs or other Accounts, on the other hand, may vote differently on or take or refrain from taking different actions with respect to the same security, which may be disadvantageous to the Fund. Additionally, as described below, the Investment Adviser faces conflicts of interest arising out of Goldman Sachs’ relationships and business dealings in connection with decisions to take or refrain from taking certain actions on behalf of Accounts when doing so would be adverse to Goldman Sachs’ relationships or other business dealings with such parties.

Transactions by, advice to and activities of Accounts (including with respect to investment decisions, voting and the enforcement of rights) may involve the same or related companies, securities or other assets or instruments as those in which the Funds invest, and such Accounts may engage in a strategy while a Fund is undertaking the same or a differing strategy, any of which could directly or indirectly disadvantage the Fund (including its ability to engage in a transaction or other activities).

For example, Goldman Sachs may be engaged to provide advice to an Account that is considering entering into a transaction with a Fund, and Goldman Sachs may advise the Account not to pursue the transaction with the Fund, or otherwise in connection with a potential transaction provide advice to the Account that would be adverse to the Fund. Additionally, a Fund may buy a security and an Account may establish a short position in that same security or in similar securities. This short position may result in the impairment of the price of the security that the Fund holds or may be designed to profit from a decline in the price of the security. A Fund could similarly be adversely impacted if it establishes a short position, following which an Account takes a long position in the same security or in similar securities. In addition, Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) may make filings in connection with a shareholder class action lawsuit or similar matter involving a particular security on behalf of an Account (including a Fund), but not on behalf of a different Account (including a Fund) that holds or held the same security, or that is invested in or has extended credit to different parts of the capital structure of the same issuer. Accounts may also have different rights in respect of an investment with the same issuer, or invest in different classes of the same issuer that have different rights, including, without limitation, with respect to liquidity. The determination to exercise such rights by the Investment Adviser on behalf of such other Accounts may have an adverse effect on the Funds.

The Funds are expected to transact with a variety of counterparties. Some of these counterparties will also engage in transactions with other Accounts managed by the Investment Adviser or another Goldman Sachs entity. For example, a Fund may directly or indirectly purchase assets from a counterparty at the same time the counterparty (or an affiliate thereof) is also negotiating to purchase different assets from another Account. This creates potential conflicts of interest, particularly with respect to the terms and purchase prices of the sales. For example, Goldman Sachs may receive fees or other compensation in connection with the sale of assets by an Account, which creates an incentive to negotiate a higher purchase price for those assets in a transaction where the Fund is a purchaser. To address these potential conflicts the Investment Adviser implements in such situations policies and procedures to ensure that any transaction is consistent with the Investment Adviser’s fiduciary obligations.

 

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Shareholders may be offered access to advisory services through several different Goldman Sachs businesses (including through Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and the Investment Adviser). Different advisory businesses within Goldman Sachs manage Accounts according to different strategies and may also apply different criteria to the same or similar strategies and may have differing investment views in respect of an issuer or a security or other investment. Similarly, within the Investment Adviser, certain investment teams or portfolio managers may have differing or opposite investment views in respect of an issuer or a security, and the positions a Fund’s investment team or portfolio managers take in respect of the Fund may be inconsistent with, or adversely affected by, the interests and activities of the Accounts advised by other investment teams or portfolio managers of the Investment Adviser. Research, analyses or viewpoints may be available to clients or potential clients at different times. Goldman Sachs will not have any obligation or other duty to make available to the Funds any research or analysis at any particular time or prior to its public dissemination. The Investment Adviser is responsible for making investment decisions on behalf of the Funds, and such investment decisions can differ from investment decisions or recommendations by Goldman Sachs on behalf of other Accounts. The timing of transactions entered into or recommended by Goldman Sachs, on behalf of itself or its clients, including the Funds, may negatively impact the Funds or benefit certain other Accounts. For example, if Goldman Sachs, on behalf of one or more Accounts, implements an investment decision or strategy ahead of, or contemporaneously with, or behind similar investment decisions or strategies made for the Funds (whether or not the investment decisions emanate from the same research analysis or other information), it could result, due to market impact or other factors, in liquidity constraints or in certain Funds receiving less favorable investment or trading results or incurring increased costs. Similarly, Goldman Sachs may implement an investment decision or strategy that results in a purchase (or sale) of a security for one Fund that may increase the value of such security already held by another Account (or decrease the value of such security that such other Account intends to purchase), thereby benefitting such other Account.

Subject to applicable law, the Investment Adviser may cause the Funds to invest in securities, bank loans or other obligations of companies affiliated with or advised by Goldman Sachs or in which Goldman Sachs or Accounts have an equity, debt or other interest, or to engage in investment transactions that may result in other Accounts being relieved of obligations or otherwise divested of investments, which may enhance the profitability of Goldman Sachs’ or other Accounts’ investment in and activities with respect to such companies. The Investment Adviser, in its discretion and in certain circumstances, recommends that certain Funds have ongoing business dealings, arrangements or agreements with persons who are (i) former employees of Goldman Sachs, (ii) affiliates or other portfolio companies of Goldman Sachs or other Accounts, (iii) Goldman Sachs’ employees’ family members and/or relatives and/or certain of their portfolio companies or (iv) persons otherwise associated with an investor in an Account or a portfolio company or service provider of Goldman Sachs or an Account. The Funds may bear, directly or indirectly, the costs of such dealings, arrangements or agreements. These recommendations, and recommendations relating to continuing any such dealings, arrangements or agreements, pose conflicts of interest and may be based on differing incentives due to Goldman Sachs’ relationships with such persons. In particular, when acting on behalf of, and making decisions for, Accounts, the Investment Adviser may take into account Goldman Sachs’ interests in maintaining its relationships and business dealings with such persons. As a result, the Investment Adviser faces conflicts of interest arising out of Goldman Sachs’ relationships and business dealings in connection with decisions to take or refrain from taking certain actions on behalf of Accounts when doing so would be adverse to Goldman Sachs’ relationships or other business dealings with such parties.

When the Investment Adviser wishes to place an order for different types of Accounts (including the Funds) for which aggregation is not practicable, the Investment Adviser may use a trade sequencing and rotation policy to determine which type of Account is to be traded first. Under this policy, each portfolio management team may determine the length of its trade rotation period and the sequencing schedule for different categories of clients within this period provided that the trading periods and these sequencing schedules are designed to be reasonable. Within a given trading period, the sequencing schedule establishes when and how frequently a given client category will trade first in the order of rotation. The Investment Adviser may deviate from the predetermined sequencing schedule under certain circumstances, and the Investment Adviser’s trade sequencing and rotation policy may be amended, modified or supplemented at any time without prior notice to clients.

Potential Conflicts Relating to Follow-On Investments

From time to time, the Investment Adviser provides opportunities to Accounts (including potentially the Funds) to make investments in companies in which certain Accounts have already invested. Such follow-on investments can create conflicts of interest, such as the determination of the terms of the new investment and the allocation of such opportunities among Accounts (including the Funds). Follow-on investment opportunities may be available to the Funds notwithstanding that the Funds have no existing investment in the issuer, resulting in the assets of the Funds potentially providing value to, or otherwise supporting the investments of, other Accounts. Accounts (including the Funds) may also participate in releveraging, recapitalization, and similar transactions involving companies in which other Accounts have invested or will invest. Conflicts of interest in these and other transactions arise between Accounts (including the Funds) with existing investments in a company and Accounts making subsequent investments in the company, which may have opposing interests regarding pricing and other terms. The subsequent investments may dilute or otherwise adversely affect the interests of the previously-invested Accounts (including the Funds).

Diverse Interests of Shareholders

The various types of investors in and beneficiaries of the Funds, including to the extent applicable the Investment Adviser and its affiliates, may have conflicting investment, tax and other interests with respect to their interests in the Funds. When considering a potential investment for a Fund, the Investment Adviser will generally consider the investment objectives

 

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of the Fund, not the investment objectives of any particular investor or beneficiary. The Investment Adviser makes decisions, including with respect to tax matters, from time to time that may be more beneficial to one type of investor or beneficiary than another, or to the Investment Adviser and its affiliates than to investors or beneficiaries unaffiliated with the Investment Adviser. In addition, Goldman Sachs faces certain tax risks based on positions taken by the Funds, including as a withholding agent. Goldman Sachs reserves the right on behalf of itself and its affiliates to take actions adverse to the Funds or other Accounts in these circumstances, including withholding amounts to cover actual or potential tax liabilities.

Selection of Service Providers

The Funds expect to engage service providers (including attorneys and consultants) that in certain cases also provide services to Goldman Sachs and other Accounts. In addition, certain service providers to the Investment Adviser or Funds are also portfolio companies or other affiliates of the Investment Adviser or other Accounts (for example, a portfolio company of an Account may retain a portfolio company of another Account). To the extent it is involved in such selection, the Investment Adviser intends to select these service providers based on a number of factors, including expertise and experience, knowledge of related or similar products, quality of service, reputation in the marketplace, relationships with the Investment Adviser, Goldman Sachs or others, and price. These service providers may have business, financial, or other relationships with Goldman Sachs (including its personnel), which may influence the Investment Adviser’s selection of these service providers for the Funds. In such circumstances, there is a conflict of interest between Goldman Sachs (acting on behalf of the Funds) and the Funds or between Funds if the Funds determine not to engage or continue to engage these service providers.

The Investment Adviser may, in its sole discretion, determine to provide, or engage or recommend an affiliate of the Investment Adviser to provide, certain services to the Funds, instead of engaging or recommending one or more third parties to provide such services. Subject to the governance requirements of a particular Fund and applicable law, the Investment Adviser or its affiliates, as applicable, will receive compensation in connection with the provision of such services. As a result, the Investment Adviser faces a conflict of interest when selecting or recommending service providers for the Funds. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the selection or recommendation of service providers for the Funds will be conducted in accordance with the Investment Adviser’s fiduciary obligations to the Funds. The service providers selected or recommended by the Investment Adviser may charge different rates to different recipients based on the specific services provided, the personnel providing the services, the complexity of the services provided or other factors. As a result, the rates paid with respect to these service providers by a Fund, on the one hand, may be more or less favorable than the rates paid by Goldman Sachs, including the Investment Adviser, on the other hand. In addition, the rates paid by the Investment Adviser or the Funds, on the one hand, may be more or less favorable than the rates paid by other parts of Goldman Sachs or Accounts managed by other parts of Goldman Sachs, on the other hand. Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser), its personnel, and/or Accounts may hold investments in companies that provide services to entities in which the Funds invest generally, and, subject to applicable law, the Investment Adviser may refer or introduce such companies’ services to entities that have issued securities held by the Funds.

Investments in Goldman Sachs Funds

To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Funds will, from time to time invest in money market and/or other funds sponsored, managed or advised by Goldman Sachs. In connection with any such investments, a Fund, to the extent permitted by the Act, will pay all advisory, administrative or Rule 12b-1 fees applicable to the investment. To the extent consistent with applicable law, certain Funds that invest in other funds sponsored, managed or advised by Goldman Sachs pay advisory fees to the Investment Adviser that are not reduced by any fees payable by such other funds to Goldman Sachs as manager of such other funds (i.e., there will be “double fees” involved in making any such investment, which would not arise in connection with the direct allocation of assets by investors in the Funds to such other funds). In such circumstances, as well as in all other circumstances in which Goldman Sachs receives any fees or other compensation in any form relating to the provision of services, no accounting or repayment to the Funds will be required.

Goldman Sachs May In-Source or Outsource

Subject to applicable law, Goldman Sachs, including the Investment Adviser, may from time to time and without notice to investors in-source or outsource certain processes or functions in connection with a variety of services that it provides to the Funds in its administrative or other capacities. Such in-sourcing or outsourcing may give rise to additional conflicts of interest.

Distributions of Assets Other Than Cash

With respect to redemptions from the Funds, the Funds will, in certain circumstances, have discretion to decide whether to permit or limit redemptions and whether to make distributions in connection with redemptions in the form of securities or other assets, and in such case, the composition of such distributions. In making such decisions, the Investment Adviser will sometimes have a potentially conflicting division of loyalties and responsibilities to redeeming investors and remaining investors.

 

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Goldman Sachs Will Act in a Capacity Other Than Investment Adviser to the Funds

Investments in and Advice Regarding Different Parts of an Issuer’s Capital Structure

In some cases, Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) or Accounts, on the one hand, and the Funds, on the other hand, invest in or extend credit to different parts of the capital structure of a single issuer. As a result, Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) or Accounts may take actions that adversely affect the Funds. In addition, in some cases, Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) advises Accounts with respect to different parts of the capital structure of the same issuer, or classes of securities that are subordinate or senior to securities, in which the Funds invest. Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) may pursue rights, provide advice or engage in other activities, or refrain from pursuing rights, providing advice or engaging in other activities, on behalf of itself or other Accounts with respect to an issuer in which the Funds have invested, and such actions (or refraining from action) may have a material adverse effect on the Funds.

For example, in the event that Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) or an Account holds loans, securities or other positions in the capital structure of an issuer that ranks senior in preference to the holdings of a Fund in the same issuer, and the issuer experiences financial or operational challenges, Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser), acting on behalf of itself or the Account, may seek a liquidation, reorganization or restructuring of the issuer, or terms in connection with the foregoing, that may have an adverse effect on or otherwise conflict with the interests of the Fund’s holdings in the issuer. In connection with any such liquidation, reorganization or restructuring, the Fund’s holdings in the issuer may be extinguished or substantially diluted, while Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) or another Account may receive a recovery of some or all of the amounts due to them. In addition, in connection with any lending arrangements involving the issuer in which Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) or an Account participates, Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) or the Account may seek to exercise its rights under the applicable loan agreement or other document, which may be detrimental to the Fund. In situations in which Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) holds positions in multiple parts of the capital structure of an issuer across Accounts (including the Funds), the Investment Adviser may not pursue actions or remedies that may be available to the Fund, as a result of legal and regulatory requirements or otherwise.

These potential issues are examples of conflicts that Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) will face in situations in which the Funds, and Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) or other Accounts, invest in or extend credit to different parts of the capital structure of a single issuer. Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) addresses these issues based on the circumstances of particular situations. For example, Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) may determine to rely on information barriers between different Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) business units or portfolio management teams. Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) may determine to rely on the actions of similarly situated holders of loans or securities rather than, or in connection with, taking such actions itself on behalf of the Funds.

As a result of the various conflicts and related issues described above and the fact that conflicts will not necessarily be resolved in favor of the interests of the Funds, the Funds could sustain losses during periods in which Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) and other Accounts (including Accounts sponsored, managed or advised by the Investment Adviser) achieve profits generally or with respect to particular holdings in the same issuer, or could achieve lower profits or higher losses than would have been the case had the conflicts described above not existed. The negative effects described above may be more pronounced in connection with transactions in, or the Funds’ use of, small capitalization, emerging market, distressed or less liquid strategies.

Principal and Cross Transactions

When permitted by applicable law and the Investment Adviser’s policies, the Investment Adviser, acting on behalf of certain Funds (for example, those employing taxable fixed income, municipal bond fixed income and structured investment strategies), may enter into transactions in securities and other instruments with or through Goldman Sachs or in Accounts managed by the Investment Adviser or its affiliates, and may (but is under no obligation or other duty to) cause the Funds to engage in transactions in which the Investment Adviser acts as principal on its own behalf (principal transactions), advises both sides of a transaction (cross transactions) and acts as broker for, and receives a commission from, the Funds on one side of a transaction and a brokerage account on the other side of the transaction (agency cross transactions). There are potential conflicts of interest, regulatory issues or restrictions contained in the Investment Adviser’s internal policies relating to these transactions which could limit the Investment Adviser’s determination to engage in these transactions for Accounts (including the Funds). In certain circumstances such as when Goldman Sachs is the only or one of a few participants in a particular market or is one of the largest such participants, such limitations may eliminate or reduce the availability of certain investment opportunities to Accounts (including the Funds) or impact the price or terms on which transactions relating to such investment opportunities may be effected.

Goldman Sachs will have a potentially conflicting division of loyalties and responsibilities to the parties in such transactions. The Investment Adviser has developed policies and procedures in relation to such transactions and conflicts. Cross transactions may disproportionately benefit some Accounts relative to other Accounts, including the Funds, due to the relative amount of market savings obtained by the Accounts, and cross transactions may be effected at different prices for different Accounts due to differing legal and/or regulatory requirements applicable to such Accounts. Principal, cross or agency cross transactions will be effected in accordance with fiduciary requirements and applicable law (which may include disclosure and consent).

 

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Goldman Sachs Acting in Multiple Commercial Capacities

To the extent permitted by applicable law, an issuer in which a Fund has an interest may hire Goldman Sachs to provide underwriting, merger advisory, other financial advisory, placement agency, foreign currency hedging, research, asset management services, brokerage services or other services to the issuer. Furthermore, Goldman Sachs may sponsor, manage, advise or provide services to affiliated Underlying Funds (or their personnel) in which the Funds invest. Goldman Sachs may be entitled to compensation in connection with the provision of such services, and the Funds will not be entitled to any such compensation. Goldman Sachs will have an interest in obtaining fees and other compensation in connection with such services that are favorable to Goldman Sachs, and in connection with providing such services takes commercial steps in its own interest, or advises the parties to which it is providing services, or takes other actions. Such actions may benefit Goldman Sachs. For example, Goldman Sachs may require repayment of all or part of a loan from a company in which an Account (including a Fund) holds an interest, which could cause the company to default or be required to liquidate its assets more rapidly, which could adversely affect the value of the company and the value of the Funds invested therein. Goldman Sachs may also advise such a company to make changes to its capital structure the result of which would be a reduction in the value or priority of a security held (directly or indirectly) by one or more Funds. In addition, underwriters, placement agents or managers of initial public offerings, including Goldman Sachs, may require the Funds who hold privately placed securities of a company to execute a lock-up agreement prior to such company’s initial public offering restricting the resale of the securities for a period of time before and following the IPO. As a result, the Investment Adviser may be restricted from selling the securities in such Funds at a more favorable price. Actions taken or advised to be taken by Goldman Sachs in connection with other types of transactions may also result in adverse consequences for the Funds. Goldman Sachs faces conflicts of interest in providing and selecting services for the Funds because Goldman Sachs provides many services and has many commercial relationships with companies and affiliated and unaffiliated Underlying Funds (or their applicable personnel). Providing services to the Funds and companies (or their personnel) in which the Funds invest enhances Goldman Sachs’ relationships with various parties, facilitates additional business development and enables Goldman Sachs to obtain additional business and/or generate additional revenue. The Funds will not be entitled to compensation related to any such benefit to businesses of Goldman Sachs. In addition, such relationships may adversely impact the Funds, including, for example, by restricting potential investment opportunities, as described below, incentivizing the Investment Adviser to take or refrain from taking certain actions on behalf of the Funds when doing so would be adverse to such business relationships, and/or influencing the Investment Adviser’s selection or recommendation of certain investment products and/or strategies over others.

Goldman Sachs’ activities on behalf of its clients may also restrict investment opportunities generally that may be available to the Funds. For example, Goldman Sachs is often engaged by companies as a financial advisor, or to provide financing or other services, in connection with commercial transactions that may be potential investment opportunities for the Funds. There may be circumstances in which the Funds are precluded from participating in such transactions as a result of Goldman Sachs’ engagement by such companies. Goldman Sachs reserves the right to act for these companies in such circumstances, notwithstanding the potential adverse effect on the Funds. Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) also represents creditor or debtor companies in proceedings under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (and equivalent non-U.S. bankruptcy laws) or prior to these filings. From time to time, Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) serves on creditor or equity committees. These actions, for which Goldman Sachs may be compensated, may limit or preclude the flexibility that the Funds may otherwise have to buy or sell securities issued by those companies, as well as certain other assets. Please also see “—Management of the Funds by the Investment Adviser—Considerations Relating to Information Held by Goldman Sachs” above and “—Potential Limitations and Restrictions on Investment Opportunities and Activities of Goldman Sachs and the Funds” below.

Subject to applicable law, the Investment Adviser may cause the Funds to invest in securities, bank loans or other obligations of companies affiliated with or advised by Goldman Sachs or in which Goldman Sachs or Accounts have an equity, debt or other interest, or to engage in investment transactions that may result in Goldman Sachs or other Accounts being relieved of obligations or otherwise divested of investments. For example, subject to applicable law a Fund may acquire securities or indebtedness of a company affiliated with Goldman Sachs directly or indirectly through syndicate or secondary market purchases, or may make a loan to, or purchase securities from, a company that uses the proceeds to repay loans made by Goldman Sachs. These activities by a Fund may enhance the profitability of Goldman Sachs or other Accounts with respect to their investment in and activities relating to such companies. The Fund will not be entitled to compensation as a result of this enhanced profitability.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) creates, writes, sells, issues, invests in or acts as placement agent or distributor of derivative instruments related to the Funds, or with respect to underlying securities or assets of the Funds, or which may be otherwise based on or seek to replicate or hedge the performance of the Funds. Such derivative transactions, and any associated hedging activity, may differ from and be adverse to the interests of the Funds.

 

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Goldman Sachs may make loans to, or enter into margin, asset-based or other credit facilities or similar transactions with, clients, companies or individuals that may (or may not) be secured by publicly or privately held securities or other assets, including a client’s Fund shares as described above. Some of these borrowers are public or private companies, or founders, officers or shareholders in companies in which the Funds (directly or indirectly) invest, and such loans may be secured by securities of such companies, which may be the same as, pari passu with, or more senior or junior to, interests held (directly or indirectly) by the Funds. In connection with its rights as lender, Goldman Sachs may act to protect its own commercial interest and may take actions that adversely affect the borrower, including by liquidating or causing the liquidation of securities on behalf of a borrower or foreclosing and liquidating such securities in Goldman Sachs’ own name. Such actions may adversely affect the Funds (e.g., if a large position in a security is liquidated, among the other potential adverse consequences, the value of such security may decline rapidly and the Funds may in turn decline in value or may be unable to liquidate their positions in such security at an advantageous price or at all). In addition, Goldman Sachs may make loans to shareholders or enter into similar transactions that are secured by a pledge of, or mortgage over, a shareholder’s Fund shares, which would provide Goldman Sachs with the right to redeem such Fund shares in the event that such shareholder defaults on its obligations. These transactions and related redemptions may be significant and may be made without notice to the shareholders.

Code of Ethics and Personal Trading

Each of the Funds and Goldman Sachs, as each Fund’s Investment Adviser and Distributor, has adopted a Code of Ethics (the “Code of Ethics”) in compliance with Section 17(j) of the Act designed to provide that personnel of the Investment Adviser, and certain additional Goldman Sachs personnel who support the Investment Adviser, comply with applicable federal securities laws and place the interests of clients first in conducting personal securities transactions. The Code of Ethics imposes certain restrictions on securities transactions in the personal accounts of covered persons to help avoid conflicts of interest. Subject to the limitations of the Code of Ethics, covered persons may buy and sell securities or other investments for their personal accounts, including investments in the Funds, and may also take positions that are the same as, different from, or made at different times than, positions taken (directly or indirectly) by the Funds. The Codes of Ethics are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies may also be obtained after paying a duplicating fee by electronic request to [email protected]. Additionally, all Goldman Sachs personnel, including personnel of the Investment Adviser, are subject to firm-wide policies and procedures regarding confidential and proprietary information, information barriers, private investments, outside business activities and personal trading.

Proxy Voting by the Investment Adviser

The Investment Adviser has implemented processes designed to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing proxy voting decisions that it makes on behalf of advisory clients, including the Funds, and to help ensure that such decisions are made in accordance with its fiduciary obligations to its clients. Notwithstanding such proxy voting processes, proxy voting decisions made by the Investment Adviser in respect of securities held by the Funds may benefit the interests of Goldman Sachs and/or Accounts other than the Funds. For a more detailed discussion of these policies and procedures, see the section of this SAI entitled “PROXY VOTING.”

Potential Limitations and Restrictions on Investment Opportunities and Activities of Goldman Sachs and the Funds

The Investment Adviser may restrict its investment decisions and activities on behalf of the Funds in various circumstances, including as a result of applicable regulatory requirements, information held by the Investment Adviser or Goldman Sachs, Goldman Sachs’ roles in connection with other clients and in the capital markets (including in connection with advice it may give to such clients or commercial arrangements or transactions that may be undertaken by such clients or by Goldman Sachs), Goldman Sachs’ internal policies and/or potential reputational risk in connection with Accounts (including the Funds). The Investment Adviser might not engage in transactions or other activities for, or enforce certain rights in favor of, one or more Funds due to Goldman Sachs’ activities outside the Funds (e.g., the Investment Adviser may refrain from making investments for the Funds that would cause Goldman Sachs to exceed position limits or cause Goldman Sachs to have additional disclosure obligations and may limit purchases or sales of securities in respect of which Goldman Sachs is engaged in an underwriting or other distribution) and regulatory requirements, policies and reputational risk assessments.

In addition, in certain circumstances, the Investment Adviser restricts, limits or reduces the amount of a Fund’s investment, or restricts the type of governance or voting rights it acquires or exercises, where the Fund (potentially together with Goldman Sachs and other Accounts) exceeds a certain ownership interest, or possesses certain degrees of voting or control or has other interests. For example, such limitations may exist if a position or transaction could require a filing or license or other regulatory or corporate consent, which could, among other things, result in additional costs and disclosure obligations for, or impose regulatory restrictions on, Goldman Sachs, including the Investment Adviser, or on other Accounts, or where exceeding a threshold is prohibited or may result in regulatory or other restrictions. In certain cases, restrictions and limitations will be applied to avoid approaching such threshold. Circumstances in which such restrictions or limitations may arise include, without limitation: (i) a prohibition against owning more than a certain percentage of an issuer’s securities; (ii) a “poison pill” that could have a dilutive impact on the holdings of the Fund should a threshold be exceeded; (iii) provisions that would cause Goldman Sachs to be considered an “interested stockholder” of an issuer; (iv) provisions that may cause Goldman

 

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Sachs to be considered an “affiliate” or “control person” of the issuer; and (v) the imposition by an issuer (through charter amendment, contract or otherwise) or governmental, regulatory or self-regulatory organization (through law, rule, regulation, interpretation or other guidance) of other restrictions or limitations. In addition, due to regulatory restrictions, certain Accounts are prohibited from, or are subject to certain restrictions when, trading with or through Goldman Sachs, engaging Goldman Sachs as a service provider or purchasing investments issued or managed by Goldman Sachs.

When faced with the foregoing limitations, Goldman Sachs will generally avoid exceeding the threshold because exceeding the threshold could have an adverse impact on the ability of the Investment Adviser or Goldman Sachs to conduct its business activities. The Investment Adviser may also reduce a Fund’s interest in, or restrict a Fund from participating in, an investment opportunity that has limited availability or where Goldman Sachs has determined to cap its aggregate investment in consideration of certain regulatory or other requirements so that other Accounts that pursue similar investment strategies may be able to acquire an interest in the investment opportunity. The Investment Adviser may determine not to engage in certain transactions or activities which may be beneficial to the Funds because engaging in such transactions or activities in compliance with applicable law would result in significant cost to, or administrative burden on, the Investment Adviser or create the potential risk of trade or other errors.

The Investment Adviser generally is not permitted to use material non-public information in effecting purchases and sales in transactions for the Funds that involve public securities. The Investment Adviser may limit an activity or transaction (such as a purchase or sale transaction) which might otherwise be engaged in by the Funds, including as a result of information held by Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser or its personnel). For example, directors, officers and employees of Goldman Sachs may take seats on the boards of directors of, or have board of directors observer rights with respect to, companies in which Goldman Sachs invests on behalf of the Funds. To the extent a director, officer or employee of Goldman Sachs were to take a seat on the board of directors of, or have board of directors observer rights with respect to, a public company, the Investment Adviser (or certain of its investment teams) may be limited and/or restricted in its or their ability to trade in the securities of the company. In addition, any such director, officer or employee of Goldman Sachs that is a member of the board of directors of a portfolio company may have duties in his or her capacity as a director that conflict with the Investment Adviser’s duties to Accounts, and may act in a manner that disadvantages or otherwise harms a Fund and/or Goldman Sachs. In the event the Investment Adviser declines access to, or otherwise does not receive, material non-public information regarding an issuer, the Investment Adviser may base investment decisions with respect to securities of such issuer solely on public information, thereby limiting the amount of information available to the Investment Adviser in connection with such investment decisions.

Different areas of Goldman Sachs may come into possession of material non-public information regarding an issuer of securities held by an Underlying Fund in which an Account invests. In the absence of information barriers between such different areas of Goldman Sachs or under certain other circumstances, the Account may be prohibited, including by internal policies, from trading such security or redeeming from such Underlying Fund during the period such material non-public information is held by such other part of Goldman Sachs, which period may be substantial. As a result, the Account may not be permitted to redeem from an Underlying Fund in whole or in part during periods when it otherwise would have been able to do so, which could adversely affect the Account. Other investors in the Underlying Fund that are not subject to such restrictions may be able to redeem from the Underlying Fund during such periods.

In addition, the Investment Adviser’s clients may partially or fully fund a new Account with in-kind securities in which the Investment Adviser may be restricted. In such circumstances, the Investment Adviser will sell any such securities at the next available trading window, subject to operational and technological limitations (unless such securities are subject to another express arrangement). As a result, such Accounts may be required to dispose of investments at an earlier or later date and/or at a less favorable price than would otherwise have been the case had the Investment Adviser not been so restricted. Accounts will be responsible for all tax liabilities that result from any such sale transactions.

The Investment Adviser operates a program reasonably designed to ensure compliance generally with economic and trade sanctions-related obligations applicable directly to its activities (although such obligations are not necessarily the same obligations that the Funds may be subject to). Such economic and trade sanctions may prohibit, among other things, transactions with and the provision of services to, directly or indirectly, certain countries, territories, entities and individuals. These economic and trade sanctions, and the application by the Investment Adviser of its compliance program in respect thereof, may restrict or limit the Funds’ investment activities.

The Investment Adviser may determine to limit or not engage at all in transactions and activities on behalf of the Funds for reputational or other reasons. Examples of when such determinations may be made include, but are not limited to, where Goldman Sachs is providing (or may provide) advice or services to an entity involved in such activity or transaction, where Goldman Sachs or an Account is or may be engaged in the same or a related activity or transaction to that being considered on behalf of the Funds, where Goldman Sachs or an Account has an interest in an entity involved in such activity or transaction, where there are political, public relations, or other reputational considerations relating to counterparties or other participants in such activity or transaction or where such activity or transaction on behalf of or in respect of the Funds could affect in tangible or intangible ways Goldman Sachs, the Investment Adviser, an Account or their activities.

 

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In order to engage in certain transactions on behalf of a Fund, the Investment Adviser will also be subject to (or cause the Fund to become subject to) the rules, terms and/or conditions of any venues through which it trades securities, derivatives or other instruments. This includes, but is not limited to, where the Investment Adviser and/or the Fund are required to comply with the rules of certain exchanges, execution platforms, trading facilities, clearinghouses and other venues, or are required to consent to the jurisdiction of any such venues. The rules, terms and/or conditions of any such venue may result in the Investment Adviser and/or the Fund being subject to, among other things, margin requirements, additional fees and other charges, disciplinary procedures, reporting and recordkeeping, position limits and other restrictions on trading, settlement risks and other related conditions on trading set out by such venues.

From time to time, a Fund, the Investment Adviser or its affiliates and/or their service providers or agents are required, or may determine that it is advisable, to disclose certain information about the Fund, including, but not limited to, investments held by the Fund, and the names and percentage interest of beneficial owners thereof (and the underlying beneficial owners of such beneficial owners), to third parties, including local governmental authorities, regulatory organizations, taxing authorities, markets, exchanges, clearing facilities, custodians, brokers and trading counterparties of, or service providers to, the Investment Adviser or the Fund. The Investment Adviser generally expects to comply with requests to disclose such information as it so determines including through electronic delivery platforms; however, the Investment Adviser may determine to cause the sale of certain assets for the Fund rather than make certain required disclosures, and such sale may be at a time that is inopportune from a pricing or other standpoint. In addition, the Investment Adviser may provide third parties with aggregated data regarding the activities of, or certain performance or other metrics associated with the Accounts, and the Investment Adviser may receive compensation from such third parties for providing them such information.

Goldman Sachs may become subject to additional restrictions on its business activities that could have an impact on the Funds’ activities. In addition, the Investment Adviser may restrict its investment decisions and activities on behalf of the Funds and not other Accounts, including Accounts sponsored, managed or advised by the Investment Adviser.

Brokerage Transactions

The Investment Adviser often selects U.S. and non-U.S. broker-dealers (including affiliates of the Investment Adviser) that furnish the Investment Adviser, the Funds, Investment Adviser affiliates and other Goldman Sachs personnel with proprietary or third-party brokerage and research services (collectively, “brokerage and research services”) that provide, in the Investment Adviser’s view, appropriate assistance to the Investment Adviser in the investment decision-making process. These brokerage and research services may be bundled with the trade execution, clearing or settlement services provided by a particular broker-dealer and, subject to applicable law, the Investment Adviser may pay for such brokerage and research services with client commissions (or “soft dollars”). There are instances or situations in which such practices are subject to restrictions under applicable law. For example, the EU’s Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (“MiFID II”) restricts EU domiciled investment advisers from receiving research and other materials that do not qualify as “acceptable minor non-monetary benefits” from broker-dealers unless the research or materials are paid for by the investment advisers from their own resources or from research payment accounts funded by and with the agreement of their clients.

Accounts differ with regard to whether and to what extent they pay for brokerage and research services through commissions and, subject to applicable law, brokerage and research services may be used to service the Funds and any or all other Accounts throughout the Investment Adviser, including Accounts that do not pay commissions to the broker-dealer relating to the brokerage and research service arrangements. As a result, brokerage and research services (including soft dollar benefits) may disproportionately benefit other Accounts relative to the Funds based on the relative amount of commissions paid by the Funds and in particular those Accounts that do not pay for brokerage and research services or do so to a lesser extent, including in connection with the establishment of maximum budgets for research costs (and switching to execution-only pricing when maximums are met). The Investment Adviser does not attempt to allocate soft dollar benefits proportionately among clients or to track the benefits of brokerage and research services to the commissions associated with a particular Account or group of Accounts.

Aggregation of Orders by the Investment Adviser

The Investment Adviser follows policies and procedures pursuant to which it may (but is not required to) combine or aggregate purchase or sale orders for the same security or other instrument for multiple Accounts (including Accounts in which Goldman Sachs or personnel of Goldman Sachs have an interest) (sometimes referred to as “bunching”), so that the orders can be executed at the same time and block trade treatment of any such orders can be elected when available. The Investment Adviser aggregates orders when the Investment Adviser considers doing so to be operationally feasible and appropriate and in the interests of its clients and may elect block trade treatment when available. In addition, under certain circumstances orders for the Funds may be aggregated with orders for Accounts that contain Goldman Sachs assets.

 

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When a bunched order or block trade is completely filled, or if the order is only partially filled, at the end of the day, the Investment Adviser generally will allocate the securities or other instruments purchased or the proceeds of any sale pro rata among the participating Accounts, based on the Funds’ relative sizes. If an order is filled at several different prices, through multiple trades (whether at a particular broker-dealer or among multiple broker-dealers), generally all participating Accounts will receive the average price and pay the average commission, however, this may not always be the case (due to, e.g., odd lots, rounding, market practice or constraints applicable to particular Accounts).

Although it may do so in certain circumstances, the Investment Adviser does not always bunch or aggregate orders for different Funds, elect block trade treatment or net buy and sell orders for the same Fund, if portfolio management decisions relating to the orders are made by different portfolio management teams or if different portfolio management processes are used for different account types, if bunching, aggregating, electing block trade treatment or netting is not appropriate or practicable from the Investment Adviser’s operational or other perspective, or if doing so would not be appropriate in light of applicable regulatory considerations. For example, time zone differences, trading instructions, cash flows, separate trading desks or portfolio management processes may, among other factors, result in separate, non-aggregated, non-netted executions, with orders in the same instrument being entered for different Accounts at different times or, in the case of netting, buy and sell trades for the same instrument being entered for the same Account. The Investment Adviser may be able to negotiate a better price and lower commission rate on aggregated orders than on orders for Funds that are not aggregated, and incur lower transaction costs on netted orders than orders that are not netted. The Investment Adviser is under no obligation or other duty to aggregate or net for particular orders. Where orders for a Fund are not aggregated with other orders, or not netted against orders for the Fund or other Accounts, the Fund will not benefit from a better price and lower commission rate or lower transaction cost that might have been available had the orders been aggregated or netted. Aggregation and netting of orders may disproportionately benefit some Accounts relative to other Accounts, including a Fund, due to the relative amount of market savings obtained by the Accounts. The Investment Adviser may aggregate orders of Accounts that are subject to MiFID II (“MiFID II Advisory Accounts”) with orders of Accounts not subject to MiFID II, including those that generate soft dollar commissions (including the Funds) and those that restrict the use of soft dollars. All Accounts included in an aggregated order with MiFID II Advisory Accounts pay (or receive) the same average price for the security and the same execution costs (measured by rate). However, MiFID II Advisory Accounts included in an aggregated order may pay commissions at “execution-only” rates below the total commission rates paid by Accounts included in the aggregated order that are not subject to MiFID II.

 

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PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

The Investment Adviser is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Funds, the selection of brokers and dealers to effect the transactions and the negotiation of brokerage commissions, if any. Purchases and sales of securities may be executed internally by a broker-dealer, effected on an agency basis in a block transaction, or routed to competing market centers for execution. The compensation paid to the broker for providing execution services generally is negotiated and reflected in either a commission or a “net” price. Executions provided on a net price basis, with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission, usually include a profit to the dealer. Orders may be directed to any broker including, to the extent and in the manner permitted by applicable law, Goldman Sachs. In underwritten offerings, securities are purchased at a fixed price which includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter’s concession or discount. On occasion, certain money market instruments may be purchased directly from an issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts are paid.

In placing orders for portfolio securities or other financial instruments of a Fund, the Investment Adviser is generally required to give primary consideration to obtaining the most favorable execution and net price available. This means that the Investment Adviser will seek to execute each transaction at a price and commission, if any, which provides the most favorable total cost or proceeds reasonably attainable in the circumstances. As permitted by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Section 28(e)”), a Fund may pay a broker which provides brokerage and research services to the Fund an amount of disclosed commission in excess of the commission which another broker would have charged for effecting that transaction. Such practice is subject to a good faith determination that such commission is reasonable in light of the services provided and to such policies as the Trustees may adopt from time to time. While the Investment Adviser generally seeks reasonably competitive spreads or commissions, a Fund will not necessarily be paying the lowest spread or commission available. Within the framework of this policy, the Investment Adviser will consider research and investment services provided by brokers or dealers who effect or are parties to portfolio transactions of a Fund, the Investment Adviser and its affiliates, or their other clients. Such research and investment services are those which brokerage houses customarily provide to institutional investors and include research reports on particular industries and companies; economic surveys and analyses; recommendations as to specific securities; research products including quotation equipment and computer related programs; advice concerning the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities and the availability of securities or the purchasers or sellers of securities; analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy and performance of accounts; services relating to effecting securities transactions and functions incidental thereto (such as clearance and settlement); and other lawful and appropriate assistance to the Investment Adviser in the performance of their decision-making responsibilities.

Such services are used by the Investment Adviser in connection with all of its investment activities, and some of such services obtained in connection with the execution of transactions for a Fund may be used in managing other investment accounts. Conversely, brokers furnishing such services may be selected for the execution of transactions of such other accounts, whose aggregate assets may be larger than those of a Fund’s, and the services furnished by such brokers may be used by the Investment Adviser in providing management services for the Trust. The Investment Adviser may also participate in so-called “commission sharing arrangements” and “client commission arrangements” under which the Investment Adviser may execute transactions through a broker-dealer and request that the broker-dealer allocate a portion of the commissions or commission credits to another firm that provides research to the Investment Adviser. The Investment Adviser excludes from use under these arrangements those products and services that are not fully eligible under applicable law and regulatory interpretations—even as to the portion that would be eligible if accounted for separately.

The research services received as part of commission sharing and client commission arrangements will comply with Section 28(e) and may be subject to different legal requirements in the jurisdictions in which the Investment Adviser does business. Participating in commission sharing and client commission arrangements may enable the Investment Adviser to consolidate payments for research through one or more channels using accumulated client commissions or credits from transactions executed through a particular broker-dealer to obtain research provided by other firms. Such arrangements also help to ensure the continued receipt of research services while facilitating best execution in the trading process. The Investment Adviser believes such research services are useful in its investment decision-making process by, among other things, ensuring access to a variety of high quality research, access to individual analysts and availability of resources that the Investment Adviser might not be provided access to absent such arrangements.

On occasions when the Investment Adviser deems the purchase or sale of a security or other financial instruments to be in the best interest of a Fund as well as its other customers (including any other fund or other investment company or advisory account for which the Investment Adviser acts as investment adviser or sub-investment adviser), the Investment Adviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased for the Fund with those

 

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to be sold or purchased for such other customers in order to obtain the best net price and most favorable execution under the circumstances. In such event, allocation of the securities so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Investment Adviser in the manner it considers to be equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to such Fund and such other customers. In some instances, this procedure may adversely affect the price and size of the position obtainable for a Fund.

Commission rates in the U.S. are established pursuant to negotiations with the broker based on the quality and quantity of execution services provided by the broker in the light of generally prevailing rates. The allocation of orders among brokers and the commission rates paid are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. The amount of brokerage commissions paid by a Fund may vary substantially from year to year because of differences in shareholder purchase and redemption activity, portfolio turnover rates and other factors.

Certain Funds may participate in a commission recapture program. Under the program, participating broker-dealers rebate a percentage of commissions earned on Fund portfolio transactions to the particular Fund from which the commissions were generated. The rebated commissions are expected to be treated as realized capital gains of the Funds.

Subject to the above considerations, the Investment Adviser may use Goldman Sachs or an affiliate as a broker for a Fund. In order for Goldman Sachs or an affiliate acting as agent to effect any portfolio transactions for each Fund, the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by Goldman Sachs or an affiliate must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities or futures contracts. Furthermore, the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested” Trustees, have adopted procedures which are reasonably designed to provide that any commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to Goldman Sachs are consistent with the foregoing standard. Brokerage transactions with Goldman Sachs are also subject to such fiduciary standards as may be imposed upon Goldman Sachs by applicable law.

For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, each of the following Funds paid brokerage commissions as indicated in the following charts.

 

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Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2019:

  Total Brokerage
Commissions Paid
    Total Brokerage
Commissions Paid
to Goldman Sachs1
    Total Amount of
Transactions on which
Commissions Paid
    Amount of
Transactions Effected
through Brokers
Providing Research2
    Brokerage Commissions
Paid to Brokers
Providing Research2
 

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

  $ 337,944     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 23,687,318,864 (0 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

Commodity Strategy Fund

  $ 11,584     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 948,547,531 (0 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

Alternative Premia Fund

  $ 53,811     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 6,251,829,692 (0 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

  $ 332,550     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 10,335,396,476 (0 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

Real Estate Securities Fund

  $ 78,920     $ 17 (0 %)3    $ 155,958,951 (0 %)4    $ 146,425,046     $ 74,478  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

  $ 66,213     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 74,195,183 (0 %)4   $ 74,097,677     $  64,703  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

  $ 196,602     $ 9 (0 %)3    $ 298,714,685 (0 %)4    $  287,891,061     $  189,310  

Global Infrastructure Fund

  $ 77,659     $ 747 (1 %)3    $ 143,856,684 (1 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

  $ 121,618     $ 509 (0 %)3    $ 2,883,944,018 (4 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

  $ 35,144     $ 300 (1 %)3    $ 205,999,125 (6 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

  $ 333,655     $ 9,834 (3 %)3    $ 7,066,015,359 (0 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

  $ 562,629     $ 245 (0 %)3    $ 3,331,806,433 (0 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

 

1 

The figures in the table report brokerage commissions from portfolio transactions, including futures transactions.

2 

The information above reflects the full commission amounts paid to brokers that provide proprietary research to the Investment Adviser. Only a portion of such commissions pays for research and the remainder of such commission is to compensate the broker for execution services, commitment of capital and other services related to the execution of brokerage transactions.

3 

Percentage of total commissions paid to Goldman Sachs.

4 

Percentage of total amount of transactions involving the payment of commissions effected through Goldman Sachs.

 

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Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2018:

  Total Brokerage
Commissions Paid
    Total Brokerage
Commissions Paid
to Goldman Sachs1
    Total Amount of
Transactions on which
Commissions Paid
    Amount of
Transactions Effected
through Brokers
Providing Research2
    Brokerage Commissions
Paid to Brokers
Providing Research2
 

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

  $ 313,637     $ 168,469 (54 %)3    $ 25,354,840,315 (91 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

Commodity Strategy Fund

  $ 18,419     $ 18,419 (100 %)3    $ 1,465,897,254 (100 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

Alternative Premia Fund

  $ 63,398     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 8,453,660,276 (0 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

  $ 208,602     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 11,414,621,701 (0 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

Real Estate Securities Fund

  $ 132,451     $ 6,780 (5 %)3    $ 284,078,989 (6 %)4    $ 262,418,613     $ 119,291  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

  $ 112,385     $ 425 (0 %)3    $ 108,877,453 (1 %)4    $ 104,130,064     $ 100,672  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

  $ 329,085     $ 3,058 (1 %)3    $ 423,855,758 (2 %)4    $ 394,605,307     $ 294,383  

Global Infrastructure Fund

  $ 181,830     $ 3,912 (2 %)3    $ 282,074,715 (4 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

  $ 182,294     $ 2,434 (1 %)3   $ 3,549,735,569 (16 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

  $ 49,991     $ 2,228 (4 %)3   $ 244,883,494 (40 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

  $ 237,090     $ 1,341 (1 %)3   $ 5,240,205,683 (5 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

  $ 445,867     $ 4,848 (1 %)3    $ 2,778,073,526 (7 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

 

1 

The figures in the table report brokerage commissions from portfolio transactions, including futures transactions.

 

2 

The information above reflects the full commission amounts paid to brokers that provide proprietary research to the Investment Adviser. Only a portion of such commissions pays for research and the remainder of such commission is to compensate the broker for execution services, commitment of capital and other services related to the execution of brokerage transactions.

 

3 

Percentage of total commissions paid to Goldman Sachs.

 

4 

Percentage of total amount of transactions involving the payment of commissions effected through Goldman Sachs.

 

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2017:

  Total Brokerage
Commissions Paid
    Total Brokerage
Commissions Paid
to Goldman Sachs1
    Total Amount of
Transactions on which
Commissions Paid
    Amount of
Transactions Effected
through Brokers
Providing Research2
    Brokerage Commissions
Paid to Brokers
Providing Research2
 

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

  $ 190,106     $ 182 (0 %)3    $ 14,498,505,964 (0 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

Commodity Strategy Fund

  $ 23,583     $ 126 (1 %)3    $ 1,721,369,997 (1 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

Alternative Premia Fund

  $ 199,434     $ 1,222 (1 %)3    $ 9,200,303,396 (1 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

  $ 286,675     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 3,274,503,519 (0 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

Real Estate Securities Fund

  $ 185,366     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 319,233,614 (0 %)4    $ 185,366     $ 355,074,890  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

  $ 264,471     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 252,320,314 (0 %)4    $ 264,408     $ 255,283,732  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

  $ 201,564     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 289,130,571 (0 %)4    $ 201,514     $ 295,461,867  

Global Infrastructure Fund

  $ 189,011     $ 53 (0 %)3    $ 896,001,532 (0 %)4    $ 189,001     $ 458,923,165  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

  $ 155,919     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 3,818,195,750 (0 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

  $ 54,005     $ 1,595 (3 %)3    $ 333,749,013 (20 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

  $ 156,788     $ 0 (0 %)3    $ 2,970,304,211 (0 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

  $ 278,502     $ 2,215 (1 %)3    $ 1,814,555,273 (5 %)4    $ 0     $ 0  

 

1 

The figures in the table report brokerage commissions from portfolio transactions, including futures transactions.

2 

The information above reflects the full commission amounts paid to brokers that provide proprietary research to the Investment Adviser. Only a portion of such commissions pays for research and the remainder of such commission is to compensate the broker for execution services, commitment of capital and other services related to the execution of brokerage transactions.

3 

Percentage of total commissions paid to Goldman Sachs.

4 

Percentage of total amount of transactions involving the payment of commissions effected through Goldman Sachs.

 

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Funds’ Investments in Regular Broker-Dealers

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Trust’s regular “broker-dealers”, as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the Act, were: Barclays Capital Inc., BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited, Daiwa Capital Markets Europe Limited, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, National Financial Services LLC, and UBS Securities LLC.

As of December 31, 2019, those Funds not listed below held no securities of their regular broker-dealers. As of the same date, the following Funds held the following amounts of securities of their regular broker-dealers (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the Act) or the parent entities of such broker-dealers ($ in thousands):

 

Fund

  

Broker/Dealer

   Amount (000s)  

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

  

JP Morgan Chase & Co.

   $  10,790  
  

BofA Securities, Inc.

     1,510  
  

Morgan Stanley

     2,454  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

  

Bank of America Corp.

     12,530  
  

Citigroup, Inc.

     12,615  
  

JP Morgan Chase & Co.

     55,360  
  

Morgan Stanley

     7,530  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

  

Bank of America Corp.

     12,530  
  

Citigroup, Inc.

     12,615  
  

JP Morgan Chase & Co.

     55,360  
  

Morgan Stanley

     7,530  

NET ASSET VALUE

In accordance with procedures adopted by the Trustees, the NAV per share of each class of each Fund is calculated by determining the value of the net assets attributed to each class of that Fund and dividing by the number of outstanding shares of that class. All securities are generally valued on each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time), or such other time as the New York Stock Exchange or National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) market may officially close. The term “Business Day” means any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading, which is Monday through Friday except for holidays. The New York Stock Exchange is closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas.

The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange is stopped at a time other its regularly scheduled time. The Trust reserves the right to reprocess purchase (including dividend reinvestments), redemption and exchange transactions that were processed at a NAV other than a Fund’s official closing NAV that is subsequently adjusted, and to recover amounts from (or distribute amounts to) shareholders accordingly based on the official closing NAV, as adjusted. The Trust reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received for same business day credit as otherwise permitted by the SEC. In addition, each Fund may compute its NAV as of any time permitted pursuant to any exemption, order or statement of the SEC or its staff.

For the purpose of calculating the NAV per share of the Funds, investments are valued under valuation procedures established by the Trustees. Portfolio securities of a Fund for which accurate market quotations are readily available are generally valued as follows: (i) equity securities listed on any U.S. or foreign stock exchange or on the NASDAQ will be valued at the last sale price or the official closing price on the exchange or system in which they are principally traded on the valuation date. If there is no sale or official closing price on the valuation date, equity securities may be valued at the closing bid price for long positions or the closing ask price for short positions at the time closest to, but no later than, the NAV calculation time. If the relevant exchange or system has not closed by the above-mentioned time for determining a Fund’s NAV, the securities will be valued at the last sale price or official closing price, or if not available at the bid price at the time the NAV is determined; (ii) over-the-counter equity securities not quoted on NASDAQ will be valued at the last sale price on the valuation day or, if no sale occurs, at the last bid price for long positions or the last ask price for short positions, at the time closest to, but no later than, the NAV calculation time; (iii) equity securities for which no prices are obtained under sections (i) or (ii), including those for which a pricing service supplies no exchange quotation or a quotation that is believed by the Investment Adviser to not represent fair value, will be valued through the use of broker quotes, if possible; (iv) fixed income securities will be valued via electronic feeds from independent pricing services to the administrator using evaluated prices provided by a recognized pricing service and dealer-

 

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supplied quotations (fixed income securities for which a pricing service either does not supply a quotation or supplies a quotation that is believed by the Investment Adviser to not represent fair value, will be valued through the use of broker quotes, if possible); (v) fixed income securities for which accurate market quotations are not readily available will be valued by the Investment Adviser based on Board-approved fair valuation policies that incorporate matrix pricing or valuation models, which utilize certain inputs and assumptions, including, but not limited to, yield or price with respect to comparable fixed income securities and various other factors; (vi) investments in open-end registered investment companies (excluding investments in ETFs) and investments in private funds are valued based on the NAV of those registered investment companies or private funds (which may use fair value pricing as discussed in their prospectuses of offering memoranda); (vii) spot foreign exchange rates will be valued using a pricing service at the time closest to, but no later than, the NAV calculation time, and forward foreign currency contracts will be valued by adding forward points provided by an independent pricing service to the spot foreign exchange rates and interpolating based upon maturity dates of each contract or by using outright forward rates, where available (if quotations are unavailable from a pricing service or, if the quotations by the Investment Adviser are believed to be inaccurate, the contracts will be valued by calculating the mean between the last bid and ask quotations supplied by at least one dealer in such contracts); (viii) exchange-traded futures contracts will be valued at the last published settlement price on the exchange where they are principally traded (or, if a sale occurs after the last published settlement price but before the NAV calculation time, at the last sale price at the time closest to, but no later than, the NAV calculation time); (ix) exchange-traded options contracts with settlement prices will be valued at the last published settlement price on the exchange where they are principally traded (or, if a sale occurs after the last published settlement price but before the NAV calculation time, at the last sale price at the time closest to, but no later than, the NAV calculation time); (x) exchange-traded options contracts without settlement prices will be valued at the midpoint of the bid and ask prices on the exchange where they are principally traded (or, in the absence of two-way trading, at the last bid price for long positions and the last ask price for short positions at the time closest to, but no later than, the NAV calculation time); (xi) over-the-counter derivatives, including, but not limited to, interest rate swaps, credit default swaps, total return index swaps, put/call option combos, total return basket swaps, index volatility and FX variance swaps, will be valued at their fair market value as determined using counterparty supplied valuations, an independent pricing service or valuation models which use market data inputs supplied by an independent pricing service; and (xii) all other instruments, including those for which a pricing service supplies no exchange quotation/price or a quotation that is believed by the Investment Adviser to be inaccurate, will be valued in accordance with the valuation procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. Securities may also be valued at fair value in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Trustees where the Funds’ fund accounting agent is unable for other reasons to facilitate pricing of individual securities or calculate the Funds’ NAV, or if the Investment Adviser believes that such quotations do not accurately reflect fair value. Fair values determined in accordance with the valuation procedures approved by the Board of Trustees may be based on subjective judgments and it is possible that the prices resulting from such valuation procedures may differ materially from the value realized on a sale.

The value of all assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies will be converted into U.S. dollar values at current exchange rates of such currencies against U.S. dollars as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). If such quotations are not available, the rate of exchange will be determined in good faith by or under procedures established by the Board of Trustees.

Generally, trading in securities on European, Asian and Far Eastern securities exchanges and on over-the-counter markets in these regions is substantially completed at various times prior to the close of business on each Business Day in New York (i.e., a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading). In addition, European, Asian or Far Eastern securities trading generally or in a particular country or countries may not take place on all Business Days in New York. Furthermore, trading takes place in various foreign markets on days which are not Business Days in New York and days on which the Funds’ NAVs are not calculated. Such calculation does not take place contemporaneously with the determination of the prices of the majority of the portfolio securities used in such calculation. For investments in foreign equity securities, “fair value” prices will be provided by an independent third-party pricing (fair value) service (if available), in accordance with the fair value procedures approved by the Trustees, and are intended to reflect more accurately the value of those securities at the time the Fund’s NAV is calculated. Fair value prices are used because many foreign markets operate at times that do not coincide with those of the major U.S. markets. Events that could affect the values of foreign portfolio holdings may occur between the close of the foreign market and the time of determining the NAV, and would not otherwise be reflected in the NAV. If the independent third-party pricing (fair value) service does not provide a fair value for a particular security or if the value does not meet the established criteria for the Funds, the most recent closing price for such a security on its principal exchange will generally be its fair value on such date.

The Investment Adviser, consistent with its procedures and applicable regulatory guidance, may (but need not) determine to make an adjustment to the previous closing prices of either domestic or foreign securities in light of significant events, to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities at the time of determining a Fund’s NAV. Significant events that could affect a large number of securities in a particular market may include, but are not limited to: situations relating to one

 

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or more single issuers in a market sector; significant fluctuations in U.S. or foreign markets; market dislocations; market disruptions or unscheduled market closings; equipment failures; natural or man-made disasters or acts of God; armed conflicts; governmental actions or other developments; as well as the same or similar events which may affect specific issuers or the securities markets even though not tied directly to the securities markets. Other significant events that could relate to a single issuer may include, but are not limited to: corporate actions such as reorganizations, mergers and buy-outs; corporate announcements, including those relating to earnings, products and regulatory news; significant litigation; ratings downgrades; bankruptcies; and trading suspensions.

In general, fair value represents a good faith approximation of the current value of an asset and may be used when there is no public market or possibly no market at all for an asset. A security that is fair valued may be valued at a price higher or lower than actual market quotations or the value determined by other funds using their own fair valuation procedures or by other investors. The fair value of an asset may not be the price at which that asset is ultimately sold.

The proceeds received by each Fund and each other series of the Trust from the issue or sale of its shares, and all net investment income, realized and unrealized gain and proceeds thereof, subject only to the rights of creditors, will be specifically allocated to such Fund or particular series and constitute the underlying assets of that Fund or series. The underlying assets of each Fund will be segregated on the books of account, and will be charged with the liabilities in respect of such Fund and with a share of the general liabilities of the Trust. Expenses of the Trust with respect to the Funds and the other series of the Trust are generally allocated in proportion to the NAVs of the respective Funds or series except where allocations of expenses can otherwise be fairly made.

Each Fund relies on various sources to calculate its NAV. The ability of the Funds’ fund accounting agent to calculate the NAV per share of each share class of the Funds is subject to operational risks associated with processing or human errors, systems or technology failures, cyber-attacks and errors caused by third party service providers, data sources or trading counterparties. Such failures may result in delays in the calculation of a Fund’s NAV and/or the inability to calculate NAV over extended time periods. The Funds may be unable to recover any losses associated with such failures. In addition, if the third party service providers and/or data sources upon which a Fund directly or indirectly relies to calculate its NAV or price individual securities are unavailable or otherwise unable to calculate the NAV correctly, it may be necessary for alternative procedures to be utilized to price the securities at the time of determining the Fund’s NAV.

Errors and Corrective Actions

The Investment Adviser will report to the Board of Trustees any material breaches of investment objective, policies or restrictions and any material errors in the calculation of the NAV of a Fund or the processing of purchases and redemptions. Depending on the nature and size of an error, corrective action may or may not be required. Corrective action may involve a prospective correction of the NAV only, correction of any erroneous NAV and compensation to a Fund, or correction of any erroneous NAV, compensation to a Fund and reprocessing of individual shareholder transactions. The Trust’s policies on errors and corrective action limit or restrict when corrective action will be taken or when compensation to a Fund or its shareholders will be paid, and not all mistakes will result in compensable errors. As a result, neither a Fund nor its shareholders who purchase or redeem shares during periods in which errors accrue or occur may be compensated in connection with the resolution of an error. Shareholders will generally not be notified of the occurrence of a compensable error or the resolution thereof absent unusual circumstances.

As discussed in more detail under “NET ASSET VALUE,” a Fund’s portfolio securities may be priced based on quotations for those securities provided by pricing services. There can be no guarantee that a quotation provided by a pricing service will be accurate.

SHARES OF THE TRUST

Each Fund is a series of Goldman Sachs Trust, a Delaware statutory trust established by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated January 28, 1997. The fiscal year end of each Fund is December 31.

The Trustees have authority under the Trust’s Declaration of Trust to create and classify shares of beneficial interest in separate series, without further action by shareholders. The Trustees also have authority to classify and reclassify any series of shares into one or more classes of shares. As of April 29, 2020, the Trustees (i) have classified the shares of the Real Estate Securities Fund into eight classes: Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Institutional Shares, Investor Shares, Class R Shares, Class R6 Shares, Service Shares and Class P Shares; (ii) have classified the shares of each of the Absolute Return Tracker Fund, Commodity Strategy Fund, Alternative Premia Fund, Global Infrastructure Fund, Global Real Estate Securities Fund and

 

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Managed Futures Strategy Fund into seven classes: Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Institutional Shares, Investor Shares, Class R Shares, Class R6 Shares and Class P Shares; (iii) have classified the shares of the U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund into seven classes: Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Institutional Shares, Investor Shares, Service Shares, Class R6 Shares and Class P Shares; and (iv) have classified the shares of the International Real Estate Securities Fund, U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund, and International Tax-Managed Equity Fund into six classes: Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Institutional Shares, Investor Shares, Class R6 Shares and Class P Shares. Additional series and classes may be added in the future.

Each Class A Share, Class C Share, Institutional Share, Investor Share, Class R Share, Class R6 Share, Service Share and Class P Share of a Fund represents a proportionate interest in the assets belonging to the applicable class of the Fund. All expenses of a Fund are borne at the same rate by each class of shares, except that fees under the Service Plan and Shareholder Administration Plan are borne exclusively by Service Shares, fees under Distribution and Service Plans (together with the Service Plan and Shareholder Administration Plan, the “Plans”) are borne exclusively by Class A, Class C or Class R Shares and transfer agency fees and expenses are borne at different rates by different share classes. The Trustees may determine in the future that it is appropriate to allocate other expenses differently among classes of shares and may do so to the extent consistent with the rules of the SEC and positions of the IRS. Each class of shares may have different minimum investment requirements and be entitled to different shareholder services. With limited exceptions, shares of a class may only be exchanged for shares of the same or an equivalent class of another fund. See “Shareholder Guide” in the Prospectuses and “OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING MAXIMUM SALES CHARGE, PURCHASES, REDEMPTIONS, EXCHANGES AND DIVIDENDS” below. In addition, the fees and expenses set forth below for each class may be subject to variations, waivers and discounts, which may differ depending on whether you purchase shares through a financial intermediary. These variations, waivers and discounts are discussed more fully in the Funds’ Prospectuses.

Class A Shares are sold with an initial sales charge of up to 5.50% (4.50% for Commodity Strategy Fund) through brokers and dealers who are members of FINRA and certain other financial service firms that have sales agreements with Goldman Sachs. Class A Shares bear the cost of distribution and service fees at the aggregate rate of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of such Class A Shares of each Fund. With respect to Class A Shares, the Distributor at its discretion may use compensation for distribution services paid under the Distribution and Service Plan for personal and account maintenance services and expenses so long as such total compensation under the Plan does not exceed the maximum cap on “service fees” imposed by FINRA.

Class C Shares of the Funds are sold subject to a contingent deferred sales charges (“CDSC”) of up to 1.00% through brokers and dealers who are members of FINRA and certain other financial services firms that have sales arrangements with Goldman Sachs. Class C Shares bear the cost of distribution (Rule 12b-1) fees at the aggregate rate of up to 0.75% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class C Shares. Class C Shares also bear the cost of service fees at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class C Shares.

Institutional Shares may be purchased at NAV without a sales charge for accounts in the name of an investor or institution that is not compensated by a Fund under a Plan for services provided to the institution’s customers.

Investor and Class R Shares are sold at NAV without a sales charge. As noted in the applicable Prospectuses, Investor and Class R Shares are not sold directly to the public. Instead, Investor and Class R Shares generally are available only to Section 401(k), 403(b), 457, profit sharing, money purchase pension, tax-sheltered annuity, defined benefit pension, non-qualified deferred compensation plans and non-qualified pension plans or other employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) or SIMPLE plans that are sponsored by one or more employers (including governmental or church employers) or employee organizations (“Employee Benefit Plans”). Investor Shares may also be sold to accounts established under a fee-based program that is sponsored and maintained by an Intermediary that has entered into a contractual relationship with Goldman Sachs to offer such shares through such programs (“Eligible Fee-Based Program”). Investor and Class R Shares are not available to traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (“IRAs”), SEPs and SARSEPs; except that Investor Shares are available to such accounts or plans to the extent they are purchased through an Eligible Fee-Based Program. Employee Benefit Plans and Eligible Fee-Based Programs must purchase Investor or Class R Shares through an Intermediary using a plan level or omnibus account.

Class R6 Shares are sold at NAV without a sales charge. Class R6 Shares are generally available to the following investors who purchase shares of the Funds through certain Intermediaries that have a contractual relationship with Goldman Sachs, including banks, trust companies, brokers, registered investment advisers and other financial institutions, using a plan level or omnibus account, unless otherwise noted below.

 

   

Investors who purchase Class R6 Shares through an Eligible Fee-Based Program;

 

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Employee Benefit Plans;

 

   

Registered investment companies or bank collective trusts investing directly with the Transfer Agent;

 

   

Institutional investors, including companies, foundations, endowments, municipalities, trusts and other entities, investing at least $5,000,000 directly with the Transfer Agent; and

 

   

Other investors at the discretion of the Trust’s officers.

Class R6 Shares may not be available through certain Intermediaries. For the purposes of Class R6 Shares eligibility, the term “Intermediary” does not include Goldman Sachs or its affiliates and Class R6 Shares will not be available to clients of Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management, The Goldman Sachs Trust Company, N.A., The Goldman Sachs Trust Company of Delaware or The Ayco Company, L.P.

Class P Shares are sold at NAV without a sales charge. Class P Shares of the Funds are offered exclusively to clients of the Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management business unit that custody their positions at Goldman Sachs; clients of The Goldman Sachs Trust, Company N.A. or The Goldman Sachs Trust Company of Delaware that custody their positions at Goldman Sachs; or clients of The Ayco Company, L.P. that either custody their positions at Goldman Sachs or with certain intermediaries that are authorized to offer Class P Shares; or other investors at the discretion of the Trust’s officers.

Participants in an Employee Benefit Plan should contact their Employee Benefit Plan service provider for information regarding purchases, sales and exchanges of Investor, Class R and Class R6 Shares. Class R Shares bear the cost of distribution (Rule 12b-1) fees at the aggregate rate of up to 0.50% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class R Shares. With respect to Class R Shares, the Distributor at its discretion may use compensation for distribution services paid under the Distribution and Service Plan for personal and account maintenance services and expenses so long as such total compensation under the Plan does not exceed the maximum cap on “service fees” imposed by FINRA.

Service Shares may be purchased at NAV without a sales charge for accounts held in the name of an institution that, directly or indirectly, provides certain shareholder administration services and shareholder liaison services to its customers, including maintenance of account records and processing orders to purchase, redeem and exchange Service Shares. Service Shares bear the cost of service (Rule 12b-1) fees and shareholder administration fees at the annual rate of up to 0.25% and 0.25%, respectively, of the average daily net assets of the Fund attributable to Service Shares.

It is possible that an institution or its affiliate may offer different classes of shares (i.e., Class A, Class C, Institutional, Investor, Class R, Class R6, Service or Class P Shares) to its customers and thus receive different compensation with respect to different classes of shares of each Fund. Dividends paid by each Fund, if any, with respect to each class of shares will be calculated in the same manner, at the same time on the same day and will be the same amount, except for differences caused by the fact that the respective transfer agency and Plan fees relating to a particular class will be borne exclusively by that class. Similarly, the NAV per share may differ depending upon the class of shares purchased.

Certain aspects of the shares may be altered after advance notice to shareholders if it is deemed necessary in order to satisfy certain tax regulatory requirements.

When issued for the consideration described in the Funds’ Prospectuses, shares are fully paid and non-assessable. The Trustees may, however, cause shareholders, or shareholders of a particular series or class, to pay certain custodian, transfer agency, servicing or similar charges by setting off the same against declared but unpaid dividends or by reducing share ownership (or by both means). In the event of liquidation, shareholders are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of the applicable class of the relevant Fund available for distribution to such shareholders. All shares are freely transferable and have no preemptive, subscription or conversion rights. The Trustees may require Shareholders to redeem Shares for any reason under terms set by the Trustees.

The Act requires that where more than one series of shares exists, each series must be preferred over all other series in respect of assets specifically allocated to such series. In addition, Rule 18f-2 under the Act provides that any matter required to be submitted by the provisions of the Act or applicable state law, or otherwise, to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Trust shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each series affected by such matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a series shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless the interests of each series in the matter are substantially identical or the matter does not affect any interest of such series. However, Rule 18f-2 exempts the selection of independent public accountants, the approval of principal distribution contracts and the election of trustees from the separate voting requirements of Rule 18f-2.

 

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The Trust is not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders and does not intend to hold such meetings. In the event that a meeting of shareholders is held, each share of the Trust will be entitled, as determined by the Trustees without the vote or consent of the shareholders, either to one vote for each share or to one vote for each dollar of NAV represented by such share on all matters presented to shareholders including the election of Trustees (this method of voting being referred to as “dollar based voting”). However, to the extent required by the Act or otherwise determined by the Trustees, series and classes of the Trust will vote separately from each other. Shareholders of the Trust do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of Trustees. Meetings of shareholders of the Trust, or any series or class thereof, may be called by the Trustees, certain officers or upon the written request of holders of 10% or more of the shares entitled to vote at such meetings. The Trustees will call a special meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees, if, at any time, less than a majority of Trustees holding office at the time were elected by shareholders. The shareholders of the Trust will have voting rights only with respect to the limited number of matters specified in the Declaration of Trust and such other matters as the Trustees may determine or may be required by law.

The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification of Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust unless the recipient is adjudicated (i) to be liable by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office or (ii) not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that such person’s actions were in the best interest of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust provides that, if any shareholder or former shareholder of any series is held personally liable solely by reason of being or having been a shareholder and not because of the shareholder’s acts or omissions or for some other reason, the shareholder or former shareholder (or the shareholder’s heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives or general successors) shall be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability. The Trust, acting on behalf of any affected series, must, upon request by such shareholder, assume the defense of any claim made against such shareholder for any act or obligation of the series and satisfy any judgment thereon from the assets of the series.

The Declaration of Trust permits the termination of the Trust or of any series or class of the Trust (i) by a majority of the affected shareholders at a meeting of shareholders of the Trust, series or class; or (ii) by a majority of the Trustees without shareholder approval if the Trustees determine, in their sole discretion, that such action is in the best interest of the Trust, such series, such class or their respective shareholders. The Trustees may consider such factors as they, in their sole discretion, deem appropriate in making such determination, including (i) the inability of the Trust or any series or class to maintain its assets at an appropriate size; (ii) changes in laws or regulations governing the Trust, series or class or affecting assets of the type in which it invests; or (iii) economic developments or trends having a significant adverse impact on the business or operations of the Trust or series.

The Declaration of Trust authorizes the Trustees, without shareholder approval, to cause the Trust, or any series thereof, to merge or consolidate with any corporation, association, trust or other organization or sell or exchange all or substantially all of the property belonging to the Trust or any series thereof. In addition, the Trustees, without shareholder approval, may adopt a master-feeder structure by investing all or a portion of the assets of a series of the Trust in the securities of another open-end investment company with substantially the same investment objective, restrictions and policies.

The Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to amend the Declaration of Trust without a shareholder vote. However, shareholders of the Trust have the right to vote on any amendment (i) that would adversely affect the voting rights of shareholders; (ii) that is required by law to be approved by shareholders; (iii) that would amend the provisions of the Declaration of Trust regarding amendments and supplements thereto; or (iv) that the Trustees determine to submit to shareholders.

The Trustees may appoint separate Trustees with respect to one or more series or classes of the Trust’s shares (the “Series Trustees”). Series Trustees may, but are not required to, serve as Trustees of the Trust or any other series or class of the Trust. To the extent provided by the Trustees in the appointment of Series Trustees, the Series Trustees may have, to the exclusion of any other Trustees of the Trust, all the powers and authorities of Trustees under the Declaration of Trust with respect to such Series or Class, but may have no power or authority with respect to any other series or class.

Shareholder and Trustee Liability

Under Delaware Law, the shareholders of the Funds are not generally subject to liability for the debts or obligations of the Trust. Similarly, Delaware law provides that a series of the Trust will not be liable for the debts or obligations of any other series of the Trust. However, no similar statutory or other authority limiting statutory trust shareholder liability exists in other states. As a result, to the extent that a Delaware statutory trust or a shareholder is subject to the jurisdiction of courts of such other states, the courts may not apply Delaware law and may thereby subject the Delaware statutory trust shareholders to liability. To guard against this risk, the Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of a series. Notice of such disclaimer will normally be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed

 

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by a series of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification by the relevant series for all loss suffered by a shareholder as a result of an obligation of the series. The Declaration of Trust also provides that a series shall, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of the series and satisfy any judgment thereon. In view of the above, the risk of personal liability of shareholders of a Delaware statutory trust is remote.

In addition to the requirements under Delaware law, the Declaration of Trust provides that shareholders of a series may bring a derivative action on behalf of the series only if the following conditions are met: (a) shareholders eligible to bring such derivative action under Delaware law who hold at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the series, or 10% of the outstanding shares of the class to which such action relates, shall join in the request for the Trustees to commence such action; and (b) the Trustees must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider such shareholder request and to investigate the basis of such claim. The Trustees will be entitled to retain counsel or other advisers in considering the merits of the request and may require an undertaking by the shareholders making such request to reimburse the series for the expense of any such advisers in the event that the Trustees determine not to bring such action.

The Declaration of Trust further provides that the Trustees will not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law, but nothing in the Declaration of Trust protects a Trustee against liability to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

TAXATION

The following is a summary of certain additional U.S. federal income, and state and local, tax considerations regarding the purchase, ownership and disposition of shares of the Funds that are not described in the Prospectuses. The discussions below and in the Prospectuses are only summaries and are not intended as substitutes for careful tax planning. They do not address special tax rules applicable to certain classes of investors, such as tax-exempt entities, insurance companies and financial institutions. Each prospective shareholder is urged to consult his or her own tax adviser with respect to the specific federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of investing in each Fund. The summary is based on the laws in effect on April 29, 2020, which are subject to change. Future changes in tax laws may adversely impact a Fund and its shareholders.

Fund Taxation

Each Fund is treated as a separate taxable entity and has elected to be treated and intends to qualify for each taxable year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. To qualify as such, a Fund must satisfy certain requirements relating to the sources of its income, diversification of its assets and distribution of its income to shareholders. As a regulated investment company, a Fund will not be subject to federal income or excise tax on any net investment income and net realized capital gains that are distributed to its shareholders in accordance with certain timing requirements of the Code.

There are certain tax requirements that each Fund must follow if it is to avoid federal taxation. In their efforts to adhere to these requirements, the Funds may have to limit their investment activities in some types of instruments. Qualification as a regulated investment company under the Code requires, among other things, that (i) the Fund derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stocks or securities or foreign currencies, net income from qualified publicly traded partnerships or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures, and forward contracts) derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stocks, securities or currencies (the “90% gross income test”); and (ii) the Fund diversify its holdings so that, in general, at the close of each quarter of its taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the fair market value of the Fund’s total (gross) assets is comprised of cash, cash items, U.S. Government Securities, securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities limited in respect of any one issuer to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of such Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total (gross) assets is invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government Securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), two or more issuers controlled by the Fund and engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or certain publicly traded partnerships.

For purposes of the 90% gross income test, income that a Fund earns from equity interests in certain entities that are not treated as corporations or as qualified publicly traded partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes (e.g., partnerships or trusts) will generally have the same character for the Fund as in the hands of such an entity; consequently, a Fund may be required to limit its equity investments in any such entities that earn fee income, rental income, or other nonqualifying income. In addition, future Treasury regulations could provide that qualifying income under the 90% gross income test will not include gains from foreign currency transactions that are not directly related to a Fund’s principal business of investing in stock or securities or options and futures with respect to stock or securities. Using foreign currency positions or entering into foreign currency options, futures and forward or swap contracts for purposes other than hedging currency risk with respect to securities in a Fund’s portfolio or anticipated to be acquired may not qualify as “directly-related” under these tests.

 

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Historically, the IRS had issued private letter rulings in which the IRS specifically concluded that income and gains from investments in commodity index-linked structured notes (the “Notes Rulings”) or a wholly-owned foreign subsidiary that invests in commodity-linked instruments (the “Subsidiary Rulings”) are “qualifying income” for purposes of compliance with Subchapter M of the Code. The IRS issued such private letter rulings to each of the Absolute Return Tracker, Commodity Strategy, and Alternative Premia Funds. In reliance in such private letter rulings, each of the Absolute Return Tracker, Commodity Strategy, and Alternative Premia Funds have in the past sought to gain exposure to the commodity markets primarily through investments in the Subsidiaries and/or commodity index-linked structured notes, as applicable.

However, the Managed Futures Strategy Fund has not received such a private letter ruling, and is not able to rely on private letter rulings issued to other taxpayers. In connection with investments in wholly owned subsidiaries and/or commodity index-linked structured notes, the Managed Futures Strategy Fund obtained an opinion of counsel (the “Tax Opinion”) that its income from such investments should constitute “qualifying income.” In reliance on such opinion, Managed Futures Strategy Fund has in the past sought to gain exposure to the commodity markets primarily through investments in the MFS Subsidiary and/or commodity index-linked structured notes, as applicable.

The IRS issued a revenue procedure, which states that the IRS will not in the future issue private letter rulings that would require a determination of whether an asset (such as a commodity index-linked note) is a “security” under the Investment Company Act. In connection with issuing such revenue procedure, the IRS has revoked the Note Rulings on a prospective basis. In light of the revocation of the Note Rulings, the Funds intend to limit their investments in commodity index-linked structured notes. The IRS recently issued final regulations that would generally treat a Fund’s income inclusion with respect to a subsidiary as qualifying income either if (A) there is a distribution out of the earnings and profits of a subsidiary that are attributable to such income inclusion (the “Subpart F Distribution Rule”) or (ii) such inclusion is derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities, or currencies.

The Subsidiary Rulings have not been revoked and each of the Absolute Return Tracker, Commodity Strategy and Alternative Premia Funds may continue to rely on such private letter rulings to gain exposure to the commodity markets primarily through investments in the Subsidiaries.

In reliance on the Tax Opinion, Managed Futures Strategy Fund may continue to gain exposure to the commodity markets through investments in the MFS Subsidiary. As a condition to receiving the Tax Opinion, Managed Futures Strategy Fund seeks to satisfy the Subpart F Distribution Requirement.

The tax treatment of a Fund’s investments in a wholly owned subsidiary could affect whether income derived from such investments is “qualifying income” under Subchapter M of Code, or otherwise affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund’s taxable income or any gains and distributions made by the Fund. If the IRS were to successfully assert that a Fund’s income from such investments was not “qualifying income,” the Fund may fail to qualify as a regulated investment company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Code if over 10% of its gross income was derived from these investments. If a Fund failed to qualify as a RIC, it would be subject to federal and state income tax on all of its taxable income at regular corporate tax rates with no deduction for any distributions paid to shareholders, which would significantly adversely affect the returns to, and could cause substantial losses for, Fund shareholders.

A foreign corporation, such as each of the Subsidiaries, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless it is deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. It is expected that the Subsidiaries will conduct their activities in a manner so as to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under Section 864(b)(2) of the Code under which the Subsidiaries may engage in trading in stocks or securities or certain commodities without being deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. However, if certain of a Subsidiary’s activities were determined not to be of the type described in the safe harbor (which is not expected), then the activities of the Subsidiary may constitute a U.S. trade or business, or be taxed as such. In general, a foreign corporation, such as each Subsidiary, that does not conduct a U.S. trade or business is nonetheless subject to tax at a flat rate of 30 percent (or lower tax treaty rate), generally payable through withholding, on the gross amount of certain U.S.-source income that is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. There is presently no tax treaty in force between the U.S. and the Cayman Islands that would reduce this rate of withholding tax. It is not expected that a Subsidiary will derive income subject to such withholding tax. Each Subsidiary will be treated as a controlled foreign corporation (“CFC”) and the applicable Fund will be treated as a “U.S. shareholder” of its respective Subsidiary. As a result, a Fund will be required to include in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes all of its respective Subsidiary’s “subpart F income,” whether or not such income is distributed by a Subsidiary. It is expected that all of a Subsidiary’s income will be “subpart F income.” Each Fund’s recognition of its

 

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respective Subsidiary’s “subpart F income” will increase the Fund’s tax basis in its respective Subsidiary. Distributions by the Subsidiaries to the Funds will be tax-free, to the extent of their previously undistributed “subpart F income,” and will correspondingly reduce a Fund’s tax basis in its respective Subsidiary. “Subpart F income” is generally treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of a Subsidiary’s underlying income. If a net loss is realized by a Subsidiary, such loss is not generally available to offset the income earned by a Fund, and such loss cannot be carried forward to offset taxable income of the Fund or the Subsidiary in future periods.

If a Fund complies with the foregoing provisions, then in any taxable year in which the Fund distributes, in compliance with the Code’s timing and other requirements, an amount at least equal to the sum of 90% of its “investment company taxable income” (which includes dividends, taxable interest, taxable accrued original issue discount and market discount income, income from securities lending, any net short-term capital gain in excess of net long-term capital loss, certain net realized foreign exchange gains and any other taxable income other than “net capital gain,” as defined below, and is reduced by deductible expenses), plus 90% of the excess of its gross tax-exempt interest income (if any) over certain disallowed deductions, the Fund (but not its shareholders) will be relieved of federal income tax on any income of the Fund, including long-term capital gains, distributed to shareholders. If, instead, a Fund retains any investment company taxable income or net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), it will be subject to a tax at regular corporate rates on the amount retained. Because there are some uncertainties regarding the computation of the amounts deemed distributed to Fund shareholders for these purposes — including, in particular, uncertainties regarding the portion, if any, of amounts paid in redemption of Fund shares that should be treated as such distributions — there can be no assurance that each Fund will avoid corporate-level tax in each year.

Each Fund generally intends to distribute for each taxable year to its shareholders all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income, net capital gain and any tax-exempt interest. Exchange control or other foreign laws, regulations or practices may restrict repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of securities sales by foreign investors such as the International Real Estate Securities, Global Real Estate Securities, Alternative Premia, Global Infrastructure, International Equity Dividend and Premium and International Tax-Managed Equity Funds and may therefore make it more difficult for such a Fund to satisfy the distribution requirements described above, as well as the excise tax distribution requirements described below. Each Fund generally expects, however, to be able to obtain sufficient cash to satisfy those requirements, from new investors, the sale of securities or other sources. If for any taxable year a Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, it will be taxed on all of its taxable income and net capital gain at corporate rates, without any deductions of dividends paid, and its distributions to shareholders will generally be taxable as ordinary dividends to the extent of its current and accumulated earnings and profits.

If a Fund retains any net capital gain, the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (1) if subject to U.S. federal income tax on long-term capital gains, will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of that undistributed amount, and (2) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds those liabilities. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund will be increased by the amount of any such undistributed net capital gain included in the shareholder’s gross income and decreased by the federal income tax paid by the Fund on that amount of net capital gain.

To avoid a 4% federal excise tax, each Fund generally must distribute (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its taxable ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for the calendar year, 98.2% of the excess of its capital gains over its capital losses (generally computed on the basis of the one-year period ending on October 31 of such year), and all taxable ordinary income and the excess of capital gains over capital losses for all previous years that were not distributed for those years and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. For federal income tax purposes, dividends declared by a Fund in October, November or December to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month and paid during January of the following year are taxable to such shareholders, and deductible by the Fund, as if paid on December 31 of the year declared. Each Fund anticipates that it will generally make timely distributions of income and capital gains in compliance with these requirements so that it will generally not be required to pay the excise tax.

 

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For federal income tax purposes, each Fund is generally permitted to carry forward a net capital loss in any taxable year to offset its own capital gains, if any, during the eight taxable years following the year of the loss. Capital loss carryforwards arising in taxable years of a Fund beginning after December 22, 2010 will generally be able to be carried forward indefinitely. These amounts are available to be carried forward to offset future capital gains to the extent permitted by the Code and applicable tax regulations. As of December 31, 2019, the following Funds had capital loss carryforwards approximating the amounts indicated, expiring in the years indicated:

 

Fund

   Amount      Years of Expiration  

Commodity Strategy Fund

   $ 6,201,054        Perpetual Short-term  

Commodity Strategy Fund

   $ 14,072,451        Perpetual Long-term  

Alternative Premia Fund

   $ 900,249        Perpetual Short-term  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

   $ 9,118,594        Perpetual Long-term  

Global Infrastructure Fund

   $ 2,023,722        Perpetual Short-term  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

   $ 45,412,766        Perpetual Short-term  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

   $ 3,191,026        Perpetual Long-term  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

   $ 10,066,851        Perpetual Long-term  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

   $ 28,973,021        Perpetual Long-term  

Gains and losses on the sale, lapse, or other termination of options and futures contracts, options thereon and certain forward contracts (except certain foreign currency options, forward contracts and futures contracts) will generally be treated as capital gains and losses. Certain of the futures contracts, forward contracts and options held by a Fund will be required to be “marked-to-market” for federal income tax purposes — that is, treated as having been sold at their fair market value on the last day of the Fund’s taxable year (or, for excise tax purposes, on the last day of the relevant period). These provisions may require a Fund to recognize income or gains without a concurrent receipt of cash. Any gain or loss recognized on actual or deemed sales of these futures contracts, forward contracts, or options will (except for certain foreign currency options, forward contracts, and futures contracts) be treated as 60% long-term capital gain or loss and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. As a result of certain hedging transactions entered into by a Fund, it may be required to defer the recognition of losses on futures contracts, forward contracts, and options or underlying securities or foreign currencies to the extent of any unrecognized gains on related positions held by the Fund, and the characterization of gains or losses as long-term or short-term may be changed. The tax provisions described in this paragraph may affect the amount, timing and character of a Fund’s distributions to shareholders. The application of certain requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company and the application of certain other tax rules may be unclear in some respects in connection with certain investment practices such as dollar rolls, or investments in certain derivatives, including interest rate swaps, floors, caps and collars, currency swaps, total return swaps, mortgage swaps, index swaps, forward contracts and structured notes. As a result, a Fund may therefore be required to limit its investments in such transactions and it is also possible that the IRS may not agree with a Fund’s tax treatment of such transactions. In addition, the tax treatment of derivatives, and certain other investments, may be affected by future legislation, Treasury Regulations and guidance issued by the IRS that could affect the timing, character and amount of a Fund’s income and gains and distributions to shareholders. Certain tax elections may be available to a Fund to mitigate some of the unfavorable consequences described in this paragraph.

Section 988 of the Code contains special tax rules applicable to certain foreign currency transactions and instruments, which may affect the amount, timing and character of income, gain or loss recognized by a Fund. Under these rules, foreign exchange gain or loss realized with respect to foreign currencies and certain futures and options thereon, foreign currency-denominated debt instruments, foreign currency forward contracts, and foreign currency-denominated payables and receivables will generally be treated as ordinary income or loss, although in some cases elections may be available that would alter this treatment. If a net foreign exchange loss treated as ordinary loss under Section 988 of the Code were to exceed a Fund’s investment company taxable income (computed without regard to that loss) for a taxable year, the resulting loss would not be deductible by the Fund or its shareholders in future years. Net loss, if any, from certain foreign currency transactions or instruments could exceed net investment income otherwise calculated for accounting purposes, with the result being either no dividends being paid or a portion of a Fund’s dividends being treated as a return of capital for tax purposes, nontaxable to the extent of a shareholder’s tax basis in his shares and, once such basis is exhausted, generally giving rise to capital gains.

A Fund’s investment, if any, in zero coupon securities, deferred interest securities, certain structured securities or other securities bearing original issue discount or, if a Fund elects to include market discount in income currently, market discount, as well as any “marked-to-market” gain from certain options, futures or forward contracts, as described above, will in many cases cause the Fund to realize income or gain before the receipt of cash payments with respect to these securities or contracts. For a Fund to obtain cash to enable the Fund to distribute any such income or gain, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and to avoid federal income and excise taxes, the Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio investments sooner than it might otherwise have done.

Investments in lower-rated securities may present special tax issues for a Fund to the extent actual or anticipated defaults may be more likely with respect to those kinds of securities. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when an investor in such securities may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount, or market discount; when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities; how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income; and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a workout context are taxable. These and other issues will generally need to be addressed by a Fund, in the event it invests in such securities, so as to seek to eliminate or to minimize any adverse tax consequences.

 

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If a Fund acquires stock (including, under proposed regulations, an option to acquire stock such as is inherent in a convertible bond) in certain foreign corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, rents, royalties or capital gain) or hold at least 50% of their assets in investments producing such passive income (“passive foreign investment companies”), the Fund could be subject to federal income tax and additional interest charges on “excess distributions” received from such companies or gain from the sale of stock in such companies, even if all income or gain actually received by the Fund is timely distributed to its shareholders. The Fund will not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such a tax. In some cases, elections may be available that will ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but those elections will require the Fund to include each year certain amounts as income or gain (subject to the distribution requirements described above) without a concurrent receipt of cash. Each Fund may attempt to limit and/or to manage its holdings in passive foreign investment companies to minimize its tax liability or maximize its return from these investments.

If a Fund invests in certain REITs or in REMIC residual interests, a portion of the Fund’s income may be classified as “excess inclusion income.” A shareholder that is otherwise not subject to tax may be taxable on their share of any such excess inclusion income as “unrelated business taxable income”. In addition, tax may be imposed on a Fund on the portion of any excess inclusion income allocable to any shareholders that are classified as disqualified organizations.

Taxable U.S. Shareholders—Distributions

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, distributions by a Fund, whether reinvested in additional shares or paid in cash, generally will be taxable to shareholders who are subject to tax. Shareholders receiving a distribution in the form of newly issued shares will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the amount of cash they would have received had they elected to receive cash and will have a cost basis in each share received equal to such amount divided by the number of shares received.

In general, distributions from investment company taxable income for the year will be taxable as ordinary income. However, distributions to noncorporate shareholders attributable to dividends received by the Funds from U.S. and certain foreign corporations will generally be taxed at the long-term capital gain rate (described below), as long as certain other requirements are met. For these lower rates to apply, the noncorporate shareholders must have owned their Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the Fund’s ex-dividend date and the Fund must also have owned the underlying stock for this same period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date for the stock. The amount of a Fund’s distributions that otherwise qualify for these lower rates may be reduced as a result of a Fund’s securities lending activities, hedging activities or a high portfolio turnover rate.

Distributions reported to shareholders as derived from a Fund’s dividend income, if any, that would be eligible for the dividends received deduction if such Fund were not a regulated investment company may be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders. The dividends received deduction, if available, is reduced to the extent the shares with respect to which the dividends are received are treated as debt-financed under federal income tax law and is eliminated if the shares are deemed to have been held for less than a minimum period, generally 46 days. The dividends received deduction also may be reduced as a result of a Fund’s securities lending activities, hedging activities or a high portfolio turnover rate. The dividend may, if it is treated as an “extraordinary dividend” under the Code, reduce a shareholder’s tax basis in its shares of a Fund. Capital gain dividends (i.e., dividends from net capital gain), if reported as such to shareholders, will be taxed to shareholders as long-term capital gain regardless of how long shares have been held by shareholders, but are not eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporations. The maximum individual rate applicable to long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individual’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts. Distributions, if any, that are in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will first reduce a shareholder’s tax basis in his shares and, after such basis is reduced to zero, will generally constitute capital gains to a shareholder who holds his shares as capital assets.

Under recent tax legislation, individuals and certain other noncorporate entities are generally eligible for a 20% deduction with respect to ordinary dividends received from REITs (“qualified REIT dividends”) and certain taxable income from MLPs. The IRS has recently issued proposed regulations permitting a regulated investment company to pass through to its shareholders qualified REIT dividends eligible for the 20% deduction. However, the proposed regulations do not provide a mechanism for a regulated investment company to pass through to its shareholders income from MLPs that would be eligible for such deduction if received directly by the shareholders.

 

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Different tax treatment, including penalties on certain excess contributions and deferrals, certain pre-retirement and post-retirement distributions and certain prohibited transactions, is accorded to accounts maintained as qualified retirement plans. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers for more information.

Taxable U.S. Shareholders—Sale of Shares

When a shareholder’s shares are sold, redeemed or otherwise disposed of in a transaction that is treated as a sale for tax purposes, the shareholder will generally recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares and the cash, or fair market value of any property, received. (To aid in computing that tax basis, a shareholder should generally retain its account statements for the period that it holds shares.) If the shareholder holds the shares as a capital asset at the time of sale, the character of the gain or loss should be capital, and treated as long-term if the shareholder’s holding period is more than one year and short-term otherwise, subject to the rules below. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers with reference to their particular circumstances to determine whether a redemption (including an exchange) or other disposition of Fund shares is properly treated as a sale for tax purposes, as is assumed in this discussion.

Certain special tax rules may apply to a shareholder’s capital gains or losses on Fund shares. If a shareholder receives a capital gain dividend with respect to shares and such shares have a tax holding period of six months or less at the time of a sale or redemption of such shares, then any loss the shareholder realizes on the sale or redemption will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of such capital gain dividend. All or a portion of any sales load paid upon the purchase of shares of a Fund will generally not be taken into account in determining gain or loss on the redemption or exchange of such shares within 90 days after their purchase to the extent the redemption proceeds are reinvested, or the exchange is effected, on or before January 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the original stock is disposed of without payment of an additional sales load pursuant to the reinvestment or exchange privilege. The load not taken into account will be added to the tax basis of the newly acquired shares. Additionally, any loss realized on a sale or redemption of shares of a Fund may be disallowed under “wash sale” rules to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced with other shares of the same Fund within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to a dividend reinvestment in shares of such Fund. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an adjustment to the basis of the shares acquired.

Backup Withholding

Each Fund may be required to withhold, as “backup withholding,” federal income tax, currently at a 24% rate, from dividends (including capital gain dividends) and share redemption and exchange proceeds to individuals and other non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number (“TIN”) certified under penalties of perjury, or if the IRS or a broker notifies the Fund that the payee is subject to backup withholding as a result of failing properly to report interest or dividend income to the IRS or that the TIN furnished by the payee to the Fund is incorrect, or if (when required to do so) the payee fails to certify under penalties of perjury that it is not subject to backup withholding. A Fund may refuse to accept an application that does not contain any required TIN or certification that the TIN provided is correct. If the backup withholding provisions are applicable, any such dividends and proceeds, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld. Any amounts withheld may be credited against a shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability. If a shareholder does not have a TIN, it should apply for one immediately by contacting the local office of the Social Security Administration or the IRS. Backup withholding could apply to payments relating to a shareholder’s account while the shareholder is awaiting receipt of a TIN. Special rules apply for certain entities. For example, for an account established under a Uniform Gifts or Transfer to Minors Act, the TIN of the minor should be furnished.

Medicare Tax

An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of US individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts.

Foreign Taxes

Each Fund anticipates that it may be subject to foreign taxes on income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains) from foreign securities. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate those foreign taxes in some cases. If, as may occur for the International Real Estate Securities, Global Real Estate Securities, International Equity Dividend and Premium and International Tax-Managed Equity Funds, more than 50% of a Fund’s total assets at the close

 

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of a taxable year consists of stock or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may file an election with the IRS pursuant to which the shareholders of the Fund will be required (1) to report as dividend income (in addition to taxable dividends actually received) their pro rata shares of foreign income taxes paid by the Fund that are treated as income taxes under U.S. tax regulations (which excludes, for example, stamp taxes, securities transaction taxes, and similar taxes) even though not actually received by those shareholders, and (2) to treat those respective pro rata shares as foreign income taxes paid by them, which they can claim either as a foreign tax credit, subject to applicable limitations, against their U.S. federal income tax liability or as an itemized deduction. (Shareholders who do not itemize deductions for federal income tax purposes will not, however, be able to deduct their pro rata portion of foreign taxes paid by a Fund, although those shareholders will be required to include their share of such taxes in gross income if the foregoing election is made by the Fund.)

If a shareholder chooses to take credit for the foreign taxes deemed paid by such shareholder as a result of any such election by the International Real Estate Securities, Global Real Estate Securities, International Equity Dividend and Premium or International Tax-Managed Equity Funds, the amount of the credit that may be claimed in any year may not exceed the same proportion of the U.S. tax against which such credit is taken which the shareholder’s taxable income from foreign sources (but not in excess of the shareholder’s entire taxable income) bears to his entire taxable income. For this purpose, distributions from long-term and short-term capital gains or foreign currency gains by a Fund will generally not be treated as income from foreign sources. This foreign tax credit limitation may also be applied separately to certain specific categories of foreign-source income and the related foreign taxes. As a result of these rules, which have different effects depending upon each shareholder’s particular tax situation, certain shareholders of the International Real Estate Securities, Global Real Estate Securities, International Equity Dividend and Premium and International Tax-Managed Equity Funds may not be able to claim a credit for the full amount of their proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid by such Fund even if the election is made by that Fund.

Shareholders who are not liable for U.S. federal income taxes, including retirement plans, other tax-exempt shareholders and non-U.S. shareholders, will ordinarily not benefit from the foregoing Fund election with respect to foreign taxes. Each year, if any, that the International Real Estate Securities, Global Real Estate Securities, International Equity Dividend and Premium or International Tax-Managed Equity Funds file the election described above, shareholders will be notified of the amount of (1) each shareholder’s pro rata share of qualified foreign taxes paid by the Fund and (2) the portion of Fund dividends that represents income from foreign sources. The other Funds will generally not be entitled to elect to pass foreign taxes and associated credits or deductions through to their shareholders because they will not satisfy the 50% requirement described above. If a Fund cannot or does not make this election, it may deduct its foreign taxes in computing the amount it is required to distribute.

Non-U.S. Shareholders

The discussion above generally relates solely to U.S. federal income tax law as it applies to “U.S. persons” subject to tax under such law. However, non-U.S. shareholders should refer to the discussion above in respect to Fund investments in certain REITS or in REMIC residual interests.

Except as discussed below, distributions to shareholders who, as to the United States, are not “U.S. persons,” (i.e., are nonresident aliens, foreign corporations, fiduciaries of foreign trusts or estates or other non-U.S. investors) generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at the rate of 30% on distributions treated as ordinary income unless the tax is reduced or eliminated pursuant to a tax treaty or the distributions are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the shareholder; but distributions of net capital gain (the excess of any net long-term capital gains over any net short-term capital losses) including amounts retained by a Fund which are reported as undistributed capital gains, to such a non-U.S. shareholder will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax unless the distributions are effectively connected with the shareholder’s trade or business in the United States or, in the case of a shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual, the shareholder is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and certain other conditions are met. Non-U.S. shareholders may also be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax on deemed income resulting from any election by a Fund to treat qualified foreign taxes it pays as passed through to shareholders (as described above), but they may not be able to claim a U.S. tax credit or deduction with respect to such taxes.

Non-U.S. shareholders generally are not subject to U.S. federal income tax withholding on certain distributions of interest income and/or short-term capital gains that are designated by the Funds. It is expected that the Funds will generally make designations of short-term gains, to the extent permitted, but the Funds do not intend to make designations of any distributions attributable to interest income. Therefore, all distributions of interest income will be subject to withholding when paid to non-U.S. investors.

Any capital gain realized by a non-U.S. shareholder upon a sale or redemption of shares of a Fund will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax unless the gain is effectively connected with the shareholder’s trade or business in the U.S., or in the case of a shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual, the shareholder is present in the U.S. for 183 days or more during the taxable year and certain other conditions are met.

 

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Non-U.S. persons who fail to furnish a Fund with the proper IRS Form W-8 (i.e., W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E, W-8ECI, W-8IMY or W-8EXP), or an acceptable substitute, may be subject to backup withholding (currently at a rate of 24%) rate on dividends (including capital gain dividends) and on the proceeds of redemptions and exchanges. Also, non-U.S. shareholders of a Fund may be subject to U.S. estate tax with respect to their Fund shares.

Under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (“FIRPTA”), a non-U.S. shareholder is subject to withholding tax in respect of a disposition of a U.S. real property interest and any gain from such disposition is subject to U.S. federal income tax as if such person were a U.S. person. Such gain is sometimes referred to as “FIRPTA gain.” If a Fund is a “U.S. real property holding corporation” and is not domestically controlled, any gain realized on the sale or exchange of Fund shares by a foreign shareholder that owns at any time during the five-year period ending on the date of disposition more than 5% of a class of Fund shares would be FIRPTA gain.

The Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of FIRPTA gain by a Fund if all of the following requirements are met: (i) the Fund is classified as a “qualified investment entity” (which includes a regulated investment company if, in general, more than 50% of the regulated investment company’s assets consist of interest in REITs and U.S. real property holding corporations); and (ii) you are a non-U.S. shareholder that owns more than 5% of the Fund’s shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of the distribution. If these conditions are met, Fund distributions to you to the extent derived from gain from the disposition of a U.S. real property interest, may also be treated as FIRPTA gain and therefore subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 21%, and requiring that you file a nonresident U.S. income tax return. Also, such gain may be subject to a 30% branch profits tax in the hands of a non-U.S. shareholder that is a corporation. Even if a non-U.S. shareholder does not own more than 5% of the Fund’s shares, Fund distributions that are attributable to gain from the sale or disposition of a U.S. real property interest will be taxable as ordinary dividends subject to withholding at a 30% or lower treaty rate.

The Funds are required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive new reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to enable the Funds to determine whether withholding is required.

Each shareholder who is not a U.S. person should consult his or her tax adviser regarding the U.S. and non-U.S. tax consequences of ownership of shares of, and receipt of distributions from, the Funds.

State and Local Taxes

Each Fund may be subject to state or local taxes in jurisdictions in which the Fund is deemed to be doing business. In addition, in those states or localities that impose income taxes, the treatment of such a Fund and its shareholders under those jurisdictions’ tax laws may differ from the treatment under federal income tax laws, and investment in such a Fund may have tax consequences for shareholders that are different from those of a direct investment in the Fund’s portfolio securities. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers concerning state and local tax matters.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The audited financial statements and related reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds, contained in each Fund’s 2019 Annual Report are hereby incorporated by reference.

The financial statements in each Fund’s Annual Report have been incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given upon the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing. No other parts of any Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein. Copies of the Annual Reports of each Fund may be obtained upon request and without charge by writing Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, P.O. Box 06050, Chicago, Illinois 60606 or by calling Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, at the telephone number on the back cover of each Fund’s Prospectuses.

 

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PROXY VOTING

The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has delegated the voting of portfolio securities to the Investment Adviser. For client accounts for which the Investment Adviser has voting discretion, the Investment Adviser has adopted policies and procedures (the “Proxy Voting Policy”) for the voting of proxies. Under the Proxy Voting Policy, the Investment Adviser’s guiding principles in performing proxy voting are to make decisions that favor proposals that in the Investment Adviser’s view tend to maximize a company’s shareholder value and are not influenced by conflicts of interest. To implement these guiding principles for investments in publicly-traded equities, the Investment Adviser has developed customized proxy voting guidelines (the “Guidelines”) that it generally applies when voting on behalf of client accounts. Attached as Appendix B is a summary of the Guidelines. These Guidelines address a wide variety of individual topics, including, among other matters, shareholder voting rights, anti-takeover defenses, board structures, the election of directors, executive and director compensation, reorganizations, mergers, issues of corporate social responsibility and various shareholder proposals. The Guidelines embody the positions and factors the Investment Adviser generally considers important in casting proxy votes.

The Proxy Voting Policy, including the Guidelines, is reviewed periodically to ensure that it continues to be consistent with the Investment Adviser’s guiding principles.

The Investment Adviser has retained a third-party proxy voting service (“Proxy Service”), currently Institutional Shareholder Services, to assist in the implementation and administration of certain proxy voting-related functions including, without limitation, operational, recordkeeping and reporting services. The Proxy Service also prepares a written analysis and recommendation (a “Recommendation”) of each proxy vote that reflects the Proxy Service’s application of the Guidelines to particular proxy issues. While it is the Investment Adviser’s policy generally to follow the Guidelines and Recommendations from the Proxy Service, the Investment Adviser’s portfolio management teams (“Portfolio Management Teams”) may on certain proxy votes seek approval to diverge from the Guidelines or a Recommendation by following an “override” process. Such decisions are subject to a review and approval process, including a determination that the decision is not influenced by any conflict of interest. A Portfolio Management Team that receives approval through the override process to cast a proxy vote that diverges from the Guidelines and/or a Recommendation may vote differently than other Portfolio Management Teams that did not seek to override that vote. In forming their views on particular matters, the Portfolio Management Teams are also permitted to consider applicable regional rules and practices, including codes of conduct and other guides, regarding proxy voting, in addition to the Guidelines and Recommendations. The Investment Adviser may hire other service providers to replace or supplement the Proxy Service with respect to any of the services the Investment Adviser currently receives from the Proxy Service.

GSAM conducts periodic due diligence meetings with the Proxy Service which include, but are not limited to, a review of the Proxy Service’s general organizational structure, new developments with respect to research and technology, work flow improvements and internal due diligence with respect to conflicts of interest.

From time to time, the Investment Adviser may face regulatory, compliance, legal or logistical limits with respect to voting securities that it may purchase or hold for client accounts, which can affect the Investment Adviser’s ability to vote such proxies, as well as the desirability of voting such proxies. Among other limits, federal, state and foreign regulatory restrictions or company specific ownership limits, as well as legal matters related to consolidated groups, may restrict the total percentage of an issuer’s voting securities that the Investment Adviser can hold for clients and the nature of the Investment Adviser’s voting in such securities. The Investment Adviser’s ability to vote proxies may also be affected by, among other things: (i) late receipt of meeting notices; (ii) requirements to vote proxies in person: (iii) restrictions on a foreigner’s ability to exercise votes; (iv) potential difficulties in translating the proxy; (v) requirements to provide local agents with unrestricted powers of attorney to facilitate voting instructions; and (vi) requirements that investors who exercise their voting rights surrender the right to dispose of their holdings for some specified period in proximity to the shareholder meeting.

The Investment Adviser has adopted policies and procedures designed to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing its proxy voting decisions that the Investment Adviser makes on behalf of a client account. These policies and procedures include the Investment Adviser’s use of the Guidelines and Recommendations from the Proxy Service, the override approval process previously discussed, and the establishment of information barriers between the Investment Adviser and other businesses within The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Notwithstanding such proxy voting policies and procedures, actual proxy voting decisions of the Investment Adviser may have the effect of benefiting the interests of other clients or businesses of other divisions or units of Goldman Sachs and/or its affiliates.

Voting decisions with respect to fixed income securities and the securities of privately held issuers generally will be made by a Fund’s managers based on their assessment of the particular transactions or other matters at issue.

Information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on or through the Funds’ website at http://www.gsam.com/content/gsam/us/en/advisors/resources/client-service/proxyvoting.html without charge and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

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PAYMENTS TO OTHERS (INCLUDING INTERMEDIARIES)

The Investment Adviser, Distributor and/or their affiliates may make payments to Intermediaries from time to time to promote the sale, distribution and/or servicing of shares of a Fund, except that the Investment Adviser, Distributor and its affiliates do not make such payments on behalf of Class R6 Shares. These payments (“Additional Payments”) are made out of the Investment Adviser’s, Distributor’s and/or their affiliates’ own assets (which may come directly or indirectly from fees paid by a Fund), are not an additional charge to a Fund or its shareholders, and do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a Fund’s shares or the amount a Fund receives as proceeds from such purchases. Although paid by the Investment Adviser, Distributor, and/or their affiliates, the Additional Payments are in addition to the distribution and service fees paid by a Fund to the Intermediaries as described in a Fund’s Prospectuses and this SAI, and are also in addition to the sales commissions payable to Intermediaries as set forth in the Prospectuses. For purposes of this “Payments to Others (Including Intermediaries)” section, “Funds” shall mean, collectively, a Fund and any of the other Goldman Sachs Funds.

The Additional Payments are intended to compensate Intermediaries for, among other things: marketing shares of a Fund, which may consist of payments relating to funds included on preferred or recommended fund lists or in certain sales programs from time to time sponsored by the Intermediaries; “due diligence” examination and/or review of the Funds from time to time; access to the Intermediaries’ registered representatives or salespersons, including at conferences and other meetings; assistance in training and education of personnel; “finders” or “referral fees” for directing investors to a Fund; marketing support fees for providing assistance in promoting the sale of Fund shares (which may include promotions in communications with the Intermediaries’ customers, registered representatives and salespersons); the support or purchase of technology platforms/software offered by the Investment Adviser, Distributor and/or their affiliates or third parties (which may be used by Intermediaries to provide advisory and/or brokerage services to their customers); provision of analytical or other data to the Investment Adviser or its affiliates relating to sales of shares of the Funds; and/or other specified services intended to assist in the distribution and marketing of a Fund, including provision of consultative services to the Investment Adviser or its affiliates relating to marketing of the Fund and/or sale of shares of the Funds. In addition, the Investment Adviser, Distributor and/or their affiliates may make Additional Payments (including through sub-transfer agency and networking agreements) for subaccounting, administrative and/or shareholder processing services that are in addition to the transfer agent, shareholder administration, servicing and processing fees paid by the Funds. These Additional Payments may exceed amounts earned on these assets by the Investment Adviser, Distributor and/or their affiliates for the performance of these or similar services. The Additional Payments may be a fixed dollar amount; may be based on the number of customer accounts maintained by an Intermediary; may be based on a percentage of the value of shares sold to, or held by, customers of the Intermediary involved; or may be calculated on another basis. The Additional Payments are negotiated with each Intermediary based on a range of factors, including but not limited to the Intermediary’s ability to attract and retain assets (including particular classes of Fund shares), target markets, customer relationships, quality of service and industry reputation. Although the individual components may be higher or lower and the total amount of Additional Payments made to any Intermediary in any given year will vary, the amount of these Additional Payments (excluding payments made through sub-transfer agency and networking agreements), on average, is normally not expected to exceed 0.50% (annualized) of the amount sold or invested through an Intermediary.

These Additional Payments may be significant to certain Intermediaries, and may be an important factor in an Intermediary’s willingness to support the sale of the Funds through its distribution system.

The Investment Adviser, Distributor and/or their affiliates may be motivated to make Additional Payments since they promote the sale of Fund shares to clients of Intermediaries and the retention of those investments by those clients. To the extent Intermediaries sell more shares of a Fund or retain shares of a Fund in their clients’ accounts, the Investment Adviser and Distributor benefit from the incremental management and other fees paid by a Fund with respect to those assets.

In addition, certain Intermediaries may have access to certain research and investment services from the Investment Adviser, Distributor and/or their affiliates. Such research and investment services (“Additional Services”) may include research reports; economic analysis; portfolio analysis, portfolio construction and similar tools and software; business planning services; certain marketing and investor education materials; and strategic asset allocation modeling. The Intermediary may not pay for these products or services or may only pay for a portion of the total cost of these products or services. The cost of the Additional Services and the particular services provided may vary from Intermediary to Intermediary.

 

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The Additional Payments made by the Investment Adviser, Distributor and/or their affiliates or the Additional Services received by an Intermediary may vary with respect to the type of fund (e.g., equity, fund, fixed income fund, specialty fund, asset allocation portfolio or money market fund) sold by the Intermediary. In addition, the Additional Payment arrangements may include breakpoints in compensation which provide that the percentage rate of compensation varies as the dollar value of the amount sold or invested through an Intermediary increases.

The presence of these Additional Payments or Additional Services, the varying fee structure and the basis on which an Intermediary compensates its registered representatives or salespersons may create an incentive for a particular Intermediary, registered representative or salesperson to highlight, feature or recommend funds, including a Fund, or other investments based, at least in part, on the level of compensation paid. Additionally, if one mutual fund sponsor makes greater distribution payments than another, an Intermediary may have an incentive to recommend one fund complex over another. Similarly, if an Intermediary receives more distribution assistance for one share class versus another, that Intermediary may have an incentive to recommend that share class. Because Intermediaries may be paid varying amounts per class for sub-transfer agency and related recordkeeping services, the service requirements of which also may vary by class, this may create an additional incentive for financial firms and their financial advisors to favor one fund complex over another, or one fund class over another. You should consider whether such incentives exist when evaluating any recommendations from an Intermediary to purchase or sell Shares of a Fund and when considering which share class is most appropriate for you.

For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Investment Adviser, Distributor and their affiliates made Additional Payments out of their own assets to approximately 179 Intermediaries, totaling approximately $188.8 million (excluding payments made through sub-transfer agency and networking agreements and certain other types of payments described below), with respect to the Fund, Goldman Sachs Trust, all of the funds in an affiliated investment company, Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust, and Goldman Sachs Trust II. During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Investment Adviser, Distributor and/or their affiliates had contractual arrangements to make Additional Payments to the Intermediaries listed below (or their affiliates or successors), among others. This list will change over time, and any additions, modifications or deletions thereto that have occurred since December 31, 2019 are not reflected. Additional Intermediaries may receive payments in 2019 and in future years. Certain arrangements are still being negotiated, and there is a possibility that payments will be made retroactively to Intermediaries not listed below.

ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc.

ADP LLC

ADP, Inc.

Allstate Life Insurance Company

Allstate Life Insurance Company of New York

Amalgamated Bank of Chicago

American Enterprise Investment Services, Inc. (AEIS)

American General Life Insurance Company

American National Trust and Investment Management Company dba Old National Trust Company (Oltrust & Co.)

American United Life Insurance Company

Ascensus, LLC.

Associated Trust Company, N.A.

AXA Equitable Holdings LLC

Banc of America Securities LLC

BancorpSouth

Bank of New York

Bankers Trust Company

BB&T Capital Markets

BMO Harris Bank N.A.

BMO Nesbitt Burns

BNY Mellon National Association

BOSC, Inc.

Branch Banking and Trust Company

Brighthouse Life Insurance Company

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

 

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C.M. Life Insurance Company

California Department of Human Resources

Cetera Financial Group

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Inc.

Citi Custody

Citibank N.A.

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

CME Shareholder Servicing LLC

Comerica Bank

Comerica Securities, Inc.

Commerce Bank

Commerce Bank, N.A.

Commerce Trust Co.

Commonwealth Annuity and Life Insurance Company

Commonwealth Equity Services, Inc. dba Commonwealth Financial Network

Companion Life Insurance Company

Compass Bank

Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

Connecticut General Life Insurance Company

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

Dain Rauscher Inc.

Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas

Diversified Investment Advisors

Drexel Hamilton, LLC

Dubuque Bank & Trust

Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P.

Farmers New World Life Insurance Company

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC

Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, Inc.

Fifth Third Bank

Fifth Third Securities Inc.

First Hawaiian Bank

First National Bank of Omaha

FIS Business Systems LLC

Forethought Life Insurance Company

Fulton Bank, N.A.

Fulton Financial Advisors, National Association

Genworth Life and Annuity Insurance Company

Genworth Life Insurance Company

Genworth Life Insurance Company of New York

GreatBanc Trust Co.

Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company

GWFS Equities, Inc.; GWFS Equities, Incorporated; GW Capital Management, LLC; Great-West Financial Retirement Plan Services, LLC; Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company; SunTrust Bank; Fifth Third Bank

Hartford Life Insurance Company

 

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Hazeltree Fund Services, Inc.

Hewitt Associates LLC; Alight Solutions LLC

Horace Mann Life Insurance Company

HSBC Bank U.S.A., N.A.

Hunt, Dupree & Rhine

Huntington Investment Company

ICMA RC-Services, LLC; ICMA Retirement Corporation; Matrix Financial Solutions; MSCS Financial Services Division of Broadridge Business Process Outsourcing, LLC; Matrix Trust Company; McCready and Keene, Inc; Wilmington Trust Retirement and Institutional Services Company; MSCS Financial Services, LLC

Institutional Cash Distributors (division of Merriman Curhan Ford & Co.)

Investmart, Inc.

Jefferies LLC

Jefferson National Life Insurance Company

Jefferson National Life Insurance Company of New York

Jefferson Pilot Financial Insurance Company

John Hancock Trust Company

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

JPMorgan Securities, Inc

Key Bank N.A.

LaSalle Bank, N.A.

Law Debenture Trust Company of New York

Lincoln Benefit Life Company

Lincoln Life & Annuity Company of New York

Lincoln Retirement Services Company, LLC

LPL Financial Corporation

LPL Financial LLC

M&I Brokerage Services, Inc.

M&I Data Services (division of The Marshall & Ilsley Corportation)

M&T Bank

M&T Securities, Inc.

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company; MassMutual Retirement Services, LLC; MML Distributors, LLC

Members Life Insurance Company

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated

Midland National Life Insurance Company

Minnesota Life Insurance Company

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC

MSCS Financial Services Division of Broadridge Business Process Outsourcing, LLC

National Financial Services LLC

National Financial Services LLC

National Security Life and Annuity Company

Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.

Newport Group, Inc.

Newport Retirement Services, Inc.

Ohio National Equities, Inc.

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

 

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Pershing LLC

PNC Bank, N.A.

PNC Bank, National Organization

PNC Capital Markets LLC

PNC Investments LLC

Principal Life Insurance Company

Protective Life Insurance Company

PruCo Life Insurance Company

PruCo Life Insurance Company of New Jersey

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

Raymond James Financial Services

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

Regions Bank

Reliance Trust Company

Reliance Trust Company; Daily Access Concepts

RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York

RiverSource Life Insurance Company

Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated

Scott & Stringfellow

Security Benefit Life Insurance Company

Security Distributors, Inc.

Signature Bank

State Street Bank and Trust Company

State Street Global Markets, LLC

Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (U.S.)

Sun Life Insurance and Annuity Company of New York

Sungard Institutional Brokerage, Inc.

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc.

Synovus Securities

T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc.

TD Bank National Association

Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America

The Glenmede Trust Company N.A.

The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc.

The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company

The Ohio National Life Insurance Company

The Prudential Insurance Company of America

The Prudential Insurance Company of America

The Travelers Insurance Company

The Travelers Life and Annuity Company

The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York

The Vanguard Group, Inc.

The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company

Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company

Transamerica Life Insurance Company

Treasury Curve, LLC

 

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Trustmark National Bank

U.S. Bank, N.A.

UBS Financial Services Inc.

Union Bank, N.A.

United of Omaha Life Insurance Company

VALIC Retirement Services Company

Voya Financial Partners, LLC

Voya Institutional Plan Services, LLC

Voya Retirement Advisors, LLC

Voya Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company

Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC

Wells Fargo Bank

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC.

Wells Fargo Corporate Trust Services

Zions Bank

Zurich American Life Insurance Company

Your Intermediary may charge you additional fees or commissions other than those disclosed in the Prospectuses. Shareholders should contact their Intermediary for more information about the Additional Payments or Additional Services they receive and any potential conflicts of interest, as well as for information regarding any fees and/or commissions it charges. For additional questions, please contact Goldman Sachs Funds at 1-800-621-2550.

Not included on the list above are other subsidiaries of Goldman Sachs who may receive revenue from the Investment Adviser, Distributor and/or their affiliates through intra-company compensation arrangements and for financial, distribution, administrative and operational services.

Furthermore, the Investment Adviser, Distributor and/or their affiliates may, to the extent permitted by applicable regulations, sponsor various trainings and educational programs and reimburse investors for certain expenses incurred in connection with accessing the Funds through portal arrangements. The Investment Adviser, Distributor and their affiliates may also pay for the travel expenses, meals, lodging and entertainment of Intermediaries and their salespersons and guests in connection with educational, sales and promotional programs subject to applicable FINRA regulations. Other compensation may also be offered from time to time to the extent not prohibited by applicable federal or state laws or FINRA regulations. This compensation is not included in, and is made in addition to, the Additional Payments described above.

OTHER INFORMATION

Selective Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings Information and Portfolio Characteristics Information

The Board of Trustees of the Trust and the Investment Adviser have adopted a policy on the selective disclosure of portfolio holdings information and portfolio characteristics information. The policy seeks to (1) ensure that the disclosure of portfolio holdings information and portfolio characteristics information is in the best interest of Fund shareholders; and (2) address the conflicts of interest associated with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information and portfolio characteristics information. The policy provides that neither a Fund nor the Trust’s officers or Trustees, nor the Investment Adviser, Distributor or any agent, or any employee thereof (“Fund Representative”), will disclose a Fund’s portfolio holdings information or portfolio characteristics information to any person other than in accordance with the policy. For purposes of the policy, “portfolio holdings information” means a Fund’s actual portfolio holdings, as well as non-public information about its trading strategies or pending transactions. Portfolio holdings information does not include summary or statistical information which is derived from (but does not include) individual portfolio holdings (“portfolio characteristics information”).

Under the policy, neither a Fund nor any Fund Representative may solicit or accept any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information or portfolio characteristics information. A Fund Representative may generally provide portfolio holdings information and material portfolio characteristics information to third parties if such information has been included in a Fund’s public filings with the SEC or is disclosed on the Funds’ publicly accessible website or is otherwise publicly available.

 

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Portfolio Holdings Information. Portfolio holdings information that is not filed with the SEC or disclosed on the Funds’ publicly available website may be provided to third parties (including, without limitation, individuals, institutional investors, intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund, consultants and third-party data providers) only for legitimate business purposes and only if the third-party recipients are required to keep all such portfolio holdings information confidential and are prohibited from trading on the information they receive in violation of the federal securities laws. Disclosure to such third parties must be approved in advance by the Investment Adviser’s legal or compliance department. Disclosure to providers of auditing, custody, proxy voting and other similar services; rating and ranking organizations; lenders and other third-party service providers that may obtain access to such information in the performance of their contractual duties to the Funds will generally be permitted. In general, each recipient of non-public portfolio holdings information must sign a confidentiality agreement and agree not to trade on the basis of such information in violation of the federal securities laws, although this requirement will not apply when the recipient is otherwise subject to a duty of confidentiality.

In accordance with the policy, the identity of those recipients who receive non-public portfolio holdings information on an ongoing basis is as follows: the Investment Adviser and its affiliates, the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, the Funds’ custodian, the Funds’ legal counsel—Dechert LLP, the Funds’ tax service provider—Deloitte & Touche LLP, the Funds’ financial printer—Donnelley Financial Solutions Inc., the Funds’ proxy voting service—ISS, and the Funds’ class action processing service provider—Financial Recovery Technologies, LLC. KPMG LLP, an investor in the Alternative Premia Fund, also receives certain non-public portfolio holdings information on an ongoing basis in order to facilitate compliance with the auditor independence requirements to which it is subject. In addition, certain Goldman Sachs Fixed Income Funds provide non-public portfolio holdings information to Standard & Poor’s to allow such Funds to be rated by it, and certain Goldman Sachs Equity Funds provide non-public portfolio holdings information to FactSet, a provider of global financial and economic information. These entities are obligated to keep such information confidential. Third-party providers of custodial services to the Funds may release non-public portfolio holdings information of the Funds only with the permission of certain Fund Representatives. From time to time portfolio holdings information may be provided to broker-dealers, prime brokers, FCMs or derivatives clearing merchants in connection with a Fund’s portfolio trading activities. In providing this information, reasonable precautions, including, but not limited to, the execution of a non-disclosure agreement and limitations on the scope of the portfolio holdings information disclosed, are taken to avoid any potential misuse of the disclosed information. All marketing materials prepared by the Trust’s principal underwriter are reviewed by Goldman Sachs’ Compliance department for consistency with the policy.

The Funds described in this SAI currently intend to publish complete portfolio holdings on the Trust’s website (http://www.gsamfunds.com) as of the end of each calendar quarter (the end of the month, in the case of Managed Futures Strategy), subject to a 30 calendar day lag (with respect to the International Real Estate Securities, Real Estate Securities, Global Real Estate Securities, Global Infrastructure, International Equity Dividend and Premium and U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Funds, this lag is 15 days, and with respect to the U.S. Tax-Managed Equity and International Tax-Managed Equity Funds, this lag is 60 days) between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed. In addition, the equity funds in this SAI intend to post month-end top ten holdings (the Alternative Premia Fund instead shows exposures to the five major asset classes, the Managed Futures Strategy Fund instead shows asset class exposure, and the Absolute Return Tracker Fund and Commodity Strategy Fund instead show select portfolio holdings information) on the Trust’s website subject to a 15 calendar day lag between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed. A Fund may publish on the website complete portfolio holdings information more frequently if it has a legitimate business purpose for doing so. Operational disruptions and other systems disruptions may delay the posting of this information on the Trust’s website.

Each Fund files portfolio holdings information within 60 days after the end of each fiscal quarter on Form N-PORT. Portfolio holdings information for the third month of each fiscal quarter will be publicly available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Each Fund’s complete schedule of portfolio holdings for the second and fourth quarters of each fiscal year is included in the semi-annual and annual reports to shareholders, respectively, and is filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR. A semi-annual or annual report for each Fund will become available to investors within 60 days after the period to which it relates. Each Fund’s Forms N-PORT and Forms N-CSR are available on the SEC’s website listed above.

 

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Portfolio Characteristics Information. Material portfolio characteristics information that is not publicly available (e.g., information that is not filed with the SEC or disclosed on the Funds’ publicly available website) or calculated from publicly available information may be provided to third parties only if the third-party recipients are required to keep all such portfolio characteristics information confidential and are prohibited from trading on the information they receive in violation of the federal securities laws. Disclosure to such third parties must be approved in advance by the Investment Adviser’s legal or compliance department, who must first determine that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so. In general, each recipient of material, non-public portfolio characteristics information must sign a confidentiality agreement and agree not to trade on the basis of such information in violation of the federal securities laws, although this requirement will not apply when the recipient is otherwise subject to a duty of confidentiality.

However, upon request, a Fund will provide certain non-public portfolio characteristics information to any (i) shareholder or (ii) non-shareholder (including, without limitation, individuals, institutional investors, intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund, consultants and third-party data providers) whose request for such information satisfies and/or serves a legitimate business purpose for the Fund. Examples of portfolio characteristics information include, but are not limited to, statistical information about a Fund’s portfolio. Portfolio characteristics information that is made available upon request would normally include:

 

   

Asset Allocation Information – The allocation of a Fund’s portfolio among asset classes, regions, countries, industries, sub-industries, sectors, sub-sectors, strategies or subadvisers; credit quality ratings; and weighted average market capitalization ranges.

 

   

Financial Characteristics Information – The financial characteristics of a Fund’s portfolio, such as alpha; beta; R-squared; Sharpe ratio; information ratio; standard deviation; tracking error; various earnings and price based ratios (e.g., price-to-earnings and price-to-book); value at risk (VaR); duration information; weighted-average maturity/life; portfolio turnover; attribution; and other aggregated risk statistics (e.g., aggregate liquidity classification information).

In accordance with the policy, this type of portfolio characteristics information that is made available upon request will be disclosed in accordance with, and subject to the time lag indicated in, the schedule below. This portfolio characteristics information may be requested by calling Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC toll-free at 1-800-526-7384 (for Class A, Class C, Class R and Investor Shareholders) or 1-800-621-2550 (for Institutional, Service, Administration, Separate Account Institutional, Class R6 and Class P Shareholders). Portfolio characteristics information that is otherwise publicly available may be disclosed without these time lags.

The type and volume of portfolio characteristics information that is made available upon request will vary among the Goldman Sachs Funds (depending on the investment strategies and the portfolio management team of the applicable Fund). If portfolio characteristics information is disclosed to one recipient, it must also be disclosed to all other eligible recipients requesting the same information. However, under certain circumstances, the volume of portfolio characteristics information provided to one recipient may differ from the volume of portfolio characteristics information provided to other recipients.

 

Type of Information

  

When Available Upon Request

Portfolio Characteristics Information

 

(Except for Aggregate Liquidity Classification Information)

  

Prior to 15 Business Days After Month-End: Cannot disclose without (i) a confidentiality agreement; (ii) an agreement not to trade on the basis of non-public information in violation of the federal securities laws; and (iii) legal or compliance approval.

 

15 Business Days After Month-End: May disclose to (i) shareholders and (ii) any non-shareholder whose request satisfies and/or serves a legitimate business purpose for the applicable Fund.

Aggregate Liquidity Classification Information   

Prior to 90 Calendar Days After Month-End: Cannot disclose without (i) a confidentiality agreement; (ii) an agreement not to trade on the basis of non-public information in violation of the federal securities laws; and (iii) legal or compliance approval.

 

90 Calendar Days After Month-End: May disclose to (i) shareholders and (ii) any non-shareholder whose request satisfies and/or serves a legitimate business purpose for the applicable Fund.

 

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In addition, the Funds described in this SAI currently intend to publish certain portfolio characteristics information on the Trust’s website (http://www.gsamfunds.com) as of the end of each month or fiscal quarter, and such information will generally be subject to a 15 day lag. Operational disruptions and other systems disruptions may delay the posting of this information on the Trust’s website or the availability of this information by calling Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC at the toll-free numbers listed above.

Oversight of the Policy. Under the policy, Fund Representatives will periodically supply the Board of the Trustees with a list of third parties who receive non-public portfolio holdings information and material, non-public portfolio characteristics information pursuant to an ongoing arrangement subject to a confidentiality agreement and agreement not to trade on the basis of such information in violation of the federal securities laws. In addition, the Board receives information, on a quarterly basis, on such arrangements that were permitted during the preceding quarter. Under the policy, the Investment Adviser’s legal and compliance personnel authorize the disclosure of portfolio holdings information and portfolio characteristics information.

 

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DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLANS

(Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class R Shares Only)

Distribution and Service Plans. As described in the Prospectuses, the Trust has adopted, on behalf of Class A, Class C and Class R Shares of each Fund offering those share classes, distribution and service plans (collectively, the “Plans” and each individually, a “Plan”). See “Shareholder Guide—Distribution and Service Fees” in the Prospectuses. The distribution fees payable under the Plans are subject to Rule 12b-1 under the Act and finance distribution and other services that are provided to investors in the Funds and enable the Funds to offer investors the choice of investing in either Class A, Class C or Class R Shares when investing in the Funds. In addition, distribution fees payable under the Plans may be used to assist the Funds in reaching and maintaining asset levels that are efficient for the Funds’ operations and investments.

The Plans for Class A, Class C and Class R Shares of each applicable Fund were most recently approved by a majority vote of the Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plans, cast in person at meetings called for the purpose of approving the Plans, on June 11-12, 2019 with respect to Class A, Class C and Class R Shares.

The compensation for distribution services payable under a Plan to Goldman Sachs may not exceed 0.25%, 0.75% and 0.50% per annum of a Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class A, Class C and Class R Shares, respectively, of such Fund. Under the Plan for Class C Shares, Goldman Sachs is also entitled to receive a separate fee for personal and account maintenance services equal on an annual basis to 0.25% of each Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class C Shares. With respect to Class A and Class R Shares, the Distributor at its discretion may use compensation for distribution services paid under the Plans for personal and account maintenance services and expenses so long as such total compensation under the Plans does not exceed the maximum cap on “service fees” imposed by FINRA.

Each Plan is a compensation plan which provides for the payment of a specified fee without regard to the expenses actually incurred by Goldman Sachs. If such fee exceeds Goldman Sachs’ expenses, Goldman Sachs may realize a profit from these arrangements. The distribution fees received by Goldman Sachs under the Plans (and, as applicable, CDSCs) on Class A, Class C and Class R Shares may be sold by Goldman Sachs as Distributor to entities which provide financing for payments to Intermediaries in respect of sales of Class A, Class C and Class R Shares. To the extent such fees are not paid to such dealers, Goldman Sachs may retain such fees as compensation for its services and expenses of distributing the Funds’ Class A, Class C and Class R Shares.

Under each Plan, Goldman Sachs, as Distributor of each Fund’s Class A, Class C and Class R Shares, will provide to the Trustees of the Trust for their review, and the Trustees of the Trust will review at least quarterly a written report of the services provided and amounts expended by Goldman Sachs under the Plans and the purposes for which such services were performed and expenditures were made.

The Plans will remain in effect until June 30, 2020, and from year to year thereafter, provided that such continuance is approved annually by a majority vote of the Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plans. The Plans may not be amended to increase materially the amount of distribution compensation described therein without approval of a majority of the outstanding Class A, Class C or Class R Shares of the affected Fund and affected share class but may be amended without shareholder approval to increase materially the amount of non-distribution compensation. All material amendments of a Plan must also be approved by the Trustees of the Trust in the manner described above. A Plan may be terminated at any time as to any Fund without payment of any penalty by a vote of a majority of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the Class A, Class C or Class R Shares, respectively, of the affected Fund and affected share class. If a Plan were terminated by the Trustees of the Trust and no successor plan were adopted, the Fund would cease to make payments to Goldman Sachs under the Plan and Goldman Sachs would be unable to recover the amount of any of its unreimbursed expenditures. So long as a Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of non-interested Trustees of the Trust will be committed to the discretion of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust. The Trustees of the Trust have determined that in their judgment there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plans will benefit the Funds and their Class A, Class C and Class R shareholders.

 

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The following chart shows the distribution and service fees paid to Goldman Sachs for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 by each of the following Funds pursuant to the Class A Plan:

 

Fund

   Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2019
     Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2018
     Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2017
 

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

   $ 198,108      $ 159,534      $ 83,129  

Commodity Strategy Fund

     63,258        112,675        122,644  

Alternative Premia Fund

     21,072        26,783        45,818  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

     22,602        19,868        24,705  

Real Estate Securities Fund

     71,599        76,306        116,777  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

     7,672        9,631        12,134  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

     1,078        3,120        1,744  

Global Infrastructure Fund

     3,164        2,659        93  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     491,029        639,922        667,541  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     6,324        8,524        11,736  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     158,189        136,919        121,561  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     21,376        27,174        14,534  

 

The following chart shows the distribution and service fees paid to Goldman Sachs for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 by each of the following Funds pursuant to the Class C Plan:

 

Fund

   Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2019
     Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2018
     Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2017
 

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

   $ 178,946      $ 169,401      $ 129,043  

Commodity Strategy Fund

     25,464        31,739        31,355  

Alternative Premia Fund

     63,486        119,029        175,470  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

     32,319        35,283        34,260  

Real Estate Securities Fund

     32,583        80,547        138,680  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

     1,867        5,920        9,738  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

   $ 556        278        349  

Global Infrastructure Fund

     22,414        10,254        548  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     1,421,162        1,697,362        1,644,929  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     9,627        31,614        32,934  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     162,090        206,276        223,168  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     19,224        35,493        14,392  

 

The following chart shows the distribution and service fees paid to Goldman Sachs for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 by each of the following Funds pursuant to the Class R Plan:

 

Fund

   Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2019
     Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2018
     Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2017
 

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

   $ 11,303      $ 10,678      $ 11,587  

Commodity Strategy Fund

   $ 11,609        13,783        16,911  

Alternative Premia Fund

   $ 471        65        62  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

   $ 2,868        2,908        2,184  

Real Estate Securities Fund

   $ 8,854        11,776        17,164  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

   $ 156        141        138  

Global Infrastructure Fund

   $ 152        135        136  

 

 

B-134


During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, Goldman Sachs incurred the following expenses in connection with distribution under the Class A Plan of each of the following Funds:

 

Fund

   Compensation
to Dealers1
     Compensation
and Expenses of
the Distributor
and Its Sales
Personnel
     Allocable
Overhead,
Telephone and
Travel Expenses
     Printing and
Mailing of
Prospectuses to
Other Than
Current
Shareholders
     Preparation and
Distribution of
Sales Literature
and Advertising
     Totals  

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

   $ 206,933      $ 208,972      $ 72,792      $ 3,842      $ 9,081      $ 501,620  

Commodity Strategy Fund

     66,432        15,425        6,305        333        787        89,281  

Alternative Premia Fund

     21,287        7,232        3,469        183        433        32,604  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

     23,260        29,951        11,078        585        1,382        66,256  

Real Estate Securities Fund

     71,593        30,216        16,113        851        2,010        120,783  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

     8,123        454        523        28        65        9,193  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

     961        10        21        1        3        995  

Global Infrastructure Fund

     3,157        44        79        4        10        3,294  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     519,566        346,453        141,898        7,490        17,703        1,033,110  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     6,501        1,824        862        46        108        9,341  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     164,663        99,223        47,680        2,517        5,948        320,031  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     22,530        16,116        6,976        368        870        46,861  

 

1

Advance commissions paid to dealers of 1% on Class A Shares are considered deferred assets which are amortized over a period of 18 months; amounts presented above reflect amortization expense recorded during the period presented.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, Goldman Sachs incurred the following expenses in connection with distribution under the Class C Plan of each of the following Funds:

 

Fund

   Compensation
to Dealers1
     Compensation
and Expenses of
the Distributor
and Its Sales
Personnel
     Allocable
Overhead,
Telephone and
Travel Expenses
     Printing and
Mailing of
Prospectuses to
Other Than
Current
Shareholders
     Preparation and
Distribution of
Sales Literature
and Advertising
     Totals  

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

   $ 156,455      $ 20,086      $ 8,352      $ 441      $ 1,042      $ 186,375  

Commodity Strategy Fund

     22,706        911        409        22        51        24,098  

Alternative Premia Fund

     65,267        2,351        1,754        93        219        69,684  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

     28,096        7,564        3,278        173        409        39,520  

Real Estate Securities Fund

     31,195        1,454        820        43        102        33,615  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

     1,788        20        30        2        4        1,844  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

     1        2        3        0        0        6  

Global Infrastructure Fund

     10,602        7,370        2,795        148        349        21,262  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     1,350,165        205,004        94,418        4,984        11,779        1,666,350  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     8,976        145        103        5        13        9,242  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     135,282        31,410        14,563        769        1,817        183,841  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     15,652        671        319        17        40        16,698  

 

1

Advance commissions paid to dealers of 1% on Class C Shares are considered deferred assets which are amortized over a period of 1 year; amounts presented above reflect amortization expense recorded during the period presented.

 

B-135


During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, Goldman Sachs incurred the following expenses in connection with distribution under the Class R Plan of each of the following Funds:

 

Fund

   Compensation to
Dealers
     Compensation
and Expenses of
the Distributor
and Its Sales
Personnel
     Allocable
Overhead,
Telephone and
Travel
Expenses
     Printing and
Mailing of
Prospectuses to
Other Than
Current
Shareholders
     Preparation and
Distribution of
Sales Literature
and Advertising
     Totals  

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

   $ 11,169      $ 2,147      $ 786      $ 42      $ 98      $ 14,242  

Commodity Strategy Fund

     11,363        1,123        418        22        52        12,978  

Alternative Premia Fund

     407        330        94        5        12        848  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

     2,861        366        163        9        20        3,419  

Real Estate Securities Fund

     8,544        197        200        11        25        8,977  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

     0        1        1        0        0        2  

Global Infrastructure Fund

     0        1        2        0        0        3  

OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING MAXIMUM SALES CHARGE, PURCHASES, REDEMPTIONS,

EXCHANGES AND DIVIDENDS

(Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class R Shares Only)

The following information supplements the information in the Prospectuses under the captions “Shareholder Guide” and “Distributions.” The information below may differ depending on your financial intermediary. Please see the applicable Prospectus for more complete information, including information about sales charge variations, waivers and discounts.

Maximum Sales Charges

Class A Shares of each Fund are sold with a maximum sales charge of 5.5% (4.5% for the Commodity Strategy Fund). Using the NAV per share as of December 31, 2019, the maximum offering price of each Fund’s Class A Shares would be as follows:

 

Fund

   Net Asset Value      Maximum Sales Charge     Offering Price to Public  

Absolute Return Tracker Fund

   $ 9.44        5.50   $ 9.99  

Commodity Strategy Fund

     10.17        4.50     10.65  

Alternative Premia Fund

     7.97        5.50     8.43  

Managed Futures Strategy Fund

     9.61        5.50     10.17  

Real Estate Securities Fund

     13.27        5.50     14.04  

International Real Estate Securities Fund

     6.66        5.50     7.05  

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

     11.14        5.50     11.79  

Global Infrastructure Fund

     12.47        5.50     13.20  

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     13.38        5.50     14.16  

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

     7.28        5.50     7.70  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     25.54        5.50     27.03  

International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     10.43        5.50     11.04  

The actual sales charge that is paid by an investor on the purchase of Class A Shares may differ slightly from the sales charge listed above or in the applicable Fund’s Prospectus due to rounding in the calculations. The actual sales charge that is paid by an investor will be rounded to two decimal places. As a result of such rounding in the calculations, the actual sales load paid by an investor may be somewhat greater (e.g., 5.53% for Class A Shares) or somewhat lesser (e.g., 5.48% for Class A Shares) than that listed above or in the Prospectuses. Contact your financial advisor for further information.

 

B-136


Other Purchase Information/Sales Charge Waivers

The sales charge waivers of the Funds’ shares described in “Shareholder Guide-Common Questions Applicable to the Purchase of Class A Shares” in the Prospectuses are due to the nature of the investors involved and/or the reduced sales effort that is needed to obtain such investments.

If shares of a Fund are held in an account with an Intermediary, all recordkeeping, transaction processing and payments of distributions relating to the beneficial owner’s account will be performed by the Intermediary, and not by the Fund and its Transfer Agent. Because the Funds will have no record of the beneficial owner’s transactions, a beneficial owner should contact the Intermediary to purchase, redeem or exchange shares, to make changes in or give instructions concerning the account or to obtain information about the account. The transfer of shares in a “street name” account with one Intermediary to an account with another Intermediary or to an account directly with a Fund involves special procedures and will require the beneficial owner to obtain historical purchase information about the shares in the account from the Intermediary.

Right of Accumulation (Class A)

A Class A shareholder qualifies for cumulative quantity discounts if the current purchase price of the new investment plus the shareholder’s current holdings of existing Class A and/or Class C Shares (acquired by purchase or exchange) of a Fund and Class A and/or Class C Shares of any other Goldman Sachs Fund total the requisite amount for receiving a discount. For example, for certain Funds, if a shareholder owns shares with a current market value of $65,000 and purchases additional Class A Shares of the same Fund with a purchase price of $45,000, the sales charge for the $45,000 purchase would be 3.75% (the rate applicable to a single purchase of $100,000 but less than $250,000 for certain Funds). Class A and/or Class C Shares of the Funds and Class A and/or Class C Shares of any other Goldman Sachs Fund purchased (i) by an individual, his spouse, his parents and his children, and (ii) by a trustee, guardian or other fiduciary of a single trust estate or a single fiduciary account, will be combined for the purpose of determining whether a purchase will qualify for such right of accumulation and, if qualifying, the applicable sales charge level. For purposes of applying the right of accumulation, shares of the Funds and any other Goldman Sachs Fund purchased by an existing client of Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management or GS Ayco Holding LLC will be combined with Class A and/or Class C Shares and other assets held by all other Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management accounts or accounts of GS Ayco Holding LLC, respectively. In addition, Class A and/or Class C Shares of the Funds and Class A and/or Class C Shares of any other Goldman Sachs Fund purchased by partners, directors, officers or employees of the same business organization, groups of individuals represented by and investing on the recommendation of the same accounting firm, certain affinity groups or other similar organizations (collectively, “eligible persons”) may be combined for the purpose of determining whether a purchase will qualify for the right of accumulation and, if qualifying, the applicable sales charge level. This right of accumulation is subject to the following conditions: (i) the business organization’s, group’s or firm’s agreement to cooperate in the offering of the Funds’ shares to eligible persons; and (ii) notification to the relevant Fund at the time of purchase that the investor is eligible for this right of accumulation. In addition, in connection with SIMPLE IRA accounts, cumulative quantity discounts are available on a per plan basis if (i) your employee has been assigned a cumulative discount number by Goldman Sachs; and (ii) your account, alone or in combination with the accounts of other plan participants also invested in Class A and/or Class C Shares of the Goldman Sachs Funds, totals the requisite aggregate amount as described in the Prospectuses.

Statement of Intention (Class A)

If a shareholder anticipates purchasing at least $50,000 ($100,000 in the case of Commodity Strategy Fund), not counting reinvestments of dividends and distributions, of Class A Shares of a Fund alone or in combination with Class A Shares of any other Goldman Sachs Fund within a 13-month period, the shareholder may purchase shares of the Fund at a reduced sales charge by submitting a Statement of Intention (the “Statement”). Shares purchased pursuant to a Statement will be eligible for the same sales charge discount that would have been available if all of the purchases had been made at the same time. The shareholder or his Intermediary must inform Goldman Sachs that the Statement is in effect each time shares are purchased. There is no obligation to purchase the full amount of shares indicated in the Statement. A shareholder may include the value of all Class A Shares on which a sales charge has previously been paid as an “accumulation credit” toward the completion of the Statement, but a price readjustment will be made only on Class A Shares purchased within ninety (90) days before submitting the Statement. The Statement authorizes the Transfer Agent to hold in escrow a sufficient number of shares which can be redeemed to make up any difference in the sales charge on the amount actually invested. For purposes of satisfying the amount specified on the Statement, the gross amount of each investment, exclusive of any appreciation on shares previously purchased, will be taken into account.

The provisions applicable to the Statement, and the terms of the related escrow agreement, are set forth in Appendix C to this SAI.

 

B-137


Cross-Reinvestment of Dividends and Distributions

Shareholders may receive dividends and distributions in additional shares of the same class of the Fund in which they have invested or they may elect to receive them in cash or shares of the same class of other Goldman Sachs Funds or Service Shares of the Goldman Sachs Financial Square Prime Obligations Fund (the “Prime Obligations Fund”) if they hold Class A Shares of a Fund.

A Fund shareholder should obtain and read the prospectus relating to any other Goldman Sachs Fund and its shares and consider its investment objective, policies and applicable fees before electing cross-reinvestment into that Fund. The election to cross-reinvest dividends and capital gain distributions will not affect the tax treatment of such dividends and distributions, which will be treated as received by the shareholder and then used to purchase shares of the acquired fund. Such reinvestment of dividends and distributions in shares of other Goldman Sachs Funds is available only in states where such reinvestment may legally be made.

Automatic Exchange Program

A Fund shareholder may elect to exchange automatically a specified dollar amount of shares of a Fund for shares of the same class or an equivalent class of another Goldman Sachs Fund provided the minimum initial investment requirement has been satisfied. A Fund shareholder should obtain and read the prospectus relating to any other Goldman Sachs Fund and its shares and consider its investment objective, policies and applicable fees and expenses before electing an automatic exchange into that Goldman Sachs Fund.

Exchanges from Collective Investment Trusts to the Funds

The Investment Adviser manages a number of collective investment trusts that hold assets of 401(k) plans and other retirement plans (each, a “Collective Investment Trust”). An investor in a Collective Investment Trust (or an Intermediary acting on behalf of the investor) may elect to exchange some or all of the interests it holds in a Collective Investment Trust for shares of one or more of the Goldman Sachs Funds. Generally speaking, Rule 22c-1 under the Act requires a purchase order for shares of a Goldman Sachs Fund to be priced based on the current NAV of the Goldman Sachs Fund that is next calculated after receipt of the purchase order. A Goldman Sachs Fund will treat a purchase order component of an exchange from an investor in a Collective Investment Trust as being received in good order at the time it is communicated to an Intermediary or the Transfer Agent, if the amount of shares to be purchased is expressed as a percentage of the value of the investor’s interest in a designated Collective Investment Trust that it is contemporaneously redeeming (e.g., if the investor communicates a desire to exchange 100% of its interest in a Collective Investment Trust for shares of a Goldman Sachs Fund). The investor’s purchase price and the number of Goldman Sachs Fund shares it will acquire will therefore be calculated as of the pricing of the Collective Investment Trust on the day of the purchase order. Such an order will be deemed to be irrevocable as of the time the Goldman Sachs Fund’s NAV is next calculated after receipt of the purchase order. An investor should obtain and read the prospectus relating to any Goldman Sachs Fund and its shares and consider its investment objective, policies and applicable fees and expenses before electing an exchange into that Goldman Sachs Fund. For federal income tax purposes, an exchange of interests in a Collective Investment Trust for shares of a Goldman Sachs Fund may be subject to tax, and you should consult your tax adviser concerning the tax consequences of an exchange.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

A systematic withdrawal plan (the “Systematic Withdrawal Plan”) is available to shareholders of a Fund whose shares are worth at least $5,000. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan provides for monthly payments to the participating shareholder of any amount not less than $50.

Dividends and capital gain distributions on shares held under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan are reinvested in additional full and fractional shares of the applicable Fund at NAV. The Transfer Agent acts as agent for the shareholder in redeeming sufficient full and fractional shares to provide the amount of the systematic withdrawal payment. The Systematic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time. Goldman Sachs reserves the right to initiate a fee of up to $5 per withdrawal, upon thirty (30) days written notice to the shareholder. Withdrawal payments should not be considered to be dividends, yield or income. If periodic withdrawals continuously exceed new purchases and reinvested dividends and capital gains distributions, the shareholder’s original investment will be correspondingly reduced and ultimately exhausted. The maintenance of a withdrawal plan concurrently with purchases of additional Class A or Class C Shares would be disadvantageous because of the sales charge imposed on purchases of Class A Shares or the imposition of a CDSC on redemptions of Class A or Class C Shares.

 

B-138


The CDSC applicable to Class A or Class C Shares redeemed under a systematic withdrawal plan may be waived. See “Shareholder Guide” in the Prospectuses. In addition, each withdrawal constitutes a redemption of shares, and any gain or loss realized must be reported for federal and state income tax purposes. A shareholder should consult his or her own tax adviser with regard to the tax consequences of participating in the Systematic Withdrawal Plan. For further information or to request a Systematic Withdrawal Plan, please write or call the Transfer Agent.

 

B-139


SERVICE PLAN AND SHAREHOLDER ADMINISTRATION PLAN

(Service Shares Only)

The Real Estate Securities Fund and U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund have adopted a service plan (the “Service Plan”) and a separate shareholder administration plan (the “Shareholder Administration Plan”) with respect to each Fund’s Service Shares (collectively, the “Service Shares Plans”) which authorizes the applicable Fund to compensate Intermediaries for providing certain personal and account maintenance services and shareholder administration services to their customers who are or may become beneficial owners of such Shares. Pursuant to the Service Shares Plans, a Fund enters into agreements with Intermediaries which purchase Service Shares of a Fund on behalf of their customers (“Service Agreements”). Under such Service Agreements the Intermediaries may perform some or all of the following services:

 

  (a)

Personal and account maintenance services, including: (i) providing facilities to answer inquiries and respond to correspondence with customers and other investors about the status of their accounts or about other aspects of the Trust or the applicable Fund; (ii) acting as liaison between the Intermediary’s customers and the Trust, including obtaining information from the Trust and assisting the Trust in correcting errors and resolving problems; (iii) providing such statistical and other information as may be reasonably requested by the Trust or necessary for the Trust to comply with applicable federal or state law; (iv) responding to investor requests for prospectuses; (v) displaying and making prospectuses available on the Intermediary’s premises; and (vi) assisting customers in completing application forms, selecting dividend and other account options and opening custody accounts with the Intermediary.

 

  (b)

Shareholder administration services, including: (i) acting or arranging for another party to act, as recordholder and nominee of the Service Shares beneficially owned by the Intermediary’s customers; (ii) establishing and maintaining, or assisting in establishing and maintaining, individual accounts and records with respect to the Service Shares owned by each customer; (iii) processing, or assisting in processing, confirmations concerning customer orders to purchase, redeem and exchange Service Shares; (iv) receiving and transmitting, or assist in receiving and transmitting, funds representing the purchase price or redemption proceeds of such Service Shares; (v) facilitating the inclusion of Service Shares in accounts, products or services offered to the Intermediary’s customers by or through the Intermediary; (vi) processing dividend payments on behalf of customers; and (vii) performing other related services which do not constitute “any activity which is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares” within the meaning of Rule 12b-1 under the Act or “personal and account maintenance services” within the meaning of FINRA’s Conduct Rules.

As compensation for such services, each Fund will pay each Intermediary a personal and account maintenance service fee and a shareholder administration service fee in an amount up to 0.25% and 0.25%, respectively, (on an annualized basis) of the average daily net assets of the Service Shares of such Fund attributable to or held in the name of such Intermediary.

The amount of the service and shareholder administration fees paid by each Fund to Intermediaries pursuant to the Service Shares Plans was as follows for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017:

 

Fund

   Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2019
     Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2018
     Fiscal year ended
December 31, 2017
 

Real Estate Securities Fund

   $ 8,570      $ 10,134      $ 12,916  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     6,602        3,932        3,358  

The Funds offering Service Shares have adopted the Service Plan but not the Shareholder Administration Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act in order to avoid any possibility that service fees paid to the Intermediaries pursuant to the Service Agreement might violate the Act. Rule 12b-1, which was adopted by the SEC under the Act, regulates the circumstances under which an investment company or series thereof may bear expenses associated with the distribution of its shares. In particular, such an investment company or series thereof cannot engage directly or indirectly in financing any activity which is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares issued by the company unless it has adopted a plan pursuant to, and complies with the other requirements of, such Rule. The Trust believes that fees paid for the services provided in the Service Plan and described above are not expenses incurred primarily for effecting the distribution of Service Shares. However, should such payments be deemed by a court or the SEC to be distribution expenses, such payments would be duly authorized by the Service Plan. The Shareholder Administration Plan has not been adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Act.

 

B-140


Conflict of interest restrictions (including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) may apply to an Intermediary’s receipt of compensation paid by a Fund in connection with the investment of fiduciary assets in Service Shares of a Fund. Intermediaries, including banks regulated by the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve Board or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and investment advisers and other money managers subject to the jurisdiction of the SEC, the Department of Labor or state securities commissions, are urged to consult their legal advisers before investing fiduciary assets in Service Shares of a Fund. In addition, under some state securities laws, banks and other financial institutions purchasing Service Shares on behalf of their customers may be required to register as dealers.

The Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Service Shares Plans or the related Service Agreements, most recently voted to approve the Service Shares Plans and related Service Agreements at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such Plans and Service Agreements on June 11-12, 2019. The Service Shares Plans and related Service Agreements will remain in effect until June 30, 2020 and will continue in effect thereafter only if such continuance is specifically approved annually by a vote of the Trustees in the manner described above. The Service Plan may not be amended (but the Shareholder Administration Plan may be amended) to increase materially the amount to be spent for the services described therein without approval of the shareholders of the affected Fund’s Service Class and all material amendments of each Service Shares Plan must also be approved by the Trustees in the manner described above. The Service Shares Plans may be terminated at any time by a majority of the Trustees as described above or by a vote of a majority of the affected Fund’s outstanding Service Shares. The Service Agreements may be terminated at any time, without payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Trustees as described above or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding Service Shares of the affected Fund on not more than sixty (60) days’ written notice to any other party to the Service Agreements. The Service Agreements will terminate automatically if assigned. So long as the Service Shares Plans are in effect, the selection and nomination of those Trustees who are not interested persons will be committed to the discretion of the Trust’s Governance and Nominating Committee, which consists of all of the non-interested members of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees has determined that, in its judgment, there is a reasonable likelihood that the Service Shares Plans will benefit the Funds and the holders of Service Shares of the Funds.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, Goldman Sachs incurred the following expenses in connection with distribution under the Service Plan of each of the following Funds:

 

Fund

   Compensation
to Dealers
     Compensation
and Expenses of
the Distributor
and Its Sales
Personnel
     Allocable
Overhead,
Telephone and
Travel Expenses
     Printing and
Mailing of
Prospectuses to
Other Than
Current
Shareholders
     Preparation
and
Distribution of
Sales
Literature and
Advertising
     Totals  

Real Estate Securities Fund

   $ 0      $ 264      $ 251      $ 13      $ 31      $ 560  

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

     0        1,729        635        34        79        2,476  

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

As of April 1, 2020, the following shareholders were shown in the Trust’s records as owning more than 5% of any class of a Fund’s shares. Except as listed below, the Trust does not know of any persons who own of record or beneficially 5% or more of any class of a Fund’s shares:

Absolute Return Tracker

 

Class    Name/Address    Percentage of
Class
Class A    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    41.25%
Class A    Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, FEBO Customers, 1 New York Plz Fl 12, NewYork, NY 10004-1901    9.34%
Class A    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    8.63%
Class A    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    7.67%
Class A    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    7.34%
Class A    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    5.56%

 

B-141


Class C    Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, FEBO Customers, 1 New York Plz Fl 12, New York, NY 10004-1901    31.29%
Class C    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    21.34%
Class C    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    9.30%
Class C    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    8.48%
Class C    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    8.04%
Class C    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    7.92%
Class C    UBS Financial Services Inc, Omni Account M/F Spec Cdy A/C EBOC UBSFSI, 1000 Harbor Blvd, Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761    7.60%
Institutional    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    21.88%
Institutional    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    20.71%
Institutional    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    14.92%
Institutional    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    11.06%
Institutional    Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, FEBO Customers, 1 New York Plz Fl 12, New York, NY 10004-1901    12.99%
Investor    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    56.44%
Investor    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    21.98%
Investor    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    10.86%
Class R    Hartford Life Insurance Company, Separate Account, Attn: David Broeck, 1 Griffin Rd N, Windsor, CT 06095-1512    33.82%
Class R    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    19.98%
Class R    MSCS Financial Services LLC, Matrix Trust Company Cust. FBO Miscor Group 401(k) Plan and Trust, 717 17th Street, Suite 1300, Denver, CO 80202-3304    9.83%
Class R    MML Distributors, LLC, Mass Mutual Life Insurance Co, 1295 State Street MIP M200-Invst, Springfield, MA 01111-0001    7.23%
Class R    MSCS Financial Services LLC, Matrix Trust Company as Agent FBO 401(k), Goncalves and Alves Inc, 539 Sport Hill Rd, Easton, CT 06612-1715    5.82%
Class R6    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    31.47%
Class R6    MSCS Financial Services LLC, Matrix Trust Company as Agent for Newport Trust Company, Viejas Retirement Program, 35 Iron Point Cir, Suite 300, Folsom, CA 95630-8589    27.64%
Class R6    Goldman Sachs & Co LLC, GS Variable Insurance Trust – GS Multi-Strategy Alternatives Portfolio, 70 Fargo Street, Boston, MA 02210-2126    17.38%
Class R6    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    9.38%
Class R6    MSCS Financial Services LLC, Matrix Trust Company Cust. FBO Loeb & Loeb LLP, PO Box 52129, Phoenix, AZ 85072-2129    5.62%
Class P    Goldman Sachs & Co., FBO Omnibus, C/O Mutual Fund Ops, 222 S Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2199    99.88%

 

B-142


Commodity Strategy Fund

 

Class    Name/Address    Percentage of
Class
Class A    Edward D Jones & Co, FBO Customers, 12555 Manchester Rd, Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710    47.72%*
Class A    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    10.11%
Class A    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    9.18%
Class C    Edward D Jones & Co, FBO Customers, 12555 Manchester Rd, Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710    37.72%*
Class C   

Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis,

MN 55402-2405

   13.37%
Class C    Principal Securities Inc, DCGT as Trustee and/or Custodian FBO PLIC Various Retirement Plans Omnibus, Attn: NPIO Trade Desk, 711 High St., Des Moines, IA 50392-0001    9.87%
Class C    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    9.68%
Class C    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    7.39%
Class C    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    5.79%
Institutional    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    42.75%
Institutional    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    17.71%
Institutional    Band & Co Institutional Trust, C/O US Bank NA, PO Box 1787, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1787    8.66%
Institutional    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    7.39%
Investor    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    72.06%
Investor    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    17.98%
Class R    Mid Atlantic Trust Company, FBO Myval LLC 401(K) Profit Sharing Plan, 1251 Waterfront Pl Ste 525, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4228    14.21%
Class R    Principal Securities Inc, DCGT as Trustee and/or Custodian FBO PLIC Various Retirement Plans Omnibus, Attn: NPIO Trade Desk, 711 High St., Des Moines, IA 50392-0001    12.90%
Class R   

KMS Financial Services Inc, Ascensus Trust Company FBO UIDC 401(K) Plan,

P.O. Box 10758, Fargo, ND 58106-0758

   9.25%
Class R    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    8.38%
Class R    MML Distributors, LLC, Mass Mutual Life Insurance Co, 1295 State Street MIP M200-Invst, Springfield, MA 01111-0001    8.34%
Class R    GWFS Equities Inc, Capital Bank & Trust Company Trustee FBO J&R Dairy Service, C/O Fascore LLC, 8515 E Orchard Rd. # 2T2, Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002    7.17%
Class R    GWFS Equities Inc, Capital Bank & Trust Company Trustee FBO NJ Festival of Ballooning 401(k) PSP, 8515 E Orchard Rd. # 2T2, Greenwood Village, CO 801115002    6.61%
Class R6    Edward D Jones & Co, FBO Customers, 12555 Manchester Rd, Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710    99.33%*
Class P    Goldman Sachs & Co., FBO Omnibus, C/O Mutual Fund Ops, 222 S Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2199    99.03%

Alternative Premia Fund

 

Class    Name/Address    Percentage of
Class
Class A    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    25.10%
Class A    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    11.07%
Class A    Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, FEBO Customers, 1 New York Plz Fl 12, New York, NY 10004-1901    9.86%

 

B-143


Class A    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    9.86%
Class A    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    9.68%
Class A    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    8.74%
Class A    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    8.30%
Class C    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    19.16%
Class C    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    18.01%
Class C    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    12.49%
Class C    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    16.89%
Class C    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    9.63%
Class C    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    5.93%
Institutional    RBC Capital Markets Corporation, Mutual Fund Omnibus Processing, Attn: Mutual Fund Ops Manager, 60 S 6th St Ste 700 # P08, Minneapolis, MN 55402-4413    37.24%
Institutional    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    17.53%
Institutional    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    14.26%
Institutional    Goldman Sachs Asset Management LP, Goldman Sachs Global Growth Portfolio, Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry St, Newark, NJ 07102-4056    5.76%
Institutional    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    5.12%
Investor    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    42.35%
Investor    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    39.70%
Investor    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    15.17%
Class R    Principal Securities Inc, DCGT as Trustee and/or Custodian FBO PLIC Various Retirement Plans Omnibus, Attn: NPIO Trade Desk, 711 High St., Des Moines, IA 50392-0001    70.99%
Class R    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Helios Business Park, 150 Outer Ring Road, Kadubeesanahalli, Bengaluru 560103 India    29.01%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, FBO GS Growth & Income Strategy, GS Dynamic Allocation Fund, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    41.29%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, FBO GS Balanced Strategy, GS Dynamic Allocation Fund, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    28.46%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, GS Growth Strategy Omnibus A/C, GS Dynamic Allocation Fund, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    26.14%
Class P    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Crystal Downs Fl. 3, Embassy Golf Links Business Park, Bangalore 560071 India    72.75%
Class P    Goldman Sachs & Co., FBO Omnibus, C/O Mutual Fund Ops, 222 S Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2199    27.25%

 

B-144


Managed Futures Strategy Fund

 

Class    Name/Address    Percentage of
Class
Class A    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    54.01%
Class A    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    15.84%*
Class A    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    14.93%
Class C    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    51.58%*
Class C    Stifel Nicolaus & Co., FEBO Customers, 501 N Broadway, Saint Louis, MO 631022188    24.62%
Class C    Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, FEBO Customers, 1 New York Plz Fl 12, New York, NY 10004-1901    18.26%
Institutional    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    84.08%*
Institutional    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    5.97%
Investor    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    84.62%*
Investor    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    13.69%
Class R    ADP/Broker Dealer Inc., State Street Bank and Tr., FBO ADP Access Product, 1 Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111-2901    22.72%
Class R    GWFS Equities Inc, Health Care Technology Trustee FBO Health Care Technology 401(K) PSP, C/O Fascore LLC, 8515 E Orchard Rd. 2T2, Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002    19.49%
Class R    GWFS Equities Inc, Trustee FBO Greenville Pathology PA PSP, C/O Fascore LLC, 8515 E Orchard Rd. 2T2, Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002    12.90%
Class R    Crown Capital Securities LP, Matrix Trust Company Cust. FBO 401(K) Plan, 717 17th Street, Suite 1300, Denver, CO 80202-3304    10.21%
Class R    MSCS Financial Services LLC, Matrix Trust Company Cust. FBO 401(K) Plan, 717 17th Street, Suite 1300, Denver, CO 80202-3304    8.70%
Class R    National Financial Services LLC, FIIOC FBO Mori Associates Inc 401(K) Plan and Trust, 100 Magellan Way #KW1C, Covington, KY 41015-1987    6.20%
Class R    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, Ascensus Trust Company FBO GRP Engineering Inc 401(K) Plan, PO Box 10758, Fargo, ND 58106-0758    5.96%*
Class R    National Financial Services LLC, FIIOC FBO Team Velocity Marketing LLC 401(K) Plan, 100 Magellan Way (KWIC), Covington, KY 41015-1987    5.07%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, FBO GS Growth & Income Strategy, Omnibus A/C, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6 South, Boston, MA 02111-1888    41.87%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, FBO Goldman Sachs Balanced Strategy, Omnibus A/C, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6 South, Boston, MA 02111-1888    28.95%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, FBO Goldman Sachs Growth Strategy, Omnibus A/C, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6 South, Boston, MA 02111-1888    23.78%
Class R6    Goldman Sachs & Co LLC, GS Variable Insurance Trust – Multi-Strategy Alternatives Portfolio, 70 Fargo Street, Boston, MA 02210-2126    5.38%
Class P    Goldman Sachs & Co., FBO Omnibus, C/O Mutual Fund Ops, 222 S Main St., Salt Lake Citv. UT 84101-2199    95.32%

 

B-145


Real Estate Securities Fund

 

Class    Name/Address    Percentage of
Class
Class A    Edward D Jones & Co, FBO Customers, 12555 Manchester Rd, Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710    21.16%
Class A    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    9.50%
Class A    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    9.45%
Class A    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    6.83%
Class A    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    6.76%
Class A    ADP/Broker Dealer Inc., State Street Bank and Tr., FBO ADP Access Product, 1 Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111-2901    5.30%
Class C    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    20.86%
Class C    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    13.38%
Class C    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    10.10%
Institutional    The Goldman Sachs Foundation, Attn: GS Foundation Team, 200 West St Fl 29, New York, NY 10282-2198    57.58%
Institutional    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    17.45%
Institutional    St. Treasurer/Nebr. Invest. Council, State of Nebraska, Nebraska Investment Council, 1526 K St, Ste 420, Lincoln, NE 68508-2734    6.33%
Service    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    47.81%
Service    GWFS Equities Inc, Trustee FBO Huberts Department Stores Inc. 401 (K) Plan, C/O Fascore LLC, 8515 E Orchard Rd. 2T2, Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002    8.19%
Service    GWFS Equities Inc, Great-West Trust Company LLC FBO Employee Benefits Clients 401(K) Plan, 8515 E Orchard Rd. #2T2, Greenwood Village, CO 801115002    6.45%
Service    GWFS Equities Inc, Trustee FBO Attitude Measurement Corp 401(K) Plan, C/O Fascore LLC, 8515 E Orchard Rd. 2T2, Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002    5.37%
Investor    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    37.01%
Investor    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    31.04%
Investor    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    15.97%
Investor    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    5.99%
Investor    National Financial Services LLC, FIIOC FBO Tireco Inc 401(K) Plan, 100 Magellan Way (KWIC), Covington, KY 41015-1987    5.18%
Class R    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    23.97%
Class R    National Financial Services LLC, FIIOC FBO Customer 401(K) Plan, 100 Magellan Way (KWIC), Covington, KY 41015-1987    16.81%
Class R    GWFS Equities Inc, Great-West Trust Company LLC FBO Employee Benefits Clients 401(K), 8515 E Orchard Rd. #2T2, Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002    14.99%
Class R    GWFS Equities Inc, Trustee Hankin Specialty Elevators Inc. 401 (K) Plan, C/O Fascore LLC, 8515 E Orchard Rd. 2T2, Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002    6.04%
Class R6    Goldman Sachs & Co LLC, GS Variable Insurance Trust – Multi-Strategy Alternatives Portfolio, 70 Fargo Street, Boston, MA 02210-2126    59.40%
Class R6    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    36.58%
Class P    Goldman Sachs & Co., FBO Omnibus, C/O Mutual Fund Ops, 222 S Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2199    99.88%*

 

B-146


International Real Estate Securities Fund

 

Class    Name/Address    Percentage of
Class
Class A    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    24.93%
Class A    Edward D Jones & Co, FBO Customers, 12555 Manchester Rd, Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710    21.24%
Class A   

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, FEBO Customers, 1 New York Plz Fl 12, New

York, NY 10004-1901

   6.45%
Class A    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    6.11%
Class A    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    6.09%
Class A    Mid Atlantic Clearing & Settlement, FBO Northeast Structural Steel Inc., 916 Old Nepperhan Ave, Yonkers, NY 10703-1709    5.37%
Class A    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    5.19%
Class C    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    26.83%
Class C    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    13.42%
Class C    Edward D Jones & Co, FBO Customers, 12555 Manchester Rd, Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710    12.87%
Class C    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    10.53%
Class C    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Helios Business Park, 150 Outer Ring Road, Kadubeesanahalli, Bengaluru 560103 India    8.75%
Class C    RBC Capital Markets Corporation, Mutual Fund Omnibus Processing, Attn: Mutual Fund Ops Manager, 60 S 6th St Ste 700 # P08, Minneapolis, MN 55402-4413    6.79%
Class C    Goldman Sachs Direct Ex DLR Accts. UMB Bank NA, Custodian, Roth IRA FBO Customer, 2720 White Barn Rd, Aurora, IL 60502-6332    6.02%
Class C    UBS Financial Services Inc, Omni Account M/F Spec Cdy A/C EBOC UBSFSI, 1000 Harbor Blvd, Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761    5.19%
Institutional    State Street Bank and Trust Co, FBO American Bureau of Shipping, Attn: Tom Francis, 801 Pennsylvania Ave, Kansas City, MO 64105-1307    52.34%
Institutional    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    18.74%
Institutional    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    15.27%
Investor    MSCS Financial Services LLC, Matrix Trust Company FBO Graham and Jensen LLP, 717 17th Street, Suite 1300, Denver, CO 80202-3304    25.99%
Investor    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    22.23%
Investor    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    21.63%
Investor    TD Ameritrade Clearing Inc, FEBO Clients, PO Box 2226, Omaha, NE 68103-2226    12.34%
Investor    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Helios Business Park, 150 Outer Ring Road, Kadubeesanahalli, Bengaluru 560103 India    9.68%
Class R6    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Crystal Downs Fl. 3, Embassy Golf Links Business Park, Bengaluru 560071 India    100.00%
Class P    Goldman Sachs & Co., FBO Omnibus, C/O Mutual Fund Ops, 222 S Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2199    99.25%*

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

 

Class    Name/Address    Percentage of
Class
Class A    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Helios Business Park, 150 Outer Ring Road, Kadubeesanahalli, Bengaluru 560103 India    61.82%
Class A    Goldman Sachs Direct Ex DLR Accts. FBOC, 2222 Denbeigh Dr., Jamison, PA 18929-1445    14.45%
Class A    Goldman Sachs Direct Accts., UMB Bank NA, IRA FBO Customer, 43 Wandsworth Bridge Way, Lutherville-Timonium, MD 21093-3963    11.76%
Class A    Lincoln Investment Planning, UMB Bank NA C/F, 1860 Hill Chase, Alpharetta, GA 30022-4464    6.02%
Class A    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    5.26%

 

B-147


Class C    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Helios Business Park, 150 Outer Ring Road, Kadubeesanahalli, Bengaluru 560103 India    49.16%
Class C    TD Ameritrade Clearing Inc, FEBO Customer, Ameritrade Clearing Custodian, 48 Greenway Ln., Rye Brook, NY 10573-1516    33.30%
Class C    TD Ameritrade Clearing Inc, FEBO Customer, Ameritrade Clearing Custodian, 1767 Central Park Ave, Yonkers, NY 10710-2828    17.54%
Institutional    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Crystal Downs Fl. 3, Embassy Golf Links Business Park, Bengaluru 560071 India    91.06%
Institutional    GSAM Holdings LLC Comp. Hedge, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Crystal Downs Fl. 3, Embassy Golf Links Business Park, Bengaluru 560071 India    5.59%
Investor    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Helios Business Park, 150 Outer Ring Road, Kadubeesanahalli, Bengaluru 560103 India    100.00%
Class R    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Helios Business Park, 150 Outer Ring Road, Kadubeesanahalli, Bengaluru 560103 India    100.00%
Class R6    JPMorgan Chase Bank, Custodian, Goldman Sachs Tax-Advantaged Global Equity Portfolio, Structured Tax-Managed Equity, One Beacon St. 18th Fl., Boston, MA 02108-3107    40.02%*
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, GS Satellite Strategies Portfolio, GS Global Real Estate Sec Fund, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    22.59%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, GS Growth & Income Strategy Portfolio, GS Global Real Estate Sec Fund, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    9.67%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, GS Growth Strategy Portfolio, GS Global Real Estate Sec Fund, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    8.34%
Class R6    JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Custodian, Goldman Sachs Tax-Advantaged Global Equity Portfolio, Structured Tax-Managed Equity, One Beacon St, 18th Fl, Boston, MA 02108-3107    40.02%*
Class R6    JPMorgan Chase Bank, Custodian, Goldman Sachs Enhanced Dividend Global Equity Portfolio, Structured Small Cap Equity, One Beacon St. 18th Fl., Boston, MA 02108-3107    7.43%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, GS Dynamic Global Equity Fund, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    6.60%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, GS Trust Balanced Strategy Portfolio, GS Global Real Estate Sec Fund, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    5.33%
Class P    Goldman Sachs & Co., FBO Omnibus, C/O Mutual Fund Ops, 222 S Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2199    99.74%

Global Infrastructure Fund

 

Class    Name/Address    Percentage of
Class
Class A    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    91.53%
Class C    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    96.69%
Institutional    Goldman Sachs Asset Management LP, Goldman Sachs Global Growth Portfolio, Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry St, Newark, NJ 07102-4056    53.42%
Institutional    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Crystal Downs Fl. 3, Embassy Golf Links Business Park, Bangalore 560071 India    30.38%
Institutional    GSAM Holdings LLC Comp Hedge, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Crystal Downs Fl. 3, Embassy Golf Links Business Park, Bangalore 560071 India    8.21%
Institutional    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    7.91%
Investor    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    79.62%
Investor    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Helios Business Park, 150 Outer Ring Road, Kadubeesanahalli, Bengaluru 560103 India    20.38%

 

B-148


Class R    GSAM Holdings LLC Seed Accounts, Attn: IMD-India-SAOS, Helios Business Park, 150 Outer Ring Road, Kadubeesanahalli, Bengaluru 560103 India    100.00%
Class R6    JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Custodian, Goldman Sachs Tax-Advantaged Global Equity Portfolio, Structured Tax-Managed Equity, One Beacon St, 18th Fl, Boston, MA 02108-3107    39.55%*
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, GS Satellite Strategies Portfolio, GS Global Infrastructure Fund, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    18.97%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, GS Trust Growth & Income Strategy Portfolio, GS Global Infrastructure Fund, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    10.15%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, GS Growth Strategy Portfolio, GS Global Infrastructure Fund, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    9.73%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, GS Equity Growth Strategy Portfolio, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    8.33%
Class R6    JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Custodian, Goldman Sachs Enhanced Dividend Global Equity Portfolio, Structured Small Cap Equity, One Beacon St. 18th Fl, Boston, MA 02108-3107    7.34%
Class R6    State Street Bank and Trust Co., Custodian, GS Trust Balanced Strategy Portfolio, GS Global Infrastructure Fund, C/O State Street Corporation, 2 Avenue de Lafayette Fl 6, Boston, MA 02111-1888    5.93%
Class P    Goldman Sachs & Co., FBO Omnibus, C/O Mutual Fund Ops, 222 S Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2199    99.71%

U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

 

Class    Name/Address    Percentage of
Class
Class A    Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, FEBO Customers, 1 New York Plz Fl 12, New York, NY 10004-1901    15.25%
Class A    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    13.22%
Class A    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    11.85%
Class A    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    11.01%
Class A    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    8.35%
Class A    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    7.91%
Class A    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    6.56%
Class A    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    6.10%
Class C    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    18.55%
Class C    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    17.83%
Class C    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    15.60%
Class C    Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, FEBO Customers, 1 New York Plz Fl 12, New York, NY 10004-1901    12.08%
Class C    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    9.85%
Class C    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    6.43%
Class C    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    5.61%
Institutional    TD Ameritrade Clearing Inc, FEBO Clients, PO Box 2226, Omaha, NE 68103-2226    16.85%
Institutional    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    15.71%

 

B-149


Institutional    Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, FEBO Customers, 1 New York Plz Fl 12, New York, NY 10004-1901    14.00%
Institutional    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    9.44%
Institutional    Saxon & Co., FBO Customer, P.O. Box 7780-1888, Philadelphia, PA 19182-0001    8.50%
Institutional    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    8.49%
Institutional    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    7.85%
Institutional    UBS Financial Services Inc, Omni Account M/F Spec Cdy A/C EBOC UBSFSI, 1000 Harbor Blvd, Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761    5.36%
Investor    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    42.62%
Investor    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    40.02%
Investor    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    12.37%
Class R6    JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Custodian, Goldman Sachs Enhanced Dividend Global Equity Portfolio, U.S. Equity Dividend and Premium, One Beacon St. 18th Fl, Boston, MA 02108-3107    99.96%
Class P    Goldman Sachs & Co., FBO Omnibus, C/O Mutual Fund Ops, 222 S Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2199    99.14%

International Equity Dividend and Premium Fund

 

Class    Name/Address    Percentage of
Class
Class A    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    24.02%
Class A    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    20.19%
Class A    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    13.48%
Class A    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    8.65%
Class A    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    7.68%
Class A    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    7.27%
Class A    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    6.14%
Class C    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    27.43%
Class C    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    15.28%
Class C    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    9.76%
Class C    UBS Financial Services Inc, Omni Account M/F Spec Cdy A/C EBOC UBSFSI, 1000 Harbor Blvd, Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761    8.83%
Class C    Ascensus Broker Dealer Services LLC, Ascensus Trust Company FBO Customer, P.O. Box 10758, Fargo, ND 58106-0758    6.85%
Institutional    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    31.97%
Institutional    MSCS Financial Services LLC, Mori & Co, 922 Walnut St, Mailstop TBTS 2, Kansas City, MO 64106-1802    24.40%
Institutional    MSCS Financial Services LLC, SEI Private Trust Company C/O First Horizon, 1 Freedom Valley Dr, Oaks, PA 19456-9989    13.97%
Institutional    Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, FEBO Customers, 1 New York Plz Fl. 12, New York, NY 10004-1901    7.24%
Institutional    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    6.83%

 

B-150


Investor    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    55.46%
Investor    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    30.22%
Investor    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    7.41%
Class R6    JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Custodian, Goldman Sachs Enhanced Dividend Global Equity Portfolio, International Equity Dividend and Premium, One Beacon St. 18th Fl, Boston, MA 02108-3107    99.99%*
Class P    Goldman Sachs & Co., FBO Omnibus, C/O Mutual Fund Ops, 222 S Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2199    99.94%*

U.S. Tax-Managed Equity Fund

 

Class    Name/Address    Percentage of
Class
Class A    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    18.16%
Class A    Edward D Jones & Co, FBO Customers, 12555 Manchester Rd, Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710    13.58%
Class A    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    11.67%
Class A    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    8.28%
Class A    UBS Financial Services Inc, Omni Account M/F Spec Cdy A/C EBOC UBSFSI, 1000 Harbor Blvd, Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761    7.88%
Class A    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    6.92%
Class A    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    5.37%
Class C    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    31.09%
Class C    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    23.22%
Class C    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    10.69%
Class C    Stifel Nicolaus & Co., FEBO Customers, 501 N Broadway, Saint Louis, MO 63102-2188    7.54%
Class C    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    6.15%
Institutional    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    49.05%
Institutional    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    10.96%
Institutional    MSCS Financial Services LLC, Zeel & Co., Attn: Trust Ops, 141 E 8th St, Holland, MI 49423-3503    9.43%
Institutional    Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, FBO Customers, Attn: Service Team, Goldman Sachs Funds, 4800 Deer Lake Dr East 3rd Fl, Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484    9.36%
Institutional    Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Special Custody Acct. FEBO Customers, 2801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523    5.95%
Service    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    100.00%
Investor    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    49.46%
Investor    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    25.89%
Investor    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    21.31%
Class R6    JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Custodian, Goldman Sachs Tax-Advantaged Global Equity Portfolio, Structured Tax-Managed Equity, One Beacon St. 18th Fl, Boston, MA 02108-3107    99.95%*
Class P    Goldman Sachs & Co., FBO Omnibus, C/O Mutual Fund Ops, 222 S Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2199    99.94%

 

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International Tax-Managed Equity Fund

 

Class    Name/Address    Percentage of
Class
Class A    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    21.79%
Class A    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    15.86%
Class A    Edward D Jones & Co, FBO Customers, 12555 Manchester Rd, Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710    9.73%
Class A    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    9.00%
Class A    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    7.93%
Class A    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody A/C FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    7.67%
Class A    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    6.64%
Class A    TD Ameritrade Clearing Inc, FEBO Clients, PO Box 2226, Omaha, NE 68103-2226    5.38%
Class C    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    36.54%
Class C    Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, FEBO Customers, 1 New York Plz Fl. 12, New York, NY 10004-1901    12.52%
Class C    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    8.64%
Class C    Stifel Nicolaus & Co., FEBO Customers, 501 N Broadway, Saint Louis, MO 63102-2188    6.26%
Class C    Lincoln Investment Planning, FBO Customer, 4388 Red Rock Rd., Benton, PA 17814-7605    5.22%
Class C    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    5.18%
Institutional    National Financial Services LLC, FEBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds Dept 4th Fl, 499 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995    33.10%
Institutional    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Special Custody Account FBO Customers, Attn: Mutual Funds, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1905    13.42%
Institutional    UBS Financial Services Inc, Omni Account M/F Spec Cdy A/C EBOC UBSFSI, 1000 Harbor Blvd, Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761    10.95%
Institutional    Goldman Sachs Direct Accts., FIIOC FBO Belle Tire Distributors Inc. 401K Salary Reduction Plan, 100 Magellan Way #KW1C, Covington, KY 41015-1999    8.44%
Institutional    T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc., 4515 Painters Mill Rd., Owings Mills, MD 21117-4903    5.17%
Investor    Ameriprise Financial Services Inc, FBO Customers, 707 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2405    52.54%
Investor    Pershing LLC, PO Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303-2052    21.91%
Investor    Raymond James & Associates, Omnibus For Mutual Funds, Attn: Courtney Waller, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1102    15.58%
Investor    LPL Financial Corporation, LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account, Attn: Mutual Fund Trading, 4707 Executive Dr, San Diego, CA 92121-3091    8.54%
Class R6    JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Custodian, Goldman Sachs Tax-Advantaged Global Equity Portfolio, Structured International Tax-Managed Equity, One Beacon St. 18th Fl, Boston, MA 02108-3107    99.53%*
Class P    Goldman Sachs & Co., FBO Omnibus, C/O Mutual Fund Ops, 222 S Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84101-2199    99.64%

 

*

Entity owned more than 25% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. A shareholder owning of record or beneficially more than 25% of a Fund’s outstanding shares may be considered a control person and could have a more significant effect on matters presented at a shareholders’ meeting than votes of other shareholders.

 

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APPENDIX A

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

Short-Term Credit Ratings

An S&P Global Ratings short-term issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. The following summarizes the rating categories used by S&P Global Ratings for short-term issues:

“A-1” – A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments 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 commitments 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 commitments 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 weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments 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 that 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 commitments on the obligation.

“D” – A short-term obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings 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 and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings – S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. An issuer’s foreign currency rating will differ from its local currency rating when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, vs. obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) short-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default.

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

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

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

“P-3” – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-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, Inc. / Fitch Ratings Ltd. (“Fitch”) short-term issuer or obligation ratings are based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. 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.

The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:

“F1” – Securities possess the highest short-term credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

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“F2” – Securities possess good short-term credit quality. This designation indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

“F3” – Securities possess fair short-term credit quality. This designation indicates that the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

“B” – Securities possess speculative short-term credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

“C” – Securities possess 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. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

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

“NR” – This designation indicates that Fitch does not publicly rate the associated issuer or issue.

“WD” – This designation indicates that the rating has been withdrawn and is no longer maintained by Fitch.

DBRS® Ratings Limited (“DBRS”) short-term debt rating scale provides an opinion on the risk that an issuer will not meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer and the relative ranking of claims. The “R-1” and “R-2” rating categories are further denoted by the sub-categories “(high)”, “(middle)”, and “(low)”.

The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for commercial paper and short-term debt:

“R-1 (high)” – Short-term debt rated “R-1 (high)” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

“R-1 (middle)” – Short-term debt rated “R-1 (middle)” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from “R-1 (high)” by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

“R-1 (low)” – Short-term debt rated “R-1 (low)” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

“R-2 (high)” – Short-term debt rated “R-2 (high)” is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

“R-2 (middle)” – Short-term debt rated “R-2 (middle)” is considered to be of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

“R-2 (low)” – Short-term debt rated “R-2 (low)” is considered to be at the lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.

“R-3” – Short-term debt rated “R-3” is considered to be at the lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

“R-4” – Short-term debt rated “R-4” is considered to be of speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

“R-5” – Short-term debt rated “R-5” is considered to be of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

“D” – Short-term debt rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

2-A


Long-Term Credit Ratings

The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P Global Ratings for long-term issues:

“AAA” – An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments 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 commitments 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 commitments 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 weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments 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 that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments 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 commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments 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 commitments 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 commitments on the obligation.

“CC” – An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “CC” rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

“C” – An obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

“D” – An obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

“NR” – This indicates that no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P Global Ratings does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.

Plus (+) or minus (-) – 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.

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings – S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. An issuer’s foreign currency rating will differ from its local currency rating when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, vs. obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

Moody’s long-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial 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. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for long-term debt:

“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.

 

3-A


“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.

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from “Aa” 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.

The following summarizes long-term ratings used by Fitch:

“AAA” – Securities considered to be of the highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit 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” – Securities considered to be of very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

“A” – Securities considered to be of high credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit 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” – Securities considered to be of good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit 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” – Securities considered to be speculative. “BB” ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

“B” – Securities considered to be highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

“CCC” – A “CCC” rating indicates that substantial credit risk is present.

“CC” – A “CC” rating indicates very high levels of credit risk.

“C” – A “C” rating indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned “RD” or “D” ratings but are instead rated in the “B” to “C” rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Fitch believes that this approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss..

Plus (+) or minus (-) may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” category or to categories below “CCC”.

“NR” – Denotes that Fitch does not publicly rate the associated issue or issuer.

“WD” – Indicates that the rating has been withdrawn and is no longer maintained by Fitch.

The DBRS long-term rating scale provides an opinion on the risk of default. That is, the risk that an issuer will fail to satisfy its financial obligations in accordance with the terms under which an obligation has been issued. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer, and the relative ranking of the claims. All rating categories other than “AAA” and “D” also contain subcategories “(high)” and “(low)”. The absence of either a “(high)” or “(low)” designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category. The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for long-term debt:

“AAA” – Long-term debt rated “AAA” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

“AA” – Long-term debt rated “AA” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from “AAA” only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

 

4-A


“A” – Long-term debt rated “A” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than “AA.” May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

“BBB” – Long-term debt rated “BBB” is of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

“BB” Long-term debt rated “BB” is of speculative , non-investment grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

“B” – Long-term debt rated “B” is of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

“CCC”, “CC” and “C” – Long-term debt rated in any of these categories is of very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although “CC” and “C” ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the “CCC” to “B” range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the “C” category.

“D” A security rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

Municipal Note Ratings

An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings’ opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings’ analysis will review the following considerations:

Amortization schedule-the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

Source of payment-the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

Note rating symbols are as follows:

“SP-1” – A municipal note rated “SP-1” exhibits a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

“SP-2” – A municipal note rated “SP-2” exhibits a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

“SP-3” – A municipal note rated “SP-3” exhibits a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

Moody’s uses the Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) scale to rate U.S. municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels – “MIG-1” through “MIG-3”— while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated “SG.” The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for these short-term obligations:

“MIG-1” – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

“MIG-2” – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

“MIG-3” – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

“SG” – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

5-A


In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned; a long- or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (“VMIG”) scale. The rating transitions on the VMIG scale differ from those on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support generally will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.

“VMIG-1” – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

“VMIG-2” – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

“VMIG-3” – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

“SG” – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

“NR” – Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

Fitch uses the same ratings for municipal securities as described above for other short-term credit ratings.

About Credit Ratings

An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings’ view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

Moody’s credit ratings must be construed solely as statements of opinion and not statements of fact or recommendations to purchase, sell or hold any securities.

Fitch’s credit ratings relating to issuers are an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Fitch credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch’s credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign financial, bank, insurance and public finance entities (including supranational and sub-national entities) and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.

Credit ratings provided by DBRS are forward-looking opinions about credit risk which reflect the creditworthiness of an issuer, rated entity, and/or security. Credit ratings are not statements of fact. While historical statistics and performance can be important considerations, credit ratings are not based solely on such; they include subjective considerations and involve expectations for future performance that cannot be guaranteed. To the extent that future events and economic conditions do not match expectations, credit ratings assigned to issuers and/or securities can change. Credit ratings are also based on approved and applicable methodologies, models and criteria (“Methodologies”), which are periodically updated and when material changes are deemed necessary, this may also lead to rating changes.

Credit ratings typically provide an opinion on the risk that investors may not be repaid in accordance with the terms under which the obligation was issued. In some cases, credit ratings may also include consideration for the relative ranking of claims and recovery, should default occur. Credit ratings are meant to provide opinions on relative measures of risk and are not based on expectations of any specific default probability, nor are they meant to predict such.

The data and information on which DBRS bases its opinions is not audited or verified by DBRS, although DBRS conducts a reasonableness review of information received and relied upon in accordance with its Methodologies and policies.

 

6-A


DBRS uses rating symbols as a concise method of expressing its opinion to the market but there are a limited number of rating categories for the possible slight risk differentials that exist across the rating spectrum and DBRS does not assert that credit ratings in the same category are of “exactly” the same quality.

 

7-A


Effective March 2020

APPENDIX B

GSAM PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES SUMMARY

The following is a summary of the material GSAM Proxy Voting Guidelines (the “Guidelines”), which form the substantive basis of GSAM’s Policy and Procedures on Proxy Voting for Investment Advisory Clients (the “Policy”). As described in the main body of the Policy, one or more GSAM Portfolio Management Teams may diverge from the Guidelines and a related Recommendation on any particular proxy vote or in connection with any individual investment decision in accordance with the Policy.

 

A.   US proxy items:   
1.  

Operational Items

  

page 2-B

2.  

Board of Directors

  

page 2-B

3.  

Executive Compensation

  

page 4-B

4.  

Director Nominees and Proxy Access

  

page 6-B

5.  

Shareholders Rights and Defenses

  

page 7-B

6.  

Mergers and Corporate Restructurings

  

page 8-B

7.  

State of Incorporation

  

page 8-B

8.  

Capital Structure

  

page 8-B

9.  

Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Issues

  

page 9-B

B.   Non-U.S. proxy items:   
1.  

Operational Items

  

page 12-B

2.  

Board of Directors

  

page 13-B

3.  

Compensation

  

page 15-B

4.  

Board Structure

  

page 15-B

5.  

Capital Structure

  

page 15-B

6.  

Mergers and Corporate Restructurings & Other

  

page 16-B

7.  

Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Issues

  

page 17-B

C.   Japan proxy items:   
1.  

Operational Items

  

page 18-B

2.  

Board of Directors

  

page 18-B

3.  

Compensation

  

page 21-B

4.  

Board Structure

  

page 21-B

5.  

Capital Structure

  

page 21-B

6.  

Mergers and Corporate Restructurings & Other

  

page 22-B

7.  

Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Issues

  

page 23-B

 

1-B


A. U.S. Proxy Items

The following section is a summary of the Guidelines, which form the substantive basis of the Policy with respect to U.S. public equity investments.

 

1.

Operational Items

Auditor Ratification

Vote FOR proposals to ratify auditors, unless any of the following apply within the last year:

 

   

An auditor has a financial interest in or association with the company, and is therefore not independent;

 

   

There is reason to believe that the independent auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the company’s financial position;

 

   

Poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a serious level of concern, such as: fraud; misapplication of GAAP; or material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures; or

 

   

Fees for non-audit services are excessive (generally over 50% or more of the audit fees).

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals asking companies to prohibit or limit their auditors from engaging in non-audit services or asking for audit firm rotation.

 

2.

Board of Directors

The board of directors should promote the interests of shareholders by acting in an oversight and/or advisory role; the board should consist of a majority of independent directors and should be held accountable for actions and results related to their responsibilities.

When evaluating board composition, GSAM believes a diversity of ethnicity, gender and experience is an important consideration.

Classification of Directors

Where applicable, the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ Listing Standards definition is to be used to classify directors as inside directors, affiliated outside directors, or independent outside directors.

Additionally, GSAM will consider compensation committee interlocking directors to be affiliated (defined as CEOs who sit on each other’s compensation committees).

Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

Vote on director nominees should be determined on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from individual directors who:

 

   

Attend less than 75% of the board and committee meetings without a disclosed valid excuse;

 

   

Sit on more than five public operating and/or holding company boards;

 

   

Are CEOs of public companies who sit on the boards of more than two public companies besides their own--withhold only at their outside boards.

Other items considered for an AGAINST vote include specific concerns about the individual or the company, such as criminal wrongdoing or breach of fiduciary responsibilities, sanctions from government or authority, violations of laws and regulations, the presence of inappropriate related party transactions, or other issues related to improper business practices.

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the Nominating Committee if:

 

   

The board does not have at least one woman director

 

2-B


Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from inside directors and affiliated outside directors (per the Classification of Directors above) in the case of operating and/or holding companies when:

 

   

The inside director or affiliated outside director serves on the Audit, Compensation or Nominating Committees; and

 

   

The company lacks an Audit, Compensation or Nominating Committee so that the full board functions as such committees and inside directors or affiliated outside directors are participating in voting on matters that independent committees should be voting on.

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from members of the appropriate committee (or only the independent chairman or lead director as may be appropriate in situations such as where there is a classified board and members of the appropriate committee are not up for re-election or the appropriate committee is comprised of the entire board ) for the below reasons. Extreme cases may warrant a vote against the entire board.

 

   

Material failures of governance, stewardship, or fiduciary responsibilities at the company;

 

   

Egregious actions related to the director(s)’ service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company;

 

   

At the previous board election, any director received more than 50% withhold/against votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the underlying issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote (members of the Nominating or Governance Committees);

 

   

The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received approval of the majority of shares cast for the previous two consecutive years (a management proposal with other than a FOR recommendation by management will not be considered as sufficient action taken); an adopted proposal that is substantially similar to the original shareholder proposal will be deemed sufficient; (vote against members of the committee of the board that is responsible for the issue under consideration). If GSAM did not support the shareholder proposal in both years, GSAM will still vote against the committee member(s).

 

   

The average board tenure exceeds 15 years, and there has not been a new nominee in the past 5 years.

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the members of the Audit Committee if:

 

   

The non-audit fees paid to the auditor are excessive (generally over 50% or more of the audit fees);

 

   

The company receives an adverse opinion on the company’s financial statements from its auditor and there is not clear evidence that the situation has been remedied;

 

   

There is persuasive evidence that the Audit Committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm; or

 

   

No members of the Audit Committee hold sufficient financial expertise.

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on members of the Audit Committee and/or the full board if poor accounting practices, which rise to a level of serious concern are identified, such as fraud, misapplication of GAAP and material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures.

Examine the severity, breadth, chronological sequence and duration, as well as the company’s efforts at remediation or corrective actions, in determining whether negative vote recommendations are warranted against the members of the Audit Committee who are responsible for the poor accounting practices, or the entire board.

See section 3 on executive and director compensation for reasons to withhold from members of the Compensation Committee.

 

3-B


In limited circumstances, GSAM may vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from all nominees of the board of directors (except from new nominees who should be considered on a CASE-BY-CASE basis and except as discussed below) if:

 

   

The company’s poison pill has a dead-hand or modified dead-hand feature for two or more years. Vote against/withhold every year until this feature is removed; however, vote against the poison pill if there is one on the ballot with this feature rather than the director;

 

   

The board adopts or renews a poison pill without shareholder approval, does not commit to putting it to shareholder vote within 12 months of adoption (or in the case of an newly public company, does not commit to put the pill to a shareholder vote within 12 months following the IPO), or reneges on a commitment to put the pill to a vote, and has not yet received a withhold/against recommendation for this issue;

 

   

The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of the shareholders tendered their shares;

 

   

If in an extreme situation the board lacks accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers.

Shareholder proposal regarding Independent Chair (Separate Chair/CEO)

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

GSAM will generally recommend a vote AGAINST shareholder proposals requiring that the chairman’s position be filled by an independent director, if the company satisfies 3 of the 4 following criteria:

 

   

Designated lead director, elected by and from the independent board members with clearly delineated and comprehensive duties;

 

   

Two-thirds independent board;

 

   

All independent “key” committees (audit, compensation and nominating committees); or

 

   

Established, disclosed governance guidelines.

Shareholder proposal regarding board declassification

GSAM will generally vote FOR proposals requesting that the board adopt a declassified structure in the case of operating and holding companies.

Majority Vote Shareholder Proposals

GSAM will vote FOR proposals requesting that the board adopt majority voting in the election of directors provided it does not conflict with the state law where the company is incorporated. GSAM also looks for companies to adopt a post-election policy outlining how the company will address the situation of a holdover director.

Cumulative Vote Shareholder Proposals

GSAM will generally support shareholder proposals to restore or provide cumulative voting in the case of operating and holding companies unless:

 

   

The company has adopted (i) majority vote standard with a carve-out for plurality voting in situations where there are more nominees than seats and (ii) a director resignation policy to address failed elections.

 

3.

Executive Compensation

Pay Practices

Good pay practices should align management’s interests with long-term shareholder value creation. Detailed disclosure of compensation criteria is preferred; proof that companies follow the criteria should be evident and retroactive performance target changes without proper disclosure is not viewed favorably. Compensation practices should allow a company to attract and retain proven talent. Some examples of poor pay practices include: abnormally large bonus payouts without justifiable performance linkage or proper disclosure, egregious employment contracts, excessive severance and/or change in control provisions, repricing or replacing of underwater stock options/stock appreciation rights without prior shareholder approval, and excessive perquisites. A company should also have an appropriate balance of short-term vs. long-term metrics and the metrics should be aligned with business goals and objectives.

 

4-B


If the company maintains problematic or poor pay practices, generally vote:

 

   

AGAINST Management Say on Pay (MSOP) Proposals; or

 

   

AGAINST an equity-based incentive plan proposal if excessive non-performance-based equity awards are the major contributor to a pay-for-performance misalignment.

 

   

If no MSOP or equity-based incentive plan proposal item is on the ballot, vote AGAINST/WITHHOLD from compensation committee members.

Equity Compensation Plans

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on equity-based compensation plans. Evaluation takes into account potential plan cost, plan features and grant practices. While a negative combination of these factors could cause a vote AGAINST, other reasons to vote AGAINST the equity plan could include the following factors:

 

   

The plan permits the repricing of stock options/stock appreciation rights (SARs) without prior shareholder approval; or

 

   

There is more than one problematic material feature of the plan, which could include one of the following: unfavorable change-in-control features, presence of gross ups and options reload.

Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay, MSOP) Management Proposals

Vote FOR annual frequency and AGAINST all proposals asking for any frequency less than annual.

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals for an advisory vote on executive compensation. For U.S. companies, consider the following factors in the context of each company’s specific circumstances and the board’s disclosed rationale for its practices.

Factors Considered Include:

 

   

Pay for Performance Disconnect;

 

   

GSAM will consider there to be a disconnect based on a quantitative assessment of the following: CEO pay vs. TSR (“Total Shareholder Return”) and peers, CEO pay as a percentage of the median peer group or CEO pay vs. shareholder return over time.

 

   

Long-term equity-based compensation is 100% time-based;

 

   

Board’s responsiveness if company received 70% or less shareholder support in the previous year’s MSOP vote;

 

   

Abnormally large bonus payouts without justifiable performance linkage or proper disclosure;

 

   

Egregious employment contracts;

 

   

Excessive perquisites or excessive severance and/or change in control provisions;

 

   

Repricing or replacing of underwater stock options without prior shareholder approval;

 

   

Excessive pledging or hedging of stock by executives;

 

   

Egregious pension/SERP (supplemental executive retirement plan) payouts;

 

   

Extraordinary relocation benefits;

 

   

Internal pay disparity; and

 

   

Lack of transparent disclosure of compensation philosophy and goals and targets, including details on short-term and long-term performance incentives.

Other Compensation Proposals and Policies

Employee Stock Purchase Plans — Non-Qualified Plans

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on nonqualified employee stock purchase plans taking into account the following factors:

 

   

Broad-based participation;

 

   

Limits on employee contributions;

 

   

Company matching contributions; and

 

   

Presence of a discount on the stock price on the date of purchase.

 

5-B


Option Exchange Programs/Repricing Options

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals seeking approval to exchange/reprice options, taking into consideration:

 

   

Historic trading patterns--the stock price should not be so volatile that the options are likely to be back “in-the-money” over the near term;

 

   

Rationale for the re-pricing;

 

   

If it is a value-for-value exchange;

 

   

If surrendered stock options are added back to the plan reserve;

 

   

Option vesting;

 

   

Term of the option--the term should remain the same as that of the replaced option;

 

   

Exercise price—should be set at fair market or a premium to market;

 

   

Participants—executive officers and directors should be excluded.

Vote FOR shareholder proposals to put option repricings to a shareholder vote.

Other Shareholder Proposals on Compensation

Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Frequency on Pay)

Vote FOR annual frequency.

Stock retention holding period

Vote FOR shareholder proposals asking for a policy requiring that senior executives retain a significant percentage of shares acquired through equity compensation programs if the policy requests retention for two years or less following the termination of their employment (through retirement or otherwise) and a holding threshold percentage of 50% or less.

Also consider:

 

   

Whether the company has any holding period, retention ratio, or officer ownership requirements in place and the terms/provisions of awards already granted.

Elimination of accelerated vesting in the event of a change in control

Vote AGAINST shareholder proposals seeking a policy eliminating the accelerated vesting of time-based equity awards in the event of a change-in-control.

Performance-based equity awards and pay-for-superior-performance proposals

Generally support unless there is sufficient evidence that the current compensation structure is already substantially performance-based. GSAM considers performance-based awards to include awards that are tied to shareholder return or other metrics that are relevant to the business.

Say on Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERP)

Generally vote AGAINST proposals asking for shareholder votes on SERP.

 

4.

Director Nominees and Proxy Access

Voting for Director Nominees (Management or Shareholder)

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the election of directors of operating and holding companies in contested elections, considering the following factors:

 

   

Long-term financial performance of the target company relative to its industry;

 

   

Management’s track record;

 

   

Background of the nomination, in cases where there is a shareholder nomination;

 

   

Qualifications of director nominee(s);

 

   

Strategic plan related to the nomination and quality of critique against management;

 

   

Number of boards on which the director nominee already serves; and

 

   

Likelihood that the board will be productive as a result.

 

6-B


Proxy Access

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder or management proposals asking for proxy access.

GSAM may support proxy access as an important right for shareholders of operating and holding companies and as an alternative to costly proxy contests and as a method for GSAM to vote for directors on an individual basis, as appropriate, rather than voting on one slate or the other. While this could be an important shareholder right, the following factors will be taken into account when evaluating the shareholder proposals:

 

   

The ownership thresholds, percentage and duration proposed (GSAM generally will not support if the ownership threshold is less than 3%);

 

   

The maximum proportion of directors that shareholders may nominate each year (GSAM generally will not support if the proportion of directors is greater than 25%); and

 

   

Other restricting factors that when taken in combination could serve to materially limit the proxy access provision.

GSAM will take the above factors into account when evaluating proposals proactively adopted by the company or in response to a shareholder proposal to adopt or amend the right. A vote against governance committee members could result if provisions exist that materially limit the right to proxy access.

Reimbursing Proxy Solicitation Expenses

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to reimburse proxy solicitation expenses. When voting in conjunction with support of a dissident slate, vote FOR the reimbursement of all appropriate proxy solicitation expenses associated with the election.

 

5.

Shareholders Rights and Defenses

Shareholder Ability to Act by Written Consent

In the case of operating and holding companies, generally vote FOR shareholder proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to act by written consent, unless:

 

   

The company already gives shareholders the right to call special meetings at a threshold of 25% or lower; and

 

   

The company has a history of strong governance practices.

Shareholder Ability to Call Special Meetings

In the case of operating and holding companies, generally vote FOR management proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to call special meetings.

In the case of operating and holding companies, generally vote FOR shareholder proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to call special meetings at a threshold of 25% or lower if the company currently does not give shareholders the right to call special meetings. However, if a company already gives shareholders the right to call special meetings at a threshold of at least 25%, vote AGAINST shareholder proposals to further reduce the threshold.

Advance Notice Requirements for Shareholder Proposals/Nominations

In the case of operating and holding companies, vote CASE-BY-CASE on advance notice proposals, giving support to proposals that allow shareholders to submit proposals/nominations reasonably close to the meeting date and within the broadest window possible, recognizing the need to allow sufficient notice for company, regulatory and shareholder review.

Shareholder Voting Requirements

In the case of operating and holding companies, vote AGAINST proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote. Generally vote FOR management and shareholder proposals to reduce supermajority vote requirements.

 

7-B


Poison Pills

Vote FOR shareholder proposals requesting that the company submit its poison pill to a shareholder vote or redeem it, unless the company has:

 

   

a shareholder-approved poison pill in place; or

 

   

adopted a policy concerning the adoption of a pill in the future specifying certain shareholder friendly provisions.

Vote FOR shareholder proposals calling for poison pills to be put to a vote within a time period of less than one year after adoption.

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals on poison pill ratification, focusing on the features of the shareholder rights plan.

In addition, the rationale for adopting the pill should be thoroughly explained by the company. In examining the request for the pill, take into consideration the company’s existing governance structure, including: board independence, existing takeover defenses, and any problematic governance concerns.

 

6.

Mergers and Corporate Restructurings

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on mergers and acquisitions taking into account the following based on publicly available information:

 

   

Valuation;

 

   

Market reaction;

 

   

Strategic rationale;

 

   

Management’s track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions;

 

   

Presence of conflicts of interest; and

 

   

Governance profile of the combined company.

 

7.

State of Incorporation

Reincorporation Proposals

GSAM may support management proposals to reincorporate as long as the reincorporation would not substantially diminish shareholder rights. GSAM may not support shareholder proposals for reincorporation unless the current state of incorporation is substantially less shareholder friendly than the proposed reincorporation, there is a strong economic case to reincorporate or the company has a history of making decisions that are not shareholder friendly.

Exclusive venue for shareholder lawsuits

Generally vote FOR on exclusive venue proposals, taking into account:

 

   

Whether the company has been materially harmed by shareholder litigation outside its jurisdiction of incorporation, based on disclosure in the company’s proxy statement;

 

   

Whether the company has the following good governance features:

 

   

Majority independent board;

 

   

Independent key committees;

 

   

An annually elected board;

 

   

A majority vote standard in uncontested director elections;

 

   

The absence of a poison pill, unless the pill was approved by shareholders; and/or

 

   

Separate Chairman CEO role or, if combined, an independent chairman with clearly delineated duties.

 

8.

Capital Structure

Common and Preferred Stock Authorization

Generally vote FOR proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance.

Generally vote FOR proposals to increase the number of shares of preferred stock, as long as there is a commitment to not use the shares for anti-takeover purposes.

 

8-B


9.

Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Issues

Overall Approach

GSAM recognizes that Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors can affect investment performance, expose potential investment risks and provide an indication of management excellence and leadership. When evaluating ESG proxy issues, GSAM balances the purpose of a proposal with the overall benefit to shareholders.

Shareholder proposals considered under this category could include, among others, reports on:

 

1)

employee labor and safety policies;

 

2)

impact on the environment of the company’s production or manufacturing operations;

 

3)

societal impact of products manufactured;

 

4)

risks throughout the supply chain or operations including labor practices, animal treatment practices within food production and conflict minerals; and

 

5)

overall board structure, including diversity.

When evaluating environmental and social shareholder proposals, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure, including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

If the company has implemented or formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB) materiality standards or a similar standard;

 

   

Whether adoption of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder value;

 

   

Whether the information requested concerns business issues that relate to a meaningful percentage of the company’s business;

 

   

The degree to which the company’s stated position on the issues raised in the proposal could affect its reputation or sales, or leave it vulnerable to a boycott or selective purchasing;

 

   

Whether the company has already responded in some appropriate manner to the request embodied in the proposal;

 

   

What other companies in the relevant industry have done in response to the issue addressed in the proposal;

 

   

Whether the proposal itself is well framed and the cost of preparing the report is reasonable; Whether the subject of the proposal is best left to the discretion of the board;

 

   

Whether the company has material fines or violations in the area and if so, if appropriate actions have already been taken to remedy going forward;

 

   

Whether providing this information would reveal proprietary or confidential information that would place the company at a competitive disadvantage.

Environmental Sustainability, climate change reporting

Generally vote FOR proposals requesting the company to report on its policies, initiatives and oversight mechanisms related to environmental sustainability, or how the company may be impacted by climate change. The following factors will be considered:

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

If the company has formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB) materiality standards or a similar standard within a specified time frame;

 

   

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

 

   

If there are significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company’s environmental performance.

 

9-B


Establishing goals or targets for emissions reduction

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the following shareholder proposals if relevant to the company:

 

   

Seeking information on the financial, physical, or regulatory risks a company faces related to climate change on its operations and investment, or on how the company identifies, measures and manages such risks;

 

   

Calling for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (“GHG”) emissions;

 

   

Seeking reports on responses to regulatory and public pressures surrounding climate change, and for disclosure of research that aided in setting company policies around climate change;

 

   

Requesting a report/disclosure of goals on GHG emissions from company operations and/or products;

 

   

Requesting a company report on its energy efficiency policies; and

 

   

Requesting reports on the feasibility of developing renewable energy resources.

Political Contributions and Trade Association Spending/Lobbying Expenditures and Initiatives

GSAM generally believes that it is the role of boards and management to determine the appropriate level of disclosure of all types of corporate political activity. When evaluating these proposals, GSAM considers the prescriptive nature of the proposal and the overall benefit to shareholders along with a company’s current disclosure of policies, practices and oversight.

Generally vote AGAINST proposals asking the company to affirm political nonpartisanship in the workplace so long as:

 

   

There are no recent, significant controversies, fines or litigation regarding the company’s political contributions or trade association spending; and

 

   

The company has procedures in place to ensure that employee contributions to company-sponsored political action committees (PACs) are strictly voluntary and prohibits coercion.

Vote AGAINST proposals requesting increased disclosure of a company’s policies with respect to political contributions, lobbying and trade association spending as long as:

 

   

There is no significant potential threat or actual harm to shareholders’ interests;

 

   

There are no recent significant controversies or litigation related to the company’s political contributions or governmental affairs; and

 

   

There is publicly available information to assess the company’s oversight related to such expenditures of corporate assets.

GSAM generally will vote AGAINST proposals asking for detailed disclosure of political contributions or trade association or lobbying expenditures.

Vote AGAINST proposals barring the company from making political contributions. Businesses are affected by legislation at the federal, state, and local level and barring political contributions can put the company at a competitive disadvantage.

Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

A company should have a clear, public Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statement and/or diversity policy. Generally vote FOR proposals seeking to amend a company’s EEO statement or diversity policies to additionally prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Generally vote FOR proposals requesting reports on a company’s efforts to diversify the board, unless:

 

   

The gender and racial minority representation of the company’s board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business; and

 

   

The board already reports on its nominating procedures and gender and racial minority initiatives on the board.

 

10-B


Gender Pay Gap

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting reports on a company’s pay data by gender, or a report on a company’s policies and goals to reduce any gender pay gap, taking into account:

 

   

The company’s current policies and disclosure related to both its diversity and inclusion policies and practices and its compensation philosophy and fair and equitable compensation practices;

 

   

Whether the company has been the subject of recent controversy, litigation or regulatory actions related to gender pay gap issues; and

 

   

Whether the company’s reporting regarding gender pay gap policies or initiatives is lagging its peers.

Labor and Human Rights Standards

Generally vote FOR proposals requesting a report on company or company supplier labor and/or human rights standards and policies, or on the impact of its operations on society, unless such information is already publicly disclosed considering:

 

   

The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed;

 

   

Whether or not existing relevant policies are consistent with internationally recognized standards;

 

   

Whether company facilities and those of its suppliers are monitored and how;

 

   

Company participation in fair labor organizations or other internationally recognized human rights initiatives;

 

   

Scope and nature of business conducted in markets known to have higher risk of workplace labor/human rights abuse;

 

   

Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights at the company or its suppliers;

 

   

The scope of the request; and

 

   

Deviation from industry sector peer company standards and practices.

 

11-B


B. Non-U.S. Proxy Items1

The following section is a broad summary of the Guidelines, which form the basis of the Policy with respect to non-U.S. and Japan public equity investments. Applying these guidelines is subject to certain regional and country-specific exceptions and modifications and is not inclusive of all considerations in each market.

 

1.

Operational Items

Financial Results/Director and Auditor Reports

Vote FOR approval of financial statements and director and auditor reports, unless:

 

   

There are concerns about the accounts presented or audit procedures used; or

 

   

The company is not responsive to shareholder questions about specific items that should be publicly disclosed.

Appointment of Auditors and Auditor Fees

Vote FOR the re-election of auditors and proposals authorizing the board to fix auditor fees, unless:

 

   

There are serious concerns about the accounts presented, audit procedures used or audit opinion rendered;

 

   

There is reason to believe that the auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the company’s financial position;

 

   

Name of the proposed auditor has not been published;

 

   

The auditors are being changed without explanation;

 

   

Non-audit-related fees are substantial or are in excess of standard annual audit-related fees; or

 

   

The appointment of external auditors if they have previously served the company in an executive capacity or can otherwise be considered affiliated with the company.

Appointment of Statutory Auditors

Vote FOR the appointment or re-election of statutory auditors, unless:

 

   

There are serious concerns about the statutory reports presented or the audit procedures used;

 

   

Questions exist concerning any of the statutory auditors being appointed; or

 

   

The auditors have previously served the company in an executive capacity or can otherwise be considered affiliated with the company.

Allocation of Income

Vote FOR approval of the allocation of income, unless:

 

   

The dividend payout ratio has been consistently low without adequate explanation; or

 

   

The payout is excessive given the company’s financial position.

Stock (Scrip) Dividend Alternative

Vote FOR most stock (scrip) dividend proposals.

Vote AGAINST proposals that do not allow for a cash option unless management demonstrates that the cash option is harmful to shareholder value.

Amendments to Articles of Association

Vote amendments to the articles of association on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Change in Company Fiscal Term

Vote FOR resolutions to change a company’s fiscal term unless a company’s motivation for the change is to postpone its annual general meeting.

Lower Disclosure Threshold for Stock Ownership

Vote AGAINST resolutions to lower the stock ownership disclosure threshold below 5% unless specific reasons exist to implement a lower threshold.

 

 

1

Excludes Japan public equity investments, please see Section C.

 

12-B


Amend Quorum Requirements

Vote proposals to amend quorum requirements for shareholder meetings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Transact Other Business

Vote AGAINST other business when it appears as a voting item.

 

2.

Board of Directors

Director Elections

Vote FOR management nominees taking into consideration the following:

 

   

Adequate disclosure has not been provided in a timely manner; or

 

   

There are clear concerns over questionable finances or restatements; or

 

   

There have been questionable transactions or conflicts of interest; or

 

   

There are any records of abuses against minority shareholder interests; or

 

   

The board fails to meet minimum corporate governance standards; or

 

   

There are reservations about:

 

   

Director terms

 

   

Bundling of proposals to elect directors

 

   

Board independence

 

   

Disclosure of named nominees

 

   

Combined Chairman/CEO

 

   

Election of former CEO as Chairman of the board

 

   

Overboarded directors

 

   

Composition of committees

 

   

Director independence

 

   

Number of directors on the board

 

   

Lack of gender diversity on the board

 

   

Specific concerns about the individual or company, such as criminal wrongdoing or breach of fiduciary responsibilities; or

 

   

Repeated absences at board meetings have not been explained (in countries where this information is disclosed); or

Unless there are other considerations which may include sanctions from government or authority, violations of laws and regulations, or other issues related to improper business practice, failure to replace management, or egregious actions related to service on other boards. Vote AGAINST the Nominating Committee if the board does not have at least one woman director.

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis in contested elections of directors, e.g., the election of shareholder nominees or the dismissal of incumbent directors, determining which directors are best suited to add value for shareholders.

The analysis will generally be based on, but not limited to, the following major decision factors:

 

   

Company performance relative to its peers;

 

   

Strategy of the incumbents versus the dissidents;

 

   

Independence of board candidates;

 

   

Experience and skills of board candidates;

 

   

Governance profile of the company;

 

   

Evidence of management entrenchment;

 

   

Responsiveness to shareholders;

 

   

Whether a takeover offer has been rebuffed;

 

   

Whether minority or majority representation is being sought.

Vote FOR employee and/or labor representatives if they sit on either the audit or compensation committee and are required by law to be on those committees.

 

13-B


Vote AGAINST employee and/or labor representatives if they sit on either the audit or compensation committee, if they are not required to be on those committees.

Classification of directors

Executive Director

 

   

Employee or executive of the company;

 

   

Any director who is classified as a non-executive, but receives salary, fees, bonus, and/or other benefits that are in line with the highest-paid executives of the company.

Non-Independent Non-Executive Director (NED)

 

   

Any director who is attested by the board to be a non-independent NED;

 

   

Any director specifically designated as a representative of a significant shareholder of the company;

 

   

Any director who is also an employee or executive of a significant shareholder of the company; Beneficial owner (direct or indirect) of at least 10% of the company’s stock, either in economic terms or in voting rights (this may be aggregated if voting power is distributed among more than one member of a defined group, e.g., family members who beneficially own less than 10% individually, but collectively own more than 10%), unless market best practice dictates a lower ownership and/or disclosure threshold (and in other special market-specific circumstances); Government representative;

 

   

Currently provides (or a relative provides) professional services to the company, to an affiliate of the company, or to an individual officer of the company or of one of its affiliates in excess of $10,000 per year;

 

   

Represents customer, supplier, creditor, banker, or other entity with which company maintains transactional/commercial relationship (unless company discloses information to apply a materiality test);

 

   

Any director who has conflicting or cross-directorships with executive directors or the chairman of the company;

 

   

Relative of a current employee of the company or its affiliates;

 

   

Relative of a former executive of the company or its affiliates;

 

   

A new appointee elected other than by a formal process through the General Meeting (such as a contractual appointment by a substantial shareholder);

 

   

Founder/co-founder/member of founding family but not currently an employee;

 

   

Former executive (5 year cooling off period);

 

   

Years of service is generally not a determining factor unless it is recommended best practice in a market and/or in extreme circumstances, in which case it may be considered; and

 

   

Any additional relationship or principle considered to compromise independence under local corporate governance best practice guidance.

Independent NED

 

   

No material connection, either directly or indirectly, to the company other than a board seat.

Employee Representative

 

   

Represents employees or employee shareholders of the company (classified as “employee representative” but considered a non-independent NED).

Discharge of Directors

Generally vote FOR the discharge of directors, including members of the management board and/or supervisory board, unless there is reliable information about significant and compelling controversies that the board is not fulfilling its fiduciary duties warranted by:

 

   

A lack of oversight or actions by board members which invoke shareholder distrust related to malfeasance or poor supervision, such as operating in private or company interest rather than in shareholder interest; or

 

   

Any legal issues (e.g., civil/criminal) aiming to hold the board responsible for breach of trust in the past or related to currently alleged actions yet to be confirmed (and not only the fiscal year in question), such as price fixing, insider trading, bribery, fraud, and other illegal actions; or

 

   

Other egregious governance issues where shareholders may bring legal action against the company or its directors; or

 

   

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis where a vote against other agenda items are deemed inappropriate.

 

14-B


3.

Compensation

Director Compensation

Vote FOR proposals to award cash fees to non-executive directors unless the amounts are excessive relative to other companies in the country or industry.

Vote non-executive director compensation proposals that include both cash and share-based components on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote proposals that bundle compensation for both non-executive and executive directors into a single resolution on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote AGAINST proposals to introduce retirement benefits for non-executive directors.

Compensation Plans

Vote compensation plans on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Director, Officer, and Auditor Indemnification and Liability Provisions

Vote proposals seeking indemnification and liability protection for directors and officers on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote AGAINST proposals to indemnify auditors.

 

4.

Board Structure

Vote AGAINST the introduction of classified boards and mandatory retirement ages for directors.

Vote AGAINST proposals to alter board structure or size in the context of a fight for control of the company or the board.

Chairman CEO combined role (for applicable markets)

GSAM will generally recommend a vote AGAINST shareholder proposals requiring that the chairman’s position be filled by an independent director, if the company satisfies 3 of the 4 following criteria:

 

   

Two-thirds independent board, or majority in countries where employee representation is common practice;

 

   

A designated, or a rotating, lead director, elected by and from the independent board members with clearly delineated and comprehensive duties;

 

   

Fully independent key committees; and/or

 

   

Established, publicly disclosed, governance guidelines and director biographies/profiles.

 

5.

Capital Structure

Share Issuance Requests

General Issuances:

Vote FOR issuance requests with preemptive rights to a maximum of 100% over currently issued capital.

Vote FOR issuance requests without preemptive rights to a maximum of 20% of currently issued capital.

Specific Issuances:

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis on all requests, with or without preemptive rights.

Increases in Authorized Capital

Vote FOR non-specific proposals to increase authorized capital up to 100% over the current authorization unless the increase would leave the company with less than 30% of its new authorization outstanding.

Vote FOR specific proposals to increase authorized capital to any amount, unless:

 

   

The specific purpose of the increase (such as a share-based acquisition or merger) does not meet guidelines for the purpose being proposed; or

 

   

The increase would leave the company with less than 30% of its new authorization outstanding after adjusting for all proposed issuances.

 

15-B


Vote AGAINST proposals to adopt unlimited capital authorizations.

Reduction of Capital

Vote FOR proposals to reduce capital for routine accounting purposes unless the terms are unfavorable to shareholders.

Vote proposals to reduce capital in connection with corporate restructuring on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Capital Structures

Vote FOR resolutions that seek to maintain or convert to a one-share, one-vote capital structure.

Vote AGAINST requests for the creation or continuation of dual-class capital structures or the creation of new or additional super voting shares.

Preferred Stock

Vote FOR the creation of a new class of preferred stock or for issuances of preferred stock up to 50% of issued capital unless the terms of the preferred stock would adversely affect the rights of existing shareholders.

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible preferred stock as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issuance requests.

Vote AGAINST the creation of a new class of preference shares that would carry superior voting rights to the common shares.

Vote AGAINST the creation of blank check preferred stock unless the board clearly states that the authorization will not be used to thwart a takeover bid.

Vote proposals to increase blank check preferred authorizations on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Debt Issuance Requests

Vote non-convertible debt issuance requests on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, with or without preemptive rights.

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible debt instruments as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issuance requests.

Vote FOR proposals to restructure existing debt arrangements unless the terms of the restructuring would adversely affect the rights of shareholders.

Increase in Borrowing Powers

Vote proposals to approve increases in a company’s borrowing powers on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Share Repurchase Plans

GSAM will generally recommend FOR share repurchase programs taking into account whether:

 

   

The share repurchase program can be used as a takeover defense;

 

   

There is clear evidence of historical abuse;

 

   

There is no safeguard in the share repurchase program against selective buybacks;

 

   

Pricing provisions and safeguards in the share repurchase program are deemed to be unreasonable in light of market practice.

Reissuance of Repurchased Shares

Vote FOR requests to reissue any repurchased shares unless there is clear evidence of abuse of this authority in the past.

Capitalization of Reserves for Bonus Issues/Increase in Par Value

Vote FOR requests to capitalize reserves for bonus issues of shares or to increase par value.

 

6.

Mergers and Corporate Restructurings and Other

Reorganizations/Restructurings

Vote reorganizations and restructurings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on mergers and acquisitions taking into account the following based on publicly available information:

 

   

Valuation;

 

16-B


   

Market reaction;

 

   

Strategic rationale;

 

   

Management’s track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions;

 

   

Presence of conflicts of interest; and

 

   

Governance profile of the combined company.

Antitakeover Mechanisms

Generally vote AGAINST all antitakeover proposals, unless they are structured in such a way that they give shareholders the ultimate decision on any proposal or offer.

Reincorporation Proposals

Vote reincorporation proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Related-Party Transactions

Vote related-party transactions on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering factors including, but not limited to, the following:

 

   

The parties on either side of the transaction;

 

   

The nature of the asset to be transferred/service to be provided;

 

   

The pricing of the transaction (and any associated professional valuation);

 

   

The views of independent directors (where provided);

 

   

The views of an independent financial adviser (where appointed);

 

   

Whether any entities party to the transaction (including advisers) is conflicted; and

 

   

The stated rationale for the transaction, including discussions of timing.

Shareholder Proposals

Vote all shareholder proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote FOR proposals that would improve the company’s corporate governance or business profile at a reasonable cost.

Vote AGAINST proposals that limit the company’s business activities or capabilities or result in significant costs being incurred with little or no benefit.

 

7.

Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Issues

Please refer to page 9-C for our current approach to these important topics.

 

17-B


C. Japan Proxy Items

The following section is a broad summary of the Guidelines, which form the basis of the Policy with respect to Japanese public equity investments. Applying these guidelines is not inclusive of all considerations in the Japanese market.

 

1.

Operational Items

Financial Results/Director and Auditor Reports

Vote FOR approval of financial statements and director and auditor reports, unless:

 

   

There are concerns about the accounts presented or audit procedures used; or

 

   

The company is not responsive to shareholder questions about specific items that should be publicly disclosed.

Appointment of Auditors and Auditor Fees

Vote FOR the re-election of auditors and proposals authorizing the board to fix auditor fees, unless:

 

   

There are serious concerns about the accounts presented, audit procedures used or audit opinion rendered;

 

   

There is reason to believe that the auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the company’s financial position;

 

   

Name of the proposed auditor has not been published;

 

   

The auditors are being changed without explanation;

 

   

Non-audit-related fees are substantial or are in excess of standard annual audit-related fees; or

 

   

The appointment of external auditors if they have previously served the company in an executive capacity or can otherwise be considered affiliated with the company.

Allocation of Income

Vote FOR approval of the allocation of income, unless:

 

   

The dividend payout ratio is less than 20%; or

 

   

The company proposes the payments even though the company posted a net loss for the year under review;

 

   

The dividend payout ratio has been consistently low without adequate explanation; or

 

   

The payout is excessive given the company’s financial position.

Stock (Scrip) Dividend Alternative

Vote FOR most stock (scrip) dividend proposals.

Vote AGAINST proposals that do not allow for a cash option unless management demonstrates that the cash option is harmful to shareholder value.

Amendments to Articles of Association

Vote amendments to the articles of association on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Change in Company Fiscal Term

Vote FOR resolutions to change a company’s fiscal term unless a company’s motivation for the change is to postpone its annual general meeting.

Lower Disclosure Threshold for Stock Ownership

Vote AGAINST resolutions to lower the stock ownership disclosure threshold below 5% unless specific reasons exist to implement a lower threshold.

Amend Quorum Requirements

Vote proposals to amend quorum requirements for shareholder meetings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Transact Other Business

Vote AGAINST other business when it appears as a voting item.

 

2.

Board of Directors

Director and Statutory Auditor Elections

Vote FOR management nominees taking into consideration the following:

 

   

The company’s committee structure: statutory auditor board structure, U.S.-type three committee structure, or audit committee structure; or

 

18-B


   

Adequate disclosure has not been provided in a timely manner; or

 

   

There are clear concerns over questionable finances or restatements; or

 

   

There have been questionable transactions or conflicts of interest; or

 

   

There are any records of abuses against minority shareholder interests; or

 

   

The board fails to meet minimum corporate governance standards; or

 

   

There are reservations about:

 

   

Director terms

 

   

Bundling of proposals to elect directors

 

   

Board independence

 

   

Disclosure of named nominees

 

   

Combined Chairman/CEO

 

   

Election of former CEO as Chairman of the board

 

   

Overboarded directors who sit on more than four public operating and/or holding company boards or are CEOs of public companies who sit on the boards of more than one public companies besides their own

 

   

Composition of committees

 

   

Director independence

 

   

Number of directors on the board

 

   

Lack of gender diversity on the board

 

   

Specific concerns about the individual or company, such as criminal wrongdoing or breach of fiduciary responsibilities; or

 

   

Attendance at less than 75% of the board and committee meetings without a disclosed valid excuse; or

 

   

Unless there are other considerations which may include sanctions from government or authority, violations of laws and regulations, or other issues related to improper business practice, failure to replace management, or egregious actions related to service on other boards.

Vote AGAINST the Nominating Committee if the board does not have at least one woman director.

Vote AGAINST top executives when the board consists of more than 15 directors and less than 15% of outside directors.

Vote AGAINST top executives when the company has posted average return on equity (ROE) of less than five percent over the last five fiscal years.

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis in contested elections of directors, e.g., the election of shareholder nominees or the dismissal of incumbent directors, determining which directors are best suited to add value for shareholders.

The analysis will generally be based on, but not limited to, the following major decision factors:

 

   

Company performance relative to its peers;

 

   

Strategy of the incumbents versus the dissidents;

 

   

Independence of board candidates;

 

   

Experience and skills of board candidates;

 

   

Governance profile of the company;

 

   

Evidence of management entrenchment;

 

   

Responsiveness to shareholders;

 

   

Whether a takeover offer has been rebuffed;

 

   

Whether minority or majority representation is being sought.

Vote FOR employee and/or labor representatives if they sit on either the audit or compensation committee and are required by law to be on those committees.

Vote AGAINST employee and/or labor representatives if they sit on either the audit or compensation committee, if they are not required to be on those committees.

 

19-B


Classification of directors

Internal Director

 

   

Employee or executive of the company;

 

   

Any director who is classified as a non-executive, but receives salary, fees, bonus, and/or other benefits that are in line with the highest-paid executives of the company.

Internal Non-Executive Director (NED)

 

   

Any director who is attested by the board to be a non-independent NED;

 

   

Any director specifically designated as a representative of a significant shareholder of the company;

 

   

Any director who is also an employee or executive of a significant shareholder of the company;

 

   

Beneficial owner (direct or indirect) of at least 10% of the company’s stock, either in economic terms or in voting rights (this may be aggregated if voting power is distributed among more than one member of a defined group, e.g., family members who beneficially own less than 10% individually, but collectively own more than 10%), unless market best practice dictates a lower ownership and/or disclosure threshold (and in other special market-specific circumstances);

 

   

Government representative;

 

   

Currently provides (or a relative provides) professional services to the company, to an affiliate of the company, or to an individual officer of the company or of one of its affiliates in excess of $10,000 per year;

 

   

Represents customer, supplier, creditor, banker, or other entity with which company maintains transactional/commercial relationship (unless company discloses information to apply a materiality test);

 

   

Any director who has conflicting or cross-directorships with executive directors or the chairman of the company;

 

   

Relative of a current employee of the company or its affiliates;

 

   

Relative of a former executive of the company or its affiliates;

 

   

Any director who works or worked at companies whose shares are held by the company in question as cross-shareholdings;

 

   

A new appointee elected other than by a formal process through the General Meeting (such as a contractual appointment by a substantial shareholder);

 

   

Founder/co-founder/member of founding family but not currently an employee;

 

   

Former executive (5 year cooling off period);

 

   

Years of service is generally not a determining factor unless it is recommended best practice in a market and/or in extreme circumstances, in which case it may be considered; and

 

   

Any additional relationship or principle considered to compromise independence under local corporate governance best practice guidance.

External NED

 

   

No material connection, either directly or indirectly, to the company other than a board seat.

Employee Representative

 

   

Represents employees or employee shareholders of the company (classified as “employee representative” but considered a non-independent NED).

Discharge of Directors

Generally vote FOR the discharge of directors, including members of the management board and/or supervisory board, unless there is reliable information about significant and compelling controversies that the board is not fulfilling its fiduciary duties warranted by:

 

   

A lack of oversight or actions by board members which invoke shareholder distrust related to malfeasance or poor supervision, such as operating in private or company interest rather than in shareholder interest; or

 

   

Any legal issues (e.g., civil/criminal) aiming to hold the board responsible for breach of trust in the past or related to currently alleged actions yet to be confirmed (and not only the fiscal year in question), such as price fixing, insider trading, bribery, fraud, and other illegal actions; or

 

   

Other egregious governance issues where shareholders may bring legal action against the company or its directors; or

 

   

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis where a vote against other agenda items are deemed inappropriate.

 

20-B


3.

Compensation

Director Compensation

Vote FOR proposals to award cash fees to non-executive directors unless the amounts are excessive relative to other companies in the country or industry.

Vote non-executive director compensation proposals that include both cash and share-based components on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote proposals that bundle compensation for both non-executive and executive directors into a single resolution on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote AGAINST proposals to introduce retirement benefits for non-executive directors.

Compensation Plans

Vote compensation plans on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Director, Officer, and Auditor Indemnification and Liability Provisions

Vote proposals seeking indemnification and liability protection for directors and officers on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote AGAINST proposals to indemnify auditors.

 

4.

Board Structure

Vote AGAINST the introduction of classified boards and mandatory retirement ages for directors.

Vote AGAINST proposals to alter board structure or size in the context of a fight for control of the company or the board.

Chairman CEO combined role

GSAM will generally recommend a vote AGAINST shareholder proposals requiring that the chairman’s position be filled by an independent director, if the company satisfies 3 of the 4 following criteria:

 

   

Two-thirds independent board, or majority in countries where employee representation is common practice;

 

   

A designated, or a rotating, lead director, elected by and from the independent board members with clearly delineated and comprehensive duties;

 

   

Fully independent key committees; and/or

 

   

Established, publicly disclosed, governance guidelines and director biographies/profiles.

 

5.

Capital Structure

Share Issuance Requests

General Issuances:

Vote FOR issuance requests with preemptive rights to a maximum of 100% over currently issued capital.

Vote FOR issuance requests without preemptive rights to a maximum of 20% of currently issued capital.

Specific Issuances:

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis on all requests, with or without preemptive rights.

Increases in Authorized Capital

Vote FOR non-specific proposals to increase authorized capital up to 100% over the current authorization unless the increase would leave the company with less than 30% of its new authorization outstanding.

 

21-B


Vote FOR specific proposals to increase authorized capital to any amount, unless:

 

   

The specific purpose of the increase (such as a share-based acquisition or merger) does not meet guidelines for the purpose being proposed; or

 

   

The increase would leave the company with less than 30% of its new authorization outstanding after adjusting for all proposed issuances.

Vote AGAINST proposals to adopt unlimited capital authorizations.

Reduction of Capital

Vote FOR proposals to reduce capital for routine accounting purposes unless the terms are unfavorable to shareholders.

Vote proposals to reduce capital in connection with corporate restructuring on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Capital Structures

Vote FOR resolutions that seek to maintain or convert to a one-share, one-vote capital structure.

Vote AGAINST requests for the creation or continuation of dual-class capital structures or the creation of new or additional super voting shares.

Preferred Stock

Vote FOR the creation of a new class of preferred stock or for issuances of preferred stock up to 50% of issued capital unless the terms of the preferred stock would adversely affect the rights of existing shareholders.

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible preferred stock as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issuance requests.

Vote AGAINST the creation of a new class of preference shares that would carry superior voting rights to the common shares.

Vote AGAINST the creation of blank check preferred stock unless the board clearly states that the authorization will not be used to thwart a takeover bid.

Vote proposals to increase blank check preferred authorizations on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Debt Issuance Requests

Vote non-convertible debt issuance requests on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, with or without preemptive rights.

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible debt instruments as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issuance requests.

Vote FOR proposals to restructure existing debt arrangements unless the terms of the restructuring would adversely affect the rights of shareholders.

Increase in Borrowing Powers

Vote proposals to approve increases in a company’s borrowing powers on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Share Repurchase Plans

GSAM will generally recommend FOR share repurchase programs taking into account whether:

 

   

The share repurchase program can be used as a takeover defense;

 

   

There is clear evidence of historical abuse;

 

   

There is no safeguard in the share repurchase program against selective buybacks;

 

   

Pricing provisions and safeguards in the share repurchase program are deemed to be unreasonable in light of market practice.

Reissuance of Repurchased Shares

Vote FOR requests to reissue any repurchased shares unless there is clear evidence of abuse of this authority in the past.

Capitalization of Reserves for Bonus Issues/Increase in Par Value

Vote FOR requests to capitalize reserves for bonus issues of shares or to increase par value.

 

6.

Mergers and Corporate Restructurings and Other

Reorganizations/Restructurings

Vote reorganizations and restructurings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

 

22-B


Mergers and Acquisitions

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on mergers and acquisitions taking into account the following based on publicly available information:

 

   

Valuation;

 

   

Market reaction;

 

   

Strategic rationale;

 

   

Management’s track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions;

 

   

Presence of conflicts of interest; and

 

   

Governance profile of the combined company.

Antitakeover Mechanisms

Generally vote AGAINST all antitakeover proposals, unless they are structured in such a way that they give shareholders the ultimate decision on any proposal or offer.

Reincorporation Proposals

Vote reincorporation proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Related-Party Transactions

Vote related-party transactions on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering factors including, but not limited to, the following:

 

   

The parties on either side of the transaction;

 

   

The nature of the asset to be transferred/service to be provided;

 

   

The pricing of the transaction (and any associated professional valuation);

 

   

The views of independent directors (where provided);

 

   

The views of an independent financial adviser (where appointed);

 

   

Whether any entities party to the transaction (including advisers) is conflicted; and

 

   

The stated rationale for the transaction, including discussions of timing.

Shareholder Proposals

Vote all shareholder proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote FOR proposals that would improve the company’s corporate governance or business profile at a reasonable cost.

Vote AGAINST proposals that limit the company’s business activities or capabilities or result in significant costs being incurred with little or no benefit.

 

7.

Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Issues

Please refer to page 9-B for our current approach to these important topics.

 

23-B


APPENDIX C

STATEMENT OF INTENTION

(applicable only to Class A Shares)

If a shareholder anticipates purchasing within a 13-month period Class A Shares of a Fund alone or in combination with Class A Shares of another Goldman Sachs Fund in the amount of $50,000 or more ($100,000 or more in the case of Commodity Strategy Fund), the shareholder may obtain shares of the Fund at the same reduced sales charge as though the total quantity were invested in one lump sum by checking and filing the Statement of Intention in the account application. Income dividends and capital gain distributions taken in additional shares, as well as any appreciation on shares previously purchased, will not apply toward the completion of the Statement of Intention.

To ensure that the reduced price will be received on future purchases, the investor must inform Goldman Sachs that the Statement of Intention is in effect each time shares are purchased. Subject to the conditions mentioned below, each purchase will be made at the public offering price applicable to a single transaction of the dollar amount specified on the account application. The investor makes no commitment to purchase additional shares, but if the investor’s purchases within 13 months plus the value of shares credited toward completion do not total the sum specified, the investor will pay the increased amount of the sales charge prescribed in the Escrow Agreement.

Escrow Agreement

Out of the initial purchase (or subsequent purchases if necessary), 5% of the dollar amount specified on the account application will be held in escrow by the transfer agent in the form of shares registered in the investor’s name. All income dividends and capital gains distributions on escrowed shares will be paid to the investor or to his or her order. When the minimum investment so specified is completed (either prior to or by the end of the 13th month), the investor will be notified and the escrowed shares will be released.

If the intended investment is not completed, the investor will be asked to remit to Goldman Sachs any difference between the sales charge on the amount specified and on the amount actually attained. If the investor does not within 20 days after written request by Goldman Sachs pay such difference in the sales charge, the Transfer Agent will redeem, pursuant to the authority given by the investor in the account application, an appropriate number of the escrowed shares in order to realize such difference. Shares remaining after any such redemption will be released by the transfer agent.

 

 

1-C



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