T. Rowe Price Institutional Income Funds N-CSR Certified annual shareholder report (management investment company)

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
 
 

Investment Company Act File Number: 811-21055

T. Rowe Price Institutional Income Funds, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

(Address of principal executive offices)

David Oestreicher

100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (410) 345-2000


Date of fiscal year end: May 31


Date of reporting period: May 31, 2017

Item 1. Report to Shareholders

Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund May 31, 2017

Highlights

● The prospect of corporate tax cuts and higher levels of government spending from the Trump administration helped support demand for investment-grade corporate bonds, as did a decline in risk aversion and a rally in oil prices from early-2016 lows.

● The Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund returned 4.48% but underperformed the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Long Credit Bond Index during the reporting period, primarily as a result of our underweight to and security selection in the energy sector.

● As part of our strategy, we underweight long-term riskier assets and overweight short-dated securities. During the “risk on” period that we experienced during your fund’s fiscal year, this positioning led to underperformance.

● Lacking thematic drivers, such as hoped-for deregulation and tax reform, security selection and insights from our global research team will become even more important as we seek to uncover opportunities among individual securities.

The views and opinions in this report were current as of May 31, 2017. They are not guarantees of performance or investment results and should not be taken as investment advice. Investment decisions reflect a variety of factors, and the managers reserve the right to change their views about individual stocks, sectors, and the markets at any time. As a result, the views expressed should not be relied upon as a forecast of the fund’s future investment intent. The report is certified under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires mutual funds and other public companies to affirm that, to the best of their knowledge, the information in their financial reports is fairly and accurately stated in all material respects.

Manager’s Letter
T. Rowe Price Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund

Dear Investor

Before moderating somewhat by the end of the reporting period, interest rates spiked dramatically in late 2016, as investors priced in an aggressive policy agenda following Donald Trump’s victory in the November 2016 U.S. presidential election. Since the election, we have increased exposure to riskier market segments given the possibility that economic growth may get a boost from increased government spending and deregulation. During the period, your fund underperformed the benchmark primarily as a result of our security selection and underweight allocation to the energy sector.

Performance

During the 12-month period ended May 31, 2017, the fund returned 4.48% compared with 6.20% for the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Long Credit Bond Index. The fund’s share price rose during the 12-month reporting period to $10.52 from $10.44. Dividend income totaled $0.38 per share over the past 12 months. The fund’s 30-day SEC yield fell to 3.64% from 3.66% a year ago.

Market Environment

After growing 1.6% in 2016, U.S. gross domestic product growth slowed to a 1.2% annual pace in the first three months of 2017, according to the Commerce Department’s second estimate. While first-quarter growth was weak, the underlying trend of moderate U.S. economic expansion seemed to remain in place. The pace of employment growth moderated compared with the last few years as the unemployment rate declined, but the labor market remained strong. Inflation is higher than 12 months ago, but any further increases are likely to be gradual as energy prices appear to have leveled off. Citing an improving labor market and rising inflation, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points in December 2016 and in March 2017. After the pair of hikes, the range for the fed funds target rate was 0.75% to 1.00%. (The Fed also raised rates in June, shortly after the end of the reporting period.)

Interest rates moved higher through much of the 12-month reporting period after hitting record lows in July as the market anticipated the Fed’s moves. Interest rates spiked dramatically higher following the November election on expectations that the Trump administration’s plans to reform health care and tax policy and loosen banking regulation would spur inflation and buoy economic growth.

Companies, looking to take advantage of historically low rates, issued investment-grade debt at a record pace. However, technical conditions remained healthy with strong demand, especially from foreign buyers, absorbing supply. Corporate bonds outpaced U.S. Treasuries of similar maturities as corporate spreads, as measured by the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Long Credit Bond Index, compressed significantly. The yield curve between 2- and 30-year Treasuries flattened as short-term rates increased more than longer-term yields over the last year. The yield on the two-year Treasury note began the period at 0.87% and rose to 1.28%, whereas the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond began the period at 2.64% and rose to 2.87%. (Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.)

Portfolio Review

Security selection and asset allocation both weighed on relative returns. Within the energy sector, our underweight and security selection significantly detracted from performance in relation to the benchmark. The energy sector was volatile as a result of fluctuations in commodity prices but ultimately rallied as oil prices stabilized amid indications that OPEC members were complying with production cuts agreed upon in late 2016. Our holdings in higher-quality liquid names, which had boosted performance last year, such as Columbia Pipeline Group, Royal Dutch Shell, and ExxonMobil, detracted from results as lower-rated energy bonds outpaced their higher-quality counterparts. Our allocation to cash and a modest non-benchmark allocation to Treasuries, which underperformed securities with a yield advantage over U.S. government bonds during the period, also weighed on relative results. (Please refer to the fund’s portfolio of investments for a complete list of holdings and the amount each represents in the portfolio.)

Overall, the underperformance can be explained by our strategy of underweighting long-term riskier assets, such as bonds in the energy sector, and overweighting short-dated securities. In a “risk on” period, as we experienced during your fund’s fiscal year, this positioning should result in underperformance. Over longer periods, we believe that holding the assets of fundamentally sound companies will help us outperform the benchmark.

Our underweight to the noncorporate space, comprising bonds issued by municipalities, government organizations, sovereigns, and supranationals, boosted results as these assets, which offer lower risks and yields, underperformed during the corporate credit rally. Our underweight to the noncyclical sectors also aided performance, as did our overweight to the U.S. banking sector and stock selection in the U.S. telecommunication services sector, where Verizon Communications was the top contributing security.

The portfolio’s duration, which is slightly shorter than that of the benchmark, contributed during the period when rates moved higher. Overall, however, we do not manage the portfolio’s duration to drive performance relative to the benchmark, but rather, we focus on the fundamentals of the companies we analyze.

The fund maintains material holdings of various types of derivatives, primarily for hedging risk or gaining exposure to certain sectors. The fund’s exposure to interest rate derivatives detracted from absolute performance during the reporting period.

Outlook

We believe the Fed will continue to tighten monetary policy at a gradual pace to make sure it does not derail the economic expansion and will clearly telegraph its moves to investors. While the backdrop for U.S. corporate credit remains constructive—buoyed by improving earnings, expectations of economic growth, and continued investor demand for yield, the lack of clarity and proposed policy changes have left investors with a significant degree of uncertainty about the future direction of the U.S. economy and various sectors of the market. We will watch for signs of economic growth and credit expansion as well as potential risk-off events.

Over the 12-month reporting period, we were able to take advantage of many trends, including a rally in financial- and insurance-related names driven by hoped-for deregulation, which benefited securities in the BBB space. Many of these opportunities have now run their course as spreads contracted, volatility ebbed, and oil prices stabilized. We have seen little movement in the way of tax or health care reform, increased infrastructure spending, or deregulation. Without such tailwinds to support more thematic plays, security selection will become even more important. We will continue to rely on the research and insights of our global analyst team to uncover opportunities in individual securities.

In keeping with our long-term strategy, we will seek lower-rated, asset-rich companies that provide the portfolio with a notable yield and spread advantage over the benchmark and that we believe can be significant drivers of good relative returns. We remain committed to a risk-conscious, fundamentally based investment approach and long-term perspective.

Thank you for investing with T. Rowe Price.

Respectfully submitted,

David A. Tiberii, CFA
Chairman of the fund’s Investment Advisory Committee

June 26, 2017

The committee chairman has day-to-day responsibility for managing the portfolio and works with committee members in developing and executing the fund’s investment program.

Risks of Fixed Income Investing

Bonds are subject to interest rate risk (the decline in bond prices that usually accompanies a rise in interest rates) and credit risk (the chance that any fund holding could have its credit rating downgraded or that a bond issuer will default by failing to make timely payments of interest or principal), potentially reducing the fund’s income level and share price. High yield corporate bonds could have greater price declines than funds that invest primarily in high-quality bonds. Companies issuing high yield bonds are not as strong financially as those with higher credit ratings, so the bonds are usually considered speculative investments.

Glossary

Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Long Credit Bond Index: A measure of corporate fixed income securities that are primarily rated investment grade (Baa by Moody’s Investors Service and BBB by Standard & Poor’s).

Duration: A measure of a bond fund’s sensitivity to changes in interest rates. For example, a fund with a duration of six years would fall about 6% in price in response to a one-percentage-point rise in interest rates, and vice versa.

Fed funds rate: The interest rate charged on overnight loans of reserves by one financial institution to another in the United States. The Federal Reserve sets a target federal funds rate to affect the direction of interest rates.

Gross domestic product: The total market value of all goods and services produced in a country in a given year.

SEC yield (30-day): A method of calculating a fund’s yield that assumes all portfolio securities are held until maturity. Yield will vary and is not guaranteed.

Weighted average maturity: A measure of a fund’s interest rate sensitivity. In general, the longer the average maturity, the greater the fund’s sensitivity to interest rate changes. The weighted average maturity may take into account the interest rate readjustment dates for certain securities.

Yield curve: A graphic depiction of the relationship between yields and maturity dates for a set of similar securities. A security with a longer maturity usually has a higher yield. If a short-term security offers a higher yield, then the curve is said to be “inverted.” If short- and long-term bonds are offering equivalent yields, then the curve is said to be “flat

Note: Bloomberg Index Services Ltd. Copyright 2017, Bloomberg Index Services Ltd. Used with permission.

Performance and Expenses
T. Rowe Price Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund

Growth of $1 Million

This chart shows the value of a hypothetical $1 million investment in the fund over the past 10 fiscal year periods or since inception (for funds lacking 10-year records). The result is compared with benchmarks, which may include a broad-based market index and a peer group average or index. Market indexes do not include expenses, which are deducted from fund returns as well as mutual fund averages and indexes.

Fund Expense Example

As a mutual fund shareholder, you may incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, such as redemption fees or sales loads, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, and other fund expenses. The following example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the most recent six-month period and held for the entire period.

Actual Expenses
The first line of the following table (Actual) provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information on this line, together with your account balance, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number on the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The information on the second line of the table (Hypothetical) is based on hypothetical account values and expenses derived from the fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed 5% per year rate of return before expenses (not the fund’s actual return). You may compare the ongoing costs of investing in the fund with other funds by contrasting this 5% hypothetical example and the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period.

You should also be aware that the expenses shown in the table highlight only your ongoing costs and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as redemption fees or sales loads. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. To the extent a fund charges transaction costs, however, the total cost of owning that fund is higher.

Financial Highlights
T. Rowe Price Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Portfolio of Investments^‡
T. Rowe Price Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund
May 31, 2017

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Statement of Assets and Liabilities
T. Rowe Price Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund
May 31, 2017
($000s, except shares and per share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Statement of Operations
T. Rowe Price Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund
($000s)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Statement of Changes in Net Assets
T. Rowe Price Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund
($000s)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Notes to Financial Statements
T. Rowe Price Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund
May 31, 2017

T. Rowe Price Institutional Income Funds, Inc. (the corporation), is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act). The Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund (the fund) is a diversified, open-end management investment company established by the corporation. The fund seeks to provide high income.

NOTE 1 - SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Preparation The fund is an investment company and follows accounting and reporting guidance in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 (ASC 946). The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP), including, but not limited to, ASC 946. GAAP requires the use of estimates made by management. Management believes that estimates and valuations are appropriate; however, actual results may differ from those estimates, and the valuations reflected in the accompanying financial statements may differ from the value ultimately realized upon sale or maturity.

Investment Transactions, Investment Income, and Distributions Income and expenses are recorded on the accrual basis. Premiums and discounts on debt securities are amortized for financial reporting purposes. Dividends received from mutual fund investments are reflected as dividend income; capital gain distributions are reflected as realized gain/loss. Dividend income and capital gain distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income tax-related interest and penalties, if incurred, would be recorded as income tax expense. Investment transactions are accounted for on the trade date. Realized gains and losses are reported on the identified cost basis. Income distributions are declared daily and paid monthly. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Capital gain distributions are generally declared and paid by the fund annually.

New Accounting Guidance In October 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a new rule, Investment Company Reporting Modernization, which, among other provisions, amends Regulation S-X to require standardized, enhanced disclosures, particularly related to derivatives, in investment company financial statements. Compliance with the guidance is effective for financial statements related to periods ending on or after August 1, 2017; adoption will have no effect on the fund’s net assets or results of operations.

NOTE 2 - VALUATION

The fund’s financial instruments are valued and its net asset value (NAV) per share is computed at the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), normally 4 p.m. ET, each day the NYSE is open for business. However, the NAV per share may be calculated at a time other than the normal close of the NYSE if trading on the NYSE is restricted, if the NYSE closes earlier, or as may be permitted by the SEC.

Fair Value The fund’s financial instruments are reported at fair value, which GAAP defines as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The T. Rowe Price Valuation Committee (the Valuation Committee) is an internal committee that has been delegated certain responsibilities by the fund’s Board of Directors (the Board) to ensure that financial instruments are appropriately priced at fair value in accordance with GAAP and the 1940 Act. Subject to oversight by the Board, the Valuation Committee develops and oversees pricing-related policies and procedures and approves all fair value determinations. Specifically, the Valuation Committee establishes procedures to value securities; determines pricing techniques, sources, and persons eligible to effect fair value pricing actions; oversees the selection, services, and performance of pricing vendors; oversees valuation-related business continuity practices; and provides guidance on internal controls and valuation-related matters. The Valuation Committee reports to the Board and has representation from legal, portfolio management and trading, operations, risk management, and the fund’s treasurer.

Various valuation techniques and inputs are used to determine the fair value of financial instruments. GAAP establishes the following fair value hierarchy that categorizes the inputs used to measure fair value:

Level 1 – quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical financial instruments that the fund can access at the reporting date

Level 2 – inputs other than Level 1 quoted prices that are observable, either directly or indirectly (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar financial instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar financial instruments in inactive markets, interest rates and yield curves, implied volatilities, and credit spreads)

Level 3 – unobservable inputs

Observable inputs are developed using market data, such as publicly available information about actual events or transactions, and reflect the assumptions that market participants would use to price the financial instrument. Unobservable inputs are those for which market data are not available and are developed using the best information available about the assumptions that market participants would use to price the financial instrument. GAAP requires valuation techniques to maximize the use of relevant observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. When multiple inputs are used to derive fair value, the financial instrument is assigned to the level within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest-level input that is significant to the fair value of the financial instrument. Input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with financial instruments at that level but rather the degree of judgment used in determining those values.

Valuation Techniques Debt securities generally are traded in the over-the-counter (OTC) market. Securities with remaining maturities of one year or more at the time of acquisition are valued at prices furnished by dealers who make markets in such securities or by an independent pricing service, which considers the yield or price of bonds of comparable quality, coupon, maturity, and type, as well as prices quoted by dealers who make markets in such securities. Securities with remaining maturities of less than one year at the time of acquisition generally use amortized cost in local currency to approximate fair value. However, if amortized cost is deemed not to reflect fair value or the fund holds a significant amount of such securities with remaining maturities of more than 60 days, the securities are valued at prices furnished by dealers who make markets in such securities or by an independent pricing service. Generally, debt securities are categorized in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy; however, to the extent the valuations include significant unobservable inputs, the securities would be categorized in Level 3.

Investments in mutual funds are valued at the mutual fund’s closing NAV per share on the day of valuation and are categorized in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. Financial futures contracts are valued at closing settlement prices and are categorized in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. Assets and liabilities other than financial instruments, including short-term receivables and payables, are carried at cost, or estimated realizable value, if less, which approximates fair value.

Thinly traded financial instruments and those for which the above valuation procedures are inappropriate or are deemed not to reflect fair value are stated at fair value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Committee. The objective of any fair value pricing determination is to arrive at a price that could reasonably be expected from a current sale. Financial instruments fair valued by the Valuation Committee are primarily private placements, restricted securities, warrants, rights, and other securities that are not publicly traded.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Valuation Committee regularly makes good faith judgments to establish and adjust the fair valuations of certain securities as events occur and circumstances warrant. For instance, in determining the fair value of troubled or thinly traded debt instruments, the Valuation Committee considers a variety of factors, which may include, but are not limited to, the issuer’s business prospects, its financial standing and performance, recent investment transactions in the issuer, strategic events affecting the company, market liquidity for the issuer, and general economic conditions and events. In consultation with the investment and pricing teams, the Valuation Committee will determine an appropriate valuation technique based on available information, which may include both observable and unobservable inputs. The Valuation Committee typically will afford greatest weight to actual prices in arm’s length transactions, to the extent they represent orderly transactions between market participants, transaction information can be reliably obtained, and prices are deemed representative of fair value. However, the Valuation Committee may also consider other valuation methods such as a discount or premium from market value of a similar, freely traded security of the same issuer; discounted cash flows; yield to maturity; or some combination. Fair value determinations are reviewed on a regular basis and updated as information becomes available, including actual purchase and sale transactions of the issue. Because any fair value determination involves a significant amount of judgment, there is a degree of subjectivity inherent in such pricing decisions, and fair value prices determined by the Valuation Committee could differ from those of other market participants. Depending on the relative significance of unobservable inputs, including the valuation technique(s) used, fair valued securities may be categorized in Level 2 or 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

Valuation Inputs The following table summarizes the fund’s financial instruments, based on the inputs used to determine their fair values on May 31, 2017:

There were no material transfers between Levels 1 and 2 during the year ended May 31, 2017.

NOTE 3 - DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

During the year ended May 31, 2017, the fund invested in derivative instruments. As defined by GAAP, a derivative is a financial instrument whose value is derived from an underlying security price, foreign exchange rate, interest rate, index of prices or rates, or other variable; it requires little or no initial investment and permits or requires net settlement. The fund invests in derivatives only if the expected risks and rewards are consistent with its investment objectives, policies, and overall risk profile, as described in its prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. The fund may use derivatives for a variety of purposes, such as seeking to hedge against declines in principal value, increase yield, invest in an asset with greater efficiency and at a lower cost than is possible through direct investment, or to adjust portfolio duration andcredit exposure. The risks associated with the use of derivatives are different from, and potentially much greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the instruments on which the derivatives are based. The fund at all times maintains sufficient cash reserves, liquid assets, or other SEC-permitted asset types to cover its settlement obligations under open derivative contracts.

The fund values its derivatives at fair value and recognizes changes in fair value currently in its results of operations. Accordingly, the fund does not follow hedge accounting, even for derivatives employed as economic hedges. Generally, the fund accounts for its derivatives on a gross basis. It does not offset the fair value of derivative liabilities against the fair value of derivative assets on its financial statements, nor does it offset the fair value of derivative instruments against the right to reclaim or obligation to return collateral.As of May 31, 2017, the fund held interest rate futures with cumulative unrealized gain of $44,000 and cumulative unrealized loss of $5,000; the value reflected on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities is the related unsettled variation margin.

Additionally, during the year ended May 31, 2017, the fund recognized $119,000 of realized loss on Futuresand a $33,000 change in unrealized gain/loss on Futures related to its investments in interest rate derivatives; such amounts are included on the accompanying Statement of Operations.

Counterparty Risk and Collateral The fund invests in exchange-traded or centrally cleared derivative contracts, such as futures, exchange-traded options, and centrally cleared swaps. Counterparty risk on such derivatives is minimal because the clearinghouse provides protection against counterparty defaults. For futures and centrally cleared swaps, the fund is required to deposit collateral in an amount specified by the clearinghouse and the clearing firm (margin requirement), and the margin requirement must be maintained over the life of the contract. Each clearinghouse and clearing firm, in its sole discretion, may adjust the margin requirements applicable to the fund.

Collateral may be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. government or related agencies. Cash posted by the fund is reflected as cash deposits in the accompanying financial statements and generally is restricted from withdrawal by the fund; securities posted by the fund are so noted in the accompanying Portfolio of Investments; both remain in the fund’s assets. As of May 31, 2017, cash of $88,000 had been posted by the fund for exchange-traded and/or centrally cleared derivatives.

Futures Contracts The fund is subject to interest rate risk in the normal course of pursuing its investment objectives and uses futures contracts to help manage such risk. The fund may enter into futures contracts to manage exposure to interest rate and yield curve movements, security prices, foreign currencies, credit quality, and mortgage prepayments; as an efficient means of adjusting exposure to all or part of a target market; to enhance income; as a cash management tool; or to adjust portfolio duration and credit exposure. A futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another of a specified amount of a specific underlying financial instrument at an agreed-upon price, date, time, and place. The fund currently invests only in exchange-traded futures, which generally are standardized as to maturity date, underlying financial instrument, and other contract terms. Payments are made or received by the fund each day to settle daily fluctuations in the value of the contract (variation margin), which reflect changes in the value of the underlying financial instrument. Variation margin is recorded as unrealized gain or loss until the contract is closed. The value of a futures contract included in net assets is the amount of unsettled variation margin; net variation margin receivable is reflected as an asset, and net variation margin payable is reflected as a liability on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Risks related to the use of futures contracts include possible illiquidity of the futures markets, contract prices that can be highly volatile and imperfectly correlated to movements in hedged security values and/or interest rates, and potential losses in excess of the fund’s initial investment. During the year ended May 31, 2017, the volume of the fund’s activity in futures, based on underlying notional amounts, was generally between 8% and 10% of net assets.

NOTE 4 - OTHER INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS

Consistent with its investment objective, the fund engages in the following practices to manage exposure to certain risks and/or to enhance performance. The investment objective, policies, program, and risk factors of the fund are described more fully in the fund’s prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.

Restricted Securities The fund may invest in securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale. Prompt sale of such securities at an acceptable price may be difficult and may involve substantial delays and additional costs.

Other Purchases and sales of portfolio securities other than short-term and U.S. government securities aggregated $14,714,000 and $12,389,000, respectively, for the year ended May 31, 2017. Purchases and sales of U.S. government securities aggregated $4,019,000 and $4,477,000, respectively, for the year ended May 31, 2017.

NOTE 5 - FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

No provision for federal income taxes is required since the fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and distribute to shareholders all of its taxable income and gains. Distributions determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations may differ in amount or character from net investment income and realized gains for financial reporting purposes. Financial reporting records are adjusted for permanent book/tax differences to reflect tax character but are not adjusted for temporary differences.

The fund files U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The fund’s tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return but which can be extended to six years in certain circumstances. Tax returns for open years have incorporated no uncertain tax positions that require a provision for income taxes.

Distributions during the years ended May 31, 2017 and May 31, 2016, were characterized for tax purposes as follows:

At May 31, 2017, the tax-basis cost of investments and components of net assets were as follows:

The difference between book-basis and tax-basis net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is attributable to the deferral of losses from certain derivative contracts, and the realization of gains/losses on certain open derivative contracts for tax purposes. The fund intends to retain realized gains to the extent of available capital loss carryforwards. Net realized capital losses may be carried forward indefinitely to offset future realized capital gains. All or a portion of the capital loss carryforwards may be from losses realized between November 1 and the fund’s fiscal year-end, which are deferred for tax purposes until the subsequent year but recognized for financial reporting purposes in the year realized. During the year ended May 31, 2017, the fund utilized $251,000 of capital loss carryforwards.

NOTE 6 - RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The fund is managed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (Price Associates), a wholly owned subsidiary of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (Price Group). The investment management and administrative agreement between the fund and Price Associates provides for an all-inclusive annual fee equal to 0.45% of the fund’s average daily net assets. The fee is computed daily and paid monthly. The all-inclusive fee covers investment management, shareholder servicing, transfer agency, accounting, and custody services provided to the fund, as well as fund directors’ fees and expenses. Interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, and other non-recurring expenses permitted by the investment management agreement are paid directly by the fund.

The fund may invest in the T. Rowe Price Government Reserve Fund, the T. Rowe Price Treasury Reserve Fund, or the T. Rowe Price Short-Term Fund (collectively, the Price Reserve Funds), open-end management investment companies managed by Price Associates and considered affiliates of the fund. The Price Reserve Funds are offered as short-term investment options to mutual funds, trusts, and other accounts managed by Price Associates or its affiliates and are not available for direct purchase by members of the public. The Price Reserve Funds pay no investment management fees.

As of May 31, 2017, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., or its wholly owned subsidiaries owned 1,500,000 shares of the fund, representing 41% of the fund’s net assets.

The fund may participate in securities purchase and sale transactions with other funds or accounts advised by Price Associates (cross trades), in accordance with procedures adopted by the fund’s Board and Securities and Exchange Commission rules, which require, among other things, that such purchase and sale cross trades be effected at the independent current market price of the security. During the year ended May 31, 2017, the fund had no purchases or sales cross trades with other funds or accounts advised by Price Associates.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors of T. Rowe Price Institutional Income Funds, Inc. and
Shareholders of T. Rowe Price Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio of investments, and the related statements of operations and of changes in net assets and the financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the T. Rowe Price Institutional Long Duration Credit Fund (one of the portfolios comprising T. Rowe Price Institutional Income Funds, Inc., hereafter referred to as the “Fund”) as of May 31, 2017, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the four periods in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements and financial highlights (hereafter referred to as “financial statements”) are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits, which included confirmation of securities as of May 31, 2017 by correspondence with the custodian and brokers, and confirmation of the underlying fund by correspondence with the transfer agent, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Baltimore, Maryland
July 19, 2017

Information on Proxy Voting Policies, Procedures, and Records

A description of the policies and procedures used by T. Rowe Price funds and portfolios to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available in each fund’s Statement of Additional Information. You may request this document by calling 1-800-225-5132 or by accessing the SEC’s website, sec.gov.

The description of our proxy voting policies and procedures is also available on our corporate website. To access it, please visit the following Web page:

https://www3.troweprice.com/usis/corporate/en/utility/policies.html

Scroll down to the section near the bottom of the page that says, “Proxy Voting Policies.” Click on the Proxy Voting Policies link in the shaded box.

Each fund’s most recent annual proxy voting record is available on our website and through the SEC’s website. To access it through T. Rowe Price, visit the website location shown above, and scroll down to the section near the bottom of the page that says, “Proxy Voting Records.” Click on the Proxy Voting Records link in the shaded box.

How to Obtain Quarterly Portfolio Holdings

The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The fund’s Form N-Q is available electronically on the SEC’s website (sec.gov); hard copies may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F St. N.E., Washington, DC 20549. For more information on the Public Reference Room, call 1-800-SEC-0330.

Approval of Investment Management Agreement

Each year, the fund’s Board of Directors (Board) considers the continuation of the investment management agreement (Advisory Contract) between the fund and its investment advisor, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (Advisor). In that regard, at an in-person meeting held on March 6–7, 2017 (Meeting), the Board, including a majority of the fund’s independent directors, approved the continuation of the fund’s Advisory Contract. At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of the Advisor and the approval of the Advisory Contract. The independent directors were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Contract by independent legal counsel from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, the Advisor was guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted by independent legal counsel on behalf of the independent directors. In considering and approving the Advisory Contract, the Board considered the information it believed was relevant, including, but not limited to, the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with the Advisor about various topics. The Board meets regularly and, at each of its meetings, covers an extensive agenda of topics and materials and considers factors that are relevant to its annual consideration of the renewal of the T. Rowe Price funds’ advisory contracts, including performance and the services and support provided to the funds and their shareholders.

Services Provided by the Advisor
The Board considered the nature, quality, and extent of the services provided to the fund by the Advisor. These services included, but were not limited to, directing the fund’s investments in accordance with its investment program and the overall management of the fund’s portfolio, as well as a variety of related activities such as financial, investment operations, and administrative services; compliance; maintaining the fund’s records and registrations; and shareholder communications. The Board also reviewed the background and experience of the Advisor’s senior management team and investment personnel involved in the management of the fund, as well as the Advisor’s compliance record. The Board concluded that it was satisfied with the nature, quality, and extent of the services provided by the Advisor.

Investment Performance of the Fund
The Board took into account discussions with the Advisor and reports that it receives throughout the year relating to fund performance. In connection with the Meeting, the Board reviewed the fund’s net annualized total returns for the one-, two-, and three-year periods as of September 30, 2016, and compared these returns with the performance of a peer group of funds with similar investment programs and a wide variety of other previously agreed-upon comparable performance measures and market data, including those supplied by Broadridge, which is an independent provider of mutual fund data.

On the basis of this evaluation and the Board’s ongoing review of investment results, and factoring in the relative market conditions during certain of the performance periods, the Board concluded that the fund’s performance was satisfactory.

Costs, Benefits, Profits, and Economies of Scale
The Board reviewed detailed information regarding the revenues received by the Advisor under the Advisory Contract and other benefits that the Advisor (and its affiliates) may have realized from its relationship with the fund, including any research received under “soft dollar” agreements and commission-sharing arrangements with broker-dealers. The Board considered that the Advisor may receive some benefit from soft-dollar arrangements pursuant to which research is received from broker-dealers that execute the fund’s portfolio transactions. The Board received information on the estimated costs incurred and profits realized by the Advisor from managing the T. Rowe Price funds. The Board also reviewed estimates of the profits realized from managing the fund in particular, and the Board concluded that the Advisor’s profits were reasonable in light of the services provided to the fund.

The Board also considered whether the fund benefits under the fee levels set forth in the Advisory Contract from any economies of scale realized by the Advisor. Under the Advisory Contract, the fund pays the Advisor a single fee, or all-inclusive management fee, which is based on the fund’s average daily net assets. The all-inclusive management fee includes investment management services and provides for the Advisor to pay all of the fund’s ordinary, recurring operating expenses except for interest, taxes, portfolio transaction fees, and any nonrecurring extraordinary expenses that may arise. The Board concluded that, based on the profitability data it reviewed and consistent with this all-inclusive management fee structure, the Advisory Contract provided for a reasonable sharing of any benefits from economies of scale with the fund.

Fees and Expenses
The Board was provided with information regarding industry trends in management fees and expenses. Among other things, the Board reviewed data for peer groups that were compiled by Broadridge, which compared: (i) contractual management fees, total expenses, actual management fees, and non-management expenses of the fund with a group of competitor funds selected by Broadridge (Expense Group) and (ii) total expenses, actual management fees, and non-management expenses of the fund with a broader set of funds within the Lipper investment classification (Expense Universe). The Board considered the fund’s contractual management fee rate, actual management fee rate (which reflects the management fees actually received from the fund by the Advisor after paying the fund’s operating expenses, as well as any applicable waivers, reductions, or reimbursements), operating expenses, and total expenses (which reflect the net total expense ratio of the fund after any waivers, reductions, or reimbursements) in comparison with the information for the Broadridge peer groups. Broadridge generally constructed the peer groups by seeking the most comparable funds based on similar investment classifications and objectives, expense structure, asset size, and operating components and attributes and ranked funds into quintiles, with the first quintile representing the funds with the lowest relative expenses and the fifth quintile representing the funds with the highest relative expenses. The information provided to the Board indicated that the fund’s contractual management fee ranked in the first quintile (Expense Group), the fund’s actual management fee rate ranked in the third quintile (Expense Group and Expense Universe), and the fund’s total expenses ranked in the first quintile (Expense Group and Expense Universe).

The Board also reviewed the fee schedules for institutional accounts and private accounts with similar mandates that are advised or subadvised by the Advisor and its affiliates. Management provided the Board with information about the Advisor’s responsibilities and services provided to subadvisory and other institutional account clients, including information about how the requirements and economics of the institutional business are fundamentally different from those of the mutual fund business. The Board considered information showing that the Advisor’s mutual fund business is generally more complex from a business and compliance perspective than its institutional account business and considered various relevant factors, such as the broader scope of operations and oversight, more extensive shareholder communication infrastructure, greater asset flows, heightened business risks, and differences in applicable laws and regulations associated with the Advisor’s proprietary mutual fund business. In assessing the reasonableness of the fund’s management fee rate, the Board considered the differences in the nature of the services required for the Advisor to manage its mutual fund business versus managing a discrete pool of assets as a subadvisor to another institution’s mutual fund or for an institutional account and that the Advisor generally performs significant additional services and assumes greater risk in managing the fund and other T. Rowe Price funds than it does for institutional account clients.

On the basis of the information provided and the factors considered, the Board concluded that the fees paid by the fund under the Advisory Contract are reasonable.

Approval of the Advisory Contract
As noted, the Board approved the continuation of the Advisory Contract. No single factor was considered in isolation or to be determinative to the decision. Rather, the Board concluded, in light of a weighting and balancing of all factors considered, that it was in the best interests of the fund and its shareholders for the Board to approve the continuation of the Advisory Contract (including the fees to be charged for services thereunder).

About the Fund’s Directors and Officers

Your fund is overseen by a Board of Directors (Board) that meets regularly to review a wide variety of matters affecting or potentially affecting the fund, including performance, investment programs, compliance matters, advisory fees and expenses, service providers, and business and regulatory affairs. The Board elects the fund’s officers, who are listed in the final table. At least 75% of the Board’s members are independent of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price), and its affiliates; “inside” or “interested” directors are employees or officers of T. Rowe Price. The business address of each director and officer is 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The Statement of Additional Information includes additional information about the fund directors and is available without charge by calling a T. Rowe Price representative at 1-800-638-5660.

Independent Directors
Name (Year of Birth) Year Elected* [Number of T. Rowe Price Portfolios Overseen]	Principal Occupation(s) and Directorships of Public Companies and Other Investment Companies During the Past Five Years
Anthony W. Deering (1945) 2002 [189]	Chairman, Exeter Capital, LLC, a private investment firm (2004 to present); Director and Advisory Board Member, Deutsche Bank North America (2004 to present); Director, Vornado Real Estate Investment Trust (2004 to 2012); Director, Under Armour (2008 to present); Director, Brixmor Real Estate Investment Trust (2012 to present)
Bruce W. Duncan (1951) 2013 [189]	Chief Executive Officer and Director (2009 to December 2016), Chairman of the Board (January 2016 to present), and President (2009 to September 2016), First Industrial Realty Trust, an owner and operator of industrial properties; Chairman of the Board (2005 to September 2016) and Director (1999 to September 2016), Starwood Hotels & Resorts, a hotel and leisure company; Director, Boston Properties (May 2016 to present); Director, Marriott International, Inc. (September 2016 to present)
Robert J. Gerrard, Jr. (1952) 2013 [189]	Advisory Board Member, Pipeline Crisis/Winning Strategies, a collaborative working to improve opportunities for young African Americans (1997 to present)
Paul F. McBride (1956) 2013 [189]	Advisory Board Member, Vizzia Technologies (2015 to present)
Cecilia E. Rouse, Ph.D. (1963) 2013 [189]	Dean, Woodrow Wilson School (2012 to present); Professor and Researcher, Princeton University (1992 to present); Member of National Academy of Education (2010 to present); Director, MDRC, a nonprofit education and social policy research organization (2011 to present); Research Associate of Labor Studies Program (2011 to 2015) and Board Member (2015 to present), National Bureau of Economic Research (2011 to present); Chair of Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economic Profession (2012 to present); Vice President (2015 to present), American Economic Association
John G. Schreiber (1946) 2002 [189]	Owner/President, Centaur Capital Partners, Inc., a real estate investment company (1991 to present); Cofounder, Partner, and Cochairman of the Investment Committee, Blackstone Real Estate Advisors, L.P. (1992 to 2015); Director, General Growth Properties, Inc. (2010 to 2013); Director, Blackstone Mortgage Trust, a real estate finance company (2012 to 2016); Director and Chairman of the Board, Brixmor Property Group, Inc. (2013 to present); Director, Hilton Worldwide (2013 to present); Director, Hudson Pacific Properties (2014 to 2016)
Mark R. Tercek (1957) 2009 [189]	President and Chief Executive Officer, The Nature Conservancy (2008 to present)
*Each independent director serves until retirement, resignation, or election of a successor.

Inside Directors
Name (Year of Birth) Year Elected* [Number of T. Rowe Price Portfolios Overseen]	Principal Occupation(s) and Directorships of Public Companies and Other Investment Companies During the Past Five Years
Edward C. Bernard (1956) 2006 [189]	Director and Vice President, T. Rowe Price; Vice Chairman of the Board, Director, and Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.; Chairman of the Board, Director, and Vice President, T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Services, Inc.; Chairman of the Board and Director, T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc.; Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Director, and President, T. Rowe Price International and T. Rowe Price Trust Company; Chairman of the Board, all funds
Edward A. Wiese, CFA (1959) 2015 [57]	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., T. Rowe Price International, and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
*Each inside director serves until retirement, resignation, or election of a successor.

Officers
Name (Year of Birth) Position Held With Institutional Income Funds	Principal Occupation(s)
Stephen L. Bartolini, CFA (1977) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Jason A. Bauer (1979) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Steve Boothe, CFA (1977) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Darrell N. Braman (1963) Vice President and Secretary	Vice President, Price Hong Kong, Price Singapore, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., T. Rowe Price International, T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Services, Inc.
Brian J. Brennan, CFA (1964) Executive Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., T. Rowe Price International, and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Andrew M. Brooks (1956) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Christopher P. Brown, Jr., CFA (1977) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Brian E. Burns (1960) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
M. Helena Condez (1962) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Michael J. Conelius, CFA (1964) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., T. Rowe Price International, and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Michael F. Connelly, CFA (1977) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Michael P. Daley (1981) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
G. Richard Dent (1960) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Carson R. Dickson, CFA, CPA (1976) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Stephen M. Finamore, CPA (1976) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Quentin S. Fitzsimmons (1968) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International; formerly, Portfolio Manager, Royal Bank of Scotland Group (to 2015)
Stephanie A. Gentile, CFA (1956) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price; formerly, Director, Credit Suisse Securities (to 2014)
Justin T. Gerbereux, CFA (1975) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
John R. Gilner (1961) Chief Compliance Officer	Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President, T. Rowe Price; Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc.
David R. Giroux, CFA (1975) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Michael J. Grogan, CFA (1971) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Steven C. Huber, CFA, FSA (1958) Executive Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International
Arif Husain, CFA (1972) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International; formerly, Director/Head of UK and Euro Fixed Income, AllianceBernstein (to 2013)
Andrew P. Jamison (1981) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Andrew J. Keirle (1974) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International
Paul J. Krug, CPA (1964) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Michael Lambe, CFA (1977) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International
Robert M. Larkins, CFA (1973) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Marcy M. Lash (1963) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Alan D. Levenson, Ph.D. (1958) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Joseph K. Lynagh, CFA (1958) Executive Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Paul M. Massaro, CFA (1975) Executive Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Catherine D. Mathews (1963) Treasurer and Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Andrew C. McCormick (1960) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Michael J. McGonigle (1966) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Cheryl A. Mickel, CFA (1967) Vice President	Director and Vice President, T. Rowe Price Trust Company; Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Samy B. Muaddi, CFA (1984) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Alexander S. Obaza (1981) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
David Oestreicher (1967) Vice President	Director, Vice President, and Secretary, T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc., T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc., T. Rowe Price Services, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company; Chief Legal Officer, Vice President, and Secretary, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.; Vice President and Secretary, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price International; Vice President, Price Hong Kong and Price Singapore
Kenneth A. Orchard (1975) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International
Miso Park, CFA (1982) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International
John W. Ratzesberger (1975) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company; formerly, North American Head of Listed Derivatives Operation, Morgan Stanley (to 2013)
Shannon H. Rauser (1987) Assistant Secretary	Employee, T. Rowe Price
Rodney M. Rayburn, CFA (1970) Executive Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.; formerly, Managing Director, Värde Partners (to 2014)
Vernon A. Reid, Jr. (1954) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Theodore E. Robson, CFA (1965) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Brian A. Rubin, CPA (1974) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Deborah D. Seidel (1962) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Services, Inc.
Daniel O. Shackelford, CFA (1958) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Chen Shao (1980) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price
Jamie Shin, CFA (1984) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Scott D. Solomon, CFA (1981) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price
Douglas D. Spratley, CFA (1969) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
David Stanley (1963) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International
Kimberly A. Stokes (1969) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Ju Yen Tan (1972) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International
Robert D. Thomas (1971) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International
David A. Tiberii, CFA (1965) Executive Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., T. Rowe Price International, and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Michael J. Trivino (1981) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Mark J. Vaselkiv (1958) President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
Lauren T. Wagandt (1984) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
Bineesha Wickremarachchi, CFA (1980) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International; formerly, Research Analyst, Aberdeen Asset Management (to 2015)
Thea N. Williams (1961) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company
J. Howard Woodward, CFA (1974) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International
David Yatzeck (1981) Vice President	Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International
Unless otherwise noted, officers have been employees of T. Rowe Price or T. Rowe Price International for at least 5 years.

Item 2. Code of Ethics.

The registrant has adopted a code of ethics, as defined in Item 2 of Form N-CSR, applicable to its principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. A copy of this code of ethics is filed as an exhibit to this Form N-CSR. No substantive amendments were approved or waivers were granted to this code of ethics during the period covered by this report.

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.

The registrant’s Board of Directors/Trustees has determined that Mr. Bruce W. Duncan qualifies as an audit committee financial expert, as defined in Item 3 of Form N-CSR. Mr. Duncan is considered independent for purposes of Item 3 of Form N-CSR.

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

(a) – (d) Aggregate fees billed for the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered to, or on behalf of, the registrant by the registrant’s principal accountant were as follows:

Audit fees include amounts related to the audit of the registrant’s annual financial statements and services normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings. Audit-related fees include amounts reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the registrant’s financial statements and specifically include the issuance of a report on internal controls and, if applicable, agreed-upon procedures related to fund acquisitions. Tax fees include amounts related to services for tax compliance, tax planning, and tax advice. The nature of these services specifically includes the review of distribution calculations and the preparation of Federal, state, and excise tax returns. All other fees include the registrant’s pro-rata share of amounts for agreed-upon procedures in conjunction with service contract approvals by the registrant’s Board of Directors/Trustees.

(e)(1) The registrant’s audit committee has adopted a policy whereby audit and non-audit services performed by the registrant’s principal accountant for the registrant, its investment adviser, and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant require pre-approval in advance at regularly scheduled audit committee meetings. If such a service is required between regularly scheduled audit committee meetings, pre-approval may be authorized by one audit committee member with ratification at the next scheduled audit committee meeting. Waiver of pre-approval for audit or non-audit services requiring fees of a de minimis amount is not permitted.

     (2) No services included in (b) – (d) above were approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

(f) Less than 50 percent of the hours expended on the principal accountant’s engagement to audit the registrant’s financial statements for the most recent fiscal year were attributed to work performed by persons other than the principal accountant’s full-time, permanent employees.

(g) The aggregate fees billed for the most recent fiscal year and the preceding fiscal year by the registrant’s principal accountant for non-audit services rendered to the registrant, its investment adviser, and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant were $1,765,000 and $2,409,000, respectively.

(h) All non-audit services rendered in (g) above were pre-approved by the registrant’s audit committee. Accordingly, these services were considered by the registrant’s audit committee in maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Investments.

(a) Not applicable. The complete schedule of investments is included in Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.

(b) Not applicable.

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.

Not applicable.

Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

Not applicable.

Item 11. Controls and Procedures.

(a) The registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have evaluated the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures within 90 days of this filing and have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective, as of that date, in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the registrant in this Form N-CSR was recorded, processed, summarized, and reported timely.

(b) The registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer are aware of no change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s second fiscal quarter covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Item 12. Exhibits.

(a)(1) The registrant’s code of ethics pursuant to Item 2 of Form N-CSR is attached.

     (2) Separate certifications by the registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, are attached.

     (3) Written solicitation to repurchase securities issued by closed-end companies: not applicable.

(b) A certification by the registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, is attached.

SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

T. Rowe Price Institutional Income Funds, Inc.

	By	/s/ Edward C. Bernard
		Edward C. Bernard
		Principal Executive Officer
Date     July 18, 2017

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

	By	/s/ Edward C. Bernard
		Edward C. Bernard
		Principal Executive Officer
Date     July 18, 2017
	By	/s/ Catherine D. Mathews
		Catherine D. Mathews
		Principal Financial Officer
Date     July 18, 2017