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 811-21569
Pioneer Asset Allocation Trust
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
(Address of principal executive offices) (ZIP code)
Terrence J. Cullen, Amundi Pioneer Asset Management, Inc.,
60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
(Name and address of agent for service)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (617) 742-7825
Date of fiscal year end: July 31, 2021
Date of reporting period: August 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021
Form N-CSR is to be used by management investment companies to file reports with the Commission not later than 10 days after the transmission to stockholders of any report that is required to be transmitted to stockholders under Rule 30e-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30e-1). The Commission may use the information provided on Form N-CSR in its regulatory, disclosure review, inspection, and policymaking roles.
A registrant is required to disclose the information specified by Form N-CSR, and the Commission will make this information public. A registrant is not required to respond to the collection of information contained in Form N-CSR unless the Form displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) control number. Please direct comments concerning the accuracy of the information collection burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing the burden to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549-0609. The OMB has reviewed this collection of information under the clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C. ss. 3507.
Pioneer Solutions –
Balanced Fund
Semiannual Report | January 31, 2021
| A: PIALX | C: PIDCX | R: BALRX | Y: IMOYX |
Paper copies of the Fund’s shareholder reports may no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports from the Fund or from your financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer, bank or insurance company. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Fund’s website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.
You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications electronically by contacting your financial intermediary or, if you invest directly with the Fund, by calling 1-800-225-6292.
You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest directly with the Fund, you can inform the Fund that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports by calling 1-800-225-6292. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all funds held within the Pioneer Fund complex if you invest directly.
visit us: www.amundi.com/us
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 1
The first several weeks of 2021 have brought some better news on the COVID-19 global pandemic front, as the deployment of the first approved COVID-19 vaccines is well underway, with expectations for widespread vaccine distribution by the middle of the year. In general, COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations have been on the decline in the US, and that has had a positive effect on overall market sentiment.
While there may finally be a light visible at the end of the pandemic tunnel, the long-term impact on the global economy from COVID-19, while currently unknown, is likely to be considerable. It is clear that several industries have already felt greater effects than others, and the markets, which do not thrive on uncertainty, have been volatile. With that said, in these still-early days of 2021, equity markets and other so-called “riskier” assets, such as high-yield bonds, have outperformed investments regarded as less risky, such as government debt. In addition, we’ve witnessed the long-awaited rebound in the performance of cyclical stocks, or stocks of companies with greater exposure to the ebbs and flows of the economic cycle, as investors have appeared to embrace the potential for a more widespread reopening of the economy in the coming months. Additional fiscal stimulus from the US government has also helped provide some market momentum.
However, despite the dramatic market rebound since its March 2020 low point, volatility has remained elevated, with momentum rising and falling on seemingly every bit of positive or negative news about the virus. In addition, the recent US Presidential and Congressional elections have resulted in a power shift in Washington, DC, and that most likely portends some changes in fiscal policy above and beyond just additional pandemic-related stimulus. That, too, could lead to increased market volatility as investors analyze the various tax and spending plans, and wait to see what proposed policy alterations actually become law.
With the advent of COVID-19 in early 2020, we implemented our business continuity plan according to the new COVID-19 guidelines, and most of our employees have been working remotely since March 2020. To date, our operating environment has faced no interruption. I am proud of the careful planning that has taken place and confident we can maintain this environment for as long as is prudent. History in the making for a company that first opened its doors way back in 1928.
2 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
Since 1928, Amundi US’s investment process has been built on a foundation of fundamental research and active management, principles which have guided our investment decisions for more than 90 years. We believe active management – that is, making active investment decisions – can help mitigate the risks during periods of market volatility. As 2020 has reminded us, investment risk can arise from a number of factors in today’s global economy, including slower or stagnating growth, changing U.S. Federal Reserve policy, oil price shocks, political and geopolitical factors and, unfortunately, major public health concerns such as a viral pandemic.
At Amundi US, active management begins with our own fundamental, bottom-up research process. Our team of dedicated research analysts and portfolio managers analyzes each security under consideration, communicating directly with the management teams of the companies issuing the securities and working together to identify those securities that best meet our investment criteria for our family of funds. Our risk management approach begins with each and every security, as we strive to carefully understand the potential opportunity, while considering any and all risk factors.
Today, as investors, we have many options. It is our view that active management can serve shareholders well, not only when markets are thriving, but also during periods of market stress.
As you consider your long-term investment goals, we encourage you to work with your financial professional to develop an investment plan that paves the way for you to pursue both your short-term and long-term goals.
We remain confident that the current crisis, like others in human history, will pass, and we greatly appreciate the trust you have placed in us and look forward to continuing to serve you in the future.
Sincerely,
Lisa M. Jones
Head of the Americas, President and CEO of US.
Amundi Asset Management US, Inc.
March 2021
Head of the Americas, President and CEO of US.
Amundi Asset Management US, Inc.
March 2021
Any information in this shareowner report regarding market or economic trends or the factors influencing the Fund’s historical or future performance are statements of opinion as of the date of this report. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 3
In the following interview, portfolio managers Kenneth Taubes and Marco Pirondini discuss the market environment over the six-month period ended January 31, 2021, and the investment strategies applied to Pioneer Solutions –Balanced Fund during the period. Mr. Taubes, Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, US, and a portfolio manager at Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. (Amundi US), and Mr. Pirondini, Senior Managing Director, Head of Equities, US, and a portfolio manager at Amundi US, are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Q How did the Fund perform in the six-month period ended January 31, 2021?
A The Fund’s Class A shares returned 12.96% at net asset value during the six-month period ended January 31, 2021, while the Fund’s blended benchmark, which is comprised of 60% Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) World NR Index1/40% Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index, returned 9.31%. During the same period, the Fund’s market benchmarks, the MSCI World NR Index (the MSCI Index) and the Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index (the Bloomberg Barclays Index), returned 16.21% and -0.91%, respectively, while the average return of the 474 mutual funds in Morningstar’s World Allocation Funds category was 10.78%.
Q Could you describe the economic and market conditions during the six-month period ended January 31, 2021?
A Financial assets generally delivered robust returns over the past six months, with the bulk of the gains occurring in the second half of the period (November 2020 through January 2021).
After an upbeat August, the markets pulled back somewhat over the next two months as investors grew cautious about the combination of rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and uncertainty surrounding the November
1 The MSCI information may only be used for your internal use, may not be reproduced or redisseminated in any form and may not be used as a basis for or a component of any financial instruments or products or indices. None of the MSCI information is intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such. Historical data and analysis should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of any future performance analysis, forecast or prediction. The MSCI information is provided on an “as is” basis and the user of this information assumes the entire risk of any use made of this information. MSCI, each of its affiliates and each other person involved in or related to compiling, computing or creating any MSCI information (collectively, the “MSCI Parties”) expressly disclaims all warranties (including, without limitation, any warranties of originality, accuracy, completeness, timeliness, non-infringement, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose) with respect to this information. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall any MSCI Party have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, punitive, consequential (including, without limitation, lost profits) or any other damages.
4 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
US elections. Both of the issues had more or less subsided by the early part of November following the conclusion of the election and, less than a week later, the Food and Drug Administration’s granting of emergency-use approval for multiple COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccine news proved to be a key turning point, in that it provided greater visibility with respect to the economic outlook, which had been cloudy for several months due to the pandemic.
Although economic conditions remained sluggish overall, investors began to factor in the rising possibility of a return to normalcy by mid-2021, given the prospect of widespread vaccine distributions. Market participants were further encouraged by the continued accommodation of the US Federal Reserve (Fed), which indicated that it would keep the federal funds rate target at near zero for the foreseeable future, as well as the likelihood of additional fiscal stimulus from the US government, given full Democratic Party control of Congress and the White House in the wake of the Georgia Senate runoff elections in early January.
Notably, the latter half of the six-month period saw a broadening of market leadership. The vaccine news appeared to make investors more comfortable with moving out of mega-cap US technology stocks, which had dominated equity markets for most of 2020, and into economically sensitive, value-oriented sectors, as well as into domestic small caps and international equities. The elevated appetite for risk also fed through to the fixed-income market, where corporate bonds, high-yield issues, and emerging markets debt all registered solid gains and outpaced higher-quality government securities.
Q What factors contributed to and detracted from the Fund’s relative performance during the six-month period ended January 31, 2021?
A The Fund produced a strong absolute return and positive performance relative to its customized benchmark during the six-month period. Consistent with the broader market environment, the best returns during the period came from the portfolio’s positions in underlying equity funds, which generated solid performance. Our diversified* approach, which had weighed on relative results somewhat in the spring and summer of 2020, added value as the portfolio’s investments in non-US and value-oriented stock funds began to deliver more competitive returns. The Fund’s investments in underlying fixed-income portfolios also generated gains, with the largest contributions coming from funds that emphasized credit-oriented investments, such as corporate bonds and securitized debt.
* Diversification does not assure a profit nor protect against loss.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 5
However, the Fund lost some relative performance through its positions in the underlying Pioneer Multi-Asset Income Fund, and in portfolios with shorter-duration fixed-income exposures. (Duration is a measure of the sensitivity of the price, or the value of principal, of a fixed-income investment to a change in interest rates, expressed as a number of years.) Stock selection results within the underlying equity funds in which the portfolio was invested also detracted modestly from relative performance during the period, despite the overall positive results generated by those funds.
Q Did the Fund have any exposure to derivative securities during the six-month period ended January 31, 2021? If so, did the derivatives have an effect on the Fund’s performance?
A The Fund had no exposure to derivatives during the six-month period.
Q What factors are you watching most closely as you determine the Fund’s investment strategy moving into the second half of the fiscal year?
A We believe domestic economic growth may accelerate in 2021 as the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines continues, which could lead increasingly confident consumers to open their pocketbooks and unleash a wave of pent-up demand for services, such as travel and dining, in the second half of the year. Furthermore, corporate earnings have displayed remarkable resiliency in the face of meaningful headwinds over the past year.
Despite those positive developments, we do not anticipate that the Fed will tighten monetary policy in the coming year. The Fed has signaled that it remains intensely focused on getting the US economy back to full employment and, having learned from its policy mistakes in 2018 – when it tightened interest rates too early – the Fed appears willing to maintain its easy monetary policies in order to accomplish the full-employment goal, even if that means letting inflation run above the previous 2% target.
We believe current conditions are generally supportive of equities. Although the major equity indices have bounced back significantly from their March 2020 lows – a run-up that has led to an increase in valuations – we have continued to see an attractive risk/reward profile for stocks, given the backdrop of improving economic growth, low interest rates, and ultra-low bond yields worldwide. In fact, we believe the market has been trading at reasonable valuations if one removes from the equation the mega-cap growth stocks that have dominated recent
6 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
index performance. Also, the potential for a full reopening of the economy could help support corporate earnings, particularly among companies that fall under the cyclical and value-oriented equity categories. In our view, that could help reduce the concentration in the narrow group of growth (mainly technology) stocks that drove performance in 2020, and lead to a broadening of equity market returns as investors move into other sectors. In such an environment, we believe that security selection may be particularly important for performance going forward due to the pockets of elevated valuations in the market, which underscores the need for an active investment approach.
With respect to bonds, we think credit-oriented investments may offer better opportunities than interest-rate sensitive alternatives, such as government securities. We believe US housing-related securitized assets have remained particularly attractive in light of solid consumer balance sheets and healthy housing market fundamentals. In addition, recent increases in home prices have reduced mortgage default risk, and we think prices could continue to rise in response to strong demand, tight inventories, and record-low mortgage rates. We therefore expect to maintain an above-average Fund weighting in portfolios with exposure to those asset classes for the balance of 2021.
We have continued to emphasize the construction of a well-diversified, balanced portfolio that seeks to produce positive longer-term results. Accordingly, we have maintained the Fund’s allocations to a wide range of investments, including stocks (both domestic and international funds, as well as the growth and value styles), together with a broad-based portfolio of fixed-income exposures.
As part of our effort to achieve portfolio diversification, we have marginally increased exposure to insurance-linked securities, or ILS (including Pioneer ILS Interval Fund). We think the asset class has represented a compelling way to diversify the Fund’s allocations, since ILS returns are determined by insurance-loss events, such as hurricanes and wild fires, and therefore have not been highly correlated to the performance of broader financial markets.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 7
Please refer to the Schedule of Investments on pages 22–23 for a full listing of fund securities.
All investments are subject to risk, including the possible loss of principal. In the past several years, financial markets have experienced increased volatility and heightened uncertainty. The market prices of securities may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or regulatory conditions, recessions, inflation, changes in interest or currency rates, lack of liquidity in the bond markets, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues or adverse investor sentiment. These conditions may continue, recur, worsen or spread.
The Fund is a “fund-of-funds” which seeks to achieve its investment objectives by investing primarily in funds managed by Amundi US, rather than making direct investments in securities. The Fund’s performance depends on the adviser’s skill in determining the strategic asset allocations, the mix of underlying funds, as well as the performance of those underlying funds. The underlying funds’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class that they were selected to represent. In addition to the Fund’s operating expenses, investors will indirectly bear the operating expenses of investments in any underlying funds. Each of the underlying funds has its own investment risks.
At times, the Fund’s investments may represent industries or sectors that are interrelated or have common risks, making them more susceptible to any economic, political, or regulatory developments or other risks affecting those industries and sectors. Investments in equity securities are subject to price fluctuation.
When interest rates rise, the prices of fixed income securities held by the underlying funds will generally fall. Conversely, when interest rates fall, the prices of fixed income securities held by underlying funds will generally rise.
Investments in the Fund are subject to possible loss due to the financial failure of issuers of underlying securities and their inability to meet their debt obligations.
Investing in foreign and/or emerging markets securities involves risks relating to interest rates, currency exchange rates, economic, and political conditions.
Some of the underlying funds may invest in real estate investment trust (REIT) securities, the value of which can fall for a variety of reasons, such as declines in rental income, fluctuating interest rates, poor property management, environmental liabilities, uninsured damage, increased competition, or changes in real estate tax laws.
8 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
The Fund may invest in underlying funds with exposure to commodities. The value of commodity-linked derivatives may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, international economic, political and regulatory developments, supply and demand, and governmental regulatory policies.
Certain of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests may use derivatives, which subject the funds to additional risk.
Some of the underlying funds employ leverage, which increases the volatility of investment returns and subjects the Fund to magnified losses if an underlying fund’s investments decline in value. Some of the underlying funds may employ short selling, a speculative strategy. Unlike the possible loss on a security that is purchased, there is no limit on the amount of loss on an appreciating security that is sold short.
The value of the investments held by the Fund for cash management or temporary defensive purposes may be affected by market risks, changing interest rates, and by changes in credit ratings of the investments. If the Fund holds cash uninvested, the Fund will not earn income on the cash and the Fund’s yield will go down. These risks may increase share price volatility.
There is no assurance that these and other strategies used by the Fund will be successful. Please see the prospectus for a more complete discussion of the Fund’s risks.
Before making an investment in any fund, you should consider all the risks associated with it.
Before investing, consider the product’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. Contact your financial professional or Amundi Asset Management US, Inc., for a prospectus or summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.
Any information in this shareowner report regarding market or economic trends or the factors influencing the Fund’s historical or future performance are statements of opinion as of the date of this report. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 9
Asset Allocations
(As a percentage of total investments)*
Actual Portfolio Holdings
(As a percentage of total investments)*
(As a percentage of total investments)*
| Balanced/Flexible | |
Pioneer Multi-Asset Income Fund Class K | 30.30% |
Pioneer Flexible Opportunities Fund | |
Class K | 20.09 |
| International Equities | |
Pioneer Global Equity Fund Class K | 14.13% |
Pioneer International Equity Fund Class Y | 13.13 |
iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF | 0.01 |
| Fixed Income | |
Pioneer Multi-Asset Ultrashort Income | |
Fund Class K | 5.52% |
Pioneer Strategic Income Fund Class K | 4.00 |
Pioneer ILS Interval Fund | 2.67 |
Pioneer Corporate High Yield Fund Class Y | 1.21 |
Pioneer Bond Fund Class K | 0.50 |
| U.S. Equities | |
Pioneer Core Equity Fund Class K | 2.98% |
Pioneer Equity Income Fund Class K | 2.49 |
Pioneer Fund Class K | 1.49 |
Pioneer Fundamental Growth Fund Class K | 1.48 |
Annual and semiannual reports for the underlying Pioneer funds may be obtained on the funds’ web page(s) at www.amundi.com/us.
* Excludes temporary cash investments and all derivative contracts except for options purchased. The Fund is actively managed, and current holdings may be different. The holdings listed should not be considered recommendations to buy or sell any securities.
10 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
Net Asset Value per Share
| Class | 1/31/21 | 7/31/20 |
A | $12.01 | $10.93 |
C | $10.94 | $9.94 |
R | $11.93 | $10.86 |
Y | $12.20 | $11.11 |
| Distributions per Share: 8/1/20–1/31/21 | |||
| Net Investment | Short-Term | Long-Term | |
| Class | Income | Capital Gains | Capital Gains |
A | $0.2627 | $0.0231 | $0.0500 |
C | $0.1732 | $0.0231 | $0.0500 |
R | $0.2576 | $0.0231 | $0.0500 |
Y | $0.2922 | $0.0231 | $0.0500 |
Index Definitions
The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) World NR Index is an unmanaged measure of the performance of stock markets in the developed world. The Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index is an unmanaged measure of the U.S. bond market. Index returns are calculated monthly, assume reinvestment of dividends and, unlike Fund returns, do not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
The indices defined here pertain to the “Value of $10,000 Investment” and “Value of $5 Million Investment” charts on pages 12–19.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 11
| Class A Shares |
Investment Returns
The mountain chart below shows the change in value of a $10,000 investment made in Class A shares of Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund at public offering price during the periods shown, compared to that of the MSCI World NR Index, the Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index, and the Fund’s blended benchmark.
Average Annual Total Returns | |||||
(As of January 31, 2021) | |||||
| Public | Bloomberg | 60% MSCI World NR | |||
| Net Asset | Offering | Barclays | Index/40% Bloomberg | ||
| Value | Price | MSCI World | US Aggregate | Barclays US Aggregate | |
| Period | (NAV) | (POP) | NR Index | Bond Index | Bond Index |
10 years | 5.18% | 4.56% | 9.51% | 3.75% | 7.44% |
5 years | 6.28 | 5.03 | 13.36 | 4.00 | 9.82 |
1 year | 10.63 | 4.27 | 15.45 | 4.72 | 11.86 |
| Expense Ratio | |||||
(Per prospectus dated December 1, 2020) | |||||
| Gross | |||||
1.14% | |||||
Call 1-800-225-6292 or visit www.amundi.com/us for the most recent month-end performance results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted.
The performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
(Please see the following page for additional performance and expense disclosure)
12 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
NAV results represent the percent change in net asset value per share. POP returns reflect deduction of the maximum 5.75% sales charge. NAV returns would have been lower had sales charges been reflected. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Other share classes are available for which performance and expenses will differ.
Performance results shown reflect any applicable expense waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such waivers Fund performance would be lower. Waivers may not be in effect for all funds. Certain fee waivers are contractual through a specified period. Otherwise, fee waivers can be rescinded at any time. See the prospectus and financial statements for more information.
Please see the financial highlights for a more recent expense ratio. Expense ratios in the financial highlights, unlike those shown in the prospectus, do not reflect acquired fund fees and expenses.
The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of fees and taxes that a shareowner would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.
Effective November 17, 2014, Amundi US became directly responsible for portfolio management of the Fund. The performance shown for periods prior to November 17, 2014, reflects the investment strategies employed during those periods.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 13
Performance Update | 1/31/21 | Class C Shares |
Investment Returns
The mountain chart below shows the change in value of a $10,000 investment made in Class C shares of Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund during the periods shown, compared to that of the MSCI World NR Index, the Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index, and the Fund’s blended benchmark.
Average Annual Total Returns | |||||
(As of January 31, 2021) | |||||
| Bloomberg | 60% MSCI World NR | ||||
| Barclays | Index/40% Bloomberg | ||||
| If | If | MSCI World | US Aggregate | Barclays US Aggregate | |
| Period | Held | Redeemed | NR Index | Bond Index | Bond Index |
10 years | 4.43% | 4.43% | 9.51% | 3.75% | 7.44% |
5 years | 5.51 | 5.51 | 13.36 | 4.00 | 9.82 |
1 year | 9.78 | 9.78 | 15.45 | 4.72 | 11.86 |
| Expense Ratio | |||||
(Per prospectus dated December 1, 2020) | |||||
| Gross | |||||
1.82% | |||||
Call 1-800-225-6292 or visit www.amundi.com/us for the most recent month-end performance results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted.
The performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
(Please see the following page for additional performance and expense disclosure)
14 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
Class C shares held for less than one year are also subject to a 1% contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC). “If Held” results represent the percent change in net asset value per share. NAV returns would have been lower had sales charges been reflected. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Other share classes are available for which performance and expenses will differ.
Performance results shown reflect any applicable expense waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such waivers Fund performance would be lower. Waivers may not be in effect for all funds. Certain fee waivers are contractual through a specified period. Otherwise, fee waivers can be rescinded at any time. See the prospectus and financial statements for more information.
Please see the financial highlights for a more recent expense ratio. Expense ratios in the financial highlights, unlike those shown in the prospectus, do not reflect acquired fund fees and expenses.
The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of fees and taxes that a shareowner would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.
Effective November 17, 2014, Amundi US became directly responsible for portfolio management of the Fund. The performance shown for periods prior to November 17, 2014, reflects the investment strategies employed during those periods.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 15
Performance Update | 1/31/21 | Class R Shares |
Investment Returns
The mountain chart below shows the change in value of a $10,000 investment made in Class R shares of Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund during the periods shown, compared to that of the MSCI World NR Index, the Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index, and the Fund’s blended benchmark.
| Average Annual Total Returns | ||||
(As of July 31, 2020) | ||||
| Bloomberg | 60% MSCI World NR | |||
| Net Asset | Barclays | Index/40% Bloomberg | ||
| Value | MSCI World | US Aggregate | Barclays US Aggregate | |
| Period | (NAV) | NR Index | Bond Index | Bond Index |
10 years | 5.05% | 9.51% | 3.75% | 7.44% |
5 years | 6.03 | 13.36 | 4.00 | 9.82 |
1 year | 10.46 | 15.45 | 4.72 | 11.86 |
| Expense Ratio | ||||
(Per prospectus dated December 1, 2020) | ||||
| Gross | ||||
1.27% | ||||
Call 1-800-225-6292 or visit www.amundi.com/us for the most recent month-end performance results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted.
The performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
(Please see the following page for additional performance and expense disclosure)
16 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
The performance shown for Class R shares for the period prior to the commencement of operations of Class R shares on July 1, 2015, is the net asset value performance of the Fund’s Class A shares, which has not been restated to reflect any differences in expenses, including Rule 12b-1 fees applicable to Class A shares. Since fees for Class A shares generally are higher than those of Class R shares, the performance of Class R shares prior to their inception would have been higher than the performance shown. For the period beginning July 1, 2015, the actual performance of Class R shares is reflected. Class R shares are not subject to sales charges and are available for limited groups of eligible investors, including institutional investors. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Other share classes are available for which performance and expenses will differ.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such waivers Fund performance would be lower. Waivers may not be in effect for all funds. Certain fee waivers are contractual through a specified period. Otherwise, fee waivers can be rescinded at any time. See the prospectus and financial statements for more information.
Please see the financial highlights for more recent expense ratios. Expense ratios in the financial highlights, unlike those shown in the prospectus, do not reflect acquired fund fees and expenses.
The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of fees and taxes that a shareowner would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.
Effective November 17, 2014, Amundi US became directly responsible for portfolio management of the Fund. The performance shown for periods prior to November 17, 2014, reflects the investment strategies employed during those periods.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 17
Performance Update | 1/31/21 | Class Y Shares |
Investment Returns
The mountain chart below shows the change in value of a $5 million investment made in Class Y shares of Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund during the periods shown, compared to that of the MSCI World NR Index, the Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index, and the Fund’s blended benchmark.
Average Annual Total Returns | ||||
| (As of July 31, 2020) | ||||
Bloomberg | 60% MSCI World NR | |||
Net Asset | Barclays | Index/40% Bloomberg | ||
Value | MSCI World | US Aggregate | Barclays US Aggregate | |
Period | (NAV) | NR Index | Bond Index | Bond Index |
| 10 years | 5.45% | 9.51% | 3.75% | 7.44% |
| 5 years | 6.51 | 13.36 | 4.00 | 9.82 |
| 1 year | 10.91 | 15.45 | 4.72 | 11.86 |
Expense Ratio | ||||
| (Per prospectus dated December 1, 2020) | ||||
Gross | ||||
| 0.90% | ||||
Call 1-800-225-6292 or visit www.amundi.com/us for the most recent month-end performance results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted.
The performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
(Please see the following page for additional performance and expense disclosure)
18 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
Class Y shares are not subject to sales charges and are available for limited groups of eligible investors, including institutional investors.
All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Other share classes are available for which performance and expenses will differ.
Performance results shown reflect any applicable expense waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such waivers Fund performance would be lower. Waivers may not be in effect for all funds. Certain fee waivers are contractual through a specified period. Otherwise, fee waivers can be rescinded at any time. See the prospectus and financial statements for more information.
Please see the financial highlights for a more recent expense ratio. Expense ratios in the financial highlights, unlike those shown in the prospectus, do not reflect acquired fund fees and expenses.
The performance table and graph do not reflect the deduction of fees and taxes that a shareowner would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.
Effective November 17, 2014, Amundi US became directly responsible for portfolio management of the Fund. The performance shown for periods prior to November 17, 2014, reflects the investment strategies employed during those periods.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 19
As a shareowner in the Fund, you incur two types of costs:
(1) | ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees, and other Fund expenses; and |
(2) | transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments. |
This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing expenses (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 at the beginning of the Fund’s latest six-month period and held throughout the six months.
Using the Tables
Actual Expenses
The first table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this table, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period as follows:
(1) | Divide your account value by $1,000 |
Example: an $8,600 account value ÷ $1,000 = 8.6 | |
(2) | Multiply the result in (1) above by the corresponding share class’s number in the third row under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period. |
Expenses Paid on a $1,000 Investment in Pioneer Solutions Balanced Fund
Based on actual returns from August 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021.
| Share Class | A | C | R | Y |
Beginning Account | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
Value on 8/1/20 | ||||
Ending Account Value | $1,129.60 | $1,125.40 | $1,129.00 | $1,131.00 |
(after expenses) | ||||
on 1/31/21 | ||||
Expenses Paid | $2.47 | $6.27 | $3.27 | $1.07 |
During Period* |
* Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized net expense ratio of 0.46%, 1.17%, 0.61% and 0.20%, for Class A, Class C, Class R and Class Y shares, respectively, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365 to reflect the one half-year period. Fund expense ratios do not include estimates for acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). If AFFE estimates were included, expenses paid during the period would have been $5.96 $9.75, $6.76 and $4.57 for Class A, Class C, Class R and Class Y shares, respectively, based on the respective expense ratio for each class of 1.11%, 1.82%, 1.26% and 0.85%.
20 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. 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 may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
Please note that the expenses shown in the tables are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as sales charges (loads) that are charged at the time of the transaction. Therefore, the table below is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transaction costs were included, your costs would have been higher.
Expenses Paid on a $1,000 Investment in Pioneer Solutions Balanced Fund
Based on a hypothetical 5% per year return before expenses, reflecting the period from August 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021.
| Share Class | A | C | R | Y |
Beginning Account | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
Value on 8/1/20 | ||||
Ending Account Value | $1,022.89 | $1,019.31 | $1,022.13 | $1,024.20 |
(after expenses) | ||||
on 1/31/21 | ||||
Expenses Paid | $2.35 | $5.96 | $3.11 | $1.02 |
During Period* |
* Expenses are equal to the Fund’s annualized net expense ratio of 0.46%, 1.17%, 0.61% and 0.20%, for Class A, Class C, Class R and Class Y shares, respectively, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365 to reflect the one half-year period. Fund expense ratios do not include estimates for acquired fund fees and expenses (AFFE). If AFFE estimates were included, expenses paid during the period would have been $5.65 $9.25 $6.41 and $4.33 for Class A, Class C, Class R and Class Y shares, respectively, based on the respective expense ratio for each class of 1.11%, 1.82%, 1.26% and 0.85%.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 21
| Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| in Net | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net | Unrealized | Capital | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Realized | Appreciation | Gain | Dividend | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Gain (Loss) | (Depreciation) | Distributions | Income | Value | ||||||||||||||||||
| AFFILIATED ISSUERS — 99.6%* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| MUTUAL FUNDS — 96.9% | |||||||||||||||||||||||
211,419 | Pioneer Bond Fund Class K | $ | 45,510 | $ | (52,682 | ) | $ | — | $ | 35,805 | $ | 2,150,131 | |||||||||||
580,392 | Pioneer Core Equity Fund | 135,410 | 603,187 | 467,271 | 869,594 | 12,762,819 | |||||||||||||||||
| Class K | |||||||||||||||||||||||
— | Pioneer Corporate High | — | 249,136 | — | 20,557 | — | |||||||||||||||||
| Yield Fund | |||||||||||||||||||||||
563,728 | Pioneer Corporate High | (607 | ) | (15,196 | ) | 119,527 | 5,158,110 | ||||||||||||||||
| Yield Fund Class Y | |||||||||||||||||||||||
300,124 | Pioneer Equity Income | (19,266 | ) | 1,229,873 | 416,134 | (311,927 | ) | 10,681,423 | |||||||||||||||
| Fund Class K | |||||||||||||||||||||||
6,611,604 | Pioneer Flexible | (232,478 | ) | 10,198,830 | — | 519,339 | 86,016,965 | ||||||||||||||||
| Opportunities Fund | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class K | |||||||||||||||||||||||
184,421 | Pioneer Fund | 1,061,291 | (16,742 | ) | — | 584,272 | 6,371,733 | ||||||||||||||||
207,670 | Pioneer Fundamental | 788,631 | (433,248 | ) | 671,674 | 224,145 | 6,342,226 | ||||||||||||||||
| Growth Fund Class K | |||||||||||||||||||||||
3,412,969 | Pioneer Global Equity | 176,465 | 9,410,651 | — | 758,947 | 60,477,817 | |||||||||||||||||
| Fund Class K | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2,250,338 | Pioneer International Equity | 235,265 | 8,458,579 | 152,924 | 175,877 | 56,235,947 | |||||||||||||||||
| Fund Class Y | |||||||||||||||||||||||
11,488,293 | Pioneer Multi-Asset Income | (480,363 | ) | 9,899,807 | — | 3,535,160 | 129,817,713 | ||||||||||||||||
| Fund Class K | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2,427,932 | Pioneer Multi-Asset | (218,479 | ) | 496,493 | — | 144,580 | 23,623,779 | ||||||||||||||||
| Ultrashort Income | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fund Class K | |||||||||||||||||||||||
1,499,699 | Pioneer Strategic Income | 290,257 | 523,922 | — | 385,301 | 17,081,572 | |||||||||||||||||
| Fund Class K | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Other affiliated securities | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||
| not held at period end | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOTAL MUTUAL FUNDS | |||||||||||||||||||||||
(Cost $378,404,093) | $ | 1,781,636 | $ | 40,552,610 | $ | (1,708,003 | ) | $ | 7,061,177 | $ | 416,720,235 | ||||||||||||
| CLOSED-END FUND — 2.7% | |||||||||||||||||||||||
1,345,927 | Pioneer ILS Interval Fund | — | 53,838 | — | — | $ | 11,453,840 | ||||||||||||||||
| TOTAL CLOSED-END FUND | |||||||||||||||||||||||
(Cost $11,400,002) | — | 53,838 | — | — | 11,453,840 | ||||||||||||||||||
| INVESTMENTS IN AFFILIATED ISSUERS — 99.6% | |||||||||||||||||||||||
(Cost $389,804,095) | $ | 1,781,636 | $ | 40,606,448 | $ | (1,708,003 | ) | $ | 7,061,177 | $ | 428,174,075 | ||||||||||||
| UNAFFILIATED ISSUERS — 0.0%† | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| MUTUAL FUND — 0.0%† | |||||||||||||||||||||||
1,000 | iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF | $ | 43,310 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| TOTAL MUTUAL FUND | |||||||||||||||||||||||
(Cost $36,090) | $ | 43,310 | |||||||||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
22 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
| Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| in Net | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net | Unrealized | Capital | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Realized | Appreciation | Gain | Dividend | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Gain (Loss) | (Depreciation) | Distributions | Income | Value | ||||||||||||||||||
TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN UNAFFILIATED ISSUERS | |||||||||||||||||||||||
(Cost $36,090) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN SECURITIES — 99.6% | $ | 43,310 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (Cost $389,840,185) | $ | 428,217,385 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| OTHER ASSETS AND LIABILITIES — 0.4% | $ | 1,761,936 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| TOTAL NET ASSETS — 100.0% | $ | 429,979,321 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| * | Affiliated funds managed by Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. (the “Adviser”). |
| † | Amount rounds to less than 0.1%. |
Purchases and sales of securities (excluding temporary cash investments) for the six months ended January 31, 2021, aggregated $33,498,401 and $42,822,271 respectively.
The Fund is permitted to engage in purchase and sale transactions (“cross trades”) with certain funds and accounts for which the Adviser serves as the Fund’s investment adviser, as set forth in Rule 17a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. Under these procedures, cross trades are effected at current market prices. During the six months ended January 31, 2021, the Fund did not engage in any cross trade activity.
At January 31, 2021, the net unrealized depreciation on investments based on cost for federal tax purposes of $392,989,765 was as follows:
| Aggregate gross unrealized appreciation for all investments in which | ||||
| there is an excess of value over tax cost | $ | 45,461,755 | ||
| Aggregate gross unrealized depreciation for all investments in which | ||||
| there is an excess of tax cost over value | (10,234,135 | ) | ||
| Net unrealized appreciation | $ | 35,227,620 | ||
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels below.
Level 1 – unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical securities.
Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risks, etc.). See Notes to Financial Statements — Note 1A.
Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining fair value of investments). See Notes to Financial Statements — Note 1A.
The following is a summary of the inputs used as of January 31, 2021, in valuing the Fund’s assets:
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | |||||||||||||
Affiliated Mutual Funds | $ | 416,720,235 | $ | 11,453,840 | $ | — | $ | 428,174,075 | ||||||||
Unaffiliated Mutual Funds | 43,310 | — | — | 43,310 | ||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 416,763,545 | $ | 11,453,840 | $ | — | $ | 428,217,385 | ||||||||
During the six months ended January 31, 2021, there were no transfers in or out of Level 3.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 23
(unaudited)
| ASSETS: | ||||
| Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (cost $36,090) | $ | 43,310 | ||
| Investments in securities of affiliated funds, at value (cost $389,804,095) | 428,174,075 | |||
| Cash | 820,612 | |||
| Receivables — | ||||
| Investment securities sold | 724,987 | |||
| Fund shares sold | 40,881 | |||
| Dividends | 669,569 | |||
| Other assets | 22,678 | |||
| Total assets | $ | 430,496,112 | ||
| LIABILITIES: | ||||
| Payables — | ||||
| Fund shares repurchased | $ | 385,976 | ||
| Trustees’ fees | 2,293 | |||
| Administrative fees | 7,315 | |||
| Transfer agent fees | 60,156 | |||
| Shareowner communications expense | 23,299 | |||
| Due to affiliates | 20,817 | |||
| Accrued expenses | 16,935 | |||
| Total liabilities | $ | 516,791 | ||
| NET ASSETS: | ||||
| Paid-in capital | $ | 390,213,031 | ||
| Distributable earnings | 39,766,290 | |||
| Net assets | $ | 429,979,321 | ||
| NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE: | ||||
No par value (unlimited number of shares authorized) | ||||
| Class A (based on $369,856,623/30,803,065 shares) | $ | 12.01 | ||
| Class C (based on $56,415,579/5,154,983 shares) | $ | 10.94 | ||
| Class R (based on $1,616,092/135,504 shares) | $ | 11.93 | ||
| Class Y (based on $2,091,027/171,450 shares) | $ | 12.20 | ||
| MAXIMUM OFFERING PRICE PER SHARE: | ||||
| Class A (based on $12.01 net asset value per share/100%-5.75% | ||||
| maximum sales charge) | $ | 12.74 | ||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
24 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
Statement of Operations (unaudited)
FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 1/31/21
| INVESTMENT INCOME: | ||||||||
| Dividend income from underlying affiliated funds | $ | 7,061,177 | ||||||
| Dividends from unaffiliated issuers | 12,648 | |||||||
| Interest | 108 | |||||||
| Total investment income | $ | 7,073,933 | ||||||
| EXPENSES: | ||||||||
| Administrative expense | $ | 100,921 | ||||||
| Transfer agent fees | ||||||||
| Class A | 150,970 | |||||||
| Class C | 18,451 | |||||||
| Class R | 51 | |||||||
| Class Y | 761 | |||||||
| Distribution fees | ||||||||
| Class A | 441,025 | |||||||
| Class C | 309,318 | |||||||
| Class R | 4,080 | |||||||
| Shareowner communications expense | 63,402 | |||||||
| Custodian fees | 4,397 | |||||||
| Registration fees | 24,044 | |||||||
| Professional fees | 31,419 | |||||||
| Printing expense | 16,875 | |||||||
| Trustees’ fees | 8,226 | |||||||
| Insurance expense | 472 | |||||||
| Miscellaneous | 6,508 | |||||||
| Total expenses | $ | 1,180,920 | ||||||
| Net investment income | $ | 5,893,013 | ||||||
| REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS: | ||||||||
| Net realized gain (loss) on: | ||||||||
| Investments in unaffiliated issuers | $ | 161,347 | ||||||
| Investments in underlying affiliated funds | 1,781,636 | |||||||
| Capital gain on distributions from underlying | ||||||||
| affiliated issuers | 1,708,003 | $ | 3,650,986 | |||||
| Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on: | ||||||||
| Investments in unaffiliated issuers | $ | (24,856 | ) | |||||
| Investments in underlying affiliated funds | 40,606,448 | $ | 40,581,592 | |||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments | $ | 44,232,578 | ||||||
| Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | $ | 50,125,591 | ||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 25
Statements of Changes in Net Assets
| Six Months | ||||||||
| Ended | Year | |||||||
| 1/31/21 | Ended | |||||||
| (unaudited) | 7/31/20 | |||||||
| FROM OPERATIONS: | ||||||||
Net investment income (loss) | $ | 5,893,013 | $ | 12,312,706 | ||||
Net realized gain (loss) on investments | 3,650,986 | 865,387 | ||||||
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | ||||||||
| on investments | 40,581,592 | (2,607,274 | ) | |||||
| Net increase in net assets resulting from operations | $ | 50,125,591 | $ | 10,570,819 | ||||
| DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREOWNERS: | ||||||||
| Class A ($0.33 and $0.72 per share, respectively) | $ | (10,156,686 | ) | $ | (21,592,985 | ) | ||
| Class C ($0.24 and $0.64 per share, respectively) | (1,258,078 | ) | (4,366,055 | ) | ||||
| Class R ($0.33 and $0.67 per share, respectively) | (46,785 | ) | (60,137 | ) | ||||
| Class Y ($0.36 and $0.75 per share, respectively) | (50,353 | ) | (99,948 | ) | ||||
| Total distributions to shareowners | $ | (11,511,902 | ) | $ | (26,119,125 | ) | ||
| FROM FUND SHARE TRANSACTIONS: | ||||||||
Net proceeds from sales of shares | $ | 23,009,385 | $ | 34,711,645 | ||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 11,399,298 | 25,829,400 | ||||||
Cost of shares repurchased | (39,120,961 | ) | (77,488,192 | ) | ||||
| Net decrease in net assets resulting from Fund | ||||||||
| share transactions | $ | (4,712,278 | ) | $ | (16,947,147 | ) | ||
| Net increase (decrease) in net assets | $ | 33,901,411 | $ | (32,495,453 | ) | |||
| NET ASSETS: | ||||||||
Beginning of period | $ | 396,077,910 | $ | 428,573,363 | ||||
End of period | $ | 429,979,321 | $ | 396,077,910 | ||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
26 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
| Six Months | Six Months | |||||||||||||||
| Ended | Ended | |||||||||||||||
| 1/31/21 | 1/31/21 | Year Ended | Year Ended | |||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | 7/31/20 | 7/31/20 | |||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | (unaudited) | Shares | Amount | |||||||||||||
| Class A | ||||||||||||||||
Shares sold | 1,595,391 | $ | 18,951,112 | 2,322,942 | $ | 25,014,421 | ||||||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 838,052 | 10,056,535 | 1,899,167 | 21,346,642 | ||||||||||||
Less shares repurchased | (1,899,713 | ) | (22,116,542 | ) | (4,908,594 | ) | (52,937,950 | ) | ||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) | 533,730 | $ | 6,891,105 | (686,485 | ) | $ | (6,576,887 | ) | ||||||||
| Class C | ||||||||||||||||
Shares sold | 322,247 | $ | 3,390,899 | 769,027 | $ | 7,623,341 | ||||||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 114,332 | 1,250,785 | 422,177 | 4,331,539 | ||||||||||||
Less shares repurchased | (1,538,250 | ) | (16,581,341 | ) | (2,346,360 | ) | (23,039,813 | ) | ||||||||
| Net decrease | (1,101,671 | ) | $ | (11,939,657 | ) | (1,155,156 | ) | $ | (11,084,933 | ) | ||||||
| Class R | ||||||||||||||||
Shares sold | 11,615 | $ | 133,729 | 63,975 | $ | 644,248 | ||||||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 3,925 | 46,785 | 5,384 | 60,137 | ||||||||||||
Less shares repurchased | (27,574 | ) | (322,515 | ) | (9,573 | ) | (104,647 | ) | ||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) | (12,034 | ) | $ | (142,001 | ) | 59,786 | $ | 599,738 | ||||||||
| Class Y | ||||||||||||||||
Shares sold | 43,099 | $ | 533,645 | 132,410 | $ | 1,429,635 | ||||||||||
Reinvestment of distributions | 3,710 | 45,193 | 7,983 | 91,082 | ||||||||||||
Less shares repurchased | (8,537 | ) | (100,563 | ) | (143,468 | ) | (1,405,782 | ) | ||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) | 38,272 | $ | 478,275 | (3,075 | ) | $ | 114,935 | |||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 27
Financial Highlights
| Six Months | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ended | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1/31/21 | Ended | Ended | Ended | Ended | Ended | |||||||||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | 7/31/20 | 7/31/19 | 7/31/18 | 7/31/17 | 7/31/16* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Class A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 10.93 | $ | 11.29 | $ | 12.12 | $ | 11.89 | $ | 11.35 | $ | 12.78 | ||||||||||||
Increase (decrease) from investment operations: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income (loss) (a) | $ | 0.17 | $ | 0.34 | $ | 0.32 | $ | 0.20 | $ | 0.17 | $ | 0.20 | ||||||||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments | 1.24 | 0.02 | (0.54 | ) | 0.25 | 0.61 | (0.50 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) from investment operations | $ | 1.41 | $ | 0.36 | $ | (0.22 | ) | $ | 0.45 | $ | 0.78 | $ | (0.30 | ) | ||||||||||
Distributions to shareowners: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income | $ | (0.26 | ) | $ | (0.36 | ) | $ | (0.34 | ) | $ | (0.22 | ) | $ | (0.24 | ) | $ | (0.27 | ) | ||||||
| Net realized gain | (0.07 | ) | (0.36 | ) | (0.27 | ) | — | — | (0.86 | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Total distributions | $ | (0.33 | ) | $ | (0.72 | ) | $ | (0.61 | ) | $ | (0.22 | ) | $ | (0.24 | ) | $ | (1.13 | ) | ||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in net asset value | $ | 1.08 | $ | (0.36 | ) | $ | (0.83 | ) | $ | 0.23 | $ | 0.54 | $ | (1.43 | ) | |||||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 12.01 | $ | 10.93 | $ | 11.29 | $ | 12.12 | $ | 11.89 | $ | 11.35 | ||||||||||||
| Total return (b) | 12.96 | %(c) | 3.06 | % | (1.32 | )% | 3.79 | % | 7.04 | % | (2.11 | )% | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets† | 0.46 | %(d) | 0.49 | % | 0.45 | % | 0.57 | % | 0.68 | % | 0.67 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets†^ | 2.93 | %(d) | 3.16 | % | 2.82 | % | 1.67 | % | 1.51 | % | 1.77 | % | ||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 8 | %(c) | 30 | % | 44 | % | 146 | % | 27 | % | 16 | % | ||||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $ | 369,857 | $ | 330,784 | $ | 349,505 | $ | 382,265 | $ | 114,528 | $ | 125,608 | ||||||||||||
* | The Fund was audited by an independent registered public accounting firm other than Ernst & Young LLP. |
† | In addition to the expenses which the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears pro rata shares of the expenses of the funds in which the Fund invests. Because each of the underlying funds bears its own varying expense levels and because the Fund may own differing proportions of each fund at different times, the amount of expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund will vary from time to time. |
^ | Ratios do not reflect the Fund’s proportionate share of the income and expenses of the underlying funds. |
(a) | The per-share data presented above is based on the average shares outstanding for the period presented. |
(b) | Assumes initial investment at net asset value at the beginning of each period, reinvestment of all distributions, the complete redemption of the investment at net asset value at the end of each period and no sales charges. Total return would be reduced if sales charges were taken into account. |
(c) | Not annualized. |
(d) | Annualized. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
28 Pioneer Solutions –Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
| Six Months | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ended | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1/31/21 | Ended | Ended | Ended | Ended | Ended | |||||||||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | 7/31/20 | 7/31/19 | 7/31/18 | 7/31/17 | 7/31/16* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Class C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 9.94 | $ | 10.32 | $ | 11.12 | $ | 10.92 | $ | 10.44 | $ | 11.84 | ||||||||||||
Increase (decrease) from investment operations: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income (loss) (a) | $ | 0.11 | $ | 0.25 | $ | 0.20 | $ | 0.15 | $ | 0.09 | $ | 0.12 | ||||||||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments | 1.13 | 0.01 | (0.49 | ) | 0.19 | 0.55 | (0.47 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) from investment operations | $ | 1.24 | $ | 0.26 | $ | (0.29 | ) | $ | 0.34 | $ | 0.64 | $ | (0.35 | ) | ||||||||||
Distributions to shareowners: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income | $ | (0.17 | ) | $ | (0.28 | ) | $ | (0.24 | ) | $ | (0.14 | ) | $ | (0.16 | ) | $ | (0.19 | ) | ||||||
| Net realized gain | (0.07 | ) | (0.36 | ) | (0.27 | ) | — | — | (0.86 | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Total distributions | $ | (0.24 | ) | $ | (0.64 | ) | $ | (0.51 | ) | $ | (0.14 | ) | $ | (0.16 | ) | $ | (1.05 | ) | ||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in net asset value | $ | 1.00 | $ | (0.38 | ) | $ | (0.80 | ) | $ | 0.20 | $ | 0.48 | $ | (1.40 | ) | |||||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 10.94 | $ | 9.94 | $ | 10.32 | $ | 11.12 | $ | 10.92 | $ | 10.44 | ||||||||||||
| Total return (b) | 12.54 | %(c) | 2.35 | % | (2.14 | )% | 3.09 | % | 6.26 | % | (2.81 | )% | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets† | 1.17 | %(d) | 1.17 | % | 1.19 | % | 1.27 | % | 1.38 | % | 1.37 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets†^ | 2.16 | %(d) | 2.50 | % | 1.96 | % | 1.33 | % | 0.84 | % | 1.10 | % | ||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 8 | %(c) | 30 | % | 44 | % | 146 | % | 27 | % | 16 | % | ||||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $ | 56,416 | $ | 62,213 | $ | 76,524 | $ | 114,266 | $ | 49,277 | $ | 59,444 | ||||||||||||
* | The Fund was audited by an independent registered public accounting firm other than Ernst & Young LLP. |
† | In addition to the expenses which the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears pro rata shares of the expenses of the funds in which the Fund invests. Because each of the underlying funds bears its own varying expense levels and because the Fund may own differing proportions of each fund at different times, the amount of expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund will vary from time to time. |
^ | Ratios do not reflect the Fund’s proportionate share of the income and expenses of the underlying funds. |
(a) | The per-share data presented above is based on the average shares outstanding for the period presented. |
(b) | Assumes initial investment at net asset value at the beginning of each period, reinvestment of all distributions, the complete redemption of the investment at net asset value at the end of each period. |
(c) | Not annualized. |
(d) | Annualized. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Pioneer Solutions –Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 29
Financial Highlights (continued)
| Six Months | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ended | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1/31/21 | Ended | Ended | Ended | Ended | Ended | |||||||||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | 7/31/20 | 7/31/19 | 7/31/18 | 7/31/17 | 7/31/16* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Class R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 10.86 | $ | 11.19 | $ | 12.04 | $ | 11.83 | $ | 11.30 | $ | 12.78 | ||||||||||||
Increase (decrease) from investment operations: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income (loss) (a) | $ | 0.16 | $ | 0.31 | $ | 0.23 | $ | 0.05 | $ | 0.11 | $ | 0.15 | ||||||||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments | 1.24 | 0.03 | (0.49 | ) | 0.37 | 0.65 | (0.47 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) from investment operations | $ | 1.40 | $ | 0.34 | $ | (0.26 | ) | $ | 0.42 | $ | 0.76 | $ | (0.32 | ) | ||||||||||
Distributions to shareowners: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income | $ | (0.26 | ) | $ | (0.31 | ) | $ | (0.32 | ) | $ | (0.21 | ) | $ | (0.23 | ) | $ | (0.30 | ) | ||||||
| Net realized gain | (0.07 | ) | (0.36 | ) | (0.27 | ) | — | — | (0.86 | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Total distributions | $ | (0.33 | ) | $ | (0.67 | ) | $ | (0.59 | ) | $ | (0.21 | ) | $ | (0.23 | ) | $ | (1.16 | ) | ||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in net asset value | $ | 1.07 | $ | (0.33 | ) | $ | (0.85 | ) | $ | 0.21 | $ | 0.53 | $ | (1.48 | ) | |||||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 11.93 | $ | 10.86 | $ | 11.19 | $ | 12.04 | $ | 11.83 | $ | 11.30 | ||||||||||||
| Total return (b) | 12.90 | %(c) | 2.90 | % | (1.64 | )% | 3.49 | % | 6.89 | % | (2.34 | )% | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets† | 0.61 | %(d) | 0.62 | % | 0.78 | % | 0.79 | % | 0.90 | % | 0.90 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets†^ | 2.81 | %(d) | 2.86 | % | 2.05 | % | 0.42 | % | 0.98 | % | 1.28 | % | ||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 8 | %(c) | 30 | % | 44 | % | 146 | % | 27 | % | 16 | % | ||||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $ | 1,616 | $ | 1,602 | $ | 982 | $ | 1,388 | $ | 31 | $ | 14 | ||||||||||||
Ratios with no waiver of fees and assumption of expenses by | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| the Adviser and no reduction for fees paid indirectly: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total expenses to average net assets† | 0.61 | %(d) | 0.62 | % | 1.03 | % | 0.86 | % | 1.38 | % | 1.58 | % | ||||||||||||
| Net investment income (loss) to average net assets^ | 2.81 | %(d) | 2.86 | % | 1.80 | % | 0.35 | % | 0.50 | % | 0.60 | % | ||||||||||||
* | The Fund was audited by an independent registered public accounting firm other than Ernst & Young LLP. |
† | In addition to the expenses which the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears pro rata shares of the expenses of the funds in which the Fund invests. Because each of the underlying funds bears its own varying expense levels and because the Fund may own differing proportions of each fund at different times, the amount of expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund will vary from time to time. |
^ | Ratios do not reflect the Fund’s proportionate share of the income and expenses of the underlying funds. |
(a) | The per-share data presented above is based on the average shares outstanding for the period presented. |
(b) | Assumes initial investment at net asset value at the beginning of each period, reinvestment of all distributions, the complete redemption of the investment at net asset value at the end of each period. |
(c) | Not annualized. |
(d) | Annualized. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
30 Pioneer Solutions –Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
| Six Months | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ended | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1/31/21 | Ended | Ended | Ended | Ended | Ended | |||||||||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | 7/31/20 | 7/31/19 | 7/31/18 | 7/31/17 | 7/31/16* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Class Y | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 11.11 | $ | 11.46 | $ | 12.29 | $ | 12.06 | $ | 11.51 | $ | 12.94 | ||||||||||||
Increase (decrease) from investment operations: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income (loss) (a) | $ | 0.19 | $ | 0.38 | $ | 0.39 | $ | 0.26 | $ | 0.19 | $ | 0.26 | ||||||||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments | 1.26 | 0.02 | (0.59 | ) | 0.22 | 0.63 | (0.53 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) from investment operations | $ | 1.45 | $ | 0.40 | $ | (0.20 | ) | $ | 0.48 | $ | 0.82 | $ | (0.27 | ) | ||||||||||
Distributions to shareowners: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income | $ | (0.29 | ) | $ | (0.39 | ) | $ | (0.36 | ) | $ | (0.25 | ) | $ | (0.27 | ) | $ | (0.30 | ) | ||||||
| Net realized gain | (0.07 | ) | (0.36 | ) | (0.27 | ) | — | — | (0.86 | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Total distributions | $ | (0.36 | ) | $ | (0.75 | ) | $ | (0.63 | ) | $ | (0.25 | ) | $ | (0.27 | ) | $ | (1.16 | ) | ||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in net asset value | $ | 1.09 | $ | (0.35 | ) | $ | (0.83 | ) | $ | 0.23 | $ | 0.55 | $ | (1.43 | ) | |||||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 12.20 | $ | 11.11 | $ | 11.46 | $ | 12.29 | $ | 12.06 | $ | 11.51 | ||||||||||||
| Total return (b) | 13.10 | %(c) | 3.31 | % | (1.14 | )% | 3.94 | % | 7.33 | % | (1.85 | )% | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets† | 0.20 | %(d) | 0.25 | % | 0.27 | % | 0.40 | % | 0.47 | % | 0.40 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets†^ | 3.17 | %(d) | 3.44 | % | 3.37 | % | 2.14 | % | 1.67 | % | 2.22 | % | ||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover rate | 8 | %(c) | 30 | % | 44 | % | 146 | % | 27 | % | 16 | % | ||||||||||||
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) | $ | 2,091 | $ | 1,479 | $ | 1,562 | $ | 1,547 | $ | 698 | $ | 1,107 | ||||||||||||
* | The Fund was audited by an independent registered public accounting firm other than Ernst & Young LLP. |
† | In addition to the expenses which the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears pro rata shares of the expenses of the funds in which the Fund invests. Because each of the underlying funds bears its own varying expense levels and because the Fund may own differing proportions of each fund at different times, the amount of expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund will vary from time to time. |
^ | Ratios do not reflect the Fund’s proportionate share of the income and expenses of the underlying funds. |
(a) | The per-share data presented above is based on the average shares outstanding for the period presented. |
(b) | Assumes initial investment at net asset value at the beginning of each period, reinvestment of all distributions, the complete redemption of the investment at net asset value at the end of each period. |
(c) | Not annualized. |
(d) | Annualized. |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
Pioneer Solutions –Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 31
(unaudited)
1. Organization and Significant Accounting Policies
Pioneer Solutions - Balanced Fund (the “Fund”) is the sole series of Pioneer Asset Allocation Trust (the “Trust”) a Delaware statutory trust. The Fund is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as an open-end management investment company. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek long-term capital growth and current income.
The Fund is a “fund of funds”. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in other funds (“underlying funds”). The Fund may also invest directly in securities and use derivatives. The Fund invests primarily in funds managed by Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. The Fund may also invest in securities of unaffiliated mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). The Fund indirectly pays a portion of the expenses incurred by underlying funds. Consequently, an investment in the Fund entails more direct and indirect expenses than direct investment in the applicable underlying funds.
The Fund offers five classes of shares designated as Class A, Class C, Class K, Class R and Class Y shares. Class K shares had not commenced operations as of January 31, 2021. Each class of shares represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments of the Fund and has identical rights (based on relative net asset values) to assets and liquidation proceeds. Share classes can bear different rates of class-specific fees and expenses such as transfer agent and distribution fees. Differences in class-specific fees and expenses will result in differences in net investment income and, therefore, the payment of different dividends from net investment income earned by each class. The Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Fund gives the Board of Trustees the flexibility to specify either per-share voting or dollar-weighted voting when submitting matters for shareowner approval. Under per-share voting, each share of a class of the Fund is entitled to one vote. Under dollar-weighted voting, a shareowner’s voting power is determined not by the number of shares owned, but by the dollar value of the shares on the record date. Each share class has exclusive voting rights with respect to matters affecting only that class, including with respect to the distribution plan for that class. There is no distribution plan for Class Y shares.
Amundi Asset Management US, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Amundi and Amundi’s wholly owned subsidiary, Amundi USA, Inc., serves as the Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”). Prior to January 1, 2021, the Adviser was named Amundi Pioneer Asset Management, Inc. Amundi Distributor US, Inc., an affiliate of Amundi Asset Management US, Inc., serves as the Fund’s distributor (the “Distributor”).
32 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update 2018-13 “Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement” (“ASU 2018-13”) which modifies disclosure requirements for fair value measurements, principally for Level 3 securities and transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy. ASU 2018-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and for interim periods within those fiscal years. The Fund has adopted ASU 2018-13 for the six months ended January 31, 2021. The impact to the Fund’s adoption was limited to changes in the Fund’s disclosures regarding fair value, primarily those disclosures related to transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy and disclosure of the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value investments, when applicable.
The Fund is an investment company and follows investment company accounting and reporting guidance under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”). U.S. GAAP requires the management of the Fund to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of income, expenses and gain or loss on investments during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements:
A. Security Valuation
The net asset value of the Fund is computed once daily, on each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open, as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE.
Shares of open-end registered investment companies (including exchange-traded funds and money market mutual funds) are valued at such funds’ net asset value.
Shares of exchange-listed closed-end funds are valued by using the last sale price on the principal exchange where they are traded. Shares of closed-end interval funds that offer their shares at net asset value, are valued at such funds’ net asset value.
Securities for which independent pricing services or broker-dealers are unable to supply prices or for which market prices and/or quotations are not readily available or are considered to be unreliable are valued by a fair valuation team comprised of certain personnel of the Adviser pursuant to procedures adopted by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. The Adviser’s fair valuation team uses fair value methods approved by the Valuation Committee of the Board of Trustees. The Adviser’s fair valuation team is
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 33
responsible for monitoring developments that may impact fair valued securities and for discussing and assessing fair values on an ongoing basis, and at least quarterly, with the Valuation Committee of the Board of Trustees.
Inputs used when applying fair value methods to value a security may include credit ratings, the financial condition of the company, current market conditions and comparable securities. The Fund may use fair value methods if it is determined that a significant event has occurred after the close of the exchange or market on which the security trades and prior to the determination of the Fund’s net asset value. Examples of a significant event might include political or economic news, corporate restructurings, natural disasters, terrorist activity or trading halts. Thus, the valuation of the Fund’s securities may differ significantly from exchange prices, and such differences could be material.
At January 31, 2021, no securities were valued using fair value methods (other than securities valued using prices supplied by independent pricing services, broker-dealers or using a third party insurance industry pricing model).
B. Investment Income and Transactions
Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date, except that certain dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are recorded as soon as the Fund becomes aware of the ex-dividend data in the exercise of reasonable diligence.
Interest income, including interest on income-bearing cash accounts, is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividend and interest income are reported net of unrecoverable foreign taxes withheld at the applicable country rates and net of income accrued on defaulted securities.
Interest and dividend income payable by delivery of additional shares is reclassified as PIK (payment-in-kind) income upon receipt and is included in interest and dividend income, respectively.
Security transactions are recorded as of trade date. Gains and losses on sales of investments are calculated on the identified cost method for both financial reporting and federal income tax purposes.
C. Foreign Currency Translation
The books and records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Amounts denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using current exchange rates.
Net realized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions, if any, represent, among other things, the net realized gains and losses on foreign currency contracts, disposition of foreign currencies and the difference
34 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
between the amount of income accrued and the U.S. dollars actually received. Further, the effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on investments are not segregated on the Statement of Operations from the effects of changes in the market prices of those securities, but are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments.
D. Federal Income Taxes
It is the Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its net taxable income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareowners. Therefore, no provision for federal income taxes is required. As of January 31, 2021, the Fund did not accrue any interest or penalties with respect to uncertain tax positions, which, if applicable, would be recorded as an income tax expense on the Statement of Operations. Tax returns filed within the prior three fiscal years remain subject to examination by federal and state tax authorities.
The amount and character of income and capital gain distributions to shareowners are determined in accordance with federal income tax rules, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. Distributions in excess of net investment income or net realized gains are temporary over distributions for financial statement purposes resulting from differences in the recognition or classification of income or distributions for financial statement and tax purposes. Capital accounts within the financial statements are adjusted for permanent book/tax differences to reflect tax character, but are not adjusted for temporary differences.
The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended July 31, 2020 was as follows:
| 2020 | ||||
| Distributions paid from: | ||||
| Ordinary income | $ | 12,787,400 | ||
| Long-term capital gains | 13,331,725 | |||
| Total | $ | 26,119,125 | ||
The following shows the components of distributable earnings on a federal income tax basis at July 31, 2020:
| 2020 | ||||
| Distributable earnings: | ||||
| Undistributed ordinary income | $ | 4,872,401 | ||
| Undistributed long-term capital gains | 1,634,172 | |||
| Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) | (5,353,972 | ) | ||
| Total | $ | 1,152,601 | ||
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 35
The differences between book-basis and tax-basis net unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) are attributable to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales.
E. Fund Shares
The Fund records sales and repurchases of its shares as of trade date. The Distributor earned $22,545 in underwriting commissions on the sale of Class A shares during the six months ended January 31, 2021.
F. Class Allocations
Income, common expenses and realized and unrealized gains and losses are calculated at the Fund level and allocated daily to each class of shares based on its respective percentage of adjusted net assets at the beginning of the day.
Distribution fees are calculated based on the average daily net asset value attributable to Class A, Class C and Class R shares of the Fund, respectively (see Note 5). Class Y shares do not pay distribution fees. All expenses and fees paid to the Fund’s transfer agent for its services are allocated among the classes of shares based on the number of accounts in each class and the ratable allocation of related out-of-pocket expenses (see Note 4).
Distributions to shareowners are recorded as of the ex-dividend date. Distributions paid by the Fund with respect to each class of shares are calculated in the same manner and at the same time, except that net investment income dividends to Class A, Class C, Class R and Class Y shares can reflect different transfer agent and distribution expense rates.
G. Risks
The value of securities held by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political or regulatory conditions, inflation, changes in interest rates, lack of liquidity in the bond markets or adverse investor sentiment. In the past several years, financial markets have experienced increased volatility, depressed valuations, decreased liquidity and heightened uncertainty. These conditions may continue, recur, worsen or spread. A general rise in interest rates could adversely affect the price and liquidity of fixed-income securities and could also result in increased redemptions from the Fund.
Some of the underlying funds can invest in either high yield securities or small/emerging growth companies. Investments in these types of securities generally are subject to greater volatility than either higher-grade securities or more established companies in more developed markets, respectively.
36 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
The Fund may gain exposure to insurance-linked securities by investing in a closed-end interval fund, Pioneer ILS Interval Fund, an affiliate of the Adviser. The Fund’s investment in Pioneer ILS Interval Fund at January 31, 2021 is listed in the Schedule of Investments.
With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. While the Fund’s Adviser has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, limit or mitigate, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cybersecurity plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund such as Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., the Fund’s custodian and accounting agent, and DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc., the Fund’s transfer agent. In addition, many beneficial owners of Fund shares hold them through accounts at broker-dealers, retirement platforms and other financial market participants over which neither the Fund nor the Adviser exercises control. Each of these may in turn rely on service providers to them, which are also subject to the risk of cyber-attacks. Cybersecurity failures or breaches at the Adviser or the Fund’s service providers or intermediaries have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund shareowners to effect share purchases, redemptions or exchanges or receive distributions, loss of or unauthorized access to private shareowners information and violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, or additional compliance costs. Such costs and losses may not be covered under any insurance. In addition, maintaining vigilance against cyber-attacks may involve substantial costs over time, and system enhancements may themselves be subject to cyber-attacks.
COVID-19
The respiratory illness COVID-19 caused by a novel coronavirus has resulted in a global pandemic and major disruption to economies and markets around the world, including the United States. Global financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and severe losses, and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. Liquidity for many instruments has been greatly reduced for periods of time. Some interest rates are very low and in some cases yields are negative. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced particularly large losses. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time, and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments. The ultimate
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 37
economic fallout from the pandemic, and the long-term impact on economies, markets, industries and individual issuers, are not known. Governments and central banks, including the Federal Reserve in the U.S., have taken extraordinary and unprecedented actions to support local and global economies and the financial markets. These actions have resulted in significant expansion of public debt, including in the U.S. The impact of these measures, and whether they will be effective to mitigate the economic and market disruption, will not be known for some time. The consequences of high public debt, including its future impact on the economy and securities markets, likewise may not be known for some time.
The Fund’s prospectus contains unaudited information regarding the Fund’s principal risks. Please refer to that document when considering the Fund’s principal risks.
2. Management Agreement
The Adviser manages the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund does not pay a direct management fee to the Adviser. The Fund bears a pro rata portion of the fees and expenses, including management fees, of each underlying fund in which the Fund invests. The Fund invests primarily in funds managed by the Adviser.
In addition, under the management and administration agreements, certain other services and costs, including accounting, regulatory reporting and insurance premiums, are paid by the Fund as administrative reimbursements. Included in “Due to affiliates” reflected on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities is $0 payable to the Adviser at January 31, 2021.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to limit ordinary operating expenses (ordinary operating expenses means all fund expenses other than extraordinary expenses, such as litigation, taxes, brokerage commissions and acquired fund fees and expenses) of the Fund to the extent required to reduce fund expenses to 0.70%, 1.45% and 0.78% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class A, Class C and Class R shares, respectively. These expense limitations are in effect through December 1, 2021. There can be no assurance that the Adviser, will extend the expense limitation agreement for a class of shares beyond the date referred to above.
3. Compensation of Trustees and Officers
The Fund pays an annual fee to its Trustees. The Adviser reimburses the Fund for fees paid to the Interested Trustees. The Fund does not pay any salary or other compensation to its officers. For the period ended January 31, 2021, the Fund paid $8,226 in Trustees’ compensation, which is reflected on the Statement of Operations as Trustees’ fees. At January 31, 2021, the Fund had a payable for Trustees’ fees on its Statement of Assets and Liabilities of $2,293.
38 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
4. Transfer Agent
DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. serves as the transfer agent to the Fund at negotiated rates. Transfer agent fees and payables shown on the Statement of Operations and the Statement of Assets and Liabilities, respectively, include sub-transfer agent expenses incurred through the Fund’s omnibus relationship contracts.
In addition, the Fund reimbursed the transfer agent for out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the transfer agent related to shareowner communications activities such as proxy and statement mailings, and outgoing phone calls. For the six months ended January 31, 2021, such out-of-pocket expenses by class of shares were as follows:
| Shareowner Communications: | ||||
Class A | $ | 56,396 | ||
Class C | 6,786 | |||
Class R | 109 | |||
Class Y | 111 | |||
| Total | $ | 63,402 | ||
5. Distribution and Service Plans
The Fund has adopted a distribution plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 with respect to its Class A, Class C and Class R shares. Pursuant to the Plan, the Fund pays the Distributor 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class A shares as compensation for personal services and/or account maintenance services or distribution services with regard to Class A shares. Pursuant to the Plan, the Fund also pays the Distributor 1.00% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class C shares. The fee for Class C shares consists of a 0.25% service fee and a 0.75% distribution fee paid as compensation for personal services and/or account maintenance services or distribution services with regard to Class C shares. Pursuant to the Plan, the Fund further pays the Distributor 0.50% of the average daily net assets attributable to Class R shares for distribution services. Included in “Due to affiliates” reflected on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities is $20,817 in distribution fees payable to the Distributor at January 31, 2021.
The Fund also has adopted a separate service plan for Class R shares (the “Service Plan”). The Service Plan authorizes the Fund to pay securities dealers, plan administrators or other service organizations that agree to provide certain services to retirement plans or plan participants holding shares of the Fund a service fee of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class R shares held by such plans.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 39
In addition, redemptions of Class A and Class C shares may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”). A CDSC of 1.00% may be imposed on redemptions of certain net asset value purchases of Class A shares within 12 months of purchase. Redemptions of Class C shares within 12 months of purchase are subject to a CDSC of 1.00%, based on the lower of cost or market value of shares being redeemed. Shares purchased as part of an exchange remain subject to any CDSC that applied to the original purchase of those shares. There is no CDSC for Class R or Class Y shares. Proceeds from the CDSCs are paid to the Distributor. For the six months ended January 31, 2021, CDSCs in the amount of $2,960 were paid to the Distributor.
6. Transactions in Underlying Funds
An affiliated issuer is a company in which the Fund has a direct or indirect ownership of, control of, or voting power of 5 percent or more of the outstanding voting shares, or a company which is under common control. At January 31, 2021, the value of the Fund’s investment in affiliated issuers was $428,174,075, which represents 99.6% of the Fund’s net assets. Transactions in affiliated issuers by the Fund for the six month period ended January 31, 2021 were as follows:
40 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
| Change in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net | net unrealized | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| realized | appreciation/ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dividends | gain/(loss) | (depreciation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| from | from | from | Shares | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Name of | Value at | Investment | Investments | Investments | Value | held at | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| the Affiliated | July 31, | in Affiliated | in Affiliated | in Affiliated | January 31, | January 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuers | 2020 | Purchases | Issuers | Sales | Issuers. | Issuers. | 2021 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bond Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class K | $ | 1,141,019 | $ | 1,521,866 | $ | 35,805 | $ | (541,387 | ) | $ | 45,510 | $ | (52,682 | ) | $ | 2,150,131 | 211,419 | |||||||||||||||
Pioneer Core | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Equity Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class K | 14,434,981 | 467,271 | 869,594 | (3,747,624 | ) | 135,410 | 603,187 | 12,762,819 | 580,392 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer Corporate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High Yield Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class Y | 4,831,425 | — | 20,557 | (5,101,118 | ) | — | 249,136 | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer Corporate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High Yield Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class Y | — | 5,054,386 | 119,527 | — | (607 | ) | (15,196 | ) | 5,158,110 | 563,728 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer Equity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class K | 9,954,619 | 1,206,592 | (311,926 | ) | (1,378,469 | ) | (19,266 | ) | 1,229,873 | 10,681,423 | 300,124 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer Flexible | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opportunities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fund Class K | 79,856,684 | 98,720 | 519,339 | (4,424,130 | ) | (232,478 | ) | 10,198,830 | 86,016,965 | 6,611,604 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class K | 14,384,960 | — | 584,272 | (9,642,048 | ) | 1,061,291 | (16,742 | ) | 6,371,733 | 184,421 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fundamental | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Growth Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class K | 10,260,154 | (224,145 | ) | 224,145 | (4,273,311 | ) | 788,631 | (433,248 | ) | 6,342,226 | 207,670 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer Global | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Equity Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class K | 51,244,710 | — | 758,947 | (1,112,956 | ) | 176,465 | 9,410,651 | 60,477,817 | 3,412,969 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer ILS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interval Fund | — | 11,400,002 | — | — | — | 53,838 | 11,453,840 | 1,345,927 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Equity Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class Y | 48,959,698 | 152,923 | 175,877 | (1,746,395 | ) | 235,265 | 8,458,579 | 56,235,947 | 2,250,338 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer Multi-Asset | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class K | 119,332,363 | 1,096,111 | 3,535,160 | (3,565,365 | ) | (480,363 | ) | 9,899,807 | 129,817,713 | 11,488,293 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer Multi-Asset | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ultrashort Income | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fund Class K | 19,841,369 | 10,794,740 | 144,580 | (7,434,924 | ) | (218,479 | ) | 496,493 | 23,623,779 | 2,427,932 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Pioneer Strategic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class K | 20,009,995 | (54,083 | ) | 385,301 | (4,073,820 | ) | 290,257 | 523,922 | 17,081,572 | 1,499,699 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 394,251,977 | $ | 31,514,383 | $ | 7,061,178 | $ | (47,041,547 | ) | $ | 1,781,636 | $ | 40,606,448 | $ | 428,174,075 | |||||||||||||||||
Annual and semi-annual reports for the underlying Pioneer funds are available on the funds’ web page(s) at www.amundipioneer.com/us
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 41
Amundi Pioneer Asset Management, Inc.1 (“APAM”) serves as the investment adviser to Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund (the “Fund”) pursuant to an investment management agreement between APAM and the Fund. In order for APAM to remain the investment adviser of the Fund, the Trustees of the Fund must determine annually whether to renew the investment management agreement for the Fund.
The contract review process began in January 2020 as the Trustees of the Fund agreed on, among other things, an overall approach and timeline for the process. Contract review materials were provided to the Trustees in March 2020, July 2020 and September 2020. In addition, the Trustees reviewed and discussed the Fund’s performance at regularly scheduled meetings throughout the year, and took into account other information related to the Fund provided to the Trustees at regularly scheduled meetings, in connection with the review of the Fund’s investment management agreement.
In March 2020, the Trustees, among other things, discussed the memorandum provided by Fund counsel that summarized the legal standards and other considerations that are relevant to the Trustees in their deliberations regarding the renewal of the investment management agreement, and reviewed and discussed the qualifications of the investment management teams for the Fund, as well as the level of investment by the Fund’s portfolio managers in the Fund. In July 2020, the Trustees, among other things, reviewed the Fund’s management fees and total expense ratios, the financial statements of APAM and its parent companies, profitability analyses provided by APAM, and analyses from APAM as to possible economies of scale. The Trustees also reviewed the profitability of the institutional business of APAM and APAM’s affiliate, Amundi Pioneer Institutional Asset Management, Inc.2 (“APIAM” and, together with APAM, “Amundi Pioneer”), as compared to that of APAM’s fund management business, and considered the differences between the fees and expenses of the Fund and the fees and expenses of APAM’s and APIAM’s institutional accounts, as well as the different services provided by APAM to the Fund and by APAM and APIAM to the institutional accounts. The Trustees further considered contract review materials, including additional materials received in response to the Trustees’ request, in September 2020.
1 | Effective January 1, 2021, Amundi Pioneer Asset Management, Inc. changed its name to Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. (“Amundi US”). |
2 | Effective January 1, 2021, Amundi Pioneer Institutional Asset Management, Inc. (“APIAM”) merged with and into Amundi US. After the Merger, the investment advisory services previously provided by APIAM are now provided through Amundi US. |
42 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
At a meeting held on September 15, 2020, based on their evaluation of the information provided by APAM and third parties, the Trustees of the Fund, including the Independent Trustees voting separately, unanimously approved the renewal of the investment management agreement for another year. In approving the renewal of the investment management agreement, the Trustees considered various factors that they determined were relevant, including the factors described below. The Trustees did not identify any single factor as the controlling factor in determining to approve the renewal of the agreement.
Nature, Extent and Quality of Services
The Trustees considered the nature, extent and quality of the services that had been provided by APAM to the Fund, taking into account the investment objective and strategy of the Fund. The Trustees also reviewed APAM’s investment approach for the Fund and its research process. The Trustees considered the resources of APAM and the personnel of APAM who provide investment management services to the Fund. They also reviewed the amount of non-Fund assets managed by the portfolio managers of the Fund. They considered the non-investment resources and personnel of APAM that are involved in APAM’s services to the Fund, including APAM’s compliance, risk management, and legal resources and personnel. The Trustees noted the substantial attention and high priority given by APAM’s senior management to the Pioneer Fund complex. The Trustees considered the implementation and effectiveness of APAM’s business continuity plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Trustees considered that APAM supervises and monitors the performance of the Fund’s service providers and provides the Fund with personnel (including Fund officers) and other resources that are necessary for the Fund’s business management and operations. The Trustees also considered that, as administrator, APAM is responsible for the administration of the Fund’s business and other affairs. The Trustees considered the fees paid to APAM for the provision of administration services.
Based on these considerations, the Trustees concluded that the nature, extent and quality of services that had been provided by APAM to the Fund were satisfactory and consistent with the terms of the investment management agreement.
Performance of the Fund
In considering the Fund’s performance, the Trustees regularly review and discuss throughout the year data prepared by APAM and information comparing the Fund’s performance with the performance of its peer group of funds, as classified by Morningstar, Inc. (Morningstar), and with the
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 43
performance of the Fund’s benchmark index. They also discuss the Fund’s performance with APAM on a regular basis. The Trustees’ regular reviews and discussions were factored into the Trustees’ deliberations concerning the renewal of the investment management agreement.
Management Fee and Expenses
The Trustees considered information showing the fees and expenses of the Fund in comparison to the management fees of its peer group of funds as classified by Morningstar and also to the expense ratios of a peer group of funds selected on the basis of criteria determined by the Independent Trustees for this purpose using data provided by Strategic Insight Mutual Fund Research and Consulting, LLC (Strategic Insight), an independent third party. The peer group comparisons referred to below are organized in quintiles. Each quintile represents one-fifth of the peer group. In all peer group comparisons referred to below, first quintile is most favorable to the Fund’s shareowners. The Trustees noted that they separately review and consider the impact of the Fund’s transfer agency and Fund- and APAM-paid expenses for sub-transfer agency and intermediary arrangements, and that the results of the most recent such review were considered in the consideration of the Fund’s expense ratio.
The Trustees considered that the Fund’s management fee for the most recent fiscal year was in the first quintile relative to the management fees paid by other funds in its Morningstar category for the comparable period. The Trustees noted that the Fund does not pay a direct management fee. The Trustees considered that the expense ratio of the Fund’s Class A shares for the most recent fiscal year was in the first quintile relative to its Strategic Insight peer group for the comparable period. The Trustees noted that APAM had agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses in order to limit the ordinary operating expenses of the Fund.
The Trustees reviewed management fees charged by APAM and APIAM to institutional and other clients, including publicly offered European funds sponsored by APAM’s affiliates, unaffiliated U.S. registered investment companies (in a sub-advisory capacity), and unaffiliated foreign and domestic separate accounts. The Trustees also considered APAM’s costs in providing services to the Fund and APAM’s and APIAM’s costs in providing services to the other clients and considered the differences in management fees and profit margins for fund and non-fund services. In evaluating the fees associated with APAM’s and APIAM’s client accounts, the Trustees took into account the respective demands, resources and complexity associated with the Fund and other client accounts. The Trustees noted that, in some instances, the fee rates for those clients were lower than the management fee for the Fund and considered that, under the investment management agreement with the Fund, APAM performs additional services
44 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
for the Fund that it does not provide to those other clients or services that are broader in scope, including oversight of the Fund’s other service providers and activities related to compliance and the extensive regulatory and tax regimes to which the Fund is subject. The Trustees also considered the entrepreneurial risks associated with APAM’s management of the Fund.
The Trustees concluded that the management fee payable by the Fund to APAM was reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services provided by APAM.
Profitability
The Trustees considered information provided by APAM regarding the profitability of APAM with respect to the advisory services provided by APAM to the Fund, including the methodology used by APAM in allocating certain of its costs to the management of the Fund. The Trustees also considered APAM’s profit margin in connection with the overall operation of the Fund. They further reviewed the financial results, including the profit margins, realized by APAM and APIAM from non-fund businesses. The Trustees considered APAM’s profit margins in comparison to the limited industry data available and noted that the profitability of any adviser was affected by numerous factors, including its organizational structure and method for allocating expenses. The Trustees concluded that APAM’s profitability with respect to the management of the Fund was not unreasonable.
Economies of Scale
The Trustees considered APAM’s views relating to economies of scale in connection with the Pioneer Funds as fund assets grow and the extent to which any such economies of scale are shared with the Fund and Fund shareholders. The Trustees recognize that economies of scale are difficult to identify and quantify, and that, among other factors that may be relevant, are the following: fee levels, expense subsidization, investment by APAM in research and analytical capabilities and APAM’s commitment and resource allocation to the Fund. The Trustees noted that profitability also may be an indicator of the availability of any economies of scale, although profitability may vary for other reasons including due to reductions in expenses. The Trustees concluded that economies of scale, if any, were being appropriately shared with the Fund.
Other Benefits
The Trustees considered the other benefits that APAM enjoys from its relationship with the Fund. The Trustees considered the character and amount of fees paid or to be paid by the Fund, other than under the
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 45
investment management agreement, for services provided by APAM and its affiliates. The Trustees further considered the revenues and profitability of APAM’s businesses other than the Fund business. To the extent applicable, the Trustees also considered the benefits to the Fund and to APAM and its affiliates from the use of “soft” commission dollars generated by the Fund to pay for research and brokerage services.
The Trustees considered that Amundi Pioneer is the principal U.S. asset management business of Amundi, which is one of the largest asset managers globally. Amundi’s worldwide asset management business manages over $1.7 trillion in assets (including the Pioneer Funds). The Trustees considered that APAM’s relationship with Amundi creates potential opportunities for APAM, APIAM and Amundi that derive from APAM’s relationships with the Fund, including Amundi’s ability to market the services of APAM globally. The Trustees noted that APAM has access to additional research and portfolio management capabilities as a result of its relationship with Amundi and Amundi’s enhanced global presence that may contribute to an increase in the resources available to APAM. The Trustees considered that APAM and the Fund receive reciprocal intangible benefits from the relationship, including mutual brand recognition and, for the Fund, direct and indirect access to the resources of a large global asset manager. The Trustees concluded that any such benefits received by APAM as a result of its relationship with the Fund were reasonable.
Conclusion
After consideration of the factors described above as well as other factors, the Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, concluded that the investment management agreement for the Fund, including the fees payable thereunder, was fair and reasonable and voted to approve the proposed renewal of the investment management agreement.
46 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
| Trustees | Officers |
Thomas J. Perna, Chairman | Lisa M. Jones, President and |
John E. Baumgardner, Jr. | Chief Executive Officer |
Diane Durnin | Mark E. Bradley, Treasurer and |
Benjamin M. Friedman | Chief Financial and |
Lisa M. Jones | Accounting Officer |
Lorraine H. Monchak | Christopher J. Kelley, Secretary and |
Marguerite A. Piret | Chief Legal Officer |
Fred J. Ricciardi | |
Kenneth J. Taubes | |
| Investment Adviser and Administrator | |
Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. | |
| Custodian and Sub-Administrator | |
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. | |
| Principal Underwriter | |
Amundi Distributor US, Inc. | |
| Legal Counsel | |
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP | |
| Transfer Agent | |
DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. | |
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of the Fund are available without charge, upon request, by calling our toll free number (1-800-225-6292). Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is publicly available to shareowners at www.amundi.com/us. This information is also available on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s web site at www.sec.gov.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 47
This page was intentionally left blank.
48 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
This page was intentionally left blank.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 49
This page was intentionally left blank.
50 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
This page was intentionally left blank.
Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21 51
This page was intentionally left blank.
52 Pioneer Solutions – Balanced Fund | Semiannual Report | 1/31/21
How to Contact Amundi
We are pleased to offer a variety of convenient ways for you to contact us for assistance or information.
| Call us for: | |
Account Information, including existing accounts, | |
new accounts, prospectuses, applications | |
and service forms | 1-800-225-6292 |
FactFoneSM for automated fund yields, prices, | |
account information and transactions | 1-800-225-4321 |
| Retirement plans information | 1-800-622-0176 |
| Write to us: | |
Amundi | |
P.O. Box 219427 | |
Kansas City, MO 64121-9427 | |
| Our toll-free fax | 1-800-225-4240 |
| Our internet e-mail address | us.askamundi@amundi.com |
(for general questions about Amundi only) | |
| Visit our web site: www.amundi.com/us | |
This report must be preceded or accompanied by a prospectus.
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 as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. Shareholders may view the filed Form N-PORT by visiting the Commission’s web site at https://www.sec.gov.
Amundi Asset Management US, Inc.
60 State Street
Boston, MA 02109
www.amundi.com/us
Securities offered through Amundi Distributor US, Inc.,
60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
Underwriter of Pioneer Mutual Funds, Member SIPC
© 2021 Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. 19016-15-0321
60 State Street
Boston, MA 02109
www.amundi.com/us
Securities offered through Amundi Distributor US, Inc.,
60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
Underwriter of Pioneer Mutual Funds, Member SIPC
© 2021 Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. 19016-15-0321
ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS.
(a) Disclose whether, as of the end of the period covered by the report, the registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the registrant or a third party. If the registrant has not adopted such a code of ethics, explain why it has not done so.
The registrant has adopted, as of the end of the period covered by this report, a code of ethics that applies to the registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and controller.
(b) For purposes of this Item, the term “code of ethics” means written standards that are reasonably designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote:
(1) Honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships;
(2) Full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that a registrant files with, or submits to, the Commission and in other public communications made by the registrant;
(3) Compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules, and regulations;
(4) The prompt internal reporting of violations of the code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the code; and
(5) Accountability for adherence to the code.
(c) The registrant must briefly describe the nature of any amendment, during the period covered by the report, to a provision of its code of ethics that applies to the registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the registrant or a third party, and that relates to any element of the code of ethics definition enumerated in paragraph (b) of this Item. The registrant must file a copy of any such amendment as an exhibit pursuant to Item 10(a), unless the registrant has elected to satisfy paragraph (f) of this Item by posting its code of ethics on its website pursuant to paragraph (f)(2) of this Item, or by undertaking to provide its code of ethics to any person without charge, upon request, pursuant to paragraph (f)(3) of this Item.
The registrant has made no amendments to the code of ethics during the period covered by this report.
(d) If the registrant has, during the period covered by the report, granted a waiver, including an implicit waiver, from a provision of the code of ethics to the registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the registrant or a third party, that relates to one or more of the items set forth in paragraph (b) of this Item, the registrant must briefly describe the nature of the waiver, the name of the person to whom the waiver was granted, and the date of the waiver.
Not applicable.
(e) If the registrant intends to satisfy the disclosure requirement under paragraph (c) or (d) of this Item regarding an amendment to, or a waiver from, a provision of its code of ethics that applies to the registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions and that relates to any element of the code of ethics definition
enumerated in paragraph (b) of this Item by posting such information on its Internet website, disclose the registrant’s Internet address and such intention.
Not applicable.
(f) The registrant must:
(1) File with the Commission, pursuant to Item 12(a)(1), a copy of its code of ethics that applies to the registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, as an exhibit to its annual report on this Form N-CSR (see attachment);
(2) Post the text of such code of ethics on its Internet website and disclose, in its most recent report on this Form N-CSR, its Internet address and the fact that it has posted such code of ethics on its Internet website; or
(3) Undertake in its most recent report on this Form N-CSR to provide to any person without charge, upon request, a copy of such code of ethics and explain the manner in which such request may be made. See Item 10(2)
ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.
(a) (1) Disclose that the registrant’s board of trustees has determined that the registrant either:
(i) Has at least one audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee; or
(ii) Does not have an audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee.
The registrant’s Board of Trustees has determined that the registrant has at least one audit committee financial expert.
(2) If the registrant provides the disclosure required by paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this Item, it must disclose the name of the audit committee financial expert and whether that person is “independent.” In order to be considered “independent” for purposes of this Item, a member of an audit committee may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the board of trustees, or any other board committee:
(i) Accept directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the issuer; or
(ii) Be an “interested person” of the investment company as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80a-2(a)(19)).
Mr. Fred J. Ricciardi, an independent trustee, is such an audit committee financial expert.
(3) If the registrant provides the disclosure required by paragraph (a)(1) (ii) of this Item, it must explain why it does not have an audit committee financial expert.
Not applicable.
ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
(a) Disclose, under the caption AUDIT FEES, the aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the audit of the registrant’s annual financial statements or services that are normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for those fiscal years.
N/A
(b) Disclose, under the caption AUDIT-RELATED FEES, the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for assurance and related services by the principal accountant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the registrant’s financial statements and are not reported under paragraph (a) of this Item. Registrants shall describe the nature of the services comprising the fees disclosed under this category.
N/A
(c) Disclose, under the caption TAX FEES, the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning. Registrants shall describe the nature of the services comprising the fees disclosed under this category.
N/A
(d) Disclose, under the caption ALL OTHER FEES, the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for products and services provided by the principal accountant, other than the services reported in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Item. Registrants shall describe the nature of the services comprising the fees disclosed under this category.
N/A
(e) (1) Disclose the audit committee’s pre-approval policies and procedures described in paragraph (c)(7) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.
PIONEER FUNDS
APPROVAL OF AUDIT, AUDIT-RELATED, TAX AND OTHER SERVICES
PROVIDED BY THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR
SECTION I - POLICY PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY
The Pioneer Funds recognize the importance of maintaining the independence of their outside auditors. Maintaining independence is a shared responsibility involving Amundi Pioneer Asset Management, Inc, the audit committee and the independent auditors.
The Funds recognize that a Fund’s independent auditors: 1) possess knowledge of the Funds, 2) are able to incorporate certain services into the scope of the audit, thereby avoiding redundant work, cost and disruption of Fund personnel and processes, and 3) have expertise that has value to the Funds. As a result, there are situations where it is desirable to use the Fund’s independent auditors for services in addition to the annual audit and where the potential for conflicts of interests are minimal. Consequently, this policy, which is intended to comply with Rule 210.2-01(C)(7), sets forth guidelines and procedures to be followed by the Funds when retaining the independent audit firm to perform audit, audit-related tax and other services under those circumstances, while also maintaining independence.
Approval of a service in accordance with this policy for a Fund shall also constitute approval for any other Fund whose pre-approval is required pursuant to Rule 210.2-01(c)(7)(ii).
In addition to the procedures set forth in this policy, any non-audit services that may be provided consistently with Rule 210.2-01 may be approved by the Audit Committee itself and any pre-approval that may be waived in accordance with Rule 210.2-01(c)(7)(i)(C) is hereby waived.
Selection of a Fund’s independent auditors and their compensation shall be determined by the Audit Committee and shall not be subject to this policy.
| SECTION II - POLICY | ||
SERVICE CATEGORY | SERVICE CATEGORY DESCRIPTION | SPECIFIC PRE-APPROVED SERVICE SUBCATEGORIES |
I. AUDIT SERVICES | Services that are directly | o Accounting research assistance |
related to performing the | o SEC consultation, registration | |
independent audit of the Funds | statements, and reporting | |
o Tax accrual related matters | ||
o Implementation of new accounting standards | ||
o Compliance letters (e.g. rating agency letters) | ||
o Regulatory reviews and assistance | ||
regarding financial matters | ||
o Semi-annual reviews (if requested) | ||
o Comfort letters for closed end offerings | ||
II. AUDIT-RELATED | Services which are not | o AICPA attest and agreed-upon procedures |
SERVICES | prohibited under Rule | o Technology control assessments |
210.2-01(C)(4) (the “Rule”) | o Financial reporting control assessments | |
and are related extensions of | o Enterprise security architecture | |
the audit services support the | assessment | |
audit, or use the knowledge/expertise | ||
gained from the audit procedures as a | ||
foundation to complete the project. | ||
In most cases, if the Audit-Related | ||
Services are not performed by the | ||
Audit firm, the scope of the Audit | ||
Services would likely increase. | ||
The Services are typically well-defined | ||
and governed by accounting | ||
professional standards (AICPA, | ||
SEC, etc.) | ||
AUDIT COMMITTEE APPROVAL POLICY | AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORTING POLICY | |
| o “One-time” pre-approval | o A summary of all such | |
| for the audit period for all | services and related fees | |
| pre-approved specific service | reported at each regularly | |
| subcategories. Approval of the | scheduled Audit Committee | |
| independent auditors as | meeting. | |
| auditors for a Fund shall | ||
| constitute pre approval for | ||
| these services. | ||
| o “One-time” pre-approval | o A summary of all such | |
| for the fund fiscal year within | services and related fees | |
| a specified dollar limit | (including comparison to | |
| for all pre-approved | specified dollar limits) | |
| specific service subcategories | reported quarterly. | |
| o Specific approval is | |
| needed to exceed the | |
| pre-approved dollar limit for | |
| these services (see general | |
| Audit Committee approval policy | |
| below for details on obtaining | |
| specific approvals) | |
| o Specific approval is | |
| needed to use the Fund’s | |
| auditors for Audit-Related | |
| Services not denoted as | |
| “pre-approved”, or | |
| to add a specific service | |
| subcategory as “pre-approved” | |
SECTION III - POLICY DETAIL, CONTINUED
SERVICE CATEGORY | SERVICE CATEGORY DESCRIPTION | SPECIFIC PRE-APPROVED SERVICE |
SUBCATEGORIES | ||
III. TAX SERVICES | Services which are not | o Tax planning and support |
| prohibited by the Rule, | o Tax controversy assistance | |
| if an officer of the Fund | o Tax compliance, tax returns, excise | |
| determines that using the | tax returns and support | |
| Fund’s auditor to provide | o Tax opinions | |
| these services creates | ||
| significant synergy in | ||
| the form of efficiency, | ||
| minimized disruption, or | ||
| the ability to maintain a | ||
| desired level of | ||
| confidentiality. | ||
| AUDIT COMMITTEE APPROVAL POLICY | AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORTING POLICY |
o “One-time” pre-approval | o A summary of |
for the fund fiscal year | all such services and |
within a specified dollar limit | related fees |
(including comparison | |
to specified dollar | |
limits) reported | |
quarterly. | |
o Specific approval is | |
| needed to exceed the | |
| pre-approved dollar limits for | |
| these services (see general | |
| Audit Committee approval policy | |
| below for details on obtaining | |
| specific approvals) | |
o Specific approval is | |
| needed to use the Fund’s | |
| auditors for tax services not | |
| denoted as pre-approved, or to | |
| add a specific service subcategory as | |
| “pre-approved” | |
SECTION III - POLICY DETAIL, CONTINUED
SERVICE CATEGORY | SERVICE CATEGORY DESCRIPTION | SPECIFIC PRE-APPROVED SERVICE |
SUBCATEGORIES | ||
IV. OTHER SERVICES | Services which are not | o Business Risk Management support |
| prohibited by the Rule, | o Other control and regulatory | |
A. SYNERGISTIC, | if an officer of the Fund | compliance projects |
UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS | determines that using the | |
| Fund’s auditor to provide | ||
| these services creates | ||
| significant synergy in | ||
| the form of efficiency, | ||
| minimized disruption, | ||
| the ability to maintain a | ||
| desired level of | ||
| confidentiality, or where | ||
| the Fund’s auditors | ||
| posses unique or superior | ||
| qualifications to provide | ||
| these services, resulting | ||
| in superior value and | ||
| results for the Fund. | ||
AUDIT COMMITTEE APPROVAL POLICY | AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORTING POLICY |
o “One-time” pre-approval | o A summary of |
| for the fund fiscal year within | all such services and |
| a specified dollar limit | related fees |
(including comparison | |
to specified dollar | |
limits) reported | |
quarterly. | |
o Specific approval is | |
| needed to exceed the | |
| pre-approved dollar limits for | |
| these services (see general | |
| Audit Committee approval policy | |
| below for details on obtaining | |
| specific approvals) | |
o Specific approval is | |
| needed to use the Fund’s | |
| auditors for “Synergistic” or | |
| “Unique Qualifications” Other | |
| Services not denoted as | |
| pre-approved to the left, or to | |
| add a specific service | |
| subcategory as “pre-approved” | |
SECTION III - POLICY DETAIL, CONTINUED
SERVICE CATEGORY | SERVICE CATEGORY DESCRIPTION | SPECIFIC PROHIBITED SERVICE |
SUBCATEGORIES | ||
PROHIBITED SERVICES | Services which result | 1. Bookkeeping or other services |
| in the auditors losing | related to the accounting records or | |
| independence status | financial statements of the audit | |
| under the Rule. | client* | |
2. Financial information systems design | ||
| and implementation* | ||
3. Appraisal or valuation services, | ||
| fairness* opinions, or | ||
| contribution-in-kind reports | ||
4. Actuarial services (i.e., setting | ||
| actuarial reserves versus actuarial | ||
| audit work)* | ||
5. Internal audit outsourcing services* | ||
6. Management functions or human | ||
| resources | ||
7. Broker or dealer, investment | ||
| advisor, or investment banking services | ||
8. Legal services and expert services | ||
| unrelated to the audit | ||
9. Any other service that the Public | ||
| Company Accounting Oversight Board | ||
| determines, by regulation, is | ||
| impermissible | ||
AUDIT COMMITTEE APPROVAL POLICY | AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORTING POLICY |
o These services are not to be | o A summary of all |
| performed with the exception of the(*) | services and related |
| services that may be permitted | fees reported at each |
| if they would not be subject to audit | regularly scheduled |
| procedures at the audit client (as | Audit Committee meeting |
| defined in rule 2-01(f)(4)) level | will serve as continual |
| the firm providing the service. | confirmation that has |
not provided any | |
restricted services. |
GENERAL AUDIT COMMITTEE APPROVAL POLICY:
o For all projects, the officers of the Funds and the Fund’s auditors will each make an assessment to determine that any proposed projects will not impair independence.
o Potential services will be classified into the four non-restricted service categories and the “Approval of Audit, Audit-Related, Tax and Other Services” Policy above will be applied. Any services outside the specific pre-approved service subcategories set forth above must be specifically approved by the Audit Committee.
o At least quarterly, the Audit Committee shall review a report summarizing the services by service category, including fees, provided by the Audit firm as set forth in the above policy.
(2) Disclose the percentage of services described in each of paragraphs (b) through (d) of this Item that were approved by the audit committee pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.
N/A
(f) If greater than 50 percent, disclose the percentage of hours expended on the principal accountants engagement to audit the registrant’s financial statements for the most recent fiscal year that were attributed to work performed by persons other than the principal accountant’s full-time, permanent employees.
N/A
(g) Disclose the aggregate non-audit fees billed by the registrants accountant for services rendered to the registrant, and rendered to the registrants investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant for each of the last two fiscal years of the registrant.
N/A
(h) Disclose whether the registrants audit committee of the board of trustees has considered whether the provision of non-audit services that were rendered to the registrants investment adviser (not including any subadviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant that were not pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.
The Fund’s audit committee of the Board of Trustees has considered whether the provision of non-audit services that were rendered to the Affiliates (as defined) that were not pre- approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.
ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS
(a) If the registrant is a listed issuer as defined in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.10A-3), state whether or not the registrant has a separately-designated standing audit committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(58)(A)). If the registrant has such a committee, however designated, identify each committee member. If the entire board of directors is acting as the registrant’s audit committee as specified in Section 3(a)(58)(B) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(58)(B)), so state.
N/A
(b) If applicable, provide the disclosure required by Rule 10A-3(d) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.10A-3(d)) regarding an exemption from the listing standards for audit committees.
N/A
ITEM 6. SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS.
File Schedule of Investments in securities of unaffiliated issuers as of the close of the reporting period as set forth in 210.1212 of Regulation S-X [17 CFR 210.12-12], unless the schedule is included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 1 of this Form.
Included in Item 1
ITEM 7. DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
A closed-end management investment company that is filing an annual report on this Form N-CSR must, unless it invests exclusively in non-voting securities, describe the policies and procedures that it uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities, including the procedures that the company uses when a vote presents a conflict between the interests of its shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the company’s investment adviser; principal underwriter; or any affiliated person (as defined in Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-2(a)(3)) and the rules thereunder) of the company, its investment adviser, or its principal underwriter, on the other. Include any policies and procedures of the company’s investment adviser, or any other third party, that the company uses, or that are used on the company’s behalf, to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities.
Not applicable to open-end management investment companies.
ITEM 8. PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
(a) If the registrant is a closed-end management investment company that is filing an annual report on this Form N-CSR, provide the following information:
(1) State the name, title, and length of service of the person or persons employed by or associated with the registrant or an investment adviser of the registrant who are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the registrant’s portfolio (“Portfolio Manager”). Also state each Portfolio Manager’s business experience during the past 5 years.
Not applicable to open-end management investment companies.
ITEM 9. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS.
(a) If the registrant is a closed-end management investment company, in the following tabular format, provide the information specified in paragraph (b) of this Item with respect to any purchase made by or on behalf of the registrant or any affiliated purchaser, as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.10b-18(a)(3)), of shares or other units of any class of the registrant’s equity securities that is registered by the registrant pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 781).
Not applicable to open-end management investment companies.
ITEM 10. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.
Describe any material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s board of directors, where those changes were implemented after the registrant last provided disclosure in response to the requirements of Item 407(c)(2)(iv) of Regulation S-R(17 CFR 229.407)(as required by Item 22(b)(15)) of Schedule 14A (17 CFR 240.14a-101), or this Item.
There have been no material changes to the procedures by which the shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s board of directors since the registrant last provided disclosure in response to the requirements of Item 407(c)(2)(iv) of Regulation S-R of Schedule 14(A) in its definitive proxy statement, or this item.
ITEM 11. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
(a) Disclose the conclusions of the registrant’s principal executive and principal financials officers, or persons performing similar functions, regarding the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(c))) as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of the report that includes the disclosure required by this paragraph, based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30(a)-3(b) and Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13a-15(b) or 240.15d-15(b)).
The registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report.
(b) Disclose any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Act (17CFR 270.30a-3(d)) that occured during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
There were no significant changes in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Item 12. Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.
(a) If the registrant is a closed-end management investment company, provide the following dollar amounts of income and compensation related to the securities lending activities of the registrant during its most recent fiscal year:
N/A
(1) Gross income from securities lending activities;
N/A
(2) All fees and/or compensation for each of the following securities lending activities and related services: any share of revenue generated by the securities lending program paid to the securities lending agent(s) (revenue split); fees paid for cash collateral management services (including fees deducted from a pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle) that are not included in the revenue split; administrative fees that are not included in the revenue split; fees for indemnification that are not included in the revenue split; rebates paid to borrowers; and any other fees relating to the securities lending program that are not included in the revenue split, including a description of those other fees;
N/A
(3) The aggregate fees/compensation disclosed pursuant to paragraph (2); and
N/A
(4) Net income from securities lending activities (i.e., the dollar amount in paragraph (1) minus the dollar amount in paragraph (3)).
If a fee for a service is included in the revenue split, state that the fee is included in the revenue split.
N/A
(b) If the registrant is a closed-end management investment company, describe the services provided to the registrant by the securities lending agent in the registrants most recent fiscal year.
N/A
ITEM 13. EXHIBITS.
(a) File the exhibits listed below as part of this Form. Letter or number the exhibits in the sequence indicated.
SIGNATURES
[See General Instruction F]
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.
(Registrant) Pioneer Asset Allocation Trust
By (Signature and Title)* /s/ Lisa M. Jones
Lisa M. Jones, President & Chief Executive Officer
Date April 6, 2021
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 (Signature and Title)* /s/ Lisa M. Jones
Lisa M. Jones, President & Chief Executive Officer
Date April 6, 2021
By (Signature and Title)* /s/ Mark E. Bradley
Mark E. Bradley, Treasurer & Chief Accounting & Financial Officer
Date April 6, 2021
* Print the name and title of each signing officer under his or her signature.