The Funds may use third-party vendor
evaluations, whose prices may be derived from one or more of the following standard inputs, among others:
| • Benchmark yields
| • Reported trades
|
| • Broker/dealer quotes
| • Issuer spreads
|
| • Two-sided markets
| • Benchmark securities
|
| • Bids/offers
| • Reference data (corporate actions or material event notices)
|
| • Industry and economic events
| • Comparable bonds
|
| • Monthly payment information
|
|
An asset or liability for which a
market quotation is not readily available is valued by methods deemed reasonable in good faith by the Valuation Committee, following the Valuation Procedures to represent fair value. Under these procedures, the
Valuation Designee generally uses a market-based approach which may use related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values and other relevant information. The Valuation
Designee may also use an income-based valuation approach in which the anticipated future cash flows of the asset or liability are discounted to calculate fair value. Discounts may also be applied due to the nature
and/or duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the asset or liability. Fair value represents a good faith approximation of the value of a security. Fair value determinations involve the consideration of a
number of subjective factors, an analysis of applicable facts and circumstances and the exercise of judgment. As a result, it is possible that the fair value for a security determined in good faith in accordance with
the Valuation Procedures may differ from valuations for the same security determined for other funds using their own valuation procedures. Although the Valuation Procedures are designed to value a security at the
price a Fund may reasonably expect to receive upon the security's sale in an orderly transaction, there can be no assurance that any fair value determination thereunder would, in fact, approximate the amount that a
Fund would actually realize upon the sale of the security or the price at which the security would trade if a reliable market price were readily available. During the period ended July 31, 2024, there were no material
changes to the fair value methodologies.
Securities which may be valued in
this manner include, but are not limited to: (i) a security for which trading has been halted or suspended or otherwise does not have a readily available market quotation on a given day; (ii) a debt security that has
recently gone into default and for which there is not a current market quotation; (iii) a security of an issuer that has entered into a restructuring; (iv) a security that has been delisted from a national exchange;
(v) a security subject to trading collars for which no or limited trading takes place; and (vi) a security whose principal market has been temporarily closed at a time when, under normal conditions, it would be open.
Securities valued in this manner are generally categorized as Level 2 or 3 in the hierarchy.
Certain securities held by certain
Funds may principally trade in foreign markets. Events may occur between the time the foreign markets close and the time at which each of the Fund's net asset values ("NAVs") are calculated. These events may include,
but are not limited to, situations relating to a single issuer in a market sector, significant fluctuations in U.S. or foreign markets, natural disasters, armed conflicts, governmental actions or other developments
not tied directly to the securities markets. Should the Valuation Designee conclude that such events may have affected the accuracy of the last price of such securities reported on the local foreign market, the
Valuation Designee may, pursuant to the Valuation Procedures, adjust the value of the local price to reflect the estimated impact on the price of such securities as a result of such events. In this instance,
securities are generally categorized as Level 3 in the hierarchy. Additionally, certain foreign equity securities are also fair valued whenever the movement of a particular index exceeds certain thresholds. In such
cases, the securities are fair valued by applying factors provided by a third-party vendor in accordance with the Valuation Procedures and are generally categorized as Level 2 in the hierarchy.
If the principal market of certain
foreign equity securities is closed in observance of a local foreign holiday, these securities are valued using the last closing price of regular trading on the relevant exchange and fair valued by applying factors
provided by a third-party vendor in accordance with the Valuation Procedures. These securities are generally categorized as Level 2 in the hierarchy.
Equity securities, rights and
warrants, if applicable, are valued at the last quoted sales prices as of the close of regular trading on the relevant exchange on each valuation date. Securities that are not traded on the valuation date are valued
at the mean of the last quoted bid and ask prices. Prices are normally taken from the principal market in which each security trades. These securities are generally categorized as Level 1 in the hierarchy.
Exchange-traded funds
(“ETFs”) are valued at the last quoted sales prices as of the close of regular trading on the relevant exchange on each valuation date. Securities that are not traded on the valuation date are valued at
the mean of the last quoted bid and ask prices. Prices are normally taken from the principal market in which each security trades. These securities are generally categorized as Level 1 in the hierarchy.
Investments in mutual funds,
including money market funds, are valued at their respective NAVs at the close of business each day on the valuation date. These securities are generally categorized as Level 1 in the hierarchy.
Futures contracts are valued at the
last posted settlement price on the market where such futures are primarily traded. These securities are generally categorized as Level 1 in the hierarchy.
