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 811-03732
MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST II
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)
Christopher R. Bohane
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
111 Huntington Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02199
(Name and address of agents for service)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (617) 954-5000
Date of fiscal year end: December 31
Date of reporting period: December 31, 2020
Effective September 1, 2020, MFS Strategic Income Portfolio, a series of the Registrant, was redesignated MFS Income Portfolio.
ITEM 1. | REPORTS TO STOCKHOLDERS. |
Item (1)(a):
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Blended Research®
Core Equity Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
MFS® Blended Research® Core Equity Portfolio
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The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE •
NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Top ten holdings
Apple, Inc. | 6.9% |
Microsoft Corp. | 6.8% |
Amazon.com, Inc. | 5.4% |
Johnson & Johnson | 2.5% |
Facebook, Inc., “A” | 2.4% |
Alphabet, Inc., “C” | 2.4% |
Alphabet, Inc., “A” | 2.2% |
Bank of America Corp. | 1.8% |
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | 1.8% |
NVIDIA Corp. | 1.7% |
GICS equity sectors (g)
Information Technology | 27.2% |
Health Care | 14.3% |
Financials | 11.0% |
Communication Services | 10.8% |
Consumer Discretionary | 10.8% |
Industrials | 8.3% |
Consumer Staples | 6.5% |
Utilities | 3.2% |
Real Estate | 3.2% |
Energy | 2.1% |
Materials | 2.0% |
(g) | The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) was developed by and/or is the exclusive property of MSCI, Inc. and S&P Global Market Intelligence Inc. (“S&P Global Market Intelligence”). GICS is a service mark of MSCI and S&P Global Market Intelligence and has been licensed for use by MFS. MFS has applied its own internal sector/industry classification methodology for equity securities and non-equity securities that are unclassified by GICS. |
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Management Review
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 15.34%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 15.06%. These compare with a return of 18.40% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index (S&P 500 Index).
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest — albeit the deepest and steepest — recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public's willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies — a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Detractors from Performance
Stock selection in the information technology, health care and consumer staples sectors weakened the fund's performance relative to the S&P 500 Index. Within the information technology sector, overweighting shares of semiconductor company Intel, and the timing of the fund's positions in both computer graphics processor maker NVIDIA and digital payment technology developer PayPal(h), detracted from relative results. The share price of Intel dropped on the back of weakness in its Data Center Group. Additionally, the firm came under pressure as management delayed the ramp-up of its 7nm process technology, while competitor AMD appeared to have gained market share in PCs and server chips. Although security selection within both the health care and consumer staples sectors hindered relative returns, there were no individual stocks within either of these sectors, either in the fund or in the benchmark, that were among the fund's top relative detractors over the reporting period.
Stocks in other sectors that further weighed on relative performance included overweighting shares of independent oil refiner Valero Energy and diversified financial services firms Citigroup and Bank of America. The stock price of Valero ended the period lower as global demand for oil fell amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which adversely affected the company's earnings. The timing of the fund's positions in energy exploration and production company EOG Resources, energy infrastructure company Sempra Energy and consumer financial services firm Synchrony Financial(h), in addition to holding shares of real estate investment trust STORE Capital(b), also dampened relative results.
Contributors to Performance
Security selection and, to a lesser extent, a slight underweight position in the industrials sector lifted the fund's relative performance over the reporting period. Within this sector, not holding shares of poor-performing aerospace company Boeing benefited relative returns. The share price of Boeing declined as the travel and airline industries came under intense pressure amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, which resulted in widespread travel restrictions across the globe and ultimately led the company to suspend production.
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Management Review - continued
Stock selection in the communication services sector further added to relative performance. Here, the timing of the fund's underweight position in shares of telecommunication services provider AT&T(h) supported relative results. The stock price of AT&T declined with broader equity markets in the spring, but never recovered, as lower advertising revenue and foreign exchange headwinds weighed on the company's earnings results.
Elsewhere, overweighting shares of computer and personal electronics maker Apple, software giant Microsoft and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly helped relative returns. The timing of the fund's position in shares of integrated oil and gas company Exxon Mobil(h), broadcast and communication tower management firm American Tower(h), integrated energy company Chevron(h) and diversified financial services firm Wells Fargo(h), and its underweight position in global financial services firm JPMorgan Chase, also supported relative performance.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Jim Fallon, Matt Krummell, Jonathan Sage, and Jed Stocks
(b) | Security is not a benchmark constituent. |
(h) | Security was not held in the portfolio at period end. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Performance Summary Through 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual with sales charge
Share Class | Class Inception Date | 1-yr | 5-yr | 10-yr |
Initial Class | 11/14/86 | 15.34% | 12.48% | 12.64% |
Service Class | 8/24/01 | 15.06% | 12.20% | 12.36% |
Comparative benchmark(s)
Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index (f) | 18.40% | 15.22% | 13.88% |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index(g) – a market capitalization-weighted index of 500 widely held equity securities, designed to measure broad U.S. equity performance.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(g) | “Standard & Poor's®” and “S&P®” are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC (“S&P”) and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”) and have been licensed for use by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and sublicensed for certain purposes by MFS. The S&P 500® is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, and has been licensed for use by MFS. MFS's product(s) is not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, S&P, or their respective affiliates, and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, S&P, nor their respective affiliates make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s). |
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund's performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Performance Summary – continued
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Expense Table
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund's ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
Share Class | | Annualized Expense Ratio | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 |
Initial Class | Actual | 0.43% | $1,000.00 | $1,205.89 | $2.38 |
Hypothetical (h) | 0.43% | $1,000.00 | $1,022.97 | $2.19 |
Service Class | Actual | 0.68% | $1,000.00 | $1,204.49 | $3.77 |
Hypothetical (h) | 0.68% | $1,000.00 | $1,021.72 | $3.46 |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class's annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments − 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – 99.4% |
Aerospace – 1.9% | |
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. | | 6,624 | $ 1,129,259 |
Lockheed Martin Corp. | | 9,823 | 3,486,969 |
Northrop Grumman Corp. | | 13,969 | 4,256,634 |
| | | | $8,872,862 |
Automotive – 1.1% | |
Lear Corp. | | 31,629 | $ 5,029,960 |
Biotechnology – 1.4% | |
Biogen, Inc. (a) | | 7,579 | $ 1,855,794 |
Gilead Sciences, Inc. | | 28,437 | 1,656,740 |
Incyte Corp. (a) | | 6,900 | 600,162 |
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a) | | 10,895 | 2,574,924 |
| | | | $6,687,620 |
Business Services – 1.0% | |
Amdocs Ltd. | | 32,702 | $ 2,319,553 |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. | | 13,751 | 1,945,216 |
Fiserv, Inc. (a) | | 5,217 | 594,008 |
| | | | $4,858,777 |
Cable TV – 1.5% | |
Charter Communications, Inc., “A” (a) | | 10,970 | $ 7,257,204 |
Chemicals – 1.0% | |
Eastman Chemical Co. | | 46,607 | $ 4,673,750 |
Computer Software – 9.4% | |
Adobe Systems, Inc. (a) | | 14,139 | $ 7,071,197 |
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (a) | | 27,355 | 3,732,043 |
DocuSign, Inc. (a) | | 7,171 | 1,594,113 |
Microsoft Corp. | | 144,899 | 32,228,435 |
| | | | $44,625,788 |
Computer Software - Systems – 9.1% | |
Apple, Inc. | | 246,946 | $ 32,767,265 |
EPAM Systems, Inc. (a) | | 10,132 | 3,630,802 |
HP, Inc. | | 117,907 | 2,899,333 |
ServiceNow, Inc. (a) | | 6,323 | 3,480,369 |
| | | | $42,777,769 |
Construction – 2.5% | |
D.R. Horton, Inc. | | 64,213 | $ 4,425,560 |
Eagle Materials, Inc. | | 8,711 | 882,860 |
Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc., REIT | | 29,076 | 3,683,638 |
Sherwin-Williams Co. | | 1,387 | 1,019,320 |
Toll Brothers, Inc. | | 37,757 | 1,641,297 |
| | | | $11,652,675 |
Consumer Products – 2.2% | |
Colgate-Palmolive Co. | | 48,964 | $ 4,186,912 |
Kimberly-Clark Corp. | | 40,169 | 5,415,986 |
Procter & Gamble Co. | | 5,037 | 700,848 |
| | | | $10,303,746 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Electrical Equipment – 0.3% | |
AMETEK, Inc. | | 11,716 | $ 1,416,933 |
Electronics – 5.4% | |
Applied Materials, Inc. | | 80,621 | $ 6,957,592 |
Intel Corp. | | 162,178 | 8,079,708 |
NVIDIA Corp. | | 15,649 | 8,171,908 |
Texas Instruments, Inc. | | 13,461 | 2,209,354 |
| | | | $25,418,562 |
Energy - Independent – 1.4% | |
ConocoPhillips | | 57,924 | $ 2,316,381 |
EOG Resources, Inc. | | 16,614 | 828,540 |
Pioneer Natural Resources Co. | | 3,608 | 410,915 |
Valero Energy Corp. | | 55,981 | 3,166,845 |
| | | | $6,722,681 |
Engineering - Construction – 0.3% | |
Quanta Services, Inc. | | 21,304 | $ 1,534,314 |
Food & Beverages – 1.6% | |
General Mills, Inc. | | 24,010 | $ 1,411,788 |
J.M. Smucker Co. | | 14,337 | 1,657,357 |
Mondelez International, Inc. | | 12,584 | 735,787 |
PepsiCo, Inc. | | 26,061 | 3,864,846 |
| | | | $7,669,778 |
Food & Drug Stores – 1.8% | |
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | | 58,059 | $ 8,369,205 |
Gaming & Lodging – 0.3% | |
Marriott International, Inc., “A” | | 9,182 | $ 1,211,289 |
General Merchandise – 0.6% | |
Dollar General Corp. | | 12,706 | $ 2,672,072 |
Health Maintenance Organizations – 0.9% | |
Humana, Inc. | | 9,480 | $ 3,889,359 |
UnitedHealth Group, Inc. | | 1,038 | 364,006 |
| | | | $4,253,365 |
Insurance – 3.1% | |
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., “B” (a) | | 8,441 | $ 1,957,215 |
Everest Re Group Ltd. | | 10,228 | 2,394,272 |
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. | | 63,218 | 3,096,418 |
MetLife, Inc. | | 124,342 | 5,837,857 |
Prudential Financial, Inc. | | 13,858 | 1,081,894 |
Reinsurance Group of America, Inc. | | 4,402 | 510,192 |
| | | | $14,877,848 |
Internet – 6.9% | |
Alphabet, Inc., “A” (a) | | 5,883 | $ 10,310,781 |
Alphabet, Inc., “C” (a) | | 6,411 | 11,231,303 |
Facebook, Inc., “A” (a) | | 41,336 | 11,291,342 |
| | | | $32,833,426 |
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Leisure & Toys – 1.5% | |
Activision Blizzard, Inc. | | 13,691 | $ 1,271,209 |
Electronic Arts, Inc. | | 36,485 | 5,239,246 |
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (a) | | 1,976 | 410,593 |
| | | | $6,921,048 |
Machinery & Tools – 3.0% | |
AGCO Corp. | | 58,223 | $ 6,002,209 |
Dover Corp. | | 3,597 | 454,121 |
Eaton Corp. PLC | | 66,290 | 7,964,081 |
| | | | $14,420,411 |
Major Banks – 5.7% | |
Bank of America Corp. | | 284,556 | $ 8,624,892 |
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. | | 30,856 | 8,137,036 |
JPMorgan Chase & Co. | | 58,173 | 7,392,043 |
State Street Corp. | | 38,986 | 2,837,401 |
| | | | $26,991,372 |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 3.3% | |
HCA Healthcare, Inc. | | 34,578 | $ 5,686,698 |
Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings (a) | | 13,123 | 2,671,187 |
McKesson Corp. | | 27,456 | 4,775,147 |
Quest Diagnostics, Inc. | | 18,835 | 2,244,567 |
| | | | $15,377,599 |
Medical Equipment – 3.3% | |
Abbott Laboratories | | 14,496 | $ 1,587,167 |
Boston Scientific Corp. (a) | | 53,090 | 1,908,586 |
Danaher Corp. | | 6,641 | 1,475,232 |
Medtronic PLC | | 59,172 | 6,931,408 |
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. | | 8,071 | 3,759,310 |
| | | | $15,661,703 |
Natural Gas - Distribution – 1.3% | |
Sempra Energy | | 48,660 | $ 6,199,771 |
Natural Gas - Pipeline – 0.6% | |
ONEOK, Inc. | | 69,894 | $ 2,682,532 |
Network & Telecom – 0.7% | |
CoreSite Realty Corp., REIT | | 11,083 | $ 1,388,478 |
QTS Realty Trust, Inc., REIT, ��A” | | 30,851 | 1,909,060 |
| | | | $3,297,538 |
Oil Services – 0.1% | |
NOV, Inc. | | 39,069 | $ 536,417 |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 4.5% | |
Citigroup, Inc. | | 83,678 | $ 5,159,585 |
Mastercard, Inc., “A” | | 20,162 | 7,196,624 |
Moody's Corp. | | 1,085 | 314,910 |
S&P Global, Inc. | | 14,650 | 4,815,895 |
Visa, Inc., “A” | | 16,446 | 3,597,234 |
| | | | $21,084,248 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Pharmaceuticals – 5.5% | |
Eli Lilly & Co. | | 40,801 | $ 6,888,841 |
Johnson & Johnson | | 74,607 | 11,741,649 |
Merck & Co., Inc. | | 87,781 | 7,180,486 |
| | | | $25,810,976 |
Pollution Control – 0.7% | |
Republic Services, Inc. | | 12,686 | $ 1,221,662 |
Waste Management, Inc. | | 19,388 | 2,286,427 |
| | | | $3,508,089 |
Precious Metals & Minerals – 0.1% | |
Newmont Corp. | | 6,770 | $ 405,455 |
Railroad & Shipping – 1.9% | |
CSX Corp. | | 43,840 | $ 3,978,480 |
Kansas City Southern Co. | | 24,184 | 4,936,680 |
| | | | $8,915,160 |
Real Estate – 1.7% | |
Brixmor Property Group, Inc., REIT | | 92,013 | $ 1,522,815 |
Extra Space Storage, Inc., REIT | | 26,741 | 3,098,212 |
Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc., REIT | | 8,917 | 323,866 |
STORE Capital Corp., REIT | | 64,300 | 2,184,914 |
Weyerhaeuser Co., REIT | | 31,783 | 1,065,684 |
| | | | $8,195,491 |
Restaurants – 0.6% | |
Starbucks Corp. | | 26,745 | $ 2,861,180 |
Specialty Chemicals – 0.5% | |
Linde PLC | | 8,510 | $ 2,242,470 |
Specialty Stores – 7.0% | |
Amazon.com, Inc. (a) | | 7,824 | $ 25,482,220 |
AutoZone, Inc. (a) | | 338 | 400,679 |
Home Depot, Inc. | | 22,979 | 6,103,682 |
Ross Stores, Inc. | | 8,489 | 1,042,534 |
| | | | $33,029,115 |
Telecommunications - Wireless – 0.8% | |
T-Mobile USA, Inc. (a) | | 27,404 | $ 3,695,429 |
Telephone Services – 0.0% | |
Verizon Communications, Inc. | | 4,176 | $ 245,340 |
Tobacco – 0.9% | |
Altria Group, Inc. | | 69,196 | $ 2,837,036 |
Philip Morris International, Inc. | | 19,436 | 1,609,107 |
| | | | $4,446,143 |
Trucking – 0.1% | |
Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings, Inc. | | 12,202 | $ 510,288 |
Utilities - Electric Power – 1.9% | |
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. | | 45,851 | $ 992,216 |
Edison International | | 26,105 | 1,639,916 |
Exelon Corp. | | 88,879 | 3,752,471 |
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Utilities - Electric Power – continued | |
NRG Energy, Inc. | | 69,431 | $ 2,607,134 |
| | | | $8,991,737 |
Total Common Stocks (Identified Cost, $309,576,102) | | $469,749,136 |
Investment Companies (h) – 0.5% |
Money Market Funds – 0.5% | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $2,205,534) | | | 2,205,534 | $ 2,205,534 |
Other Assets, Less Liabilities – 0.1% | | 384,787 |
Net Assets – 100.0% | $472,339,457 |
(a) | Non-income producing security. | | | |
(h) | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund's investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $2,205,534 and $469,749,136, respectively. | | | |
(v) | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. | | | |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined: |
REIT | Real Estate Investment Trust |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Assets and Liabilities |
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
At 12/31/20Assets | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $309,576,102) | $469,749,136 |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $2,205,534) | 2,205,534 |
Receivables for | |
Fund shares sold | 126,863 |
Dividends | 523,545 |
Other assets | 2,339 |
Total assets | $472,607,417 |
Liabilities | |
Payables for | |
Fund shares reacquired | $192,691 |
Payable to affiliates | |
Investment adviser | 9,987 |
Administrative services fee | 360 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 72 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 2,604 |
Payable for independent Trustees' compensation | 135 |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 62,111 |
Total liabilities | $267,960 |
Net assets | $472,339,457 |
Net assets consist of | |
Paid-in capital | $272,462,564 |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | 199,876,893 |
Net assets | $472,339,457 |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | 8,281,718 |
| Net assets | Shares outstanding | Net asset value per share |
Initial Class | $280,678,792 | 4,900,070 | $57.28 |
Service Class | 191,660,665 | 3,381,648 | 56.68 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Operations |
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
Year ended 12/31/20 | |
Net investment income (loss) | |
Income | |
Dividends | $7,482,873 |
Income on securities loaned | 34,777 |
Other | 18,761 |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | 14,312 |
Total investment income | $7,550,723 |
Expenses | |
Management fee | $1,734,506 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 435,195 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 13,564 |
Administrative services fee | 67,990 |
Independent Trustees' compensation | 8,530 |
Custodian fee | 20,628 |
Shareholder communications | 17,260 |
Audit and tax fees | 55,937 |
Legal fees | 3,487 |
Miscellaneous | 27,904 |
Total expenses | $2,385,001 |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | (47,636) |
Net expenses | $2,337,365 |
Net investment income (loss) | $5,213,358 |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | |
Unaffiliated issuers | $34,962,675 |
Affiliated issuers | (254) |
Net realized gain (loss) | $34,962,421 |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | |
Unaffiliated issuers | $22,756,197 |
Affiliated issuers | (86) |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | $22,756,111 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | $57,718,532 |
Change in net assets from operations | $62,931,890 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statements of Changes in Net Assets |
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 |
Change in net assets | | |
From operations | | |
Net investment income (loss) | $5,213,358 | $6,679,904 |
Net realized gain (loss) | 34,962,421 | 22,829,963 |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | 22,756,111 | 84,417,073 |
Change in net assets from operations | $62,931,890 | $113,926,940 |
Total distributions to shareholders | $(29,241,138) | $(40,137,054) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | $(33,385,390) | $(15,716,598) |
Total change in net assets | $305,362 | $58,073,288 |
Net assets | | |
At beginning of period | 472,034,095 | 413,960,807 |
At end of period | $472,339,457 | $472,034,095 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Financial Statements | Financial Highlights |
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund's financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
Initial Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $53.06 | $45.29 | $54.23 | $46.62 | $48.56 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.67 | $0.80 | $0.74 | $0.68 | $0.74(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 7.21 | 11.74 | (4.12) | 8.80 | 3.24 |
Total from investment operations | $7.88 | $12.54 | $(3.38) | $9.48 | $3.98 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.88) | $(0.79) | $(0.77) | $(0.78) | $(0.72) |
From net realized gain | (2.78) | (3.98) | (4.79) | (1.09) | (5.20) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(3.66) | $(4.77) | $(5.56) | $(1.87) | $(5.92) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $57.28 | $53.06 | $45.29 | $54.23 | $46.62 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 15.34 | 29.17 | (7.74) | 20.76 | 8.45(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.49(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 0.44 | 0.44 | 0.44 | 0.45 | 0.44(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 1.30 | 1.58 | 1.39 | 1.35 | 1.56(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 56 | 46 | 54 | 51 | 49 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $280,679 | $285,654 | $256,439 | $320,384 | $306,368 |
Service Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $52.54 | $44.87 | $53.79 | $46.26 | $48.26 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.54 | $0.67 | $0.61 | $0.55 | $0.61(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 7.12 | 11.64 | (4.11) | 8.73 | 3.22 |
Total from investment operations | $7.66 | $12.31 | $(3.50) | $9.28 | $3.83 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.74) | $(0.66) | $(0.63) | $(0.66) | $(0.63) |
From net realized gain | (2.78) | (3.98) | (4.79) | (1.09) | (5.20) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(3.52) | $(4.64) | $(5.42) | $(1.75) | $(5.83) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $56.68 | $52.54 | $44.87 | $53.79 | $46.26 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 15.06 | 28.87 | (7.99) | 20.47 | 8.17(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 0.70 | 0.70 | 0.70 | 0.71 | 0.74(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.70 | 0.69(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 1.05 | 1.33 | 1.14 | 1.10 | 1.30(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 56 | 46 | 54 | 51 | 49 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $191,661 | $186,380 | $157,522 | $182,103 | $169,622 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Financial Highlights - continued
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements
(1) Business and Organization
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services - Investment Companies.
(2) Significant Accounting Policies
General — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund's investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting — The fund's accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund's right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations — Equity securities, including restricted equity securities, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. Events that occur after foreign markets close (such as developments in foreign markets and significant movements in the U.S. markets) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value may be deemed to have a material effect on the value of securities traded in foreign markets. Accordingly, the fund’s foreign equity securities may often be valued at fair value. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund's assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment's level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund's assets or liabilities:
Financial Instruments | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total |
Equity Securities | $469,749,136 | $— | $— | $469,749,136 |
Mutual Funds | 2,205,534 | — | — | 2,205,534 |
Total | $471,954,670 | $— | $— | $471,954,670 |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Security Loans — Under its Securities Lending Agency Agreement with the fund, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as lending agent, loans the securities of the fund to certain qualified institutions (the “Borrowers”) approved by the fund. Security loans can be terminated at the discretion of either the lending agent or the fund and the related securities must be returned within the earlier of the standard trade settlement period for such securities or within three business days. The loans are collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Treasury and federal agency obligations in an amount typically at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. On loans collateralized by cash, the cash collateral is invested in a money market fund. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of business of the fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the fund on the next business day. The lending agent provides the fund with indemnification against Borrower default. In the event of Borrower default, the lending agent will, for the benefit of the fund, either purchase securities identical to those loaned or, when such purchase is commercially impracticable, pay the fund the market value of the loaned securities. In return, the lending agent assumes the fund's rights to the related collateral. If the collateral value is less than the cost to purchase identical securities, the lending agent is responsible for the shortfall, but only to the extent that such shortfall is not due to a decline in collateral value resulting from collateral reinvestment for which the fund bears the risk of loss. A portion of the income generated upon investment of the collateral is remitted to the Borrowers, and the remainder is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. On loans collateralized by U.S. Treasury and/or federal agency obligations, a fee is received from the Borrower, and is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. Income from securities lending is separately reported in the Statement of Operations. The dividend and interest income earned on the securities loaned is accounted for in the same manner as other dividend and interest income. At December 31, 2020, there were no securities on loan or collateral outstanding.
Indemnifications — Under the fund's organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund's maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income — Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
Tax Matters and Distributions — The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to wash sale loss deferrals.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | $6,680,112 | $6,265,015 |
Long-term capital gains | 22,561,026 | 33,872,039 |
Total distributions | $29,241,138 | $40,137,054 |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
As of 12/31/20 | |
Cost of investments | $312,294,277 |
Gross appreciation | 164,858,943 |
Gross depreciation | (5,198,550) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | $159,660,393 |
Undistributed ordinary income | 8,022,598 |
Undistributed long-term capital gain | 32,193,902 |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest — The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund's income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Initial Class | $17,686,199 | | $24,630,652 |
Service Class | 11,554,939 | | 15,506,402 |
Total | $29,241,138 | | $40,137,054 |
(3) Transactions with Affiliates
Investment Adviser — The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund's average daily net assets:
Up to $1 billion | 0.40% |
In excess of $1 billion and up to $2.5 billion | 0.375% |
In excess of $2.5 billion | 0.35% |
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund's Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $47,636, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.39% of the fund's average daily net assets.
Distributor — MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund's distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
Shareholder Servicing Agent — MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $12,616, which equated to 0.0029% annually of the fund's average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $948.
Administrator — MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0157% of the fund's average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation — The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other — The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
The fund is permitted to engage in purchase and sale transactions with funds and accounts for which MFS serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser (“cross-trades”) pursuant to a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees. This policy has been designed to ensure that cross-trades conducted by the fund comply with Rule 17a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund engaged in purchase transactions pursuant to this policy, which amounted to $4,512,896.
The adviser has voluntarily undertaken to reimburse the fund from its own resources on a quarterly basis for the cost of investment research embedded in the cost of the fund’s securities trades. This agreement may be rescinded at any time. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reimbursement amounted to $18,688, which is included in “Other” income in the Statement of Operations.
(4) Portfolio Securities
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, aggregated $240,843,490 and $296,999,847, respectively.
(5) Shares of Beneficial Interest
The fund's Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
| Shares | Amount | | Shares | Amount |
Shares sold | | | | | |
Initial Class | 63,891 | $3,132,327 | | 90,873 | $4,602,196 |
Service Class | 183,279 | 8,493,425 | | 174,912 | 8,792,619 |
| 247,170 | $11,625,752 | | 265,785 | $13,394,815 |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | |
Initial Class | 326,069 | $17,421,868 | | 520,949 | $24,244,989 |
Service Class | 218,389 | 11,554,939 | | 336,146 | 15,506,402 |
| 544,458 | $28,976,807 | | 857,095 | $39,751,391 |
Shares reacquired | | | | | |
Initial Class | (873,552) | $(45,226,511) | | (890,900) | $(45,210,245) |
Service Class | (567,361) | (28,761,438) | | (474,065) | (23,652,559) |
| (1,440,913) | $(73,987,949) | | (1,364,965) | $(68,862,804) |
Net change | | | | | |
Initial Class | (483,592) | $(24,672,316) | | (279,078) | $(16,363,060) |
Service Class | (165,693) | (8,713,074) | | 36,993 | 646,462 |
| (649,285) | $(33,385,390) | | (242,085) | $(15,716,598) |
(6) Line of Credit
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $2,330 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) Investments in Affiliated Issuers
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
Affiliated Issuers | Beginning Value | Purchases | Sales Proceeds | Realized Gain (Loss) | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | Ending Value |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $3,668,643 | $57,551,969 | $59,014,738 | $(254) | $(86) | $2,205,534 |
Affiliated Issuers | Dividend Income | Capital Gain Distributions |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $14,312 | $— |
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
(8) Impacts of COVID-19
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund's investments and the fund's performance.
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Trustees and Officers — Identification and Background
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES | | |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES | | |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head - Treasurer's Office (until February 2017) |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board's retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
Investment Adviser | Custodian |
Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
Distributor | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
Portfolio Manager(s) | |
Jim Fallon Matt Krummell Jonathan Sage Jed Stocks | |
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 4th quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 3rd quintile for the one-year period and the 4th quintile for the three-year period ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
The Trustees expressed continued concern to MFS about the substandard investment performance of the Fund and the Fund’s retail counterpart, MFS Blended Research Core Equity Fund, which has substantially similar investment strategies and experienced substantially similar investment performance as the Fund. In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course of the year as to MFS’ efforts to improve the performance of the Fund and the Fund’s retail counterpart. In addition, the Trustees requested that they receive a separate update on the Fund’s retail counterpart at each of their regular meetings. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that MFS’ responses and efforts and plans to improve investment performance were sufficient to support approval of the continuance of the investment advisory agreement for an additional one-year period, but that they would continue to closely monitor the performance of the Fund’s retail counterpart.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate and total expense ratio were each lower than the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to contractual breakpoints that reduce the Fund’s advisory fee rate on the Fund’s average daily net assets over $1 billion and $2.5 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoints and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio
Proxy Voting Policies and Information
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Quarterly Portfolio Disclosure
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund's fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
Information About Fund Contracts and Legal Claims
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Federal Tax Information (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund designates $24,818,000 as capital gain dividends paid during the fiscal year.
For corporate shareholders, 100% of the ordinary income dividends paid during the fiscal year qualify for the corporate dividends received deduction.
FACTS | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? |
Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: |
• Social Security number and account balances |
• Account transactions and transaction history |
• Checking account information and wire transfer instructions |
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
How? | All financial companies need to share customers' personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers' personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
Reasons we can share your personal information | Does MFS share? | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | Yes | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | No | We don't share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | No | We don't share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | No | We don't share |
Questions? | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you |
• open an account or provide account information |
• direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities |
• make a wire transfer |
We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can't I limit all sharing? | Federal law gives you the right to limit only |
• sharing for affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness |
• affiliates from using your information to market to you |
• sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you |
State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
Definitions |
Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. |
• MFS doesn't jointly market. |
Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Corporate Bond Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
MFS® Corporate Bond Portfolio
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The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE •
NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Fixed income sectors (i)
Investment Grade Corporates | 82.4% |
High Yield Corporates | 11.6% |
U.S. Treasury Securities | 2.8% |
Emerging Markets Bonds | 1.4% |
Municipal Bonds | 1.4% |
Asset-Backed Securities | 0.1% |
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (o) | 0.0% |
Mortgage-Backed Securities (o) | 0.0% |
Composition including fixed income credit quality (a)(i)
AAA | 0.5% |
AA | 3.5% |
A | 20.3% |
BBB | 61.0% |
BB | 10.9% |
B | 0.7% |
D (o) | 0.0% |
U.S. Government | 1.2% |
Federal Agencies (o) | 0.0% |
Not Rated | 1.6% |
Cash & Cash Equivalents | 1.8% |
Other | (1.5)% |
Portfolio facts (i)
Average Duration (d) | 8.3 |
Average Effective Maturity (m) | 10.7 yrs. |
(a) | For all securities other than those specifically described below, ratings are assigned to underlying securities utilizing ratings from Moody’s, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s rating agencies and applying the following hierarchy: If all three agencies provide a rating, the middle rating (after dropping the highest and lowest ratings) is assigned; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the lower of the two is assigned. If none of the 3 rating agencies above assign a rating, but the security is rated by DBRS Morningstar, then the DBRS Morningstar rating is assigned. Ratings are shown in the S&P and Fitch scale (e.g., AAA). Securities rated BBB or higher are considered investment grade. All ratings are subject to change.U.S. Government includes securities issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Federal Agencies includes rated and unrated U.S. Agency fixed-income securities, U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities, and collateralized mortgage obligations of U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities.Not Rated includes fixed income securities and fixed income derivatives that have not been rated by any rating agency.The fund may or may not have held all of these instruments on this date. The fund is not rated by these agencies. |
(d) | Duration is a measure of how much a bond’s price is likely to fluctuate with general changes in interest rates, e.g., if rates rise 1.00%, a bond with a 5-year duration is likely to lose about 5.00% of its value due to the interest rate move. |
(i) | For purposes of this presentation, the components include the value of securities, and reflect the impact of the equivalent exposure of derivative positions, if any. These amounts may be negative from time to time. Equivalent exposure is a calculated amount that translates the derivative position into a reasonable approximation of the amount of the underlying asset that the portfolio would have to hold at a given point in time to have the same price sensitivity that results from the portfolio’s ownership of the derivative contract. When dealing with derivatives, equivalent exposure is a more representative measure of the potential impact of a position on portfolio performance than value. The bond component will include any accrued interest amounts. |
(m) | In determining each instrument’s effective maturity for purposes of calculating the fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity, MFS uses the instrument’s stated maturity or, if applicable, an earlier date on which MFS believes it is probable that a maturity-shortening device (such as a put, pre-refunding or prepayment) will cause the instrument to be repaid. Such an earlier date can be substantially shorter than the instrument’s stated maturity. |
Where the fund holds convertible bonds, they are treated as part of the equity portion of the portfolio.
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Other includes equivalent exposure from currency derivatives and/or any offsets to derivative positions and may be negative.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Management Review
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 10.57%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 10.34%. These compare with a return of 9.35% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Credit Bond Index.
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest — albeit the deepest and steepest — recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public's willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies — a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Factors Affecting Performance
During the reporting period, the fund’s lesser exposure to “AAA” rated(r) bonds, and its greater exposure to “BBB” rated securities contributed to performance relative to the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Credit Bond Index. A greater-than-benchmark exposure to the energy, consumer cyclicals and capital goods sectors, and a lesser exposure to both the agency government owned, no guarantee and banking sectors also benefited relative returns. Additionally, the fund's out-of-benchmark exposure to the treasury sector supported relative results.
Favorable security selection within “BBB” rated securities, notably within the energy sector, and within“A” rated bonds, particularly within the consumer cyclicals and communications sectors, bolstered relative results.
Conversely, the fund's security selection in both the banking and insurance sectors held back relative performance over the reporting period.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Alexander Mackey, Henry Peabody, and Robert Persons
Note to Contract Owners: Effective June 30, 2021, Robert Persons will no longer be a Portfolio Manager of the fund.
(r) | Bonds rated “BBB”, “Baa”, or higher are considered investment grade; bonds rated “BB”, “Ba”, or below are considered non-investment grade. The source for bond quality ratings is Moody's Investors Service, Standard & Poor's, and Fitch, Inc. and are applied using the following hierarchy: If all three |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Management Review - continued
agencies provide a rating, the middle rating (after dropping the highest and lowest ratings) is assigned; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the lower of the two is assigned. If none of the 3 Rating Agencies above assign a rating, but the security is rated by DBRS Morningstar, then the DBRS Morningstar rating is assigned. Ratings are shown in the S&P and Fitch scale (e.g., AAA). For securities that are not rated by any of the rating agencies, the security is considered Not Rated.
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Performance Summary Through 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
Share Class | Class Inception Date | 1-yr | 5-yr | 10-yr |
Initial Class | 5/06/98 | 10.57% | 6.81% | 5.67% |
Service Class | 8/24/01 | 10.34% | 6.55% | 5.40% |
Comparative benchmark(s)
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Credit Bond Index | 9.35% | 6.44% | 5.40% |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Credit Bond Index(a) - a market capitalization-weighted index that measures the performance of publicly issued, SEC-registered, U.S. corporate and specified foreign debentures and secured notes that meet specified maturity, liquidity, and quality requirements.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(a) | BLOOMBERG ® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). BARCLAYS® is a trademark and service mark of Barclays Bank Plc (collectively with its affiliates, “Barclays”), used under license. Bloomberg or Bloomberg's licensors, including Barclays, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Barclays Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays approves or endorses this material, or guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, or makes any warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained therefrom, and, to the maximum extent allowed by law, neither shall have any liability or responsibility for injury or damages arising in connection therewith. |
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund's performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Performance Summary – continued
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Expense Table
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund's ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
Share Class | | Annualized Expense Ratio | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 |
Initial Class | Actual | 0.63% | $1,000.00 | $1,052.78 | $3.25 |
Hypothetical (h) | 0.63% | $1,000.00 | $1,021.97 | $3.20 |
Service Class | Actual | 0.88% | $1,000.00 | $1,051.61 | $4.54 |
Hypothetical (h) | 0.88% | $1,000.00 | $1,020.71 | $4.47 |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class's annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments − 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – 97.3% |
Aerospace – 3.4% |
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc., 3.483%, 12/01/2027 | | $ | 630,000 | $ 705,925 |
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc., 4.2%, 5/01/2030 | | | 351,000 | 415,813 |
L3Harris Technologies, Inc., 3.85%, 6/15/2023 | | | 1,083,000 | 1,169,729 |
L3Harris Technologies, Inc., 2.9%, 12/15/2029 | | | 632,000 | 697,930 |
Lockheed Martin Corp., 3.55%, 1/15/2026 | | | 964,000 | 1,094,776 |
Lockheed Martin Corp., 2.8%, 6/15/2050 | | | 259,000 | 279,511 |
Northrop Grumman Corp., 2.93%, 1/15/2025 | | | 1,488,000 | 1,618,145 |
Raytheon Technologies Corp., 4.125%, 11/16/2028 | | | 517,000 | 616,075 |
TransDigm, Inc., 6.25%, 3/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,109,000 | 1,181,085 |
| | | | $7,778,989 |
Apparel Manufacturers – 0.2% |
NIKE, Inc., “B”, 3.25%, 3/27/2040 | | $ | 492,000 | $ 571,486 |
Asset-Backed & Securitized – 0.1% |
Bayview Financial Revolving Mortgage Loan Trust, FLR, 1.746% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.6%), 12/28/2040 (n) | | $ | 93,464 | $ 97,175 |
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Corp., 5.654%, 7/15/2042 (n) | | | 118,695 | 82,826 |
Lehman Brothers Commercial Conduit Mortgage Trust, 0.934%, 2/18/2030 (i) | | | 16,609 | 0 |
| | | | $180,001 |
Automotive – 3.3% |
Allison Transmission, Inc., 5.875%, 6/01/2029 (n) | | $ | 1,048,000 | $ 1,160,660 |
General Motors Financial Co., Inc., 2.75%, 6/20/2025 | | | 638,000 | 682,080 |
Hyundai Capital America, 2.65%, 2/10/2025 (n) | | | 642,000 | 680,035 |
Hyundai Capital America, 3%, 2/10/2027 (n) | | | 1,274,000 | 1,382,499 |
Hyundai Capital America, 6.375%, 4/08/2030 (n) | | | 352,000 | 462,881 |
Lear Corp., 3.8%, 9/15/2027 | | | 1,276,000 | 1,430,900 |
Toyota Motor Credit Corp., 3.375%, 4/01/2030 | | | 847,000 | 990,403 |
Volkswagen Group of America Finance LLC, 3.35%, 5/13/2025 (n) | | | 604,000 | 663,880 |
| | | | $7,453,338 |
Broadcasting – 2.1% |
Discovery, Inc., 4.125%, 5/15/2029 | | $ | 373,000 | $ 435,195 |
Netflix, Inc., 4.875%, 6/15/2030 (n) | | | 878,000 | 1,009,700 |
Prosus N.V., 3.832%, 2/08/2051 (n) | | | 542,000 | 530,968 |
RELX Capital, Inc., 3%, 5/22/2030 | | | 422,000 | 468,348 |
Walt Disney Co., 3.5%, 5/13/2040 | | | 1,366,000 | 1,603,499 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Broadcasting – continued |
Walt Disney Co., 3.6%, 1/13/2051 | | $ | 593,000 | $ 718,422 |
| | | | $4,766,132 |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 1.9% |
E*TRADE Financial Corp., 2.95%, 8/24/2022 | | $ | 625,000 | $ 649,114 |
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., 3.75%, 12/01/2025 | | | 1,070,000 | 1,216,205 |
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., 2.1%, 6/15/2030 | | | 1,456,000 | 1,523,121 |
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., 1.85%, 9/15/2032 | | | 412,000 | 415,332 |
NASDAQ, Inc., 3.25%, 4/28/2050 | | | 557,000 | 610,432 |
| | | | $4,414,204 |
Building – 2.1% |
CRH America Finance, Inc., 4.5%, 4/04/2048 (n) | | $ | 896,000 | $ 1,127,376 |
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., 4.25%, 7/02/2024 | | | 850,000 | 947,691 |
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., 3.5%, 12/15/2027 | | | 747,000 | 846,124 |
Masco Corp., 4.45%, 4/01/2025 | | | 560,000 | 644,198 |
Masco Corp., 4.375%, 4/01/2026 | | | 476,000 | 558,755 |
Vulcan Materials Co., 3.5%, 6/01/2030 | | | 671,000 | 770,311 |
| | | | $4,894,455 |
Business Services – 4.1% |
Equinix, Inc., 2.625%, 11/18/2024 | | $ | 838,000 | $ 895,682 |
Equinix, Inc., 3%, 7/15/2050 | | | 661,000 | 668,117 |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., 3.5%, 4/15/2023 | | | 220,000 | 233,463 |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., 3%, 8/15/2026 | | | 1,167,000 | 1,299,516 |
Fiserv, Inc., 2.25%, 6/01/2027 | | | 817,000 | 870,362 |
Fiserv, Inc., 4.4%, 7/01/2049 | | | 711,000 | 950,722 |
Global Payments, Inc., 2.9%, 5/15/2030 | | | 963,000 | 1,047,085 |
MSCI, Inc., 4%, 11/15/2029 (n) | | | 791,000 | 842,415 |
MSCI, Inc., 3.625%, 9/01/2030 (n) | | | 119,000 | 124,355 |
MSCI, Inc., 3.875%, 2/15/2031 (n) | | | 802,000 | 848,115 |
NXP B.V./NXP Funding LLC, 3.15%, 5/01/2027 (n) | | | 379,000 | 417,703 |
Tencent Holdings Ltd., 2.39%, 6/03/2030 (n) | | | 1,076,000 | 1,103,115 |
| | | | $9,300,650 |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Cable TV – 4.7% |
CCO Holdings LLC/CCO Holdings Capital Corp., 4.5%, 5/01/2032 (n) | | $ | 305,000 | $ 325,655 |
Charter Communications Operating LLC/Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp., 6.384%, 10/23/2035 | | | 505,000 | 691,405 |
Charter Communications Operating LLC/Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp., 5.375%, 5/01/2047 | | | 1,079,000 | 1,344,714 |
Comcast Corp., 1.95%, 1/15/2031 | | | 524,000 | 538,830 |
Comcast Corp., 2.8%, 1/15/2051 | | | 1,333,000 | 1,385,630 |
Cox Communications, Inc., 3.5%, 8/15/2027 (n) | | | 803,000 | 907,458 |
Cox Communications, Inc., 4.6%, 8/15/2047 (n) | | | 332,000 | 428,661 |
Sirius XM Holdings, Inc., 5.5%, 7/01/2029 (n) | | | 292,000 | 321,291 |
Sirius XM Radio, Inc., 5.375%, 7/15/2026 (n) | | | 353,000 | 368,003 |
Sirius XM Radio, Inc., 5%, 8/01/2027 (n) | | | 594,000 | 631,131 |
Sirius XM Radio, Inc., 4.125%, 7/01/2030 (n) | | | 644,000 | 685,458 |
Time Warner Cable, Inc., 4.5%, 9/15/2042 | | | 955,000 | 1,117,514 |
Time Warner Entertainment Co. LP, 8.375%, 7/15/2033 | | | 266,000 | 411,234 |
Videotron Ltd., 5%, 7/15/2022 | | | 1,555,000 | 1,634,709 |
| | | | $10,791,693 |
Chemicals – 0.3% |
Sherwin-Williams Co., 4.5%, 6/01/2047 | | $ | 500,000 | $ 667,719 |
Computer Software – 1.6% |
Dell International LLC/EMC Corp., 4.9%, 10/01/2026 (n) | | $ | 1,456,000 | $ 1,718,888 |
Microsoft Corp., 2.525%, 6/01/2050 | | | 1,047,000 | 1,101,885 |
VeriSign, Inc., 4.625%, 5/01/2023 | | | 763,000 | 769,676 |
| | | | $3,590,449 |
Computer Software - Systems – 1.4% |
Apple, Inc., 2.05%, 9/11/2026 | | $ | 2,000,000 | $ 2,138,096 |
Apple, Inc., 4.375%, 5/13/2045 | | | 383,000 | 524,048 |
Apple, Inc., 4.25%, 2/09/2047 | | | 319,000 | 434,628 |
| | | | $3,096,772 |
Conglomerates – 1.0% |
Roper Technologies, Inc., 4.2%, 9/15/2028 | | $ | 681,000 | $ 811,886 |
Roper Technologies, Inc., 2.95%, 9/15/2029 | | | 450,000 | 494,142 |
Roper Technologies, Inc., 2%, 6/30/2030 | | | 437,000 | 446,415 |
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp., 3.2%, 6/15/2025 | | | 501,000 | 540,402 |
| | | | $2,292,845 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Consumer Products – 1.0% |
Kimberly-Clark Corp., 3.1%, 3/26/2030 | | $ | 193,000 | $ 222,137 |
Reckitt Benckiser Treasury Services PLC, 3%, 6/26/2027 (n) | | | 1,876,000 | 2,095,642 |
| | | | $2,317,779 |
Consumer Services – 3.5% |
Booking Holdings, Inc., 3.65%, 3/15/2025 | | $ | 283,000 | $ 313,111 |
Booking Holdings, Inc., 3.6%, 6/01/2026 | | | 1,761,000 | 2,001,014 |
Booking Holdings, Inc., 3.55%, 3/15/2028 | | | 486,000 | 559,535 |
Experian Finance PLC, 2.75%, 3/08/2030 (n) | | | 1,853,000 | 2,010,845 |
IHS Markit Ltd., 3.625%, 5/01/2024 | | | 310,000 | 338,142 |
IHS Markit Ltd., 4.25%, 5/01/2029 | | | 465,000 | 564,910 |
Service Corp. International, 5.125%, 6/01/2029 | | | 482,000 | 533,815 |
Visa, Inc., 3.65%, 9/15/2047 | | | 865,000 | 1,082,228 |
Western Union Co., 2.85%, 1/10/2025 | | | 495,000 | 531,664 |
| | | | $7,935,264 |
Containers – 1.1% |
Ball Corp., 4%, 11/15/2023 | | $ | 1,009,000 | $ 1,074,585 |
Ball Corp., 4.875%, 3/15/2026 | | | 587,000 | 663,017 |
Ball Corp., 2.875%, 8/15/2030 | | | 878,000 | 875,805 |
| | | | $2,613,407 |
Electrical Equipment – 1.0% |
Arrow Electronics, Inc., 3.875%, 1/12/2028 | | $ | 1,979,000 | $ 2,230,701 |
Electronics – 3.0% |
Broadcom Corp./Broadcom Cayman Finance Ltd., 3.875%, 1/15/2027 | | $ | 2,494,000 | $ 2,802,331 |
Broadcom Corp./Broadcom Cayman Finance Ltd., 3.5%, 1/15/2028 | | | 976,000 | 1,075,320 |
Broadcom, Inc., 4.3%, 11/15/2032 | | | 1,056,000 | 1,251,096 |
Sensata Technologies, Inc., 4.375%, 2/15/2030 (n) | | | 1,150,000 | 1,237,688 |
Texas Instruments, Inc., 2.25%, 9/04/2029 | | | 519,000 | 558,958 |
| | | | $6,925,393 |
Energy - Independent – 0.2% |
Hess Corp., 5.8%, 4/01/2047 | | $ | 297,000 | $ 377,351 |
Energy - Integrated – 1.0% |
Eni S.p.A., 4.75%, 9/12/2028 (n) | | $ | 761,000 | $ 930,172 |
Eni S.p.A., 4.25%, 5/09/2029 (n) | | | 650,000 | 769,643 |
Total Capital International S.A., 3.127%, 5/29/2050 | | | 509,000 | 550,592 |
| | | | $2,250,407 |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Financial Institutions – 2.1% |
AerCap Ireland Capital DAC, 4.875%, 1/16/2024 | | $ | 434,000 | $ 473,660 |
AerCap Ireland Capital DAC, 3.65%, 7/21/2027 | | | 1,576,000 | 1,716,883 |
Avolon Holdings Funding Ltd., 4.25%, 4/15/2026 (n) | | | 243,000 | 261,741 |
Avolon Holdings Funding Ltd., 4.375%, 5/01/2026 (n) | | | 624,000 | 675,797 |
Avolon Holdings Funding Ltd., 3.25%, 2/15/2027 (n) | | | 621,000 | 633,381 |
International Lease Finance Corp., 5.875%, 8/15/2022 | | | 1,000,000 | 1,080,469 |
| | | | $4,841,931 |
Food & Beverages – 3.4% |
Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc., 4.375%, 4/15/2038 | | $ | 527,000 | $ 651,740 |
Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc., 5.55%, 1/23/2049 | | | 566,000 | 803,325 |
Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc., 4.75%, 4/15/2058 | | | 304,000 | 397,055 |
Conagra Brands, Inc., 1.375%, 11/01/2027 | | | 626,000 | 631,635 |
Constellation Brands, Inc., 4.25%, 5/01/2023 | | | 1,605,000 | 1,749,410 |
Constellation Brands, Inc., 2.875%, 5/01/2030 | | | 168,000 | 183,993 |
Constellation Brands, Inc., 3.75%, 5/01/2050 | | | 242,000 | 284,429 |
Diageo Capital PLC, 2.375%, 10/24/2029 | | | 1,023,000 | 1,100,724 |
JBS USA LLC/JBS USA Finance, Inc., 6.75%, 2/15/2028 (n) | | | 938,000 | 1,053,843 |
JBS USA Lux S.A./JBS USA Finance, Inc., 6.5%, 4/15/2029 (n) | | | 714,000 | 831,167 |
| | | | $7,687,321 |
Gaming & Lodging – 2.4% |
GLP Capital LP/GLP Financing II, Inc., 5.75%, 6/01/2028 | | $ | 1,365,000 | $ 1,616,788 |
GLP Capital LP/GLP Financing II, Inc., 5.3%, 1/15/2029 | | | 319,000 | 371,195 |
Hilton Domestic Operating Co., Inc., 4.875%, 1/15/2030 | | | 922,000 | 1,007,285 |
Las Vegas Sands Corp., 3.9%, 8/08/2029 | | | 250,000 | 268,733 |
Marriott International, Inc., 4%, 4/15/2028 | | | 1,749,000 | 1,933,936 |
Sands China Ltd., 3.8%, 1/08/2026 (n) | | | 220,000 | 234,401 |
| | | | $5,432,338 |
Insurance - Health – 1.3% |
Centene Corp., 4.625%, 12/15/2029 | | $ | 383,000 | $ 425,210 |
Centene Corp., 3.375%, 2/15/2030 | | | 334,000 | 351,398 |
UnitedHealth Group, Inc., 4.625%, 7/15/2035 | | | 1,690,000 | 2,264,134 |
| | | | $3,040,742 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Insurance - Property & Casualty – 2.5% |
Aon Corp., 3.75%, 5/02/2029 | | $ | 1,376,000 | $ 1,604,489 |
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., 3.6%, 8/19/2049 | | | 874,000 | 1,023,751 |
Liberty Mutual Group, Inc., 3.951%, 10/15/2050 (n) | | | 743,000 | 888,152 |
Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc., 4.75%, 3/15/2039 | | | 740,000 | 994,774 |
Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc., 4.35%, 1/30/2047 | | | 471,000 | 623,013 |
Swiss Re Ltd., 4.25%, 12/06/2042 (n) | | | 468,000 | 588,564 |
| | | | $5,722,743 |
Machinery & Tools – 0.8% |
CNH Industrial Capital LLC, 4.2%, 1/15/2024 | | $ | 515,000 | $ 564,840 |
CNH Industrial Capital LLC, 1.875%, 1/15/2026 | | | 288,000 | 301,538 |
CNH Industrial Capital LLC, 3.85%, 11/15/2027 | | | 905,000 | 1,019,159 |
| | | | $1,885,537 |
Major Banks – 8.5% |
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., 2.57%, 11/25/2035 (n) | | $ | 827,000 | $ 843,192 |
Bank of America Corp., 3.124% to 1/20/2022, FLR (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.16%) to 1/20/2023 | | | 1,232,000 | 1,267,343 |
Bank of America Corp., 3.004%, 12/20/2023 | | | 739,000 | 778,168 |
Bank of America Corp., 4.125%, 1/22/2024 | | | 1,142,000 | 1,267,978 |
Bank of America Corp., 3.5%, 4/19/2026 | | | 2,000,000 | 2,266,124 |
Bank of America Corp., 3.419% to 12/20/2027, FLR (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.04%) to 12/20/2028 | | | 351,000 | 396,860 |
Credit Suisse Group AG, 4.5% to 3/03/2031, FLR (CMT - 1yr. + 3.554%) to 6/09/2070 (n) | | | 452,000 | 454,215 |
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., 2.6%, 2/07/2030 | | | 464,000 | 499,060 |
HSBC Holdings PLC, 2.357% to 8/18/2030, FLR (SOFR + 1.947%) to 8/18/2031 | | | 1,345,000 | 1,388,347 |
HSBC Holdings PLC, 5.25%, 3/14/2044 | | | 293,000 | 408,833 |
JPMorgan Chase & Co., 3.125%, 1/23/2025 | | | 688,000 | 753,407 |
JPMorgan Chase & Co., 3.54%, 5/01/2028 | | | 1,709,000 | 1,952,638 |
JPMorgan Chase & Co., 3.897% to 1/23/2048, FLR (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.22%) to 1/23/2049 | | | 1,111,000 | 1,398,166 |
Morgan Stanley, 4.431% to 1/23/2029, FLR (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.63%) to 1/23/2030 | | | 439,000 | 534,950 |
Morgan Stanley, 3.622% to 4/01/2030, FLR (SOFR + 3.12%) to 4/01/2031 | | | 2,049,000 | 2,379,414 |
PNC Bank N.A., 2.7%, 10/22/2029 | | | 675,000 | 737,648 |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Major Banks – continued |
UBS Group AG, 3.126% to 8/13/2029, FLR (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.468%) to 8/13/2030 (n) | | $ | 454,000 | $ 508,465 |
Wachovia Corp., 6.605%, 10/01/2025 | | | 1,270,000 | 1,587,460 |
| | | | $19,422,268 |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 5.1% |
Alcon, Inc., 2.6%, 5/27/2030 (n) | | $ | 200,000 | $ 213,006 |
Alcon, Inc., 3.8%, 9/23/2049 (n) | | | 247,000 | 290,882 |
Becton, Dickinson and Co., 3.734%, 12/15/2024 | | | 161,000 | 178,468 |
Becton, Dickinson and Co., 4.685%, 12/15/2044 | | | 847,000 | 1,091,681 |
Becton, Dickinson and Co., 4.669%, 6/06/2047 | | | 955,000 | 1,251,959 |
Cigna Corp., 4.125%, 11/15/2025 | | | 945,000 | 1,088,311 |
Cigna Corp., 3.2%, 3/15/2040 | | | 263,000 | 288,003 |
HCA, Inc., 4.75%, 5/01/2023 | | | 910,000 | 992,361 |
HCA, Inc., 5.25%, 6/15/2026 | | | 978,000 | 1,157,217 |
HCA, Inc., 5.875%, 2/01/2029 | | | 807,000 | 972,435 |
HCA, Inc., 3.5%, 9/01/2030 | | | 122,000 | 129,567 |
HCA, Inc., 5.125%, 6/15/2039 | | | 207,000 | 264,552 |
IQVIA Holdings, Inc., 5%, 5/15/2027 (n) | | | 856,000 | 909,949 |
Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings, 3.25%, 9/01/2024 | | | 917,000 | 997,902 |
Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings, 4.7%, 2/01/2045 | | | 900,000 | 1,179,556 |
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., 2.95%, 9/19/2026 | | | 555,000 | 618,546 |
| | | | $11,624,395 |
Medical Equipment – 1.2% |
Abbott Laboratories, 4.75%, 11/30/2036 | | $ | 836,000 | $ 1,150,761 |
Boston Scientific Corp., 3.75%, 3/01/2026 | | | 548,000 | 621,754 |
Danaher Corp., 2.6%, 10/01/2050 | | | 726,000 | 752,293 |
Teleflex, Inc., 4.625%, 11/15/2027 | | | 125,000 | 134,339 |
Teleflex, Inc., 4.25%, 6/01/2028 (n) | | | 91,000 | 96,460 |
| | | | $2,755,607 |
Metals & Mining – 1.3% |
Anglo American Capital PLC, 2.625%, 9/10/2030 (n) | | $ | 827,000 | $ 864,304 |
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc., 4.625%, 8/01/2030 | | | 817,000 | 896,658 |
Glencore Funding LLC, 4.125%, 5/30/2023 (n) | | | 863,000 | 933,291 |
Glencore Funding LLC, 2.5%, 9/01/2030 (n) | | | 205,000 | 208,952 |
| | | | $2,903,205 |
Midstream – 3.9% |
Cheniere Corpus Christi Holdings LLC, 3.7%, 11/15/2029 | | $ | 512,000 | $ 569,715 |
Energy Transfer Operating Co., 5%, 5/15/2050 | | | 378,000 | 408,707 |
Enterprise Products Operating LLC, 3.7%, 1/31/2051 | | | 1,201,000 | 1,319,657 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Midstream – continued |
Galaxy Pipeline Assets Bidco Ltd., 1.75%, 9/30/2027 (n) | | $ | 1,365,000 | $ 1,385,496 |
MPLX LP, 4.5%, 4/15/2038 | | | 744,000 | 849,995 |
Plains All American Pipeline LP/PAA Finance Corp., 3.55%, 12/15/2029 | | | 323,000 | 337,853 |
Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, 5.625%, 4/15/2023 | | | 1,467,000 | 1,611,606 |
Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, 5.625%, 3/01/2025 | | | 133,000 | 155,094 |
Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, 5.875%, 6/30/2026 | | | 289,000 | 349,356 |
Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, 5%, 3/15/2027 | | | 414,000 | 487,969 |
Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, 4.2%, 3/15/2028 | | | 1,021,000 | 1,171,449 |
Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, 4.5%, 5/15/2030 (n) | | | 203,000 | 240,492 |
| | | | $8,887,389 |
Mortgage-Backed – 0.0% | |
Freddie Mac, 3.244%, 8/25/2027 | | $ | 69,000 | $ 79,151 |
Municipals – 1.4% |
Florida State Board of Administration Finance Corp. Rev., “A”, 1.705%, 7/01/2027 | | $ | 1,146,000 | $ 1,189,537 |
New Jersey Economic Development Authority State Pension Funding Rev., “A”, NATL, 7.425%, 2/15/2029 | | | 1,500,000 | 1,933,365 |
| | | | $3,122,902 |
Natural Gas - Distribution – 2.8% |
NiSource Finance Corp., 4.8%, 2/15/2044 | | $ | 761,000 | $ 995,230 |
NiSource, Inc., 2.95%, 9/01/2029 | | | 1,371,000 | 1,507,451 |
NiSource, Inc., 5.65%, 2/01/2045 | | | 475,000 | 682,237 |
Sempra Energy, 3.25%, 6/15/2027 | | | 2,779,000 | 3,107,984 |
| | | | $6,292,902 |
Natural Gas - Pipeline – 0.8% |
APT Pipelines Ltd., 5%, 3/23/2035 (n) | | $ | 1,375,000 | $ 1,742,995 |
Network & Telecom – 1.4% |
AT&T, Inc., 2.75%, 6/01/2031 | | $ | 741,000 | $ 791,612 |
AT&T, Inc., 3.55%, 9/15/2055 (n) | | | 1,406,000 | 1,398,524 |
Verizon Communications, Inc., 3.15%, 3/22/2030 | | | 310,000 | 347,329 |
Verizon Communications, Inc., 4.812%, 3/15/2039 | | | 247,000 | 321,834 |
Verizon Communications, Inc., 4.522%, 9/15/2048 | | | 310,000 | 403,584 |
| | | | $3,262,883 |
Oils – 0.9% |
Valero Energy Corp., 4.9%, 3/15/2045 | | $ | 1,783,000 | $ 2,074,987 |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 0.4% |
Groupe BPCE S.A., 4.5%, 3/15/2025 (n) | | $ | 760,000 | $ 858,951 |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Pollution Control – 0.6% |
Republic Services, Inc., 3.95%, 5/15/2028 | | $ | 1,100,000 | $ 1,289,420 |
Railroad & Shipping – 0.2% |
Canadian Pacific Railway Co., 4.5%, 1/15/2022 | | $ | 400,000 | $ 416,539 |
Real Estate - Other – 0.3% |
Prologis LP, REIT, 2.25%, 4/15/2030 | | $ | 637,000 | $ 682,214 |
Real Estate - Retail – 1.2% |
Brixmor Operating Partnership LP, REIT, 4.125%, 5/15/2029 | | $ | 114,000 | $ 131,075 |
Brixmor Operating Partnership LP, REIT, 4.05%, 7/01/2030 | | | 418,000 | 479,520 |
Realty Income Corp., REIT, 3.25%, 1/15/2031 | | | 371,000 | 420,337 |
VEREIT Operating Partnership LP, REIT, 3.4%, 1/15/2028 | | | 329,000 | 363,039 |
VEREIT Operating Partnership LP, REIT, 3.1%, 12/15/2029 | | | 1,317,000 | 1,420,184 |
| | | | $2,814,155 |
Restaurants – 0.1% |
McDonald's Corp., 4.2%, 4/01/2050 | | $ | 251,000 | $ 322,112 |
Retailers – 2.6% |
Alimentation Couche-Tard, Inc., 3.8%, 1/25/2050 (n) | | $ | 500,000 | $ 591,318 |
Best Buy Co., Inc., 4.45%, 10/01/2028 | | | 973,000 | 1,163,652 |
Dollar Tree, Inc., 4%, 5/15/2025 | | | 874,000 | 986,744 |
Dollar Tree, Inc., 4.2%, 5/15/2028 | | | 368,000 | 437,800 |
Home Depot, Inc., 3.3%, 4/15/2040 | | | 1,070,000 | 1,259,335 |
Home Depot, Inc., 4.875%, 2/15/2044 | | | 760,000 | 1,079,737 |
Lowe's Cos., Inc., 3%, 10/15/2050 | | | 470,000 | 501,024 |
| | | | $6,019,610 |
Telecommunications - Wireless – 4.1% |
American Tower Corp., REIT, 3.5%, 1/31/2023 | | $ | 371,000 | $ 393,420 |
American Tower Corp., REIT, 3%, 6/15/2023 | | | 1,049,000 | 1,111,380 |
American Tower Corp., REIT, 4%, 6/01/2025 | | | 1,000,000 | 1,129,535 |
American Tower Corp., REIT, 3.6%, 1/15/2028 | | | 1,133,000 | 1,286,668 |
American Tower Corp., REIT, 3.8%, 8/15/2029 | | | 553,000 | 642,627 |
Crown Castle International Corp., 5.25%, 1/15/2023 | | | 470,000 | 514,271 |
Crown Castle International Corp., 3.15%, 7/15/2023 | | | 878,000 | 933,938 |
Crown Castle International Corp., 4.45%, 2/15/2026 | | | 338,000 | 391,010 |
Crown Castle International Corp., 3.7%, 6/15/2026 | | | 533,000 | 600,496 |
T-Mobile USA, Inc., 2.05%, 2/15/2028 (n) | | | 1,201,000 | 1,249,232 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Telecommunications - Wireless – continued |
T-Mobile USA, Inc., 4.5%, 4/15/2050 (n) | | $ | 850,000 | $ 1,048,377 |
| | | | $9,300,954 |
Telephone Services – 0.8% |
AT&T, Inc., 2.55%, 12/01/2033 (n) | | $ | 689,000 | $ 708,485 |
Deutsche Telekom AG, 3.625%, 1/21/2050 (n) | | | 959,000 | 1,100,296 |
| | | | $1,808,781 |
Transportation - Services – 0.5% |
ERAC USA Finance LLC, 3.85%, 11/15/2024 (n) | | $ | 272,000 | $ 302,388 |
ERAC USA Finance LLC, 7%, 10/15/2037 (n) | | | 421,000 | 652,229 |
ERAC USA Finance LLC, 4.5%, 2/15/2045 (n) | | | 201,000 | 255,448 |
| | | | $1,210,065 |
U.S. Treasury Obligations – 1.2% |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 3.5%, 2/15/2039 (f) | | $ | 1,243,000 | $ 1,685,721 |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 3%, 2/15/2048 | | | 802,500 | 1,051,432 |
| | | | $2,737,153 |
Utilities - Electric Power – 8.5% |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co., 4.5%, 2/01/2045 | | $ | 597,000 | $ 754,699 |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co., 4.25%, 10/15/2050 (n) | | | 195,000 | 252,151 |
Duke Energy Corp., 3.75%, 9/01/2046 | | | 1,234,000 | 1,435,840 |
Duke Energy Progress LLC, 3.45%, 3/15/2029 | | | 582,000 | 675,732 |
Emera U.S. Finance LP, 3.55%, 6/15/2026 | | | 378,000 | 424,720 |
Enel Finance International N.V., 2.75%, 4/06/2023 (n) | | | 1,974,000 | 2,065,313 |
Enel Finance International N.V., 2.65%, 9/10/2024 | | | 1,077,000 | 1,147,038 |
Enel Finance International N.V., 3.625%, 5/25/2027 (n) | | | 471,000 | 534,248 |
Enel Finance International N.V., 4.75%, 5/25/2047 (n) | | | 460,000 | 611,526 |
Evergy, Inc., 2.9%, 9/15/2029 | | | 1,510,000 | 1,654,330 |
Eversource Energy, 2.9%, 10/01/2024 | | | 991,000 | 1,069,309 |
Exelon Corp., 3.497%, 6/01/2022 | | | 1,163,000 | 1,209,711 |
FirstEnergy Corp., 3.9%, 7/15/2027 | | | 707,000 | 779,033 |
FirstEnergy Corp., 3.4%, 3/01/2050 | | | 1,264,000 | 1,208,564 |
Georgia Power Co., 3.7%, 1/30/2050 | | | 128,000 | 152,901 |
NextEra Energy Capital Holdings, Inc., 3.15%, 4/01/2024 | | | 1,283,000 | 1,386,713 |
NextEra Energy Operating Co., 4.5%, 9/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,000,000 | 1,119,270 |
Pacific Gas & Electric Co., 2.1%, 8/01/2027 | | | 544,000 | 552,025 |
PG&E Corp., 5.25%, 7/01/2030 | | | 564,000 | 620,400 |
PPL Capital Funding, Inc., 5%, 3/15/2044 | | | 590,000 | 760,610 |
Southern Co., 2.95%, 7/01/2023 | | | 440,000 | 465,916 |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Utilities - Electric Power – continued |
Virginia Electric & Power Co., 2.875%, 7/15/2029 | | $ | 579,000 | $ 649,397 |
| | | | $19,529,446 |
Total Bonds (Identified Cost, $198,238,272) | | $ 222,217,731 |
Investment Companies (h) – 2.2% |
Money Market Funds – 2.2% | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $4,930,371) | | | 4,930,371 | $ 4,930,371 |
Other Assets, Less Liabilities – 0.5% | | 1,224,393 |
Net Assets – 100.0% | $ 228,372,495 |
(f) | All or a portion of the security has been segregated as collateral for open futures contracts. | | | |
(h) | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund's investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $4,930,371 and $222,217,731, respectively. | | | |
(i) | Interest only security for which the fund receives interest on notional principal (Par amount). Par amount shown is the notional principal and does not reflect the cost of the security. | | | |
(n) | Securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities may be sold in the ordinary course of business in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At period end, the aggregate value of these securities was $50,751,824, representing 22.2% of net assets. | | | |
(v) | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. | | | |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined: |
CMT | Constant Maturity Treasury |
FLR | Floating Rate. Interest rate resets periodically based on the parenthetically disclosed reference rate plus a spread (if any). The period-end rate reported may not be the current rate. All reference rates are USD unless otherwise noted. |
LIBOR | London Interbank Offered Rate |
NATL | National Public Finance Guarantee Corp. |
REIT | Real Estate Investment Trust |
SOFR | Secured Overnight Financing Rate |
Derivative Contracts at 12/31/20 |
Futures Contracts |
Description | Long/ Short | Currency | Contracts | Notional Amount | Expiration Date | Value/Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) |
Asset Derivative |
Interest Rate Futures | | |
U.S. Treasury Note 2 yr | Long | USD | 70 | $15,468,359 | March – 2021 | $12,877 |
U.S. Treasury Ultra Note 10 yr | Short | USD | 48 | 7,505,250 | March – 2021 | 5,826 |
| | | | | | $18,703 |
Liability Derivative |
Interest Rate Futures | | |
U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr | Short | USD | 97 | $13,393,578 | March – 2021 | $(25,360) |
U.S. Treasury Ultra Bond | Long | USD | 42 | 8,969,625 | March – 2021 | (47,407) |
| | | | | | $(72,767) |
At December 31, 2020, the fund had liquid securities with an aggregate value of $249,535 to cover any collateral or margin obligations for certain derivative contracts.
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Assets and Liabilities |
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
At 12/31/20Assets | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $198,238,272) | $222,217,731 |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $4,930,371) | 4,930,371 |
Receivables for | |
Net daily variation margin on open futures contracts | 12,074 |
Fund shares sold | 132,903 |
Interest | 1,987,253 |
Receivable from investment adviser | 9,261 |
Other assets | 1,426 |
Total assets | $229,291,019 |
Liabilities | |
Payables for | |
Investments purchased | $811,984 |
Fund shares reacquired | 34,810 |
Payable to affiliates | |
Administrative services fee | 207 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 35 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 2,307 |
Payable for independent Trustees' compensation | 162 |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 69,019 |
Total liabilities | $918,524 |
Net assets | $228,372,495 |
Net assets consist of | |
Paid-in capital | $194,597,568 |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | 33,774,927 |
Net assets | $228,372,495 |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | 18,150,666 |
| Net assets | Shares outstanding | Net asset value per share |
Initial Class | $59,133,495 | 4,651,000 | $12.71 |
Service Class | 169,239,000 | 13,499,666 | 12.54 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Operations |
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
Year ended 12/31/20 | |
Net investment income (loss) | |
Income | |
Interest | $7,522,100 |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | 18,118 |
Other | 16,078 |
Total investment income | $7,556,296 |
Expenses | |
Management fee | $1,284,829 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 390,952 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 6,721 |
Administrative services fee | 39,121 |
Independent Trustees' compensation | 8,259 |
Custodian fee | 16,352 |
Shareholder communications | 21,583 |
Audit and tax fees | 77,358 |
Legal fees | 1,863 |
Miscellaneous | 33,411 |
Total expenses | $1,880,449 |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | (137,977) |
Net expenses | $1,742,472 |
Net investment income (loss) | $5,813,824 |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | |
Unaffiliated issuers | $4,971,297 |
Affiliated issuers | (220) |
Futures contracts | (466,895) |
Net realized gain (loss) | $4,504,182 |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | |
Unaffiliated issuers | $9,502,288 |
Futures contracts | (81,964) |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | $9,420,324 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | $13,924,506 |
Change in net assets from operations | $19,738,330 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statements of Changes in Net Assets |
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 |
Change in net assets | | |
From operations | | |
Net investment income (loss) | $5,813,824 | $6,928,175 |
Net realized gain (loss) | 4,504,182 | 2,581,423 |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | 9,420,324 | 20,198,604 |
Change in net assets from operations | $19,738,330 | $29,708,202 |
Total distributions to shareholders | $(7,693,047) | $(8,024,012) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | $(3,220,009) | $(13,013,178) |
Total change in net assets | $8,825,274 | $8,671,012 |
Net assets | | |
At beginning of period | 219,547,221 | 210,876,209 |
At end of period | $228,372,495 | $219,547,221 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Financial Statements | Financial Highlights |
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund's financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
Initial Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $11.94 | $10.81 | $11.64 | $11.36 | $11.16 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.36 | $0.39 | $0.38 | $0.39 | $0.41(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 0.89 | 1.19 | (0.72) | 0.33 | 0.31 |
Total from investment operations | $1.25 | $1.58 | $(0.34) | $0.72 | $0.72 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.44) | $(0.45) | $(0.44) | $(0.44) | $(0.50) |
From net realized gain | (0.04) | — | (0.05) | — | (0.02) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(0.48) | $(0.45) | $(0.49) | $(0.44) | $(0.52) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $12.71 | $11.94 | $10.81 | $11.64 | $11.36 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 10.57 | 14.65 | (3.00) | 6.39 | 6.28(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 0.70 | 0.69 | 0.68 | 0.68 | 0.65(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 0.63 | 0.63 | 0.63 | 0.63 | 0.60(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 2.90 | 3.33 | 3.44 | 3.37 | 3.52(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 41 | 34 | 32 | 36 | 31 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $59,133 | $57,714 | $56,506 | $65,445 | $66,858 |
Service Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $11.78 | $10.66 | $11.49 | $11.22 | $11.03 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.32 | $0.35 | $0.35 | $0.36 | $0.37(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 0.89 | 1.19 | (0.72) | 0.32 | 0.30 |
Total from investment operations | $1.21 | $1.54 | $(0.37) | $0.68 | $0.67 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.41) | $(0.42) | $(0.41) | $(0.41) | $(0.46) |
From net realized gain | (0.04) | — | (0.05) | — | (0.02) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(0.45) | $(0.42) | $(0.46) | $(0.41) | $(0.48) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $12.54 | $11.78 | $10.66 | $11.49 | $11.22 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 10.34 | 14.46 | (3.31) | 6.11 | 5.98(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 0.95 | 0.94 | 0.93 | 0.93 | 0.90(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 0.88 | 0.88 | 0.88 | 0.88 | 0.85(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 2.65 | 3.08 | 3.18 | 3.12 | 3.27(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 41 | 34 | 32 | 36 | 31 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $169,239 | $161,833 | $154,370 | $194,337 | $188,440 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Financial Highlights - continued
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements
(1) Business and Organization
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services - Investment Companies.
(2) Significant Accounting Policies
General — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued. The fund invests in foreign securities. Investments in foreign securities are vulnerable to the effects of changes in the relative values of the local currency and the U.S. dollar and to the effects of changes in each country’s market, economic, industrial, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund's investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting — The fund's accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund's right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations — Debt instruments and floating rate loans, including restricted debt instruments, are generally valued at an evaluated or composite bid as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Futures contracts are generally valued at last posted settlement price on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Futures contracts for which there were no trades that day for a particular position are generally valued at the closing bid quotation on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund's assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment's level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures contracts. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund's assets or liabilities:
Financial Instruments | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total |
U.S. Treasury Bonds & U.S. Government Agencies & Equivalents | $— | $2,737,153 | $— | $2,737,153 |
Municipal Bonds | — | 3,122,902 | — | 3,122,902 |
U.S. Corporate Bonds | — | 178,247,174 | — | 178,247,174 |
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities | — | 79,151 | — | 79,151 |
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities | — | 82,826 | — | 82,826 |
Asset-Backed Securities (including CDOs) | — | 97,175 | — | 97,175 |
Foreign Bonds | — | 37,851,350 | — | 37,851,350 |
Mutual Funds | 4,930,371 | — | — | 4,930,371 |
Total | $4,930,371 | $222,217,731 | $— | $227,148,102 |
Other Financial Instruments | | | | |
Futures Contracts – Asset Derivative | $18,703 | $— | $— | $18,703 |
Futures Contracts – Liability Derivative | (72,767) | — | — | (72,767) |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Derivatives — The fund uses derivatives primarily to increase or decrease exposure to a particular market or segment of the market, or security, to increase or decrease interest rate or currency exposure, or as alternatives to direct investments. Derivatives are used for hedging or non-hedging purposes. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. When the fund uses derivatives as an investment to increase market exposure, or for hedging purposes, gains and losses from derivative instruments may be substantially greater than the derivative’s original cost.
The derivative instruments used by the fund during the period were futures contracts. Depending on the type of derivative, the fund may exit a derivative position by entering into an offsetting transaction with a counterparty or exchange, negotiating an agreement with the derivative counterparty, or novating the position to a third party. The fund may be unable to promptly close out a futures position in instances where the daily fluctuation in the price for that type of future exceeds the daily limit set by the exchange. The fund's period end derivatives, as presented in the Portfolio of Investments and the associated Derivative Contract tables, generally are indicative of the volume of its derivative activity during the period.
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the fair value, on a gross basis, of the asset and liability components of derivatives held by the fund at December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:
| | Fair Value (a) |
Risk | Derivative Contracts | Asset Derivatives | Liability Derivatives |
Interest Rate | Interest Rate Futures | $18,703 | $(72,767) |
(a) Values presented in this table for futures contracts correspond to the values reported in the fund's Portfolio of Investments. Only the current day net variation margin for futures contracts is separately reported within the fund's Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the realized gain (loss) on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
Risk | Futures Contracts |
Interest Rate | $(466,895) |
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
Risk | Futures Contracts |
Interest Rate | $(81,964) |
Derivative counterparty credit risk is managed through formal evaluation of the creditworthiness of all potential counterparties. On certain, but not all, uncleared derivatives, the fund attempts to reduce its exposure to counterparty credit risk whenever possible by entering into an ISDA Master Agreement on a bilateral basis. The ISDA Master Agreement gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under such agreement if there is a specified deterioration in the credit quality of the other party. Upon an event of default or a termination of the ISDA Master Agreement, the non-defaulting party has the right to close out all transactions traded under such agreement and to net amounts owed under each agreement to one net amount payable by one party to the other. This right to close out and net payments across all transactions traded under the ISDA Master Agreement could result in a reduction of the fund's credit risk to such counterparty equal to any amounts payable by the fund under the applicable transactions, if any.
Collateral and margin requirements differ by type of derivative. For cleared derivatives (e.g., futures contracts, cleared swaps, and exchange-traded options), margin requirements are set by the clearing broker and the clearing house and collateral, in the form of cash or securities, is posted by the fund directly with the clearing broker. Collateral terms are counterparty agreement specific for uncleared derivatives (e.g., forward foreign currency exchange contracts, uncleared swap agreements, and uncleared options) and collateral, in the form of cash and securities, is held in segregated accounts with the fund's custodian in connection with these agreements. For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, which contains a collateral support annex, the collateral requirements are netted across all transactions traded under such counterparty-specific agreement and an amount is posted from one party to the other to collateralize such obligations. Cash that has been segregated or delivered to cover the fund's collateral or margin obligations under derivative contracts, if any, will be reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as restricted cash for uncleared derivatives and/or deposits with brokers for cleared derivatives. Securities pledged as collateral or margin for the same purpose, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. The fund may be required to make payments of interest on uncovered collateral or margin obligations with the broker. Any such payments are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
Futures Contracts — The fund entered into futures contracts which may be used to hedge against or obtain broad market exposure, interest rate exposure, currency exposure, or to manage duration. A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.
Upon entering into a futures contract, the fund is required to deposit with the broker, either in cash or securities, an initial margin in an amount equal to a specified percentage of the notional amount of the contract. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are made or received by the fund each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract, and are recorded for financial statement purposes as unrealized gain or loss by the fund until the contract is closed or expires at which point the gain or loss on futures contracts is realized.
The fund bears the risk of interest rates, exchange rates or securities prices moving unexpectedly, in which case, the fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the futures contracts and may realize a loss. While futures contracts may present less counterparty risk to the fund since the contracts are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse guarantees payments to the broker, there is still counterparty credit risk due to the insolvency of the broker. The fund’s maximum risk of loss due to counterparty credit risk is equal to the margin posted by the fund to the broker plus any gains or minus any losses on the outstanding futures contracts.
Indemnifications — Under the fund's organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund's maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
Investment Transactions and Income — Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. All premium and discount is amortized or accreted for financial statement purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Interest payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-interest date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
Tax Matters and Distributions — The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to amortization and accretion of debt securities.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | $7,393,039 | $8,024,012 |
Long-term capital gains | 300,008 | — |
Total distributions | $7,693,047 | $8,024,012 |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
As of 12/31/20 | |
Cost of investments | $203,417,984 |
Gross appreciation | 23,789,929 |
Gross depreciation | (113,875) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | $23,676,054 |
Undistributed ordinary income | 5,900,606 |
Undistributed long-term capital gain | 4,198,267 |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest — The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund's income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Initial Class | $2,184,264 | | $2,204,366 |
Service Class | 5,508,783 | | 5,819,646 |
Total | $7,693,047 | | $8,024,012 |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
(3) Transactions with Affiliates
Investment Adviser — The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund's average daily net assets:
Up to $1 billion | 0.60% |
In excess of $1 billion | 0.50% |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund's Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $23,530, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.59% of the fund's average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.63% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 0.88% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reduction amounted to $114,447, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations.
Distributor — MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund's distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
Shareholder Servicing Agent — MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $6,317, which equated to 0.0029% annually of the fund's average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $404.
Administrator — MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0183% of the fund's average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation — The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other — The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
(4) Portfolio Securities
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, were as follows:
| Purchases | Sales |
U.S. Government securities | $3,910,817 | $14,484,048 |
Non-U.S. Government securities | 81,596,403 | 76,564,881 |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
(5) Shares of Beneficial Interest
The fund's Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
| Shares | Amount | | Shares | Amount |
Shares sold | | | | | |
Initial Class | 512,275 | $6,356,882 | | 202,825 | $2,364,950 |
Service Class | 2,413,646 | 29,610,213 | | 1,370,646 | 15,476,443 |
| 2,925,921 | $35,967,095 | | 1,573,471 | $17,841,393 |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | |
Initial Class | 177,294 | $2,184,264 | | 184,930 | $2,204,366 |
Service Class | 453,025 | 5,508,783 | | 494,447 | 5,819,646 |
| 630,319 | $7,693,047 | | 679,377 | $8,024,012 |
Shares reacquired | | | | | |
Initial Class | (873,200) | $(10,710,012) | | (781,648) | $(9,055,470) |
Service Class | (3,109,400) | (36,170,139) | | (2,597,324) | (29,823,113) |
| (3,982,600) | $(46,880,151) | | (3,378,972) | $(38,878,583) |
Net change | | | | | |
Initial Class | (183,631) | $(2,168,866) | | (393,893) | $(4,486,154) |
Service Class | (242,729) | (1,051,143) | | (732,231) | (8,527,024) |
| (426,360) | $(3,220,009) | | (1,126,124) | $(13,013,178) |
(6) Line of Credit
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $1,143 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) Investments in Affiliated Issuers
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
Affiliated Issuers | Beginning Value | Purchases | Sales Proceeds | Realized Gain (Loss) | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | Ending Value |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $4,381,121 | $84,199,818 | $83,650,348 | $(220) | $— | $4,930,371 |
Affiliated Issuers | Dividend Income | Capital Gain Distributions |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $18,118 | $— |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
(8) Impacts of COVID-19
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund's investments and the fund's performance.
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not recieved from brokers we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Trustees and Officers — Identification and Background
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES | | |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES | | |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head - Treasurer's Office (until February 2017) |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board's retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
Investment Adviser | Custodian |
Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
Distributor | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
Portfolio Manager(s) | |
Alexander Mackey Henry Peabody Robert Persons | |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 2nd quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 2nd quintile for each of the one- and three-year periods ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate and total expense ratio were each higher than the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to a contractual breakpoint that reduces the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $1 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoint and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio
Proxy Voting Policies and Information
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Quarterly Portfolio Disclosure
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund's fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
Information About Fund Contracts and Legal Claims
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Federal Tax Information (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund designates $331,000 as capital gain dividends paid during the fiscal year.
The fund intends to pass through the maximum amount allowable as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends as defined in Treasury Regulation §1.163(j)-1(b).
FACTS | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? |
Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: |
• Social Security number and account balances |
• Account transactions and transaction history |
• Checking account information and wire transfer instructions |
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
How? | All financial companies need to share customers' personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers' personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
Reasons we can share your personal information | Does MFS share? | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | Yes | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | No | We don't share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | No | We don't share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | No | We don't share |
Questions? | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you |
• open an account or provide account information |
• direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities |
• make a wire transfer |
We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can't I limit all sharing? | Federal law gives you the right to limit only |
• sharing for affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness |
• affiliates from using your information to market to you |
• sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you |
State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
Definitions |
Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. |
• MFS doesn't jointly market. |
Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Core Equity Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
MFS® Core Equity Portfolio
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The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE •
NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Portfolio structure
Top ten holdings
Apple, Inc. | 6.4% |
Microsoft Corp. | 5.2% |
Amazon.com, Inc. | 4.7% |
Alphabet, Inc., “A” | 3.1% |
Facebook, Inc., “A” | 2.1% |
Johnson & Johnson | 2.0% |
Visa, Inc., “A” | 1.9% |
Adobe Systems, Inc. | 1.6% |
Merck & Co., Inc. | 1.5% |
Bank of America Corp. | 1.4% |
Global equity sectors (k)
Technology | 31.2% |
Financial Services | 14.8% |
Health Care (s) | 14.1% |
Capital Goods (s) | 13.2% |
Consumer Cyclicals | 13.1% |
Energy | 5.0% |
Consumer Staples | 4.7% |
Telecommunications and Cable Television | 3.3% |
(k) | The sectors set forth above and the associated portfolio composition are based on MFS’ own custom sector classification methodology. |
(s) | Includes securities sold short. |
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Other includes equivalent exposure from currency derivatives and/or any offsets to derivative positions and may be negative.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Management Review
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Core Equity Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 18.71%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 18.39%. These compare with a return of 20.89% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the Russell 3000® Index.
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest — albeit the deepest and steepest — recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public's willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies — a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Detractors from Performance
Security selection within the capital goods sector detracted from performance relative to the Russell 3000® Index, led by the fund's not holding shares of strong-performing electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla. The share price of Tesla appreciated throughout the period after the company disclosed record deliveries amid the launch of its Model Y and China factory. Additionally, Tesla was added as a constituent to the S&P 500 Index, which further boosted its stock performance.
Security selection in both the health care and technology sectors also hindered relative performance. Within the health care sector, the fund’s overweight position in medical devices maker Boston Scientific weakened relative returns. Within the technology sector, an overweight position in semiconductor company Intel, and not holding shares of computer graphics processors maker NVIDIA and digital payment technology developer Paypal Holdings, weighed on the fund's relative results. The share price of Intel depreciated driven by weakness in its Data Center Group. Additionally, the firm came under pressure as management delayed the ramp-up of its 7nm process technology, while competitor AMD appeared to have gained market share in PCs and server chips.
Elsewhere, the timing of the fund’s ownership in shares of diversified financial services firm Citigroup(h), and its overweight positions in weak-performing real estate investment trust EPR Properties, integrated energy company Chevron, banking services provider Truist Financial and financial services firm U.S. Bancorp, further dampened relative returns.
Contributors to Performance
Security selection in the financial services sector contributed to relative performance, led by the timing of the fund’s ownership in shares of diversified financial services firm Wells Fargo, and not owning shares of weak-performing global financial services firm JPMorgan Chase.
Security selection in both the telecommunications and cable television and energy sectors also bolstered relative results. Within the telecommunications and cable television sector, not owning shares of telecommunication services provider AT&T, and the timing of the fund’s ownership in shares of broadcast and communication tower management firm American Tower(h), supported relative
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Management Review - continued
results. Within the energy sector, not holding shares of integrated oil and gas company Exxon Mobil also helped relative returns. The share price of Exxon Mobil suffered as oil and gas prices came under significant pressure during the period due to lower volumes and production caused by the COVID-19 virus and the price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Stocks in other sectors that were among the fund's top relative contributors included its overweight positions in computer and personal electronics maker Apple, internet retailer Amazon.com and integrated circuits and electronic devices developer Cadence Design Systems. Despite headwinds related to COVID-19, the share price of Apple appreciated as product demand recovered more rapidly than expected and the shift toward work-from-home and remote learning supported strong iPhone and iPad sales. Additionally, shares of Apple reacted positively to the announcement of a new line of its flagship iPhone product with 5G compatibility. Lastly, not holding shares of aerospace company Boeing, and the fund’s holdings of analytics provider Clarivate Analytics(b), also aided relative returns.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Joseph MacDougall
(b) | Security is not a benchmark constituent. |
(h) | Security was not held in the portfolio at period end. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Performance Summary Through 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
Share Class | Class Inception Date | 1-yr | 5-yr | 10-yr |
Initial Class | 5/12/97 | 18.71% | 16.15% | 13.82% |
Service Class | 8/24/01 | 18.39% | 15.85% | 13.53% |
Comparative benchmark(s)
Russell 3000® Index (f) | 20.89% | 15.43% | 13.79% |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
Russell 3000® Index(h) – constructed to provide a comprehensive barometer for the 3,000 largest U.S. companies based on total market capitalization, which represents approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(h) | Frank Russell Company (“Russell”) is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks, and copyrights related to the Russell Indexes. Russell® is a trademark of Frank Russell Company. Neither Russell nor its licensors accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the Russell Indexes and/or Russell ratings or underlying data and no party may rely on any Russell Indexes and/or Russell ratings and/or underlying data contained in this document. No further distribution of Russell Data is permitted without Russell's express written consent. Russell does not promote, sponsor, or endorse the content of this document. |
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund's performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Performance Summary – continued
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Expense Table
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund's ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
Share Class | | Annualized Expense Ratio | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 |
Initial Class | Actual | 0.85% | $1,000.00 | $1,217.51 | $4.74 |
Hypothetical (h) | 0.85% | $1,000.00 | $1,020.86 | $4.32 |
Service Class | Actual | 1.10% | $1,000.00 | $1,215.61 | $6.13 |
Hypothetical (h) | 1.10% | $1,000.00 | $1,019.61 | $5.58 |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class's annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
Notes to Expense Table
Expense ratios include 0.02% of investment related expenses from short sales (See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements) that are outside of the expense limitation arrangement (See Note 3 of the Notes to Financial Statements).
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments − 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – 100.2% |
Aerospace – 2.7% | |
CACI International, Inc., “A” (a) | | 1,324 | $ 330,113 |
Curtiss-Wright Corp. | | 3,505 | 407,807 |
Honeywell International, Inc. | | 8,788 | 1,869,208 |
KBR, Inc. | | 12,257 | 379,109 |
L3Harris Technologies, Inc. | | 4,520 | 854,370 |
Northrop Grumman Corp. | | 1,759 | 536,003 |
PAE, Inc. (a) | | 65,330 | 599,729 |
Raytheon Technologies Corp. | | 19,579 | 1,400,094 |
| | | | $6,376,433 |
Alcoholic Beverages – 0.3% | |
Constellation Brands, Inc., “A” | | 3,264 | $ 714,979 |
Apparel Manufacturers – 0.3% | |
Skechers USA, Inc., “A” (a) | | 21,904 | $ 787,230 |
Automotive – 1.3% | |
Aptiv PLC | | 9,601 | $ 1,250,914 |
LKQ Corp. (a) | | 30,056 | 1,059,173 |
Visteon Corp. (a) | | 5,684 | 713,456 |
| | | | $3,023,543 |
Biotechnology – 0.9% | |
Adaptive Biotechnologies Corp. (a) | | 4,554 | $ 269,278 |
Illumina, Inc. (a) | | 1,511 | 559,070 |
Seer, Inc. (a) | | 521 | 29,249 |
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a) | | 5,394 | 1,274,818 |
| | | | $2,132,415 |
Broadcasting – 0.5% | |
Netflix, Inc. (a) | | 1,993 | $ 1,077,675 |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 1.7% | |
Cboe Global Markets, Inc. | | 7,289 | $ 678,752 |
Charles Schwab Corp. | | 52,671 | 2,793,670 |
NASDAQ, Inc. | | 2,802 | 371,937 |
| | | | $3,844,359 |
Business Services – 3.3% | |
Accenture PLC, “A” | | 2,990 | $ 781,018 |
Amdocs Ltd. | | 7,151 | 507,220 |
Clarivate PLC (a) | | 49,572 | 1,472,784 |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. | | 7,935 | 1,122,485 |
Fiserv, Inc. (a) | | 8,187 | 932,172 |
Global Payments, Inc. | | 5,213 | 1,122,985 |
Proofpoint, Inc. (a) | | 3,300 | 450,153 |
Verisk Analytics, Inc., “A” | | 6,493 | 1,347,882 |
| | | | $7,736,699 |
Cable TV – 1.2% | |
Cable One, Inc. | | 143 | $ 318,564 |
Liberty Broadband Corp. (a) | | 15,978 | 2,530,436 |
| | | | $2,849,000 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Chemicals – 0.6% | |
Element Solutions, Inc. | | 52,069 | $ 923,183 |
FMC Corp. | | 4,755 | 546,492 |
| | | | $1,469,675 |
Computer Software – 10.2% | |
Adobe Systems, Inc. (a) | | 7,534 | $ 3,767,904 |
Atlassian Corp. PLC, “A” (a) | | 7,093 | 1,658,840 |
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (a) | | 9,694 | 1,322,553 |
Eventbrite, Inc. (a) | | 42,639 | 771,766 |
Everbridge, Inc. (a) | | 6,301 | 939,290 |
Microsoft Corp. | | 54,420 | 12,104,096 |
Ping Identity Holding Corp. (a) | | 7,177 | 205,549 |
salesforce.com, inc. (a) | | 13,367 | 2,974,559 |
| | | | $23,744,557 |
Computer Software - Systems – 8.1% | |
Apple, Inc. (s) | | 111,212 | $ 14,756,720 |
EPAM Systems, Inc. (a) | | 1,924 | 689,466 |
ServiceNow, Inc. (a) | | 2,988 | 1,644,685 |
Square, Inc., “A” (a) | | 4,449 | 968,280 |
Zebra Technologies Corp., “A” (a) | | 2,039 | 783,649 |
| | | | $18,842,800 |
Construction – 1.7% | |
AvalonBay Communities, Inc., REIT | | 4,584 | $ 735,411 |
AZEK Co. LLC (a) | | 5,283 | 203,131 |
D.R. Horton, Inc. | | 3,869 | 266,652 |
Masco Corp. | | 13,270 | 728,921 |
Otis Worldwide Corp. | | 7,575 | 511,691 |
Sherwin-Williams Co. | | 1,134 | 833,388 |
Vulcan Materials Co. | | 4,544 | 673,921 |
| | | | $3,953,115 |
Consumer Products – 1.4% | |
Colgate-Palmolive Co. | | 13,822 | $ 1,181,919 |
Energizer Holdings, Inc. | | 2,615 | 110,301 |
Kimberly-Clark Corp. | | 6,519 | 878,957 |
Procter & Gamble Co. | | 8,321 | 1,157,784 |
| | | | $3,328,961 |
Consumer Services – 0.4% | |
Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Inc. (a) | | 1,467 | $ 253,776 |
Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (a) | | 6,740 | 627,562 |
| | | | $881,338 |
Containers – 0.3% | |
Ball Corp. | | 7,242 | $ 674,809 |
Electrical Equipment – 1.2% | |
AMETEK, Inc. | | 5,416 | $ 655,011 |
Johnson Controls International PLC | | 10,235 | 476,849 |
Sensata Technologies Holding PLC (a) | | 24,279 | 1,280,474 |
TE Connectivity Ltd. | | 2,660 | 322,046 |
| | | | $2,734,380 |
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Electronics – 3.9% | |
Applied Materials, Inc. | | 19,831 | $ 1,711,415 |
Intel Corp. | | 25,503 | 1,270,560 |
Lam Research Corp. | | 2,218 | 1,047,495 |
Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. | | 1,522 | 557,402 |
NXP Semiconductors N.V. | | 11,916 | 1,894,763 |
Silicon Laboratories, Inc. (a) | | 1,472 | 187,445 |
Texas Instruments, Inc. | | 14,472 | 2,375,289 |
| | | | $9,044,369 |
Energy - Independent – 0.7% | |
ConocoPhillips | | 15,006 | $ 600,090 |
Diamondback Energy, Inc. | | 7,041 | 340,784 |
Pioneer Natural Resources Co. | | 3,220 | 366,726 |
Valero Energy Corp. | | 7,049 | 398,762 |
| | | | $1,706,362 |
Energy - Integrated – 0.8% | |
Chevron Corp. | | 20,609 | $ 1,740,430 |
Food & Beverages – 2.5% | |
Archer Daniels Midland Co. | | 12,017 | $ 605,777 |
Coca-Cola Co. | | 7,297 | 400,168 |
Coca-Cola European Partners PLC | | 6,937 | 345,671 |
Hostess Brands, Inc. (a) | | 23,452 | 343,337 |
J.M. Smucker Co. | | 2,999 | 346,684 |
Mondelez International, Inc. | | 25,745 | 1,505,310 |
Nomad Foods Ltd. (a) | | 8,869 | 225,450 |
PepsiCo, Inc. | | 13,597 | 2,016,435 |
| | | | $5,788,832 |
Food & Drug Stores – 1.1% | |
Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (a) | | 5,992 | $ 235,186 |
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | | 15,658 | 2,257,101 |
| | | | $2,492,287 |
Gaming & Lodging – 0.6% | |
Marriott International, Inc., “A” | | 5,893 | $ 777,405 |
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. | | 9,355 | 556,061 |
| | | | $1,333,466 |
General Merchandise – 0.8% | |
Dollar General Corp. | | 8,619 | $ 1,812,576 |
Health Maintenance Organizations – 1.6% | |
Cigna Corp. | | 10,427 | $ 2,170,693 |
Humana, Inc. | | 3,627 | 1,488,049 |
| | | | $3,658,742 |
Insurance – 3.5% | |
Aon PLC | | 11,340 | $ 2,395,802 |
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | | 10,031 | 1,240,935 |
Assurant, Inc. | | 5,041 | 686,685 |
Chubb Ltd. | | 9,814 | 1,510,571 |
Everest Re Group Ltd. | | 1,354 | 316,958 |
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. | | 15,763 | 772,072 |
MetLife, Inc. | | 11,588 | 544,056 |
Reinsurance Group of America, Inc. | | 3,352 | 388,497 |
Third Point Reinsurance Ltd. (a) | | 34,398 | 327,469 |
| | | | $8,183,045 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Internet – 5.2% | |
Airbnb, Inc., “A” (a) | | 412 | $ 60,482 |
Alphabet, Inc., “A” (a)(s) | | 4,057 | 7,110,460 |
Facebook, Inc., “A” (a) | | 17,707 | 4,836,844 |
| | | | $12,007,786 |
Leisure & Toys – 0.7% | |
Electronic Arts, Inc. | | 11,672 | $ 1,676,099 |
Machinery & Tools – 2.1% | |
Caterpillar, Inc. | | 4,572 | $ 832,196 |
Cummins, Inc. | | 2,266 | 514,609 |
Eaton Corp. PLC | | 6,829 | 820,436 |
IDEX Corp. | | 1,922 | 382,862 |
Ingersoll Rand, Inc. (a) | | 9,896 | 450,862 |
Roper Technologies, Inc. | | 2,899 | 1,249,730 |
Trane Technologies PLC | | 4,015 | 582,817 |
| | | | $4,833,512 |
Major Banks – 3.8% | |
Bank of America Corp. | | 103,531 | $ 3,138,025 |
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. | | 9,702 | 2,558,514 |
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. | | 13,162 | 1,961,138 |
Wells Fargo & Co. | | 35,245 | 1,063,694 |
| | | | $8,721,371 |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 2.2% | |
IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. (a) | | 935 | $ 467,378 |
McKesson Corp. | | 8,269 | 1,438,145 |
PRA Health Sciences, Inc. (a) | | 15,209 | 1,907,817 |
Quest Diagnostics, Inc. | | 8,506 | 1,013,660 |
Teladoc Health, Inc. (a) | | 1,389 | 277,744 |
| | | | $5,104,744 |
Medical Equipment – 4.2% | |
Becton, Dickinson and Co. | | 5,070 | $ 1,268,615 |
Boston Scientific Corp. (a) | | 40,948 | 1,472,081 |
Danaher Corp. | | 3,242 | 720,178 |
Maravai Lifesciences Holdings, Inc., “A” (a) | | 35,008 | 981,974 |
Masimo Corp. (a) | | 742 | 199,138 |
Medtronic PLC | | 21,787 | 2,552,129 |
PerkinElmer, Inc. | | 7,342 | 1,053,577 |
STERIS PLC | | 8,025 | 1,521,059 |
| | | | $9,768,751 |
Natural Gas - Pipeline – 0.3% | |
Cheniere Energy, Inc. (a) | | 3,855 | $ 231,416 |
Enterprise Products Partners LP | | 20,043 | 392,642 |
| | | | $624,058 |
Network & Telecom – 0.5% | |
Equinix, Inc., REIT | | 1,517 | $ 1,083,411 |
Oil Services – 0.3% | |
Cactus, Inc., “A” | | 7,447 | $ 194,143 |
ChampionX Corp. (a) | | 35,956 | 550,127 |
| | | | $744,270 |
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 4.0% | |
Bank OZK | | 18,238 | $ 570,302 |
Moody's Corp. | | 2,965 | 860,562 |
Northern Trust Corp. | | 6,387 | 594,885 |
Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. | | 2,909 | 201,768 |
SVB Financial Group (a) | | 1,049 | 406,834 |
Truist Financial Corp. | | 31,783 | 1,523,359 |
U.S. Bancorp | | 14,218 | 662,417 |
Visa, Inc., “A” | | 20,087 | 4,393,629 |
| | | | $9,213,756 |
Pharmaceuticals – 5.7% | |
Eli Lilly & Co. | | 17,132 | $ 2,892,567 |
Johnson & Johnson | | 28,982 | 4,561,187 |
Merck & Co., Inc. | | 43,238 | 3,536,868 |
Zoetis, Inc. | | 13,348 | 2,209,094 |
| | | | $13,199,716 |
Pollution Control – 0.3% | |
GFL Environmental, Inc. | | 20,737 | $ 605,106 |
U.S. Ecology, Inc. | | 4,950 | 179,833 |
| | | | $784,939 |
Printing & Publishing – 0.1% | |
Warner Music Group Corp. | | 6,793 | $ 258,066 |
Railroad & Shipping – 1.2% | |
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. | | 4,316 | $ 1,496,314 |
Kansas City Southern Co. | | 6,802 | 1,388,492 |
| | | | $2,884,806 |
Real Estate – 1.9% | |
Broadstone Net Lease, Inc. | | 25,182 | $ 493,064 |
EPR Properties, REIT | | 42,641 | 1,385,832 |
Industrial Logistics Properties Trust, REIT | | 21,204 | 493,841 |
Lexington Realty Trust, REIT | | 28,161 | 299,070 |
STORE Capital Corp., REIT | | 22,501 | 764,584 |
Sun Communities, Inc., REIT | | 1,870 | 284,147 |
W.P. Carey, Inc., REIT | | 9,945 | 701,918 |
| | | | $4,422,456 |
Restaurants – 1.6% | |
Performance Food Group Co. (a) | | 7,258 | $ 345,554 |
Starbucks Corp. | | 19,387 | 2,074,021 |
Texas Roadhouse, Inc. | | 5,545 | 433,397 |
Wendy's Co. | | 34,511 | 756,481 |
| | | | $3,609,453 |
Specialty Chemicals – 1.5% | |
Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. | | 3,750 | $ 1,024,575 |
Avient Corp. | | 16,099 | 648,468 |
Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. (a) | | 19,871 | 567,317 |
DuPont de Nemours, Inc. | | 13,132 | 933,816 |
Univar Solutions, Inc. (a) | | 14,613 | 277,793 |
| | | | $3,451,969 |
Specialty Stores – 7.1% | |
Amazon.com, Inc. (a)(s) | | 3,371 | $ 10,979,111 |
AutoZone, Inc. (a) | | 1,046 | 1,239,970 |
Burlington Stores, Inc. (a) | | 2,359 | 616,997 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Specialty Stores – continued | |
Home Depot, Inc. | | 8,001 | $ 2,125,226 |
Ross Stores, Inc. | | 7,651 | 939,619 |
Urban Outfitters, Inc. (a) | | 24,687 | 631,987 |
| | | | $16,532,910 |
Telecommunications - Wireless – 1.8% | |
SBA Communications Corp., REIT | | 5,346 | $ 1,508,267 |
T-Mobile USA, Inc. (a) | | 19,202 | 2,589,390 |
| | | | $4,097,657 |
Telephone Services – 0.5% | |
Verizon Communications, Inc. | | 19,112 | $ 1,122,830 |
Tobacco – 0.4% | |
Philip Morris International, Inc. | | 12,504 | $ 1,035,206 |
Trucking – 0.3% | |
Forward Air Corp. | | 6,165 | $ 473,718 |
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. | | 2,464 | 336,706 |
| | | | $810,424 |
Utilities - Electric Power – 2.9% | |
American Electric Power Co., Inc. | | 9,347 | $ 778,325 |
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. | | 19,161 | 414,644 |
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (a)(z) | | 11,576 | 250,505 |
DTE Energy Co. | | 2,753 | 334,242 |
Duke Energy Corp. | | 4,549 | 416,506 |
Evergy, Inc. | | 7,660 | 425,207 |
Exelon Corp. | | 16,017 | 676,238 |
NextEra Energy, Inc. | | 21,684 | 1,672,920 |
PG&E Corp. (a) | | 38,374 | 478,140 |
Pinnacle West Capital Corp. | | 3,842 | 307,168 |
Southern Co. | | 8,292 | 509,377 |
Xcel Energy, Inc. | | 8,515 | 567,695 |
| | | | $6,830,967 |
Total Common Stocks (Identified Cost, $145,331,919) | | $ 232,751,234 |
Investment Companies (h) – 0.6% |
Money Market Funds – 0.6% | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $1,489,118) | | | 1,489,118 | $ 1,489,118 |
Securities Sold Short – (0.8)% |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – (0.5)% |
Healthcare Services Group, Inc. | | | (41,530) | $ (1,166,993) |
Telecommunications - Wireless – (0.2)% |
Crown Castle International Corp., REIT | | | (2,286) | $ (363,908) |
Trucking – (0.1)% |
XPO Logistics, Inc. | | | (1,913) | $ (228,030) |
Total Securities Sold Short (Proceeds Received, $1,522,683) | $ (1,758,931) |
Other Assets, Less Liabilities – (0.0)% | | (92,397) |
Net Assets – 100.0% | $ 232,389,024 |
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
(a) | Non-income producing security. |
(h) | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund's investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $1,489,118 and $232,751,234, respectively. |
(s) | Security or a portion of the security was pledged to cover collateral requirements for securities sold short. |
(v) | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. |
(z) | Restricted securities are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and are subject to legal restrictions on resale. These securities generally may be resold in transactions exempt from registration or to the public if the securities are subsequently registered. Disposal of these securities may involve time-consuming negotiations and prompt sale at an acceptable price may be difficult. The fund holds the following restricted securities: |
Restricted Securities | Acquisition Date | Cost | Value |
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. | 5/07/20 | $186,142 | $250,505 |
% of Net assets | | | 0.1% |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined: |
REIT | Real Estate Investment Trust |
At December 31, 2020, the fund had cash collateral of $22,014 and other liquid securities with an aggregate value of $4,002,807 to cover any collateral or margin obligations for securities sold short. Restricted cash and/or deposits with brokers in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are comprised of cash collateral.
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Assets and Liabilities |
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
At 12/31/20Assets | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $145,331,919) | $232,751,234 |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $1,489,118) | 1,489,118 |
Cash | 2,147 |
Deposits with brokers for | |
Securities sold short | 22,014 |
Receivables for | |
Fund shares sold | 4,682 |
Dividends | 203,915 |
Other assets | 1,384 |
Total assets | $234,474,494 |
Liabilities | |
Payables for | |
Securities sold short, at value (proceeds received, $1,522,683) | $1,758,931 |
Fund shares reacquired | 255,014 |
Payable to affiliates | |
Investment adviser | 9,325 |
Administrative services fee | 210 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 74 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 744 |
Payable for independent Trustees' compensation | 142 |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 61,030 |
Total liabilities | $2,085,470 |
Net assets | $232,389,024 |
Net assets consist of | |
Paid-in capital | $124,782,705 |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | 107,606,319 |
Net assets | $232,389,024 |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | 8,362,913 |
| Net assets | Shares outstanding | Net asset value per share |
Initial Class | $177,571,072 | 6,369,871 | $27.88 |
Service Class | 54,817,952 | 1,993,042 | 27.50 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Operations |
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
Year ended 12/31/20 | |
Net investment income (loss) | |
Income | |
Dividends | $2,915,445 |
Other | 18,157 |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | 9,094 |
Income on securities loaned | 713 |
Foreign taxes withheld | (7,049) |
Total investment income | $2,936,360 |
Expenses | |
Management fee | $1,546,467 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 117,481 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 13,625 |
Administrative services fee | 38,024 |
Independent Trustees' compensation | 8,268 |
Custodian fee | 11,800 |
Shareholder communications | 23,206 |
Audit and tax fees | 58,710 |
Legal fees | 3,337 |
Dividend and interest expense on securities sold short | 56,407 |
Interest expense and fees | 1,069 |
Miscellaneous | 32,053 |
Total expenses | $1,910,447 |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | (22,664) |
Net expenses | $1,887,783 |
Net investment income (loss) | $1,048,577 |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | |
Unaffiliated issuers | $19,785,065 |
Affiliated issuers | (663) |
Securities sold short | (117,599) |
Foreign currency | (232) |
Net realized gain (loss) | $19,666,571 |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | |
Unaffiliated issuers | $16,463,129 |
Affiliated issuers | 22 |
Securities sold short | (226,175) |
Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies | (26) |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | $16,236,950 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | $35,903,521 |
Change in net assets from operations | $36,952,098 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statements of Changes in Net Assets |
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 |
Change in net assets | | |
From operations | | |
Net investment income (loss) | $1,048,577 | $1,426,764 |
Net realized gain (loss) | 19,666,571 | 10,423,720 |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | 16,236,950 | 46,036,440 |
Change in net assets from operations | $36,952,098 | $57,886,924 |
Total distributions to shareholders | $(11,731,291) | $(28,139,029) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | $(7,064,004) | $(1,702,049) |
Total change in net assets | $18,156,803 | $28,045,846 |
Net assets | | |
At beginning of period | 214,232,221 | 186,186,375 |
At end of period | $232,389,024 | $214,232,221 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Financial Statements | Financial Highlights |
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund's financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
Initial Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $24.81 | $21.68 | $25.21 | $21.67 | $21.28 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.14 | $0.18 | $0.20 | $0.17 | $0.21(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 4.38 | 6.59 | (0.78) | 5.04 | 2.16 |
Total from investment operations | $4.52 | $6.77 | $(0.58) | $5.21 | $2.37 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.18) | $(0.21) | $(0.18) | $(0.23) | $(0.17) |
From net realized gain | (1.27) | (3.43) | (2.77) | (1.44) | (1.81) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(1.45) | $(3.64) | $(2.95) | $(1.67) | $(1.98) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $27.88 | $24.81 | $21.68 | $25.21 | $21.67 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 18.71 | 33.19 | (3.83) | 24.82 | 11.38(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 0.87 | 0.88 | 0.87 | 0.87 | 0.84(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 0.86 | 0.87 | 0.86 | 0.86 | 0.82(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 0.56 | 0.75 | 0.79 | 0.72 | 1.00(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 46 | 37 | 40 | 39 | 60 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $177,571 | $167,488 | $144,991 | $171,038 | $156,040 |
Supplemental Ratios (%): | | | | | |
Ratios of expenses to average net assets after expense reductions excluding short sale expenses and interest expense and fees (f) | 0.83 | 0.83 | 0.83 | 0.84 | 0.80(c) |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Financial Highlights - continued
Service Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $24.50 | $21.44 | $24.96 | $21.47 | $21.10 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.08 | $0.12 | $0.14 | $0.11 | $0.16(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 4.31 | 6.51 | (0.78) | 4.99 | 2.13 |
Total from investment operations | $4.39 | $6.63 | $(0.64) | $5.10 | $2.29 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.12) | $(0.14) | $(0.11) | $(0.17) | $(0.11) |
From net realized gain | (1.27) | (3.43) | (2.77) | (1.44) | (1.81) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(1.39) | $(3.57) | $(2.88) | $(1.61) | $(1.92) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $27.50 | $24.50 | $21.44 | $24.96 | $21.47 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 18.39 | 32.87 | (4.07) | 24.50 | 11.07(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 1.12 | 1.13 | 1.12 | 1.12 | 1.09(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 1.11 | 1.12 | 1.11 | 1.11 | 1.07(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 0.32 | 0.50 | 0.54 | 0.47 | 0.75(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 46 | 37 | 40 | 39 | 60 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $54,818 | $46,744 | $41,195 | $46,453 | $42,883 |
Supplemental Ratios (%): | | | | | |
Ratios of expenses to average net assets after expense reductions excluding short sale expenses and interest expense and fees (f) | 1.08 | 1.08 | 1.08 | 1.09 | 1.06(c) |
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. Excluding the effect of the proceeds received from a non-recurring litigation settlement against Household International, Inc., the total return for the year ended December 31, 2017 would have been lower by approximately 0.78%. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements
(1) Business and Organization
MFS Core Equity Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services - Investment Companies.
(2) Significant Accounting Policies
General — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund's investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting — The fund's accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund's right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations — Equity securities, including restricted equity securities and equity securities sold short, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities sold short, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily ask quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
traded. Events that occur after foreign markets close (such as developments in foreign markets and significant movements in the U.S. markets) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value may be deemed to have a material effect on the value of securities traded in foreign markets. Accordingly, the fund’s foreign equity securities may often be valued at fair value. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund's assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment's level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund's assets or liabilities:
Financial Instruments | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total |
Equity Securities: | | | | |
United States | $226,460,641 | $250,505 | $— | $226,711,146 |
Canada | 2,101,420 | — | — | 2,101,420 |
United Kingdom | 2,043,905 | — | — | 2,043,905 |
Netherlands | 1,894,763 | — | — | 1,894,763 |
Mutual Funds | 1,489,118 | — | — | 1,489,118 |
Total | $233,989,847 | $250,505 | $— | $234,240,352 |
Securities Sold Short | $(1,758,931) | $— | $— | $(1,758,931) |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Foreign Currency Translation — Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
Short Sales — The fund entered into short sales whereby it sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the value of that security. The fund will realize a gain if the security price decreases and a loss if the security price increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the fund replaces the borrowed security. Losses from short sales can exceed the proceeds of the security sold; and they can also exceed the potential loss from an ordinary buy and sell transaction. The amount of any premium, dividends, or interest the fund may be required to pay in connection with a short sale will be recognized as a fund expense. During the year ended December 31, 2020, this expense amounted to $56,407. The fund segregates cash or marketable securities in an amount that, when combined with the amount of proceeds from the short sale deposited with the broker, at least equals the current market value of the security sold short.
Security Loans — Under its Securities Lending Agency Agreement with the fund, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as lending agent, loans the securities of the fund to certain qualified institutions (the “Borrowers”) approved by the fund. Security loans can be terminated at the discretion of either the lending agent or the fund and the related securities must be returned within the earlier of the standard trade settlement period for such securities or within three business days. The loans are collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Treasury and federal agency obligations in an amount typically at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. On loans collateralized by cash, the cash collateral is invested in a money market fund. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of business of the fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the fund on the next business day. The lending agent provides the fund with indemnification against Borrower default. In the event of Borrower default, the lending agent will, for the benefit of the fund, either purchase securities identical to those loaned or, when such purchase is
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
commercially impracticable, pay the fund the market value of the loaned securities. In return, the lending agent assumes the fund's rights to the related collateral. If the collateral value is less than the cost to purchase identical securities, the lending agent is responsible for the shortfall, but only to the extent that such shortfall is not due to a decline in collateral value resulting from collateral reinvestment for which the fund bears the risk of loss. A portion of the income generated upon investment of the collateral is remitted to the Borrowers, and the remainder is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. On loans collateralized by U.S. Treasury and/or federal agency obligations, a fee is received from the Borrower, and is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. Income from securities lending is separately reported in the Statement of Operations. The dividend and interest income earned on the securities loaned is accounted for in the same manner as other dividend and interest income. At December 31, 2020, there were no securities on loan or collateral outstanding.
Indemnifications — Under the fund's organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund's maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income — Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
Tax Matters and Distributions — The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to wash sale loss deferrals and partnership adjustments.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | $3,863,247 | $2,965,018 |
Long-term capital gains | 7,868,044 | 25,174,011 |
Total distributions | $11,731,291 | $28,139,029 |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
As of 12/31/20 | |
Cost of investments | $145,818,817 |
Gross appreciation | 89,042,538 |
Gross depreciation | (2,379,934) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | $86,662,604 |
Undistributed ordinary income | 2,101,522 |
Undistributed long-term capital gain | 18,669,766 |
Other temporary differences | 172,427 |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest — The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund's income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Initial Class | $9,114,275 | | $21,988,555 |
Service Class | 2,617,016 | | 6,150,474 |
Total | $11,731,291 | | $28,139,029 |
(3) Transactions with Affiliates
Investment Adviser — The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund's average daily net assets:
Up to $1 billion | 0.75% |
In excess of $1 billion and up to $2.5 billion | 0.65% |
In excess of $2.5 billion | 0.60% |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund's Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $22,664, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.74% of the fund's average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses (such as short sale dividend and interest expenses incurred in connection with the fund's investment activity), such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.84% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.09% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund's actual operating expenses did not exceed the limit and therefore, the investment adviser did not pay any portion of the fund's expenses related to this agreement.
Distributor — MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund's distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
Shareholder Servicing Agent — MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $12,782, which equated to 0.0062% annually of the fund's average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $843.
Administrator — MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0184% of the fund's average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation — The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other — The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
The fund is permitted to engage in purchase and sale transactions with funds and accounts for which MFS serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser (“cross-trades”) pursuant to a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees. This policy has been designed to ensure that cross-trades conducted by the fund comply with Rule 17a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund engaged in purchase and sale transactions pursuant to this policy, which amounted to $237,244 and $204,215, respectively. The sales transactions resulted in net realized gains (losses) of $(6,837).
The adviser has voluntarily undertaken to reimburse the fund from its own resources on a quarterly basis for the cost of investment research embedded in the cost of the fund’s securities trades. This agreement may be rescinded at any time. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reimbursement amounted to $14,248, which is included in “Other” income in the Statement of Operations.
(4) Portfolio Securities
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short sales and short-term obligations, aggregated $95,074,735 and $111,874,063, respectively.
(5) Shares of Beneficial Interest
The fund's Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
| Shares | Amount | | Shares | Amount |
Shares sold | | | | | |
Initial Class | 328,117 | $8,057,874 | | 173,198 | $4,231,121 |
Service Class | 404,275 | 9,377,983 | | 114,041 | 2,743,994 |
| 732,392 | $17,435,857 | | 287,239 | $6,975,115 |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | |
Initial Class | 354,090 | $9,114,275 | | 988,694 | $21,988,555 |
Service Class | 102,951 | 2,617,016 | | 279,694 | 6,150,474 |
| 457,041 | $11,731,291 | | 1,268,388 | $28,139,029 |
Shares reacquired | | | | | |
Initial Class | (1,063,282) | $(26,098,196) | | (1,099,951) | $(26,894,741) |
Service Class | (422,060) | (10,132,956) | | (407,368) | (9,921,452) |
| (1,485,342) | $(36,231,152) | | (1,507,319) | $(36,816,193) |
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
| Shares | Amount | | Shares | Amount |
Net change | | | | | |
Initial Class | (381,075) | $(8,926,047) | | 61,941 | $(675,065) |
Service Class | 85,166 | 1,862,043 | | (13,633) | (1,026,984) |
| (295,909) | $(7,064,004) | | 48,308 | $(1,702,049) |
(6) Line of Credit
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $1,063 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Interest expense and fees” in the Statement of Operations.
(7) Investments in Affiliated Issuers
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
Affiliated Issuers | Beginning Value | Purchases | Sales Proceeds | Realized Gain (Loss) | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | Ending Value |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $1,972,595 | $38,383,448 | $38,866,284 | $(663) | $22 | $1,489,118 |
Affiliated Issuers | Dividend Income | Capital Gain Distributions |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $9,094 | $— |
(8) Impacts of COVID-19
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund's investments and the fund's performance.
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of MFS Core Equity Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Core Equity Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Trustees and Officers — Identification and Background
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES | | |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES | | |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head - Treasurer's Office (until February 2017) |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board's retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
Investment Adviser | Custodian |
Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
Distributor | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
Portfolio Manager(s) | |
Joseph MacDougall | |
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 1st quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 1st quintile for each of the one- and three-year periods ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate was approximately at the Broadridge expense group median and the Fund’s total expense ratio was higher than the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to contractual breakpoints that reduce the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $1 billion and $2.5 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoints and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
MFS Core Equity Portfolio
Proxy Voting Policies and Information
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Quarterly Portfolio Disclosure
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund's fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
Information About Fund Contracts and Legal Claims
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Federal Tax Information (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund designates $8,655,000 as capital gain dividends paid during the fiscal year.
For corporate shareholders, 66.93% of the ordinary income dividends paid during the fiscal year qualify for the corporate dividends received deduction.
FACTS | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? |
Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: |
• Social Security number and account balances |
• Account transactions and transaction history |
• Checking account information and wire transfer instructions |
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
How? | All financial companies need to share customers' personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers' personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
Reasons we can share your personal information | Does MFS share? | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | Yes | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | No | We don't share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | No | We don't share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | No | We don't share |
Questions? | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you |
• open an account or provide account information |
• direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities |
• make a wire transfer |
We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can't I limit all sharing? | Federal law gives you the right to limit only |
• sharing for affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness |
• affiliates from using your information to market to you |
• sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you |
State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
Definitions |
Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. |
• MFS doesn't jointly market. |
Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
FCE-ANN
MFS® Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
CONTENTS
The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE • NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
1
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION
Portfolio structure
| | | | |
Top ten holdings | | | | |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | | | 8.1% | |
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | | | 7.6% | |
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., ADR | | | 5.8% | |
Prosus N.V. | | | 4.1% | |
Tencent Holdings Ltd. | | | 3.8% | |
AIA Group Ltd. | | | 2.8% | |
Housing Development Finance Corp. Ltd. | | | 2.7% | |
Yum China Holdings, Inc. | | | 2.4% | |
Sberbank of Russia | | | 2.4% | |
NAVER Corp. | | | 2.3% | |
| |
GICS equity sectors (g) | | | | |
Financials | | | 20.6% | |
Information Technology | | | 19.0% | |
Consumer Discretionary | | | 18.3% | |
Communication Services | | | 12.4% | |
Consumer Staples | | | 11.1% | |
Industrials | | | 4.8% | |
Materials | | | 4.6% | |
Energy | | | 3.8% | |
Real Estate | | | 2.9% | |
Health Care | | | 0.7% | |
Utilities | | | 0.6% | |
| | | | |
Issuer country weightings (x) | | | | |
China | | | 29.3% | |
South Korea | | | 13.9% | |
India | | | 9.5% | |
Taiwan | | | 9.3% | |
Hong Kong | | | 6.7% | |
Russia | | | 6.4% | |
Brazil | | | 5.6% | |
Netherlands | | | 4.1% | |
Indonesia | | | 2.2% | |
Other Countries | | | 13.0% | |
| |
Currency exposure weightings (y) | | | | |
Hong Kong Dollar | | | 23.7% | |
South Korean Won | | | 13.9% | |
Taiwan Dollar | | | 9.3% | |
Chinese Renminbi | | | 8.7% | |
Indian Rupee | | | 8.3% | |
United States Dollar | | | 6.5% | |
Euro | | | 6.0% | |
Russian Ruble | | | 5.8% | |
Brazilian Real | | | 5.6% | |
Other Currencies | | | 12.2% | |
(g) | The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) was developed by and/or is the exclusive property of MSCI, Inc. and S&P Global Market Intelligence Inc. (“S&P Global Market Intelligence”). GICS is a service mark of MSCI and S&P Global Market Intelligence and has been licensed for use by MFS. MFS has applied its own internal sector/industry classification methodology for equity securities and non-equity securities that are unclassified by GICS. |
(x) | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to issuer countries as a percentage of the portfolio’s net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States (included in Other Countries) includes Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
(y) | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to a particular currency as a percentage of a portfolio’s net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States Dollar includes Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
2
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
MANAGEMENT REVIEW
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 10.57%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 10.33%. These compare with a return of 18.31% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (net div).
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest – albeit the deepest and steepest – recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public’s willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies – a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Detractors from Performance
Security selection and, to a lesser extent, an underweight position in the consumer discretionary sector were key factors that detracted from the fund’s performance relative to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Here, not owning shares of strong-performing food delivery service company Meituan (China) and electric vehicle manufacturer NIO (China) hurt relative performance. The stock price for NIO advanced as the company saw record demand for its electric vehicle lineup and a growing backlog of orders. The fund’s holdings of e-commerce platform services provider Prosus (b) (Netherlands), its overweight position in leisure, gaming and entertainment company Genting (h) (Malaysia), and the timing of the fund’s ownership in shares of online and mobile commerce company Alibaba Group Holding (China), also weighed on relative returns.
Stocks in other sectors that were among the fund’s top relative detractors included its overweight positions in banking firm Banco Bradesco (h) (Brazil), beverage manufacturer Ambev (Brazil), integrated oil company LUKOIL (Russia), commercial vehicle finance services provider Shriram Transport Finance (h) (India) and integrated human resource services provider 51job (China).
Contributors to Performance
Security selection in the communication services sector contributed to the fund’s relative performance during the reporting period. Here, an overweight position in internet-based, multiple services company Tencent Holdings (China) and internet search engine and online computer games provider NAVER (South Korea), and not owning shares of poor-performing mobile telecommunications provider China Mobile (Hong Kong), strengthened relative returns. The stock price of Tencent Holdings advanced as the company posted strong gaming revenue, particularly within its mobile segment, and better-than-anticipated online advertising growth.
Elsewhere, the fund’s overweight positions in semiconductor manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (Taiwan), wine producer Kweichow Moutai (China), microchip and electronics manufacturer Samsung Electronics (South Korea), brewing company China Resources Beer Holdings (China) and dairy products and health drinks producer Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (China) aided relative performance. The stock price of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing advanced after the company delivered earnings per share results that were well ahead of market expectations. Management noted that the better-than-expected performance was
3
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
Management Review – continued
primarily driven by strong demand across all application platforms, with revenue growth in smartphones leading the way. The fund’s holdings of electronic power tools manufacturer Techtronic Industries (b) (Hong Kong) boosted relative returns. Not owning shares of poor-performing bank Itau Unibanco (Brazil) further contributed to relative results.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Jose Luis Garcia, Robert Lau, and Harry Purcell
Note to Contract Owners: Effective August 1, 2021, Robert Lau will no longer be a Portfolio Manager of the fund.
(b) | Security is not a benchmark constituent. |
(h) | Security was not held in the portfolio at period end. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
4
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY THROUGH 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
�� | | Share Class | | Class Inception Date | | 1-yr | | 5-yr | | 10-yr | | |
| | Initial Class | | 6/05/96 | | 10.57% | | 11.59% | | 2.59% | | |
| | Service Class | | 8/24/01 | | 10.33% | | 11.32% | | 2.33% | | |
| | | | |
Comparative benchmark(s) | | | | | | | | |
| | MSCI Emerging Markets Index (net div) (f) | | 18.31% | | 12.81% | | 3.63% | | |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (e) (net div) – a market capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(e) | Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. |
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund’s performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
5
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
EXPENSE TABLE
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund’s ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Share Class | | | | Annualized Expense Ratio | | | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | | | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | | | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 | |
Initial Class | | Actual | | | 1.23% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,287.70 | | | | $7.07 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 1.23% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,018.95 | | | | $6.24 | |
Service Class | | Actual | | | 1.48% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,286.46 | | | | $8.51 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 1.48% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,017.70 | | | | $7.51 | |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class’s annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
6
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS – 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – 98.8% | | | | | |
Airlines – 0.8% | | | | | | | | |
Shanghai International Air Co., Ltd. | | | 31,300 | | | $ | 362,115 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Alcoholic Beverages – 4.6% | | | | | | | | |
Ambev S.A., ADR | | | 226,590 | | | $ | 693,365 | |
China Resources Beer Holdings Co. Ltd. | | | 74,000 | | | | 681,539 | |
Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd., “A” | | | 2,400 | | | | 733,234 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,108,138 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Automotive – 3.5% | | | | | | | | |
Hero MotoCorp Ltd. | | | 9,399 | | | $ | 400,594 | |
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. | | | 61,452 | | | | 607,717 | |
PT United Tractors Tbk | | | 324,100 | | | | 613,599 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,621,910 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Biotechnology – 0.3% | | | | | | | | |
Hugel, Inc. (a) | | | 731 | | | $ | 126,376 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 2.3% | | | | | | | | |
B3 Brasil Bolsa Balcao S.A. | | | 32,200 | | | $ | 386,237 | |
Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS PJSC | | | 316,158 | | | | 682,243 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,068,480 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Business Services – 2.1% | | | | | | | | |
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. | | | 24,554 | | | $ | 962,014 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Computer Software – Systems – 7.6% | | | | | |
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | | | 46,771 | | | $ | 3,487,481 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Conglomerates – 1.2% | | | | | | | | |
Jardine Strategic Holdings Ltd. | | | 21,400 | | | $ | 532,432 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Construction – 3.1% | | | | | | | | |
Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. | | | 93,800 | | | $ | 890,462 | |
Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. | | | 36,500 | | | | 522,614 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,413,076 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Consumer Services – 2.4% | | | | | | | | |
51job, Inc., ADR (a) | | | 7,957 | | | $ | 556,990 | |
MakeMyTrip Ltd. (a) | | | 18,533 | | | | 547,279 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,104,269 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Electronics – 8.8% | | | | | | | | |
ASM Pacific Technology Ltd. | | | 4,100 | | | $ | 54,103 | |
Silicon Motion Technology Corp., ADR | | | 5,239 | | | | 252,258 | |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | | | 198,258 | | | | 3,723,579 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 4,029,940 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Energy – Integrated – 2.5% | | | | | | | | |
LUKOIL PJSC, ADR | | | 8,478 | | | $ | 578,200 | |
Petroleo Brasileiro S.A., ADR | | | 50,235 | | | | 564,139 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,142,339 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Food & Beverages – 4.7% | | | | | | | | |
Gruma S.A.B. de C.V. | | | 25,134 | | | $ | 299,254 | |
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd., “A” | | | 124,341 | | | | 843,605 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Food & Beverages – continued | | | | | | | | |
Orion Corp. (a) | | | 4,486 | | | $ | 512,072 | |
Tata Consumer Products Ltd. | | | 17,433 | | | | 141,106 | |
Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp. | | | 226,000 | | | | 386,657 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,182,694 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Forest & Paper Products – 0.7% | | | | | | | | |
Suzano S.A. (a) | | | 29,000 | | | $ | 324,717 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Gaming & Lodging – 0.7% | | | | | | | | |
Kangwon Land, Inc. (a) | | | 15,027 | | | $ | 325,080 | |
| | | | | | | | |
General Merchandise – 1.5% | | | | | | | | |
Bim Birlesik Magazalar A.S. | | | 32,401 | | | $ | 329,110 | |
Walmart de Mexico S.A.B. de C.V. | | | 122,729 | | | | 345,253 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 674,363 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Insurance – 6.2% | | | | | | | | |
AIA Group Ltd. | | | 105,200 | | | $ | 1,295,819 | |
Ping An Insurance Co. of China Ltd., “H” | | | 74,500 | | | | 915,086 | |
Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Ltd. (a) | | | 3,755 | | | | 648,129 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,859,034 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Internet – 15.1% | | | | | | | | |
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., ADR (a) | | | 11,377 | | | $ | 2,647,769 | |
Baidu, Inc., ADR (a) | | | 2,850 | | | | 616,284 | |
NAVER Corp. (a) | | | 3,901 | | | | 1,050,394 | |
NetEase.com, Inc., ADR | | | 9,372 | | | | 897,556 | |
Tencent Holdings Ltd. | | | 23,900 | | | | 1,746,307 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 6,958,310 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Leisure & Toys – 4.1% | | | | | | | | |
Prosus N.V. | | | 17,367 | | | $ | 1,868,226 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Machinery & Tools – 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
Doosan Bobcat, Inc. (a) | | | 8,501 | | | $ | 232,030 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Major Banks – 2.6% | | | | | | | | |
ABSA Group Ltd. | | | 67,155 | | | $ | 547,751 | |
China Construction Bank | | | 849,670 | | | | 646,597 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,194,348 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Metals & Mining – 1.7% | | | | | | | | |
Alrosa PJSC | | | 28,600 | | | $ | 38,031 | |
Lundin Mining Corp. | | | 46,849 | | | | 415,896 | |
Vale S.A., ADR | | | 20,254 | | | | 339,457 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 793,384 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Network & Telecom – 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
VTech Holdings Ltd. | | | 32,100 | | | $ | 249,059 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 9.4% | | | | | |
Banco de Chile | | | 2,883,372 | | | $ | 293,917 | |
Credicorp Ltd. | | | 1,564 | | | | 256,527 | |
E.Sun Financial Holding Co. Ltd. | | | 348,769 | | | | 317,480 | |
Grupo Financiero Inbursa S.A. de C.V. (a) | | | 165,168 | | | | 166,500 | |
HDFC Bank Ltd. (a) | | | 9,733 | | | | 191,720 | |
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MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – continued | | | | | |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – continued | | | | | |
Housing Development Finance Corp. Ltd. | | | 35,548 | | | $ | 1,253,430 | |
Komercni Banka A.S. (a) | | | 9,536 | | | | 291,708 | |
Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. | | | 45,300 | | | | 46,268 | |
Public Bank Berhad | | | 33,600 | | | | 172,072 | |
Sberbank of Russia | | | 300,818 | | | | 1,102,852 | |
Tisco Financial Group PLC | | | 83,200 | | | | 245,768 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 4,338,242 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Pharmaceuticals – 0.4% | | | | | | | | |
Genomma Lab Internacional S.A., “B” (a) | | | 215,239 | | | $ | 203,779 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Precious Metals & Minerals – 1.4% | | | | | | | | |
Gold Fields Ltd., ADR | | | 41,770 | | | $ | 387,208 | |
Polymetal International PLC | | | 11,303 | | | | 261,032 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 648,240 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Real Estate – 2.9% | | | | | | | | |
Aldar Properties PJSC | | | 224,079 | | | $ | 192,164 | |
ESR Cayman Ltd. (a) | | | 120,000 | | | | 430,316 | |
Hang Lung Properties Ltd. | | | 101,000 | | | | 267,317 | |
Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliarios S.A. | | | 55,909 | | | | 254,739 | |
Swire Properties Ltd. | | | 58,400 | | | | 170,186 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,314,722 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Restaurants – 2.4% | | | | | | | | |
Yum China Holdings, Inc. | | | 19,607 | | | $ | 1,119,364 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Specialty Chemicals – 0.8% | | | | | | | | |
PTT Global Chemical PLC | | | 192,200 | | | $ | 375,290 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Telecommunications – Wireless – 0.6% | | | | | |
Mobile TeleSystems PJSC, ADR | | | 30,589 | | | $ | 273,772 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Telephone Services – 2.5% | | | | | | | | |
Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A. | | | 54,286 | | | $ | 874,078 | |
PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia | | | 1,103,900 | | | | 260,064 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,134,142 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – continued | | | | | |
Tobacco – 0.3% | | | | | | | | |
PT Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk | | | 1,333,550 | | | $ | 142,846 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Utilities – Electric Power – 0.6% | | | | | | | | |
CESC Ltd. | | | 32,501 | | | $ | 273,245 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Common Stocks (Identified Cost, $27,143,065) | | | | | | $ | 45,443,457 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| |
INVESTMENT COMPANIES (h) – 1.1% | | | | | |
Money Market Funds – 1.1% | | | | | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $506,370) | | | 506,370 | | | $ | 506,370 | |
| | | | | | | | |
OTHER ASSETS, LESS LIABILITIES – 0.1% | | | | | | | 28,495 | |
| | | | | | | | |
NET ASSETS – 100.0% | | | | | | $ | 45,978,322 | |
| | | | | | | | |
(a) | | Non-income producing security. |
(h) | | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund’s investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $506,370 and $45,443,457, respectively. |
(v) | | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined:
ADR | | American Depositary Receipt |
See Notes to Financial Statements
8
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
| | | | |
At 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Assets | | | | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $27,143,065) | | | $45,443,457 | |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $506,370) | | | 506,370 | |
Receivables for | | | | |
Investments sold | | | 158,821 | |
Fund shares sold | | | 1,966 | |
Dividends | | | 40,647 | |
Receivable from investment adviser | | | 24,162 | |
Other assets | | | 505 | |
Total assets | | | $46,175,928 | |
| |
Liabilities | | | | |
Payables for | | | | |
Fund shares reacquired | | | $10,503 | |
Payable to affiliates | | | | |
Administrative services fee | | | 96 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 32 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 348 | |
Payable for independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 19 | |
Deferred country tax expense payable | | | 104,419 | |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | | | 82,189 | |
Total liabilities | | | $197,606 | |
Net assets | | | $45,978,322 | |
| |
Net assets consist of | | | | |
Paid-in capital | | | $28,358,323 | |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | | | 17,619,999 | |
Net assets | | | $45,978,322 | |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | | | 2,685,901 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| | Net assets | | | Shares outstanding | | | Net asset value per share | |
Initial Class | | | $20,335,319 | | | | 1,176,965 | | | | $17.28 | |
Service Class | | | 25,643,003 | | | | 1,508,936 | | | | 16.99 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
9
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
| | | | |
Year ended 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Net investment income (loss) | | | | |
Income | | | | |
Dividends | | | $1,013,232 | |
Other | | | 5,504 | |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | | | 3,454 | |
Income on securities loaned | | | 91 | |
Foreign taxes withheld | | | (112,789 | ) |
Total investment income | | | $909,492 | |
Expenses | | | | |
Management fee | | | $436,470 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 58,230 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 5,821 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 17,500 | |
Independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 1,124 | |
Custodian fee | | | 144,709 | |
Shareholder communications | | | 11,328 | |
Audit and tax fees | | | 77,890 | |
Legal fees | | | 533 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 24,973 | |
Total expenses | | | $778,578 | |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | | | (208,341 | ) |
Net expenses | | | $570,237 | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $339,255 | |
| |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $516,100 | |
Affiliated issuers | | | (69 | ) |
Foreign currency | | | (26,459 | ) |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | $489,572 | |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers (net of $91,216 increase in deferred country tax) | | | $3,857,277 | |
Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies | | | (238 | ) |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | $3,857,039 | |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | $4,346,611 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $4,685,866 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
10
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | |
Change in net assets | | | | | | | | |
| | |
From operations | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $339,255 | | | | $747,171 | |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | 489,572 | | | | 2,318,920 | |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | 3,857,039 | | | | 5,464,287 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $4,685,866 | | | | $8,530,378 | |
Total distributions to shareholders | | | $(3,615,028 | ) | | | $(1,657,028 | ) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | | | $(1,773,884 | ) | | | $(5,052,431 | ) |
Total change in net assets | | | $(703,046 | ) | | | $1,820,919 | |
| | |
Net assets | | | | | | | | |
At beginning of period | | | 46,681,368 | | | | 44,860,449 | |
At end of period | | | $45,978,322 | | | | $46,681,368 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
11
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund’s financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $17.04 | | | | $14.75 | | | | $17.19 | | | | $12.59 | | | | $11.59 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.14 | | | | $0.28 | | | | $0.11 | | | | $0.06 | | | | $0.15 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 1.47 | | | | 2.63 | | | | (2.49 | ) | | | 4.71 | | | | 0.93 | |
Total from investment operations | | | $1.61 | | | | $2.91 | | | | $(2.38 | ) | | | $4.77 | | | | $1.08 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.50 | ) | | | $(0.11 | ) | | | $(0.06 | ) | | | $(0.17 | ) | | | $(0.08 | ) |
From net realized gain | | | (0.87 | ) | | | (0.51 | ) | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | | | $(1.37 | ) | | | $(0.62 | ) | | | $(0.06 | ) | | | $(0.17 | ) | | | $(0.08 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $17.28 | | | | $17.04 | | | | $14.75 | | | | $17.19 | | | | $12.59 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 10.63 | | | | 20.45 | | | | (13.89 | ) | | | 37.98 | | | | 9.28 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 1.73 | | | | 1.55 | | | | 1.50 | | | | 1.53 | | | | 1.34 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 1.23 | | | | 1.29 | | | | 1.37 | | | | 1.40 | | | | 1.13 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.94 | | | | 1.76 | | | | 0.65 | | | | 0.41 | | | | 1.29 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 48 | | | | 21 | | | | 31 | | | | 27 | | | | 47 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $20,335 | | | | $21,065 | | | | $20,887 | | | | $28,026 | | | | $22,605 | |
| |
Service Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $16.78 | | | | $14.53 | | | | $16.94 | | | | $12.41 | | | | $11.42 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.11 | | | | $0.24 | | | | $0.07 | | | | $0.02 | | | | $0.12 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 1.43 | | | | 2.58 | | | | (2.46 | ) | | | 4.64 | | | | 0.91 | |
Total from investment operations | | | $1.54 | | | | $2.82 | | | | $(2.39 | ) | | | $4.66 | | | | $1.03 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.46 | ) | | | $(0.06 | ) | | | $(0.02 | ) | | | $(0.13 | ) | | | $(0.04 | ) |
From net realized gain | | | (0.87 | ) | | | (0.51 | ) | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | | | $(1.33 | ) | | | $(0.57 | ) | | | $(0.02 | ) | | | $(0.13 | ) | | | $(0.04 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $16.99 | | | | $16.78 | | | | $14.53 | | | | $16.94 | | | | $12.41 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 10.33 | | | | 20.11 | | | | (14.13 | ) | | | 37.66 | | | | 9.04 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 1.98 | | | | 1.80 | | | | 1.75 | | | | 1.78 | | | | 1.58 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 1.48 | | | | 1.54 | | | | 1.62 | | | | 1.65 | | | | 1.37 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.71 | | | | 1.52 | | | | 0.40 | | | | 0.16 | | | | 1.02 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 48 | | | | 21 | | | | 31 | | | | 27 | | | | 47 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $25,643 | | | | $25,616 | | | | $23,973 | | | | $29,665 | | | | $24,307 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
12
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
Financial Highlights – continued
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
13
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1) | | Business and Organization |
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services – Investment Companies.
(2) | | Significant Accounting Policies |
General – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued. The fund invests in foreign securities, including securities of emerging market issuers. Investments in foreign securities are vulnerable to the effects of changes in the relative values of the local currency and the U.S. dollar and to the effects of changes in each country’s market, economic, industrial, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions. Investments in emerging markets can involve additional and greater risks than the risks associated with investments in developed foreign markets. Emerging markets can have less developed markets, greater custody and operational risk, less developed legal, regulatory, accounting, and auditing systems, and greater political, social, and economic instability than developed markets.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund’s investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting – The fund’s accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund’s right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations – Equity securities, including restricted equity securities, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value
14
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. Events that occur after foreign markets close (such as developments in foreign markets and significant movements in the U.S. markets) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value may be deemed to have a material effect on the value of securities traded in foreign markets. Accordingly, the fund’s foreign equity securities may often be valued at fair value. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund’s assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund’s assets or liabilities:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Financial Instruments | | Level 1 | | | Level 2 | | | Level 3 | | | Total | |
Equity Securities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
China | | | $8,888,772 | | | | $4,585,109 | | | | $— | | | | $13,473,881 | |
South Korea | | | 6,381,562 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 6,381,562 | |
India | | | 1,782,538 | | | | 2,594,567 | | | | — | | | | 4,377,105 | |
Taiwan | | | 252,258 | | | | 4,041,059 | | | | — | | | | 4,293,317 | |
Hong Kong | | | 835,594 | | | | 2,255,936 | | | | — | | | | 3,091,530 | |
Russia | | | 851,972 | | | | 2,084,158 | | | | — | | | | 2,936,130 | |
Brazil | | | 1,596,961 | | | | 965,693 | | | | — | | | | 2,562,654 | |
Netherlands | | | — | | | | 1,868,226 | | | | — | | | | 1,868,226 | |
Indonesia | | | 1,016,509 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 1,016,509 | |
Other Countries | | | 4,527,568 | | | | 914,975 | | | | — | | | | 5,442,543 | |
Mutual Funds | | | 506,370 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 506,370 | |
Total | | | $26,640,104 | | | | $19,309,723 | | | | $— | | | | $45,949,827 | |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Foreign Currency Translation – Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
Security Loans – Under its Securities Lending Agency Agreement with the fund, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as lending agent, loans the securities of the fund to certain qualified institutions (the “Borrowers”) approved by the fund. Security loans can be terminated at the discretion of either the lending agent or the fund and the related securities must be returned within the earlier of the standard trade settlement period for such securities or within three business days. The loans are collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Treasury and federal agency obligations in an amount typically at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. On loans collateralized by cash, the cash collateral is invested in a money market fund. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of business of the fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the fund on the next business day. The lending agent provides the fund with indemnification against Borrower default. In the event of Borrower default, the lending agent will, for the benefit of the fund, either purchase securities identical to those loaned or, when such purchase is commercially
15
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
impracticable, pay the fund the market value of the loaned securities. In return, the lending agent assumes the fund’s rights to the related collateral. If the collateral value is less than the cost to purchase identical securities, the lending agent is responsible for the shortfall, but only to the extent that such shortfall is not due to a decline in collateral value resulting from collateral reinvestment for which the fund bears the risk of loss. A portion of the income generated upon investment of the collateral is remitted to the Borrowers, and the remainder is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. On loans collateralized by U.S. Treasury and/or federal agency obligations, a fee is received from the Borrower, and is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. Income from securities lending is separately reported in the Statement of Operations. The dividend and interest income earned on the securities loaned is accounted for in the same manner as other dividend and interest income. At December 31, 2020, there were no securities on loan or collateral outstanding.
Indemnifications – Under the fund’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund’s maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income – Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
Tax Matters and Distributions – The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to wash sale loss deferrals and foreign taxes.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | | | $1,860,481 | | | | $231,002 | |
Long-term capital gains | | | 1,754,547 | | | | 1,426,026 | |
Total distributions | | | $3,615,028 | | | | $1,657,028 | |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
| | | | |
As of 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Cost of investments | | | $28,471,866 | |
Gross appreciation | | | 18,106,852 | |
Gross depreciation | | | (628,891 | ) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | | | $17,477,961 | |
| |
Undistributed ordinary income | | | 171,727 | |
Capital loss carryforwards | | | (9,363 | ) |
Other temporary differences | | | (20,326 | ) |
16
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
As of December 31, 2020, the fund had capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized gains. These net capital losses may be carried forward indefinitely and their character is retained as short-term and/or long-term losses. Such losses are characterized as follows:
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest – The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund’s income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Initial Class | | | $1,583,859 | | | | $771,534 | |
Service Class | | | 2,031,169 | | | | 885,494 | |
Total | | | $3,615,028 | | | | $1,657,028 | |
(3) | | Transactions with Affiliates |
Investment Adviser – The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund’s average daily net assets:
| | | | |
Up to $500 million | | | 1.05% | |
In excess of $500 million | | | 1.00% | |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund’s Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $4,570, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 1.04% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 1.23% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.48% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reduction amounted to $203,771, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations.
Distributor – MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund’s distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
Shareholder Servicing Agent – MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $5,404, which equated to 0.0130% annually of the fund’s average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $417.
Administrator – MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0421% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation – The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
17
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Other – The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
The fund is permitted to engage in purchase and sale transactions with funds and accounts for which MFS serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser (“cross-trades”) pursuant to a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees. This policy has been designed to ensure that cross-trades conducted by the fund comply with Rule 17a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund engaged in purchase and sale transactions pursuant to this policy, which amounted to $15,950 and $9,506, respectively. The sales transactions resulted in net realized gains (losses) of $2,957.
The adviser has voluntarily undertaken to reimburse the fund from its own resources on a quarterly basis for the cost of investment research embedded in the cost of the fund’s securities trades. This agreement may be rescinded at any time. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reimbursement amounted to $5,489, which is included in “Other” income in the Statement of Operations.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, aggregated $19,656,167 and $24,668,708, respectively.
(5) | | Shares of Beneficial Interest |
The fund’s Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
| | | | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Shares | | | Amount | |
Shares sold | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 79,334 | | | | $1,140,804 | | | | 45,254 | | | | $732,087 | |
Service Class | | | 264,438 | | | | 3,399,163 | | | | 189,058 | | | | 2,968,265 | |
| | | 343,772 | | | | $4,539,967 | | | | 234,312 | | | | $3,700,352 | |
| | | | |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 105,240 | | | | $1,583,859 | | | | 52,736 | | | | $771,534 | |
Service Class | | | 137,148 | | | | 2,031,169 | | | | 61,407 | | | | 885,494 | |
| | | 242,388 | | | | $3,615,028 | | | | 114,143 | | | | $1,657,028 | |
| | | | |
Shares reacquired | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (243,942 | ) | | | $(3,723,611 | ) | | | (277,562 | ) | | | $(4,435,286 | ) |
Service Class | | | (419,024 | ) | | | (6,205,268 | ) | | | (374,054 | ) | | | (5,974,525 | ) |
| | | (662,966 | ) | | | $(9,928,879 | ) | | | (651,616 | ) | | | $(10,409,811 | ) |
| | | | |
Net change | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (59,368 | ) | | | $(998,948 | ) | | | (179,572 | ) | | | $(2,931,665 | ) |
Service Class | | | (17,438 | ) | | | (774,936 | ) | | | (123,589 | ) | | | (2,120,766 | ) |
| | | (76,806 | ) | | | $(1,773,884 | ) | | | (303,161 | ) | | | $(5,052,431 | ) |
The fund is one of several mutual funds in which certain MFS funds may invest. The MFS funds do not invest in the underlying funds for the purpose of exercising management or control. At the end of the period, the MFS Growth Allocation Portfolio was the owner of record of approximately 8% of the value of outstanding voting shares of the fund.
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $231 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
18
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
(7) | | Investments in Affiliated Issuers |
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | Beginning Value | | | Purchases | | | Sales Proceeds | | | Realized Gain (Loss) | | | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | | | Ending Value | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | $451,912 | | | | $13,324,616 | | | | $13,270,089 | | | | $(69 | ) | | | $— | | | | $506,370 | |
| | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Dividend Income | | | Capital Gain Distributions | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | | | | | | | | | | $3,454 | | | | $— | |
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund’s investments and the fund’s performance.
19
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
20
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS – IDENTIFICATION AND BACKGROUND
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
| | | | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
|
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
| | | | | |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
| | | | | |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
21
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head – Treasurer’s Office (until February 2017) |
| | | | |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
| | | | |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
| | | | |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
| | | | |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
| | | | |
James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board’s retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
22
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
| | |
Investment Adviser Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Custodian State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
| |
Distributor MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
| |
Portfolio Manager(s) Jose Luis Garcia Robert Lau Harry Purcell | | |
23
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
BOARD REVIEW OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 2nd quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 3rd quintile for the one-year period and the 2nd quintile for the three-year period ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course
24
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement – continued
of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate was lower than the Broadridge expense group median and the Fund’s total expense ratio was higher than the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to a contractual breakpoint that reduces the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $500 million. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoint and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
25
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND INFORMATION
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO DISCLOSURE
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund’s fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
INFORMATION ABOUT FUND CONTRACTS AND LEGAL CLAIMS
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund designates $1,931,000 as capital gain dividends paid during the fiscal year.
Income derived from foreign sources was $1,007,648. The fund intends to pass through foreign tax credits of $125,780 for the fiscal year.
26
rev. 3/16
| | | | |
| | |
FACTS | | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? | | |
| | |
Why? | | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
| | |
What? | | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: • Social Security number and account balances • Account transactions and transaction history • Checking account information and wire transfer instructions When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
| | |
How? | | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
| | | | |
Reasons we can share your personal information | | Does MFS share? | | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | | Yes | | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | | No | | We don’t share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | | No | | We don’t share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | | No | | We don’t share |
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| |
Questions? | | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
27
| | |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
| | |
What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | | We collect your personal information, for example, when you • open an account or provide account information • direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities • make a wire transfer We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can’t I limit all sharing? | | Federal law gives you the right to limit only • sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness • affiliates from using your information to market to you • sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
| | |
Definitions |
Affiliates | | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. • MFS doesn’t jointly market. |
| | |
Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
28
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Global Governments Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
WGS-ANN
MFS® Global Governments Portfolio
CONTENTS
The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE • NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
1
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION
Portfolio structure (i)
| | | | |
Fixed income sectors (i) | | | | |
Non-U.S. Government Bonds | | | 52.4% | |
U.S. Treasury Securities | | | 30.1% | |
Emerging Markets Bonds | | | 8.8% | |
Municipal Bonds | | | 1.4% | |
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities | | | 0.6% | |
Investment Grade Corporates | | | 0.5% | |
U.S. Government Agencies | | | 0.5% | |
Collateralized Debt Obligations | | | 0.1% | |
Mortgage-Backed Securities (o) | | | 0.0% | |
|
Composition including fixed income credit quality (a)(i) | |
AAA | | | 6.5% | |
AA | | | 16.3% | |
A | | | 16.7% | |
BBB | | | 19.0% | |
BB | | | 5.4% | |
U.S. Government | | | 30.9% | |
Federal Agencies | | | 0.5% | |
Not Rated | | | (0.9)% | |
Cash & Cash Equivalents | | | 3.6% | |
Other | | | 2.0% | |
| | | | |
Portfolio facts (i) | | | | |
Average Duration (d) | | | 8.9 | |
Average Effective Maturity (m) | | | 11.4 yrs. | |
| |
Issuer country weightings (i)(x) | | | | |
United States | | | 38.6% | |
Japan | | | 14.6% | |
Italy | | | 10.6% | |
United Kingdom | | | 7.8% | |
Greece | | | 5.0% | |
France | | | 4.3% | |
Spain | | | 3.5% | |
Portugal | | | 2.6% | |
Sweden | | | 2.2% | |
Other Countries | | | 10.8% | |
| |
Currency exposure weightings (i)(y) | | | | |
United States Dollar | | | 39.8% | |
Euro | | | 27.7% | |
Japanese Yen | | | 17.4% | |
British Pound Sterling | | | 6.7% | |
Australian Dollar | | | 2.7% | |
Canadian Dollar | | | 1.7% | |
Iceland Krona | | | 1.0% | |
Norwegian Krone | | | 0.8% | |
Chinese Renminbi | | | 0.7% | |
Other Currencies | | | 1.5% | |
(a) | | For all securities other than those specifically described below, ratings are assigned to underlying securities utilizing ratings from Moody’s, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s rating agencies and applying the following hierarchy: If all three agencies provide a rating, the middle rating (after dropping the highest and lowest ratings) is assigned; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the lower of the two is assigned. If none of the 3 rating agencies above assign a rating, but the security is rated by DBRS Morningstar, then the DBRS Morningstar rating is assigned. Ratings are shown in the S&P and Fitch scale (e.g., AAA). Securities rated BBB or higher are considered investment grade. All ratings are subject to change. U.S. Government includes securities issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Federal Agencies includes rated and unrated U.S. Agency fixed-income securities, U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities, and collateralized mortgage obligations of U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities. Not Rated includes fixed income securities and fixed income derivatives that have not been rated by any rating agency. The fund may or may not have held all of these instruments on this date. The fund is not rated by these agencies. |
(d) | | Duration is a measure of how much a bond’s price is likely to fluctuate with general changes in interest rates, e.g., if rates rise 1.00%, a bond with a 5-year duration is likely to lose about 5.00% of its value due to the interest rate move. |
2
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Portfolio Composition – continued
(i) | | For purposes of this presentation, the components include the value of securities, and reflect the impact of the equivalent exposure of derivative positions, if any. These amounts may be negative from time to time. Equivalent exposure is a calculated amount that translates the derivative position into a reasonable approximation of the amount of the underlying asset that the portfolio would have to hold at a given point in time to have the same price sensitivity that results from the portfolio’s ownership of the derivative contract. When dealing with derivatives, equivalent exposure is a more representative measure of the potential impact of a position on portfolio performance than value. The bond component will include any accrued interest amounts. |
(m) | | In determining each instrument’s effective maturity for purposes of calculating the fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity, MFS uses the instrument’s stated maturity or, if applicable, an earlier date on which MFS believes it is probable that a maturity-shortening device (such as a put, pre-refunding or prepayment) will cause the instrument to be repaid. Such an earlier date can be substantially shorter than the instrument’s stated maturity. |
(x) | | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to issuer countries as a percentage of a portfolio’s net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States includes Cash & Cash Equivalents and Other. |
(y) | | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to a particular currency as a percentage of a portfolio’s net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States Dollar includes Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Other includes equivalent exposure from currency derivatives and/or any offsets to derivative positions.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
3
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
MANAGEMENT REVIEW
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Global Governments Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 10.60%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 10.35%. These compare with a return of 9.68% for the fund’s benchmark, the JPMorgan Global Government Bond Index (Unhedged).
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest – albeit the deepest and steepest – recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public’s willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies – a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Factors Affecting Performance
Relative to the JPMorgan Global Government Bond Index (Unhedged), yield curve (y) positioning, particularly the fund’s greater exposure to shifts in the middle portion (centered around maturities of 5 years), and lesser exposure to shifts in the long end (centered around maturities of 30 years), of the US yield curve contributed to performance. From an asset allocation perspective, the fund’s out-of-benchmark exposure to both Greek and Cyprus-issued bonds, and its overweight exposure to Italian bonds, also benefited relative performance. The fund’s currency exposure was another key contributor to performance, most notably its overweight exposure to the Norwegian krone, and its underweight exposure to the New Zealand dollar.
Conversely, security selection within Italian-issued debt weakened the fund’s relative returns during the reporting period.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Robert Spector and Erik Weisman
(y) | A yield curve graphically depicts the yields of different maturity bonds of the same credit quality and type; a normal yield curve is upward sloping, with short-term rates lower than long-term rates. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
4
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY THROUGH 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Share Class | | Class Inception Date | | 1-yr | | 5-yr | | 10-yr | | |
| | Initial Class | | 5/16/88 | | 10.60% | | 4.48% | | 2.03% | | |
| | Service Class | | 8/24/01 | | 10.35% | | 4.21% | | 1.77% | | |
| | | | |
Comparative benchmark(s) | | | | | | | | |
| | JPMorgan Global Government Bond Index (Unhedged) (f) | | 9.68% | | 4.62% | | 2.46% | | |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
JPMorgan Global Government Bond Index (Unhedged) – measures developed government bond markets around the world.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund’s performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
5
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
EXPENSE TABLE
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund’s ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Share Class | | | | Annualized Expense Ratio | | | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | | | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | | | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 | |
Initial Class | | Actual | | | 0.78% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,051.07 | | | | $4.02 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 0.78% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,021.22 | | | | $3.96 | |
Service Class | | Actual | | | 1.03% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,050.44 | | | | $5.31 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 1.03% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,019.96 | | | | $5.23 | |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class’s annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
Notes to Expense Table
Changes to the fund’s fee arrangements occurred during the six month period. Had these fee changes been in effect throughout the entire six month period, the annualized expense ratios, the actual expenses paid during the period, and the hypothetical expenses paid during the period would have been approximately 0.76%, $3.92, and $3.86 for Initial Class and 1.01%, $5.21, and $5.13 for Service Class, respectively. For further information about the fund’s fee arrangements and changes to those fee arrangements, please see Note 3 in the Notes to Financial Statements.
6
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS – 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – 95.9% | | | | | |
Foreign Bonds – 62.3% | | | | | |
Australia – 1.8% | | | | | | | | |
Commonwealth of Australia, 5.5%, 4/21/2023 | | AUD | 750,000 | | | $ | 649,687 | |
Commonwealth of Australia, 3.25%, 6/21/2039 | | | 1,100,000 | | | | 1,071,352 | |
Commonwealth of Australia, 1.75%, 6/21/2051 | | | 875,000 | | | | 641,907 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,362,946 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Belgium – 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
Kingdom of Belgium, 1.6%, 6/22/2047 | | EUR | 355,000 | | | $ | 578,071 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Brazil – 0.3% | | | | | | | | |
Nota do Tesouro Nacional, 10%, 1/01/2023 | | BRL | 1,500,000 | | | $ | 318,903 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Canada – 2.0% | | | | | | | | |
Government of Canada, 0.25%, 8/01/2022 | | CAD | 1,700,000 | | | $ | 1,337,122 | |
Government of Canada, 0.5%, 12/01/2030 | | | 1,000,000 | | | | 768,922 | |
Province of Ontario, 4.7%, 6/02/2037 | | | 500,000 | | | | 554,623 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,660,667 | |
| | | | | | | | |
China – 0.7% | | | | | | | | |
Government of China, 3.13%, 11/21/2029 | | CNY | 6,300,000 | | | $ | 955,192 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Croatia – 1.3% | | | | | | | | |
Republic of Croatia, 1.125%, 6/19/2029 | | EUR | 1,300,000 | | | $ | 1,668,712 | |
| | | | | | | | |
France – 4.2% | | | | | | | | |
Republic of France, 2.5%, 5/25/2030 | | EUR | 1,150,000 | | | $ | 1,794,537 | |
Republic of France, 1.25%, 5/25/2036 | | | 1,330,000 | | | | 1,954,416 | |
Republic of France, 3.25%, 5/25/2045 | | | 405,000 | | | | 854,756 | |
Republic of France, 4%, 4/25/2055 (n) | | | 290,000 | | | | 768,083 | |
Republic of France, 1.75%, 5/25/2066 | | | 65,000 | | | | 120,762 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 5,492,554 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Germany – 0.2% | | | | | | | | |
Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank | | | | | | | | |
(Federal Republic of Germany), 0.5%, 5/27/2025 | | $ | 300,000 | | | $ | 300,966 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Greece – 4.9% | | | | | | | | |
Hellenic Republic (Republic of Greece), 4.375%, 8/01/2022 | | EUR | 1,000,000 | | | $ | 1,308,140 | |
Hellenic Republic (Republic of Greece), 3.875%, 3/12/2029 | | | 3,250,000 | | | | 5,030,466 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 6,338,606 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Iceland – 1.0% | | | | | | | | |
Republic of Iceland, 5%, 11/15/2028 | | ISK | 148,000,000 | | | $ | 1,320,974 | |
| | | | | | | | |
India – 0.3% | | | | | | | | |
Republic of India, 5.77%, 8/03/2030 | | INR | 25,000,000 | | | $ | 338,968 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | |
Foreign Bonds – continued | | | | | |
Indonesia – 0.2% | | | | | | | | |
Republic of Indonesia, 7%, 9/15/2030 | | IDR | 4,000,000,000 | | | $ | 308,185 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Ireland – 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
Republic of Ireland, 3.9%, 3/20/2023 | | EUR | 500,000 | | | $ | 673,061 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Italy – 10.5% | | | | | | | | |
Republic of Italy, 2.15%, 12/15/2021 | | EUR | 2,000,000 | | | $ | 2,505,845 | |
Republic of Italy, 0.35%, 2/01/2025 | | | 1,500,000 | | | | 1,872,588 | |
Republic of Italy, 3.5%, 3/01/2030 | | | 1,535,000 | | | | 2,390,712 | |
Republic of Italy, 1.65%, 3/01/2032 | | | 500,000 | | | | 677,868 | |
Republic of Italy, 2.45%, 9/01/2033 | | | 1,250,000 | | | | 1,838,712 | |
Republic of Italy, 2.25%, 9/01/2036 | | | 2,440,000 | | | | 3,547,839 | |
Republic of Italy, 5%, 9/01/2040 | | | 328,000 | | | | 671,881 | |
Republic of Italy, 3.25%, 9/01/2046 | | | 110,000 | | | | 190,324 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 13,695,769 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Japan – 14.6% | | | | | | | | |
Government of Japan, 1%, 3/20/2022 | | JPY | 100,000,000 | | | $ | 981,434 | |
Government of Japan, 0.8%, 6/20/2023 | | | 60,000,000 | | | | 594,346 | |
Government of Japan, 2.9%, 11/20/2030 | | | 610,000,000 | | | | 7,580,234 | |
Government of Japan, 1.7%, 12/20/2031 | | | 437,000,000 | | | | 4,981,897 | |
Government of Japan, 2.4%, 3/20/2037 | | | 182,600,000 | | | | 2,359,449 | |
Government of Japan, 0.4%, 3/20/2039 | | | 150,000,000 | | | | 1,461,111 | |
Japan Bank for International Cooperation, 0.625%, 7/15/2025 | | $ | 300,000 | | | | 300,040 | |
Japan Finance Organization for Municipalities, 0.625%, 9/02/2025 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 249,598 | |
Japan International Cooperation Agency, 1%, 7/22/2030 | | | 250,000 | | | | 245,425 | |
Tokyo Metropolitan Government , 0.75%, 7/16/2025 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 250,515 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 19,004,049 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Mexico – 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
United Mexican States, 5.75%, 3/05/2026 | | MXN | 12,500,000 | | | $ | 656,442 | |
| | | | | | | | |
New Zealand – 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
Government of New Zealand, 5.5%, 4/15/2023 | | NZD | 800,000 | | | $ | 643,872 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Norway – 1.5% | | | | | |
City of Oslo, 1.6%, 5/05/2022 | | NOK | 6,000,000 | | | $ | 709,259 | |
Government of Norway, 2%, 4/26/2028 | | | 5,000,000 | | | | 630,595 | |
Kingdom of Norway, 2%, 5/24/2023 (n) | | | 5,000,000 | | | | 605,773 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,945,627 | |
| | | | | | | | |
7
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | |
Foreign Bonds – continued | | | | | |
Portugal – 2.6% | | | | | | | | |
Republic of Portugal, 4.95%, 10/25/2023 | | EUR | 500,000 | | | $ | 706,847 | |
Republic of Portugal, 3.875%, 2/15/2030 | | | 800,000 | | | | 1,324,437 | |
Republic of Portugal, 0.9%, 10/12/2035 (n) | | | 580,000 | | | | 759,298 | |
Republic of Portugal, 4.1%, 2/15/2045 | | | 256,000 | | | | 543,547 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,334,129 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Romania – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
Republic of Romania, 2.625%, 12/02/2040 (n) | | EUR | 100,000 | | | $ | 129,959 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Serbia – 0.2% | | | | | | | | |
Republic of Serbia, 2.125%, 12/01/2030 (n) | | $ | 200,000 | | | $ | 197,660 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Spain – 3.5% | | | | | |
Kingdom of Spain, 0.4%, 4/30/2022 | | EUR | 1,000,000 | | | $ | 1,238,041 | |
Kingdom of Spain, 0.35%, 7/30/2023 | | | 1,600,000 | | | | 1,999,862 | |
Kingdom of Spain, 4.7%, 7/30/2041 | | | 215,000 | | | | 470,295 | |
Kingdom of Spain, 5.15%, 10/31/2044 | | | 370,000 | | | | 892,655 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 4,600,853 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Supranational – 0.4% | | | | | | | | |
Corporacion Andina de Fomento, 1.625%, 9/23/2025 | | $ | 300,000 | | | $ | 304,164 | |
Inter-American Development Bank, 0.625%, 7/15/2025 | | | 250,000 | | | | 251,980 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 556,144 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Sweden – 2.2% | | | | | | | | |
Kingdom of Sweden, 0.75%, 11/12/2029 | | SEK | 17,345,000 | | | $ | 2,264,762 | |
Kommuninvest I Sverige AB, 0.375%, 2/16/2024 (n) | | $ | 300,000 | | | | 300,813 | |
Swedish Export Credit Corp., 0.625%, 5/14/2025 | | | 300,000 | | | | 301,154 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,866,729 | |
| | | | | | | | |
United Kingdom – 7.8% | | | | | | | | |
U.K. Municipal Bonds Agency Finance Co. DAC, 1.625%, 8/26/2060 | | GBP | 200,000 | | | $ | 285,611 | |
United Kingdom Treasury, 6%, 12/07/2028 | | | 215,000 | | | | 430,924 | |
United Kingdom Treasury, 0.875%, 10/22/2029 | | | 1,095,000 | | | | 1,592,768 | |
United Kingdom Treasury, 4.25%, 3/07/2036 | | | 268,000 | | | | 568,045 | |
United Kingdom Treasury, 1.75%, 9/07/2037 | | | 2,475,000 | | | | 4,015,371 | |
United Kingdom Treasury, 4.25%, 12/07/2040 | | | 127,000 | | | | 291,033 | |
United Kingdom Treasury, 3.25%, 1/22/2044 | | | 330,000 | | | | 694,465 | |
United Kingdom Treasury, 4.25%, 12/07/2046 | | | 200,000 | | | | 500,617 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | |
Foreign Bonds – continued | | | | | |
United Kingdom – continued | | | | | | | | |
United Kingdom Treasury, 3.75%, 7/22/2052 | | GBP | 339,000 | | | $ | 860,671 | |
United Kingdom Treasury, 4%, 1/22/2060 | | | 80,000 | | | | 234,755 | |
United Kingdom Treasury, 3.5%, 7/22/2068 | | | 230,000 | | | | 683,753 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 10,158,013 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Uruguay – 0.0% | | | | | | | | |
Oriental Republic of Uruguay, 4.375%, 1/23/2031 | | $ | 44,000 | | | $ | 53,955 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Foreign Bonds | | | | | | $ | 81,161,006 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| |
U.S. Bonds – 33.6% | | | | | |
Asset-Backed & Securitized – 0.8% | | | | | |
Cantor Commercial Real Estate, 2019-CF3, “A4”, 3.005%, 1/15/2053 | | $ | 315,000 | | | $ | 350,189 | |
Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2019-C7, “A4”, 3.102%, 12/15/2072 | | | 233,275 | | | | 263,176 | |
Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, 2019-BN24, “A3”, 2.96%, 11/15/2062 | | | 170,384 | | | | 190,071 | |
Galaxy CLO Ltd., 2018-29A, “A”, FLR, 1.011% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 0.79%), 11/15/2026 (n) | | | 169,282 | | | | 168,666 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 972,102 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Consumer Services – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
Conservation Fund, 3.474%, 12/15/2029 | | $ | 158,000 | | | $ | 170,954 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Industrial – 0.1% | | | | | |
Howard University, Washington D.C., AGM, 2.638%, 10/01/2021 | | $ | 26,000 | | | $ | 26,226 | |
Howard University, Washington D.C., 2.738%, 10/01/2022 | | | 28,000 | | | | 28,846 | |
Howard University, Washington D.C., 2.801%, 10/01/2023 | | | 30,000 | | | | 31,144 | |
Howard University, Washington D.C., AGM, 2.416%, 10/01/2024 | | | 33,000 | | | | 34,210 | |
Howard University, Washington D.C., AGM, 2.516%, 10/01/2025 | | | 42,000 | | | | 43,720 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 164,146 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Mortgage-Backed – 0.0% | | | | | |
Freddie Mac, 1.169%, 9/25/2030 (i) | | $ | 329,805 | | | $ | 34,201 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Municipals – 1.4% | | | | | | | | |
California Earthquake Authority Rev., “B”, 1.227%, 7/01/2021 | | $ | 25,000 | | | $ | 25,017 | |
California Earthquake Authority Rev., “B”, 1.327%, 7/01/2022 | | | 80,000 | | | | 80,242 | |
California Earthquake Authority Rev., “B”, 1.477%, 7/01/2023 | | | 60,000 | | | | 60,416 | |
Chicago, IL, Board of Education, “E”, BAM, 6.138%, 12/01/2039 | | | 250,000 | | | | 320,362 | |
8
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | |
U.S. Bonds – continued | | | | | |
Municipals – continued | | | | | | | | |
Florida State Board of Administration Finance Corp. Rev., “A”, 1.705%, 7/01/2027 | | $ | 236,000 | | | $ | 244,966 | |
Illinois Sales Tax Securitization Corp., Second Lien, “B”, BAM, 3.411%, 1/01/2043 | | | 240,000 | | | | 254,738 | |
Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, Education Loan Rev., “A”, 2.562%, 7/01/2026 | | | 20,000 | | | | 20,186 | |
Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, Education Loan Rev., “A”, 2.682%, 7/01/2027 | | | 100,000 | | | | 101,343 | |
Michigan Finance Authority Hospital Rev. (Trinity Health Credit Group), 3.384%, 12/01/2040 | | | 285,000 | | | | 321,189 | |
Port Authority of NY & NJ, “AAA”, 1.086%, 7/01/2023 | | | 210,000 | | | | 213,129 | |
West Virginia Tobacco Settlement Financing Authority Asset-Backed Refunding, “A-1”, 1.497%, 6/01/2024 | | | 80,000 | | | | 80,270 | |
West Virginia Tobacco Settlement Financing Authority Asset-Backed Refunding, “A-1”, 1.647%, 6/01/2025 | | | 65,000 | | | | 65,132 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,786,990 | |
| | | | | | | | |
U.S. Government Agencies and Equivalents – 0.4% | |
Small Business Administration, 4.57%, 6/01/2025 | | $ | 2,317 | | | $ | 2,451 | |
Small Business Administration, 5.09%, 10/01/2025 | | | 2,199 | | | | 2,330 | |
Small Business Administration, 5.21%, 1/01/2026 | | | 31,564 | | | | 33,535 | |
Small Business Administration, 2.22%, 3/01/2033 | | | 408,823 | | | | 423,547 | |
Tennessee Valley Authority, 0.75%, 5/15/2025 | | | 96,000 | | | | 97,210 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 559,073 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | |
U.S. Bonds – continued | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury Obligations – 30.8% | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 2.25%, 2/15/2027 | | $ | 5,631,000 | | | $ | 6,222,255 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 4.75%, 2/15/2037 | | | 709,000 | | | | 1,079,702 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 4.5%, 8/15/2039 | | | 3,571,400 | | | | 5,457,267 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 2.75%, 11/15/2042 | | | 1,361,000 | | | | 1,683,334 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 3.625%, 2/15/2044 | | | 1,120,000 | | | | 1,583,269 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 3%, 2/15/2048 | | | 1,905,000 | | | | 2,495,922 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 3%, 2/15/2049 | | | 1,945,000 | | | | 2,560,562 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, TIPS, 0.625%, 1/15/2026 | | | 1,095,790 | | | | 1,222,858 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, TIPS, 1.75%, 1/15/2028 | | | 2,431,015 | | | | 2,980,926 | |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 2.625%, 5/15/2021 | | | 2,000,000 | | | | 2,018,281 | |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 2.125%, 5/15/2025 (f) | | | 6,720,700 | | | | 7,252,580 | |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 1.5%, 8/15/2026 | | | 3,020,000 | | | | 3,196,953 | |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 2.875%, 5/15/2028 | | | 1,972,300 | | | | 2,284,093 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 40,038,002 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total U.S. Bonds | | | | | | $ | 43,725,468 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Bonds (Identified Cost, $113,098,542) | | | | | | $ | 124,886,474 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| |
INVESTMENT COMPANIES (h) – 1.6% | | | | | |
Money Market Funds – 1.6% | | | | | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $2,150,119) | | $ | 2,150,119 | | | $ | 2,150,119 | |
| | | | | | | | |
OTHER ASSETS, LESS LIABILITIES – 2.5% | | | | | | | 3,205,231 | |
| | | | | | | | |
NET ASSETS – 100.0% | | | | | | $ | 130,241,824 | |
| | | | | | | | |
(f) | | All or a portion of the security has been segregated as collateral for open futures contracts. |
(h) | | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund’s investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $2,150,119 and $124,886,474, respectively. |
(i) | | Interest only security for which the fund receives interest on notional principal (Par amount). Par amount shown is the notional principal and does not reflect the cost of the security. |
(n) | | Securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities may be sold in the ordinary course of business in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At period end, the aggregate value of these securities was $3,430,365, representing 2.6% of net assets. |
(v) | | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined:
AGM | | Assured Guaranty Municipal |
CLO | | Collateralized Loan Obligation |
FLR | | Floating Rate. Interest rate resets periodically based on the parenthetically disclosed reference rate plus a spread (if any). The period-end rate reported may not be the current rate. All reference rates are USD unless otherwise noted. |
LIBOR | | London Interbank Offered Rate |
TIPS | | Treasury Inflation Protected Security |
9
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Abbreviations indicate amounts shown in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. All amounts are stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. A list of abbreviations is shown below:
Derivative Contracts at 12/31/20
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Currency Purchased | | | | | | Currency Sold | | Counterparty | | Settlement Date | | | Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) | |
Asset Derivatives | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
AUD | | | 1,483,806 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 1,084,636 | | Citibank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | $59,458 | |
AUD | | | 4,513,909 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 3,309,519 | �� | Goldman Sachs International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 170,947 | |
AUD | | | 1,505,335 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 1,116,261 | | Merrill Lynch International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 44,434 | |
AUD | | | 411,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 313,294 | | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 3,609 | |
AUD | | | 87,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 64,765 | | State Street Bank Corp. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 2,317 | |
CAD | | | 134,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 100,967 | | Barclays Bank PLC | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 4,310 | |
CAD | | | 2,658,835 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 2,025,165 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 63,762 | |
CAD | | | 911,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 706,624 | | Merrill Lynch International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 9,107 | |
DKK | | | 3,260,237 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 515,799 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 19,474 | |
EUR | | | 297,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 361,525 | | Barclays Bank PLC | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 1,404 | |
EUR | | | 97,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 117,252 | | Brown Brothers Harriman | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 1,280 | |
EUR | | | 1,279,279 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 1,519,381 | | Citibank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 43,876 | |
EUR | | | 431,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 512,344 | | Credit Suisse Group | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 14,330 | |
EUR | | | 21,747 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 25,844 | | Merrill Lynch International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 731 | |
EUR | | | 175,977 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 208,484 | | UBS AG | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 6,557 | |
GBP | | | 68,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 87,805 | | Brown Brothers Harriman | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 5,194 | |
GBP | | | 274,025 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 354,717 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 20,050 | |
GBP | | | 55,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 74,105 | | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 1,115 | |
IDR | | | 3,957,670,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 280,189 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/19/2021 | | | | 1,130 | |
JPY | | | 66,589,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 639,313 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 5,671 | |
JPY | | | 1,010,181,334 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 9,592,340 | | Merrill Lynch International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 192,317 | |
JPY | | | 6,604,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 63,068 | | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 898 | |
MXN | | | 26,985,405 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 1,253,479 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 100,989 | |
NOK | | | 3,315,317 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 359,629 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 27,035 | |
NOK | | | 5,858,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 661,255 | | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 21,961 | |
NZD | | | 955,722 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 666,729 | | Goldman Sachs International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 20,960 | |
NZD | | | 190,643 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 134,528 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 2,649 | |
NZD | | | 999,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 684,247 | | Merrill Lynch International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 34,582 | |
10
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – continued
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Currency Purchased | | | | | | Currency Sold | | Counterparty | | Settlement Date | | | Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) | |
Asset Derivatives – continued | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
NZD | | | 1,028,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 685,060 | | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | $54,636 | |
NZD | | | 855,793 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 603,122 | | UBS AG | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 12,663 | |
SEK | | | 543,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 63,839 | | Brown Brothers Harriman | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 2,168 | |
SEK | | | 16,853,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 1,912,897 | | Merrill Lynch International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 135,769 | |
TRY | | | 2,541,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 320,383 | | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 20,320 | |
USD | | | 336,900 | | | | | | | | BRL | | | 1,718,021 | | Banco Santander S.A. | | | 2/04/2021 | | | | 6,265 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $1,111,968 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Liability Derivatives | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
EUR | | | 276,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 338,486 | | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | $(1,219 | ) |
EUR | | | 64,000 | | | | | | | | USD | | | 78,466 | | State Street Bank Corp. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (259 | ) |
USD | | | 2,905,384 | | | | | | | | AUD | | | 4,055,335 | | Goldman Sachs International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (221,497 | ) |
USD | | | 143,490 | | | | | | | | AUD | | | 194,906 | | HSBC Bank | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (6,793 | ) |
USD | | | 1,324,900 | | | | | | | | AUD | | | 1,876,184 | | Merrill Lynch International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (121,738 | ) |
USD | | | 268,707 | | | | | | | | AUD | | | 365,257 | | State Street Bank Corp. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (12,926 | ) |
USD | | | 631,717 | | | | | | | | CAD | | | 830,000 | | Goldman Sachs International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (20,376 | ) |
USD | | | 1,289,513 | | | | | | | | CAD | | | 1,701,156 | | Merrill Lynch International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (47,009 | ) |
USD | | | 1,294,292 | | | | | | | | CAD | | | 1,687,657 | | State Street Bank Corp. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (31,625 | ) |
USD | | | 1,280,166 | | | | | | | | EUR | | | 1,086,410 | | Barclays Bank PLC | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (47,408 | ) |
USD | | | 826,462 | | | | | | | | EUR | | | 676,811 | | HSBC Bank | | | 2/12/2021 | | | | (1,107 | ) |
USD | | | 304,118 | | | | | | | | EUR | | | 256,780 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (9,663 | ) |
USD | | | 118,595 | | | | | | | | EUR | | | 99,616 | | Merrill Lynch International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (3,134 | ) |
USD | | | 1,349,916 | | | | | | | | EUR | | | 1,147,360 | | State Street Bank Corp. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (52,137 | ) |
USD | | | 308,188 | | | | | | | | GBP | | | 238,258 | | Brown Brothers Harriman | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (17,663 | ) |
USD | | | 693,472 | | | | | | | | GBP | | | 524,000 | | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (23,171 | ) |
USD | | | 600,943 | | | | | | | | GBP | | | 450,000 | | NatWest Markets PLC | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (14,494 | ) |
USD | | | 346,933 | | | | | | | | GBP | | | 261,626 | | State Street Bank Corp. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (10,876 | ) |
USD | | | 263,607 | | | | | | | | IDR | | | 3,924,588,000 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/19/2021 | | | | (15,360 | ) |
USD | | | 1,353,304 | | | | | | | | JPY | | | 142,543,253 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (27,376 | ) |
USD | | | 597,824 | | | | | | | | JPY | | | 62,438,000 | | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (6,953 | ) |
USD | | | 2,575,997 | | | | | | | | JPY | | | 268,000,000 | | State Street Bank Corp. | | | 1/07/2021 | | | | (19,591 | ) |
USD | | | 1,299,966 | | | | | | | | JPY | | | 135,253,000 | | State Street Bank Corp. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (10,100 | ) |
USD | | | 660,593 | | | | | | | | MXN | | | 13,297,085 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (6,822 | ) |
USD | | | 1,345,935 | | | | | | | | MXN | | | 26,985,000 | | Merrill Lynch International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (8,512 | ) |
USD | | | 621,801 | | | | | | | | NOK | | | 5,528,774 | | Barclays Bank PLC | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (23,018 | ) |
USD | | | 692,084 | | | | | | | | NOK | | | 6,079,000 | | Brown Brothers Harriman | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (16,907 | ) |
USD | | | 649,992 | | | | | | | | NOK | | | 6,068,000 | | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (57,717 | ) |
USD | | | 366,554 | | | | | | | | NZD | | | 519,305 | | Barclays Bank PLC | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (7,111 | ) |
USD | | | 2,972,347 | | | | | | | | NZD | | | 4,417,122 | | Citibank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (205,988 | ) |
USD | | | 2,907,824 | | | | | | | | SEK | | | 25,588,848 | | Brown Brothers Harriman | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (202,780 | ) |
USD | | | 874,988 | | | | | | | | SEK | | | 7,534,771 | | State Street Bank Corp. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (40,945 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $(1,292,275 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
11
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Futures Contracts
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Description | | Long/ Short | | | Currency | | | Contracts | | Notional Amount | | | Expiration Date | | | Value/Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) | |
Liability Derivatives | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Interest Rate Futures | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Euro-Bund 10 yr | | | Short | | | | EUR | | | 8 | | | $1,736,111 | | | | March - 2021 | | | | $(4,516 | ) |
U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr | | | Short | | | | USD | | | 8 | | | 1,104,625 | | | | March - 2021 | | | | (3,779 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $(8,295) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
At December 31, 2020, the fund had liquid securities with an aggregate value of $42,086 to cover any collateral or margin obligations for certain derivative contracts.
See Notes to Financial Statements
12
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
| | | | |
At 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Assets | | | | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $113,098,542) | | | $124,886,474 | |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $2,150,119) | | | 2,150,119 | |
Foreign currency, at value (identified cost, $2,584,959) | | | 2,595,466 | |
Receivables for | | | | |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | 1,111,968 | |
Interest | | | 839,309 | |
Receivable from investment adviser | | | 13,754 | |
Other assets | | | 1,007 | |
Total assets | | | $131,598,097 | |
| |
Liabilities | | | | |
Payables for | | | | |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | $1,292,275 | |
Net daily variation margin on open futures contracts | | | 822 | |
Fund shares reacquired | | | 1,487 | |
Payable to affiliates | | | | |
Administrative services fee | | | 146 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 8 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 11 | |
Payable for independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 84 | |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | | | 61,440 | |
Total liabilities | | | $1,356,273 | |
Net assets | | | $130,241,824 | |
| |
Net assets consist of | | | | |
Paid-in capital | | | $118,561,941 | |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | | | 11,679,883 | |
Net assets | | | $130,241,824 | |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | | | 11,141,423 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| | Net assets | | | Shares outstanding | | | Net asset value per share | |
Initial Class | | | $129,401,051 | | | | 11,068,056 | | | | $11.69 | |
Service Class | | | 840,773 | | | | 73,367 | | | | 11.46 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
13
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
| | | | |
Year ended 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Net investment income (loss) | | | | |
Income | | | | |
Interest | | | $1,575,935 | |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | | | 24,030 | |
Other | | | 31 | |
Foreign taxes withheld | | | (979 | ) |
Total investment income | | | $1,599,017 | |
Expenses | | | | |
Management fee | | | $931,987 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 1,995 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 1,790 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 27,268 | |
Independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 4,164 | |
Custodian fee | | | 28,209 | |
Shareholder communications | | | 5,215 | |
Audit and tax fees | | | 76,420 | |
Legal fees | | | 1,165 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 36,978 | |
Total expenses | | | $1,115,191 | |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | | | (81,494 | ) |
Net expenses | | | $1,033,697 | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $565,320 | |
| |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $4,967,982 | |
Affiliated issuers | | | (425 | ) |
Futures contracts | | | (45,208 | ) |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | 4,814 | |
Foreign currency | | | (27,076 | ) |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | $4,900,087 | |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $7,119,191 | |
Affiliated issuers | | | (318 | ) |
Futures contracts | | | (8,295 | ) |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | (211,784 | ) |
Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies | | | 24,756 | |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | $6,923,550 | |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | $11,823,637 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $12,388,957 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
14
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | |
Change in net assets | | | | | | | | |
| | |
From operations | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $565,320 | | | | $1,339,801 | |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | 4,900,087 | | | | 3,992,401 | |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | 6,923,550 | | | | 2,704,105 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $12,388,957 | | | | $8,036,307 | |
Total distributions to shareholders | | | $(1,660,302 | ) | | | $(3,199,101 | ) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | | | $(10,857,191 | ) | | | $(10,300,438 | ) |
Total change in net assets | | | $(128,536 | ) | | | $(5,463,232 | ) |
| | |
Net assets | | | | | | | | |
At beginning of period | | | 130,370,360 | | | | 135,833,592 | |
At end of period | | | $130,241,824 | | | | $130,370,360 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
15
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund’s financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $10.71 | | | | $10.34 | | | | $10.56 | | | | $9.87 | | | | $9.84 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.05 | | | | $0.11 | | | | $0.11 | | | | $0.08 | | | | $0.07 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 1.08 | | | | 0.53 | | | | (0.23 | ) | | | 0.61 | | | | (0.04 | )(g) |
Total from investment operations | | | $1.13 | | | | $0.64 | | | | $(0.12 | ) | | | $0.69 | | | | $0.03 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.15 | ) | | | $(0.27 | ) | | | $(0.10 | ) | | | $— | | | | $— | |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $11.69 | | | | $10.71 | | | | $10.34 | | | | $10.56 | | | | $9.87 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 10.60 | | | | 6.08 | | | | (1.11 | ) | | | 6.99 | | | | 0.30 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 0.90 | | | | 0.88 | | | | 0.87 | | | | 0.86 | | | | 0.83 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 0.83 | | | | 0.87 | | | | 0.86 | | | | 0.85 | | | | 0.82 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.46 | | | | 1.01 | | | | 1.05 | | | | 0.77 | | | | 0.66 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 98 | | | | 107 | | | | 79 | | | | 67 | | | | 75 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $129,401 | | | | $129,565 | | | | $135,008 | | | | $159,652 | | | | $162,211 | |
| |
Service Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $10.50 | | | | $10.14 | | | | $10.34 | | | | $9.69 | | | | $9.69 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.02 | | | | $0.08 | | | | $0.08 | | | | $0.05 | | | | $0.04 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 1.06 | | | | 0.51 | | | | (0.22 | ) | | | 0.60 | | | | (0.04 | )(g) |
Total from investment operations | | | $1.08 | | | | $0.59 | | | | $(0.14 | ) | | | $0.65 | | | | $0.00 | (w) |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.12 | ) | | | $(0.23 | ) | | | $(0.06 | ) | | | $— | | | | $— | |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $11.46 | | | | $10.50 | | | | $10.14 | | | | $10.34 | | �� | | $9.69 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 10.35 | | | | 5.79 | | | | (1.32 | ) | | | 6.71 | | | | 0.00 | (c)(w) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 1.15 | | | | 1.13 | | | | 1.12 | | | | 1.11 | | | | 1.08 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 1.08 | | | | 1.12 | | | | 1.11 | | | | 1.10 | | | | 1.07 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.20 | | | | 0.76 | | | | 0.80 | | | | 0.52 | | | | 0.41 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 98 | | | | 107 | | | | 79 | | | | 67 | | | | 75 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $841 | | | | $806 | | | | $826 | | | | $1,034 | | | | $1,572 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
16
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Financial Highlights – continued
(c) | | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(g) | | The per share amount varies from the net realized and unrealized gain/loss for the period because of the timing of sales of fund shares and the per share amount of realized and unrealized gains and losses at such time. |
(k) | | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(w) | | Per share amount was less than $0.01 and total return or ratio was less than 0.01%, as applicable. |
(x) | | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
17
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1) | | Business and Organization |
MFS Global Governments Portfolio (the fund) is a non-diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services – Investment Companies.
(2) | | Significant Accounting Policies |
General – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued. The fund invests in foreign securities. Investments in foreign securities are vulnerable to the effects of changes in the relative values of the local currency and the U.S. dollar and to the effects of changes in each country’s market, economic, industrial, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund’s investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting – The fund’s accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund’s right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations – Debt instruments and floating rate loans, including restricted debt instruments, are generally valued at an evaluated or composite bid as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Futures contracts are generally valued at last posted settlement price on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Futures contracts for which there were no trades that day for a particular position are generally valued at the closing bid quotation on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are generally valued at the mean of bid and asked prices for the time period interpolated from rates provided by a third-party pricing service for proximate time periods. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading
18
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund’s assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund’s assets or liabilities:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Financial Instruments | | Level 1 | | | Level 2 | | | Level 3 | | | Total | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds & U.S. Government Agencies & Equivalents | | | $— | | | | $40,597,075 | | | | $— | | | | $40,597,075 | |
Non-U.S. Sovereign Debt | | | — | | | | 79,060,185 | | | | — | | | | 79,060,185 | |
Municipal Bonds | | | — | | | | 1,786,990 | | | | — | | | | 1,786,990 | |
U.S. Corporate Bonds | | | — | | | | 335,100 | | | | — | | | | 335,100 | |
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities | | | — | | | | 34,201 | | | | — | | | | 34,201 | |
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities | | | — | | | | 803,436 | | | | — | | | | 803,436 | |
Asset-Backed Securities (including CDOs) | | | — | | | | 168,666 | | | | — | | | | 168,666 | |
Foreign Bonds | | | — | | | | 2,100,821 | | | | — | | | | 2,100,821 | |
Mutual Funds | | | 2,150,119 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 2,150,119 | |
Total | | | $2,150,119 | | | | $124,886,474 | | | | $— | | | | $127,036,593 | |
| | | | |
Other Financial Instruments | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Futures Contracts – Liabilities | | | $(8,295 | ) | | | $— | | | | $— | | | | $(8,295 | ) |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – Assets | | | — | | | | 1,111,968 | | | | — | | | | 1,111,968 | |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – Liabilities | | | — | | | | (1,292,275 | ) | | | — | | | | (1,292,275 | ) |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Foreign Currency Translation – Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
Derivatives – The fund uses derivatives primarily to increase or decrease exposure to a particular market or segment of the market, or security, to increase or decrease interest rate or currency exposure, or as alternatives to direct investments. Derivatives are used for hedging or non-hedging purposes. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. When the fund uses derivatives as an investment to increase market exposure, or for hedging purposes, gains and losses from derivative instruments may be substantially greater than the derivative’s original cost.
The derivative instruments used by the fund during the period were futures contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts. Depending on the type of derivative, the fund may exit a derivative position by entering into an offsetting transaction with a counterparty or exchange, negotiating an agreement with the derivative counterparty, or novating the position to a third party. The fund’s period end derivatives, as presented in the Portfolio of Investments and the associated Derivative Contract tables, generally are indicative of the volume of its derivative activity during the period.
19
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the fair value, on a gross basis, of the asset and liability components of derivatives held by the fund at December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Fair Value (a) | |
Risk | | Derivative Contracts | | Asset Derivatives | | | Liability Derivatives | |
Interest Rate | | Interest Rate Futures | | | $— | | | | $(8,295 | ) |
Foreign Exchange | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | | | 1,111,968 | | | | (1,292,275 | ) |
Total | | | | | $1,111,968 | | | | $(1,300,570 | ) |
(a) | Values presented in this table for futures contracts correspond to the values reported in the fund’s Portfolio of Investments. Only the current day net variation margin for futures contracts is separately reported within the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities. |
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the realized gain (loss) on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
| | | | | | | | |
Risk | | Futures Contracts | | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | |
Interest Rate | | | $(45,208 | ) | | | $— | |
Foreign Exchange | | | — | | | | 4,814 | |
Total | | | $(45,208 | ) | | | $4,814 | |
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
| | | | | | | | |
Risk | | Futures Contracts | | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | |
Interest Rate | | | $(8,295 | ) | | | $— | |
Foreign Exchange | | | — | | | | (211,784 | ) |
Total | | | $(8,295 | ) | | | $(211,784 | ) |
Derivative counterparty credit risk is managed through formal evaluation of the creditworthiness of all potential counterparties. On certain, but not all, uncleared derivatives, the fund attempts to reduce its exposure to counterparty credit risk whenever possible by entering into an ISDA Master Agreement on a bilateral basis. The ISDA Master Agreement gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under such agreement if there is a specified deterioration in the credit quality of the other party. Upon an event of default or a termination of the ISDA Master Agreement, the non-defaulting party has the right to close out all transactions traded under such agreement and to net amounts owed under each agreement to one net amount payable by one party to the other. This right to close out and net payments across all transactions traded under the ISDA Master Agreement could result in a reduction of the fund’s credit risk to such counterparty equal to any amounts payable by the fund under the applicable transactions, if any.
Collateral and margin requirements differ by type of derivative. For cleared derivatives (e.g., futures contracts, cleared swaps, and exchange-traded options), margin requirements are set by the clearing broker and the clearing house and collateral, in the form of cash or securities, is posted by the fund directly with the clearing broker. Collateral terms are counterparty agreement specific for uncleared derivatives (e.g., forward foreign currency exchange contracts, uncleared swap agreements, and uncleared options) and collateral, in the form of cash and securities, is held in segregated accounts with the fund’s custodian in connection with these agreements. For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, which contains a collateral support annex, the collateral requirements are netted across all transactions traded under such counterparty-specific agreement and an amount is posted from one party to the other to collateralize such obligations. Cash that has been segregated or delivered to cover the fund’s collateral or margin obligations under derivative contracts, if any, will be reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as restricted cash for uncleared derivatives and/or deposits with brokers for cleared derivatives. Securities pledged as collateral or margin for the same purpose, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. The fund may be required to make payments of interest on uncovered collateral or margin obligations with the broker. Any such payments are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
Futures Contracts – The fund entered into futures contracts which may be used to hedge against or obtain broad market exposure, interest rate exposure, currency exposure, or to manage duration. A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.
20
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Upon entering into a futures contract, the fund is required to deposit with the broker, either in cash or securities, an initial margin in an amount equal to a specified percentage of the notional amount of the contract. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are made or received by the fund each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract, and are recorded for financial statement purposes as unrealized gain or loss by the fund until the contract is closed or expires at which point the gain or loss on futures contracts is realized.
The fund bears the risk of interest rates, exchange rates or securities prices moving unexpectedly, in which case, the fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the futures contracts and may realize a loss. While futures contracts may present less counterparty risk to the fund since the contracts are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse guarantees payments to the broker, there is still counterparty credit risk due to the insolvency of the broker. The fund’s maximum risk of loss due to counterparty credit risk is equal to the margin posted by the fund to the broker plus any gains or minus any losses on the outstanding futures contracts.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – The fund entered into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for the purchase or sale of a specific foreign currency at a fixed price on a future date. These contracts may be used to hedge the fund’s currency risk or for non-hedging purposes. For hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts to deliver or receive foreign currency that the fund will receive from or use in its normal investment activities. The fund may also use contracts to hedge against declines in the value of foreign currency denominated securities due to unfavorable exchange rate movements. For non-hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts with the intent of changing the relative exposure of the fund’s portfolio of securities to different currencies to take advantage of anticipated exchange rate changes.
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are adjusted by the daily exchange rate of the underlying currency and any unrealized gains or losses are recorded as a receivable or payable for forward foreign currency exchange contracts until the contract settlement date. On contract settlement date, any gain or loss on the contract is recorded as realized gains or losses on forward foreign currency exchange contracts.
Risks may arise upon entering into these contracts from unanticipated movements in the value of the contract and from the potential inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts. Generally, the fund’s maximum risk due to counterparty credit risk is the unrealized gain on the contract due to the use of Continuous Linked Settlement, a multicurrency cash settlement system for the centralized settlement of foreign transactions. This risk is mitigated in cases where there is an ISDA Master Agreement between the fund and the counterparty providing for netting as described above and, where applicable, by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to the fund to cover the fund’s exposure to the counterparty under such ISDA Master Agreement.
Indemnifications – Under the fund’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund’s maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income – Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. All premium and discount is amortized or accreted for financial statement purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Interest payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-interest date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
Tax Matters and Distributions – The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
21
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Book/tax differences primarily relate to amortization and accretion of debt securities, straddle loss deferrals, and derivative transactions.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | | | $1,660,302 | | | | $3,199,101 | |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
| | | | |
As of 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Cost of investments | | | $117,049,010 | |
Gross appreciation | | | 9,952,761 | |
Gross depreciation | | | (153,780 | ) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | | | $9,798,981 | |
| |
Undistributed ordinary income | | | 2,952,140 | |
Capital loss carryforwards | | | (1,102,411 | ) |
Other temporary differences | | | 31,173 | |
As of December 31, 2020, the fund had capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized gains. These net capital losses may be carried forward indefinitely and their character is retained as short-term and/or long-term losses. Such losses are characterized as follows:
| | | | |
Short-Term | | | $(300,608 | ) |
Long-Term | | | (801,803 | ) |
Total | | | $(1,102,411 | ) |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest – The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund’s income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Initial Class | | | $1,651,619 | | | | $3,182,293 | |
Service Class | | | 8,683 | | | | 16,808 | |
Total | | | $1,660,302 | | | | $3,199,101 | |
(3) Transactions with Affiliates
Investment Adviser – The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund’s average daily net assets:
| | | | |
Up to $300 million | | | 0.75% | |
In excess of $300 million and up to $1 billion | | | 0.675% | |
In excess of $1 billion | | | 0.625% | |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund’s Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $13,646, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.74% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
For the period from January 1, 2020 through July 31, 2020, the investment adviser had agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 1.00% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.25% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement terminated on July 31, 2020. For the period from January 1, 2020 through July 31, 2020, the fund’s actual operating expenses did not exceed the limit and therefore, the investment adviser did not pay any portion of the fund’s expenses related to this agreement. Effective August 1, 2020, the investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.76% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.01% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such
22
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the period from August 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, this reduction amounted to $67,848, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations.
Distributor – MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund’s distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
Shareholder Servicing Agent – MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $1,576, which equated to 0.0013% annually of the fund’s average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $214.
Administrator – MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0219% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation – The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other – The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, were as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Purchases | | | Sales | |
U.S. Government securities | | | $30,294,672 | | | | $51,178,103 | |
Non-U.S. Government securities | | | 86,177,808 | | | | 73,655,291 | |
(5) | | Shares of Beneficial Interest |
The fund’s Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
| | | | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Shares | | | Amount | |
Shares sold | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 1,052,245 | | | | $11,850,341 | | | | 208,471 | | | | $2,210,929 | |
Service Class | | | 7,826 | | | | 87,385 | | | | 8,073 | | | | 85,405 | |
| | | 1,060,071 | | | | $11,937,726 | | | | 216,544 | | | | $2,296,334 | |
| | | | |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 145,517 | | | | $1,651,619 | | | | 288,774 | | | | $3,182,293 | |
Service Class | | | 779 | | | | 8,683 | | | | 1,553 | | | | 16,808 | |
| | | 146,296 | | | | $1,660,302 | | | | 290,327 | | | | $3,199,101 | |
| | | | |
Shares reacquired | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (2,224,850 | ) | | | $(24,324,361 | ) | | | (1,455,554 | ) | | | $(15,647,362 | ) |
Service Class | | | (11,946 | ) | | | (130,858 | ) | | | (14,339 | ) | | | (148,511 | ) |
| | | (2,236,796 | ) | | | $(24,455,219 | ) | | | (1,469,893 | ) | | | $(15,795,873 | ) |
| | | | |
Net change | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (1,027,088 | ) | | | $(10,822,401 | ) | | | (958,309 | ) | | | $(10,254,140 | ) |
Service Class | | | (3,341 | ) | | | (34,790 | ) | | | (4,713 | ) | | | (46,298 | ) |
| | | (1,030,429 | ) | | | $(10,857,191 | ) | | | (963,022 | ) | | | $(10,300,438 | ) |
23
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
The fund is one of several mutual funds in which certain MFS funds may invest. The MFS funds do not invest in the underlying funds for the purpose of exercising management or control. At the end of the period, the MFS Moderate Allocation Portfolio, the MFS Conservative Allocation Portfolio, and the MFS Growth Allocation Portfolio were the owners of record of approximately 53%, 26%, and 11%, respectively, of the value of outstanding voting shares of the fund.
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $685 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) | | Investments in Affiliated Issuers |
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | Beginning Value | | | Purchases | | | Sales Proceeds | | | Realized Gain (Loss) | | | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | | | Ending Value | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | $4,936,006 | | | | $70,006,285 | | | | $72,791,429 | | | | $(425 | ) | | | $(318 | ) | | | $2,150,119 | |
| | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Dividend Income | | | Capital Gain Distributions | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | | | | | | | | | | $24,030 | | | | $— | |
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund’s investments and the fund’s performance.
24
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of MFS Global Governments Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Global Governments Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
25
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS – IDENTIFICATION AND BACKGROUND
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
| | | | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
|
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
| | | | | |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
| | | | | |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
26
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head – Treasurer’s Office (until February 2017) |
| | | | |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
| | | | |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
| | | | |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
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Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
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Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
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Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
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James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board’s retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
27
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
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Investment Adviser Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Custodian State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
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Distributor MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
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Portfolio Manager(s) Robert Spector Erik Weisman | | |
28
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
BOARD REVIEW OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 3rd quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 4th quintile for the one-year period and the 2nd quintile for the three-year period ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
In addition to considering the performance information provided in connection with the contract review meetings, the Trustees noted that, in light of the Fund’s substandard relative performance at the time of their contract review meetings in 2019, they had met at each of their regular meetings since then with MFS’ senior investment management personnel to discuss the Fund’s
29
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement – continued
performance and MFS’ efforts to improve the Fund’s performance. The Trustees further noted that the Fund’s five-year performance as compared to its Broadridge performance universe improved for the period ended December 31, 2019, as compared to the prior year. Taking this information into account, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate and total expense ratio were each higher than the Broadridge expense group median. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed to further reduce the expense limitation for the Fund effective August 1, 2020, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to contractual breakpoints that reduce the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $300 million and $1 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoints and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
30
MFS Global Governments Portfolio
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND INFORMATION
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO DISCLOSURE
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund’s fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
INFORMATION ABOUT FUND CONTRACTS AND LEGAL CLAIMS
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund intends to pass through the maximum amount allowable as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends as defined in Treasury Regulation §1.163(j)-1(b).
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rev. 3/16
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FACTS | | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? | | |
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Why? | | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
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What? | | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: • Social Security number and account balances • Account transactions and transaction history • Checking account information and wire transfer instructions When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
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How? | | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
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Reasons we can share your personal information | | Does MFS share? | | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | | Yes | | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | | No | | We don’t share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | | No | | We don’t share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | | No | | We don’t share |
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Questions? | | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
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Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
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What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | | We collect your personal information, for example, when you • open an account or provide account information • direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities • make a wire transfer We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can’t I limit all sharing? | | Federal law gives you the right to limit only • sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness • affiliates from using your information to market to you • sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
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Definitions |
Affiliates | | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. • MFS doesn’t jointly market. |
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Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
33
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Global Growth Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
MFS® Global Growth Portfolio
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The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE •
NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Portfolio structure
Top ten holdings
Alphabet, Inc., “A” | 4.6% |
Microsoft Corp. | 4.1% |
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., ADR | 2.8% |
Apple, Inc. | 2.5% |
Accenture PLC, “A” | 2.5% |
Tencent Holdings Ltd. | 2.2% |
Adidas AG | 2.0% |
Nestle S.A. | 2.0% |
Charles Schwab Corp. | 2.0% |
Baidu, Inc., ADR | 1.9% |
GICS equity sectors (g)
Information Technology | 23.7% |
Consumer Discretionary | 15.1% |
Communication Services | 14.0% |
Health Care | 13.7% |
Consumer Staples | 13.5% |
Financials | 9.0% |
Industrials | 8.4% |
Materials | 1.8% |
Issuer country weightings (x)
United States | 59.0% |
China | 7.9% |
Switzerland | 5.3% |
Canada | 5.1% |
France | 4.3% |
United Kingdom | 3.9% |
South Korea | 3.0% |
Germany | 2.8% |
Japan | 2.7% |
Other Countries | 6.0% |
Currency exposure weightings (y)
United States Dollar | 62.3% |
Euro | 7.9% |
Swiss Franc | 5.3% |
Hong Kong Dollar | 5.1% |
British Pound Sterling | 4.9% |
South Korean Won | 3.0% |
Chinese Renminbi | 2.8% |
Canadian Dollar | 2.8% |
Japanese Yen | 2.7% |
Other Currencies | 3.2% |
(g) | The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) was developed by and/or is the exclusive property of MSCI, Inc. and S&P Global Market Intelligence Inc. (“S&P Global Market Intelligence”). GICS is a service mark of MSCI and S&P Global Market Intelligence and has been licensed for use by MFS. MFS has applied its own internal sector/industry classification methodology for equity securities and non-equity securities that are unclassified by GICS. |
(x) | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to issuer countries as a percentage of a portfolio’s net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States includes Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
(y) | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to a particular currency as a percentage of a portfolio's net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States Dollar includes Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Management Review
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Global Growth Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 20.76%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 20.49%. These compare with a return of 33.60% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the MSCI All Country World Growth Index (net div).
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest — albeit the deepest and steepest — recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public's willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies — a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Detractors from Performance
Security selection in the consumer discretionary sector detracted from the fund's performance relative to the MSCI All Country World Growth Index. Here, not owning shares of strong-performing electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla and internet retailer Amazon.com hurt relative returns. The share price of Tesla appreciated throughout the period after the company disclosed record deliveries amid the launch of its Model Y and China factory. Additionally, Tesla was added as a constituent to the S&P 500 Index, which further boosted its stock performance. The fund's overweight holdings of hotel operator Marriott International(h) further hurt relative performance.
Stock selection and, to a lesser extent, an underweight allocation to the information technology sector weakened relative results, led by the fund's underweight position in computer and personal electronics maker Apple. Despite headwinds related to COVID-19, the share price of Apple appreciated as product demand recovered more rapidly than expected. The shift toward work-from-home and remote learning helped to support strong iPhone and iPad sales. Additionally, shares of Apple reacted positively to the announcement of a new line of its flagship iPhone product with 5G compatibility.
Security selection within the health care sector further dampened relative returns, driven by the fund's holdings of life sciences company Bayer(b) (Germany), and its overweight positions in medical technology company Becton, Dickinson and Co. and medical devices maker Boston Scientific.
Elsewhere, the fund's overweight positions in food processing company Danone (France), risk management and human capital consulting services provider Aon and beverage manufacturer AmBev(h) (Brazil) detracted from relative performance.
Contributors to Performance
Security selection within the industrials sector strengthened relative performance over the reporting period. Notably, the fund's avoidance of poor-performing aerospace company Boeing and aerospace company Airbus (France) contributed to relative results. The fund's holdings of strong-performing defense contractor Raytheon(b)(h), and its overweight position in consumer credit reporting agency Equifax, further benefited relative performance.
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Management Review - continued
The fund's avoidance of the poor-performing real estate, energy and utilities sectors lifted relative returns. Within these sectors, there were no individual stocks, either in the fund or in the benchmark, that were among the fund's largest relative contributors during the period.
Stocks in other sectors that aided relative returns included the fund's overweight positions in internet search engine and online computer games provider NAVER (South Korea), wine producer Kweichow Moutai (China), semiconductor manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (Taiwan) and online betting and gaming operator Flutter Entertainment (United Kingdom). The fund's holdings of internet search provider Baidu(b) (China) also contributed to relative performance. The share price of Baidu rose as company posted strong results across its core businesses that benefited from the recovery of China's economy and solid performance from its Mobile app and AI Cloud service businesses. Not owning shares of weak-performing enterprise applications provider SAP (Germany) also contributed to relative performance as the company posted weaker-than-expected revenue and operating profit figures. Additionally, SAP's management reduced its full-year guidance due to muted demand, partly driven by the re-introduction of lockdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
David Antonelli, Jeffrey Constantino, and Joseph Skorski
Note to Contract Owners: Effective April 15, 2021, David Antonelli will no longer be a Portfolio Manager of the fund.
(b) | Security is not a benchmark constituent. |
(h) | Security was not held in the portfolio at period end. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Performance Summary Through 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
Share Class | Class Inception Date | 1-yr | 5-yr | 10-yr |
Initial Class | 11/16/93 | 20.76% | 16.98% | 11.83% |
Service Class | 8/24/01 | 20.49% | 16.70% | 11.55% |
Comparative benchmark(s)
MSCI All Country World Growth Index (net div) (f) | 33.60% | 16.94% | 12.04% |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
MSCI All Country World Growth Index(e) (net div) - a market capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure equity market performance for growth securities in the global developed and emerging markets.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(e) | Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. |
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Performance Summary – continued
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund's performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Expense Table
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund's ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
Share Class | | Annualized Expense Ratio | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 |
Initial Class | Actual | 1.00% | $1,000.00 | $1,243.68 | $5.64 |
Hypothetical (h) | 1.00% | $1,000.00 | $1,020.11 | $5.08 |
Service Class | Actual | 1.25% | $1,000.00 | $1,242.37 | $7.05 |
Hypothetical (h) | 1.25% | $1,000.00 | $1,018.85 | $6.34 |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class's annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments − 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – 99.2% |
Alcoholic Beverages – 3.3% | |
Diageo PLC | | 21,289 | $ 841,365 |
Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd., “A” | | 1,700 | 519,374 |
Pernod Ricard S.A. | | 2,660 | 509,535 |
| | | | $1,870,274 |
Apparel Manufacturers – 6.5% | |
Adidas AG (a) | | 3,161 | $ 1,150,381 |
Burberry Group PLC (a) | | 25,992 | 636,061 |
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE | | 1,325 | 826,987 |
NIKE, Inc., “B” | | 5,092 | 720,365 |
VF Corp. | | 3,694 | 315,505 |
| | | | $3,649,299 |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 2.6% | |
Blackstone Group, Inc. | | 5,051 | $ 327,355 |
Charles Schwab Corp. | | 21,260 | 1,127,631 |
| | | | $1,454,986 |
Business Services – 9.5% | |
Accenture PLC, “A” | | 5,485 | $ 1,432,737 |
CGI, Inc. (a) | | 7,231 | 573,697 |
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., “A” | | 9,338 | 765,249 |
Equifax, Inc. | | 3,637 | 701,359 |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. | | 4,736 | 669,954 |
Fiserv, Inc. (a) | | 8,760 | 997,414 |
Verisk Analytics, Inc., “A” | | 1,128 | 234,161 |
| | | | $5,374,571 |
Cable TV – 1.7% | |
Comcast Corp., “A” | | 17,989 | $ 942,624 |
Computer Software – 4.1% | |
Microsoft Corp. | | 10,497 | $ 2,334,743 |
Computer Software - Systems – 3.9% | |
Apple, Inc. | | 10,806 | $ 1,433,848 |
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | | 9,955 | 742,295 |
| | | | $2,176,143 |
Construction – 2.0% | |
Otis Worldwide Corp. | | 7,804 | $ 527,160 |
Sherwin-Williams Co. | | 789 | 579,844 |
| | | | $1,107,004 |
Consumer Products – 6.2% | |
Church & Dwight Co., Inc. | | 6,371 | $ 555,742 |
Colgate-Palmolive Co. | | 7,300 | 624,223 |
Estee Lauder Cos., Inc., “A” | | 1,577 | 419,782 |
KOSE Corp. | | 6,100 | 1,039,756 |
L'Oréal | | 752 | 285,526 |
Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC | | 6,752 | 604,047 |
| | | | $3,529,076 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Electrical Equipment – 3.7% | |
Amphenol Corp., “A” | | 7,001 | $ 915,521 |
Fortive Corp. | | 8,583 | 607,848 |
TE Connectivity Ltd. | | 4,677 | 566,244 |
| | | | $2,089,613 |
Electronics – 3.2% | |
Analog Devices, Inc. | | 3,440 | $ 508,191 |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., ADR | | 7,484 | 816,055 |
Texas Instruments, Inc. | | 3,061 | 502,402 |
| | | | $1,826,648 |
Food & Beverages – 3.9% | |
Danone S.A. | | 12,045 | $ 791,067 |
Nestle S.A. | | 9,715 | 1,144,116 |
PepsiCo, Inc. | | 1,951 | 289,333 |
| | | | $2,224,516 |
Gaming & Lodging – 1.0% | |
Flutter Entertainment PLC (a) | | 2,734 | $ 566,047 |
General Merchandise – 1.8% | |
Dollarama, Inc. | | 25,333 | $ 1,032,505 |
Health Maintenance Organizations – 0.9% | |
Cigna Corp. | | 2,306 | $ 480,063 |
Insurance – 2.9% | |
Aon PLC | | 4,850 | $ 1,024,659 |
Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc. | | 5,209 | 609,453 |
| | | | $1,634,112 |
Internet – 13.3% | |
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., ADR (a) | | 6,867 | $ 1,598,157 |
Alphabet, Inc., “A” (a) | | 1,488 | 2,607,928 |
Baidu, Inc., ADR (a) | | 5,030 | 1,087,687 |
NAVER Corp. (a) | | 3,672 | 988,733 |
Tencent Holdings Ltd. | | 17,300 | 1,264,063 |
| | | | $7,546,568 |
Leisure & Toys – 1.9% | |
Electronic Arts, Inc. | | 7,293 | $ 1,047,275 |
Machinery & Tools – 1.6% | |
Daikin Industries Ltd. | | 2,100 | $ 466,147 |
Schindler Holding AG | | 1,693 | 457,142 |
| | | | $923,289 |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 1.5% | |
ICON PLC (a) | | 1,648 | $ 321,327 |
PRA Health Sciences, Inc. (a) | | 4,375 | 548,800 |
| | | | $870,127 |
Medical Equipment – 9.2% | |
Abbott Laboratories | | 2,874 | $ 314,674 |
Agilent Technologies, Inc. | | 5,789 | 685,939 |
Becton, Dickinson and Co. | | 3,176 | 794,699 |
Boston Scientific Corp. (a) | | 28,293 | 1,017,133 |
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Medical Equipment – continued | |
Danaher Corp. | | 1,485 | $ 329,878 |
Medtronic PLC | | 4,860 | 569,300 |
Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (a) | | 112 | 127,644 |
Stryker Corp. | | 3,145 | 770,651 |
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. | | 1,251 | 582,691 |
| | | | $5,192,609 |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 5.5% | |
Credicorp Ltd. | | 1,472 | $ 241,437 |
HDFC Bank Ltd. (a) | | 49,218 | 969,494 |
Julius Baer Group Ltd. | | 5,426 | 314,298 |
Mastercard, Inc., “A” | | 332 | 118,504 |
Moody's Corp. | | 1,628 | 472,511 |
Visa, Inc., “A” | | 4,551 | 995,440 |
| | | | $3,111,684 |
Pharmaceuticals – 2.1% | |
Bayer AG | | 7,465 | $ 439,155 |
Roche Holding AG | | 2,117 | 738,906 |
| | | | $1,178,061 |
Printing & Publishing – 0.8% | |
Wolters Kluwer N.V. | | 5,633 | $ 475,240 |
Railroad & Shipping – 2.3% | |
Canadian National Railway Co. | | 4,019 | $ 441,487 |
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. | | 2,489 | 862,912 |
| | | | $1,304,399 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Restaurants – 1.0% | |
Starbucks Corp. | | 5,333 | $ 570,524 |
Specialty Chemicals – 0.8% | |
Croda International PLC | | 1,298 | $ 117,269 |
Sika AG | | 1,178 | 321,745 |
| | | | $439,014 |
Specialty Stores – 2.0% | |
Ross Stores, Inc. | | 4,652 | $ 571,312 |
TJX Cos., Inc. | | 7,976 | 544,681 |
| | | | $1,115,993 |
Total Common Stocks (Identified Cost, $29,801,355) | | $ 56,067,007 |
Investment Companies (h) – 0.8% |
Money Market Funds – 0.8% | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $461,131) | | | 461,131 | $ 461,131 |
Other Assets, Less Liabilities – 0.0% | | 13,076 |
Net Assets – 100.0% | $ 56,541,214 |
(a) | Non-income producing security. | | | |
(h) | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund's investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $461,131 and $56,067,007, respectively. | | | |
(v) | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. | | | |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined: |
ADR | American Depositary Receipt |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Assets and Liabilities |
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
At 12/31/20Assets | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $29,801,355) | $56,067,007 |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $461,131) | 461,131 |
Foreign currency, at value (identified cost, $8,386) | 8,426 |
Receivables for | |
Investments sold | 45,260 |
Fund shares sold | 7,829 |
Dividends | 60,010 |
Receivable from investment adviser | 4,844 |
Other assets | 589 |
Total assets | $56,655,096 |
Liabilities | |
Payables for | |
Fund shares reacquired | $22,511 |
Payable to affiliates | |
Administrative services fee | 99 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 8 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 40 |
Payable for independent Trustees' compensation | 46 |
Deferred country tax expense payable | 37,174 |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 54,004 |
Total liabilities | $113,882 |
Net assets | $56,541,214 |
Net assets consist of | |
Paid-in capital | $23,516,939 |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | 33,024,275 |
Net assets | $56,541,214 |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | 1,810,854 |
| Net assets | Shares outstanding | Net asset value per share |
Initial Class | $53,590,817 | 1,716,066 | $31.23 |
Service Class | 2,950,397 | 94,788 | 31.13 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Operations |
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
Year ended 12/31/20 | |
Net investment income (loss) | |
Income | |
Dividends | $577,678 |
Other | 3,412 |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | 2,199 |
Income on securities loaned | 440 |
Foreign taxes withheld | (32,101) |
Total investment income | $551,628 |
Expenses | |
Management fee | $451,607 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 5,568 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 1,577 |
Administrative services fee | 17,719 |
Independent Trustees' compensation | 2,497 |
Custodian fee | 24,461 |
Shareholder communications | 4,661 |
Audit and tax fees | 77,604 |
Legal fees | 614 |
Miscellaneous | 24,973 |
Total expenses | $611,281 |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | (103,401) |
Net expenses | $507,880 |
Net investment income (loss) | $43,748 |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | |
Unaffiliated issuers (net of $6,284 country tax) | $6,923,626 |
Affiliated issuers | (36) |
Foreign currency | 672 |
Net realized gain (loss) | $6,924,262 |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | |
Unaffiliated issuers (net of $21,328 increase in deferred country tax) | $2,930,285 |
Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies | 3,542 |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | $2,933,827 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | $9,858,089 |
Change in net assets from operations | $9,901,837 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statements of Changes in Net Assets |
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 |
Change in net assets | | |
From operations | | |
Net investment income (loss) | $43,748 | $258,673 |
Net realized gain (loss) | 6,924,262 | 4,790,508 |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | 2,933,827 | 10,254,871 |
Change in net assets from operations | $9,901,837 | $15,304,052 |
Total distributions to shareholders | $(5,057,056) | $(5,626,033) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | $(1,323,240) | $(2,331,561) |
Total change in net assets | $3,521,541 | $7,346,458 |
Net assets | | |
At beginning of period | 53,019,673 | 45,673,215 |
At end of period | $56,541,214 | $53,019,673 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Financial Statements | Financial Highlights |
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund's financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
Initial Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $28.60 | $23.72 | $26.53 | $21.00 | $20.88 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.03 | $0.14 | $0.15 | $0.13 | $0.25(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 5.57 | 8.00 | (1.23) | 6.51 | 1.08 |
Total from investment operations | $5.60 | $8.14 | $(1.08) | $6.64 | $1.33 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.14) | $(0.16) | $(0.14) | $(0.27) | $(0.13) |
From net realized gain | (2.83) | (3.10) | (1.59) | (0.84) | (1.08) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(2.97) | $(3.26) | $(1.73) | $(1.11) | $(1.21) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $31.23 | $28.60 | $23.72 | $26.53 | $21.00 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 20.76 | 36.01 | (4.83) | 32.14 | 6.07(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 1.21 | 1.21 | 1.17 | 1.17 | 0.72(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.55(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 0.10 | 0.53 | 0.56 | 0.55 | 1.18(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 34 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 25 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $53,591 | $50,911 | $43,919 | $54,886 | $46,182 |
Service Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $28.52 | $23.65 | $26.44 | $20.94 | $20.82 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $(0.04) | $0.07 | $0.09 | $0.07 | $0.20(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 5.56 | 7.98 | (1.24) | 6.48 | 1.08 |
Total from investment operations | $5.52 | $8.05 | $(1.15) | $6.55 | $1.28 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.08) | $(0.08) | $(0.05) | $(0.21) | $(0.08) |
From net realized gain | (2.83) | (3.10) | (1.59) | (0.84) | (1.08) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(2.91) | $(3.18) | $(1.64) | $(1.05) | $(1.16) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $31.13 | $28.52 | $23.65 | $26.44 | $20.94 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 20.49 | 35.66 | (5.06) | 31.77 | 5.85(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 1.46 | 1.46 | 1.42 | 1.42 | 0.94(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 1.25 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 0.77(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | (0.16) | 0.26 | 0.34 | 0.31 | 0.94(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 34 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 25 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $2,950 | $2,109 | $1,754 | $2,530 | $2,355 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Financial Highlights - continued
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. Excluding the effect of the reimbursement of expenses, the total return for the year ended December 31, 2016 would have been approximately 0.55% lower. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements
(1) Business and Organization
MFS Global Growth Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services - Investment Companies.
(2) Significant Accounting Policies
General — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued. The fund invests in foreign securities, including securities of emerging market issuers. Investments in foreign securities are vulnerable to the effects of changes in the relative values of the local currency and the U.S. dollar and to the effects of changes in each country’s market, economic, industrial, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions. Investments in emerging markets can involve additional and greater risks than the risks associated with investments in developed foreign markets. Emerging markets can have less developed markets, greater custody and operational risk, less developed legal, regulatory, accounting, and auditing systems, and greater political, social, and economic instability than developed markets.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund's investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting — The fund's accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund's right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations — Equity securities, including restricted equity securities, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. Events that occur after foreign markets close (such as developments in foreign markets and significant movements in the U.S. markets) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value may be deemed to have a material effect on the value of securities traded in foreign markets. Accordingly, the fund’s foreign equity securities may often be valued at fair value. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund's assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment's level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund's assets or liabilities:
Financial Instruments | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total |
Equity Securities: | | | | |
United States | $32,882,994 | $— | $— | $32,882,994 |
China | 3,205,218 | 1,264,063 | — | 4,469,281 |
Switzerland | 2,204,767 | 771,440 | — | 2,976,207 |
Canada | 2,910,601 | — | — | 2,910,601 |
France | 2,413,115 | — | — | 2,413,115 |
United Kingdom | 1,240,108 | 958,634 | — | 2,198,742 |
South Korea | 1,731,028 | — | — | 1,731,028 |
Germany | 1,589,536 | — | — | 1,589,536 |
Japan | 1,505,903 | — | — | 1,505,903 |
Other Countries | 1,854,059 | 1,535,541 | — | 3,389,600 |
Mutual Funds | 461,131 | — | — | 461,131 |
Total | $51,998,460 | $4,529,678 | $— | $56,528,138 |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Foreign Currency Translation — Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
Security Loans — Under its Securities Lending Agency Agreement with the fund, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as lending agent, loans the securities of the fund to certain qualified institutions (the “Borrowers”) approved by the fund. Security loans can be terminated at the discretion of either the lending agent or the fund and the related securities must be returned within the earlier of the standard trade settlement period for such securities or within three business days. The loans are collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Treasury and federal agency obligations in an amount typically at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. On loans collateralized by cash, the cash collateral is invested in a money market fund. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of business of the fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the fund on the next business day. The lending agent provides the fund with indemnification against Borrower default. In the event of Borrower default, the lending agent will, for the benefit of the fund, either purchase securities identical to those loaned or, when such purchase is
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
commercially impracticable, pay the fund the market value of the loaned securities. In return, the lending agent assumes the fund's rights to the related collateral. If the collateral value is less than the cost to purchase identical securities, the lending agent is responsible for the shortfall, but only to the extent that such shortfall is not due to a decline in collateral value resulting from collateral reinvestment for which the fund bears the risk of loss. A portion of the income generated upon investment of the collateral is remitted to the Borrowers, and the remainder is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. On loans collateralized by U.S. Treasury and/or federal agency obligations, a fee is received from the Borrower, and is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. Income from securities lending is separately reported in the Statement of Operations. The dividend and interest income earned on the securities loaned is accounted for in the same manner as other dividend and interest income. At December 31, 2020, there were no securities on loan or collateral outstanding.
Indemnifications — Under the fund's organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund's maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income — Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
Tax Matters and Distributions — The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to wash sale loss deferrals.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | $556,052 | $613,029 |
Long-term capital gains | 4,501,004 | 5,013,004 |
Total distributions | $5,057,056 | $5,626,033 |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
As of 12/31/20 | |
Cost of investments | $30,527,150 |
Gross appreciation | 26,296,335 |
Gross depreciation | (295,347) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | $26,000,988 |
Undistributed ordinary income | 271,425 |
Undistributed long-term capital gain | 6,747,330 |
Other temporary differences | 4,532 |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest — The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund's income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Initial Class | $4,835,637 | | $5,411,324 |
Service Class | 221,419 | | 214,709 |
Total | $5,057,056 | | $5,626,033 |
(3) Transactions with Affiliates
Investment Adviser — The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund's average daily net assets:
Up to $1 billion | 0.90% |
In excess of $1 billion and up to $2 billion | 0.75% |
In excess of $2 billion | 0.65% |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund's Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $5,515, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.89% of the fund's average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 1.00% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.25% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reduction amounted to $97,886, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations.
Distributor — MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund's distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
Shareholder Servicing Agent — MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $1,358, which equated to 0.0027% annually of the fund's average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $219.
Administrator — MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0353% of the fund's average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation — The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other — The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
The fund is permitted to engage in purchase and sale transactions with funds and accounts for which MFS serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser (“cross-trades”) pursuant to a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees. This policy has been designed to ensure that cross-trades conducted by the fund comply with Rule 17a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund engaged in purchase transactions pursuant to this policy, which amounted to $141,364.
The adviser has voluntarily undertaken to reimburse the fund from its own resources on a quarterly basis for the cost of investment research embedded in the cost of the fund’s securities trades. This agreement may be rescinded at any time. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reimbursement amounted to $3,056, which is included in “Other” income in the Statement of Operations.
(4) Portfolio Securities
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, aggregated $16,797,376 and $22,991,651, respectively.
(5) Shares of Beneficial Interest
The fund's Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
| Shares | Amount | | Shares | Amount |
Shares sold | | | | | |
Initial Class | 63,657 | $1,741,046 | | 56,817 | $1,564,798 |
Service Class | 22,786 | 663,768 | | 1,990 | 55,816 |
| 86,443 | $2,404,814 | | 58,807 | $1,620,614 |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | |
Initial Class | 172,148 | $4,835,637 | | 212,126 | $5,411,324 |
Service Class | 7,902 | 221,419 | | 8,433 | 214,709 |
| 180,050 | $5,057,056 | | 220,559 | $5,626,033 |
Shares reacquired | | | | | |
Initial Class | (299,956) | $(8,508,716) | | (340,514) | $(9,290,250) |
Service Class | (9,827) | (276,394) | | (10,678) | (287,958) |
| (309,783) | $(8,785,110) | | (351,192) | $(9,578,208) |
Net change | | | | | |
Initial Class | (64,151) | $(1,932,033) | | (71,571) | $(2,314,128) |
Service Class | 20,861 | 608,793 | | (255) | (17,433) |
| (43,290) | $(1,323,240) | | (71,826) | $(2,331,561) |
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
(6) Line of Credit
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $261 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) Investments in Affiliated Issuers
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
Affiliated Issuers | Beginning Value | Purchases | Sales Proceeds | Realized Gain (Loss) | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | Ending Value |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $517,846 | $9,970,034 | $10,026,713 | $(36) | $— | $461,131 |
Affiliated Issuers | Dividend Income | Capital Gain Distributions |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $2,199 | $— |
(8) Impacts of COVID-19
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund's investments and the fund's performance.
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of MFS Global Growth Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Global Growth Portfolio (the “Company”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Trustees and Officers — Identification and Background
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES | | |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES | | |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head - Treasurer's Office (until February 2017) |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board's retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
Investment Adviser | Custodian |
Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
Distributor | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
Portfolio Manager(s) | |
David Antonelli Jeffrey Constantino Joseph Skorski | |
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 1st quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 1st quintile for each of the one- and three-year periods ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate and total expense ratio were each higher than the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to contractual breakpoints that reduce the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $1 billion and $2 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoints and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
MFS Global Growth Portfolio
Proxy Voting Policies and Information
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Quarterly Portfolio Disclosure
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund's fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
Information About Fund Contracts and Legal Claims
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Federal Tax Information (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund designates $4,952,000 as capital gain dividends paid during the fiscal year.
For corporate shareholders, 56.09% of the ordinary income dividends paid during the fiscal year qualify for the corporate dividends received deduction.
FACTS | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? |
Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: |
• Social Security number and account balances |
• Account transactions and transaction history |
• Checking account information and wire transfer instructions |
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
How? | All financial companies need to share customers' personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers' personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
Reasons we can share your personal information | Does MFS share? | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | Yes | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | No | We don't share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | No | We don't share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | No | We don't share |
Questions? | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you |
• open an account or provide account information |
• direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities |
• make a wire transfer |
We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can't I limit all sharing? | Federal law gives you the right to limit only |
• sharing for affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness |
• affiliates from using your information to market to you |
• sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you |
State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
Definitions |
Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. |
• MFS doesn't jointly market. |
Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Global Research Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
RES-ANN
MFS® Global Research Portfolio
CONTENTS
The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE • NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS Global Research Portfolio
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
1
MFS Global Research Portfolio
PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION
Portfolio structure
| | | | |
Top ten holdings | | | | |
Microsoft Corp. | | | 4.0% | |
Amazon.com, Inc. | | | 3.0% | |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | | | 2.1% | |
Tencent Holdings Ltd. | | | 1.8% | |
Facebook, Inc., “A” | | | 1.8% | |
Apple, Inc. | | | 1.6% | |
salesforce.com, Inc. | | | 1.6% | |
AIA Group Ltd. | | | 1.5% | |
Adobe Systems, Inc. | | | 1.5% | |
Roche Holding AG | | | 1.5% | |
| |
Global equity sectors (k) | | | | |
Technology | | | 27.3% | |
Financial Services | | | 16.7% | |
Capital Goods | | | 16.5% | |
Consumer Cyclicals | | | 11.9% | |
Health Care | | | 11.5% | |
Energy | | | 6.1% | |
Consumer Staples | | | 6.0% | |
Telecommunications/Cable Television | | | 3.4% | |
| | | | |
Issuer country weightings (x) | | | | |
United States | | | 60.9% | |
Switzerland | | | 4.9% | |
France | | | 4.8% | |
China | | | 4.5% | |
Japan | | | 3.5% | |
Hong Kong | | | 2.7% | |
Germany | | | 2.6% | |
Netherlands | | | 2.1% | |
Taiwan | | | 2.1% | |
Other Countries | | | 11.9% | |
| |
Currency exposure weightings (y) | | | | |
United States Dollar | | | 63.2% | |
Euro | | | 11.6% | |
Hong Kong Dollar | | | 6.1% | |
Swiss Franc | | | 4.9% | |
Japanese Yen | | | 3.5% | |
British Pound Sterling | | | 2.8% | |
Taiwan Dollar | | | 2.1% | |
Canadian Dollar | | | 1.2% | |
Indian Rupee | | | 1.1% | |
Other Currencies | | | 3.5% | |
(k) | The sectors set forth above and the associated portfolio composition are based on MFS’ own custom sector classification methodology. |
(x) | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to issuer countries as a percentage of a portfolio’s net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States includes Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
(y) | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to a particular currency as a percentage of a portfolio’s net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States Dollar includes Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
2
MFS Global Research Portfolio
MANAGEMENT REVIEW
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Global Research Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 16.49%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 16.24%. These compare with a return of 16.25% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the MSCI All Country World Index (net div).
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest – albeit the deepest and steepest – recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public’s willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies – a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Detractors from Performance
Stock selection in the technology sector weakened performance relative to the MSCI All Country World Index over the reporting period, led by the fund’s underweight position in computer and personal electronics maker Apple. Despite headwinds related to COVID-19, the share price of Apple appreciated as product demand recovered more rapidly than expected and the shift toward work-from-home and remote learning supported strong iPhone and iPad sales. Additionally, shares of Apple reacted positively to the announcement of a new line of its flagship iPhone product with 5G compatibility. An overweight position in semiconductor company Intel (h) held back relative performance. The share price of Intel dropped on the back of weakness in its Data Center Group. Additionally, the firm came under pressure as management delayed the ramp-up of its 7nm process technology, while competitor AMD appeared to have gained market share in PCs and server chips. Not owning shares of computer graphics processor maker NVIDIA also hurt relative performance.
Security selection within the health care sector also hindered relative performance, driven by the fund’s overweight positions in medical devices maker Boston Scientific and pharmaceutical products manufacturer Santen Pharmaceutical Co. (Japan).
Elsewhere, not holding shares of electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla weakened relative performance. The share price of Tesla appreciated throughout the period after the company disclosed record deliveries amid the launch of its Model Y and China factory. Additionally, Tesla was added as a constituent to the S&P 500 Index, which further boosted its stock performance. The fund’s overweight holdings of integrated energy company Suncor Energy (h) (Canada), oil and gas company ConocoPhillips, oil and gas company Galp Energia (Portugal) and integrated oil company BP (h) (United Kingdom) further hurt relative returns.
Contributors to Performance
Although stock selection in the financial services sector was a primary contributor to relative performance, there were no individual stocks within this sector, either in the fund or in the benchmark, that were among the fund’s largest relative contributors during the period.
3
MFS Global Research Portfolio
Management Review – continued
Security selection within the energy sector also lifted relative performance, led by the fund’s overweight holding of renewable energy solutions provider Orsted (Denmark), and avoiding shares of poor-performing integrated oil and gas company Exxon Mobil. The share price of Exxon Mobil suffered as oil and gas prices came under significant pressure during the period due to lower volumes and production caused by the COVID-19 virus and the price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Stocks in other sectors that benefited the fund’s relative return included its overweight positions in semiconductor manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (Taiwan), integrated circuits and electronic devices developer Cadence Design Systems, internet search engine and online computer games provider NAVER (South Korea), internet retailer Amazon.com, healthcare equipment manufacturer Danaher, software company Adobe Systems, electronic power tools manufacturer Techtronic Industries (Hong Kong) and customer information software manager salesforce.com. The share price for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing appreciated after the company delivered earnings per share results that were well ahead of market expectations. Management noted that the better-than-expected quarterly strength was primarily driven by strong demand across all application platforms, with revenue growth in smartphones leading the way.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Akira Fuse and James Keating
(h) | Security was not held in the portfolio at period end. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
4
MFS Global Research Portfolio
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY THROUGH 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Share Class | | Class Inception Date | | 1-yr | | 5-yr | | 10-yr | | |
| | Initial Class | | 11/07/94 | | 16.49% | | 13.15% | | 9.79% | | |
| | Service Class | | 8/24/01 | | 16.24% | | 12.87% | | 9.52% | | |
| | | | |
Comparative benchmark(s) | | | | | | | | |
| | MSCI All Country World Index (net div) (f) | | 16.25% | | 12.26% | | 9.13% | | |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
MSCI All Country World Index (e) (net div) – a market capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the global developed and emerging markets.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(e) | Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. |
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund’s performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
5
MFS Global Research Portfolio
EXPENSE TABLE
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund’s ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Share Class | | | | Annualized Expense Ratio | | | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | | | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | | | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 | |
Initial Class | | Actual | | | 0.85% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,208.47 | | | | $4.72 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 0.85% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,020.86 | | | | $4.32 | |
Service Class | | Actual | | | 1.10% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,207.19 | | | | $6.10 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 1.10% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,019.61 | | | | $5.58 | |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class’s annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
6
MFS Global Research Portfolio
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS – 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – 99.4% | | | | | | | | |
Aerospace – 2.8% | | | | | |
Honeywell International, Inc. | | | 5,719 | | | $ | 1,216,431 | |
L3Harris Technologies, Inc. | | | 2,439 | | | | 461,020 | |
Northrop Grumman Corp. | | | 1,393 | | | | 424,475 | |
Raytheon Technologies Corp. | | | 8,311 | | | | 594,320 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,696,246 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Alcoholic Beverages – 1.8% | | | | | |
China Resources Beer Holdings Co. Ltd. | | | 40,000 | | | $ | 368,400 | |
Constellation Brands, Inc., “A” | | | 1,985 | | | | 434,814 | |
Diageo PLC | | | 16,470 | | | | 650,913 | |
Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd., “A” | | | 900 | | | | 274,962 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,729,089 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Apparel Manufacturers – 2.9% | | | | | |
Adidas AG (a) | | | 1,940 | | | $ | 706,023 | |
Burberry Group PLC (a) | | | 14,376 | | | | 351,801 | |
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE | | | 1,445 | | | | 901,884 | |
NIKE, Inc., “B” | | | 6,199 | | | | 876,973 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,836,681 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Biotechnology – 0.5% | | | | | |
Illumina, Inc. (a) | | | 1,347 | | | $ | 498,390 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 2.1% | | | | | |
Charles Schwab Corp. | | | 21,120 | | | $ | 1,120,205 | |
Euronext N.V. | | | 8,259 | | | | 909,578 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,029,783 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Business Services – 3.9% | | | | | |
Accenture PLC, “A” | | | 2,258 | | | $ | 589,812 | |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. | | | 7,539 | | | | 1,066,467 | |
Fiserv, Inc. (a) | | | 9,159 | | | | 1,042,844 | |
Global Payments, Inc. | | | 4,816 | | | | 1,037,463 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,736,586 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Cable TV – 0.9% | | | | | |
Comcast Corp., “A” | | | 16,525 | | | $ | 865,910 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Chemicals – 0.4% | | | | | |
FMC Corp. | | | 3,631 | | | $ | 417,311 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Computer Software – 8.4% | | | | | |
Adobe Systems, Inc. (a) | | | 2,845 | | | $ | 1,422,841 | |
Atlassian Corp. PLC, “A” (a) | | | 1,866 | | | | 436,402 | |
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (a) | | | 6,175 | | | | 842,455 | |
Microsoft Corp. (s) | | | 17,476 | | | | 3,887,012 | |
salesforce.com, inc. (a) | | | 6,938 | | | | 1,543,913 | |
Topicus.com, Inc. (a) | | | 1,166 | | | | 4,408 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 8,137,031 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Computer Software – Systems – 3.0% | | | | | |
Apple, Inc. | | | 11,758 | | | $ | 1,560,169 | |
Constellation Software, Inc. | | | 627 | | | | 814,189 | |
EPAM Systems, Inc. (a) | | | 1,480 | | | | 530,358 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,904,716 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Construction – 3.0% | | | | | |
Masco Corp. | | | 9,122 | | | $ | 501,071 | |
Otis Worldwide Corp. | | | 6,486 | | | | 438,129 | |
Sherwin-Williams Co. | | | 1,003 | | | | 737,115 | |
Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. | | | 47,000 | | | | 672,954 | |
Vulcan Materials Co. | | | 3,341 | | | | 495,504 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,844,773 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Consumer Products – 1.0% | | | | | |
Colgate-Palmolive Co. | | | 5,198 | | | $ | 444,481 | |
Kao Corp. | | | 6,200 | | | | 478,563 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 923,044 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Consumer Services – 0.2% | | | | | |
51job, Inc., ADR (a) | | | 3,127 | | | $ | 218,890 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Electrical Equipment – 1.6% | | | | | |
Schneider Electric SE | | | 7,960 | | | $ | 1,150,389 | |
TE Connectivity Ltd. | | | 3,412 | | | | 413,091 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,563,480 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Electronics – 4.8% | | | | | |
Applied Materials, Inc. | | | 9,729 | | | $ | 839,613 | |
Lam Research Corp. | | | 1,547 | | | | 730,601 | |
NXP Semiconductors N.V. | | | 6,505 | | | | 1,034,360 | |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | | | 106,000 | | | | 1,990,837 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 4,595,411 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Energy – Independent – 1.0% | | | | | |
ConocoPhillips | | | 11,896 | | | $ | 475,721 | |
Oil Search Ltd. | | | 78,318 | | | | 224,007 | |
Valero Energy Corp. | | | 4,266 | | | | 241,328 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 941,056 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Energy – Integrated – 0.5% | | | | | |
Galp Energia SGPS S.A., “B” | | | 41,748 | | | $ | 446,467 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Food & Beverages – 2.6% | | | | | |
Danone S.A. | | | 5,636 | | | $ | 370,150 | |
Mondelez International, Inc. | | | 9,966 | | | | 582,712 | |
Nestle S.A. | | | 7,740 | | | | 911,524 | |
PepsiCo, Inc. | | | 4,404 | | | | 653,113 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,517,499 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Food & Drug Stores – 1.0% | | | | | |
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | | | 6,371 | | | $ | 918,380 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Gaming & Lodging – 0.7% | | | | | |
Flutter Entertainment PLC (a) | | | 3,459 | | | $ | 716,150 | |
| | | | | | | | |
General Merchandise – 0.7% | | | | | |
Dollar General Corp. | | | 3,130 | | | $ | 658,239 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Health Maintenance Organizations – 1.0% | | | | | |
Cigna Corp. | | | 4,668 | | | $ | 971,784 | |
| | | | | | | | |
7
MFS Global Research Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – continued | |
Insurance – 3.6% | | | | | | | | |
AIA Group Ltd. | | | 116,800 | | | $ | 1,438,703 | |
AON PLC | | | 5,459 | | | | 1,153,323 | |
Chubb Ltd. | | | 5,788 | | | | 890,889 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,482,915 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Internet – 6.5% | | | | | | | | |
Alphabet, Inc., “A” (a)(s) | | | 790 | | | $ | 1,384,586 | |
Facebook, Inc., “A” (a) | | | 6,365 | | | | 1,738,663 | |
NAVER Corp. (a) | | | 3,101 | | | | 834,983 | |
NetEase.com, Inc., ADR | | | 5,641 | | | | 540,239 | |
Tencent Holdings Ltd. | | | 24,300 | | | | 1,775,534 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 6,274,005 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Leisure & Toys – 1.2% | | | | | | | | |
Electronic Arts, Inc. | | | 5,163 | | | $ | 741,407 | |
Nintendo Co. Ltd. | | | 700 | | | | 446,283 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,187,690 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Machinery & Tools – 3.6% | | | | | | | | |
GEA Group AG | | | 9,645 | | | $ | 345,001 | |
Ingersoll Rand, Inc. (a) | | | 14,583 | | | | 664,401 | |
Kubota Corp. | | | 24,000 | | | | 523,210 | |
Roper Technologies, Inc. | | | 1,910 | | | | 823,382 | |
Schindler Holding AG | | | 1,453 | | | | 392,337 | |
SMC Corp. | | | 600 | | | | 365,793 | |
Trane Technologies PLC | | | 2,254 | | | | 327,191 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,441,315 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Major Banks – 3.1% | | | | | | | | |
BNP Paribas (a) | | | 23,778 | | | $ | 1,252,131 | |
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. | | | 4,881 | | | | 1,287,169 | |
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. | | | 110,600 | | | | 488,544 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,027,844 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 0.9% | |
ICON PLC (a) | | | 4,351 | | | $ | 848,358 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Medical Equipment – 3.9% | | | | | | | | |
Becton, Dickinson and Co. | | | 2,918 | | | $ | 730,142 | |
Boston Scientific Corp. (a) | | | 26,501 | | | | 952,711 | |
Danaher Corp. | | | 4,721 | | | | 1,048,723 | |
Medtronic PLC | | | 8,733 | | | | 1,022,983 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,754,559 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Natural Gas – Distribution – 0.6% | | | | | | | | |
China Resources Gas Group Ltd. | | | 100,000 | | | $ | 532,090 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Natural Gas – Pipeline – 0.4% | | | | | | | | |
TC Energy Corp. | | | 9,327 | | | $ | 379,191 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Network & Telecom – 0.7% | | | | | | | | |
Equinix, Inc., REIT | | | 913 | | | $ | 652,046 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 6.2% | | | | | |
HDFC Bank Ltd. (a) | | | 53,221 | | | $ | 1,048,345 | |
Julius Baer Group Ltd. | | | 22,774 | | | | 1,319,171 | |
KBC Group N.V. (a) | | | 6,564 | | | | 459,323 | |
Macquarie Group Ltd. | | | 6,056 | | | | 646,546 | |
Truist Financial Corp. | | | 22,790 | | | | 1,092,325 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – continued | |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – continued | | | | | |
Visa, Inc., “A” | | | 6,458 | | | $ | 1,412,558 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 5,978,268 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Pharmaceuticals – 5.2% | | | | | | | | |
Bayer AG | | | 7,847 | | | $ | 461,628 | |
Johnson & Johnson | | | 6,501 | | | | 1,023,127 | |
Merck & Co., Inc. | | | 10,415 | | | | 851,947 | |
Roche Holding AG | | | 4,075 | | | | 1,422,314 | |
Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. | | | 34,800 | | | | 564,525 | |
Zoetis, Inc. | | | 4,125 | | | | 682,688 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 5,006,229 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Printing & Publishing – 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
Wolters Kluwer N.V. | | | 5,804 | | | $ | 489,667 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Railroad & Shipping – 0.7% | | | | | | | | |
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. | | | 1,932 | | | $ | 669,805 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Real Estate – 1.7% | | | | | | | | |
LEG Immobilien AG | | | 6,698 | | | $ | 1,039,683 | |
STORE Capital Corp., REIT | | | 17,080 | | | | 580,378 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,620,061 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Restaurants – 1.4% | | | | | | | | |
Starbucks Corp. | | | 6,905 | | | $ | 738,697 | |
Yum China Holdings, Inc. | | | 10,785 | | | | 615,716 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,354,413 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Specialty Chemicals – 4.4% | | | | | | | | |
Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. | | | 1,676 | | | $ | 457,917 | |
Akzo Nobel N.V. | | | 4,371 | | | | 469,157 | |
Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. (a) | | | 10,425 | | | | 297,634 | |
Croda International PLC | | | 7,172 | | | | 647,962 | |
DuPont de Nemours, Inc. | | | 10,293 | | | | 731,935 | |
Linde PLC (a) | | | 3,550 | | | | 923,751 | |
Sika AG | | | 2,563 | | | | 700,026 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 4,228,382 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Specialty Stores – 3.2% | | | | | | | | |
Amazon.com, Inc. (a)(s) | | | 877 | | | $ | 2,856,328 | |
AutoZone, Inc. (a) | | | 205 | | | | 243,015 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,099,343 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Telecommunications – Wireless – 2.0% | | | | | |
Advanced Info Service Public Co. Ltd. | | | 70,700 | | | $ | 415,327 | |
KDDI Corp. | | | 18,600 | | | | 552,299 | |
SBA Communications Corp., REIT | | | 1,307 | | | | 368,744 | |
T-Mobile USA, Inc. (a) | | | 4,641 | | | | 625,839 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,962,209 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Telephone Services – 0.4% | | | | | | | | |
Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A. | | | 26,684 | | | $ | 429,648 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Tobacco – 0.6% | | | | | | | | |
British American Tobacco PLC | | | 8,064 | | | $ | 299,940 | |
Philip Morris International, Inc. | | | 3,607 | | | | 298,623 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 598,563 | |
| | | | | | | | |
8
MFS Global Research Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – continued | |
Utilities – Electric Power – 3.8% | | | | | | | | |
CLP Holdings Ltd. | | | 57,000 | | | $ | 527,665 | |
Iberdrola S.A. | | | 56,609 | | | | 809,130 | |
NextEra Energy, Inc. | | | 11,633 | | | | 897,486 | |
Orsted A.S. | | | 3,747 | | | | 764,788 | |
Southern Co. | | | 10,045 | | | | 617,064 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,616,133 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Common Stocks (Identified Cost, $65,760,889) | | | | | | $ | 95,799,650 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| |
INVESTMENT COMPANIES (h) – 0.4% | | | | | |
Money Market Funds – 0.4% | | | | | | | | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $365,105) | | | 365,105 | | | $ | 365,105 | |
| | | | | | | | |
OTHER ASSETS, LESS LIABILITIES – 0.2% | | | | | | | 215,641 | |
| | | | | | | | |
NET ASSETS – 100.0% | | | | | | $ | 96,380,396 | |
| | | | | | | | |
(a) | | Non-income producing security. |
(h) | | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund’s investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $365,105 and $95,799,650, respectively. |
(s) | | Security or a portion of the security was pledged to cover collateral requirements for certain derivative transactions. |
(v) | | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined:
ADR | | American Depositary Receipt |
REIT | | Real Estate Investment Trust |
At December 31, 2020, the fund had cash collateral of $2,591 and other liquid securities with an aggregate value of $571,600 to cover any collateral or margin obligations for certain derivative contracts. Restricted cash and deposits with brokers in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are comprised of cash collateral.
See Notes to Financial Statements
9
MFS Global Research Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
| | | | |
At 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Assets | | | | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $65,760,889) | | | $95,799,650 | |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $365,105) | | | 365,105 | |
Cash | | | 1,206 | |
Deposits with brokers | | | 2,591 | |
Receivables for | | | | |
Investments sold | | | 255,836 | |
Dividends | | | 144,643 | |
Receivable from investment adviser | | | 11,665 | |
Other assets | | | 779 | |
Total assets | | | $96,581,475 | |
| |
Liabilities | | | | |
Payables for | | | | |
Investments purchased | | | $4,361 | |
Fund shares reacquired | | | 95,295 | |
Payable to affiliates | | | | |
Administrative services fee | | | 125 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 10 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 105 | |
Payable for independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 42 | |
Deferred country tax expense payable | | | 38,646 | |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | | | 62,495 | |
Total liabilities | | | $201,079 | |
Net assets | | | $96,380,396 | |
| |
Net assets consist of | | | | |
Paid-in capital | | | $58,698,838 | |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | | | 37,681,558 | |
Net assets | | | $96,380,396 | |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | | | 2,778,617 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| | Net assets | | | Shares outstanding | | | Net asset value per share | |
Initial Class | | | $88,675,600 | | | | 2,555,523 | | | | $34.70 | |
Service Class | | | 7,704,796 | | | | 223,094 | | | | 34.54 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
10
MFS Global Research Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
| | | | |
Year ended 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Net investment income (loss) | | | | |
Income | | | | |
Dividends | | | $1,402,429 | |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | | | 3,310 | |
Income on securities loaned | | | 989 | |
Other | | | 322 | |
Foreign taxes withheld | | | (62,291 | ) |
Total investment income | | | $1,344,759 | |
Expenses | | | | |
Management fee | | | $655,438 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 16,376 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 1,989 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 22,400 | |
Independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 2,528 | |
Custodian fee | | | 37,235 | |
Shareholder communications | | | 17,073 | |
Audit and tax fees | | | 65,085 | |
Legal fees | | | 2,447 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 30,459 | |
Total expenses | | | $851,030 | |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | | | (91,031 | ) |
Net expenses | | | $759,999 | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $584,760 | |
| |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers (net of $3,790 country tax) | | | $7,007,326 | |
Affiliated issuers | | | (50 | ) |
Foreign currency | | | 486 | |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | $7,007,762 | |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers (net of $4,177 increase in deferred country tax) | | | $6,098,462 | |
Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies | | | 4,667 | |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | $6,103,129 | |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | $13,110,891 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $13,695,651 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
11
MFS Global Research Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | |
Change in net assets | | | | | | | | |
| | |
From operations | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $584,760 | | | | $1,156,851 | |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | 7,007,762 | | | | 5,831,269 | |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | 6,103,129 | | | | 17,809,192 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $13,695,651 | | | | $24,797,312 | |
Total distributions to shareholders | | | $(6,967,015 | ) | | | $(8,539,061 | ) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | | | $(3,519,648 | ) | | | $(5,951,007 | ) |
Total change in net assets | | | $3,208,988 | | | | $10,307,244 | |
| | |
Net assets | | | | | | | | |
At beginning of period | | | 93,171,408 | | | | 82,864,164 | |
At end of period | | | $96,380,396 | | | | $93,171,408 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
12
MFS Global Research Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund’s financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $32.19 | | | | $27.00 | | | | $31.74 | | | | $25.69 | | | | $24.63 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.22 | | | | $0.40 | | | | $0.32 | | | | $0.28 | | | | $0.41 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 4.87 | | | | 7.88 | | | | (2.82 | ) | | | 6.24 | | | | 0.93 | |
Total from investment operations | | | $5.09 | | | | $8.28 | | | | $(2.50 | ) | | | $6.52 | | | | $1.34 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.42 | ) | | | $(0.34 | ) | | | $(0.33 | ) | | | $(0.47 | ) | | | $(0.28 | ) |
From net realized gain | | | (2.16 | ) | | | (2.75 | ) | | | (1.91 | ) | | | — | | | | — | |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | | | $(2.58 | ) | | | $(3.09 | ) | | | $(2.24 | ) | | | $(0.47 | ) | | | $(0.28 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $34.70 | | | | $32.19 | | | | $27.00 | | | | $31.74 | | | | $25.69 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 16.49 | | | | 31.96 | | | | (8.83 | ) | | | 25.51 | | | | 5.44 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 0.95 | | | | 0.94 | | | | 0.93 | | | | 0.92 | | | | 0.78 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 0.85 | | | | 0.85 | | | | 0.88 | | | | 0.92 | | | | 0.77 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.69 | | | | 1.29 | | | | 1.01 | | | | 0.97 | | | | 1.64 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 32 | | | | 27 | | | | 22 | | | | 33 | | | | 40 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $88,676 | | | | $87,138 | | | | $77,345 | | | | $98,434 | | | | $91,281 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Service Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $32.06 | | | | $26.89 | | | | $31.61 | | | | $25.59 | | | | $24.52 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.13 | | | | $0.32 | | | | $0.24 | | | | $0.21 | | | | $0.34 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 4.87 | | | | 7.85 | | | | (2.82 | ) | | | 6.20 | | | | 0.94 | |
Total from investment operations | | | $5.00 | | | | $8.17 | | | | $(2.58 | ) | | | $6.41 | | | | $1.28 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.36 | ) | | | $(0.25 | ) | | | $(0.23 | ) | | | $(0.39 | ) | | | $(0.21 | ) |
From net realized gain | | | (2.16 | ) | | | (2.75 | ) | | | (1.91 | ) | | | — | | | | — | |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | | | $(2.52 | ) | | | $(3.00 | ) | | | $(2.14 | ) | | | $(0.39 | ) | | | $(0.21 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $34.54 | | | | $32.06 | | | | $26.89 | | | | $31.61 | | | | $25.59 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 16.24 | | | | 31.62 | | | | (9.06 | ) | | | 25.17 | | | | 5.21 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 1.21 | | | | 1.19 | | | | 1.18 | | | | 1.17 | | | | 1.03 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 1.10 | | | | 1.10 | | | | 1.13 | | | | 1.17 | | | | 1.02 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.40 | | | | 1.06 | | | | 0.76 | | | | 0.73 | | | | 1.39 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 32 | | | | 27 | | | | 22 | | | | 33 | | | | 40 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $7,705 | | | | $6,034 | | | | $5,519 | | | | $7,312 | | | | $7,415 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
13
MFS Global Research Portfolio
Financial Highlights – continued
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
14
MFS Global Research Portfolio
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1) | | Business and Organization |
MFS Global Research Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services – Investment Companies.
(2) | | Significant Accounting Policies |
General – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued. The fund invests in foreign securities. Investments in foreign securities are vulnerable to the effects of changes in the relative values of the local currency and the U.S. dollar and to the effects of changes in each country’s market, economic, industrial, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund’s investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting – The fund’s accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund’s right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations – Equity securities, including restricted equity securities, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. Events that occur after foreign markets close (such as developments in foreign markets and significant movements in the U.S.
15
MFS Global Research Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
markets) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value may be deemed to have a material effect on the value of securities traded in foreign markets. Accordingly, the fund’s foreign equity securities may often be valued at fair value. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund’s assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund’s assets or liabilities:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Financial Instruments | | Level 1 | | | Level 2 | | | Level 3 | | | Total | |
Equity Securities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
United States | | | $58,088,139 | | | | $— | | | | $— | | | | $58,088,139 | |
Switzerland | | | 3,033,864 | | | | 1,711,508 | | | | — | | | | 4,745,372 | |
France | | | 4,584,132 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 4,584,132 | |
China | | | 2,550,297 | | | | 1,775,534 | | | | — | | | | 4,325,831 | |
Japan | | | 3,419,217 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 3,419,217 | |
Hong Kong | | | — | | | | 2,639,322 | | | | — | | | | 2,639,322 | |
Germany | | | 2,552,335 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 2,552,335 | |
Netherlands | | | 1,993,184 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 1,993,184 | |
Taiwan | | | — | | | | 1,990,837 | | | | — | | | | 1,990,837 | |
Other Countries | | | 7,678,236 | | | | 3,783,045 | | | | — | | | | 11,461,281 | |
Mutual Funds | | | 365,105 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 365,105 | |
Total | | | $84,264,509 | | | | $11,900,246 | | | | $— | | | | $96,164,755 | |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Foreign Currency Translation – Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
Security Loans – Under its Securities Lending Agency Agreement with the fund, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as lending agent, loans the securities of the fund to certain qualified institutions (the “Borrowers”) approved by the fund. Security loans can be terminated at the discretion of either the lending agent or the fund and the related securities must be returned within the earlier of the standard trade settlement period for such securities or within three business days. The loans are collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Treasury and federal agency obligations in an amount typically at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. On loans collateralized by cash, the cash collateral is invested in a money market fund. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of business of the fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the fund on the next business day. The lending agent provides the fund with indemnification against Borrower default. In the event of Borrower default, the lending agent will, for the benefit of the fund, either purchase securities identical to those loaned or, when such purchase is commercially impracticable, pay the fund the market value of the loaned securities. In return, the lending agent assumes the fund’s rights to the related collateral. If the collateral value is less than the cost to purchase identical securities, the lending agent is responsible for the shortfall, but only to the extent that such shortfall is not due to a decline in collateral value resulting from collateral reinvestment for which the fund bears the risk of loss. A portion of the income generated upon investment of the collateral is remitted to the Borrowers, and the remainder is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. On loans collateralized by U.S. Treasury and/or
16
MFS Global Research Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
federal agency obligations, a fee is received from the Borrower, and is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. Income from securities lending is separately reported in the Statement of Operations. The dividend and interest income earned on the securities loaned is accounted for in the same manner as other dividend and interest income. At December 31, 2020, there were no securities on loan or collateral outstanding.
Indemnifications – Under the fund’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund’s maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income – Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
Tax Matters and Distributions – The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to wash sale loss deferrals and partnership adjustments.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | | | $1,126,006 | | | | $1,089,055 | |
Long-term capital gains | | | 5,841,009 | | | | 7,450,006 | |
Total distributions | | | $6,967,015 | | | | $8,539,061 | |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
| | | | |
As of 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Cost of investments | | | $66,292,109 | |
Gross appreciation | | | 32,172,030 | |
Gross depreciation | | | (2,299,384 | ) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | | | $29,872,646 | |
| |
Undistributed ordinary income | | | 1,327,630 | |
Undistributed long-term capital gain | | | 6,275,090 | |
Other temporary differences | | | 206,192 | |
17
MFS Global Research Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest – The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund’s income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Initial Class | | | $6,392,513 | | | | $8,002,822 | |
Service Class | | | 574,502 | | | | 536,239 | |
Total | | | $6,967,015 | | | | $8,539,061 | |
(3) | | Transactions with Affiliates |
Investment Adviser – The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund’s average daily net assets:
| | | | |
Up to $300 million | | | 0.75% | |
In excess of $300 million | | | 0.675% | |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund’s Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $9,604, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.74% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.85% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.10% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reduction amounted to $81,427, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations.
Distributor – MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund’s distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
Shareholder Servicing Agent – MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $1,830, which equated to 0.0021% annually of the fund’s average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $159.
Administrator – MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0256% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation – The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other – The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
18
MFS Global Research Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
The fund is permitted to engage in purchase and sale transactions with funds and accounts for which MFS serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser (“cross-trades”) pursuant to a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees. This policy has been designed to ensure that cross-trades conducted by the fund comply with Rule 17a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund engaged in purchase and sale transactions pursuant to this policy, which amounted to $259,498 and $21,174, respectively. The sales transactions resulted in net realized gains (losses) of $10,826.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, aggregated $27,549,412 and $37,533,341, respectively.
(5) | | Shares of Beneficial Interest |
The fund’s Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
| | | | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Shares | | | Amount | |
Shares sold | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 26,914 | | | | $846,212 | | | | 12,717 | | | | $387,963 | |
Service Class | | | 83,361 | | | | 2,590,298 | | | | 9,028 | | | | 278,092 | |
| | | 110,275 | | | | $3,436,510 | | | | 21,745 | | | | $666,055 | |
| | | | |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 199,517 | | | | $6,392,513 | | | | 277,010 | | | | $8,002,822 | |
Service Class | | | 17,998 | | | | 574,502 | | | | 18,619 | | | | 536,239 | |
| | | 217,515 | | | | $6,967,015 | | | | 295,629 | | | | $8,539,061 | |
| | | | |
Shares reacquired | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (378,252 | ) | | | $(11,870,001 | ) | | | (447,291 | ) | | | $(13,761,706 | ) |
Service Class | | | (66,439 | ) | | | (2,053,172 | ) | | | (44,709 | ) | | | (1,394,417 | ) |
| | | (444,691 | ) | | | $(13,923,173 | ) | | | (492,000 | ) | | | $(15,156,123 | ) |
| | | | |
Net change | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (151,821 | ) | | | $(4,631,276 | ) | | | (157,564 | ) | | | $(5,370,921 | ) |
Service Class | | | 34,920 | | | | 1,111,628 | | | | (17,062 | ) | | | (580,086 | ) |
| | | (116,901 | ) | | | $(3,519,648 | ) | | | (174,626 | ) | | | $(5,951,007 | ) |
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $464 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) | | Investments in Affiliated Issuers |
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | Beginning Value | | | Purchases | | | Sales Proceeds | | | Realized Gain (Loss) | | | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | | | Ending Value | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | $458,273 | | | | $18,217,129 | | | | $18,310,247 | | | | $(50 | ) | | | $— | | | | $365,105 | |
| | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Dividend Income | | | Capital Gain Distributions | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | | | | | | | | | | $3,310 | | | | $— | |
19
MFS Global Research Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund’s investments and the fund’s performance.
20
MFS Global Research Portfolio
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of
MFS Global Research Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Global Research Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
21
MFS Global Research Portfolio
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS – IDENTIFICATION AND BACKGROUND
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
| | | | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
|
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
| | | | | |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
| | | | | |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
22
MFS Global Research Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head – Treasurer’s Office (until February 2017) |
| | | | |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
| | | | |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
| | | | |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
| | | | |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
| | | | |
James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board’s retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
23
MFS Global Research Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
| | |
Investment Adviser Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Custodian State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
| |
Distributor MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
| |
Portfolio Manager(s) Akira Fuse James Keating | | |
24
MFS Global Research Portfolio
BOARD REVIEW OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
MFS Global Research Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 4th quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 3rd quintile for each of the one- and three-year periods ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
The Trustees expressed concern to MFS about the substandard investment performance of the Fund. In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course of the year, as to MFS’ efforts to improve the Fund’s performance. In addition, the Trustees requested that they receive a separate update on the Fund’s
25
MFS Global Research Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement – continued
performance at each of their regular meetings. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that MFS’ responses and efforts and plans to improve investment performance were sufficient to support approval of the continuance of the investment advisory agreement for an additional one-year period, but that they would continue to closely monitor the performance of the Fund.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that, MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate and total expense ratio were each approximately at the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to a contractual breakpoint that reduces the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $300 million. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoint and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
26
MFS Global Research Portfolio
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND INFORMATION
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO DISCLOSURE
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund’s fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
INFORMATION ABOUT FUND CONTRACTS AND LEGAL CLAIMS
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund designates $6,426,000 as capital gain dividends paid during the fiscal year.
For corporate shareholders, 53.31% of the ordinary income dividends paid during the fiscal year qualify for the corporate dividends received deduction.
27
rev. 3/16
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FACTS | | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? | | |
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Why? | | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
| | |
What? | | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: • Social Security number and account balances • Account transactions and transaction history • Checking account information and wire transfer instructions When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
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How? | | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
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Reasons we can share your personal information | | Does MFS share? | | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | | Yes | | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | | No | | We don’t share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | | No | | We don’t share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | | No | | We don’t share |
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Questions? | | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
28
| | |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
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What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | | We collect your personal information, for example, when you • open an account or provide account information • direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities • make a wire transfer We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can’t I limit all sharing? | | Federal law gives you the right to limit only • sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness • affiliates from using your information to market to you • sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
| | |
Definitions |
Affiliates | | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. • MFS doesn’t jointly market. |
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Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
29
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Global Tactical
Allocation Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
MFS® Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
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The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE •
NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
| | Tactical Overlay (b) |
| | Active Security Selection (a) | Long | Short | Net Market Exposure (c) |
Fixed Income | U.S. | 11.5% | 41.2% | (8.2)% | 44.5% |
| Emerging Markets | 8.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 8.6% |
| Asia/Pacific ex-Japan | 1.3% | 5.3% | 0.0% | 6.6% |
| North America ex-U.S. | 1.3% | 3.5% | 0.0% | 4.8% |
| Supranational | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| United Kingdom | 5.3% | 0.0% | (5.0)% | 0.3% |
| Japan | 4.3% | 0.0% | (6.2)% | (1.9)% |
| Europe ex-U.K. | 6.0% | 0.0% | (8.1)% | (2.1)% |
| Total | 39.0% | 50.0% | (27.5)% | 61.5% |
Equity | U.S. Large Cap | 15.3% | 0.0% | (1.3)% | 14.0% |
| Europe ex-U.K. | 7.2% | 3.7% | (4.6)% | 6.3% |
| United Kingdom | 2.1% | 3.1% | 0.0% | 5.2% |
| Emerging Markets | 2.6% | 4.9% | (3.4)% | 4.1% |
| Japan | 2.9% | 0.0% | (0.2)% | 2.7% |
| North America ex-U.S. | 1.4% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 2.2% |
| U.S. Small/Mid Cap | 2.7% | 0.0% | (0.5)% | 2.2% |
| Asia/Pacific ex-Japan | 0.7% | 4.1% | (3.8)% | 1.0% |
| Total | 34.9% | 16.6% | (13.8)% | 37.7% |
Real Estate-related | Non-U.S. | 1.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.5% |
| U.S. | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Total | 1.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.9% |
Cash | Cash & Cash Equivalents (d) | | | | 5.9% |
| Other (e) | | | | (7.0)% |
| Total | | | | (1.1)% |
| Total Net Exposure Summary | | | | 100.0% |
Strategic Allocation Targets & Net
Exposure Ranges
Asset Class | Target (w) | Ranges (z) |
Equities | 35% | 0 to 70% |
Fixed Income, Cash and Cash Equivalents | 65% | 30 to 100% |
Top ten holdings (c)
USD Interest Rate Swap, Receive 0.25% - JUN 2022 | 29.1% |
USD Interest Rate Swap, Receive 1.58% - NOV 2024 | 12.1% |
Australian Bond 10 yr Future - MAR 2021 | 5.3% |
S&P/ASX 200 Index Future - MAR 2021 | (3.8)% |
U.S. Treasury Note 5 yr Future - MAR 2021 | (4.2)% |
Euro-Bobl 5 yr Future - MAR 2021 | (4.4)% |
Long Gilt 10 yr Future – MAR 2021 | (5.2)% |
USD Interest Rate Swap, Pay 1.7% - NOV 2029 | (5.9)% |
Japan Government Bond 10 yr Future - MAR 2021 | (6.1)% |
Euro-Bund 10 yr Future - MAR 2021 | (10.6)% |
(a) | Represents the actively managed portion of the portfolio and for purposes of this presentation, components include the value of securities, less any securities sold short. The bond component will include any accrued interest amounts. This also reflects the equivalent exposure of certain derivative positions. These amounts may be negative from time to time. |
(b) | Represents the tactical overlay portion of the portfolio which is how the fund manages its exposure to markets and currencies through the use of derivative positions. Percentages reflect the equivalent exposure of those derivative positions. |
(c) | For purposes of this presentation, the components include the value of securities, less any securities sold short, and reflect the impact of the equivalent exposure of all derivative positions. These amounts may be negative from time to time. The bond component will include any accrued interest amounts. |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio Composition - continued
(d) | Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities. |
(e) | Other includes currency derivatives and/or the offsetting of the leverage produced by the fund’s derivative positions, including payables and/or receivables of the finance leg of interest rate swaps and the unrealized gain or loss in connection with forward currency exchange contracts. |
(w) | The strategic asset class allocations have been selected for investment over longer time periods. The actual strategic asset class weightings can deviate due to market movements and cash flows. |
(z) | The fund’s net exposures to the asset classes referenced will normally fall within these ranges after taking into account the tactical overlay. |
Equivalent exposure is a calculated amount that translates the derivative position into a reasonable approximation of the amount of the underlying asset that the portfolio would have to hold at a given point in time to have the same price sensitivity that results from the portfolio’s ownership of the derivative contract. When dealing with derivatives, equivalent exposure is a more representative measure of the potential impact of a position on portfolio performance than value. The value of derivatives may be different.
Where the fund holds convertible bonds, they are treated as part of the equity portion of the portfolio.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Management Review
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 6.23%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 5.99%. These compare with a return of 9.20% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index. The fund’s other benchmarks, the MSCI World Index (net div) and the MFS Global Tactical Allocation Blended Index (“Blended Index”), generated total returns of 15.90% and 10.22%, respectively. The Blended Index reflects the blended returns of equity and fixed income indices, with percentage allocations to each index designed to resemble the strategic allocations of the fund. The market indices and related percentage allocations used to compile the Blended Index are set forth in the Performance Summary.
The fund’s investment objective is to seek total return. MFS seeks to achieve the fund’s objective by generating returns from a combination of (1) individual security selection of a combination of debt instruments and equity securities and (2) a tactical asset allocation overlay primarily using derivative instruments to manage the fund’s exposure to asset classes (e.g. equity and fixed income), markets (e.g. U.S. and foreign countries), and currencies (e.g. U.S. dollar and Japanese yen). Derivatives include futures, forward contracts, options, swaps, and certain complex structured securities.
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest — albeit the deepest and steepest — recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public's willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies — a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Detractors from Performance
Within the equity portion of the fund, stock selection and, to a lesser extent, the fund's underweight positions in both the information technology and consumer discretionary sectors held back performance relative to the MSCI World Index. Within the information technology sector, not owning shares of strong-performing computer and personal electronics maker Apple and computer graphics processor maker NVIDIA, an underweight position in software giant Microsoft, and an overweight position in semiconductor company Intel, detracted from relative returns. Within the consumer discretionary sector, not owning shares of internet retailer Amazon.com and electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, and an overweight position in food catering company Compass Group (United Kingdom), also weakened relative results.
Security selection within both the communication services and health care sectors weighed on relative performance. There were no individual stocks within the communicationservices sector, either in the fund or in the benchmark, that were among the fund's largest relative detractors during the period. Within the health care sector, an overweight position in life sciences company Bayer (Germany) held back relative returns.
Stocks in other sectors that were among the fund's top relative detractors included its overweight positions in integrated energy company Suncor Energy (Canada) and airline operator Air Canada(h) (Canada).
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Management Review - continued
Within the fixed income portion of the fund, currency positioning held back performance relative to the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index. The fund's lesser exposure to both the Australian dollar and Chinese yuan weighed on relative results. Yield curve(y) positioning, particularly along the Korean and Chinese curves, further weakened relative returns.
Within the fund’s tactical overlay, a long exposure to the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Sweden equity markets, via equity index futures, detracted from relative performance. A short exposure to the fixed income market of Canada in the first quarter, via fixed income index futures, also held back relative results. From a currency perspective, the fund's short exposures to the New Zealand dollar, Swiss franc and euro via forward foreign currency exchange contracts weighed on relative returns.
Contributors to Performance
Within the equity portion of the fund, stock selection within the industrials sector contributed to performance relative to the MSCI World Index, led by the fund's overweight positions in strong-performing electrical distribution equipment manufacturer Schneider Electric (France) and diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton (Ireland). Not owning shares of weak-performing aerospace company Boeing also aided relative performance.
Stocks in other sectors that were among the fund's top relative contributors included its holdings of semiconductor manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor(b) (Taiwan) and microchip and electronics manufacturer Samsung Electronics(b) (South Korea). Not owning shares of global energy and petrochemicals company Royal Dutch Shell (United Kingdom) and telecommunication services provider AT&T also benefited the fund's relative performance. Additionally, an overweight position in research and consulting firm Nomura Research Institute (Japan), the timing of the fund's ownership in shares of financial services firm Bank of America, and an underweight position in integrated oil and gas company Exxon Mobil(h) also supported relative returns.
Within the fixed income portion of the fund, a shorter duration(d) stance to the euro yield curve supported returns relative to the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index. From a sector perspective, the fund’s overweight exposures to both the industrials and financial institutions sectors, coupled with strong security selection within these sectors, also contributed to relative results. Additionally, the fund’s exposure to credit options, particularly to the Markit iTraxx Crossover Index Option(h) within the Europe/UK region, was a key contributor to relative performance as bond spreads widened in March. From a credit quality perspective, the fund's overweight exposure to “BBB” rated(r) bonds, combined with favorable security selection within this credit quality segment, aided relative performance. Positive security selection within both the “AA” and “AAA” rated credit quality segments further benefited the fund's relative returns.
Within the fund’s tactical overlay, a long exposure to emerging equity markets, via equity index futures, helped absolute returns, most notably the fund's long exposure to Brazil and short exposure to South Africa. The fund's long exposure at the beginning of the calendar year to the fixed income markets, via fixed income index futures, of the United States also helped. From a currency perspective, the fund's long exposure to the Swedish krone, via forward foreign currency exchange contracts, benefited the fund.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Pilar Gomez-Bravo, Steven Gorham, Andy Li, Vipin Narula, Benjamin Nastou, Henry Peabody, Robert Persons, Jonathan Sage, Natalie Shapiro, Robert Spector, and Erik Weisman
Note to Contract Owners: Effective December 31, 2020, Nevin Chitkara is no longer a Portfolio Manager of the fund. Effective January 1, 2021, Johnathan Munko was added as a Portfolio Manager of the fund. Effective June 30, 2021, Robert Persons will no longer be a Portfolio Manager of the fund. Effective September 30, 2022, Vipin Narula will no longer be a Portfolio Manager of the fund.
Effective March 31, 2021, the investment strategies for the fixed income portion of the fund will change to expand the fund's ability to invest in below investment grade quality securities. Please see the fund's prospectus for details.
(b) | Security is not a benchmark constituent. |
(d) | Duration is a measure of how much a bond’s price is likely to fluctuate with general changes in interest rates, e.g., if rates rise 1.00%, a bond with a 5-year duration is likely to lose about 5.00% of its value. |
(h) | Security was not held in the portfolio at period end. |
(r) | Bonds rated “BBB”, “Baa”, or higher are considered investment grade; bonds rated “BB”, “Ba”, or below are considered non-investment grade. The source for bond quality ratings is Moody's Investors Service, Standard & Poor's, and Fitch, Inc. and are applied using the following hierarchy: If all three |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Management Review - continued
agencies provide a rating, the middle rating (after dropping the highest and lowest ratings) is assigned; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the lower of the two is assigned. If none of the 3 Rating Agencies above assign a rating, but the security is rated by DBRS Morningstar, then the DBRS Morningstar rating is assigned. Ratings are shown in the S&P and Fitch scale (e.g., AAA). For securities that are not rated by any of the rating agencies, the security is considered Not Rated.
(y) | A yield curve graphically depicts the yields of different maturity bonds of the same credit quality and type; a normal yield curve is upward sloping, with short-term rates lower than long-term rates. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Performance Summary Through 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
Share Class | Class Inception Date | 1-yr | 5-yr | 10-yr |
Initial Class | 11/07/94 | 6.23% | 6.48% | 5.40% |
Service Class | 8/24/01 | 5.99% | 6.21% | 5.14% |
Comparative benchmark(s)
Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index (f) | 9.20% | 4.79% | 2.83% |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Blended Index (f)(w) | 10.22% | 7.44% | 6.23% |
Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index (USD Hedged) (f) | 5.58% | 4.49% | 4.18% |
MSCI World Index (net div) (f) | 15.90% | 12.19% | 9.87% |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
(w) | As of December 31, 2020, MFS Global Tactical Allocation Blended Index (a custom index) was comprised of 35% MSCI World Index (net div), 54% Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index (USD Hedged), and 11% Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index(a) - provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed income markets. The three major components of this index are the U.S. Aggregate, the Pan-European Aggregate, and the Asian-Pacific Aggregate Indices. The index also includes Eurodollar and Euro-Yen corporate bonds, Canadian government, agency and corporate securities, and USD investment grade 144A securities.
Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index(a) (USD Hedged) - provides a broad-based measure of the currency-hedged performance of global investment-grade fixed income markets. The three major components of this index are the U.S. Aggregate, the Pan-European Aggregate, and the Asian-Pacific Aggregate Indices. The index also includes Eurodollar and Euro-Yen corporate bonds, Canadian government, agency and corporate securities, and USD investment grade 144A securities.
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Performance Summary – continued
MSCI World Index(e) (net div) – a market capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the global developed markets.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(a) | BLOOMBERG ® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). BARCLAYS® is a trademark and service mark of Barclays Bank Plc (collectively with its affiliates, “Barclays”), used under license. Bloomberg or Bloomberg's licensors, including Barclays, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Barclays Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays approves or endorses this material, or guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, or makes any warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained therefrom, and, to the maximum extent allowed by law, neither shall have any liability or responsibility for injury or damages arising in connection therewith. |
(e) | Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. |
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund's performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Expense Table
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund's ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
Share Class | | Annualized Expense Ratio | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 |
Initial Class | Actual | 0.83% | $1,000.00 | $1,102.60 | $4.39 |
Hypothetical (h) | 0.83% | $1,000.00 | $1,020.96 | $4.22 |
Service Class | Actual | 1.08% | $1,000.00 | $1,100.87 | $5.70 |
Hypothetical (h) | 1.08% | $1,000.00 | $1,019.71 | $5.48 |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class's annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
Notes to Expense Table
Expense ratios include 0.02% of interest expense on uncovered collateral or margin obligations with the broker (See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements) that are outside of the expense limitation arrangement (See Note 3 of the Notes to Financial Statements).
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments − 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – 58.6% |
Aerospace – 0.3% |
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc., 3.844%, 5/01/2025 | | $ | 254,000 | $ 282,449 |
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc., 3.483%, 12/01/2027 | | | 350,000 | 392,180 |
L3Harris Technologies, Inc., 3.85%, 6/15/2023 | | | 475,000 | 513,039 |
Lockheed Martin Corp., 2.8%, 6/15/2050 | | | 594,000 | 641,040 |
| | | | $1,828,708 |
Asset-Backed & Securitized – 1.1% |
Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., CLO, 2019-FL2, “AS” FLR, 1.608% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.45%), 9/15/2034 (n) | | $ | 600,000 | $ 593,276 |
Barclays Commercial Mortgage Securities LLC, 2020-C7, “XA”, 1.631%, 4/15/2053 (i) | | | 998,270 | 109,960 |
Business Jet Securities LLC, 2020-1A, “A”, 2.981%, 11/15/2035 (n) | | | 323,273 | 327,835 |
Capital Automotive, 2020-1A, “A4”, REIT, 3.19%, 2/15/2050 (n) | | | 261,849 | 269,837 |
CF Hippolyta Issuer LLC, 2020-1, “A1”, 1.69%, 7/15/2060 (n) | | | 209,290 | 213,112 |
Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, 2020-BN28, “A4”, 1.844%, 3/15/2063 | | | 237,641 | 243,028 |
Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, 2020-BN29, “A4”, 1.997%, 11/15/2053 | | | 1,033,946 | 1,067,837 |
Fort CRE LLC, 2018-1A, “A1”, FLR, 1.495% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.35%), 11/16/2035 (n) | | | 584,500 | 579,895 |
KKR Real Estate Financial Trust, Inc., 2018-FL1, “A”, FLR, 1.252% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.1%), 6/15/2036 (n) | | | 773,500 | 772,078 |
MF1 CLO Ltd., 2019-FL2, “A”, FLR, 1.278% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.13%), 12/25/2034 (n) | | | 524,000 | 519,109 |
MF1 CLO Ltd., 2020-FL3, “AS”, FLR, 3.008% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.85%), 7/15/2035 (z) | | | 357,000 | 360,781 |
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust, 2017-H1, “A5”, 3.53%, 6/15/2050 | | | 659,762 | 748,226 |
Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2020-C58, “A4”, 2.092%, 7/15/2053 | | | 418,000 | 434,915 |
| | | | $6,239,889 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Automotive – 1.1% |
Daimler AG, 0.75%, 9/10/2030 | | EUR | 225,000 | $ 285,473 |
Delphi Automotive PLC, 1.5%, 3/10/2025 | | | 550,000 | 707,525 |
Ferrari N.V., 1.5%, 5/27/2025 | | | 560,000 | 703,970 |
General Motors Financial Co., Inc., 2.35%, 9/03/2025 | | GBP | 500,000 | 711,318 |
Hyundai Capital America, 6.375%, 4/08/2030 (n) | | $ | 1,184,000 | 1,556,965 |
Lear Corp., 3.8%, 9/15/2027 | | | 361,000 | 404,824 |
Volkswagen International Finance N.V., 0.875%, 9/22/2028 | | EUR | 200,000 | 252,647 |
Volkswagen International Finance N.V., 3.5% to 3/20/2030, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 15yr. + 3.06%) to 3/20/2050, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 15yr. + 3.81%) to 3/20/2065 | | | 550,000 | 709,030 |
Volkswagen International Finance N.V., 3.5% to 6/17/2025, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.746%) to 6/17/2030, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.996%) to 6/17/2045, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 4.746%) to 6/17/2070 | | | 600,000 | 772,022 |
| | | | $6,103,774 |
Broadcasting – 0.4% |
Discovery, Inc., 4.125%, 5/15/2029 | | $ | 664,000 | $ 774,718 |
MMS USA Financing, Inc., 1.75%, 6/13/2031 | | EUR | 300,000 | 398,543 |
Prosus N.V., 1.539%, 8/03/2028 | | | 300,000 | 377,688 |
Prosus N.V., 3.68%, 1/21/2030 (n) | | $ | 200,000 | 217,521 |
Walt Disney Co., 3.5%, 5/13/2040 | | | 347,000 | 407,331 |
| | | | $2,175,801 |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 0.5% |
Deutsche Boerse AG, 1.25% to 6/17/2027, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 1.681%) to 6/16/2047 | | EUR | 100,000 | $ 125,219 |
E*TRADE Financial Corp., 2.95%, 8/24/2022 | | $ | 314,000 | 326,115 |
Euroclear Investments S.A., 2.625% to 4/11/2028, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 1.659%) to 4/11/2048 | | EUR | 300,000 | 407,543 |
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., 3%, 9/15/2060 | | $ | 557,000 | 581,485 |
Low Income Investment Fund, 3.386%, 7/01/2026 | | | 150,000 | 159,815 |
Low Income Investment Fund, 3.711%, 7/01/2029 | | | 400,000 | 434,952 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – continued |
Raymond James Financial, 4.65%, 4/01/2030 | | $ | 541,000 | $ 663,284 |
| | | | $2,698,413 |
Building – 0.3% |
Holcim Finance (Luxembourg) S.A., 0.5%, 4/23/2031 | | EUR | 275,000 | $ 337,006 |
Masco Corp., 2%, 10/01/2030 | | $ | 685,000 | 697,015 |
Vulcan Materials Co., 3.5%, 6/01/2030 | | | 453,000 | 520,046 |
| | | | $1,554,067 |
Business Services – 0.6% |
Euronet Worldwide, Inc., 1.375%, 5/22/2026 | | EUR | 800,000 | $ 970,835 |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., 3.875%, 6/05/2024 | | $ | 144,000 | 158,540 |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., 3%, 8/15/2026 | | | 658,000 | 732,717 |
Fiserv, Inc., 4.4%, 7/01/2049 | | | 254,000 | 339,639 |
NXP Semiconductors N.V., 3.4%, 5/01/2030 (n) | | | 813,000 | 921,470 |
Verisk Analytics, Inc., 4%, 6/15/2025 | | | 475,000 | 537,980 |
| | | | $3,661,181 |
Cable TV – 0.6% |
Charter Communications Operating LLC/Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp., 6.384%, 10/23/2035 | | $ | 262,000 | $ 358,709 |
Charter Communications Operating LLC/Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp., 4.8%, 3/01/2050 | | | 267,000 | 318,580 |
Comcast Corp., 3.75%, 4/01/2040 | | | 485,000 | 582,749 |
Cox Communications, Inc., 3.25%, 12/15/2022 (n) | | | 393,000 | 413,934 |
Eutelsat S.A., 2.25%, 7/13/2027 | | EUR | 600,000 | 792,829 |
Eutelsat S.A., 1.5%, 10/13/2028 | | | 300,000 | 372,255 |
SES S.A., 1.625%, 3/22/2026 | | | 250,000 | 324,644 |
SES S.A., 2%, 7/02/2028 | | | 253,000 | 332,435 |
| | | | $3,496,135 |
Chemicals – 0.2% |
LYB International Finance III, LLC, 4.2%, 5/01/2050 | | $ | 371,000 | $ 431,601 |
Sasol Financing (USA) LLC, 6.5%, 9/27/2028 | | | 300,000 | 324,900 |
Sherwin-Williams Co., 3.8%, 8/15/2049 | | | 200,000 | 240,648 |
| | | | $997,149 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Computer Software – 0.3% |
Dell International LLC/EMC Corp., 4.9%, 10/01/2026 (n) | | $ | 634,000 | $ 748,472 |
Microsoft Corp., 4.1%, 2/06/2037 | | | 455,000 | 596,454 |
Microsoft Corp., 2.525%, 6/01/2050 | | | 279,000 | 293,625 |
| | | | $1,638,551 |
Computer Software - Systems – 0.3% |
Apple, Inc., 4.5%, 2/23/2036 | | $ | 947,000 | $ 1,273,460 |
Capgemini SE, 2%, 4/15/2029 | | EUR | 200,000 | 277,140 |
Capgemini SE, 1.125%, 6/23/2030 | | | 200,000 | 259,627 |
| | | | $1,810,227 |
Conglomerates – 0.2% |
Carrier Global Corp., 3.577%, 4/05/2050 | | $ | 311,000 | $ 344,829 |
General Electric Co., 0.875%, 5/17/2025 | | EUR | 225,000 | 282,816 |
Roper Technologies, Inc., 2%, 6/30/2030 | | $ | 566,000 | 578,194 |
| | | | $1,205,839 |
Consumer Products – 0.3% |
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, 0.375%, 2/11/2031 | | EUR | 100,000 | $ 124,789 |
Reckitt Benckiser Treasury Services PLC, 3.625%, 9/21/2023 (n) | | $ | 577,000 | 621,176 |
Reckitt Benckiser Treasury Services PLC, 3%, 6/26/2027 (n) | | | 425,000 | 474,759 |
Reckitt Benckiser Treasury Services PLC, 1.75%, 5/19/2032 | | GBP | 172,000 | 255,286 |
| | | | $1,476,010 |
Consumer Services – 0.5% |
Booking Holdings, Inc., 4.5%, 4/13/2027 | | $ | 347,000 | $ 413,624 |
Experian Finance PLC, 4.25%, 2/01/2029 (n) | | | 692,000 | 832,731 |
G4S International Finance PLC, 1.875%, 5/24/2025 | | EUR | 525,000 | 641,970 |
Mastercard, Inc., 3.85%, 3/26/2050 | | $ | 277,000 | 357,107 |
Visa, Inc., 3.65%, 9/15/2047 | | | 320,000 | 400,362 |
| | | | $2,645,794 |
Containers – 0.1% |
DS Smith PLC, 0.875%, 9/12/2026 | | EUR | 300,000 | $ 373,557 |
Electronics – 0.3% |
ASML Holding N.V., 0.625%, 5/07/2029 | | EUR | 106,000 | $ 135,847 |
Broadcom Corp./Broadcom Cayman Finance Ltd., 3.875%, 1/15/2027 | | $ | 366,000 | 411,248 |
Broadcom, Inc., 4.25%, 4/15/2026 | | | 185,000 | 211,916 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Electronics – continued |
Broadcom, Inc., 4.15%, 11/15/2030 | | $ | 240,000 | $ 277,432 |
Infineon Technologies AG, 1.625%, 6/24/2029 | | EUR | 500,000 | 666,554 |
| | | | $1,702,997 |
Emerging Market Quasi-Sovereign – 3.4% |
CEZ A.S. (Czech Republic), 0.875%, 12/02/2026 | | EUR | 500,000 | $ 624,776 |
China Construction Bank Corp., Hong Kong Branch, 1.25%, 8/04/2025 | | $ | 900,000 | 899,916 |
China Development Bank, 3.45%, 9/20/2029 | | CNY | 79,310,000 | 11,965,262 |
Export-Import Bank of India, 3.375%, 8/05/2026 | | $ | 600,000 | 648,434 |
Export-Import Bank of India, 3.875%, 2/01/2028 | | | 600,000 | 660,164 |
MDGH - GMTN B.V. (United Arab Emirates), 2.5%, 11/07/2024 | | | 398,000 | 420,368 |
PT Pertamina (Persero) (Republic of Indonesia), 3.65%, 7/30/2029 | | | 550,000 | 611,875 |
PT Pertamina (Persero) (Republic of Indonesia), 6%, 5/03/2042 (n) | | | 2,084,000 | 2,662,444 |
State Grid Overseas Investment (2016) Ltd. (People's Republic of China), 3.5%, 5/04/2027 | | | 1,007,000 | 1,117,477 |
| | | | $19,610,716 |
Emerging Market Sovereign – 3.4% |
Oriental Republic of Uruguay, 4.375%, 1/23/2031 | | $ | 1,309,000 | $ 1,605,161 |
Republic of Croatia, 1.125%, 6/19/2029 | | EUR | 758,000 | 972,987 |
Republic of Croatia, 1.5%, 6/17/2031 | | | 2,139,000 | 2,858,089 |
Republic of India, 5.77%, 8/03/2030 | | INR | 129,300,000 | 1,753,139 |
Republic of Indonesia, 7%, 9/15/2030 | | IDR | 27,830,000,000 | 2,144,197 |
Republic of Korea, 1.875%, 6/10/2029 | | KRW | 1,601,000,000 | 1,494,812 |
Republic of Peru, 2.392%, 1/23/2026 | | $ | 74,000 | 78,922 |
State of Qatar, 4%, 3/14/2029 (n) | | | 462,000 | 547,470 |
State of Qatar, 4.4%, 4/16/2050 | | | 200,000 | 260,550 |
United Mexican States, 5.75%, 3/05/2026 | | MXN | 40,500,000 | 2,126,873 |
United Mexican States, 7.5%, 6/03/2027 | | | 88,000,000 | 5,031,781 |
United Mexican States, 2.659%, 5/24/2031 | | $ | 372,000 | 380,761 |
United Mexican States, 3.771%, 5/24/2061 | | | 534,000 | 556,161 |
| | | | $19,810,903 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Energy - Independent – 0.6% |
Noble Energy, Inc., 4.2%, 10/15/2049 | | $ | 632,000 | $ 818,456 |
Tengizchevroil Finance Co. International Ltd., 4%, 8/15/2026 (n) | | | 2,260,000 | 2,509,495 |
| | | | $3,327,951 |
Energy - Integrated – 0.4% |
BP Capital Markets B.V., 0.933%, 12/04/2040 | | EUR | 191,000 | $ 234,469 |
Eni S.p.A., 4.25%, 5/09/2029 (n) | | $ | 321,000 | 380,085 |
Eni S.p.A., 2.625% to 1/13/2026, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.167%) to 1/13/2031, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.417%) to 1/13/2046, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 4.167%) to 10/13/2070 | | EUR | 119,000 | 151,664 |
Exxon Mobil Corp., 1.408%, 6/26/2039 | | | 450,000 | 576,077 |
Galp Energia SGPS S.A., 2%, 1/15/2026 | | | 300,000 | 377,600 |
OMV AG, 0.75%, 6/16/2030 | | | 193,000 | 247,166 |
OMV AG, 2.5% to 9/01/2026, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 2.82%) to 9/01/2030, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.82%) to 9/01/2070 | | | 200,000 | 253,805 |
| | | | $2,220,866 |
Financial Institutions – 1.1% |
Air Lease Corp., 3.125%, 12/01/2030 | | $ | 550,000 | $ 571,525 |
Avolon Holdings Funding Ltd., 4.25%, 4/15/2026 (n) | | | 263,000 | 283,284 |
Avolon Holdings Funding Ltd., 4.375%, 5/01/2026 (n) | | | 266,000 | 288,080 |
CTP B.V., 2.125%, 10/01/2025 | | EUR | 713,000 | 920,588 |
EXOR N.V., 2.25%, 4/29/2030 | | | 725,000 | 973,614 |
GE Capital International Funding Co., 3.373%, 11/15/2025 | | $ | 959,000 | 1,067,122 |
Grand City Properties S.A., 1.375%, 8/03/2026 | | EUR | 700,000 | 908,937 |
Grand City Properties S.A., 1.5% to 6/9/2026, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 2.184%) to 6/9/2031, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 2.434%) to 6/9/2046, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.184%) to 4/24/2068 | | | 300,000 | 360,998 |
Grand City Properties S.A., 2.5% to 10/24/2023, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 2.432%) to 10/24/2028, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 2.682%) to 10/24/2043, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.432%) to 12/09/2070 | | | 300,000 | 376,574 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Financial Institutions – continued |
SBB Treasury Oyj, 0.75%, 12/14/2028 | | EUR | 352,000 | $ 424,801 |
| | | | $6,175,523 |
Food & Beverages – 0.5% |
Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A., 1.65%, 3/28/2031 | | EUR | 300,000 | $ 411,703 |
Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc., 4.375%, 4/15/2038 | | $ | 206,000 | 254,760 |
Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc., 5.55%, 1/23/2049 | | | 222,000 | 315,085 |
Bacardi Ltd., 5.15%, 5/15/2038 (n) | | | 335,000 | 428,050 |
Constellation Brands, Inc., 4.4%, 11/15/2025 | | | 481,000 | 558,391 |
Constellation Brands, Inc., 3.15%, 8/01/2029 | | | 527,000 | 586,605 |
Diageo Finance PLC, 1.875%, 3/27/2027 | | EUR | 150,000 | 204,072 |
| | | | $2,758,666 |
Forest & Paper Products – 0.1% |
Mondi Finance Europe GmbH, 2.375%, 4/01/2028 | | EUR | 400,000 | $ 559,949 |
Gaming & Lodging – 0.0% |
Las Vegas Sands Corp., 3.9%, 8/08/2029 | | $ | 171,000 | $ 183,813 |
Industrial – 0.4% |
CPI Property Group S.A., 2.75%, 5/12/2026 | | EUR | 470,000 | $ 622,855 |
CPI Property Group S.A., 2.75%, 1/22/2028 | | GBP | 250,000 | 351,735 |
Grainger PLC, 3%, 7/03/2030 | | | 159,000 | 236,732 |
Investor AB, 0.375%, 10/29/2035 | | EUR | 150,000 | 183,471 |
Investor AB, 1.5%, 6/20/2039 | | | 160,000 | 232,550 |
Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, 2.396%, 10/01/2050 | | $ | 845,000 | 860,161 |
| | | | $2,487,504 |
Insurance – 0.7% |
Aflac, Inc., 3.6%, 4/01/2030 | | $ | 539,000 | $ 634,085 |
Argentum Zurich Insurance, 3.5% to 10/01/2026, FLR (EURIBOR - 3mo. + 3.95%) to 10/01/2046 | | EUR | 400,000 | 563,543 |
Aviva PLC, 3.875% to 7/03/2024, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.48%) to 7/03/2044 | | | 350,000 | 474,111 |
Aviva PLC, 4% to 6/03/2035, FLR (GBP Government Yield - 5yr. + 4.7%) to 6/03/2055 | | GBP | 475,000 | 750,031 |
CNP Assurances S.A., 2% to 7/27/2030, FLR (EURIBOR - 3mo. + 3%) to 7/27/2050 | | EUR | 300,000 | 388,288 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Insurance – continued |
Credit Agricole Assurances S.A., 2%, 7/17/2030 | | EUR | 200,000 | $ 261,378 |
Munich Re Group, 1.25% to 5/26/2031, FLR (EURIBOR - 3mo. + 2.55%) to 5/26/2041 | | | 200,000 | 253,137 |
Zurich Finance (Ireland) DAC, 1.875% to 9/17/2030, FLR (EURIBOR - 3mo. + 2.95%) to 9/17/2050 | | | 486,000 | 632,606 |
| | | | $3,957,179 |
Insurance - Property & Casualty – 0.6% |
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., 2.75%, 3/15/2023 | | $ | 496,000 | $ 520,853 |
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., 4.5%, 2/11/2043 | | | 355,000 | 487,489 |
Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., 4.625%, 4/29/2030 | | | 454,000 | 507,727 |
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., 3.6%, 8/19/2049 | | | 374,000 | 438,081 |
Progressive Corp., 4.125%, 4/15/2047 | | | 421,000 | 551,332 |
QBE Capital Funding III Ltd., 7.5% to 5/24/2021, FLR (GBP Swap Rate - 10yr. + 4.003%) to 5/24/2041 | | GBP | 400,000 | 554,297 |
Willis North America, Inc., 3.875%, 9/15/2049 | | $ | 465,000 | 565,971 |
| | | | $3,625,750 |
International Market Quasi-Sovereign – 0.9% |
BNG Bank N.V. (Kingdom of the Netherlands), 0.875%, 10/24/2036 | | EUR | 1,300,000 | $ 1,800,401 |
Deutsche Bahn Finance GmbH (Federal Republic of Germany), 0.875%, 6/23/2039 | | | 188,000 | 248,434 |
Deutsche Bahn Finance GmbH (Federal Republic of Germany), 1.375%, 4/16/2040 | | | 117,000 | 168,259 |
Deutsche Bahn Finance GmbH (Federal Republic of Germany), 0.625%, 12/08/2050 | | | 175,000 | 214,496 |
Electricite de France S.A., 5.875% to 1/22/2029, FLR (GBP Swap Rate - 15yr. + 3.046%) to 1/22/2049, FLR (GBP Swap Rate - 15yr. + 3.796%) to 1/22/2064 | | GBP | 400,000 | 634,110 |
Electricite de France S.A., 2.875% to 3/15/2027, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.373%) to 3/15/2031, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.623%) to 3/15/2047, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 4.373%) to 9/15/2070 | | EUR | 600,000 | 769,640 |
Islandsbanki (Republic of Iceland), 1.125% to 1/19/2023, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 1yr. + 0.75%) to 1/19/2024 | | | 330,000 | 407,136 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
International Market Quasi-Sovereign – continued |
La Banque Postale S.A. (Republic of France), 0.5% to 6/17/2025, FLR (EURIBOR - 3mo. + 0.88%) to 6/17/2026 | | EUR | 300,000 | $ 372,101 |
La Banque Postale S.A. (Republic of France), 0.875% to 1/26/2026, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 1.38%) to 1/26/2031 | | | 300,000 | 369,818 |
Ontario Teachers' Finance Trust, 0.5%, 5/06/2025 | | | 300,000 | 378,360 |
| | | | $5,362,755 |
International Market Sovereign – 15.3% |
Belgium Kingdom, 1.45%, 6/22/2037 | | EUR | 1,306,000 | $ 1,980,680 |
Commonwealth of Australia, 3.25%, 6/21/2039 | | AUD | 282,000 | 274,656 |
Commonwealth of Australia, 1.75%, 6/21/2051 | | | 4,030,000 | 2,956,439 |
Federal Republic of Germany, 1.25%, 8/15/2048 | | EUR | 2,221,000 | 3,821,667 |
Government of Bermuda, 2.375%, 8/20/2030 (n) | | $ | 220,000 | 230,725 |
Government of Canada, 1.25%, 6/01/2030 | | CAD | 2,197,000 | 1,816,836 |
Government of France, 0.75%, 5/25/2052 (n) | | EUR | 1,075,545 | 1,463,729 |
Government of Japan, 1.7%, 3/20/2032 | | JPY | 748,400,000 | 8,551,062 |
Government of Japan, 2.4%, 3/20/2037 | | | 22,200,000 | 286,855 |
Government of Japan, 2.3%, 3/20/2040 | | | 577,450,000 | 7,567,053 |
Government of Japan, 1.8%, 9/20/2043 | | | 363,000,000 | 4,521,267 |
Government of Japan, 0.6%, 9/20/2050 | | | 133,000,000 | 1,272,629 |
Government of Japan, 0.5%, 3/20/2060 | | | 161,000,000 | 1,465,505 |
Government of New Zealand, 2.75%, 4/15/2037 | | NZD | 962,000 | 813,854 |
Kingdom of Spain, 1.25%, 10/31/2030 (n) | | EUR | 1,425,000 | 1,945,048 |
Kingdom of Spain, 1.85%, 7/30/2035 | | | 1,644,000 | 2,431,256 |
Kingdom of Spain, 1.2%, 10/31/2040 (n) | | | 730,000 | 987,412 |
Kingdom of Sweden, 0.125%, 5/12/2031 (n) | | SEK | 7,810,000 | 957,381 |
Republic of France, 1.5%, 5/25/2050 | | EUR | 2,774,000 | 4,513,945 |
Republic of Iceland, 0.625%, 6/03/2026 | | | 160,000 | 201,147 |
Republic of Iceland, 5%, 11/15/2028 | | ISK | 383,237,000 | 3,420,581 |
Republic of Italy, 0.95%, 8/01/2030 | | EUR | 6,736,000 | 8,600,592 |
Republic of Italy, 1.45%, 3/01/2036 | | | 4,022,000 | 5,275,625 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
International Market Sovereign – continued |
Republic of Portugal, 0.9%, 10/12/2035 (n) | | EUR | 2,900,000 | $ 3,796,491 |
United Kingdom Treasury, 0.875%, 10/22/2029 | | GBP | 3,885,000 | 5,651,054 |
United Kingdom Treasury, 1.75%, 9/07/2037 | | | 6,625,000 | 10,748,216 |
United Kingdom Treasury, 1.75%, 1/22/2049 | | | 1,509,000 | 2,596,328 |
| | | | $88,148,033 |
Leisure & Toys – 0.0% |
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A., 0.878%, 11/24/2027 | | EUR | 200,000 | $ 245,113 |
Local Authorities – 0.5% |
Province of Alberta, 4.5%, 12/01/2040 | | CAD | 665,000 | $ 721,579 |
Province of British Columbia, 2.2%, 6/18/2030 | | | 1,290,000 | 1,102,201 |
Province of British Columbia, 2.95%, 6/18/2050 | | | 300,000 | 288,112 |
Province of Ontario, 4.7%, 6/02/2037 | | | 497,000 | 551,295 |
| | | | $2,663,187 |
Machinery & Tools – 0.1% |
CNH Industrial Capital LLC, 1.875%, 1/15/2026 | | $ | 611,000 | $ 639,722 |
Major Banks – 2.8% |
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., 2.57%, 11/25/2035 (n) | | $ | 528,000 | $ 538,338 |
Bank of America Corp., 2.625%, 4/19/2021 | | | 787,000 | 792,501 |
Bank of America Corp., 3.5%, 4/19/2026 | | | 1,079,000 | 1,222,574 |
Bank of America Corp., 3.419% to 12/20/2027, FLR (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.04%) to 12/20/2028 | | | 279,000 | 315,452 |
Bankinter S.A., 0.875%, 7/08/2026 | | EUR | 200,000 | 251,734 |
CaixaBank S.A., 0.375% to 11/18/2025, FLR (EURIBOR - 3mo. + 0.85%) to 11/18/2026 | | | 200,000 | 245,136 |
CaixaBank S.A., 2.75% to 7/14/2023, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 2.35%) to 7/14/2028 | | | 500,000 | 638,560 |
Credit Agricole S.A., 1% to 4/22/2025, FLR (EURIBOR - 3mo. + 1.25%) to 4/22/2026 | | | 200,000 | 254,025 |
Credit Agricole S.A., 1.625% to 6/05/2025, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 1.9%) to 6/05/2030 | | | 200,000 | 254,816 |
Credit Agricole S.A., 4% to 6/23/2028, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 4.37%) to 10/14/2070 | | | 500,000 | 660,455 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Major Banks – continued |
Credit Suisse Group AG, 1.25% to 7/17/2024, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 1yr. + 0.75%) to 7/17/2025 | | EUR | 270,000 | $ 343,151 |
Erste Group Bank AG, 0.875%, 5/13/2027 | | | 200,000 | 257,350 |
Erste Group Bank AG, 1% to 6/10/2025, FLR (EUR ICE Swap Rate - 5yr. + 1.3%) to 6/10/2030 | | | 400,000 | 492,529 |
Erste Group Bank AG, 1.625% to 9/08/2026, FLR (EUR ICE Swap Rate - 5yr. + 2.1%) to 9/08/2031 | | | 100,000 | 127,348 |
HSBC Holdings PLC, 2.099% to 6/04/2025, FLR (SOFR + 1.929%) to 6/04/2026 | | $ | 535,000 | 555,828 |
HSBC Holdings PLC, 4.375%, 11/23/2026 | | | 1,304,000 | 1,504,289 |
HSBC Holdings PLC, 6%, 5/22/2067 | | | 700,000 | 762,125 |
JPMorgan Chase & Co., 2.95%, 10/01/2026 | | | 1,407,000 | 1,560,602 |
JPMorgan Chase & Co., 3.54%, 5/01/2028 | | | 605,000 | 691,250 |
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc., 1.412%, 7/17/2025 | | | 808,000 | 829,911 |
Morgan Stanley, 3.622% to 4/01/2030, FLR (SOFR + 3.12%) to 4/01/2031 | | | 276,000 | 320,507 |
Nationwide Building Society, 1.5% to 3/08/2025, FLR (EURIBOR - 3mo. + 0.93%) to 3/08/2026 | | EUR | 450,000 | 581,830 |
Svenska Handelsbanken AB, 0.5%, 2/18/2030 | | | 330,000 | 414,487 |
Svenska Handelsbanken AB, 5.25% to 3/01/2021, FLR (Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.335%) to 12/29/2049 | | $ | 606,000 | 607,515 |
UBS Group Funding (Switzerland) AG, 2.859%, 8/15/2023 (n) | | | 300,000 | 310,992 |
UniCredit S.p.A., 1.25% to 6/16/2025, FLR (EURIBOR - 3mo. + 1.6%) to 6/16/2026 | | EUR | 347,000 | 439,720 |
UniCredit S.p.A., 2.2% to 7/22/2026, FLR (EURIBOR - 3mo. + 2.55%) to 7/22/2027 | | | 537,000 | 695,924 |
Wells Fargo & Co., 3.9%, 5/01/2045 | | $ | 407,000 | 507,913 |
| | | | $16,176,862 |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 0.7% |
Alcon, Inc., 3.8%, 9/23/2049 (n) | | $ | 200,000 | $ 235,532 |
BayCare Health System, Inc., 3.831%, 11/15/2050 | | | 634,000 | 791,272 |
Cigna Corp., 4.125%, 11/15/2025 | | | 430,000 | 495,210 |
HCA, Inc., 5.125%, 6/15/2039 | | | 195,000 | 249,215 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – continued |
Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings, 3.6%, 2/01/2025 | | $ | 550,000 | $ 607,622 |
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 2.955%, 1/01/2050 | | | 350,000 | 371,721 |
New York Society for the Relief of the Ruptured & Crippled, 2.667%, 10/01/2050 | | | 650,000 | 626,919 |
ProMedica Toledo Hospital, “B”, AGM, 6.015%, 11/15/2048 | | | 309,000 | 454,036 |
| | | | $3,831,527 |
Medical Equipment – 0.2% |
Abbott Ireland Financing DAC, 1.5%, 9/27/2026 | | EUR | 350,000 | $ 464,305 |
Boston Scientific Corp., 0.625%, 12/01/2027 | | | 150,000 | 184,981 |
DH Europe Finance II S.à r.l., 0.45%, 3/18/2028 | | | 250,000 | 310,953 |
| | | | $960,239 |
Metals & Mining – 0.1% |
Anglo American Capital PLC, 5.625%, 4/01/2030 (n) | | $ | 326,000 | $ 414,965 |
Glencore Capital Finance DAC, 1.125%, 3/10/2028 | | EUR | 375,000 | 468,501 |
| | | | $883,466 |
Midstream – 0.4% |
Enterprise Products Partners LP, 3.125%, 7/31/2029 | | $ | 446,000 | $ 494,146 |
MPLX LP, 4.5%, 4/15/2038 | | | 359,000 | 410,146 |
Plains All American Pipeline LP/PAA Finance Corp., 3.55%, 12/15/2029 | | | 341,000 | 356,680 |
Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, 4.2%, 3/15/2028 | | | 730,000 | 837,569 |
Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, 4.5%, 5/15/2030 (n) | | | 335,000 | 396,871 |
| | | | $2,495,412 |
Mortgage-Backed – 6.5% | |
Fannie Mae, 4.5%, 7/01/2023-2/01/2046 | | $ | 4,874,265 | $ 5,440,396 |
Fannie Mae, 5%, 3/01/2036-8/01/2040 | | | 1,524,519 | 1,771,736 |
Fannie Mae, 5.5%, 11/01/2036-4/01/2037 | | | 123,971 | 145,633 |
Fannie Mae, 6%, 9/01/2037-6/01/2038 | | | 185,244 | 216,510 |
Fannie Mae, 4%, 11/01/2040-2/01/2041 | | | 2,488,295 | 2,725,839 |
Fannie Mae, 3.5%, 5/01/2043-12/01/2046 | | | 2,237,075 | 2,454,337 |
Fannie Mae, 2.5%, 6/01/2050-12/01/2050 | | | 401,400 | 430,386 |
Fannie Mae, 3%, 8/01/2050-9/01/2050 | | | 1,879,201 | 1,970,423 |
Fannie Mae, TBA, 1.5%, 1/16/2036-1/14/2051 | | | 500,000 | 512,987 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Mortgage-Backed – continued | |
Fannie Mae, TBA, 2.5%, 1/25/2036-2/25/2051 | | $ | 1,150,000 | $ 1,208,100 |
Fannie Mae, TBA, 2%, 2/18/2036-2/12/2051 | | | 1,550,000 | 1,613,828 |
Fannie Mae, TBA, 3%, 1/14/2051-2/12/2051 | | | 1,200,000 | 1,257,486 |
Freddie Mac, 4%, 7/01/2025 | | | 66,097 | 70,152 |
Freddie Mac, 1.367%, 3/25/2027 (i) | | | 809,000 | 62,847 |
Freddie Mac, 3.224%, 3/25/2027��� | | | 4,000,000 | 4,557,942 |
Freddie Mac, 3.286%, 11/25/2027 | | | 1,303,000 | 1,502,361 |
Freddie Mac, 3.9%, 4/25/2028 | | | 1,710,000 | 2,043,495 |
Freddie Mac, 1.799%, 4/25/2030 (i) | | | 1,420,926 | 215,337 |
Freddie Mac, 1.868%, 4/25/2030 (i) | | | 1,365,340 | 210,283 |
Freddie Mac, 1.662%, 5/25/2030 (i) | | | 1,747,943 | 243,363 |
Freddie Mac, 1.796%, 5/25/2030 (i) | | | 3,920,368 | 584,497 |
Freddie Mac, 1.342%, 6/25/2030 (i) | | | 1,615,349 | 186,125 |
Freddie Mac, 1.6%, 8/25/2030 (i) | | | 1,436,842 | 197,640 |
Freddie Mac, 1.169%, 9/25/2030 (i) | | | 905,456 | 93,895 |
Freddie Mac, 1.081%, 11/25/2030 (i) | | | 1,823,916 | 177,396 |
Freddie Mac, 3.424%, 4/25/2032 | | | 800,000 | 936,851 |
Freddie Mac, 5.5%, 5/01/2034-7/01/2037 | | | 29,982 | 35,108 |
Freddie Mac, 5%, 10/01/2036-7/01/2041 | | | 478,119 | 551,593 |
Freddie Mac, 4.5%, 12/01/2039-5/01/2042 | | | 894,726 | 1,000,611 |
Freddie Mac, 3.5%, 1/01/2047 | | | 594,484 | 634,166 |
Freddie Mac, 3%, 5/01/2050-6/01/2050 | | | 230,811 | 249,533 |
Ginnie Mae, 5%, 5/15/2040 | | | 82,209 | 93,199 |
Ginnie Mae, 3.5%, 6/20/2043 | | | 778,684 | 847,934 |
Ginnie Mae, 3%, 8/20/2050-9/20/2050 | | | 345,143 | 363,052 |
Ginnie Mae, 2.5%, 11/20/2050-12/20/2050 | | | 773,844 | 819,759 |
Ginnie Mae, TBA, 2.5%, 1/21/2051-2/20/2051 | | | 625,000 | 660,789 |
Ginnie Mae, TBA, 3%, 1/21/2051 | | | 75,000 | 78,418 |
Ginnie Mae, TBA, 3.5%, 1/21/2051 | | | 900,000 | 953,796 |
Ginnie Mae, TBA, 2%, 2/20/2051 | | | 400,000 | 417,562 |
| | | | $37,535,365 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Municipals – 0.8% |
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Public Improvement, “C-7”, NATL, 6%, 7/01/2027 | | $ | 55,000 | $ 56,406 |
Michigan Finance Authority Hospital Rev. (Trinity Health Credit Group), 3.384%, 12/01/2040 | | | 480,000 | 540,950 |
Missouri Health & Educational Facilities Authority, Taxable Education Facilities Rev. (Washington University of St. Louis), “A”, 3.229%, 5/15/2050 | | | 930,000 | 1,085,850 |
New Jersey Economic Development Authority State Pension Funding Rev., “A”, NATL, 7.425%, 2/15/2029 | | | 421,000 | 542,631 |
Oklahoma Development Finance Authority, Health System Rev. (OU Medicine Project), “C”, AGM, 4.65%, 8/15/2030 | | | 572,000 | 677,580 |
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority Rev., “PP”, NATL, 5%, 7/01/2022 | | | 245,000 | 246,725 |
State of Florida, “A”, 2.154%, 7/01/2030 | | | 1,383,000 | 1,455,220 |
| | | | $4,605,362 |
Natural Gas - Distribution – 0.3% |
Infraestructura Energética Nova S.A.B. de C.V., 4.875%, 1/14/2048 | | $ | 360,000 | $ 400,950 |
NiSource, Inc., 2.95%, 9/01/2029 | | | 534,000 | 587,147 |
NiSource, Inc., 3.6%, 5/01/2030 | | | 429,000 | 496,168 |
| | | | $1,484,265 |
Natural Gas - Pipeline – 0.1% |
APT Pipelines Ltd., 5%, 3/23/2035 (n) | | $ | 615,000 | $ 779,594 |
Network & Telecom – 0.4% |
AT&T, Inc., 3.5%, 9/15/2053 (n) | | $ | 752,000 | $ 749,133 |
Verizon Communications, Inc., 3.15%, 3/22/2030 | | | 525,000 | 588,219 |
Verizon Communications, Inc., 0.875%, 3/19/2032 | | EUR | 330,000 | 421,462 |
Verizon Communications, Inc., 4%, 3/22/2050 | | $ | 507,000 | 613,942 |
| | | | $2,372,756 |
Oil Services – 0.0% |
Halliburton Co., 5%, 11/15/2045 | | $ | 254,000 | $ 301,510 |
Oils – 0.3% |
Neste Oyj, 1.5%, 6/07/2024 | | EUR | 400,000 | $ 504,838 |
Phillips 66, 4.875%, 11/15/2044 | | $ | 290,000 | 365,230 |
Valero Energy Corp., 4.9%, 3/15/2045 | | | 506,000 | 588,863 |
| | | | $1,458,931 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 1.5% |
AIB Group PLC, 1.25%, 5/28/2024 | | EUR | 455,000 | $ 576,422 |
Belfius Bank S.A., 0.375%, 9/02/2025 | | | 300,000 | 369,669 |
Belfius Bank S.A., 0.375%, 2/13/2026 | | | 800,000 | 986,607 |
Deutsche Bank AG, 2.625%, 12/16/2024 | | GBP | 400,000 | 576,235 |
Deutsche Bank AG, 1% to 11/19/2024, FLR (EURIBOR - 3mo. + 1.6%) to 11/19/2025 | | EUR | 200,000 | 248,122 |
Deutsche Bank AG, 1.375% to 9/03/2025, FLR (EURIBOR - 3mo. + 1.85%) to 9/03/2026 | | | 500,000 | 629,834 |
Groupe BPCE S.A., 4.5%, 3/15/2025 (n) | | $ | 584,000 | 660,036 |
Groupe BPCE S.A., 1.375%, 12/23/2026 | | GBP | 400,000 | 568,853 |
ING Groep N.V., 2.125% to 5/26/2026, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 2.4%) to 5/26/2031 | | EUR | 200,000 | 260,893 |
Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., 2.125%, 5/26/2025 | | | 493,000 | 650,909 |
Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., 2.5%, 1/15/2030 | | GBP | 300,000 | 437,029 |
Macquarie Group Ltd., 0.35%, 3/03/2028 | | EUR | 350,000 | 429,018 |
Rabobank Nederland N.V., 4.625%, 9/11/2068 | | | 200,000 | 266,320 |
Rabobank Nederland N.V., 3.25% to 12/29/2026, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.7%) to 9/09/2069 | | | 200,000 | 246,162 |
UBS AG, 5.125%, 5/15/2024 | | $ | 866,000 | 953,033 |
Virgin Money UK PLC, 2.875% to 6/24/2024, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 1yr. + 3.25%) to 6/24/2025 | | EUR | 196,000 | 254,549 |
Virgin Money UK PLC, 5.125% to 12/11/2025, FLR (GBP Government Yield - 5yr. + 5.25%) to 12/11/2030 | | GBP | 475,000 | 696,004 |
| | | | $8,809,695 |
Printing & Publishing – 0.3% |
Informa PLC, 3.125%, 7/05/2026 | | GBP | 500,000 | $ 727,018 |
Informa PLC, 1.25%, 4/22/2028 | | EUR | 350,000 | 428,561 |
Wolters Kluwer N.V., 0.75%, 7/03/2030 | | | 249,000 | 317,263 |
| | | | $1,472,842 |
Real Estate - Apartment – 0.1% |
Camden Property Trust, 2.8%, 5/15/2030 | | $ | 164,000 | $ 182,033 |
Mid-America Apartment Communities, 1.7%, 2/15/2031 | | | 506,000 | 503,825 |
| | | | $685,858 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Real Estate - Office – 0.2% |
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., REIT, 1.875%, 2/01/2033 | | $ | 383,000 | $ 382,114 |
Boston Properties, Inc., REIT, 3.125%, 9/01/2023 | | | 447,000 | 474,444 |
Corporate Office Property LP, 2.25%, 3/15/2026 | | | 356,000 | 371,038 |
| | | | $1,227,596 |
Real Estate - Other – 0.2% |
Lexington Realty Trust Co., 2.7%, 9/15/2030 | | $ | 466,000 | $ 484,828 |
W.P. Carey, Inc., 2.4%, 2/01/2031 | | | 681,000 | 706,840 |
| | | | $1,191,668 |
Real Estate - Retail – 0.7% |
Brixmor Operating Partnership LP, REIT, 4.05%, 7/01/2030 | | $ | 610,000 | $ 699,778 |
Realty Income Corp., REIT, 3.25%, 1/15/2031 | | | 516,000 | 584,619 |
Regency Centers Corp., 3.7%, 6/15/2030 | | | 745,000 | 843,556 |
STORE Capital Corp., 2.75%, 11/18/2030 | | | 786,000 | 798,898 |
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield SE, REIT, 1.375%, 12/04/2031 | | EUR | 300,000 | 368,932 |
VEREIT Operating Partnership LP, REIT, 3.4%, 1/15/2028 | | $ | 192,000 | 211,865 |
VEREIT Operating Partnership LP, REIT, 3.1%, 12/15/2029 | | | 516,000 | 556,428 |
| | | | $4,064,076 |
Retailers – 0.3% |
Best Buy Co., Inc., 1.95%, 10/01/2030 | | $ | 702,000 | $ 704,964 |
Home Depot, Inc., 3%, 4/01/2026 | | | 525,000 | 586,769 |
Home Depot, Inc., 4.875%, 2/15/2044 | | | 254,000 | 360,859 |
| | | | $1,652,592 |
Supermarkets – 0.2% |
Auchan Holding S.A., 3.25%, 7/23/2027 | | EUR | 300,000 | $ 422,268 |
Loblaw Cos. Ltd., 4.86%, 9/12/2023 | | CAD | 680,000 | 587,143 |
| | | | $1,009,411 |
Supranational – 0.7% |
Corporacion Andina de Fomento, 1.625%, 6/03/2025 | | EUR | 500,000 | $ 646,062 |
Corporacion Andina de Fomento, 1.625%, 9/23/2025 | | $ | 530,000 | 537,357 |
European Union, 0%, 7/04/2035 | | EUR | 485,000 | 608,339 |
European Union, 0.3%, 11/04/2050 | | | 450,000 | 594,986 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
Supranational – continued |
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 4.25%, 6/24/2025 | | AUD | 465,000 | $ 418,389 |
West African Development Bank, 4.7%, 10/22/2031 | | $ | 900,000 | 971,856 |
| | | | $3,776,989 |
Telecommunications - Wireless – 0.7% |
American Tower Corp., REIT, 4.7%, 3/15/2022 | | $ | 257,000 | $ 269,740 |
American Tower Corp., REIT, 3.5%, 1/31/2023 | | | 662,000 | 702,006 |
American Tower Corp., REIT, 0.5%, 1/15/2028 | | EUR | 425,000 | 522,332 |
American Tower Corp., REIT, 3.6%, 1/15/2028 | | $ | 301,000 | 341,824 |
Crown Castle International Corp., 1.35%, 7/15/2025 | | | 285,000 | 290,862 |
Crown Castle International Corp., 3.7%, 6/15/2026 | | | 345,000 | 388,689 |
Rogers Communications, Inc., 3.7%, 11/15/2049 | | | 528,000 | 623,063 |
T-Mobile USA, Inc., 3.5%, 4/15/2025 (n) | | | 774,000 | 855,254 |
| | | | $3,993,770 |
Telephone Services – 0.0% |
Iliad S.A., 2.375%, 6/17/2026 | | EUR | 200,000 | $ 253,248 |
Tobacco – 0.2% |
B.A.T. International Finance PLC, 2.25%, 6/26/2028 | | GBP | 223,000 | $ 315,931 |
B.A.T. Netherlands Finance B.V., 2.375%, 10/07/2024 | | EUR | 290,000 | 382,855 |
Imperial Brands Finance PLC, 1.375%, 1/27/2025 | | | 300,000 | 381,629 |
| | | | $1,080,415 |
Transportation - Services – 0.6% |
Abertis Infraestructuras S.A., 3.375%, 11/27/2026 | | GBP | 400,000 | $ 600,301 |
Abertis Infraestructuras S.A., 1.875%, 3/26/2032 | | EUR | 500,000 | 645,703 |
ERAC USA Finance LLC, 7%, 10/15/2037 (n) | | $ | 494,000 | 765,323 |
Transurban Finance Co., 1.75%, 3/29/2028 | | EUR | 296,000 | 399,386 |
Vinci S.A., 3.75%, 4/10/2029 (n) | | $ | 706,000 | 827,473 |
| | | | $3,238,186 |
U.S. Government Agencies and Equivalents – 0.2% |
Small Business Administration, 5.31%, 5/01/2027 | | $ | 29,096 | $ 31,601 |
Small Business Administration, 2.22%, 3/01/2033 | | | 905,592 | 938,205 |
| | | | $969,806 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Bonds – continued |
U.S. Treasury Obligations – 3.2% |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 2.25%, 8/15/2049 (f) | | $ | 369,300 | $ 421,752 |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 2.375%, 11/15/2049 (f) | | | 2,361,000 | 2,767,812 |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 2.375%, 5/15/2029 (f) | | | 4,251,500 | 4,802,202 |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 1.125%, 8/15/2040 (f) | | | 10,841,000 | 10,246,439 |
| | | | $18,238,205 |
Utilities - Electric Power – 1.8% |
American Electric Power Co., Inc., 2.3%, 3/01/2030 | | $ | 706,000 | $ 736,885 |
AusNet Services Holdings Pty Ltd., 0.625%, 8/25/2030 | | EUR | 270,000 | 341,789 |
Duke Energy Corp., 3.75%, 9/01/2046 | | $ | 550,000 | 639,961 |
Enel Americas S.A., 4%, 10/25/2026 | | | 1,891,000 | 2,122,666 |
Enel Finance International N.V., 3.5%, 4/06/2028 (n) | | | 414,000 | 471,300 |
Enel Finance International N.V., 4.75%, 5/25/2047 (n) | | | 343,000 | 455,986 |
Enel S.p.A., 2.25% to 3/10/2027, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 2.679%) to 3/10/2032, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 2.929%) to 3/10/2047, FLR (EUR Swap Rate - 5yr. + 3.679%) to 9/10/2070 | | EUR | 100,000 | 127,180 |
ENGIE Energía Chile S.A., 4.5%, 1/29/2025 (n) | | $ | 1,180,000 | 1,308,561 |
Evergy, Inc., 2.9%, 9/15/2029 | | | 615,000 | 673,784 |
FirstEnergy Corp., 2.65%, 3/01/2030 | | | 566,000 | 567,497 |
Georgia Power Co., 3.7%, 1/30/2050 | | | 303,000 | 361,946 |
PPL Capital Funding, Inc., 5%, 3/15/2044 | | | 418,000 | 538,873 |
Southern California Edison Co.'s First & Refunding Mortgage Bonds, 3.65%, 2/01/2050 | | | 252,000 | 285,712 |
Virginia Electric & Power Co., 3.5%, 3/15/2027 | | | 1,005,000 | 1,147,012 |
Virginia Electric & Power Co., 2.875%, 7/15/2029 | | | 217,000 | 243,384 |
WEC Energy Group, Inc., 1.8%, 10/15/2030 | | | 586,000 | 587,379 |
| | | | $10,609,915 |
Utilities - Water – 0.0% |
Severn Trent Utilities Finance PLC, 2%, 6/02/2040 | | GBP | 100,000 | $ 148,397 |
Total Bonds (Identified Cost, $313,105,904) | | $336,693,680 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – 34.8% |
Aerospace – 1.2% | |
Honeywell International, Inc. | | 12,845 | $ 2,732,131 |
L3Harris Technologies, Inc. | | 4,276 | 808,250 |
Lockheed Martin Corp. (f) | | 7,084 | 2,514,678 |
Northrop Grumman Corp. | | 1,789 | 545,144 |
| | | | $6,600,203 |
Alcoholic Beverages – 0.9% | |
Diageo PLC | | 45,101 | $ 1,782,441 |
Heineken N.V. | | 14,087 | 1,569,840 |
Pernod Ricard S.A. | | 7,960 | 1,524,776 |
| | | | $4,877,057 |
Apparel Manufacturers – 0.5% | |
Adidas AG (a) | | 3,625 | $ 1,319,245 |
Burberry Group PLC (a) | | 17,193 | 420,737 |
Compagnie Financiere Richemont S.A. | | 14,492 | 1,310,877 |
| | | | $3,050,859 |
Automotive – 0.7% | |
Aptiv PLC | | 8,296 | $ 1,080,886 |
Lear Corp. | | 4,511 | 717,384 |
Magna International, Inc. | | 29,400 | 2,081,259 |
NGK Spark Plug Co. Ltd. | | 5,600 | 95,616 |
Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co. Ltd., “A” | | 73,900 | 191,551 |
| | | | $4,166,696 |
Biotechnology – 0.1% | |
Gilead Sciences, Inc. | | 7,328 | $ 426,929 |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 0.8% | |
BlackRock, Inc. | | 1,602 | $ 1,155,907 |
Cboe Global Markets, Inc. | | 9,601 | 894,045 |
Charles Schwab Corp. | | 33,390 | 1,771,006 |
IG Group Holdings PLC | | 7,011 | 82,645 |
NASDAQ, Inc. | | 6,460 | 857,500 |
| | | | $4,761,103 |
Business Services – 2.0% | |
Accenture PLC, “A” (s) | | 10,510 | $ 2,745,317 |
CGI, Inc. (a) | | 15,733 | 1,248,233 |
Compass Group PLC | | 49,249 | 917,954 |
Equifax, Inc. | | 5,551 | 1,070,455 |
Experian PLC | | 19,878 | 757,452 |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. | | 8,065 | 1,140,875 |
Fiserv, Inc. (a) | | 10,602 | 1,207,143 |
Nomura Research Institute Ltd. | | 22,600 | 808,745 |
Secom Co. Ltd. | | 15,900 | 1,465,501 |
| | | | $11,361,675 |
Cable TV – 0.6% | |
Comcast Corp., “A” (f) | | 60,591 | $ 3,174,968 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Chemicals – 0.7% | |
3M Co. | | 8,028 | $ 1,403,214 |
Eastman Chemical Co. | | 4,762 | 477,534 |
PPG Industries, Inc. | | 14,460 | 2,085,421 |
| | | | $3,966,169 |
Computer Software – 0.2% | |
Adobe Systems, Inc. (a) | | 441 | $ 220,553 |
Microsoft Corp. | | 4,804 | 1,068,506 |
| | | | $1,289,059 |
Computer Software - Systems – 1.3% | |
Amadeus IT Group S.A. | | 19,555 | $ 1,415,738 |
Fujitsu Ltd. | | 9,400 | 1,356,903 |
Hitachi Ltd. | | 44,000 | 1,732,216 |
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. | | 158,000 | 515,925 |
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | | 29,725 | 2,216,446 |
| | | | $7,237,228 |
Construction – 0.7% | |
D.R. Horton, Inc. | | 3,681 | $ 253,695 |
Masco Corp. | | 15,208 | 835,375 |
Sherwin-Williams Co. | | 1,272 | 934,805 |
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. | | 5,075 | 906,192 |
Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. | | 28,000 | 400,909 |
Vulcan Materials Co. | | 6,299 | 934,205 |
| | | | $4,265,181 |
Consumer Products – 1.2% | |
Colgate-Palmolive Co. | | 29,600 | $ 2,531,096 |
Kao Corp. | | 12,700 | 980,282 |
Kimberly-Clark Corp. | | 14,811 | 1,996,967 |
Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC | | 12,338 | 1,103,781 |
| | | | $6,612,126 |
Containers – 0.0% | |
Amcor PLC | | 21,813 | $ 256,739 |
Electrical Equipment – 1.4% | |
Johnson Controls International PLC | | 29,483 | $ 1,373,613 |
Legrand S.A. | | 10,374 | 925,158 |
Schneider Electric SE | | 34,779 | 5,026,303 |
Yokogawa Electric Corp. | | 38,100 | 757,904 |
| | | | $8,082,978 |
Electronics – 2.2% | |
Analog Devices, Inc. | | 6,142 | $ 907,358 |
Hoya Corp. | | 6,200 | 856,850 |
Intel Corp. | | 43,960 | 2,190,087 |
Kyocera Corp. | | 14,400 | 882,227 |
NXP Semiconductors N.V. | | 7,198 | 1,144,554 |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., ADR | | 41,144 | 4,486,342 |
Texas Instruments, Inc. (f) | | 14,910 | 2,447,178 |
| | | | $12,914,596 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Energy - Independent – 0.1% | |
China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd. | | 121,500 | $ 228,818 |
CNOOC Ltd. | | 139,000 | 127,771 |
ConocoPhillips | | 10,225 | 408,898 |
| | | | $765,487 |
Energy - Integrated – 0.5% | |
China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. | | 2,904,000 | $ 1,290,728 |
Eni S.p.A. | | 50,302 | 525,287 |
LUKOIL PJSC, ADR | | 3,392 | 231,334 |
Petroleo Brasileiro S.A., ADR | | 17,007 | 190,989 |
Suncor Energy, Inc. | | 38,066 | 638,470 |
| | | | $2,876,808 |
Engineering - Construction – 0.1% | |
Quanta Services, Inc. | | 3,993 | $ 287,576 |
Food & Beverages – 1.5% | |
Danone S.A. | | 26,187 | $ 1,719,855 |
General Mills, Inc. | | 32,089 | 1,886,833 |
J.M. Smucker Co. | | 13,376 | 1,546,266 |
Nestle S.A. | | 25,245 | 2,973,053 |
PepsiCo, Inc. | | 2,821 | 418,354 |
| | | | $8,544,361 |
Food & Drug Stores – 0.3% | |
Tesco PLC | | 458,087 | $ 1,446,253 |
Gaming & Lodging – 0.1% | |
Tabcorp Holdings Ltd. | | 122,479 | $ 368,258 |
General Merchandise – 0.1% | |
Bim Birlesik Magazalar A.S. | | 33,008 | $ 335,275 |
Walmart de Mexico S.A.B. de C.V. | | 127,961 | 359,972 |
| | | | $695,247 |
Health Maintenance Organizations – 0.3% | |
Cigna Corp. | | 8,543 | $ 1,778,482 |
Insurance – 2.2% | |
Aon PLC (s) | | 14,249 | $ 3,010,386 |
Chubb Ltd. | | 13,307 | 2,048,213 |
CNO Financial Group, Inc. | | 6,798 | 151,120 |
Equitable Holdings, Inc. | | 47,474 | 1,214,860 |
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. | | 7,639 | 374,158 |
Manulife Financial Corp. | | 95,013 | 1,690,663 |
Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc. | | 7,728 | 904,176 |
MetLife, Inc. | | 12,370 | 580,772 |
NN Group N.V. | | 3,625 | 158,585 |
Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Ltd. (a) | | 2,066 | 356,600 |
Travelers Cos., Inc. | | 11,024 | 1,547,439 |
Zurich Insurance Group AG | | 1,391 | 589,563 |
| | | | $12,626,535 |
Leisure & Toys – 0.1% | |
Brunswick Corp. | | 2,248 | $ 171,387 |
Electronic Arts, Inc. | | 1,483 | 212,959 |
| | | | $384,346 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Machinery & Tools – 1.0% | |
AGCO Corp. | | 4,599 | $ 474,111 |
Eaton Corp. PLC | | 28,007 | 3,364,761 |
Ingersoll Rand, Inc. (a) | | 16,403 | 747,321 |
Kubota Corp. | | 65,400 | 1,425,746 |
| | | | $6,011,939 |
Major Banks – 2.4% | |
ABSA Group Ltd. | | 59,782 | $ 487,613 |
Bank of America Corp. | | 52,540 | 1,592,487 |
BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd. | | 175,000 | 531,828 |
China Construction Bank | | 1,396,000 | 1,062,354 |
DBS Group Holdings Ltd. | | 93,800 | 1,774,216 |
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. | | 7,271 | 1,917,435 |
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (f) | | 23,087 | 2,933,665 |
NatWest Group PLC (a) | | 205,465 | 475,195 |
UBS Group AG | | 215,045 | 3,007,712 |
| | | | $13,782,505 |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 0.4% | |
HCA Healthcare, Inc. | | 4,068 | $ 669,023 |
McKesson Corp. | | 5,890 | 1,024,389 |
Quest Diagnostics, Inc. | | 6,038 | 719,549 |
| | | | $2,412,961 |
Medical Equipment – 1.2% | |
Abbott Laboratories | | 6,957 | $ 761,722 |
Becton, Dickinson and Co. | | 3,795 | 949,585 |
Boston Scientific Corp. (a) | | 29,722 | 1,068,506 |
Danaher Corp. | | 5,159 | 1,146,020 |
Medtronic PLC | | 18,789 | 2,200,943 |
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. | | 1,982 | 923,176 |
| | | | $7,049,952 |
Metals & Mining – 0.4% | |
Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. | | 32,298 | $ 583,410 |
MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC, ADR | | 7,337 | 228,914 |
POSCO | | 924 | 231,362 |
Rio Tinto PLC | | 14,344 | 1,072,964 |
| | | | $2,116,650 |
Natural Gas - Distribution – 0.1% | |
Italgas S.p.A. | | 102,503 | $ 651,159 |
Natural Gas - Pipeline – 0.2% | |
Enterprise Products Partners LP | | 51,108 | $ 1,001,205 |
Magellan Midstream Partners LP | | 4,038 | 171,373 |
Plains All American Pipeline LP | | 21,812 | 179,731 |
| | | | $1,352,309 |
Network & Telecom – 0.0% | |
QTS Realty Trust, Inc., REIT, “A” | | 3,418 | $ 211,506 |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 0.8% | |
Citigroup, Inc. | | 8,481 | $ 522,938 |
KBC Group N.V. (a) | | 14,227 | 995,550 |
Sberbank of Russia PJSC, ADR | | 24,822 | 357,831 |
Truist Financial Corp. | | 28,407 | 1,361,548 |
U.S. Bancorp | | 26,018 | 1,212,179 |
| | | | $4,450,046 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Pharmaceuticals – 3.3% | |
Bayer AG | | 35,955 | $ 2,115,181 |
Eli Lilly & Co. | | 9,999 | 1,688,231 |
Johnson & Johnson (f) | | 24,804 | 3,903,654 |
Merck & Co., Inc. | | 33,667 | 2,753,961 |
Novartis AG | | 20,503 | 1,937,282 |
Novo Nordisk A.S., “B” | | 18,227 | 1,276,434 |
Roche Holding AG | | 14,620 | 5,102,880 |
Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. | | 22,900 | 371,483 |
| | | | $19,149,106 |
Printing & Publishing – 0.4% | |
RELX PLC | | 37,386 | $ 919,083 |
Wolters Kluwer N.V. | | 18,756 | 1,582,390 |
| | | | $2,501,473 |
Railroad & Shipping – 0.6% | |
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. | | 4,711 | $ 1,634,101 |
Kansas City Southern Co. | | 1,128 | 230,259 |
Union Pacific Corp. | | 6,836 | 1,423,392 |
| | | | $3,287,752 |
Real Estate – 0.3% | |
Deutsche Wohnen SE | | 13,086 | $ 698,451 |
Grand City Properties S.A. | | 14,035 | 359,377 |
Lexington Realty Trust, REIT | | 19,011 | 201,897 |
Longfor Properties Co. Ltd. | | 69,000 | 404,079 |
Starwood Property Trust, Inc., REIT | | 11,888 | 229,438 |
| | | | $1,893,242 |
Restaurants – 0.1% | |
Yum China Holdings, Inc. | | 11,233 | $ 641,292 |
Specialty Chemicals – 0.3% | |
Akzo Nobel N.V. | | 10,923 | $ 1,172,411 |
Linde PLC (a) | | 1,723 | 448,345 |
Nitto Denko Corp. | | 3,300 | 294,988 |
| | | | $1,915,744 |
Specialty Stores – 0.2% | |
Home Depot, Inc. | | 3,609 | $ 958,623 |
Telecommunications - Wireless – 1.3% | |
KDDI Corp. | | 149,100 | $ 4,427,297 |
Mobile TeleSystems PJSC, ADR | | 12,926 | 115,688 |
T-Mobile USA, Inc. (a) | | 6,927 | 934,106 |
Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. | | 71,070 | 154,416 |
Vodafone Group PLC | | 1,043,060 | 1,716,495 |
| | | | $7,348,002 |
Telephone Services – 0.2% | |
Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A. | | 17,898 | $ 288,182 |
TELUS Corp. | | 38,678 | 766,024 |
| | | | $1,054,206 |
Tobacco – 0.7% | |
British American Tobacco PLC | | 29,988 | $ 1,115,402 |
Imperial Tobacco Group PLC | | 24,358 | 511,469 |
Japan Tobacco, Inc. | | 61,400 | 1,249,942 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Tobacco – continued | |
Philip Morris International, Inc. (s) | | 16,725 | $ 1,384,663 |
| | | | $4,261,476 |
Trucking – 0.1% | |
United Parcel Service, Inc., “B” | | 2,081 | $ 350,440 |
Utilities - Electric Power – 1.0% | |
AltaGas Ltd. | | 16,368 | $ 240,717 |
CLP Holdings Ltd. | | 26,500 | 245,318 |
DTE Energy Co. | | 1,661 | 201,662 |
Duke Energy Corp. | | 14,381 | 1,316,724 |
E.ON SE | | 73,686 | 815,928 |
Exelon Corp. | | 28,251 | 1,192,757 |
Iberdrola S.A. | | 64,134 | 916,687 |
Terna Participacoes S.A., IEU | | 26,634 | 170,904 |
Xcel Energy, Inc. | | 8,295 | 553,028 |
| | | | $5,653,725 |
Total Common Stocks (Identified Cost, $126,764,761) | | $199,871,027 |
Preferred Stocks – 0.4% |
Computer Software - Systems – 0.1% | | | | |
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | | 7,064 | $ 478,607 |
Consumer Products – 0.3% | | | | |
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA | | 13,381 | $ 1,508,819 |
Total Preferred Stocks (Identified Cost, $883,612) | | $ 1,987,426 |
Convertible Preferred Stocks – 0.1% |
Medical Equipment – 0.0% | |
Boston Scientific Corp., 5.5% | | 1,014 | $ 111,104 |
Danaher Corp., 4.75% | | 101 | 153,282 |
| | | | $264,386 |
Utilities - Electric Power – 0.1% | |
CenterPoint Energy, Inc., 7% | | 9,867 | $ 402,573 |
Total Convertible Preferred Stocks (Identified Cost, $689,483) | $ 666,959 |
| Strike Price | First Exercise | | |
Warrants – 0.0% | | | | |
Apparel Manufacturers – 0.0% | | | | |
Compagnie Financiere Richemont S.A. (1 share for 2 warrants, Expiration 12/04/23) (a)(n) (Identified Cost, $0) | CHF 67.00 | 11/20/23 | 29,766 | $ 7,733 |
| | | | |
Investment Companies (h) – 6.5% |
Money Market Funds – 6.5% | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $37,119,815) | | | 37,119,815 | $ 37,119,815 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Underlying/Expiration Date/Exercise Price | Put/Call | Counterparty | Notional Amount | Par Amount/ Number of Contracts | Value ($) |
Purchased Options – 0.1% | |
Market Index Securities – 0.0% | |
S&P 500 Index – January 2021 @ $2,725 | Put | Merrill Lynch International | $ 9,390,175 | 25 | $ 2,125 |
S&P 500 Index – March 2021 @ $2,950 | Put | Merrill Lynch International | 11,643,817 | 31 | 57,040 |
| | | | | $ 59,165 |
Other – 0.1% | |
U.S. Treasury 10 yr - Interest Rate Swap - Fund pays 1.75%, Fund receives FLR (3-month LIBOR) – September 2022 | Put | Merrill Lynch International | $ 39,000,000 | $ 39,000,000 | $ 492,980 |
Total Purchased Options (Premiums Paid, $513,763) | | $ 552,145 |
Other Assets, Less Liabilities – (0.5)% | (2,683,037) |
Net Assets – 100.0% | $574,215,748 |
(a) | Non-income producing security. |
(f) | All or a portion of the security has been segregated as collateral for open futures contracts and cleared swap agreements. |
(h) | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund's investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $37,119,815 and $539,778,970, respectively. |
(i) | Interest only security for which the fund receives interest on notional principal (Par amount). Par amount shown is the notional principal and does not reflect the cost of the security. |
(n) | Securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities may be sold in the ordinary course of business in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At period end, the aggregate value of these securities was $34,318,955, representing 6.0% of net assets. |
(s) | Security or a portion of the security was pledged to cover collateral requirements for certain derivative transactions. |
(v) | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. |
(z) | Restricted securities are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and are subject to legal restrictions on resale. These securities generally may be resold in transactions exempt from registration or to the public if the securities are subsequently registered. Disposal of these securities may involve time-consuming negotiations and prompt sale at an acceptable price may be difficult. The fund holds the following restricted securities: |
Restricted Securities | Acquisition Date | Cost | Value |
MF1 CLO Ltd., 2020-FL3, “AS”, FLR, 3.008% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.85%), 7/15/2035 | 6/12/2020 | $357,000 | $360,781 |
% of Net assets | | | 0.1% |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined: |
ADR | American Depositary Receipt |
AGM | Assured Guaranty Municipal |
CLO | Collateralized Loan Obligation |
EURIBOR | Euro Interbank Offered Rate |
FLR | Floating Rate. Interest rate resets periodically based on the parenthetically disclosed reference rate plus a spread (if any). The period-end rate reported may not be the current rate. All reference rates are USD unless otherwise noted. |
ICE | Intercontinental Exchange |
IEU | International Equity Unit |
LIBOR | London Interbank Offered Rate |
NATL | National Public Finance Guarantee Corp. |
REIT | Real Estate Investment Trust |
SOFR | Secured Overnight Financing Rate |
TBA | To Be Announced |
Abbreviations indicate amounts shown in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. All amounts are stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. A list of abbreviations is shown below: |
AUD | Australian Dollar |
BRL | Brazilian Real |
CAD | Canadian Dollar |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
CHF | Swiss Franc |
CLP | Chilean Peso |
CNH | Chinese Yuan Renminbi (Offshore) |
CNY | China Yuan Renminbi |
COP | Colombian Peso |
CZK | Czech Koruna |
DKK | Danish Krone |
EUR | Euro |
GBP | British Pound |
HKD | Hong Kong Dollar |
IDR | Indonesian Rupiah |
ILS | Israeli Shekel |
INR | Indian Rupee |
ISK | Iceland Krona |
JPY | Japanese Yen |
KRW | South Korean Won |
MXN | Mexican Peso |
NOK | Norwegian Krone |
NZD | New Zealand Dollar |
PLN | Polish Zloty |
RUB | Russian Ruble |
SEK | Swedish Krona |
SGD | Singapore Dollar |
THB | Thai Baht |
TRY | Turkish Lira |
ZAR | South African Rand |
Derivative Contracts at 12/31/20 |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts |
Currency Purchased | Currency Sold | Counterparty | Settlement Date | Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) |
Asset Derivatives |
AUD | 1,250,259 | USD | 911,238 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | $ 52,779 |
AUD | 3,669,984 | USD | 2,708,759 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/15/2021 | 120,996 |
AUD | 783,152 | USD | 573,774 | HSBC Bank | 1/15/2021 | 30,077 |
AUD | 7,500,000 | USD | 5,609,792 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 173,110 |
AUD | 16,378,507 | USD | 12,099,000 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | 532,303 |
AUD | 925,099 | USD | 681,473 | NatWest Markets PLC | 1/15/2021 | 31,829 |
CAD | 10,538,120 | USD | 8,174,906 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 104,419 |
CAD | 5,008,758 | USD | 3,813,410 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 121,745 |
CAD | 13,106,235 | USD | 10,091,000 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | 206,653 |
CHF | 1,782,000 | USD | 1,962,616 | Merrill Lynch International | 1/15/2021 | 50,918 |
CLP | 143,602,000 | USD | 184,828 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/28/2021 | 17,258 |
CNH | 1,408,000 | USD | 216,142 | BNP Paribas S.A. | 1/15/2021 | 233 |
CNH | 82,066,000 | USD | 12,130,378 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 481,118 |
CNH | 7,448,000 | USD | 1,104,649 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/15/2021 | 39,923 |
CNH | 2,754,000 | USD | 415,049 | HSBC Bank | 1/15/2021 | 8,172 |
CNH | 5,250,000 | USD | 776,667 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 30,127 |
COP | 1,321,303,000 | USD | 353,006 | Citibank N.A. | 3/10/2021 | 33,303 |
CZK | 8,355,000 | USD | 358,968 | UBS AG | 1/15/2021 | 30,061 |
DKK | 4,719,079 | USD | 746,601 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 28,188 |
EUR | 3,358,047 | USD | 3,959,586 | Barclays Bank PLC | 1/15/2021 | 143,888 |
EUR | 1,297,080 | USD | 1,542,560 | Brown Brothers Harriman | 1/15/2021 | 42,448 |
EUR | 6,186,530 | USD | 7,369,072 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 190,761 |
EUR | 907,937 | USD | 1,082,989 | Credit Suisse Group | 1/15/2021 | 26,494 |
EUR | 3,608,152 | USD | 4,362,787 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/15/2021 | 46,312 |
EUR | 403,676 | USD | 478,300 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 14,985 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts - continued |
Currency Purchased | Currency Sold | Counterparty | Settlement Date | Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) |
Asset Derivatives - continued |
EUR | 304,447 | USD | 357,424 | Merrill Lynch International | 1/15/2021 | $ 14,605 |
EUR | 1,532,000 | USD | 1,837,467 | NatWest Markets PLC | 1/15/2021 | 34,610 |
EUR | 103,444 | USD | 122,714 | State Street Bank Corp. | 1/15/2021 | 3,693 |
EUR | 247,836 | USD | 301,303 | UBS AG | 1/15/2021 | 1,548 |
GBP | 63,716 | USD | 84,591 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 2,549 |
GBP | 164,000 | USD | 212,222 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/15/2021 | 12,070 |
GBP | 5,653,219 | USD | 7,328,721 | Goldman Sachs International | 2/04/2021 | 403,876 |
GBP | 6,828,746 | USD | 9,053,000 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | 287,506 |
GBP | 506,608 | USD | 676,354 | UBS AG | 1/15/2021 | 16,503 |
IDR | 42,461,376,000 | USD | 2,943,579 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/19/2021 | 74,660 |
ILS | 1,799,000 | USD | 531,007 | Merrill Lynch International | 1/15/2021 | 28,931 |
JPY | 58,000,000 | USD | 559,555 | Barclays Bank PLC | 1/15/2021 | 2,235 |
JPY | 48,000,000 | USD | 458,551 | BNP Paribas S.A. | 1/15/2021 | 6,379 |
JPY | 3,382,011,135 | USD | 32,101,553 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 656,743 |
JPY | 585,525,869 | USD | 5,568,000 | Goldman Sachs International | 2/04/2021 | 104,761 |
JPY | 93,781,699 | USD | 900,013 | Merrill Lynch International | 1/15/2021 | 8,360 |
JPY | 601,319,022 | USD | 5,785,502 | UBS AG | 1/15/2021 | 38,898 |
KRW | 3,919,746,000 | USD | 3,453,186 | Barclays Bank PLC | 2/04/2021 | 156,143 |
KRW | 1,246,912,900 | USD | 1,098,573 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | 49,593 |
MXN | 75,575,887 | USD | 3,510,520 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 282,831 |
NOK | 229,397,449 | USD | 24,568,601 | Goldman Sachs International | 2/04/2021 | 2,185,018 |
NOK | 50,298,401 | USD | 5,468,704 | HSBC Bank | 1/15/2021 | 397,578 |
NOK | 49,554,000 | USD | 5,635,405 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 144,058 |
NZD | 13,049,094 | USD | 8,853,289 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 536,167 |
NZD | 505,000 | USD | 347,141 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/15/2021 | 16,231 |
NZD | 14,510,722 | USD | 10,113,000 | Goldman Sachs International | 2/04/2021 | 329,396 |
NZD | 5,086,000 | USD | 3,507,875 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | 151,749 |
NZD | 517,352 | USD | 342,048 | Merrill Lynch International | 1/15/2021 | 30,212 |
NZD | 2,287,726 | USD | 1,610,619 | UBS AG | 1/15/2021 | 35,510 |
PLN | 2,754,931 | USD | 719,834 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/15/2021 | 17,697 |
RUB | 54,340,000 | USD | 704,616 | Goldman Sachs International | 3/24/2021 | 24,780 |
SEK | 46,172,000 | USD | 5,263,116 | Brown Brothers Harriman | 1/15/2021 | 349,595 |
SEK | 190,767,630 | USD | 21,539,944 | Goldman Sachs International | 2/04/2021 | 1,654,880 |
SGD | 972,000 | USD | 716,574 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/15/2021 | 18,906 |
THB | 35,093,650 | USD | 1,158,589 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/20/2021 | 12,201 |
USD | 617,537 | EUR | 504,000 | Barclays Bank PLC | 1/15/2021 | 1,658 |
| | | | | | $ 10,650,230 |
Liability Derivatives |
CAD | 400,000 | USD | 314,485 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | $ (223) |
EUR | 893,000 | USD | 1,097,598 | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | 1/15/2021 | (6,368) |
USD | 7,556,328 | AUD | 10,547,123 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/15/2021 | (576,070) |
USD | 681,397 | AUD | 925,099 | HSBC Bank | 1/15/2021 | (31,903) |
USD | 13,525,761 | AUD | 18,665,259 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | (869,112) |
USD | 335,844 | AUD | 444,905 | UBS AG | 1/15/2021 | (7,201) |
USD | 5,579,809 | CAD | 7,350,837 | Barclays Bank PLC | 1/15/2021 | (195,413) |
USD | 1,727,480 | CAD | 2,299,203 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | (78,901) |
USD | 8,154,516 | CAD | 10,843,508 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | (365,298) |
USD | 26,327,617 | CHF | 23,848,397 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | (635,377) |
USD | 1,536,903 | CNH | 10,334,000 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | (51,175) |
USD | 518,014 | CNH | 3,495,000 | HSBC Bank | 1/15/2021 | (19,081) |
USD | 784,091 | DKK | 4,986,301 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | (34,950) |
USD | 4,919,426 | EUR | 4,142,875 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | (143,093) |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts - continued |
Currency Purchased | Currency Sold | Counterparty | Settlement Date | Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) |
Liability Derivatives - continued |
USD | 862,480 | EUR | 726,365 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/15/2021 | $ (25,126) |
USD | 72,399,246 | EUR | 61,664,717 | Goldman Sachs International | 2/04/2021 | (2,987,879) |
USD | 3,225,378 | EUR | 2,711,000 | HSBC Bank | 1/15/2021 | (87,416) |
USD | 1,042,209 | EUR | 872,630 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | (24,128) |
USD | 11,063,009 | EUR | 9,443,214 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | (481,628) |
USD | 7,087,309 | EUR | 5,908,435 | Merrill Lynch International | 1/15/2021 | (132,695) |
USD | 3,044,606 | EUR | 2,552,445 | UBS AG | 1/15/2021 | (74,438) |
USD | 355,388 | GBP | 266,000 | Brown Brothers Harriman | 1/15/2021 | (8,404) |
USD | 2,057,092 | GBP | 1,556,651 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | (71,843) |
USD | 1,771,694 | GBP | 1,339,000 | Credit Suisse Group | 1/15/2021 | (59,574) |
USD | 1,066,367 | GBP | 800,000 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/15/2021 | (27,744) |
USD | 279,281 | GBP | 206,870 | HSBC Bank | 1/15/2021 | (3,642) |
USD | 704,312 | GBP | 530,058 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | (20,615) |
USD | 8,328,504 | GBP | 6,414,046 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | (444,767) |
USD | 5,138,529 | GBP | 3,963,076 | State Street Bank Corp. | 1/15/2021 | (281,526) |
USD | 1,246,495 | GBP | 947,416 | UBS AG | 1/15/2021 | (49,228) |
USD | 1,059,682 | IDR | 15,179,939,000 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/19/2021 | (19,339) |
USD | 1,745,394 | IDR | 25,997,647,500 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/19/2021 | (102,571) |
USD | 387,543 | ILS | 1,321,342 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | (23,866) |
USD | 5,263,628 | JPY | 548,113,664 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | (45,423) |
USD | 5,941,766 | JPY | 620,486,752 | Goldman Sachs International | 2/04/2021 | (69,706) |
USD | 63,046,818 | JPY | 6,584,462,264 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | (745,533) |
USD | 2,743,401 | JPY | 286,145,185 | UBS AG | 1/15/2021 | (28,213) |
USD | 1,884,253 | KRW | 2,100,000,000 | Citibank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | (49,441) |
USD | 3,438,027 | KRW | 3,902,332,070 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | (155,267) |
USD | 2,031,046 | MXN | 40,737,899 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/15/2021 | (13,696) |
USD | 7,826,159 | MXN | 157,429,463 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | (75,637) |
USD | 2,885,000 | NOK | 26,068,540 | Goldman Sachs International | 2/04/2021 | (155,260) |
USD | 1,825,793 | NOK | 16,700,000 | HSBC Bank | 1/15/2021 | (121,921) |
USD | 1,566,274 | NOK | 15,000,000 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | (183,170) |
USD | 213,596 | NOK | 1,872,000 | UBS AG | 1/15/2021 | (4,735) |
USD | 11,046,050 | NZD | 16,623,826 | Citibank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | (915,599) |
USD | 7,219,413 | NZD | 10,226,000 | Goldman Sachs International | 1/15/2021 | (138,690) |
USD | 13,834,212 | NZD | 20,799,886 | Goldman Sachs International | 2/04/2021 | (1,134,074) |
USD | 1,783,264 | NZD | 2,531,000 | UBS AG | 1/15/2021 | (37,913) |
USD | 137,370 | RUB | 10,594,000 | Goldman Sachs International | 3/24/2021 | (4,831) |
USD | 4,649,993 | SEK | 40,919,942 | Brown Brothers Harriman | 1/15/2021 | (324,273) |
USD | 760,000 | SEK | 6,542,156 | Goldman Sachs International | 2/04/2021 | (35,440) |
USD | 3,555,611 | SEK | 30,204,000 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 1/15/2021 | (116,015) |
USD | 556,325 | SGD | 758,723 | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2/04/2021 | (17,785) |
| | | | | | $(12,313,216) |
Futures Contracts |
Description | Long/ Short | Currency | Contracts | Notional Amount | Expiration Date | Value/Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) |
Asset Derivatives |
Equity Futures | | |
BIST 30 Index | Long | TRY | 1,929 | $4,297,195 | February – 2021 | $134,610 |
CAC 40 Index | Short | EUR | 111 | 7,472,704 | January – 2021 | 74,669 |
FTSE MIB Index | Long | EUR | 93 | 12,570,761 | March – 2021 | 177,399 |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Description | Long/ Short | Currency | Contracts | Notional Amount | Expiration Date | Value/Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) |
Asset Derivatives - continued |
Equity Futures - continued |
FTSE Taiwan Index | Long | USD | 213 | $10,869,390 | January – 2021 | $414,285 |
Hang Seng Index | Long | HKD | 86 | 15,086,965 | January – 2021 | 549,606 |
IBOV Index | Long | BRL | 129 | 2,961,124 | February – 2021 | 82,156 |
Mexbol Index | Long | MXN | 430 | 9,585,567 | March – 2021 | 85,138 |
S&P/ASX 200 Index | Short | AUD | 171 | 21,565,422 | March – 2021 | 207,065 |
| | | | | | $1,724,928 |
Interest Rate Futures | | |
Australian Bond 10 yr | Long | AUD | 269 | $30,533,391 | March – 2021 | $134,674 |
Canadian Treasury Bond 10 yr | Long | CAD | 170 | 19,912,798 | March – 2021 | 39,532 |
Euro-Bobl 5 yr | Short | EUR | 153 | 25,266,827 | March – 2021 | 12,706 |
Japan Government Bond 10 yr | Short | JPY | 24 | 35,311,413 | March – 2021 | 18,246 |
U.S. Treasury Bond | Short | USD | 55 | 9,525,312 | March – 2021 | 59,095 |
U.S. Treasury Note 2 yr | Long | USD | 13 | 2,872,695 | March – 2021 | 2,391 |
U.S. Treasury Ultra Bond | Short | USD | 7 | 1,494,938 | March – 2021 | 7,575 |
U.S. Treasury Ultra Note 10 yr | Short | USD | 36 | 5,628,938 | March – 2021 | 4,557 |
| | | | | | $278,776 |
| | | | | | $2,003,704 |
Liability Derivatives |
Equity Futures | | |
AEX 25 Index | Short | EUR | 84 | $12,767,921 | January – 2021 | $(140,289) |
DAX Index | Short | EUR | 15 | 6,297,301 | March – 2021 | (225,406) |
FTSE 100 Index | Long | GBP | 199 | 17,537,359 | March – 2021 | (222,427) |
FTSE/JSE Top 40 Index | Long | ZAR | 9 | 334,540 | March – 2021 | (2,003) |
IBEX 35 Index | Long | EUR | 7 | 688,025 | January – 2021 | (7,664) |
KOSPI 200 Index | Short | KRW | 149 | 13,344,230 | March – 2021 | (879,663) |
MSCI Singapore Index | Long | SGD | 345 | 8,428,955 | January – 2021 | (52,127) |
NIFTY Index | Short | USD | 214 | 5,998,848 | January – 2021 | (37,099) |
OMX 30 Index | Long | SEK | 345 | 7,806,765 | January – 2021 | (161,552) |
Russell 2000 Index | Short | USD | 30 | 2,962,200 | March – 2021 | (82,431) |
S&P 500 E-Mini Index | Short | USD | 36 | 6,747,840 | March – 2021 | (158,508) |
S&P/TSX 60 Index | Long | CAD | 29 | 4,688,208 | March – 2021 | (57,548) |
Topix Index | Short | JPY | 6 | 1,048,569 | March – 2021 | (24,328) |
| | | | | | $(2,051,045) |
Interest Rate Futures | | |
Euro-Bund 10 yr | Short | EUR | 281 | $60,980,912 | March – 2021 | $(159,297) |
Euro-Buxl 30 yr | Short | EUR | 23 | 6,328,783 | March – 2021 | (4,394) |
Long Gilt 10 yr | Short | GBP | 162 | 30,026,871 | March – 2021 | (363,190) |
U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr | Short | USD | 90 | 12,427,031 | March – 2021 | (21,967) |
U.S. Treasury Note 5 yr | Short | USD | 191 | 24,097,336 | March – 2021 | (57,378) |
| | | | | | $(606,226) |
| | | | | | $(2,657,271) |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Maturity Date | Notional Amount | Counterparty | Cash Flows to Receive/ Frequency | Cash Flows to Pay/ Frequency | Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) | | Net Unamortized Upfront Payments (Receipts) | | Value |
Asset Derivatives | | | | | |
Interest Rate Swaps | | | | | |
6/03/22 | USD | 167,000,000 | centrally cleared | 0.25%/Semi-annually | 0.23% FLR (3-Month Libor)/Quarterly | $141,112 | | $— | | $141,112 |
11/06/24 | USD | 66,200,000 | centrally cleared | 1.58%/Semi-annually | 0.25% FLR (3-Month Libor)/Quarterly | 3,371,506 | | — | | 3,371,506 |
| | | | | | $3,512,618 | | $— | | $3,512,618 |
Liability Derivatives | | | | | |
Interest Rate Swaps | | | | | |
11/06/29 | USD | 33,600,000 | centrally cleared | 0.25% FLR (3-Month Libor)/Quarterly | 1.70%/Semi-annually | $(2,614,120) | | $— | | (2,614,120) |
11/06/49 | USD | 13,102,083 | centrally cleared | 0.25% FLR (3-Month Libor)/Quarterly | 1.89%/Semi-annually | (1,653,712) | | — | | (1,653,712) |
| | | | | | $(4,267,832) | | $— | | $(4,267,832) |
Uncleared Swap Agreements |
Maturity Date | Notional Amount | Counterparty | Cash Flows to Receive/ Frequency | Cash Flows to Pay/ Frequency | Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) | | Net Unamortized Upfront Payments (Receipts) | | Value |
Liability Derivatives | | | | | |
Credit Default Swaps | | | | | |
12/20/25 | EUR | 600,000 | Goldman Sachs International | 1.00%/Quarterly | (1) | $3,993 | | $(24,532) | | $(20,539) |
(1) Fund, as protection seller, to pay notional amount upon a defined credit event by Unibail-Rodamco, 1.375%, 3/09/2026, a BBB+ rated bond. The fund entered into the contract to gain issuer exposure.
The credit ratings presented here are an indicator of the current payment/performance risk of the related swap agreement, the reference obligation for which may be either a single security or, in the case of a credit default index, a basket of securities issued by corporate or sovereign issuers. Ratings are assigned to each reference security, including each individual security within a reference basket of securities, utilizing ratings from Moody's, Fitch, and Standard & Poor's rating agencies and applying the following hierarchy: If all three agencies provide a rating, the middle rating (after dropping the highest and lowest ratings) is assigned; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the lower of the two is assigned. If none of the 3 Rating Agencies above assign a rating, but the security is rated by DBRS Morningstar, then the DBRS Morningstar rating is assigned. Ratings are shown in the S&P and Fitch scale (e.g., AAA). The ratings for a credit default index are calculated by MFS as a weighted average of the external credit ratings of the individual securities that compose the index's reference basket of securities.
At December 31, 2020, the fund had cash collateral of $3,513,845 and other liquid securities with an aggregate value of $28,998,273 to cover any collateral or margin obligations for certain derivative contracts. Restricted cash and/or deposits with brokers in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are comprised of cash collateral.
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Assets and Liabilities |
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
At 12/31/20Assets | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $441,957,523) | $539,778,970 |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $37,119,815) | 37,119,815 |
Cash | 18,889 |
Foreign currency, at value (identified cost, $16,289) | 16,361 |
Restricted cash for | |
Uncleared derivatives | 2,826,000 |
Deposits with brokers for | |
Futures contracts | 677,235 |
Cleared options | 10,610 |
Receivables for | |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | 10,650,230 |
Investments sold | 27,389 |
TBA sale commitments | 1,184,424 |
Fund shares sold | 8,002 |
Interest and dividends | 2,733,683 |
Other assets | 2,966 |
Total assets | $595,054,574 |
Liabilities | |
Payables for | |
Net daily variation margin on open cleared swap agreements | $59,912 |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | 12,313,216 |
Net daily variation margin on open futures contracts | 227,580 |
TBA purchase commitments | 7,860,843 |
Fund shares reacquired | 177,533 |
Uncleared swaps, at value (net of unamortized premiums received, $24,532) | 20,539 |
Payable to affiliates | |
Investment adviser | 22,032 |
Administrative services fee | 425 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 65 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 7,239 |
Payable for independent Trustees' compensation | 300 |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 149,142 |
Total liabilities | $20,838,826 |
Net assets | $574,215,748 |
Net assets consist of | |
Paid-in capital | $456,720,891 |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | 117,494,857 |
Net assets | $574,215,748 |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | 37,007,922 |
| Net assets | Shares outstanding | Net asset value per share |
Initial Class | $43,513,081 | 2,755,284 | $15.79 |
Service Class | 530,702,667 | 34,252,638 | 15.49 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Operations |
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
Year ended 12/31/20 | |
Net investment income (loss) | |
Income | |
Interest | $7,016,927 |
Dividends | 5,791,491 |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | 129,855 |
Income on securities loaned | 4,366 |
Other | 1,848 |
Foreign taxes withheld | (346,342) |
Total investment income | $12,598,145 |
Expenses | |
Management fee | $3,981,665 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 1,283,652 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 12,047 |
Administrative services fee | 84,274 |
Independent Trustees' compensation | 14,295 |
Custodian fee | 149,235 |
Shareholder communications | 59,252 |
Audit and tax fees | 96,579 |
Legal fees | 4,541 |
Miscellaneous | 213,229 |
Total expenses | $5,898,769 |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | (61,129) |
Net expenses | $5,837,640 |
Net investment income (loss) | $6,760,505 |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | |
Unaffiliated issuers | $42,384,586 |
Affiliated issuers | 1,657 |
Written options | 13,971 |
Futures contracts | (19,156,018) |
Swap agreements | 5,888,755 |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | (8,473,306) |
Foreign currency | (794,069) |
Net realized gain (loss) | $19,865,576 |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | |
Unaffiliated issuers | $6,600,934 |
Affiliated issuers | 14 |
Futures contracts | (1,123,680) |
Swap agreements | (1,192,921) |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | 206,279 |
Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies | 1,619 |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | $4,492,245 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | $24,357,821 |
Change in net assets from operations | $31,118,326 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statements of Changes in Net Assets |
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 |
Change in net assets | | |
From operations | | |
Net investment income (loss) | $6,760,505 | $9,880,038 |
Net realized gain (loss) | 19,865,576 | 25,371,458 |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | 4,492,245 | 46,438,520 |
Change in net assets from operations | $31,118,326 | $81,690,016 |
Total distributions to shareholders | $(34,497,547) | $(29,426,518) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | $(21,278,512) | $(60,384,699) |
Total change in net assets | $(24,657,733) | $(8,121,201) |
Net assets | | |
At beginning of period | 598,873,481 | 606,994,682 |
At end of period | $574,215,748 | $598,873,481 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Financial Statements | Financial Highlights |
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund's financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
Initial Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $15.86 | $14.58 | $16.11 | $15.04 | $14.92 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.22 | $0.29 | $0.29 | $0.26 | $0.29(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 0.71 | 1.80 | (0.99) | 1.36 | 0.67 |
Total from investment operations | $0.93 | $2.09 | $(0.70) | $1.62 | $0.96 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.28) | $(0.45) | $(0.13) | $(0.51) | $— |
From net realized gain | (0.72) | (0.36) | (0.70) | (0.04) | (0.84) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(1.00) | $(0.81) | $(0.83) | $(0.55) | $(0.84) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $15.79 | $15.86 | $14.58 | $16.11 | $15.04 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 6.23 | 14.58 | (4.50) | 10.83 | 6.24(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 0.83 | 0.81 | 0.81 | 0.81 | 0.79(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 0.82 | 0.80 | 0.80 | 0.80 | 0.78(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 1.45 | 1.85 | 1.83 | 1.64 | 1.88(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 120 | 82 | 86 | 35 | 38 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $43,513 | $46,175 | $47,517 | $56,096 | $58,053 |
Service Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $15.57 | $14.32 | $15.84 | $14.79 | $14.72 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.18 | $0.24 | $0.24 | $0.22 | $0.25(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 0.70 | 1.77 | (0.98) | 1.34 | 0.66 |
Total from investment operations | $0.88 | $2.01 | $(0.74) | $1.56 | $0.91 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.24) | $(0.40) | $(0.08) | $(0.47) | $— |
From net realized gain | (0.72) | (0.36) | (0.70) | (0.04) | (0.84) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(0.96) | $(0.76) | $(0.78) | $(0.51) | $(0.84) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $15.49 | $15.57 | $14.32 | $15.84 | $14.79 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 5.99 | 14.30 | (4.80) | 10.58 | 5.98(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 1.08 | 1.06 | 1.06 | 1.06 | 1.04(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 1.07 | 1.05 | 1.05 | 1.05 | 1.03(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 1.19 | 1.60 | 1.58 | 1.39 | 1.63(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 120 | 82 | 86 | 35 | 38 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $530,703 | $552,698 | $559,478 | $706,456 | $733,775 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Financial Highlights - continued
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements
(1) Business and Organization
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services - Investment Companies.
(2) Significant Accounting Policies
General — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued. The fund invests in derivatives as part of its principal investment strategy. Derivatives can be highly volatile and involve risks in addition to the risks of the underlying indicators on which the derivative is based. Derivatives can involve leverage. The fund invests in foreign securities, including securities of emerging market issuers. Investments in foreign securities are vulnerable to the effects of changes in the relative values of the local currency and the U.S. dollar and to the effects of changes in each country’s market, economic, industrial, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions. Investments in emerging markets can involve additional and greater risks than the risks associated with investments in developed foreign markets. Emerging markets can have less developed markets, greater custody and operational risk, less developed legal, regulatory, accounting, and auditing systems, and greater political, social, and economic instability than developed markets.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund's investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting — The fund's accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund's right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations — Equity securities, including restricted equity securities, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Debt instruments and floating rate loans, including restricted debt instruments, are generally valued at an evaluated or composite bid as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Exchange-traded options are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Exchange-traded options for which there were no sales reported that day are generally valued at the last daily bid quotation on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. For put options, the position may be valued at the last daily ask quotation if there are no trades reported during the day. Options not traded on an exchange are generally valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. Foreign currency options are generally valued at valuations provided by a third-party pricing service. Futures contracts are generally valued at last posted settlement price on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Futures contracts for which there were no trades that day for a particular position are generally valued at the closing bid quotation on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are generally valued at
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
the mean of bid and asked prices for the time period interpolated from rates provided by a third-party pricing service for proximate time periods. Swap agreements are generally valued using valuations provided by a third-party pricing service, which for cleared swaps includes an evaluation of any trading activity at the clearinghouses. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. Events that occur after foreign markets close (such as developments in foreign markets and significant movements in the U.S. markets) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value may be deemed to have a material effect on the value of securities traded in foreign markets. Accordingly, the fund’s foreign equity securities may often be valued at fair value. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund's assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment's level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures contracts, forward foreign currency exchange contracts, and swap agreements. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund's assets or liabilities:
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Financial Instruments | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total |
Equity Securities: | | | | |
United States | $103,855,387 | $2,125 | $— | $103,857,512 |
Japan | 16,705,700 | — | — | 16,705,700 |
Switzerland | 11,331,825 | 3,597,275 | — | 14,929,100 |
United Kingdom | 4,109,550 | 8,212,321 | — | 12,321,871 |
France | 9,196,092 | — | — | 9,196,092 |
Canada | 8,299,467 | — | — | 8,299,467 |
Germany | 6,817,001 | — | — | 6,817,001 |
Netherlands | 5,469,195 | 158,585 | — | 5,627,780 |
Taiwan | 4,486,342 | 515,925 | — | 5,002,267 |
Other Countries | 12,282,860 | 7,552,660 | — | 19,835,520 |
U.S. Treasury Bonds & U.S. Government Agencies & Equivalents | — | 19,700,991 | — | 19,700,991 |
Non - U.S. Sovereign Debt | — | 136,709,396 | — | 136,709,396 |
Municipal Bonds | — | 4,605,362 | — | 4,605,362 |
U.S. Corporate Bonds | — | 65,654,695 | — | 65,654,695 |
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities | — | 37,535,365 | — | 37,535,365 |
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities | — | 3,483,856 | — | 3,483,856 |
Asset-Backed Securities (including CDOs) | — | 2,756,033 | — | 2,756,033 |
Foreign Bonds | — | 66,740,962 | — | 66,740,962 |
Mutual Funds | 37,119,815 | — | — | 37,119,815 |
Total | $219,673,234 | $357,225,551 | $— | $576,898,785 |
Other Financial Instruments | | | | |
Futures Contracts – Assets | $1,037,754 | $965,950 | $— | $2,003,704 |
Futures Contracts – Liabilities | (2,073,212) | (584,059) | — | (2,657,271) |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – Assets | — | 10,650,230 | — | 10,650,230 |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – Liabilities | — | (12,313,216) | — | (12,313,216) |
Swap Agreements – Assets | — | 3,512,618 | — | 3,512,618 |
Swap Agreements – Liabilities | — | (4,288,371) | — | (4,288,371) |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Inflation-Adjusted Debt Securities — The fund invests in inflation-adjusted debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury. The principal value of these debt securities is adjusted through income according to changes in the Consumer Price Index. These debt securities typically pay a fixed rate of interest, but this fixed rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal amount. The principal paid at maturity of the debt security is typically equal to the inflation-adjusted principal amount, or the security’s original par value, whichever is greater. Other types of inflation-adjusted securities may use other methods to adjust for other measures of inflation.
Foreign Currency Translation — Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
Derivatives — The fund uses derivatives in an attempt to adjust exposure to markets, asset classes, and currencies based on the adviser’s assessment of the relative attractiveness of such markets, asset classes, and currencies. Derivatives are used to increase or decrease the fund’s exposure to markets, asset classes, or currencies resulting from the fund’s individual security selections, and to expose the fund to markets, asset classes, or currencies in which the fund’s individual security selection has resulted in little or no exposure. Derivatives are used for hedging or non-hedging purposes. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. When the fund uses derivatives as an investment to increase or decrease market exposure, or for hedging purposes, gains and losses from derivative instruments may be substantially greater than the derivative’s original cost.
The derivative instruments used by the fund during the period were written options, purchased options, futures contracts, forward foreign currency exchange contracts, and swap agreements. Depending on the type of derivative, the fund may exit a derivative position by entering into an offsetting transaction with a counterparty or exchange, negotiating an agreement with the derivative
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Notes to Financial Statements - continued
counterparty, or novating the position to a third party. The fund may be unable to promptly close out a futures position in instances where the daily fluctuation in the price for that type of future exceeds the daily limit set by the exchange. The fund's period end derivatives, as presented in the Portfolio of Investments and the associated Derivative Contract tables, generally are indicative of the volume of its derivative activity during the period.
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the fair value, on a gross basis, of the asset and liability components of derivatives held by the fund at December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:
| | Fair Value (a) |
Risk | Derivative Contracts | Asset Derivatives | Liability Derivatives |
Interest Rate | Interest Rate Futures | $278,776 | $(606,226) |
Equity | Equity Futures | 1,724,928 | (2,051,045) |
Equity | Purchased Equity Options | 59,165 | — |
Interest Rate | Purchased Interest Rate Options | 492,980 | — |
Foreign Exchange | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | 10,650,230 | (12,313,216) |
Interest Rate | Interest Rate Swaps | 3,512,618 | (4,267,832) |
Credit | Credit Default Swaps | — | (20,539) |
Total | | $16,718,697 | $(19,258,858) |
(a) The value of purchased options outstanding is included in investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value, within the fund's Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Values presented in this table for futures contracts and cleared swap agreements correspond to the values reported in the fund's Portfolio of Investments. Only the current day net variation margin for futures contracts and cleared swap agreements is separately reported within the fund's Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the realized gain (loss) on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
Risk | Futures Contracts | Swap Agreements | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | Unaffiliated Issuers (Purchased Options) | Written Options |
Interest Rate | $(8,434,280) | $3,912,152 | $— | $ | $— |
Foreign Exchange | — | — | (8,473,306) | — | — |
Credit | — | 1,976,603 | — | (266,003) | 13,971 |
Equity | (10,721,738) | — | — | 13,845 | — |
Total | $(19,156,018) | $5,888,755 | $(8,473,306) | $(252,158) | $13,971 |
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
Risk | Futures Contracts | Swap Agreements | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | Unaffiliated Issuers (Purchased Options) |
Interest Rate | $(2,111,179) | $(1,191,417) | $— | $155,630 |
Foreign Exchange | — | — | 206,279 | — |
Equity | 987,499 | — | — | 78,675 |
Credit | — | (1,504) | — | — |
Total | $(1,123,680) | $(1,192,921) | $206,279 | $234,305 |
Derivative counterparty credit risk is managed through formal evaluation of the creditworthiness of all potential counterparties. On certain, but not all, uncleared derivatives, the fund attempts to reduce its exposure to counterparty credit risk whenever possible by entering into an ISDA Master Agreement on a bilateral basis. The ISDA Master Agreement gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under such agreement if there is a specified deterioration in the credit quality of the other party. Upon an event of default or a termination of the ISDA Master Agreement, the non-defaulting party has the right to close out all transactions traded under such agreement and to net amounts owed under each agreement to one net amount payable by one party to the other. This right to close out and net payments across all transactions traded under the ISDA Master Agreement could result in a reduction of the fund's credit risk to such counterparty equal to any amounts payable by the fund under the applicable transactions, if any.
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Collateral and margin requirements differ by type of derivative. For cleared derivatives (e.g., futures contracts, cleared swaps, and exchange-traded options), margin requirements are set by the clearing broker and the clearing house and collateral, in the form of cash or securities, is posted by the fund directly with the clearing broker. Collateral terms are counterparty agreement specific for uncleared derivatives (e.g., forward foreign currency exchange contracts, uncleared swap agreements, and uncleared options) and collateral, in the form of cash and securities, is held in segregated accounts with the fund's custodian in connection with these agreements. For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, which contains a collateral support annex, the collateral requirements are netted across all transactions traded under such counterparty-specific agreement and an amount is posted from one party to the other to collateralize such obligations. Cash that has been segregated or delivered to cover the fund's collateral or margin obligations under derivative contracts, if any, will be reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as restricted cash for uncleared derivatives and/or deposits with brokers for cleared derivatives. Securities pledged as collateral or margin for the same purpose, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. The fund may be required to make payments of interest on uncovered collateral or margin obligations with the broker. Any such payments are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
The following table presents the fund's derivative assets and liabilities (by type) on a gross basis as of December 31, 2020:
Gross Amounts of: | Derivative Assets | Derivative Liabilities |
Futures Contracts (a) | $— | $(227,580) |
Uncleared Swaps, at value | — | (20,539) |
Cleared Swap Agreements (a) | — | (59,912) |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | 10,650,230 | (12,313,216) |
Purchased Options | 552,145 | — |
Total Gross Amount of Derivative Assets and Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Assets & Liabilities | $11,202,375 | $(12,621,247) |
Less: Derivatives Assets and Liabilities Not Subject to a Master Netting Agreement or Similar Arrangement | 720,750 | (1,094,283) |
Total Gross Amount of Derivative Assets and Liabilities Subject to a Master Netting Agreement or Similar Arrangement | $10,481,625 | $(11,526,964) |
(a) The amount presented here represents the fund's current day net variation margin for futures contracts and for cleared swaps agreements. This amount, which is recognized within the fund's Statement of Assets and Liabilities, differs from the fair value of the futures contracts and cleared swap agreements which is presented in the tables that follow the fund's Portfolio of Investments.
The following table presents (by counterparty) the fund's derivative assets net of amounts available for offset under Master Netting Agreements (or similar arrangements) and net of the related collateral held by the fund at December 31, 2020:
| | Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Assets & Liabilities |
| Gross Amount of Derivative Assets Subject to a Master Netting Agreement (or Similar Arrangement) by Counterparty | Financial Instruments Available for Offset | Financial Instruments Collateral Received (b) | Cash Collateral Received (b) | Net Amount of Derivative Assets by Counterparty |
Barclays Bank PLC | $303,924 | $(195,413) | $— | $— | $108,511 |
Brown Brothers Harriman Co. | 392,043 | (332,677) | — | — | 59,366 |
Citibank N.A. | 2,057,839 | (1,355,698) | — | (620,000) | 82,141 |
Goldman Sachs International | 4,974,846 | (4,974,846) | — | — | — |
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | 2,126,967 | (2,126,967) | — | — | — |
Merrill Lynch International | 626,006 | (132,695) | — | (430,000) | 63,311 |
Total | $10,481,625 | $(9,118,296) | $— | $(1,050,000) | $313,329 |
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Notes to Financial Statements - continued
The following table presents (by counterparty) the fund's derivative liabilities net of amounts available for offset under Master Netting Agreements (or similar arrangements) and net of the related collateral pledged by the fund at December 31, 2020:
| | Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Assets & Liabilities |
| Gross Amounts of Derivative Liabilities Subject to a Master Netting Agreement (or Similar Arrangement) by Counterparty | Financial Instruments Available for Offset | Financial Instruments Collateral Pledged (b) | Cash Collateral Pledged (b) | Net Amount of Derivative Liabilities by Counterparty |
Barclays Bank PLC | $(195,413) | $195,413 | $— | $— | $— |
Brown Brothers Harriman Co. | (332,677) | 332,677 | — | — | — |
Citibank N.A. | (1,355,698) | 1,355,698 | — | — | — |
Goldman Sachs International | (5,208,394) | 4,974,846 | — | 233,548 | — |
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | (4,295,719) | 2,126,967 | — | 2,168,752 | — |
Merrill Lynch International | (132,695) | 132,695 | — | — | — |
Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | (6,368) | — | — | — | (6,368) |
Total | $(11,526,964) | $9,118,296 | $— | $2,402,300 | $(6,368) |
(b) The amount presented here may be less than the total amount of collateral (received)/pledged as the excess collateral (received)/pledged is not shown for purposes of this presentation.
Written Options — In exchange for a premium, the fund wrote call options on securities for which it anticipated the price would decline and also wrote put options on securities for which it anticipated the price would increase. At the time the option was written, the fund believed the premium received exceeded the potential loss that could result from adverse price changes in the options’ underlying securities. In a written option, the fund as the option writer grants the buyer the right to purchase from, or sell to, the fund a specified number of shares or units of a particular security, currency or index at a specified price within a specified period of time.
The premium received is initially recorded as a liability in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. The option is subsequently marked-to-market daily with the difference between the premium received and the market value of the written option being recorded as unrealized appreciation or depreciation. When a written option expires, the fund realizes a gain equal to the amount of the premium received. The difference between the premium received and the amount paid on effecting a closing transaction is considered a realized gain or loss. When a written call option is exercised, the premium received is offset against the proceeds to determine the realized gain or loss. When a written put option is exercised, the premium reduces the cost basis of the security purchased by the fund.
At the initiation of the written option contract, for exchange traded options, the fund is required to deposit securities or cash as collateral with the custodian for the benefit of the broker or directly with the clearing broker, based on the type of option. For uncleared options, the fund may post collateral subject to the terms of an ISDA Master Agreement as generally described above if the market value of the options contract moves against it. The fund, as writer of an option, may have no control over whether the underlying securities may be sold (call) or purchased (put) and, as a result, bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the price of the securities underlying the written option. Losses from writing options can exceed the premium received and can exceed the potential loss from an ordinary buy and sell transaction. Although the fund’s market risk may be significant, the maximum counterparty credit risk to the fund is equal to the market value of any collateral posted to the broker. For uncleared options, this risk is mitigated in cases where there is an ISDA Master Agreement between the fund and the counterparty providing for netting as described above.
Purchased Options — The fund purchased call and put options for a premium. Purchased call and put options entitle the holder to buy and sell a specified number of shares or units of a particular security, currency or index at a specified price at a specified date or within a specified period of time. Purchasing call options may hedge against an anticipated increase in the dollar cost of securities or currency to be acquired or increase the fund’s exposure to an underlying instrument. Purchasing put options may hedge against an anticipated decline in the value of portfolio securities or currency or decrease the fund's exposure to an underlying instrument.
The premium paid is initially recorded as an investment in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. That investment is subsequently marked-to-market daily with the difference between the premium paid and the market value of the purchased option being recorded as unrealized appreciation or depreciation. Premiums paid for purchased call and put options which have expired are treated as
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Notes to Financial Statements - continued
realized losses on investments in the Statement of Operations. Upon the exercise or closing of a purchased call option, the premium paid is added to the cost of the security or financial instrument purchased. Upon the exercise or closing of a purchased put option, the premium paid is offset against the proceeds on the sale of the underlying security or financial instrument in order to determine the realized gain or loss on investments.
Whether or not the option is exercised, the fund's maximum risk of loss from purchasing an option is the amount of premium paid. All option contracts involve credit risk if the counterparty to the option contract fails to perform. For uncleared options, this risk is mitigated in cases where there is an ISDA Master Agreement between the fund and the counterparty providing for netting as described above and, where applicable, by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to the fund to cover the fund’s exposure to the counterparty under such ISDA Master Agreement.
Futures Contracts — The fund entered into futures contracts which may be used to hedge against or obtain broad market exposure, interest rate exposure, currency exposure, or to manage duration. A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.
Upon entering into a futures contract, the fund is required to deposit with the broker, either in cash or securities, an initial margin in an amount equal to a specified percentage of the notional amount of the contract. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are made or received by the fund each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract, and are recorded for financial statement purposes as unrealized gain or loss by the fund until the contract is closed or expires at which point the gain or loss on futures contracts is realized.
The fund bears the risk of interest rates, exchange rates or securities prices moving unexpectedly, in which case, the fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the futures contracts and may realize a loss. While futures contracts may present less counterparty risk to the fund since the contracts are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse guarantees payments to the broker, there is still counterparty credit risk due to the insolvency of the broker. The fund’s maximum risk of loss due to counterparty credit risk is equal to the margin posted by the fund to the broker plus any gains or minus any losses on the outstanding futures contracts.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts — The fund entered into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for the purchase or sale of a specific foreign currency at a fixed price on a future date. These contracts may be used to hedge the fund’s currency risk or for non-hedging purposes. For hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts to deliver or receive foreign currency that the fund will receive from or use in its normal investment activities. The fund may also use contracts to hedge against declines in the value of foreign currency denominated securities due to unfavorable exchange rate movements. For non-hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts with the intent of changing the relative exposure of the fund’s portfolio of securities to different currencies to take advantage of anticipated exchange rate changes.
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are adjusted by the daily exchange rate of the underlying currency and any unrealized gains or losses are recorded as a receivable or payable for forward foreign currency exchange contracts until the contract settlement date. On contract settlement date, any gain or loss on the contract is recorded as realized gains or losses on forward foreign currency exchange contracts.
Risks may arise upon entering into these contracts from unanticipated movements in the value of the contract and from the potential inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts. Generally, the fund’s maximum risk due to counterparty credit risk is the unrealized gain on the contract due to the use of Continuous Linked Settlement, a multicurrency cash settlement system for the centralized settlement of foreign transactions. This risk is mitigated in cases where there is an ISDA Master Agreement between the fund and the counterparty providing for netting as described above and, where applicable, by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to the fund to cover the fund’s exposure to the counterparty under such ISDA Master Agreement.
Swap Agreements — During the period the fund entered into swap agreements. Swap agreements generally involve a periodic exchange of cash payments on a net basis, at specified intervals or upon the occurrence of specified events, between the fund and a counterparty. Certain swap agreements may be entered into as a bilateral contract (“uncleared swaps”) while others are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared swaps”). In a cleared swap transaction, the ultimate counterparty to the transaction is a clearinghouse (the “clearinghouse”). The contract is transferred and accepted by the clearinghouse immediately following execution of the swap contract with an executing broker. Thereafter, throughout the term of the cleared swap, the fund interfaces indirectly with the clearinghouse through a clearing broker and has counterparty risk to the clearing broker as well.
Both cleared and uncleared swap agreements are marked to market daily. The value of uncleared swap agreements is reported in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as “Uncleared swaps, at value” which includes any related interest accruals to be paid or received by the fund. For cleared swaps, payments (variation margin) are made or received by the fund each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the cleared swap, such that only the current day net receivable or payable for variation margin is reported in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
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For both cleared and uncleared swaps, the periodic exchange of net cash payments, at specified intervals or upon the occurrence of specified events as stipulated by the agreement, is recorded as realized gain or loss on swap agreements in the Statement of Operations. Premiums paid or received at the inception of the agreements are amortized using the effective interest method over the term of the agreement as realized gain or loss on swap agreements in the Statement of Operations. A liquidation payment received or made upon early termination is recorded as a realized gain or loss on swap agreements in the Statement of Operations. The change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on swap agreements in the Statement of Operations reflects the aggregate change over the reporting period in the value of swaps net of any unamortized premiums paid or received.
Risks related to swap agreements include the possible lack of a liquid market, unfavorable market and interest rate movements of the underlying instrument and the failure of the counterparty to perform under the terms of the agreements. The fund's maximum risk of loss from counterparty credit risk is the discounted net value of the cash flows to be received from/paid to the counterparty over the contract's remaining life, to the extent that the amount is positive. To address counterparty risk, uncleared swap agreements are limited to only highly-rated counterparties. Risk is further reduced by having an ISDA Master Agreement between the fund and the counterparty providing for netting as described above and, where applicable, by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to the fund to cover the fund’s exposure to the counterparty under such ISDA Master Agreement. The fund's counterparty risk due to cleared swaps is mitigated by the fact that the clearinghouse is the true counterparty to the transaction and the regulatory requirement safeguards in the event of a clearing broker bankruptcy.
The fund entered into interest rate swap agreements in order to manage its exposure to interest or foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Interest rate swap agreements involve the periodic exchange of cash flows, between the fund and a counterparty, based on the difference between two interest rates applied to a notional principal amount. The two interest rates exchanged may either be a fixed rate and a floating rate or two floating rates based on different indices.
The fund entered into credit default swap agreements in order to manage its exposure to the market or certain sectors of the market, to reduce its credit risk exposure to defaults of corporate and sovereign issuers or to create exposure to corporate or sovereign issuers to which it is not otherwise exposed. In a credit default swap agreement, the protection buyer can make an upfront payment and will make a stream of payments to the protection seller based on a fixed percentage applied to the agreement notional amount in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a defined credit event on the reference obligation (which may be either a single security or a basket of securities issued by corporate or sovereign issuers) and, with respect to the cases where physical settlement applies, the delivery by the buyer to the seller of a defined deliverable obligation. Although agreement-specific, credit events generally consist of a combination of the following: bankruptcy, failure to pay, restructuring, obligation acceleration, obligation default, or repudiation/moratorium, each as defined in the 2003 ISDA Credit Derivatives Definitions as amended by the relevant agreement. Restructuring is generally not applicable when the reference obligation is issued by a North American corporation and obligation acceleration, obligation default, or repudiation/moratorium are generally only applicable when the reference obligation is issued by a sovereign entity or an entity in an emerging country. Upon determination of the final price for the deliverable obligation (or upon delivery of the deliverable obligation in the case of physical settlement), the difference between the value of the deliverable obligation and the swap agreement’s notional amount is recorded as realized gain or loss on swap agreements in the Statement of Operations.
Credit default swap agreements are considered to have credit-risk-related contingent features since they trigger payment by the protection seller to the protection buyer upon the occurrence of a defined credit event. The maximum amount of future, undiscounted payments that the fund, as protection seller, could be required to make is equal to the swap agreement’s notional amount. The protection seller’s payment obligation would be offset to the extent of the value of the agreement’s deliverable obligation. At December 31, 2020, the fund did not hold any credit default swap agreements at an unrealized loss where it is the protection seller. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk, either as the protection seller or as the protection buyer, is the fair value of the agreement.
Security Loans — Under its Securities Lending Agency Agreement with the fund, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as lending agent, loans the securities of the fund to certain qualified institutions (the “Borrowers”) approved by the fund. Security loans can be terminated at the discretion of either the lending agent or the fund and the related securities must be returned within the earlier of the standard trade settlement period for such securities or within three business days. The loans are collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Treasury and federal agency obligations in an amount typically at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. On loans collateralized by cash, the cash collateral is invested in a money market fund. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of business of the fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the fund on the next business day. The lending agent provides the fund with indemnification against Borrower default. In the event of Borrower default, the lending agent will, for the benefit of the fund, either purchase securities identical to those loaned or, when such purchase is commercially impracticable, pay the fund the market value of the loaned securities. In return, the lending agent assumes the fund's rights to the related collateral. If the collateral value is less than the cost to purchase identical securities, the lending agent is responsible for the shortfall, but only to the extent that such shortfall is not due to a decline in collateral value resulting from
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collateral reinvestment for which the fund bears the risk of loss. A portion of the income generated upon investment of the collateral is remitted to the Borrowers, and the remainder is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. On loans collateralized by U.S. Treasury and/or federal agency obligations, a fee is received from the Borrower, and is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. Income from securities lending is separately reported in the Statement of Operations. The dividend and interest income earned on the securities loaned is accounted for in the same manner as other dividend and interest income. At December 31, 2020, there were no securities on loan or collateral outstanding.
Indemnifications — Under the fund's organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund's maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income — Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Some securities may be purchased or sold on an extended settlement basis, which means that the receipt or delivery of the securities by the fund and related payments occur at a future date, usually beyond the customary settlement period. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. All premium and discount is amortized or accreted for financial statement purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed-income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted upward or downward based on the rate of inflation. Interest is accrued based on the principal value, which is adjusted for inflation. Any increase or decrease in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond is generally recorded as an increase or decrease in interest income, respectively, even though the adjusted principal is not received until maturity. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend and interest payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend or ex-interest date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
The fund invests a significant portion of its assets in asset-backed and/or mortgage-backed securities. For these securities, the value of the debt instrument also depends on the credit quality and adequacy of the underlying assets or collateral as well as whether there is a security interest in the underlying assets or collateral. Enforcing rights, if any, against the underlying assets or collateral may be difficult. U.S. Government securities not supported as to the payment of principal or interest by the U.S. Treasury, such as those issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, are subject to greater credit risk than are U.S. Government securities supported by the U.S. Treasury, such as those issued by Ginnie Mae.
The fund may purchase or sell mortgage-backed securities on a “To Be Announced” (TBA) basis. A TBA transaction is subject to extended settlement and typically does not designate the actual security to be delivered, but instead includes an approximate principal amount. The price of the TBA security and the date that it will be settled are fixed at the time the transaction is negotiated. The value of the security varies with market fluctuations and no interest accrues to the fund until settlement takes place. TBA purchase and sale commitments are held at carrying amount, which approximates fair value and are categorized as level 2 within the fair value hierarchy and included in TBA purchase and TBA sale commitments in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Losses may arise as a result of changes in the value of the TBA investment prior to settlement date or due to counterparty non-performance. At the time that it enters into a TBA transaction, the fund is required to have sufficient cash and/or liquid securities to cover its commitments.
The fund may also enter into mortgage dollar rolls, typically TBA dollar rolls, in which the fund sells TBA mortgage-backed securities to financial institutions and simultaneously agrees to repurchase similar (same issuer, type and coupon) securities at a later date at an agreed-upon price. During the period between the sale and repurchase, the fund will not be entitled to receive interest and principal payments on the securities sold. The fund accounts for dollar roll transactions as purchases and sales and realizes gains and losses on these transactions. Dollar roll transactions involve the risk that the market value of the securities that the fund is required to purchase may decline below the agreed upon repurchase price of those securities.
To mitigate the counterparty credit risk on TBA transactions, mortgage dollar rolls, and other types of forward settling mortgage-backed and asset-backed security transactions, the fund whenever possible enters into a Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreement (“MSFTA”) on a bilateral basis with each of the counterparties with whom it undertakes a significant volume of transactions. The MSFTA gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under such agreement if there is a specified deterioration in the credit quality of the other party. Upon an event of default or a termination of the MSFTA, the
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
non-defaulting party has the right to close out all transactions traded under such agreement and to net amounts owed under each transaction to one net amount payable by one party to the other. This right to close out and net payments across all transactions traded under the MSFTA could result in a reduction of the fund's credit risk to such counterparty equal to any amounts payable by the fund under the applicable transactions, if any.
For mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities traded under a MSFTA, the collateral and margining requirements are contract specific. Collateral amounts across all transactions traded under such agreement are netted and an amount is posted from one party to the other to collateralize such obligations. Cash that has been pledged to cover the fund's collateral or margin obligations under a MSFTA, if any, will be reported separately on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as restricted cash. Securities pledged as collateral or margin for the same purpose, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments.
Tax Matters and Distributions — The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to amortization and accretion of debt securities, wash sale loss deferrals, straddle loss deferrals, and derivative transactions.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | $27,045,497 | $15,531,343 |
Long-term capital gains | 7,452,050 | 13,895,175 |
Total distributions | $34,497,547 | $29,426,518 |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
As of 12/31/20 | |
Cost of investments | $485,587,292 |
Gross appreciation | 91,062,741 |
Gross depreciation | (2,843,554) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | $88,219,187 |
Undistributed ordinary income | 10,621,861 |
Undistributed long-term capital gain | 18,479,245 |
Other temporary differences | 174,564 |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest — The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund's income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Initial Class | $2,739,813 | | $2,333,315 |
Service Class | 31,757,734 | | 27,093,203 |
Total | $34,497,547 | | $29,426,518 |
(3) Transactions with Affiliates
Investment Adviser — The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund's average daily net assets:
Up to $300 million | 0.75% |
In excess of $300 million and up to $2.5 billion | 0.675% |
In excess of $2.5 billion | 0.65% |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund's Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $61,129, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.70% of the fund's average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.90% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.15% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s actual operating expenses did not exceed the limit and therefore, the investment adviser did not pay any portion of the fund’s expenses related to this agreement.
Distributor — MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund's distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
Shareholder Servicing Agent — MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $11,699, which equated to 0.0021% annually of the fund's average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $348.
Administrator — MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0151% of the fund's average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation — The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other — The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
The fund is permitted to engage in purchase and sale transactions with funds and accounts for which MFS serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser (“cross-trades”) pursuant to a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees. This policy has been designed to ensure that cross-trades conducted by the fund comply with Rule 17a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund engaged in purchase and sale transactions pursuant to this policy, which amounted to $88,818 and $1,017,931, respectively. The sales transactions resulted in net realized gains (losses) of $119,342.
(4) Portfolio Securities
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than purchased option transactions and short-term obligations, were as follows:
| Purchases | Sales |
U.S. Government securities | $173,328,212 | $210,529,140 |
Non-U.S. Government securities | 468,736,459 | 502,191,774 |
(5) Shares of Beneficial Interest
The fund's Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
| Shares | Amount | | Shares | Amount |
Shares sold | | | | | |
Initial Class | 100,173 | $1,507,014 | | 95,554 | $1,481,687 |
Service Class | 1,140,931 | 17,184,459 | | 176,097 | 2,697,085 |
| 1,241,104 | $18,691,473 | | 271,651 | $4,178,772 |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | |
Initial Class | 183,634 | $2,739,813 | | 153,609 | $2,333,315 |
Service Class | 2,167,763 | 31,757,734 | | 1,814,682 | 27,093,203 |
| 2,351,397 | $34,497,547 | | 1,968,291 | $29,426,518 |
Shares reacquired | | | | | |
Initial Class | (440,732) | $(6,677,947) | | (597,095) | $(9,219,482) |
Service Class | (4,551,744) | (67,789,585) | | (5,563,506) | (84,770,507) |
| (4,992,476) | $(74,467,532) | | (6,160,601) | $(93,989,989) |
Net change | | | | | |
Initial Class | (156,925) | $(2,431,120) | | (347,932) | $(5,404,480) |
Service Class | (1,243,050) | (18,847,392) | | (3,572,727) | (54,980,219) |
| (1,399,975) | $(21,278,512) | | (3,920,659) | $(60,384,699) |
(6) Line of Credit
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $3,110 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) Investments in Affiliated Issuers
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
Affiliated Issuers | Beginning Value | Purchases | Sales Proceeds | Realized Gain (Loss) | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | Ending Value |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $31,339,464 | $250,791,179 | $245,012,499 | $1,657 | $14 | $37,119,815 |
Affiliated Issuers | Dividend Income | Capital Gain Distributions |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $129,855 | $— |
(8) Impacts of COVID-19
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund's investments and the fund's performance.
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Trustees and Officers — Identification and Background
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES | | |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES | | |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head - Treasurer's Office (until February 2017) |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board's retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
Investment Adviser | Custodian |
Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
Distributor | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
Portfolio Manager(s) | |
Pilar Gomez-Bravo Steven Gorham Andy Li Vipin Narula Benjamin Nastou Henry Peabody Robert Persons Jonathan Sage Natalie Shapiro Robert Spector Erik Weisman | |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 2nd quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 2nd quintile for each of the one- and three–year periods ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate and total expense ratio were each higher than the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to contractual breakpoints that reduce the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $300 million and $2.5 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoints and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio
Proxy Voting Policies and Information
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Quarterly Portfolio Disclosure
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund's fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
Information About Fund Contracts and Legal Claims
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Federal Tax Information (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund designates $8,198,000 as capital gain dividends paid during the fiscal year.
For corporate shareholders, 9.29% of the ordinary income dividends paid during the fiscal year qualify for the corporate dividends received deduction.
The fund intends to pass through the maximum amount allowable as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends as defined in Treasury Regulation §1.163(j)-1(b).
FACTS | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? |
Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: |
• Social Security number and account balances |
• Account transactions and transaction history |
• Checking account information and wire transfer instructions |
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
How? | All financial companies need to share customers' personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers' personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
Reasons we can share your personal information | Does MFS share? | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | Yes | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | No | We don't share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | No | We don't share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | No | We don't share |
Questions? | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you |
• open an account or provide account information |
• direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities |
• make a wire transfer |
We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can't I limit all sharing? | Federal law gives you the right to limit only |
• sharing for affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness |
• affiliates from using your information to market to you |
• sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you |
State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
Definitions |
Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. |
• MFS doesn't jointly market. |
Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Government Securities Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
GSS-ANN
MFS® Government Securities Portfolio
CONTENTS
The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE • NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
1
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION
Portfolio structure (i)
| | | | |
Fixed income sectors (i) | | | | |
Mortgage-Backed Securities | | | 56.6% | |
U.S. Treasury Securities | | | 28.2% | |
U.S. Government Agencies | | | 7.2% | |
Municipal Bonds | | | 3.2% | |
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities | | | 3.1% | |
Investment Grade Corporates | | | 1.7% | |
Collateralized Debt Obligations | | | 1.4% | |
Non-U.S. Government Bonds | | | 0.4% | |
Asset-Backed Securities (o) | | | 0.0% | |
| | | | |
Composition including fixed income credit quality (a)(i) | |
AAA | | | 3.7% | |
AA | | | 2.5% | |
A | | | 3.0% | |
BBB | | | 0.6% | |
U.S. Government | | | 22.3% | |
Federal Agencies | | | 63.8% | |
Not Rated | | | 5.9% | |
Cash & Cash Equivalents | | | 4.1% | |
Other | | | (5.9)% | |
| |
Portfolio facts (i) | | | | |
Average Duration (d) | | | 5.1 | |
Average Effective Maturity (m) | | | 6.8 yrs. | |
(a) | | For all securities other than those specifically described below, ratings are assigned to underlying securities utilizing ratings from Moody’s, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s rating agencies and applying the following hierarchy: If all three agencies provide a rating, the middle rating (after dropping the highest and lowest ratings) is assigned; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the lower of the two is assigned. If none of the 3 rating agencies above assign a rating, but the security is rated by DBRS Morningstar, then the DBRS Morningstar rating is assigned. Ratings are shown in the S&P and Fitch scale (e.g., AAA). Securities rated BBB or higher are considered investment grade. All ratings are subject to change. U.S. Government includes securities issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Federal Agencies includes rated and unrated U.S. Agency fixed-income securities, U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities, and collateralized mortgage obligations of U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities. Not Rated includes fixed income securities and fixed income derivatives that have not been rated by any rating agency. The fund may or may not have held all of these instruments on this date. The fund is not rated by these agencies. |
(d) | | Duration is a measure of how much a bond’s price is likely to fluctuate with general changes in interest rates, e.g., if rates rise 1.00%, a bond with a 5-year duration is likely to lose about 5.00% of its value due to the interest rate move. |
(i) | | For purposes of this presentation, the components include the value of securities, and reflect the impact of the equivalent exposure of derivative positions, if any. These amounts may be negative from time to time. Equivalent exposure is a calculated amount that translates the derivative position into a reasonable approximation of the amount of the underlying asset that the portfolio would have to hold at a given point in time to have the same price sensitivity that results from the portfolio’s ownership of the derivative contract. When dealing with derivatives, equivalent exposure is a more representative measure of the potential impact of a position on portfolio performance than value. The bond component will include any accrued interest amounts. |
(m) | | In determining each instrument’s effective maturity for purposes of calculating the fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity, MFS uses the instrument’s stated maturity or, if applicable, an earlier date on which MFS believes it is probable that a maturity-shortening device (such as a put, pre-refunding or prepayment) will cause the instrument to be repaid. Such an earlier date can be substantially shorter than the instrument’s stated maturity. |
Where the fund holds convertible bonds, they are treated as part of the equity portion of the portfolio.
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Other includes equivalent exposure from currency derivatives and/or any offsets to derivative positions and may be negative.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
2
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
MANAGEMENT REVIEW
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Government Securities Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 6.38%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 6.12%. These compare with a return of 6.36% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Government/Mortgage Bond Index.
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest – albeit the deepest and steepest – recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public’s willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies – a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Factors Affecting Performance
Relative to the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Government/Mortgage Bond Index, the fund’s underweight allocation to the treasury sector detracted from relative performance.
On the positive side, favorable security selection within the mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and treasury sectors, and the fund’s out-of-benchmark exposure to commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), contributed to relative returns. Yield curve (y) positioning, particularly the fund’s lesser exposure to shifts in the long end (centered around maturities of 30 years) of the yield curve, was another area of relative strength.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Geoffrey Schechter and Jake Stone
(y) | A yield curve graphically depicts the yields of different maturity bonds of the same credit quality and type; a normal yield curve is upward sloping, with short-term rates lower than long-term rates |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
3
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY THROUGH 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Share Class | | Class Inception Date | | 1-yr | | 5-yr | | 10-yr | | |
| | Initial Class | | 6/12/85 | | 6.38% | | 3.29% | | 2.88% | | |
| | Service Class | | 8/24/01 | | 6.12% | | 3.03% | | 2.63% | | |
| | | | |
Comparative benchmark(s) | | | | | | | | |
| | Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Government/Mortgage Bond Index (f) | | 6.36% | | 3.49% | | 3.16% | | |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Government/Mortgage Bond Index (a) – measures debt issued by the U.S. Government, and its agencies, as well as mortgage-backed pass-through securities of Ginnie Mae (GNMA), Fannie Mae (FNMA), and Freddie Mac (FHLMC).
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(a) | BLOOMBERG® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). BARCLAYS® is a trademark and service mark of Barclays Bank Plc (collectively with its affiliates, “Barclays”), used under license. Bloomberg or Bloomberg’s licensors, including Barclays, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Barclays Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays approves or endorses this material, or guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, or makes any warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained therefrom, and, to the maximum extent allowed by law, neither shall have any liability or responsibility for injury or damages arising in connection therewith. |
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund’s performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
4
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Performance Summary – continued
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
5
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
EXPENSE TABLE
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund’s ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Share Class | | | | Annualized Expense Ratio | | | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | | | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | | | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 | |
Initial Class | | Actual | | | 0.58% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,004.11 | | | | $2.92 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 0.58% | | �� | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,022.22 | | | | $2.95 | |
Service Class | | Actual | | | 0.83% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,002.84 | | | | $4.18 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 0.83% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,020.96 | | | | $4.22 | |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class’s annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
6
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS – 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – 95.6% | | | | | | | | |
Airport Revenue – 0.1% | | | | | |
New York Transportation Development Corp., Special Facility Taxable Rev. (Terminal 4 John F. Kennedy International Airport Project), “B”, 1.36%, 12/01/2021 | | $ | 140,000 | | | $ | 140,090 | |
New York Transportation Development Corp., Special Facility Taxable Rev. (Terminal 4 John F. Kennedy International Airport Project), “B”, 1.61%, 12/01/2022 | | | 130,000 | | | | 130,274 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 270,364 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Asset-Backed & Securitized – 4.6% | | | | | | | | |
Bancorp Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2019-CRE6, “A”, FLR, 1.208% (LIBOR -1mo. + 1.05%), 9/15/2036 (n) | | $ | 1,190,327 | | | $ | 1,187,314 | |
Benchmark Mortgage Trust, 2020-B18, “A5”, 1.925%, 7/15/2053 | | | 1,283,582 | | | | 1,323,638 | |
Capital Automotive, 2020-1A, “A4”, REIT, 3.19%, 2/15/2050 (n) | | | 269,127 | | | | 277,337 | |
Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2019-C7, “A4”, 3.102%, 12/15/2072 | | | 403,746 | | | | 455,498 | |
Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2019-XA, “C7”, 0.878%, 12/15/2072 (i)(n) | | | 4,448,802 | | | | 287,228 | |
Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, 2020-BN28, “A4”, 1.844%, 3/15/2063 | | | 390,781 | | | | 399,639 | |
Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, 2020-BN29, “A4”, 1.997%, 11/15/2053 | | | 751,414 | | | | 776,044 | |
Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, 2020-BN30, “A4”, 1.925%, 12/10/2053 | | | 716,000 | | | | 734,812 | |
Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2015-DC1, “A5”, 3.35%, 2/10/2048 | | | 1,136,000 | | | | 1,244,641 | |
Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2017-COR2, “A3”, 3.51%, 9/10/2050 | | | 1,414,455 | | | | 1,604,717 | |
CSAIL Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2015-C2, “A4”, 3.504%, 6/15/2057 | | | 144,366 | | | | 158,889 | |
GS Mortgage Securities Trust, 2015-GC30, “A4”, 3.382%, 5/10/2050 | | | 1,965,000 | | | | 2,169,307 | |
GS Mortgage Securities Trust, 2015-GC32, “A2”, 3.062%, 7/10/2048 | | | 118,568 | | | | 119,238 | |
GS Mortgage Securities Trust, 2020-GC45, “A5”, 2.91%, 2/13/2053 | | | 741,658 | | | | 820,967 | |
Loomis, Sayles & Co., CLO, 2015-2A, “A2R”, FLR, 1.636% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.4%), 4/15/2028 (n) | | | 1,489,774 | | | | 1,476,937 | |
Madison Park Funding Ltd., 2014-13A, “BR2”, FLR, 1.717% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.5%), 4/19/2030 (n) | | | 1,572,067 | | | | 1,574,387 | |
MF1 Multi-Family Housing Mortgage Loan Trust, 2020-FL4, “A”, FLR, 1.858% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.7%), 11/15/2035 (n) | | | 836,000 | | | | 836,716 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Asset-Backed & Securitized – continued | | | | | |
Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust, 2017-C34, “A4”, 3.536%, 11/15/2052 | | $ | 415,862 | | | $ | 472,063 | |
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust, 2018-H4, “XA”, 0.859%, 12/15/2051 (i) | | | 6,220,558 | | | | 340,414 | |
Neuberger Berman CLO Ltd., 2015-20, “AR”, FLR, 1.036% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 0.8%), 1/15/2028 (n) | | | 481,672 | | | | 479,070 | |
Palmer Square Loan Funding Ltd., 2020-1A, “A2”, FLR, 1.574% (LIBOR -3mo. + 1.35%), 2/20/2028 (n) | | | 680,583 | | | | 671,329 | |
Symphony CLO Ltd., 2016-17A, “BR”, FLR, 1.436% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.2%), 4/15/2028 (n) | | | 1,332,260 | | | | 1,316,915 | |
UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2017-C1, “A4”, 3.544%, 11/15/2050 | | | 1,133,267 | | | | 1,296,270 | |
Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2018-C48, “XA”, 0.947%, 1/15/2052 (i)(n) | | | 3,710,951 | | | | 229,181 | |
Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2020-C58, “A4”, 2.092%, 7/15/2053 | | | 458,000 | | | | 476,534 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 20,729,085 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Automotive – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
Hyundai Capital America, 2.375%, 2/10/2023 (n) | | $ | 405,000 | | | $ | 417,379 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Consumer Services – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
Conservation Fund, 3.474%, 12/15/2029 | | $ | 563,000 | | | $ | 609,159 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Industrial – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
Howard University, Washington D.C., 2.738%, 10/01/2022 | | $ | 98,000 | | | $ | 100,961 | |
Howard University, Washington D.C., 2.801%, 10/01/2023 | | | 108,000 | | | | 112,120 | |
Howard University, Washington D.C., AGM, 2.638%, 10/01/2021 | | | 93,000 | | | | 93,808 | |
Howard University, Washington D.C., AGM, 2.416%, 10/01/2024 | | | 119,000 | | | | 123,362 | |
Howard University, Washington D.C., AGM, 2.516%, 10/01/2025 | | | 147,000 | | | | 153,018 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 583,269 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Major Banks – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
UBS Group AG, 3.491%, 5/23/2023 (n) | | $ | 565,000 | | | $ | 587,936 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 0.9% | | | | | |
Montefiore Obligated Group, AGM, 5.246%, 11/01/2048 | | $ | 2,012,000 | | | $ | 2,612,477 | |
ProMedica Toledo Hospital, “B”, AGM, 5.325%, 11/15/2028 | | | 879,000 | | | | 1,057,462 | |
ProMedica Toledo Hospital, “B”, AGM, 5.75%, 11/15/2038 | | | 246,000 | | | | 294,780 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,964,719 | |
| | | | | | | | |
7
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | |
Mortgage-Backed – 56.5% | | | | | | | | |
Fannie Mae, 5%, 2/01/2021 - 3/01/2041 | | $ | 3,732,765 | | | $ | 4,319,497 | |
Fannie Mae, 6%, 2/01/2021 - 7/01/2037 | | | 556,368 | | | | 654,234 | |
Fannie Mae, 2.56%, 10/01/2021 | | | 217,104 | | | | 218,357 | |
Fannie Mae, 5.5%, 5/01/2022 - 3/01/2038 | | | 5,437,599 | | | | 6,360,328 | |
Fannie Mae, 2.152%, 1/25/2023 | | | 945,311 | | | | 968,113 | |
Fannie Mae, 2.73%, 4/01/2023 | | | 469,079 | | | | 487,000 | |
Fannie Mae, 2.41%, 5/01/2023 | | | 592,068 | | | | 612,111 | |
Fannie Mae, 2.55%, 5/01/2023 | | | 508,868 | | | | 527,423 | |
Fannie Mae, 2.59%, 5/01/2023 | | | 325,328 | | | | 337,449 | |
Fannie Mae, 4.5%, 5/01/2025 - 6/01/2044 | | | 9,606,082 | | | | 10,728,741 | |
Fannie Mae, 3.5%, 5/25/2025 - 7/01/2046 | | | 8,289,318 | | | | 8,990,577 | |
Fannie Mae, 2.28%, 11/01/2026 | | | 251,662 | | | | 269,823 | |
Fannie Mae, 2.583%, 12/25/2026 | | | 1,032,000 | | | | 1,132,078 | |
Fannie Mae, 3.045%, 3/25/2028 | | | 1,276,000 | | | | 1,450,928 | |
Fannie Mae, 4%, 3/25/2028 - 2/01/2045 | | | 16,698,938 | | | | 18,259,910 | |
Fannie Mae, 3%, 11/01/2028 - 5/25/2053 | | | 17,442,735 | | | | 18,635,368 | |
Fannie Mae, 6.5%, 9/01/2031 - 10/01/2037 | | | 472,256 | | | | 548,249 | |
Fannie Mae, 2.5%, 11/01/2031 - 12/01/2050 | | | 4,712,074 | | | | 4,959,574 | |
Fannie Mae, 3.5%, 12/25/2031 - 2/25/2036 (i) | | | 523,108 | | | | 54,436 | |
Fannie Mae, 3%, 2/25/2033 (i) | | | 525,742 | | | | 57,626 | |
Fannie Mae, 2%, 10/25/2040 - 4/25/2046 | | | 1,098,331 | | | | 1,128,345 | |
Fannie Mae, 1.75%, 10/25/2041 | | | 1,461,030 | | | | 1,496,009 | |
Fannie Mae, 2.75%, 9/25/2042 | | | 597,619 | | | | 625,868 | |
Fannie Mae, TBA, 1.5%, 1/16/2036 - 1/14/2051 | | | 3,825,000 | | | | 3,882,091 | |
Fannie Mae, TBA, 3%, 1/16/2036 - 2/12/2051 | | | 5,100,000 | | | | 5,345,516 | |
Fannie Mae, TBA, 2%, 1/25/2036 - 2/12/2051 | | | 19,025,000 | | | | 19,757,587 | |
Fannie Mae, TBA, 2.5%, 1/25/2036 - 2/25/2051 | | | 13,375,000 | | | | 14,081,287 | |
Fannie Mae, TBA, 3.5%, 1/14/2051 | | | 4,725,000 | | | | 4,993,975 | |
Fannie Mae, TBA, 4%, 1/25/2051 | | | 2,900,000 | | | | 3,096,878 | |
Freddie Mac, 6%, 5/01/2021 - 10/01/2038 | | | 1,628,866 | | | | 1,892,969 | |
Freddie Mac, 5%, 12/01/2021 - 12/01/2044 | | | 1,989,941 | | | | 2,301,927 | |
Freddie Mac, 5.5%, 5/01/2022 - 6/01/2041 | | | 1,192,699 | | | | 1,399,493 | |
Freddie Mac, 4.5%, 11/01/2022 - 5/01/2042 | | | 1,614,633 | | | | 1,798,042 | |
Freddie Mac, 2.51%, 11/25/2022 | | | 2,326,000 | | | | 2,401,820 | |
Freddie Mac, 3.32%, 2/25/2023 | | | 1,993,000 | | | | 2,107,642 | |
Freddie Mac, 3.25%, 4/25/2023 | | | 3,500,000 | | | | 3,703,402 | |
Freddie Mac, 3.06%, 7/25/2023 | | | 326,000 | | | | 346,245 | |
Freddie Mac, 0.879%, 4/25/2024 (i) | | | 14,361,294 | | | | 329,783 | |
Freddie Mac, 0.604%, 7/25/2024 (i) | | | 17,333,748 | | | | 285,385 | |
Freddie Mac, 3.064%, 8/25/2024 | | | 1,703,107 | | | | 1,842,940 | |
Freddie Mac, 2.67%, 12/25/2024 | | | 3,924,000 | | | | 4,239,086 | |
Freddie Mac, 2.811%, 1/25/2025 | | | 3,025,000 | | | | 3,289,143 | |
Freddie Mac, 3.329%, 5/25/2025 | | | 3,082,000 | | | | 3,432,698 | |
Freddie Mac, 4%, 7/01/2025 - 4/01/2044 | | | 1,500,842 | | | | 1,633,791 | |
Freddie Mac, 3.01%, 7/25/2025 | | | 904,000 | | | | 997,221 | |
Freddie Mac, 3.5%, 1/15/2027 - 10/25/2058 | | | 18,987,616 | | | | 20,522,774 | |
Freddie Mac, 1.367%, 3/25/2027 (i) | | | 1,030,000 | | | | 80,016 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | |
Mortgage-Backed – continued | | | | | | | | |
Freddie Mac, 0.576%, 7/25/2027 (i) | | $ | 29,841,518 | | | $ | 1,033,800 | |
Freddie Mac, 0.432%, 8/25/2027 (i) | | | 24,808,039 | | | | 658,515 | |
Freddie Mac, 3.187%, 9/25/2027 | | | 3,000,000 | | | | 3,435,501 | |
Freddie Mac, 0.29%, 1/25/2028 (i) | | | 42,657,479 | | | | 883,262 | |
Freddie Mac, 0.302%, 1/25/2028 (i) | | | 17,573,157 | | | | 374,006 | |
Freddie Mac, 0.133%, 2/25/2028 (i) | | | 49,700,691 | | | | 544,372 | |
Freddie Mac, 2.5%, 3/15/2028 | | | 177,226 | | | | 183,601 | |
Freddie Mac, 0.118%, 4/25/2028 (i) | | | 31,953,750 | | | | 327,210 | |
Freddie Mac, 3%, 6/15/2028 - 2/25/2059 | | | 17,144,460 | | | | 18,523,870 | |
Freddie Mac, 3.926%, 7/25/2028 | | | 1,439,000 | | | | 1,728,454 | |
Freddie Mac, 3.92%, 9/25/2028 | | | 325,000 | | | | 390,850 | |
Freddie Mac, 1.089%, 7/25/2029 (i) | | | 4,433,570 | | | | 368,027 | |
Freddie Mac, 1.144%, 8/25/2029 (i) | | | 7,707,514 | | | | 669,816 | |
Freddie Mac, 1.799%, 4/25/2030 (i) | | | 1,602,831 | | | | 242,904 | |
Freddie Mac, 1.868%, 4/25/2030 (i) | | | 4,034,514 | | | | 621,376 | |
Freddie Mac, 1.662%, 5/25/2030 (i) | | | 2,174,913 | | | | 302,810 | |
Freddie Mac, 1.796%, 5/25/2030 (i) | | | 4,905,689 | | | | 731,401 | |
Freddie Mac, 1.342%, 6/25/2030 (i) | | | 1,983,331 | | | | 228,525 | |
Freddie Mac, 1.6%, 8/25/2030 (i) | | | 1,814,781 | | | | 249,627 | |
Freddie Mac, 1.169%, 9/25/2030 (i) | | | 1,149,690 | | | | 119,222 | |
Freddie Mac, 1.081%, 11/25/2030 (i) | | | 2,249,951 | | | | 218,832 | |
Freddie Mac, 6.5%, 8/01/2032 - 5/01/2037 | | | 313,501 | | | | 360,219 | |
Freddie Mac, 5.5%, 2/15/2036 (i) | | | 136,799 | | | | 25,997 | |
Freddie Mac, 4.5%, 12/15/2040 (i) | | | 54,625 | | | | 5,201 | |
Freddie Mac, 1.75%, 8/15/2041 | | | 419,636 | | | | 429,808 | |
Freddie Mac, 2%, 5/25/2060 | | | 295,974 | | | | 304,741 | |
Ginnie Mae, 5.5%, 7/15/2033 - 1/20/2042 | | | 1,055,307 | | | | 1,215,965 | |
Ginnie Mae, 5.701%, 8/20/2034 | | | 383,596 | | | | 439,470 | |
Ginnie Mae, 5.889%, 1/20/2039 | | | 511,015 | | | | 597,955 | |
Ginnie Mae, 4%, 5/16/2039 - 7/20/2041 | | | 1,183,887 | | | | 1,289,946 | |
Ginnie Mae, 4.5%, 8/15/2039 - 9/20/2041 | | | 2,778,367 | | | | 3,150,278 | |
Ginnie Mae, 3.5%, 10/20/2041 (i) | | | 221,573 | | | | 17,988 | |
Ginnie Mae, 3.5%, 12/15/2041 - 6/20/2043 | | | 3,530,320 | | | | 3,877,698 | |
Ginnie Mae, 2.5%, 6/20/2042 - 12/20/2050 | | | 4,039,158 | | | | 4,280,978 | |
Ginnie Mae, 4%, 8/16/2042 (i) | | | 250,547 | | | | 34,327 | |
Ginnie Mae, 2.25%, 9/20/2043 | | | 390,765 | | | | 397,445 | |
Ginnie Mae, 3%, 4/20/2045 - 9/20/2050 | | | 8,010,215 | | | | 8,490,943 | |
Ginnie Mae, 5.87%, 4/20/2058 | | | 18,777 | | | | 21,866 | |
Ginnie Mae, 0.617%, 2/16/2059 (i) | | | 1,525,764 | | | | 73,109 | |
Ginnie Mae, TBA, 2.5%, 1/21/2051 - 2/20/2051 | | | 4,100,000 | | | | 4,334,764 | |
Ginnie Mae, TBA, 3%, 1/21/2051 | | | 450,000 | | | | 470,509 | |
Ginnie Mae, TBA, 3.5%, 1/21/2051 | | | 2,025,000 | | | | 2,146,041 | |
Ginnie Mae, TBA, 4%, 1/21/2051 | | | 250,000 | | | | 266,529 | |
Ginnie Mae, TBA, 2%, 2/20/2051 | | | 3,700,000 | | | | 3,862,448 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 254,513,961 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Municipals – 3.4% | | | | | | | | |
California Department of Water Resources Rev. (Central Valley Project Water System), “BC”, 1.409%, 12/01/2029 | | $ | 565,000 | | | $ | 566,203 | |
California Earthquake Authority Rev., “B”, 1.227%, 7/01/2021 | | | 95,000 | | | | 95,064 | |
California Earthquake Authority Rev., “B”, 1.327%, 7/01/2022 | | | 295,000 | | | | 295,891 | |
8
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Municipals – continued | | | | | | | | |
California Earthquake Authority Rev., “B”, 1.477%, 7/01/2023 | | $ | 210,000 | | | $ | 211,457 | |
Enel Finance International N.V., 2.875%, 5/25/2022 (n) | | | 1,518,000 | | | | 1,566,185 | |
Florida State Board of Administration Finance Corp. Rev., “A”, 1.705%, 7/01/2027 | | | 800,000 | | | | 830,392 | |
Illinois Sales Tax Securitization Corp., Second Lien, “B”, BAM, 3.411%, 1/01/2043 | | | 855,000 | | | | 907,506 | |
Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, Education Loan Rev., “A”, 2.562%, 7/01/2026 | | | 70,000 | | | | 70,652 | |
Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, Education Loan Rev., “A”, 2.682%, 7/01/2027 | | | 335,000 | | | | 339,499 | |
Michigan Finance Authority Hospital Rev. (Trinity Health Credit Group), 3.384%, 12/01/2040 | | | 825,000 | | | | 929,758 | |
Michigan Finance Authority Tobacco Settlement Asset-Backed Rev. (2006 Sold Tobacco Receipts), “A-1”, 2.326%, 6/01/2030 | | | 410,000 | | | | 414,428 | |
New Jersey Economic Development Authority State Pension Funding Rev., Capital Appreciation, “B”, AGM, 0%, 2/15/2023 | | | 4,114,000 | | | | 4,051,920 | |
Philadelphia, PA, School District, “A”, AGM, 5.995%, 9/01/2030 | | | 960,000 | | | | 1,257,494 | |
Port Authority of NY & NJ, “AAA”, 1.086%, 7/01/2023 | | | 745,000 | | | | 756,100 | |
Port Oakland, CA, Senior Lien Refunding Taxable Rev., “R”, 1.081%, 5/01/2024 | | | 200,000 | | | | 201,582 | |
Port Oakland, CA, Senior Lien Refunding Taxable Rev., “R”, 1.517%, 5/01/2026 | | | 295,000 | | | | 298,950 | |
Texas Transportation Commission, Central Texas Turnpike System First Tier Refunding Rev., Taxable, “B”, 1.98%, 8/15/2042 | | | 690,000 | | | | 696,500 | |
University of California, General Taxable Rev., “BG”, 1.614%, 5/15/2030 | | | 1,480,000 | | | | 1,495,570 | |
West Virginia Tobacco Settlement Financing Authority Asset-Backed Refunding, “A-1”, 1.497%, 6/01/2024 | | | 280,000 | | | | 280,944 | |
West Virginia Tobacco Settlement Financing Authority Asset-Backed Refunding, “A-1”, 1.647%, 6/01/2025 | | | 225,000 | | | | 225,457 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 15,491,552 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Supranational – 0.4% | | | | | | | | |
Inter-American Development Bank, 4.375%, 1/24/2044 | | $ | 1,093,000 | | | $ | 1,618,404 | |
| | | | | | | | |
U.S. Government Agencies and Equivalents – 7.1% | |
AID Tunisia, 2.452%, 7/24/2021 | | $ | 1,444,000 | | | $ | 1,462,333 | |
Federal Home Loan Bank, 2.625%, 12/10/2021 | | | 4,800,000 | | | | 4,912,482 | |
Federal Home Loan Bank, 3%, 12/10/2021 | | | 20,500,000 | | | | 21,051,615 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Government Agencies and Equivalents – continued | |
Small Business Administration, 6.35%, 4/01/2021 | | $ | 5,429 | | | $ | 5,466 | |
Small Business Administration, 6.34%, 5/01/2021 | | | 8,635 | | | | 8,725 | |
Small Business Administration, 6.44%, 6/01/2021 | | | 10,227 | | | | 10,378 | |
Small Business Administration, 6.625%, 7/01/2021 | | | 25,103 | | | | 25,286 | |
Small Business Administration, 6.07%, 3/01/2022 | | | 24,230 | | | | 24,633 | |
Small Business Administration, 4.98%, 11/01/2023 | | | 42,164 | | | | 44,131 | |
Small Business Administration, 4.77%, 4/01/2024 | | | 121,316 | | | | 126,661 | |
Small Business Administration, 5.52%, 6/01/2024 | | | 55,902 | | | | 59,220 | |
Small Business Administration, 4.99%, 9/01/2024 | | | 10,774 | | | | 11,283 | |
Small Business Administration, 5.11%, 4/01/2025 | | | 83,240 | | | | 87,937 | |
Small Business Administration, 2.21%, 2/01/2033 | | | 628,150 | | | | 650,491 | |
Small Business Administration, 2.22%, 3/01/2033 | | | 1,031,962 | | | | 1,069,127 | |
Small Business Administration, 3.15%, 7/01/2033 | | | 930,456 | | | | 993,148 | |
Small Business Administration, 3.16%, 8/01/2033 | | | 521,689 | | | | 557,243 | |
Small Business Administration, 3.62%, 9/01/2033 | | | 340,582 | | | | 374,402 | |
Tennessee Valley Authority, 0.75%, 5/15/2025 | | | 707,000 | | | | 715,910 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 32,190,471 | |
| | | | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury Obligations – 22.2% | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 7.875%, 2/15/2021 | | $ | 177,000 | | | $ | 178,559 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 6.25%, 8/15/2023 | | | 2,891,000 | | | | 3,353,108 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 6%, 2/15/2026 | | | 2,699,000 | | | | 3,471,167 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 6.75%, 8/15/2026 | | | 1,862,000 | | | | 2,514,137 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 6.375%, 8/15/2027 | | | 326,000 | | | | 449,332 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 4.5%, 8/15/2039 | | | 1,287,500 | | | | 1,967,360 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 3.125%, 2/15/2043 | | | 8,176,700 | | | | 10,706,686 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 2.875%, 5/15/2043 | | | 13,519,500 | | | | 17,062,032 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 2.5%, 2/15/2045 (f) | | | 21,059,000 | | | | 25,066,791 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, 2.875%, 11/15/2046 | | | 2,917,000 | | | | 3,719,631 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds, TIPS, 0.375%, 1/15/2027 | | | 5,928,340 | | | | 6,613,661 | |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 1.5%, 9/15/2022 | | | 2,500,000 | | | | 2,558,301 | |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 0.125%, 9/30/2022 | | | 8,770,000 | | | | 8,770,000 | |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 2.5%, 5/15/2024 | | | 5,385,000 | | | | 5,802,127 | |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 2%, 8/15/2025 | | | 438,000 | | | | 471,688 | |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 2.625%, 12/31/2025 | | | 2,800,000 | | | | 3,113,141 | |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 1.5%, 2/15/2030 | | | 3,800,000 | | | | 4,017,758 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 99,835,479 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Bonds (Identified Cost, $400,993,959) | | | | | | $ | 430,811,778 | |
| | | | | | | | |
9
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
INVESTMENT COMPANIES (h) – 8.1% | | | | | |
Money Market Funds – 8.1% | | | | | | | | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $36,456,029) | | | 36,456,029 | | | $ | 36,456,029 | |
| | | | | | | | |
OTHER ASSETS, LESS LIABILITIES – (3.7)% | | | | | | | (16,659,090 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
NET ASSETS – 100.0% | | | | | | $ | 450,608,717 | |
| | | | | | | | |
(f) | | All or a portion of the security has been segregated as collateral for open futures contracts. |
(h) | | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund’s investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $36,456,029 and $430,811,778, respectively. |
(i) | | Interest only security for which the fund receives interest on notional principal (Par amount). Par amount shown is the notional principal and does not reflect the cost of the security. |
(n) | | Securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities may be sold in the ordinary course of business in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At period end, the aggregate value of these securities was $10,907,914, representing 2.4% of net assets. |
(v) | | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined:
AGM | | Assured Guaranty Municipal |
AID | | U.S. Agency for International Development |
CLO | | Collateralized Loan Obligation |
FLR | | Floating Rate. Interest rate resets periodically based on the parenthetically disclosed reference rate plus a spread (if any). The period-end rate reported may not be the current rate. All reference rates are USD unless otherwise noted. |
LIBOR | | London Interbank Offered Rate |
REIT | | Real Estate Investment Trust |
TIPS | | Treasury Inflation Protected Security |
Abbreviations indicate amounts shown in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. All amounts are stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. A list of abbreviations is shown below:
Derivative Contracts at 12/31/20
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Currency Purchased | | Currency Sold | | Counterparty | | Settlement Date | | | Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) | |
Liability Derivatives | | | | | | | | | | | | |
USD | | | 22,034,485 | | | | | JPY | | 2,290,000,000 | | Goldman Sachs International | | | 1/07/2021 | | | | $(144,231 | ) |
USD | | | 22,001,703 | | | | | JPY | | 2,289,000,000 | | State Street Bank Corp. | | | 1/07/2021 | | | | (167,328 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $(311,559 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
10
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Futures Contracts
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Description | | Long/ Short | | | Currency | | | Contracts | | | Notional Amount | | | Expiration Date | | | Value/ Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) | |
Asset Derivatives | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Interest Rate Futures | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury Bond | | | Short | | | | USD | | | | 102 | | | | $17,665,125 | | | | March - 2021 | | | | $109,593 | |
U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr | | | Long | | | | USD | | | | 276 | | | | 38,109,563 | | | | March - 2021 | | | | 64,481 | |
U.S. Treasury Note 2 yr | | | Long | | | | USD | | | | 29 | | | | $6,408,320 | | | | March - 2021 | | | | $5,335 | |
U.S. Treasury Ultra Bond | | | Short | | | | USD | | | | 2 | | | | 427,125 | | | | March - 2021 | | | | 2,165 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $181,574 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
At December 31, 2020, the fund had liquid securities with an aggregate value of $242,823 to cover any collateral or margin obligations for certain derivative contracts.
See Notes to Financial Statements
11
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
| | | | |
At 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Assets | | | | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $400,993,959) | | | $430,811,778 | |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $36,456,029) | | | 36,456,029 | |
Foreign currency, at value (identified cost, $43,999,246) | | | 44,346,521 | |
Receivables for | | | | |
TBA sale commitments | | | 3,731,631 | |
Fund shares sold | | | 72,189 | |
Interest | | | 1,576,853 | |
Other assets | | | 2,436 | |
Total assets | | | $516,997,437 | |
| |
Liabilities | | | | |
Payables for | | | | |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | $311,559 | |
Net daily variation margin on open futures contracts | | | 5,745 | |
TBA purchase commitments | | | 65,760,987 | |
Fund shares reacquired | | | 217,675 | |
Payable to affiliates | | | | |
Investment adviser | | | 11,802 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 348 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 33 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 2,188 | |
Payable for independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 196 | |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | | | 78,187 | |
Total liabilities | | | $66,388,720 | |
Net assets | | | $450,608,717 | |
| |
Net assets consist of | | | | |
Paid-in capital | | | $439,118,903 | |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | | | 11,489,814 | |
Net assets | | | $450,608,717 | |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | | | 35,096,592 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| | Net assets | | | Shares outstanding | | | Net asset value per share | |
Initial Class | | | $290,412,932 | | | | 22,574,155 | | | | $12.86 | |
Service Class | | | 160,195,785 | | | | 12,522,437 | | | | 12.79 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
12
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
| | | | |
Year ended 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Net investment income (loss) | | | | |
Income | | | | |
Interest | | | $11,767,346 | |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | | | 91,710 | |
Other | | | 2,469 | |
Total investment income | | | $11,861,525 | |
Expenses | | | | |
Management fee | | | $2,424,083 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 386,536 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 6,816 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 69,015 | |
Independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 8,607 | |
Custodian fee | | | 26,646 | |
Shareholder communications | | | 25,481 | |
Audit and tax fees | | | 65,163 | |
Legal fees | | | 3,551 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 56,056 | |
Total expenses | | | $3,071,954 | |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | | | (121,657 | ) |
Net expenses | | | $2,950,297 | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $8,911,228 | |
| |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $4,415,408 | |
Affiliated issuers | | | (2,771 | ) |
Futures contracts | | | (697,714 | ) |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | 32,462 | |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | $3,747,385 | |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $14,548,476 | |
Futures contracts | | | 41,153 | |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | (347,839 | ) |
Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies | | | 351,088 | |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | $14,592,878 | |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | $18,340,263 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $27,251,491 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
13
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | |
Change in net assets | | | | | | | | |
| | |
From operations | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $8,911,228 | | | | $11,546,125 | |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | 3,747,385 | | | | (695,586 | ) |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | 14,592,878 | | | | 19,235,236 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $27,251,491 | | | | $30,085,775 | |
Total distributions to shareholders | | | $(12,348,081 | ) | | | $(13,609,001 | ) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | | | $(26,909,816 | ) | | | $(36,187,602 | ) |
Total change in net assets | | | $(12,006,406 | ) | | | $(19,710,828 | ) |
| | |
Net assets | | | | | | | | |
At beginning of period | | | 462,615,123 | | | | 482,325,951 | |
At end of period | | | $450,608,717 | | | | $462,615,123 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
14
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund’s financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $12.45 | | | | $12.04 | | | | $12.39 | | | | $12.51 | | | | $12.72 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.27 | | | | $0.31 | | | | $0.30 | | | | $0.31 | | | | $0.31 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 0.52 | | | | 0.48 | | | | (0.25 | ) | | | (0.03 | ) | | | (0.17 | ) |
Total from investment operations | | | $0.79 | | | | $0.79 | | | | $0.05 | | | | $0.28 | | | | $0.14 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.38 | ) | | | $(0.38 | ) | | | $(0.40 | ) | | | $(0.40 | ) | | | $(0.35 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $12.86 | | | | $12.45 | | | | $12.04 | | | | $12.39 | | | | $12.51 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 6.38 | | | | 6.53 | | | | 0.47 | | | | 2.22 | | | | 1.04 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 0.61 | | | | 0.60 | | | | 0.60 | | | | 0.60 | | | | 0.57 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 0.58 | | | | 0.58 | | | | 0.59 | | | | 0.60 | | | | 0.56 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 2.11 | | | | 2.53 | | | | 2.45 | | | | 2.45 | | | | 2.40 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 154 | | | | 47 | | | | 35 | | | | 24 | | | | 48 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $290,413 | | | | $298,414 | | | | $310,387 | | | | $364,445 | | | | $388,457 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Service Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $12.38 | | | | $11.96 | | | | $12.31 | | | | $12.42 | | | | $12.64 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.24 | | | | $0.28 | | | | $0.26 | | | | $0.27 | | | | $0.28 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 0.52 | | | | 0.48 | | | | (0.24 | ) | | | (0.02 | ) | | | (0.18 | ) |
Total from investment operations | | | $0.76 | | | | $0.76 | | | | $0.02 | | | | $0.25 | | | | $0.10 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.35 | ) | | | $(0.34 | ) | | | $(0.37 | ) | | | $(0.36 | ) | | | $(0.32 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $12.79 | | | | $12.38 | | | | $11.96 | | | | $12.31 | | | | $12.42 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 6.12 | | | | 6.35 | | | | 0.17 | | | | 2.03 | | | | 0.68 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 0.86 | | | | 0.85 | | | | 0.85 | | | | 0.85 | | | | 0.82 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 0.83 | | | | 0.83 | | | | 0.84 | | | | 0.85 | | | | 0.81 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 1.86 | | | | 2.27 | | | | 2.20 | | | | 2.20 | | | | 2.15 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 154 | | | | 47 | | | | 35 | | | | 24 | | | | 48 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $160,196 | | | | $164,201 | | | | $171,938 | | | | $212,050 | | | | $236,831 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
15
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Financial Highlights – continued
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
16
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1) | | Business and Organization |
MFS Government Securities Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services – Investment Companies.
(2) | | Significant Accounting Policies |
General – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund’s investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting – The fund’s accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund’s right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations – Debt instruments and floating rate loans, including restricted debt instruments, are generally valued at an evaluated or composite bid as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Futures contracts are generally valued at last posted settlement price on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Futures contracts for which there were no trades that day for a particular position are generally valued at the closing bid quotation on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are generally valued at the mean of bid and asked prices for the time period interpolated from rates provided by a third-party pricing service for proximate time periods. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and
17
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund’s assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund’s assets or liabilities:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Financial Instruments | | Level 1 | | | Level 2 | | | Level 3 | | | Total | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds & U.S. Government Agencies & Equivalents | | | $— | | | | $132,025,950 | | | | $— | | | | $132,025,950 | |
Non-U.S. Sovereign Debt | | | — | | | | 1,618,404 | | | | — | | | | 1,618,404 | |
Municipal Bonds | | | — | | | | 14,195,731 | | | | — | | | | 14,195,731 | |
U.S. Corporate Bonds | | | — | | | | 5,574,526 | | | | — | | | | 5,574,526 | |
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities | | | — | | | | 254,513,961 | | | | — | | | | 254,513,961 | |
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities | | | — | | | | 14,096,394 | | | | — | | | | 14,096,394 | |
Asset-Backed Securities (including CDOs) | | | — | | | | 6,632,691 | | | | — | | | | 6,632,691 | |
Foreign Bonds | | | — | | | | 2,154,121 | | | | — | | | | 2,154,121 | |
Mutual Funds | | | 36,456,029 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 36,456,029 | |
Total | | | $36,456,029 | | | | $430,811,778 | | | | $— | | | | $467,267,807 | |
| | | | |
Other Financial Instruments | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Futures Contracts – Assets | | | $181,574 | | | | $— | | | | $— | | | | $181,574 | |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – Liabilities | | | — | | | | (311,559 | ) | | | — | | | | (311,559 | ) |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Inflation-Adjusted Debt Securities – The fund invests in inflation-adjusted debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury. The principal value of these debt securities is adjusted through income according to changes in the Consumer Price Index. These debt securities typically pay a fixed rate of interest, but this fixed rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal amount. The principal paid at maturity of the debt security is typically equal to the inflation-adjusted principal amount, or the security’s original par value, whichever is greater. Other types of inflation-adjusted securities may use other methods to adjust for other measures of inflation.
Derivatives – The fund uses derivatives primarily to increase or decrease exposure to a particular market or segment of the market, or security, to increase or decrease interest rate or currency exposure, or as alternatives to direct investments. Derivatives are used for hedging or non-hedging purposes. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. When the fund uses derivatives as an investment to increase market exposure, or for hedging purposes, gains and losses from derivative instruments may be substantially greater than the derivative’s original cost.
The derivative instruments used by the fund during the period were futures contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts. Depending on the type of derivative, the fund may exit a derivative position by entering into an offsetting transaction with a counterparty or exchange, negotiating an agreement with the derivative counterparty, or novating the position to a third party. The fund may be unable to promptly close out a futures position in instances where the daily fluctuation in the price for that type of future exceeds the daily limit set by the exchange. The fund’s period end derivatives, as presented in the Portfolio of Investments and the associated Derivative Contract tables, generally are indicative of the volume of its derivative activity during the period.
18
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the fair value, on a gross basis, of the asset and liability components of derivatives held by the fund at December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Fair Value (a) | |
Risk | | Derivative Contracts | | Asset Derivatives | | | Liability Derivatives | |
Interest Rate | | Interest Rate Futures | | | $181,574 | | | | $— | |
Foreign Exchange | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | | | — | | | | (311,559 | ) |
Total | | | | | $181,574 | | | | $(311,559 | ) |
(a) | Values presented in this table for futures contracts correspond to the values reported in the fund’s Portfolio of Investments. Only the current day net variation margin for futures contracts is separately reported within the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities. |
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the realized gain (loss) on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
| | | | | | | | |
Risk | | Futures Contracts | | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | |
Interest Rate | | | $(697,714 | ) | | | $— | |
Foreign Exchange | | | — | | | | 32,462 | |
Total | | | $(697,714 | ) | | | $32,462 | |
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
| | | | | | | | |
Risk | | Futures Contracts | | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | |
Interest Rate | | | $41,153 | | | | $— | |
Foreign Exchange | | | — | | | | (347,839 | ) |
Total | | | $41,153 | | | | $(347,839 | ) |
Derivative counterparty credit risk is managed through formal evaluation of the creditworthiness of all potential counterparties. On certain, but not all, uncleared derivatives, the fund attempts to reduce its exposure to counterparty credit risk whenever possible by entering into an ISDA Master Agreement on a bilateral basis. The ISDA Master Agreement gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under such agreement if there is a specified deterioration in the credit quality of the other party. Upon an event of default or a termination of the ISDA Master Agreement, the non-defaulting party has the right to close out all transactions traded under such agreement and to net amounts owed under each agreement to one net amount payable by one party to the other. This right to close out and net payments across all transactions traded under the ISDA Master Agreement could result in a reduction of the fund’s credit risk to such counterparty equal to any amounts payable by the fund under the applicable transactions, if any.
Collateral and margin requirements differ by type of derivative. For cleared derivatives (e.g., futures contracts, cleared swaps, and exchange-traded options), margin requirements are set by the clearing broker and the clearing house and collateral, in the form of cash or securities, is posted by the fund directly with the clearing broker. Collateral terms are counterparty agreement specific for uncleared derivatives (e.g., forward foreign currency exchange contracts, uncleared swap agreements, and uncleared options) and collateral, in the form of cash and securities, is held in segregated accounts with the fund’s custodian in connection with these agreements. For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, which contains a collateral support annex, the collateral requirements are netted across all transactions traded under such counterparty-specific agreement and an amount is posted from one party to the other to collateralize such obligations. Cash that has been segregated or delivered to cover the fund’s collateral or margin obligations under derivative contracts, if any, will be reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as restricted cash for uncleared derivatives and/or deposits with brokers for cleared derivatives. Securities pledged as collateral or margin for the same purpose, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. The fund may be required to make payments of interest on uncovered collateral or margin obligations with the broker. Any such payments are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
Futures Contracts – The fund entered into futures contracts which may be used to hedge against or obtain broad market exposure, interest rate exposure, or to manage duration. A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.
19
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Upon entering into a futures contract, the fund is required to deposit with the broker, either in cash or securities, an initial margin in an amount equal to a specified percentage of the notional amount of the contract. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are made or received by the fund each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract, and are recorded for financial statement purposes as unrealized gain or loss by the fund until the contract is closed or expires at which point the gain or loss on futures contracts is realized.
The fund bears the risk of interest rates or securities prices moving unexpectedly, in which case, the fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the futures contracts and may realize a loss. While futures contracts may present less counterparty risk to the fund since the contracts are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse guarantees payments to the broker, there is still counterparty credit risk due to the insolvency of the broker. The fund’s maximum risk of loss due to counterparty credit risk is equal to the margin posted by the fund to the broker plus any gains or minus any losses on the outstanding futures contracts.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – The fund entered into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for the purchase or sale of a specific foreign currency at a fixed price on a future date. These contracts may be used to hedge the fund’s currency risk or for non-hedging purposes. For hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts to deliver or receive foreign currency that the fund will receive from or use in its normal investment activities. The fund may also use contracts to hedge against declines in the value of foreign currency denominated securities due to unfavorable exchange rate movements. For non-hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts with the intent of changing the relative exposure of the fund’s portfolio of securities to different currencies to take advantage of anticipated exchange rate changes.
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are adjusted by the daily exchange rate of the underlying currency and any unrealized gains or losses are recorded as a receivable or payable for forward foreign currency exchange contracts until the contract settlement date. On contract settlement date, any gain or loss on the contract is recorded as realized gains or losses on forward foreign currency exchange contracts.
Risks may arise upon entering into these contracts from unanticipated movements in the value of the contract and from the potential inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts. Generally, the fund’s maximum risk due to counterparty credit risk is the unrealized gain on the contract due to the use of Continuous Linked Settlement, a multicurrency cash settlement system for the centralized settlement of foreign transactions. This risk is mitigated in cases where there is an ISDA Master Agreement between the fund and the counterparty providing for netting as described above and, where applicable, by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to the fund to cover the fund’s exposure to the counterparty under such ISDA Master Agreement.
Indemnifications – Under the fund’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund’s maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income – Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Some securities may be purchased or sold on an extended settlement basis, which means that the receipt or delivery of the securities by the fund and related payments occur at a future date, usually beyond the customary settlement period. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. All premium and discount is amortized or accreted for financial statement purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed-income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted upward or downward based on the rate of inflation. Interest is accrued based on the principal value, which is adjusted for inflation. Any increase or decrease in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond is generally recorded as an increase or decrease in interest income, respectively, even though the adjusted principal is not received until maturity. Interest payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-interest date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
The fund invests a significant portion of its assets in asset-backed and/or mortgage-backed securities. For these securities, the value of the debt instrument also depends on the credit quality and adequacy of the underlying assets or collateral as well as whether there is a security interest in the underlying assets or collateral. Enforcing rights, if any, against the underlying assets or collateral may be difficult. U.S. Government securities not supported as to the payment of principal or interest by the U.S. Treasury, such as those issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, are subject to greater credit risk than are U.S. Government securities supported by the U.S. Treasury, such as those issued by Ginnie Mae.
The fund may purchase or sell mortgage-backed securities on a “To Be Announced” (TBA) basis. A TBA transaction is subject to extended settlement and typically does not designate the actual security to be delivered, but instead includes an approximate principal amount. The price of the TBA security and the date that it will be settled are fixed at the time the transaction is negotiated.
20
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
The value of the security varies with market fluctuations and no interest accrues to the fund until settlement takes place. TBA purchase and sale commitments are held at carrying amount, which approximates fair value and are categorized as level 2 within the fair value hierarchy and included in TBA purchase and TBA sale commitments in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Losses may arise as a result of changes in the value of the TBA investment prior to settlement date or due to counterparty non-performance. At the time that it enters into a TBA transaction, the fund is required to have sufficient cash and/or liquid securities to cover its commitments.
The fund may also enter into mortgage dollar rolls, typically TBA dollar rolls, in which the fund sells TBA mortgage-backed securities to financial institutions and simultaneously agrees to repurchase similar (same issuer, type and coupon) securities at a later date at an agreed-upon price. During the period between the sale and repurchase, the fund will not be entitled to receive interest and principal payments on the securities sold. The fund accounts for dollar roll transactions as purchases and sales and realizes gains and losses on these transactions. Dollar roll transactions involve the risk that the market value of the securities that the fund is required to purchase may decline below the agreed upon repurchase price of those securities.
To mitigate the counterparty credit risk on TBA transactions, mortgage dollar rolls, and other types of forward settling mortgage-backed and asset-backed security transactions, the fund whenever possible enters into a Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreement (“MSFTA”) on a bilateral basis with each of the counterparties with whom it undertakes a significant volume of transactions. The MSFTA gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under such agreement if there is a specified deterioration in the credit quality of the other party. Upon an event of default or a termination of the MSFTA, the non-defaulting party has the right to close out all transactions traded under such agreement and to net amounts owed under each transaction to one net amount payable by one party to the other. This right to close out and net payments across all transactions traded under the MSFTA could result in a reduction of the fund’s credit risk to such counterparty equal to any amounts payable by the fund under the applicable transactions, if any.
For mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities traded under a MSFTA, the collateral and margining requirements are contract specific. Collateral amounts across all transactions traded under such agreement are netted and an amount is posted from one party to the other to collateralize such obligations. Cash that has been pledged to cover the fund’s collateral or margin obligations under a MSFTA, if any, will be reported separately on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as restricted cash. Securities pledged as collateral or margin for the same purpose, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments.
Tax Matters and Distributions – The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to amortization and accretion of debt securities and wash sale loss deferrals.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | | | $12,348,081 | | | | $13,609,001 | |
21
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
| | | | |
As of 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Cost of investments | | | $440,295,463 | |
Gross appreciation | | | 27,183,358 | |
Gross depreciation | | | (340,999 | ) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | | | $26,842,359 | |
| |
Undistributed ordinary income | | | 9,419,231 | |
Capital loss carryforwards | | | (25,119,051 | ) |
Other temporary differences | | | 347,275 | |
As of December 31, 2020, the fund had capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized gains. These net capital losses may be carried forward indefinitely and their character is retained as short-term and/or long-term losses. Such losses are characterized as follows:
| | | | |
Short-Term | | | $(4,330,533 | ) |
Long-Term | | | (20,788,518 | ) |
Total | | | $(25,119,051 | ) |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest – The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund’s income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Initial Class | | | $8,352,164 | | | | $9,062,869 | |
Service Class | | | 3,995,917 | | | | 4,546,132 | |
Total | | | $12,348,081 | | | | $13,609,001 | |
(3) | | Transactions with Affiliates |
Investment Adviser – The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund’s average daily net assets:
| | | | |
Up to $1 billion | | | 0.55% | |
In excess of $1 billion | | | 0.50% | |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund’s Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $48,401, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.54% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.58% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 0.83% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reduction amounted to $73,256, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations.
Distributor – MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund’s distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
22
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Shareholder Servicing Agent – MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $6,270, which equated to 0.0014% annually of the fund’s average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $546.
Administrator – MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0157% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation – The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other – The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, were as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Purchases | | | Sales | |
U.S. Government securities | | | $648,723,111 | | | | $684,548,469 | |
Non-U.S. Government securities | | | 21,912,095 | | | | 34,073,271 | |
(5) | | Shares of Beneficial Interest |
The fund’s Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
| | | | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Shares | | | Amount | |
Shares sold | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 2,525,329 | | | | $33,014,801 | | | | 537,053 | | | | $6,670,977 | |
Service Class | | | 2,337,906 | | | | 30,171,357 | | | | 1,006,833 | | | | 12,339,768 | |
| | | 4,863,235 | | | | $63,186,158 | | | | 1,543,886 | | | | $19,010,745 | |
| | | | |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 649,974 | | | | $8,352,164 | | | | 720,419 | | | | $9,062,869 | |
Service Class | | | 312,425 | | | | 3,995,917 | | | | 363,110 | | | | 4,546,132 | |
| | | 962,399 | | | | $12,348,081 | | | | 1,083,529 | | | | $13,609,001 | |
| | | | |
Shares reacquired | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (4,567,529 | ) | | | $(58,895,260 | ) | | | (3,080,526 | ) | | | $(38,269,007 | ) |
Service Class | | | (3,392,174 | ) | | | (43,548,795 | ) | | | (2,477,843 | ) | | | (30,538,341 | ) |
| | | (7,959,703 | ) | | | $(102,444,055 | ) | | | (5,558,369 | ) | | | $(68,807,348 | ) |
| | | | |
Net change | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (1,392,226 | ) | | | $(17,528,295 | ) | | | (1,823,054 | ) | | | $(22,535,161 | ) |
Service Class | | | (741,843 | ) | | | (9,381,521 | ) | | | (1,107,900 | ) | | | (13,652,441 | ) |
| | | (2,134,069 | ) | | | $(26,909,816 | ) | | | (2,930,954 | ) | | | $(36,187,602 | ) |
The fund is one of several mutual funds in which certain MFS funds may invest. The MFS funds do not invest in the underlying funds for the purpose of exercising management or control. At the end of the period, the MFS Moderate Allocation Portfolio and the MFS Conservative Allocation Portfolio were the owners of record of approximately 30% and 9%, respectively, of the value of outstanding voting shares of the fund.
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of
23
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $2,445 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) | | Investments in Affiliated Issuers |
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | Beginning Value | | | Purchases | | | Sales Proceeds | | | Realized Gain (Loss) | | | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | | | Ending Value | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | $6,152,047 | | | | $193,622,086 | | | | $163,315,333 | | | | $(2,771 | ) | | | $— | | | | $36,456,029 | |
| | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Dividend Income | | | Capital Gain Distributions | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $91,710 | | | | $— | |
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund’s investments and the fund’s performance.
24
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of MFS Government Securities Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Government Securities Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
25
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS – IDENTIFICATION AND BACKGROUND
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
| | | | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Michael W. Roberge (k)
(age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
|
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
| | | | | |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
| | | | | |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
26
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k)
(age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head –Treasurer’s Office (until February 2017) |
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Thomas H. Connors (k)
(age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
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David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
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Heidi W. Hardin (k)
(age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
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Brian E. Langenfeld (k)
(age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
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Amanda S. Mooradian (k)
(age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
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Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
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Kasey L. Phillips (k)
(age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
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Matthew A. Stowe (k)
(age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
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Martin J. Wolin (k)
(age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
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James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board’s retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
27
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
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Investment Adviser Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Custodian State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
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Distributor MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
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Portfolio Manager(s) Geoffrey Schechter Jake Stone | | |
28
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
BOARD REVIEW OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 2nd quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 1st quintile for each of the one- and three-year periods ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
29
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement – continued
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate and total expense ratio were each higher than the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to a contractual breakpoint that reduces the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $1 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoint and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
30
MFS Government Securities Portfolio
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND INFORMATION
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO DISCLOSURE
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund’s fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
INFORMATION ABOUT FUND CONTRACTS AND LEGAL CLAIMS
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund intends to pass through the maximum amount allowable as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends as defined in Treasury Regulation §1.163(j)-1(b).
31
rev. 3/16
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FACTS | | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? | | |
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Why? | | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
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What? | | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: • Social Security number and account balances • Account transactions and transaction history • Checking account information and wire transfer instructions When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
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How? | | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
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Reasons we can share your personal information | | Does MFS share? | | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | | Yes | | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | | No | | We don’t share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | | No | | We don’t share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | | No | | We don’t share |
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Questions? | | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
32
| | |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
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What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | | We collect your personal information, for example, when you • open an account or provide account information • direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities • make a wire transfer We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can’t I limit all sharing? | | Federal law gives you the right to limit only • sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness • affiliates from using your information to market to you • sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
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Definitions |
Affiliates | | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. • MFS doesn’t jointly market. |
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Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
33
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® High Yield Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
HYS-ANN
MFS® High Yield Portfolio
CONTENTS
The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE • NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS High Yield Portfolio
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
1
MFS High Yield Portfolio
PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION
Portfolio structure (i)
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Top five industries (i) | | | | |
Cable TV | | | 8.5% | |
Medical & Health Technology & Services | | | 6.5% | |
Gaming & Lodging | | | 5.6% | |
Building | | | 4.9% | |
Telecommunications – Wireless | | | 4.6% | |
| | | | |
Composition including fixed income credit quality (a)(i) | |
BBB | | | 0.9% | |
BB | | | 46.1% | |
B | | | 31.6% | |
CCC | | | 15.7% | |
C | | | 0.3% | |
D (o) | | | 0.0% | |
Not Rated | | | 0.3% | |
Non-Fixed Income | | | 0.2% | |
Cash & Cash Equivalents | | | 4.9% | |
Other (o) | | | (0.0)% | |
| |
Portfolio facts (i) | | | | |
Average Duration (d) | | | 2.7 | |
Average Effective Maturity (m) | | | 3.1 yrs. | |
(a) | | For all securities other than those specifically described below, ratings are assigned to underlying securities utilizing ratings from Moody’s, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s rating agencies and applying the following hierarchy: If all three agencies provide a rating, the middle rating (after dropping the highest and lowest ratings) is assigned; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the lower of the two is assigned. If none of the 3 rating agencies above assign a rating, but the security is rated by DBRS Morningstar, then the DBRS Morningstar rating is assigned. Ratings are shown in the S&P and Fitch scale (e.g., AAA). Securities rated BBB or higher are considered investment grade. All ratings are subject to change. Not Rated includes fixed income securities and fixed income derivatives that have not been rated by any rating agency. Non-Fixed Income includes any equity securities (including convertible bonds and equity derivatives) and/or commodity-linked derivatives. The fund may or may not have held all of these instruments on this date. The fund is not rated by these agencies. |
(d) | | Duration is a measure of how much a bond’s price is likely to fluctuate with general changes in interest rates, e.g., if rates rise 1.00%, a bond with a 5-year duration is likely to lose about 5.00% of its value due to the interest rate move. |
(i) | | For purposes of this presentation, the components include the value of securities, and reflect the impact of the equivalent exposure of derivative positions, if any. These amounts may be negative from time to time. Equivalent exposure is a calculated amount that translates the derivative position into a reasonable approximation of the amount of the underlying asset that the portfolio would have to hold at a given point in time to have the same price sensitivity that results from the portfolio’s ownership of the derivative contract. When dealing with derivatives, equivalent exposure is a more representative measure of the potential impact of a position on portfolio performance than value. The bond component will include any accrued interest amounts. |
(m) | | In determining each instrument’s effective maturity for purposes of calculating the fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity, MFS uses the instrument’s stated maturity or, if applicable, an earlier date on which MFS believes it is probable that a maturity-shortening device (such as a put, pre-refunding or prepayment) will cause the instrument to be repaid. Such an earlier date can be substantially shorter than the instrument’s stated maturity. |
Where the fund holds convertible bonds, they are treated as part of the equity portion of the portfolio.
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Other includes equivalent exposure from currency derivatives and/or any offsets to derivative positions and may be negative.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
2
MFS High Yield Portfolio
MANAGEMENT REVIEW
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS High Yield Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 5.09%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 4.85%. These compare with a return of 7.05% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. High-Yield Corporate Bond 2% Issuer Capped Index.
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest – albeit the deepest and steepest – recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public’s willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies – a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Detractors from Performance
Relative to the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. High-Yield Corporate Bond 2% Issuer Capped Index, the fund’s bond selection within the energy, consumer non-cyclicals and technology sectors held back relative performance.
From a quality perspective, security selection within BB rated (r) bonds, and a greater exposure to D rated bonds, weakened relative results.
The fund’s shorter duration (d) stance also hindered relative returns as interest rates generally fell throughout the reporting period.
Top individual detractors for the reporting period included the fund’s overweight exposures to commercial finance services provider Global Aircraft Leasing (financial institutions), petroleum refining company PBF Holding (energy) and crude petroleum and natural gas extraction company Callon Petroleum (h) (energy).
Contributors to Performance
An underweight exposure to the communications, consumer cyclicals and transportation sectors supported relative performance. Additionally, a greater-than-benchmark exposure to the basic industry sector also helped in relative terms.
The fund’s yield curve (y) positioning, particularly the fund’s lesser exposure to shifts in the long end (centered around maturities of 10 or more years) of the yield curve, was another area of relative strength.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
David Cole and Michael Skatrud
3
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Management Review – continued
(d) | Duration is a measure of how much a bond’s price is likely to fluctuate with general changes in interest rates, e.g., if rates rise 1.00%, a bond with a 5-year duration is likely to lose about 5.00% of its value. |
(h) | Security was not held in the portfolio at period end. |
(r) | Bonds rated “BBB”, “Baa”, or higher are considered investment grade; bonds rated “BB”, “Ba”, or below are considered non-investment grade. The sources for bond quality ratings are Moody’s Investors Service, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch, Inc. and are applied using the following hierarchy: If all three agencies provide a rating, the middle rating (after dropping the highest and lowest ratings) is assigned; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the lower of the two is assigned. If none of the 3 Ratings Agencies above assign a rating, but the security is rated by DBRS Morningstar, then the DBRS Morningstar rating is assigned. Ratings are shown in the S&P and Fitch scale (e.g., AAA). For securities that are not rated by any of the four agencies, the security is considered Not Rated. |
(y) | A yield curve graphically depicts the yields of different maturity bonds of the same credit quality and type; a normal yield curve is upward sloping, with short-term rates lower than long-term rates. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
4
MFS High Yield Portfolio
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY THROUGH 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Share Class | | Class Inception Date | | 1-yr | | 5-yr | | 10-yr | | |
| | Initial Class | | 6/12/85 | | 5.09% | | 7.26% | | 5.94% | | |
| | Service Class | | 8/24/01 | | 4.85% | | 7.00% | | 5.66% | | |
| | | | |
Comparative benchmark(s) | | | | | | | | |
| | Bloomberg Barclays U.S. High-Yield Corporate Bond 2% Issuer Capped Index (f) | | 7.05% | | 8.57% | | 6.79% | | |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. High-Yield Corporate Bond 2% Issuer Capped Index (a) – a component of the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. High-Yield Corporate Bond Index, which measures performance of non-investment grade, fixed rate debt. The index limits the maximum exposure to any one issuer to 2%.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(a) | BLOOMBERG® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). BARCLAYS® is a trademark and service mark of Barclays Bank Plc (collectively with its affiliates, “Barclays”), used under license. Bloomberg or Bloomberg’s licensors, including Barclays, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Barclays Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays approves or endorses this material, or guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, or makes any warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained therefrom, and, to the maximum extent allowed by law, neither shall have any liability or responsibility for injury or damages arising in connection therewith. |
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund’s performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
5
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Performance Summary – continued
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
6
MFS High Yield Portfolio
EXPENSE TABLE
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund’s ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Share Class | | | | Annualized Expense Ratio | | | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | | | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | | | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 | |
Initial Class | | Actual | | | 0.72% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,090.91 | | | | $3.78 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 0.72% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,021.52 | | | | $3.66 | |
Service Class | | Actual | | | 0.97% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,090.99 | | | | $5.10 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 0.97% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,020.26 | | | | $4.93 | |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class’s annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
7
MFS High Yield Portfolio
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS – 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – 92.8% | | | | | | | | |
Aerospace – 2.4% | | | | | | | | |
Bombardier, Inc., 7.5%, 3/15/2025 (n) | | $ | 1,603,000 | | | $ | 1,486,782 | |
Bombardier, Inc., 7.875%, 4/15/2027 (n) | | | 800,000 | | | | 735,552 | |
F-Brasile S.p.A./F-Brasile U.S. LLC, 7.375%, 8/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,070,000 | | | | 1,037,900 | |
Moog, Inc., 4.25%, 12/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,295,000 | | | | 1,343,563 | |
TransDigm, Inc., 6.5%, 7/15/2024 | | | 760,000 | | | | 773,467 | |
TransDigm, Inc., 6.25%, 3/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,160,000 | | | | 1,235,400 | |
TransDigm, Inc., 6.375%, 6/15/2026 | | | 985,000 | | | | 1,019,475 | |
TransDigm, Inc., 5.5%, 11/15/2027 | | | 695,000 | | | | 730,654 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 8,362,793 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Asset-Backed & Securitized – 0.0% | | | | | | | | |
CWCapital Cobalt Ltd., CDO, “F”, FLR, 2.291%, (0% cash or 2.291% PIK), (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.3%), 4/26/2050 (a)(n)(p) | | $ | 1,269,382 | | | $ | 127 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Automotive – 2.0% | | | | | | | | |
Adient Global Holdings Ltd., 4.875%, 8/15/2026 (n) | | $ | 960,000 | | | $ | 986,400 | |
Adient U.S. LLC, 7%, 5/15/2026 (n) | | | 90,000 | | | | 97,894 | |
Allison Transmission, Inc., 5.875%, 6/01/2029 (n) | | | 655,000 | | | | 725,413 | |
Dana, Inc., 5.5%, 12/15/2024 | | | 130,000 | | | | 132,600 | |
Dana, Inc., 5.375%, 11/15/2027 | | | 726,000 | | | | 769,560 | |
Dana, Inc., 5.625%, 6/15/2028 | | | 247,000 | | | | 265,952 | |
IAA Spinco, Inc., 5.5%, 6/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,295,000 | | | | 1,372,700 | |
KAR Auction Services, Inc., 5.125%, 6/01/2025 (n) | | | 690,000 | | | | 710,031 | |
Panther BR Aggregator 2 LP/Panther Finance Co., Inc., 8.5%, 5/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,265,000 | | | | 1,374,308 | |
PM General Purchaser LLC, 9.5%, 10/01/2028 (n) | | | 480,000 | | | | 531,600 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 6,966,458 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Broadcasting – 2.8% | | | | | | | | |
CBS Radio, Inc., 7.25%, 11/01/2024 (n) | | $ | 480,000 | | | $ | 478,800 | |
Diamond Sports Group, LLC/Diamond Sports Finance Co., 5.375%, 8/15/2026 (n) | | | 325,000 | | | | 264,063 | |
iHeartCommunications, Inc., 6.375%, 5/01/2026 (n) | | | 640,000 | | | | 684,800 | |
iHeartCommunications, Inc., 8.375%, 5/01/2027 | | | 545,000 | | | | 581,711 | |
iHeartCommunications, Inc., 5.25%, 8/15/2027 (n) | | | 300,000 | | | | 314,250 | |
Netflix, Inc., 5.875%, 2/15/2025 | | | 1,740,000 | | | | 2,001,870 | |
Netflix, Inc., 3.625%, 6/15/2025 (n) | | | 750,000 | | | | 803,055 | |
Netflix, Inc., 5.875%, 11/15/2028 | | | 1,010,000 | | | | 1,210,737 | |
Netflix, Inc., 5.375%, 11/15/2029 (n) | | | 280,000 | | | | 330,050 | |
Nexstar Escrow Corp., 5.625%, 7/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,295,000 | | | | 1,387,269 | |
WMG Acquisition Corp., 3.875%, 7/15/2030 (n) | | | 1,755,000 | | | | 1,865,161 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 9,921,766 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 0.5% | |
LPL Holdings, Inc., 4.625%, 11/15/2027 (n) | | $ | 1,730,000 | | | $ | 1,790,550 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Building – 4.9% | | | | | | | | |
ABC Supply Co., Inc., 5.875%, 5/15/2026 (n) | | $ | 1,145,000 | | | $ | 1,186,506 | |
ABC Supply Co., Inc., 4%, 1/15/2028 (n) | | | 1,440,000 | | | | 1,490,400 | |
Beacon Escrow Corp., 4.875%, 11/01/2025 (n) | | | 1,323,000 | | | | 1,354,421 | |
Core & Main LP, 8.625%, (8.625% cash or 9.375% PIK) 9/15/2024 (n)(p) | | | 490,000 | | | | 501,025 | |
Core & Main LP, 6.125%, 8/15/2025 (n) | | | 953,000 | | | | 985,164 | |
Cornerstone Building Brands, Inc., 8%, 4/15/2026 (n) | | | 835,000 | | | | 878,837 | |
Cornerstone Building Brands, Inc., 6.125%, 1/15/2029 (n) | | | 245,000 | | | | 260,313 | |
CP Atlas Buyer, Inc., 7%, 12/01/2028 (n) | | | 401,000 | | | | 416,038 | |
Interface, Inc., 5.5%, 12/01/2028 (n) | | | 800,000 | | | | 842,000 | |
James Hardie International Finance Ltd., 4.75%, 1/15/2025 (n) | | | 810,000 | | | | 826,200 | |
James Hardie International Finance Ltd., 5%, 1/15/2028 (n) | | | 685,000 | | | | 726,100 | |
LBM Acquisition LLC, 6.25%, 1/15/2029 (n) | | | 605,000 | | | | 629,400 | |
New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc., 6.25%, 3/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,122,000 | | | | 1,150,050 | |
New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc., 9.75%, 7/15/2028 (n) | | | 649,000 | | | | 710,655 | |
Patrick Industries, Inc., 7.5%, 10/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,095,000 | | | | 1,193,550 | |
Specialty Building Products Holdings LLC, 6.375%, 9/30/2026 (n) | | | 680,000 | | | | 720,623 | |
SRM Escrow Issuer LLC, 6%, 11/01/2028 (n) | | | 805,000 | | | | 842,702 | |
Standard Industries, Inc., 4.375%, 7/15/2030 (n) | | | 1,052,000 | | | | 1,125,356 | |
Standard Industries, Inc., 3.375%, 1/15/2031 (n) | | | 510,000 | | | | 512,550 | |
White Cap Buyer LLC, 6.875%, 10/15/2028 (n) | | | 640,000 | | | | 682,400 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 17,034,290 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Business Services – 2.3% | | | | | | | | |
Ascend Learning LLC, 6.875%, 8/01/2025 (n) | | $ | 1,175,000 | | | $ | 1,208,781 | |
Austin BidCo, Inc., 7.125%, 12/15/2028 (n) | | | 160,000 | | | | 167,000 | |
CDK Global, Inc., 4.875%, 6/01/2027 | | | 1,350,000 | | | | 1,424,250 | |
Iron Mountain, Inc., 5.25%, 3/15/2028 (n) | | | 405,000 | | | | 427,392 | |
Iron Mountain, Inc., 5.25%, 7/15/2030 (n) | | | 486,000 | | | | 524,880 | |
Iron Mountain, Inc., REIT, 4.875%, 9/15/2027 (n) | | | 955,000 | | | | 997,975 | |
MSCI, Inc., 4.75%, 8/01/2026 (n) | | | 840,000 | | | | 875,692 | |
Refinitiv U.S. Holdings, Inc., 8.25%, 11/15/2026 (n) | | | 520,000 | | | | 567,450 | |
8
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Business Services – continued | | | | | | | | |
Switch, Ltd., 3.75%, 9/15/2028 (n) | | $ | 864,000 | | | $ | 876,960 | |
Verscend Escrow Corp., 9.75%, 8/15/2026 (n) | | | 855,000 | | | | 926,606 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 7,996,986 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Cable TV – 8.3% | | | | | | | | |
CCO Holdings LLC/CCO Holdings Capital Corp., 5.75%, 2/15/2026 (n) | | $ | 3,020,000 | | | $ | 3,116,187 | |
CCO Holdings LLC/CCO Holdings Capital Corp., 5.875%, 5/01/2027 (n) | | | 2,030,000 | | | | 2,108,662 | |
CCO Holdings LLC/CCO Holdings Capital Corp., 4.75%, 3/01/2030 (n) | | | 2,690,000 | | | | 2,902,510 | |
CCO Holdings LLC/CCO Holdings Capital Corp., 4.5%, 8/15/2030 (n) | | | 810,000 | | | | 859,613 | |
CSC Holdings LLC, 5.5%, 5/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,340,000 | | | | 1,393,600 | |
CSC Holdings LLC, 5.5%, 4/15/2027 (n) | | | 3,660,000 | | | | 3,879,600 | |
CSC Holdings LLC, 5.75%, 1/15/2030 (n) | | | 810,000 | | | | 887,963 | |
DISH DBS Corp., 5.875%, 11/15/2024 | | | 1,050,000 | | | | 1,100,962 | |
DISH DBS Corp., 7.75%, 7/01/2026 | | | 1,055,000 | | | | 1,181,051 | |
Intelsat Jackson Holdings S.A., 5.5%, 8/01/2023 (a)(d) | | | 910,000 | | | | 616,525 | |
Intelsat Jackson Holdings S.A., 9.75%, 7/15/2025 (a)(d)(n) | | | 440,000 | | | | 316,800 | |
LCPR Senior Secured Financing DAC, 6.75%, 10/15/2027 (n) | | | 980,000 | | | | 1,054,725 | |
Sirius XM Holdings, Inc., 4.625%, 7/15/2024 (n) | | | 1,585,000 | | | | 1,642,456 | |
Sirius XM Holdings, Inc., 5.5%, 7/01/2029 (n) | | | 800,000 | | | | 880,250 | |
Telenet Finance Luxembourg S.A., 5.5%, 3/01/2028 (n) | | | 1,800,000 | | | | 1,919,700 | |
Telesat Holdings, Inc., 6.5%, 10/15/2027 (n) | | | 975,000 | | | | 1,018,875 | |
Videotron Ltd., 5.375%, 6/15/2024 (n) | | | 290,000 | | | | 319,725 | |
Videotron Ltd., 5.125%, 4/15/2027 (n) | | | 2,200,000 | | | | 2,334,750 | |
Ziggo Bond Finance B.V., 5.125%, 2/28/2030 (n) | | | 1,515,000 | | | | 1,598,779 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 29,132,733 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Chemicals – 1.4% | | | | | | | | |
Axalta Coating Systems Ltd., 4.75%, 6/15/2027 (n) | | $ | 534,000 | | | $ | 568,042 | |
Consolidated Energy Finance S.A., 6.875%, 6/15/2025 (n) | | | 1,085,000 | | | | 1,099,919 | |
Element Solutions, Inc., 3.875%, 9/01/2028 (n) | | | 817,000 | | | | 840,489 | |
Ingevity Corp., 3.875%, 11/01/2028 (n) | | | 1,020,000 | | | | 1,027,650 | |
SPCM S.A., 4.875%, 9/15/2025 (n) | | | 655,000 | | | | 675,469 | |
Starfruit Finance Co./Starfruit U.S. Holding Co. LLC, 8%, 10/01/2026 (n) | | | 620,000 | | | | 658,750 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 4,870,319 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Computer Software – 0.9% | | | | | |
Camelot Finance S.A., 4.5%, 11/01/2026 (n) | | $ | 1,555,000 | | | $ | 1,623,031 | |
PTC, Inc., 3.625%, 2/15/2025 (n) | | | 1,105,000 | | | | 1,135,976 | |
PTC, Inc., 4%, 2/15/2028 (n) | | | 540,000 | | | | 565,988 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,324,995 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Computer Software – Systems – 1.5% | | | | | |
BY Crown Parent LLC, 4.25%, 1/31/2026 (n) | | $ | 327,000 | | | $ | 335,175 | |
Fair Isaac Corp., 5.25%, 5/15/2026 (n) | | | 2,075,000 | | | | 2,360,312 | |
Fair Isaac Corp., 4%, 6/15/2028 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 263,125 | |
JDA Software Group, Inc., 7.375%, 10/15/2024 (n) | | | 880,000 | | | | 895,400 | |
SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc., 5.5%, 9/30/2027 (n) | | | 1,445,000 | | | | 1,543,289 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 5,397,301 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Conglomerates – 4.2% | | | | | | | | |
Amsted Industries Co., 5.625%, 7/01/2027 (n) | | $ | 1,405,000 | | | $ | 1,492,812 | |
BWX Technologies, Inc., 5.375%, 7/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,745,000 | | | | 1,812,619 | |
BWX Technologies, Inc., 4.125%, 6/30/2028 (n) | | | 348,000 | | | | 362,355 | |
CFX Escrow Corp., 6.375%, 2/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,120,000 | | | | 1,195,600 | |
EnerSys, 5%, 4/30/2023 (n) | | | 1,480,000 | | | | 1,548,450 | |
EnerSys, 4.375%, 12/15/2027 (n) | | | 295,000 | | | | 311,963 | |
Gates Global LLC, 6.25%, 1/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,130,000 | | | | 1,186,500 | |
Granite Holdings U.S. Acquisition Co., 11%, 10/01/2027 (n) | | | 715,000 | | | | 793,650 | |
Griffon Corp., 5.75%, 3/01/2028 | | | 1,195,000 | | | | 1,264,238 | |
MTS Systems Corp., 5.75%, 8/15/2027 (n) | | | 695,000 | | | | 754,214 | |
Stevens Holding Co., Inc., 6.125%, 10/01/2026 (n) | | | 1,030,000 | | | | 1,112,400 | |
TriMas Corp., 4.875%, 10/15/2025 (n) | | | 2,525,000 | | | | 2,588,125 | |
WESCO Distribution, Inc., 7.125%, 6/15/2025 (n) | | | 416,000 | | | | 457,529 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 14,880,455 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Construction – 2.2% | | | | | | | | |
Empire Communities Corp., 7%, 12/15/2025 (n) | | $ | 645,000 | | | $ | 679,740 | |
Mattamy Group Corp., 5.25%, 12/15/2027 (n) | | | 510,000 | | | | 539,325 | |
Mattamy Group Corp., 4.625%, 3/01/2030 (n) | | | 780,000 | | | | 826,800 | |
Shea Homes LP/Shea Homes Funding Corp., 4.75%, 2/15/2028 (n) | | | 1,025,000 | | | | 1,060,875 | |
Taylor Morrison Communities, Inc., 5.875%, 6/15/2027 (n) | | | 330,000 | | | | 373,996 | |
Taylor Morrison Communities, Inc., 5.125%, 8/01/2030 (n) | | | 330,000 | | | | 369,600 | |
Toll Brothers Finance Corp., 4.875%, 11/15/2025 | | | 815,000 | | | | 914,837 | |
Toll Brothers Finance Corp., 4.35%, 2/15/2028 | | | 1,415,000 | | | | 1,570,650 | |
Weekley Homes LLC/Weekley Finance Corp., 4.875%, 9/15/2028 (n) | | | 1,228,000 | | | | 1,283,260 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 7,619,083 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Consumer Products – 1.3% | | | | | | | | |
Coty, Inc., 6.5%, 4/15/2026 (n) | | $ | 1,005,000 | | | $ | 977,282 | |
Energizer Holdings, Inc., 4.375%, 3/31/2029 (n) | | | 810,000 | | | | 838,771 | |
9
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Consumer Products – continued | | | | | | | | |
Mattel, Inc., 6.75%, 12/31/2025 (n) | | $ | 980,000 | | | $ | 1,034,361 | |
Mattel, Inc., 5.875%, 12/15/2027 (n) | | | 546,000 | | | | 606,742 | |
Prestige Brands, Inc., 5.125%, 1/15/2028 (n) | | | 915,000 | | | | 975,619 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 4,432,775 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Consumer Services – 2.2% | | | | | | | | |
Allied Universal Holdco LLC, 6.625%, 7/15/2026 (n) | | $ | 320,000 | | | $ | 341,216 | |
Allied Universal Holdco LLC, 9.75%, 7/15/2027 (n) | | | 885,000 | | | | 964,650 | |
ANGI Group LLC, 3.875%, 8/15/2028 (n) | | | 830,000 | | | | 844,724 | |
Frontdoor, Inc., 6.75%, 8/15/2026 (n) | | | 800,000 | | | | 853,000 | |
Garda World Security Corp., 4.625%, 2/15/2027 (n) | | | 350,000 | | | | 353,500 | |
GW B-CR Security Corp., 9.5%, 11/01/2027 (n) | | | 708,000 | | | | 784,110 | |
Match Group, Inc., 5%, 12/15/2027 (n) | | | 960,000 | | | | 1,020,327 | |
Match Group, Inc., 4.625%, 6/01/2028 (n) | | | 1,250,000 | | | | 1,310,156 | |
Realogy Group LLC, 9.375%, 4/01/2027 (n) | | | 1,220,000 | | | | 1,351,150 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 7,822,833 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Containers – 3.7% | | | | | | | | |
ARD Finance S.A., 6.5%, (6.5% cash or 7.25% PIK) 6/30/2027 (n)(p) | | $ | 960,000 | | | $ | 1,024,800 | |
Ardagh Packaging Finance PLC/Ardagh MP Holdings USA, Inc., 5.25%, 8/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,320,000 | | | | 1,385,749 | |
Berry Global Group, Inc., 4.875%, 7/15/2026 (n) | | | 735,000 | | | | 789,529 | |
Berry Global Group, Inc., 5.625%, 7/15/2027 (n) | | | 515,000 | | | | 553,786 | |
Crown Americas LLC/Crown Americas Capital Corp. IV, 4.5%, 1/15/2023 | | | 892,000 | | | | 941,176 | |
Crown Americas LLC/Crown Americas Capital Corp. V, 4.25%, 9/30/2026 | | | 1,685,000 | | | | 1,857,123 | |
Crown Americas LLC/Crown Americas Capital Corp. VI, 4.75%, 2/01/2026 | | | 610,000 | | | | 632,875 | |
Flex Acquisition Co., Inc., 6.875%, 1/15/2025 (n) | | | 895,000 | | | | 908,425 | |
Greif, Inc., 6.5%, 3/01/2027 (n) | | | 270,000 | | | | 285,525 | |
Reynolds Group, 4%, 10/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,225,000 | | | | 1,255,625 | |
Silgan Holdings, Inc., 4.75%, 3/15/2025 | | | 1,235,000 | | | | 1,255,069 | |
Silgan Holdings, Inc., 4.125%, 2/01/2028 | | | 740,000 | | | | 768,675 | |
Trivium Packaging Finance B.V., 8.5%, 8/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,155,000 | | | | 1,264,725 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 12,923,082 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Electrical Equipment – 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
CommScope Technologies LLC, 6%, 6/15/2025 (n) | | $ | 611,000 | | | $ | 624,747 | |
CommScope Technologies LLC, 5%, 3/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,010,000 | | | | 999,900 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,624,647 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Electronics – 1.6% | | | | | | | | |
Diebold Nixdorf, Inc., 8.5%, 4/15/2024 | | $ | 240,000 | | | $ | 243,000 | |
Diebold Nixdorf, Inc., 9.375%, 7/15/2025 (n) | | | 570,000 | | | | 638,400 | |
Entegris, Inc., 4.625%, 2/10/2026 (n) | | | 1,320,000 | | | | 1,369,500 | |
Entegris, Inc., 4.375%, 4/15/2028 (n) | | | 455,000 | | | | 484,575 | |
Sensata Technologies B.V., 5.625%, 11/01/2024 (n) | | | 745,000 | | | | 832,567 | |
Sensata Technologies B.V., 5%, 10/01/2025 (n) | | | 1,615,000 | | | | 1,796,688 | |
Sensata Technologies, Inc., 4.375%, 2/15/2030 (n) | | | 385,000 | | | | 414,356 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 5,779,086 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Energy – Independent – 3.1% | | | | | | | | |
Apache Corp., 4.875%, 11/15/2027 | | $ | 327,000 | | | $ | 346,620 | |
Apache Corp., 4.375%, 10/15/2028 | | | 1,350,000 | | | | 1,405,323 | |
CNX Resources Corp., 6%, 1/15/2029 (n) | | | 720,000 | | | | 737,629 | |
CrownRock LP/CrownRock Finance, Inc., 5.625%, 10/15/2025 (n) | | | 870,000 | | | | 887,400 | |
EQT Corp., 5%, 1/15/2029 | | | 390,000 | | | | 411,185 | |
Laredo Petroleum, Inc., 10.125%, 1/15/2028 | | | 600,000 | | | | 510,000 | |
Leviathan Bond Ltd., 6.5%, 6/30/2027 (n) | | | 838,000 | | | | 940,655 | |
Magnolia Oil & Gas Operating LLC/Magnolia Oil & Gas Finance Corp., 6%, 8/01/2026 (n) | | | 760,000 | | | | 773,300 | |
Murphy Oil Corp., 6.875%, 8/15/2024 | | | 285,000 | | | | 290,045 | |
Newfield Exploration Co., 5.375%, 1/01/2026 | | | 390,000 | | | | 418,443 | |
Occidental Petroleum Corp., 5.875%, 9/01/2025 | | | 795,000 | | | | 846,675 | |
Occidental Petroleum Corp., 5.5%, 12/01/2025 | | | 565,000 | | | | 589,075 | |
Ovintiv, Inc., 6.5%, 8/15/2034 | | | 310,000 | | | | 358,769 | |
Parsley Energy LLC/Parsley Finance Corp., 5.625%, 10/15/2027 (n) | | | 485,000 | | | | 530,832 | |
Range Resources Corp., 9.25%, 2/01/2026 | | | 245,000 | | | | 256,025 | |
Southwestern Energy Co., 6.45%, 1/23/2025 | | | 462,400 | | | | 479,740 | |
Southwestern Energy Co., 7.5%, 4/01/2026 | | | 755,900 | | | | 792,939 | |
Southwestern Energy Co., 7.75%, 10/01/2027 | | | 205,000 | | | | 221,339 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 10,795,994 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Entertainment – 1.9% | | | | | | | | |
Carnival Corp. PLC, 7.625%, 3/01/2026 (n) | | $ | 400,000 | | | $ | 435,796 | |
Cedar Fair LP/Canada’s Wonderland Co./Magnum Management Corp./Millennium Operations LLC, 5.5%, 5/01/2025 (n) | | | 325,000 | | | | 338,813 | |
Cedar Fair LP/Canada’s Wonderland Co./Magnum Management Corp./Millennium Operations LLC, 5.375%, 4/15/2027 | | | 570,000 | | | | 582,825 | |
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., 5.625%, 3/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,143,000 | | | | 1,171,575 | |
10
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Entertainment – continued | | | | | | | | |
Merlin Entertainments, 5.75%, 6/15/2026 (n) | | $ | 645,000 | | | $ | 677,056 | |
NCL Corp. Ltd., 3.625%, 12/15/2024 (n) | | | 425,000 | | | | 403,750 | |
NCL Corp. Ltd., 10.25%, 2/01/2026 (n) | | | 498,000 | | | | 582,660 | |
NCL Corp. Ltd. , 5.875%, 3/15/2026 (n) | | | 565,000 | | | | 595,369 | |
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., 10.875%, 6/01/2023 (n) | | | 490,000 | | | | 557,561 | |
Six Flags Entertainment Corp., 4.875%, 7/31/2024 (n) | | | 960,000 | | | | 962,774 | |
Six Flags Entertainment Corp., 7%, 7/01/2025 (n) | | | 360,000 | | | | 388,800 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 6,696,979 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Financial Institutions – 3.0% | | | | | | | | |
Avation Capital S.A., 6.5%, 5/15/2021 (n) | | $ | 635,000 | | | $ | 463,550 | |
Avolon Holdings Funding Ltd., 5.125%, 10/01/2023 | | | 750,000 | | | | 802,283 | |
Avolon Holdings Funding Ltd., 3.95%, 7/01/2024 (n) | | | 611,000 | | | | 645,224 | |
Credit Acceptance Corp., 5.125%, 12/31/2024 (n) | | | 1,165,000 | | | | 1,211,600 | |
Freedom Mortgage Corp., 7.625%, 5/01/2026 (n) | | | 645,000 | | | | 682,217 | |
Global Aircraft Leasing Co. Ltd., 6.5%, (6.5% cash or 7.25% PIK) 9/15/2024 (n)(p) | | | 2,416,535 | | | | 2,156,757 | |
Nationstar Mortgage Holdings, Inc., 6%, 1/15/2027 (n) | | | 720,000 | | | | 764,100 | |
Nationstar Mortgage Holdings, Inc., 5.125%, 12/15/2030 (n) | | | 255,000 | | | | 266,531 | |
OneMain Finance Corp., 4%, 9/15/2030 | | | 320,000 | | | | 332,035 | |
OneMain Financial Corp., 6.875%, 3/15/2025 | | | 625,000 | | | | 725,781 | |
OneMain Financial Corp., 7.125%, 3/15/2026 | | | 490,000 | | | | 579,425 | |
Park Aerospace Holdings Ltd., 5.5%, 2/15/2024 (n) | | | 855,000 | | | | 932,367 | |
Springleaf Finance Corp., 8.875%, 6/01/2025 | | | 509,000 | | | | 575,806 | |
Springleaf Finance Corp., 5.375%, 11/15/2029 | | | 410,000 | | | | 461,250 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 10,598,926 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Food & Beverages – 2.5% | | | | | | | | |
Aramark Services, Inc., 6.375%, 5/01/2025 (n) | | $ | 1,120,000 | | | $ | 1,197,000 | |
JBS USA LLC/JBS USA Finance, Inc., 6.75%, 2/15/2028 (n) | | | 1,820,000 | | | | 2,044,770 | |
JBS USA Lux S.A./JBS USA Finance, Inc., 5.5%, 1/15/2030 (n) | | | 570,000 | | | | 654,793 | |
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc., 4.625%, 11/01/2024 (n) | | | 1,485,000 | | | | 1,548,113 | |
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc., 4.875%, 5/15/2028 (n) | | | 265,000 | | | | 295,806 | |
Performance Food Group Co., 5.5%, 10/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,110,000 | | | | 1,171,050 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Food & Beverages – continued | | | | | | | | |
Post Holdings, Inc., 5.625%, 1/15/2028 (n) | | $ | 805,000 | | | $ | 857,325 | |
Post Holdings, Inc., 4.625%, 4/15/2030 (n) | | | 805,000 | | | | 846,828 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 8,615,685 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Gaming & Lodging – 5.5% | | | | | | | | |
Boyd Gaming Corp., 6.375%, 4/01/2026 | | $ | 425,000 | | | $ | 441,494 | |
Boyd Gaming Corp., 4.75%, 12/01/2027 | | | 710,000 | | | | 737,512 | |
Caesars Resort Collection LLC/CRC Finco, Inc., 5.25%, 10/15/2025 (n) | | | 965,000 | | | | 975,219 | |
CCM Merger, Inc., 6.375%, 5/01/2026 (n) | | | 725,000 | | | | 761,250 | |
Churchill Downs, Inc., 5.5%, 4/01/2027 (n) | | | 485,000 | | | | 513,494 | |
Colt Merger Sub, Inc., 5.75%, 7/01/2025 (n) | | | 470,000 | | | | 498,001 | |
Colt Merger Sub, Inc., 8.125%, 7/01/2027 (n) | | | 857,000 | | | | 948,718 | |
Hilton Domestic Operating Co., Inc., 5.125%, 5/01/2026 | | | 1,210,000 | | | | 1,249,325 | |
Hilton Domestic Operating Co., Inc., 3.75%, 5/01/2029 (n) | | | 1,070,000 | | | | 1,115,678 | |
MGM Growth Properties LLC, 4.625%, 6/15/2025 (n) | | | 970,000 | | | | 1,038,870 | |
MGM Growth Properties LLC, 5.75%, 2/01/2027 | | | 415,000 | | | | 465,576 | |
MGM Growth Properties LLC, 3.875%, 2/15/2029 (n) | | | 708,000 | | | | 723,930 | |
MGM Resorts International, 6.75%, 5/01/2025 | | | 980,000 | | | | 1,060,752 | |
Scientific Games Corp., 8.25%, 3/15/2026 (n) | | | 615,000 | | | | 662,724 | |
Scientific Games International, Inc., 7%, 5/15/2028 (n) | | | 465,000 | | | | 499,973 | |
VICI Properties LP, REIT, 4.25%, 12/01/2026 (n) | | | 905,000 | | | | 938,621 | |
VICI Properties LP, REIT, 3.75%, 2/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,200,000 | | | | 1,227,000 | |
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc., 4.375%, 8/15/2028 (n) | | | 200,000 | | | | 207,810 | |
Wyndham Hotels Group LLC, 5.375%, 4/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,580,000 | | | | 1,635,300 | |
Wynn Las Vegas LLC/Wynn Las Vegas Capital Corp., 5.5%, 3/01/2025 (n) | | | 1,090,000 | | | | 1,139,508 | |
Wynn Las Vegas LLC/Wynn Las Vegas | | | | | | | | |
Capital Corp., 5.25%, 5/15/2027 (n) | | | 370,000 | | | | 381,378 | |
Wynn Macau Ltd., 5.5%, 1/15/2026 (n) | | | 575,000 | | | | 598,000 | |
Wynn Macau Ltd., 5.625%, 8/26/2028 (n) | | | 1,028,000 | | | | 1,077,401 | |
Wynn Resorts Finance LLC/Wynn Resorts Capital Corp., 5.125%, 10/01/2029 (n) | | | 445,000 | | | | 466,138 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 19,363,672 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Industrial – 0.3% | | | | | | | | |
Williams Scotsman International, Inc., 4.625%, 8/15/2028 (n) | | $ | 973,000 | | | $ | 1,007,055 | |
| | | | | | | | |
11
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Insurance – Property & Casualty – 1.3% | |
Acrisure LLC/Acrisure Finance, Inc., 7%, 11/15/2025 (n) | | $ | 805,000 | | | $ | 838,045 | |
Alliant Holdings Intermediate LLC, 6.75%, 10/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,250,000 | | | | 1,337,500 | |
AssuredPartners, Inc., 7%, 8/15/2025 (n) | | | 330,000 | | | | 342,029 | |
AssuredPartners, Inc., 5.625%, 1/15/2029 (n) | | | 310,000 | | | | 323,563 | |
GTCR (AP) Finance, Inc., 8%, 5/15/2027 (n) | | | 320,000 | | | | 347,504 | |
Hub International Ltd., 7%, 5/01/2026 (n) | | | 1,355,000 | | | | 1,417,045 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 4,605,686 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Machinery & Tools – 0.2% | | | | | | | | |
Clark Equipment Co., 5.875%, 6/01/2025 (n) | | $ | 819,000 | | | $ | 864,045 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Major Banks – 1.0% | | | | | | | | |
Barclays PLC, 7.875%, 12/29/2049 | | $ | 1,110,000 | | | $ | 1,162,725 | |
Credit Suisse Group AG, 7.25%, 12/31/2099 (n) | | | 1,045,000 | | | | 1,175,869 | |
UBS Group AG, 6.875% to 8/07/2025, FLR (Swap Rate - 5yr. + 4.59%) to 12/29/2049 | | | 1,095,000 | | | | 1,235,708 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,574,302 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 6.2% | |
Acadia Healthcare Co., Inc., 5%, 4/15/2029 (n) | | $ | 810,000 | | | $ | 864,675 | |
AdaptHealth LLC, 4.625%, 8/01/2029 (n) | | | 240,000 | | | | 246,600 | |
Akumin, Inc., 7%, 11/01/2025 (n) | | | 640,000 | | | | 672,000 | |
Avantor Funding, Inc., 4.625%, 7/15/2028 (n) | | | 1,454,000 | | | | 1,537,605 | |
BCPE Cycle Merger Sub II, Inc., 10.625%, 7/15/2027 (n) | | | 610,000 | | | | 674,050 | |
Change Healthcare Holdings, | | | | | | | | |
Inc./Change Healthcare Finance, Inc., 5.75%, 3/01/2025 (n) | | | 725,000 | | | | 739,500 | |
CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc., 6.625%, 2/15/2025 (n) | | | 1,415,000 | | | | 1,489,259 | |
CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc., 8%, 12/15/2027 (n) | | | 190,000 | | | | 206,150 | |
DaVita, Inc., 4.625%, 6/01/2030 (n) | | | 652,000 | | | | 691,120 | |
DaVita, Inc., 3.75%, 2/15/2031 (n) | | | 624,000 | | | | 633,585 | |
Encompass Health Corp., 5.75%, 9/15/2025 | | | 695,000 | | | | 717,588 | |
HCA, Inc., 5.375%, 2/01/2025 | | | 2,610,000 | | | | 2,935,023 | |
HCA, Inc., 5.875%, 2/15/2026 | | | 1,500,000 | | | | 1,725,000 | |
HCA, Inc., 5.625%, 9/01/2028 | | | 320,000 | | | | 378,000 | |
HCA, Inc., 3.5%, 9/01/2030 | | | 950,000 | | | | 1,008,920 | |
HealthSouth Corp., 5.125%, 3/15/2023 | | | 1,010,000 | | | | 1,011,475 | |
Heartland Dental LLC, 8.5%, 5/01/2026 (n) | | | 680,000 | | | | 702,100 | |
IQVIA Holdings, Inc., 5%, 10/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,200,000 | | | | 1,257,000 | |
IQVIA Holdings, Inc., 5%, 5/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,910,000 | | | | 2,030,378 | |
LifePoint Health, Inc., 4.375%, 2/15/2027 (n) | | | 380,000 | | | | 385,700 | |
LifePoint Health, Inc., 5.375%, 1/15/2029 (n) | | | 280,000 | | | | 279,804 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – continued | |
Regional Care/LifePoint Health, Inc., 9.75%, 12/01/2026 (n) | | $ | 1,205,000 | | | $ | 1,328,512 | |
Syneos Health, Inc., 3.625%, 1/15/2029 (n) | | | 391,000 | | | | 392,081 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 21,906,125 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Medical Equipment – 1.1% | | | | | | | | |
Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., 4.375%, 9/15/2027 (n) | | $ | 1,295,000 | | | $ | 1,368,096 | |
Teleflex, Inc., 4.875%, 6/01/2026 | | | 670,000 | | | | 697,665 | |
Teleflex, Inc., 4.625%, 11/15/2027 | | | 1,510,000 | | | | 1,622,812 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,688,573 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Metals & Mining – 4.0% | | | | | | | | |
Arconic Corp., 6%, 5/15/2025 (n) | | $ | 935,000 | | | $ | 998,113 | |
Baffinland Iron Mines Corp./Baffinland Iron Mines LP, 8.75%, 7/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,080,000 | | | | 1,169,100 | |
Big River Steel LLC/BRS Finance Corp., 6.625%, 1/31/2029 (n) | | | 845,000 | | | | 912,600 | |
Compass Minerals International, Inc., 6.75%, 12/01/2027 (n) | | | 960,000 | | | | 1,040,755 | |
First Quantum Minerals Ltd., 6.875%, 3/01/2026 (n) | | | 200,000 | | | | 208,500 | |
First Quantum Minerals Ltd., 6.875%, 10/15/2027 (n) | | | 678,000 | | | | 735,630 | |
Freeport-McMoRan, Inc., 5%, 9/01/2027 | | | 1,015,000 | | | | 1,078,437 | |
Freeport-McMoRan, Inc., 4.375%, 8/01/2028 | | | 655,000 | | | | 695,938 | |
Freeport-McMoRan, Inc., 5.25%, 9/01/2029 | | | 920,000 | | | | 1,023,500 | |
GrafTech Finance, Inc., 4.625%, 12/15/2028 (n) | | | 471,000 | | | | 477,495 | |
Grinding Media, Inc./Moly-Cop AltaSteel Ltd., 7.375%, 12/15/2023 (n) | | | 1,075,000 | | | | 1,091,125 | |
Kaiser Aluminum Corp., 4.625%, 3/01/2028 (n) | | | 1,320,000 | | | | 1,369,500 | |
Novelis Corp., 5.875%, 9/30/2026 (n) | | | 1,480,000 | | | | 1,546,600 | |
Petra Diamonds US$ Treasury PLC, 7.25%, 5/01/2022 (a)(d)(n) | | | 200,000 | | | | 78,000 | |
SunCoke Energy Partners LP/SunCoke Energy Partners Finance Corp., 7.5%, 6/15/2025 (n) | | | 590,000 | | | | 585,693 | |
TMS International Corp., 7.25%, 8/15/2025 (n) | | | 1,020,000 | | | | 1,035,300 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 14,046,286 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Midstream – 4.2% | | | | | | | | |
Cheniere Energy Partners LP, 5.25%, 10/01/2025 | | $ | 2,370,000 | | | $ | 2,432,213 | |
Cheniere Energy Partners LP, 4.5%, 10/01/2029 | | | 314,000 | | | | 332,143 | |
EnLink Midstream Partners LP, 4.85%, 7/15/2026 | | | 640,000 | | | | 620,800 | |
EnLink Midstream Partners LP, 5.625%, 1/15/2028 (n) | | | 712,000 | | | | 727,297 | |
EQM Midstream Partners LP, 6%, 7/01/2025 (n) | | | 248,000 | | | | 271,560 | |
EQM Midstream Partners LP, 6.5%, 7/01/2027 (n) | | | 240,000 | | | | 270,249 | |
12
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Midstream – continued | | | | | | | | |
EQM Midstream Partners LP, 5.5%, 7/15/2028 | | $ | 1,965,000 | | | $ | 2,147,450 | |
Genesis Energy LP/Genesis Energy Finance Corp., 5.625%, 6/15/2024 | | | 290,000 | | | | 282,025 | |
Genesis Energy LP/Genesis Energy Finance Corp., 6.25%, 5/15/2026 | | | 825,500 | | | | 775,367 | |
Genesis Energy LP/Genesis Energy Finance Corp., 8%, 1/15/2027 | | | 80,000 | | | | 79,600 | |
Northriver Midstream Finance LP, 5.625%, 2/15/2026 (n) | | | 1,205,000 | | | | 1,244,524 | |
NuStar Logistics, LP, 5.75%, 10/01/2025 | | | 1,027,000 | | | | 1,093,755 | |
Targa Resources Partners LP/Targa Resources Finance Corp., 5.375%, 2/01/2027 | | | 1,045,000 | | | | 1,097,637 | |
Targa Resources Partners LP/Targa Resources Finance Corp., 6.875%, 1/15/2029 | | | 685,000 | | | | 771,481 | |
Targa Resources Partners LP/Targa Resources Finance Corp., 4.875%, 2/01/2031 (n) | | | 400,000 | | | | 434,000 | |
Western Midstream Operating LP, 5.05%, 2/01/2030 | | | 1,430,000 | | | | 1,590,875 | |
Western Midstream Operation LP, 4.65%, 7/01/2026 | | | 590,000 | | | | 619,140 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 14,790,116 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Municipals – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
Puerto Rico Industrial, Tourist, Educational, Medical & Environmental Control Facilities Financing Authority Rev. (Cogeneration Facilities - AES Puerto Rico Project), 9.12%, 6/01/2022 | | $ | 465,000 | | | $ | 476,625 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Network & Telecom – 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
C&W Senior Financing DAC, 6.875%, 9/15/2027 (n) | | $ | 655,000 | | | $ | 706,660 | |
Front Range BidCo, Inc., 6.125%, 3/01/2028 (n) | | | 835,000 | | | | 883,012 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,589,672 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Oil Services – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
Diamond Offshore Drill Co., 5.7%, 10/15/2039 (a)(d) | | $ | 910,000 | | | $ | 111,475 | |
Ensign Drilling, Inc., 9.25%, 4/15/2024 (n) | | | 530,000 | | | | 318,000 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 429,475 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Oils – 0.2% | | | | | | | | |
PBF Holding Co. LLC/PBF Finance Corp., 7.25%, 6/15/2025 | | $ | 620,000 | | | $ | 401,905 | |
PBF Holding Co. LLC/PBF Finance Corp., 6%, 2/15/2028 | | | 675,000 | | | | 385,594 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 787,499 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Personal Computers & Peripherals – 0.3% | |
NCR Corp., 5%, 10/01/2028 (n) | | $ | 1,055,000 | | | $ | 1,113,025 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Pharmaceuticals – 2.0% | | | | | | | | |
Bausch Health Companies, Inc., 6.125%, 4/15/2025 (n) | | $ | 2,870,000 | | | $ | 2,957,994 | |
Bausch Health Companies, Inc., 5%, 1/30/2028 (n) | | | 785,000 | | | | 808,974 | |
Bausch Health Cos., Inc., 5%, 2/15/2029 (n) | | | 240,000 | | | | 246,768 | |
Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., 3.875%, 8/15/2028 (n) | | | 1,109,000 | | | | 1,148,369 | |
Jaguar Holding Co. II/Pharmaceutical Development LLC, 5%, 6/15/2028 (n) | | | 1,041,000 | | | | 1,111,268 | |
Par Pharmaceutical, Inc., 7.5%, 4/01/2027 (n) | | | 575,000 | | | | 623,875 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 6,897,248 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Pollution Control – 0.9% | | | | | | | | |
GFL Environmental, Inc., 3.75%, 8/01/2025 (n) | | $ | 325,000 | | | $ | 331,500 | |
GFL Environmental, Inc., 8.5%, 5/01/2027 (n) | | | 480,000 | | | | 532,800 | |
GFL Environmental, Inc., 4%, 8/01/2028 (n) | | | 560,000 | | | | 564,200 | |
GFL Environmental, Inc., 3.5%, 9/01/2028 (n) | | | 645,000 | | | | 658,035 | |
Stericycle, Inc., 3.875%, 1/15/2029 (n) | | | 880,000 | | | | 904,200 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,990,735 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Precious Metals & Minerals – 0.2% | | | | | | | | |
IAMGOLD Corp., 5.75%, 10/15/2028 (n) | | $ | 835,000 | | | $ | 847,525 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Printing & Publishing – 0.6% | | | | | | | | |
Cimpress N.V., 7%, 6/15/2026 (n) | | $ | 1,255,000 | | | $ | 1,319,319 | |
Meredith Corp., 6.875%, 2/01/2026 | | | 900,000 | | | | 877,500 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,196,819 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Railroad & Shipping – 0.3% | | | | | | | | |
Watco Cos. LLC/Watco Finance Corp., 6.5%, 6/15/2027 (n) | | $ | 968,000 | | | $ | 1,047,860 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Real Estate – Healthcare – 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
MPT Operating Partnership LP/MPT Financial Co., REIT, 5.25%, 8/01/2026 | | $ | 740,000 | | | $ | 774,780 | |
MPT Operating Partnership LP/MPT Financial Co., REIT, 5%, 10/15/2027 | | | 960,000 | | | | 1,021,200 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,795,980 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Real Estate – Other – 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
InterMed Holdings Ltd., 5.875%, 10/01/2028 (n) | | $ | 710,000 | | | $ | 756,150 | |
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc., REIT, 4.75%, 10/15/2027 (n) | | | 846,000 | | | | 875,610 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,631,760 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Restaurants – 0.3% | | | | | | | | |
Golden Nugget, Inc., 6.75%, 10/15/2024 (n) | | $ | 1,135,000 | | | $ | 1,126,851 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Retailers – 0.6% | | | | | | | | |
L Brands, Inc., 5.25%, 2/01/2028 | | $ | 1,650,000 | | | $ | 1,720,125 | |
L Brands, Inc., 6.625%, 10/01/2030 (n) | | | 405,000 | | | | 450,562 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,170,687 | |
| | | | | | | | |
13
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Specialty Chemicals – 0.3% | | | | | | | | |
Univar Solutions USA, Inc., 5.125%, 12/01/2027 (n) | | $ | 1,040,000 | | | $ | 1,098,500 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Specialty Stores – 0.9% | | | | | | | | |
Group 1 Automotive, Inc., 4%, 8/15/2028 (n) | | $ | 1,183,000 | | | $ | 1,219,413 | |
Penske Automotive Group Co., 5.5%, 5/15/2026 | | | 720,000 | | | | 747,900 | |
PetSmart, Inc., 7.125%, 3/15/2023 (n) | | | 865,000 | | | | 864,697 | |
PetSmart, Inc., 8.875%, 6/01/2025 (n) | | | 290,000 | | | | 297,859 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 3,129,869 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Supermarkets – 0.4% | | | | | | | | |
Albertsons Cos. LLC/Safeway, Inc., 5.75%, 3/15/2025 | | $ | 119,000 | | | $ | 122,570 | |
Albertsons Cos. LLC/Safeway, Inc., 4.625%, 1/15/2027 (n) | | | 1,245,000 | | | | 1,324,369 | |
Albertsons Cos. LLC/Safeway, Inc., 5.875%, 2/15/2028 (n) | | | 80,000 | | | | 87,055 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,533,994 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Telecommunications – Wireless – 4.5% | | | | | |
Altice France S.A., 7.375%, 5/01/2026 (n) | | $ | 1,425,000 | | | $ | 1,499,812 | |
Altice France S.A., 8.125%, 2/01/2027 (n) | | | 1,085,000 | | | | 1,196,223 | |
Altice France S.A., 5.5%, 1/15/2028 (n) | | | 405,000 | | | | 423,432 | |
Altice France S.A., 6%, 2/15/2028 (n) | | | 975,000 | | | | 987,412 | |
Digicel International Finance Ltd., 8.75%, 5/25/2024 (n) | | | 730,000 | | | | 766,500 | |
SBA Communications Corp., 4.875%, 9/01/2024 | | | 1,710,000 | | | | 1,753,998 | |
SBA Communications Corp., 3.875%, 2/15/2027 | | | 754,000 | | | | 791,700 | |
Sprint Capital Corp., 6.875%, 11/15/2028 | | | 1,700,000 | | | | 2,241,416 | |
Sprint Corp., 7.125%, 6/15/2024 | | | 410,000 | | | | 479,450 | |
Sprint Corp., 7.625%, 3/01/2026 | | | 2,450,000 | | | | 3,040,928 | |
T-Mobile USA, Inc., 6.5%, 1/15/2026 | | | 720,000 | | | | 745,200 | |
T-Mobile USA, Inc., 5.375%, 4/15/2027 | | | 1,660,000 | | | | 1,790,576 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 15,716,647 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Tobacco – 0.3% | | | | | | | | |
Vector Group Ltd., 6.125%, 2/01/2025 (n) | | $ | 475,000 | | | $ | 482,966 | |
Vector Group Ltd., 10.5%, 11/01/2026 (n) | | | 495,000 | | | | 533,981 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,016,947 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Utilities – Electric Power – 2.3% | | | | | | | | |
Clearway Energy Operating LLC, 5.75%, 10/15/2025 | | $ | 2,335,000 | | | $ | 2,457,587 | |
Clearway Energy Operating LLC, 4.75%, 3/15/2028 (n) | | | 465,000 | | | | 498,713 | |
NextEra Energy Operating Co., 4.25%, 9/15/2024 (n) | | | 146,000 | | | | 156,220 | |
NextEra Energy Operating Co., 4.5%, 9/15/2027 (n) | | | 640,000 | | | | 716,333 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Utilities – Electric Power – continued | |
NextEra Energy, Inc., 4.25%, 7/15/2024 (n) | | $ | 768,000 | | | $ | 821,760 | |
PG&E Corp., 5%, 7/01/2028 | | | 1,350,000 | | | | 1,437,750 | |
TerraForm Global Operating LLC, 6.125%, 3/01/2026 (n) | | | 650,000 | | | | 664,625 | |
TerraForm Power Operating Co., 5%, 1/31/2028 (n) | | | 1,270,000 | | | | 1,427,035 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 8,180,023 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Bonds (Identified Cost, $314,851,969) | | | | | | $ | 326,211,464 | |
| | | | | | | | |
|
FLOATING RATE LOANS (r) – 0.7% | |
Broadcasting – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc., Term Loan B4, 2.904%, 9/18/2026 | | $ | 289,883 | | | $ | 287,628 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Cable TV – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
CSC Holdings LLC, Term Loan B5, 2.658%, 4/15/2027 | | $ | 333,480 | | | $ | 330,145 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Chemicals – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
Axalta Coating Systems U.S. Holdings, Inc., Term Loan B3, 2.003%, 6/01/2024 | | $ | 275,831 | | | $ | 273,246 | |
Element Solutions, Inc., Term Loan B1, 2.146%, 1/31/2026 | | | 331,800 | | | | 328,067 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 601,313 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Computer Software – Systems – 0.1% | |
SS&C Technologies, Inc., Term Loan B5, 1.896%, 4/16/2025 | | $ | 331,673 | | | $ | 327,895 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 0.2% | | | | | |
DaVita Healthcare Partners, Inc., Term Loan B, 1.896%, 8/12/2026 | | $ | 331,808 | | | $ | 328,767 | |
Jaguar Holding Co. II, Term Loan, 3.5%, 8/18/2022 | | | 331,614 | | | | 331,116 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 659,883 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Pharmaceuticals – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
Bausch Health Companies, Inc., Term Loan B, 2.898%, 11/27/2025 | | $ | 288,000 | | | $ | 285,120 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Floating Rate Loans (Identified Cost, $2,520,828) | | | | | | $ | 2,491,984 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
COMMON STOCKS – 0.2% | | | | | | | | |
Construction – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
ICA Tenedora, S.A. de C.V. (a) | | | 147,380 | | | $ | 303,646 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Oil Services – 0.1% | | | | | | | | |
LTRI Holdings LP (a)(u) | | | 1,115 | | | $ | 315,010 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Common Stocks (Identified Cost, $449,400) | | | | | | $ | 618,656 | |
| | | | | | | | |
14
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Strike Price | | | First Exercise | | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
WARRANTS – 0.0% | | | | | | | | | |
Forest & Paper Products – 0.0% | | | | | | | | | |
Appvion Holdings Corp. - Tranche A (1 share for 1 warrant, Expiration 6/13/23) (a) | | $ | 27.17 | | | | 8/24/18 | | | | 670 | | | $ | 0 | |
Appvion Holdings Corp. - Tranche B (1 share for 1 warrant, Expiration 6/13/23) (a) | | | 31.25 | | | | 8/24/18 | | | | 670 | | | | 0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total Warrants (Identified Cost, $0) | | | | | | | | | | | $ | 0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
INVESTMENT COMPANIES (h) – 4.4% | | | | | |
Money Market Funds – 4.4% | | | | | | | | | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $15,435,526) | | | | 15,433,544 | | | $ | 15,433,544 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
OTHER ASSETS, LESS LIABILITIES – 1.9% | | | | | | | | 6,536,617 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
NET ASSETS – 100.0% | | | | | | | | | | | $ | 351,292,265 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(a) | | Non-income producing security. |
(h) | | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund’s investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $15,433,544 and $329,322,104, respectively. |
(n) | | Securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities may be sold in the ordinary course of business in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At period end, the aggregate value of these securities was $241,501,209, representing 68.7% of net assets. |
(p) | | Payment-in-kind (PIK) security for which interest income may be received in additional securities and/or cash. |
(r) | | The remaining maturities of floating rate loans may be less than the stated maturities shown as a result of contractual or optional prepayments by the borrower. Such prepayments cannot be predicted with certainty. These loans may be subject to restrictions on resale. The interest rate shown represents the weighted average of the floating interest rates on settled contracts within the loan facility at period end, unless otherwise indicated. The floating interest rates on settled contracts are determined periodically by reference to a base lending rate and a spread. |
(u) | | The security was valued using significant unobservable inputs and is considered level 3 under the fair value hierarchy. For further information about the fund’s level 3 holdings, please see Note 2 in the Notes to Financial Statements. |
(v) | | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined:
CDO | | Collateralized Debt Obligation |
FLR | | Floating Rate. Interest rate resets periodically based on the parenthetically disclosed reference rate plus a spread (if any). The period-end rate reported may not be the current rate. All reference rates are USD unless otherwise noted. |
LIBOR | | London Interbank Offered Rate |
REIT | | Real Estate Investment Trust |
See Notes to Financial Statements
15
MFS High Yield Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
| | | | |
At 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Assets | | | | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $317,822,197) | | | $329,322,104 | |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $15,435,526) | | | 15,433,544 | |
Cash | | | 1,696,195 | |
Receivables for | | | | |
Investments sold | | | 663,418 | |
Fund shares sold | | | 37,138 | |
Interest | | | 4,762,178 | |
Receivable from investment adviser | | | 973 | |
Other assets | | | 2,036 | |
Total assets | | | $351,917,586 | |
| |
Liabilities | | | | |
Payables for | | | | |
Investments purchased | | | $400,000 | |
Fund shares reacquired | | | 126,740 | |
Payable to affiliates | | | | |
Administrative services fee | | | 285 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 59 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 562 | |
Payable for independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 170 | |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | | | 97,505 | |
Total liabilities | | | $625,321 | |
Net assets | | | $351,292,265 | |
| |
Net assets consist of | | | | |
Paid-in capital | | | $369,987,027 | |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | | | (18,694,762 | ) |
Net assets | | | $351,292,265 | |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | | | 61,926,441 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| | Net assets | | | Shares outstanding | | | Net asset value per share | |
Initial Class | | | $310,121,238 | | | | 54,588,057 | | | | $5.68 | |
Service Class | | | 41,171,027 | | | | 7,338,384 | | | | 5.61 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
16
MFS High Yield Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
| | | | |
Year ended 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Net investment income (loss) | | | | |
Income | | | | |
Interest | | | $17,638,410 | |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | | | 45,338 | |
Other | | | 41,960 | |
Dividends | | | 37,620 | |
Total investment income | | | $17,763,328 | |
Expenses | | | | |
Management fee | | | $2,381,264 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 100,059 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 11,887 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 55,744 | |
Independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 8,506 | |
Custodian fee | | | 21,750 | |
Shareholder communications | | | 46,793 | |
Audit and tax fees | | | 81,788 | |
Legal fees | | | 1,527 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 41,855 | |
Total expenses | | | $2,751,173 | |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | | | (198,828 | ) |
Net expenses | | | $2,552,345 | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $15,210,983 | |
| |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $(2,132,194 | ) |
Affiliated issuers | | | (673 | ) |
Futures contracts | | | (332,137 | ) |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | (6,595 | ) |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | $(2,471,599 | ) |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $2,247,629 | |
Affiliated issuers | | | (1,312 | ) |
Futures contracts | | | (40,871 | ) |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | (2,136 | ) |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | $2,203,310 | |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | $(268,289 | ) |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $14,942,694 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
17
MFS High Yield Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | |
Change in net assets | | | | | | | | |
| | |
From operations | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $15,210,983 | | | | $17,746,085 | |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | (2,471,599 | ) | | | (2,588,107 | ) |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | 2,203,310 | | | | 36,286,247 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $14,942,694 | | | | $51,444,225 | |
Total distributions to shareholders | | | $(18,798,097 | ) | | | $(20,865,110 | ) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | | | $(13,092,189 | ) | | | $(27,715,069 | ) |
Total change in net assets | | | $(16,947,592 | ) | | | $2,864,046 | |
| | |
Net assets | | | | | | | | |
At beginning of period | | | 368,239,857 | | | | 365,375,811 | |
At end of period | | | $351,292,265 | | | | $368,239,857 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
18
MFS High Yield Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund’s financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | �� | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $5.72 | | | | $5.28 | | | | $5.77 | | | | $5.78 | | | | $5.43 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.25 | | | | $0.27 | | | | $0.28 | | | | $0.28 | | | | $0.32 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 0.03 | (g) | | | 0.50 | | | | (0.45 | ) | | | 0.10 | | | | 0.42 | |
Total from investment operations | | | $0.28 | | | | $0.77 | | | | $(0.17 | ) | | | $0.38 | | | | $0.74 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.32 | ) | | | $(0.33 | ) | | | $(0.32 | ) | | | $(0.39 | ) | | | $(0.39 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $5.68 | | | | $5.72 | | | | $5.28 | | | | $5.77 | | | | $5.78 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 5.09 | | | | 14.81 | | | | (3.08 | ) | | | 6.69 | | | | 13.82 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 0.78 | | | | 0.77 | | | | 0.77 | | | | 0.78 | | | | 0.76 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 0.72 | | | | 0.72 | | | | 0.72 | | | | 0.72 | | | | 0.70 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 4.50 | | | | 4.78 | | | | 4.91 | | | | 4.78 | | | | 5.60 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 54 | | | | 59 | | | | 40 | | | | 49 | | | | 41 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $310,121 | | | | $324,544 | | | | $320,380 | | | | $384,393 | | | | $404,118 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Service Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $5.65 | | | | $5.22 | | | | $5.70 | | | | $5.72 | | | | $5.37 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.23 | | | | $0.25 | | | | $0.26 | | | | $0.26 | | | | $0.30 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 0.03 | (g) | | | 0.49 | | | | (0.43 | ) | | | 0.10 | | | | 0.43 | |
Total from investment operations | | | $0.26 | | | | $0.74 | | | | $(0.17 | ) | | | $0.36 | | | | $0.73 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.30 | ) | | | $(0.31 | ) | | | $(0.31 | ) | | | $(0.38 | ) | | | $(0.38 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $5.61 | | | | $5.65 | | | | $5.22 | | | | $5.70 | | | | $5.72 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 4.85 | | | | 14.44 | | | | (3.24 | ) | | | 6.31 | | | | 13.64 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 1.03 | | | | 1.02 | | | | 1.02 | | | | 1.03 | | | | 1.02 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 0.97 | | | | 0.97 | | | | 0.97 | | | | 0.97 | | | | 0.95 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 4.25 | | | | 4.54 | | | | 4.66 | | | | 4.54 | | | | 5.36 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 54 | | | | 59 | | | | 40 | | | | 49 | | | | 41 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $41,171 | | | | $43,696 | | | | $44,995 | | | | $58,499 | | | | $69,189 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
19
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Financial Highlights – continued
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(g) | The per share amount varies from the net realized and unrealized gain/loss for the period because of the timing of sales of fund shares and the per share amount of realized and unrealized gains and losses at such time. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
20
MFS High Yield Portfolio
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1) | | Business and Organization |
MFS High Yield Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services – Investment Companies.
(2) | | Significant Accounting Policies |
General – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued. The fund invests in high-yield securities rated below investment grade. Investments in below investment grade quality securities can involve a substantially greater risk of default or can already be in default, and their values can decline significantly. Below investment grade quality securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general, than higher quality debt instruments. The fund invests in foreign securities. Investments in foreign securities are vulnerable to the effects of changes in the relative values of the local currency and the U.S. dollar and to the effects of changes in each country’s market, economic, industrial, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund’s investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting – The fund’s accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund’s right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations – Equity securities, including restricted equity securities, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Debt instruments and floating rate loans, including restricted debt instruments, are generally valued at an evaluated or composite bid as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Futures contracts are generally valued at last posted settlement price on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Futures contracts for which there were no trades that day for a particular position are generally valued at the closing bid quotation on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are generally valued at the mean of bid and asked prices for the time period interpolated from rates provided by a third-party pricing service for proximate time periods. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
21
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund’s assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund’s assets or liabilities:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Financial Instruments | | Level 1 | | | Level 2 | | | Level 3 | | | Total | |
Equity Securities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
United States | | | $— | | | | $0 | | | | $315,010 | | | | $315,010 | |
Mexico | | | — | | | | 303,646 | | | | — | | | | 303,646 | |
Municipal Bonds | | | — | | | | 476,625 | | | | — | | | | 476,625 | |
U.S. Corporate Bonds | | | — | | | | 279,458,749 | | | | — | | | | 279,458,749 | |
Asset-Backed Securities (including CDOs) | | | — | | | | 127 | | | | — | | | | 127 | |
Foreign Bonds | | | — | | | | 46,275,963 | | | | — | | | | 46,275,963 | |
Floating Rate Loans | | | — | | | | 2,491,984 | | | | — | | | | 2,491,984 | |
Mutual Funds | | | 15,433,544 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 15,433,544 | |
Total | | | $15,433,544 | | | | $329,007,094 | | | | $315,010 | | | | $344,755,648 | |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
The following is a reconciliation of level 3 assets for which significant unobservable inputs were used to determine fair value. The table presents the activity of level 3 securities held at the beginning and the end of the period.
| | | | |
| | Equity Securities | |
Balance as of 12/31/19 | | | $590,281 | |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | | | (275,271 | ) |
Balance as of 12/31/20 | | | $315,010 | |
The net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation from investments held as level 3 at December 31, 2020 is $(275,271). At December 31, 2020, the fund held one level 3 security.
Foreign Currency Translation – Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
22
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Derivatives – The fund uses derivatives primarily to increase or decrease exposure to a particular market or segment of the market, or security, to increase or decrease interest rate exposure, or as alternatives to direct investments. Derivatives are used for hedging or non-hedging purposes. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. When the fund uses derivatives as an investment to increase market exposure, or for hedging purposes, gains and losses from derivative instruments may be substantially greater than the derivative’s original cost.
The derivative instruments used by the fund during the period were futures contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts. Depending on the type of derivative, the fund may exit a derivative position by entering into an offsetting transaction with a counterparty or exchange, negotiating an agreement with the derivative counterparty, or novating the position to a third party. At December 31, 2020, the fund did not have any outstanding derivative instruments.
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the realized gain (loss) on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
| | | | | | | | |
Risk | | Futures Contracts | | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | |
Interest Rate | | | $(332,137 | ) | | | $— | |
Foreign Exchange | | | — | | | | (6,595 | ) |
Total | | | $(332,137 | ) | | | $(6,595 | ) |
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
| | | | | | | | |
Risk | | Futures Contracts | | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | |
Interest Rate | | | $(40,871 | ) | | | $— | |
Foreign Exchange | | | — | | | | (2,136 | ) |
Total | | | $(40,871 | ) | | | $(2,136 | ) |
Derivative counterparty credit risk is managed through formal evaluation of the creditworthiness of all potential counterparties. On certain, but not all, uncleared derivatives, the fund attempts to reduce its exposure to counterparty credit risk whenever possible by entering into an ISDA Master Agreement on a bilateral basis. The ISDA Master Agreement gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under such agreement if there is a specified deterioration in the credit quality of the other party. Upon an event of default or a termination of the ISDA Master Agreement, the non-defaulting party has the right to close out all transactions traded under such agreement and to net amounts owed under each agreement to one net amount payable by one party to the other. This right to close out and net payments across all transactions traded under the ISDA Master Agreement could result in a reduction of the fund’s credit risk to such counterparty equal to any amounts payable by the fund under the applicable transactions, if any.
Collateral and margin requirements differ by type of derivative. For cleared derivatives (e.g., futures contracts, cleared swaps, and exchange-traded options), margin requirements are set by the clearing broker and the clearing house and collateral, in the form of cash or securities, is posted by the fund directly with the clearing broker. Collateral terms are counterparty agreement specific for uncleared derivatives (e.g., forward foreign currency exchange contracts, uncleared swap agreements, and uncleared options) and collateral, in the form of cash and securities, is held in segregated accounts with the fund’s custodian in connection with these agreements. For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, which contains a collateral support annex, the collateral requirements are netted across all transactions traded under such counterparty-specific agreement and an amount is posted from one party to the other to collateralize such obligations. Cash that has been segregated or delivered to cover the fund’s collateral or margin obligations under derivative contracts, if any, will be reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as restricted cash for uncleared derivatives and/or deposits with brokers for cleared derivatives. Securities pledged as collateral or margin for the same purpose, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. The fund may be required to make payments of interest on uncovered collateral or margin obligations with the broker. Any such payments are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
Futures Contracts – The fund entered into futures contracts which may be used to hedge against or obtain broad market exposure, interest rate exposure, currency exposure, or to manage duration. A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.
23
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Upon entering into a futures contract, the fund is required to deposit with the broker, either in cash or securities, an initial margin in an amount equal to a specified percentage of the notional amount of the contract. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are made or received by the fund each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract, and are recorded for financial statement purposes as unrealized gain or loss by the fund until the contract is closed or expires at which point the gain or loss on futures contracts is realized.
The fund bears the risk of interest rates, exchange rates or securities prices moving unexpectedly, in which case, the fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the futures contracts and may realize a loss. While futures contracts may present less counterparty risk to the fund since the contracts are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse guarantees payments to the broker, there is still counterparty credit risk due to the insolvency of the broker. The fund’s maximum risk of loss due to counterparty credit risk is equal to the margin posted by the fund to the broker plus any gains or minus any losses on the outstanding futures contracts.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – The fund entered into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for the purchase or sale of a specific foreign currency at a fixed price on a future date. These contracts may be used to hedge the fund’s currency risk or for non-hedging purposes. For hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts to deliver or receive foreign currency that the fund will receive from or use in its normal investment activities. The fund may also use contracts to hedge against declines in the value of foreign currency denominated securities due to unfavorable exchange rate movements. For non-hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts with the intent of changing the relative exposure of the fund’s portfolio of securities to different currencies to take advantage of anticipated exchange rate changes.
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are adjusted by the daily exchange rate of the underlying currency and any unrealized gains or losses are recorded as a receivable or payable for forward foreign currency exchange contracts until the contract settlement date. On contract settlement date, any gain or loss on the contract is recorded as realized gains or losses on forward foreign currency exchange contracts.
Risks may arise upon entering into these contracts from unanticipated movements in the value of the contract and from the potential inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts. Generally, the fund’s maximum risk due to counterparty credit risk is the unrealized gain on the contract due to the use of Continuous Linked Settlement, a multicurrency cash settlement system for the centralized settlement of foreign transactions. This risk is mitigated in cases where there is an ISDA Master Agreement between the fund and the counterparty providing for netting as described above and, where applicable, by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to the fund to cover the fund’s exposure to the counterparty under such ISDA Master Agreement.
Loans and Other Direct Debt Instruments – The fund invests in loans and loan participations or other receivables. These investments may include standby financing commitments, including revolving credit facilities, which contractually obligate the fund to supply additional cash to the borrower on demand. The fund generally provides this financial support in order to preserve its existing investment or to obtain a more senior secured interest in the assets of the borrower. Loan participations involve a risk of insolvency of the lending bank or other financial intermediary.
Indemnifications – Under the fund’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund’s maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income – Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. All premium and discount is amortized or accreted for financial statement purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The fund earns certain fees in connection with its floating rate loan purchasing activities. These fees are in addition to interest payments earned and may include amendment fees, commitment fees, facility fees, consent fees, and prepayment fees. Commitment fees are recorded on an accrual basis as income in the accompanying financial statements. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend and interest payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend or ex-interest date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date. Debt obligations may be placed on non-accrual status or set to accrue at a rate of interest less than the contractual coupon when the collection of all or a portion of interest has become doubtful. Interest income for those debt obligations may be further reduced by the write-off of the related interest receivables when deemed uncollectible.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
24
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Tax Matters and Distributions – The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to amortization and accretion of debt securities.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | | | $18,798,097 | | | | $20,865,110 | |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
| | | | |
As of 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Cost of investments | | | $334,808,139 | |
Gross appreciation | | | 14,170,247 | |
Gross depreciation | | | (4,222,738 | ) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | | | $9,947,509 | |
| |
Undistributed ordinary income | | | 16,799,721 | |
Capital loss carryforwards | | | (45,441,992 | ) |
As of December 31, 2020, the fund had capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized gains. These net capital losses may be carried forward indefinitely and their character is retained as short-term and/or long-term losses. Such losses are characterized as follows:
| | | | |
Short-Term | | | $(852,156 | ) |
Long-Term | | | (44,589,836 | ) |
Total | | | $(45,441,992 | ) |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest – The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund’s income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Initial Class | | | $16,642,508 | | | | $18,456,699 | |
Service Class | | | 2,155,589 | | | | 2,408,411 | |
Total | | | $18,798,097 | | | | $20,865,110 | |
(3) | | Transactions with Affiliates |
Investment Adviser – The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund’s average daily net assets:
| | | | |
Up to $1 billion | | | 0.70% | |
In excess of $1 billion | | | 0.65% | |
25
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund’s Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $37,358, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.69% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.72% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 0.97% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reduction amounted to $161,470, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations.
Distributor – MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund’s distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
Shareholder Servicing Agent – MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $10,743, which equated to 0.0032% annually of the fund’s average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $1,144.
Administrator – MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0164% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation – The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other – The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, aggregated $177,446,538 and $206,544,794, respectively.
(5) | | Shares of Beneficial Interest |
The fund’s Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
| | | | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Shares | | | Amount | |
Shares sold | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 3,732,526 | | | | $20,503,790 | | | | 2,053,865 | | | | $11,580,419 | |
Service Class | | | 890,297 | | | | 4,876,990 | | | | 265,271 | | | | 1,483,768 | |
| | | 4,622,823 | | | | $25,380,780 | | | | 2,319,136 | | | | $13,064,187 | |
| | | | |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 3,048,078 | | | | $16,642,508 | | | | 3,331,534 | | | | $18,456,699 | |
Service Class | | | 399,183 | | | | 2,155,589 | | | | 439,491 | | | | 2,408,411 | |
| | | 3,447,261 | | | | $18,798,097 | | | | 3,771,025 | | | | $20,865,110 | |
26
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
| | | | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Shares | | | Amount | |
Shares reacquired | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (8,904,252 | ) | | | $(48,212,643 | ) | | | (9,345,642 | ) | | | $(52,708,332 | ) |
Service Class | | | (1,679,808 | ) | | | (9,058,423 | ) | | | (1,599,874 | ) | | | (8,936,034 | ) |
| | | (10,584,060 | ) | | | $(57,271,066 | ) | | | (10,945,516 | ) | | | $(61,644,366 | ) |
| | | | |
Net change | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (2,123,648 | ) | | | $(11,066,345 | ) | | | (3,960,243 | ) | | | $(22,671,214 | ) |
Service Class | | | (390,328 | ) | | | (2,025,844 | ) | | | (895,112 | ) | | | (5,043,855 | ) |
| | | (2,513,976 | ) | | | $(13,092,189 | ) | | | (4,855,355 | ) | | | $(27,715,069 | ) |
The fund is one of several mutual funds in which certain MFS funds may invest. The MFS funds do not invest in the underlying funds for the purpose of exercising management or control. At the end of the period, the MFS Moderate Allocation Portfolio, the MFS Conservative Allocation Portfolio, and the MFS Growth Allocation Portfolio were the owners of record of approximately 20%, 6%, and 5%, respectively, of the value of outstanding voting shares of the fund.
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $1,904 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) | | Investments in Affiliated Issuers |
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | Beginning Value | | | Purchases | | | Sales Proceeds | | | Realized Gain (Loss) | | | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | | | Ending Value | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | $5,851,487 | | | | $100,170,172 | | | | $90,586,130 | | | | $(673 | ) | | | $(1,312 | ) | | | $15,433,544 | |
| | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Dividend Income | | | Capital Gain Distributions | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $45,338 | | | | $— | |
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund’s investments and the fund’s performance.
27
MFS High Yield Portfolio
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of
MFS High Yield Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS High Yield Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian, brokers and agent banks; when replies were not received from brokers and agent banks, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
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MFS High Yield Portfolio
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS – IDENTIFICATION AND BACKGROUND
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
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Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
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Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
|
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
| | | | | |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
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Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
29
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head – Treasurer’s Office (until February 2017) |
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Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
| | | | |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
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Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
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Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
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Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
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Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
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Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
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James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board’s retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
30
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
| | |
Investment Adviser Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Custodian State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
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Distributor MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
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Portfolio Manager(s) David Cole Michael Skatrud | | |
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| | |
31
MFS High Yield Portfolio
BOARD REVIEW OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
MFS High Yield Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 3rd quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 2nd quintile for the one-year period and the 3rd quintile for the three-year period ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course
32
MFS High Yield Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement – continued
of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate was higher than the Broadridge expense group median and the Fund’s total expense ratio was approximately at the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to a contractual breakpoint that reduces the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $1 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoint and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
33
MFS High Yield Portfolio
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND INFORMATION
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO DISCLOSURE
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund’s fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
INFORMATION ABOUT FUND CONTRACTS AND LEGAL CLAIMS
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund intends to pass through the maximum amount allowable as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends as defined in Treasury Regulation §1.163(j)-1(b).
34
rev. 3/16
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FACTS | | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? | | |
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Why? | | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
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What? | | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: • Social Security number and account balances • Account transactions and transaction history • Checking account information and wire transfer instructions When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
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How? | | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
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Reasons we can share your personal information | | Does MFS share? | | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | | Yes | | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | | No | | We don’t share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | | No | | We don’t share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | | No | | We don’t share |
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Questions? | | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
35
| | |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
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What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | | We collect your personal information, for example, when you • open an account or provide account information • direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities • make a wire transfer We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can’t I limit all sharing? | | Federal law gives you the right to limit only • sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness • affiliates from using your information to market to you • sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
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Definitions |
Affiliates | | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. • MFS doesn’t jointly market. |
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Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
36
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® International
Growth Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
MFS® International Growth Portfolio
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The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE •
NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Portfolio structure
Top ten holdings
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., ADR | 4.9% |
Nestle S.A. | 4.7% |
Roche Holding AG | 4.3% |
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE | 4.0% |
AIA Group Ltd. | 3.7% |
SAP SE | 3.4% |
Novartis AG | 3.0% |
Schneider Electric SE | 2.9% |
Tencent Holdings Ltd. | 2.8% |
Linde PLC | 2.5% |
GICS equity sectors (g)
Consumer Staples | 17.1% |
Information Technology | 16.5% |
Consumer Discretionary | 13.9% |
Industrials | 13.7% |
Health Care | 12.5% |
Financials | 9.7% |
Materials | 9.5% |
Communication Services | 4.7% |
Energy | 0.6% |
Utilities | 0.6% |
Issuer country weightings (x)
France | 19.2% |
Switzerland | 13.2% |
Germany | 7.6% |
United Kingdom | 7.5% |
Canada | 7.4% |
Japan | 7.1% |
Taiwan | 6.3% |
China | 5.5% |
United States | 5.3% |
Other Countries | 20.9% |
Currency exposure weightings (y)
Euro | 33.1% |
Swiss Franc | 13.1% |
British Pound Sterling | 8.9% |
Hong Kong Dollar | 8.8% |
Japanese Yen | 7.1% |
Taiwan Dollar | 6.3% |
United States Dollar | 5.8% |
Canadian Dollar | 5.0% |
Indian Rupee | 4.4% |
Other Currencies | 7.5% |
(g) | The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) was developed by and/or is the exclusive property of MSCI, Inc. and S&P Global Market Intelligence Inc. (“S&P Global Market Intelligence”). GICS is a service mark of MSCI and S&P Global Market Intelligence and has been licensed for use by MFS. MFS has applied its own internal sector/industry classification methodology for equity securities and non-equity securities that are unclassified by GICS. |
(x) | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to issuer countries as a percentage of a portfolio’s net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States includes Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
(y) | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to a particular currency as a percentage of a portfolio's net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States Dollar includes Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Management Review
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS International Growth Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 15.84%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 15.50%. These compare with a return of 22.20% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the MSCI All Country World (ex-US) Growth Index (net div).
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest — albeit the deepest and steepest — recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public's willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies — a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Detractors from Performance
Stock selection in both the health care and information technology sectors weakened performance relative to the MSCI All Country World (ex-US) Growth Index. Within the health care sector, the fund's holdings of life sciences company Bayer(b) (Germany) weighed on relative performance. The share price of Bayer fell as the company reported financial results that came in below market estimates, driven by lower-than-expected revenues in its crop sciences division that were impacted by weaker corn seed returns, lower licensing revenues that were affected by lower corn acres planted in 2020, and the devaluation of the Brazilian real. An overweight position in pharmaceutical company Novartis (Switzerland) also hindered relative performance. Within the information technology sector, not owning shares of strong-performing cloud-based e-commerce platform operator Shopify (Canada) and ASML (Netherlands), a lithography systems manufacturer for the semiconductor industry, hurt relative performance. The fund's overweight positions in enterprise applications company SAP (Germany) and electronics company Hitachi (Japan) further held back relative returns.
Stocks in other sectors that weakened relative performance included the fund's overweight positions in food processing company Danone (France) and diversified industrial manufacturer Rolls-Royce Holdings (United Kingdom). An underweight position in internet-based, multiple services company Tencent Holdings (China) also weighed on relative results. The stock price of Tencent Holdings advanced as the company posted strong gaming revenue, particularly within its mobile segment, and better-than-anticipated online advertising growth. Not holding shares of food delivery service company Meituan (Japan) further dampened relative returns.
Contributors to Performance
Stock selection in the industrials sector was a primary factor that lifted relative performance over the reporting period, led by the fund’s overweight position in industrial equipment distributor Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (Canada). The fund's holdings of electrical distribution equipment manufacturer Schneider Electric(b)(France) also aided relative performance. The share price of Schneider Electric benefited from strong sales within its Energy Management and Industrial Automation segments. Additionally, management confirmed its commitment to increase its dividend, which further helped the stock. Avoiding shares of poor-performing aerospace company Airbus (France) also strengthened relative performance.
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Management Review - continued
Elsewhere, the fund’s overweight positions in semiconductor manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (Taiwan), internet search engine and online computer games provider NAVER (South Korea), online betting and gaming operator Flutter Entertainment (United Kingdom) and data recording products provider NICE Systems (Israel) benefited relative returns. The fund's holdings of electronic and power supply manufacturer Delta Electronics(b) (Spain) and technology consulting firm Infosys Technologies(b) (India), and the timing of the fund's ownership in shares of automotive lighting systems manufacturer Koito Manufacturing (Japan), further contributed to relative performance.
During the reporting period, the fund’s relative currency exposure, resulting primarily from differences between the fund’s and the benchmark’s exposures to holdings of securities denominated in foreign currencies, was a contributor to relative performance. All of MFS’ investment decisions are driven by the fundamentals of each individual opportunity and as such, it is common for our funds to have different currency exposure than the benchmark.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
David Antonelli, Matthew Barrett, and Kevin Dwan
Note to Contract Owners: Effective April 15, 2021, David Antonelli will no longer be a Portfolio Manager of the fund.
(b) | Security is not a benchmark constituent. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Performance Summary Through 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
Share Class | Class Inception Date | 1-yr | 5-yr | 10-yr |
Initial Class | 6/03/96 | 15.84% | 12.77% | 7.78% |
Service Class | 8/24/01 | 15.50% | 12.48% | 7.51% |
Comparative benchmark(s)
MSCI All Country World (ex-US) Growth Index (net div) (f) | 22.20% | 11.97% | 6.94% |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
MSCI All Country World (ex-U.S.) Growth Index(e) (net div) – a market capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure equity market performance for growth securities in the global developed and emerging markets, excluding the U.S.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(e) | Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. |
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund's performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Performance Summary – continued
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Expense Table
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund's ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
Share Class | | Annualized Expense Ratio | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 |
Initial Class | Actual | 0.88% | $1,000.00 | $1,215.48 | $4.90 |
Hypothetical (h) | 0.88% | $1,000.00 | $1,020.71 | $4.47 |
Service Class | Actual | 1.13% | $1,000.00 | $1,214.40 | $6.29 |
Hypothetical (h) | 1.13% | $1,000.00 | $1,019.46 | $5.74 |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class's annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments − 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – 98.8% |
Aerospace – 0.9% | |
Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (a) | | 1,068,992 | $ 1,626,305 |
Airlines – 0.3% | |
Japan Airport Terminal Co. Ltd. | | 9,200 | $ 556,874 |
Alcoholic Beverages – 4.2% | |
Diageo PLC | | 102,199 | $ 4,039,018 |
Pernod Ricard S.A. | | 16,509 | 3,162,377 |
| | | | $7,201,395 |
Apparel Manufacturers – 5.6% | |
Burberry Group PLC (a) | | 39,465 | $ 965,765 |
Kering S.A. | | 2,676 | 1,943,174 |
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE | | 10,907 | 6,807,506 |
| | | | $9,716,445 |
Automotive – 1.4% | |
Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | | 22,900 | $ 1,556,903 |
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. | | 84,587 | 836,505 |
| | | | $2,393,408 |
Biotechnology – 0.2% | |
Hugel, Inc. (a) | | 1,770 | $ 305,998 |
Business Services – 3.9% | |
Accenture PLC, “A” | | 5,899 | $ 1,540,878 |
Cap Gemini S.A. | | 6,058 | 938,416 |
Experian PLC | | 67,530 | 2,573,233 |
Infosys Technologies Ltd., ADR | | 101,394 | 1,718,628 |
| | | | $6,771,155 |
Computer Software – 4.3% | |
Dassault Systemes S.A. | | 4,431 | $ 899,392 |
Kingsoft Corp. | | 66,000 | 425,672 |
OBIC Co. Ltd. | | 200 | 40,153 |
SAP SE | | 44,296 | 5,802,126 |
Wisetech Global Ltd. | | 10,305 | 244,297 |
| | | | $7,411,640 |
Computer Software - Systems – 3.5% | |
Amadeus IT Group S.A. | | 19,174 | $ 1,388,154 |
Hitachi Ltd. | | 88,200 | 3,472,307 |
NICE Systems Ltd., ADR (a) | | 4,272 | 1,211,283 |
| | | | $6,071,744 |
Consumer Products – 5.7% | |
Kao Corp. | | 17,500 | $ 1,350,782 |
KOSE Corp. | | 6,300 | 1,073,846 |
L'Oréal | | 10,296 | 3,909,276 |
Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC | | 39,843 | 3,564,431 |
| | | | $9,898,335 |
Consumer Services – 0.4% | |
51job, Inc., ADR (a) | | 8,852 | $ 619,640 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Electrical Equipment – 4.5% | |
Legrand S.A. | | 10,448 | $ 931,757 |
Prysmian S.p.A. | | 54,485 | 1,935,611 |
Schneider Electric SE | | 34,055 | 4,921,670 |
| | | | $7,789,038 |
Electronics – 6.3% | |
Delta Electronics, Inc. | | 259,000 | $ 2,415,989 |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., ADR | | 76,804 | 8,374,708 |
| | | | $10,790,697 |
Energy - Independent – 0.6% | |
Oil Search Ltd. | | 364,455 | $ 1,042,423 |
Food & Beverages – 6.3% | |
Danone S.A. | | 42,513 | $ 2,792,080 |
Nestle S.A. | | 68,050 | 8,014,111 |
| | | | $10,806,191 |
Gaming & Lodging – 1.4% | |
Flutter Entertainment PLC (a) | | 11,811 | $ 2,445,346 |
General Merchandise – 0.3% | |
Walmart de Mexico S.A.B. de C.V. | | 177,752 | $ 500,041 |
Insurance – 3.7% | |
AIA Group Ltd. | | 511,200 | $ 6,296,792 |
Internet – 6.2% | |
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (a) | | 89,700 | $ 2,620,821 |
NAVER Corp. (a) | | 11,712 | 3,153,604 |
Tencent Holdings Ltd. | | 66,200 | 4,837,051 |
| | | | $10,611,476 |
Leisure & Toys – 1.6% | |
BANDAI NAMCO Holdings, Inc. | | 17,800 | $ 1,538,742 |
Prosus N.V. | | 11,527 | 1,239,998 |
| | | | $2,778,740 |
Machinery & Tools – 3.7% | |
GEA Group AG | | 41,464 | $ 1,483,164 |
Ingersoll Rand, Inc. (a) | | 30,005 | 1,367,028 |
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Inc. | | 51,105 | 3,552,337 |
| | | | $6,402,529 |
Major Banks – 1.1% | |
DBS Group Holdings Ltd. | | 104,900 | $ 1,984,171 |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 0.3% | |
Alcon, Inc. (a) | | 7,018 | $ 468,519 |
Medical Equipment – 4.4% | |
EssilorLuxottica | | 24,093 | $ 3,754,207 |
QIAGEN N.V. (a) | | 35,801 | 1,856,606 |
Terumo Corp. | | 45,600 | 1,904,287 |
| | | | $7,515,100 |
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Natural Gas - Distribution – 0.6% | |
China Resources Gas Group Ltd. | | 188,000 | $ 1,000,329 |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 4.9% | |
AEON Financial Service Co. Ltd. | | 60,000 | $ 718,222 |
Credicorp Ltd. | | 5,156 | 845,687 |
Element Fleet Management Corp. | | 130,385 | 1,370,533 |
Grupo Financiero Banorte S.A. de C.V. (a) | | 226,363 | 1,250,488 |
HDFC Bank Ltd. (a) | | 200,621 | 3,951,823 |
Komercni Banka A.S. (a) | | 10,019 | 306,483 |
| | | | $8,443,236 |
Pharmaceuticals – 9.8% | |
Bayer AG | | 33,835 | $ 1,990,465 |
Novartis AG | | 55,173 | 5,213,172 |
Novo Nordisk A.S., “B” | | 32,008 | 2,241,516 |
Roche Holding AG | | 21,350 | 7,451,881 |
| | | | $16,897,034 |
Precious Metals & Minerals – 2.2% | |
Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. | | 34,579 | $ 2,433,760 |
Franco-Nevada Corp. | | 10,345 | 1,297,087 |
| | | | $3,730,847 |
Railroad & Shipping – 2.4% | |
Canadian National Railway Co. | | 37,019 | $ 4,066,537 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Specialty Chemicals – 7.4% | |
Akzo Nobel N.V. | | 19,485 | $ 2,091,406 |
L'Air Liquide S.A. | | 18,175 | 2,980,819 |
Linde PLC (a) | | 16,252 | 4,228,957 |
Sika AG | | 5,445 | 1,487,181 |
Symrise AG | | 14,345 | 1,899,663 |
| | | | $12,688,026 |
Specialty Stores – 0.1% | |
Ocado Group PLC (a) | | 5,268 | $ 164,755 |
Tobacco – 0.6% | |
ITC Ltd. | | 363,740 | $ 1,041,785 |
Total Common Stocks (Identified Cost, $91,909,578) | | $170,036,551 |
Investment Companies (h) – 0.6% |
Money Market Funds – 0.6% | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $1,012,087) | | | 1,012,087 | $ 1,012,087 |
Other Assets, Less Liabilities – 0.6% | | 1,094,372 |
Net Assets – 100.0% | $172,143,010 |
(a) | Non-income producing security. | | | |
(h) | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund's investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $1,012,087 and $170,036,551, respectively. | | | |
(v) | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. | | | |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined: |
ADR | American Depositary Receipt |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Assets and Liabilities |
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
At 12/31/20Assets | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $91,909,578) | $170,036,551 |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $1,012,087) | 1,012,087 |
Foreign currency, at value (identified cost, $33,433) | 33,727 |
Receivables for | |
Investments sold | 60,536 |
Fund shares sold | 605,391 |
Interest and dividends | 752,754 |
Receivable from investment adviser | 11,700 |
Other assets | 1,086 |
Total assets | $172,513,832 |
Liabilities | |
Payables for | |
Investments purchased | $36,245 |
Fund shares reacquired | 150,920 |
Payable to affiliates | |
Administrative services fee | 173 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 51 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 707 |
Payable for independent Trustees' compensation | 75 |
Deferred country tax expense payable | 120,745 |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 61,906 |
Total liabilities | $370,822 |
Net assets | $172,143,010 |
Net assets consist of | |
Paid-in capital | $85,888,362 |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | 86,254,648 |
Net assets | $172,143,010 |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | 10,739,610 |
| Net assets | Shares outstanding | Net asset value per share |
Initial Class | $120,291,239 | 7,477,688 | $16.09 |
Service Class | 51,851,771 | 3,261,922 | 15.90 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Operations |
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
Year ended 12/31/20 | |
Net investment income (loss) | |
Income | |
Dividends | $2,594,036 |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | 7,132 |
Other | 2,624 |
Income on securities loaned | 2,429 |
Foreign taxes withheld | (297,970) |
Total investment income | $2,308,251 |
Expenses | |
Management fee | $1,306,398 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 95,124 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 8,343 |
Administrative services fee | 29,985 |
Independent Trustees' compensation | 4,190 |
Custodian fee | 51,815 |
Shareholder communications | 7,801 |
Audit and tax fees | 71,072 |
Legal fees | 1,316 |
Miscellaneous | 26,199 |
Total expenses | $1,602,243 |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | (227,923) |
Net expenses | $1,374,320 |
Net investment income (loss) | $933,931 |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | |
Unaffiliated issuers | $8,429,824 |
Affiliated issuers | (67) |
Foreign currency | 11,282 |
Net realized gain (loss) | $8,441,039 |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | |
Unaffiliated issuers (net of $76,707 increase in deferred country tax) | $14,134,521 |
Affiliated issuers | (17) |
Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies | 58,854 |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | $14,193,358 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | $22,634,397 |
Change in net assets from operations | $23,568,328 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statements of Changes in Net Assets |
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 |
Change in net assets | | |
From operations | | |
Net investment income (loss) | $933,931 | $2,015,143 |
Net realized gain (loss) | 8,441,039 | 2,042,032 |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | 14,193,358 | 30,150,239 |
Change in net assets from operations | $23,568,328 | $34,207,414 |
Total distributions to shareholders | $(3,926,189) | $(17,055,112) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | $5,625,171 | $(3,428,696) |
Total change in net assets | $25,267,310 | $13,723,606 |
Net assets | | |
At beginning of period | 146,875,700 | 133,152,094 |
At end of period | $172,143,010 | $146,875,700 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Financial Statements | Financial Highlights |
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund's financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
Initial Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $14.26 | $12.78 | $15.50 | $12.13 | $12.57 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.10 | $0.21 | $0.17 | $0.14 | $0.17(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 2.12 | 3.07 | (1.38) | 3.77 | 0.19 |
Total from investment operations | $2.22 | $3.28 | $(1.21) | $3.91 | $0.36 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.21) | $(0.18) | $(0.16) | $(0.20) | $(0.15) |
From net realized gain | (0.18) | (1.62) | (1.35) | (0.34) | (0.65) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(0.39) | $(1.80) | $(1.51) | $(0.54) | $(0.80) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $16.09 | $14.26 | $12.78 | $15.50 | $12.13 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 15.84 | 27.30 | (9.02) | 32.64 | 2.49(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 1.04 | 1.05 | 1.05 | 1.05 | 0.91(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 0.88 | 0.88 | 0.97 | 1.05 | 0.91(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 0.72 | 1.49 | 1.16 | 0.96 | 1.33(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 26 | 7 | 18 | 10 | 15 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $120,291 | $112,259 | $105,919 | $130,591 | $126,668 |
Service Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $14.11 | $12.65 | $15.37 | $12.03 | $12.48 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.06 | $0.16 | $0.13 | $0.10 | $0.13(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 2.09 | 3.07 | (1.38) | 3.74 | 0.18 |
Total from investment operations | $2.15 | $3.23 | $(1.25) | $3.84 | $0.31 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.18) | $(0.15) | $(0.12) | $(0.16) | $(0.11) |
From net realized gain | (0.18) | (1.62) | (1.35) | (0.34) | (0.65) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(0.36) | $(1.77) | $(1.47) | $(0.50) | $(0.76) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $15.90 | $14.11 | $12.65 | $15.37 | $12.03 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 15.50 | 27.11 | (9.30) | 32.35 | 2.15(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 1.29 | 1.30 | 1.30 | 1.30 | 1.16(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 1.13 | 1.13 | 1.22 | 1.30 | 1.16(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 0.44 | 1.18 | 0.87 | 0.70 | 1.08(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 26 | 7 | 18 | 10 | 15 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $51,852 | $34,616 | $27,233 | $29,544 | $25,277 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Financial Highlights - continued
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements
(1) Business and Organization
MFS International Growth Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services - Investment Companies.
(2) Significant Accounting Policies
General — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued. The fund invests in foreign securities, including securities of emerging market issuers. Investments in foreign securities are vulnerable to the effects of changes in the relative values of the local currency and the U.S. dollar and to the effects of changes in each country’s market, economic, industrial, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions. Investments in emerging markets can involve additional and greater risks than the risks associated with investments in developed foreign markets. Emerging markets can have less developed markets, greater custody and operational risk, less developed legal, regulatory, accounting, and auditing systems, and greater political, social, and economic instability than developed markets.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund's investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting — The fund's accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund's right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations — Equity securities, including restricted equity securities, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. Events that occur after foreign markets close (such as developments in foreign markets and significant movements in the U.S. markets) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value may be deemed to have a material effect on the value of securities traded in foreign markets. Accordingly, the fund’s foreign equity securities may often be valued at fair value. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund's assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment's level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund's assets or liabilities:
Financial Instruments | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total |
Equity Securities: | | | | |
France | $33,040,674 | $— | $— | $33,040,674 |
Switzerland | 22,166,345 | 468,519 | — | 22,634,864 |
Germany | 13,032,024 | — | — | 13,032,024 |
United Kingdom | 6,321,256 | 6,612,251 | — | 12,933,507 |
Canada | 12,720,254 | — | — | 12,720,254 |
Japan | 12,212,116 | — | — | 12,212,116 |
Taiwan | 8,374,708 | 2,415,989 | — | 10,790,697 |
China | 2,045,641 | 7,457,872 | — | 9,503,513 |
India | 1,718,628 | 5,830,113 | — | 7,548,741 |
Other Countries | 22,265,700 | 13,354,461 | — | 35,620,161 |
Mutual Funds | 1,012,087 | — | — | 1,012,087 |
Total | $134,909,433 | $36,139,205 | $— | $171,048,638 |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Foreign Currency Translation — Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
Security Loans — Under its Securities Lending Agency Agreement with the fund, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as lending agent, loans the securities of the fund to certain qualified institutions (the “Borrowers”) approved by the fund. Security loans can be terminated at the discretion of either the lending agent or the fund and the related securities must be returned within the earlier of the standard trade settlement period for such securities or within three business days. The loans are collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Treasury and federal agency obligations in an amount typically at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. On loans collateralized by cash, the cash collateral is invested in a money market fund. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of business of the fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the fund on the next business day. The lending agent provides the fund with indemnification against Borrower default. In the event of Borrower default, the lending agent will, for the benefit of the fund, either purchase securities identical to those loaned or, when such purchase is
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
commercially impracticable, pay the fund the market value of the loaned securities. In return, the lending agent assumes the fund's rights to the related collateral. If the collateral value is less than the cost to purchase identical securities, the lending agent is responsible for the shortfall, but only to the extent that such shortfall is not due to a decline in collateral value resulting from collateral reinvestment for which the fund bears the risk of loss. A portion of the income generated upon investment of the collateral is remitted to the Borrowers, and the remainder is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. On loans collateralized by U.S. Treasury and/or federal agency obligations, a fee is received from the Borrower, and is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. Income from securities lending is separately reported in the Statement of Operations. The dividend and interest income earned on the securities loaned is accounted for in the same manner as other dividend and interest income. At December 31, 2020, there were no securities on loan or collateral outstanding.
Indemnifications — Under the fund's organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund's maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income — Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
Tax Matters and Distributions — The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to wash sale loss deferrals.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | $2,433,126 | $1,867,096 |
Long-term capital gains | 1,493,063 | 15,188,016 |
Total distributions | $3,926,189 | $17,055,112 |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
As of 12/31/20 | |
Cost of investments | $94,190,422 |
Gross appreciation | 79,723,813 |
Gross depreciation | (2,865,597) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | $76,858,216 |
Undistributed ordinary income | 1,557,099 |
Undistributed long-term capital gain | 7,782,653 |
Other temporary differences | 56,680 |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest — The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund's income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Initial Class | $2,927,657 | | $13,305,912 |
Service Class | 998,532 | | 3,749,200 |
Total | $3,926,189 | | $17,055,112 |
(3) Transactions with Affiliates
Investment Adviser — The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund's average daily net assets:
Up to $1 billion | 0.90% |
In excess of $1 billion and up to $2 billion | 0.80% |
In excess of $2 billion | 0.70% |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund's Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $15,963, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.89% of the fund's average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.88% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.13% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reduction amounted to $211,960, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations.
Distributor — MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund's distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
Shareholder Servicing Agent — MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $7,534, which equated to 0.0052% annually of the fund's average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $809.
Administrator — MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0206% of the fund's average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation — The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other — The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
The fund is permitted to engage in purchase and sale transactions with funds and accounts for which MFS serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser (“cross-trades”) pursuant to a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees. This policy has been designed to ensure that cross-trades conducted by the fund comply with Rule 17a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund engaged in purchase and sale transactions pursuant to this policy, which amounted to $64,827 and $40,478, respectively. The sales transactions resulted in net realized gains (losses) of $11,337.
(4) Portfolio Securities
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, aggregated $39,304,040 and $36,729,264, respectively.
(5) Shares of Beneficial Interest
The fund's Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
| Shares | Amount | | Shares | Amount |
Shares sold | | | | | |
Initial Class | 824,973 | $11,064,566 | | 165,538 | $2,306,343 |
Service Class | 1,697,426 | 23,498,214 | | 600,379 | 8,346,422 |
| 2,522,399 | $34,562,780 | | 765,917 | $10,652,765 |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | |
Initial Class | 199,296 | $2,927,657 | | 1,041,967 | $13,305,912 |
Service Class | 68,722 | 998,532 | | 296,614 | 3,749,200 |
| 268,018 | $3,926,189 | | 1,338,581 | $17,055,112 |
Shares reacquired | | | | | |
Initial Class | (1,416,593) | $(19,892,313) | | (1,627,974) | $(22,814,367) |
Service Class | (957,919) | (12,971,485) | | (595,546) | (8,322,206) |
| (2,374,512) | $(32,863,798) | | (2,223,520) | $(31,136,573) |
Net change | | | | | |
Initial Class | (392,324) | $(5,900,090) | | (420,469) | $(7,202,112) |
Service Class | 808,229 | 11,525,261 | | 301,447 | 3,773,416 |
| 415,905 | $5,625,171 | | (119,022) | $(3,428,696) |
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
The fund is one of several mutual funds in which certain MFS funds may invest. The MFS funds do not invest in the underlying funds for the purpose of exercising management or control. At the end of the period, the MFS Moderate Allocation Portfolio, the MFS Growth Allocation Portfolio, and the MFS Conservative Allocation Portfolio were the owners of record of approximately 26%, 11%, and 5%, respectively, of the value of outstanding voting shares of the fund.
(6) Line of Credit
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $734 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) Investments in Affiliated Issuers
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
Affiliated Issuers | Beginning Value | Purchases | Sales Proceeds | Realized Gain (Loss) | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | Ending Value |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $677,119 | $30,483,374 | $30,148,322 | $(67) | $(17) | $1,012,087 |
Affiliated Issuers | Dividend Income | Capital Gain Distributions |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $7,132 | $— |
(8) Impacts of COVID-19
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund's investments and the fund's performance.
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of MFS International Growth Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS International Growth Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Trustees and Officers — Identification and Background
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES | | |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES | | |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head - Treasurer's Office (until February 2017) |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board's retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
Investment Adviser | Custodian |
Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
Distributor | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
Portfolio Manager(s) | |
David Antonelli Matthew Barrett Kevin Dwan
| |
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement
MFS International Growth Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 1st quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 2nd quintile for the one-year period and the 1st quintile for the three-year period ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate and total expense ratio were each approximately at the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to contractual breakpoints that reduce the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $1 billion and $2 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoints and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
MFS International Growth Portfolio
Proxy Voting Policies and Information
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Quarterly Portfolio Disclosure
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund's fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
Information About Fund Contracts and Legal Claims
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Federal Tax Information (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund designates $1,643,000 as capital gain dividends paid during the fiscal year.
Income derived from foreign sources was $2,593,527. The fund intends to pass through foreign tax credits of $301,480 for the fiscal year.
FACTS | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? |
Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: |
• Social Security number and account balances |
• Account transactions and transaction history |
• Checking account information and wire transfer instructions |
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
How? | All financial companies need to share customers' personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers' personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
Reasons we can share your personal information | Does MFS share? | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | Yes | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | No | We don't share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | No | We don't share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | No | We don't share |
Questions? | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you |
• open an account or provide account information |
• direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities |
• make a wire transfer |
We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can't I limit all sharing? | Federal law gives you the right to limit only |
• sharing for affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness |
• affiliates from using your information to market to you |
• sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you |
State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
Definitions |
Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. |
• MFS doesn't jointly market. |
Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
FCG-ANN
MFS® International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
CONTENTS
The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE • NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
1
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION
Portfolio structure
| | | | |
Top ten holdings | | | | |
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. | | | 4.9% | |
Nestle S.A. | | | 4.3% | |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., ADR | | | 3.7% | |
Givaudan S.A. | | | 3.2% | |
Schneider Electric SE | | | 3.1% | |
ANSYS, Inc. | | | 2.8% | |
L’Oréal | | | 2.4% | |
Pernod Ricard S.A. | | | 2.4% | |
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA | | | 2.4% | |
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | | | 2.0% | |
| |
GICS equity sectors (g) | | | | |
Consumer Staples | | | 28.7% | |
Information Technology | | | 27.9% | |
Industrials | | | 18.6% | |
Materials | | | 9.3% | |
Real Estate | | | 3.3% | |
Health Care | | | 2.9% | |
Consumer Discretionary | | | 2.8% | |
Financials | | | 2.5% | |
Communication Services | | | 0.8% | |
Energy | | | 0.2% | |
| | | | |
Issuer country weightings (x) | | | | |
Japan | | | 20.9% | |
United States | | | 17.0% | |
France | | | 13.6% | |
Switzerland | | | 12.7% | |
United Kingdom | | | 11.4% | |
Germany | | | 8.8% | |
Taiwan | | | 3.7% | |
Canada | | | 2.4% | |
South Korea | | | 2.0% | |
Other Countries | | | 7.5% | |
| |
Currency exposure weightings (y) | | | | |
Euro | | | 27.4% | |
United States Dollar | | | 21.4% | |
Japanese Yen | | | 17.1% | |
Swiss Franc | | | 12.7% | |
British Pound Sterling | | | 11.4% | |
Taiwan Dollar | | | 3.7% | |
Canadian Dollar | | | 2.4% | |
South Korean Won | | | 2.0% | |
Danish Krone | | | 1.4% | |
Other Currencies | | | 0.5% | |
(g) | The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) was developed by and/or is the exclusive property of MSCI, Inc. and S&P Global Market Intelligence Inc. (“S&P Global Market Intelligence”). GICS is a service mark of MSCI and S&P Global Market Intelligence and has been licensed for use by MFS. MFS has applied its own internal sector/industry classification methodology for equity securities and non-equity securities that are unclassified by GICS. |
(x) | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to issuer countries as a percentage of a portfolio’s net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States includes Cash & Cash Equivalents and Other. |
(y) | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to a particular currency as a percentage of a portfolio’s net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States Dollar includes Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Other includes equivalent exposure from currency derivatives and/or any offsets to derivative positions and may be negative.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
2
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
MANAGEMENT REVIEW
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 20.52%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 20.21%. These compare with a return of –2.63% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the MSCI EAFE Value Index (net div). Effective September 30, 2020, the fund changed its benchmark from the MSCI EAFE Value Index (net div) to the MSCI EAFE Index (net div) to better reflect the fund’s investment policies and strategies.
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest – albeit the deepest and steepest – recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public’s willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies – a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Contributors to Performance
Stock selection in the information technology sector contributed to performance relative to the MSCI EAFE Value Index. Within this sector, the fund’s holdings of integrated circuits and electronic devices developer Cadence Design Systems (b), semiconductor manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (b) (Taiwan), simulation software developer ANSYS (b) and microchip and electronics manufacturer Samsung Electronics (b) bolstered relative results. The stock price of Cadence Design Systems increased after the company’s financial results came in ahead of consensus estimates, reflecting the ever-growing demand for semiconductors and their increasing complexity.
Stock selection and, to a lesser extent, an overweight position in the consumer staples sector also benefited relative performance, led by the fund’s holdings of food company Nestle (b) (Switzerland). The share price of Nestle grew modestly over the period after organic sales came in ahead of market expectations at the beginning of the calendar year as consumers stocked up on supplies, amid COVID-19 concerns. Management also increased its 2020 organic revenue growth forecast, which further supported its stock price growth.
Security selection in the industrials sector contributed to relative returns, driven by the fund’s overweight position in electrical distribution equipment manufacturer Schneider Electric (France). The share price of Schneider Electric benefited from strong sales within its Energy Management and Industrial Automation segments. Additionally, management confirmed its commitment to increase its dividend, which further helped the stock.
An underweight position in the energy sector further benefited relative performance. Within this sector, not owning shares of global energy and petrochemicals company Royal Dutch Shell (United Kingdom) and integrated oil and gas company BP (United Kingdom) strengthened relative returns. The share price of Royal Dutch Shell fell due to lower-than-expected realized oil, gas and LNG prices,
3
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Management Review – continued
paired with weaker realized refining and chemical margins. Additionally, in response to the difficult macroeconomic environment and weak demand for energy products, Royal Dutch Shell announced plans to materially reduce capital and operational expenditure and cut its buyback program.
Elsewhere, the fund’s holdings of fragrance and flavor products manufacturer Givaudan (b) (Switzerland), and not owning shares of financial services firm HSBC (United Kingdom), also strengthened relative performance.
Detractors from Performance
The combination of an underweight position and stock selection in the consumer discretionary sector held back relative performance. Within this sector, holding shares of food catering company Compass Group (b) (United Kingdom), and not owning shares of car makers Toyota Motor (Japan) and Daimler (Germany), dampened relative returns. The share price of Compass Group fell after the acceleration of containment measures related to the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in cancellations and closures of many venues and events, which severely affected the company’s volumes. Additionally, incremental costs associated with new social and health standards that are unlikely to be fully passed to the consumers further weighed on the stock price performance.
Not investing in the utilities sector also weighed on the fund’s relative results. Within this sector, not owning shares of electric utility company Iberdrola (Spain) and electricity and gas distributor Enel (Italy) weakened relative performance. The share price of Iberdrola advanced on the back of stronger-than-expected performance in its renewables business segment.
Elsewhere, not owning shares of technology investment firm SoftBank (Japan), mining operators BHP Billiton (United Kingdom) and Rio Tinto (Australia), diversified electrical engineering company Siemens (Germany) and iron ore producer Fortescue Metals Group (Australia) further detracted from relative performance. The share price of SoftBank appreciated as its management reported higher-than-expected total revenue, driven by strength in cloud services. Additionally, investment gains from the Sprint merger and a rebound of Vision Fund, triggered by a sharp market recovery, further supported the stock.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Pablo de la Mata, Philip Evans, and Benjamin Stone
Note to Contract Owners: Effective February 1, 2020, Philip Evans was added as a Portfolio Manager of the fund. Effective April 15, 2022, Pablo de la Mata will no longer be a Portfolio Manager of the fund.
(b) | Security is not a benchmark constituent. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
4
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY THROUGH 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Share Class | | Class Inception Date | | 1-yr | | 5-yr | | 10-yr | | |
| | Initial Class | | 10/02/95 | | 20.52% | | 12.69% | | 11.14% | | |
| | Service Class | | 8/24/01 | | 20.21% | | 12.42% | | 10.87% | | |
| | | | |
Comparative benchmark(s) | | | | | | | | |
| | MSCI EAFE Index (net div) (f) | | 7.82% | | 7.45% | | 5.51% | | |
| | MSCI EAFE Value Index (net div) (f)(y) | | (2.63)% | | 4.20% | | 3.37% | | |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
(y) | Effective September 30, 2020, the MSCI EAFE (Europe, Australasia, Far East) Index (net div) replaced the MSCI EAFE (Europe, Australasia, Far East) Value Index (net div) as the primary fund benchmark. The fund’s investment adviser believes the MSCI EAFE (Europe, Australasia, Far East) Index (net div) better reflects the investment policies and strategies of the fund. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
MSCI EAFE (Europe, Australasia, Far East) Index (e) (net div) – a market capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the developed markets, excluding the U.S. and Canada.
MSCI EAFE (Europe, Australasia, Far East) Value Index (e) (net div) – a market capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure equity market performance for value securities in the developed markets, excluding the U.S. and Canada.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(e) | Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. |
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
5
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Performance Summary – continued
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund’s performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
6
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
EXPENSE TABLE
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund’s ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Share Class | | | | Annualized Expense Ratio | | | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | | | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | | | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 | |
Initial Class | | Actual | | | 0.90% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,196.04 | | | | $4.97 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 0.90% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,020.61 | | | | $4.57 | |
Service Class | | Actual | | | 1.15% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,194.76 | | | | $6.34 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 1.15% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,019.36 | | | | $5.84 | |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class’s annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
7
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS – 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – 94.6% | | | | | | | | |
Airlines – 0.8% | | | | | |
Ryanair Holdings PLC, ADR (a) | | | 112,514 | | | $ | 12,374,290 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Alcoholic Beverages – 5.6% | | | | | |
Diageo PLC | | | 711,111 | | | $ | 28,103,893 | |
Heineken N.V. | | | 179,288 | | | | 19,979,661 | |
Pernod Ricard S.A. | | | 188,928 | | | | 36,190,052 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 84,273,606 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Apparel Manufacturers – 1.2% | | | | | |
Compagnie Financiere Richemont S.A. | | | 112,166 | | | $ | 10,146,000 | |
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE | | | 11,708 | | | | 7,307,443 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 17,453,443 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Automotive – 0.7% | | | | | |
Compagnie Generale des Etablissements | | | | | | | | |
Michelin | | | 38,749 | | | $ | 4,968,094 | |
Knorr-Bremse AG | | | 46,037 | | | | 6,281,006 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 11,249,100 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Biotechnology – 1.1% | | | | | |
Novozymes A.S. | | | 286,688 | | | $ | 16,446,303 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 0.5% | | | | | |
Euronext N.V. | | | 68,993 | | | $ | 7,598,320 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Business Services – 6.9% | | | | | |
Compass Group PLC | | | 567,023 | | | $ | 10,568,762 | |
Experian PLC | | | 444,980 | | | | 16,955,977 | |
Intertek Group PLC | | | 191,647 | | | | 14,802,133 | |
Nomura Research Institute Ltd. | | | 360,600 | | | | 12,904,140 | |
Secom Co. Ltd. | | | 213,900 | | | | 19,715,135 | |
SGS S.A. | | | 7,754 | | | | 23,385,497 | |
Sohgo Security Services Co. Ltd. | | | 114,700 | | | | 5,943,005 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 104,274,649 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Chemicals – 3.2% | | | | | |
Givaudan S.A. | | | 11,326 | | | $ | 47,719,395 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Computer Software – 10.2% | | | | | |
ANSYS, Inc. (a) | | | 115,268 | | | $ | 41,934,498 | |
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (a) | | | 535,630 | | | | 73,076,001 | |
Dassault Systemes S.A. | | | 70,832 | | | | 14,377,278 | |
OBIC Co. Ltd. | | | 73,200 | | | | 14,696,005 | |
SAP SE | | | 74,708 | | | | 9,785,652 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 153,869,434 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Computer Software – Systems – 4.7% | | | | | |
Amadeus IT Group S.A. | | | 386,999 | | | $ | 28,017,855 | |
Descartes Systems Group, Inc. (a) | | | 69,294 | | | | 4,052,902 | |
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | | | 400,386 | | | | 29,854,797 | |
Wix.com Ltd. (a) | | | 35,716 | | | | 8,927,571 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 70,853,125 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Construction – 0.7% | | | | | |
Geberit AG | | | 16,327 | | | $ | 10,220,743 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Consumer Products – 11.1% | | | | | |
Colgate-Palmolive Co. | | | 327,079 | | | $ | 27,968,525 | |
Kao Corp. | | | 362,400 | | | | 27,972,767 | |
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. | | | 206,200 | | | | 25,182,141 | |
KOSE Corp. | | | 28,500 | | | | 4,857,876 | |
Lion Corp. | | | 178,200 | | | | 4,311,109 | |
L’Oréal | | | 95,806 | | | | 36,376,470 | |
Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC | | | 325,372 | | | | 29,108,398 | |
ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. | | | 392,000 | | | | 11,598,083 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 167,375,369 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Electrical Equipment – 8.0% | | | | | |
Halma PLC | | | 449,021 | | | $ | 15,037,755 | |
Legrand S.A. | | | 329,255 | | | | 29,363,111 | |
OMRON Corp. | | | 151,900 | | | | 13,534,260 | |
Schneider Electric SE | | | 320,377 | | | | 46,301,270 | |
Spectris PLC | | | 240,760 | | | | 9,277,969 | |
Yokogawa Electric Corp. | | | 313,200 | | | | 6,230,331 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 119,744,696 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Electronics – 8.2% | | | | | |
Analog Devices, Inc. | | | 187,597 | | | $ | 27,713,705 | |
DISCO Corp. | | | 17,500 | | | | 5,889,545 | |
Hirose Electric Co. Ltd. | | | 129,600 | | | | 19,643,020 | |
Infineon Technologies AG | | | 64,316 | | | | 2,466,364 | |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. | | | | | | | | |
Ltd., ADR | | | 508,192 | | | | 55,413,256 | |
Texas Instruments, Inc. | | | 70,563 | | | | 11,581,505 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 122,707,395 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Engineering – Construction – 0.9% | | | | | |
IMI PLC | | | 861,177 | | | $ | 13,789,890 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Food & Beverages – 9.6% | | | | | |
Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprungli AG | | | 202 | | | $ | 1,969,118 | |
Danone S.A. | | | 215,993 | | | | 14,185,536 | |
Ezaki Glico Co. Ltd. | | | 160,700 | | | | 7,058,007 | |
ITO EN Ltd. | | | 332,300 | | | | 21,015,147 | |
Kerry Group PLC | | | 87,999 | | | | 12,739,222 | |
Nestle S.A. | | | 550,864 | | | | 64,874,145 | |
Nissan Foods Holdings Co. Ltd. | | | 53,100 | | | | 4,546,066 | |
Toyo Suisan Kaisha Ltd. | | | 366,300 | | | | 17,808,590 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 144,195,831 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Insurance – 0.4% | | | | | |
Hiscox Ltd. (a) | | | 424,160 | | | $ | 5,848,072 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Internet – 0.8% | | | | | |
Alphabet, Inc., “A” (a) | | | 7,038 | | | $ | 12,335,080 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Machinery & Tools – 5.4% | | | | | |
Epiroc AB, “A” | | | 437,350 | | | $ | 7,954,863 | |
GEA Group AG | | | 254,651 | | | | 9,108,844 | |
Nordson Corp. | | | 62,657 | | | | 12,590,924 | |
Schindler Holding AG | | | 35,165 | | | | 9,495,210 | |
SMC Corp. | | | 28,500 | | | | 17,375,188 | |
8
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – continued | | | | | |
Machinery & Tools – continued | | | | | |
Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC | | | 145,556 | | | $ | 22,482,465 | |
Wartsila Oyj Abp | | | 203,991 | | | | 2,031,026 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 81,038,520 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Major Banks – 0.5% | | | | | |
UBS Group AG | | | 508,559 | | | $ | 7,112,925 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Medical Equipment – 3.5% | | | | | |
EssilorLuxottica | | | 54,128 | | | $ | 8,434,305 | |
Nihon Kohden Corp. | | | 376,200 | | | | 13,990,683 | |
Shimadzu Corp. | | | 390,700 | | | | 15,173,183 | |
Terumo Corp. | | | 344,200 | | | | 14,374,029 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 51,972,200 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Oil Services – 0.2% | | | | | |
Core Laboratories N.V. | | | 117,579 | | | $ | 3,117,019 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 1.1% | | | | | |
Chiba Bank Ltd. | | | 540,900 | | | $ | 2,975,461 | |
Hachijuni Bank Ltd. | | | 530,600 | | | | 1,762,586 | |
Julius Baer Group Ltd. | | | 77,624 | | | | 4,496,326 | |
Jyske Bank A.S. (a) | | | 67,369 | | | | 2,577,591 | |
Mebuki Financial Group, Inc. | | | 893,800 | | | | 1,757,216 | |
North Pacific Bank Ltd. | | | 795,400 | | | | 1,679,310 | |
Sydbank A.S. (a) | | | 89,334 | | | | 1,972,199 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 17,220,689 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Pharmaceuticals – 1.0% | | | | | |
Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. | | | 928,400 | | | $ | 15,060,481 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Precious Metals & Minerals – 2.1% | | | | | |
Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. | | | 136,158 | | | $ | 9,583,153 | |
Franco-Nevada Corp. | | | 149,460 | | | | 18,739,741 | |
Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. | | | 93,602 | | | | 3,909,091 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 32,231,985 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Real Estate – 3.3% | | | | | |
Deutsche Wohnen SE | | | 427,631 | | | $ | 22,824,331 | |
LEG Immobilien AG | | | 50,783 | | | | 7,882,682 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | | | | | | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – continued | | | | | | | | | |
Real Estate – continued | | | | | | | | | |
TAG Immobilien AG | | | | 228,064 | | | $ | 7,216,113 | |
Vonovia SE, REIT | | | | 167,791 | | | | 12,249,718 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | $ | 50,172,844 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Specialty Chemicals – 2.9% | | | | | |
Croda International PLC | | | | 64,463 | | | $ | 5,823,976 | |
Kansai Paint Co. Ltd. | | | | 254,600 | | | | 7,828,725 | |
Sika AG | | | | 42,436 | | | | 11,590,449 | |
Symrise AG | | | | 136,819 | | | | 18,118,512 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | $ | 43,361,662 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total Common Stocks (Identified Cost, $843,800,816) | | | $ | 1,423,617,066 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
PREFERRED STOCKS – 2.4% | | | | | |
Consumer Products – 2.4% | | | | | |
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Identified Cost, $38,102,457) | | | | 320,698 | | | $ | 36,161,362 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | |
| | Strike Price | | | First Exercise | | | | | | | |
WARRANTS – 0.0% | | | | | |
Apparel Manufacturers – 0.0% | | | | | |
Compagnie Financiere Richemont S.A. (1 share for 2 warrants, Expiration 12/04/23) (a)(n) (Identified Cost, $0) | | CHF | 67.00 | | | | 11/20/23 | | | | 224,332 | | | $ | 58,281 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
INVESTMENT COMPANIES (h) – 2.8% | | | | | |
Money Market Funds – 2.8% | | | | | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $42,513,951) | | | | 42,517,675 | | | $ | 42,517,675 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
OTHER ASSETS, LESS LIABILITIES – 0.2% | | | | 3,032,365 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
NET ASSETS – 100.0% | | | | | | | $ | 1,505,386,749 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(a) | | Non-income producing security. |
(h) | | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund’s investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $42,517,675 and $1,459,836,709, respectively. |
(n) | | Securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities may be sold in the ordinary course of business in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At period end, the aggregate value of these securities was $58,281, representing 0.0% of net assets. |
(v) | | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined:
ADR | | American Depositary Receipt |
REIT | | Real Estate Investment Trust |
Abbreviations indicate amounts shown in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. All amounts are stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. A list of abbreviations is shown below:
9
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Derivative Contracts at 12/31/20
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Currency Purchased | | Currency Sold | | Counterparty | | Settlement Date | | | Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) | |
Liability Derivatives | | | | | | | | | | |
USD | | | 49,374,050 | | | | | JPY | | 5,203,656,000 | | HSBC Bank | | | 2/19/2021 | | | | $(1,048,412 | ) |
USD | | | 7,524,134 | | | | | JPY | | 795,000,000 | | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | | | 2/19/2021 | | | | (179,268 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $(1,227,680 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
10
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
| | | | |
At 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Assets | | | | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $881,903,273) | | | $1,459,836,709 | |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $42,513,951) | | | 42,517,675 | |
Receivables for | | | | |
Investments sold | | | 60,537 | |
Fund shares sold | | | 1,461,966 | |
Dividends | | | 4,536,318 | |
Other assets | | | 6,259 | |
Total assets | | | $1,508,419,464 | |
| |
Liabilities | | | | |
Payables for | | | | |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | $1,227,680 | |
Fund shares reacquired | | | 1,577,709 | |
Payable to affiliates | | | | |
Investment adviser | | | 86,654 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 1,016 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 189 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 16,162 | |
Payable for independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 381 | |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | | | 122,924 | |
Total liabilities | | | $3,032,715 | |
Net assets | | | $1,505,386,749 | |
| |
Net assets consist of | | | | |
Paid-in capital | | | $889,956,392 | |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | | | 615,430,357 | |
Net assets | | | $1,505,386,749 | |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | | | 43,514,628 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| | Net assets | | | Shares outstanding | | | Net asset value per share | |
Initial Class | | | $328,246,824 | | | | 9,364,677 | | | | $35.05 | |
Service Class | | | 1,177,139,925 | | | | 34,149,951 | | | | 34.47 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
11
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
| | | | |
Year ended 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Net investment income (loss) | | | | |
Income | | | | |
Dividends | | | $21,643,643 | |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | | | 197,219 | |
Other | | | 15,736 | |
Income on securities loaned | | | 6,301 | |
Foreign taxes withheld | | | (2,115,967 | ) |
Total investment income | | | $19,746,932 | |
Expenses | | | | |
Management fee | | | $11,616,943 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 2,585,383 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 34,297 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 185,531 | |
Independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 22,370 | |
Custodian fee | | | 200,141 | |
Shareholder communications | | | 51,434 | |
Audit and tax fees | | | 63,296 | |
Legal fees | | | 10,353 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 41,719 | |
Total expenses | | | $14,811,467 | |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | | | (265,777 | ) |
Net expenses | | | $14,545,690 | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $5,201,242 | |
| |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $42,215,425 | |
Affiliated issuers | | | (1,885 | ) |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | 529,413 | |
Foreign currency | | | (135,915 | ) |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | $42,607,038 | |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $208,611,904 | |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | (2,704,963 | ) |
Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies | | | 340,533 | |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | $206,247,474 | |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | $248,854,512 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $254,055,754 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
12
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | |
Change in net assets | | | | | | | | |
| | |
From operations | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $5,201,242 | | | | $9,959,005 | |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | 42,607,038 | | | | 26,110,751 | |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | 206,247,474 | | | | 251,737,645 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $254,055,754 | | | | $287,807,401 | |
Total distributions to shareholders | | | $(38,136,630 | ) | | | $(58,909,960 | ) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | | | $(66,701,792 | ) | | | $(13,250,059 | ) |
Total change in net assets | | | $149,217,332 | | | | $215,647,382 | |
| | |
Net assets | | | | | | | | |
At beginning of period | | | 1,356,169,417 | | | | 1,140,522,035 | |
At end of period | | | $1,505,386,749 | | | | $1,356,169,417 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
13
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund’s financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $29.94 | | | | $25.02 | | | | $28.25 | | | | $22.57 | | | | $22.46 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.18 | | | | $0.28 | | | | $0.30 | | | | $0.29 | | | $0.32 | | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 5.87 | | | | 6.06 | | | | (2.91 | ) | | | 5.80 | | | | 0.64 | |
Total from investment operations | | | $6.05 | | | | $6.34 | | | | $(2.61 | ) | | | $6.09 | | | | $0.96 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.31 | ) | | | $(0.54 | ) | | | $(0.31 | ) | | | $(0.39 | ) | | | $(0.32 | ) |
From net realized gain | | | (0.63 | ) | | | (0.88 | ) | | | (0.31 | ) | | | (0.02 | ) | | | (0.53 | ) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | | | $(0.94 | ) | | | $(1.42 | ) | | | $(0.62 | ) | | | $(0.41 | ) | | | $(0.85 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $35.05 | | | | $29.94 | | | | $25.02 | | | | $28.25 | | | | $22.57 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 20.52 | | | | 25.94 | | | | (9.49 | ) | | | 27.14 | | | | 4.05 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 0.92 | | | | 0.92 | | | | 0.91 | | | | 0.91 | | | | 0.91 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 0.90 | | | | 0.90 | | | | 0.90 | | | | 0.90 | | | | 0.89 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.59 | | | | 0.99 | | | | 1.08 | | | | 1.13 | | | | 1.41 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 10 | | | | 13 | | | | 16 | | | | 10 | | | | 17 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $328,247 | | | | $308,053 | | | | $282,244 | | | | $317,415 | | | | $238,192 | |
| |
Service Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $29.47 | | | | $24.60 | | | | $27.80 | | | | $22.23 | | | | $22.13 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.10 | | | | $0.20 | | | | $0.27 | | | | $0.23 | | | | $0.26 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 5.77 | | | | 5.97 | | | | (2.91 | ) | | | 5.70 | | | | 0.63 | |
Total from investment operations | | | $5.87 | | | | $6.17 | | | | $(2.64 | ) | | | $5.93 | | | | $0.89 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.24 | ) | | | $(0.42 | ) | | | $(0.25 | ) | | | $(0.34 | ) | | | $(0.26 | ) |
From net realized gain | | | (0.63 | ) | | | (0.88 | ) | | | (0.31 | ) | | | (0.02 | ) | | | (0.53 | ) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | | | $(0.87 | ) | | | $(1.30 | ) | | | $(0.56 | ) | | | $(0.36 | ) | | | $(0.79 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $34.47 | | | | $29.47 | | | | $24.60 | | | | $27.80 | | | | $22.23 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 20.21 | | | | 25.65 | | | | (9.72 | ) | | | 26.82 | | | | 3.84 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 1.17 | | | | 1.17 | | | | 1.15 | | | | 1.16 | | | | 1.16 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 1.15 | | | | 1.15 | | | | 1.14 | | | | 1.15 | | | | 1.14 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.34 | | | | 0.72 | | | | 0.97 | | | | 0.89 | | | | 1.17 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 10 | | | | 13 | | | | 16 | | | | 10 | | | | 17 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $1,177,140 | | | | $1,048,117 | | | | $858,278 | | | | $1,728,247 | | | | $1,273,735 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
14
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Financial Highlights – continued
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
15
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1) | | Business and Organization |
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services – Investment Companies.
(2) | | Significant Accounting Policies |
General – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued. The fund invests in foreign securities. Investments in foreign securities are vulnerable to the effects of changes in the relative values of the local currency and the U.S. dollar and to the effects of changes in each country’s market, economic, industrial, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund’s investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting – The fund’s accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund’s right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations – Equity securities, including restricted equity securities, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are generally valued at the mean of bid and asked prices for the time period interpolated from rates provided by a third-party pricing service for proximate time periods. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally
16
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. Events that occur after foreign markets close (such as developments in foreign markets and significant movements in the U.S. markets) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value may be deemed to have a material effect on the value of securities traded in foreign markets. Accordingly, the fund’s foreign equity securities may often be valued at fair value. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund’s assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as forward foreign currency exchange contracts. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund’s assets or liabilities:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Financial Instruments | | Level 1 | | | Level 2 | | | Level 3 | | | Total | |
Equity Securities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Japan | | | $314,882,089 | | | | $— | | | | $— | | | | $314,882,089 | |
United States | | | 210,317,257 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 210,317,257 | |
France | | | 205,101,879 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 205,101,879 | |
Switzerland | | | 169,963,628 | | | | 21,104,461 | | | | — | | | | 191,068,089 | |
United Kingdom | | | 101,277,482 | | | | 70,521,808 | | | | — | | | | 171,799,290 | |
Germany | | | 132,094,584 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 132,094,584 | |
Taiwan | | | 55,413,256 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 55,413,256 | |
Canada | | | 36,284,887 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 36,284,887 | |
South Korea | | | 29,854,797 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 29,854,797 | |
Other Countries | | | 85,002,726 | | | | 28,017,855 | | | | — | | | | 113,020,581 | |
Mutual Funds | | | 42,517,675 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 42,517,675 | |
Total | | | $1,382,710,260 | | | | $119,644,124 | | | | $— | | | | $1,502,354,384 | |
| | | | |
Other Financial Instruments | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – Liabilities | | | $— | | | | $(1,227,680 | ) | | | $— | | | | $(1,227,680 | ) |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Foreign Currency Translation – Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
Derivatives – The fund uses derivatives primarily to increase or decrease exposure to a particular market or segment of the market, or security, to increase or decrease interest rate or currency exposure, or as alternatives to direct investments. Derivatives are used for hedging or non-hedging purposes. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. When the fund uses derivatives as an investment to increase market exposure, or for hedging purposes, gains and losses from derivative instruments may be substantially greater than the derivative’s original cost.
17
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
The derivative instruments used by the fund during the period were forward foreign currency exchange contracts. Depending on the type of derivative, the fund may exit a derivative position by entering into an offsetting transaction with a counterparty or exchange, negotiating an agreement with the derivative counterparty, or novating the position to a third party. The fund’s period end derivatives, as presented in the Portfolio of Investments and the associated Derivative Contract tables, generally are indicative of the volume of its derivative activity during the period.
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the fair value, on a gross basis, of the asset and liability components of derivatives held by the fund at December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:
| | | | | | |
| | | | Fair Value | |
Risk | | Derivative Contracts | | Liability Derivatives | |
Foreign Exchange | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | | | $(1,227,680 | ) |
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the realized gain (loss) on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
| | | | |
Risk | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | |
Foreign Exchange | | | $529,413 | |
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
| | | | |
Risk | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | |
Foreign Exchange | | | $(2,704,963 | ) |
Derivative counterparty credit risk is managed through formal evaluation of the creditworthiness of all potential counterparties. On certain, but not all, uncleared derivatives, the fund attempts to reduce its exposure to counterparty credit risk whenever possible by entering into an ISDA Master Agreement on a bilateral basis. The ISDA Master Agreement gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under such agreement if there is a specified deterioration in the credit quality of the other party. Upon an event of default or a termination of the ISDA Master Agreement, the non-defaulting party has the right to close out all transactions traded under such agreement and to net amounts owed under each agreement to one net amount payable by one party to the other. This right to close out and net payments across all transactions traded under the ISDA Master Agreement could result in a reduction of the fund’s credit risk to such counterparty equal to any amounts payable by the fund under the applicable transactions, if any.
Collateral and margin requirements differ by type of derivative. For cleared derivatives (e.g., futures contracts, cleared swaps, and exchange-traded options), margin requirements are set by the clearing broker and the clearing house and collateral, in the form of cash or securities, is posted by the fund directly with the clearing broker. Collateral terms are counterparty agreement specific for uncleared derivatives (e.g., forward foreign currency exchange contracts, uncleared swap agreements, and uncleared options) and collateral, in the form of cash and securities, is held in segregated accounts with the fund’s custodian in connection with these agreements. For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, which contains a collateral support annex, the collateral requirements are netted across all transactions traded under such counterparty-specific agreement and an amount is posted from one party to the other to collateralize such obligations. Cash that has been segregated or delivered to cover the fund’s collateral or margin obligations under derivative contracts, if any, will be reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as restricted cash for uncleared derivatives and/or deposits with brokers for cleared derivatives. Securities pledged as collateral or margin for the same purpose, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. The fund may be required to make payments of interest on uncovered collateral or margin obligations with the broker. Any such payments are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – The fund entered into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for the purchase or sale of a specific foreign currency at a fixed price on a future date. These contracts may be used to hedge the fund’s currency risk or for non-hedging purposes. For hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts to deliver or receive foreign currency that the fund will receive from or use in its normal investment activities. The fund may also use contracts to hedge against declines in the value of foreign currency denominated securities due to unfavorable exchange rate movements. For non-hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts with the intent of changing the relative exposure of the fund’s portfolio of securities to different currencies to take advantage of anticipated exchange rate changes.
18
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are adjusted by the daily exchange rate of the underlying currency and any unrealized gains or losses are recorded as a receivable or payable for forward foreign currency exchange contracts until the contract settlement date. On contract settlement date, any gain or loss on the contract is recorded as realized gains or losses on forward foreign currency exchange contracts.
Risks may arise upon entering into these contracts from unanticipated movements in the value of the contract and from the potential inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts. Generally, the fund’s maximum risk due to counterparty credit risk is the unrealized gain on the contract due to the use of Continuous Linked Settlement, a multicurrency cash settlement system for the centralized settlement of foreign transactions. This risk is mitigated in cases where there is an ISDA Master Agreement between the fund and the counterparty providing for netting as described above and, where applicable, by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to the fund to cover the fund’s exposure to the counterparty under such ISDA Master Agreement.
Security Loans – Under its Securities Lending Agency Agreement with the fund, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as lending agent, loans the securities of the fund to certain qualified institutions (the “Borrowers”) approved by the fund. Security loans can be terminated at the discretion of either the lending agent or the fund and the related securities must be returned within the earlier of the standard trade settlement period for such securities or within three business days. The loans are collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Treasury and federal agency obligations in an amount typically at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. On loans collateralized by cash, the cash collateral is invested in a money market fund. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of business of the fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the fund on the next business day. The lending agent provides the fund with indemnification against Borrower default. In the event of Borrower default, the lending agent will, for the benefit of the fund, either purchase securities identical to those loaned or, when such purchase is commercially impracticable, pay the fund the market value of the loaned securities. In return, the lending agent assumes the fund’s rights to the related collateral. If the collateral value is less than the cost to purchase identical securities, the lending agent is responsible for the shortfall, but only to the extent that such shortfall is not due to a decline in collateral value resulting from collateral reinvestment for which the fund bears the risk of loss. A portion of the income generated upon investment of the collateral is remitted to the Borrowers, and the remainder is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. On loans collateralized by U.S. Treasury and/or federal agency obligations, a fee is received from the Borrower, and is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. Income from securities lending is separately reported in the Statement of Operations. The dividend and interest income earned on the securities loaned is accounted for in the same manner as other dividend and interest income. At December 31, 2020, there were no securities on loan or collateral outstanding.
Indemnifications – Under the fund’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund’s maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income – Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
Tax Matters and Distributions – The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
19
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Book/tax differences primarily relate to wash sale loss deferrals and derivative transactions.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | | | $12,548,204 | | | | $21,217,617 | |
Long-term capital gains | | | 25,588,426 | | | | 37,692,343 | |
Total distributions | | | $38,136,630 | | | | $58,909,960 | |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
| | | | |
As of 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Cost of investments | | | $931,761,742 | |
Gross appreciation | | | 588,057,340 | |
Gross depreciation | | | (18,692,378 | ) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | | | $569,364,962 | |
| |
Undistributed ordinary income | | | 3,610,364 | |
Undistributed long-term capital gain | | | 42,184,350 | |
Other temporary differences | | | 270,681 | |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest – The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund’s income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Initial Class | | | $8,702,058 | | | | $14,425,226 | |
Service Class | | | 29,434,572 | | | | 44,484,734 | |
Total | | | $38,136,630 | | | | $58,909,960 | |
(3) | | Transactions with Affiliates |
Investment Adviser – The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund’s average daily net assets:
| | | | |
Up to $1 billion | | | 0.90% | |
In excess of $1 billion and up to $2 billion | | | 0.80% | |
In excess of $2 billion | | | 0.70% | |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund’s Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $145,885, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.86% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.90% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.15% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reduction amounted to $119,892, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations.
Distributor – MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund’s distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these
20
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
Shareholder Servicing Agent – MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $32,185, which equated to 0.0024% annually of the fund’s average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $2,112.
Administrator – MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0140% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation – The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other – The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
The fund is permitted to engage in purchase and sale transactions with funds and accounts for which MFS serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser (“cross-trades”) pursuant to a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees. This policy has been designed to ensure that cross-trades conducted by the fund comply with Rule 17a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund engaged in purchase and sale transactions pursuant to this policy, which amounted to $156,407 and $380,274, respectively. The sales transactions resulted in net realized gains (losses) of $97,186.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, aggregated $130,942,102 and $234,803,163, respectively.
(5) | | Shares of Beneficial Interest |
The fund’s Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
| | | | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Shares | | | Amount | |
Shares sold | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 1,545,411 | | | | $46,930,881 | | | | 1,272,961 | | | | $35,746,878 | |
Service Class | | | 4,685,053 | | | | 136,442,604 | | | | 4,881,451 | | | | 134,750,061 | |
| | | 6,230,464 | | | | $183,373,485 | | | | 6,154,412 | | | | $170,496,939 | |
| | | | |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 262,777 | | | | $8,408,861 | | | | 513,152 | | | | $13,849,975 | |
Service Class | | | 934,431 | | | | 29,434,572 | | | | 1,672,987 | | | | 44,484,734 | |
| | | 1,197,208 | | | | $37,843,433 | | | | 2,186,139 | | | | $58,334,709 | |
| | | | |
Shares reacquired | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (2,732,208 | ) | | | $(81,847,531 | ) | | | (2,779,834 | ) | | | $(78,917,068 | ) |
Service Class | | | (7,040,629 | ) | | | (206,071,179 | ) | | | (5,877,448 | ) | | | (163,164,639 | ) |
| | | (9,772,837 | ) | | | $(287,918,710 | ) | | | (8,657,282 | ) | | | $(242,081,707 | ) |
| | | | |
Net change | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (924,020 | ) | | | $(26,507,789 | ) | | | (993,721 | ) | | | $(29,320,215 | ) |
Service Class | | | (1,421,145 | ) | | | (40,194,003 | ) | | | 676,990 | | | | 16,070,156 | |
| | | (2,345,165 | ) | | | $(66,701,792 | ) | | | (316,731 | ) | | | $(13,250,059 | ) |
The fund is one of several mutual funds in which certain MFS funds may invest. The MFS funds do not invest in the underlying funds for the purpose of exercising management or control. At the end of the period, the MFS Moderate Allocation Portfolio, the MFS Growth Allocation Portfolio, and the MFS Conservative Allocation Portfolio were the owners of record of approximately 3%, 1%, and 1%, respectively, of the value of outstanding voting shares of the fund.
21
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Effective at the close of business on October 16, 2017, the fund is closed to new investors subject to certain exceptions. Please see the fund’s prospectus for details.
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $6,725 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) | | Investments in Affiliated Issuers |
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | Beginning Value | | | Purchases | | | Sales Proceeds | | | Realized Gain (Loss) | | | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | | | Ending Value | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | $40,476,769 | | | | $190,248,448 | | | | $188,205,657 | | | | $(1,885 | ) | | | $— | | | | $42,517,675 | |
| | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Dividend Income | | | Capital Gain Distributions | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | | | | | | | | | | $197,219 | | | | $— | |
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund’s investments and the fund’s performance.
22
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
23
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS – IDENTIFICATION AND BACKGROUND
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
| | | | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
|
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
| | | | | |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
| | | | | |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
24
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head – Treasurer’s Office (until February 2017) |
| | | | |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
| | | | |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
| | | | |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
| | | | |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
| | | | |
James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board’s retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
25
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
| | |
Investment Adviser Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Custodian State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
| |
Distributor MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
| |
Portfolio Manager(s) Pablo de la Mata Philip Evans Benjamin Stone | | |
26
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
BOARD REVIEW OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 1st quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 4th quintile for the one-year period and the 2nd quintile for the three-year period ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course
27
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement – continued
of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate and total expense ratio were each approximately at the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to contractual breakpoints that reduce the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $1 billion and $2 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoints and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
28
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND INFORMATION
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO DISCLOSURE
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund’s fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
INFORMATION ABOUT FUND CONTRACTS AND LEGAL CLAIMS
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund designates $28,148,000 as capital gain dividends paid during the fiscal year.
For corporate shareholders, 11.77% of the ordinary income dividends paid during the fiscal year qualify for the corporate dividends received deduction.
Income derived from foreign sources was $20,032,599. The fund intends to pass through foreign tax credits of $2,081,623 for the fiscal year.
29
rev. 3/16
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FACTS | | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? | | |
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Why? | | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
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What? | | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: • Social Security number and account balances • Account transactions and transaction history • Checking account information and wire transfer instructions When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
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How? | | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
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Reasons we can share your personal information | | Does MFS share? | | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | | Yes | | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | | No | | We don’t share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | | No | | We don’t share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | | No | | We don’t share |
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Questions? | | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
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Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
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What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | | We collect your personal information, for example, when you • open an account or provide account information • direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities • make a wire transfer We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can’t I limit all sharing? | | Federal law gives you the right to limit only • sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness • affiliates from using your information to market to you • sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
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Definitions |
Affiliates | | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. • MFS doesn’t jointly market. |
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Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
31
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
MIS-ANN
MFS® Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
CONTENTS
The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE • NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
1
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION
Portfolio structure
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Top ten holdings | | | | |
Microsoft Corp. | | | 10.0% | |
Alphabet, Inc., “A” | | | 6.8% | |
Apple, Inc. | | | 5.0% | |
Accenture PLC, “A” | | | 4.2% | |
Visa, Inc., “A” | | | 3.1% | |
Colgate-Palmolive Co. | | | 3.0% | |
Charles Schwab Corp. | | | 2.9% | |
Aon PLC | | | 2.5% | |
Fiserv, Inc. | | | 2.5% | |
Electronic Arts, Inc. | | | 2.3% | |
| | | | |
GICS equity sectors (g) | | | | |
Information Technology | | | 35.1% | |
Health Care | | | 15.3% | |
Consumer Discretionary | | | 12.7% | |
Communication Services | | | 12.5% | |
Financials | | | 8.7% | |
Consumer Staples | | | 7.8% | |
Industrials | | | 5.7% | |
Materials | | | 1.4% | |
(g) | The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) was developed by and/or is the exclusive property of MSCI, Inc. and S&P Global Market Intelligence Inc. (“S&P Global Market Intelligence”). GICS is a service mark of MSCI and S&P Global Market Intelligence and has been licensed for use by MFS. MFS has applied its own internal sector/industry classification methodology for equity securities and non-equity securities that are unclassified by GICS. |
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
2
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
MANAGEMENT REVIEW
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 22.53%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 22.20%. These compare with a return of 38.49% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the Russell 1000® Growth Index.
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest – albeit the deepest and steepest – recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public’s willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies – a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Detractors from Performance
Stock selection in both the information technology and consumer discretionary sectors weakened the fund’s performance relative to the Russell 1000® Growth Index. Within the information technology sector, the fund’s underweight position in computer and personal electronics maker Apple, not owning shares of computer graphics processor maker NVIDIA, and its overweight positions in global banking and payment technologies provider Fidelity National Information Services and financial technology services provider Fiserv, held back relative returns. Despite headwinds related to COVID-19, the share price of Apple appreciated as product demand recovered more rapidly than expected and the shift toward work-from-home and remote learning supported strong iPhone and iPad sales. Additionally, shares of Apple reacted positively to the announcement of a new line of its flagship iPhone product with 5G compatibility. Within the consumer discretionary sector, not owning shares of strong-performing electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla and internet retailer Amazon.com, and the fund’s overweight position in hotel operator Marriott International (h), detracted from relative results. The share price of Tesla appreciated throughout the period after the company disclosed record deliveries amid the launch of its Model Y and China factory. Additionally, Tesla was added as a constituent to the S&P 500 Index, which further boosted its stock performance.
Elsewhere, the fund’s overweight positions in medical technology company Becton, Dickinson and Co., risk management and human capital consulting services provider Aon and medical devices maker Boston Scientific detracted from relative returns. The share price of Becton, Dickinson and Co. fell marginally over the period on the back of its reduced full-year guidance, driven by pump software remediation delays and challenges.
Contributors to Performance
Stock selection in the industrials sector contributed to the fund’s relative performance. Within this sector, not holding shares of weak-performing aerospace company Boeing and defense contractor Lockheed Martin benefited relative returns. The share price of Boeing declined as the travel and airline industries came under intense pressure amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, which resulted in widespread travel restrictions across the globe and ultimately led the company to suspend production.
3
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
Management Review – continued
Avoiding the underperforming real estate sector also bolstered the fund’s relative results. Within this sector, not owning shares of broadcast and communication tower management firm American Tower and investment trust Simon Property Group aided relative performance. The share price of American Tower declined as the company reported softer-than-anticipated financial results, which saw slower growth in revenues as investors appeared to have awaited news of a lease agreement with T-Mobile. Additionally, management announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire InSite Wireless in an all-cash deal, which put further pressure on its share price.
Elsewhere, not owning shares of weak-performing pharmaceutical company Merck, biotechnology firm Amgen, beverage maker Coca-Cola and health insurance and medicare/medicaid provider UnitedHealth Group strengthened relative returns. The share price of Merck fell as the company lowered its 2020 guidance to account for weaker sales of vaccines, medications and animal health products, which reflected COVID-19-related delays and shutdowns. Additionally, the fund’s holdings of semiconductor manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (b) (Taiwan), and its underweight position in pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly (h), further supported relative performance.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Jeffrey Constantino and Joseph Skorski
(b) | Security is not a benchmark constituent. |
(h) | Security was not held in the portfolio at period end. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
4
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY THROUGH 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
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| | Share Class | | Class Inception Date | | 1-yr | | 5-yr | | 10-yr | | |
| | Initial Class | | 5/06/98 | | 22.53% | | 18.68% | | 14.99% | | |
| | Service Class | | 8/24/01 | | 22.20% | | 18.39% | | 14.71% | | |
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Comparative benchmark(s) | | | | | | | | |
| | Russell 1000® Growth Index (f) | | 38.49% | | 21.00% | | 17.21% | | |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
Russell 1000® Growth Index (h) – constructed to provide a comprehensive barometer for growth securities in the large-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. Companies in this index generally have higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(h) | Frank Russell Company (“Russell”) is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks, and copyrights related to the Russell Indexes. Russell® is a trademark of Frank Russell Company. Neither Russell nor its licensors accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the Russell Indexes and/or Russell ratings or underlying data and no party may rely on any Russell Indexes and/or Russell ratings and/or underlying data contained in this document. No further distribution of Russell Data is permitted without Russell’s express written consent. Russell does not promote, sponsor, or endorse the content of this document. |
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund’s performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
5
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
EXPENSE TABLE
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund’s ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
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Share Class | | | | Annualized Expense Ratio | | | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | | | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | | | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 | |
Initial Class | | Actual | | | 0.78% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,234.00 | | | | $4.38 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 0.78% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,021.22 | | | | $3.96 | |
Service Class | | Actual | | | 1.03% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,231.94 | | | | $5.78 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 1.03% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,019.96 | | | | $5.23 | |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class’s annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
6
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS – 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – 99.2% | | | | | | | | |
Apparel Manufacturers – 5.4% | | | | | |
Adidas AG (a) | | | 45,501 | | | $ | 16,559,159 | |
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE | | | 22,644 | | | | 14,133,049 | |
NIKE, Inc., “B” | | | 130,858 | | | | 18,512,481 | |
VF Corp. | | | 98,728 | | | | 8,432,359 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 57,637,048 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 3.7% | | | | | |
Blackstone Group, Inc. | | | 123,378 | | | $ | 7,996,128 | |
Charles Schwab Corp. | | | 594,203 | | | | 31,516,527 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 39,512,655 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Business Services – 11.7% | | | | | |
Accenture PLC, “A” | | | 170,494 | | | $ | 44,534,738 | |
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., “A” | | | 215,284 | | | | 17,642,524 | |
Equifax, Inc. | | | 71,270 | | | | 13,743,707 | |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. | | | 121,936 | | | | 17,249,066 | |
Fiserv, Inc. (a) | | | 232,273 | | | | 26,446,604 | |
Verisk Analytics, Inc., “A” | | | 25,990 | | | | 5,395,264 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 125,011,903 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Cable TV – 2.2% | | | | | |
Comcast Corp., “A” | | | 457,008 | | | $ | 23,947,219 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Computer Software – 10.0% | | | | | |
Microsoft Corp. | | | 479,419 | | | $ | 106,632,374 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Computer Software – Systems – 5.0% | | | | | |
Apple, Inc. | | | 401,920 | | | $ | 53,330,765 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Construction – 2.5% | | | | | |
Otis Worldwide Corp. | | | 179,086 | | | $ | 12,097,259 | |
Sherwin-Williams Co. | | | 20,327 | | | | 14,938,516 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 27,035,775 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Consumer Products – 5.9% | | | | | |
Church & Dwight Co., Inc. | | | 188,011 | | | $ | 16,400,199 | |
Colgate-Palmolive Co. | | | 374,207 | | | | 31,998,441 | |
Estee Lauder Cos., Inc., “A” | | | 54,272 | | | | 14,446,664 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 62,845,304 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Electrical Equipment – 5.0% | | | | | |
Amphenol Corp., “A” | | | 180,270 | | | $ | 23,573,908 | |
Fortive Corp. | | | 203,020 | | | | 14,377,876 | |
TE Connectivity Ltd. | | | 130,212 | | | | 15,764,767 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 53,716,551 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Electronics – 3.2% | | | | | |
Analog Devices, Inc. | | | 79,749 | | | $ | 11,781,320 | |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., ADR | | | 79,881 | | | | 8,710,224 | |
Texas Instruments, Inc. | | | 85,273 | | | | 13,995,858 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 34,487,402 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Food & Beverages – 1.9% | | | | | |
PepsiCo, Inc. | | | 137,551 | | | $ | 20,398,813 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
COMMON STOCKS – continued | | | | | | | | |
General Merchandise – 1.8% | | | | | |
Dollarama, Inc. | | | 463,492 | | | $ | 18,890,694 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Health Maintenance Organizations – 1.1% | | | | | |
Cigna Corp. | | | 56,176 | | | $ | 11,694,720 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Insurance – 4.0% | | | | | |
Aon PLC | | | 129,041 | | | $ | 27,262,492 | |
Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc. | | | 129,395 | | | | 15,139,215 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 42,401,707 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Internet – 9.7% | | | | | |
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., ADR (a) | | | 81,453 | | | $ | 18,956,557 | |
Alphabet, Inc., “A” (a) | | | 41,418 | | | | 72,590,844 | |
Tencent Holdings Ltd. | | | 172,200 | | | | 12,582,176 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 104,129,577 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Leisure & Toys – 2.3% | | | | | |
Electronic Arts, Inc. | | | 174,782 | | | $ | 25,098,695 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 1.7% | |
PRA Health Sciences, Inc. (a) | | | 145,202 | | | $ | 18,214,139 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Medical Equipment – 12.1% | | | | | |
Abbott Laboratories | | | 99,095 | | | $ | 10,849,912 | |
Agilent Technologies, Inc. | | | 161,207 | | | | 19,101,417 | |
Becton, Dickinson and Co. | | | 82,844 | | | | 20,729,226 | |
Boston Scientific Corp. (a) | | | 679,971 | | | | 24,444,957 | |
Danaher Corp. | | | 31,793 | | | | 7,062,497 | |
Medtronic PLC | | | 92,622 | | | | 10,849,741 | |
Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (a) | | | 1,844 | | | | 2,101,570 | |
Stryker Corp. | | | 86,294 | | | | 21,145,482 | |
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. | | | 29,121 | | | | 13,563,979 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 129,848,781 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 4.4% | | | | | |
Mastercard, Inc., “A” | | | 6,686 | | | $ | 2,386,501 | |
Moody’s Corp. | | | 36,495 | | | | 10,592,309 | |
Visa, Inc., “A” | | | 154,007 | | | | 33,685,951 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 46,664,761 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Pharmaceuticals – 0.4% | | | | | |
Roche Holding AG | | | 11,889 | | | $ | 4,149,668 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Railroad & Shipping – 1.4% | | | | | |
Union Pacific Corp. | | | 71,591 | | | $ | 14,906,678 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Restaurants – 1.4% | | | | | |
Starbucks Corp. | | | 142,326 | | | $ | 15,226,035 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Specialty Stores – 2.4% | | | | | |
Ross Stores, Inc. | | | 105,169 | | | $ | 12,915,805 | |
TJX Cos., Inc. | | | 180,395 | | | | 12,319,174 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 25,234,979 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Common Stocks (Identified Cost, $521,743,693) | | | | | | $ | 1,061,016,243 | |
| | | | | | | | |
7
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
INVESTMENT COMPANIES (h) – 0.8% | | | | | |
Money Market Funds – 0.8% | | | | | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $8,618,175) | | | 8,618,176 | | | $ | 8,618,176 | |
| | | | | | | | |
OTHER ASSETS, LESS LIABILITIES – (0.0)% | | | | | | | (78,644 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
NET ASSETS – 100.0% | | | | | | $ | 1,069,555,775 | |
| | | | | | | | |
(a) | | Non-income producing security. |
(h) | | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund’s investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $8,618,176 and $1,061,016,243, respectively. |
(v) | | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined:
ADR | | American Depositary Receipt |
See Notes to Financial Statements
8
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
| | | | |
At 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Assets | | | | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $521,743,693) | | | $1,061,016,243 | |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $8,618,175) | | | 8,618,176 | |
Receivables for | | | | |
Investments sold | | | 88,739 | |
Fund shares sold | | | 230,003 | |
Dividends | | | 469,251 | |
Other assets | | | 4,641 | |
Total assets | | | $1,070,427,053 | |
| |
Liabilities | | | | |
Payables for | | | | |
Fund shares reacquired | | | $716,150 | |
Payable to affiliates | | | | |
Investment adviser | | | 42,538 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 733 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 157 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 5,809 | |
Payable for independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 351 | |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | | | 105,540 | |
Total liabilities | | | $871,278 | |
Net assets | | | $1,069,555,775 | |
| |
Net assets consist of | | | | |
Paid-in capital | | | $383,534,102 | |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | | | 686,021,673 | |
Net assets | | | $1,069,555,775 | |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | | | 42,954,117 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| | Net assets | | | Shares outstanding | | | Net asset value per share | |
Initial Class | | | $641,266,720 | | | | 25,593,884 | | | | $25.06 | |
Service Class | | | 428,289,055 | | | | 17,360,233 | | | | 24.67 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
9
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
| | | | |
Year ended 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Net investment income (loss) | | | | |
Income | | | | |
Dividends | | | $10,199,828 | |
Other | | | 49,706 | |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | | | 36,937 | |
Income on securities loaned | | | 15,309 | |
Foreign taxes withheld | | | (147,102 | ) |
Total investment income | | | $10,154,678 | |
Expenses | | | | |
Management fee | | | $7,242,655 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 967,192 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 29,318 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 137,948 | |
Independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 21,865 | |
Custodian fee | | | 62,370 | |
Shareholder communications | | | 55,797 | |
Audit and tax fees | | | 60,287 | |
Legal fees | | | 7,605 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 36,446 | |
Total expenses | | | $8,621,483 | |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | | | (106,105 | ) |
Net expenses | | | $8,515,378 | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $1,639,300 | |
| |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $146,328,559 | |
Affiliated issuers | | | (1,649 | ) |
Foreign currency | | | (16,319 | ) |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | $146,310,591 | |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $52,915,260 | |
Affiliated issuers | | | 2 | |
Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies | | | 10,637 | |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | $52,925,899 | |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | $199,236,490 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $200,875,790 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
10
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | |
Change in net assets | | | | | | | | |
| | |
From operations | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $1,639,300 | | | | $3,831,117 | |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | 146,310,591 | | | | 93,493,641 | |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | 52,925,899 | | | | 209,459,172 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $200,875,790 | | | | $306,783,930 | |
Total distributions to shareholders | | | $(96,440,810 | ) | | | $(77,028,659 | ) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | | | $(40,476,255 | ) | | | $(37,891,568 | ) |
Total change in net assets | | | $63,958,725 | | | | $191,863,703 | |
| | |
Net assets | | | | | | | | |
At beginning of period | | | 1,005,597,050 | | | | 813,733,347 | |
At end of period | | | $1,069,555,775 | | | | $1,005,597,050 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
11
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund’s financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $22.58 | | | | $17.60 | | | | $18.60 | | | | $15.38 | | | | $16.38 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.06 | | | | $0.11 | | | | $0.13 | | | | $0.11 | | | | $0.11 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 4.80 | | | | 6.71 | | | | 0.16 | | | | 4.16 | | | | 0.95 | |
Total from investment operations | | | $4.86 | | | | $6.82 | | | | $0.29 | | | | $4.27 | | | | $1.06 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.11 | ) | | | $(0.13 | ) | | | $(0.12 | ) | | | $(0.12 | ) | | | $(0.10 | ) |
From net realized gain | | | (2.27 | ) | | | (1.71 | ) | | | (1.17 | ) | | | (0.93 | ) | | | (1.96 | ) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | | | $(2.38 | ) | | | $(1.84 | ) | | | $(1.29 | ) | | | $(1.05 | ) | | | $(2.06 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $25.06 | | | | $22.58 | | | | $17.60 | | | | $18.60 | | | | $15.38 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 22.53 | | | | 39.95 | | | | 0.81 | | | | 28.42 | | | | 6.08 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 0.79 | | | | 0.79 | | | | 0.80 | | | | 0.81 | | | | 0.78 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 0.78 | | | | 0.78 | | | | 0.79 | | | | 0.80 | | | | 0.77 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.27 | | | | 0.51 | | | | 0.65 | | | | 0.66 | | | | 0.70 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 33 | | | | 22 | | | | 23 | | | | 21 | | | | 24 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $641,267 | | | | $603,369 | | | | $493,783 | | | | $562,471 | | | | $500,924 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Service Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $22.27 | | | | $17.38 | | | | $18.38 | | | | $15.21 | | | | $16.22 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.00 | (w) | | | $0.05 | | | | $0.08 | | | | $0.07 | | | | $0.07 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 4.72 | | | | 6.62 | | | | 0.16 | | | | 4.10 | | | | 0.94 | |
Total from investment operations | | | $4.72 | | | | $6.67 | | | | $0.24 | | | | $4.17 | | | | $1.01 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.05 | ) | | | $(0.07 | ) | | | $(0.07 | ) | | | $(0.07 | ) | | | $(0.06 | ) |
From net realized gain | | | (2.27 | ) | | | (1.71 | ) | | | (1.17 | ) | | | (0.93 | ) | | | (1.96 | ) |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | | | $(2.32 | ) | | | $(1.78 | ) | | | $(1.24 | ) | | | $(1.00 | ) | | | $(2.02 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $24.67 | | | | $22.27 | | | | $17.38 | | | | $18.38 | | | | $15.21 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 22.20 | | | | 39.58 | | | | 0.58 | | | | 28.10 | | | | 5.84 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 1.04 | | | | 1.04 | | | | 1.05 | | | | 1.06 | | | | 1.03 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 1.03 | | | | 1.03 | | | | 1.04 | | | | 1.05 | | | | 1.02 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.02 | | | | 0.26 | | | | 0.40 | | | | 0.41 | | | | 0.45 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 33 | | | | 22 | | | | 23 | | | | 21 | | | | 24 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $428,289 | | | | $402,228 | | | | $319,950 | | | | $369,950 | | | | $328,673 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
12
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
Financial Highlights – continued
(c) | | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(w) | | Per share amount was less than $0.01. |
(x) | | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
13
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1) | | Business and Organization |
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services – Investment Companies.
(2) | | Significant Accounting Policies |
General – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund’s investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting – The fund’s accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund’s right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations – Equity securities, including restricted equity securities, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. Events that occur after foreign markets close (such as developments in foreign markets and significant movements in the U.S. markets) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value may be deemed to have a material effect on the value of securities traded in foreign markets. Accordingly, the fund’s foreign equity securities may often be valued at fair value. The adviser
14
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund’s assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund’s assets or liabilities:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Financial Instruments | | Level 1 | | | Level 2 | | | Level 3 | | | Total | |
Equity Securities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
United States | | | $967,034,716 | | | | $— | | | | $— | | | | $967,034,716 | |
China | | | 18,956,557 | | | | 12,582,176 | | | | — | | | | 31,538,733 | |
Canada | | | 18,890,694 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 18,890,694 | |
Germany | | | 16,559,159 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 16,559,159 | |
France | | | 14,133,049 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 14,133,049 | |
Taiwan | | | 8,710,224 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 8,710,224 | |
Switzerland | | | 4,149,668 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 4,149,668 | |
Mutual Funds | | | 8,618,176 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 8,618,176 | |
Total | | | $1,057,052,243 | | | | $12,582,176 | | | | $— | | | | $1,069,634,419 | |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Foreign Currency Translation – Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
Security Loans – Under its Securities Lending Agency Agreement with the fund, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as lending agent, loans the securities of the fund to certain qualified institutions (the “Borrowers”) approved by the fund. Security loans can be terminated at the discretion of either the lending agent or the fund and the related securities must be returned within the earlier of the standard trade settlement period for such securities or within three business days. The loans are collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Treasury and federal agency obligations in an amount typically at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. On loans collateralized by cash, the cash collateral is invested in a money market fund. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of business of the fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the fund on the next business day. The lending agent provides the fund with indemnification against Borrower default. In the event of Borrower default, the lending agent will, for the benefit of the fund, either purchase securities identical to those loaned or, when such purchase is commercially impracticable, pay the fund the market value of the loaned securities. In return, the lending agent assumes the fund’s rights to the related collateral. If the collateral value is less than the cost to purchase identical securities, the lending agent is responsible for the shortfall, but only to the extent that such shortfall is not due to a decline in collateral value resulting from collateral reinvestment for which the fund bears the risk of loss. A portion of the income generated upon investment of the collateral is remitted to the Borrowers, and the remainder is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. On loans collateralized by U.S. Treasury and/or federal agency obligations, a fee is received from the Borrower, and is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. Income from securities lending is separately reported in the Statement of Operations. The dividend and interest income earned on the securities loaned is accounted for in the same manner as other dividend and interest income. At December 31, 2020, there were no securities on loan or collateral outstanding.
15
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Indemnifications – Under the fund’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund’s maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income – Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
Tax Matters and Distributions – The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to wash sale loss deferrals.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | | | $9,714,474 | | | | $9,294,449 | |
Long-term capital gains | | | 86,726,336 | | | | 67,734,210 | |
Total distributions | | | $96,440,810 | | | | $77,028,659 | |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
| | | | |
As of 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Cost of investments | | | $532,150,972 | |
Gross appreciation | | | 538,026,198 | |
Gross depreciation | | | (542,751 | ) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | | | $537,483,447 | |
| |
Undistributed ordinary income | | | 6,111,511 | |
Undistributed long-term capital gain | | | 142,415,273 | |
Other temporary differences | | | 11,442 | |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest – The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund’s income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Initial Class | | | $58,026,955 | | | | $47,083,180 | |
Service Class | | | 38,413,855 | | | | 29,945,479 | |
Total | | | $96,440,810 | | | | $77,028,659 | |
16
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
(3) | | Transactions with Affiliates |
Investment Adviser – The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund’s average daily net assets:
| | | | |
Up to $1 billion | | | 0.75% | |
In excess of $1 billion | | | 0.65% | |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund’s Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $106,105, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.74% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.82% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.07% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s actual operating expenses did not exceed the limit and therefore, the investment adviser did not pay any portion of the fund’s expenses related to this agreement.
Distributor – MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund’s distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
Shareholder Servicing Agent – MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $27,529, which equated to 0.0029% annually of the fund’s average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $1,789.
Administrator – MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0143% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation – The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other – The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
The fund is permitted to engage in purchase and sale transactions with funds and accounts for which MFS serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser (“cross-trades”) pursuant to a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees. This policy has been designed to ensure that cross-trades conducted by the fund comply with Rule 17a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund engaged in purchase and sale transactions pursuant to this policy, which amounted to $4,584,958 and $226,775, respectively. The sales transactions resulted in net realized gains (losses) of $(21,908).
The adviser has voluntarily undertaken to reimburse the fund from its own resources on a quarterly basis for the cost of investment research embedded in the cost of the fund’s securities trades. This agreement may be rescinded at any time. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reimbursement amounted to $49,570, which is included in “Other” income in the Statement of Operations.
17
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, aggregated $314,918,685 and $447,796,664, respectively.
(5) | | Shares of Beneficial Interest |
The fund’s Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
| | | | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Shares | | | Amount | |
Shares sold | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 536,906 | | | | $11,499,519 | | | | 727,093 | | | | $15,422,380 | |
Service Class | | | 1,322,375 | | | | 28,371,478 | | | | 1,484,252 | | | | 30,568,543 | |
| | | 1,859,281 | | | | $39,870,997 | | | | 2,211,345 | | | | $45,990,923 | |
| | | | |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 2,538,362 | | | | $58,026,955 | | | | 2,333,161 | | | | $47,083,180 | |
Service Class | | | 1,705,766 | | | | 38,413,855 | | | | 1,503,287 | | | | 29,945,479 | |
| | | 4,244,128 | | | | $96,440,810 | | | | 3,836,448 | | | | $77,028,659 | |
| | | | |
Shares reacquired | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (4,205,948 | ) | | | $(94,166,872 | ) | | | (4,390,381 | ) | | | $(91,905,899 | ) |
Service Class | | | (3,730,825 | ) | | | (82,621,190 | ) | | | (3,334,851 | ) | | | (69,005,251 | ) |
| | | (7,936,773 | ) | | | $(176,788,062 | ) | | | (7,725,232 | ) | | | $(160,911,150 | ) |
| | | | |
Net change | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (1,130,680 | ) | | | $(24,640,398 | ) | | | (1,330,127 | ) | | | $(29,400,339 | ) |
Service Class | | | (702,684 | ) | | | (15,835,857 | ) | | | (347,312 | ) | | | (8,491,229 | ) |
| | | (1,833,364 | ) | | | $(40,476,255 | ) | | | (1,677,439 | ) | | | $(37,891,568 | ) |
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $4,936 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) | | Investments in Affiliated Issuers |
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | Beginning Value | | | Purchases | | | Sales Proceeds | | | Realized Gain (Loss) | | | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | | | Ending Value | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | $11,991,156 | | | | $171,606,932 | | | | $174,978,265 | | | | $(1,649 | ) | | | $2 | | | | $8,618,176 | |
| | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Dividend Income | | | Capital Gain Distributions | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $36,937 | | | | $— | |
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund’s investments and the fund’s performance.
18
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
19
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS – IDENTIFICATION AND BACKGROUND
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
| | | | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
|
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
| | | | | |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
| | | | | |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
20
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head – Treasurer’s Office (until February 2017) |
| | | | |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
| | | | |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
| | | | |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
| | | | |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
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James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board’s retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
21
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
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Investment Adviser Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Custodian State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
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Distributor MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
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Portfolio Manager(s) Jeffrey Constantino Joseph Skorski | | |
22
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
BOARD REVIEW OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 3rd quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 1st quintile for each of the one- and three-year periods ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course
23
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement – continued
of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate and total expense ratio were each higher than the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to a contractual breakpoint that reduces the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $1 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoint and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
24
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND INFORMATION
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO DISCLOSURE
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund’s fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
INFORMATION ABOUT FUND CONTRACTS AND LEGAL CLAIMS
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund designates $95,399,000 as capital gain dividends paid during the fiscal year.
For corporate shareholders, 92.87% of the ordinary income dividends paid during the fiscal year qualify for the corporate dividends received deduction.
25
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FACTS | | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? | | |
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Why? | | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
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What? | | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: • Social Security number and account balances • Account transactions and transaction history • Checking account information and wire transfer instructions When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
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How? | | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
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Reasons we can share your personal information | | Does MFS share? | | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | | Yes | | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | | No | | We don’t share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | | No | | We don’t share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | | No | | We don’t share |
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Questions? | | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
26
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Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
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What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | | We collect your personal information, for example, when you • open an account or provide account information • direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities • make a wire transfer We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can’t I limit all sharing? | | Federal law gives you the right to limit only • sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness • affiliates from using your information to market to you • sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
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Definitions |
Affiliates | | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. • MFS doesn’t jointly market. |
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Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
27
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Research
International Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
MFS® Research International Portfolio
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The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE •
NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS Research International Portfolio
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
MFS Research International Portfolio
Portfolio structure
Top ten holdings
Roche Holding AG | 2.9% |
Nestle S.A. | 2.7% |
Schneider Electric SE | 2.3% |
Linde PLC | 2.2% |
Novo Nordisk A.S., “B” | 2.1% |
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE | 2.0% |
AIA Group Ltd. | 1.8% |
Daikin Industries Ltd. | 1.6% |
Diageo PLC | 1.5% |
BNP Paribas | 1.5% |
Global equity sectors (k)
Capital Goods | 22.0% |
Financial Services | 18.5% |
Health Care | 11.6% |
Technology | 11.5% |
Consumer Cyclicals | 10.0% |
Consumer Staples | 8.8% |
Energy | 6.4% |
Telecommunications/Cable Television | 3.3% |
Issuer country weightings (x)
Japan | 19.9% |
United States | 12.7% |
Switzerland | 11.3% |
France | 10.0% |
Germany | 7.9% |
United Kingdom | 6.5% |
Netherlands | 5.9% |
Hong Kong | 4.2% |
China | 3.8% |
Other Countries | 17.8% |
Currency exposure weightings (y)
Euro | 30.8% |
Japanese Yen | 19.9% |
United States Dollar | 12.0% |
Swiss Franc | 11.3% |
British Pound Sterling | 7.3% |
Hong Kong Dollar | 7.0% |
Danish Krone | 2.8% |
Australian Dollar | 2.5% |
Canadian Dollar | 1.8% |
Other Currencies | 4.6% |
(k) | The sectors set forth above and the associated portfolio composition are based on MFS’ own custom sector classification methodology. |
(x) | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to issuer countries as a percentage of a portfolio’s net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States includes Cash & Cash Equivalents and Other. |
(y) | Represents the portfolio’s exposure to a particular currency as a percentage of a portfolio's net assets. For purposes of this presentation, United States Dollar includes Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
MFS Research International Portfolio
Management Review
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Research International Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 12.95%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 12.71%. These compare with a return of 7.82% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the MSCI EAFE Index (net div).
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest — albeit the deepest and steepest — recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public's willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies — a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Contributors to Performance
Stock selection within the capital goods sector contributed to the fund's performance relative to the MSCI EAFE Index, led by its overweight positions in electrical distribution equipment manufacturer Schneider Electric (France), electronic power tools manufacturer Techtronic Industries (Hong Kong) and air conditioning system manufacturer Daikin Industries (Japan). The stock price of Schneider Electric appreciated over the reporting period as the company reported earnings per share results that exceeded market expectations, driven by stronger-than-anticipated sales within its energy management and industrial automation segments.
Security selection within the financial services sector also supported the fund's relative results. Within this sector, not owning shares of poor-performance banking and financial services company HSBC (United Kingdom), and the fund's holdings of stock exchange operator Euronext(b) (Netherlands), bolstered relative performance. Elsewhere, not owning shares of weak-performing global energy and petrochemicals company Royal Dutch Shell(h) (United Kingdom) contributed to relative performance. Although the company reported relatively better-than-expected financial results, driven by oil trading, strength in downstream performance and cost cutting, shares of Royal Dutch Shell declined due to a difficult macroeconomic environment and weak demand for energy products. The fund's holdings of semiconductor manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing(b) (Taiwan), internet search engine and online computer games provider NAVER(b) (South Korea), microchip and electronics manufacturer Samsung Electronics(b) (South Korea) and software engineering solutions and technology services provider EPAM Systems(b) also benefited relative returns.
Detractors from Performance
Stock selection within the health care sector held back relative performance, led by the fund's overweight positions in weak-performing pharmaceutical products manufacturer Santen Pharmaceutical (Japan) and life sciences company Bayer (Germany).
Individual stocks in other sectors that were among the fund's top relative detractors included not owning shares of ASML(h) (Netherlands), a lithography systems manufacturer for the semiconductor industry. Shares of ASML rose as the company posted strong financial results and a reassuring outlook. Better-than-expected sales benefited from higher extreme ultraviolet machines (EUV) revenue recognition, while the positive outlook was supported by growing demand associated with digital transformation, including
MFS Research International Portfolio
Management Review - continued
a 5G network rollout and artificial intelligence (AI) advances. The fund's overweight positions in financial services provider AIB Group (Ireland), oil and gas company Galp Energia (Portugal), integrated oil company BP(h) (United Kingdom), banking and financial services firm Intesa Sanpaolo(h) (Italy) and food processing company Danone (France) further weighed on relative performance. The fund's holdings of insurance company Hiscox(b) (United Kingdom) also held back relative returns.
The fund’s cash and/or cash equivalents position during the period was another detractor from relative performance. Under normal market conditions, the fund strives to be fully invested and generally holds cash to buy new holdings and to provide liquidity. In a period when equity markets appreciated, as measured by the fund’s benchmark, holding cash hurt performance versus the benchmark, which has no cash position.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Victoria Higley and Camille Humphries Lee
(b) | Security is not a benchmark constituent. |
(h) | Security was not held in the portfolio at period end. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
MFS Research International Portfolio
Performance Summary Through 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
Share Class | Class Inception Date | 1-yr | 5-yr | 10-yr |
Initial Class | 5/06/98 | 12.95% | 9.61% | 5.97% |
Service Class | 8/24/01 | 12.71% | 9.34% | 5.71% |
Comparative benchmark(s)
MSCI EAFE Index (net div) (f) | 7.82% | 7.45% | 5.51% |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
MSCI EAFE (Europe, Australasia, Far East) Index(e) (net div) - a market capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the developed markets, excluding the U.S. and Canada.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(e) | Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. |
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund's performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
MFS Research International Portfolio
Performance Summary – continued
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
MFS Research International Portfolio
Expense Table
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund's ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
Share Class | | Annualized Expense Ratio | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 |
Initial Class | Actual | 0.96% | $1,000.00 | $1,208.56 | $5.33 |
Hypothetical (h) | 0.96% | $1,000.00 | $1,020.31 | $4.88 |
Service Class | Actual | 1.21% | $1,000.00 | $1,207.18 | $6.71 |
Hypothetical (h) | 1.21% | $1,000.00 | $1,019.05 | $6.14 |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class's annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
MFS Research International Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments − 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – 92.1% |
Airlines – 0.4% | |
Ryanair Holdings PLC, ADR (a) | | 18,684 | $ 2,054,866 |
Alcoholic Beverages – 1.5% | |
Diageo PLC | | 183,047 | $ 7,234,220 |
Apparel Manufacturers – 4.1% | |
Adidas AG (a) | | 16,278 | $ 5,924,045 |
Burberry Group PLC (a) | | 58,074 | 1,421,154 |
Compagnie Financiere Richemont S.A. | | 32,730 | 2,960,599 |
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE | | 15,853 | 9,894,508 |
| | | | $20,200,306 |
Automotive – 2.3% | |
Continental AG | | 19,434 | $ 2,878,663 |
Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | | 64,200 | 4,364,767 |
Toyota Industries Corp. | | 13,000 | 1,031,136 |
USS Co. Ltd. | | 149,200 | 3,014,200 |
| | | | $11,288,766 |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 1.7% | |
Euronext N.V. | | 41,305 | $ 4,548,992 |
Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. | | 73,300 | 4,031,527 |
| | | | $8,580,519 |
Business Services – 0.8% | |
Nomura Research Institute Ltd. | | 112,100 | $ 4,011,520 |
Computer Software – 0.5% | |
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (a) | | 19,395 | $ 2,646,060 |
Topicus.com, Inc. (a) | | 3,953 | 14,944 |
| | | | $2,661,004 |
Computer Software - Systems – 4.7% | |
Amadeus IT Group S.A. | | 54,435 | $ 3,940,971 |
Constellation Software, Inc. | | 2,114 | 2,745,128 |
EPAM Systems, Inc. (a) | | 9,949 | 3,565,224 |
Fujitsu Ltd. | | 18,700 | 2,699,371 |
Hitachi Ltd. | | 132,900 | 5,232,081 |
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | | 62,200 | 4,637,945 |
| | | | $22,820,720 |
Construction – 1.4% | |
Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. | | 361,000 | $ 5,168,861 |
Toto Ltd. | | 31,900 | 1,915,452 |
| | | | $7,084,313 |
Consumer Products – 1.9% | |
Kao Corp. | | 59,000 | $ 4,554,065 |
Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC | | 51,181 | 4,578,750 |
| | | | $9,132,815 |
Consumer Services – 1.0% | |
51job, Inc., ADR (a) | | 22,619 | $ 1,583,330 |
Carsales.com Ltd. | | 51,646 | 796,728 |
Persol Holdings Co. Ltd. | | 70,800 | 1,276,052 |
SEEK Ltd. | | 48,451 | 1,065,690 |
| | | | $4,721,800 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Containers – 0.7% | |
Brambles Ltd. | | 434,420 | $ 3,559,106 |
Electrical Equipment – 3.4% | |
Legrand S.A. | | 56,027 | $ 4,996,514 |
Schneider Electric SE | | 79,167 | 11,441,310 |
| | | | $16,437,824 |
Electronics – 2.4% | |
Kyocera Corp. | | 48,300 | $ 2,959,138 |
NXP Semiconductors N.V. | | 27,678 | 4,401,079 |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | | 228,804 | 4,297,278 |
| | | | $11,657,495 |
Energy - Independent – 0.4% | |
Oil Search Ltd. | | 687,717 | $ 1,967,025 |
Energy - Integrated – 2.0% | |
Cairn Energy PLC (a) | | 816,681 | $ 2,349,695 |
Eni S.p.A. | | 203,398 | 2,124,017 |
Galp Energia SGPS S.A., “B” | | 297,113 | 3,177,423 |
Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd. | | 101,300 | 2,227,021 |
| | | | $9,878,156 |
Food & Beverages – 3.8% | |
Danone S.A. | | 80,529 | $ 5,288,815 |
Nestle S.A. | | 111,797 | 13,166,108 |
| | | | $18,454,923 |
Food & Drug Stores – 0.3% | |
Sugi Holdings Co. Ltd. | | 20,200 | $ 1,349,862 |
Gaming & Lodging – 0.8% | |
Flutter Entertainment PLC (a) | | 18,517 | $ 3,833,755 |
Insurance – 4.7% | |
AIA Group Ltd. | | 721,800 | $ 8,890,892 |
Aon PLC | | 30,726 | 6,491,482 |
Hiscox Ltd. (a) | | 205,643 | 2,835,286 |
Zurich Insurance Group AG | | 11,452 | 4,853,826 |
| | | | $23,071,486 |
Internet – 3.1% | |
NAVER Corp. (a) | | 11,808 | $ 3,179,453 |
NetEase.com, Inc., ADR | | 52,734 | 5,050,335 |
Scout24 AG | | 31,202 | 2,555,807 |
Tencent Holdings Ltd. | | 61,900 | 4,522,862 |
| | | | $15,308,457 |
Leisure & Toys – 1.6% | |
Nintendo Co. Ltd. | | 6,000 | $ 3,825,287 |
Prosus N.V. | | 22,481 | 2,418,356 |
Yamaha Corp. | | 24,700 | 1,452,027 |
| | | | $7,695,670 |
MFS Research International Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Machinery & Tools – 6.2% | |
Daikin Industries Ltd. | | 35,900 | $ 7,968,893 |
GEA Group AG | | 113,629 | 4,064,500 |
Kubota Corp. | | 278,100 | 6,062,690 |
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Inc. | | 52,860 | 3,674,328 |
Schindler Holding AG | | 16,102 | 4,347,842 |
SMC Corp. | | 6,800 | 4,145,659 |
| | | | $30,263,912 |
Major Banks – 4.6% | |
Bank of Ireland Group PLC (a) | | 612,706 | $ 2,489,002 |
BNP Paribas (a) | | 135,053 | 7,111,786 |
Credit Suisse Group AG | | 242,144 | 3,118,086 |
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. | | 858,600 | 3,792,625 |
NatWest Group PLC (a) | | 1,200,058 | 2,775,470 |
UBS Group AG | | 247,240 | 3,458,005 |
| | | | $22,744,974 |
Medical Equipment – 3.5% | |
EssilorLuxottica | | 37,271 | $ 5,807,622 |
Koninklijke Philips N.V. (a) | | 131,346 | 7,024,888 |
Terumo Corp. | | 105,300 | 4,397,401 |
| | | | $17,229,911 |
Natural Gas - Distribution – 0.5% | |
China Resources Gas Group Ltd. | | 432,000 | $ 2,298,628 |
Natural Gas - Pipeline – 0.8% | |
APA Group | | 226,625 | $ 1,686,014 |
TC Energy Corp. | | 51,769 | 2,104,679 |
| | | | $3,790,693 |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 4.5% | |
AIB Group PLC (a) | | 1,318,797 | $ 2,708,273 |
HDFC Bank Ltd. (a) | | 250,823 | 4,940,700 |
ING Groep N.V. (a) | | 329,687 | 3,123,247 |
Julius Baer Group Ltd. | | 75,724 | 4,386,270 |
KBC Group N.V. (a) | | 54,998 | 3,848,546 |
Macquarie Group Ltd. | | 30,713 | 3,278,955 |
| | | | $22,285,991 |
Pharmaceuticals – 8.1% | |
Bayer AG | | 72,168 | $ 4,245,539 |
Kyowa Kirin Co. Ltd. | | 201,300 | 5,486,012 |
Novo Nordisk A.S., “B” | | 149,730 | 10,485,573 |
Roche Holding AG | | 40,920 | 14,282,481 |
Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. | | 325,000 | 5,272,142 |
| | | | $39,771,747 |
Printing & Publishing – 1.2% | |
Wolters Kluwer N.V. | | 71,067 | $ 5,995,721 |
Real Estate – 2.9% | |
ESR Cayman Ltd. (a) | | 595,600 | $ 2,135,800 |
Grand City Properties S.A. | | 221,440 | 5,670,145 |
LEG Immobilien AG | | 39,894 | 6,192,461 |
| | | | $13,998,406 |
Restaurants – 0.6% | |
Yum China Holdings, Inc. | | 49,065 | $ 2,801,121 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Specialty Chemicals – 8.0% | |
Akzo Nobel N.V. | | 56,022 | $ 6,013,075 |
Croda International PLC | | 59,781 | 5,400,976 |
Kansai Paint Co. Ltd. | | 77,000 | 2,367,682 |
Linde PLC (a) | | 40,865 | 10,633,542 |
Nitto Denko Corp. | | 51,500 | 4,603,603 |
Sika AG | | 18,263 | 4,988,132 |
Symrise AG | | 37,720 | 4,995,141 |
| | | | $39,002,151 |
Telecommunications - Wireless – 2.5% | |
Advanced Info Service Public Co. Ltd. | | 318,800 | $ 1,872,790 |
KDDI Corp. | | 155,200 | 4,608,428 |
SoftBank Corp. | | 74,600 | 5,821,769 |
| | | | $12,302,987 |
Telephone Services – 0.8% | |
Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A. | | 128,174 | $ 2,063,774 |
Tele2 AB, “B” | | 150,265 | 1,986,202 |
| | | | $4,049,976 |
Tobacco – 1.7% | |
British American Tobacco PLC | | 145,717 | $ 5,419,935 |
Japan Tobacco, Inc. | | 140,800 | 2,866,317 |
| | | | $8,286,252 |
Utilities - Electric Power – 2.7% | |
CLP Holdings Ltd. | | 254,500 | $ 2,355,978 |
E.ON SE | | 211,406 | 2,340,906 |
Iberdrola S.A. | | 381,540 | 5,453,468 |
Orsted A.S. | | 16,027 | 3,271,219 |
| | | | $13,421,571 |
Total Common Stocks (Identified Cost, $357,404,540) | | $451,248,649 |
| Strike Price | First Exercise | | |
Warrants – 0.0% | | | | |
Apparel Manufacturers – 0.0% | | | | |
Compagnie Financiere Richemont S.A. (1 share for 2 warrants, Expiration 12/04/23) (a)(n) (Identified Cost, $0) | CHF 67.00 | 11/20/23 | 72,208 | $ 18,760 |
| | | | |
Investment Companies (h) – 0.7% |
Money Market Funds – 0.7% | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $3,433,184) | | | 3,433,184 | $ 3,433,184 |
Other Assets, Less Liabilities – 7.2% | | 35,284,723 |
Net Assets – 100.0% | $489,985,316 |
MFS Research International Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
(a) | Non-income producing security. | | | |
(h) | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund's investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $3,433,184 and $451,267,409, respectively. | | | |
(n) | Securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities may be sold in the ordinary course of business in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At period end, the aggregate value of these securities was $18,760, representing 0.0% of net assets. | | | |
(v) | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. | | | |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined: |
ADR | American Depositary Receipt |
Abbreviations indicate amounts shown in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. All amounts are stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. A list of abbreviations is shown below: |
CHF | Swiss Franc |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Research International Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Assets and Liabilities |
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
At 12/31/20Assets | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $357,404,540) | $451,267,409 |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $3,433,184) | 3,433,184 |
Receivables for | |
Investments sold | 1,002,960 |
Fund shares sold | 35,057,334 |
Dividends | 1,392,539 |
Other assets | 2,251 |
Total assets | $492,155,677 |
Liabilities | |
Payables for | |
Investments purchased | $1,566,594 |
Fund shares reacquired | 312,659 |
Payable to affiliates | |
Investment adviser | 27,832 |
Administrative services fee | 352 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 71 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 1,175 |
Payable for independent Trustees' compensation | 153 |
Deferred country tax expense payable | 164,836 |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 96,689 |
Total liabilities | $2,170,361 |
Net assets | $489,985,316 |
Net assets consist of | |
Paid-in capital | $367,954,244 |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | 122,031,072 |
Net assets | $489,985,316 |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | 27,102,940 |
| Net assets | Shares outstanding | Net asset value per share |
Initial Class | $369,243,084 | 20,356,973 | $18.14 |
Service Class | 120,742,232 | 6,745,967 | 17.90 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Research International Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statement of Operations |
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
Year ended 12/31/20 | |
Net investment income (loss) | |
Income | |
Dividends | $9,377,896 |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | 13,790 |
Income on securities loaned | 3,848 |
Other | 3,403 |
Foreign taxes withheld | (867,758) |
Total investment income | $8,531,179 |
Expenses | |
Management fee | $3,771,779 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 213,720 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 14,024 |
Administrative services fee | 66,121 |
Independent Trustees' compensation | 8,573 |
Custodian fee | 120,543 |
Shareholder communications | 28,437 |
Audit and tax fees | 65,263 |
Legal fees | 3,465 |
Miscellaneous | 29,922 |
Total expenses | $4,321,847 |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | (79,874) |
Net expenses | $4,241,973 |
Net investment income (loss) | $4,289,206 |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | |
Unaffiliated issuers (net of $16,199 country tax) | $24,927,069 |
Affiliated issuers | (820) |
Foreign currency | (10,718) |
Net realized gain (loss) | $24,915,531 |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | |
Unaffiliated issuers (net of $25,183 increase in deferred country tax) | $24,124,515 |
Affiliated issuers | 280 |
Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies | 72,409 |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | $24,197,204 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | $49,112,735 |
Change in net assets from operations | $53,401,941 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Research International Portfolio
Financial Statements | Statements of Changes in Net Assets |
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 |
Change in net assets | | |
From operations | | |
Net investment income (loss) | $4,289,206 | $7,927,290 |
Net realized gain (loss) | 24,915,531 | 14,187,093 |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | 24,197,204 | 78,776,368 |
Change in net assets from operations | $53,401,941 | $100,890,751 |
Total distributions to shareholders | $(22,406,392) | $(23,093,143) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | $2,253,946 | $9,763,597 |
Total change in net assets | $33,249,495 | $87,561,205 |
Net assets | | |
At beginning of period | 456,735,821 | 369,174,616 |
At end of period | $489,985,316 | $456,735,821 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Research International Portfolio
Financial Statements | Financial Highlights |
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund's financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
Initial Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $16.96 | $14.07 | $17.05 | $13.54 | $13.85 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.17 | $0.31 | $0.25 | $0.22 | $0.25(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 1.92 | 3.51 | (2.56) | 3.59 | (0.34) |
Total from investment operations | $2.09 | $3.82 | $(2.31) | $3.81 | $(0.09) |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.34) | $(0.24) | $(0.25) | $(0.30) | $(0.22) |
From net realized gain | (0.57) | (0.69) | (0.42) | — | — |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(0.91) | $(0.93) | $(0.67) | $(0.30) | $(0.22) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $18.14 | $16.96 | $14.07 | $17.05 | $13.54 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 12.95 | 28.04 | (14.12) | 28.29 | (0.70)(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 0.98 | 0.99 | 0.98 | 1.00 | 0.95(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 0.96 | 0.96 | 0.97 | 0.99 | 0.94(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 1.06 | 1.99 | 1.51 | 1.44 | 1.87(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 28 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 41 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $369,243 | $356,291 | $302,386 | $341,613 | $318,753 |
Service Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $16.74 | $13.90 | $16.84 | $13.38 | $13.68 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $0.14 | $0.26 | $0.21 | $0.19 | $0.21(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 1.89 | 3.47 | (2.53) | 3.52 | (0.33) |
Total from investment operations | $2.03 | $3.73 | $(2.32) | $3.71 | $(0.12) |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net investment income | $(0.30) | $(0.20) | $(0.20) | $(0.25) | $(0.18) |
From net realized gain | (0.57) | (0.69) | (0.42) | — | — |
Total distributions declared to shareholders | $(0.87) | $(0.89) | $(0.62) | $(0.25) | $(0.18) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $17.90 | $16.74 | $13.90 | $16.84 | $13.38 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 12.71 | 27.67 | (14.32) | 27.90 | (0.91)(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 1.23 | 1.24 | 1.23 | 1.25 | 1.20(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 1.21 | 1.21 | 1.22 | 1.24 | 1.19(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | 0.87 | 1.65 | 1.27 | 1.26 | 1.58(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 28 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 41 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $120,742 | $100,445 | $66,789 | $80,634 | $83,138 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Research International Portfolio
Financial Highlights - continued
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
MFS Research International Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements
(1) Business and Organization
MFS Research International Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services - Investment Companies.
(2) Significant Accounting Policies
General — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued. The fund invests in foreign securities. Investments in foreign securities are vulnerable to the effects of changes in the relative values of the local currency and the U.S. dollar and to the effects of changes in each country’s market, economic, industrial, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund's investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting — The fund's accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund's right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations — Equity securities, including restricted equity securities, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading
MFS Research International Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. Events that occur after foreign markets close (such as developments in foreign markets and significant movements in the U.S. markets) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value may be deemed to have a material effect on the value of securities traded in foreign markets. Accordingly, the fund’s foreign equity securities may often be valued at fair value. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund's assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment's level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund's assets or liabilities:
Financial Instruments | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total |
Equity Securities: | | | | |
Japan | $97,305,200 | $— | $— | $97,305,200 |
Switzerland | 38,534,166 | 17,045,943 | — | 55,580,109 |
France | 49,089,547 | — | — | 49,089,547 |
Germany | 38,867,207 | — | — | 38,867,207 |
United Kingdom | 5,999,904 | 26,015,582 | — | 32,015,486 |
Netherlands | 23,434,763 | 5,541,603 | — | 28,976,366 |
United States | 23,336,308 | — | — | 23,336,308 |
Hong Kong | — | 20,447,258 | — | 20,447,258 |
China | 13,869,214 | 4,522,862 | — | 18,392,076 |
Other Countries | 60,323,104 | 26,934,748 | — | 87,257,852 |
Mutual Funds | 3,433,184 | — | — | 3,433,184 |
Total | $354,192,597 | $100,507,996 | $— | $454,700,593 |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Foreign Currency Translation — Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
Security Loans — Under its Securities Lending Agency Agreement with the fund, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as lending agent, loans the securities of the fund to certain qualified institutions (the “Borrowers”) approved by the fund. Security loans can be terminated at the discretion of either the lending agent or the fund and the related securities must be returned within the earlier of the standard trade settlement period for such securities or within three business days. The loans are collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Treasury and federal agency obligations in an amount typically at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. On loans collateralized by cash, the cash collateral is invested in a money market fund. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of business of the fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the fund on the next business day. The lending agent provides the fund with indemnification against Borrower default. In the event of Borrower default, the lending agent will, for the benefit of the fund, either purchase securities identical to those loaned or, when such purchase is commercially impracticable, pay the fund the market value of the loaned securities. In return, the lending agent assumes the fund's rights to the related collateral. If the collateral value is less than the cost to purchase identical securities, the lending agent is responsible for the shortfall, but only to the extent that such shortfall is not due to a decline in collateral value resulting from
MFS Research International Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
collateral reinvestment for which the fund bears the risk of loss. A portion of the income generated upon investment of the collateral is remitted to the Borrowers, and the remainder is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. On loans collateralized by U.S. Treasury and/or federal agency obligations, a fee is received from the Borrower, and is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. Income from securities lending is separately reported in the Statement of Operations. The dividend and interest income earned on the securities loaned is accounted for in the same manner as other dividend and interest income. At December 31, 2020, there were no securities on loan or collateral outstanding.
Indemnifications — Under the fund's organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund's maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income — Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
Tax Matters and Distributions — The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to wash sale loss deferrals.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | $8,553,340 | $5,844,027 |
Long-term capital gains | 13,853,052 | 17,249,116 |
Total distributions | $22,406,392 | $23,093,143 |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
As of 12/31/20 | |
Cost of investments | $361,616,567 |
Gross appreciation | 115,496,306 |
Gross depreciation | (22,412,280) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | $93,084,026 |
Undistributed ordinary income | 6,014,636 |
Undistributed long-term capital gain | 22,895,404 |
Other temporary differences | 37,006 |
MFS Research International Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest — The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund's income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Initial Class | $18,500,918 | | $19,244,674 |
Service Class | 3,905,474 | | 3,848,469 |
Total | $22,406,392 | | $23,093,143 |
(3) Transactions with Affiliates
Investment Adviser — The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund's average daily net assets:
Up to $1 billion | 0.90% |
In excess of $1 billion and up to $2 billion | 0.80% |
In excess of $2 billion | 0.70% |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund's Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $46,046, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.89% of the fund's average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.96% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.21% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reduction amounted to $33,828, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations.
Distributor — MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund's distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
Shareholder Servicing Agent — MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $12,718, which equated to 0.0030% annually of the fund's average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $1,306.
Administrator — MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0158% of the fund's average daily net assets.
MFS Research International Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation — The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other — The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
The fund is permitted to engage in purchase and sale transactions with funds and accounts for which MFS serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser (“cross-trades”) pursuant to a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees. This policy has been designed to ensure that cross-trades conducted by the fund comply with Rule 17a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund engaged in purchase and sale transactions pursuant to this policy, which amounted to $118,202 and $220,563, respectively. The sales transactions resulted in net realized gains (losses) of $(69,147).
(4) Portfolio Securities
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, aggregated $116,975,522 and $168,300,935, respectively.
(5) Shares of Beneficial Interest
The fund's Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
| Shares | Amount | | Shares | Amount |
Shares sold | | | | | |
Initial Class | 1,877,609 | $27,251,600 | | 1,441,948 | $22,641,397 |
Service Class | 3,047,104 | 51,507,599 | | 1,882,650 | 30,008,553 |
| 4,924,713 | $78,759,199 | | 3,324,598 | $52,649,950 |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | |
Initial Class | 1,129,482 | $18,500,918 | | 1,288,994 | $19,244,674 |
Service Class | 241,377 | 3,905,474 | | 260,913 | 3,848,469 |
| 1,370,859 | $22,406,392 | | 1,549,907 | $23,093,143 |
Shares reacquired | | | | | |
Initial Class | (3,661,504) | $(57,937,592) | | (3,206,510) | $(51,132,710) |
Service Class | (2,541,987) | (40,974,053) | | (948,381) | (14,846,786) |
| (6,203,491) | $(98,911,645) | | (4,154,891) | $(65,979,496) |
Net change | | | | | |
Initial Class | (654,413) | $(12,185,074) | | (475,568) | $(9,246,639) |
Service Class | 746,494 | 14,439,020 | | 1,195,182 | 19,010,236 |
| 92,081 | $2,253,946 | | 719,614 | $9,763,597 |
The fund is one of several mutual funds in which certain MFS funds may invest. The MFS funds do not invest in the underlying funds for the purpose of exercising management or control. At the end of the period, the MFS Moderate Allocation Portfolio, the MFS Growth Allocation Portfolio, and the MFS Conservative Allocation Portfolio were the owners of record of approximately 21%, 7%, and 4%, respectively, of the value of outstanding voting shares of the fund.
(6) Line of Credit
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established
MFS Research International Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $2,193 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) Investments in Affiliated Issuers
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
Affiliated Issuers | Beginning Value | Purchases | Sales Proceeds | Realized Gain (Loss) | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | Ending Value |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $2,690,276 | $77,447,750 | $76,704,302 | $(820) | $280 | $3,433,184 |
Affiliated Issuers | Dividend Income | Capital Gain Distributions |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $13,790 | $— |
(8) Impacts of COVID-19
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund's investments and the fund's performance.
MFS Research International Portfolio
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of MFS Research International Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Research International Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
MFS Research International Portfolio
Trustees and Officers — Identification and Background
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES | | |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES | | |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
MFS Research International Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head - Treasurer's Office (until February 2017) |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
MFS Research International Portfolio
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board's retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
Investment Adviser | Custodian |
Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
Distributor | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
Portfolio Manager(s) | |
Victoria Higley Camille Humphries Lee | |
MFS Research International Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement
MFS Research International Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 3rd quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 2nd quintile for the one-year period and the 3rd quintile for the three-year period ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
MFS Research International Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate and total expense ratio were each approximately at the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to contractual breakpoints that reduce the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $1 billion and $2 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoints and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
MFS Research International Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
MFS Research International Portfolio
Proxy Voting Policies and Information
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Quarterly Portfolio Disclosure
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund's fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
Information About Fund Contracts and Legal Claims
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Federal Tax Information (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund designates $15,239,000 as capital gain dividends paid during the fiscal year.
Income derived from foreign sources was $9,346,788. The fund intends to pass through foreign tax credits of $867,909 for the fiscal year.
FACTS | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? |
Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: |
• Social Security number and account balances |
• Account transactions and transaction history |
• Checking account information and wire transfer instructions |
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
How? | All financial companies need to share customers' personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers' personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
Reasons we can share your personal information | Does MFS share? | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | Yes | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | No | We don't share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | No | We don't share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | No | We don't share |
Questions? | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you |
• open an account or provide account information |
• direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities |
• make a wire transfer |
We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can't I limit all sharing? | Federal law gives you the right to limit only |
• sharing for affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness |
• affiliates from using your information to market to you |
• sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you |
State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
Definitions |
Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. |
• MFS doesn't jointly market. |
Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Income Portfolio
(formerly MFS® Strategic Income Portfolio)
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
SIS-ANN
MFS® Income Portfolio
(formerly MFS® Strategic Income Portfolio)
CONTENTS
The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE • NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS Income Portfolio
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
1
MFS Income Portfolio
PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION
Portfolio structure at value (v)
| | | | |
Fixed income sectors (i) | | | | |
Investment Grade Corporates | | | 38.8% | |
U.S. Treasury Securities | | | 19.9% | |
Collateralized Debt Obligations | | | 14.9% | |
High Yield Corporates | | | 14.4% | |
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities | | | 8.3% | |
Emerging Markets Bonds | | | 6.3% | |
Municipal Bonds | | | 2.8% | |
Asset-Backed Securities | | | 2.2% | |
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities | | | 0.6% | |
U.S. Government Agencies | | | 0.1% | |
Mortgage-Backed Securities | | | 0.1% | |
Floating Rate Loans | | | 0.1% | |
|
Composition including fixed income credit quality (a)(i) | |
AAA | | | 6.2% | |
AA | | | 4.2% | |
A | | | 21.4% | |
BBB | | | 34.6% | |
BB | | | 10.6% | |
B | | | 5.3% | |
CCC | | | 2.1% | |
C (o) | | | 0.0% | |
D (o) | | | 0.0% | |
U.S. Government | | | 4.8% | |
Federal Agencies | | | 0.2% | |
Not Rated | | | 19.1% | |
Non-Fixed Income | | | 0.2% | |
Cash & Cash Equivalents | | | 6.4% | |
Other | | | (15.1)% | |
Portfolio structure reflecting equivalent exposure of derivative positions (i)
| | | | |
Portfolio facts (i) | | | | |
Average Duration (d) | | | 6.1 | |
Average Effective Maturity (m) | | | 7.3 yrs. | |
2
MFS Income Portfolio
Portfolio Composition – continued
(a) | | For all securities other than those specifically described below, ratings are assigned to underlying securities utilizing ratings from Moody’s, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s rating agencies and applying the following hierarchy: If all three agencies provide a rating, the middle rating (after dropping the highest and lowest ratings) is assigned; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the lower of the two is assigned. If none of the 3 rating agencies above assign a rating, but the security is rated by DBRS Morningstar, then the DBRS Morningstar rating is assigned. Ratings are shown in the S&P and Fitch scale (e.g., AAA). Securities rated BBB or higher are considered investment grade. All ratings are subject to change. U.S. Government includes securities issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Federal Agencies includes rated and unrated U.S. Agency fixed-income securities, U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities, and collateralized mortgage obligations of U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities. Not Rated includes fixed income securities and fixed income derivatives that have not been rated by any rating agency. Non-Fixed Income includes any equity securities (including convertible bonds and equity derivatives) and/or commodity-linked derivatives. The fund may or may not have held all of these instruments on this date. The fund is not rated by these agencies. |
(d) | | Duration is a measure of how much a bond’s price is likely to fluctuate with general changes in interest rates, e.g., if rates rise 1.00%, a bond with a 5-year duration is likely to lose about 5.00% of its value due to the interest rate move. |
(i) | | For purposes of this presentation, the components include the value of securities, and reflect the impact of the equivalent exposure of derivative positions, if any. These amounts may be negative from time to time. Equivalent exposure is a calculated amount that translates the derivative position into a reasonable approximation of the amount of the underlying asset that the portfolio would have to hold at a given point in time to have the same price sensitivity that results from the portfolio’s ownership of the derivative contract. When dealing with derivatives, equivalent exposure is a more representative measure of the potential impact of a position on portfolio performance than value. The bond component will include any accrued interest amounts. |
(m) | | In determining each instrument’s effective maturity for purposes of calculating the fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity, MFS uses the instrument’s stated maturity or, if applicable, an earlier date on which MFS believes it is probable that a maturity-shortening device (such as a put, pre-refunding or prepayment) will cause the instrument to be repaid. Such an earlier date can be substantially shorter than the instrument’s stated maturity. |
(v) | | For purposes of this presentation, market value of fixed income and/or equity derivatives, if any, is included in Cash & Cash Equivalents. |
Where the fund holds convertible bonds, they are treated as part of the equity portion of the portfolio.
The fund invests a portion of its assets in the MFS High Yield Pooled Portfolio. Percentages reflect exposure to the underlying holdings, including Cash & Cash Equivalents and Other, of the MFS High Yield Pooled Portfolio and not to the exposure from investing directly in the MFS High Yield Pooled Portfolio itself.
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Other includes equivalent exposure from currency derivatives and/or any offsets to derivative positions and may be negative.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
3
MFS Income Portfolio
MANAGEMENT REVIEW
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Income Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 9.35%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 9.11%. These compare with a return of 7.51% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest – albeit the deepest and steepest – recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public’s willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies – a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Factors Affecting Performance
Relative to the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, the fund’s overweight exposure to both the industrials and financial institutions sectors contributed to performance. The fund’s underweight allocations to the agency fixed rate and treasury sectors further strengthened relative returns, as both sectors lagged the performance of the benchmark over the reporting period. Favorable security selection within “BBB” and “A” rated (r) bonds also benefited relative results.
Conversely, yield curve (y) positioning, particularly the fund’s greater exposure to shifts in the long end (centered around maturities of 10 or more years) of the yield curve, was an area of relative weakness.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Neeraj Arora, Philipp Burgener, David Cole, Alexander Mackey, Joshua Marston, Robert Persons, and Michael Skatrud
Note to Contract Owners: Effective September 1, 2020, the fund’s name changed to MFS Income Portfolio. Effective June 30, 2021, Robert Persons will no longer be a Portfolio Manager of the fund.
(r) | Bonds rated “BBB”, “Baa”, or higher are considered investment grade; bonds rated “BB”, “Ba”, or below are considered non-investment grade. The source for bond quality ratings is Moody’s Investors Service, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch, Inc. and are applied using the following hierarchy: If all three agencies provide a rating, the middle rating (after dropping the highest and lowest ratings) is assigned; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the lower of the two is assigned. If none of the 3 rating agencies above assign a rating, but the security is rated by DBRS Morningstar, then the DBRS Morningstar rating is assigned. Ratings are shown in the S&P and Fitch scale (e.g., AAA). For securities that are not rated by any of the rating agencies, the security is considered Not Rated. |
(y) | A yield curve graphically depicts the yields of different maturity bonds of the same credit quality and type; a normal yield curve is upward sloping, with short-term rates lower than long-term rates. |
4
MFS Income Portfolio
Management Review – continued
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
5
MFS Income Portfolio
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY THROUGH 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Share Class | | Class Inception Date | | 1-yr | | 5-yr | | 10-yr | | |
| | Initial Class | | 5/06/98 | | 9.35% | | 6.58% | | 5.04% | | |
| | Service Class | | 8/24/01 | | 9.11% | | 6.33% | | 4.78% | | |
| | | | |
Comparative benchmark(s) | | | | | | | | |
| | Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (f) | | 7.51% | | 4.44% | | 3.84% | | |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (a) – a market capitalization-weighted index that measures the performance of the U.S. investment-grade, fixed rate bond market, with index components for government and corporate securities, mortgage pass-through securities, and asset-backed securities with at least one year to final maturity.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(a) | BLOOMBERG® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). BARCLAYS® is a trademark and service mark of Barclays Bank Plc (collectively with its affiliates, “Barclays”), used under license. Bloomberg or Bloomberg’s licensors, including Barclays, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Barclays Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays approves or endorses this material, or guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, or makes any warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained therefrom, and, to the maximum extent allowed by law, neither shall have any liability or responsibility for injury or damages arising in connection therewith. |
Notes to Performance Summary
Performance information prior to December 2, 2019 reflects time periods when the fund had (i) a policy permitting the fund to invest up to 100% of its assets in below investment grade quality debt instruments and (ii) a policy permitting the fund to invest in equity securities as a principal investment strategy. The fund’s investment policies and strategies changed effective December 2, 2019.
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
6
MFS Income Portfolio
Performance Summary – continued
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund’s performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
7
MFS Income Portfolio
EXPENSE TABLE
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
In addition to the fees and expenses which the fund bears directly, the fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of the MFS High Yield Pooled Portfolio, an underlying MFS Pooled Portfolio in which the fund invests. MFS Pooled Portfolios are mutual funds advised by MFS that do not pay management fees to MFS but do incur investment and operating costs. If these transactional and indirect costs were included, your costs would have been higher.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund’s ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Share Class | | | | Annualized Expense Ratio | | | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | | | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | | | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 | |
Initial Class | | Actual | | | 0.75% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,059.52 | | | | $3.88 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 0.75% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,021.37 | | | | $3.81 | |
Service Class | | Actual | | | 1.00% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,057.99 | | | | $5.17 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 1.00% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,020.11 | | | | $5.08 | |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class’s annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). In addition to the fees and expenses which the fund bears directly, the fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of the underlying funds in which the fund invests. If these indirect costs were included, your costs would have been higher. |
8
MFS Income Portfolio
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS – 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – 80.3% | | | | | | | | |
Aerospace – 1.4% | | | | | |
L3Harris Technologies, Inc., 4.4%, 6/15/2028 | | $ | 269,000 | | | $ | 324,029 | |
Raytheon Technologies Corp., 4.125%, 11/16/2028 | | | 271,000 | | | | 322,933 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 646,962 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Asset-Backed & Securitized – 26.1% | | | | | |
Allegro CLO Ltd., 2014-1RA, “C”, FLR, 3.208% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 3%), 10/21/2028 (n) | | $ | 250,000 | | | $ | 236,933 | |
Allegro CLO Ltd., 2015-1X, “CR”, FLR, 1.864% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.65%), 7/25/2027 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 247,935 | |
ALM Loan Funding, CLO, 2015-16A, “BR2”, FLR, 2.136% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.9%), 7/15/2027 (n) | | | 260,000 | | | | 258,893 | |
Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., CLO, 2018-FL1, “A”, FLR, 1.309% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.15%), 6/15/2028 (n) | | | 260,000 | | | | 259,003 | |
Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., CLO, 2019-FL1, “D”, FLR, 2.658% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.5%), 5/15/2037 (n) | | | 244,000 | | | | 233,058 | |
Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., CLO, 2020-FL1, “D”, FLR, 2.608% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.45%), 2/15/2035 (n) | | | 232,000 | | | | 224,484 | |
AREIT CRE Trust, 2019-CRE3, “D”, FLR, 2.803% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.65%), 9/14/2036 (n) | | | 271,000 | | | | 258,584 | |
Babson CLO Ltd., 2013-IIA, “BR”, FLR, 1.468% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.25%), 1/20/2028 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 246,601 | |
Bancorp Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2018-CRE3, “D”, FLR, 2.859% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.7%), 1/15/2033 (n) | | | 248,157 | | | | 240,414 | |
Bancorp Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2018-CRE4, “AS”, FLR, 1.258% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.1%), 9/15/2035 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 247,249 | |
Bancorp Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2018-CRE4, “D”, FLR, 2.258% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.1%), 9/15/2035 (n) | | | 200,000 | | | | 194,025 | |
Bancorp Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2019-CRE5, “D”, FLR, 2.508% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.35%), 3/15/2036 (n) | | | 280,000 | | | | 272,194 | |
Bancorp Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2019-CRE6, “D”, FLR, 2.458% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.54%), 9/15/2036 (n) | | | 265,000 | | | | 250,477 | |
Bayview Financial Revolving Mortgage Loan Trust, FLR, 1.746% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.6%), 12/28/2040 (n) | | | 99,430 | | | | 103,377 | |
BSPRT Ltd., 2019-FL5, “C”, FLR, 2.159% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2%), 5/15/2029 (n) | | | 245,000 | | | | 237,953 | |
Business Jet Securities LLC, 2020-1A, “A”, 2.981%, 11/15/2035 (n) | | | 97,079 | | | | 98,449 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Asset-Backed & Securitized – continued | | | | | |
Capital Automotive, 2020-1A, “B1”, REIT, 4.17%, 2/15/2050 (n) | | $ | 110,227 | | | $ | 114,786 | |
Cent CLO LP, 2015-24A, “A2R”, FLR, 1.886% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.65%), 10/15/2026 (n) | | | 305,000 | | | | 303,742 | |
Chesapeake Funding II LLC, 2017-2A, “C”, 3.01%, 5/15/2029 (n) | | | 215,000 | | | | 216,034 | |
CLNC Ltd., 2019-FL1, “C”, FLR, 2.551% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.4%), 8/20/2035 (n) | | | 265,000 | | | | 255,109 | |
Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, 2019-BN24, “A3”, 2.96%, 11/15/2062 | | | 134,719 | | | | 150,285 | |
Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, 2020-BN28, “A4”, 1.844%, 3/15/2063 | | | 61,262 | | | | 62,651 | |
Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2015-PC1, “A5”, 3.902%, 7/10/2050 | | | 346,107 | | | | 387,112 | |
Crest Ltd., CDO, 7%, (0.001% cash or 7% PIK) 1/28/2040 (a)(p) | | | 674,459 | | | | 7 | |
Cutwater Ltd., 2015-1A, “BR”, FLR, 2.036% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.8%), 1/15/2029 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 244,505 | |
DT Auto Owner Trust, 2018-2A, “C”, 3.67%, 3/15/2024 (n) | | | 19,701 | | | | 19,772 | |
DT Auto Owner Trust, 2020-1A, “C”, 2.29%, 11/17/2025 (n) | | | 123,000 | | | | 125,756 | |
Exeter Automobile Receivables Trust, 2020-1A, 2.49%, 1/15/2025 (n) | | | 40,000 | | | | 40,882 | |
Falcon Franchise Loan LLC, 27.086%, 1/05/2023 (n) | | | 303 | | | | 0 | |
Figueroa CLO Ltd., 2014-1A, “DR”, FLR, 3.486% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 3.25%), 1/15/2027 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 248,671 | |
Flagship CLO, 2014-8A, “BRR”, FLR, 1.63% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.4%), 1/16/2026 (n) | | | 259,587 | | | | 260,221 | |
Flatiron CLO Ltd., 2015-1A, “CR”, FLR, 2.136% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.9%), 4/15/2027 (n) | | | 260,000 | | | | 257,108 | |
Galaxy CLO Ltd., 2018-29A, “C”, FLR, 1.901% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.68%), 11/15/2026 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 246,361 | |
GS Mortgage Securities Trust, 2019-GSA1, “A4”, 3.047%, 11/10/2052 | | | 261,722 | | | | 292,821 | |
Hunt CRE Ltd., 2018-FL2, “D”, FLR, 2.908% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.75%), 8/15/2028 (n) | | | 200,000 | | | | 194,080 | |
Invitation Homes Trust, 2018-SFR1, “C”, FLR, 1.403% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.25%), 3/17/2037 (n) | | | 130,000 | | | | 129,893 | |
Invitation Homes Trust, 2018-SFR2, “A”, FLR, 1.003% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 0.85%), 12/17/2036 (n) | | | 179,912 | | | | 179,473 | |
9
MFS Income Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Asset-Backed & Securitized – continued | | | | | |
KKR Real Estate Financial Trust, Inc., 2018-FL1, “D”, FLR, 2.702% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.55%), 6/15/2036 (n) | | $ | 205,000 | | | $ | 202,605 | |
Lehman Brothers Commercial Conduit Mortgage Trust, 0.934%, 2/18/2030 (i) | | | 3,536 | | | | 0 | |
LoanCore Ltd., 2018-CRE1, “C”, FLR, 2.709% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.55%), 5/15/2028 (n) | | | 260,000 | | | | 252,267 | |
LoanCore Ltd., 2018-CRE1, “C”, FLR, 2.109% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 1.95%), 4/15/2034 (n) | | | 228,965 | | | | 216,428 | |
LoanCore Ltd., 2019-CRE2, “D”, FLR, 2.609% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.45%), 5/15/2036 (n) | | | 209,000 | | | | 186,359 | |
Man GLG U.S. CLO Ltd., 2018-2A, “BR”, FLR, 2.686% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 2.45%), 10/15/2028 | | | 250,000 | | | | 246,192 | |
MF1 CLO Ltd., 2019-FL2, “A”, FLR, 2.498% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.35%), 12/25/2034 (n) | | | 259,000 | | | | 248,028 | |
MF1 Multi-Family Housing Mortgage Loan Trust, 2020-FL4, “B”, 2.908% (LIBOR - 1mo. + 2.75%), 11/15/2035 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 250,373 | |
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust, 2017-H1, “A5”, 3.53%, 6/15/2050 | | | 187,518 | | | | 212,661 | |
Neuberger Berman CLO Ltd., 2015-19A, “A1R2”, FLR, 1.036% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 0.8%), 7/15/2027 (n) | | | 224,010 | | | | 222,513 | |
Neuberger Berman CLO Ltd., 2016-21A, “CR”, FLR, 1.818% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.6%), 4/20/2027 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 246,547 | |
NextGear Floorplan Master Owner Trust, 2018-1A, “B”, 3.57%, 2/15/2023 (n) | | | 200,000 | | | | 200,682 | |
Palmer Square Loan Funding Ltd., 2020-1A, “B”, FLR, 2.123% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.9%), 2/20/2028 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 240,878 | |
Parallel Ltd., 2015-1A, “DR”, FLR, 2.768% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 2.55%), 7/20/2027 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 240,316 | |
Race Point CLO Ltd., 2013-8A, “CR2”, FLR, 2.273% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 2.05%), 2/20/2030 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 245,903 | |
Securitized Term Auto Receivable Trust, 2019-CRTA, “C”, 2.849%, 3/25/2026 (n) | | | 79,839 | | | | 81,637 | |
UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2017-C1, “A4”, 3.544%, 11/15/2050 | | | 251,247 | | | | 287,385 | |
UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2017-C7, “A4”, 3.679%, 12/15/2050 | | | 155,000 | | | | 178,058 | |
UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2019-C17, “A4”, 2.921%, 10/15/2052 | | | 197,844 | | | | 216,668 | |
Veros Auto Receivables Trust, 2020-1, “A”, 1.67%, 9/15/2023 (n) | | | 59,256 | | | | 59,436 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Asset-Backed & Securitized – continued | | | | | |
Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust, 2019-C54, “A4”, 3.146%, 12/15/2052 | | $ | 167,746 | | | $ | 188,890 | |
West CLO Ltd., 2014-1A, “CR”, FLR, 3.217% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 3%), 7/18/2026 (n) | | | 260,000 | | | | 257,096 | |
Wind River CLO Ltd., 2012-1A, “CR2”, FLR, 2.287% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 2.05%), 1/15/2026 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 250,030 | |
Wind River CLO Ltd., 2015-2A, “CR”, FLR, 1.936% (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.7%), 10/15/2027 (n) | | | 250,000 | | | | 244,911 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 12,314,761 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Automotive – 1.4% | | | | | |
Hyundai Capital America, 6.375%, 4/08/2030 (n) | | $ | 250,000 | | | $ | 328,751 | |
Lear Corp., 3.5%, 5/30/2030 | | | 300,000 | | | | 328,056 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 656,807 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Broadcasting – 1.1% | | | | | |
Discovery, Inc., 4.65%, 5/15/2050 | | $ | 95,000 | | | $ | 118,621 | |
RELX Capital, Inc., 3%, 5/22/2030 | | | 76,000 | | | | 84,347 | |
Walt Disney Co., 2.65%, 1/13/2031 | | | 290,000 | | | | 317,743 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 520,711 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 2.1% | | | | | |
E*TRADE Financial Corp., 4.5%, 6/20/2028 | | $ | 217,000 | | | $ | 260,773 | |
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., 2.1%, 6/15/2030 | | | 101,000 | | | | 105,656 | |
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., 3%, 9/15/2060 | | | 108,000 | | | | 112,748 | |
Raymond James Financial, 4.65%, 4/01/2030 | | | 134,000 | | | | 164,288 | |
TD Ameritrade Holding Corp., 3.3%, 4/01/2027 | | | 304,000 | | | | 340,506 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 983,971 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Building – 0.3% | | | | | |
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., 3.5%, 12/15/2027 | | $ | 115,000 | | | $ | 130,260 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Business Services – 1.3% | | | | | |
Equinix, Inc., 2.9%, 11/18/2026 | | $ | 209,000 | | | $ | 228,518 | |
Global Payments, Inc., 2.9%, 5/15/2030 | | | 120,000 | | | | 130,478 | |
NXP Semiconductors N.V., 3.4%, 5/01/2030 (n) | | | 35,000 | | | | 39,670 | |
Tencent Holdings Ltd., 3.24%, 6/03/2050 (n) | | | 200,000 | | | | 207,085 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 605,751 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Cable TV – 0.4% | | | | | |
Time Warner Cable, Inc., 4.5%, 9/15/2042 | | $ | 183,000 | | | $ | 214,141 | |
| | | | | | | | |
10
MFS Income Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Computer Software – 0.4% | | | | | |
Dell Investments LLC/EMC Corp., 5.3%, 10/01/2029 (n) | | $ | 149,000 | | | $ | 182,476 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Computer Software – Systems – 0.3% | | | | | |
Apple, Inc., 2.55%, 8/20/2060 | | $ | 121,000 | | | $ | 124,145 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Conglomerates – 0.8% | | | | | |
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp., 4.95%, 9/15/2028 | | $ | 304,000 | | | $ | 360,520 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Consumer Services – 2.2% | | | | | |
Booking Holdings, Inc., 3.55%, 3/15/2028 | | $ | 270,000 | | | $ | 310,852 | |
Expedia Group, Inc., 3.25%, 2/15/2030 | | | 300,000 | | | | 312,063 | |
Experian Finance PLC, 2.75%, 3/08/2030 (n) | | | 245,000 | | | | 265,870 | |
Toll Road Investors Partnership II LP, Capital Appreciation, NATL, 0%, 2/15/2026 (n) | | | 46,000 | | | | 38,180 | |
Toll Road Investors Partnership II LP, Capital Appreciation, NATL, 0%, 2/15/2029 (n) | | | 132,000 | | | | 85,509 | |
Toll Road Investors Partnership II LP, Capital Appreciation, NATL, 0%, 2/15/2031 (n) | | | 46,000 | | | | 27,014 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,039,488 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Electrical Equipment – 0.7% | | | | | |
Arrow Electronics, Inc., 3.875%, 1/12/2028 | | $ | 277,000 | | | $ | 312,231 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Electronics – 0.8% | | | | | |
Broadcom Corp./Broadcom Cayman Finance Ltd., 3.5%, 1/15/2028 | | $ | 245,000 | | | $ | 269,932 | |
Broadcom, Inc., 4.3%, 11/15/2032 | | | 96,000 | | | | 113,736 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 383,668 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Emerging Market Sovereign – 3.1% | | | | | |
Dominican Republic, 4.875%, 9/23/2032 (n) | | $ | 150,000 | | | $ | 165,937 | |
Government of Ukraine, GDP Linked Bond, 0%, 5/31/2040 | | | 138,000 | | | | 141,968 | |
Kingdom of Morocco, 3%, 12/15/2032 (n) | | | 200,000 | | | | 203,254 | |
Oriental Republic of Uruguay, 8.5%, 3/15/2028 | | UYU | 4,753,000 | | | | 117,500 | |
Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, 4.875%, 1/30/2032 (n) | | EUR | 100,000 | | | | 125,327 | |
Republic of Indonesia, 6.5%, 2/15/2031 | | IDR | 1,663,000,000 | | | | 123,673 | |
Republic of Kenya, 8%, 5/22/2032 | | $ | 200,000 | | | | 232,986 | |
Republic of Panama, 3.75%, 4/17/2026 | | | 199,000 | | | | 217,587 | |
Republic of South Africa, 8%, 1/31/2030 | | ZAR | 2,123,000 | | | | 137,777 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,466,009 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Energy – Independent – 0.7% | | | | | |
Canadian Oil Sands Co., 4.5%, 4/01/2022 (n) | | $ | 118,000 | | | $ | 122,175 | |
Leviathan Bond Ltd., 6.75%, 6/30/2030 (n) | | | 175,000 | | | | 198,625 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 320,800 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Energy - Integrated – 1.0% | | | | | |
Eni S.p.A., 4%, 9/12/2023 (n) | | $ | 200,000 | | | $ | 217,654 | |
Eni S.p.A., 4.25%, 5/09/2029 (n) | | | 200,000 | | | | 236,813 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 454,467 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Financial Institutions – 1.2% | | | | | |
AerCap Ireland Capital DAC, 6.5%, 7/15/2025 | | $ | 150,000 | | | $ | 179,283 | |
AerCap Ireland Capital DAC, 3.65%, 7/21/2027 | | | 195,000 | | | | 212,432 | |
Avolon Holdings Funding Ltd., 3.25%, 2/15/2027 (n) | | | 195,000 | | | | 198,888 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 590,603 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Food & Beverages – 0.8% | | | | | |
Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc., 4.439%, 10/06/2048 | | $ | 125,491 | | | $ | 155,942 | |
Bacardi Ltd., 5.15%, 5/15/2038 (n) | | | 115,000 | | | | 146,943 | |
Central American Bottling Corp., 5.75%, 1/31/2027 (n) | | | 80,000 | | | | 84,900 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 387,785 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Gaming & Lodging – 0.9% | | | | | |
GLP Capital LP/GLP Financing II, Inc., 4%, 1/15/2030 | | $ | 268,000 | | | $ | 291,118 | |
GLP Capital LP/GLP Financing II, Inc., 4%, 1/15/2031 | | | 45,000 | | | | 49,105 | |
Marriott International, Inc., 4.625%, 6/15/2030 | | | 63,000 | | | | 73,891 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 414,114 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Insurance – Property & Casualty – 2.1% | | | | | |
Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings Ltd., 4.35%, 10/29/2025 | | $ | 310,000 | | | $ | 336,657 | |
Aon Corp., 4.5%, 12/15/2028 | | | 276,000 | | | | 333,005 | |
Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., 4.85%, 4/17/2028 | | | 283,000 | | | | 316,612 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 986,274 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Machinery & Tools – 0.7% | | | | | |
CNH Industrial Capital LLC, 4.2%, 1/15/2024 | | $ | 174,000 | | | $ | 190,839 | |
CNH Industrial Capital LLC, 3.85%, 11/15/2027 | | | 145,000 | | | | 163,291 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 354,130 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Major Banks – 6.0% | | | | | |
Bank of America Corp., 3.248%, 10/21/2027 | | $ | 531,000 | | | $ | 594,085 | |
Bank of America Corp., 4.271% to 7/23/2028, FLR (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.31%) to 7/23/2029 | | | 61,000 | | | | 72,604 | |
11
MFS Income Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Major Banks – continued | | | | | |
Bank of America Corp., 2.676% to 6/19/2040, FLR (SOFR + 1.93%) to 6/19/2041 | | $ | 245,000 | | | $ | 254,875 | |
Bank of New York Mellon Corp., 4.7% to 9/20/2025, FLR (CMT - 5yr. + 4.358%) to 12/31/2099 | | | 200,000 | | | | 220,560 | |
Barclays PLC, 4.375%, 1/12/2026 | | | 200,000 | | | | 230,468 | |
JPMorgan Chase & Co., 2.956% to 5/13/2030, FLR (SOFR + 2.515%) to 5/13/2031 | | | 81,000 | | | | 88,795 | |
JPMorgan Chase & Co., 3.882% to 7/24/2037, FLR (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.36%) to 7/24/2038 | | | 330,000 | | | | 401,383 | |
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., 2.55%, 1/22/2030 | | | 216,000 | | | | 236,517 | |
UBS Group Funding (Switzerland) | | | | | | | | |
AG, 4.253%, 3/23/2028 (n) | | | 215,000 | | | | 251,622 | |
Wells Fargo & Co., 3.196% to 6/17/2026, FLR (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1.17%) to 6/17/2027 | | | 238,000 | | | | 263,868 | |
Wells Fargo & Co., 2.572% to 2/11/2030, FLR (LIBOR - 3mo. + 1%) to 2/11/2031 | | | 221,000 | | | | 233,763 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,848,540 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 2.8% | | | | | |
Alcon, Inc., 2.6%, 5/27/2030 (n) | | $ | 200,000 | | | $ | 213,006 | |
BayCare Health System, Inc., 3.831%, 11/15/2050 | | | 59,000 | | | | 73,635 | |
Berks County, PA, Industrial Development Authority (Tower Health Project), 4.451%, 2/01/2050 | | | 270,000 | | | | 225,199 | |
Cigna Corp., 3.2%, 3/15/2040 | | | 179,000 | | | | 196,017 | |
New York Society for the Relief of the Ruptured & Crippled, 2.667%, 10/01/2050 | | | 232,000 | | | | 223,762 | |
ProMedica Toledo Hospital, “B”, 5.325%, 11/15/2028 | | | 239,000 | | | | 281,649 | |
ProMedica Toledo Hospital, “B”, | | | | | | | | |
AGM, 5.75%, 11/15/2038 | | | 89,000 | | | | 106,648 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,319,916 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Medical Equipment – 0.6% | | | | | |
Abbott Laboratories, 4.75%, 11/30/2036 | | $ | 205,000 | | | $ | 282,184 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Metals & Mining – 0.6% | | | | | |
Newmont Corp., 2.25%, 10/01/2030 | | $ | 281,000 | | | $ | 295,564 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Midstream – 2.6% | | | | | |
Cheniere Corpus Christi Holdings LLC, 3.7%, 11/15/2029 | | $ | 263,000 | | | $ | 292,647 | |
Enbridge, Inc., 3.125%, 11/15/2029 | | | 150,000 | | | | 164,847 | |
Galaxy Pipeline Assets Bidco Ltd., 2.625%, 3/31/2036 (n) | | | 200,000 | | | | 207,466 | |
MPLX LP, 4.5%, 4/15/2038 | | | 309,000 | | | | 353,022 | |
Plains All American Pipeline LP, 3.8%, 9/15/2030 | | | 135,000 | | | | 145,055 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Midstream – continued | | | | | |
Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, 4.5%, 5/15/2030 (n) | | $ | 53,000 | | | $ | 62,789 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,225,826 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Mortgage-Backed – 0.1% | | | | | |
Fannie Mae, 6.5%, 4/01/2032 | | $ | 13,336 | | | $ | 15,098 | |
Fannie Mae, 3%, 2/25/2033 (i) | | | 51,087 | | | | 5,599 | |
Fannie Mae, 5.5%, 9/01/2034 | | | 8,686 | | | | 10,163 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 30,860 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Municipals – 2.7% | | | | | |
Bridgeview, IL, Stadium and Redevelopment Projects, AAC, 5.14%, 12/01/2036 | | $ | 195,000 | | | $ | 190,390 | |
Escambia County, FL, Health Facilities Authority Rev. (Baptist Health Care Corp.), “B”, AGM, 3.607%, 8/15/2040 | | | 270,000 | | | | 283,392 | |
New Jersey Economic Development Authority State Pension Funding Rev., “A”, NATL, 7.425%, 2/15/2029 | | | 177,000 | | | | 228,137 | |
New Jersey Economic Development Authority State Pension Funding Rev., Capital Appreciation, “B”, AGM, 0%, 2/15/2023 | | | 350,000 | | | | 344,718 | |
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority Rev., “A”, 5%, 7/01/2042 (a)(d) | | | 5,000 | | | | 4,038 | |
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority Rev., “ZZ”, 5%, 7/01/2018 (a)(d) | | | 75,000 | | | | 59,625 | |
Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corp., Restructured Sales Tax Rev., Capital Appreciation, “2019A-1”, 4.55%, 7/01/2040 | | | 174,000 | | | | 172,704 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,283,004 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Network & Telecom – 0.7% | | | | | |
Verizon Communications, Inc., 4.5%, 8/10/2033 | | $ | 275,000 | | | $ | 346,466 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 0.1% | | | | | |
JSC Kazkommertsbank, 5.5%, 12/21/2022 | | $ | 72,530 | | | $ | 72,554 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Real Estate – Apartment – 0.6% | | | | | |
Mid-America Apartments LP, 2.75%, 3/15/2030 | | $ | 259,000 | | | $ | 281,219 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Real Estate – Office – 0.2% | | | | | |
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., REIT, 1.875%, 2/01/2033 | | $ | 117,000 | | | $ | 116,729 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Real Estate – Retail – 0.6% | | | | | |
VEREIT Operating Partnership LP, REIT, 3.1%, 12/15/2029 | | $ | 259,000 | | | $ | 279,292 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Retailers – 0.7% | | | | | |
Alimentation Couche-Tard, Inc., 2.95%, 1/25/2030 (n) | | $ | 65,000 | | | $ | 70,996 | |
Home Depot, Inc., 2.5%, 4/15/2027 | | | 250,000 | | | | 274,237 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 345,233 | |
| | | | | | | | |
12
MFS Income Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
Supranational – 0.8% | | | | | |
Corporacion Andina de Fomento, 4.375%, 6/15/2022 | | $ | 340,000 | | | $ | 357,683 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Telecommunications – Wireless – 2.4% | | | | | |
American Tower Corp., REIT, 3.55%, 7/15/2027 | | $ | 248,000 | | | $ | 280,409 | |
American Tower Corp., REIT, 3.6%, 1/15/2028 | | | 125,000 | | | | 141,953 | |
American Tower Corp., REIT, 3.1%, 6/15/2050 | | | 103,000 | | | | 105,895 | |
Crown Castle International Corp., 4.15%, 7/01/2050 | | | 200,000 | | | | 242,672 | |
Crown Castle International Corp., 3.25%, 1/15/2051 | | | 80,000 | | | | 84,250 | |
T-Mobile USA, Inc., 4.375%, 4/15/2040 (n) | | | 232,000 | | | | 283,126 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,138,305 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Tobacco – 0.5% | | | | | | | | |
B.A.T. Capital Corp., 3.215%, 9/06/2026 | | $ | 231,000 | | | $ | 254,355 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Transportation – Services – 0.9% | | | | | |
Adani Ports & Special Economic | | | | | | | | |
Zone Ltd., 4.375%, 7/03/2029 (n) | | $ | 200,000 | | | $ | 216,828 | |
Delhi International Airport, 6.125%, 10/31/2026 | | | 200,000 | | | | 204,604 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 421,432 | |
| | | | | | | | |
U.S. Government Agencies and Equivalents – 0.1% | |
Small Business Administration, 6.35%, 4/01/2021 | | $ | 271 | | | $ | 273 | |
Small Business Administration, 4.77%, 4/01/2024 | | | 9,311 | | | | 9,721 | |
Small Business Administration, 4.99%, 9/01/2024 | | | 7,948 | | | | 8,324 | |
Small Business Administration, 4.86%, 1/01/2025 | | | 10,620 | | | | 11,150 | |
Small Business Administration, 4.625%, 2/01/2025 | | | 14,383 | | | | 15,095 | |
Small Business Administration, 5.11%, 8/01/2025 | | | 11,666 | | | | 12,376 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 56,939 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
BONDS – continued | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury Obligations – 4.8% | |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 1.375%, 1/31/2022 | | $ | 1,800,000 | | | $ | 1,824,188 | |
U.S. Treasury Notes, 0.25%, 9/30/2025 | | | 450,000 | | | | 448,207 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 2,272,395 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Utilities – Electric Power – 2.7% | | | | | |
AEP Transmission Co. LLC, 3.65%, 4/01/2050 | | $ | 46,000 | | | $ | 55,668 | |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co., 1.65%, 5/15/2031 (n) | | | 208,000 | | | | 207,839 | |
Enel Finance International N.V., 3.625%, 5/25/2027 (n) | | | 280,000 | | | | 317,599 | |
FirstEnergy Corp., 4.85%, 7/15/2047 | | | 270,000 | | | | 335,492 | |
Pacific Gas & Electric Co., 3.5%, 8/01/2050 | | | 250,000 | | | | 248,121 | |
Xcel Energy, Inc., 3.4%, 6/01/2030 | | | 84,000 | | | | 96,387 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | $ | 1,261,106 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Bonds (Identified Cost, $36,267,911) | | | | | | $ | 37,939,676 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| |
COMMON STOCKS – 0.0% | | | | | |
Energy – Independent – 0.0% | | | | | |
Frontera Energy Corp. (Identified Cost, $106,984) | | | 1,188 | | | $ | 3,065 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| |
INVESTMENT COMPANIES (h) – 14.2% | | | | | |
Bond Funds – 13.1% | | | | | |
MFS High Yield Pooled Portfolio (v) | | | 664,977 | | | $ | 6,184,285 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Money Market Funds – 1.1% | | | | | | | | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) | | | 517,217 | | | $ | 517,217 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Investment Companies (Identified Cost, $7,177,913) | | | $ | 6,701,502 | |
| | | | | | | | |
OTHER ASSETS, LESS LIABILITIES – 5.5% | | | | | | | 2,619,177 | |
| | | | | | | | |
NET ASSETS – 100.0% | | | | | | $ | 47,263,420 | |
| | | | | | | | |
(a) | | Non-income producing security. |
(h) | | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund’s investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $6,701,502 and $37,942,741, respectively. |
(i) | | Interest only security for which the fund receives interest on notional principal (Par amount). Par amount shown is the notional principal and does not reflect the cost of the security. |
(n) | | Securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These securities may be sold in the ordinary course of business in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At period end, the aggregate value of these securities was $14,798,373, representing 31.3% of net assets. |
(p) | | Payment-in-kind (PIK) security for which interest income may be received in additional securities and/or cash. |
(v) | | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. |
13
MFS Income Portfolio
Portfolio of Investments – continued
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined:
AAC | | Ambac Assurance Corp. |
AGM | | Assured Guaranty Municipal |
CDO | | Collateralized Debt Obligation |
CLO | | Collateralized Loan Obligation |
CMT | | Constant Maturity Treasury |
FLR | | Floating Rate. Interest rate resets periodically based on the parenthetically disclosed reference rate plus a spread (if any). The period-end rate reported may not be the current rate. All reference rates are USD unless otherwise noted. |
LIBOR | | London Interbank Offered Rate |
NATL | | National Public Finance Guarantee Corp. |
REIT | | Real Estate Investment Trust |
SOFR | | Secured Overnight Financing Rate |
Abbreviations indicate amounts shown in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. All amounts are stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. A list of abbreviations is shown below:
Derivative Contracts at 12/31/20
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Currency Purchased | | Currency Sold | | Counterparty | | Settlement Date | | | Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) | |
Asset Derivatives | | | | | | | | | | | | |
EUR | | | 100,642 | | | | | USD | | 121,975 | | Citibank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | $1,009 | |
TRY | | | 895,000 | | | | | USD | | 115,648 | | HSBC Bank | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | 4,355 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $5,364 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Liability Derivatives | | | | | | | | | | | | |
USD | | | 116,764 | | | | | EUR | | 99,169 | | Citibank N.A. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | $(4,419 | ) |
USD | | | 117,868 | | | | | EUR | | 99,002 | | Goldman Sachs International | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (3,111 | ) |
USD | | | 115,901 | | | | | IDR | | 1,649,155,833 | | JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. | | | 1/27/2021 | | | | (1,237 | ) |
USD | | | 2,318,913 | | | | | JPY | | 241,000,000 | | Goldman Sachs International | | | 1/07/2021 | | | | (15,179 | ) |
USD | | | 120,919 | | | | | ZAR | | 2,017,486 | | Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Inc. | | | 1/15/2021 | | | | (16,146 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $(40,092 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Futures Contracts
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Description | | Long/ Short | | | Currency | | | Contracts | | Notional Amount | | | Expiration Date | | | Value/Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) | |
Asset Derivatives | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Interest Rate Futures | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury Note 2 yr | | | Long | | | | USD | | | 32 | | | $7,071,250 | | | | March - 2021 | | | | $5,605 | |
U.S. Treasury Ultra Note 10 yr | | | Short | | | | USD | | | 23 | | | 3,596,266 | | | | March - 2021 | | | | 2,791 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $8,396 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Liability Derivatives | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Interest Rate Futures | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury Ultra Bond | | | Long | | | | USD | | | 17 | | | $3,630,563 | | | | March - 2021 | | | | $(4,433 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
At December 31, 2020, the fund had cash collateral of $123,288 to cover any collateral or margin obligations for certain derivative contracts. Restricted cash and/or deposits with brokers in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are comprised of cash collateral.
See Notes to Financial Statements
14
MFS Income Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
| | | | |
At 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Assets | | | | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $36,374,895) | | | $37,942,741 | |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $7,177,913) | | | 6,701,502 | |
Cash | | | 1,995 | |
Foreign currency, at value (identified cost, $2,325,353) | | | 2,333,981 | |
Deposits with brokers for | | | | |
Futures contracts | | | 123,288 | |
Receivables for | | | | |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | 5,364 | |
Net daily variation margin on open futures contracts | | | 8,508 | |
Investments sold | | | 4,881 | |
Fund shares sold | | | 27,730 | |
Interest | | | 250,852 | |
Receivable from investment adviser | | | 5,793 | |
Other assets | | | 526 | |
Total assets | | | $47,407,161 | |
| |
Liabilities | | | | |
Payables for | | | | |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | $40,092 | |
Investments purchased | | | 3,502 | |
Fund shares reacquired | | | 34,988 | |
Payable to affiliates | | | | |
Administrative services fee | | | 96 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 50 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 79 | |
Payable for independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 23 | |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | | | 64,911 | |
Total liabilities | | | $143,741 | |
Net assets | | | $47,263,420 | |
| |
Net assets consist of | | | | |
Paid-in capital | | | $43,629,666 | |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | | | 3,633,754 | |
Net assets | | | $47,263,420 | |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | | | 4,499,775 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| | Net assets | | | Shares outstanding | | | Net asset value per share | |
Initial Class | | | $41,438,219 | | | | 3,941,219 | | | | $10.51 | |
Service Class | | | 5,825,201 | | | | 558,556 | | | | 10.43 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
15
MFS Income Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
| | | | |
Year ended 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Net investment income (loss) | | | | |
Income | | | | |
Interest | | | $1,210,940 | |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | | | 385,153 | |
Other | | | 376 | |
Dividends | | | 359 | |
Foreign taxes withheld | | | (342 | ) |
Total investment income | | | $1,596,486 | |
Expenses | | | | |
Management fee | | | $222,793 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 14,965 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 10,021 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 17,500 | |
Independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 1,132 | |
Custodian fee | | | 10,740 | |
Shareholder communications | | | 15,274 | |
Audit and tax fees | | | 81,420 | |
Legal fees | | | 509 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 38,116 | |
Total expenses | | | $412,470 | |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | | | (62,092 | ) |
Net expenses | | | $350,378 | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $1,246,108 | |
| |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $1,618,065 | |
Affiliated issuers | | | (2,515 | ) |
Futures contracts | | | 203,747 | |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | 32,241 | |
Foreign currency | | | (7,014 | ) |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | $1,844,524 | |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $695,487 | |
Affiliated issuers | | | 114,411 | |
Futures contracts | | | 51,163 | |
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts | | | (37,960 | ) |
Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies | | | 9,684 | |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | $832,785 | |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | $2,677,309 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $3,923,417 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
16
MFS Income Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | |
Change in net assets | | | | | | | | |
| | |
From operations | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $1,246,108 | | | | $1,481,163 | |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | 1,844,524 | | | | 899,406 | |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | | | 832,785 | | | | 2,547,736 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $3,923,417 | | | | $4,928,305 | |
Total distributions to shareholders | | | $(1,603,085 | ) | | | $(1,558,012 | ) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | | | $(97,382 | ) | | | $(3,054,588 | ) |
Total change in net assets | | | $2,222,950 | | | | $315,705 | |
| | |
Net assets | | | | | | | | |
At beginning of period | | | 45,040,470 | | | | 44,724,765 | |
At end of period | | | $47,263,420 | | | | $45,040,470 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
17
MFS Income Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund’s financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $9.98 | | | | $9.26 | | | | $9.84 | | | | $9.71 | | | | $9.25 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.29 | | | | $0.33 | | | | $0.33 | | | | $0.34 | | | | $0.40 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 0.63 | | | | 0.74 | | | | (0.52 | ) | | | 0.26 | | | | 0.37 | |
Total from investment operations | | | $0.92 | | | | $1.07 | | | | $(0.19 | ) | | | $0.60 | | | | $0.77 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.39 | ) | | | $(0.35 | ) | | | $(0.39 | ) | | | $(0.47 | ) | | | $(0.31 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $10.51 | | | | $9.98 | | | | $9.26 | | | | $9.84 | | | | $9.71 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 9.35 | | | | 11.60 | | | | (1.99 | ) | | | 6.24 | | | | 8.24 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f)(h) | | | 0.89 | | | | 1.01 | | | | 1.03 | | | | 1.02 | | | | 0.89 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f)(h) | | | 0.75 | | | | 0.78 | | | | 0.80 | | | | 0.80 | | | | 0.71 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 2.83 | | | | 3.32 | | | | 3.42 | | | | 3.39 | | | | 4.09 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 112 | | | | 104 | | | | 59 | | | | 72 | | | | 21 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $41,438 | | | | $38,670 | | | | $38,111 | | | | $42,409 | | | | $44,191 | |
| |
Service Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $9.90 | | | | $9.19 | | | | $9.75 | | | | $9.63 | | | | $9.17 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.26 | | | | $0.30 | | | | $0.30 | | | | $0.31 | | | | $0.37 | (c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 0.63 | | | | 0.74 | | | | (0.50 | ) | | | 0.25 | | | | 0.37 | |
Total from investment operations | | | $0.89 | | | | $1.04 | | | | $(0.20 | ) | | | $0.56 | | | | $0.74 | |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.36 | ) | | | $(0.33 | ) | | | $(0.36 | ) | | | $(0.44 | ) | | | $(0.28 | ) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | | | $10.43 | | | | $9.90 | | | | $9.19 | | | | $9.75 | | | | $9.63 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | | | 9.11 | | | | 11.29 | | | | (2.11 | ) | | | 5.88 | | | | 8.00 | (c) |
| | | | | |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f)(h) | | | 1.14 | | | | 1.26 | | | | 1.28 | | | | 1.27 | | | | 1.14 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f)(h) | | | 1.00 | | | | 1.03 | | | | 1.05 | | | | 1.05 | | | | 0.97 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 2.59 | | | | 3.07 | | | | 3.17 | | | | 3.16 | | | | 3.83 | (c) |
Portfolio turnover | | | 112 | | | | 104 | | | | 59 | | | | 72 | | | | 21 | |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $5,825 | | | | $6,371 | | | | $6,614 | | | | $7,287 | | | | $8,776 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
18
MFS Income Portfolio
Financial Highlights – continued
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(h) | In addition to the fees and expenses which the fund bears directly, the fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of the underlying affiliated funds in which the fund invests. Accordingly, the expense ratio for the fund reflects only those fees and expenses borne directly by the fund. Because the underlying affiliated funds have varied expense and fee levels and the fund may own different proportions of the underlying affiliated funds at different times, the amount of fees and expenses incurred indirectly by the fund will vary. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
19
MFS Income Portfolio
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1) | | Business and Organization |
MFS Income Portfolio (formerly MFS Strategic Income Portfolio) (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services – Investment Companies.
(2) | | Significant Accounting Policies |
General – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued. The fund invests in the MFS High Yield Pooled Portfolio (“High Yield Pooled Portfolio”). MFS does not receive a management fee from the High Yield Pooled Portfolio. The High Yield Pooled Portfolio’s investment objective is to seek total return with an emphasis on high current income, but also considering capital appreciation. The accounting policies of the High Yield Pooled Portfolio are outlined in its shareholder report, which is available without charge by calling 1-800-225-2606 and on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) web site at http://www.sec.gov. The accounting policies detailed in the Significant Accounting Policies note cover both the fund and the High Yield Pooled Portfolio. For purposes of this policy disclosure, “fund” refers to both the fund and the High Yield Pooled Portfolio in which the fund invests. The High Yield Pooled Portfolio’s shareholder report is not covered by this report. The fund and the High Yield Pooled Portfolio invest in high-yield securities rated below investment grade. Investments in below investment grade quality securities can involve a substantially greater risk of default or can already be in default, and their values can decline significantly. Below investment grade quality securities tend to be more sensitive to adverse news about the issuer, or the market or economy in general, than higher quality debt instruments. The fund and the High Yield Pooled Portfolio invest in foreign securities. Investments in foreign securities are vulnerable to the effects of changes in the relative values of the local currency and the U.S. dollar and to the effects of changes in each country’s market, economic, industrial, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund’s investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting – The fund’s accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund’s right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations – The investments of the fund and the High Yield Pooled Portfolio are valued as described below.
Equity securities, including restricted equity securities, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Debt instruments and floating rate loans, including restricted debt instruments, are generally valued at an evaluated or composite bid as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Exchange-traded options are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Exchange-traded options for which there were no sales reported that day are generally valued at the last daily bid quotation on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. For put options, the position may be valued at the last daily ask quotation if there are no trades reported
20
MFS Income Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
during the day. Options not traded on an exchange are generally valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. Foreign currency options are generally valued at valuations provided by a third-party pricing service. Futures contracts are generally valued at last posted settlement price on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Futures contracts for which there were no trades that day for a particular position are generally valued at the closing bid quotation on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are generally valued at the mean of bid and asked prices for the time period interpolated from rates provided by a third-party pricing service for proximate time periods. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund’s assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. Other financial instruments are derivative instruments, such as futures contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund’s assets or liabilities:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Financial Instruments | | Level 1 | | | Level 2 | | | Level 3 | | | Total | |
Equity Securities | | | $3,065 | | | | $— | | | | $— | | | | $3,065 | |
U.S. Treasury Bonds & U.S. Government Agencies & Equivalents | | | — | | | | 2,329,334 | | | | — | | | | 2,329,334 | |
Non-U.S. Sovereign Debt | | | — | | | | 1,823,692 | | | | — | | | | 1,823,692 | |
Municipal Bonds | | | — | | | | 1,283,004 | | | | — | | | | 1,283,004 | |
U.S. Corporate Bonds | | | — | | | | 15,123,150 | | | | — | | | | 15,123,150 | |
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities | | | — | | | | 340,226 | | | | — | | | | 340,226 | |
Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities | | | — | | | | 3,903,930 | | | | — | | | | 3,903,930 | |
Asset-Backed Securities (including CDOs) | | | — | | | | 8,101,465 | | | | — | | | | 8,101,465 | |
Foreign Bonds | | | — | | | | 5,034,875 | | | | — | | | | 5,034,875 | |
Mutual Funds | | | 6,701,502 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 6,701,502 | |
Total | | | $6,704,567 | | | | $37,939,676 | | | | $— | | | | $44,644,243 | |
| | | | |
Other Financial Instruments | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Futures Contracts – Assets | | | $8,396 | | | | $— | | | | $— | | | | $8,396 | |
Futures Contracts – Liabilities | | | (4,433 | ) | | | — | | | | — | | | | (4,433 | ) |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – Assets | | | — | | | | 5,364 | | | | — | | | | 5,364 | |
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – Liabilities | | | — | | | | (40,092 | ) | | | — | | | | (40,092 | ) |
21
MFS Income Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments. Please refer to the High Yield Pooled Portfolio’s shareholder report for further information regarding the levels used in valuing its assets or liabilities.
Foreign Currency Translation – Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
Derivatives – The fund uses derivatives primarily to increase or decrease exposure to a particular market or segment of the market, or security, to increase or decrease interest rate or currency exposure, or as alternatives to direct investments. Derivatives are used for hedging or non-hedging purposes. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. When the fund uses derivatives as an investment to increase market exposure, or for hedging purposes, gains and losses from derivative instruments may be substantially greater than the derivative’s original cost.
The derivative instruments used by the fund during the period were purchased options, futures contracts, and forward foreign currency exchange contracts. Depending on the type of derivative, the fund may exit a derivative position by entering into an offsetting transaction with a counterparty or exchange, negotiating an agreement with the derivative counterparty, or novating the position to a third party. The fund may be unable to promptly close out a futures position in instances where the daily fluctuation in the price for that type of future exceeds the daily limit set by the exchange. The fund’s period end derivatives, as presented in the Portfolio of Investments and the associated Derivative Contract tables, generally are indicative of the volume of its derivative activity during the period.
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the fair value, on a gross basis, of the asset and liability components of derivatives held by the fund at December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Fair Value (a) | |
Risk | | Derivative Contracts | | Asset Derivatives | | | Liability Derivatives | |
Interest Rate | | Interest Rate Futures | | | $8,396 | | | | $(4,433 | ) |
Foreign Exchange | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | | | 5,364 | | | | (40,092 | ) |
Total | | | | | $13,760 | | | | $(44,525 | ) |
(a) | Values presented in this table for futures contracts correspond to the values reported in the fund’s Portfolio of Investments. Only the current day net variation margin for futures contracts is separately reported within the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities. |
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the realized gain (loss) on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Risk | | Futures Contracts | | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | | | Unaffiliated Issuers (Purchased Options) | |
Interest Rate | | | $203,747 | | | | $— | | | | $— | |
Foreign Exchange | | | — | | | | 32,241 | | | | — | |
Credit | | | — | | | | — | | | | 64,913 | |
Total | | | $203,747 | | | | $32,241 | | | | $64,913 | |
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Risk | | Futures Contracts | | | Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts | | | Unaffiliated Issuers (Purchased Options) | |
Interest Rate | | | $51,163 | | | | $— | | | | $ | |
Foreign Exchange | | | — | | | | (37,960 | ) | | | — | |
Credit | | | — | | | | — | | | | 17,030 | |
Total | | | $51,163 | | | | $(37,960 | ) | | | $17,030 | |
Derivative counterparty credit risk is managed through formal evaluation of the creditworthiness of all potential counterparties. On certain, but not all, uncleared derivatives, the fund attempts to reduce its exposure to counterparty credit risk whenever possible by
22
MFS Income Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
entering into an ISDA Master Agreement on a bilateral basis. The ISDA Master Agreement gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under such agreement if there is a specified deterioration in the credit quality of the other party. Upon an event of default or a termination of the ISDA Master Agreement, the non-defaulting party has the right to close out all transactions traded under such agreement and to net amounts owed under each agreement to one net amount payable by one party to the other. This right to close out and net payments across all transactions traded under the ISDA Master Agreement could result in a reduction of the fund’s credit risk to such counterparty equal to any amounts payable by the fund under the applicable transactions, if any.
Collateral and margin requirements differ by type of derivative. For cleared derivatives (e.g., futures contracts, cleared swaps, and exchange-traded options), margin requirements are set by the clearing broker and the clearing house and collateral, in the form of cash or securities, is posted by the fund directly with the clearing broker. Collateral terms are counterparty agreement specific for uncleared derivatives (e.g., forward foreign currency exchange contracts, uncleared swap agreements, and uncleared options) and collateral, in the form of cash and securities, is held in segregated accounts with the fund’s custodian in connection with these agreements. For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, which contains a collateral support annex, the collateral requirements are netted across all transactions traded under such counterparty-specific agreement and an amount is posted from one party to the other to collateralize such obligations. Cash that has been segregated or delivered to cover the fund’s collateral or margin obligations under derivative contracts, if any, will be reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as restricted cash for uncleared derivatives and/or deposits with brokers for cleared derivatives. Securities pledged as collateral or margin for the same purpose, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. The fund may be required to make payments of interest on uncovered collateral or margin obligations with the broker. Any such payments are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
Purchased Options – The fund purchased put options for a premium. Purchased put options entitle the holder to sell a specified number of shares or units of a particular security, currency or index at a specified price at a specified date or within a specified period of time. Purchasing put options may hedge against an anticipated decline in the value of portfolio securities or currency or decrease the fund’s exposure to an underlying instrument.
The premium paid is initially recorded as an investment in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. That investment is subsequently marked-to-market daily with the difference between the premium paid and the market value of the purchased option being recorded as unrealized appreciation or depreciation. Premiums paid for purchased put options which have expired are treated as realized losses on investments in the Statement of Operations. Upon the exercise or closing of a purchased put option, the premium paid is offset against the proceeds on the sale of the underlying security or financial instrument in order to determine the realized gain or loss on investments.
Whether or not the option is exercised, the fund’s maximum risk of loss from purchasing an option is the amount of premium paid. All option contracts involve credit risk if the counterparty to the option contract fails to perform. For uncleared options, this risk is mitigated in cases where there is an ISDA Master Agreement between the fund and the counterparty providing for netting as described above and, where applicable, by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to the fund to cover the fund’s exposure to the counterparty under such ISDA Master Agreement.
Futures Contracts – The fund entered into futures contracts which may be used to hedge against or obtain broad market exposure, interest rate exposure, currency exposure, or to manage duration. A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.
Upon entering into a futures contract, the fund is required to deposit with the broker, either in cash or securities, an initial margin in an amount equal to a specified percentage of the notional amount of the contract. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are made or received by the fund each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract, and are recorded for financial statement purposes as unrealized gain or loss by the fund until the contract is closed or expires at which point the gain or loss on futures contracts is realized.
The fund bears the risk of interest rates, exchange rates or securities prices moving unexpectedly, in which case, the fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the futures contracts and may realize a loss. While futures contracts may present less counterparty risk to the fund since the contracts are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse guarantees payments to the broker, there is still counterparty credit risk due to the insolvency of the broker. The fund’s maximum risk of loss due to counterparty credit risk is equal to the margin posted by the fund to the broker plus any gains or minus any losses on the outstanding futures contracts.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts – The fund entered into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for the purchase or sale of a specific foreign currency at a fixed price on a future date. These contracts may be used to hedge the fund’s currency risk or for non-hedging purposes. For hedging purposes, the fund may enter into contracts to deliver or receive foreign currency that the fund will receive from or use in its normal investment activities. The fund may also use contracts to hedge against declines in the value of foreign currency denominated securities due to unfavorable exchange rate movements. For non-hedging
23
MFS Income Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
purposes, the fund may enter into contracts with the intent of changing the relative exposure of the fund’s portfolio of securities to different currencies to take advantage of anticipated exchange rate changes.
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are adjusted by the daily exchange rate of the underlying currency and any unrealized gains or losses are recorded as a receivable or payable for forward foreign currency exchange contracts until the contract settlement date. On contract settlement date, any gain or loss on the contract is recorded as realized gains or losses on forward foreign currency exchange contracts.
Risks may arise upon entering into these contracts from unanticipated movements in the value of the contract and from the potential inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts. Generally, the fund’s maximum risk due to counterparty credit risk is the unrealized gain on the contract due to the use of Continuous Linked Settlement, a multicurrency cash settlement system for the centralized settlement of foreign transactions. This risk is mitigated in cases where there is an ISDA Master Agreement between the fund and the counterparty providing for netting as described above and, where applicable, by the posting of collateral by the counterparty to the fund to cover the fund’s exposure to the counterparty under such ISDA Master Agreement.
Loans and Other Direct Debt Instruments – The fund invests in loans and loan participations or other receivables. These investments may include standby financing commitments, including revolving credit facilities, which contractually obligate the fund to supply additional cash to the borrower on demand. The fund generally provides this financial support in order to preserve its existing investment or to obtain a more senior secured interest in the assets of the borrower. Loan participations involve a risk of insolvency of the lending bank or other financial intermediary.
Indemnifications – Under the fund’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund’s maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income – Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. All premium and discount is amortized or accreted for financial statement purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend and interest payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend or ex-interest date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date. Debt obligations may be placed on non-accrual status or set to accrue at a rate of interest less than the contractual coupon when the collection of all or a portion of interest has become doubtful. Interest income for those debt obligations may be further reduced by the write-off of the related interest receivables when deemed uncollectible.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
Tax Matters and Distributions – The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to defaulted bonds, amortization and accretion of debt securities, wash sale loss deferrals, and derivative transactions.
24
MFS Income Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | | | $1,603,085 | | | | $1,558,012 | |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
| | | | |
As of 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Cost of investments | | | $44,056,526 | |
Gross appreciation | | | 2,054,890 | |
Gross depreciation | | | (1,497,938 | ) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | | | $556,952 | |
| |
Undistributed ordinary income | | | 2,281,906 | |
Undistributed long-term capital gain | | | 785,796 | |
Other temporary differences | | | 9,100 | |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest – The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund’s income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Initial Class | | | $1,407,184 | | | | $1,348,342 | |
Service Class | | | 195,901 | | | | 209,670 | |
Total | | | $1,603,085 | | | | $1,558,012 | |
(3) | | Transactions with Affiliates |
Investment Adviser – The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund’s average daily net assets:
| | | | |
Up to $1 billion | | | 0.50% | |
In excess of $1 billion | | | 0.45% | |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund’s Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $4,897, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.49% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses (such as fees and expenses associated with investments in investment companies and other similar investment vehicles), such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.75% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.00% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reduction amounted to $57,195, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations.
Distributor – MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund’s distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
25
MFS Income Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Shareholder Servicing Agent – MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $9,220, which equated to 0.0207% annually of the fund’s average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $801.
Administrator – MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0393% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation – The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other – The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
The fund invests in the High Yield Pooled Portfolio, which is a mutual fund advised by MFS that does not pay management fees to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs. The fund invests in the High Yield Pooled Portfolio to gain exposure to high income debt instruments, rather than investing in high income debt instruments directly. Income earned on this investment is included in “Dividends from affiliated issuers” in the Statement of Operations. The High Yield Pooled Portfolio does not pay distribution and/or service fees to MFD.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than purchased option transactions and short-term obligations, were as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Purchases | | | Sales | |
U.S. Government securities | | | $20,891,079 | | | | $21,976,522 | |
Non-U.S. Government securities | | | 28,377,445 | | | | 29,441,396 | |
(5) | | Shares of Beneficial Interest |
The fund’s Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
| | | | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Shares | | | Amount | |
Shares sold | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 593,426 | | | | $6,061,887 | | | | 238,399 | | | | $2,340,408 | |
Service Class | | | 75,762 | | | | 764,983 | | | | 40,987 | | | | 403,039 | |
| | | 669,188 | | | | $6,826,870 | | | | 279,386 | | | | $2,743,447 | |
| | | | |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 138,366 | | | | $1,407,184 | | | | 135,240 | | | | $1,348,342 | |
Service Class | | | 19,396 | | | | 195,901 | | | | 21,179 | | | | 209,670 | |
| | | 157,762 | | | | $1,603,085 | | | | 156,419 | | | | $1,558,012 | |
| | | | |
Shares reacquired | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (665,666 | ) | | | $(6,694,271 | ) | | | (614,197 | ) | | | $(6,013,428 | ) |
Service Class | | | (180,269 | ) | | | (1,833,066 | ) | | | (138,486 | ) | | | (1,342,619 | ) |
| | | (845,935 | ) | | | $(8,527,337 | ) | | | (752,683 | ) | | | $(7,356,047 | ) |
| | | | |
Net change | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 66,126 | | | | $774,800 | | | | (240,558 | ) | | | $(2,324,678 | ) |
Service Class | | | (85,111 | ) | | | (872,182 | ) | | | (76,320 | ) | | | (729,910 | ) |
| | | (18,985 | ) | | | $(97,382 | ) | | | (316,878 | ) | | | $(3,054,588 | ) |
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its
26
MFS Income Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $235 and $58, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
(7) | | Investments in Affiliated Issuers |
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | Beginning Value | | | Purchases | | | Sales Proceeds | | | Realized Gain (Loss) | | | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | | | Ending Value | |
MFS High Yield Pooled Portfolio | | | $5,079,021 | | | | $8,515,291 | | | | $7,521,403 | | | | $(3,035 | ) | | | $114,411 | | | | $6,184,285 | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | 48,852 | | | | 29,622,724 | | | | 29,154,879 | | | | 520 | | | | — | | | | 517,217 | |
| | | $5,127,873 | | | | $38,138,015 | | | | $36,676,282 | | | | $(2,515 | ) | | | $114,411 | | | | $6,701,502 | |
| | | | | | |
Affiliated Issuers | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Dividend Income | | | Capital Gain Distributions | |
MFS High Yield Pooled Portfolio | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $375,325 | | | | $— | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9,828 | | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $385,153 | | | | $— | |
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund’s investments and the fund’s performance.
27
MFS Income Portfolio
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of MFS Income Portfolio (formerly MFS Strategic Income Portfolio):
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Income Portfolio (formerly MFS Strategic Income Portfolio) (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
28
MFS Income Portfolio
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS – IDENTIFICATION AND BACKGROUND
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
| | | | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
|
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
| | | | | |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
| | | | | |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
29
MFS Income Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head – Treasurer’s Office (until February 2017) |
| | | | |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
| | | | |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
| | | | |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
| | | | |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
| | | | |
James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board’s retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
30
MFS Income Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
| | |
Investment Adviser Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Custodian State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
| |
Distributor MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
| |
Portfolio Manager(s) Neeraj Arora Philipp Burgener David Cole Alexander Mackey Joshua Marston Robert Persons Michael Skatrud | | |
31
MFS Income Portfolio
BOARD REVIEW OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
MFS Income Portfolio (formerly MFS Strategic Income Portfolio)
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 2nd quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 1st quintile for the one-year period and the 2nd quintile for the three-year period ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course
32
MFS Income Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement – continued
of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate was lower than the Broadridge expense group median and the Fund’s total expense ratio was higher than the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to a contractual breakpoint that reduces the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $1 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoint and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
33
MFS Income Portfolio
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND INFORMATION
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO DISCLOSURE
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund’s fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
INFORMATION ABOUT FUND CONTRACTS AND LEGAL CLAIMS
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund intends to pass through the maximum amount allowable as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends as defined in Treasury Regulation §1.163(j)-1(b).
34
rev. 3/16
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FACTS | | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? | | |
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Why? | | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
| | |
What? | | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: • Social Security number and account balances • Account transactions and transaction history • Checking account information and wire transfer instructions When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
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How? | | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
| | | | |
Reasons we can share your personal information | | Does MFS share? | | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | | Yes | | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | | No | | We don’t share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | | No | | We don’t share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | | No | | We don’t share |
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Questions? | | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
35
| | |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
| | |
What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | | We collect your personal information, for example, when you • open an account or provide account information • direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities • make a wire transfer We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can’t I limit all sharing? | | Federal law gives you the right to limit only • sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness • affiliates from using your information to market to you • sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
| | |
Definitions |
Affiliates | | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. • MFS doesn’t jointly market. |
| | |
Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
36
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® Technology Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
MFS® Technology Portfolio
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The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE •
NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
Portfolio structure
Top ten holdings
Amazon.com, Inc. | 9.3% |
Microsoft Corp. | 9.1% |
Mastercard, Inc., “A” | 4.0% |
Facebook, Inc., “A” | 3.9% |
PayPal Holdings, Inc. | 3.6% |
Adobe Systems, Inc. | 3.4% |
Alphabet, Inc., “A” | 3.4% |
Apple, Inc. | 3.3% |
Global Payments, Inc. | 2.6% |
Visa, Inc., “A” | 2.5% |
Top five industries
Computer Software | 23.5% |
Internet | 16.2% |
Computer Software - Systems | 10.7% |
Business Services | 10.3% |
Specialty Stores | 10.2% |
Cash & Cash Equivalents includes any cash, investments in money market funds, short-term securities, and other assets less liabilities. Please see the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for additional information related to the fund’s cash position and other assets and liabilities.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
Management Review
Summary of Results
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, Initial Class shares of the MFS Technology Portfolio (fund) provided a total return of 46.84%, while Service Class shares of the fund provided a total return of 46.41%. These compare with a return of 18.40% over the same period for the fund’s benchmark, the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index, and a return of 45.15% for the fund’s other benchmark, the Standard & Poor's North American Technology Sector Index.
Market Environment
Markets experienced an extraordinarily sharp selloff early in the period and, in many cases, an unusually rapid recovery later. Central banks and fiscal authorities undertook astonishing levels of stimulus to offset the economic effects of government-imposed social-distancing measures implemented to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At this point, the global economy looks to have experienced the shortest — albeit the deepest and steepest — recession in the postwar period. However, the recovery remains subject to more than the usual number of uncertainties due to questions about the evolution of the virus, what its continued impact will be and how quickly vaccines to guard against it can be manufactured and distributed at scale. There are also worries over the public's willingness to be inoculated.
Around the world, central banks responded quickly and massively to the crisis with programs to improve liquidity and support markets. These programs proved largely successful in helping to restore market function, ease volatility and stimulate a continued market rebound. Late in the period, the US Federal Reserve adopted a new, flexible, average-inflation-targeting framework, which is expected to result in the federal funds rate remaining at low levels longer than under its previous model. In developed countries, monetary easing measures were complemented by unusually large fiscal stimulus initiatives. Due to relatively manageable external liabilities and balances of payments in many countries and persistently low inflation, even emerging market countries were able to implement countercyclical policies — a departure from the usual market-dictated response to risk-off crises.
Compounding market uncertainty earlier in the pandemic was a crash in the price of crude oil due to a sharp drop in global demand and a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts, which resulted in an oil price war. The subsequent decline in prices undercut oil exporters, many of which are in emerging markets, as well as a large segment of the high-yield credit market. The OPEC+ group later agreed on output cuts, with shale oil producers in the US also decreasing production, which, along with the gradual reopening of some major economies and the resultant boost in demand, helped stabilize the price of crude oil.
In the immediate aftermath of the market disruption that accompanied the initial phases of the pandemic, many companies that had added significant leverage to their balance sheets in recent years by borrowing to fund dividend payments and stock buybacks halted those activities, and some companies were forced to recapitalize. As markets and the economy stabilized later in the period, in many cases dividend payments and buybacks resumed. Conversely, some companies found themselves flush with liquidity, having borrowed preemptively during the worst of the crisis only to end up with excess cash on their balance sheets.
Contributors to Performance
Stock selection in the software industry contributed to the fund's performance relative to the Standard & Poor’s North American Technology Sector Index. Within this industry, overweight positions in computer software company DocuSign, global enterprise cloud communications and collaboration solutions provider RingCentral and cloud-based marketing and sales software platform HubSpot, and holdings of cloud and IT services provider RAKUS(b) (Japan), supported relative results. The COVID-driven shift to a stay at home environment helped accelerate DocuSign's already strong e-signature growth and led to a boost in billings and its new customer base.
Within the communications equipment industry, the fund's short position in network equipment company Cisco Systems(h) supported relative results. The share price of Cisco Systems fell after the company reported a disappointing full-year outlook. COVID-19 continued to impact the firm's customer base, notably small and mid-sized businesses, which carefully managed technology investments given the uncertain macro environment.
Security selection in the internet & direct marketing retail industry helped relative performance. Within this industry, an overweight position in pure-play e-commerce business Chewy and e-commerce platform provider Farfetch (United Kingdom) bolstered relative returns. The share price of Chewy appreciated due to strong financial results and a raised outlook. The company benefited from increased demand and a growing customer base as pet adoption rates increased and the shift to e-commerce accelerated during the pandemic.
Stocks in other industries that benefited relative results included not owning both semiconductor company Intel and diversified technology products and services company International Business Machines (IBM), and holdings of consumer digital health company Livongo(b)(h). The share price of Intel dropped on the back of a weakness in its Data Center Group. Additionally, the firm came under pressure as management delayed the ramp-up of its 7nm process technology, while competitor AMD appeared to have gained market share in PCs and server chips.
Management Review - continued
Detractors from Performance
In the automobiles industry, a short position in electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla(b)(h) held back relative performance. The share price of Tesla appreciated throughout the period after the company disclosed record deliveries amid the launch of its Model Y and China factory. Additionally, Tesla was added as a constituent to the S&P 500 Index, which further boosted the stock's performance.
An underweight allocation to the technology hardware storage & peripherals industry also detracted from relative performance. Within this industry, an underweight position in computer and personal electronics maker Apple hindered relative returns. Despite headwinds related to COVID-19, the share price of Apple appreciated as product demand recovered more rapidly than expected. The shift toward work-from-home and remote learning helped to support strong iPhone and iPad sales. Additionally, shares of Apple reacted positively to the announcement of a new line of its flagship iPhone product with 5G compatibility.
Stocks in other industries that weighed on relative results included the timing of the fund's ownership in shares of financial technology services provider Fiserv(h) and semiconductor manufacturer Microchip Technology(h), and its holdings of online and mobile commerce company Alibaba Group Holding(b) (China). The share price of Fiserv appeared to have reacted negatively to the announcement that the company's CEO would be stepping down roughly a year earlier than expected. The company also reported a decline in revenue in its merchant acceptance, financial technology, and payments and network segments. Additionally, the fund's underweight positions in cloud-based e-commerce platform operator Shopify and computer graphics processor maker NVIDIA, and overweight positions in electronic payment services company Global Payments and global banking and payment technologies provider Fidelity National Information Services, further dampened relative results. The share price of Shopify advanced as demand for digital e-commerce solutions surged with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and consumers transitioned to shopping from home.
The fund's cash and/or cash equivalents position during the period was also a detractor from relative performance. Under normal market conditions, the fund strives to be fully invested and generally holds cash to buy new holdings and to provide liquidity. In a period when equity markets rose, as measured by the fund's benchmark, holding cash held back performance versus the benchmark, which has no cash position.
Respectfully,
Portfolio Manager(s)
Matthew Sabel
(b) | Security is not a benchmark constituent. |
(h) | Security was not held in the portfolio at period end. |
The views expressed in this report are those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period of the report as stated on the cover and do not necessarily reflect the views of MFS or any other person in the MFS organization. These views are subject to change at any time based on market or other conditions, and MFS disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of trading intent on behalf of any MFS portfolio. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of any MFS portfolio’s current or future investments.
Performance Summary Through 12/31/20
The following chart illustrates the historical performance of the fund in comparison to its benchmark(s). Benchmarks are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly. Benchmark returns do not reflect any fees or expenses. The performance of other share classes will be greater than or less than that of the class depicted below. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value fluctuate so your units, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than quoted. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the fund shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
Growth of a Hypothetical $10,000 Investment
Total Returns through 12/31/20
Average annual total returns
Share Class | Class Inception Date | 1-yr | 5-yr | 10-yr |
Initial Class | 6/16/00 | 46.84% | 25.17% | 19.43% |
Service Class | 8/24/01 | 46.41% | 24.86% | 19.14% |
Comparative benchmark(s)
Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index (f) | 18.40% | 15.22% | 13.88% |
Standard & Poor's North American Technology Sector Index (f) | 45.15% | 27.33% | 20.57% |
(f) | Source: FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
Benchmark Definition(s)
Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index(g) – a market capitalization-weighted index of 500 widely held equity securities, designed to measure broad U.S. equity performance.
Standard & Poor's North American Technology Sector Index(g) - a modified market capitalization-weighted index that measures the performance of selected technology stocks.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
(g) | “Standard & Poor's®” and “S&P®” are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC (“S&P”) and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”) and have been licensed for use by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and sublicensed for certain purposes by MFS. The S&P 500® is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, and has been licensed for use by MFS. MFS's product(s) is not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, S&P, or their respective affiliates, and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, S&P, nor their respective affiliates make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s). |
Performance Summary – continued
Notes to Performance Summary
Average annual total return represents the average annual change in value for each share class for the periods presented.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies and waivers in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the fund's performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions.
Performance results do not include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and may differ from amounts reported in the financial highlights.
From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower.
Expense Table
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund's ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
Share Class | | Annualized Expense Ratio | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 |
Initial Class | Actual | 0.91% | $1,000.00 | $1,245.99 | $5.14 |
Hypothetical (h) | 0.91% | $1,000.00 | $1,020.56 | $4.62 |
Service Class | Actual | 1.16% | $1,000.00 | $1,244.66 | $6.55 |
Hypothetical (h) | 1.16% | $1,000.00 | $1,019.30 | $5.89 |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class's annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
Notes to Expense Table
Expense ratios include 0.01% of investment related expenses from short sales (See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements) that are outside of the expense limitation arrangement (See Note 3 of the Notes to Financial Statements).
Portfolio of Investments − 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – 96.7% |
Aerospace – 0.4% | |
CACI International, Inc., “A” (a) | | 1,674 | $ 417,378 |
Biotechnology – 0.3% | |
Adaptive Biotechnologies Corp. (a) | | 5,927 | $ 350,464 |
Brokerage & Asset Managers – 0.8% | |
NASDAQ, Inc. | | 4,244 | $ 563,349 |
Tradeweb Markets, Inc. | | 3,940 | 246,053 |
| | | | $809,402 |
Business Services – 10.3% | |
Clarivate PLC (a) | | 24,152 | $ 717,556 |
Endava PLC, ADR (a) | | 11,176 | 857,758 |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. | | 10,261 | 1,451,521 |
Global Payments, Inc. | | 12,610 | 2,716,448 |
IHS Markit Ltd. | | 2,249 | 202,028 |
Nuvei Corp. (a) | | 8,454 | 509,184 |
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (a) | | 16,175 | 3,788,185 |
Verisk Analytics, Inc., “A” | | 2,653 | 550,736 |
| | | | $10,793,416 |
Cable TV – 1.1% | |
Charter Communications, Inc., “A” (a) | | 1,755 | $ 1,161,020 |
Computer Software – 23.6% | |
Adobe Systems, Inc. (a) | | 7,195 | $ 3,598,363 |
Asana, Inc. (a) | | 13,737 | 405,928 |
Atlassian Corp. PLC, “A” (a) | | 3,024 | 707,223 |
Autodesk, Inc. (a) | | 3,907 | 1,192,963 |
Bentley Systems, Inc., “B” | | 2,975 | 120,517 |
Black Knight, Inc. (a) | | 7,353 | 649,638 |
Coupa Software, Inc. (a) | | 145 | 49,142 |
DocuSign, Inc. (a) | | 3,359 | 746,706 |
Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc. (a) | | 16,120 | 401,388 |
Eventbrite, Inc. (a) | | 13,974 | 252,929 |
Microsoft Corp. (s) | | 42,482 | 9,448,846 |
Okta, Inc. (a) | | 3,146 | 799,902 |
Ping Identity Holding Corp. (a) | | 9,657 | 276,577 |
RAKUS Co. Ltd. | | 17,400 | 403,088 |
RingCentral, Inc. (a) | | 4,491 | 1,701,954 |
salesforce.com, inc. (a) | | 10,432 | 2,321,433 |
Topicus.com, Inc. (a) | | 1,186 | 4,484 |
Twilio, Inc., “A” (a) | | 1,900 | 643,150 |
Zendesk, Inc. (a) | | 5,863 | 839,113 |
| | | | $24,563,344 |
Computer Software - Systems – 10.8% | |
Apple, Inc. | | 25,721 | $ 3,412,919 |
Constellation Software, Inc. | | 638 | 828,473 |
Descartes Systems Group, Inc. (a) | | 8,434 | 493,292 |
EPAM Systems, Inc. (a) | | 2,341 | 838,897 |
HubSpot, Inc. (a) | | 2,912 | 1,154,433 |
Q2 Holdings, Inc. (a) | | 4,341 | 549,267 |
ServiceNow, Inc. (a) | | 3,788 | 2,085,029 |
Square, Inc., “A” (a) | | 3,139 | 683,172 |
TransUnion | | 5,819 | 577,361 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Computer Software - Systems – continued | |
Wix.com Ltd. (a) | | 2,355 | $ 588,656 |
| | | | $11,211,499 |
Consumer Services – 0.9% | |
Booking Holdings, Inc. (a) | | 431 | $ 959,953 |
Electronics – 10.0% | |
Advanced Micro Devices (a) | | 23,429 | $ 2,148,674 |
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. (a) | | 15,084 | 402,139 |
ASML Holding N.V. | | 1,324 | 645,741 |
KLA Corp. | | 4,553 | 1,178,817 |
Lam Research Corp. | | 3,430 | 1,619,886 |
Marvell Technology Group Ltd. | | 20,567 | 977,755 |
NVIDIA Corp. | | 4,148 | 2,166,086 |
Skyworks Solutions, Inc. | | 7,423 | 1,134,828 |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., ADR | | 1,869 | 203,796 |
| | | | $10,477,722 |
Internet – 16.2% | |
Airbnb, Inc., “A” (a) | | 214 | $ 31,415 |
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., ADR (a) | | 7,748 | 1,803,192 |
Allegro.eu S.A. (a) | | 13,767 | 312,141 |
Alphabet, Inc., “A” (a)(s) | | 2,008 | 3,519,301 |
ContextLogic, Inc., “A” (a) | | 13,843 | 252,496 |
DraftKings, Inc. (a) | | 9,915 | 461,642 |
Facebook, Inc., “A” (a) | | 14,925 | 4,076,913 |
Farfetch Ltd., “A” (a) | | 13,265 | 846,440 |
Match Group, Inc. (a) | | 5,915 | 894,289 |
Mercadolibre, Inc. (a) | | 355 | 594,703 |
NetEase.com, Inc., ADR | | 10,101 | 967,373 |
Pinterest, Inc. (a) | | 10,702 | 705,262 |
Sea Ltd., ADR (a) | | 2,012 | 400,489 |
Tencent Holdings Ltd. | | 27,400 | 2,002,042 |
| | | | $16,867,698 |
Leisure & Toys – 3.6% | |
Activision Blizzard, Inc. | | 17,366 | $ 1,612,433 |
Electronic Arts, Inc. | | 7,979 | 1,145,784 |
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (a) | | 5,020 | 1,043,105 |
| | | | $3,801,322 |
Medical & Health Technology & Services – 0.7% | |
Guardant Health, Inc. (a) | | 4,997 | $ 644,014 |
Teladoc Health, Inc. (a) | | 396 | 79,184 |
| | | | $723,198 |
Medical Equipment – 0.7% | |
Bio-Techne Corp. | | 1,617 | $ 513,478 |
Maravai Lifesciences Holdings, Inc., “A” (a) | | 7,076 | 198,482 |
| | | | $711,960 |
Other Banks & Diversified Financials – 6.5% | |
Mastercard, Inc., “A” | | 11,586 | $ 4,135,507 |
Visa, Inc., “A” | | 12,075 | 2,641,165 |
| | | | $6,776,672 |
Portfolio of Investments – continued
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Common Stocks – continued |
Printing & Publishing – 0.5% | |
Wolters Kluwer N.V. | | 6,427 | $ 542,228 |
Specialty Stores – 10.3% | |
Amazon.com, Inc. (a)(s) | | 2,970 | $ 9,673,082 |
Chewy, Inc., “A” (a) | | 8,901 | 800,111 |
Shopify, Inc. (a) | | 193 | 218,466 |
| | | | $10,691,659 |
Total Common Stocks (Identified Cost, $51,288,498) | | $ 100,858,935 |
Issuer | | | Shares/Par | Value ($) |
Investment Companies (h) – 3.1% |
Money Market Funds – 3.1% | |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio, 0.1% (v) (Identified Cost, $3,257,002) | | | 3,257,002 | $ 3,257,002 |
Other Assets, Less Liabilities – 0.2% | | 195,545 |
Net Assets – 100.0% | $ 104,311,482 |
(a) | Non-income producing security. | | | |
(h) | An affiliated issuer, which may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. At period end, the aggregate values of the fund's investments in affiliated issuers and in unaffiliated issuers were $3,257,002 and $100,858,935, respectively. | | | |
(s) | Security or a portion of the security was pledged to cover collateral requirements for securities sold short. At December 31, 2020, the fund had no short sales outstanding. | | | |
(v) | Affiliated issuer that is available only to investment companies managed by MFS. The rate quoted for the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio is the annualized seven-day yield of the fund at period end. | | | |
The following abbreviations are used in this report and are defined: |
ADR | American Depositary Receipt |
At December 31, 2020, the fund had cash collateral of $49,406 and other liquid securities with an aggregate value of $542,148 to cover any collateral or margin obligations for securities sold short. Restricted cash and/or deposits with brokers in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are comprised of cash collateral.
See Notes to Financial Statements
Financial Statements | Statement of Assets and Liabilities |
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
At 12/31/20Assets | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $51,288,498) | $100,858,935 |
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (identified cost, $3,257,002) | 3,257,002 |
Deposits with brokers for | |
Securities sold short | 49,406 |
Receivables for | |
Fund shares sold | 201,000 |
Interest and dividends | 11,240 |
Other assets | 781 |
Total assets | $104,378,364 |
Liabilities | |
Payables for | |
Investments purchased | $4,436 |
Fund shares reacquired | 12,048 |
Payable to affiliates | |
Investment adviser | 4,201 |
Administrative services fee | 130 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 45 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 1,029 |
Payable for independent Trustees' compensation | 33 |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 44,960 |
Total liabilities | $66,882 |
Net assets | $104,311,482 |
Net assets consist of | |
Paid-in capital | $48,255,482 |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | 56,056,000 |
Net assets | $104,311,482 |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | 3,516,471 |
| Net assets | Shares outstanding | Net asset value per share |
Initial Class | $28,767,735 | 924,973 | $31.10 |
Service Class | 75,543,747 | 2,591,498 | 29.15 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
Financial Statements | Statement of Operations |
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
Year ended 12/31/20 | |
Net investment income (loss) | |
Income | |
Dividends | $284,762 |
Other | 9,132 |
Dividends from affiliated issuers | 8,563 |
Income on securities loaned | 341 |
Foreign taxes withheld | (2,183) |
Total investment income | $300,615 |
Expenses | |
Management fee | $594,776 |
Distribution and/or service fees | 140,328 |
Shareholder servicing costs | 7,517 |
Administrative services fee | 21,294 |
Independent Trustees' compensation | 2,492 |
Custodian fee | 13,764 |
Shareholder communications | 5,039 |
Audit and tax fees | 58,544 |
Legal fees | 843 |
Dividend and interest expense on securities sold short | 14,989 |
Interest expense and fees | 589 |
Miscellaneous | 29,658 |
Total expenses | $889,833 |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser | (8,735) |
Net expenses | $881,098 |
Net investment income (loss) | $(580,483) |
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | |
Unaffiliated issuers | $8,398,770 |
Affiliated issuers | (277) |
Written options | 11,445 |
Securities sold short | (859,962) |
Foreign currency | 377 |
Net realized gain (loss) | $7,550,353 |
Change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation | |
Unaffiliated issuers | $24,011,096 |
Securities sold short | 224,813 |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | $24,235,909 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | $31,786,262 |
Change in net assets from operations | $31,205,779 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
Financial Statements | Statements of Changes in Net Assets |
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 |
Change in net assets | | |
From operations | | |
Net investment income (loss) | $(580,483) | $(404,222) |
Net realized gain (loss) | 7,550,353 | (40,969) |
Net unrealized gain (loss) | 24,235,909 | 20,037,699 |
Change in net assets from operations | $31,205,779 | $19,592,508 |
Total distributions to shareholders | $— | $(6,957,005) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | $4,958,901 | $(816,272) |
Total change in net assets | $36,164,680 | $11,819,231 |
Net assets | | |
At beginning of period | 68,146,802 | 56,327,571 |
At end of period | $104,311,482 | $68,146,802 |
See Notes to Financial Statements
Financial Statements | Financial Highlights |
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund's financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
Initial Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $21.18 | $17.34 | $17.96 | $13.19 | $12.45 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $(0.14) | $(0.09) | $(0.07) | $(0.05) | $(0.01)(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 10.06 | 6.16 | 0.58 | 5.16 | 1.10 |
Total from investment operations | $9.92 | $6.07 | $0.51 | $5.11 | $1.09 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net realized gain | $— | $(2.23) | $(1.13) | $(0.34) | $(0.35) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $31.10 | $21.18 | $17.34 | $17.96 | $13.19 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 46.84 | 36.16 | 1.73 | 39.00 | 8.69(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 0.94 | 0.97 | 0.94 | 0.88 | 0.85(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 0.93 | 0.96 | 0.93 | 0.88 | 0.85(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | (0.55) | (0.44) | (0.38) | (0.29) | (0.10)(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 57 | 33 | 39 | 31 | 36 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $28,768 | $19,336 | $17,056 | $27,659 | $15,195 |
Supplemental Ratios (%): | | | | | |
Ratios of expenses to average net assets after expense reductions excluding short sale expenses and interest expense and fees (f) | 0.91 | 0.93 | 0.85 | 0.85 | 0.82(c) |
See Notes to Financial Statements
Financial Highlights - continued
Service Class | Year ended |
| 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/31/18 | 12/31/17 | 12/31/16 |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $19.91 | $16.44 | $17.11 | $12.61 | $11.95 |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | $(0.19) | $(0.13) | $(0.12) | $(0.08) | $(0.04)(c) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | 9.43 | 5.83 | 0.58 | 4.92 | 1.05 |
Total from investment operations | $9.24 | $5.70 | $0.46 | $4.84 | $1.01 |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | |
From net realized gain | $— | $(2.23) | $(1.13) | $(0.34) | $(0.35) |
Net asset value, end of period (x) | $29.15 | $19.91 | $16.44 | $17.11 | $12.61 |
Total return (%) (k)(r)(s)(x) | 46.41 | 35.88 | 1.52 | 38.65 | 8.39(c) |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | 1.19 | 1.22 | 1.16 | 1.14 | 1.10(c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | 1.18 | 1.21 | 1.15 | 1.13 | 1.10(c) |
Net investment income (loss) | (0.81) | (0.69) | (0.61) | (0.53) | (0.35)(c) |
Portfolio turnover | 57 | 33 | 39 | 31 | 36 |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | $75,544 | $48,811 | $39,272 | $203,610 | $126,561 |
Supplemental Ratios (%): | | | | | |
Ratios of expenses to average net assets after expense reductions excluding short sale expenses and interest expense and fees (f) | 1.16 | 1.18 | 1.07 | 1.10 | 1.06(c) |
(c) | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(s) | From time to time the fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements, without which performance would be lower. |
(x) | The net asset values and total returns have been calculated on net assets which include adjustments made in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles required at period end for financial reporting purposes. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
Notes to Financial Statements
(1) Business and Organization
MFS Technology Portfolio (the fund) is a non-diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services - Investment Companies.
(2) Significant Accounting Policies
General — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued. The fund invests primarily in securities of issuers in the technology industry. Issuers in a single industry can react similarly to market, currency, political, economic, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions. The value of stocks in the technology sector can be very volatile due to the rapid pace of product change, technological developments, and other factors. The fund invests in foreign securities. Investments in foreign securities are vulnerable to the effects of changes in the relative values of the local currency and the U.S. dollar and to the effects of changes in each country’s market, economic, industrial, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund's investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting — The fund's accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund's right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations — Equity securities, including restricted equity securities and equity securities sold short, are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily bid quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Equity securities sold short, for which there were no sales reported that day, are generally valued at the last quoted daily ask quotation on their primary market or exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Short-term instruments with a maturity at issuance of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Exchange-traded options are generally valued at the last sale or official closing price on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. Exchange-traded options for which there were no sales reported that day are generally valued at the last daily bid quotation on their primary exchange as provided by a third-party pricing service. For put options, the position may be valued at the last daily ask quotation if there are no trades reported during the day. Options not traded on an exchange are generally valued at a broker/dealer bid quotation. Foreign currency options are generally valued at valuations provided by a third-party pricing service. Open-end investment companies are generally valued at net asset value per share. Securities and other assets generally valued on the basis of information from a third-party pricing service may also be valued at a broker/dealer
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
bid quotation. In determining values, third-party pricing services can utilize both transaction data and market information such as yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. The values of foreign securities and other assets and liabilities expressed in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the mean of bid and asked prices for rates provided by a third-party pricing service.
The Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for determining or causing to be determined the value of the fund’s investments (including any fair valuation) to the adviser pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. If the adviser determines that reliable market quotations are not readily available, investments are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the adviser in accordance with such procedures under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Under the fund’s valuation policies and procedures, market quotations are not considered to be readily available for most types of debt instruments and floating rate loans and many types of derivatives. These investments are generally valued at fair value based on information from third-party pricing services. In addition, investments may be valued at fair value if the adviser determines that an investment’s value has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the investment is principally traded (such as foreign exchange or market) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value, or after the halt of trading of a specific security where trading does not resume prior to the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded. Events that occur after foreign markets close (such as developments in foreign markets and significant movements in the U.S. markets) and prior to the determination of the fund’s net asset value may be deemed to have a material effect on the value of securities traded in foreign markets. Accordingly, the fund’s foreign equity securities may often be valued at fair value. The adviser generally relies on third-party pricing services or other information (such as the correlation with price movements of similar securities in the same or other markets; the type, cost and investment characteristics of the security; the business and financial condition of the issuer; and trading and other market data) to assist in determining whether to fair value and at what value to fair value an investment. The value of an investment for purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value can differ depending on the source and method used to determine value. When fair valuation is used, the value of an investment used to determine the fund’s net asset value may differ from quoted or published prices for the same investment. There can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if it were to sell the investment at the same time at which the fund determines its net asset value per share.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund's assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment's level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund's assets or liabilities:
Financial Instruments | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total |
Equity Securities: | | | | |
United States | $87,517,694 | $— | $— | $87,517,694 |
China | 2,770,565 | 2,002,042 | — | 4,772,607 |
United Kingdom | 2,421,754 | — | — | 2,421,754 |
Canada | 2,049,415 | 4,484 | — | 2,053,899 |
Netherlands | 1,187,969 | — | — | 1,187,969 |
Japan | 805,227 | — | — | 805,227 |
Taiwan | 604,285 | — | — | 604,285 |
Brazil | 594,703 | — | — | 594,703 |
Israel | 588,656 | — | — | 588,656 |
Other Countries | 312,141 | — | — | 312,141 |
Mutual Funds | 3,257,002 | — | — | 3,257,002 |
Total | $102,109,411 | $2,006,526 | $— | $104,115,937 |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Foreign Currency Translation — Purchases and sales of foreign investments, income, and expenses are converted into U.S. dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions or on the reporting date for foreign denominated receivables and payables. Gains and losses attributable to foreign currency exchange rates on sales of securities are recorded for financial statement purposes as net realized gains and losses on investments. Gains and losses attributable to foreign
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
exchange rate movements on receivables, payables, income and expenses are recorded for financial statement purposes as foreign currency transaction gains and losses. That portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed.
Derivatives — The fund uses derivatives primarily to increase or decrease exposure to a particular market or segment of the market, or security, to increase or decrease interest rate or currency exposure, or as alternatives to direct investments. Derivatives are used for hedging or non-hedging purposes. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. When the fund uses derivatives as an investment to increase market exposure, or for hedging purposes, gains and losses from derivative instruments may be substantially greater than the derivative’s original cost.
The derivative instruments used by the fund during the period were written options. Depending on the type of derivative, the fund may exit a derivative position by entering into an offsetting transaction with a counterparty or exchange, negotiating an agreement with the derivative counterparty, or novating the position to a third party. At December 31, 2020, the fund did not have any outstanding derivative instruments.
The following table presents, by major type of derivative contract, the realized gain (loss) on derivatives held by the fund for the year ended December 31, 2020 as reported in the Statement of Operations:
Risk | Written Options |
Equity | $11,445 |
There is no change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on derivative transactions at period end.
Derivative counterparty credit risk is managed through formal evaluation of the creditworthiness of all potential counterparties. On certain, but not all, uncleared derivatives, the fund attempts to reduce its exposure to counterparty credit risk whenever possible by entering into an ISDA Master Agreement on a bilateral basis. The ISDA Master Agreement gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under such agreement if there is a specified deterioration in the credit quality of the other party. Upon an event of default or a termination of the ISDA Master Agreement, the non-defaulting party has the right to close out all transactions traded under such agreement and to net amounts owed under each agreement to one net amount payable by one party to the other. This right to close out and net payments across all transactions traded under the ISDA Master Agreement could result in a reduction of the fund's credit risk to such counterparty equal to any amounts payable by the fund under the applicable transactions, if any.
Collateral and margin requirements differ by type of derivative. For cleared derivatives (e.g., futures contracts, cleared swaps, and exchange-traded options), margin requirements are set by the clearing broker and the clearing house and collateral, in the form of cash or securities, is posted by the fund directly with the clearing broker. Collateral terms are counterparty agreement specific for uncleared derivatives (e.g., forward foreign currency exchange contracts, uncleared swap agreements, and uncleared options) and collateral, in the form of cash and securities, is held in segregated accounts with the fund's custodian in connection with these agreements. For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, which contains a collateral support annex, the collateral requirements are netted across all transactions traded under such counterparty-specific agreement and an amount is posted from one party to the other to collateralize such obligations. Cash that has been segregated or delivered to cover the fund's collateral or margin obligations under derivative contracts, if any, will be reported separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as restricted cash for uncleared derivatives and/or deposits with brokers for cleared derivatives. Securities pledged as collateral or margin for the same purpose, if any, are noted in the Portfolio of Investments. The fund may be required to make payments of interest on uncovered collateral or margin obligations with the broker. Any such payments are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
Written Options — In exchange for a premium, the fund wrote put options on securities for which it anticipated the price would increase. At the time the option was written, the fund believed the premium received exceeded the potential loss that could result from adverse price changes in the options’ underlying securities. In a written option, the fund as the option writer grants the buyer the right to purchase from, or sell to, the fund a specified number of shares or units of a particular security, currency or index at a specified price within a specified period of time.
The premium received is initially recorded as a liability in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. The option is subsequently marked-to-market daily with the difference between the premium received and the market value of the written option being recorded as unrealized appreciation or depreciation. When a written option expires, the fund realizes a gain equal to the amount of the premium received. The difference between the premium received and the amount paid on effecting a closing transaction is considered a realized gain or loss. When a written put option is exercised, the premium reduces the cost basis of the security purchased by the fund.
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
At the initiation of the written option contract, for exchange traded options, the fund is required to deposit securities or cash as collateral with the custodian for the benefit of the broker or directly with the clearing broker, based on the type of option. For uncleared options, the fund may post collateral subject to the terms of an ISDA Master Agreement as generally described above if the market value of the options contract moves against it. The fund, as writer of an option, may have no control over whether the underlying securities may be sold (call) or purchased (put) and, as a result, bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the price of the securities underlying the written option. Losses from writing options can exceed the premium received and can exceed the potential loss from an ordinary buy and sell transaction. Although the fund’s market risk may be significant, the maximum counterparty credit risk to the fund is equal to the market value of any collateral posted to the broker. For uncleared options, this risk is mitigated in cases where there is an ISDA Master Agreement between the fund and the counterparty providing for netting as described above.
Short Sales — The fund entered into short sales whereby it sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the value of that security. The fund will realize a gain if the security price decreases and a loss if the security price increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the fund replaces the borrowed security. Losses from short sales can exceed the proceeds of the security sold; and they can also exceed the potential loss from an ordinary buy and sell transaction. The amount of any premium, dividends, or interest the fund may be required to pay in connection with a short sale will be recognized as a fund expense. During the year ended December 31, 2020, this expense amounted to $14,989. The fund segregates cash or marketable securities in an amount that, when combined with the amount of proceeds from the short sale deposited with the broker, at least equals the current market value of the security sold short. At December 31, 2020, the fund had no short sales outstanding.
Security Loans — Under its Securities Lending Agency Agreement with the fund, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as lending agent, loans the securities of the fund to certain qualified institutions (the “Borrowers”) approved by the fund. Security loans can be terminated at the discretion of either the lending agent or the fund and the related securities must be returned within the earlier of the standard trade settlement period for such securities or within three business days. The loans are collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Treasury and federal agency obligations in an amount typically at least equal to the market value of the securities loaned. On loans collateralized by cash, the cash collateral is invested in a money market fund. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of business of the fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the fund on the next business day. The lending agent provides the fund with indemnification against Borrower default. In the event of Borrower default, the lending agent will, for the benefit of the fund, either purchase securities identical to those loaned or, when such purchase is commercially impracticable, pay the fund the market value of the loaned securities. In return, the lending agent assumes the fund's rights to the related collateral. If the collateral value is less than the cost to purchase identical securities, the lending agent is responsible for the shortfall, but only to the extent that such shortfall is not due to a decline in collateral value resulting from collateral reinvestment for which the fund bears the risk of loss. A portion of the income generated upon investment of the collateral is remitted to the Borrowers, and the remainder is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. On loans collateralized by U.S. Treasury and/or federal agency obligations, a fee is received from the Borrower, and is allocated between the fund and the lending agent. Income from securities lending is separately reported in the Statement of Operations. The dividend and interest income earned on the securities loaned is accounted for in the same manner as other dividend and interest income. At December 31, 2020, there were no securities on loan or collateral outstanding.
Indemnifications — Under the fund's organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund's maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income — Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividends received in cash are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded when the fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Dividend payments received in additional securities are recorded on the ex-dividend date in an amount equal to the value of the security on such date.
The fund may receive proceeds from litigation settlements. Any proceeds received from litigation involving portfolio holdings are reflected in the Statement of Operations in realized gain/loss if the security has been disposed of by the fund or in unrealized gain/loss if the security is still held by the fund. Any other proceeds from litigation not related to portfolio holdings are reflected as other income in the Statement of Operations.
Tax Matters and Distributions — The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability. Foreign taxes, if any, have been accrued by the fund in the accompanying financial statements in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law. Foreign income taxes may be withheld by certain countries in which the fund invests. Additionally, capital gains realized by the fund on securities issued in or by certain foreign countries may be subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
Book/tax differences primarily relate to wash sale loss deferrals and straddle loss deferrals.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | $— | $97,726 |
Long-term capital gains | — | 6,859,279 |
Total distributions | $— | $6,957,005 |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
As of 12/31/20 | |
Cost of investments | $55,039,164 |
Gross appreciation | 49,171,902 |
Gross depreciation | (95,129) |
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | $49,076,773 |
Undistributed ordinary income | 1,120,445 |
Undistributed long-term capital gain | 5,858,782 |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest — The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund's income, realized and unrealized gain (loss), and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
Initial Class | $— | | $1,929,881 |
Service Class | — | | 5,027,124 |
Total | $— | | $6,957,005 |
(3) Transactions with Affiliates
Investment Adviser — The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. The management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund's average daily net assets:
Up to $1 billion | 0.75% |
In excess of $1 billion | 0.70% |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund's Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $8,735, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.74% of the fund's average daily net assets.
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
The investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses (such as short sale dividend and interest expenses incurred in connection with the fund's investment activity), such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 1.00% of average daily net assets for the Initial Class shares and 1.25% of average daily net assets for the Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund's actual operating expenses did not exceed the limit and therefore, the investment adviser did not pay any portion of the fund's expenses related to this agreement.
Distributor — MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund's distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries.
Shareholder Servicing Agent — MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $7,029, which equated to 0.0089% annually of the fund's average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $488.
Administrator — MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0268% of the fund's average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation — The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
Other — The fund invests in the MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio which is managed by MFS and seeks current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity. This money market fund does not pay a management fee to MFS but does incur investment and operating costs.
The fund is permitted to engage in purchase and sale transactions with funds and accounts for which MFS serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser (“cross-trades”) pursuant to a policy adopted by the Board of Trustees. This policy has been designed to ensure that cross-trades conducted by the fund comply with Rule 17a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund engaged in sale transactions pursuant to this policy, which amounted to $444,734, respectively. The sales transactions resulted in net realized gains (losses) of $(37,799).
The adviser has voluntarily undertaken to reimburse the fund from its own resources on a quarterly basis for the cost of investment research embedded in the cost of the fund’s securities trades. This agreement may be rescinded at any time. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this reimbursement amounted to $4,916, which is included in “Other” income in the Statement of Operations.
(4) Portfolio Securities
For the year ended December 31, 2020, purchases and sales of investments, other than short sales and short-term obligations, aggregated $44,509,902 and $44,943,939, respectively.
(5) Shares of Beneficial Interest
The fund's Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
| Year ended 12/31/20 | | Year ended 12/31/19 |
| Shares | Amount | | Shares | Amount |
Shares sold | | | | | |
Initial Class | 215,421 | $5,537,761 | | 46,536 | $963,805 |
Service Class | 1,213,821 | 29,404,672 | | 461,713 | 8,867,564 |
| 1,429,242 | $34,942,433 | | 508,249 | $9,831,369 |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | |
Initial Class | — | $— | | 99,478 | $1,929,881 |
Service Class | — | — | | 275,459 | 5,027,124 |
| — | $— | | 374,937 | $6,957,005 |
Shares reacquired | | | | | |
Initial Class | (203,201) | $(5,171,507) | | (216,620) | $(4,411,510) |
Service Class | (1,074,446) | (24,812,025) | | (673,201) | (13,193,136) |
| (1,277,647) | $(29,983,532) | | (889,821) | $(17,604,646) |
Net change | | | | | |
Initial Class | 12,220 | $366,254 | | (70,606) | $(1,517,824) |
Service Class | 139,375 | 4,592,647 | | 63,971 | 701,552 |
| 151,595 | $4,958,901 | | (6,635) | $(816,272) |
(6) Line of Credit
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $345 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Interest expense and fees” in the Statement of Operations.
(7) Investments in Affiliated Issuers
An affiliated issuer may be considered one in which the fund owns 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities, or a company which is under common control. For the purposes of this report, the following were affiliated issuers:
Affiliated Issuers | Beginning Value | Purchases | Sales Proceeds | Realized Gain (Loss) | Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation | Ending Value |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $263,828 | $37,533,496 | $34,540,045 | $(277) | $— | $3,257,002 |
Affiliated Issuers | Dividend Income | Capital Gain Distributions |
MFS Institutional Money Market Portfolio | $8,563 | $— |
Notes to Financial Statements - continued
(8) Impacts of COVID-19
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund's investments and the fund's performance.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of MFS Technology Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS Technology Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
Trustees and Officers — Identification and Background
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES | | |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
Michael W. Roberge (k) (age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES | | |
John P. Kavanaugh (age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Steven E. Buller (age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
John A. Caroselli (age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
Maureen R. Goldfarb (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
Clarence Otis, Jr. (age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
Maryanne L. Roepke (age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
Kino Clark (k) (age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head - Treasurer's Office (until February 2017) |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
Heidi W. Hardin (k) (age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
Trustees and Officers - continued
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since(h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board's retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
Investment Adviser | Custodian |
Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
Distributor | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
Portfolio Manager(s) | |
Matthew Sabel | |
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement
MFS Technology Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 2nd quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 4th quintile for the one-year period and the 2nd quintile for the three-year period ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate was lower than the Broadridge expense group median and the Fund’s total expense ratio was approximately at the Broadridge expense group median.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to a contractual breakpoint that reduces the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $1 billion. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoint and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement - continued
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
Proxy Voting Policies and Information
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Quarterly Portfolio Disclosure
The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can obtain the portfolio holdings report for the first and third quarters of the fund's fiscal year at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Prospectus and Reports” tab.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund's name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
Information About Fund Contracts and Legal Claims
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FACTS | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? |
Why? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
What? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: |
• Social Security number and account balances |
• Account transactions and transaction history |
• Checking account information and wire transfer instructions |
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
How? | All financial companies need to share customers' personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers' personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
Reasons we can share your personal information | Does MFS share? | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | Yes | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | No | We don't share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | No | We don't share |
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | No | We don't share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | No | We don't share |
Questions? | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you |
• open an account or provide account information |
• direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities |
• make a wire transfer |
We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can't I limit all sharing? | Federal law gives you the right to limit only |
• sharing for affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness |
• affiliates from using your information to market to you |
• sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you |
State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
Definitions |
Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
• MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. |
• MFS doesn't jointly market. |
Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
Annual Report
December 31, 2020
MFS® U.S. Government
Money Market Portfolio
MFS® Variable Insurance Trust II
MKS-ANN
MFS® U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
CONTENTS
The report is prepared for the general information of contract owners. It is authorized for distribution to prospective investors only when preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus.
NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE • NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR NCUA/NCUSIF
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Contract Owners:
Markets experienced dramatic swings this year as the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill for several months early in the year. The speedy development of vaccines and therapeutics later brightened the economic and market outlook, but a great deal of uncertainty remains as case counts remain high, new variants of the virus are appearing and questions persist over how fast the vaccine can be made widely available. In the United States, political uncertainty eased after former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election and the Democrats gained control of a closely divided Senate.
Global central banks have taken aggressive steps to cushion the economic and market fallout related to the virus, and governments are deploying unprecedented levels of fiscal support. Additional U.S. stimulus is anticipated with the Democrats in the White House and in control of both houses of Congress. The measures already put in place have helped build a supportive environment and are encouraging economic recovery; however, if markets disconnect from fundamentals, they can sow the seeds of instability. As such, dramatic increases in speculative retail trading bear watching.
In the aftermath of the crisis, we could see societal changes as households, businesses, and governments adjust to a new reality, and any such alterations could affect the investment landscape. For investors, events such as the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate the importance of having a deep understanding of company fundamentals, and we have built our global research platform to do just that.
At MFS®, we put our clients’ assets to work responsibly by carefully navigating the increasing complexity of our global markets and economies. Guided by our long-term philosophy and adhering to our commitment to sustainable investing, we tune out the noise and aim to uncover what we believe are the best, most durable investment opportunities in the market. Our unique global investment platform combines collective expertise, long-term discipline and thoughtful risk management to create sustainable value for investors.
Respectfully,
Michael W. Roberge
Chief Executive Officer
MFS Investment Management
February 16, 2021
The opinions expressed in this letter are subject to change and may not be relied upon for investment advice. No forecasts can be guaranteed.
1
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION
Portfolio structure (u)
| | | | |
Composition including fixed income credit quality (a)(u) | |
A-1+ | | | 48.4% | |
A-1 | | | 51.8% | |
Other Assets Less Liabilities | | | (0.2)% | |
| | | | |
Maturity breakdown (u) | | | | |
0 - 7 days | | | 29.8% | |
8 - 29 days | | | 31.1% | |
30 - 59 days | | | 27.8% | |
60 - 89 days | | | 11.5% | |
90 - 365 days | | | 0.0% | |
Other Assets Less Liabilities | | | (0.2)% | |
(a) | Ratings are assigned to portfolio securities utilizing ratings from Moody’s, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s rating agencies and applying the following hierarchy: If all three agencies provide a rating, the middle rating (after dropping the highest and lowest ratings) is assigned; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the lower of the two is assigned. Ratings are shown in the S&P scale. All ratings are subject to change. The fund is not rated by these agencies. |
(u) | For purposes of this presentation, accrued interest, where applicable, is included. |
From time to time Other Assets Less Liabilities may be negative due to timing of cash receipts.
Percentages are based on net assets as of December 31, 2020.
The portfolio is actively managed and current holdings may be different.
2
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY THROUGH 12/31/20
Total returns as well as the current 7-day yield have been provided for the applicable time periods. Performance results reflect the percentage change in net asset value, including the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gains distributions. (See Notes to Performance Summary.)
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. You could lose money by investing in the portfolio. Although the portfolio seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per unit, it cannot guarantee it will do so. An investment in the portfolio is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. The portfolio’s sponsor has no legal obligation to provide financial support to the portfolio, and you should not expect the sponsor will provide financial support to the portfolio at any time. The performance shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes, if any, that a contract holder would pay on portfolio distributions or the redemption of contract units. The returns for the portfolio shown also do not reflect the deduction of expenses associated with variable products, such as mortality and expense risk charges, separate account charges, and sales charges imposed by the insurance company separate accounts. Such expenses would reduce the overall returns shown.
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | Share Class | | Inception | | 1-Year Total Return | | Current 7-day yield | | |
| | Initial Class | | 7/19/85 | | 0.22% | | 0.00% | | |
| | Service Class | | 8/24/01 | | 0.22% | | 0.00% | | |
Notes to Performance Summary
Yields quoted are based on the latest seven days ended as of December 31, 2020, with dividends annualized. The yield quotations more closely reflect the current earnings of the portfolio than the total return quotations.
Performance results reflect any applicable expense subsidies, waivers and adjustments in effect during the periods shown. Without such subsidies and waivers the portfolio’s performance results would be less favorable. Please see the prospectus and financial statements for complete details. All results are historical and assume the reinvestment of any dividends and capital gain distributions.
3
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
EXPENSE TABLE
Fund Expenses Borne by the Contract Holders during the Period,
July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
As a contract holder of the fund, you incur ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Actual Expenses
The first line for each share class in the following table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this line, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first line under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second line for each share class in the following table 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 table are meant to highlight the fund’s ongoing costs only and do not take into account the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts through which your investment in the fund is made. Therefore, the second line for each share class in the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs associated with an investment in vehicles (such as the fund) which fund benefits under variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts and to qualified pension and retirement plans only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of investing in the fund through variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. If the fees and expenses imposed under the variable contracts were included, your costs would have been higher.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Share Class | | | | Annualized Expense Ratio | | | Beginning Account Value 7/01/20 | | | Ending Account Value 12/31/20 | | | Expenses Paid During Period (p) 7/01/20-12/31/20 | |
Initial Class | | Actual | | | 0.09% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $0.45 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 0.09% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,024.68 | | | | $0.46 | |
Service Class | | Actual | | | 0.09% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $0.45 | |
| Hypothetical (h) | | | 0.09% | | | | $1,000.00 | | | | $1,024.68 | | | | $0.46 | |
(h) | 5% class return per year before expenses. |
(p) | “Expenses Paid During Period” are equal to each class’s annualized expense ratio, as shown above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/366 (to reflect the one-half year period). |
Notes to Expense Table
As more fully disclosed in Note 3 in the Notes to Financial Statements, the expense ratios reported above include additional expense reductions to avoid a negative yield.
4
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS – 12/31/20
The Portfolio of Investments is a complete list of all securities owned by your fund. It is categorized by broad-based asset classes.
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND EQUIVALENTS (y) – 90.4% | |
Fannie Mae, 0.092%, due 1/13/2021 | | $ | 2,586,000 | | | $ | 2,585,922 | |
Fannie Mae, 0.051%, due 1/14/2021 | | | 4,708,000 | | | | 4,707,915 | |
Fannie Mae, 0.081%, due 1/20/2021 | | | 10,731,000 | | | | 10,730,547 | |
Fannie Mae, 0.07%, due 1/27/2021 | | | 7,000,000 | | | | 6,999,651 | |
Fannie Mae, 0.081%, due 1/27/2021 | | | 5,380,000 | | | | 5,379,689 | |
Fannie Mae, 0.081%, due 2/03/2021 | | | 3,843,000 | | | | 3,842,718 | |
Fannie Mae, 0.071%, due 2/17/2021 | | | 7,521,000 | | | | 7,520,313 | |
Federal Farm Credit Bank, 0.061%, due 1/07/2021 | | | 12,000,000 | | | | 11,999,880 | |
Federal Farm Credit Bank, 0.071%, due 1/07/2021 | | | 6,457,000 | | | | 6,456,925 | |
Federal Farm Credit Bank, 0.071%, due 1/22/2021 | | | 3,825,000 | | | | 3,824,844 | |
Federal Farm Credit Bank, 0.081%, due 2/25/2021 | | | 3,704,000 | | | | 3,703,547 | |
Federal Farm Credit Bank, 0.112%, due 3/16/2021 | | | 5,857,000 | | | | 5,855,676 | |
Federal Home Loan Bank, 0.097%, due 1/07/2021 | | | 6,504,000 | | | | 6,503,897 | |
Federal Home Loan Bank, 0.61%, due 1/08/2021 | | | 2,900,000 | | | | 2,899,966 | |
Federal Home Loan Bank, 0.061%, due 1/11/2021 | | | 2,372,000 | | | | 2,371,960 | |
Federal Home Loan Bank, 0.066%, due 1/12/2021 | | | 8,170,000 | | | | 8,169,838 | |
Federal Home Loan Bank, 0.071%, due 2/05/2021 | | | 9,531,000 | | | | 9,530,351 | |
Federal Home Loan Bank, 0.086%, due 2/24/2021 | | | 10,572,000 | | | | 10,570,652 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.066%, due 1/05/2021 | | | 14,254,000 | | | | 14,253,897 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.092%, due 1/07/2021 | | | 11,967,000 | | | | 11,966,820 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.079%, due 1/12/2021 | | | 12,472,000 | | | | 12,471,705 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Issuer | | Shares/Par | | | Value ($) | |
U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND EQUIVALENTS (y) – continued | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.076%, due 1/14/2021 | | $ | 10,000,000 | | | $ | 9,999,729 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.071%, due 1/19/2021 | | | 2,625,000 | | | | 2,624,908 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.092%, due 1/19/2021 | | | 14,212,000 | | | | 14,211,360 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.076%, due 2/04/2021 | | | 11,414,000 | | | | 11,413,192 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.086%, due 2/04/2021 | | | 5,000,000 | | | | 4,999,599 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.074%, due 2/09/2021 | | | 12,750,000 | | | | 12,748,999 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.071%, due 2/11/2021 | | | 8,395,000 | | | | 8,394,331 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.071%, due 2/18/2021 | | | 2,636,000 | | | | 2,635,754 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.071%, due 3/02/2021 | | | 7,699,000 | | | | 7,698,102 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.076%, due 3/04/2021 | | | 2,625,000 | | | | 2,624,661 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.074%, due 3/09/2021 | | | 9,037,000 | | | | 9,035,781 | |
U.S. Treasury Bill, 0.066%, due 3/18/2021 | | | 6,024,000 | | | | 6,023,173 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total U.S. Government Agencies and Equivalents, at Amortized Cost and Value | | | $ | 244,756,302 | |
| | | | | | | | |
|
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS – 9.8% | |
Bank of America Corp. Repurchase Agreement, 0.06%, dated 12/31/2020, due 1/04/2021, total to be received $26,617,177 (secured by U.S. Treasury and Federal Agency obligations valued at $27,151,379 in a jointly traded account), at Cost and Value | | $ | 26,617,000 | | | $ | 26,617,000 | |
| | | | | | | | |
OTHER ASSETS, LESS LIABILITIES – (0.2)% | | | | (451,340 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
NET ASSETS – 100.0% | | | | | | $ | 270,921,962 | |
| | | | | | | | |
(y) | | The rate shown represents an annualized yield at time of purchase. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
5
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
This statement represents your fund’s balance sheet, which details the assets and liabilities comprising the total value of the fund.
| | | | |
At 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Assets | | | | |
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at cost and value | | | $271,373,302 | |
Cash | | | 982 | |
Receivables for | | | | |
Fund shares sold | | | 387,847 | |
Interest | | | 44 | |
Other assets | | | 1,867 | |
Total assets | | | $271,764,042 | |
| |
Liabilities | | | | |
Payables for | | | | |
Fund shares reacquired | | | $790,199 | |
Payable to affiliates | | | | |
Investment adviser | | | 446 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 235 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 25 | |
Payable for independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 177 | |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | | | 50,998 | |
Total liabilities | | | $842,080 | |
Net assets | | | $270,921,962 | |
| |
Net assets consist of | | | | |
Paid-in capital | | | $270,921,647 | |
Total distributable earnings (loss) | | | 315 | |
Net assets | | | $270,921,962 | |
Shares of beneficial interest outstanding | | | 271,141,693 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| | Net assets | | | Shares outstanding | | | Net asset value per share | |
Initial Class | | | $155,937,035 | | | | 156,070,700 | | | | $1.00 | |
Service Class | | | 114,984,927 | | | | 115,070,993 | | | | 1.00 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
6
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
This statement describes how much your fund earned in investment income and accrued in expenses. It also describes any gains and/or losses generated by fund operations.
| | | | |
Year ended 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Net investment income (loss) | | | | |
Income | | | | |
Interest | | | $1,247,922 | |
Other | | | 2,257 | |
Total investment income | | | $1,250,179 | |
Expenses | | | | |
Management fee | | | $1,274,605 | |
Distribution and/or service fees | | | 283,671 | |
Shareholder servicing costs | | | 5,542 | |
Administrative services fee | | | 47,683 | |
Independent Trustees’ compensation | | | 8,389 | |
Custodian fee | | | 14,319 | |
Shareholder communications | | | 17,767 | |
Audit and tax fees | | | 37,838 | |
Legal fees | | | 2,388 | |
Miscellaneous | | | 32,998 | |
Total expenses | | | $1,725,200 | |
Reduction of expenses by investment adviser and distributor | | | (1,044,738 | ) |
Net expenses | | | $680,462 | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $569,717 | |
Realized gain (loss) (identified cost basis) | | | | |
Unaffiliated issuers | | | $300 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $570,017 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
7
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
These statements describe the increases and/or decreases in net assets resulting from operations, any distributions, and any shareholder transactions.
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | |
Change in net assets | | | | | | | | |
| | |
From operations | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) | | | $569,717 | | | | $4,512,318 | |
Net realized gain (loss) | | | 300 | | | | 15 | |
Change in net assets from operations | | | $570,017 | | | | $4,512,333 | |
Total distributions to shareholders | | | $(569,717 | ) | | | $(4,512,318 | ) |
Change in net assets from fund share transactions | | | $6,689,361 | | | | $(24,227,082 | ) |
Total change in net assets | | | $6,689,661 | | | | $(24,227,067 | ) |
| | |
Net assets | | | | | | | | |
At beginning of period | | | 264,232,301 | | | | 288,459,368 | |
At end of period | | | $270,921,962 | | | | $264,232,301 | |
See Notes to Financial Statements
8
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the fund’s financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the fund share class (assuming reinvestment of all distributions) held for the entire period.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.00 | (w) | | | $0.02 | | | | $0.01 | | | | $0.00 | (w) | | | $0.00 | (c)(w) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 0.00 | (w) | | | 0.00 | (w) | | | — | | | | 0.00 | (w) | | | 0.00 | (w) |
Total from investment operations | | | $0.00 | (w) | | | $0.02 | | | | $0.01 | | | | $0.00 | (w) | | | $0.00 | (w) |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.00 | )(w) | | | $(0.02 | ) | | | $(0.01 | ) | | | $(0.00 | )(w) | | | $(0.00 | )(w) |
Net asset value, end of period | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r) | | | 0.22 | | | | 1.63 | | | | 1.26 | | | | 0.30 | | | | 0.01 | (c) |
| |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 0.52 | | | | 0.56 | | | | 0.56 | | | | 0.56 | | | | 0.53 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 0.24 | | | | 0.55 | | | | 0.55 | | | | 0.54 | | | | 0.30 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.20 | | | | 1.63 | | | | 1.25 | | | | 0.29 | | | | 0.01 | (c) |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $155,937 | | | | $149,689 | | | | $160,304 | | | | $168,107 | | | | $179,458 | |
| |
Service Class | | Year ended | |
| | | | | |
| | 12/31/20 | | | 12/31/19 | | | 12/31/18 | | | 12/31/17 | | | 12/31/16 | |
| | | | | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | |
| | | | | |
Income (loss) from investment operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net investment income (loss) (d) | | | $0.00 | (w) | | | $0.02 | | | | $0.01 | | | | $0.00 | (w) | | | $0.00 | (c)(w) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | | | 0.00 | (w) | | | 0.00 | (w) | | | — | | | | 0.00 | (w) | | | 0.00 | (w) |
Total from investment operations | | | $0.00 | (w) | | | $0.02 | | | | $0.01 | | | | $0.00 | (w) | | | $0.00 | (w) |
| | | | | |
Less distributions declared to shareholders | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
From net investment income | | | $(0.00 | )(w) | | | $(0.02 | ) | | | $(0.01 | ) | | | $(0.00 | )(w) | | | $(0.00 | )(w) |
Net asset value, end of period | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | | | | $1.00 | |
Total return (%) (k)(r) | | | 0.22 | | | | 1.63 | | | | 1.26 | | | | 0.29 | | | | 0.01 | (c) |
| |
Ratios (%) (to average net assets) and Supplemental data: | | | | | |
Expenses before expense reductions (f) | | | 0.77 | | | | 0.81 | | | | 0.81 | | | | 0.81 | | | | 0.79 | (c) |
Expenses after expense reductions (f) | | | 0.25 | | | | 0.55 | | | | 0.55 | | | | 0.55 | | | | 0.30 | (c) |
Net investment income (loss) | | | 0.21 | | | | 1.64 | | | | 1.24 | | | | 0.27 | | | | 0.01 | (c) |
Net assets at end of period (000 omitted) | | | $114,985 | | | | $114,543 | | | | $128,156 | | | | $146,428 | | | | $182,935 | |
(c) | | Amount reflects a one-time reimbursement of expenses by the custodian (or former custodian) without which net investment income and performance would be lower and expenses would be higher. |
(d) | | Per share data is based on average shares outstanding. |
(f) | | Ratios do not reflect reductions from fees paid indirectly, if applicable. |
(k) | | The total return does not reflect expenses that apply to separate accounts. Inclusion of these charges would reduce the total return figures for all periods shown. |
(r) | | Certain expenses have been reduced without which performance would have been lower. |
(w) | | Per share amount was less than $0.01. |
See Notes to Financial Statements
9
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1) | | Business and Organization |
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio (the fund) is a diversified series of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II (the trust). The trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The shareholders of each series of the trust are separate accounts of insurance companies, which offer variable annuity and/or life insurance products, and qualified retirement and pension plans.
The fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services – Investment Companies.
(2) | | Significant Accounting Policies |
General – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated subsequent events occurring after the date of the fund’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities through the date that the financial statements were issued.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), which provides optional, temporary relief with respect to the financial reporting of contracts subject to certain types of modifications due to the planned discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other IBOR-based reference rates as of the end of 2021. The temporary relief provided by ASU 2020-04 is effective for certain reference rate-related contract modifications that occur during the period from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Management is evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-04 on the fund’s investments, derivatives, debt and other contracts that will undergo reference rate-related modifications as a result of the reference rate reform.
Balance Sheet Offsetting – The fund’s accounting policy with respect to balance sheet offsetting is that, absent an event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, or similar agreement, does not result in an offset of reported amounts of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund’s right to setoff may be restricted or prohibited by the bankruptcy or insolvency laws of the particular jurisdiction to which a specific master netting agreement counterparty is subject. Balance sheet offsetting disclosures, to the extent applicable to the fund, have been included in the fund’s Significant Accounting Policies note under the captions for each of the fund’s in-scope financial instruments and transactions.
Investment Valuations – Pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of Trustees, investments held by the fund are generally valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Amortized cost involves valuing an instrument at its cost as adjusted for amortization of premium or accretion of discount rather than its current market value. The amortized cost value of an instrument can be different from the market value of an instrument.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the fund’s assets or liabilities. These inputs are categorized into three broad levels. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fund’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment. Level 1 includes unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 includes other significant observable market-based inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, and credit risk). Level 3 includes unobservable inputs, which may include the adviser’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. The following is a summary of the levels used as of December 31, 2020 in valuing the fund’s assets or liabilities:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Financial Instruments | | Level 1 | | | Level 2 | | | Level 3 | | | Total | |
Short-Term Securities | | | $— | | | | $271,373,302 | | | | $— | | | | $271,373,302 | |
For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Portfolio of Investments.
Repurchase Agreements – The fund enters into repurchase agreements under the terms of Master Repurchase Agreements with approved counterparties. Each repurchase agreement is recorded at cost. The fund requires that the securities collateral in a repurchase transaction be transferred to a custodian. The fund monitors, on a daily basis, the value of the collateral to ensure that its value, including accrued interest, is greater than amounts owed to the fund under each such repurchase agreement. Upon an event of default under a Master Repurchase Agreement, the non-defaulting party may close out all transactions traded under such agreement and net amounts owed under each transaction to one net amount payable by one party to the other. Absent an event of default, the Master Repurchase Agreement does not result in an offset of reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the Statement
10
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
of Assets and Liabilities across transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The fund and other funds managed by MFS may utilize a joint trading account for the purpose of entering into one or more repurchase agreements. At December 31, 2020, the fund had investments in repurchase agreements with a gross value of $26,617,000 included in investments in unaffiliated issuers in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. The value of the related collateral exceeded the value of the repurchase agreements at period end.
Indemnifications – Under the fund’s organizational documents, its officers and Trustees may be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into agreements with service providers that may contain indemnification clauses. The fund’s maximum exposure under these agreements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred.
Investment Transactions and Income – Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. All premium and discount is amortized or accreted for financial statement purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Tax Matters and Distributions – The fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company, as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, and to distribute all of its taxable income, including realized capital gains. As a result, no provision for federal income tax is required. The fund’s federal tax returns, when filed, will remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a three year period. Management has analyzed the fund’s tax positions taken on federal and state tax returns for all open tax years and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.
Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain capital accounts in the financial statements are periodically adjusted for permanent differences in order to reflect their tax character. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or net asset value per share. Temporary differences which arise from recognizing certain items of income, expense, gain or loss in different periods for financial statement and tax purposes will reverse at some time in the future.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, there were no significant adjustments due to differences between book and tax accounting.
The tax character of distributions declared to shareholders for the last two fiscal years is as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Ordinary income (including any short-term capital gains) | | | $569,717 | | | | $4,512,318 | |
The federal tax cost and the tax basis components of distributable earnings were as follows:
| | | | |
As of 12/31/20 | | | | |
| |
Cost of investments | | | $271,373,302 | |
Undistributed ordinary income | | | 315 | |
Multiple Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest – The fund offers multiple classes of shares, which differ in their respective distribution and/or service fees. The fund’s income and common expenses are allocated to shareholders based on the value of settled shares outstanding of each class. The fund’s realized and unrealized gain (loss) are allocated to shareholders based on the daily net assets of each class. Dividends are declared separately for each class. Differences in per share dividend rates are generally due to differences in separate class expenses. The fund’s distributions declared to shareholders as reported in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets are presented by class as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Initial Class | | | $326,608 | | | | $2,504,152 | |
Service Class | | | 243,109 | | | | 2,008,166 | |
Total | | | $569,717 | | | | $4,512,318 | |
(3) | | Transactions with Affiliates |
Investment Adviser – The fund has an investment advisory agreement with MFS to provide overall investment management and related administrative services and facilities to the fund. For the period from January 1, 2020 through July 31, 2020, the management fee was computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund’s average daily net assets:
| | | | |
Up to $500 million | | | 0.50% | |
In excess of $500 million | | | 0.45% | |
11
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
Effective August 1, 2020, the management fee is computed daily and paid monthly at the following annual rates based on the fund’s average daily net assets:
| | | | |
Up to $1 billion | | | 0.40% | |
In excess of $1 billion | | | 0.35% | |
MFS has agreed in writing to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund’s Board of Trustees. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this management fee reduction amounted to $30,701, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. Effective April 15, 2020, MFS also began to voluntarily waive receipt of the fund’s management fee in order to avoid a negative yield. For the period from April 15, 2020 through December 31, 2020, this voluntary waiver amounted to $730,366 and had the effect of reducing the management fee by 0.26% of average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The management fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.18% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
For the period from January 1, 2020 through July 31, 2020, the investment adviser had agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses did not exceed 0.57% of average daily net assets for each of the Initial Class and Service Class shares. This written agreement terminated on July 31, 2020. For the period from January 1, 2020 through July 31, 2020, the fund’s actual operating expenses did not exceed the limits described above and therefore, the investment adviser did not pay any portion of the fund’s expenses related to this agreement. Effective August 1, 2020, the investment adviser has agreed in writing to pay a portion of the fund’s total annual operating expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, and investment-related expenses, such that total annual operating expenses do not exceed 0.45% of average daily net assets for each of the Initial Class shares and Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the period from August 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, the fund’s actual operating expenses did not exceed the limits described above and therefore, the investment adviser did not pay any portion of the fund’s expenses related to this agreement.
Distributor – MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. (MFD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, is the distributor of shares of the fund. The Trustees have adopted a distribution plan for the Service Class shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The fund’s distribution plan provides that the fund will pay MFD distribution and/or service fees equal to 0.25% per annum of its average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares as partial consideration for services performed and expenses incurred by MFD and financial intermediaries (including participating insurance companies that invest in the fund to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts, sponsors of qualified retirement and pension plans that invest in the fund, and affiliates of these participating insurance companies and plan sponsors) in connection with the sale and distribution of the Service Class shares. MFD may subsequently pay all, or a portion, of the distribution and/or service fees to financial intermediaries. MFD has agreed in writing to waive the entire 0.25% distribution and/or service fee. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund’s Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue at least until April 30, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this waiver amounted to $283,671, which is included in the reduction of total expenses in the Statement of Operations. The distribution and/or service fees incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 were equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.00% of the average daily net assets attributable to Service Class shares.
Shareholder Servicing Agent – MFS Service Center, Inc. (MFSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFS, receives a fee from the fund for its services as shareholder servicing agent. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fee was $5,072, which equated to 0.0018% annually of the fund’s average daily net assets. MFSC also receives reimbursement from the fund for out-of-pocket expenses paid by MFSC on behalf of the fund. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these costs amounted to $470.
Administrator – MFS provides certain financial, legal, shareholder communications, compliance, and other administrative services to the fund. Under an administrative services agreement, the fund reimburses MFS the costs incurred to provide these services. The fund is charged an annual fixed amount of $17,500 plus a fee based on average daily net assets. The administrative services fee incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020 was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.0171% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
Trustees’ and Officers’ Compensation – The fund pays compensation to independent Trustees in the form of a retainer, attendance fees, and additional compensation to Board and Committee chairpersons. The fund does not pay compensation directly to Trustees or officers of the fund who are also officers of the investment adviser, all of whom receive remuneration from MFS for their services to the fund. Certain officers and Trustees of the fund are officers or directors of MFS, MFD, and MFSC.
12
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
Notes to Financial Statements – continued
(4) | | Shares of Beneficial Interest |
The fund’s Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest. The number of shares sold, reinvested and reacquired corresponds to the net proceeds from the sale of shares, reinvestment of distributions and cost of shares reacquired, respectively, since shares are sold and reacquired at $1.00 per share. Transactions in fund shares were as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
| | Year ended 12/31/20 | | | Year ended 12/31/19 | |
Shares sold | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 71,530,784 | | | | 36,663,940 | |
Service Class | | | 64,994,305 | | | | 32,307,851 | |
| | | 136,525,089 | | | | 68,971,791 | |
| | |
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 326,608 | | | | 2,504,152 | |
Service Class | | | 243,109 | | | | 2,008,166 | |
| | | 569,717 | | | | 4,512,318 | |
| | |
Shares reacquired | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | (65,600,762 | ) | | | (49,779,510 | ) |
Service Class | | | (64,804,683 | ) | | | (47,931,681 | ) |
| | | (130,405,445 | ) | | | (97,711,191 | ) |
| | |
Net change | | | | | | | | |
Initial Class | | | 6,256,630 | | | | (10,611,418 | ) |
Service Class | | | 432,731 | | | | (13,615,664 | ) |
| | | 6,689,361 | | | | (24,227,082 | ) |
The fund and certain other funds managed by MFS participate in a $1.25 billion unsecured committed line of credit of which $1 billion is reserved for use by the fund and certain other U.S. funds. The line of credit is provided by a syndicate of banks under a credit agreement. Borrowings may be made for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, generally at a rate equal to the highest of one month LIBOR, the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus an agreed upon spread. A commitment fee, based on the average daily, unused portion of the committed line of credit, is allocated among the participating funds. In addition, the fund and other funds managed by MFS have established unsecured uncommitted borrowing arrangements with certain banks for temporary financing needs. Interest is charged to each fund, based on its borrowings, at rates equal to customary reference rates plus an agreed upon spread. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the fund’s commitment fee and interest expense were $1,406 and $0, respectively, and are included in “Miscellaneous” expense in the Statement of Operations.
The pandemic related to the global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019, has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity and the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the securities and commodities markets in general. This pandemic, the full effects of which are still unknown, has resulted in substantial market volatility and may have adversely impacted the prices and liquidity of the fund’s investments and the fund’s performance.
13
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Trustees of MFS Variable Insurance Trust II and the Shareholders of MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio (the “Fund”), including the portfolio of investments, as of December 31, 2020, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more of the MFS investment companies since 1924.
14
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS – IDENTIFICATION AND BACKGROUND
The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as of February 1, 2021, are listed below, together with their principal occupations during the past five years. (Their titles may have varied during that period.) The address of each Trustee and Officer is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618.
| | | | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds overseen by the Trustee | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years | | Other Directorships During the Past Five Years (j) |
INTERESTED TRUSTEES |
Robert J. Manning (k) (age 57) | | Trustee | | February 2004 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Non-Executive Chairman (since January 2021); Director; Chairman of the Board; Executive Chairman (January 2017-2020); Co-Chief Executive Officer (2015-2016) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Michael W. Roberge (k)
(age 54) | | Trustee | | January 2021 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Chairman (since January 2021); Chief Executive Officer (since January 2017); Director; President (until December 2018); Chief Investment Officer (until December 2018); Co-Chief Executive Officer (until December 2016) | | N/A |
|
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES |
John P. Kavanaugh
(age 66) | | Trustee and Chair of Trustees | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Steven E. Buller
(age 69) | | Trustee | | February 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
John A. Caroselli
(age 66) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor; JC Global Advisors, LLC (management consulting), President (since 2015) | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Maureen R. Goldfarb
(age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2009 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Peter D. Jones (age 65) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
James W. Kilman, Jr. (age 59) | | Trustee | | January 2019 | | 134 | | Burford Capital Limited (finance and investment management), Chief Financial Officer (since 2019); KielStrand Capital LLC (family office), Chief Executive Officer (since 2016); Morgan Stanley & Co. (financial services), Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Co-Head of Diversified Financials Coverage – Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group (until 2016) | | Alpha-En Corporation, Director (2016-2019) |
| | | | | |
Clarence Otis, Jr.
(age 64) | | Trustee | | March 2017 | | 134 | | Private investor | | VF Corporation, Director; Verizon Communications, Inc., Director; The Travelers Companies, Director |
| | | | | |
Maryanne L. Roepke
(age 64) | | Trustee | | May 2014 | | 134 | | Private investor | | N/A |
| | | | | |
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 63) | | Trustee | | March 2005 | | 134 | | Private investor | | The Travelers Companies, Director; Dycom Industries, Inc., Director |
15
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
| | | | | | | | |
Name, Age | | Position(s) Held with Fund | | Trustee/Officer Since (h) | | Number of MFS Funds for which the Person is an Officer | | Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years |
OFFICERS | | | | | | |
Christopher R. Bohane (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kino Clark (k)
(age 52) | | Assistant Treasurer | | January 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
| | | | |
John W. Clark, Jr. (k) (age 53) | | Assistant Treasurer | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President (since March 2017); Deutsche Bank (financial services), Department Head –Treasurer’s Office (until February 2017) |
| | | | |
Thomas H. Connors (k) (age 61) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
| | | | |
David L. DiLorenzo (k) (age 52) | | President | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
| | | | |
Heidi W. Hardin (k)
(age 53) | | Secretary and Clerk | | April 2017 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Executive Vice President and General Counsel (since March 2017); Harris Associates (investment management), General Counsel (until January 2017) |
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Brian E. Langenfeld (k) (age 47) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | June 2006 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Senior Counsel |
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Amanda S. Mooradian (k) (age 41) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | September 2018 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel |
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Susan A. Pereira (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | July 2005 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
| | | | |
Kasey L. Phillips (k) (age 50) | | Assistant Treasurer | | September 2012 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President |
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Matthew A. Stowe (k) (age 46) | | Assistant Secretary and Assistant Clerk | | October 2014 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel |
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Martin J. Wolin (k) (age 53) | | Chief Compliance Officer | | July 2015 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer |
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James O. Yost (k) (age 60) | | Treasurer | | September 1990 | | 134 | | Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Senior Vice President |
(h) | Date first appointed to serve as Trustee/officer of an MFS Fund. Each Trustee has served continuously since appointment unless indicated otherwise. For the period from December 15, 2004 until February 22, 2005, Mr. Manning served as Advisory Trustee. From January 2012 through December 2016, Messrs. DiLorenzo and Yost served as Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer of the Funds, respectively. |
(j) | Directorships or trusteeships of companies required to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (i.e., “public companies”). |
(k) | “Interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (referred to as the 1940 Act), which is the principal federal law governing investment companies like the fund, as a result of a position with MFS. The address of MFS is 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02199-7618. |
Each Trustee (other than Messrs. Jones, Kilman and Roberge) has been elected by shareholders and each Trustee and Officer holds office until his or her successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement or removal. Mr. Roberge became a Trustee of the Funds on January 1, 2021 and Messrs. Jones and Kilman became Trustees of the Funds on January 1, 2019. The Trust does not hold annual meetings for the purpose of electing Trustees, and Trustees are not elected for fixed terms. Under the terms of the Board’s retirement policy, an Independent Trustee shall retire at the end of the calendar year in which he or she reaches the earlier of 75 years of age or 15 years of service on the Board (or, in the case of any Independent Trustee who joined the Board prior to 2015, 20 years of service on the Board).
Messrs. Buller, Kilman and Otis and Ms. Roepke are members of the Trust’s Audit Committee.
16
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
Trustees and Officers – continued
Each of the Interested Trustees and certain Officers hold comparable officer positions with certain affiliates of MFS.
The Statement of Additional Information for a Fund includes further information about the Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-2606.
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Investment Adviser Massachusetts Financial Services Company 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Custodian State Street Bank and Trust Company 1 Lincoln Street Boston, MA 02111-2900 |
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Distributor MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. 111 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02199-7618 | | Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Deloitte & Touche LLP 200 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116 |
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Portfolio Manager(s) Ed O’Dette | | |
17
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
BOARD REVIEW OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
The Investment Company Act of 1940 requires that both the full Board of Trustees and a majority of the non-interested (“independent”) Trustees, voting separately, annually approve the continuation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS. The Trustees consider matters bearing on the Fund and its advisory arrangements at their meetings throughout the year, including a review of performance data at each regular meeting. In addition, the independent Trustees met several times by videoconference (in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission relief) over the course of three months beginning in May and ending in July, 2020 (“contract review meetings”) for the specific purpose of considering whether to approve the continuation of the investment advisory agreement for the Fund and the other investment companies that the Board oversees (the “MFS Funds”). The independent Trustees were assisted in their evaluation of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement by independent legal counsel, from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately from MFS during various contract review meetings. The independent Trustees were also assisted in this process by an independent consultant who was retained by and reported to the independent Trustees.
In connection with their deliberations regarding the continuation of the investment advisory agreement, the Trustees, including the independent Trustees, considered such information and factors as they believed, in light of the legal advice furnished to them and their own business judgment, to be relevant. The investment advisory agreement for the Fund was considered separately, although the Trustees also took into account the common interests of all MFS Funds in their review. As described below, the Trustees considered the nature, quality, and extent of the various investment advisory, administrative, and shareholder services performed by MFS under the existing investment advisory agreement and other arrangements with the Fund.
In connection with their contract review meetings, the Trustees received and relied upon materials that included, among other items: (i) information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent third party, on the investment performance of the Fund for various time periods ended December 31, 2019 and the investment performance of a group of funds with substantially similar investment classifications/objectives (the “Broadridge performance universe”), (ii) information provided by Broadridge on the Fund’s advisory fees and other expenses and the advisory fees and other expenses of comparable funds identified by Broadridge as well as all other funds in the same investment classification/category (the “Broadridge expense group and universe”), (iii) information provided by MFS on the advisory fees of portfolios of other clients of MFS, including institutional separate accounts and other clients, (iv) information as to whether and to what extent applicable expense waivers, reimbursements or fee “breakpoints” are observed for the Fund, (v) information regarding MFS’ financial results and financial condition, including MFS’ and certain of its affiliates’ estimated profitability from services performed for the Fund and the MFS Funds as a whole, and compared to MFS’ institutional business, (vi) MFS’ views regarding the outlook for the mutual fund industry and the strategic business plans of MFS, (vii) descriptions of various functions performed by MFS for the Funds, such as compliance monitoring and portfolio trading practices, and (viii) information regarding the overall organization of MFS, including information about MFS’ senior management and other personnel providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Fund and the other MFS Funds. The comparative performance, fee and expense information prepared and provided by Broadridge was not independently verified and the independent Trustees did not independently verify any information provided to them by MFS.
The Trustees’ conclusion as to the continuation of the investment advisory agreement was based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently from one another, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the fee arrangements for the Fund and other MFS Funds are the result of years of review and discussion between the independent Trustees and MFS, that certain aspects of such arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than in others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of these same arrangements during the course of the year and in prior years.
Based on information provided by Broadridge and MFS, the Trustees reviewed the Fund’s total return investment performance as well as the Broadridge performance universe over various time periods. The Trustees placed particular emphasis on the total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares in comparison to the performance of funds in its Broadridge performance universe over the five-year period ended December 31, 2019, which the Trustees believed was a long enough period to reflect differing market conditions. The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 4th quintile relative to the other funds in the universe for this five-year period (the 1st quintile being the best performers and the 5th quintile being the worst performers). The total return performance of the Fund’s Initial Class shares was in the 4th quintile for each of the one- and three-year periods ended December 31, 2019 relative to the Broadridge performance universe. Because of the passage of time, these performance results may differ from the performance results for more recent periods, including those shown elsewhere in this report.
In the course of their deliberations, the Trustees took into account information provided by MFS in connection with the contract review meetings, as well as during investment review meetings conducted with portfolio management personnel during the course of the year regarding the Fund’s performance. In addition, the Trustees noted the market conditions affecting all money market funds, in particular the low interest rate environment during portions of the three- and five-year periods, and MFS’ voluntary waiver
18
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement – continued
of all or a portion of its fees to ensure that the Fund avoided a negative yield during those periods. After reviewing these and related factors, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that they were satisfied with MFS’ responses and efforts relating to investment performance.
In assessing the reasonableness of the Fund’s advisory fee, the Trustees considered, among other information, the Fund’s advisory fee and the total expense ratio of the Fund’s Initial Class shares as a percentage of average daily net assets and the advisory fee and total expense ratios of the Broadridge expense group based on information provided by Broadridge. The Trustees considered that MFS currently observes an expense limitation for the Fund, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval. The Trustees also considered that, according to the data provided by Broadridge (which takes into account any fee reductions or expense limitations that were in effect during the Fund’s last fiscal year), the Fund’s effective advisory fee rate and total expense ratio were each higher than the Broadridge expense group median. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed to further reduce the expense limitation for the Fund effective August 1, 2020, which may not be changed without the Trustees’ approval.
The Trustees also considered the advisory fees charged by MFS to any institutional separate accounts advised by MFS (“separate accounts”) and unaffiliated investment companies for which MFS serves as subadviser (“subadvised funds”) that have comparable investment strategies to the Fund, if any. In comparing these fees, the Trustees considered information provided by MFS as to the generally broader scope of services provided by MFS to the Fund, as well as the more extensive regulatory burdens imposed on MFS in managing the Fund, in comparison to separate accounts and subadvised funds. The Trustees also considered the higher demands placed on MFS’ investment personnel and trading infrastructure as a result of the daily cash in-flows and out-flows of the Fund in comparison to separate accounts.
The Trustees also considered whether the Fund may benefit from any economies of scale in the management of the Fund in the event of growth in assets of the Fund and/or growth in assets of the MFS Funds as a whole. They noted that the Fund’s advisory fee rate schedule is subject to a contractual breakpoint that reduces the Fund’s advisory fee rate on average daily net assets over $500 million. They also noted that MFS has agreed to reduce its advisory fee rate on the Fund’s average daily net assets up to $1 billion and to implement a contractual breakpoint that reduces its advisory fee rate on the Fund’s average daily net assets over $1 billion effective August 1, 2020. The Trustees also noted that MFS has agreed in writing to waive a portion of the management fees of certain MFS Funds, including the Fund, if the total combined assets of certain funds within the MFS Funds’ complex increase above agreed upon thresholds (the “group fee waiver”), enabling the Fund’s shareholders to share in the benefits from any economies of scale at the complex level. The group fee waiver is reviewed and renewed annually between the Board and MFS. The Trustees concluded that the breakpoint and the group fee waiver were sufficient to allow the Fund to benefit from economies of scale as its assets and overall complex assets grow.
The Trustees also considered information prepared by MFS relating to MFS’ costs and profits with respect to the Fund, the MFS Funds considered as a group, and other investment companies and accounts advised by MFS, as well as MFS’ methodologies used to determine and allocate its costs to the MFS Funds, the Fund and other accounts and products for purposes of estimating profitability.
After reviewing these and other factors described herein, the Trustees concluded, within the context of their overall conclusions regarding the investment advisory agreement, that the advisory fees charged to the Fund represent reasonable compensation in light of the services being provided by MFS to the Fund.
In addition, the Trustees considered MFS’ resources and related efforts to continue to retain, attract and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Trustees also considered current and developing conditions in the financial services industry, including the presence of large and well-capitalized companies which are spending, and appear to be prepared to continue to spend, substantial sums to engage personnel and to provide services to competing investment companies. In this regard, the Trustees also considered the financial resources of MFS and its ultimate parent, Sun Life Financial Inc. The Trustees also considered the advantages and possible disadvantages to the Fund of having an adviser that also serves other investment companies as well as other accounts.
The Trustees also considered the nature, quality, cost, and extent of administrative, transfer agency, and distribution services provided to the Fund by MFS and its affiliates under agreements and plans other than the investment advisory agreement, including any 12b-1 fees the Fund pays to MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., an affiliate of MFS. The Trustees also considered the nature, extent and quality of certain other services MFS performs or arranges for on the Fund’s behalf, which may include securities lending programs, directed expense payment programs, class action recovery programs, and MFS’ interaction with third-party service providers, principally custodians and sub-custodians. The Trustees concluded that the various non-advisory services provided by MFS and its affiliates on behalf of the Fund were satisfactory.
The Trustees considered so-called “fall-out benefits” to MFS such as reputational value derived from serving as investment manager to the MFS Funds. The Trustees also considered that MFS discontinued its historic practice of obtaining investment research from portfolio brokerage commissions paid by certain MFS Funds effective January 2018, and directly pays or voluntarily reimburses a Fund, if applicable, for the costs of external research acquired through the use of the Fund’s portfolio brokerage commissions.
19
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
Board Review of Investment Advisory Agreement – continued
Based on their evaluation of factors that they deemed to be material, including those factors described above, the Board of Trustees, including the independent Trustees, concluded that the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with MFS should be continued for an additional one-year period, commencing August 1, 2020.
20
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND INFORMATION
MFS votes proxies on behalf of the fund pursuant to proxy voting policies and procedures that are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-225-2606, by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Information regarding how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available by August 31 of each year without charge by visiting mfs.com/proxyvoting, or by visiting the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
The fund files monthly portfolio information with the SEC on Form N-MFP. The fund’s Form N-MFP reports are available on the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov. A shareholder can also access the fund’s portfolio holdings as of each month end and the fund’s Form N-MFP reports at mfs.com/vit2 after choosing “Click here for access to Money Market fund reports”.
FURTHER INFORMATION
From time to time, MFS may post important information about the fund or the MFS funds on the MFS Web site (mfs.com). This information is available at https://www.mfs.com/announcements or at mfs.com/vit2 by choosing the fund’s name and then scrolling to the “Resources” section and clicking on the “Announcements” tab, if any.
INFORMATION ABOUT FUND CONTRACTS AND LEGAL CLAIMS
The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, 529 program manager (if applicable), and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.
Under the Trust’s By-Laws and Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the MFS Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers, must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION (unaudited)
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund intends to pass through the maximum amount allowable as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends as defined in Treasury Regulation §1.163(j)-1(b).
21
rev. 3/16
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FACTS | | WHAT DOES MFS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? | | |
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Why? | | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
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What? | | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: • Social Security number and account balances • Account transactions and transaction history • Checking account information and wire transfer instructions When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. |
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How? | | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons MFS chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
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Reasons we can share your personal information | | Does MFS share? | | Can you limit this sharing? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus | | Yes | | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you | | No | | We don’t share |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences | | No | | We don’t share |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness | | No | | We don’t share |
For nonaffiliates to market to you | | No | | We don’t share |
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Questions? | | Call 800-225-2606 or go to mfs.com. |
22
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Who we are |
Who is providing this notice? | | MFS Funds, MFS Investment Management, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., and MFS Heritage Trust Company. |
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What we do |
How does MFS protect my personal information? | | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include procedural, electronic, and physical safeguards for the protection of the personal information we collect about you. |
How does MFS collect my personal information? | | We collect your personal information, for example, when you • open an account or provide account information • direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities • make a wire transfer We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. |
Why can’t I limit all sharing? | | Federal law gives you the right to limit only • sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness • affiliates from using your information to market to you • sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
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Definitions |
Affiliates | | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share personal information with affiliates, except for everyday business purposes as described on page one of this notice. |
Nonaffiliates | | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. • MFS does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | | A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. • MFS doesn’t jointly market. |
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Other important information |
If you own an MFS product or receive an MFS service in the name of a third party such as a bank or broker-dealer, their privacy policy may apply to you instead of ours. |
23
Item 1(b):
Not applicable.
The Registrant has adopted a Code of Ethics (the “Code”) pursuant to Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and as defined in Form N-CSR that applies to the Registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer. During the period covered by this report, the Registrant has not amended any provision in the Code that relates to an element of the Code’s definition enumerated in paragraph (b) of Item 2 of this Form N-CSR. During the period covered by this report, the Registrant did not grant a waiver, including an implicit waiver, from any provision of the Code.
A copy of the Code is filed as an exhibit to this Form N-CSR.
ITEM 3. | AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT. |
Messrs. Steven E. Buller, James Kilman, and Clarence Otis, Jr. and Ms. Maryanne L. Roepke, members of the Audit Committee, have been determined by the Board of Trustees in their reasonable business judgment to meet the definition of “audit committee financial expert” as such term is defined in Form N-CSR. In addition, Messrs. Buller, Kilman, and Otis and Ms. Roepke are “independent” members of the Audit Committee (as such term has been defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission in regulations implementing Section 407 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002). The Securities and Exchange Commission has stated that the designation of a person as an audit committee financial expert pursuant to this Item 3 on the Form N-CSR does not impose on such a person any duties, obligations or liability that are greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a member of the Audit Committee and the Board of Trustees in the absence of such designation or identification.
ITEM 4. | PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES. |
Items 4(a) through 4(d) and 4(g):
The Board of Trustees has appointed Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”) to serve as independent accountants to the Registrant (hereinafter the “Registrant” or the “Fund”). The tables below set forth the audit fees billed to the Fund as well as fees for non-audit services provided to the Fund and/or to the Fund’s investment adviser, Massachusetts Financial Services Company (“MFS”), and to various entities either controlling, controlled by, or under common control with MFS that provide ongoing services to the Fund (“MFS Related Entities”).
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, audit fees billed to the Fund by Deloitte were as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Audit Fees | |
| 2020 | | | 2019 | |
Fees billed by Deloitte: | | | | | | | | |
MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio | | | 46,547 | | | | 45,742 | |
MFS Core Equity Portfolio | | | 48,743 | | | | 47,901 | |
MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio | | | 68,027 | | | | 66,863 | |
MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio | | | 49,053 | | | | 48,206 | |
MFS Global Governments Portfolio | | | 65,611 | | | | 64,488 | |
MFS Global Growth Portfolio | | | 59,902 | | | | 58,874 | |
MFS Global Research Portfolio | | | 47,491 | | | | 46,670 | |
MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio | | | 65,650 | | | | 64,526 | |
MFS Government Securities Portfolio | | | 55,765 | | | | 54,806 | |
MFS High Yield Portfolio | | | 72,417 | | | | 71,180 | |
MFS International Growth Portfolio | | | 49,053 | | | | 48,206 | |
MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio | | | 49,994 | | | | 49,132 | |
MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio | | | 48,635 | | | | 47,795 | |
MFS Research International Portfolio | | | 46,547 | | | | 45,742 | |
MFS Income Portfolio | | | 72,135 | | | | 70,902 | |
MFS Technology Portfolio | | | 46,655 | | | | 45,848 | |
MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio | | | 28,774 | | | | 28,266 | |
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Total | | | 920,999 | | | | 905,147 | |
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, fees billed by Deloitte for audit-related, tax and other services provided to each Fund and for audit-related, tax and other services provided to MFS and MFS Related Entities were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Audit-Related Fees1 | | Tax Fees2 | | | All Other Fees3 | |
| 2020 | | | 2019 | | 2020 | | | 2019 | | | 2020 | | | 2019 | |
Fees billed by Deloitte: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
To MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS Core Equity Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,841 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS Global Governments Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS Global Growth Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,841 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS Global Research Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,841 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS Government Securities Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS High Yield Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS International Growth Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,841 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS Research International Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS Income Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS Technology Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
To MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio | | | 2,400 | | | 2,400 | | | 5,591 | | | | 5,104 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
Total fees billed by Deloitte To above Funds: | | | 40,800 | | | 40,800 | | | 96,047 | | | | 86,768 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Audit-Related Fees1 | | | Tax Fees2 | | | All Other Fees3 | |
| 2020 | | | 2019 | | | 2020 | | | 2019 | | | 2020 | | | 2019 | |
Fees billed by Deloitte: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Core Equity Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Global Governments Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Global Growth Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Global Research Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Government Securities Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS High Yield Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS International Growth Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Research International Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Income Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS Technology Portfolio* | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
To MFS and MFS Related Entities of MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio * | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 5,390 | | | | 3,790 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | Aggregate fees for non-audit services: | |
| 2020 | | | 2019 | |
Fees billed by Deloitte: | | | | | | | | |
To MFS Blended Research Core Equity Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS Core Equity Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,381 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS Corporate Bond Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS Global Governments Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS Global Growth Portfolio MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,381 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS Global Research Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,381 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS Global Tactical Allocation Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS Government Securities Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS High Yield Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS International Growth Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS International Intrinsic Value Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS Massachusetts Investors Growth Stock Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,381 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS Research International Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS Income Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS Technology Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
To MFS U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio, MFS and MFS Related Entities# | | | 557,131 | | | | 361,294 | |
* | This amount reflects the fees billed to MFS and MFS Related Entities for non-audit services relating directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Fund (portions of which services also related to the operations and financial reporting of other funds within the MFS Funds complex). |
# | This amount reflects the aggregate fees billed by Deloitte for non-audit services rendered to the Fund and for non-audit services rendered to MFS and the MFS Related Entities. |
1 | The fees included under “Audit-Related Fees” are fees related to assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of financial statements, but not reported under ‘‘Audit Fees,’’ including accounting consultations, agreed-upon procedure reports, attestation reports, comfort letters and internal control reviews. |
2 | The fees included under “Tax Fees” are fees associated with tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning, including services relating to the filing or amendment of federal, state or local income tax returns, regulated investment company qualification reviews and tax distribution and analysis. |
3 | The fees included under “All Other Fees” are fees for products and services provided by Deloitte other than those reported under “Audit Fees,” “Audit-Related Fees” and “Tax Fees”. |
Item 4(e)(1):
Set forth below are the policies and procedures established by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees relating to the pre-approval of audit and non-audit related services:
To the extent required by applicable law, pre-approval by the Audit Committee of the Board is needed for all audit and permissible non-audit services rendered to the Fund and all permissible non-audit services rendered to MFS or MFS Related Entities if the services relate directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Registrant. Pre-approval is currently on an engagement-by-engagement basis. In the event pre-approval of such services is necessary between regular meetings of the Audit Committee and it is not practical to wait to seek pre-approval at the next regular meeting of the Audit Committee, pre-approval of such services may be referred to the Chair of the Audit Committee for approval; provided that the Chair may not pre-approve any individual engagement for such services exceeding $50,000 or multiple engagements for such services in the aggregate exceeding $100,000 between such regular meetings of the Audit Committee. Any engagement pre-approved by the Chair between regular meetings of the Audit Committee shall be presented for ratification by the entire Audit Committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
Item 4(e)(2):
None, or 0%, of the services relating to the Audit-Related Fees, Tax Fees and All Other Fees paid by the Fund and MFS and MFS Related Entities relating directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Registrant disclosed above were approved by the audit committee pursuant to paragraphs (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X (which permits audit committee approval after the start of the engagement with respect to services other than audit, review or attest services, if certain conditions are satisfied).
Item 4(f):
Not applicable.
Item 4(h):
The Registrant’s Audit Committee has considered whether the provision by a Registrant’s independent registered public accounting firm of non-audit services to MFS and MFS Related Entities that were not pre-approved by the Committee (because such services were provided prior to the effectiveness of SEC rules requiring pre-approval or because such services did not relate directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Registrant) was compatible with maintaining the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm as the Registrant’s principal auditors.
ITEM 5. | AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS. |
Not applicable to the Registrant.
ITEM 6. | SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS |
A schedule of investments of each series of the Registrant is included as part of the report to shareholders of such series under Item 1(a) of this Form N-CSR.
ITEM 7. | DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES. |
Not applicable to the Registrant.
ITEM 8. | PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES. |
Not applicable to the Registrant.
ITEM 9. | PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS. |
Not applicable to the Registrant.
ITEM 10. | SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS. |
There were no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may send recommendations to the Board for nominees to the Registrant’s Board since the Registrant last provided disclosure as to such procedures in response to the requirements of Item 407 (c)(2)(iv) of Regulation S-K or this Item.
ITEM 11. | CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES. |
(a) | Based upon their evaluation of the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”)) as conducted within 90 days of the filing date of this report on Form N-CSR, the registrant’s principal financial officer and principal executive officer have concluded that those disclosure controls and procedures provide reasonable assurance that the material information required to be disclosed by the registrant on this report is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms. |
(b) | There were no changes in the registrant’s internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Act) that occurred during the period covered by the 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. |
Not applicable to the Registrant.
(a) (1) | Any code of ethics, or amendment thereto, that is the subject of the disclosure required by Item 2, to the extent that the registrant intends to satisfy the Item 2 requirements through filing of an exhibit: Attached hereto as EX-99.COE. |
| (2) | A separate certification for each principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the registrant as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-2): Attached hereto as EX-99.302CERT. |
| (3) | Any written solicitation to purchase securities under Rule 23c-1 under the Act (17 CFR 270.23c-1) sent or given during the period covered by the report by or on behalf of the registrant to 10 or more persons. Not applicable. |
| (4) | Change in the registrant’s independent public accountant. Not applicable. |
(b) | If the report is filed under Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, provide the certifications required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-2(b)), Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13a-14(b) or 240.15d-14(b)) and Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code (18 U.S.C. 1350) as an exhibit. A certification furnished pursuant to this paragraph will not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78r), or otherwise subject to the liability of that section. Such certification will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that the registrant specifically incorporates it by reference. Attached hereto as EX-99.906CERT. |
Notice
A copy of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, as amended, of the Registrant is on file with the Secretary of State of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and notice is hereby given that this instrument is executed on behalf of the Registrant by an officer of the Registrant as an officer and not individually and the obligations of or arising out of this instrument are not binding upon any of the Trustees or shareholders individually, but are binding only upon the assets and property of the respective constituent series of the Registrant.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
(Registrant) MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST II
| | |
By (Signature and Title)* | | /S/ DAVID L. DILORENZO |
| | David L. DiLorenzo, President |
Date: February 16, 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/ DAVID L. DILORENZO |
| | David L. DiLorenzo, President |
| | (Principal Executive Officer) |
Date: February 16, 2021
| | |
By (Signature and Title)* | | /S/ JAMES O. YOST |
| | James O. Yost, Treasurer |
| | (Principal Financial Officer and Accounting Officer) |
Date: February 16, 2021
* | Print name and title of each signing officer under his or her signature. |