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 | 811-04165 | |||||||||||||||||||
AMERICAN CENTURY TARGET MATURITIES TRUST | ||||||||||||||||||||
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter) | ||||||||||||||||||||
4500 MAIN STREET, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI | 64111 | |||||||||||||||||||
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |||||||||||||||||||
JOHN PAK 4500 MAIN STREET, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 64111 | ||||||||||||||||||||
(Name and address of agent for service) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: | 816-531-5575 | |||||||||||||||||||
Date of fiscal year end: | 09-30 | |||||||||||||||||||
Date of reporting period: | 09-30-2021 |
ITEM 1. REPORTS TO STOCKHOLDERS.
(a) Provided under separate cover.
Annual Report | |||||
September 30, 2021 | |||||
Zero Coupon 2025 Fund | |||||
Investor Class (BTTRX) | |||||
Advisor Class (ACTVX) |
Table of Contents |
President’s Letter | |||||
Performance | |||||
Portfolio Commentary | |||||
Fund Characteristics | |||||
Shareholder Fee Example | |||||
Schedule of Investments | |||||
Statement of Assets and Liabilities | |||||
Statement of Operations | |||||
Statement of Changes in Net Assets | |||||
Notes to Financial Statements | |||||
Financial Highlights | |||||
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | |||||
Management | |||||
Approval of Management Agreement | |||||
Additional Information |
Any opinions expressed in this report reflect those of the author as of the date of the report, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of American Century Investments® or any other person in the American Century Investments organization. Any such opinions are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and American Century Investments disclaims any responsibility to update such opinions. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice and, because investment decisions made by American Century Investments funds are based on numerous factors, may not be relied upon as an indication of trading intent on behalf of any American Century Investments fund. Security examples are used for representational purposes only and are not intended as recommendations to purchase or sell securities. Performance information for comparative indices and securities is provided to American Century Investments by third party vendors. To the best of American Century Investments’ knowledge, such information is accurate at the time of printing.
President’s Letter |
Jonathan Thomas
Dear Investor:
Thank you for reviewing this annual report for the period ended September 30, 2021. Annual reports help convey important information about fund returns, including market factors that affected performance. For additional investment insights, please visit americancentury.com.
Economic, Inflation Gains Pushed Treasury Yields Higher
Returns on U.S. Treasury securities generally declined for the 12-month period, as the improving economy and surging inflation sent yields higher. Ongoing central bank and federal government support helped sustain investor confidence and bolster the economic landscape, despite lingering pandemic-related challenges.
Improving data on U.S. manufacturing, employment and housing, along with a late-2020 federal coronavirus aid package and positive vaccine developments, helped set an upbeat tone. Furthermore, political clarity emerged after the January 2021 U.S. Senate run-off elections in Georgia. The results gave Democrats control of Congress and set the stage for another federal aid package, which passed in March and aided the economic outlook.
The economy’s broad gains combined with ongoing monetary and fiscal support and state reopenings helped push inflation and U.S. Treasury yields higher. Inflation concerns multiplied amid mounting supply chain disruptions and rising energy and housing prices. Congressional debate on the $3.5 trillion "human infrastructure" bill added to inflation worries late in the period. Year-over-year headline inflation reached 5.4% in September, matching a 13-year high.
Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve hinted it may start scaling back its monetary support by year-end, prompting a September spike in Treasury yields. Against this backdrop, the broad Treasury index declined for the 12-month period. Losses were greatest among longer-maturity Treasuries, while returns for shorter-maturity securities were relatively flat.
Several Factors Shaping Market Dynamics
The return to pre-pandemic life is progressing, albeit somewhat cautiously due to COVID-19’s delta variant. As the economy and markets respond to this fluid backdrop, investors will face opportunities and ongoing challenges. Economic growth, inflation, the virus’s trajectory, supply chain normalization and fiscal and monetary policy likely will sway market dynamics.
We appreciate your confidence in us during these extraordinary times. Our firm has a long history of helping clients weather unpredictable markets, and we’re confident we will continue to meet today’s challenges.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Thomas
President and Chief Executive Officer
American Century Investments
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Performance |
Total Returns as of September 30, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Average Annual Returns | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Ticker Symbol | 1 year | 5 years | 10 years | Inception Date | |||||||||||||||||||
Investor Class | BTTRX | -1.91% | 2.25% | 3.12% | 2/15/96 | ||||||||||||||||||
11/15/2025 STRIPS Issue | — | -1.37% | 2.38% | 3.54% | — | ||||||||||||||||||
Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Treasury Index | — | -0.45% | 1.81% | 1.45% | — | ||||||||||||||||||
ICE BofA 10+ Year U.S. Treasury Index | — | -10.13% | 3.26% | 4.31% | — | ||||||||||||||||||
Advisor Class | ACTVX | -2.15% | 2.00% | 2.86% | 6/1/98 |
Effective November 1, 2020, the fund's secondary benchmark changed from the ICE BofA 10+ Year U.S. Treasury Index to the Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Treasury Index. The fund's investment advisor believes that the Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Treasury Index aligns better with the fund's strategy.
Growth of $10,000 Over 10 Years | ||
$10,000 investment made September 30, 2011 | ||
Performance for other share classes will vary due to differences in fee structure. |
Value on September 30, 2021 | |||||
Investor Class — $13,595 | |||||
11/15/2025 STRIPS Issue — $14,165 | |||||
Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Treasury Index — $11,551 | |||||
ICE BofA 10+ Year U.S. Treasury Index — $15,257 | |||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | |||||
Investor Class | Advisor Class | ||||
0.55% | 0.80% |
The total annual fund operating expenses shown is as stated in the fund’s prospectus current as of the date of this report. The prospectus may vary from the expense ratio shown elsewhere in this report because it is based on a different time period, includes acquired fund fees and expenses, and, if applicable, does not include fee waivers or expense reimbursements.
Data presented reflect past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be higher or lower than the performance shown. Total returns for periods less than one year are not annualized. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and redemption value may be more or less than original cost. Data assumes reinvestment of dividends and capital gains, and none of the charts reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. To obtain performance data current to the most recent month end, please call 1-800-345-2021 or visit americancentury.com. For additional information about the fund, please consult the prospectus.
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Portfolio Commentary |
Portfolio Managers: Jim Platz, Bob Gahagan and Miguel Castillo
Brian Howell, Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, left the fund's portfolio management team August 1, 2021. He is planning on retiring, effective December 31, 2021.
Performance Summary
Zero Coupon 2025 returned -1.91%* for the 12 months ended September 30, 2021. The fund’s benchmark, a coupon-based Treasury STRIPS issue maturing on November 15, 2025, returned -1.37%.
U.S. Treasury yields rose overall for the 12-month period, which primarily accounted for the negative absolute performance of the fund and the Treasury STRIPS issue. From a relative performance perspective, the fund is subject to operating expenses, while the benchmark is not.
Overall, shorter-maturity government securities generally outperformed those with longer maturities. Spread tightening (a decrease in yield differences) between Treasury STRIPS and non-Treasury government securities, including non-Treasury zero-coupon bonds (zeros), aided the fund’s relative performance.
Market Backdrop
U.S. Treasury yields started the reporting period on the rise. Market sentiment was generally upbeat, largely due to the FDA’s emergency approval of two COVID-19 vaccines and ongoing Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary support. In addition, after passing the comprehensive Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act in March, Congress delivered another coronavirus aid bill in late 2020, bolstering the market’s optimism.
The positive tone continued into early 2021, supported by another fiscal relief package in March. The combination of massive monetary support and federal spending, expanding vaccine availability and improving economic data boosted growth outlooks and sparked risk-on investing.
State reopenings and the expanding economy steadily pushed longer-maturity U.S. Treasury yields higher. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note climbed to a period high of 1.75% in late March, up from 0.69% on September 30, 2020. But beginning in April, Treasury yields shifted lower as investors worried the rapid spread of COVID-19’s delta variant would stall the economic recovery.
Those fears generally proved unfounded. Most economic data continued to improve, and inflation made a strong comeback. Amid growing consumer demand and pandemic-triggered supply chain disruptions, annual headline inflation hit a 13-year high of 5.4% in the summer. Nevertheless, Treasury yields continued to decline until early August, when they reversed course again.
Along with the steady rise in inflation, the Fed adopted a more hawkish tone late in the period. The central bank hinted it may start tapering its bond purchases by year-end, with rate hikes potentially to follow sometime in 2022. These influences contributed to a September spike in Treasury yields.
The 10-year Treasury note ended the period at 1.49%, an 80-basis-point increase from a year earlier. The yield on the two-year Treasury note climbed from 0.13% on September 30, 2020, to 0.28% a year later. In terms of total return, the broad U.S. Treasury market returned -3.30% for the 12-month period. The two-year Treasury note was flat, while the 10-year Treasury note returned -6.07%.
*All fund returns referenced in this commentary are for Investor Class shares. Performance for other share classes will vary due to differences in fee structures; when Investor Class performance exceeds that of the fund’s benchmark, other share classes may not. See page 3 for returns for all share classes.
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Portfolio Strategy
We continued to look for what we believed were attractive relative values among Treasury STRIPS, Treasury-equivalent zeros, and, to a lesser degree, government agency zeros. These securities are stripped and packaged into their component parts, including the series of coupon payments and the ultimate principal repayment.
We seek to take advantage of spread movements between Treasury STRIPS and non-Treasury zeros. Spreads generally narrowed for the 12-month period, largely due to Fed and federal government support and improving employment, manufacturing, housing and other economic data. These factors encouraged investor confidence in the economic and market outlooks.
Against this backdrop, our positions in Treasury STRIPS and Treasury-equivalent zeros (primarily Resolution Funding Corporation, or REFCORP, STRIPS) detracted slightly. However, our position in U.S. government agency zeros contributed to relative performance and more than offset the modest effects of the Treasury and REFCORP STRIPS.
We continue to believe our non-Treasury zeros offer attractive performance potential, and we expect these securities will have a favorable impact on the portfolio’s Anticipated Value at Maturity (AVM). Our allocation to zero-coupon U.S. Treasury securities and equivalents, including REFCORP STRIPS, accounted for approximately 95% of the portfolio at the end of the reporting period, compared with 93% a year earlier. By prospectus mandate, we also may invest up to 20% of the portfolio’s assets in zero-coupon U.S. government agency securities. These securities represented nearly 5% of the portfolio at the end of September 2021, compared with approximately 7% at the end of September 2020.
Outlook
We believe several trends support continued, but more modest, economic growth. Manufacturing continues to expand, the housing market remains robust, consumer confidence is improving and corporate fundamentals are strong. Record fiscal spending and ongoing Fed support also continue to aid the economy. However, headwinds have emerged, including slowing job growth. Additionally, production disruptions and the chip shortage may pressure revenue growth in several industries.
We expect the Fed to broadcast its policy changes, including interest rate hikes, well in advance. We look for the Fed to announce its taper timetable in November and start reducing its $120 billion monthly bond purchases in late 2021 or early 2022. Once the taper is complete, we expect the Fed to start raising short-term interest rates. We expect interest rates to steadily climb higher due to government spending, a growing economy and elevated inflation.
Zero Coupon 2025 is not an asset allocation retirement fund. The date refers to when the bonds will mature. The principal value of the fund is not guaranteed at any time, including at the target date. The fund’s AVM (see next page), though not guaranteed, provides what we believe is an appropriate estimate of the fund’s value at the target date.
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Fund Characteristics |
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 | |||||
Portfolio at a Glance | |||||
Anticipated Annual Growth Rate (Investor Class) | 0.46% | ||||
Weighted Average Maturity Date | 11/15/25 | ||||
Anticipated Value at Maturity (AVM) (Investor Class)(1) | $116.11 | ||||
(1) See graph below. | |||||
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Even if class shares are held to maturity, there is no guarantee that the class’s share price will reach its AVM. There is also no guarantee that the AVM will fluctuate as little in the future as it has in the past. For more information, please consult the prospectus. | |||||
Types of Investments in Portfolio | % of net assets | ||||
Zero-Coupon U.S. Treasury Securities and Equivalents | 94.8% | ||||
Zero-Coupon U.S. Government Agency Securities | 4.5% | ||||
Temporary Cash Investments | 0.4% | ||||
Other Assets and Liabilities | 0.3% |
Share Price vs. Anticipated Value at Maturity (Investor Class) |
Actual Share Price (Historical) — $113.92 | |||||
Anticipated Value at Maturity (Estimated Share Price) — $116.11 | |||||
The top line in the graph represents the class’s AVM, which fluctuates from day to day based on the fund’s weighted average maturity date. The bottom line represents the class’s historical share price, which is managed to grow over time to reach the class’s AVM. The AVM for other share classes will vary due to differences in fee structure. While this graph demonstrates the class’s expected long-term growth pattern, please keep in mind that the fund may experience significant share-price volatility over the short term. Even if shares are held to maturity, there is no guarantee that the class’s share price will reach its AVM. There is also no guarantee that the AVM will fluctuate as little in the future as it has in the past.
6
Shareholder Fee Example |
Fund shareholders may incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including sales charges (loads) on purchase payments and redemption/exchange fees; and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees; distribution and service (12b-1) fees; and other fund expenses. This example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The example is based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period from April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021.
Actual Expenses
The table provides information about actual account values and actual expenses for each class. You may use the information, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. First, identify the share class you own. Then 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 under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
If you hold Investor Class shares of any American Century Investments fund, or I Class shares of the American Century Diversified Bond Fund, in an American Century Investments account (i.e., not through a financial intermediary or employer-sponsored retirement plan account), American Century Investments may charge you a $25.00 annual account maintenance fee if the value of those shares is less than $10,000. We will redeem shares automatically in one of your accounts to pay the $25.00 fee. In determining your total eligible investment amount, we will include your investments in all personal accounts (including American Century Investments brokerage accounts) registered under your Social Security number. Personal accounts include individual accounts, joint accounts, UGMA/UTMA accounts, personal trusts, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and IRAs (including traditional, Roth, Rollover, SEP-, SARSEP- and SIMPLE-IRAs), and certain other retirement accounts. If you have only business, business retirement, employer-sponsored or American Century Investments brokerage accounts, you are currently not subject to this fee. If you are subject to the account maintenance fee, your account value could be reduced by the fee amount.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The table also provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the actual expense ratio of each class of your fund and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the actual return of a fund’s share class. 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 your 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 your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs, such as sales charges (loads) or redemption/exchange fees. Therefore, the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.
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Beginning Account Value 4/1/21 | Ending Account Value 9/30/21 | Expenses Paid During Period(1) 4/1/21 - 9/30/21 | Annualized Expense Ratio(1) | |||||||||||
Actual | ||||||||||||||
Investor Class | $1,000 | $1,003.60 | $2.71 | 0.54% | ||||||||||
Advisor Class | $1,000 | $1,002.30 | $3.97 | 0.79% | ||||||||||
Hypothetical | ||||||||||||||
Investor Class | $1,000 | $1,022.36 | $2.74 | 0.54% | ||||||||||
Advisor Class | $1,000 | $1,021.11 | $4.00 | 0.79% |
(1)Expenses are equal to the class's annualized expense ratio listed in the table above, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 183, the number of days in the most recent fiscal half-year, divided by 365, to reflect the one-half year period. Annualized expense ratio reflects actual expenses, including any applicable fee waivers or expense reimbursements and excluding any acquired fund fees and expenses.
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Schedule of Investments |
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
Principal Amount/Shares | Value | |||||||
ZERO-COUPON U.S. TREASURY SECURITIES AND EQUIVALENTS(1) — 94.8% | ||||||||
REFCORP STRIPS - COUPON, 0.00%, 4/15/24 | $ | 385,000 | $ | 377,984 | ||||
REFCORP STRIPS - COUPON, 0.00%, 1/15/25 | 8,445,000 | 8,178,012 | ||||||
REFCORP STRIPS - COUPON, 0.00%, 4/15/25 | 18,013,000 | 17,376,682 | ||||||
STRIPS - COUPON, 0.00%, 8/15/25 | 1,000,000 | 969,735 | ||||||
STRIPS - COUPON, 0.00%, 11/15/25 | 66,200,000 | 63,878,659 | ||||||
STRIPS - PRINCIPAL, 0.00%, 11/15/25 | 1,100,000 | 1,062,501 | ||||||
REFCORP STRIPS - COUPON, 0.00%, 1/15/26 | 16,800,000 | 16,001,619 | ||||||
STRIPS - COUPON, 0.00%, 2/15/26 | 1,400,000 | 1,344,229 | ||||||
REFCORP STRIPS - COUPON, 0.00%, 4/15/26 | 25,000,000 | 23,703,935 | ||||||
REFCORP STRIPS - COUPON, 0.00%, 7/15/26 | 7,000,000 | 6,603,965 | ||||||
STRIPS - COUPON, 0.00%, 11/15/26 | 5,700,000 | 5,384,756 | ||||||
TOTAL ZERO-COUPON U.S. TREASURY SECURITIES AND EQUIVALENTS (Cost $126,796,882) | 144,882,077 | |||||||
ZERO-COUPON U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY SECURITIES(1) — 4.5% | ||||||||
FNMA STRIPS - COUPON, MTN, 0.00%, 4/8/24 | 10,000 | 9,872 | ||||||
TVA STRIPS - COUPON, 0.00%, 5/1/24 | 1,000,000 | 983,325 | ||||||
FHLMC STRIPS - COUPON, 0.00%, 9/15/24 | 42,000 | 41,244 | ||||||
TVA STRIPS - PRINCIPAL, 0.00%, 11/1/25 | 6,000,000 | 5,781,716 | ||||||
TOTAL ZERO-COUPON U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY SECURITIES (Cost $5,630,972) | 6,816,157 | |||||||
TEMPORARY CASH INVESTMENTS — 0.4% | ||||||||
Federal Farm Credit Discount Notes, 0.01%, 10/1/21(2) | 694,000 | 694,000 | ||||||
State Street Institutional U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Premier Class | 2,972 | 2,972 | ||||||
TOTAL TEMPORARY CASH INVESTMENTS (Cost $696,972) | 696,972 | |||||||
TOTAL INVESTMENT SECURITIES — 99.7% (Cost $133,124,826) | 152,395,206 | |||||||
OTHER ASSETS AND LIABILITIES — 0.3% | 474,803 | |||||||
TOTAL NET ASSETS — 100.0% | $ | 152,870,009 |
NOTES TO SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS | ||||||||
Equivalent | - | Security whose payments are secured by the U.S. Treasury | ||||||
FHLMC | - | Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation | ||||||
FNMA | - | Federal National Mortgage Association | ||||||
MTN | - | Medium Term Note | ||||||
REFCORP | - | Resolution Funding Corporation | ||||||
STRIPS | - | Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities | ||||||
TVA | - | Tennessee Valley Authority |
(1)Security is a zero-coupon bond. Zero-coupon securities may be issued at a substantial discount from their value at maturity.
(2)The rate indicated is the yield to maturity at purchase.
See Notes to Financial Statements.
9
Statement of Assets and Liabilities |
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 | |||||
Assets | |||||
Investment securities, at value (cost of $133,124,826) | $ | 152,395,206 | |||
Receivable for investments sold | 283,116 | ||||
Receivable for capital shares sold | 275,597 | ||||
152,953,919 | |||||
Liabilities | |||||
Payable for capital shares redeemed | 15,695 | ||||
Accrued management fees | 67,689 | ||||
Distribution and service fees payable | 526 | ||||
83,910 | |||||
Net Assets | $ | 152,870,009 | |||
Net Assets Consist of: | |||||
Capital paid in | $ | 130,575,528 | |||
Distributable earnings | 22,294,481 | ||||
$ | 152,870,009 |
Net Assets | Shares Outstanding | Net Asset Value Per Share | |||||||||
Investor Class | $150,320,765 | 1,319,556 | $113.92 | ||||||||
Advisor Class | $2,549,244 | 23,708 | $107.53 |
See Notes to Financial Statements.
10
Statement of Operations |
YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 | |||||
Investment Income (Loss) | |||||
Income: | |||||
Interest | $ | 5,495,992 | |||
Expenses: | |||||
Management fees | 840,509 | ||||
Distribution and service fees - Advisor Class | 6,584 | ||||
Trustees' fees and expenses | 10,610 | ||||
Other expenses | 110 | ||||
857,813 | |||||
Net investment income (loss) | 4,638,179 | ||||
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | |||||
Net realized gain (loss) on investment transactions | 391,892 | ||||
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments | (8,072,340) | ||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) | (7,680,448) | ||||
Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations | $ | (3,042,269) |
See Notes to Financial Statements.
11
Statement of Changes in Net Assets |
YEARS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 AND SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 | ||||||||
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets | September 30, 2021 | September 30, 2020 | ||||||
Operations | ||||||||
Net investment income (loss) | $ | 4,638,179 | $ | 4,564,942 | ||||
Net realized gain (loss) | 391,892 | 2,225,340 | ||||||
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | (8,072,340) | 3,473,802 | ||||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations | (3,042,269) | 10,264,084 | ||||||
Distributions to Shareholders | ||||||||
From earnings: | ||||||||
Investor Class | (5,882,218) | (4,995,232) | ||||||
Advisor Class | (93,044) | (56,711) | ||||||
Decrease in net assets from distributions | (5,975,262) | (5,051,943) | ||||||
Capital Share Transactions | ||||||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from capital share transactions (Note 5) | 11,277,374 | 10,185,127 | ||||||
Net increase (decrease) in net assets | 2,259,843 | 15,397,268 | ||||||
Net Assets | ||||||||
Beginning of period | 150,610,166 | 135,212,898 | ||||||
End of period | $ | 152,870,009 | $ | 150,610,166 |
See Notes to Financial Statements.
12
Notes to Financial Statements |
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
1. Organization
American Century Target Maturities Trust (the trust) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), as an open-end management investment company and is organized as a Massachusetts business trust. Zero Coupon 2025 Fund (the fund) is one fund in a series issued by the trust. The fund’s investment objective is to seek the highest return consistent with investment in U.S. Treasury securities. The fund is managed to mature in the year identified in its name and will be liquidated near the end of its maturity year. The fund offers the Investor Class and Advisor Class.
2. Significant Accounting Policies
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the fund in preparation of its financial statements. The fund is an investment company and follows accounting and reporting guidance in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. This may require management to make certain estimates and assumptions at the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Management evaluated the impact of events or transactions occurring through the date the financial statements were issued that would merit recognition or disclosure.
Investment Valuations — The fund determines the fair value of its investments and computes its net asset value (NAV) per share at the close of regular trading (usually 4 p.m. Eastern time) on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on each day the NYSE is open. The Board of Trustees has adopted valuation policies and procedures to guide the investment advisor in the fund’s investment valuation process and to provide methodologies for the oversight of the fund’s pricing function.
Fixed income securities are valued at the evaluated bid as provided by independent pricing services or at the most recent bid as provided by investment dealers. U.S. Treasury and Government Agency securities are valued using market models that consider trade data, quotations from dealers and active market makers, relevant yield curve and spread data, creditworthiness, trade data or market information on comparable securities, and other relevant security specific information.
Open-end management investment companies are valued at the reported NAV per share.
If the fund determines that the market price for an investment is not readily available or the valuation methods mentioned above do not reflect an investment’s fair value, such investment is valued as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees or its delegate, in accordance with policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. In its determination of fair value, the fund may review several factors including, but not limited to, market information regarding the specific investment or comparable investments and correlation with other investment types, futures indices or general market indicators. Circumstances that may cause the fund to use these procedures to value an investment include, but are not limited to: an investment has been declared in default or is distressed; trading in a security has been suspended during the trading day or a security is not actively trading on its principal exchange; prices received from a regular pricing source are deemed unreliable; or there is a foreign market holiday and no trading occurred.
The fund monitors for significant events occurring after the close of an investment’s primary exchange but before the fund’s NAV per share is determined. Significant events may include, but are not limited to: corporate announcements and transactions; governmental action and political unrest that could impact a specific investment or an investment sector; or armed conflicts, natural disasters and similar events that could affect investments in a specific country or region.
Security Transactions — Security transactions are accounted for as of the trade date. Net realized gains and losses are determined on the identified cost basis, which is also used for federal income tax purposes.
Investment Income — Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis and includes accretion of discounts.
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Income Tax Status — It is the fund’s policy to distribute substantially all net investment income and net realized gains to shareholders and to otherwise qualify as a regulated investment company under provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Accordingly, no provision has been made for income taxes. The fund files U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax returns as applicable. The fund's tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant taxing authority until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, which is generally three years from the date of filing but can be longer in certain jurisdictions. At this time, management believes there are no uncertain tax positions which, based on their technical merit, would not be sustained upon examination and for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits will significantly change in the next twelve months.
Multiple Class — All shares of the fund represent an equal pro rata interest in the net assets of the class to which such shares belong, and have identical voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights and the same terms and conditions, except for class specific expenses and exclusive rights to vote on matters affecting only individual classes. Income, non-class specific expenses, and realized and unrealized capital gains and losses of the fund are allocated to each class of shares based on their relative net assets.
Distributions to Shareholders — Distributions from net investment income and net realized gains, if any, are generally declared and paid annually. The fund may elect to treat a portion of its payment to a redeeming shareholder, which represents the pro rata share of undistributed net investment income and net realized gains, as a distribution for federal income tax purposes (tax equalization).
Reverse Share Splits — When the fund pays a distribution, the trustees declare a reverse share split that exactly offsets the per-share amount of the distribution. After taking into account the reverse share split, a shareholder reinvesting dividends and capital gain distributions will hold exactly the same number of shares owned prior to the distribution and reverse share split. A shareholder electing to receive dividends in cash will own fewer shares.
Indemnifications — Under the trust’s organizational documents, its officers and trustees are indemnified against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. In addition, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts that provide general indemnifications. The maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against a fund. The risk of material loss from such claims is considered by management to be remote.
3. Fees and Transactions with Related Parties
Certain officers and trustees of the trust are also officers and/or directors of American Century Companies, Inc. (ACC). The trust’s investment advisor, American Century Investment Management, Inc. (ACIM), the trust’s distributor, American Century Investment Services, Inc. (ACIS), and the trust’s transfer agent, American Century Services, LLC, are wholly owned, directly or indirectly, by ACC.
Management Fees — The trust has entered into a management agreement with ACIM, under which ACIM provides the fund with investment advisory and management services in exchange for a single, unified management fee (the fee) per class. The agreement provides that ACIM will pay all expenses of managing and operating the fund, except brokerage expenses, taxes, interest, fees and expenses of the independent trustees (including legal counsel fees), extraordinary expenses, and expenses incurred in connection with the provision of shareholder services and distribution services under a plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The fee is computed and accrued daily based on each class's daily net assets and paid monthly in arrears. The fee consists of (1) an Investment Category Fee based on the daily net assets of the fund and certain other accounts managed by the investment advisor that are in the same broad investment category as the fund and (2) a Complex Fee based on the assets of all the funds in the American Century Investments family of funds. The rates for the Investment Category Fee range from 0.2425% to 0.3600% and the rates for the Complex Fee range from 0.2500% to 0.3100%. The effective annual management fee for each class for the period ended September 30, 2021 was 0.54%.
Distribution and Service Fees — The Board of Trustees has adopted a separate Master Distribution and Individual Shareholder Services Plan for the Advisor Class (the plan), pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act. The plan provides that the Advisor Class will pay ACIS an annual distribution and service fee of 0.25%. The fees are computed and accrued daily based on the Advisor Class’s daily net assets and paid monthly in arrears. The fees are used to pay financial intermediaries for distribution and individual shareholder services. Fees incurred under the plan during the period ended September 30, 2021 are detailed in the Statement of Operations.
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Trustees’ Fees and Expenses — The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the investment advisor’s management and operations of the fund. The trustees receive detailed information about the fund and its investment advisor regularly throughout the year, and meet at least quarterly with management of the investment advisor to review reports about fund operations. The fund’s officers do not receive compensation from the fund.
Interfund Transactions — The fund may enter into security transactions with other American Century Investments funds and other client accounts of the investment advisor, in accordance with the 1940 Act rules and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The rules and procedures require, among other things, that these transactions be effected at the independent current market price of the security. There were no interfund transactions during the period.
4. Investment Transactions
Purchases and sales of investment securities, excluding short-term investments, for the period ended September 30, 2021 were $23,921,570 and $20,021,647, respectively, all of which are U.S. Treasury and Government Agency obligations.
5. Capital Share Transactions
Transactions in shares of the fund were as follows (unlimited number of shares authorized):
Year ended September 30, 2021 | Year ended September 30, 2020 | |||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | |||||||||||
Investor Class | ||||||||||||||
Sold | 505,028 | $ | 58,083,719 | 464,115 | $ | 52,771,996 | ||||||||
Issued in reinvestment of distributions | 51,078 | 5,678,196 | 47,457 | 4,885,238 | ||||||||||
Redeemed | (458,843) | (52,659,834) | (434,056) | (48,430,836) | ||||||||||
Reverse share split | (52,843) | — | (48,484) | — | ||||||||||
44,420 | 11,102,081 | 29,032 | 9,226,398 | |||||||||||
Advisor Class | ||||||||||||||
Sold | 6,729 | 732,103 | 15,679 | 1,688,992 | ||||||||||
Issued in reinvestment of distributions | 883 | 92,921 | 579 | 56,593 | ||||||||||
Redeemed | (5,988) | (649,731) | (7,405) | (786,856) | ||||||||||
Reverse share split | (884) | — | (581) | — | ||||||||||
740 | 175,293 | 8,272 | 958,729 | |||||||||||
Net increase (decrease) | 45,160 | $ | 11,277,374 | 37,304 | $ | 10,185,127 |
6. Fair Value Measurements
The fund’s investments valuation process is based on several considerations and may use multiple inputs to determine the fair value of the investments held by the fund. In conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, the inputs used to determine a valuation are classified into three broad levels.
•Level 1 valuation inputs consist of unadjusted quoted prices in an active market for identical investments.
•Level 2 valuation inputs consist of direct or indirect observable market data (including quoted prices for comparable investments, evaluations of subsequent market events, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.). These inputs also consist of quoted prices for identical investments initially expressed in local currencies that are adjusted through translation into U.S. dollars.
•Level 3 valuation inputs consist of unobservable data (including a fund’s own assumptions).
The level classification is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair valuation measurement. The valuation inputs are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in these securities or other financial instruments.
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The following is a summary of the level classifications as of period end. The Schedule of Investments provides additional information on the fund’s portfolio holdings.
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | |||||||||
Assets | |||||||||||
Investment Securities | |||||||||||
Zero-Coupon U.S. Treasury Securities and Equivalents | — | $ | 144,882,077 | — | |||||||
Zero-Coupon U.S. Government Agency Securities | — | 6,816,157 | — | ||||||||
Temporary Cash Investments | $ | 2,972 | 694,000 | — | |||||||
$ | 2,972 | $ | 152,392,234 | — |
7. Risk Factors
The value of the fund’s shares will go up and down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, based on the performance of the securities owned by the fund and other factors generally affecting the securities market. Market risks, including political, regulatory, economic and social developments, can affect the value of the fund’s investments. Natural disasters, public health emergencies, terrorism and other unforeseeable events may lead to increased market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on world economies and markets generally.
8. Federal Tax Information
The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020 were as follows:
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
Distributions Paid From | ||||||||
Ordinary income | $ | 4,156,072 | $ | 4,686,311 | ||||
Long-term capital gains | $ | 1,819,190 | $ | 365,632 |
The book-basis character of distributions made during the year from net investment income or net realized gains may differ from their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. These differences reflect the differing character of certain income items and net realized gains and losses for financial statement and tax purposes, and may result in reclassification among certain capital accounts on the financial statements.
As of period end, the federal tax cost of investments and the components of distributable earnings on a tax-basis were as follows:
Federal tax cost of investments | $ | 133,726,008 | |||
Gross tax appreciation of investments | $ | 18,800,467 | |||
Gross tax depreciation of investments | (131,269) | ||||
Net tax appreciation (depreciation) of investments | $ | 18,669,198 | |||
Undistributed ordinary income | $ | 3,158,717 | |||
Accumulated long-term gains | $ | 466,566 |
The difference between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales.
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Financial Highlights |
For a Share Outstanding Throughout the Years Ended September 30 (except as noted) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Per-Share Data | Ratios and Supplemental Data | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income From Investment Operations: | Distributions From: | Ratio to Average Net Assets of: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | Net Investment Income (Loss)(1) | Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) | Total From Investment Operations | Net Investment Income | Net Realized Gains | Total Distributions | Reverse Share Split | Net Asset Value, End of Period | Total Return(2) | Operating Expenses | Net Investment Income (Loss) | Portfolio Turnover Rate | Net Assets, End of Period (in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Investor Class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | $116.13 | 3.40 | (5.61) | (2.21) | (3.03) | (1.42) | (4.45) | 4.45 | $113.92 | (1.91)% | 0.54% | 2.96% | 13% | $150,321 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2020 | $107.31 | 3.78 | 5.04 | 8.82 | (3.71) | (0.45) | (4.16) | 4.16 | $116.13 | 8.23% | 0.55% | 3.38% | 19% | $148,086 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | $96.41 | 3.65 | 7.25 | 10.90 | (3.50) | (1.71) | (5.21) | 5.21 | $107.31 | 11.31% | 0.55% | 3.60% | 21% | $133,717 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2018 | $99.63 | 3.57 | (6.79) | (3.22) | (3.19) | (1.05) | (4.24) | 4.24 | $96.41 | (3.24)% | 0.55% | 3.66% | 15% | $120,676 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2017 | $101.92 | 3.28 | (5.57) | (2.29) | (3.25) | — | (3.25) | 3.25 | $99.63 | (2.25)% | 0.55% | 3.36% | 13% | $140,516 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Advisor Class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | $109.89 | 2.94 | (5.30) | (2.36) | (2.74) | (1.42) | (4.16) | 4.16 | $107.53 | (2.15)% | 0.79% | 2.71% | 13% | $2,549 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2020 | $101.79 | 3.30 | 4.80 | 8.10 | (3.44) | (0.45) | (3.89) | 3.89 | $109.89 | 7.96% | 0.80% | 3.13% | 19% | $2,524 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | $91.68 | 3.23 | 6.88 | 10.11 | (3.26) | (1.71) | (4.97) | 4.97 | $101.79 | 11.03% | 0.80% | 3.35% | 21% | $1,496 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2018 | $94.98 | 3.17 | (6.47) | (3.30) | (2.94) | (1.05) | (3.99) | 3.99 | $91.68 | (3.48)% | 0.80% | 3.41% | 15% | $1,297 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2017 | $97.41 | 2.90 | (5.33) | (2.43) | (3.01) | — | (3.01) | 3.01 | $94.98 | (2.49)% | 0.80% | 3.11% | 13% | $1,604 |
Notes to Financial Highlights |
(1)Computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.
(2)Total returns are calculated based on the net asset value of the last business day. Total returns for periods less than one year are not annualized.
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
To the Board of Trustees of American Century Target Maturities Trust and Shareholders of Zero Coupon 2025 Fund:
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of Zero Coupon 2025 Fund (the “Fund”) as of September 30, 2021, the related statement of operations for the year ended September 30, 2021, the statement of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period ended September 30, 2021, including the related notes, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period ended September 30, 2021 (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2021, 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 ended September 30, 2021 and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period ended September 30, 2021 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements 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 of these financial statements 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 are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, 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. 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. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of September 30, 2021 by correspondence with the custodian. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Kansas City, Missouri
November 16, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more investment companies in American Century Investments since 1997.
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Management |
Board of Trustees
The individuals listed below serve as trustees of the funds. Each trustee will continue to serve in this capacity until death, retirement, resignation or removal from office. The board has adopted a mandatory retirement age for trustees who are not “interested persons,” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act (independent trustees). Independent trustees shall retire on December 31 of the year in which they reach their 75th birthday; provided, however, that on or after January 1, 2022, independent trustees shall retire on December 31 of the year in which they reach their 76th birthday.
Mr. Thomas is an “interested person” because he currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of American Century Companies, Inc. (ACC), the parent company of American Century Investment Management, Inc. (ACIM or the advisor). The other trustees (more than three-fourths of the total number) are independent. They are not employees, directors or officers of, and have no financial interest in, ACC or any of its wholly owned, direct or indirect, subsidiaries, including ACIM, American Century Investment Services, Inc. (ACIS) and American Century Services, LLC (ACS), and they do not have any other affiliations, positions or relationships that would cause them to be considered “interested persons” under the Investment Company Act. The trustees serve in this capacity for eight (in the case of Jonathan S. Thomas, 16; and Ronald J. Gilson, 9) registered investment companies in the American Century Investments family of funds.
The following table presents additional information about the trustees. The mailing address for each trustee other than Mr. Thomas is 1665 Charleston Road, Mountain View, California 94043. The mailing address for Mr. Thomas is 4500 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111.
Name (Year of Birth) | Position(s) Held with Funds | Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number of American Century Portfolios Overseen by Trustee | Other Directorships Held During Past 5 Years | ||||||||||||
Independent Trustees | |||||||||||||||||
Tanya S. Beder (1955) | Trustee | Since 2011 | Chairman and CEO, SBCC Group Inc. (independent advisory services) (2006 to present) | 38 | Kirby Corporation; Nabors Industries Ltd.; CYS Investments, Inc. (2012-2017) | ||||||||||||
Jeremy I. Bulow (1954) | Trustee | Since 2011 | Professor of Economics, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business (1979 to present) | 38 | None | ||||||||||||
Jennifer Cabalquinto (1968) | Trustee | Since 2021 | Special Advisor, GSW Sports, LLC (2020 to Present); Chief Financial Officer, GSW Sports, LLC (2013 to 2020) | 38 | None | ||||||||||||
Anne Casscells (1958) | Trustee | Since 2016 | Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, Aetos Alternatives Management (investment advisory firm) (2001 to present); Lecturer in Accounting, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business (2009 to 2017) | 38 | None | ||||||||||||
Ronald J. Gilson (1946) | Trustee and Chairman of the Board | Since 1995 (Chairman since 2005) | Charles J. Meyers Professor of Law and Business, Emeritus, Stanford Law School (1979 to 2016); Marc and Eva Stern Professor of Law and Business, Columbia University School of Law (1992 to present) | 73 | None |
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Name (Year of Birth) | Position(s) Held with Funds | Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number of American Century Portfolios Overseen by Trustee | Other Directorships Held During Past 5 Years | ||||||||||||
Independent Trustees | |||||||||||||||||
Frederick L. A. Grauer (1946) | Trustee | Since 2008 | Senior Advisor, Credit Sesame, Inc. (credit monitoring firm) (2018 to present); Senior Advisor, Course Hero (an educational technology company) (2015 to present) | 38 | None | ||||||||||||
Jonathan D. Levin (1972) | Trustee | Since 2016 | Philip H. Knight Professor and Dean, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University (2016 to present); Professor, Stanford University, (2000 to present) | 38 | None | ||||||||||||
Peter F. Pervere (1947) | Trustee | Since 2007 | Retired | 38 | None | ||||||||||||
John B. Shoven (1947) | Trustee | Since 2002 | Charles R. Schwab Professor of Economics, Stanford University (1973 to present, emeritus since 2019) | 38 | Cadence Design Systems; Exponent; Financial Engines | ||||||||||||
Interested Trustee | |||||||||||||||||
Jonathan S. Thomas (1963) | Trustee | Since 2007 | President and Chief Executive Officer, ACC (2007 to present). Also serves as Chief Executive Officer, ACS; Director, ACC and other ACC subsidiaries | 145 | None |
The Statement of Additional Information has additional information about the fund's trustees and is available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-345-2021.
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Officers
The following table presents certain information about the executive officers of the funds. Each officer serves as an officer for 16 (in the case of Robert J. Leach, 15) investment companies in the American Century family of funds. No officer is compensated for his or her service as an officer of the funds. The listed officers are interested persons of the funds and are appointed or re-appointed on an annual basis. The mailing address for each of the officers listed below is 4500 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111.
Name (Year of Birth) | Offices with the Funds | Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years | ||||||
Patrick Bannigan (1965) | President since 2019 | Executive Vice President and Director, ACC (2012 to present); Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer, ACC (2015 to present). Also serves as President, ACS; Vice President, ACIM; Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and/or Director, ACIM, ACS and other ACC subsidiaries | ||||||
R. Wes Campbell (1974) | Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since 2018 | Vice President, ACS, (2020 to present); Investment Operations and Investment Accounting, ACS (2000 to present) | ||||||
Amy D. Shelton (1964) | Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President since 2014 | Chief Compliance Officer, American Century funds, (2014 to present); Chief Compliance Officer, ACIM (2014 to present); Chief Compliance Officer, ACIS (2009 to present). Also serves as Vice President, ACIS | ||||||
Jon Pak (1968) | General Counsel and Vice President since 2021 | General Counsel and Senior Vice President, ACC (2021 to present); Also serves as General Counsel and Senior Vice President, ACIM, ACS and ACIS. Chief Legal Officer of Investment and Wealth Management, The Bank of New York Mellon (2014 to 2021) | ||||||
C. Jean Wade (1964) | Vice President since 2012 | Senior Vice President, ACS (2017 to present); Vice President, ACS (2000 to 2017) | ||||||
Robert J. Leach (1966) | Vice President since 2006 | Vice President, ACS (2000 to present) | ||||||
David H. Reinmiller (1963) | Vice President since 2000 | Attorney, ACC (1994 to present). Also serves as Vice President, ACIM and ACS | ||||||
Ward D. Stauffer (1960) | Secretary since 2005 | Attorney, ACC (2003 to present) |
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Approval of Management Agreement |
At a meeting held on June 16, 2021, the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the "Board") unanimously approved the renewal of the management agreement pursuant to which American Century Investment Management, Inc. (the “Advisor”) acts as the investment advisor for the Fund. Under Section 15(c) of the Investment Company Act, contracts for investment advisory services are required to be reviewed, evaluated, and approved by a majority of a fund’s Trustees, including a majority of the independent Trustees, each year. The Board regards this annual evaluation and renewal as one of its most important responsibilities.
The independent Trustees have memorialized a statement regarding the relationship between their ongoing obligations to oversee and evaluate the performance of the Advisor and their annual consideration of renewal of the management agreement. In that statement, the independent Trustees noted that their assessment of the Advisor’s performance is an ongoing process that takes place over the entire year and is informed by all of the extensive information that the Board and its committees receive and consider over time. This information, together with the additional materials provided specifically in connection with the review, are central to the Board’s assessment of the Advisor’s performance and its determination whether to renew the Fund’s management agreement.
Prior to its consideration of the renewal of the management agreement, the Board requested and reviewed extensive data and analysis relating to the proposed renewal. This information and analysis was compiled by the Advisor and certain independent providers of evaluation data concerning the Fund and the services provided to the Fund by the Advisor.
In connection with its consideration of the renewal of the management agreement, the Board’s review and evaluation of the services provided by the Advisor and its affiliates included, but was not limited to, the following:
•the nature, extent, and quality of investment management, shareholder services, and other services provided and to be provided to the Fund including without limitation portfolio management and trading services, shareholder and intermediary service levels and quality, compliance and legal services, fund accounting and financial reporting, and fund share distribution;
•the wide range of other programs and services provided and to be provided by the Advisor and its affiliates to the Fund and its shareholders on a routine and non-routine basis;
•the Fund’s investment performance, including data comparing the Fund’s performance to appropriate benchmarks and/or a peer group of other mutual funds with similar investment objectives and strategies;
•the cost of owning the Fund compared to the cost of owning similar funds;
•the compliance policies, procedures, and regulatory experience of the Advisor and its affiliates and certain other Fund service providers;
•financial data showing the cost of services provided by the Advisor and its affiliates to the Fund, the profitability of the Fund to the Advisor, and the overall profitability of the Advisor;
•the Advisor’s strategic plans, COVID-19 pandemic response, vendor management practices, and social justice initiatives;
•the Advisor’s business continuity plans and cyber security practices;
•any economies of scale associated with the Advisor’s management of the Fund;
•services provided and charges to the Advisor’s other investment management clients;
•fees and expenses associated with any investment by the Fund in other funds;
•payments and practices in connection with financial intermediaries holding shares of the Fund on behalf of their clients and the services provided by intermediaries in connection therewith; and
•any collateral benefits derived by the Advisor from the management of the Fund.
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In keeping with its practice, the Board held two meetings and the independent Trustees met in private session to discuss the renewal and to review and discuss the information provided in response to their request. The Board held active discussions with the Advisor regarding the renewal of the management agreement. The independent Trustees had the benefit of the advice of their independent counsel throughout the process.
Factors Considered
The Trustees considered all of the information provided by the Advisor, the independent data providers, and the independent Trustees’ independent counsel in connection with the approval. They determined that the information was sufficient for them to evaluate the management agreement for the Fund. In connection with their review, the Trustees did not identify any single factor as being all-important or controlling and each Trustee may have attributed different levels of importance to different factors. In deciding to renew the management agreement, the Board based its decision on a number of factors, including the following:
Nature, Extent and Quality of Services — Generally. Under the management agreement, the Advisor is responsible for providing or arranging for all services necessary for the operation of the Fund. The Board noted that the Advisor provides or arranges at its own expense a wide variety of services including:
•constructing and designing the Fund
•portfolio research and security selection
•initial capitalization/funding
•securities trading
•Fund administration
•custody of Fund assets
•daily valuation of the Fund’s portfolio
•shareholder servicing and transfer agency, including shareholder confirmations, recordkeeping, and communications
•legal services (except the independent Trustees’ counsel)
•regulatory and portfolio compliance
•financial reporting
•marketing and distribution (except amounts paid by the Fund under Rule 12b-1 plans)
The Board noted that many of these services have expanded over time in terms of both quantity and complexity in response to shareholder demands, competition in the industry, changing distribution channels, and the changing regulatory environment.
Investment Management Services. The nature of the investment management services provided to the Fund is quite complex and allows Fund shareholders access to professional money management, instant diversification of their investments within an asset class, the opportunity to easily diversify among asset classes by investing in or exchanging among various American Century Investments funds, and liquidity. In evaluating investment performance, the Board expects the Advisor to manage the Fund in accordance with its investment objectives and approved strategies. Further, the Trustees recognize that the Advisor has an obligation to seek the best execution of fund trades. In providing these services, the Advisor utilizes teams of investment professionals (portfolio managers, analysts, research assistants, and securities traders) who require extensive information technology, research, training, compliance, and other systems to conduct their business. The Board, directly and through its Portfolio Committee, regularly reviews investment performance information for the Fund, together with comparative information for appropriate benchmarks and/or peer groups of similarly-managed funds, over different time horizons. The Trustees also review investment performance information during the management agreement renewal process. If performance concerns are identified, the Fund receives special reviews until performance improves, during which the Board discusses with the Advisor the reasons for such results (e.g., market conditions, security selection) and any efforts being undertaken to improve performance. The Fund’s performance was above its benchmark for the
23
one-, five-, and ten-year periods and at its benchmark for the three-year period reviewed by the Board. The Board found the investment management services provided by the Advisor to the Fund to be satisfactory and consistent with the management agreement.
Shareholder and Other Services. Under the management agreement, the Advisor, either directly or through affiliates or third parties, provides the Fund with a comprehensive package of transfer agency, shareholder, and other services. The Board, directly and through its various committees, regularly reviews reports and evaluations of such services at its regular meetings. These reports include, but are not limited to, information regarding the operational efficiency and accuracy of the shareholder and transfer agency services provided, staffing levels, shareholder satisfaction, technology support (including cyber security), new products and services offered to Fund shareholders, securities trading activities, portfolio valuation services, auditing services, and legal and operational compliance activities. The Board found the services provided by the Advisor to the Fund under the management agreement to be competitive and of high quality.
Costs of Services and Profitability. The Advisor provides detailed information concerning its cost of providing various services to the Fund, its profitability in managing the Fund, its overall profitability, and its financial condition. The Trustees have reviewed with the Advisor the methodology used to prepare this financial information. This information is considered in evaluating the Advisor’s financial condition, its ability to continue to provide services under the management agreement, and the reasonableness of the current management fee. The Board concluded that the Advisor’s profits were reasonable in light of the services provided to the Fund.
Ethics. The Board generally considers the Advisor’s commitment to providing quality services to shareholders and to conducting its business ethically. They noted that the Advisor’s practices generally meet or exceed industry best practices.
Economies of Scale. The Board also reviewed information provided by the Advisor regarding the possible existence of economies of scale in connection with the management of the Fund. The Board concluded that economies of scale are difficult to measure and predict with precision, especially on a fund-by-fund basis. The Board concluded that the Advisor is appropriately sharing economies of scale, to the extent they exist, through its competitive fee structure, offering competitive fees from fund inception, and through reinvestment in its business, infrastructure, investment capabilities and initiatives to provide shareholders enhanced and expanded services.
Comparison to Other Funds’ Fees. The management agreement provides that the Fund pays the Advisor a single, all-inclusive (or unified) management fee for providing all services necessary for the management and operation of the Fund, other than brokerage expenses, expenses attributable to short sales, taxes, interest, extraordinary expenses, fees and expenses of the Fund’s independent Trustees (including their independent legal counsel), and expenses incurred in connection with the provision of shareholder services and distribution services under a plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act. Under this unified fee structure, the Advisor is responsible for providing all investment advisory, custody, audit, administrative, compliance, recordkeeping, marketing, and shareholder services, or arranging and supervising third parties to provide such services. By contrast, most other funds are charged a variety of fees, including an investment advisory fee, a transfer agency fee, an administrative fee, and other expenses. Other than their investment advisory fees and any applicable Rule 12b-1 distribution fees, all other components of the total fees charged by these other funds may be increased without shareholder approval. The Board believes the unified fee structure is a benefit to Fund shareholders because it clearly discloses to shareholders the cost of owning Fund shares, and, since the unified fee cannot be increased without a vote of Fund shareholders, it shifts to the Advisor the risk of increased costs of operating the Fund and provides a direct incentive to minimize administrative inefficiencies. Part of the Board’s analysis of fee levels involves reviewing certain evaluative data compiled by an independent provider and comparing the Fund’s unified fee to the total expense ratio of peer funds. The unified fee charged to shareholders of the Fund was below the median of the total expense ratios of the Fund’s peer universe. The Board concluded
24
that the management fee paid by the Fund to the Advisor under the management agreement is reasonable in light of the services provided to the Fund.
Comparison to Fees and Services Provided to Other Clients of the Advisor. The Board also requested and received information from the Advisor concerning the nature of the services, fees, costs, and profitability of its advisory services to advisory clients other than the Fund. They observed that these varying types of client accounts require different services and involve different regulatory and entrepreneurial risks than the management of the Fund. The Board analyzed this information and concluded that the fees charged and services provided to the Fund were reasonable by comparison.
Payments to Intermediaries. The Trustees also requested and received a description of payments made to intermediaries by the Fund and the Advisor and services provided by intermediaries. These payments include various payments made by the Fund or the Advisor to different types of intermediaries and recordkeepers for distribution and service activities provided with respect to the Fund. The Trustees reviewed such information and received representations from the Advisor that all such payments by the Fund were made pursuant to the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 Plan and that all such payments by the Advisor were made from the Advisor’s resources and reasonable profits. The Board found such payments to be reasonable in scope and purpose.
Collateral or “Fall-Out” Benefits Derived by the Advisor. The Board considered the possible existence of collateral benefits the Advisor may receive as a result of its relationship with the Fund. The Board noted that the Advisor’s primary business is managing funds and it generally does not use fund or shareholder information to generate profits in other lines of business, and therefore does not derive any significant collateral benefits from them. The Board noted that the Advisor may receive proprietary research from broker-dealers that execute fund portfolio transactions. The Board also determined that the Advisor is able to provide investment management services to certain clients other than the Fund, at least in part, due to its existing infrastructure built to serve the fund complex. The Board noted that the assets of those other accounts are, where applicable, included with the assets of the Fund to determine breakpoints in the management fee schedule.
Existing Relationship. The Board also considered whether there was any reason for not continuing the existing arrangement with the Advisor. In this regard, the Board was mindful of the potential disruptions of the Fund’s operations and various risks, uncertainties, and other effects that could occur as a result of a decision not to continue such relationship. In particular, the Board recognized that most shareholders have invested in the Fund on the strength of the Advisor’s industry standing and reputation and in the expectation that the Advisor will have a continuing role in providing advisory services to the Fund.
Conclusion of the Trustees. As a result of this process, the Board, including all of the independent Trustees and assisted by the advice of independent legal counsel, taking into account all of the factors discussed above and the information provided by the Advisor and others in connection with its review and throughout the year, concluded that the management agreement between the Fund and the Advisor is fair and reasonable in light of the services provided and should be renewed.
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Additional Information |
Retirement Account Information
As required by law, distributions you receive from certain retirement accounts are subject to federal income tax withholding, unless you elect not to have withholding apply*. Tax will be withheld on the total amount withdrawn even though you may be receiving amounts that are not subject to withholding, such as nondeductible contributions. In such case, excess amounts of withholding could occur. You may adjust your withholding election so that a greater or lesser amount will be withheld.
If you don’t want us to withhold on this amount, you must notify us to not withhold the federal income tax. You may notify us in writing or in certain situations by telephone or through other electronic means. For systematic withdrawals, your withholding election will remain in effect until revoked or changed by filing a new election. You have the right to revoke your election at any time and change your withholding percentage for future distributions.
Remember, even if you elect not to have income tax withheld, you are liable for paying income tax on the taxable portion of your withdrawal. If you elect not to have income tax withheld or you don’t have enough income tax withheld, you may be responsible for payment of estimated tax. You may incur penalties under the estimated tax rules if your withholding and estimated tax payments are not sufficient. You can reduce or defer the income tax on a distribution by directly or indirectly rolling such distribution over to another IRA or eligible plan. You should consult your tax advisor for additional information.
State tax will be withheld if, at the time of your distribution, your address is within one of the mandatory withholding states and you have federal income tax withheld (or as otherwise required by state law). State taxes will be withheld from your distribution in accordance with the respective state rules.
*Some 403(b), 457 and qualified retirement plan distributions may be subject to 20% mandatory withholding, as they are subject to special tax and withholding rules. Your plan administrator or plan sponsor is required to provide you with a special tax notice explaining those rules at the time you request a distribution. If applicable, federal and/or state taxes may be withheld from your distribution amount.
Proxy Voting Policies
Descriptions of the principles and policies that the fund's investment advisor uses in exercising the voting rights associated with the securities purchased and/or held by the fund are available without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-345-2021 or visiting American Century Investments’ website at americancentury.com/proxy. A description of the policies is also available on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at sec.gov. Information regarding how the investment advisor voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on americancentury.com/proxy. It is also available at sec.gov.
Quarterly Portfolio Disclosure
The fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. These portfolio holdings are available on the fund's website at americancentury.com and, upon request, by calling 1-800-345-2021. The fund’s Form N-PORT reports are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov.
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Other Tax Information
The following information is provided pursuant to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
The fund hereby designates $92,919 as qualified short-term capital gain distributions for purposes of Internal Revenue Code Section 871 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021.
The fund hereby designates $1,854,741, or up to the maximum amount allowable, as long-term capital gain distributions (20% rate gain distributions) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021.
The fund utilized earnings and profits of $363,932 distributed to shareholders on redemption of shares as part of the dividends paid deduction (tax equalization).
Change in Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
On September 24, 2021, the fund’s Audit and Compliance Committee and Board of Trustees approved a change to the fund’s independent registered public accountant. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was dismissed and Deloitte & Touche LLP was appointed as the independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022.
During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2021, there were no disagreements with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to their satisfaction would have caused them to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements in connection with their reports or reportable events, as such term is described in Item 304(a)(1) of Regulation S-K of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The audit reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP on the financial statements of the fund for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2021, did not contain any adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.
During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2021, neither the fund, nor anyone on its behalf, consulted with Deloitte & Touche LLP, on behalf of the fund, regarding the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction (either completed or proposed), the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the fund’s financial statements, or any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement or a reportable event, as such terms are described in Item 304(a)(1) of Regulation S-K of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
The fund requested that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP furnish it with a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission stating whether PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP agrees with the statements contained above. A copy of the letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to the Securities and Exchange Commission is filed as an exhibit hereto.
27
Notes |
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Contact Us | americancentury.com | |||||||
Automated Information Line | 1-800-345-8765 | |||||||
Investor Services Representative | 1-800-345-2021 or 816-531-5575 | |||||||
Investors Using Advisors | 1-800-378-9878 | |||||||
Business, Not-For-Profit, Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans | 1-800-345-3533 | |||||||
Banks and Trust Companies, Broker-Dealers, Financial Professionals, Insurance Companies | 1-800-345-6488 | |||||||
Telecommunications Relay Service for the Deaf | 711 | |||||||
American Century Target Maturities Trust | ||||||||
Investment Advisor: American Century Investment Management, Inc. Kansas City, Missouri | ||||||||
This report and the statements it contains are submitted for the general information of our shareholders. The report is not authorized for distribution to prospective investors unless preceded or accompanied by an effective prospectus. | ||||||||
©2021 American Century Proprietary Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. CL-ANN-90823 2111 |
(b) None.
ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS.
(a) The registrant has adopted a Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers that applies to the registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, and persons performing similar functions.
(b) No response required.
(c) None.
(d) None.
(e) Not applicable.
(f) The registrant’s Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers was filed as Exhibit 12 (a)(1) to American Century Asset Allocation Portfolios, Inc.’s Annual Certified Shareholder Report on Form N-CSR, File No. 811-21591, on September 29, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.
(a)(1) The registrant's board has determined that the registrant has at least one audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee.
(a)(2) Tanya S. Beder, Jennifer Cabalquinto, Anne Casscells, Peter F. Pervere and Ronald J. Gilson are the registrant's designated audit committee financial experts. They are "independent" as defined in Item 3 of Form N-CSR.
(a)(3) Not applicable.
(b) No response required.
(c) No response required.
(d) No response required.
ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
(a) Audit Fees.
The aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the audit of the registrant’s annual financial statements or services that are normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for those fiscal years were as follows:
FY 2020: $26,870
FY 2021: $25,776
(b) Audit-Related Fees.
The aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for assurance and related services by the principal accountant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the registrant’s financial statements and are not reported under paragraph (a) of this Item were as follows:
For services rendered to the registrant:
FY 2020: $0
FY 2021: $0
Fees required to be approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X (relating to certain engagements for non-audit services with the registrant’s investment adviser and its affiliates):
FY 2020: $0
FY 2021: $0
(c) Tax Fees.
The aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning were as follows:
For services rendered to the registrant:
FY 2020: $0
FY 2021: $0
Fees required to be approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X (relating to certain engagements for non-audit services with the registrant’s investment adviser and its affiliates):
FY 2020: $0
FY 2021: $0
(d) All Other Fees.
The aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for products and services provided by the principal accountant, other than the services reported in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Item were as follows:
For services rendered to the registrant:
FY 2020: $0
FY 2021: $0
Fees required to be approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X (relating to certain engagements for non-audit services with the registrant’s investment adviser and its affiliates):
FY 2020: $0
FY 2021: $0
(e)(1) In accordance with paragraph (c)(7)(i)(A) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X, before the accountant is engaged by the registrant to render audit or non-audit services, the engagement is approved by the registrant’s audit committee. Pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X, the registrant’s audit committee also pre-approves its accountant’s engagements for non-audit services with the registrant’s investment adviser, its parent company, and any
entity controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant, if the engagement relates directly to the operations and financial reporting of the registrant.
(e)(2) All services described in each of paragraphs (b) through (d) of this Item were pre-approved before the engagement by the registrant’s audit committee pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(A) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X. Consequently, none of such services were required to be approved by the audit committee pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C).
(f) The percentage of hours expended on the principal accountant’s engagement to audit the registrant’s financial statements for the most recent fiscal year that were attributed to work performed by persons other than the principal accountant’s full-time, permanent employees was less than 50%.
(g) The aggregate non-audit fees billed by the registrant’s accountant for services rendered to the registrant, and rendered to the registrant’s investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant for each of the last two fiscal years of the registrant were as follows:
FY 2020: $161,100
FY 2021: $140,900
(h) The registrant’s investment adviser and accountant have notified the registrant’s audit committee of all non-audit services that were rendered by the registrant’s accountant to the registrant’s investment adviser, its parent company, and any entity controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides services to the registrant, which services were not required to be pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X. The notification provided to the registrant’s audit committee included sufficient details regarding such services to allow the registrant’s audit committee to consider the continuing independence of its principal accountant.
ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS.
Not applicable.
ITEM 6. INVESTMENTS.
(a) The schedule of investments is included as part of the report to stockholders filed under Item 1 of this Form.
(b) Not applicable.
ITEM 7. DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
Not applicable.
ITEM 8. PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
Not applicable.
ITEM 9. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS.
Not applicable.
ITEM 10. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.
During the reporting period, there were no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s board.
ITEM 11. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
(a) The registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) are effective based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report.
(b) There were no changes in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 12. DISCLOSURE OF SECURITIES LENDING ACTIVITIES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
Not applicable.
ITEM 13. EXHIBITS.
(a)(1) Registrant’s Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers, which is the subject of the disclosure required by Item 2 of Form N-CSR, was filed as Exhibit 12(a)(1) to American Century Asset Allocation Portfolios, Inc.’s Certified Shareholder Report on Form N-CSR, File No. 811-21591, on September 29, 2005.
(a)(2) Separate certifications by the registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, are filed and attached hereto as EX-99.CERT.
(a)(3) Not applicable.
(a)(4)(ii) Letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
(b) A certification by the registrant’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, is furnished and attached hereto as EX-99.906CERT.
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: | American Century Target Maturities Trust | ||||||||||
By: | /s/ Patrick Bannigan | ||||||||||
Name: | Patrick Bannigan | ||||||||||
Title: | President | ||||||||||
Date: | November 23, 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: | /s/ Patrick Bannigan | |||||||
Name: | Patrick Bannigan | |||||||
Title: | President | |||||||
(principal executive officer) | ||||||||
Date: | November 23, 2021 |
By: | /s/ R. Wes Campbell | |||||||
Name: | R. Wes Campbell | |||||||
Title: | Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer | |||||||
(principal financial officer) | ||||||||
Date: | November 23, 2021 |