Summary Prospectus 

May 1, 2025

 

  T. ROWE PRICE
  Tax-Free High Yield Fund

PRFHX 

PTYIX 

PATFX

 

 

 

 

 

Investor Class 

I Class 

Advisor Class 

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the fund and its risks. You can find the fund’s prospectus, shareholder reports, and other information about the fund online at troweprice.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-638-5660, by sending an e-mail request to info@troweprice.com, or by contacting your financial intermediary. This Summary Prospectus incorporates by reference the fund’s prospectus, dated May 1, 2025, as amended or supplemented, and Statement of Additional Information, dated May 1, 2025, as amended or supplemented.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
     

 

 

SUMMARY 1

 

 

Investment Objective(s) 

The fund seeks to provide a high level of income exempt from federal income taxes by investing primarily in long-term low- to upper-medium-grade municipal securities.

 

Fees and Expenses 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund. You may also incur brokerage commissions and other charges when buying or selling shares of the fund, which are not reflected in the table or example below.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund              
  Investor
Class
I
Class
Advisor
Class
 
Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)  
Maximum account fee $20 a       
Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)
 
Management fees  0.45 %b   0.45 %b   0.45 %b   
                 
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees   —     —    0.25    
                 
Other expenses  0.18    0.05    0.27    
                 
Total annual fund operating expenses  0.63 b   0.50 b   0.97 b   
                 

a Subject to certain exceptions and account minimums, accounts are charged an annual $20 fee.
b Restated to reflect current fees.

 

Example This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods, that your investment has a 5% return each year, and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example also assumes that any current expense limitation arrangement remains in place for the period noted in the previous table; therefore, the figures have been adjusted to reflect fee waivers or expense reimbursements only in the periods for which the expense limitation arrangement is expected to continue. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  1 Year     3 Years     5 Years     10 Years  
 Investor Class $ 64 $ 202 $ 351 $ 786  
 I Class   51   160   280   628  
 Advisor Class   99   309   536   1,190  
                   

Portfolio Turnover The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 14.2% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

 

 

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Investments, Risks, and Performance 

Principal Investment Strategies 

Normally, at least 80% of the fund’s income will be exempt from federal income taxes. However, up to 20% of the fund’s income could be derived from securities subject to the alternative minimum tax. Any derivatives that provide exposure to the investment focus suggested by the fund’s name, or to one or more market risk factors associated with the investment focus suggested by the fund’s name, are counted (as applicable) toward compliance with the fund’s 80% investment policy.

 

Although the fund may purchase securities of any maturity, the fund invests primarily in longer-term municipal securities. The fund generally seeks higher-yielding municipal bonds, including those that are rated below investment grade (BB and lower, or an equivalent rating) by a credit rating agency or by T. Rowe Price, known as “junk” bonds.

 

T. Rowe Price’s active investment management approach emphasizes the value of in-depth fundamental credit research, diversification, and risk management practices. By using fundamental research, T. Rowe Price seeks to select investments for the fund’s portfolio based on its outlook for the different sectors of the tax-free municipal market (for example, T. Rowe Price may emphasize revenue bonds instead of state and local general obligation debt) and specific issuers or securities. The goal of this approach is to seek higher yields while taking a risk-conscious approach. Risk management practices include managing the fund’s duration (which is a measurement of the price sensitivity of a bond or bond fund to changes in interest rates), while also focusing on striking a balance between (i) investing more heavily in certain sectors or issuers and (ii) diversifying the fund’s investments across the broader municipal market.

 

From time to time, the fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in sectors with special risks, such as health care, transportation, utilities, or private activity bonds.

 

Principal Risks 

As with any fund, there is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective(s). The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund. The principal risks of investing in this fund, which may be even greater in bad or uncertain market conditions, are summarized as follows:

 

Municipal securities: The fund may be highly impacted by events tied to the overall municipal securities markets, which can be very volatile and significantly affected by unfavorable legislative or political developments and adverse changes in the financial conditions of municipal securities issuers and the global, national, and/or local economies. Income from municipal securities held by the fund could become taxable because of changes in tax laws or interpretations by taxing authorities, or noncompliant conduct of a state or municipality. Other changes in tax laws, including changes to individual or corporate tax rates, could alter the attractiveness and overall demand for municipal bonds.

 

 

 

SUMMARY 3

 

 

Certain sectors of the municipal bond market have special risks and could be affected by certain developments more significantly than the market as a whole. For example: health care can be negatively impacted by rising expenses and dependency on third party reimbursements; transportation can be negatively impacted by declining revenues or unexpectedly high construction or fuel costs; utilities are subject to governmental rate regulation; and private activity bonds (including industrial development bonds) rely on project revenues and the creditworthiness of the corporate user as opposed to governmental support. Investing significantly in municipal obligations backed by revenues of similar types of industries or projects may make the fund more susceptible to developments affecting those industries and projects. If the fund invests a substantial amount of its assets in issuers located in a single region, state, or city, there is an increased risk that environmental, economic, political, and social conditions in those regions will have a significant impact on the fund’s investment performance.

 

Market conditions: The value of the fund’s investments may decrease, sometimes rapidly or unexpectedly, due to factors affecting an issuer held by the fund, particular industries, or the overall securities markets. A variety of factors can increase the volatility of the fund’s holdings and markets generally, including geopolitical developments (such as trading and tariff arrangements, sanctions, and cybersecurity attacks), recessions, inflation, rapid interest rate changes, war, military conflict, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, and outbreaks of infectious illnesses or other widespread public health issues (such as the coronavirus pandemic) and related governmental and public responses. Certain events may cause instability across global markets, including reduced liquidity and disruptions in trading markets, while some events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Government intervention in markets may impact interest rates, market volatility, and security pricing. These adverse developments may cause broad declines in market value due to short-term market movements or for significantly longer periods during more prolonged market downturns.

 

Credit quality: An issuer of a debt instrument could suffer an adverse change in financial condition that results in a payment default (failure to make scheduled interest or principal payments), rating downgrade, or inability to meet a financial obligation. Securities that are rated below investment grade carry greater risk of default and should be considered speculative. Economic downturns often result in reduced levels of taxes collected and revenues earned by municipalities and insufficient funding to meet pension or health care obligations, which could lessen the overall financial strength of a municipality and increase the credit risk of the securities it issues. The fund’s credit risk is increased to the extent it invests in securities that are not backed by the taxing power of the municipal issuer.

 

Junk investing: Investments in bonds that are rated below investment grade, commonly referred to as junk bonds, expose the fund to greater volatility and credit risk than investments in bonds that are rated investment grade. As a result, bonds rated below investment grade carry a higher risk of default and should be considered speculative.

 

Interest rates: A rise in interest rates typically causes the price of a fixed rate debt instrument to fall and its yield to rise. Conversely, a decline in interest rates typically causes the price of a fixed rate debt instrument to rise and the yield to fall. The prices and yields of inflation-linked bonds

 

 

 

T. ROWE PRICE 4

 

are directly impacted by the rate of inflation as well as changes in interest rates. Generally, funds with longer weighted average maturities and durations carry greater interest rate risk. Changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or governments are likely to affect the interest rates or yields of the securities in which the fund invests.

 

Callable bonds: While a rise in interest rates is the principal source of interest rate risk for bond funds, falling rates bring the possibility that a bond may be “called,” or redeemed before maturity, and that the proceeds may need to be reinvested in lower-yielding securities.

 

Alternative minimum tax: Although the fund seeks to distribute tax-exempt income, a portion of the fund’s otherwise tax-exempt dividends may be taxable to those shareholders subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.

 

Liquidity: The fund may not be able to sell a holding in a timely manner at a desired price. Reduced liquidity in the bond markets can result from a number of events, such as limited trading activity, reductions in bond inventory, and rapid or unexpected changes in interest rates. The secondary market for certain municipal bonds tends to be less developed and less liquid than many other bond markets. Less liquid markets could lead to greater price volatility and limit the fund’s ability to sell a holding at a suitable price.

 

Active management: The fund’s overall investment program and holdings selected by the fund’s investment adviser may underperform the broad markets, relevant indices, or other funds with similar objectives and investment strategies.

 

Cybersecurity breaches: The fund could be harmed by intentional cyberattacks and other cybersecurity breaches, including unauthorized access to the fund’s assets, confidential information, or other proprietary information. In addition, a cybersecurity breach could cause one of the fund’s service providers or financial intermediaries to suffer unauthorized data access, data corruption, or loss of operational functionality.

 

Performance 

The following performance information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The fund’s performance information represents only past performance (before and after taxes) and is not necessarily an indication of future results.

 

The following bar chart illustrates how much returns can differ from year to year by showing calendar year returns and the best and worst calendar quarter returns during those years for the fund’s Investor Class. Returns for other share classes vary since they have different expenses.

 

 

 

SUMMARY 5

 

 

    TAX-FREE HIGH YIELD FUND    
    Calendar Year Returns    
     
 

 
     
    Quarter
Ended

Total 

Return 

    Quarter
Ended

Total 

Return 

 
  Best Quarter 12/31/23 7.79%   Worst Quarter 3/31/22 -6.34%  

 

The following table shows the average annual total returns for each class of the fund that has been in operation for at least one full calendar year. The fund’s performance information included in the table is compared with a regulatory required index that represents an overall securities market (Regulatory Benchmark). In addition, the table may also include one or more indexes that more closely aligns to the fund’s investment strategy (Strategy Benchmark(s)).

 

In addition, the table shows hypothetical after-tax returns to demonstrate how taxes paid by a shareholder may influence returns. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) account or an IRA. After-tax returns are shown only for the Investor Class and will differ for other share classes.

 

 

 

T. ROWE PRICE 6

 

 

Average Annual Total Returns              
      Periods ended  
      December 31, 2024  
                             
                        Since Inception  
      1 Year      5 Years      10 Years      inception date  
  Investor Class                       03/01/1985    
    Returns before taxes 5.97  %   1.45  %   2.91  %   %      
    Returns after taxes on distributions 5.97      1.44      2.90             
    Returns after taxes on distributions and sale                            
    of fund shares 5.14      1.91      3.08             
  I Class                       11/29/2016    
    Returns before taxes 6.11      1.57          3.11        
  Advisor Class                       08/08/2012    
    Returns before taxes 5.59      1.15      2.63             
                                 
  Regulatory Benchmark*      
  Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)      
    1.25      -0.33      1.35      1.26  a      
  Strategy Benchmark(s)      
  Bloomberg 65% High-Grade/35% High-Yield Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)      
    2.87      1.60      2.98      3.29  a       
  Lipper High Yield Municipal Debt Funds Average      
    5.20      1.30      3.02      3.13  b      
                                 
*Due to new SEC Rules on shareholder reporting, the fund adopted a new broad-based securities market index, referred to as the Regulatory Benchmark.

 

aReturn since 11/29/16.

 

bReturn since 11/30/16.

 

Updated performance information is available through troweprice.com.

 

Management 

Investment Adviser T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price or Price Associates)

 

Name

Title 

Managed
Fund
Since
Joined
Investment
Adviser
James M. Murphy Portfolio Manager and Chair of Investment Advisory Committee 2002 2000

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares 

The Investor Class and Advisor Class generally require a $2,500 minimum initial investment ($1,000 minimum initial investment if opening an IRA, a custodial account for a minor, or a small business retirement plan account). Additional purchases generally require a $100 minimum. These investment minimums generally are waived for financial intermediaries and certain employer-sponsored retirement plans submitting orders on behalf of their customers. Advisor Class shares may generally only be purchased through a financial intermediary or retirement plan.

 

 

 

SUMMARY 7

 

 

The I Class requires a $500,000 minimum initial investment per fund per account registration, although the initial investment minimum generally is waived or reduced for financial intermediaries, eligible retirement plans, certain accounts for which T. Rowe Price or its affiliates have discretionary investment authority, qualifying directly held accounts, and certain other accounts.

 

For investors holding shares of the fund directly with T. Rowe Price, you may purchase, redeem, or exchange fund shares by mail; by telephone (1-800-225-5132 for IRAs and nonretirement accounts; 1-800-492-7670 for small business retirement plans; and 1-800-638-8790 for institutional investors and financial intermediaries); or, for certain other accounts, by accessing your account online through troweprice.com.

 

If you hold shares through a financial intermediary or retirement plan, you must purchase, redeem, and exchange shares of the fund through your intermediary or retirement plan. You should check with your intermediary or retirement plan to determine the investment minimums that apply to your account.

 

Tax Information 

The fund declares dividends, if any, daily and pays them on the first business day of each month. Any capital gains are declared and paid annually, usually in December. The fund intends to distribute tax-exempt income. However, a portion of the fund’s distributions may be subject to federal income taxes or the alternative minimum tax. A redemption or exchange of fund shares, and any capital gains distributed by the fund, may be taxable.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries 

If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

 
   
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
1307 Point Street
Baltimore, MD 21231
F59-045  5/1/25