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Summary Prospectus August 1, 2025 American Century Investments® Equity Income Fund | |
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Investor Class: TWEIX I Class: ACIIX Y Class: AEIYX | A Class: TWEAX C Class: AEYIX | R Class: AEURX R5 Class: AEIUX | R6 Class: AEUDX G Class: AEIMX |
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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, reports to shareholders, and other information about the fund online at the web addresses listed below. You can also get this information at no cost by calling or sending an email request. The fund’s prospectus and other information are also available from financial intermediaries (such as banks and broker-dealers) through which shares of the fund may be purchased or sold. |
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Retail Investors americancentury.com/docs 1-800-345-2021 or 816-531-5575 prospectus@americancentury.com | Financial Professionals americancentury.com/fadocs 1-800-345-6488 advisor_prospectus@americancentury.com |
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This summary prospectus incorporates by reference the fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information (SAI) each dated August 1, 2025 (as supplemented at the time you receive this summary prospectus), as well as the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and the financial statements included in the fund’s Form N-CSR for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025. The fund’s SAI and Form N-CSR may be obtained, free of charge, in the same manner as the prospectus. |
Investment Objective
The fund seeks current income. Capital appreciation is a secondary objective.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for A Class sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in American Century Investments funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in Calculation of Sales Charges on page 14 of the fund’s prospectus, Appendix A of the fund’s prospectus and Sales Charges in Appendix B of the statement of additional information.
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Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | |
| | Investor | I | Y | A | C | R | R5 | R6 | G |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on
Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) | None | None | None | 5.75% | None | None | None | None | None |
| Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lower of the original offering price or redemption proceeds when redeemed within one year of purchase) | None | None | None | None¹ | 1.00% | None | None | None | None |
Maximum Annual Account Maintenance Fee
(waived if eligible investments total at least $25,000 or shareholder has elected electronic delivery) | $25 | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
| | Investor | I | Y | A | C | R | R5 | R6 | G |
| Management Fee | 0.93% | 0.73% | 0.58% | 0.93% | 0.93% | 0.93% | 0.73% | 0.58% | 0.58% |
| Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | None | None | None | 0.25% | 1.00% | 0.50% | None | None | None |
| Other Expenses | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.94% | 0.74% | 0.59% | 1.19% | 1.94% | 1.44% | 0.74% | 0.59% | 0.59% |
| Fee Waiver | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | 0.58%² |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver | 0.94% | 0.74% | 0.59% | 1.19% | 1.94% | 1.44% | 0.74% | 0.59% | 0.01% |
1 Purchases of $1 million or more may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% if the shares are redeemed within one year of the date of the purchase.
2 The advisor has agreed to waive the G Class’s management fee in its entirety. The advisor expects this waiver to remain in effect permanently and cannot terminate it without the approval of the Board of Directors.
Example
The example below is intended to help you compare the costs of investing in the fund with the costs 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 and that you earn a 5% return each year. The example also assumes that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same, except that it reflects the rate and duration of any fee waivers noted in the table above. 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 | $96 | $300 | $521 | $1,155 |
| I Class | $76 | $237 | $412 | $919 |
| Y Class | $60 | $189 | $330 | $738 |
| A Class | $690 | $932 | $1,192 | $1,935 |
| C Class | $197 | $610 | $1,048 | $2,068 |
| R Class | $147 | $456 | $788 | $1,723 |
| R5 Class | $76 | $237 | $412 | $919 |
| R6 Class | $60 | $189 | $330 | $738 |
| G Class | $1 | $3 | $6 | $13 |
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 fund 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 31% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The portfolio managers look for equity securities of companies with a favorable income-paying history that have prospects for income payments to continue or increase. The portfolio managers also look for equity securities of companies that they believe are undervalued and have the potential for an increase in price. To identify these undervalued companies, the portfolio managers look for companies with earnings, cash flows and/or assets that may not be reflected in the companies’ stock prices or may be outside the companies’ historical ranges. The portfolio managers use a variety of analytical research tools and techniques to help them make decisions about buying or holding securities of companies that meet their investment criteria and selling the securities of companies that do not.
The fund may invest a portion of its assets in foreign securities when these securities meet the portfolio managers’ standards of selection.
Under normal market conditions, the portfolio managers will invest at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in equity securities (including equity-equivalent securities, such as convertible securities) regardless of the movement of stock prices generally.
The portfolio managers may sell stocks from the fund’s portfolio if they believe a stock no longer meets their valuation criteria, a stock’s risk parameters outweigh its return opportunity, more attractive alternatives are identified or specific events alter a stock’s prospects.
Principal Risks
•Discontinuance of Dividend Payments Risk – If the stocks purchased by the fund do not continue dividend payments, the value of the fund’s shares may decline, even if stock prices generally are rising.
•Style Risk – If the market does not consider the individual stocks purchased by the fund to be undervalued, the value of the fund’s shares may decline, even if stock prices generally are rising.
•Convertible Securities Risk – The fund invests in convertible securities, which may be affected by changes in interest rates, the credit of the issuer and the value of the underlying common stock. In addition, because these securities are convertible into common stock, they are subject to general stock market risk, though to a lesser degree.
•Foreign Securities Risk – The fund may invest in foreign securities, which can be riskier than investing in U.S. securities. Securities of foreign issuers may be less liquid, more volatile and harder to value than U.S. stocks.
•Market Risk – The value of the fund’s shares will go up and down based on the performance of the companies whose securities it owns 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, war, terrorism and other unforeseeable events may lead to increased market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on world economies and markets generally.
•Principal Loss Risk – At any given time your shares may be worth less than the price you paid for them. In other words, it is possible to lose money by investing in the fund.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit, and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency.
Fund Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The bar chart shows changes in the fund’s performance from year to year for Investor Class shares. The table shows how the fund’s average annual returns for the periods shown compared with those of a broad measure of market performance. The table also shows returns for the Russell 3000® Value Index, which the advisor considers to be more representative of the fund’s investment strategy. The fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future. For current performance information, please visit americancentury.com.
Sales charges and account fees, if applicable, are not reflected in the bar chart. If those charges were included, returns would be less than those shown.
Calendar Year Total Returns
Highest Performance Quarter (2Q 2020): 12.23% Lowest Performance Quarter (1Q 2020): -21.50%
As of June 30, 2025 , the most recent calendar quarter end, the fund’s Investor Class year-to-date return was 4.35% .
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Average Annual Total Returns
For the calendar year ended December 31, 2024 | 1 year | 5 years | 10 years | Since
Inception | Inception Date |
Investor Class Return Before Taxes | 10.53% | 5.60% | 7.82% | — | 08/01/1994 |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 7.74% | 3.76% | 5.68% | — | 08/01/1994 |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 8.15% | 4.16% | 5.80% | — | 08/01/1994 |
I Class Return Before Taxes | 10.61% | 5.78% | 8.04% | — | 07/08/1998 |
Y Class1 Return Before Taxes | 10.76% | 5.93% | 8.18% | — | 04/10/2017 |
A Class Return Before Taxes | 3.92% | 4.09% | 6.91% | — | 03/07/1997 |
C Class2 Return Before Taxes | 9.43% | 4.55% | 6.91% | — | 07/13/2001 |
R Class Return Before Taxes | 9.91% | 5.05% | 7.28% | — | 08/29/2003 |
R5 Class3 Return Before Taxes | 10.75% | 5.79% | 8.03% | — | 04/10/2017 |
R6 Class Return Before Taxes | 10.89% | 5.95% | 8.19% | — | 07/26/2013 |
G Class Return Before Taxes | 11.52% | 6.54% | — | 7.49% | 08/01/2019 |
Russell 3000® Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 23.81% | 13.86% | 12.55% | — | — |
Russell 3000® Value Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 13.98% | 8.60% | 8.40% | — | — |
1 Historical performance for the Y Class prior to its inception is based on the performance of R6 Class shares, which have the same expenses as the Y Class shares. Since inception performance for the Y Class is based on the R6 Class inception date.
2 C Class shares automatically convert to A Class shares after approximately eight years. All returns for periods greater than eight years reflect this conversion.
3 Historical performance for the R5 Class prior to its inception is based on the performance of I Class shares, which have the same expenses as the R5 Class shares.
The after-tax returns are shown only for Investor Class shares. After-tax returns for other share classes will vary. 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 are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.
Portfolio Management
Investment Advisor
American Century Investment Management, Inc.
Portfolio Managers
Michael Liss, CFA, CPA, Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, has been a member of the team that manages the fund since 1998. Mr. Liss has announced his plans to retire. As a result, he will no longer serve as a portfolio manager for the funds effective December 31, 2025.
Kevin Toney, CFA, Chief Investment Officer – Global Value Equity, Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, has been a member of the team that manages the fund since 2003.
Brian Woglom, CFA,Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, has been a member of the team that manages the fund since 2005.
Paul Howanitz, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Senior Investment Analyst, has been a member of the team that manages the fund since 2015.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares of the fund on any business day through our website at americancentury.com, in person (at one of our Investor Centers), by mail (American Century Investments, P.O. Box 419200, Kansas City, MO 64141-6200), by telephone at 1-800-345-2021 (Investor Services Representative) or 1-800-345-3533 (Business, Not-For-Profit and Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans), or through a financial intermediary. Shares may be purchased and redemption proceeds received by electronic bank transfer, by check or by wire.
Unless otherwise specified below, the minimum initial investment amount to open an account is $2,500 ($1,000 for Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and IRAs). However, American Century Investments will waive the fund minimum if you make an initial investment of at least $500 and continue to make automatic investments of at least $100 a month until reaching the fund minimum.
Investors opening accounts through financial intermediaries may open an account with $250 for Investor, A, C and R Classes, but the financial intermediaries may require their clients to meet different investment minimums. The minimum may be waived for broker-dealer sponsored wrap program accounts, fee based accounts, and accounts through bank/trust and wealth management advisory organizations.
The minimum initial investment amount for the I Class is generally $5 million ($3 million for endowments and foundations), but the minimum may be waived if you have an aggregate investment in the American Century family of funds of $10 million or more ($5 million for endowments and foundations). This includes accounts held directly with American Century and those held through a financial intermediary.
There is no minimum initial investment amount for Y, R5 or R6 Class shares.
For the Investor, A, C, R, R5 and R6 Classes, there is no minimum initial investment amount for certain employer-sponsored retirement plans, however, financial intermediaries or plan recordkeepers may require plans to meet different minimums. Employer-sponsored retirement plans are not eligible to invest in the I or Y Class.
There is a $50 minimum for subsequent purchases, except that there is no subsequent purchase minimum for financial intermediaries or employer-sponsored retirement plans.
G Class shares are available for purchase by other funds offered by American Century Investments for which it charges a management fee. In its sole discretion, American Century Investments may also make G Class shares available for purchase by other institutional clients for which American Century Investments provides investment management services for a fee pursuant to an investment advisory agreement. Currently, eligible clients are limited to commingled investment trusts or other pooled investment vehicles that utilize a target date or other asset allocation investment strategy for which American Century Investments provides asset allocation or glide path investment management services for a fee. G Class shares do not have a minimum purchase amount.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred account such as a 401(k) or individual retirement account (in which case you may be taxed upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank, insurance company, plan sponsor or financial professional), the fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services for investments in all classes except the Y, R6 and G Classes. 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.
©2025 American Century Proprietary Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
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