that offer consistent and high levels of
income). The capital appreciation sought by the Fund generally arises from decreases in interest rates or improving credit fundamentals for a particular sector or security.
The Fund will generally allocate its assets among several investment sectors, without limitation, which may
include: (i) high yield securities (“junk bonds”) and investment grade corporate bonds of issuers located in the United States and non-U.S. countries, including emerging market countries; (ii) fixed income
securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. governments (including emerging market governments), their
agencies and instrumentalities; (iii) mortgage-related and other asset backed securities; and
(iv) foreign currencies, including those of emerging market countries. However, the Fund is not required to gain exposure to any one investment sector, and the Fund’s exposure to any one investment sector will vary
over time.
The average portfolio duration of this Fund normally
varies from zero to eight years based on Pacific Investment Management Company LLC’s
(“PIMCO”) market forecasts. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity
of a security’s price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates.
The Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in a combination of (1)
income-producing investments either (i) the issuers of which have adopted ESG practices that compare favorably to other industries and/or issuers, or (ii) that are unlabeled and labeled green, sustainability, social
and/or sustainability-linked instruments; and (2) Fixed Income Instrument investments, which may be represented by forwards or derivatives such as options, futures contracts, or swap agreements.“ESG practices” refers to business practices with respect to the environment, social
responsibility and/or governance. Income-producing investments may include
income-producing Fixed Income Instrument investments, dividend-paying equity securities,
derivatives on either of the foregoing, derivatives providing exposure to other types of
income-producing investments, and any other instrument or arrangement that is structured to produce income, including any derivatives position that produces income or the sale of which produces a premium payment. The Fund may avoid
investment in the securities of issuers whose ESG practices do not meet criteria determined by PIMCO. In determining the efficacy of an issuer’s ESG practices, PIMCO will use its own proprietary assessments
of material ESG issues and may also reference standards as set forth by recognized global organizations such as entities sponsored by the United Nations, and augment its assessments based on engagements with issuers
regarding their ESG practices that have the potential to enhance risk-adjusted returns.
PIMCO’s activities in this respect may include, but are not limited to,
direct dialogue with company management, such as through in-person meetings, phone calls,
electronic communications, and letters. The Fund may invest in securities of issuers whose ESG practices are weaker relative to certain peers or industry benchmarks, with the expectation that these practices may improve over
time. The Fund may also exclude those issuers that are not receptive to PIMCO’s engagement efforts, as determined in PIMCO’s sole discretion.
The Fund will not invest in the securities of any corporate issuer determined by PIMCO to be engaged principally in the (1) manufacture of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products
or military equipment, (2) operation of gambling casinos, (3) production or distribution of adult
entertainment materials, (4) oil industry, including extraction, production, and refining or (5)
production or distribution of coal and coal-fired generation. Notwithstanding the restrictions set forth above, the Fund can invest in the securities of any issuer determined by PIMCO to be engaged principally in biofuel
production or natural gas generation or sales and trading activities. To the extent possible on the
basis of information available to PIMCO, an issuer will be deemed to be principally engaged in an
activity if it derives more than 10% of its gross revenues from such activities (or such more restrictive threshold or exclusionary screen (i.e. a lower gross revenue threshold), as may be determined by PIMCO from time to time).
The Fund may also invest in ESG labeled bonds including but not limited to green, sustainability,
social, transition and sustainability-linked bonds from issuers involved in fossil fuel-related
sectors. Labeled bonds are those issues with proceeds specifically earmarked to be used for climate (often referred to as “green bonds”), environmental sustainability and/or social projects and, in the case of
sustainability-linked bonds, bonds that include sustainability-linked covenants, as explained by the issuer through use of a framework and/or legal documentation. Labeled bonds are often verified by a third party, which certifies
that the bond will or has been used to fund projects that include eligible benefits or, in the case of a sustainability-linked bond, that the bond includes sustainability-linked covenants.
In analyzing whether an issuer meets any of the criteria described above, PIMCO may rely upon, among other things, information provided by an independent third
party.
The Fund may invest up to 50% of its total assets in high
yield securities rated below investment grade by Moody’s Ratings (“Moody’s”), Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“S&P”) or Fitch Ratings, Inc.
(“Fitch”), or if unrated, as determined by PIMCO (except such 50% limitation shall
not apply to the Fund’s investments in mortgage- and asset-backed securities). In the event that ratings services assign different ratings to the same security, PIMCO will use the highest rating as the credit rating for that
security. In addition, the Fund may invest, without limitation, in securities denominated in
foreign currencies. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in securities and
instruments that are economically tied to emerging market countries (this limitation does not
apply to investment grade sovereign debt denominated in the local currency with less than 1 year remaining to maturity, which means the Fund may invest in such instruments without limitation subject to any applicable
legal or regulatory limitation). The Fund will normally limit its net foreign currency exposure (from non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities or currencies) to 20% of its total assets.
The Fund may invest, without limitation, in derivative instruments, such as options, futures contracts or swap
agreements, or in mortgage- or asset-backed securities (issuers of which will not be treated as subject to the non-governmental issuer screens described herein), subject to