v3.26.1
Aug. 31, 2026
AMERICAN FUNDS CORPORATE BOND FUND
Investment objective

The fund’s investment objective is to seek to provide maximum total return consistent with capital preservation and prudent risk management.

Fees and expenses of the fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that 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. For example, in addition to the fees and expenses described below, you may also be required to pay brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Class F-2, F-3, 529-F-2 or 529-F-3 shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in American Funds and Capital Group KKR Public-Private+ Funds (collectively “Capital Group Funds”) ($250,000 for Class 529-A shares). More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional, in the “Sales charge reductions and waivers” sections on page 38 of the prospectus and on page 83 of the fund’s statement of additional information, and in the sales charge waiver appendix to the prospectus.

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
             
Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Share class: A 529-A C and
529-C
529-E All F and 529-F share classes All R
share
classes
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 3.75% 3.50% none none none none
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of the amount redeemed) 0.751 1.001 1.00% none none none
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends none none none none none none
Redemption or exchange fees none none none none none none
Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the net asset value of your investment)
             
Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the net asset value of your investment)
Share class: A C F-1 F-2 F-3 529-A
Management fees 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.26 1.00 0.25 none none 0.23
Other expenses 0.18 0.18 0.20 0.18 0.07 0.22
Total annual fund operating expenses 0.69 1.43 0.70 0.43 0.32 0.70
             
Share class: 529-C 529-E 529-F-2 529-F-3 R-1 R-2
Management fees 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 1.00 0.50 none none 1.00 0.75
Other expenses 0.23 0.16 0.17 0.12 0.16 0.40
Total annual fund operating expenses 1.48 0.91 0.42 0.37 1.41 1.40
             
Share class: R-2E R-3 R-4 R-5E R-5 R-6
Management fees 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.60 0.49 0.25 none none none
Other expenses 0.26 0.21 0.16 0.23 0.162 0.07
Total annual fund operating expenses 1.11 0.95 0.66 0.48 0.41 0.32

1 A contingent deferred sales charge of 0.75% for Class A shares and 1.00% for Class 529-A shares applies on certain redemptions made within 18 months following purchases of $500,000 or more for Class A and $1 million or more for Class 529-A made without an initial sales charge. Contingent deferred sales charge is calculated based on the lesser of the offering price and market value of shares being sold.

2 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 or hold all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. You may be required to pay brokerage commissions on your purchases and sales of Class F-2, F-3, 529-F-2 or 529-F-3 shares of the fund, which are not reflected in the example.

Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
                         
Share class: A C F-1 F-2 F-3 529-A 529-C 529-E 529-F-2 529-F-3 R-1 R-2
1 year $443 $246 $72 $44 $33 $419 $251 $93 $43 $38 $144 $143
3 years 587 452 224 138 103 566 468 290 135 119 446 443
5 years 745 782 390 241 180 726 808 504 235 208 771 766
10 years 1,201 1,511 871 542 406 1,190 1,271 1,120 530 468 1,691 1,680
                     
Share class: R-2E R-3 R-4 R-5E R-5 R-6 For the share classes listed to the right, you would pay the following if you did not redeem your shares: Share class: C 529-C
1 year $113 $97 $67 $49 $42 $33 1 year $146 $151
3 years 353 303 211 154 132 103 3 years 452 468
5 years 612 525 368 269 230 180 5 years 782 808
10 years 1,352 1,166 822 604 518 406 10 years 1,511 1,271
For the share classes listed to the right, you would pay the following if you did not redeem your shares:
                     
Share class: R-2E R-3 R-4 R-5E R-5 R-6 For the share classes listed to the right, you would pay the following if you did not redeem your shares: Share class: C 529-C
1 year $113 $97 $67 $49 $42 $33 1 year $146 $151
3 years 353 303 211 154 132 103 3 years 452 468
5 years 612 525 368 269 230 180 5 years 782 808
10 years 1,352 1,166 822 604 518 406 10 years 1,511 1,271
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 investment results. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 226% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies

The fund seeks to provide maximum total return consistent with capital preservation and prudent risk management by investing primarily in investment-grade corporate debt securities, such as bonds. Normally, at least 80% of the fund’s assets will be invested in corporate debt securities. For purposes of this policy, corporate debt securities include, but are not limited to, bonds, notes, debentures, asset-backed securities (including those backed by mortgages), bank loans, loan participations and assignments, hybrids (securities with equity and debt characteristics), certain preferred securities and commercial paper and other cash equivalents (including shares of money market or similair funds managed by the investment adviser or its affiliates). Investments in derivatives may be counted toward the fund’s 80% investment policy to the extent that such derivatives provide investment exposure to the investments included within the policy or to one or more market risk factors associated with such investments. The fund will also normally invest all of its assets in debt instruments (including bonds, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities) with quality ratings of Baa3 or better or BBB- or better by Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations designated by the fund’s investment adviser or in debt instruments that are unrated but determined at the time of purchase to be of equivalent quality by the fund’s investment adviser. However, the fund may invest in debt securities guaranteed or sponsored by the U.S. government, as well as debt issued by government-sponsored entities and federal agencies and instrumentalities that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, without regard to the quality rating assigned to the U.S. government by a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization. Additionally, the fund may invest in cash, and cash equivalents (including shares of money market or similar funds managed by the investment adviser or its affiliates). The fund may also invest in derivatives instruments (but excluding any derivatives instruments that are rated below Baa3 and BBB- by Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations designated by the fund's investment adviser or are unrated but determined at the time of purchase to be of equivalent quality by the fund’s investment adviser).

The fund may invest significantly in debt securities tied economically to countries outside the United States, including developing countries. All securities held by the fund will be denominated in U.S. dollars.

The fund may invest in futures contracts and swaps, which are types of derivatives. A derivative is a financial contract, the value of which is based on the value of an underlying financial asset (such as a stock, bond or currency), a reference rate or a market index.

The investment adviser uses a system of multiple portfolio managers in managing the fund’s assets. Under this approach, the portfolio of the fund is divided into segments managed by individual managers.

The fund relies on the professional judgment of its investment adviser to make decisions about the fund’s portfolio investments. The basic investment philosophy of the investment adviser is to seek to invest in attractively priced securities that, in its opinion, represent good, long-term investment opportunities. Securities may be sold when the investment adviser believes that they no longer represent relatively attractive investment opportunities.

Investment results

The following bar chart shows how the fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund’s average annual total returns for various periods compare with a broad measure of securities market results and, if applicable, other measures of market results that reflect the fund’s investment universe. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. Past investment results (before and after taxes) are not predictive of future investment results. Updated information on the fund’s investment results can be obtained by visiting capitalgroup.com.

The following bar chart shows how the fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund’s average annual total returns for various periods compare with a broad measure of securities market results and, if applicable, other measures of market results that reflect the fund’s investment universe.

Calendar year total returns for Class A shares (Results do not include a sales charge; if a sales charge were included, results would be lower.)

Highest/Lowest quarterly results during this period were:

 

Highest 9.16% (quarter ended June 30, 2020)

 

Lowest -7.64% (quarter ended June 30, 2022)

 

The fund's total return for the six months ended June 30, 2026, was 0.58%

Average annual total returns For the periods ended December 31, 2025 (with maximum sales charge):
           
Average annual total returns For the periods ended December 31, 2025 (with maximum sales charge):
Share class Inception date 1 year 5 years 10 years Lifetime
A − Before taxes 12/14/2012 2.70% –1.60% 2.68% 2.62%
− After taxes on distributions   0.95 –2.85 1.34 N/A
− After taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares 1.58 –1.74 1.49 N/A
           
Share classes (before taxes) Inception date 1 year 5 years 10 years Lifetime
C 7/29/2016 4.88% –1.57% N/A 1.55%
F-1 7/29/2016 6.66 –0.84 N/A 2.18
F-2 7/29/2016 6.93 –0.58 N/A 2.46
F-3 1/27/2017 7.05 –0.47 N/A 3.03
529-A (with maximum sales charge) 7/29/2016 2.91 –1.57 N/A 1.77
529-C 7/29/2016 4.83 –1.62 N/A 1.75
529-E 7/29/2016 6.43 –1.06 N/A 1.97
529-F-2 10/30/2020 6.95 –0.57 N/A 0.00
529-F-3 10/30/2020 7.01 –0.52 N/A 0.05
R-1 7/29/2016 5.90 –1.55 N/A 1.57
R-2 7/29/2016 5.91 –1.54 N/A 1.51
R-2E 7/29/2016 6.21 –1.26 N/A 1.86
R-3 7/29/2016 6.39 –1.10 N/A 1.94
R-4 7/29/2016 6.69 –0.81 N/A 2.23
R-5E 7/29/2016 6.89 –0.62 N/A 2.43
R-5 7/29/2016 6.96 –0.53 N/A 2.50
R-6 7/29/2016 7.06 –0.47 N/A 2.55
           
Indexes* 1 year 5 years 10 years

Lifetime
(from

Class A inception)

Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Index (reflects no deductions for sales charges, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes) 7.30% –0.36% 2.01% 1.87%
Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Investment Grade Index (reflects no deductions for sales charges, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes) 7.77 –0.09 3.27 2.90
Class A annualized 30-day yield at May 31, 2026: 4.27%
(For current yield information, please call American Funds Service Company at (800) 421-4225 or visit capitalgroup.com.)
   

After-tax returns are shown only for Class A shares; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. After-tax returns are calculated using the highest individual federal income tax rates in effect during each year of the periods shown and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns depend on your individual tax situation and likely will differ from the results shown above. In addition, after-tax returns are not relevant if you hold your fund shares through a tax-favored arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan, individual retirement account (IRA) or 529 college savings plan.