0000053808 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034168Member 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034169Member 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000130467Member 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:PrincipalRisks2Member 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member oef:RiskLoseMoneyMember 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member oef:RiskNotInsuredMember 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:Risksofstockinvesting2Member 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:Dividend-payingstockrisk2Member 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:Growthandvaluestockrisk2Member 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:Managementrisk2Member 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:Marketrisk2Member 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2016-12-31 2016-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2017-12-31 2017-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2018-12-31 2018-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2019-12-31 2019-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2020-12-31 2020-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2021-12-31 2021-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2022-12-31 2022-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2023-12-31 2023-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2024-12-31 2024-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2025-12-31 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2025-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2021-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member 2016-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member oef:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsMember 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member oef:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsMember 2025-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member oef:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsMember 2021-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member oef:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsMember 2016-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member oef:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsAndSalesMember 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member oef:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsAndSalesMember 2025-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member oef:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsAndSalesMember 2021-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034167Member oef:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsAndSalesMember 2016-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034168Member 2025-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034168Member 2021-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034168Member 2016-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034169Member 2025-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034169Member 2021-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000034169Member 2016-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000130467Member 2025-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000130467Member 2021-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:C000130467Member 2016-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:SP500Indexreflectsnodeductionsforfeesexpensesortaxes31Member 2026-05-31 2026-05-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:SP500Indexreflectsnodeductionsforfeesexpensesortaxes31Member 2025-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:SP500Indexreflectsnodeductionsforfeesexpensesortaxes31Member 2021-01-01 2025-12-31 0000053808 cik0000053808:S000012565Member cik0000053808:SP500Indexreflectsnodeductionsforfeesexpensesortaxes31Member 2016-01-01 2025-12-31 iso4217:USD pure N-1A BNY Mellon Investment Funds III 2026-09-30 2026-09-30 Fund Summary Investment Objective The fund seeks total return (consisting of capital appreciation and income). 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 pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the fund or shares of other funds in the BNY Mellon Family of Funds that are subject to a sales charge. More information about sales charges, including these and other discounts and waivers, is available from your financial professional and in the Shareholder Guide section beginning on page 9 of the prospectus, in the Appendix on page A-1 of the prospectus and in the How to Buy Shares section and the Additional Information About How to Buy Shares section beginning on page II-1 and page III-1, respectively, of the fund's Statement of Additional Information. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the fund or shares of other funds in the BNY Mellon Family of Funds that are subject to a sales charge. 50000 Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) 0.0575 0 0 0 0 0.0100 0 0 Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 0.0070 0.0070 0.0070 0.0070 0 0.0075 0 0 0.0025 0.0025 0 0 0.0007 0.0010 0.0010 0.0005 0.0032 0.0035 0.0010 0.0005 0.0102 0.0180 0.0080 0.0075 0 -0.0002 -0.0002 0 0.0102 0.0178 0.0078 0.0075 Example The 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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund's operating expenses remain the same.The one-year example and the first year of the three-, five- and ten-years examples are based on net operating expenses, which reflect the expense limitation agreement by BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 673 673 881 881 1106 1106 1751 1751 281 564 973 2114 181 564 973 2114 80 80 253 253 442 442 988 988 77 77 240 240 417 417 930 930 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 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 28.29% of the average value of its portfolio. 0.2829 Principal Investment Strategy To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities. The fund seeks to focus on dividend-paying stocks and other investments that provide income. The fund's sub-adviser chooses stocks through a disciplined investment process that combines computer modeling techniques, fundamental analysis and risk management. The fund may invest in stocks with either value or growth characteristics. The fund's investment process is designed to provide investors with broad exposure to the investment characteristics and different sectors of the S&P 500® Index with an emphasis on higher dividend-paying stocks within each market segment. The fund seeks to invest in a portfolio of securities that, in the aggregate, provide 1.5 times or more the dividend yield of the S&P 500® Index. There can be no assurance, and there is no guarantee, that the fund's portfolio will be able to provide such a dividend yield or any particular level of dividend yield.In selecting securities, the fund's sub-adviser first uses a proprietary computer model to identify and rank stocks within an industry or sector, based on several characteristics, including:· value, or how a stock is priced relative to its perceived intrinsic worth· growth, in this case the sustainability or growth of earnings· financial profile, which measures the financial health of the companyNext, based on fundamental analysis, the fund's sub-adviser generally selects what it determines to be the most attractive of the higher ranked securities and seeks to manage risk by diversifying the fund's holdings across companies and industries. The fund also may invest in low- or non-dividend-paying companies that may not have been identified by the model discussed above, if the fund's sub-adviser believes such investment will manage portfolio risk or have the potential for dividend payments in the future. The fund's sub-adviser monitors the holdings in the fund's portfolio, and considers selling a security held by the fund if the company's relative attractiveness deteriorates or if valuation becomes excessive. The fund also may sell a security if an event occurs that contradicts the sub-adviser's rationale for purchasing it, such as deterioration in the company's fundamentals. In addition, the fund may sell a security if the sub-adviser believes better investment opportunities emerge elsewhere. To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities. The fund seeks to focus on dividend-paying stocks and other investments that provide income. The fund's sub-adviser chooses stocks through a disciplined investment process that combines computer modeling techniques, fundamental analysis and risk management. The fund may invest in stocks with either value or growth characteristics. The fund's investment process is designed to provide investors with broad exposure to the investment characteristics and different sectors of the S&P 500® Index with an emphasis on higher dividend-paying stocks within each market segment. The fund seeks to invest in a portfolio of securities that, in the aggregate, provide 1.5 times or more the dividend yield of the S&P 500® Index. There can be no assurance, and there is no guarantee, that the fund's portfolio will be able to provide such a dividend yield or any particular level of dividend yield. <div style="border-bottom:0.25pt; border-bottom-style:solid; border-bottom-color:#000000; margin-top:12pt; padding:0pt 0pt 1pt 0pt;"><div style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; text-align:left; color:#000000; font-weight:bold;">Principal Risks</div></div>An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. It is not a complete investment program. The fund's share price fluctuates, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money. An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The fund's share price fluctuates, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money. · Risks of stock investing: Stocks generally fluctuate more in value than bonds and may decline significantly over short time periods. There is the chance that stock prices overall will decline because stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and falling prices. The market value of a stock may decline due to general market conditions or because of factors that affect the particular company or the company's industry. · Dividend-paying stock risk: There is no guarantee that the issuers of the stocks held by the fund will pay dividends in the future or that, if dividends are paid, they will remain at their current levels or increase over time. The fund's focus on dividend-paying stocks could cause the fund to underperform similar funds that invest without consideration of a company's track record of paying dividends or ability to pay dividends in the future. · Growth and value stock risk: By investing in a mix of growth and value companies, the fund assumes the risks of both. Investors often expect growth companies to increase their earnings at a certain rate. If these expectations are not met, investors can punish the stocks inordinately, even if earnings do increase. Value stocks involve the risk that they may never reach their expected full market value, either because the market fails to recognize the stock's intrinsic worth or the expected value was misgauged. · Management risk: The investment process used by the fund's sub-adviser could fail to achieve the fund's investment goal and cause your fund investment to lose value. · Market risk: The value of the securities in which the fund invests may be affected by political, regulatory, economic and social developments, and developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed-income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the fund. Global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies world-wide. Local, regional or global events such as war, military conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, elevated levels of government debt, changes in trade regulation or economic sanctions, internal unrest and discord, or other events could have a significant impact on the fund and its investments. 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 performance of the fund's Class A shares from year to year. Sales charges, if any, are not reflected in the bar chart, and, if those charges were included, returns would have been less than those shown. The table compares the average annual total returns of the fund's shares to those of the S&P 500® Index, a broad measure of market performance. The fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future. Performance for each share class will vary due to differences in expenses. More recent performance information may be available at www.bny.com/investments. The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. Sales charges, if any, are not reflected in the bar chart, and, if those charges were included, returns would have been less than those shown. The table compares the average annual total returns of the fund's shares to those of the S&P 500® Index, a broad measure of market performance. The fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future. www.bny.com/investments Year-by-Year Total Returns as of 12/31 each year (%) During the periods shown in the chart: Best Quarter 2020, Q2: 16.92 Worst Quarter 2020, Q1: (25.59) <p style="margin-top:revert; margin-bottom:revert;font-size:9.0pt; font-family:Serif; text-align:left; color:#000000; text-indent:-4.3pt; font-weight:normal; margin-left:8.6pt; text-decoration:none; font-style:italic;">The year-to-date total return of the fund's Class A shares as of June 30, 2026 was 12.01%. Best Quarter 2020-06-30 0.1692 Worst Quarter 2020-03-31 -0.2559 The year-to-date total return of the fund's Class A shares as of 2026-06-30 0.1201 After-tax performance is shown only for Class A shares. After-tax performance of the fund's 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 the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through U.S. tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax performance is shown only for Class A shares. After-tax performance of the fund's 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 the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through U.S. tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. Average Annual Total Returns (as of 12/31/25) returns before taxes 0.1198 0.1455 0.1284 returns after taxes on distributions 0.1118 0.1331 0.1161 returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares 0.0763 0.1143 0.1028 returns before taxes 0.1692 0.1505 0.1266 returns before taxes 0.1911 0.1621 0.1379 returns before taxes 0.1915 0.1625 0.1389 S&P 500® Index reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes 0.1787 0.1442 0.1481 485BPOS 2026-05-31 0000053808 false 2026-09-25 ~ http://xbrl.sec.gov/rr/role/ShareholderFeesData row dei_DocumentInformationDocumentAxis compact cik0000053808_S000012565Summary1Member row dei_LegalEntityAxis compact cik0000053808_S000012565Member ~ ~ http://xbrl.sec.gov/rr/role/OperatingExpensesData row dei_DocumentInformationDocumentAxis compact cik0000053808_S000012565Summary1Member row dei_LegalEntityAxis compact cik0000053808_S000012565Member ~ ~ http://xbrl.sec.gov/rr/role/ExpenseExample row dei_DocumentInformationDocumentAxis compact cik0000053808_S000012565Summary1Member row dei_LegalEntityAxis compact cik0000053808_S000012565Member ~ ~ http://xbrl.sec.gov/rr/role/ExpenseExampleNoRedemption row dei_DocumentInformationDocumentAxis compact cik0000053808_S000012565Summary1Member row dei_LegalEntityAxis compact cik0000053808_S000012565Member ~ ~ http://xbrl.sec.gov/rr/role/PerformanceTableData column period compact * row dei_DocumentInformationDocumentAxis compact cik0000053808_S000012565Summary1Member row dei_LegalEntityAxis compact cik0000053808_S000012565Member row oef_ClassAxis compact * row oef_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * ~ 0.1695 0.1698 -0.0379 0.2461 0.0341 0.2874 -0.0959 0.1896 0.2723 0.187999992370605 September 30, 2027 September 30, 2027 September 30, 2027 September 30, 2027 Class A shares bought without an initial sales charge as part of an investment of $1 million or more may be charged a deferred sales charge of 1.00% if redeemed within one year. ~ http://www.dreyfus.com/20260531/role/RRRiskTable3 ~ Class A shares bought without an initial sales charge as part of an investment of $1 million or more may be charged a deferred sales charge of 1.00% if redeemed within one year. The fund's investment adviser, BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc., has contractually agreed, until September 30, 2027, to waive receipt of its fees and/or assume the direct expenses of the fund so that the direct expenses of none of the fund's share classes (excluding Rule 12b-1 fees, shareholder services fees, taxes, interest expense, brokerage commissions, commitment fees on borrowings and extraordinary expenses) exceed .78%. On or after September 30, 2027, BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc. may terminate this expense limitation agreement at any time.