The Portfolio may invest up to 50% of its
assets in high yield securities (“junk bonds”) rated B or higher by Moody's Ratings (“Moody’s”), or equivalently rated by Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) or Fitch Ratings, Inc.
(“Fitch”) or, if unrated, determined by PIMCO to be of comparable quality to
securities so rated (except that, within such 50% limitation, the Portfolio may invest in mortgage-related securities rated below B). 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. The Portfolio may invest without limit in derivative instruments, such as options, futures contracts or swap agreements, which may relate to fixed income securities, interest
rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, commodities, real estate and other assets, and related indices.
The Portfolio may invest without limit in mortgage- or asset-backed
securities, including mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities issued or guaranteed by
the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Although the Portfolio may invest in derivatives of any kind, it expects to invest in futures contracts, swaps and forward foreign currency contracts and to write
(sell) put and call options on securities for hedging, risk management or other purposes, including for the purpose or having the effect of creating leverage. The Portfolio may lend its portfolio securities to brokers,
dealers and other financial institutions to earn income. The Portfolio may, without limitation, seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale
contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as buy backs or dollar rolls). The Portfolio may also invest in contingent convertible securities. The “total return” sought by the Portfolio
consists of income earned on its investments, plus capital appreciation, if any, generally arising from decreases in interest rates or improving credit fundamentals for a particular sector or security.
The Portfolio will not change its policy to, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in a
portfolio of U.S. and foreign fixed income instruments of varying maturities unless the Portfolio provides shareholders with the notice required by Rule 35d-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as it may be
amended or interpreted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) from time to time (the “1940 Act”).
It is possible to experience losses on an investment in the Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio, which could adversely affect its net asset value, yield and
total return, are listed below.
Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk: the risks
of investing in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, including interest rate risk, extension risk, prepayment risk and credit risk. The Portfolio may invest in any tranche of mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, including
junior and/or equity tranches (to the extent consistent with the Portfolio's guidelines), which generally carry higher levels of the foregoing risks
Interest Rate
Risk: the risk that fixed income securities will fluctuate in value due to changes in interest rates; a portfolio with a longer average portfolio duration will be more
sensitive to changes in interest rates than a portfolio with a shorter average portfolio duration. Factors such as government and central bank policy, inflation, the economy, and the market for bonds can impact
interest rates and yields
Credit Risk: the risk that the Portfolio could experience losses if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, the counterparty to a derivative contract or a repurchase
agreement, a borrower of portfolio securities, or the issuer or guarantor of collateral, is unable or unwilling, or is perceived (whether by market participants, rating agencies, pricing services or otherwise) as unable or
unwilling, to meet its financial obligations
Market Risk: the risk that the value of securities owned by the Portfolio may fluctuate, sometimes rapidly or
unpredictably, due to a variety of factors affecting securities markets generally or particular
industries or sectors
Focused Investment Risk: the risk that, to the extent that the Portfolio focuses its investments in a particular sector, it may be
susceptible to loss due to adverse developments affecting that sector. Furthermore, the Portfolio
may invest a substantial portion of its assets in companies in related sectors that may share common characteristics, are often subject to similar business risks and regulatory burdens, and whose securities may react similarly
to market developments, which will subject the Portfolio to greater risk. The Portfolio also will be subject to focused investment risk to the extent that it invests a substantial portion of its assets in a particular
issuer, market, asset class, country or geographic region
Foreign (Non-U.S.) Investment Risk: the risk that investing in foreign (non-U.S.) securities may result in the Portfolio experiencing more rapid and extreme changes in value than a portfolio that invests exclusively in securities of U.S.
companies, due to smaller or less developed markets, differing financial reporting, accounting, corporate governance and auditing standards, increased risk of delayed settlement of portfolio transactions or loss of
certificates of portfolio securities, and the risk of unfavorable U.S. or foreign government actions, including nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, political changes, diplomatic
developments, trade restrictions (including tariffs) or the imposition of sanctions and other similar measures. Foreign securities may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than securities of U.S.
issuers
Derivatives Risk: the risk of investing in derivative instruments (such as forwards, futures, options, swaps and structured securities) and other similar investments, including
leverage, liquidity, interest rate, market, counterparty (including credit), operational, legal and management risks, and valuation complexity. Changes in the value of a derivative or other similar investment may not
correlate perfectly with, and may be more sensitive to market events than, the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Portfolio could lose more than the initial amount invested. Derivatives used for hedging or
risk management may not operate as intended or may expose the Portfolio to additional risks.