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AQR Funds

05/01/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/01/2024 04:11

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company - Form 497K

AQR Multi-Asset Fund
AQR Multi-Asset Fund
Fund Summary - May 1, 2024
Ticker: Class N/AQRNX - Class I/AQRIX - CLASS R6/AQRRX
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, including the statement of additional information, online at https://funds.aqr.com/fund-documents. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (866) 290-2688 or by sending an email to [email protected]. The Fund's prospectusand statement of additional information, each dated May 1, 2024, as amended and supplemented from time to time, and the Fund's most recent shareholder report, dated December 31, 2023, are all incorporated by reference to this summary prospectus.
Investment Objective
The AQR Multi-Asset Fund (the "Fund") seeks total return.
Total return consists of capital appreciation and income.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold 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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Class N
Class I
Class R6
Management Fee
0.60%
0.60%
0.60%
Distribution (12b-1) Fee
0.25%
None
None
Other Expenses
Dividends on Short Sales1 and Interest Expense
0.20%
0.20%
0.20%
All Other Expenses
0.30%
0.31%
0.20%
Total Other Expenses
0.50%
0.51%
0.40%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses2
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.36%
1.12%
1.01%
Less: Expense Reimbursements3
0.10%
0.11%
0.10%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense
Reimbursements4
1.26%
1.01%
0.91%
1When a cash dividend is declared on a stock the Fund has sold short, the Fund is required to pay an amount equal to the dividend to the party from which the Fund has borrowed the stock, and to record the payment as an expense.
2Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses reflect the expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund as a result of the Fund's investments in underlying money market mutual funds, exchange-traded funds or other pooled investment vehicles.
3The Adviser has contractually agreed to reimburse operating expenses of the Fund in an amount sufficient to limit certain Specified Expenses at no more than 0.20% for Class N Shares and Class I Shares and 0.10% for Class R6 Shares. "Specified Expenses" for this purpose include all Fund operating expenses other than management fees and 12b-1 fees and exclude interest, taxes, dividends on short sales, borrowing costs, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest expense relating to short sales, expenses related to class action claims, contingent expenses related to tax reclaim receipts, reorganization expenses and extraordinary expenses. This agreement (the "Expense Limitation Agreement") will continue at least through April 30, 2025. The Expense Limitation Agreement may be terminated with the consent of the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Non-Interested Trustees of the Trust. The Adviser is entitled to recapture any expenses reimbursed during the thirty-six month period following the end of the month during which the Adviser reimbursed expenses, provided that the amount recaptured may not cause the Specified Expenses attributable to a share class of the Fund during a year in which a repayment is made to exceed either of (i) the applicable limits in effect at the time of the reimbursement and (ii) the applicable limits in effect at the time of recapture.
4Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursements are 1.06% for Class N Shares, 0.81% for Class I Shares and 0.71% for Class R6 Shares if Dividends on Short Sales and Interest Expense are not included.
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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 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 and takes into account the effect of the Expense Limitation Agreement through April 30, 2025, as discussed in Footnote No. 3 to the Fee Table. 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
Class N Shares
$128
$421
$735
$1,626
Class I Shares
$103
$345
$606
$1,353
Class R6 Shares
$93
$312
$548
$1,227
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 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 125% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating assets among major asset classes (including, but not limited to, developed market equities, nominal and inflation-linked government bonds issued by developed countries, developed and emerging market currencies, and commodities). The Fund intends to gain exposure to these asset classes by investing in a portfolio of Instruments (as defined below). The Fund will generally have some level of investment in the majority of asset classes and Instruments but there is no stated limit on the percentage of assets the Fund can invest in a particular Instrument or the percentage of assets the Fund will allocate to any one asset class, and at times the Fund may focus on a small number of Instruments or asset classes. The allocation among the different asset classes is based on the Adviser'sassessment of the investment opportunity presented by each asset class, the risk associated with the asset class, as well as the Adviser's assessment of prevailing market conditions within the asset classes in the United States and abroad. While the Fund will be net long equities, bonds and commodities, it may take net short positions in currencies and both long and short positions in Instruments within each of these asset classes based upon the Adviser's evaluation of investment opportunities. The Fund may also take short positions for hedging purposes.
The Adviser seeks to allocate among asset classes in a way that avoids excessive risk exposure to any single asset class (e.g., equities, bonds, commodities) or risk premium (e.g., equity risk, duration risk, currency risk). The Adviser pursues an approach to asset allocation that manages risk (as measured by forecasted volatility and other proprietary measures) across asset classes over time. This means that lower risk asset classes (such as fixed income) will generally have higher notional allocations than higher risk asset classes (such as equities).
Additionally, the Adviser seeks to enhance returns by incorporating active views into both allocations among asset classes, and the selection of Instruments (both long and short) within an asset class. These views are based on the Adviser's general investment philosophy centered on systematizing fundamental insights and are guided by a diversified set of signals across investment themes, such as value, momentum, carry, trend and defensive, as well as a number of additional indicators based on the Adviser's research. Value strategies favor securities that are inexpensive, distressed or otherwise less favored by investors. Momentum strategies favor securities with strong recent price performance and positive changes in fundamentals on a relative basis. Carry strategies favor investments with higher yields. Trend strategies favor securities with recent absolute positive performance or improving fundamental metrics. Defensive strategies favor high-quality and low-risk assets. The desired overall risk level of the Fund may be increased or decreased by the Adviser. The risk exposures to asset classes can be expected to vary across asset classes based on market conditions. There can be no assurance that employing the above approach will achieve any particular level of return or will reduce volatility or potential loss.
Generally, the Fund gains exposure to asset classes by investing in many different types of instruments including, but not limited to: equity securities, equity futures, equity swaps, currencies, currency forwards, currency futures, commodity futures, commodity forwards, commodity swaps, bond futures, fixed income swaps, interest rate swaps, credit default swaps, credit default index swaps, inflation swaps, U.S. and foreign government bonds (including inflation-linked bonds, such as Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities ("TIPS")), cash and cash equivalents including but not limited to money market fund shares (collectively, the "Instruments"), either by investing directly in those Instruments, or indirectly by investing in the Subsidiary (as described below) that invests in those Instruments. To gain exposure to equity securities (both individual stocks and stock market indices), the Fund will hold long or short positions. The Fund will gain long or short exposure directly and/or through the use of derivative instruments. There is no maximum or minimum exposure to any one Instrument or any one asset class. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds or exchange-traded notes through which the Fund can participate in the performance of one or more Instruments.
The Fund has no geographic limits on where its investments may be located or where its assets may be exposed. This flexibility allows the Adviser to look for investments or gain exposure to asset classes and markets around the world, including emerging markets, that it believes will enhance the Fund's ability to meet its objective. The Fund may have exposure to fixed income securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers of any credit quality, duration or maturity, including securities that are unrated or are rated in the lowest credit rating categories. The Fund may have exposure to equity securities of companies of any market capitalization. There is no percentage limit on the Fund's exposure to below investment-grade fixed income securities or to small less-liquid equity securities.
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The Fund may have exposure in long and short positions across all of the asset classes. Selling securities short allows the Fund to reflect to a greater extent, compared to a long-only approach, the Adviser's views on Instruments it expects to underperform. For example, the Fund may take a short position in a particular Instrument based on the Adviser's evaluation of the value, momentum, carry, trend or defensive investment themes discussed above. Selling securities short also allows the Fund to establish additional long positions using the short sale proceeds, and thereby take greater advantage, compared to a long-only approach, of the Adviser's views on Instruments it expects to outperform. The Fund, when taking a long position, will purchase a security that will benefit from an increase in the price of that security. When taking a short position in a security, the Fund will borrow the security from a third party and sell it at the then current market price. The Fund may also take short positions in futures, forwards or swaps. A short position will benefit from a decrease in price of the underlying Instrument and lose value if the price of the underlying Instrument increases.
Futures and forward contracts are contractual agreements to buy or sell a particular currency, commodity or financial instrument at a pre-determined price in the future. The Fund's use of futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps, short sales and certain other Instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying an Instrument and results in increased volatility, which means the Fund will have the potential for greater gains, as well as the potential for greater losses, than if the Fund does not use Instruments that have a leveraging effect. Leveraging tends to magnify, sometimes significantly, the effect of any increase or decrease in the Fund's exposure to an asset class and may cause the Fund's NAV to experience greater volatility. There is no assurance that the Fund's use of Instruments providing enhanced exposure will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
The Adviser, on average, will typically target an annualized volatility level for the Fund ranging between 7% and 13%. Volatility is a statistical measurement of the dispersion of returns of a security or fund or index, as measured by the annualized standard deviation of its returns. The actual or realized volatility level for longer or shorter periods may be materially higher or lower depending on market conditions. Higher volatility generally indicates higher risk. Actual or realized volatility can and will differ from the forecasted or target volatility described above.
As a result of the Fund's strategy, the Fund may have highly leveraged exposure to one or more asset classes at times. The 1940 Act and the rules and interpretations thereunder impose certain limitations on the Fund's ability to use leverage; however, the Fund is not subject to any additional limitations on its exposures.
When taking into account derivative instruments and instruments with a maturity of one year or less at the time of acquisition, the Fund's strategy will result in frequent portfolio trading and high portfolio turnover (typically greater than 100%).
The Adviser will consider the potential federal income tax impact on the shareholders' after-tax investment return of certain trading decisions, including but not limited to, selling or closing out of Instruments to realize losses, or refraining from selling or closing out of Instruments to avoid realizing gains, when determined by the Adviser to be appropriate. The Adviser will also take into consideration various tax rules pertaining to holding periods, wash sales and tax straddles.
A significant portion of the Fund's assets may be held in cash or cash equivalent investments, with one year or less to maturity, including, but not limited to, money market instruments and U.S. Government securities (collectively, "Cash Equivalents"). The cash or Cash Equivalent holdings earn income for the Fund and can be held as unencumbered assets of the Fund or serve as collateral for the positions that the Fund takes on. The Fund may also enter into repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements. Under a repurchase agreement the Fund buys securities that the seller has agreed to buy back at a specified time and at a set price. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund sells securities to another party and agrees to repurchase them at a particular date and price. Leverage may be created when the Fund enters into reverse repurchase agreements, engages in futures and swap transactions or uses certain other derivative instruments.
The Fund intends to make investments through the Subsidiary and may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary is a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund, organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company. Generally, the Subsidiary will invest primarily in commodity-linked derivative instruments, such as commodity futures, forwards and swaps (which may include swaps on commodity futures), and will hold cash and Cash Equivalents. The Fund will invest in the Subsidiary in order to gain exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax laws, rules and regulations that apply to registered investment companies. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivative instruments, however, the Fund and the Subsidiary will comply with Rule 18f-4 on a consolidated basis with respect to investments in derivatives. In addition, the Fund and the Subsidiary will be subject to the same fundamental investment restrictions on a consolidated basis and, to the extent applicable to the investment activities of the Subsidiary, the Subsidiary will follow the same compliance policies and procedures as the Fund. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary will not seek to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. The Fund is the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary and does not expect shares of the Subsidiary to be offered or sold to other investors.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments.The Fund is not a complete investment program and should be considered only as one part of an investment portfolio. The Fund is more appropriate for
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long-term investors who can bear the risk of short-term NAV fluctuations, which at times, may be significant and rapid, however, all investments long- or short-term are subject to risk of loss. The following is a summary description of certain risks of investing in the Fund. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.
Below Investment Grade Securities Risk: Although bonds rated below investment grade (also known as "junk" securities) generally pay higher rates of interest than investment grade bonds, bonds rated below investment grade are high risk, speculative investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund.
Commodities Risk: Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative investments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Additionally, the Fund may gain exposure to the commodities markets through investments in exchange-traded notes, the value of which may be influenced by, among other things, time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the exchange-traded note, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying markets, the performance of the reference instrument, changes in the issuer's credit rating and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the reference instrument.
Common Stock Risk: The Fund may invest in, or have exposure to, common stocks. Common stocks are subject to greater fluctuations in market value than certain other asset classes as a result of such factors as a company's business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general economic conditions.
Counterparty Risk: The Fund may enter into various types of derivative contracts as described below under "Derivatives Risk". Many of these derivative contracts will be privately negotiated in the over-the-counter market. These contracts also involve exposure to credit risk, since contract performance depends in part on the financial condition of the counterparty. If a privately negotiated over-the-counter contract calls for payments by the Fund, the Fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. In addition, if a counterparty's creditworthiness declines, the Fund may not receive payments owed under the contract, or such payments may be delayed under such circumstances and the value of agreements with such counterparty can be expected to decline, potentially resulting in losses to the Fund.
Credit DefaultSwap Agreements Risk: The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements or credit default index swap agreements as a "buyer" or "seller" of credit protection. Credit default swap agreements involve special risks because they may be difficult to value, are highly susceptible to liquidity and credit risk, and generally pay a return to the party that has paid the premium only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial difficulty).
Credit Risk: Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security or the issuer of the reference asset of a derivative instrument will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund's investment in that issuer. Securities rated in the four highest categories by the rating agencies are considered investment grade but they may also have some speculative characteristics. Investment grade ratings do not guarantee that the issuer will not default on its payment obligations or that bonds will not otherwise lose value.
Currency Risk: Currency risk is the risk that changes in currency exchange rates will negatively affect securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies. The liquidity and trading value of foreign currencies could be affected by global economic factors, such as inflation, interest rate levels, and trade balances among countries, as well as the actions of sovereign governments and central banks. Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential gains from the Fund's investments in securities denominated in a foreign currency or may widen existing losses.
Derivatives Risk: In general, a derivative instrument typically involves leverage, i.e., it provides exposure to potential gain or loss from a change in the level of the market price of the underlying security, currency or commodity (or a basket or index) in a notional amount that exceeds the amount of cash or assets required to establish or maintain the derivative instrument. Adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset or index, which the Fund may not directly own, can result in a loss to the Fund substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. The use of derivative instruments also exposes the Fund to additional risks and transaction costs. These instruments come in many varieties and have a wide range of potential risks and rewards, and may include, as further described in the section entitled "Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund," futures contracts, forward contracts and swaps. A risk of the Fund's use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate perfectly with the overall securities markets.
Emerging Market Risk: The Fund intends to have exposure to emerging markets. Emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to develop unevenly and may never fully develop. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative. Emerging markets are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations, which adversely affect returns to U.S. investors. In addition, many emerging securities markets have far lower trading volumes and less liquidity than developed markets. Emerging markets generally have less stable political systems, less developed securities settlement procedures and may require the establishment of special custody arrangements. Emerging securities markets generally do not have the level of market efficiency and strict standards in accounting and securities regulation as developed markets, which could impact the Adviser's ability to evaluate these securities and/or impact Fund performance.
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Foreign Investments Risk: Foreign investments often involve special risks not present in U.S. investments that can increase the chances that the Fund will lose money. These risks include:
•The Fund generally holds its foreign instruments and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories, which may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business and may be subject to only limited or no regulatory oversight.
•Changes in foreign currency exchange rates can affect the value of the Fund's portfolio.
•The economies of certain foreign markets may not compare favorably with the economy of the United States with respect to such issues as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, resources and balance of payments position.
•The governments of certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on foreign investments in their capital markets or in certain industries.
•Many foreign governments do not supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities to the same extent as does the United States and may not have laws to protect investors that are comparable to U.S. securities laws.
•Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets may result in delays in payment for or delivery of securities not typically associated with settlement and clearance of U.S. investments.
•The regulatory, financial reporting, accounting, recordkeeping and auditing standards of foreign countries may differ, in some cases significantly, from U.S. standards.
Forward and Futures Contract Risk: The successful use of forward and futures contracts draws upon the Adviser's skill and experience with respect to such instruments and is subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of forward and futures contracts, which may adversely affect the Fund's NAV and total return, are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the forward or futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser's inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.
Hedging Transactions Risk: The Adviser from time to time employs various hedging techniques. The success of the Fund's hedging strategy will be subject to the Adviser's ability to correctly assess the degree of correlation between the performance of the instruments used in the hedging strategy and the performance of the investments in the portfolio being hedged. Since the characteristics of many securities change as markets change or time passes, the success of the Fund's hedging strategy will also be subject to the Adviser's ability to continually recalculate, readjust, and execute hedges in an efficient and timely manner. For a variety of reasons, the Adviser may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to risk of loss. In addition, it is not possible to hedge fully or perfectly against any risk, and hedging entails its own costs (such as trading commissions and fees).
High Portfolio Turnover Risk: The investment techniques and strategies utilized by the Fund, including investments made on a shorter-term basis or in derivative instruments or instruments with a maturity of one year or less at the time of acquisition, may result in frequent portfolio trading and high portfolio turnover. High portfolio turnover rates will cause the Fund to incur higher levels of brokerage fees and commissions, which may reduce performance, and may cause higher levels of current tax liability to shareholders in the Fund.
Interest Rate Risk: Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of fixed income securities generally increase when interest rates decline and decrease when interest rates increase. The Fund may lose money if short-term or long-term interest rates rise sharply or otherwise change in a manner not anticipated by the Adviser.
Investment in Other Investment Companies Risk: As with other investments, investments in other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), are subject to market and manager risk. In addition, if the Fund acquires shares of investment companies, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of the investment companies. The Fund may invest in money market mutual funds. An investment in a money market mutual fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Although money market mutual funds that invest in U.S. Government securities seek to preserve the value of the Fund's investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in a stable NAV money market mutual fund. Moreover, prime money market mutual funds are required to use floating NAVsthat do not preserve the value of the Fund's investment at $1.00 per share.
Leverage Risk: As part of the Fund's principal investment strategy, the Fund will enter into short sales and/or will make investments in futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps and other derivative instruments. These investment activities provide the economic effect of financial leverage by creating additional investment exposure to the underlying instrument, as well as the potential for greater loss. If the Fund uses leverage through activities such as entering into short sales or purchasing derivative instruments, the Fund has the risk that losses may exceed the net assets of the Fund. The net asset value of the Fund while employing leverage will be more volatile and sensitive to market movements.
Manager Risk: If the Adviser makes poor investment decisions, it will negatively affect the Fund's investment performance.
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Market Risk: Market risk is the risk that the markets on which the Fund's investments trade will increase or decrease in value. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. Recently, there have been inflationary price movements and rising interest rates. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, your investment in the Fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests.
Mid-Cap Securities Risk: The Fund may invest in, or have exposure to, the securities of mid-cap companies. The prices of securities of mid-cap companies generally are more volatile than those of large capitalization companies and are more likely to be adversely affected than large-cap companies by changes in earnings results and investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions, including those experienced during a recession.
Model and Data Risk: Given the complexity of the investments and strategies of the Fund, the Adviser relies heavily on quantitative models and information and traditional and non-traditional data supplied or made available by third parties ("Models and Data"). Models and Data are used to construct sets of transactions and investments, to provide risk management insights, and to assist in hedging the Fund's investments.
When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, including because data is stale, missing or unavailable, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks. Similarly, any hedging based on faulty Models and Data may prove to be unsuccessful. Some of the models used by the Adviser for the Fund are predictive in nature. The use of predictive models has inherent risks. Because predictive models are usually constructed based on historical data supplied by third parties or otherwise, the success of relying on such models may depend on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied historical data. The Fund bears the risk that the quantitative models used by the Adviser will not be successful in forecasting market returns or in determining the weighting of investment positions that will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
All models rely on correct data inputs. If incorrect data is entered into even a well-founded model, the resulting information will be incorrect. However, even if data is inputted correctly, "model prices" will often differ substantially from market prices, especially for instruments with complex characteristics, such as derivative instruments.
The Adviser currently makes use of non-traditional data, also known as "alternative data" (e.g., data related to consumer transactions or other behavior, social media sentiment, and internet search and traffic data). There can be no assurance that using alternative data will result in positive performance. Alternative data is often less structured than traditional data sets and usually has less history, making it more complicated (and riskier) to incorporate into quantitative models. Alternative data providers often have less robust information technology infrastructure, which can result in data sets being suspended, delayed, or otherwise unavailable. In addition, as regulators have increased scrutiny of the use of alternative data in making investment decisions, the changing regulatory landscape could result in legal, regulatory, financial and/or reputational risk.
The Fund is unlikely to be successful unless the assumptions underlying the models are realistic and either remain realistic and relevant in the future or are adjusted to account for changes in the overall market environment. If such assumptions are inaccurate or become inaccurate and are not promptly adjusted, it is likely that profitable trading signals will not be generated, and major losses may result.
The Adviser, in its sole discretion, will continue to test, evaluate and add new models, which may result in the modification of existing models from time to time. There can be no assurance that model modifications will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Momentum Style Risk: Investing in or having exposure to securities with positive momentum entails investing in securities that have had above-average recent returns. These securities may be more volatile than a broad cross-section of securities. In addition, there may be periods during which the investment performance of the Fund while using a momentum strategy may suffer.
Repurchase Agreements Risk: The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements. When entering into a repurchase agreement, the Fund essentially makes a short-term loan to a qualified bank or broker-dealer. The Fund buys securities that the seller has agreed to buy back at a specified time and at a set price that includes interest. There is a risk that the seller will be unable to buy back the securities at the time required and the Fund could experience delays in recovering amounts owed to it.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk: Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by the Fund with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the other party may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and the value of the collateral held by the Fund, including the value of the investments made with cash collateral, is less than the value of securities. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences to the Fund. Furthermore, reverse repurchase agreements involve the risks that (i) the interest income earned in the investment of the proceeds will be less than the interest expense, (ii) the market value of the securities retained in lieu of sale by the Fund may decline below the price of the securities the Fund has sold but is obligated to repurchase, and (iii) the market value of the securities sold will decline below the price at which the Fund is required to repurchase them. In addition, the use of reverse repurchase agreements may be regarded as leveraging.
Short Sale Risk: The Fund enters into a short sale by selling a security it has borrowed (typically from a broker or other institution). If the market price of a security increases after the Fund borrows the security, the Fund will suffer a (potentially unlimited) loss when it replaces the borrowed security at the higher price. In certain cases, purchasing a security to cover a
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short position can itself cause the price of the security to rise further, thereby exacerbating the loss. In addition, the Fund may not always be able to borrow the security at a particular time or at an acceptable price. The Fund may also take a short position in a derivative instrument, such as a future, forward or swap. A short position in a derivative instrument involves the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument, which could cause the Fund to suffer a (potentially unlimited) loss. Short sales also involve transaction and financing costs that will reduce potential Fund gains and increase potential Fund losses.
Small-Cap Securities Risk: Investments in or exposure to the securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations involve higher risks in some respects than do investments in securities of larger companies. For example, prices of such securities are often more volatile than prices of large capitalization securities. In addition, due to thin trading in some such securities, an investment in these securities may be less liquid (i.e., harder to sell) than that of larger capitalization securities. Smaller capitalization companies also fail more often than larger companies and may have more limited management and financial resources than larger companies.
Sovereign Debt Risk: The Fund may invest in, or have exposure to, sovereign debt instruments. These investments are subject to the risk that a governmental entity may delay or refuse to pay interest or repay principal on its sovereign debt, due, for example, to cash flow problems, insufficient foreign currency reserves, political considerations, the relative size of the governmental entity's debt position in relation to the economy or the failure to put in place economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund or other multilateral agencies. If a governmental entity defaults, it may ask for more time in which to pay or for further loans. There is no legal process for collecting sovereign debt that a government does not pay nor are there bankruptcy proceedings through which all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental entity has not repaid may be collected.
Subsidiary Risk: By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary'sinvestments. The commodity-related instruments held by the Subsidiary are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Subsidiary will be achieved. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in this prospectus, is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Fund and the Subsidiary are both managed by the Adviser, making it unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Board of Trustees has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiary, and the Fund's role as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. The Fund and the Subsidiary will be subject to the same investment restrictions and limitations on a consolidated basis, and to the extent applicable to the investment activities of the Subsidiary, the Subsidiary will follow the same compliance policies and procedures as the Fund. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary will not seek to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund.
Swap Agreements Risk: Swap agreements involve the risk that the party with whom the Fund has entered into the swap will default on its obligation to pay the Fund. Additionally, certain unexpected market events or significant adverse market movements could result in the Fund not holding enough assets to be able to meet its obligations under the agreement. Such occurrences may negatively impact the Fund's ability to implement its principal investment strategies and could result in losses to the Fund.
Tax-Managed Investment Risk: When employing tax-managed strategies, the performance of the Fund may deviate from that of non-tax managed funds and may not provide as high a return before consideration of federal income tax consequences as non-tax managed funds. The Fund's tax-sensitive investment strategy involves active management with the intent of minimizing the amount of realized gains from the sale of securities; however, market conditions may limit the Fund's ability to execute such strategy. The Fund's ability to utilize various tax-management techniques may be curtailed or eliminated in the future by tax legislation or regulation. Although, when employing tax-managed strategies, the Fund expects that a smaller portion of its total return will consist of taxable distributions to shareholders as compared to non-tax managed funds, there can be no assurance about the size of taxable distributions to shareholders.
Tax Risk: In order for the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, the Fund must derive at least 90 percent of its gross income each taxable year from qualifying income, which is described in more detail in the SAI. Income from certain commodity-linked derivative instruments in which the Fund invests is not considered qualifying income. The Fund will therefore restrict its income from direct investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments that do not generate qualifying income, such as commodity-linked swaps, to a maximum of 10 percent of its gross income.
The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirements of Subchapter M. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.
AQR Funds-Summary Prospectus8
TIPS and Inflation-Linked Bonds Risk: The value of inflation-protected securities generally fluctuates in response to changes in real interest rates, which are in turn tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in the value of inflation-protected securities. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in the value of inflation-protected securities. If the Fund purchases inflation-protected securities in the secondary market whose principal values have been adjusted upward due to inflation since issuance, the Fund may experience a loss if there is a subsequent period of deflation. The inflation-protected securities markets are generally much smaller and less liquid than the nominal bonds from the same issuers and as such can suffer losses during times of economic stress or illiquidity.
U.S. Government Securities Risk: Treasury obligations may differ in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities are supported by varying degrees of credit but generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so. Certain of the government agency securities the Fund may purchase are backed only by the credit of the government agency and not by full faith and credit of the United States.
Value Style Risk: Investing in or having exposure to "value" securities presents the risk that the securities may never reach what the Adviser believes are their full market values, either because the market fails to recognize what the Adviser considers to be the security's true value or because the Adviser misjudged that value. In addition, there may be periods during which the investment performance of the Fund while using a value strategy may suffer.
Volatility Risk: The Fund may have investments that appreciate or decrease significantly in value over short periods of time. This may cause the Fund's net asset value per share to experience significant increases or declines in value over short periods of time, however, all investments long- or short-term are subject to risk of loss.
Performance Information
The performance information below shows summary performance information for the Fund in a bar chart and an average annual total returns table. The information shows you how the Fund's performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund's returns prior to January 30, 2019 as reflected in the bar chart and the table are those of the Fund when it followed different investment strategies under the name "AQR Risk Parity Fund."
The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes), as provided by the bar chart and performance table that follows, is not an indication of future results. Updated information on the Fund's performance, including its current NAVper share, can be obtained by visiting https://funds.aqr.com.
Class I Shares-Total Returns
The bar chart below provides an illustration of how the Fund's performance has varied in each of the indicated calendar years.
Highest Quarterly Return
Lowest Quarterly Return
9.64%
3/31/19
-11.08%
3/31/20
AQR Funds-Summary Prospectus9
Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023
The following table compares the Fund's average annual total returns for Class I Shares, Class N Shares and Class R6 Shares for the periods ended December 31, 2023 to a reference benchmark comprised as follows: 60% S&P 500® Index and 40% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. You cannot invest directly in an index. The table includes all applicable fees and sales charges.
One
Year
Five
Year
Ten
Year
Since
Inception
Share Class
Inception
Date
AQR Multi-Asset Fund-Class I
Return Before Taxes
11.13%
7.16%
5.18%
-
09/29/2010
Return After Taxes on
Distributions
10.27%
5.42%
2.80%
-
Return After Taxes on
Distributions and Sale of
Fund Shares
6.80%
4.93%
2.99%
-
AQR Multi-Asset Fund-Class N
Return Before Taxes
10.91%
6.90%
4.91%
-
09/29/2010
60% S&P 500® Index and 40%
Bloomberg Barclays
U.S. Aggregate Bond Index
(reflects no deductions for fees,
expenses or taxes)
17.67%
9.98%
8.09%
-
S&P 500® Index (reflects no
deductions for fees, expenses or
taxes)
26.29%
15.69%
12.03%
-
Bloomberg Barclays
U.S. Aggregate Bond Index
(reflects no deductions for fees,
expenses or taxes)
5.53%
1.10%
1.81%
-
AQR Multi-Asset Fund-Class R6
Return Before Taxes
11.25%
7.26%
-
4.42%*
09/02/2014
60% S&P 500® Index and 40%
Bloomberg Barclays
U.S. Aggregate Bond Index
(reflects no deductions for fees,
expenses or taxes)
17.67%
9.98%
-
7.83%*
S&P 500® Index (reflects no
deductions for fees, expenses or
taxes)
26.29%
15.69%
-
11.82%*
Bloomberg Barclays
U.S. Aggregate Bond Index
(reflects no deductions for fees,
expenses or taxes)
5.53%
1.10%
-
1.46%*
*Since inception performance is shown for Class R6 since it does not have 10 years of performance history.
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual marginal tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. In some cases, the return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may exceed the return after taxes on distributions due to an assumed benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are for Class I Shares only. After-tax returns for other classes will vary.
Investment Manager
The Fund's investment manager is AQR Capital Management, LLC.
Portfolio Managers
Name
Portfolio Manager
of the Fund Since
Title
John M. Liew, Ph.D., M.B.A.
September 29, 2010
Founding Principal of the Adviser
Jordan Brooks, Ph.D., M.A.
January 1, 2022
Principal of the Adviser
Andrea Frazzini, Ph.D., M.S.
May 1, 2023
Principal of the Adviser
John J. Huss
May 1, 2015
Principal of the Adviser
Yao Hua Ooi
September 29, 2010
Principal of the Adviser
AQR Funds-Summary Prospectus10
Important Additional Information
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem Class N Shares, Class I Shares and Class R6 Shares of the Fund, as applicable, each day the NYSE is open. To purchase or redeem shares you should contact your financial intermediary, or, if you hold your shares through the Fund, you should contact the Fund by phone at (866) 290-2688 or by mail (c/o AQR Funds, P.O. Box 219512, Kansas City, MO 64121-9512). The Fund's initial and subsequent investment minimums for Class N Shares, Class I Shares and Class R6 Shares, as applicable, generally are as follows.
Class N Shares
Class I Shares
Class R6 Shares
Minimum Initial Investment
$2,5001
$5,000,0001
$50,000,0001
Minimum Subsequent Investment
None
None
None
1Reductions apply to certain eligibility groups. See "Investing With the AQR Funds" in the Fund's prospectus.
Tax Information
The Fund's dividends and distributions may be subject to federal income taxes and may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are a tax-exempt investor or are investing through a retirement plan, in which case you may be subject to federal income tax upon withdrawal from such tax deferred arrangements.
Payments to Broker/Dealers and other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the Fund and/or the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and other services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your individual financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your individual financial professional or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.