Rydex Variable Trust

04/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/30/2024 09:47

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company - Form 497K

Rydex Variable Trust
Rydex Variable Trust
|
Rydex Domestic Equity -
Broad Market
|
5.1.2024
Guggenheim Variable Insurance Funds
Summary Prospectus
Rydex Domestic Equity - Broad Market Fund
Inverse Mid-Cap Strategy Fund
The Fund is very different from most mutual funds in that it seeks to provide investment results that match the inverse of the performance of a specific underlying index on a daily basis, a result opposite of most other mutual funds, and is intended to be used as a short-term trading vehicle. The Fund is not intended to be used by, and is not appropriate for, investors who do not intend to actively manage and monitor their portfolios. Investors should note that the pursuit of an inverse investment goal has the following implications: • Because the Fund seeks daily inverse investment results, the return of the Fund for a period longer than one day will be the result of each day's compounded returns over the period, which will very likely differ from the return of the Fund's benchmark (i.e., the inverse of the performance of its underlying index) for that period. As a consequence, especially in periods of market volatility, the path or trend of the benchmark during the longer period may be at least as important to the Fund's cumulative return for the longer period as the cumulative return of the benchmark for the relevant longer period. Further, the return for investors who invest for a period longer than a single trading day will not be the product of the return of the Fund's stated investment goal (i.e., -1x) and the cumulative performance of the Fund's benchmark. In addition, as a result of compounding, the Fund's performance for periods greater than one day is likely to be either greater than or less than the inverse performance of the Fund's underlying index, before accounting for fees and fund expenses.
The Fund is not suitable for all investors. The Fund is designed to be utilized only by sophisticated investors, such as traders and active investors employing dynamic strategies. Investors in the Fund should: (a) understand the consequences of seeking daily inverse investment results, (b) understand the risks of shorting, and (c) intend to actively manage and monitor their investments. Investors who do not understand the Fund or do not intend to actively manage and monitor their investments should not buy shares of the Fund.
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund could lose money. The Fund is not a complete investment program.
Before you invest, you may wish to review the Fund's Prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You may obtain the Prospectus and other information about the Fund, including the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and most recent reports to shareholders, at no cost by visiting guggenheiminvestments.com/variable-insurance-funds, calling 800.820.0888 or e-mailing [email protected]. The Fund's Prospectus and SAI, both dated May 1, 2024, as revised from time to time, and the Fund's most recent shareholder reports, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus. This Summary Prospectus is intended for use in connection with a variable contract as defined in Section 817(d) of the Internal Revenue Code and is not intended for use by other investors.
SUMVTIMC-0524x0525
guggenheiminvestments.com
Inverse Mid-Cap Strategy Fund
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND
The Inverse Mid-Cap Strategy Fund (the "Fund") is very different from most other mutual funds in that it seeks to provide investment results that match the inverse of the performance of a specific underlying index on a daily basis, a result opposite of most mutual funds. As a result, the Fund may be riskier than alternatives that do not rely on the use of derivatives to achieve their investment objectives.
Because the Fund seeks daily inverse investment results, the return of the Fund for a period of longer than a single trading day will be the result of each day's compounded returns over the period, which will very likely differ from the inverse return of the Fund's underlying index (as defined below) for that period. As a consequence, especially in periods of market volatility, the path or trend of the benchmark during the longer period may be at least as important to the Fund's return for the longer period as the cumulative return of the benchmark for the relevant longer period. Further, the return for investors who invest for a period longer than a single trading day will not be the product of the return of the Fund's stated investment goal (i.e., -1x) and the cumulative performance of the benchmark.
The Fund is not suitable for all investors. The Fund should be utilized only by investors who (a) understand the consequences of seeking daily inverse investment results, (b) understand the risks of shorting and (c) intend to actively monitor and manage their investments. Investors who do not meet these criteria should not buy shares of the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a complete investment program.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund seeks to provide investment results that match, before fees and expenses, the performance of a specific benchmark on a daily basis. The Fund's current benchmark is the inverse (opposite) of the performance of the S&P MidCap 400® Index (the "underlying index"). The Fund does not seek to achieve its investment objective over a period of time greater than one day.
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. Owners of variable annuity and insurance contracts that invest in the Fund also should refer to the variable insurance contract prospectus for a description of fees and expenses that may be deducted at the separate account level or contract level for any charges that may be incurred under a contract. If the information below were to reflect the deduction of insurance charges, fees and expenses would be higher.
SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)
N/A
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees
0.90
%
Other Expenses1
0.95
%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses
0.08
%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses2
1.93
%
Fee Waiver (and/or expense reimbursement)3,4
-0.10
%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver (and/or expense reimbursement)2
1.83
%
1
"Other Expenses" does not include fees paid to the Fund's swap contract counterparties, or the management fees, performance fees, and expenses of the reference assets or trading vehicles underlying such swap contracts. These fees and expenses, which are not reflected in this Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, are embedded in the returns of the swap contracts (i.e., the fees and expenses reduce the investment returns of the swap contracts) and represent an indirect cost of investing in the Fund.
2
The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses and Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver (and/or expense reimbursement) in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratios in the Fund's financial highlights and financial statements because the financial highlights and financial statements reflect only the operating expenses of the Fund and do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, which are fees and expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund through its investments in certain underlying investment companies.
1 | SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
3
The Advisor has contractually agreed, through May 1, 2025, to waive the amount of the Fund's management fee to the extent necessary to offset the proportionate share of any management fee paid by the Fund with respect to any Fund investment in an underlying fund for which the Advisor or any of its affiliates also serves as investment manager. The agreement may be terminated by the Advisor at the conclusion of any one-year term or by the Fund's Board of Trustees at any time, and when the Advisor ceases to serve as such.
4
The Advisor has contractually agreed, through May 1, 2025, to waive and/or reimburse the Fund's expenses in an amount equal to an annual percentage rate of 0.05% of the Fund's average daily net assets. In addition, the Advisor also has contractually agreed, through May 1, 2025, to waive and/or reimburse the Fund's expenses in an additional amount equal to an annual percentage rate of 0.05% of the Fund's average daily net assets. Each agreement shall automatically renew for one-year terms unless the Advisor provides written notice to the Fund of the termination of the agreement. Each agreement may be terminated at any time by the Fund's Board of Trustees and when the Advisor ceases to serve as such.
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 does not reflect the fees and expenses which are, or may be, imposed under your variable insurance contract. If the Example were to reflect the deduction of such charges, the costs shown would be greater.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. 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
$186
$596
$1,033
$2,246
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. These costs, which are not reflected in the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to cash instruments and most derivatives. If such instruments were included, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate might be significantly higher.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Unlike a traditional index fund, the Fund's investment objective is to perform opposite the underlying index, and the Fund generally will not own the securities included in the underlying index. Instead, the Fund employs as its investment strategy a program of engaging in short sales of securities included in the underlying index and investing to a significant extent in derivative instruments, which primarily consist of equity index swaps and swaps on exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), futures contracts, and options on securities, futures contracts, and stock indices. The Advisor expects to rebalance the Fund's positions daily to maintain exposure that is opposite to that of the underlying index. While the Fund may write (sell) and purchase swaps, it expects primarily to write swaps. The Fund's investment in derivatives serves as a substitute for directly selling short each of the securities included in the underlying index and produces inverse exposure to the underlying index. Certain of the Fund's derivatives investments may be traded in the over-the-counter ("OTC") market. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in financial instruments with economic characteristics that should perform opposite to the securities of companies included in the underlying index.
Investments in derivative instruments, such as futures, options and swap agreements, have the economic effect of creating financial leverage in the Fund's portfolio because such investments may give rise to losses that exceed the amount the Fund has invested in those instruments. Financial leverage will magnify, sometimes significantly, the Fund's exposure to any increase or decrease in prices associated with a particular reference asset resulting in increased volatility in the value of the Fund's portfolio. The value of the Fund's portfolio is likely to experience greater volatility over short-term periods. While such financial leverage has the potential to produce greater gains, it also may result in greater losses, which in some cases may cause the Fund to liquidate other portfolio investments at a loss to comply with limits on leverage imposed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, satisfy margin or collateral requirements, or meet redemption requests.
The S&P MidCap 400® Index is a modified capitalization-weighted index composed of 400 mid-cap stocks chosen by Standard & Poor's Corporation for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation. The S&P MidCap 400®Index covers approximately 7% of the U.S. equities market and generally represents mid-capitalization companies with capitalizations ranging from $775.3 million to $24.5 billion as of March 31, 2024. To the extent the Fund's
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS | 2
underlying index is concentrated in a particular industry the Fund will necessarily be concentrated in that industry. The industries in which the underlying index components, and thus the Fund's investments, may be concentrated will vary as the composition of the underlying index changes over time. While the Fund's sector exposure may vary over time, as of March 31, 2024, the Fund has significant exposure to the Consumer Discretionary Sector, Financials Sector, and Industrials Sector, as each sector is defined by the Global Industry Classification Standard, a widely recognized industry classification methodology developed by MSCI, Inc. and Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.
On a day-to-day basis, the Fund may hold U.S. government securities or cash equivalents. The Fund also may enter into repurchase agreements with counterparties that are deemed to present acceptable credit risks. In an effort to ensure that the Fund is fully invested on a day-to-day basis, the Fund may conduct any necessary trading activity at or just prior to the close of the U.S. financial markets. The Fund is non-diversified and, therefore, may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer in comparison to a diversified fund.
The Fund may invest a portion of its assets, and at times, a substantial portion of its assets, in other short-term fixed-income investment companies advised by the Advisor, or an affiliate of the Advisor, for various purposes, including for liquidity management purposes (e.g., to increase yield on liquid investments used to collateralize derivatives positions) or when such investment companies present a more cost-effective investment option than direct investments in the underlying securities. Investments in these investment companies will significantly increase the portfolio's exposure to certain other asset categories, including: (i) a broad range of high yield, high risk debt securities rated below the top four long-term rating categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality (also known as "junk bonds"); (ii) securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities; (iii) collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs"), other asset-backed securities (including mortgage-backed securities) and similarly structured debt investments; and (iv) other short-term fixed income securities. Such investments will expose the Fund to the risks of these asset categories and increases or decreases in the value of these investments may cause the Fund to deviate from its investment objective.
PRINCIPAL RISKS
The value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate and is subject to investment risks, which means investors could lose money, including all or part of their investment in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any governmental agency. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. An investment in the Fund is subject to the risks summarized below in alphabetical order, and not in the order of importance or potential exposure. Please see "More Information About the Trust and the Funds - Principal Risks" in the Fund's prospectus for a more detailed description of the risks of investing in the Fund.
Asset-Backed Securities Risk-Through its investments in other investment companies, the Fund may have exposure to asset-backed securities, including mortgage-backed securities and structured finance investments. Investors in asset-backed securities, including residential mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities and other structured finance investments, generally receive payments that are part interest and part return of principal. These payments may vary based on the rate at which the underlying borrowers pay off their loans. As a result, asset-backed securities are particularly subject to credit risk and borrower defaults on the obligations underlying the asset-backed security will result in losses. In addition, asset-backed securities are typically particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, which can cause the prices of asset-backed securities to be increasingly volatile and adversely affect the Fund's holdings of asset-backed securities. Some asset-backed securities, including mortgage-backed securities, may have structures that make their performance based on changes in interest rates and other factors difficult to predict, causing their prices to be volatile. In particular, during periods of falling interest rates, asset-backed securities are more likely to be called or prepaid, which can result in the Fund having to reinvest proceeds in other investments at a lower interest rate or less advantageous terms, which would adversely affect the Fund. Asset-backed securities are also particularly subject to market, liquidity, valuation, prepayment and extension risks and are also subject to risk of impairment of the value of the underlying asset.
Collateralized Loan Obligations ("CLO") and Collateralized Debt Obligations ("CDO") Risk-Through its investments in other investment companies, the Fund may have exposure to CLOs. CLOs bear many of the same risks as other forms of asset-backed securities, including interest rate risk, credit risk and default risk. As they are backed primarily by commercial loans, CLOs also bear many of the same risks as investing in loans directly. However, in addition to the risks associated with investment in commercial loans, the complex structure and highly leveraged
3 | SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
nature of a CLO poses additional risks. CLOs incur indebtedness by issuing classes or "tranches" that vary in risk and yield. CLOs may experience substantial losses attributable to loan defaults or trading losses. Such losses on the underlying assets are borne first by the holders of subordinate tranches, which may take the form of an equity interest. The Fund's investments in CLOs may decrease in market value when the CLO's assets experience loan defaults or credit impairment, losses that extend the most subordinate tranches, or market anticipation of loan defaults and investor aversion to CLO securities as a class.
CDOs are structured similarly to CLOs and bear many of the same risks as CLOs including interest rate risk, credit risk and default risk. CDOs are subject to additional risks because they are backed by pools of assets other than commercial loans, including securities (such as other asset-backed securities) and synthetic instruments or bonds, and may be highly leveraged. Like CLOs, losses incurred by a CDO are borne first by holders of the most subordinate tranches. Accordingly, the risks of CDOs depend largely on the type of underlying collateral and the tranche of CDOs in which the Fund invests. Moreover, CDOs that obtain their exposure through synthetic investments are exposed to risks associated with derivative instruments.
Compounding Risk-In addition to the correlation risks described under "Correlation Risk," the Fund's returns are subject to the effects of compounding, which generally will cause the Fund's performance to not correlate to the performance of the benchmark over periods greater than a single day, before accounting for fees and fund expenses. Compounded returns are the result of reinvesting daily returns over periods greater than a single day. The Fund's compounded returns for periods greater than a single day will be different than the performance of the benchmark over the same period. The effects of compounding on the performance of the Fund will be more pronounced when the underlying index experiences increased volatility and over longer holding periods.
Fund performance for periods greater than one day can be estimated given any set of assumptions for the following factors: (a) underlying index performance; (b) underlying index volatility; (c) financing rates associated with leverage; (d) other Fund expenses; (e) dividends or interest paid by companies in the underlying index; and (f) period of time. The table below illustrates the impact of two principal factors - volatility and index performance - on Fund performance. The table shows estimated Fund returns for a number of combinations of performance and volatility over a one-year period. Performance shown in the table assumes: (a) no dividends paid by the companies included in the underlying index; (b) no Fund expenses; and (c) a cost of leverage of zero percent. If Fund expenses, including the cost of leverage, were included, the Fund's performance would be lower than shown.
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS | 4
The unshaded areas in the table below represent those scenarios where the Fund can be expected to return more than the inverse performance of the underlying index; conversely, the shaded areas in the table below represent those scenarios where the Fund can be expected to return the same or less than the inverse performance of the underlying index.
Index Performance
Annualized Volatility
1x
-1x
10%
25%
50%
75%
100%
-60%
60%
148%
132%
96%
42%
-6%
-50%
50%
98%
87%
57%
14%
-28%
-40%
40%
65%
56%
30%
-5%
-38%
-30%
30%
42%
34%
13%
-18%
-47%
-20%
20%
24%
18%
-3%
-28%
-54%
-10%
10%
10%
4%
-13%
-36%
-59%
0%
0%
-1%
-6%
-22%
-43%
-64%
10%
-10%
-10%
-15%
-29%
-48%
-67%
20%
-20%
-17%
-22%
-35%
-53%
-69%
30%
-30%
-24%
-28%
-40%
-56%
-71%
40%
-40%
-29%
-33%
-44%
-60%
-73%
50%
-50%
-34%
-37%
-48%
-62%
-76%
60%
-60%
-38%
-41%
-51%
-65%
-78%
The underlying index's annualized historical volatility rate for the five-year period ended March 31, 2024 is 22.22%. The underlying index's highest one-year volatility rate during the five-year period is 26.67%. The underlying index's annualized performance for the five-year period ended March 31, 2024 is 11.71%.
Historical underlying index volatility and performance are not indications of what the underlying index volatility and performance will be in the future. The table is intended to isolate the effects of the underlying index volatility and index performance on the return of the Fund, and underscore that the Fund is designed as a short-term trading vehicle for investors who intend to actively monitor and manage their portfolios.
Correlation Risk-A number of factors may affect the Fund's ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with its benchmark, including instances in which the Fund does not hold or have exposure to each component security of the underlying index and the effect of compounding on the Fund's returns, and there can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. Failure to achieve a high degree of correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. The Fund does not attempt to, and should not be expected to, provide returns which are the inverse of the returns of the underlying index for periods other than a single day. The risk of the Fund not achieving its daily investment objective will be more acute when the underlying index has an extreme one-day movement approaching 50%. In addition, as a result of compounding, the Fund's performance for periods greater than a single day is likely to be either greater than or less than the performance of the inverse of the underlying index, before accounting for Fund fees and expenses.
Counterparty Credit Risk-The Fund makes investments in financial instruments and OTC-traded derivatives involving counterparties to gain exposure to a particular group of securities, index, asset class or other reference asset without actually purchasing those securities or investments, to hedge a position, or for other investment purposes. Through these investments and related arrangements (e.g., prime brokerage or securities lending arrangements or derivatives transactions), the Fund is exposed to credit risks that the counterparty may be unwilling or unable to make timely payments or otherwise to meet its contractual obligations. If the counterparty becomes bankrupt or defaults on (or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling to perform) its payment or other obligations to the
5 | SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
Fund, the Fund may not receive the full amount that it is entitled to receive or may experience delays in recovering the collateral or other assets held by, or on behalf of, the counterparty. If this occurs, the value of your shares in the Fund will decrease. Counterparty credit risk also includes the related risk of having potentially significant exposure to such counterparty.
Credit Risk-The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income or other debt instrument or a counterparty to a derivatives transaction or other transaction is unable or unwilling, or perceived to be unable or unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal on time, defaults or otherwise fails to meet its obligations. Actual or perceived changes in economic, social, public health, financial or political conditions in general or that affect a particular type of instrument, issuer, guarantor or counterparty can reduce the ability of the party to meet its obligations, which can affect the credit quality, liquidity and/or value of an instrument. The value of an instrument also may decline for reasons that relate directly to the issuer, guarantor or counterparty, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for goods and services or an actual or perceived change in financial condition or reputation. The issuer, guarantor or counterparty could also suffer a rapid decline in credit rating, which would adversely affect the value, price volatility and liquidity of the instrument. Credit ratings may not be an accurate assessment of liquidity or credit risk.
Derivatives Risk-Derivatives and other instruments (collectively referred to in this paragraph as "derivatives") pose risks in addition to and greater than those associated with investing directly in securities, currencies or other investments, including risks relating to leverage, market conditions and market risk, imperfect correlations with underlying investments or the Fund's other portfolio holdings, high price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty credit, liquidity, valuation, operational and legal restrictions and risk. Their use is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of derivatives may result in leverage, which may cause the Fund to be more volatile and riskier than if it had not been leveraged. Changes in the value of a derivative also may create sudden margin delivery or settlement payment obligations for the Fund, which can materially affect the performance of the Fund, its liquidity, and other aspects of the Fund's risk profile. The Fund's use of derivatives to obtain short exposure may result in greater volatility of the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") per share. If the Advisor is incorrect about its expectations of market conditions, the use of derivatives also could result in a loss, which in some cases may be unlimited. Certain risks are specific to the particular type of derivative instrument in which the Fund may invest. For example, some of the derivatives in which the Fund invests may be traded (and privately negotiated) in the OTC market. OTC derivatives are subject to heightened counterparty, credit, legal, liquidity and valuation risks.
Futures Contracts Risk-Futures contracts are exchange-traded contracts that call for the future delivery of an asset at a certain price and date, or cash settlement of the terms of the contract. Risks of futures contracts include imperfect correlation between the movements in the price of the instruments and the price of the underlying assets. In addition, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to enter into a closing transaction because of an illiquid market. Exchanges can limit the number of futures positions that can be held or controlled by the Fund or the Advisor, thus limiting the ability to implement the Fund's strategies. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund's NAV. Futures also are subject to leverage and liquidity risks. The Fund may invest in standard futures contracts, e-mini futures contracts, and micro e-mini futures contracts depending on the investment exposure needs of the Fund. E-mini futures contracts and micro e-mini futures contracts are similar to standard futures contracts, except that they are electronically traded and e-mini futures contracts generally are one-fifth the size of standard futures contracts and micro e-mini futures contracts generally are one-tenth the size of e-mini futures contracts.
Options Risk-Options and options on futures contracts give the holder of the option the right, but not the obligation, to buy (or to sell) a position in a security or in a contract to the writer of the option, at a certain price. Options are subject to correlation risk because there may be an imperfect correlation between the options and the markets for underlying instruments that could cause a given transaction to fail to achieve its objectives. The successful use of options depends on the Advisor's ability to predict correctly future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the markets for options and the underlying instruments. Exchanges can limit the number of options positions that can be held or controlled by the Fund or the Advisor, thus limiting the ability to implement the Fund's strategies. Options also are particularly subject to leverage risk and can be subject to liquidity risk.
Swap Agreements Risk-Swap agreements are contracts among the Fund and a counterparty to exchange the return of the pre-determined underlying investment (such as the rate of return of the underlying index). Swap agreements may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC between two parties or, for certain
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS | 6
standardized swaps, must be exchange-traded through a futures commission merchant and/or cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty. Risks associated with the use of swap agreements are different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions, due in part to the fact they could be considered illiquid and many swaps trade on the OTC market. Swaps are particularly subject to counterparty credit, correlation, valuation, liquidity and leveraging risks. While exchange trading and central clearing are intended to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, they do not make swap transactions risk-free. Additionally, applicable regulators have adopted rules imposing certain margin requirements, including minimums, on OTC swaps, which may result in the Fund and its counterparties posting higher margin amounts for OTC swaps, which could increase the cost of swap transactions to the Fund and impose added operational complexity.
Early Closing Risk-The Fund is subject to the risk that unanticipated early closings of securities exchanges and other financial markets may result in the Fund's inability to buy or sell securities or other financial instruments on that day and may cause the Fund to incur substantial trading losses.
Equity Securities Risk-Equity securities include common stocks and other equity and equity-related securities (and securities convertible into stocks). The prices of equity securities generally fluctuate more than those of fixed-income investments, may rise or fall rapidly or unpredictably, and may reflect real or perceived changes in the issuing company's financial condition and changes in the overall market or economy. A decline in the value of equity securities held by the Fund will adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Common stocks generally represent the riskiest investment in a company and dividend payments (if declared) to preferred stockholders generally rank junior to payments due to a company's debtholders. The Fund may lose a substantial part, or even all, of its investment in a company's stock.
High Yield and Unrated Securities Risk-High yield, below investment grade and unrated high risk debt securities (which also may be known as "junk bonds") are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. These securities generally present additional risks compared to investment grade bonds and are typically less liquid, and therefore more difficult to value accurately and sell at an advantageous price or time, and present more credit and default risk than investment grade bonds. The price of high yield securities tends to be subject to greater volatility due to issuer-specific factors, such as operating results and outlook and to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions. This exposure may be obtained through investments in other investment companies. Based on its investment strategies, a significant portion of the Fund's investments (directly or indirectly) can be comprised of high yield, below investment grade and unrated securities and thus particularly prone to the foregoing risks, which may result in losses to the Fund.
Industry Concentration Risk-The Fund may concentrate its investments in a limited number of issuers conducting business in the same industry or group of related industries. To the extent the Fund does so, the Fund is more vulnerable to adverse market, economic, regulatory, political or other developments affecting that industry or group of related industries than a fund that invests its assets more broadly. The industries in which the underlying index components, and thus the Fund's assets, may be concentrated will vary as the composition of the underlying index changes over time.
Interest Rate Risk-Fixed income and other debt instruments are subject to the possibility that interest rates could change. Changes in interest rates may adversely affect the Fund's investments in these instruments, such as the value or liquidity of, and income generated by, the investments. Interest rates may change as a result of a variety of factors, and the change may be sudden and significant, with unpredictable impacts on the financial markets and the Fund's investments. Fixed income and other debt instruments with longer durations are more sensitive to changes in interest rates and, thus, subject to more volatility than similar instruments with shorter durations. Generally, when interest rates increase, the values of fixed income and other debt instruments decline and when interest rates decrease, the values of fixed income and other debt instruments rise. During periods of rising interest rates, changes in interest rates on adjustable rate securities may lag behind changes in market rates, which may cause the value of such securities to decline until their interest rates reset to market rates. During periods of declining interest rates, because the interest rates on adjustable rate securities generally reset downward, their market value is unlikely to rise to the same extent as the value of comparable fixed rate securities. The Fund's yield, returns, and performance may be adversely affected by changing interest rates and the Fund's NAV per share may be more volatile during changing interest rate environments. Changes in monetary policy may exacerbate the risks associated with changing interest rates. Changes in interest rates may also lead to an increase in Fund redemptions, which may result in high portfolio turnover costs and lower valuations, thereby adversely affecting the Fund's performance.
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Investment in Investment Vehicles Risk-Investing in other investment vehicles, including ETFs, closed-end funds, affiliated short-term fixed income funds and other mutual funds, subjects the Fund to those risks affecting the investment vehicle, including the possibility that the value of the underlying securities held by the investment vehicle could decrease or the portfolio becomes illiquid. Moreover, the Fund and its shareholders will incur its pro rata share of the underlying vehicles' expenses, which will reduce the Fund's performance. In addition, investments in an ETF or a listed closed-end fund are subject to, among other risks, the risk that the shares may trade at a discount or premium relative to the NAV of the shares and the listing exchange may halt trading of the shares.
Investment in Loans Risk-The Fund may invest in loans directly or indirectly through assignments or participations. Investments in loans, including loan syndicates and other direct lending opportunities, involve special types of risks, including credit risk, interest rate risk, counterparty risk, prepayment risk, risk of subordination to other creditors, extension risk and risk of insufficient or lack of protection under the federal securities laws. Loans may offer a fixed or floating interest rate. Loans are often below investment grade and may be unrated. The Fund's investments in loans also can be difficult to value accurately, because of, among other factors, limited public information regarding the loan or the borrowers and may be more susceptible to liquidity risk than fixed-income instruments of similar credit quality and/or maturity. The Fund also is subject to the risk that the value of any collateral for the loan may be insufficient or unavailable to cover the borrower's obligations should the borrower fail to make payments, become insolvent, or otherwise default. This risk is increased if the Fund's loans are secured by a single asset. The Fund may also invest in loans that are not secured by collateral which typically present greater risks than collateralized loans. Transactions in loans are often subject to long settlement periods and often require consent from borrowers and/or an agent acting for the lenders, thus potentially limiting the ability of the Fund to invest sale proceeds in other investments and to use proceeds to meet its current redemption obligations. The Fund thus is subject to the risk of selling other investments at disadvantageous times or prices or taking other actions necessary to raise cash to meet its redemption obligations. Participations in loans may subject the Fund to the credit risk of both the borrower and the seller of the participation and may make enforcement of loan covenants, if any, more difficult for the Fund as legal action may have to go through the seller of the participation (or an agent acting on its behalf). Covenants contained in loan documentation are intended to protect lenders and investors by imposing certain restrictions and other limitations on a borrower's and the credit group's operations or assets and by providing certain information and consent rights to lenders. In addition to operational covenants, loans and other debt obligations often contain financial covenants which require a borrower and the related credit group to satisfy certain financial tests at periodic intervals or to maintain compliance with certain financial metrics. The Fund is exposed to, including through investment in underlying funds, loans and other similar debt obligations that are sometimes referred to as "covenant-lite" loans or obligations, which generally are loans or other similar debt obligations that lack financial maintenance covenants or possess fewer or contingent financial maintenance covenants and other financial protections for lenders and investors. These "covenant-lite" loans or similar debt obligations are particularly subject to the risks associated with investments in loans as described above.
Liquidity and Valuation Risk-It may be difficult for the Fund to purchase and sell particular investments to meet redemption requests or otherwise within a reasonable time at a fair price, or the price at which it has been valued by the Advisor for purposes of the Fund's NAV, causing the Fund to be less liquid and unable to realize what the Advisor believes should be the price of the investment. Valuation of portfolio investments may be difficult, such as during periods of market turmoil or reduced liquidity, and for investments that may, for example, trade infrequently or irregularly. In these and other circumstances, an investment may be valued using fair value methodologies, which are inherently subjective, reflect good faith judgments based on available information and may not accurately estimate the price at which the Fund could sell the investment at that time. Liquidity and valuation risks are heightened in a changing interest rate or volatile environment particularly for fixed-income and other debt instruments.
Market Risk-The value of, or income generated by, the investments held by the Fund may fluctuate rapidly and unpredictably. These fluctuations may be frequent and significant. In addition, the Fund may incur losses as a result of various market and economic factors, such as those affecting individual companies or issuers or particular industries, or from broader influences, such as general market conditions. In addition, developments related to economic, political (including geopolitical), social, public health, market, extreme weather, natural or man-made disasters or other conditions or events may cause volatility in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or debt markets, which could adversely impact the Fund and its investments and their value and performance. Under such conditions, the Fund (or an underlying fund) may experience significant redemption activity by shareholders and could be forced to sell portfolio securities or other assets at unfavorable prices in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund's investments may perform poorly or underperform the general securities markets or other types of securities.
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Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk-The Fund is subject to the risk that mid-capitalization securities may outperform other segments of the equity market or the equity market as a whole. Securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more speculative, volatile and less liquid than securities of large companies. Mid-capitalization companies tend to have inexperienced management as well as limited product and market diversification and financial resources and may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than large capitalization companies.
Non-Diversification Risk-The Fund is considered non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of its assets in securities of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the market value of a single issuer's securities could cause greater fluctuations in the value of Fund shares than would occur in a diversified fund. The Fund may become diversified for periods of time solely as a result of changes in the composition of the underlying index (e.g., changes in the relative market capitalization or weights of one or more index component stocks).
OTC Trading Risk-Certain of the derivatives in which the Fund may invest may be traded (and privately negotiated) in the OTC market. While the OTC derivatives market is the primary trading venue for many derivatives, it is largely unregulated and provides for less transparency than a national securities or commodities exchange. As a result and similar to other privately negotiated contracts, the Fund is subject to counterparty credit risk with respect to such derivatives contracts.
Passive Investment Risk-The Fund is not actively managed and the Advisor does not attempt to take defensive positions in rising markets. Therefore, the Fund may be subject to greater losses in a rising market than a fund that is actively managed.
Portfolio Turnover Risk-Periodic rebalancing of the Fund's holdings pursuant to its daily investment objective may lead to a greater number of portfolio transactions in the Fund than experienced by other mutual funds. Such frequent and active trading may lead to significantly higher transaction costs because of increased broker commissions associated with such transactions.
Prepayment and Extension Risk-Prepayment risk is the risk that the principal on mortgage-backed securities, other asset-backed securities or any debt security with an embedded call option may be prepaid at any time, which could reduce the security's yield and market value. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio manager may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. The rate of prepayments tends to increase as interest rates fall, which could cause the average maturity of the portfolio to shorten. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio manager may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs") Risk-REITs are classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or hybrid REITs. Equity REITs own real estate directly and the value of, and income earned by, the REITs depends upon the income of the underlying properties and the rental income they earn. Mortgage REITs make construction, development or long-term mortgage loans and are sensitive to the credit quality of the borrower. Mortgage REITs derive their income from interest earned on such mortgage loans. Hybrid REITs generally hold both ownership interests and mortgage interests in real estate. In addition to the risks pertaining to real estate investments more generally, REITs may be subject to additional risks, including risks associated with the direct ownership of real property, including declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses and variations in rental income. REITs (especially mortgage REITs) also are subject to interest rate and prepayment risks. The value of a REIT can depend on the structure of, and cash flow generated by, the REIT. REITs whose investments are concentrated in a limited number or type of properties, investments or narrow geographic area are subject to the risks affecting those properties or areas to a greater extent than a REIT with less concentrated investments. U.S. REITs also are subject to certain provisions under federal tax law. In addition, REITs may have expenses, including advisory and administration expenses, and the Fund and its shareholders will incur its pro rata share of the underlying expenses.
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Regulatory and Legal Risk-U.S. and non-U.S. governmental agencies and other regulators regularly implement additional regulations and legislators pass new laws that affect the investments held by the Fund, the strategies used by the Fund or the level of regulation or taxation applying to the Fund (such as regulations related to the use of derivatives and other transactions). These regulations and laws impact the investment strategies, performance, costs and operations of the Fund or taxation of shareholders.
Repurchase Agreement Risk-The Fund's investment in repurchase agreements may be subject to market and credit risk with respect to the collateral securing the repurchase agreements. Investments in repurchase agreements also may be subject to the risk that the market value of the underlying obligations may decline prior to the expiration of the repurchase agreement term.
Sector Risk-To the extent the components of the Fund's underlying index, and therefore, the Fund's holdings, have significant exposure to one or more market sectors, the Fund may be especially sensitive to the developments affecting and risks of such market sectors. The sectors to which the underlying index components, and thus the Fund's assets, may have significant exposure will vary as the composition of the underlying index changes over time. As of March 31, 2024, the Fund is subject to the Sector Risks described below.
Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk. The Fund's investments are exposed to issuers conducting business in the Consumer Discretionary Sector. The manufacturing segment of the Consumer Discretionary Sector includes automotive, household durable goods, leisure equipment and textiles and apparel. The services segment includes hotels, restaurants and other leisure facilities, media production and services, and consumer retailing and services. The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the Consumer Discretionary Sector. The performance of companies operating in the Consumer Discretionary Sector has historically been closely tied to the performance of the overall economy, and also is affected by economic growth, consumer confidence, attitudes and spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes also can affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products and services in the marketplace. Moreover, the Consumer Discretionary Sector encompasses those businesses that tend to be the most sensitive to economic cycles.
Financials Sector Risk. The Fund's investments are exposed to issuers conducting business in the Financials Sector. The Financials Sector includes companies involved in banking, financial services (including commercial and residential mortgage finance), consumer finance, capital markets (including asset management and custody banks, investment banking and brokerage), Mortgage Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), and insurance. Certain Financials Sector issuers serve as counterparties with which the Fund may enter into derivatives agreements or other similar contractual arrangements. The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the Financials Sector, which may adversely affect a company's ability to fulfill its obligations as a financial counterparty. Companies operating in the Financials Sector are subject to extensive government regulation, which may limit the financial commitments they can make and the interest rates and fees they can charge. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and may fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition.
Industrials Sector Risk. The Fund's investments are exposed to issuers conducting business in the Industrials Sector. The Industrials Sector includes manufacturers and distributors of capital goods, such as aerospace and defense, building projects, electrical equipment and machinery, and companies that offer construction and engineering services. The Industrials Sector also includes providers of commercial and professional services including printing, environmental and facilities services, office services and supplies, security and alarm services, human resource and employment services, research and consulting services, and transportation services. The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the Industrials Sector. The prices of the securities of companies operating in the Industrials Sector may fluctuate due to the level and volatility of commodity prices, the exchange value of the dollar, import controls, worldwide competition, liability for environmental damage, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control devices.
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Shareholder Trading Risk-The Fund may be used as a tool for certain investors that employ trading strategies involving frequent trading. Such trading strategies may lead to increased portfolio turnover in the Fund and higher transaction costs. Large movements of assets into and out of the Fund due to active or frequent trading also may adversely affect the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective.
Short Sale and Short Exposure Risk-Short selling a security involves selling a borrowed security with the expectation that the value of that security will decline, so that the security may be purchased at a lower price when returning the borrowed security. A short exposure through a derivative exposes the Fund to counterparty credit and leverage risks. The loss on a short sale or other short exposure, which, in some cases, may be theoretically unlimited, may be greater than a direct investment in the security itself because the price of the borrowed security may rise, thereby increasing the price at which the security must be purchased. Government actions also may affect the Fund's ability to engage in short selling.
Tracking Error Risk-The Advisor may not be able to cause the Fund's performance to match that of the Fund's benchmark, either on a daily or aggregate basis. Factors such as Fund expenses, imperfect correlation between the Fund's investments and those of the underlying index, rounding of share prices, changes to the composition of the underlying index, regulatory policies, and high portfolio turnover rate all contribute to tracking error. Tracking error may cause the Fund's performance to be less than you expect.
Trading Halt Risk-The Fund typically will hold futures contracts and short-term options. The major exchanges on which these contracts are traded, such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, have established limits on how much the trading price of a futures contract or option may decline over various time periods within a day, and may halt trading in a contract that exceeds such limits. If a trading halt occurs, the Fund may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell certain securities, futures contracts or options. Such a trading halt near the time the Fund prices its shares may limit the Fund's ability to fully invest its assets, which could increase tracking error and adversely affect performance, and may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
U.S. Government Securities Risk-U.S. government securities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. U.S. government securities are subject to the risks associated with fixed income and debt securities, particularly interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, U.S. government securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government involve credit risk that is greater than other types of U.S. government securities.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The following bar chart shows the performance of the shares of the Fund from year to year. The variability of performance over time provides an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The following table shows the performance of the shares of the Fund as an average over different periods of time in comparison to the performance of a broad-based market index. The figures in the bar chart and table assume the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions. The performance information below reflects applicable fee waivers and/or expense limitations in effect during the periods shown. The performance information below does not reflect fees and
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expenses of any variable contract that may use the Fund as its underlying investment and would be lower if it did, nor does it reflect the effect of any taxes. Of course, this past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
During the periods shown in
the chart above:
Quarter Ended
Return
Highest Quarter
March 31, 2020
29.61%
Lowest Quarter
June 30, 2020
-22.87%
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
(for periods ended December 31, 2023)
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Inverse Mid-Cap Strategy Fund
-9.04%
-14.54%
-11.08%
Index
S&P MidCap 400® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
16.44%
12.62%
9.27%
INVESTMENT ADVISOR
Security Investors, LLC, which operates under the name Guggenheim Investments, serves as the investment adviser of the Fund.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Michael P. Byrum, CFA, Senior Managing Director and Portfolio Manager. Mr. Byrum has been associated with the Advisor since 1993.
Brendan Cain, CFA, Vice President and Portfolio Manager. Mr. Cain has been associated with the Advisor since 2006.
Spencer Crane, CFA, Vice President and Portfolio Manager. Mr. Crane has been associated with the Advisor since 2012.
Scott Miller, Vice President and Portfolio Manager. Mr. Miller has been associated with the Advisor since 2008.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
Shares of the Fund are purchased by insurance companies for their separate accounts to fund variable life insurance and variable annuity contracts. All orders for the purchase of shares are subject to acceptance or rejection by the Trust. All redemption requests will be processed and payment with respect thereto will be made within seven days after tender.
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TAX INFORMATION
The tax consequences of your investment in the Fund depend on the provisions of the annuity or life insurance program through which you invest. For more information on taxes, please refer to the accompanying prospectus of the annuity or life insurance program through which Fund shares are offered.
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