Virtus Investment Trust

10/28/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/28/2021 07:41

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company (Form 497K)

Virtus NFJ Dividend Value Fund

Summary Prospectus October 28, 2021

Virtus NFJ Dividend Value Fund

(formerly AllianzGI Dividend Value Fund)

A: PNEAX C: PNECX Institutional: NFJEX P: ADJPX R6: ANDVX Administrative: ANDAX

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, shareholder reports, statement of additional information (SAI), and other information about the fund online at virtus.com/tools-resources/mutual-fund-documents.

You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800-243-1574 or by sending an e-mail to: [email protected]. If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary such as a bank, the prospectus and other information will also be available from your financial intermediary.

The fund's prospectus and SAI, both dated October 28, 2021, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.

As permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the fund's shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless specifically requested from the fund or from your broker-dealer or financial intermediary. Instead, the reports will be made available on a website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.

You may elect at any time to receive not only shareholder reports but also certain other communications such as prospectuses from the fund electronically, or you may elect to receive all future shareholder reports in paper free of charge to you. If you own your shares directly with the fund, you may make such elections by calling the fund at 1-800-243-1574 or, with respect to requesting electronic delivery, by visiting www.virtus.com. An election made directly with the fund will apply to all Virtus Mutual Funds in which you own shares directly. If you own your shares through a financial intermediary, please contact your financial intermediary to make your request and to determine whether your election will apply to all funds in which you own shares through that intermediary.

Investment Objective

The fund seeks long-term growth of capital and income.

Fees and Expenses

The tables below illustrate the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A Shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Virtus Funds. More information on these and other discounts is available: (i) from your financial professional or other financial intermediary; (ii) under "Sales Charges" on page 158 of the fund's prospectus; (iii) with respect to purchase of shares through specific intermediaries, in Appendix A to the fund's prospectus, entitled "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers;" and (iv) under "Alternative Purchase Arrangements" on page 135 of the fund's statement of additional information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your
investment)
Class A Class C Institutional Class P Class R6 Administrative
Maximum Sales Charge (load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.50% None None None None None
Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) (load) (as a percentage of the lower of original purchase price or NAV) None 1.00%(1) None None None None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value
of your investment)
Class A Class C Institutional Class P Class R6 Administrative
Management Fees 0.45% 0.45% 0.45% 0.45% 0.45% 0.45%
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% None None None 0.25%
Other Expenses(2) 0.32% 0.29% 0.27% 0.27% 0.20% 0.23%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.02% 1.74% 0.72% 0.72% 0.65% 0.93%
Less: Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(3) 0.00% 0.00% (0.02)% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement(3) 1.02% 1.74% 0.70% 0.72% 0.65% 0.93%
(1)

The deferred sales charge is imposed on Class C Shares redeemed during the first year only.

(2)

Restated to reflect current Fees and expenses.

(3)

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement reflect the effect of a contractual agreement by Virtus Investment Advisers ("VIA") to waive its management fee and/or reimburse the fund to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses, excluding interest, any other fees or expenses relating to financial leverage or borrowing (such as commitment, amendment and renewal expenses on credit or redemption facilities), tax, extraordinary, unusual or infrequently occurring expenses, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, dividend expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses, exceed 0.70% for Institutional Class shares, through February 1, 2023. Under the Expense Limitation Agreement, VIA may recoup amounts waived or reimbursed in the preceding three years, provided total expenses, including such recoupment, do not exceed the annual expense limit in effect at the time of such waiver/reimbursement or recoupment. The amount of any such recoupment would have the effect of being shared equally between VIA and NFJ Investment Group, LLC ("NFJ") pursuant to the then-currently effective subadvisory arrangement between those parties. The Expense Limitation Agreement is terminable by mutual agreement of Virtus Investment Trust and VIA.

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 or continued to hold them. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the fund's operating expenses remain the same and that the expense reimbursement agreement remains in place for the contractual period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Share Status 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Class A Sold or Held $648 $857 $1,082 $1,729
Class C Sold $277 $548 $944 $2,052
Held $177 $548 $944 $2,052
Institutional Sold or Held $72 $228 $399 $893
Class P Sold or Held $74 $230 $401 $894
Class R6 Sold or Held $66 $208 $362 $810
Administrative Sold or Held $95 $296 $515 $1,143

Portfolio Turnover

The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 67% of the average value of its portfolio.

Investments, Risks and Performance

Principal Investment Strategies

The fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by normally investing at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings made for investment purposes) in common stocks and other equity securities of companies that pay or are expected to pay dividends. Under normal conditions, the fund will invest primarily in common stocks of companies with market capitalizations greater than $3.5 billion. The portfolio managers use a value investing style focusing on companies whose securities the portfolio managers believe have attractive valuation and fundamental strength. The portfolio managers partition the fund's selection universe by industry and then identify what they believe to be the most attractively valued securities in each industry to determine potential holdings for the fund representing a broad range of industry groups. The portfolio managers use initial parameters and quantitative tools to narrow the fund's selection universe and also review and consider fundamental changes. In selecting individual holdings and constructing the overall portfolio, the portfolio managers take into account the dividend yields of their investments. After narrowing the universe through a combination of qualitative analysis and fundamental research, the portfolio managers select securities for the fund. In addition to common stocks and other equity securities, the fund may also invest up to 25% of its assets in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate-related investments, and a portion of its assets in non-U.S. securities (including through American Depositary Receipts (ADRs)), including emerging market securities. The fund may utilize foreign currency exchange contracts, options, stock index futures contracts and other derivative instruments. Although the fund did not invest significantly in derivative instruments as of the most recent fiscal year end, it may do so at any time.

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Principal Risks

The fund may not achieve its objective(s), and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. The value of the fund's investments that supports your share value may decrease. If between the time you purchase shares and the time you sell shares the value of the fund's investments decreases, you will lose money. Investment values can decrease for a number of reasons. Conditions affecting the overall economy, specific industries or companies in which the fund invests can be worse than expected, and investments may fail to perform as the subadviser expects. As a result, the value of your shares may decrease. Purchase and redemption activities by fund shareholders may impact the management of the fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective(s). The principal risks of investing in the fund are identified below. The principal risks of investing in the fund are identified below (in alphabetical order after the first three risks):

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Market Volatility Risk. The value of the securities in the fund may go up or down in response to the prospects of individual companies and/or general economic conditions. Price changes may be short- or long-term. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issue, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the fund and its investments, including hampering the ability of the fund's portfolio manager(s) to invest the fund's assets as intended.

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Issuer Risk. The fund will be affected by factors specific to the issuers of securities and other instruments in which the fund invests, including actual or perceived changes in the financial condition or business prospects of such issuers.

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Equity Securities Risk. The value of the stocks held by the fund may be negatively affected by the financial market, industries in which the fund invests, or issuer-specific events. Focus on a particular style or in small or medium-sized companies may enhance that risk.

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Allocation Risk. If the fund's exposure to equities and fixed income securities, or to other asset classes, deviates from the intended allocation, or if the fund's allocation is not optimal for market conditions at a given time, the fund's performance may suffer.

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Counterparty Risk. A counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement, a loan of portfolio securities or an unsettled transaction may be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments or otherwise honor its obligations to the fund.

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Credit Risk. If the issuer of a debt instrument fails to pay interest or principal in a timely manner, or negative perceptions exist in the market of the issuer's ability to make such payments, the price of the security may decline.

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Currency Rate Risk. Fluctuations in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies may negatively affect the value of the fund's shares.

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Depositary Receipts Risk. Investments in foreign companies through depositary receipts may expose the fund to the same risks as direct investments in securities of foreign issuers.

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Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may include, among other things, futures, options, forwards and swap agreements and may be used in order to hedge portfolio risks, create leverage or attempt to increase returns. Investments in derivatives may result in increased volatility and the fund may incur a loss greater than its principal investment.

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Emerging Markets Risk. Foreign investing risk may be particularly high to the extent that the fund invests in emerging market securities. Emerging markets securities may be more volatile, or more greatly affected by negative conditions, than those of their counterparts in more established foreign markets.

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Focused Investment Risk. To the extent the fund focuses its investments on a limited number of issuers, sectors, industries or geographic regions, it may be subject to increased risk and volatility.

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Foreign Investing Risk. Investing in foreign securities subjects the fund to additional risks such as increased volatility; currency fluctuations; less liquidity; and political, regulatory, economic, and market risk.

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Liquidity Risk. Certain securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as U.S. Government securities or common stocks. To the extent the fund invests in less liquid securities or the level of liquidity in a particular market is constrained, the lack of an active market for investments may cause delay in disposition or force a sale below fair value.

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Portfolio Turnover Risk. High levels of portfolio turnover increase transaction costs and taxes and may lower investment performance.

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Real Estate Investment Risk. The fund may be negatively affected by changes in real estate values or economic conditions, credit risk and interest rate fluctuations, changes in the value of the underlying real estate and defaults by lessees and/or borrowers. Adverse changes in the real estate markets may affect the value of REIT investments or real estate-linked derivatives.

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Small and Medium Market Capitalization Companies Risk. The fund's investments in small and medium market capitalization companies may increase the volatility and risk of loss to the fund, as compared with investments in larger, more established companies.

Please see "More Information About Risks Related to Principal Investment Strategies" in the fund's prospectus for a more detailed description of the fund's risks.

Performance Information

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the fund. The fund's past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future.

The bar chart shows changes in the fund's performance from year to year over a 10-year period. The table shows how the fund's average annual returns compare to those of a broad-based securities market index. Updated performance information is available at virtus.com or by calling 800-243-1574.

Calendar year total returns for Institutional Class Shares

Returns do not reflect sales charges and would be lower if they did.

Best Quarter: Q2/2020: 13.85% Worst Quarter: Q1/2020: -26.23% Year to Date (9/30/21) 15.12%

Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended 12/31/20)

Returns reflect deduction of maximum sales charges and full redemption at end of periods shown.

1 Year 5 Years 10 Years Since
Inception
Class R6
(12/19/13)
Institutional Class

Return Before Taxes

-2.14% 8.31% 8.67% -

Return After Taxes on Distributions

-3.07% 4.44% 6.14% -

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

-1.36% 5.74% 6.32% -
Class A

Return Before Taxes

-7.86% 6.72% 7.68% -
Class C

Return Before Taxes

-3.21% 7.12% 7.48% -
Class R6

Return Before Taxes

-2.16% 8.36% - 6.35%
Class P

Return Before Taxes

-2.23% 8.22% 8.57% 7.75%
Administrative Class

Return Before Taxes

-2.43% 8.04% 8.39% -
Russell 1000 Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 2.80% 9.74% 10.50% 8.47%

The Russell 1000 Value Index is an unmanaged index that measures the performance of the large-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book-ratios and lower expected growth values. It is not possible to invest directly in the index.

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After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown only for Institutional Class Shares; after-tax returns for other classes will vary. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown.

After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold fund shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. In certain cases, the Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be higher than other return figures for the same period. This will occur when a capital loss is realized upon the sale of fund shares and provides an assumed tax benefit that increases the return.

Management

The fund's investment adviser is Virtus Investment Advisers, Inc. ("VIA").

The fund's subadviser is NFJ Investment Group, LLC ("NFJ").

Portfolio Management

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R. Burns McKinney, CFA, co-lead senior portfolio manager, analyst, and managing director for the NFJ Investment team, has managed the fund since 2007.

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Thomas W. Oliver, CFA, CPA, co-lead senior portfolio manager, analyst, and managing director for the NFJ Investment team, has managed the fund since 2006.

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Jeff N. Reed, CFA, co-lead senior portfolio manager, analyst, and managing director for the NFJ Investment team, has managed the fund since 2011.

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John R. Mowrey, CFA, senior portfolio manager, analyst, executive managing director, and CIO for the NFJ Investment team, has managed the fund since 2015.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Minimum initial investments applicable to Class A and Class C Shares:

$2,500, generally

$100 for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), systematic purchase or exchange accounts

No minimum for defined contribution plans, asset-based fee programs, profit-sharing plans or employee benefit plans.

Minimum additional investments applicable to Class A and Class C Shares:

$100, generally

No minimum for defined contribution plans, asset-based fee programs, profit-sharing plans or employee benefit plans.

For Class P, Institutional Class and Administrative Class shares, the minimum initial investment in the fund is $1,000,000 and no minimum is needed to add to an existing account, though minimums may be modified for certain financial intermediaries that aggregate trades on behalf of investors.

Class R6 Shares are offered without a minimum initial investment to the following investors in plan level or omnibus accounts only (provided that they do not require or receive any compensation, administrative payments, sub-transfer agency payments or service payments with respect to Class R6 Shares): (i) qualified retirement plans, including, but not limited to, 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer sponsored 403(b) plans, and defined benefit plans; (ii) banks and trust companies; (iii) insurance companies; (iv) financial intermediaries utilizing such shares in fee-based investment advisory programs; (v) registered investment companies; (vi) 529 portfolios that are advised or sub-advised by Virtus affiliates; and (vii) non-qualified deferred compensation plans. Other institutional investors may be permitted to purchase Class R6 Shares subject to the fund's determination of eligibility and may be subject to a $2,500,000 minimum initial investment requirement.

In general, you may buy or sell shares of the fund by mail or telephone on any business day. You also may buy and sell shares through a financial professional, broker-dealer or other financial intermediary.

Taxes

The fund's distributions are taxable to you as either ordinary income or capital gains, except when your investment is through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund, its distributor, its investment adviser or their affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or intermediary and your financial professional to recommend the fund over another investment.

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No compensation, administrative payments, sub-transfer agency payments or service payments are paid to brokers or other entities from fund assets or the Distributor's or an affiliate's resources on sales of or investments in Class R6 Shares. Class R6 Shares do not carry sales commissions or pay Rule 12b-1 fees, or make payments to brokers or other entities to assist in, or in connection with, the sale of the fund's shares.

Ask your financial professional or visit your financial intermediary's Web site for more information.