The fund’s investment objective is long-term capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell an interest in Class 4 shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as insurance contract fees and expenses, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. If insurance contract fees and expenses were reflected, expenses shown would be higher.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
Class 4 Shares Prospectus
New World Fund
Class 4
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.58% | |
| Distribution (12b-1) fees | 0.25% | |
| Other expenses | 0.31% | |
| Total annual fund operating expenses | 1.14% | |
| Fee waiver | 0.07% | [1] |
| Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver | 1.07% | |
| [1] | The investment adviser is currently waiving a portion of its management fee equal to .07% of the fund's net assets. This waiver will be in effect through at least May 1, 2025. The waiver may only be modified or terminated with the approval of the fund’s board. |
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in Class 4 shares of the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem or hold all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example does not reflect insurance contract expenses. If insurance contract expenses were reflected, expenses shown would be higher. The example reflects the fee waiver described above through the expiration date of such waiver and total annual fund operating expenses thereafter. No sales charge (load) or other fees are charged by the fund upon redemption, so you would incur these hypothetical costs whether or not you were to redeem your shares at the end of the given period.
Expense Example |
1 year |
3 years |
5 years |
10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 4 Shares Prospectus | New World Fund | Class 4 | USD ($) | 109 | 355 | 621 | 1,380 |
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 annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund’s investment results. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 36% of the average value of its portfolio.
The fund invests primarily in common stocks of companies with significant exposure to countries with developing economies and/or markets. The securities markets of these countries may be referred to as emerging markets. The fund may invest in equity securities of any company, regardless of where it is based (including developed countries), if the fund’s investment adviser determines that a significant portion of the company’s assets or revenues (generally 20% or more) is attributable to developing countries.
Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 35% of its assets in equity and debt securities of issuers primarily based in qualified countries that have developing economies and/or markets. The fund may also, to a limited extent, invest in securities of issuers based in nonqualified developing countries.
In determining whether a country is qualified, the fund’s investment adviser considers such factors as the country’s per capita gross domestic product, the percentage of the country’s economy that is industrialized, market capital as a percentage of gross domestic product, the overall regulatory environment, the presence of government regulation limiting or banning foreign ownership, and restrictions on repatriation of initial capital, dividends, interest and/or capital gains. The fund’s investment adviser maintains a list of qualified countries and securities in which the fund may invest.
The fund may also invest in debt securities of issuers, including issuers of lower rated bonds (rated Ba1 or below and BB+ or below by Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations designated by the fund’s investment adviser or unrated but determined to be of equivalent quality by the fund’s investment adviser), with exposure to these countries. Bonds rated Ba1 or BB+ or below are sometimes referred to as “junk bonds.”
In addition, the fund may invest in nonconvertible debt securities of issuers, including issuers of lower rated bonds and government bonds, that are primarily based in qualified countries or that have a significant portion of their assets or revenues attributable to developing countries.
The investment adviser uses a system of multiple portfolio managers in managing the fund’s assets. Under this approach, the portfolio of the fund is divided into segments managed by individual managers.
The fund relies on the professional judgment of its investment adviser to make decisions about the fund’s portfolio investments. The basic investment philosophy of the investment adviser is to seek to invest in attractively valued companies that, in its opinion, represent good, long-term investment opportunities. Securities may be sold when the investment adviser believes that they no longer represent relatively attractive investment opportunities.
The following bar chart shows how the investment results of the Class 4 shares of the fund have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund’s average annual total returns for various periods compare with a broad measure of securities market results. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. Past investment results (before and after taxes) are not predictive of future investment results. Figures shown reflect fees and expenses associated with an investment in the fund, but do not reflect insurance contract fees and expenses. If insurance contract fees and expenses were included, results would have been lower. Updated information on the fund’s investment results can be obtained by visiting capitalgroup.com/afis.
The following bar chart shows how the investment results of the Class 4 shares of the fund have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund’s average annual total returns for various periods compare with a broad measure of securities market results.
* Lifetime returns are from June 17, 1999, the date the fund began investment operations. Class 4 shares began investment operations on December 14, 2012; therefore, returns for the fund prior to that date assume a hypothetical investment in Class 1 shares, but reflect the .50% annual expense that applies to Class 4 shares, .25% of which is described in the “Plan of distribution” section of this prospectus and .25% of which is described in the “Fund expenses” section of this prospectus. Returns for Class 1 shares are comparable to those of Class 4 shares because both classes invest in the same portfolio of securities.
Highest/Lowest quarterly results during this period were:
Highest 24.54% (quarter ended June 30, 2020)
Lowest -23.16% (quarter ended March 31, 2020)
Average Annual Returns - Class 4 Shares Prospectus - New World Fund |
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year |
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years |
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years |
[1] | Average Annual Returns, Since Inception |
[1] | Average Annual Returns, Inception Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 4 | 15.67% | 8.37% | 4.43% | 7.26% | Dec. 14, 2012 | ||
| MSCI All Country World Index (reflects no deduction for sales charges, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes) | 22.20% | 11.72% | 7.93% | 5.66% | |||
| [1] | Lifetime returns are from June 17, 1999, the date the fund began investment operations. Class 4 shares began investment operations on December 14, 2012; therefore, returns for the fund prior to that date assume a hypothetical investment in Class 1 shares, but reflect the .50% annual expense that applies to Class 4 shares, .25% of which is described in the “Plan of distribution” section of this prospectus and .25% of which is described in the “Fund expenses” section of this prospectus. Returns for Class 1 shares are comparable to those of Class 4 shares because both classes invest in the same portfolio of securities. |