Investment objective & strategy
As of Jan. 27, 2026 · prospectusObjective. The fund seeks the highest level of current income obtainable from a diversified portfolio of fixed-income securities which portfolio management considers consistent with reasonable risk.
Strategy. Main investments. Under normal circumstances, the fund generally invests at least 65% of net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in junk bonds, which are those rated below the fourth highest credit rating category (that is, grade BB/Ba and below) or, if unrated, determined by the Advisor to be of similar quality. Compared to investment-grade debt securities, junk bonds generally pay higher yields, have higher volatility and higher risk of default on payments of interest and principal. The fund may invest up to 50% of total assets in bonds denominated in US dollars or foreign currencies from foreign issuers, including issuers in emerging markets. The fund invests in securities of varying maturities and intends to maintain … Main investments. Under normal circumstances, the fund generally invests at least 65% of net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in junk bonds, which are those rated below the fourth highest credit rating category (that is, grade BB/Ba and below) or, if unrated, determined by the Advisor to be of similar quality. Compared to investment-grade debt securities, junk bonds generally pay higher yields, have higher volatility and higher risk of default on payments of interest and principal. The fund may invest up to 50% of total assets in bonds denominated in US dollars or foreign currencies from foreign issuers, including issuers in emerging markets. The fund invests in securities of varying maturities and intends to maintain a dollar-weighted effective average portfolio maturity that will not exceed ten years. Subject to its portfolio maturity policy, the fund may purchase individual securities with any stated maturity. Because the fund may invest in fixed income securities of varying maturities, the fund's dollar-weighted average effective portfolio maturity will vary. As of December 31, 2025, the fund had a dollar-weighted average effective portfolio maturity of 3.46 years. The fund may invest on a limited basis, up to 5% of net assets, in common stocks, preferred shares and other equity securities. Due to regulatory changes, effective June 11, 2026, the fund will replace the 65% investment policy and related disclosures set forth in this prospectus. Specifically, effective June 11, 2026, under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in below investment grade debt securities (i.e. junk bonds) (which are those rated below the fourth highest credit rating category or, if unrated, determined by the Advisor to be of similar quality). Derivative instruments that provide exposure to the investments above or exposure to one or more market risk factors associated with such investments are included in the funds 80% investment policy, consistent with the funds investment policies and limitations with respect to investments in derivatives. Management process. Portfolio management focuses on cash flow and total return analysis, and broad diversification among countries, sectors, industries and individual issuers and maturities. Portfolio management uses an active process that emphasizes relative value, managing on a total return basis, and intensive research to identify stable to improving credit situations that may provide yield compensation for the risk of investing in junk bonds. Portfolio management utilizes primarily a bottom-up approach, where relative value and fundamental analysis are used to select securities within each industry, and a top-down approach to assess the overall risk and return in the market, including macroeconomic trends. Portfolio management also incorporates other considerations that it believes to be financially material, including environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, independent credit research, management visits and conference calls, as part of its analysis and research process. Derivatives. The fund may invest in derivatives, which are financial instruments whose performance is derived, at least in part, from the performance of an underlying asset, security or index. In particular, portfolio management may use credit default swaps to seek to increase the funds income, to gain exposure to a bond issuers credit quality characteristics without directly investing in the bond, or to hedge the risk of default on bonds held in the funds portfolio. In addition, portfolio management may use forward currency contracts to hedge exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates on foreign currency denominated portfolio holdings or to facilitate transactions in foreign currency denominated securities. The fund may also use other types of derivatives (i) for hedging purposes; (ii) for risk management; (iii) for non-hedging purposes to seek to enhance potential gains; or (iv) as a substitute for direct investment in a particular asset class or to keep cash on hand to meet shareholder redemptions. Securities lending. The fund may lend securities (up to one-third of total assets) to approved institutions, such as registered broker-dealers, pooled investment vehicles, banks and other financial institutions. In connection with such loans, the fund receives liquid collateral in an amount that is based on the type and value of the securities being lent, with riskier securities generally requiring higher levels of collateral. Active trading. The fund may trade securities actively and this may lead to high portfolio turnover.
Top holdings
As of March 31, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| DWS GOVERNMENT & AGENCY SECURITIES PORTFOLIO DWS GOVERNMENT CASH INSTITUTIONAL SHARES | DBBXX | $39.66M | 8.28% |
| iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | — | $9.62M | 2.01% |
| ALPHA GENERATION LLC REGD 144A P/P 6.25000000 | ALPGEN | $9.53M | 1.99% |
| DWS Central Cash Management Government Fund | — | $8.15M | 1.70% |
| CORPBOND | ASH | $7.24M | 1.51% |
| CHARLES RIVER LABS INTL INC 3.75% 03/15/2029 144A | CRL | $6.38M | 1.33% |
| Carnival Corp. | — | $6.14M | 1.28% |
| CCO Holdings, LLC/CCO Holdings Capital Corp. | — | $6.12M | 1.28% |
| STATE STREET SPDR PORTFOLIO HI SS SPDR P HIGH YIELD ETF | SPHY | $6.11M | 1.28% |
| Carnival Corp. | — | $6.03M | 1.26% |
Portfolio moves
Dec 31, 2025 → Mar 31, 2026How many positions this fund opened, exited, grew, trimmed, or left unchanged between its two most recent N-PORT snapshots — net changes between point-in-time reports, not a trade log.
Similar funds
Funds whose portfolios most overlap this one, by weight| Fund | Overlap | Net exp. |
|---|---|---|
| DWS High Income VIP | 92% | 0.71% |
| DWS Global High Income Fund · SGHAX, SGHCX, SGHSX, MGHYX, SGHRX | 61% | 0.65% |
| Xtrackers High Beta High Yield Bond ETF · HYUP | 18% | 0.20% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. | Adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of January 27, 2026, from the fund's prospectus.
- Net assets and holdings count as of March 31, 2026, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
- Total return for calendar year 2025, before tax and after fund expenses. Computed by compounding the twelve monthly total returns the fund reported in its SEC N-PORT filings for 2025 (the latest prospectus does not yet chart this year).
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