Investment objective & strategy
As of Jan. 28, 2026 · prospectusObjective. The Global Strategist Portfolio (the Fund) seeks above-average total return over a market cycle of three to five years.
Strategy. The Adviser and/or the Funds Sub-Adviser, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited, seek to achieve the Funds investment objective by investing primarily in a blend of equity and fixed-income securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers. Equity securities may include common and preferred stocks, depositary receipts, convertible securities, equity-linked securities, real estate investment trusts (REITs), rights and warrants to purchase equity securities and limited partnership interests. Fixed-income securities may include mortgage-related or mortgage-backed securities, floating rate securities, inflation-linked fixed-income securities, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, securities issued or guaranteed by non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, corporate bonds and notes issued by U.S. and non-U.S. entities. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser will utilize a top-down investment … The Adviser and/or the Funds Sub-Adviser, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited, seek to achieve the Funds investment objective by investing primarily in a blend of equity and fixed-income securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers. Equity securities may include common and preferred stocks, depositary receipts, convertible securities, equity-linked securities, real estate investment trusts (REITs), rights and warrants to purchase equity securities and limited partnership interests. Fixed-income securities may include mortgage-related or mortgage-backed securities, floating rate securities, inflation-linked fixed-income securities, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, securities issued or guaranteed by non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, corporate bonds and notes issued by U.S. and non-U.S. entities. The Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser will utilize a top-down investment approach that focuses on asset class, sector, region, country and currency and thematic allocations. The Funds allocations will be based upon the Advisers and/or Sub-Advisers evaluations and analyses, taking into account results of its fundamental market research and recommendations generated by the Advisers and/or Sub- Advisers quantitative models. The Advisers and/or Sub-Advisers research process focuses on the following factors across asset classes: 1) valuation (both relative and absolute), 2) dynamics, including earnings revisions, interest rate policy and inflation expectations and 3) technicals, such as investor flows and sentiment. The Fund may invest in any country, including developing or emerging market countries. The Funds investments may be U.S. and non-U.S. dollar denominated. In determining whether to sell a security, the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser consider a number of factors, including changes in capital appreciation potential, or the overall assessment of asset class, sector, region, country, and currency and thematic allocation shifts. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in below investment grade fixed-income securities (commonly referred to as junk bonds). The Fund may also invest in restricted and illiquid securities. The mortgage-backed securities in which the Fund may invest include mortgage pass-through securities that represent a participation interest in a pool of mortgage loans originated by U.S. governmental or private lenders such as banks. The Fund may also invest up to 10% of its total assets in other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Fund may, but it is not required to, use derivatives and similar instruments for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, Fund management or to earn income. The Funds use of derivatives may involve the purchase and sale of derivative instruments such as futures, options, swaps and structured investments (including commodity-linked notes), and other similar instruments and techniques. The Fund may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are also derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities. Derivative instruments used by the Fund will be counted toward the Funds exposure to the types of securities listed above to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to such securities. The Fund may, consistent with its principal investment strategies, invest up to 25% of its total assets in a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized as a company under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the Subsidiary). The Subsidiary may invest, directly or indirectly through the use of derivatives, in securities, commodities, commodity-related instruments and other investments, primarily futures, swaps and notes. The Subsidiary is advised by the Adviser. Investments in the Subsidiary are intended to provide the Fund with exposure to commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirements that apply to the Fund. The Subsidiary primarily obtains its commodity exposure by investing in commodity-linked derivative instruments, which may include, but are not limited to, total return swaps, commodity (U.S. or foreign) futures and commodity-linked notes. The Subsidiary may also invest in other instruments, including fixed-income securities, either as investments or to serve as margin or collateral for its swap positions and foreign currency transactions (including forward contracts).
Top holdings
As of March 31, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSILF-GOVT-INS | MVRXX | $25.88M | 4.64% |
| U.S. Treasury Notes | TII | $23.59M | 4.23% |
| BRAZIL LETRAS DO TESOURO NACIONAL 0% 01/01/2029 | — | $15.54M | 2.79% |
| NVIDIA CORP | — | $14.18M | 2.54% |
| APPLE INC | — | $12.46M | 2.23% |
| MICROSOFT CORP | — | $8.62M | 1.55% |
| AMAZON.COM INC | — | $6.43M | 1.15% |
| US TREASURY N/B | — | $5.53M | 0.99% |
| Gouvernement De France | — | $5.45M | 0.98% |
| ALPHABET INC CL A | — | $5.40M | 0.97% |
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. |
|---|---|---|
| Global Strategist Portfolio · MIMPX, MGTPX | 87% | 0.90% |
| Transamerica Morgan Stanley Global Allocation VP | 79% | 0.79% |
| AB Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio | 46% | 0.85% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited | Sub-adviser |
| Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. | Adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of January 28, 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. As reported in the fund's prospectus performance bar chart.
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