Investment objective & strategy
As of July 29, 2025 · prospectusObjective. The Fund seeks total return consisting of a combination of income and capital appreciation.
Strategy. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in bonds and other fixed-income securities that are rated below investment grade (commonly referred to as junk bonds). These may include: ? Obligations of U.S. and foreign corporations and banks; ? Senior and subordinated bonds and debentures; ? Zero coupon, pay-in-kind and capital appreciation bonds; ? Convertible securities, preferred stock, structured securities; and ? Loans and loan participations. The sub-advisers may shift the Funds assets among various types of securities based upon changing market conditions, yield differences and the credit-worthiness of issuers among other things. Lower quality securities or below-investment grade securities are rated BB, Ba or lower by … In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in bonds and other fixed-income securities that are rated below investment grade (commonly referred to as junk bonds). These may include: ? Obligations of U.S. and foreign corporations and banks; ? Senior and subordinated bonds and debentures; ? Zero coupon, pay-in-kind and capital appreciation bonds; ? Convertible securities, preferred stock, structured securities; and ? Loans and loan participations. The sub-advisers may shift the Funds assets among various types of securities based upon changing market conditions, yield differences and the credit-worthiness of issuers among other things. Lower quality securities or below-investment grade securities are rated BB, Ba or lower by a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization (NRSRO), or unrated securities determined to be of comparable quality by one or more of the Funds sub-advisers. Credit ratings are determined at the time of purchase. There is no minimum rating for a security purchased or held by the Fund, and the Fund may purchase securities that are in default. The Fund does not have any portfolio maturity limitation, and may invest its assets from time to time primarily in instruments with short, medium or long maturities. Although the Fund primarily invests in the debt obligations of domestic issuers, it may invest in debt obligations of foreign issuers. The Funds investments in foreign issuers together with notional underlying foreign currency exposure are not expected to exceed 30%. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, i.e. those that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. The Fund may also invest in securities that are subject to resale restrictions such as those contained in Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933. The Fund utilizes a multi-manager approach whereby the Funds assets are allocated to one or more sub-advisers, in percentages determined at the discretion of NTI. Each sub-adviser acts independently from the others and utilizes its own distinct investment style in selecting securities. However, each sub-adviser must operate within the constraints of the Funds investment objective, strategies and restrictions. When determining the allocations and reallocations to sub-advisers, NTI will consider a variety of factors, including but not limited to the sub-advisers investment approach, historical performance, and the characteristics of each sub-advisers allocated assets (including duration, credit quality, average maturity, industry and geographic region). NTI seeks, through its selection of sub-advisers and its allocation determinations, to reduce portfolio volatility and provide an attractive combination of risk and return for the Fund. From time to time the Fund may have a focused investment (i.e., investment exposure comprising more than 15% of its total assets) in one or more particular sectors. As of March 31, 2025, the Fund had a focused investment in the industrials sector. The sub-advisers may engage in active trading, and will not consider portfolio turnover a limiting factor in making decisions for the Fund.
Top holdings
As of March 31, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| REAALL CMN STOCK CMN STO | — | $3.52M | 2.47% |
| Northern Institutional Liquid Asset Portfolio | — | $3.06M | 2.15% |
| Northern Institutional Liquid Asset Portfolio | — | $2.91M | 2.04% |
| Northern Institutional Liquid Asset Portfolio | — | $2.54M | 1.78% |
| SPECIALTY STL HOL 0.00% | — | $2.49M | 1.75% |
| Northern Institutional Funds GOVT PTFL | BNGXX | $1.98M | 1.39% |
| BIMCN 8.75 07/15/26 144A | BIMCN | $1.45M | 1.02% |
| Northern Institutional Funds GOVT PTFL | BNGXX | $1.44M | 1.01% |
| Northern Institutional Funds GOVT PTFL | BNGXX | $1.20M | 0.84% |
| Northern Institutional Funds GOVT PTFL | BNGXX | $1.04M | 0.73% |
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. |
|---|---|---|
| BlackRock High Yield V.I. Fund | 52% | 0.54% |
| BlackRock High Yield Portfolio | 51% | 0.48% |
| High Income Fund · AHIVX, AHIIX, NPHIX, AHIAX, AHIEX, AHIDX, ACHFX | 51% | 0.00% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| NORTHERN TRUST INVESTMENTS, INC. | Adviser |
| BlackRock Investment Management, LLC | Sub-adviser |
| Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management Inc. | Sub-adviser |
| Polen Capital Credit, LLC | Sub-adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of July 29, 2025, 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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