NUSFX
Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund
Northern Funds
Expense ratio1
0.26%
Net assets2
$1.65B
Holdings2
240
Category
Taxable Bond
2025 return3
5.16%

Investment objective & strategy

As of July 29, 2025 · prospectus

Objective. The Fund seeks to maximize total return (capital appreciation and income) to the extent consistent with preservation of principal.

Strategy. The Fund will, under normal circumstances, invest primarily (and not less than 80% of its net assets) in fixed-income securities. These include: ? Obligations of the U.S. government or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises; ? Obligations of U.S. state and local governments, and foreign governments; ? Commercial paper and other obligations of domestic and foreign banks and corporations; ? Zero coupon bonds and debentures; ? Inflation-indexed securities; and ? Mortgage and other asset-backed securities. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 25% of its total assets in securities issued by companies in the financial services industry. Companies in the financial services industry include but are not limited to U.S. and non-U.S. companies involved in banking, mortgage, … The Fund will, under normal circumstances, invest primarily (and not less than 80% of its net assets) in fixed-income securities. These include: ? Obligations of the U.S. government or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises; ? Obligations of U.S. state and local governments, and foreign governments; ? Commercial paper and other obligations of domestic and foreign banks and corporations; ? Zero coupon bonds and debentures; ? Inflation-indexed securities; and ? Mortgage and other asset-backed securities. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 25% of its total assets in securities issued by companies in the financial services industry. Companies in the financial services industry include but are not limited to U.S. and non-U.S. companies involved in banking, mortgage, consumer or specialized finance, investment banking, securities brokerage, asset management and custody, insurance, financial investment, real estate and mortgage finance and financial conglomerates, and related asset-backed securities. The Fund invests in investment grade domestic debt obligations (i.e., obligations rated within the top four rating categories by a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization (NRSRO) or of comparable quality as determined by the Funds investment adviser). Credit ratings are determined at the time of purchase. The Funds average portfolio is expected to be A or better. The Fund will focus primarily on U.S. securities, but may invest in fixed-income securities of foreign issuers. The Funds investments in foreign securities will consist only of U.S. dollar-denominated securities. 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 seeks to provide investors with more yield than a money market fund with the potential for capital appreciation. The Fund is not a money market fund, and its share price will fluctuate. In buying and selling securities for the Fund, NTI uses a relative value approach. This approach involves an analysis of general economic and market conditions. It also involves the use of models that analyze and compare expected returns and assumed risks. Under the relative value approach, NTI will emphasize particular securities and types of securities (such as treasury, agency, asset-backed, mortgage-backed and corporate securities) that the team believes will provide a favorable return in light of these risks. The Funds dollar-weighted average maturity, under normal circumstances, will range between six and eighteen months. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest only in securities with a duration of three years or less at the time of purchase. NTI may adjust the Funds holdings based on actual or anticipated changes in interest rates or credit quality, and may shorten the Funds duration below six months based on NTIs interest rate outlook or adverse market conditions. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Fund may invest in U.S. Treasury futures, which are considered to be derivative instruments, for various purposes, including to manage duration, credit and interest rate risks, and for cash management.

Allocation by sector

As of March 31, 2026 · N-PORT
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Portfolio moves

Dec 31, 2025 → Mar 31, 2026
Opened
36
Exited
44
Increased
3
Decreased
48
Unchanged
153

How 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.

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Advisers

As of March 31, 2025 · N-CEN
FirmRole
NORTHERN TRUST INVESTMENTS, INC. Adviser

Footnotes

  1. Expense ratio as of July 29, 2025, from the fund's prospectus.
  2. Net assets and holdings count as of March 31, 2026, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
  3. 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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