Investment objective & strategy
As of July 29, 2025 · prospectusObjective. 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.
Top holdings
As of March 31, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Institutional Funds GOVT PTFL | BNGXX | $80.04M | 4.85% |
| WALT DISNEY CO/THE FRN SOFRINDX+47 03/14/2029 | — | $46.47M | 2.81% |
| US TREASURY N/B | — | $34.83M | 2.11% |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION FRN SOFR+111 05/09/2029 | BAC | $34.19M | 2.07% |
| NATWEST MARKETS PLC SR UNSECURED 144A 09/26 VAR | NWG | $27.94M | 1.69% |
| ING GROEP NV SR UNSECURED 04/27 VAR | INTNED | $27.00M | 1.64% |
| Abbott Laboratories | — | $26.91M | 1.63% |
| GLENCORE FUNDING LLC COMPANY GUAR 144A 10/26 VAR | GLENLN | $21.48M | 1.30% |
| CITIGROUP INC FRN SOFR+128 02/24/2028 | C | $21.10M | 1.28% |
| BANK OF NEW ZEALAND FRN SOFR+81 01/27/2027 144A | BZLNZ | $21.06M | 1.28% |
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. |
|---|---|---|
| FlexShares Ultra-Short Income Fund · RAVI | 48% | 0.25% |
| VanEck IG Floating Rate ETF · FLTR | 15% | 0.14% |
| State Street(R) SPDR(R) Bloomberg Investment Grade Floating Rate ETF · FLRN | 13% | 0.15% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| NORTHERN TRUST INVESTMENTS, INC. | 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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