Nuveen Global Infrastructure Fund

 

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Summary Prospectus    |    February 29, 2012 , as supplemented December 3, 2012

Ticker: Class A–FGIAX, Class C–FGNCX, Class R3–FGNRX, Class I–FGIYX

 

This summary prospectus is designed to provide investors with key fund information in a clear and concise format. Before you invest, you may want to review the fund’s complete prospectus, which contains more information about the fund and its risks. You can find the fund’s prospectus and other information about the fund online at www.nuveen.com/MF/resources/eReports.aspx. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 257-8787 or by sending an e-mail request to mutualfunds@nuveen.com. If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the prospectus and other information will also be available from your financial intermediary. The fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated February 29, 2012, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus and may be obtained, free of charge, at the website, phone number or e-mail address noted above.

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the fund is long-term growth of capital and income.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 31 of the fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 33 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-68 of the fund’s statement of additional information.

Shareholder Fees

(fees paid directly from your investment)

      Class A      Class C     Class R3      Class I  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases
(as a percentage of offering price) 		    5.75%         None        None         None   
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)
(as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds) 1 		    None         1.00%        None         None   
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends     None         None        None         None   
Exchange Fee     None         None        None         None   
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000) 2     $15         $15        None         $15   

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

      Class A     Class C     Class R3     Class I  
Management Fees     0.93%         0.93%         0.93%         0.93%    
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees     0.25%         1.00%         0.50%         0.00%    
Other Expenses 3     0.41%         0.41%         0.41%         0.41%    
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses     1.59%         2.34%         1.84%         1.34%    
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements     (0.36)%        (0.36)%        (0.36)%        (0.36)%   
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 4     1.23%         1.98%         1.48%         0.98%    
1 The CDSC on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

 

2 Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

 

3 Other Expenses have been restated using current fees as if they had been in effect during the previous fiscal period.

 

4 The fund’s investment adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse other fund expenses through February 28, 2013 so that total annual fund operating expenses, after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements and excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, do not exceed 1.25%, 2.00%, 1.50%, and 1.00% for Class A, Class C, Class R3 and Class I shares, respectively. Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will not be terminated prior to that time without the approval of the fund’s board of directors.

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond February 28, 2013. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

    Redemption    No Redemption
      A      C      R3      I             A      C      R3      I         
1 Year   $ 693       $ 201       $ 151       $ 100          $ 693       $ 201       $ 151       $ 100      
3 Years   $ 1,015       $ 696       $ 544       $ 389          $ 1,015       $ 696       $ 544       $ 389      
5 Years   $ 1,359       $ 1,218       $ 962       $ 700          $ 1,359       $ 1,218       $ 962       $ 700      
10 Years   $ 2,327       $ 2,648       $ 2,129       $ 1,581            $ 2,327       $ 2,648       $ 2,129       $ 1,581        

 

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Portfolio Turnover

The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal period November 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 42% of the average value of its portfolio. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2011, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 273% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. infrastructure-related companies. Infrastructure-related companies are defined as companies that derive at least 50% of their revenues or profits from the ownership, development, construction, financing or operation of infrastructure assets, or have at least 50% of the fair market value of their assets invested in infrastructure assets. Infrastructure assets are the physical structures and networks upon which the operation, growth and development of a community depends, which includes water, sewer, and energy utilities; transportation and communication networks; health care facilities, government accommodations, and other public service facilities; and shipping, timber, steel, alternative energy, and other resources and services necessary for the construction and maintenance of these physical structures and networks.

Equity securities in which the fund invests include common and preferred stocks, publicly-traded units of master limited partnerships (MLPs), and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds and other investment companies (“investment companies”). The fund may invest in companies of any size.

In selecting securities, the fund’s sub-adviser invests in companies that it believes meet one or more of the following criteria:

 

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Attractively valued relative to other companies in the same industry or market.

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Strong fundamentals, including consistent cash flows or growth and a sound balance sheet.

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Strong management teams.

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Long-term contracts to provide infrastructure-based services.

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An identifiable catalyst that could increase the value of the company’s stock over the next one or two years.

The fund’s sub-adviser generally will sell a security if any of the following has occurred:

 

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The security has hit its price target and the company is no longer attractively valued relative to other companies.

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The company’s fundamentals have significantly deteriorated.

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There has been a significant change in the management team.

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A catalyst that could decrease the value of the stock has been identified, or a previously existing positive catalyst has disappeared.

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A better alternative exists in the marketplace.

The fund’s investments include infrastructure-related securities of non-U.S. issuers. Under normal market conditions, the fund will invest at least 40% of its net assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers and, in any case, will invest at least 30% of its net assets in such issuers. The fund considers an issuer to be non-U.S. if its legal residence is in a country other than the United States, its securities principally trade in a non-U.S. market, or it derives a significant portion of either its revenues or pretax income from activities outside the United States.

The fund diversifies its investments among a number of different countries throughout the world. Up to 25% of the fund’s total assets may be invested in equity securities of emerging market issuers. A country is considered to be an “emerging market” if it is defined as such by Morgan Stanley Capital International Inc.

The fund may utilize options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and forward foreign currency exchange contracts (“ derivatives ”). The fund may use these derivatives to manage market or business risk, enhance the fund’s return, or hedge against adverse movements in currency exchange rates.

Principal Risks

The value of your investment in this fund will change daily, which means you could lose money. An investment in the fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in this fund include:

Derivatives Risk —The use of derivatives involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives could have a large impact on performance.

Equity Security Risk —Equity securities may decline significantly in price over short or extended periods of time, and such declines may occur in the equity market as a whole, or they may occur in only a particular country, company, industry, or sector of the market.

ETF Risk —An ETF is subject to the risks of the underlying securities that it holds. In addition, for index-based ETFs, the performance of the ETF may diverge from the performance of such index (commonly known as tracking error). ETFs are

 

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subject to fees and expenses (like management fees and operating expenses) that do not apply to an index and the fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by the ETFs in which it invests.

Infrastructure Sector Risk —Because the fund invests significantly in infrastructure-related securities, the fund has greater exposure to adverse economic, regulatory, political, legal and other changes affecting the issuers of such securities.

Master Limited Partnership Risk —An investment in an MLP exposes the fund to the legal and tax risks associated with investing in partnerships. MLPs may have limited financial resources, their securities may be relatively illiquid, and they may be subject to more erratic price movements because of the underlying assets they hold.

Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk —Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries. Also, changes in currency exchange rates may affect the fund’s net asset value, the value of dividends and interest earned, and gains and losses realized on the sale of securities.

Other Investment Companies Risk —When the fund invests in other investment companies, you bear both your proportionate share of fund expenses and, indirectly, the expenses of the other investment companies.

Preferred Security Risk —Preferred securities are subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments.

Real Estate Investment Risk —The real estate industry has been subject to substantial fluctuations and declines on a local, regional and national basis in the past and may continue to be in the future. Also, the value of a REIT can be hurt by economic downturns or by changes in real estate values, rents, property taxes, interest rates, tax treatment, regulations, or the legal structure of the REIT.

Smaller Company Risk —Small-cap stocks involve substantial risk. Prices of small-cap stocks may be subject to more abrupt or erratic movements, and to wider fluctuations, than stock prices of larger, more established companies or the market averages in general. It may be difficult to sell small-cap stocks at the desired time and price. While mid-cap stocks may be slightly less volatile than small-cap stocks, they still involve similar risks.

Fund Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the fund. The fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/MF/products/performancesummary.aspx or by calling (800) 257-8787.

The bar chart below shows the variability of the fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.

Class A Annual Total Return

 

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During the four-year period ended December 31, 2011, the fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 20.62% and -17.47%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2009 and September 30, 2008.

The table below shows the variability of the fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.

 

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Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.

 

           Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended December 31, 2011 		 
       Inception
Date 		    1 Year     Since
Inception
(Class A & Class I) 		    Since
Inception
(Class C & Class R3) 		 
Class A (return before taxes)      12/17/07        (5.57 )%      (1.83 )%      N/A   
Class A (return after taxes on distributions)        (5.93 )%      (2.26 )%      N/A   
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares)        (2.69 )%      (1.52 )%      N/A   
Class C (return before taxes)      11/3/08        (0.52 )%      N/A        13.36 % 
Class R3 (return before taxes)      11/3/08        (0.65 )%      N/A        13.71 % 
Class I (return before taxes)      12/17/07        0.40 %      (0.15 )%      N/A   
Standard & Poor’s Global Infrastructure Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 		             (0.39 )%      (4.66 )%      8.85 % 
Lipper Specialty/Miscellaneous Classification Average
(reflects no deduction for taxes or certain expenses) 		             (3.37 )%      (2.58 )%      12.05 % 

Management

Investment Adviser

Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc.

Sub-Adviser

Nuveen Asset Management, LLC

Portfolio Managers

 

Name

 

Title

 

Portfolio Manager of Fund Since

Jay L. Rosenberg   Managing Director   December 2007
John G. Wenker   Managing Director   December 2007
Tryg T. Sarsland   Vice President   December 2012

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the fund on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the fund either through a financial advisor or other financial intermediary or directly from the fund. The fund’s initial and subsequent investment minimums generally are as follows, although the fund may reduce or waive the minimums in some cases:

 

       Class A and Class C   Class R3    Class I
Eligibility and Minimum Initial Investment   

$3,000 for all accounts except:

 

•  $2,500 for Traditional/Roth IRA accounts.

 

•  $2,000 for Coverdell Education Savings Accounts.

 

•  $250 for accounts opened through fee-based programs.

 

•  No minimum for retirement plans.

 

Available only through certain retirement plans.

 

No minimum.

  

Available only through fee-based programs and certain retirement plans, and to other limited categories of investors as described in the prospectus.

 

$100,000 for all accounts except:

 

•  $250 for clients of financial intermediaries and family offices that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000 (or that are expected to reach this level).

 

•  No minimum for eligible retirement plans and certain other categories of eligible investors as described in the prospectus.

Minimum Additional Investment    $100   No minimum.    No minimum.

Tax Information

The fund’s distributions are taxable and will generally be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor), the fund, its distributor or its investment adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

MPM-FGIF-1212P

 

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