Delaware National High-Yield Municipal Bond Fund

Delaware National High-Yield Municipal Bond Fund

Key features

Credit analysis is the cornerstone of our selective, bottom-up process in which credit research drives alpha in plus sectors

Our proprietary CREDIT process checklist ensures a disciplined and repeatable process to select credits while mitigating risks

The team’s risk management approach is critical to the goal of delivering strong results over the long term

Daily pricing as of 04/24/2024

NAV
NAV 1-day net change
Max offer price
$10.53

Total net assets as of 03/31/2024

All share classes
$3.0 billion

Overview

Fund information
Inception date 09/22/1986
Dividends paid (if any) Monthly
Capital gains paid (if any) December
Fund identifiers
NASDAQ CXHYX
CUSIP 928928241
Investment minimums
Initial investment $1,000
Subsequent investments $100
Systematic withdrawal balance $5,000

Benchmark and peer group

Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index (view definition)

Morningstar High-Yield Muni Category (view definition)

Lipper High Yield Municipal Debt Funds Average (view definition)

Performance

The performance quoted represents past performance and does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted.

Total returns may reflect waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the manager and/or distributor for some or all of the periods shown. Performance would have been lower without such waivers and reimbursements.

Average annual total return as of month-end (03/31/2024)

Returns for less than one year are not annualized.

Performance at NAV assumes that no front-end sales charge applied. Performance at max offer price assumes that a front-end sales charge applied.

Class A shares have a maximum up-front sales charge of 4.50% and are subject to an annual distribution fee.

Index performance returns do not reflect any management fees, transaction costs, or expenses. Indices are unmanaged and one cannot invest directly in an index.

Average annual total return as of quarter-end (03/31/2024)

Returns for less than one year are not annualized.

Performance at NAV assumes that no front-end sales charge applied. Performance at max offer price assumes that a front-end sales charge applied.

Class A shares have a maximum up-front sales charge of 4.50% and are subject to an annual distribution fee.

Index performance returns do not reflect any management fees, transaction costs, or expenses. Indices are unmanaged and one cannot invest directly in an index.

Overall Morningstar RatingTM

Class A shares - as of 03/31/2024

MorningstarMorningstarMorningstarMorningstar
Class A No. of funds
Overall 4 185
3 years 4 185
5 years 5 176
10 years 4 118
Morningstar category Morningstar High-Yield Muni Category

(View Morningstar disclosure)

The Morningstar rating is based on risk-adjusted returns.

Morningstar ranking - as of 03/31/2024
1 year 6 / 191
3 years 27 / 185
5 years 10 / 176
10 years 15 / 118
Morningstar category Morningstar High-Yield Muni Category

(View Morningstar disclosure)

The Morningstar ranking is based on historical total returns.

Lipper ranking - as of 03/31/2024
1 year 9 / 191
3 years 30 / 184
5 years 15 / 175
10 years 16 / 116
Lipper classification Lipper High Yield Municipal Debt Funds Average

(View Lipper disclosure)

The Lipper ranking is based on historical total returns.

Expense ratio

Gross
0.88%
Net
0.85%

Net expense ratio reflects a contractual waiver of certain fees and/or expense reimbursements from December 29, 2023 through December 30, 2024. Please see the fee table in the Fund's prospectus for more information.

Calendar year total returns @ NAV

Year
Annual return
Year
Annual return
2023
8.72%
2022
-14.86%
2021
7.85%
2020
5.91%
2019
10.05%
2018
0.92%
2017
9.13%
2016
0.74%
2015
4.64%
2014
15.86%

Portfolio

Portfolio characteristics as of 03/31/2024

Number of holdings
701
Portfolio turnover (last fiscal year)
18%
SEC 30-day yield with waiver (view definition)
4.28%
SEC 30-day yield without waiver (view definition)
4.27%
Distribution yield at NAV (view definition)
4.81%
Annualized standard deviation, 3 years (view definition)
11.11

Portfolio composition as of 03/31/2024
Total may not equal 100% due to rounding.

Municipal bonds
96.9%
Cash and cash equivalents
3.1%

Cash and cash equivalents include accruals on bonds and long-term receivables.

Top 10 fixed income holdings as of 03/31/2024

Holdings are as of the date indicated and subject to change.

List excludes cash and cash equivalents.

Holding
% of portfolio
Holding
% of portfolio
GDB DEBT RECOVERY AUTH OF COMW
2.46
BUCKEYE OHIO TOB SETTLEMENT FI
2.03
PUERTO RICO COMWLTH
1.90
PUERTO RICO COMWLTH
1.71
TOBACCO SETTLEMENT FING CORP
1.59
PUERTO RICO SALES TAX FING COR
1.59
CALIFORNIA EDL FACS AUTH REV
1.34
GOLDEN ST TOB SECURITIZATION C
1.33
PUERTO RICO COMWLTH
1.12
PUERTO RICO SALES TAX FING COR
1.12

Total % Portfolio in Top 10 holdings - 16.19%

List of monthly holdingsList of quarterly holdings

Credit quality as of 03/31/2024

Rating
Fund
Rating
Fund
AAA
9.5%
AA
9.5%
A
6.6%
BBB
9.8%
BB
11.0%
B
0.9%
CCC
3.9%
CC
0.1%
Not rated
48.8%

Total may not equal 100% due to rounding. The Fund’s investment manager, Delaware Management Company (DMC) receives “Credit Quality” ratings for the underlying securities held by the Fund from three “nationally recognized statistical rating organizations” (NRSROs) — Standard & Poor’s (S&P), Moody’s Investors Service, and Fitch, Inc. The credit quality breakdown is calculated by DMC based on the NSRO ratings and the index credit quality rules. For securities rated by an NRSRO other than S&P, that rating is converted to the equivalent S&P credit rating. Securities that are unrated by any of the three NRSROs are included in the “not rated” category when applicable. Unrated securities do not necessarily indicate low quality. More information about securities ratings is contained in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.

Top 10 states as of 03/31/2024

State
% of portfolio
State
% of portfolio
Puerto Rico
14.4%
California
13.2%
New York
10.4%
Texas
6.4%
Illinois
5.8%
Florida
5.1%
Virginia
3.8%
Arizona
3.7%
Wisconsin
3.5%
Pennsylvania
3.1%

Distribution history - annual distributions (Class A)1,2
Distributions ($ per share)

Year
Capital gains3
Net investment income
Year
Capital gains3
Net investment income
2024
0.000
0.120
2023
0.000
0.445
2022
0.041
0.442
2021
0.025
0.409
2020
0.019
0.440
2019
0.000
0.453
2018
0.000
0.458
2017
0.000
0.456
2016
0.000
0.411
2015
0.000
0.412
2014
0.000
0.434

1If a Fund makes a distribution from any source other than net income, it is required to provide shareholders with a notice disclosing the source of such distribution (each a "Notice"). The amounts and sources of distributions reported above and in each Notice are only estimates and are not provided for tax reporting purposes. Each Fund will send each shareholder a Form 1099 DIV for the calendar year that will provide definitive information on how to report the Fund's distributions for federal income tax purposes. The information in the table above will not be updated to reflect any subsequent recharacterization of dividends and distributions. Click here to see recent Notices pertaining to the Fund (if any).

2Information on return of capital distributions (if any) is only provided from June 1, 2014 onward.

3Includes both short- and long-term capital gains.

Management

Gregory Gizzi

Gregory A. Gizzi 

  • Managing Director, Head of US Fixed income and Head of Municipal Bonds, Senior Portfolio Manager
  • Start date on the Fund: December 2012
  • Years of industry experience: 39
  • Read bio
Stephen Czepiel

Stephen J. Czepiel 

  • Managing Director, Head of Municipal Bonds Portfolio Management, Senior Portfolio Manager
  • Start date on the Fund: July 2007
  • Years of industry experience: 42
  • Read bio
William Roach

William Roach, CFA, CMT

  • Vice President, Portfolio Manager
  • Start date on the Fund: May 2023
  • Years of industry experience: 14
  • Read bio

Fees

Shareholder fees
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering price 4.50%
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower none
Annual fund operating expenses
Management fees 0.49%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees 0.25%
Other expenses 0.14%
Total annual fund operating expenses 0.88%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements1 (0.03%)
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements 0.85%

Please see the prospectus and SAI for additional information.

For Class A shares, a 1% contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) is only imposed on certain Class A shares that are purchased at net asset value (NAV) for $250,000 or more that are subsequently redeemed within 18 months of purchase.

1Net expense ratio reflects a contractual waiver of certain fees/and/or expense reimbursements from December 29, 2023 through December 30, 2024. Please see the fee table in the Fund's prospectus for more information.

1The Fund's investment manager, Delaware Management Company (Manager), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fees and/or pay/reimburse expenses (excluding any 12b-1 fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes, interest, inverse floater program expenses, short sale dividend and interest expenses, brokerage fees, certain insurance costs, and nonroutine expenses or costs, including, but not limited to, those relating to reorganizations, litigation, conducting shareholder meetings, and liquidations) in order to prevent total annual fund operating expenses from exceeding 0.60% of the Fund's average daily net assets from Dec. 29, 2021 through Dec. 29, 2022. These waivers and reimbursements may only be terminated by agreement of the Manager and the Fund.

Resources

Significant Fund Event

On May 31, 2023, William Roach was added as an additional portfolio manager of the Fund.

Carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risk factors, charges, and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund's prospectus and its summary prospectus, which may be obtained by visiting delawarefunds.com/literature or calling 877 693-3546. Investors should read the prospectus and the summary prospectus carefully before investing.

Carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risk factors, charges, and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund's prospectus and its summary prospectus, which may be obtained by visiting delawarefunds.com/literature or calling 800 523-1918. Investors should read the prospectus and the summary prospectus carefully before investing.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.

Fixed income securities and bond funds can lose value, and investors can lose principal, as interest rates rise. They also may be affected by economic conditions that hinder an issuer’s ability to make interest and principal payments on its debt.

The Fund may also be subject to prepayment risk, the risk that the principal of a bond that is held by a portfolio will be prepaid prior to maturity, at the time when interest rates are lower than what the bond was paying. A portfolio may then have to reinvest that money at a lower interest rate.

High yielding, non-investment-grade bonds (junk bonds) involve higher risk than investment grade bonds.

Substantially all dividend income derived from tax-free funds is exempt from federal income tax. Some income may be subject to state or local and/or the federal alternative minimum tax (AMT) that applies to certain investors. Capital gains, if any, are taxable.

Duration number will change as market conditions change. Therefore, duration should not be solely relied upon to indicate a municipal bond fund’s potential volatility.

IBOR risk is the risk that changes related to the use of the London interbank offered rate (LIBOR) or similar rates (such as EONIA) could have adverse impacts on financial instruments that reference these rates. The abandonment of these rates and transition to alternative rates could affect the value and liquidity of instruments that reference them and could affect investment strategy performance.

Natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, and other severe weather-related phenomena generally, and widespread disease, including pandemics and epidemics, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Fund’s investments. Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and markets, conditions in one country, market, or region are increasingly likely to adversely affect markets, issuers, and/or foreign exchange rates in other countries. These disruptions could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.

All third-party marks cited are the property of their respective owners.

Not FDIC Insured • No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value

You can check the background of your investment professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck.

Nothing presented should be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell any security or follow any investment technique or strategy.

You can check the background of your investment professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck.