The UNIQUE College Investing Plan (NH)
PORTFOLIO MANAGER Q&A | AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
The UNIQUE College Investing
Plan (NH)
Key Takeaways
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
? For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, each of the age-based
Active Age and Risk-Based
(Static) Fidelity Fund Portfolios
and risk-based (i.e., "static") Fidelity Funds Portfolios of the UNIQUE
College Investing Plan (NH) produced a positive total return.
? There was considerable performance dispersion among various asset
classes in the financial markets during the past 12 months, illustrating
the importance of diversification, according to Co-Portfolio Managers
Andrew Dierdorf, Brett Sumsion and Bruno Weinberg Crocco.
? A majority of the age-based Fidelity Funds Portfolios outperformed
their respective Composite indexes the past 12 months, with only the
two most conservative Portfolios modestly lagging.
? Active asset allocation decisions detracted from the Portfolios' relative
performance, especially an underweighting in U.S. equities, one of the
top-performing asset classes.
? The performance of the underlying investment funds contributed to
the age-based Portfolios relative results, particularly specific
investments in U.S. equity funds and investment-grade bond funds.
? The co-managers continued to focus on the long-term objective of the
age-based Portfolios, drawing on decades of investment experience
to help participants pursue their college savings objectives.
? As of September 30, the co-managers believe bonds offer more
attractive value than they have in recent years, particularly if economic
activity weakens. During the period, the age-based Portfolios were
overweight long-term U.S. Treasury bonds and maintained an
underweight in equities overall relative to Composite benchmarks,
with a greater emphasis on non-U.S. exposure.
? Note to shareholders: Application of FMR's environmental, social and
governance (ESG) ratings process and/or its sustainable investing
exclusion criteria may affect the exposure of one or more of the
portfolios to certain issuers, sectors, regions and countries, and may
affect the portfolios' performance.
Not FDIC Insured ? May Lose Value ? No Bank Guarantee
Passive Age-Based and Static
Fidelity Index Fund Portfolios
Active Age-Based Blend Fund
Portfolios
Individual Fund Portfolios
Bank Deposit Portfolio
Stable Value Portfolio
Sustainable Multi-Asset Portfolio
PORTFOLIO MANAGER Q&A | AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
Market Recap
For the 12 months ending September 30, 2023, continued global
economic expansion and a slowing in the pace of inflation
contributed to a favorable backdrop for risk assets. After
struggling throughout much of 2022, risk assets strongly
rebounded the past 12 months, with both U.S. large-cap and
non-U.S. stocks producing strong gains. In the U.S., the upturn
was driven partly by a narrow set of companies in the
information technology and communication services sectors
amid excitement for generative artificial intelligence. Meanwhile,
monetary tightening by the U.S. Federal Reserve and other
central banks continued amid elevated inflation.
International equities rose 20.60% for the 12 months, according
to the MSCI ACWI (All Country World Index) ex USA Index. All
regions gained, with Europe ex U.K. (+31%) leading the way.
Japan (+26%) and the U.K. (+25%) also outperformed, whereas
Asia Pacific ex Japan (+11%) lagged by the widest margin. Each
of the 11 sectors advanced, with information technology (+30%),
industrials (+29%) and energy (+28%) being the top performers.
Conversely, real estate (+5%) lagged most, followed by
consumer staples (+9%).
U.S. stocks gained 20.49% for the 12 months, as measured by
the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index, as all but two
sectors rose. Information technology (+41%), communication
services (+35%) and energy (+29%) led by the widest margins.
Conversely, utilities (-7%) and real estate (-1%) lagged most.
Growth stocks broadly outpaced value, while larger-caps topped
small-caps. Commodities returned -1.30%, according to the
Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return.
U.S. taxable investment-grade bonds returned 0.64% for the 12
months, per the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, amid
elevated inflation and rising interest rates. Since March 2022, the
Fed has hiked its benchmark interest rate 11 times, by 5.25
percentage points, while allowing up to billions in bonds to
mature each month without investing the proceeds. Short-term
U.S. Treasuries (+4.58%) topped U.S. investment-grade
corporate bonds (+3.47%), while commercial mortgage-backed
securities returned +1.19% and agencies gained +2.10%.
Outside the index, leveraged loans (+13.39%), U.S. high-yield
bonds (+10.19%) and emerging-markets debt (+8.61%) rose,
whereas Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (+1.25%)
experienced a modest gain. ¡ö
BROAD ASSET CLASS RETURNS (%)
PERIOD ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
Calendar-Year Returns
Best
P
e
r
f
o
r
m
a
n
c
e
Worst
Dispersion
of Returns*
Average Annual
Cumulative
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
5 Year
3 Year
1 Year
6 Mos
3 Mos
33.5
25.1
13.6
17.5
37.3
1.9
30.9
20.8
27.1
16.1
9.0
16.2
24.3
6.9
4.7
21.2
16.9
4.1
12.6
24.5
0.7
22.8
18.3
25.7
1.5
6.1
9.3
20.5
4.8
3.6
14.7
12.5
1.2
11.8
21.2
0.6
18.5
17.7
12.9
-0.8
4.6
6.3
13.4
2.6
1.3
5.4
12.1
0.5
11.2
9.3
0.0
18.4
8.4
9.9
-7.3
3.7
6.3
11.7
2.2
0.5
1.9
7.0
0.4
10.4
8.5
-0.3
14.8
7.8
5.7
-11.2
2.8
1.8
10.2
2.0
-0.7
0.1
6.0
0.2
10.2
8.3
-1.8
14.4
7.5
5.4
-13.0
2.6
1.8
8.6
-0.4
-1.0
-1.8
5.5
0.1
5.3
7.5
-2.3
14.4
6.4
5.3
-13.1
1.8
-0.0
4.6
-0.8
-2.6
-2.0
1.8
0.1
4.9
4.7
-4.1
10.3
6.1
0.0
-14.1
1.4
-1.3
4.6
-1.1
-2.9
-2.5
0.9
-0.5
4.0
4.3
-4.6
8.7
5.9
-1.0
-16.5
0.8
-1.7
3.1
-1.1
-3.1
-5.6
0.1
-1.2
3.0
3.5
-5.3
8.7
3.5
-1.5
-18.8
0.6
-3.5
2.1
-2.0
-3.2
-6.6
-2.1
-2.9
2.6
1.9
-11.2
7.7
3.4
-1.5
-19.5
0.1
-4.3
0.6
-2.4
-3.3
-9.5
-4.2
-14.9
1.3
1.7
-13.9
6.9
0.7
-2.5
-20.1
-0.1
-5.2
-1.3
-4.0
-4.1
-12.7
-17.0
-24.7
0.3
0.9
-14.5
2.3
-3.1
-4.6
-29.3
-2.8
-15.7
-9.1
-13.9
-11.8
46.1
42.1
38.3
17.1
36.5
16.4
28.6
23.9
31.8
45.3
11.8
32.0
33.4
20.8
16.5
¡ö U.S. Equities
¡ö Non-U.S. DevelopedMarkets Equities
¡ö Emerging-Markets Equities
¡ö Commodities
¡ö High-Yield Debt
¡ö Floating-Rate Debt
¡ö International Debt
¡ö Emerging-Markets Debt
¡ö Real Estate Debt
¡ö Investment-Grade Debt
¡ö Inflation-Protected Debt
¡ö Short-Term Debt
¡ö Long-Term U.S. Treasury Debt
Periods greater than one year are annualized. Source: FMR
*Difference between best- and worst-performing asset classes over the given time period
You cannot invest directly in an index. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
U.S. Equities - Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index, Non-U.S. Developed-Markets Equities - MSCI World ex USA Net Mass, Emerging-Markets Equities MSCI Emerging Markets Index, Commodities - Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return, High-Yield Debt - ICE BofA U.S. High Yield Constrained Index,
Floating-Rate Debt - S&P/LSTA Leveraged Performing Loan Index, International Debt - Bloomberg Global Aggregate Credit Ex U.S. Index Hedged (USD),
Emerging-Markets Debt - J.P. Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index Global, Real Estate Debt - Fidelity Real Estate Income Composite Index, InvestmentGrade Debt - Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, Inflation-Protected Debt - Bloomberg U.S. 1-10 Year Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) Index
(Series-L), Short-Term Debt - Bloomberg U.S. 3 Month Treasury Bellwether Index, Long-Term U.S. Treasury Debt - Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index
2 | For definitions, fund risks and other important information, please see the Definitions and Important Information section of this Q&A.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER Q&A | AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
Q&A
Andrew Dierdorf
Co-Manager
Brett Sumsion
Co-Manager
Bruno Weinberg
Crocco
Co-Manager
Investment Approach
? UNIQUE College Investing Age-Based Portfolios (the
Portfolios) are designed so that the target date
referenced in the Portfolio name is the approximate year
when we expect the beneficiaries to start college and
begin gradually withdrawing their investment.
? Each of the Portfolios seeks capital appreciation with
reasonable safety of principal, consistent with the ages
of the beneficiaries for whom the Portfolio was
designed.
? Except for NH College Portfolio, each Portfolio's asset
allocation strategy becomes increasingly conservative as
it approaches its target date ¨C and beyond. Ultimately,
the Portfolios are expected to merge with NH College
Portfolio.
? The Portfolios employ a robust investment process
focused on helping investors solve the challenge of
saving and investing for education expenses by
leveraging the depth and strength of Fidelity's
investment research and resources.
An interview with Co-Managers
Andrew Dierdorf and Brett Sumsion
and Bruno Weinberg Crocco
Q: Andrew, how did the UNIQUE Plan Portfolios
perform for the fiscal year ending September
30, 2023?
A.D. Each of the active age-based and risk-based (i.e.,
"static" Aggressive Growth, Moderate Growth, Conservative)
Fidelity Funds Portfolios produced a positive return the past
12 months.
For the age-based Portfolios, longer-dated and moreaggressive Portfolios with higher allocations to equities and
lower exposure to fixed income had higher returns than
nearer-term and more-conservative Portfolios.
The three risk-managed, or "static," Fidelity Fund Portfolios ¨C
NH Aggressive Growth Portfolio, NH Moderate Growth
Portfolio and NH Conservative Portfolio ¨C had mixed results
versus Composite benchmarks this period.
The age-based Fidelity Blend Portfolios of the UNIQUE
College Investing Plan (NH) all gained and had mixed results
versus Composite benchmarks.
The age-based and risk-based Fidelity Index Portfolios all
had positive returns and performed within 20 basis points
(0.2%) of their respective Composite benchmarks. [For
specific results for the UNIQUE College Investing PlanSM (NH)
Portfolios, please refer to the performance section of this
report.]
Q: What was noteworthy about the market
environment the past 12 months?
A.D. There was considerable performance dispersion among
the various asset classes in which the age-based Portfolios
invest. For example, U.S. equities gained 20.49%, as
measured by the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index.
By comparison, U.S. investment-grade bonds gained 0.64%,
based on the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. Other
asset classes in which the Portfolios invested, such as
floating-rate securities (+13.39%) and U.S. high-yield bonds
(+10.19%), also had positive returns, whereas long-term U.S.
Treasury bonds (-9.09%) and long-term U.S. inflationprotected securities (-0.76%) had negative returns.
These varied returns help illustrate how investing in multiple
3 | For definitions, fund risks and other important information, please see the Definitions and Important Information section of this Q&A.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER Q&A | AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
asset classes can provide some portfolio resiliency, and
particularly in distinct market environments that may emerge
throughout the horizon of an investor saving for college.
We believe diversification is a powerful tool in managing
uncertainty in the financial markets, and it's a key pillar of the
research that goes into Fidelity's glide path and the strategic
asset allocation of the age-based Portfolios.
Q: Turning to you, Bruno, how did the agebased Fidelity Funds Portfolios perform versus
Composite benchmarks the past 12 months?
B.W.C. A majority of the actively managed, age-based
Fidelity Funds Portfolios outperformed their Composite
benchmarks, with only the two most conservative Portfolios
modestly lagging.
Q: What contributed most to the relative
performance of the age-based Fidelity Funds
Portfolios?
Q: Turning back to you, Andrew, any final
thoughts for plan participants?
A.D. We continue to focus on the long-term investment
objective of the age-based Portfolios, drawing on decades of
investment experience to help participants pursue their
college savings objectives.
Fidelity's age-based college savings strategies reflect our
research and insights, with an emphasis on experienced
portfolio management teams. We believe the independence
of thought and complementary investment processes of the
underlying portfolio managers offer the potential for
favorable returns in excess of Composite benchmarks over
an extended horizon.
Thank you for your confidence in our stewardship of the
Portfolios, and in Fidelity's investment management
capabilities.
[Editor's note: See the next section of this shareholder update
for the co-portfolio managers' active allocation positioning as
of September 30, 2023.] ¡ö
B.W.C. The performance of the underlying investment funds
meaningfully contributed to the age-based Portfolios'
relative results. In particular, security selection among the
underlying U.S. equity funds added value versus
Composites, especially Fidelity? Series Large Cap Stock Fund
(28.08%), which outpaced its benchmark, the S&P 500? index
(+21.62%). Fidelity? Series Growth Company Fund (+31.60%)
also contributed, given its outperformance of the Russell
3000? Growth Index.
Underlying investments among U.S. investment-grade bonds
also helped. In particular, Fidelity? Series Investment Grade
Bond Fund (+1.78%) outperformed the 0.64% result of its
benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.
As a reminder, Fidelity's investment strategy for the UNIQUE
College Investing Plan (NH) is designed to help investors
solve for the challenge of investing for college. We apply a
disciplined investment process founded on durable and
time-tested principles to design and manage portfolios for
college savings goals.
Q: Brett, what detracted from the age-based
Fidelity Funds Portfolios' relative results this
period?
B.S. Active asset allocation modestly detracted from the agebased Portfolios' performance versus Composites the past
12 months. More specifically, an underweight in
outperforming U.S. equities weighed on the Portfolios'
relative results.
An overweight in lagging long-term U.S. Treasury bonds also
detracted, as did out-of-Composite exposure to
commodities.
4 | For definitions, fund risks and other important information, please see the Definitions and Important Information section of this Q&A.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER Q&A | AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
Co-Manager Brett Sumsion on the
active asset allocation of the agebased Portfolios in the UNIQUE Plan
(NH):
"We believe active management decisions (active
asset allocation and underlying fund performance)
can improve outcomes and provide incremental
performance for the age-based Portfolios over an
extended horizon, potentially leading to additional
years of retirement income.
"Active asset allocation relative to each Portfolio's
Composite benchmark continues to emphasize
areas of the market that we believe are mispriced
relative to our view of fair value. Our process
emphasizes risk management, and we expect that
excess returns will be realized for most positions
over an intermediate time horizon, typically up to
five years.
"As of September 30, the Portfolios' active asset
allocation positioning relative to Composite indexes
includes:
"An underweight in equities overall, with a
greater emphasis on non-U.S. exposure. We
believe investor expectations for U.S. growth are
too high, given tighter monetary policy and credit
conditions. U.S. equity prices embed expectations
that suggest a continuation of the status quo, while
many indicators suggest risks to economic growth.
Non-U.S. equity markets are undervalued across
many measures and embed expectations for
deteriorating future growth. A weakening U.S. dollar
also may skew the range of potential outcomes in
favor of non-U.S. equities.
"Overweight long-term U.S. Treasury bonds. With
the U.S. Federal Reserve focused on fighting
inflation via higher interest rates and quantitative
tightening, we believe bonds offer more attractive
value than they have in recent years, particularly if
economic activity weakens.
"The past 12 months, we maintained an overweight
in long-term U.S. Treasury bonds, resulting in a
longer duration position relative to Composite
benchmarks."
5 | For definitions, fund risks and other important information, please see the Definitions and Important Information section of this Q&A.
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