Natixis Investment Managers Announces Mutual Fund Structure Simplification and Other Enhancements

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Natixis Investment Managers Canada LP (“Natixis”) today announced several changes to its mutual fund offering.

In an effort to streamline and improve the experience for investors and advisors, Natixis is:

• implementing a simplified and lower-priced fund line-up for fee-based investors by capping, reducing the management fees of and consolidating and renaming certain fee-based series
• eliminating the tax management fee
• adding US Dollar purchase options to certain funds
• eliminating the deferred sales charge and low load sales charge purchase options
• changing the eligibility requirement for Series I securities
• changing the risk rating for certain funds
• changing the distribution rates of certain funds.

Series F Fee Reductions and Simplification

Natixis is implementing a flat fee structure that aims to eliminate the need for tier movements for investors holding fee-based series (Series F and Series HF) of the mutual funds (“Natixis Funds”). Following the changes described below, investors in Series F securities of the Natixis Funds will receive the lowest fee available for fee-based series without regard to account size.

For detailed information including fee schedules visit our website at im.natixis.ca.

Management Fee Reductions

Effective today, the management fees associated with Series F securities of the following Natixis Funds will be reduced by an amount between 5 basis points and 25 basis points:

Fund	Series	Old Management Fee %	New Management Fee %
Natixis Canadian Bond Fund	Series F	0.75	0.60
Natixis Canadian Bond Class	Series F of Return of Capital 40 (renamed Return of Capital) class Series F of Dividend 40 (renamed Dividend) class	0.75 0.75	0.70 0.70
Loomis Sayles Global Diversified Corporate Bond Fund	Series F	0.75	0.70
Loomis Sayles Global Diversified Corporate Bond Class	Series F of Return of Capital class Series F of Dividend class	0.75 0.75	0.70 0.70
Natixis Canadian Preferred Share Class	Series F of Return of Capital class Series F of Dividend class	0.75 0.75	0.70 0.70
Natixis Strategic Balanced Registered Fund	Series F	1.00	0.75
Natixis Strategic Balanced Class	Series F of Return of Capital class Series F of Dividend class Series F of Compound Growth class	1.00 1.00 1.00	0.75 0.75 0.85
Natixis Intrinsic Balanced Registered Fund	Series F	1.00	0.75
Natixis Intrinsic Balanced Class	Series F of Return of Capital class Series F of Dividend class Series F of Compound Growth class	1.00 1.00 1.00	0.75 0.75 0.85
Natixis Canadian Dividend Registered Fund	Series F	1.00	0.80
Natixis Canadian Dividend Class	Series F of Return of Capital class Series F of Dividend class Series F of Compound Growth class	1.00 1.00 1.00	0.80 0.80 0.90
Natixis Intrinsic Growth Registered Fund	Series F	1.00	0.80
Natixis Intrinsic Growth Class	Series F of Return of Capital class Series F of Dividend class Series F of Compound Growth class	1.00 1.00 1.00	0.80 0.80 0.90
Natixis U.S. Dividend Plus Registered Fund	Series F	1.00	0.85
Natixis U.S. Dividend Plus Class	Series F of Return of Capital class Series F of Dividend class Series F of Compound Growth class	1.00 1.00 1.00	0.85 0.85 0.95
Natixis U.S. Growth Registered Fund	Series F	1.00	0.85
Natixis U.S. Growth Class	Series F of Return of Capital class Series F of Dividend class Series F of Compound Growth class	1.00 1.00 1.00	0.85 0.85 0.95
Natixis Global Equity Registered Fund	Series F	1.00	0.85
Natixis Global Equity Class	Series F of Return of Capital class Series F of Dividend class Series F of Compound Growth class	1.00 1.00 1.00	0.85 0.85 0.95
Oakmark Natixis Class	Series F of Return of Capital class Series F of Dividend class Series F of Compound Growth class	1.00 1.00 1.00	0.85 0.85 0.95
Oakmark International Natixis Class	Series F of Return of Capital class Series F of Dividend class Series F of Compound Growth class	1.00 1.00 1.00	0.85 0.85 0.95

A. Changes to Series F and Series HF of Certain Funds

Effective June 5, 2018, Series F securities of the Natixis Funds listed below (collectively, the "Consolidated Series") will be closed to all purchases and the minimum purchase amount for Series HF securities of the Natixis Funds listed below (collectively, the “Continuing Series”) will be reduced from $250,000 to $500. In addition, effective on or about June 5, 2018, the Consolidated Series will be renamed as Series F1 and the Continuing Series will be renamed as Series F.

On or about July 6, 2018, the Consolidated Series will be consolidated with the Continuing Series as set out below.

Fund	Consolidated Series	Continuing Series
Natixis Canadian Bond Fund	Series F (renamed Series F1)	Series HF (renamed Series F)
Loomis Sayles Global Diversified Corporate Bond Fund	Series F (renamed Series F1)	Series HF (renamed Series F)
Loomis Sayles Global Diversified Corporate Bond Class	Series F (renamed Series F1) of the Dividend class Series F (renamed Series F1) of the Return of Capital class	Series HF (renamed Series F) of the Dividend class Series HF (renamed Series F) of the Return of Capital class
Natixis Strategic Balanced Registered Fund	Series F (renamed Series F1)	Series HF (renamed Series F)
Natixis Strategic Balanced Class	Series F (renamed Series F1) of the Dividend class Series F (renamed Series F1) of the Return of Capital class	Series HF (renamed Series F) of the Dividend class Series HF (renamed Series F) of the Return of Capital class
Natixis Intrinsic Balanced Registered Fund	Series F (renamed Series F1)	Series HF (renamed Series F)
Natixis Intrinsic Balanced Class	Series F (renamed Series F1) of the Dividend class Series F (renamed Series F1) of the Return of Capital class	Series HF (renamed Series F) of the Dividend class Series HF (renamed Series F) of the Return of Capital class

Each securityholder of the Consolidated Series will receive Continuing Series securities having the equivalent market value of the securities of the Consolidated Series that they held. Any pre-authorized chequing plans already in place in any of the Consolidated Series will automatically transfer to the corresponding Continuing Series.

Each securityholder of the Consolidated Series will receive a copy of the Fund Facts for the Continuing Series they will receive as a result of the consolidation.

B. Closure of Series H and Series HF of Certain Funds

Effective June 5, 2018, Natixis will cease offering the following series of securities (the “Closed H/HF Series”) to new investors. Any pre-authorized chequing plans already in place in any of the Closed H/HF Series will be closed. Distributions will continue to be re-invested into Series H and Series HF of these funds uninterrupted.

Fund	Closed H/HF Series
Natixis Canadian Cash Fund	Series H Series HF
Natixis Canadian Bond Class	Series HF of Return of Capital 40 class Series HF of Dividend 40 class Series HF of Compound Growth class
Loomis Sayles Diversified Corporate Bond Class	Series HF of Compound Growth class
Natixis Canadian Dividend Registered Fund	Series HF
Natixis Canadian Dividend Class	Series HF of Return of Capital class Series HF of Dividend class Series HF of Compound Growth class
Natixis Strategic Balanced Class	Series HF of Compound Growth class
Natixis Intrinsic Balanced Class	Series HF of Compound Growth Class
Natixis Intrinsic Growth Registered Fund	Series HF
Natixis Intrinsic Growth Class	Series HF of Return of Capital class Series HF of Dividend class Series HF of Compound Growth class
Natixis U.S. Dividend Plus Registered Fund	Series HF
Natixis U.S. Dividend Plus Class	Series HF of Return of Capital class Series HF of Dividend class Series HF of Compound Growth class
Natixis U.S. Growth Registered Fund	Series HF
Natixis U.S. Growth Class	Series HF of Return of Capital class Series HF of Dividend class Series HF of Compound Growth class
Natixis Global Equity Registered Fund	Series HF
Natixis Global Equity Class	Series HF of Return of Capital class Series HF of Dividend class Series HF of Compound Growth class

Closure of the Series of the Return of Capital class and Dividend class of Natixis Canadian Bond Class

Effective June 5, 2018, Natixis Canada will cease offering all of the series of securities (Series A, F, H, HF and I) of the Return of Capital class and the Dividend class (the “Closed Canadian Bond Class Series”) of the Natixis Canadian Bond Class to new investors.

Any pre-authorized chequing plans already in place in any of the Closed Canadian Bond Class Series will be closed. Existing investors can switch their investment into the equivalent series of a different Natixis Fund but will not be able to make additional investments into any of the Closed Canadian Bond Class Series. Distributions will continue to be re-invested into the Closed Canadian Bond Class Series of these funds uninterrupted.

In addition, effective on or about June 5, 2018, the tax classes of the Natixis Canadian Bond Class listed below will be renamed as follows:

Current Name of Class	New Name	Status of Class
Return of Capital class	Return of Capital 6 class	Closed
Dividend class	Dividend 6 class	Closed
Return of Capital 40 class	Return of Capital class	Open
Dividend 40 class	Dividend class	Open

Elimination of the Tax Management Fee

Effective today, Natixis Canada will eliminate the annual contingent tax management fee associated with all series of the Compound Growth class of each of the Natixis class funds.

New US Dollar Purchase Options

Natixis has added a US Dollar purchase option to certain Natixis Funds. In particular, Series F of the Return of Capital class and Series F of the Compound Growth class of the following funds will offer a US Dollar purchase option in addition to the currently offered Canadian Dollar purchase option:

• Oakmark International Natixis Class
• Natixis Global Equity Class

The US Dollar purchase option allows an investor to purchase and redeem securities of the applicable fund with US Dollars without the need to convert the amount invested to Canadian dollars. The US Dollar purchase option does not act as a currency hedge or protect against losses caused by changes in the exchange rates between Canadian and US Dollars. Full details of the US Dollar purchase option are included in the simplified prospectus for each of the relevant funds.

Discontinuance of the Deferred Sales Charge (DSC) and the Low Load (LL) Sales Charge Purchase Options

Effective June 5, 2018, Natixis has discontinued the deferred sales charge (DSC) and the low load sales charge (LL) purchase options across the entire Natixis Fund line-up, including for pre-authorized purchases. Investors with existing DSC and LL purchase option holdings will remain invested based on the redemption fee schedules applicable to those securities. The DSC and LL purchase options will continue to be available for reinvested distributions and for switches from existing securities acquired under the DSC or LL purchase options.

Changes to Series I Eligibility

Effective June 5, 2018, the minimum eligibility requirement for the purchase of Series I securities is increased to $2,000,000 per account from $1,000,000 per account. Any investor currently owning Series I securities can continue to purchase Series I securities, provided the investor’s account continues to meet the $1,000,000 minimum.

Risk Rating Changes

Effective today, Natixis announces changes to the risk rating of certain Natixis Funds. These changes will be reflected in the renewal of the simplified prospectus for the funds.

Natixis reviews the risk rating for each fund at a minimum on an annual basis, as well as when a fund undergoes a material change. The changes announced today are the result of its annual review and are not a result of any change to the investment objectives, strategies or management of the funds. The changes are a result of applying the methodology mandated by the Canadian Securities Administrators to determine the risk level of mutual funds.

Fund	Current Risk Rating	New Risk Rating
Loomis Sayles Global Diversified Corporate Bond Class	Low to Medium	Low
Loomis Sayles Global Diversified Corporate Bond Registered Fund	Low to Medium	Low

Changes to Fixed Distribution Rates

As a result of Natixis’ annual review of distribution rates, effective today, Natixis has changed the distribution per share paid on each series of the Return of Capital and Dividend classes of the Natixis Funds listed in the charts below:

Return of Capital class

Fund	Current Annual Distribution Rate ($)	New Annual Distribution Rate ($)
Natixis Canadian Bond Class	0.40	0.36
Loomis Sayles Global Diversified Corporate Bond Class	0.40	0.36
Natixis Canadian Dividend Class	0.36	0.42
Natixis US Dividend Plus Class	0.90	1.02
Natixis Intrinsic Growth Class	0.60	0.66
Natixis US Growth Class	0.78	0.90
Natixis Global Equity Class	0.78	0.84
Oakmark Natixis Class	0.66	0.72

Return of Capital 6 class (formerly Return of Capital class which is now closed to new purchases)

Fund	Current Annual Distribution Rate ($)	New Annual Distribution Rate ($)
Natixis Canadian Bond Class	0.48	0.42

Dividend class

Fund	Current Annual Distribution Rate ($)	New Annual Distribution Rate ($)
Natixis Canadian Bond Class	0.40	0.36
Loomis Sayles Global Diversified Corporate Bond Class	0.40	0.36
Natixis Canadian Dividend Class	0.40	0.42
Natixis US Dividend Plus Class	0.90	1.02
Natixis Intrinsic Growth Class	0.60	0.66
Natixis US Growth Class	0.78	0.90
Natixis Global Equity Class	0.78	0.84
Oakmark Natixis Class	0.66	0.72

Dividend 6 class (formerly Dividend class which is now closed to new purchases)

Fund	Current Annual Distribution Rate ($)	New Annual Distribution Rate ($)
Natixis Canadian Bond Class	0.60	0.48

About Natixis Investment Managers
Natixis Investment Managers serves financial professionals with more insightful ways to construct portfolios. Powered by the expertise of 26 specialized investment managers globally, we apply Active Thinking^SM to deliver proactive solutions that help clients pursue better outcomes in all markets. Natixis ranks among the world’s largest asset management firms¹ with more than $1 trillion assets under management² (€818.1billion AUM).

Headquartered in Paris and Boston, Natixis Investment Managers is a subsidiary of Natixis. Listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, Natixis is a subsidiary of BPCE, the second-largest banking group in France. Natixis Investment Managers’ affiliated investment management firms and distribution and service groups include Active Index Advisors^®;³ AEW; AlphaSimplex Group; Axeltis; Darius Capital Partners; DNCA Investments;⁴ Dorval Asset Management;⁵ Gateway Investment Advisers; H2O Asset Management;⁵ Harris Associates; Investors Mutual Limited; Loomis, Sayles & Company; Managed Portfolio Advisors^®;³ McDonnell Investment Management; Mirova;⁶ Ossiam; Ostrum Asset Management; Seeyond;⁶ Vaughan Nelson Investment Management; Vega Investment Managers; and Natixis Private Equity Division, which includes Seventure Partners, Naxicap Partners, Alliance Entreprendre, Euro Private Equity, Caspian Private Equity;⁷ and Eagle Asia Partners. Not all offerings available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit the company’s website at im.natixis.com | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/natixis-investment-managers.

Natixis Investment Managers includes all of the investment management and distribution entities affiliated with Natixis Distribution, L.P. and Natixis Investment Managers S.A.

In Canada: This material is provided by Natixis Investment Managers Canada LP.

Please consult your advisor and read the prospectus or Fund Facts document before investing. There may be commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses associated with mutual fund investments. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

¹ Cerulli Quantitative Update: Global Markets 2017 ranked Natixis Investment Managers (formerly Natixis Global Asset Management) as the 15th largest asset manager in the world based on assets under management as of December 31, 2016.
² Net asset value as of March 31, 2018 is $1.008 trillion. Assets under management (“AUM”), as reported, may include notional assets, assets serviced, gross assets and other types of non-regulatory AUM.
³ A division of Natixis Advisors, L.P.
⁴ A brand of DNCA Finance.
⁵ A subsidiary of Ostrum Asset Management.
⁶ Operated in the U.S. through Ostrum Asset Management U.S., LLC.
⁷ Caspian Private Equity is a joint venture between Natixis Investment Managers, L.P. and Caspian Management Holdings, LLC.