Robeco BP US Premium Equities Y USD

Mr. Ramallo is the senior portfolio manager for Boston Partners Premium Equity product.  Previously, Mr. Ramallo was the assistant portfolio manager for the Small Cap Value products.  Prior to his portfolio management role, Mr. Ramallo was a research analyst for Boston Partners.  He joined the firm from Deloitte & Touche L.L.P., where he spent three years, most recently in their Los Angeles office.  Mr. Ramallo holds a B.A. degree in economics/business from the University of California at Los Angeles and an M.B.A. from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA.  He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.  He is also a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).  He has twenty years of investment experience.

The fund is established in Luxembourg and is subject to the Luxembourg tax laws and regulations. The fund is not liable to pay any corporation, income, dividend or capital gains tax in Luxembourg. The fund is subject to an annual subscription tax ('tax d'abonnement') in Luxembourg, which amounts to 0.01% of the net asset value of the fund. This tax is included in the net asset value of the fund. The fund can in principle use the Luxembourg treaty network to partially recover any withholding tax on its income.

Investors who are not subject to (exempt from) Dutch corporate-income tax (e.g. pension funds) are not taxed on the achieved result. Investors who are subject to Dutch corporate-income tax can be taxed for the result achieved on their investment in the fund. Dutch bodies that are subject to corporate-income tax are obligated to declare interest and dividend income, as well as capital gains in their tax return. Investors residing outside the Netherlands are subject to their respective national tax regime applying to foreign investment funds. We advise individual investors to consult their financial or tax adviser about the tax consequences of an investment in this fund in their specific circumstances before deciding to invest in the fund.

The fund incorporates sustainability in the investment process via exclusions, ESG integration, a carbon target, engagement and voting. Through exclusions the fund avoids investments in issuers that are in breach of international norms or where activities have been deemed detrimental to society following Robeco's exclusion policy. Financially material ESG factors are integrated in the bottom-up investment analysis to assess the sustainability risk profile of companies. In the stock selection the fund limits exposure to elevated sustainability risks. The fund also targets a lower carbon footprint compared to the reference index. In addition, where a stock issuer is flagged for breaching international standards in the ongoing monitoring, the issuer will become subject to engagement. Lastly, the fund makes use of shareholder rights and applies proxy voting in accordance with Robeco's proxy voting policy.

Equity markets in the United States as measured by the S&P 500 Index climbed higher by 3.2% in July. While all the different Russell market cap indices and styles posted positive returns, value outperformed growth. Small-cap value climbed higher by 7.6%, followed by mid-cap value rising 4.4% and large-cap value returning 3.5% as measured by their respective Russell value index.

Based on transaction prices, the fund's return was 3.53%. Robeco BP US Premium Equities outperformed the Russell 3000 Value Index in July, with stock selection driving relative returns. Strong stock selection came in energy, consumer discretionary and communication services. In energy, oilfield services firms Schlumberger and Halliburton contributed positively to the relative performance. Within consumer discretionary, travel company Booking Holdings added value, while in communication services, Alphabet and video game company Activision Blizzard both outperformed. An area of weakness was in the financials sector, where not owning banks such as U.S. Bancorp and PNC Financial reduced relative returns. Sector allocation was slightly negative in the month, largely due to the fund's overweight exposure to healthcare. Having no exposure to real estate and utilities and underweight exposure to consumer staples added most value.

US equities started the third quarter on a high note, with all 11 sectors of the S&P 500 climbing in July, as recessionary fears have started to cool with continued improvements in inflation and the economic outlook remaining positive. Strong second-quarter earnings reporting bolstered positive sentiments for the market, as many companies performed strongly in the second quarter. The fund remains well positioned with holdings that reflect Boston Partners' three-circle characteristics – attractive valuations, solid business fundamentals, and identifiable catalysts.