Two Nationwide Funds received the 2026 LSEG Lipper Fund Awards, recognizing their strong performance and long‑term results. The Funds were each recognized among top performers within their respective peer groups. The Nationwide Strategic Income Fund (Class R6) was recognized as best in the multi-sector income category over 10 years and the Nationwide International Small Cap Fund (Class R6) was recognized as best in the international small/mid-cap growth category over five years.

For more than three decades, the annual LSEG Lipper Fund Awards have recognized funds and fund management firms that excel in delivering consistent, dependable investment results relative to their peers. Based on Lipper’s proprietary methodology, the awards reflect an independent, global assessment of performance across more than 17 countries.

“Recognition from Lipper is a testament to the strength of our investment teams and the disciplined framework Nationwide puts behind every strategy,” said Joseph Aniano, leader of Nationwide’s Investment Management Group. “Advisors and plan sponsors rely on us to deliver competitive risk adjusted returns through sub-advisor selection and oversight. These awards reinforce our commitment to helping investors achieve long-term success with clarity and confidence.”

With a 10-year track record of outperformance1, the Nationwide Strategic Income Fund (NWXGX) is a flexible multisector fixed-income strategy designed to deliver a high-level of current income while maximizing total return. Since its inception, the Fund has navigated market shifts to consistently outperform its peer group earning a first percentile ranking in the Morningstar multisector bond category.

The Nationwide International Small Cap Fund (NWXUX) seeks to reduce volatility and preserve long-term return potential. The Fund helps expand a portfolio’s international exposure to capitalize on inefficiencies found within the foreign small- and mid-cap markets.

“The 2026 LSEG Lipper Fund Awards mark another volatile three-year stretch for global markets. The managers we’re recognizing have guided investors through an environment where base rates have spiked, then diverged, as central banks navigated new and challenging inflationary landscapes, alongside uneven global growth, and heightened geopolitical risk. Whether managers entered the market in the era of easy money or have navigated cycles for decades, the recent period made one thing plain: durable results come from a disciplined process, not prediction,” said Otto Christian Kober, head of Lipper Research, LSEG Data & Analytics. “We applaud the 2026 LSEG Lipper Fund Award winners for delivering outperformance and the steady reassurance of consistency through changing market conditions.”

Nationwide Investment Management Group (IMG) is a business within Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, that is one of the largest and strongest diversified financial services and insurance organizations in the United States. IMG offers a curated menu of sub-advised investment solutions that seek superior long-term risk adjusted returns. IMG holds its managers to the highest performance standards through uncompromising oversight and provides ongoing market, economic and investment insights to help investors identify opportunities, manage risk and stay informed. 

Learn more about the services Nationwide Investment Management Group provides. 

1For the since inception period 11/2/2015 and ending 2/28/2026 out of 241 funds in the multisector bond category. Rankings for additional periods: 46th for the 1-year out of 350 funds, 17th for the 3-year period out of 332, 1st for the 5-year period out of 299 funds, 1st for the 10-year period out of 208 funds.

This material is not a recommendation to buy or sell a financial product or to adopt an investment strategy. Investors should discuss their specific situation with their financial professional.

Call 800-848-0920 to request a summary prospectus and/or a prospectus, or download prospectuses at nationwide.com/mutual-funds-prospectuses.jsp. These prospectuses outline investment objectives, risks, fees, charges and expenses, and other information that you should read and consider carefully before investing.

KEY RISKS: The Nationwide Strategic Income Fund is subject to the risks of investing in fixed-income securities, including high-yield bonds (which are more volatile). The Fund may invest in corporate loans (which have speculative characteristics and are high risk). The Fund also is subject to the risks of investing in foreign securities (currency fluctuations, political risks, differences in accounting and limited availability of information, all of which are magnified in emerging markets). The Fund may concentrate on specific sectors or countries, subjecting it to greater volatility than that of other mutual funds. The Fund may invest in more-aggressive investments such as derivatives (many of which create investment leverage and illiquidity, and are highly volatile). The Fund may invest in sovereign debt (a governmental entity may delay or refuse to pay interest or repay principal). Funds that invest in high-yield securities are subject to greater default risk, liquidity risk, and price fluctuations than funds that invest in higher-quality securities. The prices of high-yield bonds tend to be more sensitive to adverse economic and business conditions than are higher-rated corporate bonds. Increased volatility may reduce the market value of high-yield bonds. They are also subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing company. The Fund’s holdings may subject the Fund to liquidity risk, making it more volatile than other mutual funds. Please refer to the most recent prospectus for more detailed information.

KEY RISKS: The Nationwide International Small Cap Fund is subject to the risks of investing in equity securities (including small companies). Smaller companies are usually less stable in price and less liquid than larger, more established companies. Smaller companies are more vulnerable than larger companies to adverse business and economic developments and may have more limited resources. Therefore, they generally involve greater risk. The Fund also is subject to the risks of investing in foreign securities (currency fluctuations, political risks, differences in accounting and limited availability of information, all of which are magnified in emerging markets). The Fund may invest in more aggressive investments such as derivatives (many of which create investment leverage and illiquidity and are highly volatile). The Fund’s holdings may subject the Fund to liquidity risk, making it more volatile than other mutual funds. The Fund uses both a growth style and a value style of investing, and may underperform other funds that use different investing styles. Please refer to the most recent prospectus for a more detailed explanation of the Fund’s principal risks.

Morningstar rankings are based on average annual returns. Morningstar percentile rank is a standardized way of ranking items within a peer group, in this case, funds with the same Morningstar Category. The observation with the largest numerical value is ranked one; the observation with the smallest numerical value is ranked 100. The remaining observations are placed equal distance from one another on the rating scale. Note that lower percentile ranks are generally more favorable for returns (high returns), while higher percentile ranks are generally more favorable for risk measures (low risk).

The LSEG Lipper Fund Awards, granted annually, highlight funds and fund companies that have excelled in delivering consistently strong risk-adjusted performance relative to their peers. The LSEG Lipper Fund Awards are based on the Lipper Leader for Consistent Return rating, which is a risk-adjusted performance measure calculated over 36, 60 and 120 months. The fund with the highest Lipper Leader for Consistent Return (Effective Return) value in each eligible classification wins the LSEG Lipper Fund Award. For more information, see lipperfundawards.com. Although LSEG makes reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained herein, their accuracy is not guaranteed by LSEG Lipper.

About LSEG Lipper Fund Awards: For more than 30 years and in over 17 countries worldwide, the highly-respected LSEG Lipper Awards have honoured funds and fund management firms that have excelled in providing consistently strong risk-adjusted performance relative to their peers and focus the investment world on top-funds. The merit of the winners is based on entirely objective, quantitative criteria. This coupled with the unmatched depth of fund data, results in a unique level of prestige and ensures the award has lasting value. Renowned fund data and proprietary methodology is the foundation of this prestigious award qualification, recognizing excellence in fund management. Find out more at www.lipperfundawards.com.

Nationwide Funds distributed by Nationwide Fund Distributors LLC (NFD), member FINRA, Columbus, Ohio. Nationwide Investment Services Corporation (NISC), member FINRA, Columbus, Ohio. NFD and NISC are not affiliated with any subadviser contracted by Nationwide Fund Advisors, with the exception of Nationwide Asset Management, LLC and are not affiliates of Morningstar, Inc.

Nationwide and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2026 Nationwide

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