ALLSPRING AMONG FIRST ASSET MANAGERS TO INTRODUCE ETF SHARE CLASSES

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Oct 21, 2026, 08:30 ET

Three Fixed Income ETF Share Classes Start Trading Today

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Allspring Global Investments™ (Allspring), a global asset management firm with more than $603 billion in assets under advisement,* today announced the launch of ETF share classes for three existing mutual funds, becoming one of the first asset managers to bring this innovative structure to investors. The following ETF share classes began trading today:

Allspring Short-Term High Income Fund–ETF Class (NASDAQ: AHIC): seeks current income by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of non-investment-grade corporate debt securities with an average effective maturity of three years or less
Allspring Strategic Municipal Bond Fund–ETF Class (NASDAQ: ASTM): pursues tax-free income by principally investing in a diversified portfolio of municipal securities
Allspring High Yield Municipal Bond Fund–ETF Class (NASDAQ: AHYM): seeks high current income and capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of municipal securities, most of them rated triple-B or lower

"We believe the ETF share class structure represents an important evolution in how investors access our investment capabilities," said Rick Genoni, Allspring's global head of Product. "When investors don't have to choose between the benefits of an established mutual fund and the features of an ETF, that's a powerful outcome."

The ETF share class structure is designed to provide meaningful benefits for all investors. ETF shareholders gain access to established investment strategies with existing scale, experienced portfolio management teams, and long-term track records while potentially benefiting from the portfolio's existing tax-lot history. At the same time, mutual fund shareholders may benefit from enhanced tax efficiency, as the ETF share class structure can help manage capital gains at the portfolio level. The structure also provides daily portfolio transparency and allows investors to choose their preferred investment vehicle while accessing the same underlying strategy and management expertise.

Allspring is committed to advisor and investor education and offers ETF resources, including this primer on ETF share classes.

The three new ETF share class offerings join eight previously launched actively managed ETFs across fixed income (NYSE Arca: AFIX, APLU, AINP, AUSM) and equity (NYSE Arca: ALRG, AGRW, ASCE, ASLV), with combined assets of $1.4 billion.* For more information, visit Allspring Active ETFs | Allspring Global Investments.

Additionally, the following share classes are expected to begin trading later this year, followed by further planned launches in 2027:

Allspring Large Cap Core Fund–ETF Class
Allspring Premier Large Company Growth Fund–ETF Class

ABOUT ALLSPRING
Allspring Global Investments™ is an independent asset management firm with more than $603 billion in assets under advisement*, 18 offices globally, and investment teams supported by 370 investment professionals. Allspring is committed to thoughtful investing, purposeful planning, and inspiring a new era of investing that pursues both financial returns and positive outcomes. For more information, please visit www.allspringglobal.com.

*As of September 30, 2026. Figures include discretionary and non-discretionary assets.

Investors are advised to carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of an ETF share class before investing. The prospectus and the summary prospectus for each ETF share class contains this and other important information about the ETF share class and is available at allspringglobal.com. Please read these documents carefully before investing.

It is possible that an active trading market for ETF shares will not develop, which may hurt your ability to buy or sell shares, particularly in times of market stress. Shares may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value (NAV) in the secondary market. These variations may be greater when markets are volatile or subject to unusual conditions. There can be no assurance that active trading markets for the shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or authorized participants. Shares of the ETFs are not redeemable with the ETF other than in creation unit aggregations. Instead, investors must buy or sell the ETF shares in the secondary market at market price (not NAV) through a broker-dealer. In doing so, the investor may incur brokerage commissions and may pay more than NAV when buying and may receive less than NAV when selling. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and general market and economic conditions. Bond values fluctuate in response to the financial condition of individual issuers, general market and economic conditions, and changes in interest rates. Changes in market conditions and government policies may lead to periods of heightened volatility in the bond market and reduced liquidity for certain bonds held by the fund. In general, when interest rates rise, bond values fall and investors may lose principal value. Interest rate changes and their impact on the fund and its share price can be sudden and unpredictable. High yield securities and junk bonds have a greater risk of default and tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar maturities. Municipal securities risk includes the ability of the issuer to repay the obligation, the possibility of future tax and legislative changes and other factors, that may adversely impact the liquidity and value of the municipal securities in which the fund invests. A portion of the fund's income may be subject to federal, state, and/or local income taxes or the alternative minimum tax. Any capital gains distributions may be taxable. Consult the fund's prospectus for additional information on these and other risks.

This material is provided for informational purposes only and is intended for retail public distribution in the United States. Use outside the United States is for professional/qualified investors only. This content and the information within do not constitute an offer or solicitation in any jurisdiction where or to any person to whom it would be unauthorized or unlawful to do so. It should not be considered investment advice, an investment recommendation, or investment research in any jurisdiction.

Allspring Global Investments^TM (Allspring) is the trade name for the asset management firms of Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC, a holding company indirectly owned by certain private funds of GTCR LLC and Reverence Capital Partners, L.P. These firms include but are not limited to Allspring Global Investments Luxembourg, S.A.; Allspring Funds Management, LLC; Allspring Global Investments, LLC; Allspring Global Investments (UK) Ltd.; Allspring Global Investments (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.; Allspring Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd.; Allspring Global Investments (Japan) Ltd.; and Galliard Capital Management, LLC.

SOURCE Allspring Global Investments