Great-West Funds Inc.

08/21/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/21/2025 12:27

Semi-Annual Report by Investment Company (Form N-CSRS)

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
N-CSR
CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Investment Company Act file number
811-03364
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
8515 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Jonathan D. Kreider
President & Chief Executive Officer
8515 E. Orchard Road
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
(Name and address of agent for service)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
(866) 831-7129
Date of fiscal year end:
December 31
Date of reporting period:
June 30, 2025
ITEM 1. REPORT TO STOCKHOLDERS.
Item 1(a):
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund
SEMI-ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER REPORT
Institutional Class / MXGSX | June 30, 2025
This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the Empower Large Cap Growth Fund (the "Fund") for the period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025. You can find additional information about the Fund at
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
. You may also request this information by contacting us at
1-866-831-7129
.
Fund Expenses for the period ended
June 30, 2025
(Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)
Fund (Class)
Costs of a $10,000 investment
Costs paid as a percentage
of a $10,000 investment
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund
(Institutional Class/MXGSX)
$
63
0.61
%
Key Fund Statistics
The following table outlines key fund statistics that you should pay attention to.
Fund net assets
$
1,757M
Total number of portfolio holdings
91
Total advisory fee paid
$
4.8M
Portfolio turnover rate as of the end of the reporting period
30
%
Graphical Representation of Holdings
The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing percentage of the total investments of the Fund.
Top Ten Holdings
Microsoft Corp 7.44
%
Amazon.com Inc 6.67
%
NVIDIA Corp 5.30
%
Apple Inc 4.74
%
Mastercard Inc Class A 3.63
%
Meta Platforms Inc Class A 3.31
%
Alphabet Inc Class C 3.06
%
Oracle Corp 2.67
%
Uber Technologies Inc 2.56
%
Eli Lilly & Co 2.34
%
SECTOR ALLOCATION
Material Fund Chang
es
This is a summary of certain changes and plan
ned
changes to to the Fund since January 1, 2025. For more comprehensive information, you may review the Fund's prospectus at
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
or upon special request at 1-866-831-7129.
Effective April 1, 2025, Victory Capital Management replaced Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. as the sub-advi
ser
.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants
There were no changes in or disagreements with the Fund's accountants during the reporting period.
Availability of Additional Information

Scan the QR code at left or visit
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
to view additional information about the Fund such as the prospectus, financial information, fund holdings and proxy voting information. You may also request this information by contacting us at 1-866-831-7129.
Householding
In order to reduce expenses, we will deliver a single copy of prospectuses, proxies, financial reports and other communication to shareholders with the same residential address, provided they have the same last name or we reasonably believe them to be members of the same family. Unless we are notified otherwise, we will continue to send recipients only one copy of these materials for as long as they remain a shareholder of the Fund. If you would like to receive individual mailings, please call 1-866-831-7129 and we will begin sending you separate copies of these materials within 30 days after receiving your request.
EMPOWER FUNDS
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund
SEMI-ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER REPORT
Investor Class / MXLGX | June 30, 2025
This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the Empower Large Cap Growth Fund (the "Fund") for the period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025. You can find additional information about the Fund at
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
. You may also request this information by contacting us at
1-866-831-7129
.
Fund Expenses for the period ended
June 30, 2025
(Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)
Fund (Class)
Costs of a $10,000 investment
Costs paid as a percentage
of a $10,000 investment
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund
(Investor Class/MXLGX)
$
101
0.98
%
Key Fund Statistics
The following table outlines key fund statistics that you should pay attention to.
Fund net assets
$
1,757M
Total number of portfolio holdings
91
Total advisory fee paid
$
4.8M
Portfolio turnover rate as of the end of the reporting period
30
%
Graphical Representation of Holdings
The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing percentage of the total investments of the Fund.
Top Ten Holdings
Microsoft Corp 7.44
%
Amazon.com Inc 6.67
%
NVIDIA Corp 5.30
%
Apple Inc 4.74
%
Mastercard Inc Class A 3.63
%
Meta Platforms Inc Class A 3.31
%
Alphabet Inc Class C 3.06
%
Oracle Corp 2.67
%
Uber Technologies Inc 2.56
%
Eli Lilly & Co 2.34
%
SECTOR ALLOCATION
Material Fund Changes
This is a summary of certain changes and planned changes to to the Fund since January 1, 2025. For more comprehensive information, you may review the Fund's prospectus at
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
or upon special request at
1-866-831-7129
.
Effective April 1, 2025, Victory Capital Management replaced Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. as the sub-adviser.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants
There were no changes in or disagreements with the Fund's accountants during the reporting period.
Availability of Additional Informati
on

Scan the QR code at left or visit
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
to view additional information about the Fund such as the prospectus, financial information, fund holdings and proxy voting information. You may also request this information by contacting us at 1-866-831-7129.
Householding
In order to reduce expenses, we will deliver a single copy of prospectuses, proxies, financial reports and other communication to shareholders with the same residential address, provided they have the same last name or we reasonably believe them to be members of the same family. Unless we are notified otherwise, we will continue to send recipients only one copy of these materials for as long as they remain a shareholder of the Fund. If you would like to receive individual mailings, please call 1-866-831-7129 and we will begin sending you separate copies of these materials within 30 days after receiving your request.
EMPOWER FUNDS
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
SEMI-ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER REPORT
Institutional Class / MXVHX | June 30, 2025
This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the Empower Large Cap Value Fund (the "Fund") for the period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025. You can find additional information about the Fund at
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
. You may also request this information by contacting us at
1-866-831-7129
.
Fund Expenses for the period ended
June 30, 2025
(Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)
Fund (Class)
Costs of a $10,000 investment
Costs paid as a percentage
of a $10,000 investment
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
(Institutional Class/MXVHX)
$
63
0.61
%
Key Fund Statistics
The following table outlines key fund statistics that you should pay attention to.
Fund net assets
$
1,673M
Total number of portfolio holdings
181
Total advisory fee paid
$
4.7M
Portfolio turnover rate as of the end of the reporting period
20
%
Graphical Representation of Holdings
The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing percentage of the total investments of the Fund.
Top Ten Holdings
Citigroup Inc 2.58
%
Philip Morris International Inc 2.24
%
Amazon.com Inc 2.11
%
Microsoft Corp 2.00
%
Exxon Mobil Corp 1.93
%
Charles Schwab Corp 1.87
%
Alphabet Inc Class A 1.85
%
Bank of America Corp 1.70
%
JPMorgan Chase & Co 1.54
%
Walmart Inc 1.51
%
SECTOR ALLOCATION
Material Fund Changes
There were no material changes to the Fund during the reporting period.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants
There were no changes in or disagreements with the Fund's accountants during the reporting period.
Availability of Additional Informat
ion

Scan the QR code at left or visit
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
to view additional information about the Fund such as the prospectus, financial information, fund holdings and proxy voting information. You may also request this information by contacting us at 1-866-831-7129.
Householding
In order to reduce expenses, we will deliver a single copy of prospectuses, proxies, financial reports and other communication to shareholders with the same residential address, provided they have the same last name or we reasonably believe them to be members of the same family. Unless we are notified otherwise, we will continue to send recipients only one copy of these materials for as long as they remain a shareholder of the Fund. If you would like to receive individual mailings, please call 1-866-831-7129 and we will begin sending you separate copies of these materials within 30 days after receiving your request.
EMPOWER FUNDS
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
SEMI-ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER REPORT
Investor Class / MXEQX | June 30, 2025
This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the Empower Large Cap Value Fund (the "Fund") for the period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025. You can find additional information about the Fund at
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
. You may also request this information by contacting us at
1-866-831-7129
.
Fund Expenses for the period ended
June 30, 2025
(Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)
Fund (Class)
Costs of a $10,000 investment
Costs paid as a percentage
of a $10,000 investment
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
(Investor Class/MXEQX)
$
99
0.96
%
Key Fund Statistics
The following table outlines key fund statistics that you should pay attention to.
Fund net assets
$
1,673M
Total number of portfolio holdings
181
Total advisory fee paid
$
4.7M
Portfolio turnover rate as of the end of the reporting period
20
%
Graphical Representation of Holdings
The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing percentage of the total investments of the Fund.
Top Ten Holdings
Citigroup Inc 2.58
%
Philip Morris International Inc 2.24
%
Amazon.com Inc 2.11
%
Microsoft Corp 2.00
%
Exxon Mobil Corp 1.93
%
Charles Schwab Corp 1.87
%
Alphabet Inc Class A 1.85
%
Bank of America Corp 1.70
%
JPMorgan Chase & Co 1.54
%
Walmart Inc 1.51
%
SECTOR ALLOCATION
Material Fund Changes
There were no material changes to the Fund during the reporting period.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants
There were no changes in or disagreements with the Fund's accountants during the reporting period.
Availability of Additional Informati
on

Scan the QR code at left or visit
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
to view additional information about the Fund such as the prospectus, financial information, fund holdings and proxy voting information. You may also request this information by contacting us at 1-866-831-7129.
Householding
In order to reduce expenses, we will deliver a single copy of prospectuses, proxies, financial reports and other communication to shareholders with the same residential address, provided they have the same last name or we reasonably believe them to be members of the same family. Unless we are notified otherwise, we will continue to send recipients only one copy of these materials for as long as they remain a shareholder of the Fund. If you would like to receive individual mailings, please call 1-866-831-7129 and we will begin sending you separate copies of these materials within 30 days after receiving your request.
EMPOWER FUNDS
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
SEMI-ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER REPORT
Investor II / MXHAX | June 30, 2025
This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the Empower Large Cap Value Fund (the "Fund") for the period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025. You can find additional information about the Fund at
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
. You may also request this information by contacting us at
1-866-831-7129
.
Fund Expenses for the period ended
June 30, 2025
(Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)
Fund (Class)
Costs of a $10,000 investment
Costs paid as a percentage
of a $10,000 investment
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
(Investor II Class/MXHAX)
$
84
0.81
%
Key Fund Statistics
The following table outlines key fund statistics that you should pay attention to.
Fund net assets
$
1,673M
Total number of portfolio holdings
181
Total advisory fee paid
$
4.7M
Portfolio turnover rate as of the end of the reporting period
20
%
Graphical Representation of Holdings
The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing percentage of the total investments of the Fund.
Top Ten Holdings
Citigroup Inc 2.58
%
Philip Morris International Inc 2.24
%
Amazon.com Inc 2.11
%
Microsoft Corp 2.00
%
Exxon Mobil Corp 1.93
%
Charles Schwab Corp 1.87
%
Alphabet Inc Class A 1.85
%
Bank of America Corp 1.70
%
JPMorgan Chase & Co 1.54
%
Walmart Inc 1.51
%
SECTOR ALLOCATION
Material Fund Changes
There were no material c
ha
nges to the Fund during the reporting period.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants
There were no changes in or disagreements with the Fund's accountants during the reporting period.
Availability of Additional Information

Scan the QR code at left or visit
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
to view additional information about the Fund such as the prospectus, financial information, fund holdings and proxy voting information. You may also request this information by contacting us at 1-866-831-7129.
Householding
In order to reduce expenses, we will deliver a single copy of prospectuses, proxies, financial reports and other communication to shareholders with the same residential address, provided they have the same last name or we reasonably believe them to be members of the same family. Unless we are notified otherwise, we will continue to send recipients only one copy of these materials for as long as they remain a shareholder of the Fund. If you would like to receive individual mailings, please call 1-866-831-7129 and we will begin sending you separate copies of these materials within 30 days after receiving your request.
EMPOWER FUNDS
Empower S&P 500
®
Index Fund
SEMI-ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER REPORT
Institutional Class / MXKWX | June 30, 2025
This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the Empower S&P 500
®
Index Fund (the "Fund") for the period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025. You can find additional information about the Fund at
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
. You may also request this information by contacting us at
1-866-831-7129
.
Fund Expenses for the period ended
June 30, 2025
(Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)
Fund (Class)
Costs of a $10,000 investment
Costs paid as a percentage
of a $10,000 investment
Empower S&P 500
®
Index Fund
(Institutional Class/MXKWX)
$
13
0.13
%
Key Fund Statistics
The following table outlines key fund statistics that you should pay attention to.
Fund net assets
$
7,943M
Total number of portfolio holdings
508
Total advisory fee paid
$
4.1M
Portfolio turnover rate as of the end of the reporting period
0
%
(a)
(a)
Amount is less than 0.5%
Graphical Representation of Holdings
The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing percentage of the total investments of the Fund.
Top Ten Holdings
NVIDIA Corp 7.22
%
Microsoft Corp 6.92
%
Apple Inc 5.74
%
Amazon.com Inc 3.88
%
Meta Platforms Inc Class A 3.00
%
Broadcom Inc 2.43
%
Alphabet Inc Class A 1.92
%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class B 1.67
%
Tesla Inc 1.67
%
U.S. Treasury Bills 4.30% 1.65
%
SECTOR ALLOCATION
Material Fund Changes
There were no material chan
ges
to the Fund during the reporting period.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants
There were no changes in or disagreements with the Fund's accountants during the reporting period.
Availability of Additional Information

Scan the QR code at left or visit
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
to view additional information about the Fund such as the prospectus, financial information, fund holdings and proxy voting information. You may also request this information by contacting us at 1-866-831-7129.
Householding
In order to reduce expenses, we will deliver a single copy of prospectuses, proxies, financial reports and other communication to shareholders with the same residential address, provided they have the same last name or we reasonably believe them to be members of the same family. Unless we are notified otherwise, we will continue to send recipients only one copy of these materials for as long as they remain a shareholder of the Fund. If you would like to receive individual mailings, please call 1-866-831-7129 and we will begin sending you separate copies of these materials within 30 days after receiving your request.
EMPOWER FUNDS
Empower S&P 500
®
Index Fund
SEMI-ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER REPORT
Investor Class / MXVIX | June 30, 2025
This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the Empower S&P 500
®
Index Fund (the "Fund") for the period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025. You can find additional information about the Fund at
https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
. You may also request this information by contacting us at
1-866-831-7129
.
Fund Expenses for the period ended
June 30, 2025
(Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)
Fund (Class)
Costs of a $10,000 investment
Costs paid as a percentage
of a $10,000 investment
Empower S&P 500
®
Index Fund
(Investor Class/MXVIX)
$
50
0.48
%
Key Fund Statistics
The following table outlines key fund statistics that you should pay attention to.
Fund net assets
$
7,943M
Total number of portfolio holdings
508
Total advisory fee paid
$
4.1M
Portfolio turnover rate as of the end of the reporting period
0
%
(a)
(a)
Amount is less than 0.5%
Graphical Representation of Holdings
The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing percentage of the total investments of the Fund.
Top Ten Holdings
NVIDIA Corp 7.22
%
Microsoft Corp 6.92
%
Apple Inc 5.74
%
Amazon.com Inc 3.88
%
Meta Platforms Inc Class A 3.00
%
Broadcom Inc 2.43
%
Alphabet Inc Class A 1.92
%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class B 1.67
%
Tesla Inc 1.67
%
U.S. Treasury Bills 4.30% 1.65
%
SECTOR ALLOCATION
Material Fund Changes
There were no material changes to the Fund during the reporting period.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants
There were no changes in or disagreements with the Fund's accountants during the reporting period.
Availability of Additional Information

Scan the QR code at left or visit
https://www.empower.
com
/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents
to view additional information about the Fund such as the prospectus, financial information, fund holdings and proxy voting information. You may also request this information by contacting us at 1-866-831-7129.
Householding
In order to reduce expenses, we will deliver a single copy of prospectuses, proxies, financial reports and other communication to shareholders with the same residential address, provided they have the same last name or we reasonably believe them to be members of the same family. Unless we are notified otherwise, we will continue to send recipients only one copy of these materials for as long as they remain a shareholder of the Fund. If you would like to receive individual mailings, please call 1-866-831-7129 and we will begin sending you separate copies of these materials within 30 days after receiving your request.
EMPOWER FUNDS

ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS.

Not required in filing.

ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.

Not required in filing.

ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.

Not required in filing.

ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS.

Not applicable.

ITEM 6. INVESTMENTS.

(a) The schedule is included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 7 of this Form.

(b) Not applicable.


ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR OPEN-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
("Empower Funds")
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund Empower Large Cap Value Fund
Institutional Class Ticker / MXGSX Institutional Class Ticker / MXVHX
Investor Class Ticker / MXLGX Investor Class Ticker / MXEQX
Investor II Class Ticker / MXHAX
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund
Institutional Class Ticker / MXKWX
Investor Class Ticker / MXVIX
(the "Fund(s)")
Semi-Annual Report
June 30, 2025
This report and the financial statements attached are submitted for general information and are not authorized for distribution to prospective investors unless preceded or accompanied by an effective prospectus. Nothing herein is to be considered an offer of the sale of shares of the Funds. Such offering is made only by the prospectus of each Fund, which includes details as to offering price and other information.
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER LARGE CAP GROWTH FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Shares Fair Value
COMMON STOCK
Basic Materials - 0.19%
$  7,012 Linde PLC $    3,289,890
Communications - 26.48%
 61,063 Alibaba Group Holding Ltd Sponsored ADR    6,925,155
300,825 Alphabet Inc Class C   53,363,347
529,932 Amazon.com Inc(a)  116,261,781
 34,650 Arista Networks Inc(a)    3,545,043
5,715 Booking Holdings Inc 33,085,507
58,606 DoorDash Inc Class A(a) 14,446,965
4,989 MercadoLibre Inc(a) 13,039,400
78,163 Meta Platforms Inc Class A 57,691,329
23,829 Motorola Solutions Inc 10,019,141
24,082 Netflix Inc(a) 32,248,929
22,941 Palo Alto Networks Inc(a) 4,694,646
672,255 Pinterest Inc Class A(a) 24,107,064
64,539 Robinhood Markets Inc Class A(a) 6,042,787
24,032 Sea Ltd ADR(a) 3,843,678
60,675 Shopify Inc Class A(a) 6,998,861
12,712 Spotify Technology SA(a) 9,754,426
478,166 Uber Technologies Inc(a) 44,612,888
197,836 Walt Disney Co 24,533,643
465,214,590
Consumer, Cyclical - 8.48%
965 AutoZone Inc(a) 3,582,302
10,765 Carvana Co(a) 3,627,374
283,318 Copart Inc(a) 13,902,414
32,067 DR Horton Inc 4,134,078
44,657 Home Depot Inc 16,373,042
24,423 McDonald's Corp 7,135,668
225,968 O'Reilly Automotive Inc(a) 20,366,496
109,340 Ross Stores Inc 13,949,597
15,908 Starbucks Corp 1,457,650
81,384 Tesla Inc(a) 25,852,441
157,026 TJX Cos Inc 19,391,141
165,514 Walmart Inc 16,183,959
3,021 WW Grainger Inc 3,142,565
149,098,727
Consumer, Non-Cyclical - 10.61%
80,858 Abbott Laboratories 10,997,497
34,136 AbbVie Inc 6,336,324
150,909 Coca-Cola Co 10,676,812
31,115 Edwards Lifesciences Corp(a) 2,433,504
52,434 Eli Lilly & Co 40,873,876
50,834 Gilead Sciences Inc 5,635,966
43,266 Insmed Inc(a) 4,354,290
57,634 Intuitive Surgical Inc(a) 31,318,892
29,429 Johnson & Johnson 4,495,280
12,223 McKesson Corp 8,956,770
17,927 Monster Beverage Corp(a) 1,122,947
30,726 Natera Inc(a) 5,190,850
92,002 Philip Morris International Inc 16,756,324
11,621 Quanta Services Inc 4,393,668
Shares Fair Value
Consumer, Non-Cyclical - (continued)
$ 29,873 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc $   12,112,307
 46,552 Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc(a)   20,724,950
186,380,257
Energy - 0.15%
 11,094 Cheniere Energy Inc    2,701,611
Financial - 9.19%
 12,486 Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class B(a)    6,065,324
22,189 Blackstone Inc 3,319,031
59,258 Charles Schwab Corp 5,406,700
15,833 Goldman Sachs Group Inc 11,205,806
157,607 Intercontinental Exchange Inc 28,916,156
17,851 KKR & Co Inc 2,374,719
112,621 Mastercard Inc Class A 63,286,245
34,391 Progressive Corp 9,177,582
89,518 Visa Inc Class A 31,783,366
161,534,929
Industrial - 6.59%
85,947 3M Co 13,084,571
391,359 Amphenol Corp Class A 38,646,701
6,707 Deere & Co 3,410,442
56,595 Eaton Corp PLC 20,203,849
31,336 Illinois Tool Works Inc 7,747,826
25,799 Rockwell Automation Inc 8,569,654
23,279 RTX Corp 3,399,200
9,979 Trane Technologies PLC 4,364,914
5,190 TransDigm Group Inc 7,892,122
84,539 Veralto Corp 8,534,212
115,853,491
Technology - 35.25%
201,248 Advanced Micro Devices Inc(a) 28,557,091
403,157 Apple Inc 82,715,722
8,224 AppLovin Corp Class A(a) 2,879,058
26,160 ASML Holding NV 20,964,362
133,977 Broadcom Inc 36,930,760
22,339 Cloudflare Inc Class A(a) 4,374,646
9,628 Crowdstrike Holdings Inc Class A(a) 4,903,637
1,818 Fair Isaac Corp(a) 3,323,231
6,255 HubSpot Inc(a) 3,481,721
67,945 International Business Machines Corp 20,028,827
45,008 Intuit Inc 35,449,651
28,482 Lam Research Corp 2,772,438
275,785 Microchip Technology Inc 19,406,990
260,747 Microsoft Corp 129,698,165
584,775 NVIDIA Corp 92,388,602
213,329 Oracle Corp 46,640,119
77,946 Salesforce Inc 21,255,095
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER LARGE CAP GROWTH FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Shares Fair Value
Technology - (continued)
$ 33,778 ServiceNow Inc(a) $   34,726,486
 15,181 Snowflake Inc Class A(a)    3,397,052
 33,346 Synopsys Inc(a)   17,095,827
 23,142 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd Sponsored ADR    5,241,432
 24,947 Twilio Inc Class A(a)    3,102,409
619,333,321
TOTAL COMMON STOCK - 96.94%
(Cost $1,186,240,229)
$1,703,406,816
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS
95,414 iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF 40,510,876
TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS - 2.31%
(Cost $38,882,166)
$40,510,876
TOTAL INVESTMENTS - 99.25%
(Cost $1,225,122,395)
$1,743,917,692
OTHER ASSETS & LIABILITIES, NET - 0.75% $13,209,143
TOTAL NET ASSETS - 100.00% $1,757,126,835
(a) Non-income producing security.
ADR American Depositary Receipt
ETF Exchange Traded Fund
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER LARGE CAP VALUE FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Shares Fair Value
COMMON STOCK
Basic Materials - 2.91%
$   123,695 CF Industries Holdings Inc $   11,379,940
   90,327 DuPont de Nemours Inc    6,195,529
   48,842 Eastman Chemical Co    3,646,544
  265,959 Freeport-McMoRan Inc   11,529,323
  227,662 International Paper Co   10,661,411
   46,923 PPG Industries Inc    5,337,491
48,750,238
Communications - 9.02%
174,646 Alphabet Inc Class A 30,777,865
43,706 Alphabet Inc Class C 7,753,007
160,191 Amazon.com Inc(a) 35,144,304
37,346 AT&T Inc 1,080,793
19,053 Charter Communications Inc Class A(a) 7,789,057
294,013 Cisco Systems Inc 20,398,622
256,490 Comcast Corp Class A 9,154,128
6,323 Meta Platforms Inc Class A 4,666,943
298,242 News Corp Class A 8,863,752
59,654 T-Mobile US Inc 14,213,162
45,849 Verizon Communications Inc 1,983,886
73,065 Walt Disney Co 9,060,791
150,886,310
Consumer, Cyclical - 7.72%
56,277 BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings Inc(a) 6,068,349
15,698 Cummins Inc 5,141,095
20,129 Dollar General Corp 2,302,355
7,248 Ferguson Enterprises Inc 1,578,252
302,772 General Motors Co 14,899,410
40,476 Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc 10,780,378
17,098 Home Depot Inc 6,268,811
209,598 Las Vegas Sands Corp 9,119,609
11,588 Lululemon Athletica Inc(a) 2,753,077
163,281 Mattel Inc(a) 3,219,901
147,008 PulteGroup Inc 15,503,464
650,961 Southwest Airlines Co 21,117,175
54,021 Target Corp 5,329,172
256,557 Walmart Inc 25,086,142
129,167,190
Consumer, Non-Cyclical - 21.60%
56,989 AbbVie Inc 10,578,298
217,004 AstraZeneca PLC Sponsored ADR 15,164,239
74,613 Becton Dickinson & Co 12,852,089
17,026 Biogen Inc(a) 2,138,295
68,955 Bristol-Myers Squibb Co 3,191,927
4,862 Cardinal Health Inc 816,816
52,548 Cigna Group 17,371,318
305,279 Coca-Cola Co 21,598,489
104,025 Colgate-Palmolive Co 9,455,873
121,466 Conagra Brands Inc 2,486,409
199,950 Corteva Inc 14,902,273
Shares Fair Value
Consumer, Non-Cyclical - (continued)
$   157,729 CVS Health Corp $   10,880,147
   38,344 Elevance Health Inc   14,914,282
   12,803 Global Payments Inc    1,024,752
    4,728 Humana Inc    1,155,902
   24,215 Johnson & Johnson    3,698,841
  558,766 Kenvue Inc   11,694,972
   20,857 Keurig Dr Pepper Inc     689,532
108,289 Kimberly-Clark Corp 13,960,618
24,648 McKesson Corp 18,061,561
75,753 Medtronic PLC 6,603,389
108,454 Merck & Co Inc 8,585,219
204,709 Philip Morris International Inc 37,283,651
154,039 Procter & Gamble Co 24,541,494
23,333 Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc 12,249,825
156,791 Sanofi SA 15,179,563
39,211 Sanofi SA ADR 1,894,284
43,691 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc 17,714,953
114,597 Tyson Foods Inc Class A 6,410,556
11,835 United Rentals Inc 8,916,489
59,747 UnitedHealth Group Inc 18,639,272
641,472 Viatris Inc 5,728,345
120,268 Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc 10,969,644
361,353,317
Energy - 7.20%
15,382 Chevron Corp 2,202,549
211,779 ConocoPhillips 19,005,048
27,223 EOG Resources Inc 3,256,143
81,096 EQT Corp 4,729,519
39,499 Expand Energy Corp 4,619,013
298,294 Exxon Mobil Corp 32,156,094
20,794 Hess Corp 2,880,801
31,157 Phillips 66 3,717,030
168,105 Schlumberger NV 5,681,949
291,615 Shell PLC 10,172,295
131,312 South Bow Corp(b) 3,408,760
71,059 TC Energy Corp(b) 3,469,067
174,360 TotalEnergies SE(b) 10,657,378
28,778 TotalEnergies SE Sponsored ADR 1,766,681
57,066 Valero Energy Corp 7,670,812
81,071 Williams Cos Inc 5,092,068
120,485,207
Financial - 24.37%
88,572 Allstate Corp 17,830,430
239,384 American International Group Inc 20,488,876
17,193 American Tower Corp REIT 3,799,997
93,425 Apollo Global Management Inc 13,254,205
598,500 Bank of America Corp 28,321,020
9,111 Blackrock Inc 9,559,717
97,367 Capital One Financial Corp 20,715,803
341,297 Charles Schwab Corp 31,139,938
43,546 Chubb Ltd 12,616,147
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER LARGE CAP VALUE FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Shares Fair Value
Financial - (continued)
$   504,679 Citigroup Inc $   42,958,276
   44,975 CME Group Inc   12,396,010
  108,397 Corebridge Financial Inc    3,848,093
  222,085 Equitable Holdings Inc   12,458,969
  183,096 Equity Residential REIT   12,357,149
  200,897 Fifth Third Bancorp    8,262,894
   15,474 Goldman Sachs Group Inc   10,951,723
71,991 Hartford Insurance Group Inc 9,133,498
493,943 Huntington Bancshares Inc 8,278,485
88,269 JPMorgan Chase & Co 25,590,066
86,638 Loews Corp 7,941,239
218,708 MetLife Inc 17,588,497
12,981 Morgan Stanley 1,828,504
66,377 PNC Financial Services Group Inc 12,374,000
74,669 Prologis Inc REIT 7,849,205
186,390 Rayonier Inc REIT 4,134,130
129,244 Rexford Industrial Realty Inc REIT 4,597,209
80,593 State Street Corp 8,570,259
11,091 Sun Communities Inc REIT 1,402,901
168,152 US Bancorp 7,608,878
170,027 Vornado Realty Trust REIT 6,501,832
189,038 Wells Fargo & Co 15,145,725
321,463 Weyerhaeuser Co REIT 8,258,385
407,762,060
Industrial - 11.65%
14,466 3M Co 2,202,304
36,280 AGCO Corp 3,742,645
69,032 Ball Corp 3,872,005
53,647 Boeing Co(a) 11,240,656
120,446 CRH PLC 11,056,943
247,259 CSX Corp 8,068,061
51,387 FedEx Corp 11,680,779
103,253 Fortive Corp 5,382,579
41,016 General Electric Co 10,557,108
51,412 Honeywell International Inc 11,972,827
114,428 Ingersoll Rand Inc 9,518,121
127,652 Johnson Controls International PLC 13,482,604
57,077 L3Harris Technologies Inc 14,317,195
19,543 Norfolk Southern Corp 5,002,422
22,249 Northrop Grumman Corp 11,124,055
75,886 Otis Worldwide Corp 7,514,230
34,418 Ralliant Corp(a) 1,668,911
16,982 Rockwell Automation Inc 5,640,911
104,180 RTX Corp 15,212,364
41,362 Siemens AG 10,624,200
140,440 Stanley Black & Decker Inc 9,514,810
11,033 TE Connectivity PLC 1,860,936
66,236 United Parcel Service Inc Class B 6,685,862
41,848 West Fraser Timber Co Ltd 3,067,458
195,009,986
Shares Fair Value
Technology - 8.28%
$    65,315 Accenture PLC Class A $   19,522,000
    5,920 Adobe Inc(a)    2,290,330
   27,266 Advanced Micro Devices Inc(a)    3,869,045
   30,944 Applied Materials Inc    5,664,918
   42,577 Fiserv Inc(a)    7,340,701
  141,917 Intel Corp    3,178,941
   33,291 Marvell Technology Inc    2,576,723
66,906 Microsoft Corp 33,279,713
155,037 QUALCOMM Inc 24,691,193
32,400 Salesforce Inc 8,835,156
156,632 Samsung Electronics Co Ltd 6,926,518
82,841 Seagate Technology Holdings PLC 11,956,442
40,692 Texas Instruments Inc 8,448,473
138,580,153
Utilities - 5.03%
106,454 Ameren Corp 10,223,842
108,053 Dominion Energy Inc 6,107,156
295,761 NextEra Energy Inc 20,531,729
80,152 NRG Energy Inc 12,870,808
31,129 PG&E Corp 433,938
253,319 PPL Corp 8,584,981
89,226 Sempra 6,760,654
183,137 Southern Co 16,817,471
26,373 Xcel Energy Inc 1,796,001
84,126,580
TOTAL COMMON STOCK - 97.78%
(Cost $1,354,982,842)
$1,636,121,041
CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
Utilities - 0.07%
29,238 NextEra Energy Inc 6.93% 1,161,918
TOTAL CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK - 0.07%
(Cost $1,425,353)
$1,161,918
PREFERRED STOCK
Consumer, Cyclical - 0.22%
35,930 Volkswagen AG 3,798,296
Industrial - 0.21%
51,358 Boeing Co(a) 3,504,670
TOTAL PREFERRED STOCK - 0.43%
(Cost $7,625,081)
$7,302,966
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER LARGE CAP VALUE FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Shares Fair Value
GOVERNMENT MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUNDS
17,687,792 Dreyfus Institutional Preferred Government Money Market Fund Institutional Class(c), 4.25%(d) $   17,687,792
TOTAL GOVERNMENT MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUNDS - 1.06%
(Cost $17,687,792)
$17,687,792
Principal Amount
SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS
U.S. Treasury Bonds and Notes - 0.01%
U.S. Treasury Bills(e)
52,000 4.14%, 10/02/2025
     51,450
Principal Amount Fair Value
U.S. Treasury Bonds and Notes - (continued)
193,000 4.22%, 11/06/2025
$     190,149
TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS - 0.01%
(Cost $241,599)
$241,599
TOTAL INVESTMENTS - 99.35%
(Cost $1,381,962,667)
$1,662,515,316
OTHER ASSETS & LIABILITIES, NET - 0.65% $10,796,932
TOTAL NET ASSETS - 100.00% $1,673,312,248
(a) Non-income producing security.
(b) All or a portion of the security is on loan as of June 30, 2025.
(c) Collateral received for securities on loan.
(d) Rate shown is the 7-day yield as of June 30, 2025.
(e) Zero coupon bond; the interest rate shown is the effective yield on date of purchase.
ADR American Depositary Receipt
REIT Real Estate Investment Trust
As of June 30, 2025 the Fund held the following over-the-counter ("OTC") forward foreign currency contracts:
Counterparty Currency
Purchased
Quantity of
Currency
Purchased
Currency
Sold
Quantity of
Currency
Sold
Settlement Date Net
Unrealized
Appreciation/
(Depreciation)
BB USD 578,457 EUR 504,400 09/17/2025 $(18,832)
BB USD 3,491,818 GBP 2,586,200 09/17/2025 (59,709)
CGM USD 1,261,941 EUR 1,100,300 09/17/2025 (40,988)
CGM USD 635,128 GBP 470,400 09/17/2025 (10,854)
GS USD 2,354,360 EUR 2,052,900 09/17/2025 (76,597)
GS USD 5,214,978 GBP 3,849,900 09/17/2025 (71,938)
HSB USD 1,965,169 EUR 1,713,200 09/17/2025 (63,530)
HSB USD 2,269,542 GBP 1,680,800 09/17/2025 (38,634)
MS EUR 2,068,800 USD 2,398,704 09/17/2025 51,082
MS USD 2,727,071 GBP 2,019,200 09/17/2025 (45,817)
SSB USD 2,536,420 EUR 2,211,600 09/17/2025 (82,464)
SSB USD 2,380,629 GBP 1,763,200 09/17/2025 (40,704)
TD USD 1,930,520 EUR 1,683,500 09/17/2025 (63,010)
TD USD 2,982,327 GBP 2,209,000 09/17/2025 (51,206)
UBS USD 672,875 EUR 586,600 09/17/2025 (21,752)
WES USD 321,904 EUR 280,700 09/17/2025 (10,489)
Net Depreciation $(645,442)
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER LARGE CAP VALUE FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Abbreviations
BB Barclays Bank PLC
CGM Citigroup Global Markets
GS Goldman Sachs
HSB HSBC Bank USA
MS Morgan Stanley & Co LLC
SSB State Street Bank
TD Toronto Dominion Bank
UBS UBS AG
WES Westpac Banking
Currency Abbreviations
EUR Euro Dollar
GBP British Pound
USD U.S. Dollar
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER S&P 500® INDEX FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Shares Fair Value
COMMON STOCK
Basic Materials - 1.45%
$     34,335 Air Products & Chemicals Inc $    9,684,530
    13,053 Albemarle Corp(a)     818,032
    25,302 CF Industries Holdings Inc    2,327,784
   104,223 Dow Inc    2,759,825
    61,039 DuPont de Nemours Inc    4,186,665
    13,146 Eastman Chemical Co     981,480
38,215 Ecolab Inc 10,296,649
219,058 Freeport-McMoRan Inc 9,496,164
34,140 International Flavors & Fragrances Inc 2,510,997
77,363 International Paper Co 3,622,909
69,892 Linde PLC 32,791,930
34,217 LyondellBasell Industries NV Class A 1,979,796
46,498 Mosaic Co 1,696,247
163,235 Newmont Corp 9,510,071
35,227 Nucor Corp 4,563,306
30,875 PPG Industries Inc 3,512,031
33,223 Sherwin-Williams Co 11,407,449
21,998 Steel Dynamics Inc 2,815,964
114,961,829
Communications - 15.74%
61,946 Airbnb Inc Class A(b) 8,197,934
860,827 Alphabet Inc Class A 151,703,544
694,391 Alphabet Inc Class C 123,178,019
1,397,520 Amazon.com Inc(b) 306,601,913
154,349 Arista Networks Inc(b) 15,791,446
1,064,290 AT&T Inc 30,800,553
4,887 Booking Holdings Inc 28,292,016
19,460 CDW Corp 3,475,361
14,321 Charter Communications Inc Class A(b) 5,854,568
588,423 Cisco Systems Inc 40,824,788
556,874 Comcast Corp Class A 19,874,833
112,797 Corning Inc 5,931,994
51,046 DoorDash Inc Class A(b) 12,583,350
67,127 eBay Inc 4,998,276
18,193 Expedia Group Inc 3,068,795
8,815 F5 Inc(b) 2,594,431
5,644 FactSet Research Systems Inc 2,524,448
27,654 Fox Corp Class A 1,549,730
14,673 Fox Corp Class B 757,567
85,744 Gen Digital Inc 2,520,874
21,199 GoDaddy Inc Class A(b) 3,817,092
57,572 Interpublic Group of Cos Inc 1,409,363
52,925 Juniper Networks Inc 2,113,295
29,322 Match Group Inc 905,757
321,131 Meta Platforms Inc Class A 237,023,580
23,962 Motorola Solutions Inc 10,075,062
62,946 Netflix Inc(b) 84,292,877
65,325 News Corp Class A 1,941,459
12,161 News Corp Class B 417,244
27,755 Omnicom Group Inc 1,996,695
98,652 Palo Alto Networks Inc(b) 20,188,145
113,545 Paramount Global Class B 1,464,730
Shares Fair Value
Communications - (continued)
$     71,699 T-Mobile US Inc $   17,083,004
   309,301 Uber Technologies Inc(b)   28,857,783
    12,499 VeriSign Inc    3,609,711
   623,582 Verizon Communications Inc   26,982,393
   265,902 Walt Disney Co   32,974,507
   320,159 Warner Bros Discovery Inc(b)    3,669,022
1,249,946,159
Consumer, Cyclical - 7.92%
31,035 Aptiv PLC(b) 2,117,208
2,406 AutoZone Inc(b) 8,931,625
28,103 Best Buy Co Inc 1,886,554
23,992 Caesars Entertainment Inc(b) 681,133
26,785 CarMax Inc(b) 1,800,220
151,796 Carnival Corp(b) 4,268,504
194,934 Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc(b) 10,945,544
127,703 Copart Inc(b) 6,266,386
65,624 Costco Wholesale Corp 64,963,824
19,235 Cummins Inc 6,299,463
16,831 Darden Restaurants Inc 3,668,653
20,730 Deckers Outdoor Corp(b) 2,136,641
92,740 Delta Air Lines Inc 4,560,953
35,707 Dollar General Corp 4,084,167
29,108 Dollar Tree Inc(b) 2,882,856
5,148 Domino's Pizza Inc 2,319,689
41,735 DR Horton Inc 5,380,476
178,552 Fastenal Co 7,499,184
613,815 Ford Motor Co 6,659,893
139,835 General Motors Co 6,881,280
19,746 Genuine Parts Co 2,395,387
19,616 Hasbro Inc 1,448,053
34,594 Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc 9,213,766
147,010 Home Depot Inc 53,899,745
43,855 Las Vegas Sands Corp 1,908,131
36,127 Lennar Corp Class A 3,996,007
22,594 Live Nation Entertainment Inc(b) 3,418,020
38,655 LKQ Corp 1,430,622
84,672 Lowe's Cos Inc 18,786,177
16,321 Lululemon Athletica Inc(b) 3,877,543
32,339 Marriott International Inc Class A 8,835,338
105,759 McDonald's Corp 30,899,608
30,393 MGM Resorts International(b) 1,045,215
179,414 NIKE Inc Class B 12,745,571
70,254 Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd(b) 1,424,751
418 NVR Inc(b) 3,087,206
129,821 O'Reilly Automotive Inc(b) 11,700,767
74,517 PACCAR Inc 7,083,586
6,328 Pool Corp 1,844,486
28,104 PulteGroup Inc 2,963,848
7,122 Ralph Lauren Corp 1,953,422
48,234 Ross Stores Inc 6,153,694
38,371 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd 12,015,495
85,135 Southwest Airlines Co 2,761,779
171,266 Starbucks Corp 15,693,104
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER S&P 500® INDEX FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Shares Fair Value
Consumer, Cyclical - (continued)
$     30,104 Tapestry Inc $    2,643,432
    65,557 Target Corp    6,467,198
   414,474 Tesla Inc(b)  131,661,810
   167,248 TJX Cos Inc   20,653,455
    9,357 TKO Group Holdings Inc    1,702,506
    77,868 Tractor Supply Co    4,109,094
    7,004 Ulta Beauty Inc(b)    3,276,611
47,880 United Airlines Holdings Inc(b) 3,812,685
111,661 Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc 1,281,868
639,035 Walmart Inc 62,484,842
17,300 Williams-Sonoma Inc 2,826,301
6,393 WW Grainger Inc 6,650,254
10,598 Wynn Resorts Ltd 992,715
39,141 Yum! Brands Inc 5,799,913
629,178,258
Consumer, Non-Cyclical - 14.19%
257,336 Abbott Laboratories 35,000,269
261,266 AbbVie Inc 48,496,194
41,372 Agilent Technologies Inc 4,882,310
11,854 Align Technology Inc(b) 2,244,318
243,704 Altria Group Inc 14,288,365
79,591 Amgen Inc 22,222,603
73,161 Archer-Daniels-Midland Co 3,861,438
60,760 Automatic Data Processing Inc 18,738,384
11,889 Avery Dennison Corp 2,086,163
77,558 Baxter International Inc 2,348,456
41,476 Becton Dickinson & Co 7,144,241
21,706 Biogen Inc(b) 2,726,057
17,484 Bio-Techne Corp 899,552
218,822 Boston Scientific Corp(b) 23,503,671
307,888 Bristol-Myers Squibb Co 14,252,135
19,696 Brown-Forman Corp Class B 530,019
16,243 Bunge Global SA 1,303,988
22,002 Campbell's Co 674,361
34,884 Cardinal Health Inc 5,860,512
25,677 Cencora Inc 7,699,249
72,522 Centene Corp(b) 3,936,494
5,706 Charles River Laboratories International Inc(b) 865,771
33,184 Church & Dwight Co Inc 3,189,314
38,999 Cigna Group 12,892,289
51,435 Cintas Corp 11,463,319
17,389 Clorox Co 2,087,897
572,938 Coca-Cola Co 40,535,364
116,930 Colgate-Palmolive Co 10,628,937
78,378 Conagra Brands Inc 1,604,398
22,383 Constellation Brands Inc Class A 3,641,266
27,950 Cooper Cos Inc(b) 1,988,922
9,779 Corpay Inc(b) 3,244,868
97,974 Corteva Inc 7,302,002
190,993 CVS Health Corp 13,174,697
95,872 Danaher Corp 18,938,555
5,992 DaVita Inc(b) 853,560
54,594 Dexcom Inc(b) 4,765,510
Shares Fair Value
Consumer, Non-Cyclical - (continued)
$     82,696 Edwards Lifesciences Corp(b) $    6,467,654
    32,598 Elevance Health Inc   12,679,318
   116,348 Eli Lilly & Co   90,696,756
    18,351 Equifax Inc    4,759,699
    39,683 Estee Lauder Cos Inc Class A    3,206,386
    66,242 GE HealthCare Technologies Inc    4,906,545
    81,187 General Mills Inc    4,206,298
185,572 Gilead Sciences Inc 20,574,368
34,306 Global Payments Inc 2,745,852
25,571 HCA Healthcare Inc 9,796,250
14,452 Henry Schein Inc(b) 1,055,719
21,783 Hershey Co 3,614,889
36,732 Hologic Inc(b) 2,393,457
52,384 Hormel Foods Corp 1,584,616
17,531 Humana Inc 4,285,979
11,765 IDEXX Laboratories Inc(b) 6,310,040
20,689 Incyte Corp(b) 1,408,921
10,167 Insulet Corp(b) 3,194,268
53,013 Intuitive Surgical Inc(b) 28,807,794
26,048 IQVIA Holdings Inc(b) 4,104,904
17,795 J M Smucker Co 1,747,469
355,878 Johnson & Johnson 54,360,364
36,652 Kellanova 2,914,934
279,762 Kenvue Inc 5,855,419
194,742 Keurig Dr Pepper Inc 6,438,170
51,977 Kimberly-Clark Corp 6,700,875
127,162 Kraft Heinz Co 3,283,323
93,324 Kroger Co 6,694,131
12,107 Labcorp Holdings Inc 3,178,209
22,541 Lamb Weston Holdings Inc 1,168,751
5,880 MarketAxess Holdings Inc 1,313,239
35,411 McCormick & Co Inc 2,684,862
18,817 McKesson Corp 13,788,721
192,931 Medtronic PLC 16,817,795
372,076 Merck & Co Inc 29,453,536
40,889 Moderna Inc(b) 1,128,128
8,080 Molina Healthcare Inc(b) 2,407,032
20,594 Molson Coors Beverage Co Class B 990,366
196,665 Mondelez International Inc Class A 13,263,088
100,399 Monster Beverage Corp(b) 6,288,993
23,428 Moody's Corp 11,751,250
140,564 PayPal Holdings Inc(b) 10,446,716
202,794 PepsiCo Inc 26,776,920
843,658 Pfizer Inc 20,450,270
230,222 Philip Morris International Inc 41,930,333
346,777 Procter & Gamble Co 55,248,512
22,481 Quanta Services Inc 8,499,616
16,560 Quest Diagnostics Inc 2,974,673
14,760 Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc 7,749,000
21,864 ResMed Inc 5,640,912
19,666 Revvity Inc 1,902,096
43,775 Rollins Inc 2,469,786
46,699 S&P Global Inc 24,623,916
20,674 Solventum Corp(b) 1,567,916
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER S&P 500® INDEX FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Shares Fair Value
Consumer, Non-Cyclical - (continued)
$     13,343 STERIS PLC $    3,205,255
    51,231 Stryker Corp   20,268,521
    71,342 Sysco Corp    5,403,443
    56,736 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc   23,004,179
    43,983 Tyson Foods Inc Class A    2,460,409
    9,264 United Rentals Inc    6,979,498
   134,371 UnitedHealth Group Inc   41,919,721
8,715 Universal Health Services Inc Class B 1,578,722
20,487 Verisk Analytics Inc 6,381,701
38,594 Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc(b) 17,182,049
202,750 Viatris Inc 1,810,557
8,300 Waters Corp(b) 2,897,032
10,120 West Pharmaceutical Services Inc 2,214,256
28,216 Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc 2,573,581
65,022 Zoetis Inc 10,140,181
1,127,203,587
Energy - 2.95%
57,154 APA Corp 1,045,347
141,621 Baker Hughes Co 5,429,749
239,636 Chevron Corp 34,313,479
189,288 ConocoPhillips 16,986,705
102,114 Coterra Energy Inc 2,591,653
96,038 Devon Energy Corp 3,054,969
26,787 Diamondback Energy Inc 3,680,534
19,049 Enphase Energy Inc(b) 755,293
82,112 EOG Resources Inc 9,821,416
84,073 EQT Corp 4,903,137
29,554 Expand Energy Corp 3,456,045
637,485 Exxon Mobil Corp 68,720,882
14,439 First Solar Inc(b) 2,390,232
116,538 Halliburton Co 2,375,044
43,744 Hess Corp 6,060,294
297,943 Kinder Morgan Inc 8,759,524
46,900 Marathon Petroleum Corp 7,790,559
111,533 Occidental Petroleum Corp 4,685,501
96,141 ONEOK Inc 7,847,990
59,971 Phillips 66 7,154,540
200,338 Schlumberger NV 6,771,425
32,082 Targa Resources Corp 5,584,835
2,841 Texas Pacific Land Corp 3,001,204
45,699 Valero Energy Corp 6,142,860
177,154 Williams Cos Inc 11,127,043
234,450,260
Financial - 14.64%
70,654 Aflac Inc 7,451,171
24,249 Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc REIT 1,761,205
37,997 Allstate Corp 7,649,176
82,084 American Express Co 26,183,155
83,385 American International Group Inc 7,136,922
70,679 American Tower Corp REIT 15,621,473
13,670 Ameriprise Financial Inc 7,296,089
Shares Fair Value
Financial - (continued)
$     32,607 Aon PLC Class A $   11,632,873
    64,693 Apollo Global Management Inc    9,177,996
    53,637 Arch Capital Group Ltd    4,883,649
    38,812 Arthur J Gallagher & Co   12,424,497
    7,679 Assurant Inc    1,516,526
    20,370 AvalonBay Communities Inc REIT    4,145,295
   969,204 Bank of America Corp   45,862,733
110,052 Bank of New York Mellon Corp 10,026,838
271,225 Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class B(b) 131,752,967
21,633 Blackrock Inc 22,698,425
110,349 Blackstone Inc 16,506,004
35,064 Brown & Brown Inc 3,887,546
25,123 BXP Inc REIT 1,695,049
16,060 Camden Property Trust REIT 1,809,801
94,606 Capital One Financial Corp 20,128,373
14,502 Cboe Global Markets Inc 3,382,011
44,197 CBRE Group Inc Class A(b) 6,192,884
252,620 Charles Schwab Corp 23,049,049
56,450 Chubb Ltd 16,354,694
21,221 Cincinnati Financial Corp 3,160,231
279,561 Citigroup Inc 23,796,232
67,644 Citizens Financial Group Inc 3,027,069
54,534 CME Group Inc 15,030,661
32,435 Coinbase Global Inc Class A(b) 11,368,143
59,658 CoStar Group Inc(b) 4,796,503
68,187 Crown Castle Inc REIT 7,004,851
48,634 Digital Realty Trust Inc REIT 8,478,365
14,794 Equinix Inc REIT 11,768,183
49,081 Equity Residential REIT 3,312,477
3,179 Erie Indemnity Co Class A(a) 1,102,445
9,078 Essex Property Trust Inc REIT 2,572,705
6,669 Everest Group Ltd 2,266,460
31,450 Extra Space Storage Inc REIT 4,636,988
8,188 Federal Realty Investment Trust REIT 777,778
89,900 Fifth Third Bancorp 3,697,587
33,382 Franklin Resources Inc 796,161
14,686 Globe Life Inc 1,825,323
45,910 Goldman Sachs Group Inc 32,492,802
41,237 Hartford Insurance Group Inc 5,231,738
89,430 Healthpeak Properties Inc REIT 1,565,919
100,229 Host Hotels & Resorts Inc REIT 1,539,517
201,444 Huntington Bancshares Inc 3,376,201
86,707 Intercontinental Exchange Inc 15,908,133
50,375 Invesco Ltd 794,414
85,284 Invitation Homes Inc REIT 2,797,315
42,118 Iron Mountain Inc REIT 4,320,043
411,051 JPMorgan Chase & Co 119,167,797
141,692 KeyCorp 2,468,275
87,844 Kimco Realty Corp REIT 1,846,481
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER S&P 500® INDEX FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Shares Fair Value
Financial - (continued)
$     97,696 KKR & Co Inc $   12,996,499
    27,703 Loews Corp    2,539,257
    23,914 M&T Bank Corp    4,639,077
    73,902 Marsh & McLennan Cos Inc   16,157,933
   119,974 Mastercard Inc Class A   67,418,188
    83,356 MetLife Inc    6,703,490
    17,355 Mid-America Apartment Communities Inc REIT    2,568,714
183,026 Morgan Stanley 25,781,042
61,476 Nasdaq Inc 5,497,184
28,697 Northern Trust Corp 3,638,493
59,870 PNC Financial Services Group Inc 11,160,965
32,175 Principal Financial Group Inc 2,555,660
86,849 Progressive Corp 23,176,524
140,355 Prologis Inc REIT 14,754,118
50,475 Prudential Financial Inc 5,423,034
24,229 Public Storage REIT 7,109,273
26,934 Raymond James Financial Inc 4,130,868
135,613 Realty Income Corp REIT 7,812,665
26,966 Regency Centers Corp REIT 1,920,788
128,654 Regions Financial Corp 3,025,942
14,597 SBA Communications Corp REIT 3,427,960
43,703 Simon Property Group Inc REIT 7,025,694
41,034 State Street Corp 4,363,556
54,174 Synchrony Financial 3,615,573
30,162 T Rowe Price Group Inc 2,910,633
32,963 Travelers Cos Inc 8,818,921
189,943 Truist Financial Corp 8,165,650
47,801 UDR Inc REIT 1,951,715
227,079 US Bancorp 10,275,325
63,748 Ventas Inc REIT 4,025,686
151,845 VICI Properties Inc REIT 4,950,147
253,069 Visa Inc Class A 89,852,147
43,051 W R Berkley Corp 3,162,957
481,672 Wells Fargo & Co 38,591,560
92,204 Welltower Inc REIT 14,174,521
99,992 Weyerhaeuser Co REIT 2,568,795
14,569 Willis Towers Watson PLC 4,465,399
1,162,509,151
Industrial - 7.38%
81,769 3M Co 12,448,513
18,084 A O Smith Corp 1,185,768
14,480 Allegion PLC 2,086,858
332,114 Amcor PLC 3,052,128
32,515 AMETEK Inc 5,883,914
181,892 Amphenol Corp Class A 17,961,835
10,481 Axon Enterprise Inc(b) 8,677,639
47,666 Ball Corp 2,673,586
111,524 Boeing Co(b) 23,367,624
14,359 Builders FirstSource Inc(b) 1,675,552
118,380 Carrier Global Corp 8,664,232
68,738 Caterpillar Inc 26,684,779
18,615 CH Robinson Worldwide Inc 1,786,109
Shares Fair Value
Industrial - (continued)
$    272,832 CSX Corp $    8,902,508
    37,790 Deere & Co   19,215,837
    18,758 Dover Corp    3,437,028
    58,883 Eaton Corp PLC   21,020,642
    85,722 Emerson Electric Co   11,429,314
    21,781 Expeditors International of Washington Inc    2,488,479
    32,072 FedEx Corp    7,290,286
47,061 Fortive Corp 2,453,290
22,078 Garmin Ltd 4,608,120
40,585 GE Vernova Inc 21,475,553
9,240 Generac Holdings Inc(b) 1,323,260
37,097 General Dynamics Corp 10,819,711
157,728 General Electric Co 40,597,611
96,583 Honeywell International Inc 22,492,249
58,074 Howmet Aerospace Inc 10,809,313
7,496 Hubbell Inc 3,061,441
5,912 Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc 1,427,512
11,407 IDEX Corp 2,002,727
40,756 Illinois Tool Works Inc 10,076,921
58,773 Ingersoll Rand Inc 4,888,738
14,541 Jabil Inc 3,171,392
17,938 Jacobs Solutions Inc 2,357,950
11,661 JB Hunt Transport Services Inc 1,674,520
100,840 Johnson Controls International PLC 10,650,721
25,463 Keysight Technologies Inc(b) 4,172,367
26,593 L3Harris Technologies Inc 6,670,588
4,699 Lennox International Inc 2,693,655
31,163 Lockheed Martin Corp 14,432,832
9,119 Martin Marietta Materials Inc 5,005,966
31,760 Masco Corp 2,044,074
2,788 Mettler-Toledo International Inc(b) 3,275,119
6,045 Mohawk Industries Inc(b) 633,758
9,165 Nordson Corp 1,964,701
32,378 Norfolk Southern Corp 8,287,797
19,510 Northrop Grumman Corp 9,754,610
26,276 Old Dominion Freight Line Inc 4,264,595
56,938 Otis Worldwide Corp 5,638,001
12,312 Packaging Corp of America 2,320,196
18,595 Parker-Hannifin Corp 12,988,050
24,831 Pentair PLC 2,549,151
15,687 Ralliant Corp(b) 760,662
31,531 Republic Services Inc 7,775,860
16,213 Rockwell Automation Inc 5,385,472
197,599 RTX Corp 28,853,406
75,247 Smurfit WestRock PLC 3,246,908
7,485 Snap-on Inc 2,329,182
24,999 Stanley Black & Decker Inc 1,693,682
42,273 TE Connectivity PLC 7,130,187
6,500 Teledyne Technologies Inc(b) 3,330,015
26,703 Textron Inc 2,143,984
32,213 Trane Technologies PLC 14,090,288
8,567 TransDigm Group Inc 13,027,323
36,468 Trimble Inc(b) 2,770,839
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER S&P 500® INDEX FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Shares Fair Value
Industrial - (continued)
$     89,991 Union Pacific Corp $   20,705,129
   111,402 United Parcel Service Inc Class B   11,244,918
    36,138 Veralto Corp    3,648,131
    19,763 Vulcan Materials Co    5,154,586
    55,001 Waste Management Inc   12,585,329
    23,476 Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp    4,914,701
    36,513 Xylem Inc    4,723,322
586,033,044
Technology - 31.15%
92,595 Accenture PLC Class A 27,675,719
62,591 Adobe Inc(b) 24,215,206
239,819 Advanced Micro Devices Inc(b) 34,030,317
24,700 Akamai Technologies Inc(b) 1,970,072
74,548 Analog Devices Inc 17,743,915
12,539 ANSYS Inc(b) 4,403,948
2,209,134 Apple Inc 453,248,023
120,167 Applied Materials Inc 21,998,973
30,519 Autodesk Inc(b) 9,447,767
695,458 Broadcom Inc 191,702,998
17,219 Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc 4,184,734
41,673 Cadence Design Systems Inc(b) 12,841,535
71,112 Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp Class A 5,548,869
36,958 Crowdstrike Holdings Inc Class A(b) 18,823,079
22,962 Dayforce Inc(b) 1,271,865
42,897 Dell Technologies Inc Class C 5,259,172
35,432 Electronic Arts Inc 5,658,491
8,412 EPAM Systems Inc(b) 1,487,410
3,434 Fair Isaac Corp(b) 6,277,215
74,013 Fidelity National Information Services Inc 6,025,398
82,001 Fiserv Inc(b) 14,137,792
91,214 Fortinet Inc(b) 9,643,144
11,281 Gartner Inc(b) 4,560,006
217,113 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co 4,439,961
128,623 HP Inc 3,146,119
656,819 Intel Corp 14,712,746
137,466 International Business Machines Corp 40,522,227
41,350 Intuit Inc 32,568,500
11,791 Jack Henry & Associates Inc 2,124,384
19,607 KLA Corp 17,562,774
192,821 Lam Research Corp 18,769,196
18,807 Leidos Holdings Inc 2,966,992
77,694 Microchip Technology Inc 5,467,327
165,852 Micron Technology Inc 20,441,259
1,099,336 Microsoft Corp 546,820,719
7,046 Monolithic Power Systems Inc 5,153,304
11,007 MSCI Inc 6,348,177
Shares Fair Value
Technology - (continued)
$     27,350 NetApp Inc $    2,914,142
 3,607,124 NVIDIA Corp  569,889,521
    36,203 NXP Semiconductors NV    7,909,993
    69,566 ON Semiconductor Corp(b)    3,645,954
   240,566 Oracle Corp   52,594,944
   314,621 Palantir Technologies Inc Class A(b)   42,889,136
    46,649 Paychex Inc    6,785,564
6,752 Paycom Software Inc 1,562,413
16,626 PTC Inc(b) 2,865,325
163,417 QUALCOMM Inc 26,025,792
16,399 Roper Technologies Inc 9,295,609
141,914 Salesforce Inc 38,698,529
30,882 Seagate Technology Holdings PLC 4,457,199
30,617 ServiceNow Inc(b) 31,476,724
27,142 Skyworks Solutions Inc 2,022,622
78,155 Super Micro Computer Inc(b) 3,830,377
22,387 Synopsys Inc(b) 11,477,367
24,466 Take-Two Interactive Software Inc(b) 5,941,568
21,346 Teradyne Inc 1,919,432
134,371 Texas Instruments Inc 27,898,107
6,270 Tyler Technologies Inc(b) 3,717,107
57,787 Western Digital Corp 3,697,790
30,684 Workday Inc Class A(b) 7,364,160
7,202 Zebra Technologies Corp Class A(b) 2,220,809
2,474,299,517
Utilities - 2.34%
105,614 AES Corp 1,111,059
38,415 Alliant Energy Corp 2,322,955
38,699 Ameren Corp 3,716,652
76,657 American Electric Power Co Inc 7,953,930
28,401 American Water Works Co Inc 3,950,863
24,247 Atmos Energy Corp 3,736,705
90,158 CenterPoint Energy Inc 3,312,405
40,071 CMS Energy Corp 2,776,119
49,941 Consolidated Edison Inc 5,011,579
46,589 Constellation Energy Corp 15,037,066
121,088 Dominion Energy Inc 6,843,894
30,421 DTE Energy Co 4,029,566
118,130 Duke Energy Corp 13,939,340
56,057 Edison International 2,892,541
70,665 Entergy Corp 5,873,675
35,497 Evergy Inc 2,446,808
53,408 Eversource Energy 3,397,817
158,419 Exelon Corp 6,878,553
73,919 FirstEnergy Corp 2,975,979
305,233 NextEra Energy Inc 21,189,275
62,136 NiSource Inc 2,506,566
29,422 NRG Energy Inc 4,724,585
314,691 PG&E Corp 4,386,793
19,123 Pinnacle West Capital Corp 1,710,935
121,324 PPL Corp 4,111,670
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER S&P 500® INDEX FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Shares Fair Value
Utilities - (continued)
$     70,420 Public Service Enterprise Group Inc $    5,927,955
    98,793 Sempra    7,485,546
   166,060 Southern Co   15,249,290
    52,399 Vistra Corp   10,155,450
    47,323 WEC Energy Group Inc    4,931,057
    80,513 Xcel Energy Inc    5,482,935
186,069,563
TOTAL COMMON STOCK - 97.76%
(Cost $4,599,803,594)
$7,764,651,368
GOVERNMENT MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUNDS
583,436 Dreyfus Institutional Preferred Government Money Market Fund Institutional Class(c), 4.25%(d) 583,436
TOTAL GOVERNMENT MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUNDS - 0.01%
(Cost $583,436)
$583,436
Principal Amount Fair Value
SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS
U.S. Treasury Bonds and Notes - 1.64%
131,211,700 U.S. Treasury Bills(e)
4.30%, 08/14/2025
$  130,525,458
TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS - 1.64%
(Cost $130,525,458)
$130,525,458
TOTAL INVESTMENTS - 99.41%
(Cost $4,730,912,488)
$7,895,760,262
OTHER ASSETS & LIABILITIES, NET - 0.59% $46,767,071
TOTAL NET ASSETS - 100.00% $7,942,527,333
(a) All or a portion of the security is on loan as of June 30, 2025.
(b) Non-income producing security.
(c) Collateral received for securities on loan.
(d) Rate shown is the 7-day yield as of June 30, 2025.
(e) Zero coupon bond; the interest rate shown is the effective yield on date of purchase.
REIT Real Estate Investment Trust
As of June 30, 2025, the Fund held the following outstanding exchange traded futures contracts:
Description Number of
Contracts
Notional Amount
(000)
Expiration
Date
Fair Value and
Net Unrealized
Appreciation
Long
S&P 500® Emini Futures 575 USD 179,795 Sep 2025 $4,397,742
Net Appreciation $4,397,742
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
As of June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Empower Large
Cap Growth Fund
Empower Large
Cap Value Fund
Empower S&P 500®
Index Fund
ASSETS:
Investments in securities, fair value(a)(b) $1,743,917,692 $1,662,515,316 $7,895,760,262
Cash 14,455,483 22,055,395 20,932,495
Cash denominated in foreign currencies, fair value(c) - 413,753 -
Cash pledged on futures contracts - - 16,532,767
Dividends receivable 693,593 2,766,698 3,763,052
Subscriptions receivable 2,014,227 2,115,225 12,211,807
Receivable for investments sold 1,301,081 12,052,699 -
Variation margin on futures contracts - - 862,500
Unrealized appreciation on forward foreign currency contracts - 51,082 -
Total Assets 1,762,382,076 1,701,970,168 7,950,062,883
LIABILITIES:
Payable for director fees 21,666 21,665 21,666
Payable for investments purchased 2,813,405 8,444,243 -
Payable for other accrued fees 169,220 179,447 223,573
Payable for shareholder services fees 232,821 103,691 1,643,962
Payable to investment adviser 879,427 805,627 753,424
Payable upon return of securities loaned - 17,687,792 583,436
Redemptions payable 1,138,702 718,931 4,309,489
Unrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency contracts - 696,524 -
Total Liabilities 5,255,241 28,657,920 7,535,550
NET ASSETS $1,757,126,835 $1,673,312,248 $7,942,527,333
NET ASSETS REPRESENTED BY:
Capital stock, $0.10 par value $14,851,288 $20,663,755 $36,827,896
Paid-in capital in excess of par 1,092,372,485 1,255,874,568 4,694,657,098
Undistributed/accumulated earnings 649,903,062 396,773,925 3,211,042,339
NET ASSETS $1,757,126,835 $1,673,312,248 $7,942,527,333
NET ASSETS BY CLASS
Investor Class $813,682,676 $229,972,060 $5,738,680,119
Institutional Class $943,444,159 $1,313,328,047 $2,203,847,214
Investor II Class N/A $130,012,141 N/A
CAPITAL STOCK:
Authorized
Investor Class 350,000,000 130,000,000 550,000,000
Institutional Class 400,000,000 700,000,000 650,000,000
Investor II Class N/A 105,000,000 N/A
Issued and Outstanding
Investor Class 73,986,220 7,008,177 143,961,211
Institutional Class 74,526,657 189,315,663 224,317,751
Investor II Class N/A 10,313,709 N/A
NET ASSET VALUE, REDEMPTION PRICE AND OFFERING PRICE PER SHARE:
Investor Class $11.00 $32.81 $39.86
Institutional Class $12.66 $6.94 $9.82
Investor II Class N/A $12.61 N/A
(a) Cost of investments $1,225,122,395 $1,381,962,667 $4,730,912,488
(b) Including fair value of securities on loan $- $16,817,640 $568,820
(c) Cost of cash denominated in foreign currencies $- $388,949 $-
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
Statement of Operations
For the period ended June 30, 2025 (Unaudited)
Empower Large
Cap Growth Fund
Empower Large
Cap Value Fund
Empower S&P 500®
Index Fund
INVESTMENT INCOME:
Income from securities lending (net of fees) $678 $11,851 $3,258
Dividends 6,076,441 19,755,750 47,405,707
Foreign withholding tax (9,228) (523,105) (63,139)
Total Income 6,067,891 19,244,496 47,345,826
EXPENSES:
Management fees 4,807,887 4,661,259 4,103,626
Shareholder services fees - Investor Class 1,262,870 373,552 9,020,774
Shareholder services fees - Investor II Class - 217,209 -
Audit and tax fees 17,345 22,508 18,289
Custodian fees 27,074 36,445 34,665
Directors fees 21,968 21,967 21,968
Legal fees 6,196 6,196 6,196
Pricing fees 31 113 475
Registration fees 36,179 35,886 196,482
Shareholder report fees 56,554 49,444 79,337
Transfer agent fees 5,917 7,870 6,442
Other fees 20,212 20,372 24,185
Total Expenses 6,262,233 5,452,821 13,512,439
Less amount reimbursed by investment adviser - Investor II Class - 93,155 -
Less amount waived by investment adviser 29,057 77,284 -
Net Expenses 6,233,176 5,282,382 13,512,439
NET INVESTMENT INCOME (LOSS) (165,285) 13,962,114 33,833,387
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS):
Net realized gain on investments 96,186,803 101,103,710 3,171,091
Net realized gain on futures contracts - - 728,963
Net realized (loss) on foreign currency transactions - (107,433) -
Net realized loss on forward foreign currency contracts - (2,136,612) -
Net Realized Gain 96,186,803 98,859,665 3,900,054
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments 24,365,559 (6,589,479) 411,097,614
Net change in unrealized appreciation on futures contracts - - 6,873,372
Net change in unrealized appreciation on foreign currency translations - 24,804 -
Net change in unrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency contracts - (1,143,708) -
Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) 24,365,559 (7,708,383) 417,970,986
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain 120,552,362 91,151,282 421,871,040
NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS $120,387,077 $105,113,396 $455,704,427
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
Statement of Changes in Net Assets
For the period ended June 30, 2025 and fiscal year ended December 31, 2024
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund 2025
(Unaudited)
2024
OPERATIONS:
Net investment loss $(165,285) $(1,574,364)
Net realized gain 96,186,803 164,773,268
Net change in unrealized appreciation 24,365,559 170,951,017
Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations 120,387,077 334,149,921
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:
From net investment income and net realized gains
Investor Class - (64,357,682)
Institutional Class - (67,904,598)
From Net Investment Income and Net Realized Gains 0 (132,262,280)
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS:
Shares sold
Investor Class 123,614,251 191,559,399
Institutional Class 180,963,882 211,345,977
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions
Investor Class - 64,357,682
Institutional Class - 67,904,598
Shares redeemed
Investor Class (85,573,196) (240,289,951)
Institutional Class (170,447,047) (261,387,198)
Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Capital Share Transactions 48,557,890 33,490,507
Total Increase in Net Assets 168,944,967 235,378,148
NET ASSETS:
Beginning of Period 1,588,181,868 1,352,803,720
End of Period $1,757,126,835 $1,588,181,868
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS - SHARES:
Shares sold
Investor Class 12,389,744 18,292,387
Institutional Class 15,751,614 17,675,333
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions
Investor Class - 6,144,551
Institutional Class - 5,648,185
Shares redeemed
Investor Class (8,399,260) (23,154,686)
Institutional Class (14,301,244) (22,122,506)
Net Increase 5,440,854 2,483,264
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
Statement of Changes in Net Assets
For the period ended June 30, 2025 and fiscal year ended December 31, 2024
Empower Large Cap Value Fund 2025
(Unaudited)
2024
OPERATIONS:
Net investment income $13,962,114 $25,793,047
Net realized gain 98,859,665 225,214,878
Net change in unrealized depreciation (7,708,383) (20,322,213)
Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations 105,113,396 230,685,712
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:
From net investment income and net realized gains
Investor Class - (7,951,699)
Institutional Class - (223,661,609)
Investor II Class - (13,217,124)
From Net Investment Income and Net Realized Gains 0 (244,830,432)
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS:
Shares sold
Investor Class 43,655,091 101,316,597
Institutional Class 175,460,632 224,098,568
Investor II Class 11,190,514 23,460,428
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions
Investor Class - 7,951,699
Institutional Class - 223,661,609
Investor II Class - 13,217,124
Shares redeemed
Investor Class (35,245,617) (271,338,870)
Institutional Class (197,268,776) (267,154,441)
Investor II Class (19,043,999) (43,068,010)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Capital Share Transactions (21,252,155) 12,144,704
Total Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets 83,861,241 (2,000,016)
NET ASSETS:
Beginning of Period 1,589,451,007 1,591,451,023
End of Period $1,673,312,248 $1,589,451,007
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS - SHARES:
Shares sold
Investor Class 1,393,322 3,297,241
Institutional Class 26,220,748 29,020,258
Investor II Class 911,503 1,842,238
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions
Investor Class - 256,010
Institutional Class - 34,014,297
Investor II Class - 1,108,095
Shares redeemed
Investor Class (1,115,959) (8,879,964)
Institutional Class (29,279,663) (35,469,598)
Investor II Class (1,569,648) (3,406,177)
Net Increase (Decrease) (3,439,697) 21,782,400
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
Statement of Changes in Net Assets
For the period ended June 30, 2025 and fiscal year ended December 31, 2024
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund 2025
(Unaudited)
2024
OPERATIONS:
Net investment income $33,833,387 $56,481,863
Net realized gain 3,900,054 54,648,977
Net change in unrealized appreciation 417,970,986 1,054,684,429
Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations 455,704,427 1,165,815,269
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:
From net investment income and net realized gains
Investor Class - (48,081,856)
Institutional Class - (62,283,043)
From Net Investment Income and Net Realized Gains 0 (110,364,899)
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS:
Shares sold
Investor Class 888,589,697 1,883,245,736
Institutional Class 960,299,661 224,148,336
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions
Investor Class - 48,081,856
Institutional Class - 62,283,043
Shares redeemed
Investor Class (578,356,619) (976,789,886)
Institutional Class (170,697,083) (315,355,100)
Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Capital Share Transactions 1,099,835,656 925,613,985
Total Increase in Net Assets 1,555,540,083 1,981,064,355
NET ASSETS:
Beginning of Period 6,386,987,250 4,405,922,895
End of Period $7,942,527,333 $6,386,987,250
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS - SHARES:
Shares sold
Investor Class 23,906,423 54,392,694
Institutional Class 103,933,027 24,934,366
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions
Investor Class - 1,286,917
Institutional Class - 6,675,257
Shares redeemed
Investor Class (15,543,889) (27,931,723)
Institutional Class (18,491,685) (35,316,677)
Net Increase 93,803,876 24,040,834
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER LARGE CAP GROWTH FUND
Financial Highlights
Selected data for a share of capital stock of the Fund throughout the periods indicated.
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations: Less Distributions:
Net asset value,
beginning of period
Net
investment
income (loss)(a)
Net realized
and unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
From net
investment
income
From net
realized
gains
Total
Distributions
Net asset value,
end of period
Total
Return(b)(c)
Investor Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $10.32 (0.01) 0.69 0.68 - - - $11.00 6.59% (d)
12/31/2024 $9.02 (0.03) 2.33 2.30 - (1.00) (1.00) $10.32 25.44%
12/31/2023 $6.96 (0.02) 2.36 2.34 (0.01) (0.27) (0.28) $9.02 33.57%
12/31/2022 $9.90 (0.00) (e)(f) (2.29) (2.29) (0.03) (0.62) (0.65) $6.96 (23.16%)
12/31/2021 $10.24 (0.04) 2.16 2.12 (0.10) (2.36) (2.46) $9.90 20.84%
12/31/2020 $9.49 (0.02) (f) 3.89 3.87 (0.27) (2.85) (3.12) $10.24 41.45%
Institutional Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $11.85 0.01 (f) 0.80 0.81 - - - $12.66 6.84% (d)
12/31/2024 $10.20 0.01 (f) 2.64 2.65 - (1.00) (1.00) $11.85 25.93%
12/31/2023 $7.83 0.01 (f) 2.65 2.66 (0.02) (0.27) (0.29) $10.20 34.03%
12/31/2022 $11.01 0.03 (2.56) (2.53) (0.03) (0.62) (0.65) $7.83 (22.95%)
12/31/2021 $11.13 0.00 (e)(f) 2.35 2.35 (0.11) (2.36) (2.47) $11.01 21.20%
12/31/2020 $10.12 0.02 4.16 4.18 (0.32) (2.85) (3.17) $11.13 41.99%
Net assets,
end of period
(000)
Ratio of expenses
to average net assets
(before reimbursement
and/or waiver, if applicable)
Ratio of expenses
to average net assets
(after reimbursement
and/or waiver, if applicable)
Ratio of net investment income
(loss) to average net assets
(after reimbursement
and/or waiver, if applicable)
Portfolio
turnover
rate(g)
Investor Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $813,683 0.99% (h) 0.98% (h) (0.22%) (h) 30% (d)
12/31/2024 $722,041 0.99% 0.98% (0.30%) 31%
12/31/2023 $619,457 1.00% 0.98% (0.21%) 46%
12/31/2022 $278,591 1.04% 1.00% (0.05%) 37%
12/31/2021 $225,667 1.02% 1.00% (0.34%) 46%
12/31/2020 $179,126 1.02% 1.00% (0.18%) 51%
Institutional Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $943,444 0.61% (h) 0.61% (h) 0.14% (h) 30% (d)
12/31/2024 $866,141 0.62% 0.62% 0.06% 31%
12/31/2023 $733,346 0.63% 0.63% 0.16% 46%
12/31/2022 $570,194 0.66% 0.65% 0.32% 37%
12/31/2021 $690,417 0.65% 0.65% 0.01% 46%
12/31/2020 $602,723 0.65% 0.65% 0.17% 51%
(a) Per share amounts are based upon average shares outstanding.
(b) Total return does not include any fees or expenses of variable insurance contracts, if applicable. If such fees or expenses were included, the return shown would have been lower.
(c) Total return shown net of expenses reimbursed and/or waived, if applicable. Without the expense reimbursement and/or waiver, the return shown would have been lower.
(d) Not annualized for periods less than one full year.
(e) Amount was less than $0.01 per share.
(f) The per share amount does not correspond to activity reflected in the Statement of Operations due to class specific expenses during the period.
(g) Portfolio turnover is calculated at the Fund level.
(h) Annualized.
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER LARGE CAP VALUE FUND
Financial Highlights
Selected data for a share of capital stock of the Fund throughout the periods indicated.
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations: Less Distributions:
Net asset value,
beginning of period
Net
investment
income(a)
Net realized
and unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
From net
investment
income
From net
realized
gains
Total
Distributions
Net asset value,
end of period
Total
Return(b)(c)
Investor Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $30.84 0.23 1.74 1.97 - - - $32.81 6.39% (d)
12/31/2024 $27.79 0.41 3.87 4.28 (0.02) (1.21) (1.23) $30.84 15.38%
12/31/2023 $25.29 0.39 2.71 3.10 (0.01) (0.59) (0.60) $27.79 12.28%
12/31/2022 $27.00 0.39 (1.35) (0.96) (0.01) (0.74) (0.75) $25.29 (3.54%)
12/31/2021 $22.06 0.32 5.39 5.71 (0.09) (0.68) (0.77) $27.00 25.98%
12/31/2020 $21.65 0.36 0.42 0.78 (0.01) (0.36) (0.37) $22.06 3.71%
Institutional Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $6.51 0.06 0.37 0.43 - - - $6.94 6.61% (d)
12/31/2024 $6.83 0.13 0.96 1.09 (0.20) (1.21) (1.41) $6.51 15.86%
12/31/2023 $6.79 0.13 0.71 0.84 (0.21) (0.59) (0.80) $6.83 12.69%
12/31/2022 $8.07 0.14 (0.42) (0.28) (0.26) (0.74) (1.00) $6.79 (3.22%)
12/31/2021 $7.10 0.13 1.74 1.87 (0.22) (0.68) (0.90) $8.07 26.47%
12/31/2020 $7.36 0.14 0.12 0.26 (0.16) (0.36) (0.52) $7.10 4.05%
Investor II Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $11.84 0.10 0.67 0.77 - - - $12.61 6.42% (d)
12/31/2024 $11.39 0.19 1.58 1.77 (0.11) (1.21) (1.32) $11.84 15.51%
12/31/2023 $10.77 0.18 1.15 1.33 (0.12) (0.59) (0.71) $11.39 12.51%
12/31/2022 $12.14 0.19 (0.62) (0.43) (0.20) (0.74) (0.94) $10.77 (3.41%)
12/31/2021 $10.28 0.17 2.51 2.68 (0.14) (0.68) (0.82) $12.14 26.15%
12/31/2020 $10.38 0.19 0.18 0.37 (0.11) (0.36) (0.47) $10.28 3.89%
Net assets,
end of period
(000)
Ratio of expenses
to average net assets
(before reimbursement
and/or waiver, if applicable)
Ratio of expenses
to average net assets
(after reimbursement
and/or waiver, if applicable)
Ratio of net investment income
to average net assets
(after reimbursement
and/or waiver, if applicable)
Portfolio
turnover
rate(e)
Investor Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $229,972 1.02% (f) 0.96% (f) 1.49% (f) 20% (d)
12/31/2024 $207,573 1.00% 0.96% 1.33% 31%
12/31/2023 $335,127 0.98% 0.96% 1.48% 29%
12/31/2022 $407,971 0.98% 0.96% 1.51% 18%
12/31/2021 $376,625 0.99% 0.96% 1.22% 28%
12/31/2020 $43,774 1.05% 0.96% 1.87% 33%
Institutional Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $1,313,328 0.61% (f) 0.61% (f) 1.83% (f) 20% (d)
12/31/2024 $1,251,991 0.61% 0.61% 1.71% 31%
12/31/2023 $1,126,210 0.60% 0.60% 1.83% 29%
12/31/2022 $930,971 0.61% 0.61% 1.85% 18%
12/31/2021 $1,175,842 0.60% 0.60% 1.61% 28%
12/31/2020 $1,060,676 0.62% 0.61% 2.22% 33%
Investor II Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $130,012 0.98% (f) 0.81% (f) 1.62% (f) 20% (d)
12/31/2024 $129,887 0.97% 0.81% 1.50% 31%
12/31/2023 $130,114 0.97% 0.81% 1.62% 29%
12/31/2022 $141,465 0.97% 0.81% 1.64% 18%
12/31/2021 $178,162 0.96% 0.81% 1.39% 28%
12/31/2020 $154,100 0.99% 0.81% 2.02% 33%
(a) Per share amounts are based upon average shares outstanding.
(b) Total return does not include any fees or expenses of variable insurance contracts, if applicable. If such fees or expenses were included, the return shown would have been lower.
(c) Total return shown net of expenses reimbursed and/or waived, if applicable. Without the expense reimbursement and/or waiver, the return shown would have been lower.
(d) Not annualized for periods less than one full year.
(e) Portfolio turnover is calculated at the Fund level.
(f) Annualized.
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
EMPOWER S&P 500® INDEX FUND
Financial Highlights
Selected data for a share of capital stock of the Fund throughout the periods indicated.
Income (Loss) from Investment Operations: Less Distributions:
Net asset value,
beginning of period
Net
investment
income(a)
Net realized
and unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
From net
investment
income
From net
realized
gains
Total
Distributions
Net asset value,
end of period
Total
Return(b)(c)
Investor Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $37.62 0.17 2.07 2.24 - - - $39.86 5.95% (d)
12/31/2024 $30.55 0.33 7.10 7.43 (0.20) (0.16) (0.36) $37.62 24.33%
12/31/2023 $25.61 0.35 6.19 6.54 (0.13) (1.47) (1.60) $30.55 25.61%
12/31/2022 $31.84 0.31 (6.22) (5.91) (0.10) (0.22) (0.32) $25.61 (18.55%)
12/31/2021 $26.10 0.26 7.06 7.32 (0.11) (1.47) (1.58) $31.84 28.20%
12/31/2020 $24.05 0.32 3.88 4.20 (0.18) (1.97) (2.15) $26.10 17.77%
Institutional Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $9.26 0.06 0.50 0.56 - - - $9.82 6.05% (d)
12/31/2024 $7.79 0.12 1.82 1.94 (0.31) (0.16) (0.47) $9.26 24.86%
12/31/2023 $7.61 0.13 1.83 1.96 (0.31) (1.47) (1.78) $7.79 26.00%
12/31/2022 $9.93 0.12 (1.94) (1.82) (0.28) (0.22) (0.50) $7.61 (18.25%)
12/31/2021 $9.11 0.13 2.43 2.56 (0.27) (1.47) (1.74) $9.93 28.66%
12/31/2020 $9.72 0.16 1.53 1.69 (0.33) (1.97) (2.30) $9.11 18.27%
Net assets,
end of period
(000)
Ratio of expenses
to average net assets
(before reimbursement
and/or waiver, if applicable)
Ratio of expenses
to average net assets
(after reimbursement
and/or waiver, if applicable)
Ratio of net investment income
to average net assets
(after reimbursement
and/or waiver, if applicable)
Portfolio
turnover
rate(e)
Investor Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $5,738,680 0.48% (f) 0.48% (f) 0.91% (f) 0% (d)(g)
12/31/2024 $5,101,594 0.49% 0.49% 0.95% 2%
12/31/2023 $3,294,950 0.51% 0.51% 1.21% 12%
12/31/2022 $2,628,211 0.51% 0.51% 1.14% 4%
12/31/2021 $3,083,911 0.51% 0.51% 0.88% 9%
12/31/2020 $1,700,372 0.52% 0.52% 1.31% 4%
Institutional Class
06/30/2025 (Unaudited) $2,203,847 0.13% (f) 0.13% (f) 1.26% (f) 0% (d)(g)
12/31/2024 $1,285,393 0.14% 0.14% 1.30% 2%
12/31/2023 $1,110,973 0.15% 0.15% 1.56% 12%
12/31/2022 $980,943 0.16% 0.16% 1.45% 4%
12/31/2021 $1,193,786 0.16% 0.16% 1.24% 9%
12/31/2020 $1,143,162 0.17% 0.17% 1.67% 4%
(a) Per share amounts are based upon average shares outstanding.
(b) Total return does not include any fees or expenses of variable insurance contracts, if applicable. If such fees or expenses were included, the return shown would have been lower.
(c) Total return shown net of expenses reimbursed and/or waived, if applicable. Without the expense reimbursement and/or waiver, the return shown would have been lower.
(d) Not annualized for periods less than one full year.
(e) Portfolio turnover is calculated at the Fund level.
(f) Annualized.
(g) Amount is less than 0.5%.
See Notes to Financial Statements.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.
Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited)
1. ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Empower Funds, a Maryland corporation, was organized on December 7, 1981 and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") as an open-end management investment company. Empower Funds presently consists of forty-four funds. Interests in the Funds are included herein. Each Fund is diversified as defined in the 1940 Act. The Funds are available as an investment option to insurance company separate accounts for certain variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies, to individual retirement account custodians or trustees, to plan sponsors of qualified retirement plans, to college savings programs, and to asset allocation funds that are a series of Empower Funds.
Investment Objectives
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund- seeks long-term growth of capital
Empower Large Cap Value Fund- seeks capital growth and current income
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund- seeks investment results that track the total return of the common stocks that comprise the Standard & Poor's ("S&P") 500® Index
The Funds each offer two share classes referred to as Investor Class and Institutional Class shares except the Empower Large Cap Value Fund. The Empower Large Cap Value Fund offers three share classes, referred to as Investor Class, Investor II Class and Institutional Class shares. Investor II Class shares were closed to new permitted accounts on October 25, 2019. All shares of each Fund represent an equal pro rata interest in the net assets of the class to which such shares belong, and have identical voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights and the same terms and conditions, except for class specific expenses and exclusive rights to vote on matters affecting only individual classes. Income, expenses (other than those attributable to a specific class) and realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated daily to each class of shares based on the relative proportion of net assets represented by such class. Operating expenses directly attributable to a specific class are charged against operations of that class. Expenses incurred by Empower Funds, which are not Fund specific, are allocated based on relative net assets or other appropriate allocation methods.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Each Fund is also an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Financial Services - Investment Companies. The following is a summary of the significant accounting policies of the Funds.
Security Valuation
The Board of Directors of Empower Funds (the "Board") has adopted policies and procedures for the valuation of each Fund's securities and assets, and has appointed the Fair Value Pricing Committee of the Funds' investment adviser, Empower Capital Management, LLC ("ECM"), to complete valuation determinations under those policies and procedures. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Board approved ECM as the Funds' valuation designee to make all fair value determinations with respect to the Funds' investments, subject to oversight by the Board.
Each Fund generally values its securities based on market prices determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") on each day the NYSE is open for trading. The net asset value ("NAV") of each class of a Fund's shares is determined by dividing the net assets attributable to each class of shares of the Fund by the number of issued and outstanding shares of each class of the Fund on each valuation date.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
For securities that are traded on only one exchange, the last sale price as of the close of business of that exchange will be used. If the closing price is not available, the current bid as of the close of business will be used. For securities traded on more than one exchange, or upon one or more exchanges and in the OTC market, the last sale price as of the close of business on the market which the security is traded most extensively will be used. If the closing price is not available, the current bid as of the close of business will be used. For securities that principally trade on the NASDAQ National Market System, the NASDAQ official closing price will be used.
For private equity securities that are not traded on an exchange, an appropriate source, which may include the use of an internally developed or approved valuation model, a different external pricing vendor, or sourcing a price from a broker will be used. Valuation of these securities will be reviewed regularly by the Fair Value Pricing Committee.
Short term securities purchased with less than 60 days remaining until maturity and all U.S. Treasury Bills are valued on the basis of amortized cost, which has been determined to approximate fair value. Short term securities purchased with more than 60 days remaining until maturity are valued using pricing services, or in the event a price is not available from a pricing service, may be priced using other methodologies approved by the Board, including model pricing or pricing on the basis of quotations from brokers or dealers, and will continue to be priced until final maturity.
Investments in shares of the underlying mutual funds are valued at the net asset value as reported by the underlying mutual fund, which may be obtained from pricing services or other pricing sources.
Foreign equity securities are generally valued using an adjusted systematic fair value price from an independent pricing service. Foreign exchange rates are determined at a time that corresponds to the closing of the NYSE.
For derivatives that are traded on an exchange, the last sale price as of the close of business of the exchange will be used. For derivatives traded OTC, independent pricing services will be utilized when possible. If a price cannot be located from the primary source, other appropriate sources, which may include the use of an internally developed valuation model, another external pricing vendor or sourcing a price from a broker, may be used.
Independent pricing services are approved by the Board and are utilized for all investment types when available. In some instances valuations from independent pricing services are not available or do not reflect events in the market between the time the market closed and the valuation time and therefore fair valuation procedures are implemented. The fair value for some securities may be obtained from pricing services or other pricing sources. The inputs used by the pricing services are reviewed quarterly or when the pricing vendor issues updates to its pricing methodologies. Broker quotes are analyzed through an internal review process, which includes a review of known market conditions and other relevant data. Developments that might trigger fair value pricing could be natural disasters, government actions or fluctuations in domestic and foreign markets.
The following table provides examples of the inputs that are commonly used for valuing particular classes of securities. These classifications are not exclusive, and any inputs may be used to value any other security class.
Class Inputs
Common Stock Exchange traded close price, bids, evaluated bids, open and close price of the local exchange, exchange rates, fair values based on significant market movement and various index data
Convertible Preferred Stock, Preferred Stock Benchmark yields, reported trades, broker/dealer quotes, issuer spreads, two-sided markets, benchmark securities, bids, evaluated bids, offers and reference data including market research publications. Inputs also may include exchange prices
Exchange Traded Funds Exchange traded close price
Government Money Market Mutual Funds Net asset value of underlying mutual fund
Short Term Investments Maturity date, credit quality and interest rates
Futures Contracts Exchange traded close price
Forward Foreign Currency Contracts Foreign currency spot and forward rates
The Funds classify their valuations into three levels based upon the observability of inputs to the valuation of each Fund's investments. The valuation levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with the underlying investment. Classification is based on the lowest level of input significant to the fair value measurement. The three levels are defined as follows:
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
Level 1 - Unadjusted quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.
Level 2 - Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable either directly or indirectly. These may include quoted prices for similar assets in active markets.
Level 3 - Unobservable inputs to the extent observable inputs are not available and may include prices obtained from single broker quotes. Unobservable inputs reflect a Fund's own assumptions and would be based on the best information available under the circumstances.
As of June 30, 2025, the inputs used to value the investments of the Empower Large Cap Value Fund are detailed in the following table. More information regarding the sector classifications, as applicable, are included in the Schedule of Investments. For the remaining Funds, all the investments were valued using Level 1 inputs, except for Short Term Investments, which were valued using Level 2 inputs.
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Assets
Investments, at fair value:
Common Stock
Basic Materials $48,750,238 $- $- $48,750,238
Communications 150,886,310 - - 150,886,310
Consumer, Cyclical 129,167,190 - - 129,167,190
Consumer, Non-cyclical 346,173,754 15,179,563 - 361,353,317
Energy 99,655,534 20,829,673 - 120,485,207
Financial 407,762,060 - - 407,762,060
Industrial 184,385,786 10,624,200 - 195,009,986
Technology 131,653,635 6,926,518 - 138,580,153
Utilities 84,126,580 - - 84,126,580
1,582,561,087 53,559,954 - 1,636,121,041
Convertible Preferred Stock - 1,161,918 - 1,161,918
Preferred Stock - 7,302,966 - 7,302,966
Government Money Market Mutual Funds 17,687,792 - - 17,687,792
Short Term Investments - 241,599 - 241,599
Total investments, at fair value: 1,600,248,879 62,266,437 - 1,662,515,316
Other Financial Investments:
Forward Foreign Currency Contracts(a) - 51,082 - 51,082
Total Assets $1,600,248,879 $62,317,519 $- $1,662,566,398
Liabilities
Other Financial Investments:
Forward Foreign Currency Contracts(a) - (696,524) - (696,524)
Total Liabilities $- $(696,524) $- $(696,524)
(a) Forward Foreign Currency Contracts are reported at the security's unrealized appreciation/(depreciation), which represents the change in the contract's value from trade date
Foreign Currency Translations and Transactions
The accounting records of each Fund is maintained in U.S. dollars. Investment securities, and other assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate. Purchases and sales of securities, income receipts and expense payments are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate on the dates of the transactions.
A Fund does not isolate the portion of the results of operations resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from the fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of securities held. Such fluctuations are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
Net realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest, and foreign withholding taxes recorded by a Fund and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in the fair values of assets and liabilities, other than investments in securities at fiscal period end, resulting from changes in exchange rates. These gains and losses are included in net realized gain or loss and change in net unrealized appreciation or depreciation on the Statement of Operations.
Security Transactions
Security transactions are accounted for on the date the security is purchased or sold (trade date). Realized gains and losses from investments sold are determined on a specific lot selection. Dividend income for a Fund is accrued as of the ex-dividend date and interest income, including amortization of discounts and premiums, is recorded daily.
Federal Income Taxes and Distributions to Shareholders
Each Fund intends to comply with provisions under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute substantially all of its net taxable income, including any net realized gain on investments not offset by capital loss carryforwards, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provision of federal income or excise tax is required. Each Fund files income tax returns in U.S. federal and applicable state jurisdictions. The statute of limitations on each Fund's tax return filings generally remains open for the three preceding fiscal reporting period ends. State tax returns may remain open for an additional fiscal year.
Distributions to shareholders from net investment income of a Fund, if any, are declared and paid annually. Capital gain distributions of a Fund, if any, are declared and paid at least annually. Distributions are reinvested in additional shares of a Fund at net asset value and are declared separately for each class. Distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Net investment income (loss) and net realized gain (loss) for federal income tax purposes may differ from those reported on the financial statements because of temporary and permanent book-tax basis differences. Book-tax differences may include but are not limited to the following: wash sales, distribution adjustments, adjustments to the accounting treatment of partnerships, adjustments for real estate investment trusts and foreign currency reclassifications.
The aggregate cost of securities and other investments and the composition of unrealized appreciation and depreciation for federal income tax purposes as of June 30, 2025 were as follows:
Federal Tax Cost
of Investments
Gross Unrealized
Appreciation
on Investments
Gross Unrealized
Depreciation
on Investments
Net Unrealized
Appreciation
on Investments
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund $1,225,234,242 $539,238,512 $(20,555,062) $518,683,450
Empower Large Cap Value Fund 1,392,702,815 356,758,329 (87,591,270) 269,167,059
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund 4,741,282,106 3,419,616,852 (260,740,954) 3,158,875,898
Segment Reporting
The ECM Board of Managers acts as the Funds' chief operating decision maker ("CODM") and is responsible for assessing performance and allocating resources with respect to the Funds. The CODM has concluded that each of the Funds operates as a single operating segment based on the fact that each has a single investment strategy as disclosed in its prospectus, against which the CODM assesses the performance, and it is the level at which discrete financial information is available. The financial information provided to and reviewed by the CODM is presented within each of the Funds' financial statements.
2. DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
Each Fund's investment objective allows it to enter into various types of derivative contracts as outlined in the Fund's prospectus.
In pursuit of its investment objective, each Fund may seek to use derivatives to increase or decrease its exposure to the following market risks:
Equity Risk - The risk that relates to the change in value of equity securities as they relate to increases or decreases in the general market.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
Foreign Exchange Risk - The risk that adverse fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and other currencies may cause a Fund to lose money on investments denominated in foreign currencies.
Each Fund may be exposed to additional risks from investing in derivatives, such as liquidity and counterparty credit risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a Fund will be unable to sell or close out the derivative in the open market in a timely manner. Counterparty credit risk is the risk that the counterparty will not be able to fulfill its obligations to a Fund. Investing in derivatives may also involve greater risks than investing directly in the underlying assets, such as losses in excess of any initial investment and collateral received. In addition, there may be the risk that the change in value of the derivative contract does not correspond to the change in value of the underlying instrument.
A Fund may be subject to enforceable master netting agreements, or netting arrangements, with certain counterparties. These agreements govern the terms of certain transactions, and reduce the counterparty risk associated with relevant transactions by specifying offsetting mechanisms and collateral posting arrangements, if any, at pre-arranged exposure levels. Collateral or margin requirements, if any, are set by the broker or exchange clearing house for exchanged traded derivatives while collateral terms are contract specific for OTC traded derivatives.
Derivative counterparty credit risk is managed through an evaluation of the creditworthiness of all potential counterparties. A Fund will attempt to reduce its exposure to counterparty credit risk on OTC derivatives, whenever possible, by entering into International Swaps and Derivatives Association ("ISDA") master agreements with certain counterparties. These agreements contain various provisions, including but not limited to collateral requirements (if any), events of default, or early termination. OTC derivative assets and liabilities are presented gross and not offset in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Early termination by the counterparty may result in an immediate payment by these Funds of any net liability owed to that counterparty under the ISDA agreement.
Futures Contracts
A Fund may use futures to equitize cash. A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy or sell a specified underlying investment for a fixed price at a specified future date. Futures contracts are generally entered into on a regulated futures exchange and cleared through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange. The use of futures contracts may involve risks such as the possibility of illiquid markets or imperfect correlation between the value of the contracts and the underlying securities that comprise the index, or that the clearinghouse will fail to perform its obligations.
Futures contracts are reported in a table following the Schedule of Investments. Upon entering into a futures contract, a Fund is required to pledge to the broker an amount of cash and/or other assets equal to a certain percentage of the contract amount (initial margin deposit). Receipts or payments, known as variation margin, are made or received by a Fund each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the fair value of the underlying security. This is recorded as variation margin on futures contracts on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. When a Fund enters into a closing transaction, it will realize, for book purposes, a gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the futures contract at the time it was opened or purchased and its value at the time it was closed, and is reflected in net realized gain or loss on the Statement of Operations.
Forward Foreign Currency Contracts
A Fund may enter into OTC forward foreign currency contracts (forward contracts) primarily to capture potential returns from changes in currency exchange rates or to reduce the risk of undesired currency exposure. A forward contract is a commitment to purchase or sell a foreign currency at a future date at a negotiated rate.
Forward contracts are reported in a table following the Schedule of Investments. The unrealized appreciation or depreciation is reported on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities and on the Statement of Operations within the net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation. Upon the closing of such contract the difference between the U.S. dollar cost of the original contract and the value of the foreign currency in U.S. dollars is recorded as net realized gain or loss on the Statement of Operations.
The following tables represent the average month-end volume of each Fund's derivative transactions, if any, during the reporting period:
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
Forward Currency Exchange Contracts:
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
Average notional amount $40,489,027
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund
Futures Contracts:
Average long contracts 429
Average notional long $126,930,968
Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure
Valuation of derivative investments as of June 30, 2025 is as follows:
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
Asset Derivatives Liability Derivatives
Risk Exposure Statement of Assets and Liabilities Location Fair Value Statement of Assets and Liabilities Location Fair Value
Foreign exchange contracts (forwards) Unrealized appreciation on forward foreign currency contracts $51,082 Unrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency contracts $(696,524)
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund
Asset Derivatives
Risk Exposure Statement of Assets and Liabilities Location Fair Value
Equity contracts (futures contracts) Net unrealized appreciation on futures contracts $4,397,742(a)
(a) Includes cumulative appreciation of futures contracts as reported in the Fund's Schedule of Investments. Only current day's variation margin is reported within the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
The effect of derivative investments for the period ended June 30, 2025 is as follows:
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
Realized Gain or (Loss) Change in Unrealized Appreciation or (Depreciation)
Risk Exposure Statement of Operations Location Statement of Operations Location
Foreign exchange contracts (forwards) Net realized loss on forward foreign currency contracts $(2,136,612) Net change in unrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency contracts $(1,143,708)
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund
Realized Gain or (Loss) Change in Unrealized Appreciation or (Depreciation)
Risk Exposure Statement of Operations Location Statement of Operations Location
Equity contracts (futures contracts) Net realized gain on futures contracts $728,963 Net change in unrealized appreciation on futures contracts $6,873,372
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
3. OFFSETTING ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
The Empower Large Cap Value Fund may enter into derivative transactions with several approved counterparties. Certain transactions are effected under agreements which include master netting arrangements which provide for the netting of payment obligations and/or netting in situations of counterparty default. The following table summarizes this Fund's financial investments that are subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement at June 30, 2025.
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
Counterparty Derivative
Assets
Subject to
an MNA by
Counterparty(a)
Derivatives
Available
for Offset
Non-
Cash
Collateral
Received
Cash
Collateral
Received
Net
Amount of
Derivative
Assets
Morgan Stanley & Co LLC
$51,082 $(45,817) $- $- $5,265
$51,082 $(45,817) $- $- $5,265
Counterparty Derivative
Liabilities
Subject to
an MNA by
Counterparty(a)
Derivatives
Available
for Offset
Non-
Cash
Collateral
Pledged
Cash
Collateral
Pledged
Net
Amount of
Derivative
Liabilities
Barclays Bank PLC
$(78,541) $- $- $- $(78,541)
Citigroup Global Markets
(51,842) - - - (51,842)
Goldman Sachs
(148,535) - - - (148,535)
HSBC Bank USA.
(102,164) - - - (102,164)
Morgan Stanley & Co LLC
(45,817) 45,817 - - -
State Street Bank
(123,168) - - - (123,168)
Toronto Dominion Bank
(114,216) - - - (114,216)
UBS AG
(21,752) - - - (21,752)
Westpac Banking
(10,489) - - - (10,489)
$(696,524) $45,817 $- $- $(650,707)
(a) OTC derivatives are reported gross on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
4. INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES
Empower Funds entered into an investment advisory agreement with ECM, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America ("Empower of America"). As compensation for its services to Empower Funds, ECM receives the below monthly compensation at the described annual rate of each Fund's average daily net assets. Certain administration and accounting services fees for each Fund are included in the investment advisory agreement.
Fund Name Annual Advisory Rate
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund 0.62% up to $1 billion dollars
0.57% over $1 billion dollars
0.52% over $2 billion dollars
Empower Large Cap Value Fund 0.61% up to $1 billion dollars
0.56% over $1 billion dollars
0.51% over $2 billion dollars
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund 0.21% up to $1 billion dollars
0.16% over $1 billion dollars
0.11% over $2 billion dollars
0.09% over $3 billion dollars
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
ECM has contractually agreed to waive fees or reimburse expenses that exceed the annual rate, shown in the table below, of each Fund's average daily net assets attributable to each Class, including management fees and expenses paid directly by each Fund, excluding shareholder service fees, distribution fees (if applicable) and certain extraordinary expenses (the "Expense Limit"). The agreement's current term ends on April 30, 2026 and automatically renews for one-year unless terminated upon written notice within 90 days of the end of the current term or upon termination of the investment advisory agreement. The amount waived or reimbursed, if any, is reflected in the Statement of Operations.
Fund Name Expense Limit Annual Rate
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund 0.63%
Empower Large Cap Value Fund 0.61%
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund 0.23%
ECM contractually agreed to permanently reimburse expenses and/or pay the Empower Large Cap Value Fund if expenses of the Investor II Class exceed 0.81% of the Class's average daily net assets ("Expense Cap"). Under the terms of the expense limitation agreement, the Expense Cap survives the termination of the expense limitation agreement. It may be terminated only upon termination of the Empower Large Cap Value Fund's advisory agreement with ECM or by the Board of Empower Funds. The amount reimbursed, if any, is reflected in the Statement of Operations.
ECM is permitted upon approval by the Board to recoup amounts waived or reimbursed by each Fund in future periods, not exceeding three years following the particular waiver/reimbursement, provided the total annual operating expenses of each Class of each Fund plus such recoupment do not exceed the lesser of the Expense Limit that was in place at the time of the waiver/reimbursement or the Expense Limit in place at the time of recoupment. As of June 30, 2025, the amounts subject to recoupment were as follows:
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund
Expires December 31, 2025 Expires December 31, 2026 Expires December 31, 2027 Expires June 30, 2028 Recoupment of
Past Reimbursed Fees
by ECM
$138,651 $99,296 $43,650 $29,057 $0
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
Expires December 31, 2025 Expires December 31, 2026 Expires December 31, 2027 Expires June 30, 2028 Recoupment of
Past Reimbursed Fees
by ECM
$115,416 $80,780 $118,122 $77,284 $0
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund
Expires December 31, 2025 Recoupment of
Past Reimbursed Fees
by ECM
$1,186 $0
ECM and Empower Funds have entered into sub-advisory agreements with, and are and is responsible for compensating the sub-advisers below for their services:
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund - Victory Capital Management and J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. Effective April 1, 2025, Victory Capital Management replaced Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. as the sub-adviser.
Empower Large Cap Value Fund- Putnam Investment Management, LLC, and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund - Irish Life Investment Managers Limited, an affiliate of ECM and Empower of America, receives monthly compensation for its services at the annual rate of 0.0075% of the Fund's net assets.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
Empower Funds entered into a shareholder services agreement with Empower, LLC ("Empower"), an affiliate of ECM and subsidiary of Empower of America. Pursuant to the shareholder services agreement, Empower provides various recordkeeping, administrative and shareholder services to shareholders and receives from the Investor Class shares of each Fund and Investor II Class shares of the Empower Large Cap Value Fund, a fee equal to 0.35% of the average daily net asset value of the applicable share class.
Empower Financial Services, Inc. (the "Distributor"), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Empower of America and the principal underwriter to distribute and market the Funds.
Certain officers of Empower Funds are also directors and/or officers of Empower of America or its subsidiaries. No officer or interested director of Empower Funds receives any compensation directly from Empower Funds. The total compensation paid to the independent directors with respect to all forty-four funds for which they serve as directors was $833,000 for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2025.
5. PURCHASES & SALES OF INVESTMENTS
For the period ended June 30, 2025, the aggregate cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investments were as follows:
Purchases Sales
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund $563,202,959 $475,223,073
Empower Large Cap Value Fund 310,845,344 311,808,892
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund 1,053,085,225 16,310,570
For the same period, there were no purchases or sales of long-term U.S. Government securities.
6. SECURITIES LOANED
Each Fund has entered into a securities lending agreement with its custodian as securities lending agent. Under the terms of the agreement each Fund receives income after deductions of other amounts payable to the securities lending agent or to the borrower from lending transactions. In exchange for such fees, the securities lending agent is authorized to loan securities on behalf of each Fund against receipt of cash collateral at least equal in value at all times to the value of the securities loaned plus accrued interest. The fair value of the loaned securities is determined daily at the close of business of each Fund and necessary collateral adjustments are made between such Fund and its counterparties on the next business day through the delivery or receipt of additional collateral. Each Fund also continues to receive interest or dividends on the securities loaned. Cash collateral is invested in securities approved by the Board. Each Fund bears the risk of any deficiency in the amount of collateral available for return to a borrower due to a loss in an approved investment.
Collateral was invested in Government Money Market Funds. As of June 30, 2025, each Fund's securities on loan value and collateral received, as reported on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities, were as follows:
Market Value Collateral Received
Empower Large Cap Value Fund $16,817,640 $17,687,792
Empower S&P 500® Index Fund 568,820 583,436
Under the securities lending agreement, cash collateral received represents a secured borrowing, and is collateralized by the securities loaned. As of June 30, 2025 each Fund's class of securities loaned consisted entirely of common stock. The remaining contractual maturity of all of the securities lending transactions is overnight and continuous. Additional information regarding each Fund's securities on loan is included in the Schedule of Investments.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
7. INDEMNIFICATIONS
The Funds' organizational documents provide current and former officers and directors with a limited indemnification against liabilities arising in connection with the performance of their duties to the Funds. In the normal course of business, a Fund may also enter into contracts that provide general indemnifications. A Fund's maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would be dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund. The risk of material loss from such claims is considered remote.
8. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Management has reviewed all events subsequent to June 30, 2025, including the estimates inherent in the process of preparing these financial statements through the date the financial statements were issued. No subsequent events requiring adjustments or disclosures have occurred.
Semi-Annual Report - June 30, 2025
Availability of Quarterly Portfolio Schedule
Empower Funds files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form NPORT. Empower Funds' Form NPORT reports are available on the Empower Funds website at https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents, and may be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington,D.C. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants
There were no changes in or disagreements with the Funds' accountants during the reporting period.
Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
A description of the policies and procedures that Empower Funds uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available without charge, upon request, by calling (866)-831-7129, and on the Empower Funds website at https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents.
Availability of Proxy Voting Record
Information regarding how Empower Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by calling (866)-831-7129, and on the Empower Funds website at https://www.empower.com/investments/empower-funds/fund-documents.
Statement Regarding Basis for Approval of Investment Advisory Contract
Empower Large Cap Growth Fund
The Board of Directors (the "Board") of Empower Funds, Inc. ("Empower Funds"), including the Directors who are not interested persons of Empower Funds (the "Independent Directors"), at a meeting held on April 17, 2025 (the "April Board Meeting"), unanimously approved the continuation of (i) the investment advisory agreement (the "Advisory Agreement") between Empower Capital Management, LLC ("ECM") and Empower Funds, on behalf of Empower Large Cap Growth Fund (the "Fund"), a series of Empower Funds, and (ii) the investment sub-advisory agreements (the "Sub-Advisory Agreements" or each, a "Sub-Advisory Agreement") by and among Empower Funds, ECM and each of Victory Capital Management Inc ("Victory Capital") and J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. ("JPMIM" and together with Victory Capital, the "Sub-Advisers" or each, a "Sub-Adviser"), with respect to the Fund.
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, ECM acts as investment adviser and, subject to oversight by the Board, directs the investments of the Fund in accordance with its investment objective, policies and limitations. ECM also provides, subject to oversight by the Board, the management and administrative services necessary for the Fund's operation. In addition, ECM is responsible for allocating the Fund's assets among one or more sub-advisers - including, in this case, each of Victory Capital and JPMIM. In this connection, the Fund operates under a manager-of-managers structure pursuant to an order issued by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which permits ECM to enter into and materially amend the Sub-Advisory Agreements with Board approval but without shareholder approval, unless the sub-adviser is an affiliated person. Under this structure, ECM is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the performance of each Sub-Adviser for its sleeve of the Fund and for recommending the hiring, termination and replacement of each Sub-Adviser to the Board.
Pursuant to its respective Sub-Advisory Agreement, each Sub-Adviser, subject to general supervision and oversight by ECM and the Board, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the investment and reinvestment of its allocated portion of the Fund's portfolio, which includes making decisions to buy, sell or hold any particular security.
On March 31, 2025 (the "March Meeting"), the Independent Directors met separately with independent legal counsel in advance of the April Board Meeting to evaluate information encompassing a wide variety of topics furnished by ECM and each Sub-Adviser in connection with the proposed continuation of the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreements (collectively, the "Agreements" or each, an "Agreement"), and reviewed, among other things, comparative information on the Fund's investment performance, fees and expenses, including data prepared by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge"), an independent provider of investment company data. Representatives of Broadridge met with the Independent Directors at the March Meeting to review and discuss Broadridge's peer group selection methodology. In addition, at the March Meeting, the Independent Directors met separately with representatives of an independent provider of
mutual fund advisory contract renewal consulting services (the "Independent Consultant") to review comparative information regarding the Fund's investment performance, fees and expenses, as well as the portion of the management fee retained and enterprise profitability data. Additionally, the Independent Directors considered supplemental information provided in response to their requests made following the March Meeting. The Independent Directors further discussed continuation of the Agreements separately with independent legal counsel, including at a separate meeting of the Independent Directors convened immediately prior to the April Board Meeting and at the April Board Meeting. The Independent Directors weighed and considered the information provided in light of their substantial accumulated experience in governing the Fund and other series of Empower Funds. Although the Board considered the approval of the Agreements for the Fund as part of its multi-faceted annual review process of agreements across Empower Funds, the Board's approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis.
The Board considered that the parent of Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. ("Amundi US"), one of the prior sub-advisers of the Fund, sold Amundi US to Victory Holdings, Inc, the parent corporation of Victory Capital (the "Transaction") on April 1, 2025. The Board further considered that there were no changes to the investment team, investment philosophy, processes or strategies for the Fund or the sub-advisory fee paid by ECM with respect to the Fund as a result of the Transaction.
In approving the continuation of each of the Agreements, the Board considered such information as the Board deemed reasonably necessary to evaluate the terms of the Agreements. The Board noted that performance information is provided to the Board on an ongoing basis at regular Board meetings held throughout the year. Furthermore, at each of its meetings, the Board covers an extensive agenda of topics and materials and considers factors that are relevant to its annual consideration of advisory agreements for Empower Funds, including the services and support provided to Empower Funds, including the Fund and its shareholders. Additionally, the Board recognized that its evaluation process is evolutionary and that the factors considered and emphasis placed on relevant factors may change in recognition of changing circumstances in the mutual fund marketplace.
In its deliberations, the Board did not identify any single factor as being determinative. Rather, the Board's approvals were based on each Director's business judgment after a comprehensive consideration of the information as a whole. Individual Directors may have weighed certain factors differently and assigned varying degrees of materiality to information considered by the Board. The Independent Directors were assisted throughout the evaluation process by independent legal counsel.
Based upon its review of the Agreements and the information provided to it, the Board concluded that each Agreement was reasonable in light of the services performed, fees charged and such other matters as the Directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The principal factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the Directors' determinations to approve the continuation of the Agreements are discussed below.
Nature, Extent and Quality of Services
The Board considered the nature, extent and quality of services provided and to be provided to the Fund by ECM and each Sub-Adviser (each, an "adviser"). Among other things, the Board considered, as applicable, each adviser's organizational history and ownership, personnel, experience, resources and performance track record, its ability to provide or obtain such services as may be necessary in managing, acquiring and disposing of investments on behalf of the Fund, and its ability to provide research and to obtain and evaluate the economic, statistical and financial data relevant to the investment policies of the Fund. With respect to personnel, the Board noted that ECM's affiliate, Empower Retirement, LLC ("Empower") provides employees, including various management professionals, who provide services on behalf of ECM - which does not have its own employees - pursuant to an intercompany agreement between ECM and Empower. (Each of Empower and ECM is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America ("Empower of America"). References herein to personnel, services, activities and resources of ECM should be understood generally as including Empower.)
The Board reviewed the qualifications, education, experience, tenure and responsibilities of, and the reporting lines and backup plans for, the senior personnel serving the Fund and the portfolio management teams responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund, as well as each adviser's efforts to attract, retain and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. In addition, the Board considered, as applicable, each adviser's reputation for management of its investment strategies, its investment decision-making process, its practices regarding the selection and compensation of brokers and dealers for the execution of portfolio transactions and the procedures it uses for obtaining best execution of portfolio transactions.
In addition, the Board considered each adviser's overall financial condition and ability to carry out its obligations to the Fund and the organization's technical resources and operational capabilities, including, with respect to ECM, its investment administration functions, fund accounting services and financial reporting, as well as the controls, internal audit reviews and
third-party assessments relating to such operations and services. Also considered by the Board was each organization's risk management framework, cybersecurity program and/or controls relating to enterprise resiliency, noting - as to ECM - prior discussions with and presentations by ECM's Chief Information Security Officer. With respect to ECM, the Board also took into account various organizational developments, including integration initiatives relating to recent acquisitions, as well as various system enhancements, such as the modernization of a proprietary reconciliation platform and similar efforts to achieve operational efficiencies.
As part of its assessment of the nature, extent and quality of services, the Board evaluated information regarding each adviser's regulatory and compliance environment and compliance policies and procedures. The Board considered ECM's compliance program resources and history, reports from the Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO") about ECM's oversight of compliance with applicable laws and regulations and compliance-related resources devoted by ECM in support of the Fund's obligations pursuant to Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act (the "Compliance Rule"). The Board noted the CCO's assessment that each Sub-Adviser's compliance program appears to be reasonably designed to comply with the requirements of the Compliance Rule. The Board also considered ECM's efforts generally to ensure that third-party programs and vendors used to service the Fund - including for purposes of regulatory compliance support - are monitored effectively.
Consideration also was given to the fact that the Board meets with representatives of each Sub-Adviser and ECM every year to discuss portfolio management strategies and performance. Additionally, the quality of each adviser's communications with the Board, as well as the adviser's responsiveness to the Board, were taken into account. Also considered was each adviser's response to market volatility, changing circumstances in the mutual fund industry and investor sentiment, regulatory developments, economic indicators, monetary and fiscal policy developments and emerging issues. In this regard, the Board received information on the impacts of macroeconomic and geopolitical developments on each adviser generally and the Fund, and considered how monitoring and analysis of such developments informs each adviser's performance of its respective services to the Fund.
The Board concluded that it was satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Fund by ECM and each of the Sub-Advisers.
Investment Performance
The Board received and considered information regarding the investment performance of the Fund. Among other things, the Board reviewed performance information for the Fund's Investor Class and Institutional Class as compared against a benchmark index and a "performance universe" of peer funds compiled by Broadridge, based on Lipper fund classification schema. This performance data included, among other things, annualized returns for the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods ended December 31, 2024 for the Investor Class, and, with respect to the Institutional Class, annualized returns for the one-, three- and five-year periods ended December 31, 2024. In evaluating the performance of the Fund, the Board noted how the Fund performed relative to the returns of a benchmark index and the performance universe. In addition, the Board noted that it had also received and discussed at periodic intervals information comparing the Fund's performance to that of a benchmark index and to a peer group of funds.
The Board observed that, with the exception of the one-year period ended December 31, 2024, the annualized returns of each class of the Fund exceeded its respective performance universe median for each period reviewed. Specifically, the annualized returns of the Fund's Investor Class for the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods ended December 31, 2024 were in the fourth, second, second and second quintiles, respectively, of its performance universe (the first quintile being the best performers and the fifth quintile being the worst performers). As to the Fund's Institutional Class, the Board observed that the annualized returns for the one-, three- and five-year periods ended December 31, 2024 were in the fourth, second and second quintiles, respectively, of its performance universe. The Board also observed that the Fund underperformed the Russell 1000 Growth Index for each period reviewed.
The Board considered performance results in light of the Fund's investment objective, strategies and risks, as disclosed in the Fund's prospectus, and in the context of overall recent market conditions. In addition, the Board considered each Sub-Adviser's investment decision-making process, the organization, composition and experience of its investment personnel and its portfolio risk controls, among other things, as well as its performance attribution commentary. The Board's assessment of performance results was also informed by its understanding of ECM's processes for overseeing and analyzing each Sub-Adviser's performance, including ECM's systematic approach to performance monitoring. Also relevant to the Board was ECM's view that the Fund meets expectations with respect to its investment objective and that ECM recommends the retention of each Sub-Adviser.
The Board determined that it was satisfied with the explanations for, oversight of and information provided regarding the Fund's investment performance.
Costs and Profitability
The Board considered the costs of services provided by ECM and the Sub-Advisers from their relationships with the Fund. The Board also reviewed an analysis prepared by the Independent Consultant regarding the actual net advisory fee, sub-advisory fees and advisory fee retained by ECM for the Fund's Investor Class and Institutional Class as compared to shares of other sub-advised funds within the same Morningstar peer group and publicly-disclosed sub-advisory fees.
With respect to the costs of services, the Board considered the structure and the level of the investment management fees and other expenses payable by the Fund. In this regard, the Board noted that, ECM's management fee includes fund accounting and fund administration services. In addition, the Board noted that ECM has contractually agreed to limit the fees and expenses of the Fund for a one-year renewable term through April 30, 2026.
In evaluating the management fee and total expense ratio of the Fund's Investor and Institutional Classes, the Board considered the fees payable by and the total expense ratios of peer groups of funds managed by other investment advisers, as determined independently by Broadridge, based on Lipper fund classification schema. Specifically, the Board considered for each class (i) the Fund's management fee as provided in the Advisory Agreement (the "Contractual Management Fee") in comparison to the contractual management fees of the peer group of funds and (ii) the Fund's total expense ratio in comparison to the peer group funds' total expense ratios (in all cases, net of any waivers, if applicable). In addition, the Board considered the Fund's total expense ratio in comparison to the median expense ratios for all funds in the peer groups. As part of its comprehensive evaluation, the Board also reviewed a report from the Independent Consultant assessing expenses in the context of performance and other factors.
The Board observed that, as to each class of the Fund, the Contractual Management Fee and total annual operating expense ratio was lower than the median management fee and median expense ratio, respectively, of its respective peer group of funds. With respect to the total annual operating expense ratio, the Board further observed that the expense ratio for the Fund's Investor Class was in the third quintile of its peer group (with the first quintile being the lowest expenses and the fifth quintile being the highest expenses) and for the Fund's Institutional Class was in the second quintile of its peer group. In considering the foregoing, the Board took into account the Independent Consultant's overall conclusion that the Fund's management fees and expenses are reasonable relative to the quality of services provided, comparable management fees and expenses of similar funds and the profitability of ECM.
The Board received information regarding the fees charged by ECM to separate accounts and other products managed by ECM and noted that ECM does not manage other client accounts in the same investment style as the Fund. The Board also received information regarding the fees charged to various institutional separate accounts and other products - including a proprietary mutual fund and a collective investment trust - managed by Victory Capital in the same investment style as the Fund. The Board noted that Victory Capital attributed certain differences in fee schedules to customized client servicing requirements and individual client needs. With respect to JPMIM, the Board received information regarding the fee schedule for other sub-advised clients managed with JPMIM's large cap growth strategy. The Board considered JPMIM's statement that fee schedules take into account various factors, including, but not limited to, the overall relationship, initial size of the mandate, anticipated flows and projected growth, fees charged for comparable products in the fund industry and existing fee schedules. Also noted was JPMIM's view that the Fund's sub-advisory fees are competitive and in line with similar mandates. Taking into account the foregoing, the Board noted that any fees charged by the Sub-Advisers to other similar accounts and products appeared to be competitive with the fee charged to ECM for the Fund. In addition, the Board noted that ECM, not the Fund, pays the sub-advisory fees to the Sub-Advisers and that such fees were negotiated at arm's length between ECM and each of the Sub-Advisers.
The Board further considered the overall financial soundness of ECM and the Sub-Advisers and the profits estimated to have been realized by ECM and its affiliates and by each Sub-Adviser. The Board reviewed the financial statements and profitability information from ECM and the Sub-Advisers.
With respect to ECM's profitability information, the Board considered that there is no recognized standard or uniform methodology for determining profitability for this purpose. Furthermore, the Board noted that there are limitations inherent in allocating costs and calculating profitability for an organization such as ECM, and that it is difficult to make comparisons of profitability between advisers because comparative information is not generally publicly available. The Board also reviewed a report from the Independent Consultant comparing pre-tax profitability margins for the latest available fiscal year for certain
publicly-traded investment management and financial services firms, as compared to ECM's overall profits, as calculated by the Independent Consultant. The Board also compared ECM's overall pre-tax profitability margin, as calculated by ECM, to those of the publicly-traded firms in the Independent Consultant's report. The Board considered that, while ECM's overall profitability is not unreasonable, profitability information is affected by numerous factors, including the adviser's organization, capital structure and cost of capital, the types of products it manages, its mix of businesses and operating scale and the adviser's assumptions regarding allocations of revenue and expenses, including differing accounting approaches among organizations.
Based on the information provided, the Board concluded that the costs of the services provided and the profits estimated to have been realized by ECM and its affiliates and by the Sub-Advisers were not unreasonable in relation to the nature, extent and quality of the services provided.
Economies of Scale
The Board received and considered information about the potential for ECM to experience economies of scale in the provision of services to the Fund and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. In evaluating economies of scale, the Board considered, among other things, the current level of management and sub-advisory fees payable by the Fund and ECM, respectively, and whether those fees include breakpoints, as well as comparative fee information, the profitability and financial condition of ECM, and the current level of Fund assets. The Board noted that ECM shares potential economies of scale from its business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to the Fund and shareholders. In its evaluation, the Board noted that both the management fee schedule and the sub-advisory fee schedules contained breakpoints that would reduce the relevant fee rate on assets above specified levels as the Fund's assets increased. The Board considered that, although the breakpoints in each sub-advisory fee schedule take effect at lower asset levels than for the management fee, the sub-advisory fee under each Sub-Advisory Agreement is paid by ECM out of the management fee it receives under the Advisory Agreement and the sub-advisory fees are negotiated at arm's length. Similarly, the Board took into account the foregoing in its review of data provided and developed by the Independent Consultant regarding the portion of the management fee retained by ECM, which indicated that such portion was below that of the Fund's peer group.
Based on the information provided, the Board concluded that ECM's arrangements with respect to the Fund constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.
Other Factors
The Board received and considered information regarding ancillary benefits derived or to be derived by ECM or each Sub-Adviser from their relationships with the Fund as part of the total mix of information evaluated by the Board. As to the Sub-Advisers, the Board noted JPMIM's statement that it is aware of no direct or indirect benefits that have been derived from its relationship to the Fund. With respect to Victory Capital, the Board noted that Victory Capital receives or may receive ancillary benefits from soft dollar arrangements by which brokers provide research to Victory Capital in return for allocating brokerage to such brokers. The Board further noted Victory Capital's statement that its relationship with the Fund provides a reputational benefit and may contribute to business growth.
The Board also noted where services were provided to the Fund by affiliates of ECM, including, in particular, the various recordkeeping, administrative and shareholder services provided by Empower pursuant to a shareholder services agreement (the "Shareholder Services Agreement"). The Board considered its assessment, as part of the Board's annual contract review process, of the services provided by and fees paid under the Shareholder Services Agreement - an assessment that included, among other things, reviews of service metrics data, the nature and quality of shareholder services, fees retained by Empower and those paid to third-party providers, and Empower's estimated profitability on shareholder services fees from the Fund.
In addition to the foregoing arrangements, the Board took into account the fact that the Fund is used as a funding vehicle under variable life and annuity contracts offered by insurance companies affiliated with ECM and as a funding vehicle under retirement plans for which affiliates of ECM may provide various retirement plan services. Additionally, the Board considered the extent to which Empower of America and/or its affiliated insurance companies may receive benefits under the federal income tax laws with respect to tax deductions and credits, and evaluated information provided by ECM in this regard.
The Board concluded that the Fund's management and sub-advisory fees were reasonable, taking into account any ancillary benefits derived by ECM, its affiliates or the Sub-Advisers.
Conclusion
Based upon all the information considered and the conclusions reached, the Board determined that the terms of each Agreement continue to be reasonable and that the continuation of the Agreements is in the best interests of the Fund.
Empower Large Cap Value Fund
The Board of Directors (the "Board") of Empower Funds, Inc. ("Empower Funds"), including the Directors who are not interested persons of Empower Funds (the "Independent Directors"), at a meeting held on April 17, 2025 (the "April Board Meeting"), unanimously approved the continuation of (i) the investment advisory agreement (the "Advisory Agreement") between Empower Capital Management, LLC ("ECM") and Empower Funds, on behalf of Empower Large Cap Value Fund (the "Fund"), a series of Empower Funds; (ii) the investment sub-advisory agreement (the "Putnam Sub-Advisory Agreement") by and among Empower Funds, ECM and Putnam Investment Management, LLC ("Putnam"), with respect to the Fund; (iii) the investment sub-advisory agreement (the "T. Rowe Price Sub-Advisory Agreement") by and among Empower Funds, ECM and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. ("T. Rowe Price" and together with Putnam, the "Sub-Advisers" or each, a "Sub-Adviser"), with respect to the Fund; and (iv) the investment sub-sub-advisory agreement (the "Franklin Sub-Sub-Advisory Agreement") by and among, Franklin Advisers, Inc ("Franklin") and Putnam, with respect to the Fund. (The Putnam Sub-Advisory Agreement and the T. Rowe Price Sub-Advisory Agreement are referred to together as the "Sub-Advisory Agreements" or each, a "Sub-Advisory Agreement.") (ECM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America ("Empower of America").)
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, ECM acts as investment adviser and, subject to oversight by the Board, directs the investments of the Fund in accordance with its investment objective, policies and limitations. ECM also provides, subject to oversight by the Board, the management and administrative services necessary for the Fund's operation. In addition, ECM is responsible for allocating the Fund's assets among one or more sub-advisers - including, in this case, each of Putnam and T. Rowe Price. In this connection, the Fund operates under a manager-of-managers structure pursuant to an order issued by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which permits ECM to enter into and materially amend sub-advisory agreements with Board approval but without shareholder approval, unless the sub-adviser is an affiliated person. Under this structure, ECM is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the performance of each Sub-Adviser for its sleeve of the Fund and for recommending the hiring, termination and replacement of each Sub-Adviser to the Board.
Pursuant to its respective Sub-Advisory Agreement, each Sub-Adviser, subject to general supervision and oversight by ECM and the Board, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the investment and reinvestment of its allocated portion of the Fund's portfolio, which includes making decisions to buy, sell or hold any particular security.
On March 31, 2025 (the "March Meeting"), the Independent Directors met separately with independent legal counsel in advance of the April Board Meeting to evaluate information encompassing a wide variety of topics furnished by ECM and each Sub-Adviser in connection with the proposed continuation of the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreements (collectively, the "Agreements" or each, an "Agreement"), and reviewed, among other things, comparative information on the Fund's investment performance, fees and expenses, including data prepared by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge"), an independent provider of investment company data. Representatives of Broadridge met with the Independent Directors at the March Meeting to review and discuss Broadridge's peer group selection methodology. In addition, at the March Meeting, the Independent Directors met separately with representatives of an independent provider of mutual fund advisory contract renewal consulting services (the "Independent Consultant") to review comparative information regarding the Fund's investment performance, fees and expenses, as well as the portion of the management fee retained and enterprise profitability data. Additionally, the Independent Directors considered supplemental information provided in response to their requests made following the March Meeting. The Independent Directors further discussed continuation of the Agreements separately with independent legal counsel, including at a separate meeting of the Independent Directors convened immediately prior to the April Board Meeting and at the April Board Meeting. The Independent Directors weighed and considered the information provided in light of their substantial accumulated experience in governing the Fund and other series of Empower Funds. Although the Board considered the approval of the Agreements for the Fund as part of its multi-faceted annual review process of agreements across Empower Funds, the Board's approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis.
In approving the continuation of each of the Agreements, the Board considered such information as the Board deemed reasonably necessary to evaluate the terms of the Agreements. The Board noted that performance information is provided to the Board on an ongoing basis at regular Board meetings held throughout the year. Furthermore, at each of its meetings, the Board covers an extensive agenda of topics and materials and considers factors that are relevant to its annual consideration of advisory agreements for Empower Funds, including the services and support provided to Empower Funds, including the Fund and its shareholders. Additionally, the Board recognized that its evaluation process is evolutionary and that the factors considered and emphasis placed on relevant factors may change in recognition of changing circumstances in the mutual fund marketplace.
The Board considered that, on January 1, 2024, Franklin Resources Inc., the ultimate parent of Franklin, acquired Putnam. As a result of the transaction, Putnam and Franklin are affiliates that rely on each other to perform certain functions. The Board considered that Putnam will compensate Franklin under the Franklin Sub-Sub-Advisory Agreement out of the sub-advisory fee it receives from EMC pursuant to the Putnam Sub-Advisory Agreement. The Board also considered its experience with Franklin serving as sub-adviser to other series of Empower Funds.
In its deliberations, the Board did not identify any single factor as being determinative. Rather, the Board's approvals were based on each Director's business judgment after a comprehensive consideration of the information as a whole. Individual Directors may have weighed certain factors differently and assigned varying degrees of materiality to information considered by the Board. The Independent Directors were assisted throughout the evaluation process by independent legal counsel.
Based upon its review of the Agreements and the information provided to it, the Board concluded that each of the Agreements was reasonable in light of the services performed, fees charged and such other matters as the Directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The principal factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the Directors' determinations to approve the continuation of the Agreements are discussed below.
Nature, Extent and Quality of Services
The Board considered the nature, extent and quality of services provided and to be provided to the Fund by ECM and each Sub-Adviser (each, an "adviser"). Among other things, the Board considered, as applicable, each adviser's organizational history and ownership, personnel, experience, resources and performance track record, its ability to provide or obtain such services as may be necessary in managing, acquiring and disposing of investments on behalf of the Fund, and its ability to provide research and to obtain and evaluate the economic, statistical and financial data relevant to the investment policies of the Fund. With respect to personnel, the Board noted that ECM's affiliate, Empower Retirement, LLC ("Empower") provides employees, including various management professionals, who provide services on behalf of ECM - which does not have its own employees - pursuant to an intercompany agreement between ECM and Empower. (Empower is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Empower of America. References herein to personnel, services, activities and resources of ECM should be understood generally as including Empower.)
The Board reviewed the qualifications, education, experience, tenure and responsibilities of, and the reporting lines and backup plans for, the senior personnel serving the Fund and the portfolio management teams responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund, as well as each adviser's efforts to attract, retain and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. In addition, the Board considered, as applicable, each adviser's reputation for management of its investment strategies, its investment decision-making process, its practices regarding the selection and compensation of brokers and dealers for the execution of portfolio transactions and the procedures it uses for obtaining best execution of portfolio transactions.
In addition, the Board considered each adviser's overall financial condition and ability to carry out its obligations to the Fund and the organization's technical resources and operational capabilities, including, with respect to ECM, its investment administration functions, fund accounting services and financial reporting, as well as the controls, internal audit reviews and third-party assessments relating to such operations and services. Also considered by the Board was each organization's risk management framework, cybersecurity program and/or controls relating to enterprise resiliency, noting - as to ECM - prior discussions with and presentations by ECM's Chief Information Security Officer. With respect to ECM, the Board also took into account various organizational developments, including integration initiatives relating to recent acquisitions, as well as various system enhancements, such as the modernization of a proprietary reconciliation platform and similar efforts to achieve operational efficiencies.
As part of its assessment of the nature, extent and quality of services, the Board evaluated information regarding each adviser's regulatory and compliance environment and compliance policies and procedures. The Board considered ECM's compliance program resources and history, reports from the Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO") about ECM's oversight of
compliance with applicable laws and regulations and compliance-related resources devoted by ECM in support of the Fund's obligations pursuant to Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act (the "Compliance Rule"). The Board noted the CCO's assessment that each Sub-Adviser's compliance program appears to be reasonably designed to comply with the requirements of the Compliance Rule. The Board also considered ECM's efforts generally to ensure that third-party programs and vendors used to service the Fund - including for purposes of regulatory compliance support - are monitored effectively.
Consideration also was given to the fact that the Board meets with representatives of each Sub-Adviser and ECM every year to discuss portfolio management strategies and performance. Additionally, the quality of each adviser's communications with the Board, as well as the adviser's responsiveness to the Board, were taken into account. Also considered was each adviser's response to market volatility, changing circumstances in the mutual fund industry and investor sentiment, regulatory developments, economic indicators, monetary and fiscal policy developments and emerging issues. In this regard, the Board received information on the impacts of macroeconomic and geopolitical developments on each adviser generally and the Fund, and considered how monitoring and analysis of such developments informs each adviser's performance of its respective services to the Fund.
The Board concluded that it was satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Fund by ECM and each of the Sub-Advisers.
Investment Performance
The Board received and considered information regarding the investment performance of the Fund. The Board reviewed performance information for the Fund's Investor Class and Institutional Class as compared against a benchmark index and a "performance universe" of peer funds compiled by Broadridge, based on Lipper fund classification schema. This performance data included, among other things, annualized returns for the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods ended December 31, 2024, for the Fund's Investor Class, and, for the Fund's Institutional Class, annualized returns for the one-, three- and five-year periods ended December 31, 2024. In evaluating the performance of the Fund, the Board noted how the Fund performed relative to the returns of a benchmark index and the performance universe. In addition, the Board noted that it had also received and discussed at periodic intervals information comparing the Fund's performance to that of a benchmark index and to a peer group of funds.
The Board observed that the annualized returns of each class of the Fund exceeded its respective performance universe median for each period reviewed. Specifically, the annualized returns of each class of the Fund were in the second quintile of its respective performance universe for each period (the first quintile being the best performers and the fifth quintile being the worst performers), with the exception of the annualized returns of the Institutional Class for the three-year period ended December 31, 2024, which were in the first quintile of its performance universe. Similarly, the Board observed that the Fund's annualized returns exceeded the Russell 1000 Value Index for each period reviewed.
The Board considered performance results in light of the Fund's investment objective, strategies and risks, as disclosed in the Fund's prospectus, and in the context of overall recent market conditions. In addition, the Board considered each Sub-Adviser's investment decision-making process, the organization, composition and experience of its investment personnel and its portfolio risk controls, among other things, as well as its performance attribution commentary. The Board's assessment of performance was also informed by its understanding of ECM's processes for overseeing and analyzing each Sub-Adviser's performance, including ECM's systematic approach to performance monitoring. Also relevant to the Board's evaluation was ECM's assessment that the Fund meets expectations with respect to its investment objective and that ECM recommends the retention of each Sub-Adviser.
The Board determined that it was satisfied with the explanations for, oversight of and information provided regarding the Fund's investment performance.
Costs and Profitability
The Board considered the costs of services provided by ECM and Putnam from their relationships with the Fund. The Board also reviewed an analysis prepared by the Independent Consultant regarding the actual net advisory fee, sub-advisory fees and advisory fee retained by ECM for the Fund's Investor Class and Institutional Class, as compared to share classes of other sub-advised funds within the same Morningstar peer group and publicly disclosed sub-advisory fees.
With respect to the costs of services, the Board considered the structure and the level of the investment management fees and other expenses payable by the Fund. In this regard, the Board noted that ECM's management fee includes fund accounting and fund administration services. The Board further noted that ECM has contractually agreed to limit the fees and expenses of the Fund for a one-year renewable term through April 30, 2026.
In evaluating the management fees and total expense ratio of the Fund's Investor and Institutional Classes, the Board considered the fees payable by and the total expense ratios of peer groups of funds managed by other investment advisers, as determined independently by Broadridge, based on Lipper fund classification schema. Specifically, the Board considered for each class (i) the Fund's management fee as provided in the Advisory Agreement (the "Contractual Management Fee") in comparison to the contractual management fees of the peer group of funds and (ii) the Fund's total expense ratio in comparison to the peer group funds' total expense ratios (in all cases, net of any waivers, if applicable). In addition, the Board considered the Fund's total expense ratio in comparison to the median expense ratios for all funds in the peer groups. As part of its comprehensive evaluation, the Board also reviewed a report from the Independent Consultant assessing expenses in the context of performance and other factors.
The Board observed that, as to each class of the Fund, the Contractual Management Fee was lower than the median management fee of its respective peer group of funds. The Board also observed that the Fund's total annual operating expense ratio was in the third quintile of its peer group as to the Investor Class (with the first quintile being the lowest expenses and the fifth quintile being the highest expenses), specifically ranking in the 58th percentile of its peer group, and, with respect to the Institutional Class, was in the second quintile of its peer group. In considering the foregoing, the Board took into account the Independent Consultant's overall conclusion that the Fund's management fees and expenses are reasonable relative to the quality of services provided, comparable management fees and expenses of similar funds and the profitability of ECM.
The Board received information regarding the fees charged by ECM to separate accounts and other products managed by ECM and noted that ECM does not manage other client accounts in the same investment style as the Fund. The Board also received information from T. Rowe Price regarding its standard fee schedule for actively managed non-investment company separate accounts using an investment strategy similar to the Fund, as well as the fees charged by the Sub-Adviser to its retail mutual fund and several other sub-advised mutual funds it manages in the same investment style as the Fund. The Board noted the statement from T. Rowe Price that variances in fee schedules may be attributable to various factors, including portfolio size, overall client relationship, nature of services provided, investment strategies offered and other factors. The Board reviewed the foregoing, as well as T. Rowe Price's statements regarding the process for negotiating sub-advisory fee schedules with unaffiliated advisers and certain differences in fee schedules resulting from this process. For Putnam, the Board received information regarding its proprietary mutual fund and the fee charged by the Sub-Adviser to a comparable account managed in the same investment style as the Fund. The Board reviewed the foregoing and each Sub-Adviser's explanation for any differences in fee schedules and noted that the fees charged by each Sub-Adviser for these other accounts and products appeared to be competitive to the fees charged to ECM for the Fund. In addition, the Board noted that ECM, not the Fund, pays the sub-advisory fees to the Sub-Advisers.
The Board further considered the overall financial soundness of ECM and the Sub-Advisers and the profits estimated to have been realized by ECM and its affiliates. The Board reviewed the financial statements from ECM and each Sub-Adviser and profitability information from ECM.
With respect to ECM's profitability information, the Board considered that there is no recognized standard or uniform methodology for determining profitability for this purpose. Furthermore, the Board noted that there are limitations inherent in allocating costs and calculating profitability for an organization such as ECM, and that it is difficult to make comparisons of profitability between advisers because comparative information is not generally publicly available. The Board also reviewed a report from the Independent Consultant comparing pre-tax profitability margins for the latest available fiscal year for certain publicly-traded investment management and financial services firms, as compared to ECM's overall profits, as calculated by the Independent Consultant. The Board also compared ECM's overall pre-tax profitability margin, as calculated by ECM, to those of the publicly-traded firms in the Independent Consultant's report. The Board considered that, while ECM's overall profitability is not unreasonable, profitability information is affected by numerous factors, including the adviser's organization, capital structure and cost of capital, the types of products it manages, its mix of businesses and operating scale and the adviser's assumptions regarding allocations of revenue and expenses, including differing accounting approaches among organizations. With respect to Putnam, the Board noted Putnam's statement that the firm does not provide per account profitability information for sub-advised accounts, but that margins on the account would be similar to vehicles with comparable risk and benefit profiles. With respect to T. Rowe Price, the Board considered the firm's statement noted that it would be extremely burdensome to assign the costs and expenses associated with its services and personnel to the Fund
and, for this reason, it does not generally prepare fund or account-level profitability analyses for sub-advisory relationships. The Board noted that since the Sub-Advisory Agreements are arm's length, such information regarding the Sub Advisers was not relevant to its consideration of the continuation of the Sub-Advisory Agreements.
Based on the information provided, the Board concluded that the costs of the services provided and the profits estimated to have been realized by ECM and its affiliates were not unreasonable in relation to the nature, extent and quality of the services provided.
Economies of Scale
The Board received and considered information about the potential for ECM to experience economies of scale in the provision of services to the Fund and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. In evaluating economies of scale, the Board considered, among other things, the current level of management and sub-advisory fees payable by the Fund and ECM, respectively, and whether those fees include breakpoints, as well as comparative fee information, the profitability and financial condition of ECM, and the current level of Fund assets. The Board noted that ECM shares potential economies of scale from its business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset, and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to the Fund and shareholders. In its evaluation, the Board noted that both the management fee schedule and the sub-advisory fee schedules contained breakpoints that would reduce the relevant fee rate on assets above specified levels as the Fund's assets increased. The Board also noted that ECM and T. Rowe Price have implemented a relationship pricing discount based on the combined assets of the Fund and another series of Empower Funds sub-advised by T. Rowe Price (together, the "T. Rowe Price Sub-Advised Funds"), which reduces the sub-advisory fees at specified combined asset levels as the assets of the T. Rowe Price Sub-Advised Funds increase. Similarly, the Board took into account the foregoing in its review of the data provided and developed by the Independent Consultant regarding the portion of the management fee retained by ECM, which indicated that such portion was below that of the Fund's peer group.
As the Board considered the foregoing, including that the breakpoints in the sub-advisory fee schedules take effect at lower assets levels than for the management fee, the Board took into account that the sub-advisory fee under each Sub-Advisory Agreement is paid by ECM out of the management fee that it receives under the Advisory Agreement. The Board also recalled its observation that the Contractual Management Fee for each class of the Fund was lower than the median contractual management fee of its peer group.
Based on the information provided, the Board concluded that ECM's arrangements with respect to the Fund constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.
Other Factors
The Board received and considered information regarding ancillary benefits derived or to be derived by ECM or each Sub-Adviser from their relationships with the Fund as part of the total mix of information evaluated by the Board. In this regard, the Board noted that the Sub-Advisers may receive ancillary benefits from soft-dollar arrangements by which brokers provide research to the Sub-Advisers in return for allocating Fund brokerage to such brokers. The Board also noted Putnam's statement that the Fund's performance record forms part of the overall performance record of the Sub-Adviser and, as a result, may contribute to its reputation and ability to gain prospective advisory clients. As to T. Rowe Price, the Board noted the Sub-Adviser's statement that it is not aware of any other indirect benefits derived from its relationship with the Fund.
The Board also noted where services were provided to the Fund by affiliates of ECM, including, in particular, the various recordkeeping, administrative and shareholder services provided by Empower pursuant to a shareholder services agreement (the "Shareholder Services Agreement"). The Board considered its assessment, as part of the Board's annual contract review process, of the services provided by and fees paid under the Shareholder Services Agreement - an assessment that included, among other things, reviews of service metrics data, the nature and quality of shareholder services, fees retained by Empower and those paid to third-party providers and Empower's estimated profitability on shareholder services fees from the Fund.
In addition to the foregoing arrangements, the Board took into account the fact that the Fund is used as a funding vehicle under variable life and annuity contracts offered by insurance companies affiliated with ECM and as a funding vehicle under retirement plans for which affiliates of ECM may provide various retirement plan services. Additionally, the Board considered the extent to which Empower of America and/or its affiliated insurance companies may receive benefits under the federal income tax laws with respect to tax deductions and credits, and evaluated information provided by ECM in this regard.
The Board concluded that the Fund's management and sub-advisory fees were reasonable, taking into account any ancillary benefits derived by ECM, its affiliates or the Sub-Advisers.
Conclusion
Based upon all the information considered and the conclusions reached, the Board determined that the terms of each Agreement and the Franklin Sub-Sub-Advisory Agreement continue to be reasonable and that the continuation of the Agreements and the Franklin Sub-Sub-Advisory Agreement is in the best interests of the Fund.
Empower S&P 500 Index Fund
The Board of Directors (the "Board") of Empower Funds, Inc. ("Empower Funds"), including the Directors who are not interested persons of Empower Funds (the "Independent Directors"), at a meeting held on April 17, 2025 (the "April Board Meeting"), unanimously approved the continuation of (i) the investment advisory agreement (the "Advisory Agreement") between Empower Capital Management, LLC ("ECM") and Empower Funds, on behalf of Empower S&P 500 Index Fund (the "Fund"), a series of Empower Funds, and (ii) the investment sub-advisory agreement (the "Sub-Advisory Agreement") by and among Empower Funds, ECM and Irish Life Investment Managers Limited (the "Sub-Adviser" or "ILIM"), with respect to the Fund. (ECM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America ("Empower of America"). ILIM is an affiliate of ECM and Empower of America.)
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, ECM acts as investment adviser and, subject to oversight by the Board, directs the investments of the Fund in accordance with its investment objective, policies and limitations. ECM also provides, subject to oversight by the Board, the management and administrative services necessary for the Fund's operation. ECM is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the performance of the Sub-Adviser and for recommending the hiring, termination and replacement of the Sub-Adviser to the Board.
Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Sub-Adviser, subject to general supervision and oversight by ECM and the Board, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the investment and reinvestment of the Fund's assets, which includes making decisions to buy, sell or hold any particular security.
On March 31, 2025 (the "March Meeting"), the Independent Directors met separately with independent legal counsel in advance of the April Board Meeting to evaluate information encompassing a wide variety of topics furnished by ECM and the Sub-Adviser in connection with the proposed continuation of the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement (collectively, the "Agreements" or each, an "Agreement"), and reviewed, among other things, comparative information on the Fund's investment performance, fees and expenses, including data prepared by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge"), an independent provider of investment company data. Representatives of Broadridge met with the Independent Directors at the March Meeting to review and discuss Broadridge's peer group selection methodology. In addition, at the March Meeting, the Independent Directors met separately with representatives of an independent provider of mutual fund advisory contract renewal consulting services (the "Independent Consultant") to review comparative information regarding the Fund's investment performance, fees and expenses, as well as the portion of the management fee retained and enterprise profitability data. Additionally, the Independent Directors considered supplemental information provided in response to their requests made following the March Meeting. The Independent Directors further discussed continuation of the Agreements separately with independent legal counsel, including at a separate meeting of the Independent Trustees convened immediately prior to the April Board Meeting and at the April Board Meeting. The Independent Directors weighed and considered the information provided in light of their substantial accumulated experience in governing the Fund and other series of Empower Funds. Although the Board considered the approval of the Agreements for the Fund as part of its multi-faceted annual review process of agreements across Empower Funds, the Board's approvals were made on a fund-by-fund basis.
In approving the continuation of each of the Agreements, the Board considered such information as the Board deemed reasonably necessary to evaluate the terms of the Agreements. The Board noted that performance information is provided to the Board on an ongoing basis at regular Board meetings held throughout the year. Furthermore, at each of its meetings, the Board covers an extensive agenda of topics and materials and considers factors that are relevant to its annual consideration of advisory agreements for Empower Funds, including the services and support provided to Empower Funds, including the Fund and its shareholders. Additionally, the Board recognized that its evaluation process is evolutionary and that the factors considered and emphasis placed on relevant factors may change in recognition of changing circumstances in the mutual fund marketplace.
In its deliberations, the Board did not identify any single factor as being determinative. Rather, the Board's approvals were based on each Director's business judgment after a comprehensive consideration of the information as a whole. Individual Directors may have weighed certain factors differently and assigned varying degrees of materiality to information considered by the Board. The Independent Directors were assisted throughout the evaluation process by independent legal counsel.
Based upon its review of the Agreements and the information provided to it, the Board concluded that each Agreement was reasonable in light of the services performed, fees charged and such other matters as the Directors considered relevant in the exercise of their business judgment. The principal factors and conclusions that formed the basis for the Directors' determinations to approve the continuation of the Agreements are discussed below.
Nature, Extent and Quality of Services
The Board considered the nature, extent and quality of services provided and to be provided to the Fund by ECM and the Sub-Adviser (each, an "adviser"). Among other things, the Board considered, as applicable, each adviser's organizational history and ownership, personnel, experience, resources and performance track record, its ability to provide or obtain such services as may be necessary in managing, acquiring and disposing of investments on behalf of the Fund, and its ability to provide research and to obtain and evaluate the economic, statistical and financial data relevant to the investment policies of the Fund. With respect to personnel, the Board noted that ECM's affiliate, Empower Retirement, LLC ("Empower") provides employees, including various management professionals, who provide services on behalf of ECM - which does not have its own employees - pursuant to an intercompany agreement between ECM and Empower. (Empower is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Empower of America. References herein to personnel, services, activities and resources of ECM should be understood generally as including Empower.)
The Board reviewed the qualifications, education, experience, tenure and responsibilities of, and the reporting lines and backup plans for, the senior personnel serving the Fund and the portfolio management team responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund and each adviser's efforts to attract, retain and motivate capable personnel to serve the Fund. The Board also considered, as applicable, each adviser's reputation for management of its investment strategies, as well as the Sub-Adviser's practices regarding the selection and compensation of brokers and dealers for the execution of portfolio transactions and the procedures it uses for obtaining best execution of portfolio transactions.
In addition, the Board considered, as applicable, each adviser's overall financial condition and ability to carry out its obligations to the Fund and the organization's technical resources and operational capabilities, including, with respect to ECM, its investment administration functions, fund accounting services and financial reporting, as well as the controls, internal audit reviews and third-party assessments relating to such operations and services. Also considered by the Board was each organization's risk management framework, cybersecurity program and/or controls relating to enterprise resiliency, noting - as to ECM - prior discussions with and presentations by ECM's Chief Information Security Officer. With respect to ECM, the Board also took into account various organizational developments, including integration initiatives relating to recent acquisitions, as well as various system enhancements, such as the modernization of a proprietary reconciliation platform and similar efforts to achieve operational efficiencies.
As part of its assessment of the nature, extent and quality of services, the Board evaluated information regarding each adviser's regulatory and compliance environment and compliance policies and procedures. The Board considered ECM's compliance program resources and history, reports from the Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO") about ECM's oversight of and compliance with applicable laws and regulations and compliance-related resources devoted by ECM in support of the Fund's obligations pursuant to Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act (the "Compliance Rule"). The Board noted the CCO's assessment that the Sub-Adviser's compliance program appears to be reasonably designed to comply with the requirements of the Compliance Rule. The Board also considered ECM's efforts generally to ensure that third-party programs and vendors used to service the Fund - including for purposes of regulatory compliance support - are monitored effectively.
Consideration also was given to the fact that the Board meets with representatives of the Sub-Adviser and ECM each year to discuss portfolio management strategies and performance. Additionally, the quality of each adviser's communications with the Board, as well as the adviser's responsiveness to the Board, were taken into account. Also considered was each adviser's response to market volatility, changing circumstances in the mutual fund industry and investor sentiment, regulatory developments, economic indicators, monetary and fiscal policy developments and emerging issues. In this regard, the Board received information on the impacts of macroeconomic and geopolitical developments on each adviser generally and the Fund, and considered how monitoring and analysis of such developments informs each adviser's performance of its respective services to the Fund.
The Board concluded that it was satisfied with the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Fund by ECM and the Sub-Adviser.
Investment Performance
The Board received and considered information regarding the investment performance of the Fund. In assessing the Fund's performance, the Board considered that the Fund's investment objective is to seek investment results that track the total return of the common stocks that comprise the Standard & Poor's 500® Index (the "Index"). Therefore, the Board evaluated the performance information for the Fund's Investor Class and Institutional Class as compared to the Index and a "performance universe" of peer funds compiled by Broadridge, based on Lipper fund classification schema. This performance data included, among other things, annualized returns for the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods ended December 31, 2024 with respect to the Investor Class, and, for the Institutional Class, annualized returns for the one-, three- and five-year periods ended December 31, 2024. In addition, the Board noted that it had also received and discussed at periodic intervals information comparing the Fund's performance to that of the Index and to a peer group of funds.
The Board observed that the annualized returns of the Fund's Investor Class were in the fourth quintile of its performance universe for each of the one-, three-, five- and ten-year periods ended December 31, 2024, respectively (the first quintile being the best performers and the fifth quintile being the worst performers). However, the Board also noted that the annualized returns of the Fund's Institutional Class were above its performance universe median for each period reviewed, ranking in the second quintile of its performance universe for the one-, three- and five-year periods ended December 31, 2024.
In evaluating the performance data, the Board considered the Fund's investment objective, strategies and risks, as disclosed in the Fund's prospectus, noting that the Fund is not actively managed. Taking the foregoing into account and the expectations of shareholders in this regard, the Board further noted that the investment performance of the Fund in absolute terms and relative to the performance universe was not of the importance that normally attaches to the performance of actively managed funds. In this regard, the Board observed that, although the Fund underperformed the Index for each period reviewed, such underperformance was attributable primarily to the Fund's fees and expenses and that the Fund's performance on a gross of fees and expenses basis (i.e., excluding the effect of fees and expenses on Fund performance) was generally consistent with the Index, indicating that the Fund tracked the Index in an appropriate manner.
The Board considered the Sub-Adviser's approach to managing indexed investment portfolios, the organization, composition and experience of its investment personnel and its portfolio risk controls, among other things. In addition, the Board considered ECM's processes for overseeing and analyzing the Sub-Adviser's performance, including ECM's systematic approach to performance monitoring. Also relevant to the Board's evaluation was ECM's assessment that the Fund meets expectations with respect to its investment objective and that ECM recommends the retention of the Sub-Adviser.
The Board determined that it was satisfied with the explanations for, oversight of and information provided regarding the Fund's investment performance.
Costs and Profitability
The Board considered the costs of services provided by ECM and the Sub-Adviser from their relationships with the Fund. The Board also reviewed an analysis prepared by the Independent Consultant regarding the actual net advisory fee, sub-advisory fee and advisory fee retained by ECM for the Fund's Investor Class and Institutional Class, as compared to share classes of other sub-advised Funds within the same Morningstar peer group and publicly disclosed sub-advisory fees.
With respect to the costs of services, the Board considered the structure and the level of the investment management fees and other expenses payable by the Fund. In this regard, the Board noted that ECM's management fee includes fund accounting and fund administration services. Furthermore, the Board noted that ECM has contractually agreed to limit the fees and expenses of the Fund for a one-year renewable term through April 30, 2026.
In evaluating the management fee and total expense ratio of the Fund's Investor and Institutional Classes, the Board considered the fees payable by and the total expense ratios of peer groups of funds managed by other investment advisers, as determined independently by Broadridge, based on Lipper fund classification schema. Specifically, for each class the Board considered (i) the Fund's management fee as provided in the Advisory Agreement (the "Contractual Management Fee") in comparison to the contractual management fees of the peer group of funds and (ii) the Fund's total expense ratio in
comparison to the peer group funds' total expense ratios (in all cases, net of any waivers, if applicable). In addition, the Board considered the Fund's total expense ratio in comparison to the median expense ratios for all funds in the peer groups. As part of its comprehensive evaluation, the Board also reviewed a report from the Independent Consultant assessing expenses in the context of performance and other factors.
The Board observed that, although the Contractual Management Fee for the Institutional Class was higher than its peer group median contractual management fee, the Contractual Management Fee for the Investor Class was lower than its peer group median contractual management fee. The Board also observed that, although the total annual operating expense ratio for the Institutional Class was higher than its peer group median expense ratio, the total annual operating expense ratio for the Investor Class was lower than the peer group median expense ratio, ranking in the third quintile of its respective peer group (with the first quintile being the lowest expenses and the fifth quintile being the highest expenses). In addition, the Board considered the Independent Consultant's overall conclusion that the Fund's management fees and expenses are reasonable relative to the quality of services provided, comparable management fees and expenses of similar funds and the profitability of ECM.
The Board received information regarding the fees charged by ECM to separate accounts and other products managed by ECM and noted that ECM does not manage other client accounts in the same investment style as the Fund. Although not identified specifically as accounts or products comparable to the Fund, the Board noted that the information provided by the Sub-Adviser included the fees charged by ILIM to ECM for the other series of Empower Funds sub-advised by ILIM, including other equity index funds and passively managed sleeves of two other equity funds (collectively, the "ILIM Sub-Advised Funds"). The Board also noted the Sub-Adviser's statement that the sub-advisory fee charged to ECM for the Fund is consistent with pricing for mandates of similar size and for similar services.
The Board further considered the overall financial soundness of ECM and the Sub-Adviser and the profits estimated to have been realized by ECM and its affiliates and by the Sub-Adviser. The Board reviewed the financial statements and profitability information from ECM and the Sub-Adviser.
With respect to ECM's profitability information, the Board considered that there is no recognized standard or uniform methodology for determining profitability for this purpose. Furthermore, the Board noted that there are limitations inherent in allocating costs and calculating profitability for an organization such as ECM, and that it is difficult to make comparisons of profitability between advisers because comparative information is not generally publicly available. The Board also reviewed a report from the Independent Consultant comparing pre-tax profitability margins for the latest available fiscal year for certain publicly-traded investment management and financial services firms, as compared to ECM's overall profits, as calculated by the Independent Consultant. The Board also compared ECM's overall pre-tax profitability margin, as calculated by ECM, to those of the publicly-traded firms in the Independent Consultant's report. The Board considered that, while ECM's overall profitability is not unreasonable, profitability information is affected by numerous factors, including the adviser's organization, capital structure and cost of capital, the types of products it manages, its mix of businesses and operating scale and the adviser's assumptions regarding allocations of revenue and expenses, including differing accounting approaches among organizations. In evaluating the information provided by the Sub-Adviser, the Board noted that the Sub-Adviser's profitability was based on the Sub-Adviser's aggregate profitability for providing sub-advisory services to the ILIM Sub-Advised Funds (i.e., including the Fund).
Based on the information provided, the Board concluded that the costs of the services provided and the profits estimated to have been realized by ECM and its affiliates and the Sub-Adviser were not unreasonable in relation to the nature, extent and quality of the services provided.
Economies of Scale
The Board received and considered information about the potential for ECM to experience economies of scale in the provision of services to the Fund and the extent to which potential scale benefits are shared with shareholders. In evaluating economies of scale, the Board considered, among other things, the current level of management and sub-advisory fees payable by the Fund and ECM, respectively, and whether those fees include breakpoints, as well as comparative fee information, the profitability and financial condition of ECM, and the current level of Fund assets. The Board noted that ECM shares potential economies of scale from its business in a variety of ways, including through fee waiver arrangements, services that benefit shareholders, competitive management fee rates set at the outset and investments in the business intended to enhance services available to the Fund and shareholders. In its evaluation, the Board considered that, as noted earlier, the management fee schedule contained breakpoints that would reduce the management fee rate on assets above specified
levels as the Fund's assets increased. Similarly, the Board took into account the foregoing in its review of data provided and developed by the Independent Consultant regarding the portion of the management fee retained by ECM, which indicated that such portion was below that of the Fund's peer group. Furthermore, the Board considered that the sub-advisory fee under the Sub-Advisory Agreement is paid by ECM out of the management fee it receives under the Advisory Agreement, which, as noted, includes breakpoints.
Based on the information provided, the Board concluded that ECM's arrangements with respect to the Fund constituted a reasonable approach to sharing potential economies of scale with the Fund and its shareholders.
Other Factors
The Board received and considered information regarding ancillary benefits derived or to be derived by ECM or the Sub-Adviser from their relationships with the Fund as part of the total mix of information evaluated by the Board. In this regard, the Board noted the Sub-Adviser's statement that its primary "fall-out" benefit from managing the Fund is the reputational value associated with serving as Sub-Adviser which may support its business growth in the U.S. and elsewhere in the future.
The Board noted where services were provided to the Fund by affiliates of ECM and the Sub-Adviser, including, in particular, the various recordkeeping, administrative and shareholder services provided by Empower pursuant to a shareholder services agreement (the "Shareholder Services Agreement"). The Board considered its assessment, as part of the Board's annual contract review process, of the services provided by and fees paid under the Shareholder Services Agreement - an assessment that included, among other things, reviews of service metrics data, the nature and quality of shareholder services, fees retained by Empower and those paid to third-party providers and Empower's estimated profitability on shareholder services fees from the Fund.
In addition to the foregoing arrangements, the Board took into account the fact that the Fund is used as a funding vehicle under variable life and annuity contracts offered by insurance companies affiliated with ECM and as a funding vehicle under retirement plans for which affiliates of ECM may provide various retirement plan services. Additionally, the Board considered the extent to which Empower of America and/or its affiliated insurance companies may receive benefits under the federal income tax laws with respect to tax deductions and credits, and evaluated information provided by ECM in this regard.
The Board concluded that the Fund's management and sub-advisory fees were reasonable, taking into account any ancillary benefits derived by ECM, the Sub-Adviser or their affiliates.
Conclusion
Based upon all the information considered and the conclusions reached, the Board determined that the terms of each Agreement continue to be reasonable and that the continuation of the Agreements is in the best interests of the Fund.


ITEM 8. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS FOR OPEN-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

(a) Item 8 is included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 7 of this Form.

ITEM 9. PROXY DISCLOSURES FOR OPEN-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

(a) Item 9 is included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 7 of this Form.

ITEM 10. REMUNERATION PAID TO DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, AND OTHERS OF OPEN-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

(a) Item 10 is included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 7 of this Form.

ITEM 11. STATEMENT REGARDING BASIS OF APPROVAL OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY CONTRACT.

(a) Item 11 is included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 7 of this Form.

ITEM 12. DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

Not applicable.

ITEM 13. PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

Not applicable.

ITEM 14. PURCHASE OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS.

Not applicable.

ITEM 15. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant's board of directors that were implemented after the registrant last provided disclosure in response to this Item 407(c)(2)(iv) of Regulation S-K.

ITEM 16. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

(a) The registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded, based upon their evaluation of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures as conducted within 90 days of the filing date of this report, that these disclosure controls and procedures provide reasonable assurance that material information required to be disclosed by the registrant in the report it files or submits on Form N-CSR is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the commission's rules and forms and that such material information is accumulated and communicated to the registrant's management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, in order to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

(b) The registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer are aware of no changes in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal half-year that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 17. DISCLOSURE OF LENDING ACTIVITIES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

Not applicable.

ITEM 18. RECOVERY OF ERRONEOUSLY AWARDED COMPENSATION.

Not applicable.


ITEM 19. EXHIBITS.

(a) (1) Not required in filing.

(2) A separate certification for each principal executive and principal financial officer as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 is attached hereto.

(3) Not applicable.

(4) Not applicable.

(b) A separate certification for each principal executive and principal financial officer as required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 is attached hereto.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

EMPOWER FUNDS, INC.

By: /s/ Jonathan D. Kreider

Jonathan D. Kreider
President & Chief Executive Officer

Date: August 21, 2025

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

By: /s/ Jonathan D. Kreider

Jonathan D. Kreider
President & Chief Executive Officer

Date: August 21, 2025

By: /s/ Kelly B. New

Kelly B. New
Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer

Date: August 21, 2025


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