UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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
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