Three fixed-income ETF share classes are now available for trading today.

Charlotte, North Carolina, October 21, 2026 / PRNewswire / -- Allspring Global Investments, a global asset management company managing assets worth over $603 billion ($Allspring), announced today the introduction of a new share class, ETF, for three of its existing mutual funds, becoming one of the first asset management companies to offer this innovative structure to investors.

The following ETF share categories have started trading today:

• Allspring Short - Term High Income Fund – ETF Class (Nasdaq Code: AHIC): Primarily invests in a diversified portfolio of non-investment-grade corporate bonds with an average effective maturity of 3 years or less, in pursuit of current income.
• Allspring Strategic Municipal Bond Fund – ETF Class (Nasdaq ticker: ASTM): Primarily invests in a diversified portfolio of municipal securities in pursuit of tax-exempt income.
• Allspring High Yield Municipal Bond Fund – ETF Class (Nasdaq ticker: AHYM): Invests in a diversified portfolio of municipal securities, most of which have a rating of BBB or lower, in order to seek higher current yields and capital appreciation.

"We believe that the ETF share class structure represents an important evolution in the way investors access our investment capabilities," stated Rick Genoni, Global Product Director at __BJWKEEP__. "When investors no longer have to choose between the advantages of mature mutual funds and the characteristics of ETF, it leads to powerful results."

Allspring indicates that the ETF share class structure is designed to provide tangible benefits for all investors. ETF Shareholders can benefit from a mature investment strategy, an existing large-scale, experienced portfolio management team, and a long-term track record of performance. They may also take advantage of the portfolio's existing tax batch history. At the same time, mutual fund shareholders could benefit from higher tax efficiency, as the ETF share class structure helps in managing capital gains at the portfolio level. This structure also provides daily portfolio transparency and allows investors to choose their preferred investment instruments while enjoying the same underlying strategy and management expertise.

Allspring indicates that the company is committed to providing education for consultants and investors, as well as ETF related resources, including an introductory material on the ETF share categories.

These three new ETF share class products have joined the lineup of eight previously launched actively managed ETF products under Allspring. These products cover the fixed-income sector (NYSE Arca: AFIX, APLU, AINP, AUSM) and the equity sector (NYSE Arca: ALRG, AGRW, ASCE, ASLV), with a total asset size of 1.4 billion US dollars. For more information, please visit Allspring Active ETFs | Allspring Global Investments.

In addition, the following share classes are expected to start trading later this year, and subsequently, the company also plans to further launch products in 2027:

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

About Allspring

Allspring Global Investments is an independent asset management company that manages assets worth over $603 billion. It has 18 offices worldwide and a team of 370 investment professionals at its disposal. Allspring states that the company is committed to prudent investing, goal-oriented planning, and is driving a new era of investment that balances financial returns with positive outcomes. For more information, please visit: www.allspringglobal.com.

As of September 30, 2026. The aforementioned data includes both fully authorized and non-fully authorized assets.

Allspring reminds investors that before investing in ETF share classes, they should carefully consider their investment objectives, risks, fees, and expenses. The prospectus and summary prospectus for each ETF share class contain the above-mentioned information as well as other important details, which can be obtained at allspringglobal.com. Please read these documents carefully before making any investments.

The company also stated that the ETF shares may not be able to form an active trading market, which could impair investors' ability to buy and sell shares, especially during periods of market stress. The trading price of these shares on the secondary market may be higher or lower than their net asset value (NAV); this deviation may be even greater during market fluctuations or in exceptional circumstances. There is no guarantee that market makers or authorized participants will establish or maintain an active trading market for these shares. Apart from redemption in creation units, ETF shares cannot be directly redeemed from ETF. Instead, investors must buy and sell ETF shares on the secondary market through brokerage dealers at market prices rather than net asset values. In this process, investors may incur brokerage commissions, and the price paid at the time of purchase may be higher than the net asset value, while the price received at the time of sale may be lower than the net asset value.

Investment involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. The value of stocks can fluctuate due to the business activities of individual companies as well as overall market and economic conditions. The value of bonds can fluctuate based on the financial condition of individual issuers, overall market and economic conditions, and changes in interest rates. Changes in market conditions and government policies may lead to periods of greater volatility in the bond market and reduce the liquidity of certain bonds held by the fund. Generally, when interest rates rise, bond values fall, and investors may suffer a loss of principal value. Changes in interest rates and their impact on the fund and share prices can be sudden and difficult to predict. High-yield securities and junk bonds carry a higher risk of default and usually have higher volatility than securities with similar maturities and higher ratings. The risks associated with municipal securities include the issuer's ability to repay debt, the possibility of future tax and legislative changes, and other factors that may adversely affect the liquidity and value of the municipal securities invested in by the fund. A portion of the fund's earnings may be subject to federal, state, and/or local income taxes, or alternative minimum taxes. Any distribution of capital gains may also be taxable. For more information regarding these and other risks, please refer to the fund’s prospectus.

This material is for informational purposes only and is distributed to the retail public in the United States. In regions outside of the United States, it is intended for use by professional/qualified investors only. This content and the information contained therein do not constitute an offer or solicitation to any unauthorized or illegal entity in any jurisdiction. It should not be regarded as investment advice, investment recommendation, or investment research in any jurisdiction.

Allspring Global Investments ( Allspring ) is the trade name of the asset management company under Allspring Global Investments Holdings and LLC. This holding company is indirectly held by GTCR LLC and Reverence Capital Partners, as well as some private equity funds under L.P. These companies include, but are not limited to: Allspring Global Investments Luxembourg, S.A; Allspring Funds Management, LLC; Allspring Global Investments, LLC; Allspring Global Investments ( UK ) Ltd; Allspring Global Investments ( Singapore ) Pte; Ltd; Allspring Global Investments ( Hong Kong ) Ltd; Allspring Global Investments ( Japan ) Ltd; and Galliard Capital Management, LLC.

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