Deutsche DWS Global/International Fund Inc.

11/01/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/01/2024 13:22

Annual Report by Investment Company Form N CSR

Consolidated ssr-output-EDGAR XBRL File

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF

REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number: 811-04670

Deutsche DWS Global/International Fund, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

875 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10022-6225

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code: (212) 454-4500

Diane Kenneally

100 Summer Street

Boston, MA 02110

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Date of fiscal year end: 8/31
Date of reporting period: 8/31/2024
Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.
(a)

DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund

Class A: DURAX

Annual Shareholder Report-August 31, 2024

This annual shareholder report contains important information about DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund ("the Fund") for the period September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024.You can find additional information about the Fund on the Fund's website at dws.com/mutualreports. You can also request this information by contacting us at (800) 728-3337.

What were the Fund costs for the last year?

(Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)

Cost of a $10,000 investment
Costs paid as a percentage of a $10,000 investment
Class A
$91
0.85%

Gross expense ratio as of the latest prospectus: 3.80%. See prospectus for any contractual or voluntary waivers; without a waiver, costs would have been higher.

How did the Fund perform last year and what affected its performance?

Class A shares of the Fund returned 13.78% (unadjusted for sales charges) for the period ended August 31, 2024. The Fund's index, the MSCI EAFE Index, returned 19.40% for the same period.

Stock selection was the primary reason for the Fund's underperformance. The weakest results occurred in the financials sector, where the U.K.-based insurer Prudential PLC (1.0%) was the largest detractor. The company missed earnings expectations, weighing on its stock price. The French payments provider Worldline SA (0.2%) detracted, as well. The company posted weaker-than-expected revenues and reduced its guidance, causing its shares to plunge nearly 60% in a single day in late October 2023.

Consumer staples was another area of weakness for the Fund. HelloFresh SE (Germany) (0.3%) lost ground after lowering its revenue outlook and receiving several analyst downgrades, and Budweiser Brewing Co. APAC, Ltd. (Hong Kong) (0.4%) was pressured by declining beer sales. The Fund also underperformed in the consumer discretionary sector, where shares of the European luxury good producers Kering SA (France) (0.3%), LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (France) (2.2%), and Moncler SpA (Italy) (0.3%) all slid on concerns that slower consumer spending would begin to affect even higher-end brands.

Outside of these sectors, the Australian mining company IGO, Ltd. (0.3%) - which was hit by multiple analyst downgrades in late 2023 - was a top detractor. The Fund was also hurt by its position in the Finland-based oil refiner Neste Oyj (0.5%), which reported weaker-than-expected earnings.

On the other hand, the Fund outperformed in industrials. The U.K. business analytics company RELX PLC (1.9%), whose shares rose on the strength of robust revenue and profit growth in the first half of 2024, was the top performer in the sector. ABB Ltd. (1.5%), a diversified industrial company based in Switzerland, also gained ground as solid end-market demand boosted its results. Health care was another area of strength for the Fund, led by Chugai Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Japan) (1.8%). The company reported solid progress on drugs in both the early and late stages of development, boosting its shares. Novo Nordisk (3.9%), which benefited from rising sales for its obesity drugs, was also a top performer in healthcare.

Percentages in parentheses are based on the Fund's net assets as of August 31, 2024.

Fund Performance

Cumulative Growth of an Assumed $10,000Investment

(Adjusted for Maximum Sales Charge)

MSCI EAFE Index is an equity index which captures large and mid-cap representation across Developed Markets countries around the world, excluding the US and Canada. The index covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country.

Index returns do not reflect any fees or expenses and it is not possible to invest directly into an index.

Class A
MSCI EAFE Index
11/11/14
$9,736
$10,170
12/31/14
$9,293
$9,818
1/31/15
$9,397
$9,866
2/28/15
$10,075
$10,455
3/31/15
$10,254
$10,297
4/30/15
$10,038
$10,717
5/31/15
$10,358
$10,662
6/30/15
$9,943
$10,360
7/31/15
$10,471
$10,575
8/31/15
$9,595
$9,797
9/30/15
$9,255
$9,300
10/31/15
$10,000
$10,027
11/30/15
$10,160
$9,871
12/31/15
$9,687
$9,738
1/31/16
$9,175
$9,034
2/29/16
$8,843
$8,868
3/31/16
$8,938
$9,445
4/30/16
$8,947
$9,719
5/31/16
$9,251
$9,630
6/30/16
$8,814
$9,307
7/31/16
$8,976
$9,779
8/31/16
$9,042
$9,786
9/30/16
$9,147
$9,906
10/31/16
$9,090
$9,703
11/30/16
$8,919
$9,510
12/31/16
$9,374
$9,835
1/31/17
$9,630
$10,120
2/28/17
$9,659
$10,265
3/31/17
$10,057
$10,548
4/30/17
$10,503
$10,816
5/31/17
$10,883
$11,213
6/30/17
$10,778
$11,193
7/31/17
$11,196
$11,516
8/31/17
$11,139
$11,512
9/30/17
$11,547
$11,798
10/31/17
$11,632
$11,977
11/30/17
$11,594
$12,103
12/31/17
$11,756
$12,297
1/31/18
$12,410
$12,914
2/28/18
$11,575
$12,331
3/31/18
$11,481
$12,109
4/30/18
$11,756
$12,386
5/31/18
$11,594
$12,107
6/30/18
$11,538
$11,959
7/31/18
$11,756
$12,254
8/31/18
$11,566
$12,017
9/30/18
$11,528
$12,121
10/31/18
$10,304
$11,156
11/30/18
$9,934
$11,142
12/31/18
$9,439
$10,601
1/31/19
$10,020
$11,298
2/28/19
$10,388
$11,586
3/31/19
$10,505
$11,659
4/30/19
$11,105
$11,987
5/31/19
$10,398
$11,411
6/30/19
$11,193
$12,088
7/31/19
$10,960
$11,935
8/31/19
$10,786
$11,626
9/30/19
$10,921
$11,959
10/31/19
$11,290
$12,389
11/30/19
$11,454
$12,528
12/31/19
$11,868
$12,935
1/31/20
$11,638
$12,665
2/29/20
$10,861
$11,520
3/31/20
$9,317
$9,983
4/30/20
$9,785
$10,628
5/31/20
$10,333
$11,090
6/30/20
$10,682
$11,468
7/31/20
$10,881
$11,735
8/31/20
$11,459
$12,339
9/30/20
$11,250
$12,018
10/31/20
$10,752
$11,538
11/30/20
$12,296
$13,327
12/31/20
$13,028
$13,946
1/31/21
$12,725
$13,798
2/28/21
$13,008
$14,107
3/31/21
$13,401
$14,432
4/30/21
$13,915
$14,866
5/31/21
$14,510
$15,351
6/30/21
$14,258
$15,178
7/31/21
$14,419
$15,292
8/31/21
$14,651
$15,562
9/30/21
$14,177
$15,110
10/31/21
$14,520
$15,482
11/30/21
$13,905
$14,761
12/31/21
$14,539
$15,517
1/31/22
$13,826
$14,767
2/28/22
$13,490
$14,506
3/31/22
$13,347
$14,599
4/30/22
$12,471
$13,655
5/31/22
$12,654
$13,757
6/30/22
$11,452
$12,481
7/31/22
$12,165
$13,103
8/31/22
$11,330
$12,480
9/30/22
$10,260
$11,313
10/31/22
$10,749
$11,921
11/30/22
$12,277
$13,264
12/31/22
$12,093
$13,275
1/31/23
$13,091
$14,350
2/28/23
$12,790
$14,050
3/31/23
$13,143
$14,398
4/30/23
$13,486
$14,805
5/31/23
$12,904
$14,178
6/30/23
$13,528
$14,824
7/31/23
$13,850
$15,303
8/31/23
$13,382
$14,717
9/30/23
$12,883
$14,214
10/31/23
$12,384
$13,638
11/30/23
$13,258
$14,904
12/31/23
$14,061
$15,696
1/31/24
$13,931
$15,786
2/29/24
$14,395
$16,075
3/31/24
$14,730
$16,604
4/30/24
$14,115
$16,179
5/31/24
$14,654
$16,805
6/30/24
$14,374
$16,534
7/31/24
$14,848
$17,019
8/31/24
$15,226
$17,572

Yearly periods ended August 31

The Fund's growth of an assumed $10,000 investment is adjusted for the maximum sales charge of 5.75%. This results in a net initial invesment of $9,425.

Average Annual Total Returns

Class/Index
1-Year
5-Year
Since Inception 11/11/14
Class A Unadjusted for Sales Charge
13.78%
7.14%
5.02%
Class A Adjusted for the Maximum Sales Charge (max 5.75% load)
7.24%
5.88%
4.38%
MSCI EAFE Index
19.40%
8.61%
5.92%
Performance shown is historical. The Fund's past performance is not a good predictor or guarantee of the Fund's future performance.Investment return and principal fluctuate, so your shares may be worth more or less when redeemed. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. The performance graph and returns table do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.Please visit dws.com/en-us/products/mutual-funds for the Fund's most recent month-end performance.Fund performance includes reinvestment of all distributions. Unadjusted returns do not reflect sales charges and would have been lower if they had reflected sales charges.

Key Fund Statistics

Net Assets ($)
7,773,930
Number of Portfolio Holdings
111
Portfolio Turnover Rate (%)
17
Total Net Advisory Fees Paid ($)
0

What did the Fund invest in?

Asset Allocation

Asset Type
% of Net Assets
Common Stocks
99%
Cash Equivalents
1%
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net
0%
Total
100%

Holdings-based data is subject to change.

Sector Allocation

Sector
% of Net Assets
Financials
19%
Industrials
16%
Health Care
16%
Consumer Discretionary
10%
Information Technology
9%
Consumer Staples
8%
Materials
7%
Communication Services
4%
Utilities
4%
Energy
4%
Real Estate
2%

Ten Largest Equity Holdings

Holdings
23.6% of Net Assets
Novo Nordisk AS
3.9%
ASML Holding NV
3.2%
Nestle SA
2.8%
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE
2.2%
Allianz SE
2.0%
Shell PLC
2.0%
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.
1.9%
RELX PLC
1.9%
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.
1.9%
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
1.8%

Geographical Diversification

Country
% of Net Assets
Japan
24%
United Kingdom
13%
Switzerland
11%
Germany
10%
France
10%
Australia
7%
Netherlands
5%
Denmark
4%
Hong Kong
4%
Sweden
3%
Other
9%

Additional Information

If you wish to view additional information about the Fund, including, but not limited to, its prospectus, quarterly holdings, Board fee evaluation reports, and financial statements and other information, please visit dws.com/mutualreports. For information about the Fund's proxy voting policies and procedures and how the Fund voted proxies related to its portfolio securities, please visit dws.com/en-us/resources/proxy-voting. This additional information is also available free of charge by contacting us at (800) 728-3337.

Householding

In order to reduce the amount of mail you receive and to help reduce expenses, we generally send a single copy of any shareholder report and prospectus to each household. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please contact your financial representative or call DWS toll free at (800) 728-3337.

Stocks may decline in value. Incorporation of ESG criteria in the Fund's investment strategy does not guarantee a return or protect against a loss, limits the types and number of investment opportunities available to the Fund and, as a result, the Fund may underperform other funds that do not have an ESG focus. Investing in foreign securities presents certain risks, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic changes, and market risks. The impact of the use of quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics on a stock's performance can be difficult to predict, and stocks that previously possessed certain desirable quantitative characteristics may not continue to demonstrate those same characteristics in the future. Investing in derivatives entails special risks relating to liquidity, leverage and credit that may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. Quantitative models also entail the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect. The Fund's use of forward currency contracts may not be successful in hedging currency exchange rates changes and could eliminate some or all of the benefit of an increase in the value of a foreign currency versus the US dollar. Investing in derivatives entails special risks relating to liquidity, leverage and credit that may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. The Fund may lend securities to approved institutions. Please read the prospectus for details.

This report must be preceded or accompanied by a prospectus. We advise you to consider the Fund's objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the Fund, which can be requested by calling (800) 728-3337, contacting your financial representative, or visit dws.com/mutualreportsto view or download a prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.

The brand DWS represents DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA and any of its subsidiaries such as DWS Distributors, Inc., which offers investment products, or DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. and RREEF America L.L.C., which offer advisory services.

©2024 DWS Group GmbH&Co. KGaA. All rights reserved

DEICEF-TSRA-A

R-102574-1 (10/24)

DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund

Class C: DURCX

Annual Shareholder Report-August 31, 2024

This annual shareholder report contains important information about DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund ("the Fund") for the period September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024.You can find additional information about the Fund on the Fund's website at dws.com/mutualreports. You can also request this information by contacting us at (800) 728-3337.

What were the Fund costs for the last year?

(Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)

Cost of a $10,000 investment
Costs paid as a percentage of a $10,000 investment
Class C
$170
1.60%

Gross expense ratio as of the latest prospectus: 4.56%. See prospectus for any contractual or voluntary waivers; without a waiver, costs would have been higher.

How did the Fund perform last year and what affected its performance?

Class C shares of the Fund returned 12.96% (unadjusted for sales charges) for the period ended August 31, 2024. The Fund's index, the MSCI EAFE Index, returned 19.40% for the same period.

Stock selection was the primary reason for the Fund's underperformance. The weakest results occurred in the financials sector, where the U.K.-based insurer Prudential PLC (1.0%) was the largest detractor. The company missed earnings expectations, weighing on its stock price. The French payments provider Worldline SA (0.2%) detracted, as well. The company posted weaker-than-expected revenues and reduced its guidance, causing its shares to plunge nearly 60% in a single day in late October 2023.

Consumer staples was another area of weakness for the Fund. HelloFresh SE (Germany) (0.3%) lost ground after lowering its revenue outlook and receiving several analyst downgrades, and Budweiser Brewing Co. APAC, Ltd. (Hong Kong) (0.4%) was pressured by declining beer sales. The Fund also underperformed in the consumer discretionary sector, where shares of the European luxury good producers Kering SA (France) (0.3%), LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (France) (2.2%), and Moncler SpA (Italy) (0.3%) all slid on concerns that slower consumer spending would begin to affect even higher-end brands.

Outside of these sectors, the Australian mining company IGO, Ltd. (0.3%) - which was hit by multiple analyst downgrades in late 2023 - was a top detractor. The Fund was also hurt by its position in the Finland-based oil refiner Neste Oyj (0.5%), which reported weaker-than-expected earnings.

On the other hand, the Fund outperformed in industrials. The U.K. business analytics company RELX PLC (1.9%), whose shares rose on the strength of robust revenue and profit growth in the first half of 2024, was the top performer in the sector. ABB Ltd. (1.5%), a diversified industrial company based in Switzerland, also gained ground as solid end-market demand boosted its results. Health care was another area of strength for the Fund, led by Chugai Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Japan) (1.8%). The company reported solid progress on drugs in both the early and late stages of development, boosting its shares. Novo Nordisk (3.9%), which benefited from rising sales for its obesity drugs, was also a top performer in healthcare.

Percentages in parentheses are based on the Fund's net assets as of August 31, 2024.

Fund Performance

Cumulative Growth of an Assumed $10,000Investment

MSCI EAFE Index is an equity index which captures large and mid-cap representation across Developed Markets countries around the world, excluding the US and Canada. The index covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country.

Index returns do not reflect any fees or expenses and it is not possible to invest directly into an index.

Class C
MSCI EAFE Index
11/11/14
$10,320
$10,170
12/31/14
$9,850
$9,818
1/31/15
$9,960
$9,866
2/28/15
$10,670
$10,455
3/31/15
$10,850
$10,297
4/30/15
$10,610
$10,717
5/31/15
$10,950
$10,662
6/30/15
$10,500
$10,360
7/31/15
$11,050
$10,575
8/31/15
$10,120
$9,797
9/30/15
$9,760
$9,300
10/31/15
$10,540
$10,027
11/30/15
$10,700
$9,871
12/31/15
$10,190
$9,738
1/31/16
$9,650
$9,034
2/29/16
$9,290
$8,868
3/31/16
$9,380
$9,445
4/30/16
$9,390
$9,719
5/31/16
$9,700
$9,630
6/30/16
$9,240
$9,307
7/31/16
$9,400
$9,779
8/31/16
$9,470
$9,786
9/30/16
$9,570
$9,906
10/31/16
$9,510
$9,703
11/30/16
$9,320
$9,510
12/31/16
$9,790
$9,835
1/31/17
$10,050
$10,120
2/28/17
$10,070
$10,265
3/31/17
$10,480
$10,548
4/30/17
$10,940
$10,816
5/31/17
$11,330
$11,213
6/30/17
$11,210
$11,193
7/31/17
$11,640
$11,516
8/31/17
$11,570
$11,512
9/30/17
$11,990
$11,798
10/31/17
$12,070
$11,977
11/30/17
$12,030
$12,103
12/31/17
$12,180
$12,297
1/31/18
$12,860
$12,914
2/28/18
$11,980
$12,331
3/31/18
$11,880
$12,109
4/30/18
$12,150
$12,386
5/31/18
$11,980
$12,107
6/30/18
$11,920
$11,959
7/31/18
$12,130
$12,254
8/31/18
$11,930
$12,017
9/30/18
$11,880
$12,121
10/31/18
$10,620
$11,156
11/30/18
$10,230
$11,142
12/31/18
$9,720
$10,601
1/31/19
$10,307
$11,298
2/28/19
$10,672
$11,586
3/31/19
$10,784
$11,659
4/30/19
$11,392
$11,987
5/31/19
$10,672
$11,411
6/30/19
$11,473
$12,088
7/31/19
$11,230
$11,935
8/31/19
$11,037
$11,626
9/30/19
$11,179
$11,959
10/31/19
$11,544
$12,389
11/30/19
$11,706
$12,528
12/31/19
$12,121
$12,935
1/31/20
$11,873
$12,665
2/29/20
$11,076
$11,520
3/31/20
$9,494
$9,983
4/30/20
$9,959
$10,628
5/31/20
$10,518
$11,090
6/30/20
$10,869
$11,468
7/31/20
$11,056
$11,735
8/31/20
$11,645
$12,339
9/30/20
$11,428
$12,018
10/31/20
$10,900
$11,538
11/30/20
$12,472
$13,327
12/31/20
$13,202
$13,946
1/31/21
$12,890
$13,798
2/28/21
$13,171
$14,107
3/31/21
$13,555
$14,432
4/30/21
$14,075
$14,866
5/31/21
$14,656
$15,351
6/30/21
$14,397
$15,178
7/31/21
$14,552
$15,292
8/31/21
$14,781
$15,562
9/30/21
$14,293
$15,110
10/31/21
$14,635
$15,482
11/30/21
$14,002
$14,761
12/31/21
$14,628
$15,517
1/31/22
$13,899
$14,767
2/28/22
$13,555
$14,506
3/31/22
$13,399
$14,599
4/30/22
$12,513
$13,655
5/31/22
$12,690
$13,757
6/30/22
$11,482
$12,481
7/31/22
$12,180
$13,103
8/31/22
$11,336
$12,480
9/30/22
$10,263
$11,313
10/31/22
$10,742
$11,921
11/30/22
$12,263
$13,264
12/31/22
$12,071
$13,275
1/31/23
$13,063
$14,350
2/28/23
$12,747
$14,050
3/31/23
$13,105
$14,398
4/30/23
$13,432
$14,805
5/31/23
$12,842
$14,178
6/30/23
$13,454
$14,824
7/31/23
$13,770
$15,303
8/31/23
$13,295
$14,717
9/30/23
$12,799
$14,214
10/31/23
$12,282
$13,638
11/30/23
$13,137
$14,904
12/31/23
$13,932
$15,696
1/31/24
$13,801
$15,786
2/29/24
$14,247
$16,075
3/31/24
$14,562
$16,604
4/30/24
$13,954
$16,179
5/31/24
$14,475
$16,805
6/30/24
$14,193
$16,534
7/31/24
$14,649
$17,019
8/31/24
$15,019
$17,572

Yearly periods ended August 31

Average Annual Total Returns

Class/Index
1-Year
5-Year
Since Inception 11/11/14
Class C Unadjusted for Sales Charge
12.96%
6.35%
4.24%
Class C Adjusted for the Maximum Sales Charge (max 1.00% CDSC)
11.96%
6.35%
4.24%
MSCI EAFE Index
19.40%
8.61%
5.92%

Performance shown is historical. The Fund's past performance is not a good predictor or guarantee of the Fund's future performance.Investment return and principal fluctuate, so your shares may be worth more or less when redeemed. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. The performance graph and returns table do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.Please visit dws.com/en-us/products/mutual-funds for the Fund's most recent month-end performance.Fund performance includes reinvestment of all distributions.

Key Fund Statistics

Net Assets ($)
7,773,930
Number of Portfolio Holdings
111
Portfolio Turnover Rate (%)
17
Total Net Advisory Fees Paid ($)
0

What did the Fund invest in?

Asset Allocation

Asset Type
% of Net Assets
Common Stocks
99%
Cash Equivalents
1%
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net
0%
Total
100%

Holdings-based data is subject to change.

Sector Allocation

Sector
% of Net Assets
Financials
19%
Industrials
16%
Health Care
16%
Consumer Discretionary
10%
Information Technology
9%
Consumer Staples
8%
Materials
7%
Communication Services
4%
Utilities
4%
Energy
4%
Real Estate
2%

Ten Largest Equity Holdings

Holdings
23.6% of Net Assets
Novo Nordisk AS
3.9%
ASML Holding NV
3.2%
Nestle SA
2.8%
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE
2.2%
Allianz SE
2.0%
Shell PLC
2.0%
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.
1.9%
RELX PLC
1.9%
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.
1.9%
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
1.8%

Geographical Diversification

Country
% of Net Assets
Japan
24%
United Kingdom
13%
Switzerland
11%
Germany
10%
France
10%
Australia
7%
Netherlands
5%
Denmark
4%
Hong Kong
4%
Sweden
3%
Other
9%

Additional Information

If you wish to view additional information about the Fund, including, but not limited to, its prospectus, quarterly holdings, Board fee evaluation reports, and financial statements and other information, please visit dws.com/mutualreports. For information about the Fund's proxy voting policies and procedures and how the Fund voted proxies related to its portfolio securities, please visit dws.com/en-us/resources/proxy-voting. This additional information is also available free of charge by contacting us at (800) 728-3337.

Householding

In order to reduce the amount of mail you receive and to help reduce expenses, we generally send a single copy of any shareholder report and prospectus to each household. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please contact your financial representative or call DWS toll free at (800) 728-3337.

Stocks may decline in value. Incorporation of ESG criteria in the Fund's investment strategy does not guarantee a return or protect against a loss, limits the types and number of investment opportunities available to the Fund and, as a result, the Fund may underperform other funds that do not have an ESG focus. Investing in foreign securities presents certain risks, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic changes, and market risks. The impact of the use of quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics on a stock's performance can be difficult to predict, and stocks that previously possessed certain desirable quantitative characteristics may not continue to demonstrate those same characteristics in the future. Investing in derivatives entails special risks relating to liquidity, leverage and credit that may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. Quantitative models also entail the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect. The Fund's use of forward currency contracts may not be successful in hedging currency exchange rates changes and could eliminate some or all of the benefit of an increase in the value of a foreign currency versus the US dollar. Investing in derivatives entails special risks relating to liquidity, leverage and credit that may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. The Fund may lend securities to approved institutions. Please read the prospectus for details.

This report must be preceded or accompanied by a prospectus. We advise you to consider the Fund's objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the Fund, which can be requested by calling (800) 728-3337, contacting your financial representative, or visit dws.com/mutualreportsto view or download a prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.

The brand DWS represents DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA and any of its subsidiaries such as DWS Distributors, Inc., which offers investment products, or DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. and RREEF America L.L.C., which offer advisory services.

©2024 DWS Group GmbH&Co. KGaA. All rights reserved

DEICEF-TSRA-C

R-102574-1 (10/24)

DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund

Class S: DURSX

Annual Shareholder Report-August 31, 2024

This annual shareholder report contains important information about DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund ("the Fund") for the period September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024.You can find additional information about the Fund on the Fund's website at dws.com/mutualreports. You can also request this information by contacting us at (800) 728-3337.

What were the Fund costs for the last year?

(Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)

Cost of a $10,000 investment
Costs paid as a percentage of a $10,000 investment
Class S
$70
0.65%

Gross expense ratio as of the latest prospectus: 3.59%. See prospectus for any contractual or voluntary waivers; without a waiver, costs would have been higher.

How did the Fund perform last year and what affected its performance?

Class S shares of the Fund returned 14.14% for the period ended August 31, 2024. The Fund's index, the MSCI EAFE Index, returned 19.40% for the same period.

Stock selection was the primary reason for the Fund's underperformance. The weakest results occurred in the financials sector, where the U.K.-based insurer Prudential PLC (1.0%) was the largest detractor. The company missed earnings expectations, weighing on its stock price. The French payments provider Worldline SA (0.2%) detracted, as well. The company posted weaker-than-expected revenues and reduced its guidance, causing its shares to plunge nearly 60% in a single day in late October 2023.

Consumer staples was another area of weakness for the Fund. HelloFresh SE (Germany) (0.3%) lost ground after lowering its revenue outlook and receiving several analyst downgrades, and Budweiser Brewing Co. APAC, Ltd. (Hong Kong) (0.4%) was pressured by declining beer sales. The Fund also underperformed in the consumer discretionary sector, where shares of the European luxury good producers Kering SA (France) (0.3%), LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (France) (2.2%), and Moncler SpA (Italy) (0.3%) all slid on concerns that slower consumer spending would begin to affect even higher-end brands.

Outside of these sectors, the Australian mining company IGO, Ltd. (0.3%) - which was hit by multiple analyst downgrades in late 2023 - was a top detractor. The Fund was also hurt by its position in the Finland-based oil refiner Neste Oyj (0.5%), which reported weaker-than-expected earnings.

On the other hand, the Fund outperformed in industrials. The U.K. business analytics company RELX PLC (1.9%), whose shares rose on the strength of robust revenue and profit growth in the first half of 2024, was the top performer in the sector. ABB Ltd. (1.5%), a diversified industrial company based in Switzerland, also gained ground as solid end-market demand boosted its results. Health care was another area of strength for the Fund, led by Chugai Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Japan) (1.8%). The company reported solid progress on drugs in both the early and late stages of development, boosting its shares. Novo Nordisk (3.9%), which benefited from rising sales for its obesity drugs, was also a top performer in healthcare.

Percentages in parentheses are based on the Fund's net assets as of August 31, 2024.

Fund Performance

Cumulative Growth of an Assumed $10,000Investment

MSCI EAFE Index is an equity index which captures large and mid-cap representation across Developed Markets countries around the world, excluding the US and Canada. The index covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country.

Index returns do not reflect any fees or expenses and it is not possible to invest directly into an index.

Class S
MSCI EAFE Index
11/11/14
$10,330
$10,170
12/31/14
$9,860
$9,818
1/31/15
$9,970
$9,866
2/28/15
$10,690
$10,455
3/31/15
$10,890
$10,297
4/30/15
$10,660
$10,717
5/31/15
$11,000
$10,662
6/30/15
$10,560
$10,360
7/31/15
$11,120
$10,575
8/31/15
$10,190
$9,797
9/30/15
$9,830
$9,300
10/31/15
$10,630
$10,027
11/30/15
$10,800
$9,871
12/31/15
$10,295
$9,738
1/31/16
$9,750
$9,034
2/29/16
$9,397
$8,868
3/31/16
$9,498
$9,445
4/30/16
$9,518
$9,719
5/31/16
$9,841
$9,630
6/30/16
$9,377
$9,307
7/31/16
$9,549
$9,779
8/31/16
$9,609
$9,786
9/30/16
$9,730
$9,906
10/31/16
$9,669
$9,703
11/30/16
$9,488
$9,510
12/31/16
$9,972
$9,835
1/31/17
$10,244
$10,120
2/28/17
$10,274
$10,265
3/31/17
$10,698
$10,548
4/30/17
$11,182
$10,816
5/31/17
$11,575
$11,213
6/30/17
$11,464
$11,193
7/31/17
$11,918
$11,516
8/31/17
$11,857
$11,512
9/30/17
$12,301
$11,798
10/31/17
$12,392
$11,977
11/30/17
$12,352
$12,103
12/31/17
$12,523
$12,297
1/31/18
$13,229
$12,914
2/28/18
$12,331
$12,331
3/31/18
$12,231
$12,109
4/30/18
$12,533
$12,386
5/31/18
$12,362
$12,107
6/30/18
$12,311
$11,959
7/31/18
$12,533
$12,254
8/31/18
$12,341
$12,017
9/30/18
$12,301
$12,121
10/31/18
$11,000
$11,156
11/30/18
$10,607
$11,142
12/31/18
$10,082
$10,601
1/31/19
$10,701
$11,298
2/28/19
$11,093
$11,586
3/31/19
$11,217
$11,659
4/30/19
$11,867
$11,987
5/31/19
$11,114
$11,411
6/30/19
$11,970
$12,088
7/31/19
$11,723
$11,935
8/31/19
$11,527
$11,626
9/30/19
$11,681
$11,959
10/31/19
$12,084
$12,389
11/30/19
$12,249
$12,528
12/31/19
$12,696
$12,935
1/31/20
$12,451
$12,665
2/29/20
$11,622
$11,520
3/31/20
$9,974
$9,983
4/30/20
$10,473
$10,628
5/31/20
$11,069
$11,090
6/30/20
$11,441
$11,468
7/31/20
$11,654
$11,735
8/31/20
$12,281
$12,339
9/30/20
$12,058
$12,018
10/31/20
$11,515
$11,538
11/30/20
$13,185
$13,327
12/31/20
$13,964
$13,946
1/31/21
$13,640
$13,798
2/28/21
$13,953
$14,107
3/31/21
$14,373
$14,432
4/30/21
$14,934
$14,866
5/31/21
$15,559
$15,351
6/30/21
$15,301
$15,178
7/31/21
$15,484
$15,292
8/31/21
$15,732
$15,562
9/30/21
$15,225
$15,110
10/31/21
$15,592
$15,482
11/30/21
$14,934
$14,761
12/31/21
$15,613
$15,517
1/31/22
$14,849
$14,767
2/28/22
$14,499
$14,506
3/31/22
$14,336
$14,599
4/30/22
$13,408
$13,655
5/31/22
$13,604
$13,757
6/30/22
$12,316
$12,481
7/31/22
$13,080
$13,103
8/31/22
$12,185
$12,480
9/30/22
$11,038
$11,313
10/31/22
$11,562
$11,921
11/30/22
$13,211
$13,264
12/31/22
$13,019
$13,275
1/31/23
$14,091
$14,350
2/28/23
$13,767
$14,050
3/31/23
$14,158
$14,398
4/30/23
$14,526
$14,805
5/31/23
$13,901
$14,178
6/30/23
$14,571
$14,824
7/31/23
$14,928
$15,303
8/31/23
$14,415
$14,717
9/30/23
$13,890
$14,214
10/31/23
$13,354
$13,638
11/30/23
$14,292
$14,904
12/31/23
$15,164
$15,696
1/31/24
$15,025
$15,786
2/29/24
$15,524
$16,075
3/31/24
$15,896
$16,604
4/30/24
$15,234
$16,179
5/31/24
$15,826
$16,805
6/30/24
$15,524
$16,534
7/31/24
$16,035
$17,019
8/31/24
$16,453
$17,572

Yearly periods ended August 31

Average Annual Total Returns

Class/Index
1-Year
5-Year
Since Inception 11/11/14
Class S No Sales Charge
14.14%
7.38%
5.21%
MSCI EAFE Index
19.40%
8.61%
5.92%

Performance shown is historical. The Fund's past performance is not a good predictor or guarantee of the Fund's future performance.Investment return and principal fluctuate, so your shares may be worth more or less when redeemed. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. The performance graph and returns table do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.Please visit dws.com/en-us/products/mutual-funds for the Fund's most recent month-end performance.Fund performance includes reinvestment of all distributions.

Key Fund Statistics

Net Assets ($)
7,773,930
Number of Portfolio Holdings
111
Portfolio Turnover Rate (%)
17
Total Net Advisory Fees Paid ($)
0

What did the Fund invest in?

Asset Allocation

Asset Type
% of Net Assets
Common Stocks
99%
Cash Equivalents
1%
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net
0%
Total
100%

Holdings-based data is subject to change.

Sector Allocation

Sector
% of Net Assets
Financials
19%
Industrials
16%
Health Care
16%
Consumer Discretionary
10%
Information Technology
9%
Consumer Staples
8%
Materials
7%
Communication Services
4%
Utilities
4%
Energy
4%
Real Estate
2%

Ten Largest Equity Holdings

Holdings
23.6% of Net Assets
Novo Nordisk AS
3.9%
ASML Holding NV
3.2%
Nestle SA
2.8%
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE
2.2%
Allianz SE
2.0%
Shell PLC
2.0%
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.
1.9%
RELX PLC
1.9%
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.
1.9%
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
1.8%

Geographical Diversification

Country
% of Net Assets
Japan
24%
United Kingdom
13%
Switzerland
11%
Germany
10%
France
10%
Australia
7%
Netherlands
5%
Denmark
4%
Hong Kong
4%
Sweden
3%
Other
9%

Additional Information

If you wish to view additional information about the Fund, including, but not limited to, its prospectus, quarterly holdings, Board fee evaluation reports, and financial statements and other information, please visit dws.com/mutualreports. For information about the Fund's proxy voting policies and procedures and how the Fund voted proxies related to its portfolio securities, please visit dws.com/en-us/resources/proxy-voting. This additional information is also available free of charge by contacting us at (800) 728-3337.

Householding

In order to reduce the amount of mail you receive and to help reduce expenses, we generally send a single copy of any shareholder report and prospectus to each household. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please contact your financial representative or call DWS toll free at (800) 728-3337.

Stocks may decline in value. Incorporation of ESG criteria in the Fund's investment strategy does not guarantee a return or protect against a loss, limits the types and number of investment opportunities available to the Fund and, as a result, the Fund may underperform other funds that do not have an ESG focus. Investing in foreign securities presents certain risks, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic changes, and market risks. The impact of the use of quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics on a stock's performance can be difficult to predict, and stocks that previously possessed certain desirable quantitative characteristics may not continue to demonstrate those same characteristics in the future. Investing in derivatives entails special risks relating to liquidity, leverage and credit that may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. Quantitative models also entail the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect. The Fund's use of forward currency contracts may not be successful in hedging currency exchange rates changes and could eliminate some or all of the benefit of an increase in the value of a foreign currency versus the US dollar. Investing in derivatives entails special risks relating to liquidity, leverage and credit that may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. The Fund may lend securities to approved institutions. Please read the prospectus for details.

This report must be preceded or accompanied by a prospectus. We advise you to consider the Fund's objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the Fund, which can be requested by calling (800) 728-3337, contacting your financial representative, or visit dws.com/mutualreportsto view or download a prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.

The brand DWS represents DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA and any of its subsidiaries such as DWS Distributors, Inc., which offers investment products, or DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. and RREEF America L.L.C., which offer advisory services.

©2024 DWS Group GmbH&Co. KGaA. All rights reserved

DEICEF-TSRA-S

R-102574-1 (10/24)

DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund

Institutional Class: DURIX

Annual Shareholder Report-August 31, 2024

This annual shareholder report contains important information about DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund ("the Fund") for the period September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024.You can find additional information about the Fund on the Fund's website at dws.com/mutualreports. You can also request this information by contacting us at (800) 728-3337.

What were the Fund costs for the last year?

(Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)

Cost of a $10,000 investment
Costs paid as a percentage of a $10,000 investment
Institutional Class
$64
0.60%

Gross expense ratio as of the latest prospectus: 3.52%. See prospectus for any contractual or voluntary waivers; without a waiver, costs would have been higher.

How did the Fund perform last year and what affected its performance?

Institutional Class shares of the Fund returned 14.08% for the period ended August 31, 2024. The Fund's index, the MSCI EAFE Index, returned 19.40% for the same period.

Stock selection was the primary reason for the Fund's underperformance. The weakest results occurred in the financials sector, where the U.K.-based insurer Prudential PLC (1.0%) was the largest detractor. The company missed earnings expectations, weighing on its stock price. The French payments provider Worldline SA (0.2%) detracted, as well. The company posted weaker-than-expected revenues and reduced its guidance, causing its shares to plunge nearly 60% in a single day in late October 2023.

Consumer staples was another area of weakness for the Fund. HelloFresh SE (Germany) (0.3%) lost ground after lowering its revenue outlook and receiving several analyst downgrades, and Budweiser Brewing Co. APAC, Ltd. (Hong Kong) (0.4%) was pressured by declining beer sales. The Fund also underperformed in the consumer discretionary sector, where shares of the European luxury good producers Kering SA (France) (0.3%), LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (France) (2.2%), and Moncler SpA (Italy) (0.3%) all slid on concerns that slower consumer spending would begin to affect even higher-end brands.

Outside of these sectors, the Australian mining company IGO, Ltd. (0.3%) - which was hit by multiple analyst downgrades in late 2023 - was a top detractor. The Fund was also hurt by its position in the Finland-based oil refiner Neste Oyj (0.5%), which reported weaker-than-expected earnings.

On the other hand, the Fund outperformed in industrials. The U.K. business analytics company RELX PLC (1.9%), whose shares rose on the strength of robust revenue and profit growth in the first half of 2024, was the top performer in the sector. ABB Ltd. (1.5%), a diversified industrial company based in Switzerland, also gained ground as solid end-market demand boosted its results. Health care was another area of strength for the Fund, led by Chugai Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Japan) (1.8%). The company reported solid progress on drugs in both the early and late stages of development, boosting its shares. Novo Nordisk (3.9%), which benefited from rising sales for its obesity drugs, was also a top performer in healthcare.

Percentages in parentheses are based on the Fund's net assets as of August 31, 2024.

Fund Performance

Cumulative Growth of an Assumed $1,000,000Investment

MSCI EAFE Index is an equity index which captures large and mid-cap representation across Developed Markets countries around the world, excluding the US and Canada. The index covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country.

Index returns do not reflect any fees or expenses and it is not possible to invest directly into an index.

Institutional Class
MSCI EAFE Index
11/11/14
$1,033,000
$1,017,000
12/31/14
$986,108
$981,770
1/31/15
$998,109
$986,569
2/28/15
$1,070,117
$1,045,547
3/31/15
$1,089,119
$1,029,664
4/30/15
$1,066,117
$1,071,704
5/31/15
$1,101,121
$1,066,218
6/30/15
$1,056,116
$1,036,008
7/31/15
$1,113,122
$1,057,519
8/31/15
$1,020,112
$979,725
9/30/15
$984,108
$929,979
10/31/15
$1,064,117
$1,002,675
11/30/15
$1,080,118
$987,076
12/31/15
$1,030,275
$973,776
1/31/16
$976,793
$903,358
2/29/16
$941,476
$886,808
3/31/16
$951,566
$944,510
4/30/16
$952,575
$971,855
5/31/16
$984,866
$963,026
6/30/16
$939,457
$930,700
7/31/16
$956,612
$977,869
8/31/16
$963,675
$978,563
9/30/16
$975,784
$990,584
10/31/16
$969,730
$970,322
11/30/16
$951,566
$950,997
12/31/16
$1,000,002
$983,516
1/31/17
$1,027,248
$1,012,046
2/28/17
$1,030,275
$1,026,518
3/31/17
$1,072,656
$1,054,777
4/30/17
$1,121,092
$1,081,616
5/31/17
$1,161,456
$1,121,316
6/30/17
$1,150,356
$1,119,333
7/31/17
$1,195,765
$1,151,621
8/31/17
$1,189,710
$1,151,187
9/30/17
$1,234,110
$1,179,829
10/31/17
$1,243,192
$1,197,744
11/30/17
$1,239,155
$1,210,307
12/31/17
$1,257,319
$1,229,734
1/31/18
$1,327,955
$1,291,417
2/28/18
$1,238,146
$1,233,128
3/31/18
$1,228,055
$1,210,902
4/30/18
$1,257,319
$1,238,550
5/31/18
$1,241,174
$1,210,710
6/30/18
$1,235,119
$1,195,918
7/31/18
$1,258,328
$1,225,356
8/31/18
$1,239,155
$1,201,691
9/30/18
$1,235,119
$1,212,120
10/31/18
$1,104,947
$1,115,645
11/30/18
$1,064,584
$1,114,239
12/31/18
$1,012,613
$1,060,149
1/31/19
$1,074,609
$1,129,822
2/28/19
$1,113,874
$1,158,623
3/31/19
$1,127,306
$1,165,929
4/30/19
$1,191,370
$1,198,709
5/31/19
$1,115,940
$1,141,140
6/30/19
$1,201,702
$1,208,839
7/31/19
$1,176,904
$1,193,491
8/31/19
$1,158,305
$1,162,573
9/30/19
$1,173,804
$1,195,888
10/31/19
$1,213,069
$1,238,855
11/30/19
$1,230,634
$1,252,821
12/31/19
$1,276,104
$1,293,537
1/31/20
$1,250,539
$1,266,518
2/29/20
$1,167,454
$1,152,028
3/31/20
$1,002,349
$998,269
4/30/20
$1,052,413
$1,062,760
5/31/20
$1,112,064
$1,109,038
6/30/20
$1,150,411
$1,146,800
7/31/20
$1,170,650
$1,173,531
8/31/20
$1,234,561
$1,233,863
9/30/20
$1,212,192
$1,201,803
10/31/20
$1,157,867
$1,153,816
11/30/20
$1,325,103
$1,332,673
12/31/20
$1,403,902
$1,394,637
1/31/21
$1,371,479
$1,379,779
2/28/21
$1,402,821
$1,410,726
3/31/21
$1,444,971
$1,443,163
4/30/21
$1,501,170
$1,486,587
5/31/21
$1,564,935
$1,535,066
6/30/21
$1,537,916
$1,517,791
7/31/21
$1,556,288
$1,529,219
8/31/21
$1,582,227
$1,556,193
9/30/21
$1,531,431
$1,511,031
10/31/21
$1,568,177
$1,548,195
11/30/21
$1,502,251
$1,476,136
12/31/21
$1,571,178
$1,551,720
1/31/22
$1,494,535
$1,476,735
2/28/22
$1,458,404
$1,450,624
3/31/22
$1,443,075
$1,459,948
4/30/22
$1,348,914
$1,365,497
5/31/22
$1,368,622
$1,375,734
6/30/22
$1,238,329
$1,248,083
7/31/22
$1,316,067
$1,310,275
8/31/22
$1,226,285
$1,248,044
9/30/22
$1,111,321
$1,131,293
10/31/22
$1,163,876
$1,192,128
11/30/22
$1,329,206
$1,326,404
12/31/22
$1,310,590
$1,327,470
1/31/23
$1,418,125
$1,434,965
2/28/23
$1,385,641
$1,405,022
3/31/23
$1,424,846
$1,439,844
4/30/23
$1,461,812
$1,480,495
5/31/23
$1,399,083
$1,417,843
6/30/23
$1,466,292
$1,482,368
7/31/23
$1,502,138
$1,530,332
8/31/23
$1,451,730
$1,471,701
9/30/23
$1,397,963
$1,421,431
10/31/23
$1,344,195
$1,363,804
11/30/23
$1,438,288
$1,490,389
12/31/23
$1,526,778
$1,569,572
1/31/24
$1,512,792
$1,578,605
2/29/24
$1,562,908
$1,607,500
3/31/24
$1,600,203
$1,660,370
4/30/24
$1,534,937
$1,617,850
5/31/24
$1,593,211
$1,680,517
6/30/24
$1,562,908
$1,653,387
7/31/24
$1,615,355
$1,701,892
8/31/24
$1,656,146
$1,757,231

Yearly periods ended August 31

Average Annual Total Returns

Class/Index
1-Year
5-Year
Since Inception 11/11/14
Institutional Class No Sales Charge
14.08%
7.41%
5.28%
MSCI EAFE Index
19.40%
8.61%
5.92%

Performance shown is historical. The Fund's past performance is not a good predictor or guarantee of the Fund's future performance.Investment return and principal fluctuate, so your shares may be worth more or less when redeemed. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. The performance graph and returns table do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.Please visit dws.com/en-us/products/mutual-funds for the Fund's most recent month-end performance.Fund performance includes reinvestment of all distributions.

Key Fund Statistics

Net Assets ($)
7,773,930
Number of Portfolio Holdings
111
Portfolio Turnover Rate (%)
17
Total Net Advisory Fees Paid ($)
0

What did the Fund invest in?

Asset Allocation

Asset Type
% of Net Assets
Common Stocks
99%
Cash Equivalents
1%
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net
0%
Total
100%

Holdings-based data is subject to change.

Sector Allocation

Sector
% of Net Assets
Financials
19%
Industrials
16%
Health Care
16%
Consumer Discretionary
10%
Information Technology
9%
Consumer Staples
8%
Materials
7%
Communication Services
4%
Utilities
4%
Energy
4%
Real Estate
2%

Ten Largest Equity Holdings

Holdings
23.6% of Net Assets
Novo Nordisk AS
3.9%
ASML Holding NV
3.2%
Nestle SA
2.8%
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE
2.2%
Allianz SE
2.0%
Shell PLC
2.0%
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.
1.9%
RELX PLC
1.9%
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.
1.9%
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
1.8%

Geographical Diversification

Country
% of Net Assets
Japan
24%
United Kingdom
13%
Switzerland
11%
Germany
10%
France
10%
Australia
7%
Netherlands
5%
Denmark
4%
Hong Kong
4%
Sweden
3%
Other
9%

Additional Information

If you wish to view additional information about the Fund, including, but not limited to, its prospectus, quarterly holdings, Board fee evaluation reports, and financial statements and other information, please visit dws.com/mutualreports. For information about the Fund's proxy voting policies and procedures and how the Fund voted proxies related to its portfolio securities, please visit dws.com/en-us/resources/proxy-voting. This additional information is also available free of charge by contacting us at (800) 728-3337.

Householding

In order to reduce the amount of mail you receive and to help reduce expenses, we generally send a single copy of any shareholder report and prospectus to each household. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please contact your financial representative or call DWS toll free at (800) 728-3337.

Stocks may decline in value. Incorporation of ESG criteria in the Fund's investment strategy does not guarantee a return or protect against a loss, limits the types and number of investment opportunities available to the Fund and, as a result, the Fund may underperform other funds that do not have an ESG focus. Investing in foreign securities presents certain risks, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic changes, and market risks. The impact of the use of quantitative models and the analysis of specific metrics on a stock's performance can be difficult to predict, and stocks that previously possessed certain desirable quantitative characteristics may not continue to demonstrate those same characteristics in the future. Investing in derivatives entails special risks relating to liquidity, leverage and credit that may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. Quantitative models also entail the risk that the models themselves may be limited or incorrect. The Fund's use of forward currency contracts may not be successful in hedging currency exchange rates changes and could eliminate some or all of the benefit of an increase in the value of a foreign currency versus the US dollar. Investing in derivatives entails special risks relating to liquidity, leverage and credit that may reduce returns and/or increase volatility. The Fund may lend securities to approved institutions. Please read the prospectus for details.

This report must be preceded or accompanied by a prospectus. We advise you to consider the Fund's objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the Fund, which can be requested by calling (800) 728-3337, contacting your financial representative, or visit dws.com/mutualreportsto view or download a prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.

The brand DWS represents DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA and any of its subsidiaries such as DWS Distributors, Inc., which offers investment products, or DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. and RREEF America L.L.C., which offer advisory services.

©2024 DWS Group GmbH&Co. KGaA. All rights reserved

DEICEF-TSRA-I

R-102574-1 (10/24)

(b) Not applicable
Item 2. Code of Ethics.

As of the end of the period covered by this report, the registrant has adopted a code of ethics, as defined in Item 2 of Form N-CSR that applies to its Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer.

There have been no amendments to, or waivers from, a provision of the code of ethics during the period covered by this report that would require disclosure under Item 2.

A copy of the code of ethics is filed as an exhibit to this Form N-CSR.

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.
The fund's audit committee is comprised solely of trustees who are "independent" (as such term has been defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in regulations implementing Section 407 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (the "Regulations")). The fund's Board of Trustees has determined that there are several "audit committee financial experts" (as such term has been defined by the Regulations) serving on the fund's audit committee including Ms. Catherine Schrand, the chair of the fund's audit committee. An "audit committee financial expert" is not an "expert" for any purpose, including for purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933 and the designation or identification of a person as an "audit committee financial expert" does not impose on such person any duties, obligations or liability that are greater than the duties, obligations and liability imposed on such person as a member of the audit committee and board of directors in the absence of such designation or identification.
Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

DWS ESg INternational Core Equity FUNd

form n-csr disclosure re: AUDIT FEES

The following table shows the amount of fees that Ernst & Young LLP ("EY"), the Fund's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, billed to the Fund during the Fund's last two fiscal years. The Audit Committee approved in advance all audit services and non-audit services that EY provided to the Fund.

Services that the Fund's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Billed to the Fund

Fiscal Year
Ended
August 31,
Audit Fees Billed to Fund Audit-Related
Fees Billed to Fund
Tax Fees Billed to Fund All
Other Fees Billed to Fund
2024 $65,905 $0 $5,969 $0
2023 $63,111 $0 $5,969 $0

The above "Tax Fees" were billed for professional services rendered for tax preparation.

Services that the Fund's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Billed to the Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers

The following table shows the amount of fees billed by EY to DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. ("DIMA" or the "Adviser"), and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with DIMA ("Control Affiliate") that provides ongoing services to the Fund ("Affiliated Fund Service Provider"), for engagements directly related to the Fund's operations and financial reporting, during the Fund's last two fiscal years.

Fiscal Year
Ended
August 31,
Audit-Related
Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers
Tax Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers All
Other Fees Billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers
2024 $0 $0 $0
2023 $0 $539,907 $0

The above "Tax Fees" were billed in connection with tax compliance services and agreed upon procedures.

Non-Audit Services

The following table shows the amount of fees that EY billed during the Fund's last two fiscal years for non-audit services. The Audit Committee pre-approved all non-audit services that EY provided to the Adviser and any Affiliated Fund Service Provider that related directly to the Fund's operations and financial reporting. The Audit Committee requested and received information from EY about any non-audit services that EY rendered during the Fund's last fiscal year to the Adviser and any Affiliated Fund Service Provider. The Committee considered this information in evaluating EY's independence.

Fiscal Year
Ended
August 31,
Total
Non-Audit Fees Billed to Fund
(A)
Total Non-Audit Fees billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers (engagements related directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Fund)
(B)
Total Non-Audit Fees billed to Adviser and Affiliated Fund Service Providers (all other engagements)
(C)
Total of
(A), (B) and (C)
2024 $5,969 $0 $0 $5,969
2023 $5,969 $539,907 $0 $545,876

All other engagement fees were billed for services in connection with agreed upon procedures and tax compliance for DIMA and other related entities.

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures. Generally, each Fund's Audit Committee must pre approve (i) all services to be performed for a Fund by a Fund's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and (ii) all non-audit services to be performed by a Fund's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the DIMA Entities with respect to operations and financial reporting of the Fund, except that the Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of each Fund's Audit Committee may grant the pre-approval for non-audit services described in items (i) and (ii) above for non-prohibited services for engagements of less than $100,000. All such delegated pre approvals shall be presented to each Fund's Audit Committee no later than the next Audit Committee meeting.

There were no amounts that were approved by the Audit Committee pursuant to the de minimis exception under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

According to the registrant's principal Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, substantially all of the principal Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm's hours spent on auditing the registrant's financial statements were attributed to work performed by full-time permanent employees of the principal Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and (i) and (j) are not applicable.

***

In connection with the audit of the 2023 and 2024 financial statements, the Fund entered into an engagement letter with EY. The terms of the engagement letter required by EY, and agreed to by the Audit Committee, include a provision mandating the use of mediation and arbitration to resolve any controversy or claim between the parties arising out of or relating to the engagement letter or services provided thereunder.

***

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants
Not applicable
Item 6. Investments.
Not applicable
Item 7. Financial Statements and Financial Highlights for Open-End Management Investment Companies.
(a)
August 31, 2024
Annual Financial Statements and Other Information
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
Contents
3
Investment Portfolio
9
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
11
Statement of Operations
12
Statements of Changes in Net Assets
13
Financial Highlights
17
Notes to Financial Statements
28
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
30
Tax Information
31
Advisory Agreement Board Considerations and Fee Evaluation
The brand DWS represents DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA and any of its subsidiaries such as DWS Distributors, Inc., which offers investment products, or DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. and RREEF America L.L.C., which offer advisory services.
2
|
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
Investment Portfolioas of August 31, 2024
Shares
Value ($)
Common Stocks 99.3%
Australia 7.3%
Aurizon Holdings Ltd.
17,850
40,938
BHP Group Ltd.
3,087
85,470
Brambles Ltd.
5,891
72,894
CSL Ltd.
207
43,148
Endeavour Group Ltd.
13,902
50,307
IGO Ltd.
6,743
25,352
Macquarie Group Ltd.
471
69,060
Treasury Wine Estates Ltd.
10,525
81,643
Woodside Energy Group Ltd.
1,505
27,827
Woolworths Group Ltd.
2,989
72,398
(Cost $630,923)
569,037
Belgium 1.0%
KBC Group NV (Cost $72,852)
1,043
81,276
Denmark 3.9%
Novo Nordisk AS "B" (Cost $46,641)
2,173
301,698
Finland 1.3%
Kone Oyj "B" 
1,101
59,466
Neste Oyj
1,831
42,668
(Cost $105,467)
102,134
France 9.6%
Aeroports de Paris SA
226
29,599
Arkema SA
580
54,079
BNP Paribas SA
1,823
126,599
Capgemini SE
468
97,052
Danone SA
1,252
87,016
Kering SA
92
26,291
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE
233
173,626
Renault SA
1,118
53,253
Schneider Electric SE
186
47,403
TotalEnergies SE
478
32,985
Worldline SA 144A*
1,841
16,812
(Cost $600,521)
744,715
Germany 10.5%
adidas AG
198
50,738
Allianz SE (Registered)
511
158,968
BASF SE
1,729
87,807
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
|
3
Shares
Value ($)
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
476
44,229
Deutsche Boerse AG
535
120,169
HelloFresh SE*
3,134
25,737
Merck KGaA
293
57,084
Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG in Muenchen
(Registered)
87
47,153
Puma SE
1,288
55,703
SAP SE
422
93,080
Siemens AG (Registered)
222
41,835
Volkswagen AG
272
30,440
(Cost $634,132)
812,943
Hong Kong 3.5%
AIA Group Ltd.
5,800
40,828
Budweiser Brewing Co., APAC Ltd. 144A
24,500
27,977
HKT Trust & HKT Ltd. (Units)
74,000
93,902
Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd.
1,000
30,554
Prudential PLC
9,231
79,453
(Cost $369,745)
272,714
Ireland 1.1%
Kingspan Group PLC (Cost $51,426)
951
83,025
Italy 0.9%
Moncler SpA
443
27,192
UniCredit SpA
1,023
42,469
(Cost $44,465)
69,661
Japan 23.8%
ANA Holdings, Inc.
1,200
24,231
Astellas Pharma, Inc.
4,200
52,222
Canon, Inc.
1,800
62,141
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
2,800
141,886
Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.
1,900
79,828
Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.
1,400
43,171
Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
1,400
34,383
Hitachi Ltd.
2,000
48,773
Hulic Co., Ltd.
3,400
35,273
Japan Post Bank Co., Ltd.
9,600
89,709
KDDI Corp.
2,500
84,289
Mitsubishi Corp.
3,900
81,188
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.
14,100
148,098
Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
3,000
65,233
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
2,100
43,930
Nintendo Co., Ltd.
800
43,466
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
4
|
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
Shares
Value ($)
Nippon Building Fund, Inc. (REIT)
5
22,471
Nippon Steel Corp.
3,600
81,959
Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.
30,000
32,024
Nomura Real Estate Holdings, Inc.
1,100
31,638
Obayashi Corp.
3,900
49,990
Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd.
900
56,011
Sony Group Corp.
400
39,175
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.
2,200
144,443
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
3,000
89,252
Terumo Corp.
3,200
59,354
Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.
1,400
53,106
Tokyo Electron Ltd.
300
53,548
Toyota Motor Corp.
3,300
62,906
(Cost $1,393,514)
1,853,698
Netherlands 4.7%
ASML Holding NV
273
246,702
Prosus NV
1,236
45,899
Stellantis NV
4,449
74,896
(Cost $161,366)
367,497
Norway 0.5%
DNB Bank ASA (Cost $29,856)
1,765
37,299
Singapore 0.7%
Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (Cost $46,214)
23,800
57,130
Spain 2.3%
Grifols SA*
4,019
44,774
Iberdrola SA
9,697
137,611
(Cost $171,889)
182,385
Sweden 3.4%
Assa Abloy AB "B" 
2,926
94,558
Getinge AB "B" 
947
19,770
Hexagon AB "B" 
6,743
69,002
Skanska AB "B" 
1,464
29,531
Svenska Handelsbanken AB "A" 
4,941
51,019
(Cost $219,272)
263,880
Switzerland 11.5%
ABB Ltd. (Registered)
2,041
117,433
Kuehne & Nagel International AG (Registered)
185
57,390
Lonza Group AG (Registered)
189
123,888
Nestle SA (Registered)
2,007
214,975
Novartis AG (Registered)
1,061
128,130
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
|
5
Shares
Value ($)
Sika AG (Registered)
396
126,999
STMicroelectronics NV
1,046
33,455
Straumann Holding AG (Registered)
180
26,675
Swiss Prime Site AG (Registered)
550
61,942
(Cost $570,705)
890,887
United Kingdom 12.7%
Ashtead Group PLC
855
60,896
AstraZeneca PLC
256
44,834
BP PLC
3,932
22,272
Compass Group PLC
4,025
127,271
Diageo PLC
1,387
45,092
HSBC Holdings PLC
4,663
40,972
London Stock Exchange Group PLC
325
43,786
M&G PLC
28,349
80,124
National Grid PLC
8,990
118,243
RELX PLC
3,117
145,598
Rio Tinto PLC
521
32,838
Shell PLC
4,353
153,932
SSE PLC
1,456
36,142
Vodafone Group PLC
33,420
32,784
(Cost $739,903)
984,784
United States 0.6%
CRH PLC (a) (Cost $37,755)
519
46,641
Total Common Stocks(Cost $5,926,646)
7,721,404
Cash Equivalents 1.1%
DWS Central Cash Management Government Fund, 5.34% (b)
(Cost $82,895)
82,895
82,895
% of
Net Assets
Value ($)
Total Investment Portfolio(Cost $6,009,541)
100.4
7,804,299
Other Assets and Liabilities, Net
(0.4
)
(30,369
)
Net Assets
100.0
7,773,930
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
6
|
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
A summary of the Fund's transactions with affiliated investments during the year ended August 31, 2024 are as follows:
Value ($)
at
8/31/2023
Pur-
chases
Cost
($)
Sales
Proceeds
($)
Net
Real-
ized
Gain/
(Loss)
($)
Net
Change
in
Unreal-
ized
Appreci-
ation
(Depreci-
ation)
($)
Income
($)
Capital
Gain
Distri-
butions
($)
Number of
Shares at
8/31/2024
Value ($)
at
8/31/2024
Securities Lending Collateral 0.0%
DWS Government & Agency Securities Portfolio "DWS Government Cash Institutional Shares" ,
5.22% (b) (c)
73,750
-
73,750 (d)
-
-
258
-
-
-
Cash Equivalents 1.1%
DWS Central Cash Management Government Fund, 5.34% (b)
92,251
1,111,148
1,120,504
-
-
4,036
-
82,895
82,895
166,001
1,111,148
1,194,254
-
-
4,294
-
82,895
82,895
*
Non-income producing security.
(a)
Listed on the London Stock Exchange.
(b)
Affiliated fund managed by DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. The rate
shown is the annualized seven-day yield at period end.
(c)
Represents cash collateral held in connection with securities lending. Income earned by
the Fund is net of borrower rebates.
(d)
Represents the net increase (purchase cost) or decrease (sales proceeds) in the amount
invested in cash collateral for the year ended August 31, 2024.
144A: Security exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933.
These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to
qualified institutional buyers.
REIT: Real Estate Investment Trust
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
|
7
Fair Value Measurements
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund's investments. These inputs are summarized in three broad levels. Level 1 includes quoted prices in active markets for identical securities. Level 2 includes other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds and credit risk). Level 3 includes significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments). The level assigned to the securities valuations may not be an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with investing in those securities.
The following is a summary of the inputs used as of August 31, 2024 in valuing the Fund's investments. For information on the Fund's policy regarding the valuation of investments, please refer to the Security Valuation section of Note A in the accompanying Notes to Financial Statements.
Assets
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Common Stocks
Australia
$-
$569,037
$-
$569,037
Belgium
-
81,276
-
81,276
Denmark
-
301,698
-
301,698
Finland
-
102,134
-
102,134
France
-
744,715
-
744,715
Germany
-
812,943
-
812,943
Hong Kong
-
272,714
-
272,714
Ireland
-
83,025
-
83,025
Italy
-
69,661
-
69,661
Japan
-
1,853,698
-
1,853,698
Netherlands
-
367,497
-
367,497
Norway
-
37,299
-
37,299
Singapore
-
57,130
-
57,130
Spain
-
182,385
-
182,385
Sweden
-
263,880
-
263,880
Switzerland
-
890,887
-
890,887
United Kingdom
-
984,784
-
984,784
United States
-
46,641
-
46,641
Short-Term Investments
82,895
-
-
82,895
Total
$82,895
$7,721,404
$-
$7,804,299
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
8
|
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
as of August 31, 2024
Assets
Investments in non-affiliated securities, at value (cost $5,926,646)
$7,721,404
Investment in DWS Central Cash Management Government Fund
(cost $82,895)
82,895
Foreign currency, at value (cost $11,149)
11,355
Dividends receivable
13,115
Foreign taxes recoverable
26,741
Due from Advisor
12,802
Other assets
7,834
Total assets
7,876,146
Liabilities
Accrued Directors' fees
563
Other accrued expenses and payables
101,653
Total liabilities
102,216
Net assets, at value
$7,773,930
Net Assets Consist of
Distributable earnings (loss)
(8,518,684
)
Paid-in capital
16,292,614
Net assets, at value
$7,773,930
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
|
9
Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of August 31, 2024 (continued)
Net Asset Value
Class A
Net Asset Valueand redemption price per share
($3,894,028 ÷ 275,922 shares of capital stock outstanding,
$.01 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized)
$14.11
Maximum offering price per share (100 ÷ 94.25 of $14.11)
$14.97
Class C
Net Asset Value,offering and redemption price
(subject to contingent deferred sales charge) per share
($134,489 ÷ 9,734 shares of capital stock outstanding, $.01 par value,
50,000,000 shares authorized)
$13.82
Class S
Net Asset Value,offering and redemption price per share
($1,749,929 ÷ 123,536 shares of capital stock outstanding, $.01 par value,
50,000,000 shares authorized)
$14.17
Institutional Class
Net Asset Value,offering and redemption price per share
($1,995,484 ÷ 140,413 shares of capital stock outstanding, $.01 par value,
50,000,000 shares authorized)
$14.21
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
10
|
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
Statement of Operations
for the year ended August 31, 2024
Investment Income
Income:
Dividends (net of foreign taxes withheld of $21,586)
$216,545
Income distributions -DWS Central Cash Management Government Fund
4,036
Affiliated securities lending income
258
Total income
220,839
Expenses:
Management fee
33,414
Administration fee
7,203
Services to shareholders
11,384
Distribution and service fees
10,609
Custodian fee
6,915
Audit fee
63,973
Legal fees
23,652
Tax fees
5,969
Reports to shareholders
24,330
Registration fees
62,771
Directors' fees and expenses
2,314
Pricing service fee
13,683
Other
4,341
Total expenses before expense reductions
270,558
Expense reductions
(214,017
)
Total expenses after expense reductions
56,541
Net investment income
164,298
Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss)
Net realized gain (loss) from:
Investments
327,314
Foreign currency
1,319
328,633
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
Investments
483,034
Foreign currency
(605
)
482,429
Net gain (loss)
811,062
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations
$975,360
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
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|
11
Statements of Changes in Net Assets
Years Ended August 31,
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets
2024
2023
Operations:
Net investment income
$164,298
$166,149
Net realized gain (loss)
328,633
(83,698
)
Change in net unrealized appreciation
(depreciation)
482,429
1,102,477
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations
975,360
1,184,928
Distributions to shareholders:
Class A
(136,475
)
(61,303
)
Class C
(5,819
)
(8,113
)
Class S
(70,021
)
(40,595
)
Institutional Class
(66,384
)
(34,983
)
Total distributions
(278,699
)
(144,994
)
Fund share transactions:
Proceeds from shares sold
740,145
1,135,130
Reinvestment of distributions
277,041
144,036
Payments for shares redeemed
(1,360,289
)
(2,099,799
)
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from Fund
share transactions
(343,103
)
(820,633
)
Increase (decrease) in net assets
353,558
219,301
Net assets at beginning of period
7,420,372
7,201,071
Net assets at end of period
$7,773,930
$7,420,372
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
12
|
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
Financial Highlights
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund -Class A
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
Selected Per Share Data
Net asset value, beginning of period
$12.87
$11.11
$14.53
$11.50
$11.13
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment incomea
.28
.27
.22
.13
.07
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
1.45
1.73
(3.49
)
3.05
.63
Total from investment operations
1.73
2.00
(3.27
)
3.18
.70
Less distributions from:
Net investment income
(.49
)
(.24
)
(.15
)
(.15
)
(.33
)
Net asset value, end of period
$14.11
$12.87
$11.11
$14.53
$11.50
Total Return (%)b,c
13.78
18.12
(22.67
)
27.86
6.24
Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data
Net assets, end of period ($ millions)
4
3
3
4
3
Ratio of expenses before expense reductions (%)
3.75
3.82
3.55
3.04
2.47
Ratio of expenses after expense reductions (%)
.85
.85
1.22
1.25
1.13
Ratio of net investment income (%)
2.13
2.21
1.66
1.00
.65
Portfolio turnover rate (%)
17
6
27
38
68
a
Based on average shares outstanding during the period.
b
Total return does not reflect the effect of any sales charges.
c
Total return would have been lower had certain expenses not been reduced.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
|
13
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund -Class C
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
Selected Per Share Data
Net asset value, beginning of period
$12.60
$10.88
$14.22
$11.26
$10.89
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income (loss)a
.14
.17
.11
.02
(.01
)
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
1.46
1.69
(3.41
)
2.99
.62
Total from investment operations
1.60
1.86
(3.30
)
3.01
.61
Less distributions from:
Net investment income
(.38
)
(.14
)
(.04
)
(.05
)
(.24
)
Net asset value, end of period
$13.82
$12.60
$10.88
$14.22
$11.26
Total Return (%)b,c
12.96
17.28
(23.31
)
26.93
5.51
Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data
Net assets, end of period ($ millions)
.1
.4
1
1
1
Ratio of expenses before expense reductions (%)
4.53
4.58
4.28
3.78
3.19
Ratio of expenses after expense reductions (%)
1.60
1.60
1.97
1.98
1.88
Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%)
1.10
1.46
.88
.18
(.12
)
Portfolio turnover rate (%)
17
6
27
38
68
a
Based on average shares outstanding during the period.
b
Total return does not reflect the effect of any sales charges.
c
Total return would have been lower had certain expenses not been reduced.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
14
|
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund -Class S
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
Selected Per Share Data
Net asset value, beginning of period
$12.91
$11.16
$14.59
$11.55
$11.18
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment incomea
.30
.29
.25
.13
.06
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
1.47
1.72
(3.50
)
3.09
.67
Total from investment operations
1.77
2.01
(3.25
)
3.22
.73
Less distributions from:
Net investment income
(.51
)
(.26
)
(.18
)
(.18
)
(.36
)
Net asset value, end of period
$14.17
$12.91
$11.16
$14.59
$11.55
Total Return (%)b
14.14
18.30
(22.55
)
28.10
6.54
Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data
Net assets, end of period ($ millions)
2
2
2
2
3
Ratio of expenses before expense reductions (%)
3.51
3.61
3.31
2.84
2.23
Ratio of expenses after expense reductions (%)
.65
.65
1.02
1.04
.92
Ratio of net investment income (%)
2.31
2.39
1.90
.99
.53
Portfolio turnover rate (%)
17
6
27
38
68
a
Based on average shares outstanding during the period.
b
Total return would have been lower had certain expenses not been reduced.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
|
15
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund -Institutional Class
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
Selected Per Share Data
Net asset value, beginning of period
$12.96
$11.19
$14.63
$11.59
$11.21
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment incomea
.32
.30
.25
.16
.05
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
1.45
1.74
(3.50
)
3.07
.70
Total from investment operations
1.77
2.04
(3.25
)
3.23
.75
Less distributions from:
Net investment income
(.52
)
(.27
)
(.19
)
(.19
)
(.37
)
Net asset value, end of period
$14.21
$12.96
$11.19
$14.63
$11.59
Total Return (%)b
14.08
18.38
(22.50
)
28.16
6.58
Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data
Net assets, end of period ($ millions)
2
2
2
3
3
Ratio of expenses before expense reductions (%)
3.46
3.54
3.25
2.76
2.16
Ratio of expenses after expense reductions (%)
.60
.60
.98
.99
.87
Ratio of net investment income (%)
2.39
2.44
1.86
1.22
.40
Portfolio turnover rate (%)
17
6
27
38
68
a
Based on average shares outstanding during the period.
b
Total return would have been lower had certain expenses not been reduced.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
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|
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
Notes to Financial Statements
A.
Organization and Significant Accounting Policies
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund (the "Fund" ) is a diversified series of Deutsche DWS Global/International Fund, Inc. (the "Corporation" ), which is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act" ), as an open-end management investment company organized as a Maryland corporation.
The Fund offers multiple classes of shares which provide investors with different purchase options. Class A shares are subject to an initial sales charge. Class C shares are not subject to an initial sales charge but are subject to higher ongoing expenses than Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge payable upon certain redemptions within one year of purchase. Class C shares automatically convert to Class A shares in the same fund after 8 years, provided that the Fund or the financial intermediary through which the shareholder purchased the Class C shares has records verifying that the Class C shares have been held for at least 8 years. Class S shares are not subject to initial or contingent deferred sales charges and are available through certain intermediary relationships with financial services firms, or can be purchased by establishing an account directly with the Fund's transfer agent. Institutional Class shares are not subject to initial or contingent deferred sales charges and are generally available only to qualified institutions.
Investment income, realized and unrealized gains and losses, and certain fund-level expenses and expense reductions, if any, are borne pro rata on the basis of relative net assets by the holders of all classes of shares, except that each class bears certain expenses unique to that class such as distribution and service fees, services to shareholders and certain other class-specific expenses. Differences in class-level expenses may result in payment of different per share dividends by class. All shares of the Fund have equal rights with respect to voting subject to class-specific arrangements.
The Fund's financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP" ) which require the use of management estimates. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Fund qualifies as an investment company under Topic 946 of Accounting Standards Codification of U.S. GAAP. The policies described below are followed consistently by the Fund in the preparation of their financial statements.
Security Valuation. Investments are stated at value determined as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange on each day the exchange is open for trading.
The Fund's Board has designated DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. (the "Advisor" ) as the valuation designee for the Fund
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
|
17
pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. The Advisor's Pricing Committee (the "Pricing Committee" ) typically values securities using readily available market quotations or prices supplied by independent pricing services (which are considered fair values under Rule 2a-5). The Advisor has adopted fair valuation procedures that provide methodologies for fair valuing securities.
Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund's investments. These inputs are summarized in three broad levels. Level 1 includes quoted prices in active markets for identical securities. Level 2 includes other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds and credit risk). Level 3 includes significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments). The level assigned to the securities valuations may not be an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with investing in those securities.
Equity securities and exchange-traded funds ("ETFs" ) are valued at the most recent sale price or official closing price reported on the exchange (U.S. or foreign) or over-the-counter market on which they trade. Equity securities or ETFs for which no sales are reported are valued at the calculated mean between the most recent bid and asked quotations on the relevant market or, if a mean cannot be determined, at the most recent bid quotation. Equity securities and ETFs are generally categorized as Level 1. For certain international equity securities, in order to adjust for events which may occur between the close of the foreign exchanges and the close of the New York Stock Exchange, a fair valuation model may be used. This fair valuation model takes into account comparisons to the valuation of American Depository Receipts (ADRs), exchange-traded funds, futures contracts and certain indices and these securities are categorized as Level 2.
Investments in open-end investment companies are valued at their net asset value each business day and are categorized as Level 1.
Securities and other assets for which market quotations are not readily available or for which the above valuation procedures are deemed not to reflect fair value are valued in a manner that is intended to reflect their fair value as determined in accordance with procedures approved by the Pricing Committee and are generally categorized as Level 3. In accordance with the Fund's valuation procedures, factors considered in determining value may include, but are not limited to, the type of the security; the size of the holding; the initial cost of the security; the existence of any contractual restrictions on the security's disposition; the price and extent of public trading in similar securities of the issuer or of comparable companies; quotations or evaluated prices from broker-dealers and/or pricing services; information obtained from the issuer, analysts, and/or the appropriate stock exchange (for exchange-traded securities); an analysis of
18
|
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
the company's or issuer's financial statements; an evaluation of the forces that influence the issuer and the market(s) in which the security is purchased and sold; and with respect to debt securities, the maturity, coupon, creditworthiness, currency denomination and the movement of the market in which the security is normally traded. The value determined under these procedures may differ from published values for the same securities.
Disclosure about the classification of fair value measurements is included in a table following the Fund's Investment Portfolio.
Securities Lending. National Financial Services LLC (Fidelity Agency Lending), as securities lending agent, lends securities of the Fund to certain financial institutions under the terms of its securities lending agreement. During the term of the loans, the Fund continues to receive interest and dividends generated by the securities and to participate in any changes in their market value. The Fund requires the borrowers of the securities to maintain collateral with the Fund consisting of either cash or liquid, unencumbered assets having a value at least equal to the value of the securities loaned. When the collateral falls below specified amounts, the securities lending agent will use its best efforts to obtain additional collateral on the next business day to meet required amounts under the securities lending agreement. During the year ended August 31, 2024, the Fund invested the cash collateral, if any, into a joint trading account in affiliated money market funds, including DWS Government & Agency Securities Portfolio, managed by DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. receives a management/administration fee (0.13% annualized effective rate as of August 31, 2024) on the cash collateral invested in DWS Government & Agency Securities Portfolio. The Fund receives compensation for lending its securities either in the form of fees or by earning interest on invested cash collateral net of borrower rebates and fees paid to a securities lending agent. Either the Fund or the borrower may terminate the loan at any time, and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within a standard time period. There may be risks of delay and costs in recovery of securities or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. If the Fund is not able to recover securities lent, the Fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market, incurring the risk that the value of the replacement security is greater than the value of the collateral. The Fund is also subject to all investment risks associated with the reinvestment of any cash collateral received, including, but not limited to, interest rate, credit and liquidity risk associated with such investments.
As of August 31, 2024, the Fund had no securities on loan.
Foreign Currency Translations. The books and records of the Fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. Investment securities and other assets and
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
|
19
liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rates at period end. Purchases and sales of investment securities, income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rates on the respective dates of the transactions.
Net realized and unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net gains and losses between trade and settlement dates on securities transactions, the acquisition and disposition of foreign currencies, and the difference between the amount of net investment income accrued and the U.S. dollar amount actually received. The portion of both realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments that results from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates is not separately disclosed but is included with net realized and unrealized gain/appreciation and loss/depreciation on investments.
Taxes. The Fund's policy is to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which are applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute all of its taxable income to its shareholders.
Additionally, the Fund may be subject to taxes imposed by the governments of countries in which it invests and are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Estimated tax liabilities on certain foreign securities are recorded on an accrual basis and are reflected as components of interest income or net change in unrealized gain/loss on investments. Tax liabilities realized as a result of security sales are reflected as a component of net realized gain/loss on investments.
At August 31, 2024, the Fund had net tax basis capital loss carryforwards of $10,315,722 of short-term losses, which may be applied against realized net taxable capital gains indefinitely.
The Fund files tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service, the State of New York, and various other states. Specific to U.S. federal and state taxes, generally, each of the tax years in the four-year period ended August 31, 2024, remains subject to examination by taxing authorities. Specific to foreign countries in which the Fund invests, all open tax years remain subject to examination by taxing authorities in the respective jurisdictions. The open tax years vary by each jurisdiction in which the Fund invests.
Distribution of Income and Gains. Distributions from net investment income of the Fund are declared and distributed to shareholders annually. Net realized gains from investment transactions, in excess of available capital loss carryforwards, would be taxable to the Fund if not distributed, and, therefore, will be distributed to shareholders at least annually. The Fund may also make additional distributions for tax purposes if necessary.
20
|
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
The timing and characterization of certain income and capital gain distributions are determined annually in accordance with federal tax regulations which may differ from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These differences primarily relate to certain securities sold at a loss and income received from passive foreign investment companies. The Fund may utilize a portion of the proceeds from capital shares redeemed as a distribution from net investment income and realized capital gains. As a result, net investment income (loss) and net realized gain (loss) on investment transactions for a reporting period may differ significantly from distributions during such period. Accordingly, the Fund may periodically make reclassifications among certain of its capital accounts without impacting the net asset value of the Fund.
At August 31, 2024, the Fund's components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a net tax basis were as follows:
Undistributed ordinary income*
$114,996
Capital loss carryforwards
$(10,315,722
)
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments
$1,680,786
At August 31, 2024, the aggregate cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was $6,123,513. The net unrealized appreciation for all investments based on tax cost was $1,680,786. This consisted of aggregate gross unrealized appreciation for all investments for which there was an excess of value over tax cost of $2,306,445 and aggregate gross unrealized depreciation for all investments for which there was an excess of tax cost over value of $625,659.
In addition, the tax character of distributions paid to shareholders by the Fund is summarized as follows:
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
Distributions from ordinary income*
$278,699
$144,994
*
For tax purposes, short-term capital gain distributions are considered ordinary
income distributions.
Expenses. Expenses of the Corporation arising in connection with a specific fund are allocated to that Fund. Other Corporation expenses which cannot be directly attributed to a fund are apportioned among the funds in the Corporation based upon the relative net assets or other appropriate measures.
Contingencies. In the normal course of business, the Fund may enter into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. The Fund's maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
|
21
the Fund that have not yet been made. However, based on experience, the Fund expects the risk of loss to be remote.
Other. Investment transactions are accounted for on a trade date plus one basis for daily net asset value calculations. However, for financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are reported on trade date. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date net of foreign withholding taxes. Certain dividends from foreign securities may be recorded subsequent to the ex-dividend date as soon as the Fund is informed of such dividends. Realized gains and losses from investment transactions are recorded on an identified cost basis. Proceeds from litigation payments, if any, are included in net realized gain (loss) from investments.
B.
Purchases and Sales of Securities
During the year ended August 31, 2024, purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) aggregated $1,228,460 and $1,687,165, respectively.
C.
Related Parties
Management Agreement. Under the Investment Management Agreement with DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. ("DIMA" or the "Advisor" ), an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA ("DWS Group" ), the Advisor directs the investments of the Fund in accordance with its investment objectives, policies and restrictions. The Advisor determines the securities, instruments and other contracts relating to investments to be purchased, sold or entered into by the Fund.
Under the Investment Management Agreement with the Advisor, the Fund pays a monthly management fee based on the average daily net assets of the Fund, computed and accrued daily and payable monthly at the annual rate (exclusive of any applicable waivers/reimbursements) of 0.45%.
For the period from September 1, 2023 through November 30, 2024 (through September 30, 2024 for Class S shares), the Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or reimburse certain operating expenses of the Fund to the extent necessary to maintain the total annual operating expenses (excluding certain expenses such as extraordinary
22
|
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
expenses, taxes, brokerage, interest expense and acquired fund fees and expenses) of each class as follows:
Class A
.85%
Class C
1.60%
Class S
.65%
Institutional Class
.60%
Effective October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025, the Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or reimburse certain operating expenses to the extent necessary to maintain the total annual operating expenses (excluding certain expenses such as extraordinary expenses, taxes, brokerage, interest expense and acquired fund fees and expenses) of Class S at 0.60%.
For the year ended August 31, 2024, fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed for each class are as follows:
Class A
$107,448
Class C
5,391
Class S
50,431
Institutional Class
50,747
$214,017
Administration Fee. Pursuant to an Administrative Services Agreement, DIMA provides most administrative services to the Fund. For all services provided under the Administrative Services Agreement, the Fund pays the Advisor an annual fee ("Administration Fee" ) of 0.097% of the Fund's average daily net assets, computed and accrued daily and payable monthly. For the year ended August 31, 2024, the Administration Fee was $7,203, of which $614 is unpaid.
Service Provider Fees. DWS Service Company ("DSC" ), an affiliate of the Advisor, is the transfer agent, dividend-paying agent and shareholder service agent for the Fund. Pursuant to a sub-transfer agency agreement between DSC and SS&C GIDS, Inc. ("SS&C" ), DSC has delegated certain transfer agent, dividend-paying agent and shareholder service agent functions to SS&C. DSC compensates SS&C out of the shareholder
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
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23
servicing fee it receives from the Fund. For the year ended August 31, 2024, the amounts charged to the Fund by DSC were as follows:
Services to Shareholders
Total
Aggregated
Unpaid at
August 31, 2024
Class A
$776
$134
Class C
171
28
Class S
1,661
279
Institutional Class
154
28
$2,762
$469
In addition, for the year ended August 31, 2024, the amounts charged to the Fund for recordkeeping and other administrative services provided by unaffiliated third parties, included in the Statement of Operations under "Services to shareholders," were as follows:
Sub-Recordkeeping
Total
Aggregated
Class A
$4,714
Class C
147
Class S
1,006
Institutional Class
1,595
$7,462
Distribution and Service Fees. Under the Fund's Class C 12b-1 Plan, DWS Distributors, Inc. ("DDI" ), an affiliate of the Advisor, receives a fee ("Distribution Fee" ) of 0.75% of the average daily net assets of Class C shares. In accordance with the Fund's Underwriting and Distribution Services Agreement, DDI enters into related selling group agreements with various firms at various rates for sales of Class C shares. For the year ended August 31, 2024, the Distribution Fee was as follows:
Distribution Fee
Total
Aggregated
Unpaid at
August 31, 2024
Class C
$1,381
$84
In addition, DDI provides information and administrative services for a fee ("Service Fee" ) to Class A and C shareholders at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets for each such class. DDI in turn has various agreements with financial services firms that provide these services and pays these fees based upon the assets of shareholder
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DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
accounts the firms service. For the year ended August 31, 2024, the Service Fee was as follows:
Service Fee
Total
Aggregated
Unpaid at
August 31, 2024
Annual
Rate
Class A
$8,782
$1,652
.24%
Class C
446
70
.24%
$9,228
$1,722
Underwriting Agreement and Contingent Deferred Sales Charge. DDI is the principal underwriter for the Fund. Underwriting commissions paid in connection with the distribution of Class A shares for the year ended August 31, 2024 aggregated $2.
In addition, DDI receives any contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC" ) from Class C share redemptions occurring within one year of purchase. There is no such charge upon redemption of any share appreciation or reinvested dividends. The CDSC is 1% of the value of the shares redeemed for Class C. For the year ended August 31, 2024, there was no CDSC for Class C Shares. A deferred sales charge of up to 1% is assessed on certain redemptions of Class A shares.
Other Service Fees. Under an agreement with the Fund, DIMA is compensated for providing regulatory filing services to the Fund. For the year ended August 31, 2024, the amount charged to the Fund by DIMA included in the Statement of Operations under "Reports to shareholders"  aggregated $1,610, of which $572 is unpaid.
Directors' Fees and Expenses. The Fund paid retainer fees to each Director not affiliated with the Advisor, plus specified amounts to the Board Chairperson and to each committee Chairperson.
Affiliated Cash Management Vehicles. The Fund may invest uninvested cash balances in DWS Central Cash Management Government Fund, an affiliated money market fund which is managed by the Advisor. DWS Central Cash Management Government Fund is managed in accordance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act, which governs the quality, maturity, diversity and liquidity of instruments in which a money market fund may invest and seeks to maintain a stable net asset value. The Fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of the expenses of its investment in DWS Central Cash Management Government Fund. DWS Central Cash Management Government Fund does not pay the Advisor an investment management fee.
D.
Line of Credit
The Fund and other affiliated funds (the "Participants" ) share in a $345 million revolving credit facility provided by a syndication of banks. The Fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes, including
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the meeting of redemption requests that otherwise might require the untimely disposition of securities. The Participants are charged an annual commitment fee, which is allocated based on net assets, among each of the Participants. Interest is calculated at a daily fluctuating rate per annum equal to the sum of 0.10% plus the higher of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and the Overnight Bank Funding Rate, plus 1.25%. The Fund may borrow up to a maximum of 33 percent of its net assets under the agreement. The Fund had no outstanding loans at August 31, 2024.
E.
Fund Share Transactions
The following table summarizes share and dollar activity in the Fund:
Year Ended
August 31, 2024
Year Ended
August 31, 2023
Shares
Dollars
Shares
Dollars
Shares sold
Class A
27,235
$347,532
51,275
$643,345
Class C
361
4,603
1,125
13,830
Class S
1,494
19,354
8,563
109,398
Institutional Class
27,078
368,656
29,718
368,557
$740,145
$1,135,130
Shares issued to shareholders in reinvestment of distributions
Class A
10,476
$134,817
5,225
$60,345
Class C
459
5,819
714
8,113
Class S
5,428
70,021
3,506
40,595
Institutional Class
5,130
66,384
3,013
34,983
$277,041
$144,036
Shares redeemed
Class A
(32,458
)
$(425,476
)
(58,384
)
$(700,814
)
Class C
(25,505
)
(316,712
)
(31,142
)
(380,250
)
Class S
(22,157
)
(296,984
)
(29,167
)
(372,254
)
Institutional Class
(23,956
)
(321,117
)
(55,971
)
(646,481
)
$(1,360,289
)
$(2,099,799
)
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DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
Year Ended
August 31, 2024
Year Ended
August 31, 2023
Shares
Dollars
Shares
Dollars
Net increase (decrease)
Class A
5,253
$56,873
(1,884
)
$2,876
Class C
(24,685
)
(306,290
)
(29,303
)
(358,307
)
Class S
(15,235
)
(207,609
)
(17,098
)
(222,261
)
Institutional Class
8,252
113,923
(23,240
)
(242,941
)
$(343,103
)
$(820,633
)
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors of Deutsche DWS Global/International Fund, Inc. and Shareholders of DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund:
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund (the "Fund" ) (one of the funds constituting Deutsche DWS Global/International Fund, Inc. (the "Corporation" )), including the investment portfolio, as of August 31, 2024, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "financial statements" ). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund (one of the funds constituting Deutsche DWS Global/International Fund, Inc.) at August 31, 2024, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and its financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Corporation's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB" ) and are required to be independent with respect to the Corporation in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Corporation is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of the Corporation's internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the
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DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
effectiveness of the Corporation's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of August 31, 2024, by correspondence with the custodian, brokers, and others; when replies were not received from brokers and others, we performed other auditing procedures. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
We have served as the auditor of one or more investment companies in the DWS family of funds since at least 1979, but we are unable to determine the specific year.
Boston, Massachusetts
October 22, 2024
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Tax Information (Unaudited)
For federal income tax purposes, the Fund designates approximately $261,000, or the maximum amount allowable under tax law, as qualified dividend income.
The Fund paid foreign taxes of $15,614 and earned $176,421 of foreign source income during the year ended August 31, 2024. Pursuant to Section 853 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund designates $0.03 per share as foreign taxes paid and $0.32 per share as income earned from foreign sources for the year ended August 31, 2024.
Please consult a tax advisor if you have questions about federal or state income tax laws, or on how to prepare your tax returns. If you have specific questions about your account, please call (800) 728-3337.
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DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
Advisory Agreement Board Considerations and Fee Evaluation
The Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as the "Board" or "Directors" ) approved the renewal of DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund's (the "Fund" ) investment management agreement (the "Agreement" ) with DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. ("DIMA" ) in September 2023.
In terms of the process that the Board followed prior to approving the Agreement, shareholders should know that:
- 
During the entire process, all of the Fund's Directors were independent of DIMA and its affiliates (the "Independent Directors" ).
- 
The Board met frequently during the past year to discuss fund matters and dedicated a substantial amount of time to contract review matters. Over the course of several months, the Board reviewed extensive materials received from DIMA, independent third parties and independent counsel. These materials included an analysis of the Fund's performance, fees and expenses, profitability, economies of scale, and fall-out benefits from a fee consultant retained by the Fund's Independent Directors (the "Fee Consultant" ).
- 
The Board also received extensive information throughout the year regarding performance of the Fund.
- 
The Independent Directors regularly met privately with counsel to discuss contract review and other matters. In addition, the Independent Directors were advised by the Fee Consultant as part of their review of the Fund's contractual arrangements and considered a comprehensive report prepared by the Fee Consultant in connection with their deliberations.
- 
In connection with reviewing the Agreement, the Board also reviewed the terms of the Fund's Rule 12b-1 plan, distribution agreement, administrative services agreement, transfer agency agreement and other material service agreements.
In connection with the contract review process, the Board considered the factors discussed below, among others. The Board also considered that DIMA has managed the Fund since its inception, and the Board believes that a long-term relationship with a capable, conscientious advisor is in the best interests of the Fund. The Board considered, generally, that shareholders chose to invest or remain invested in the Fund knowing that DIMA managed the Fund. DIMA is part of DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA ("DWS Group" ). DWS Group is a global asset management business that offers a wide range of investing expertise and resources, including research capabilities in many countries throughout the world. DWS Group
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
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31
is majority-owned by Deutsche Bank AG, with approximately 20% of its shares publicly traded.
As part of the contract review process, the Board carefully considered the fees and expenses of each DWS fund overseen by the Board in light of the fund's performance. In many cases, this led to the negotiation and implementation of expense caps.
While shareholders may focus primarily on fund performance and fees, the Fund's Board considers these and many other factors, including the quality and integrity of DIMA's personnel and administrative support services provided by DIMA, such as back-office operations, fund valuations, and compliance policies and procedures.
Nature, Quality and Extent of Services. The Board considered the terms of the Agreement, including the scope of advisory services provided under the Agreement. The Board noted that, under the Agreement, DIMA provides portfolio management services to the Fund and that, pursuant to a separate administrative services agreement, DIMA provides administrative services to the Fund. The Board considered the experience and skills of senior management and investment personnel and the resources made available to such personnel. The Board also considered the risks to DIMA in sponsoring or managing the Fund, including financial, operational and reputational risks, the potential economic impact to DIMA from such risks and DIMA's approach to addressing such risks. The Board reviewed the Fund's performance over short-term and long-term periods and compared those returns to various agreed-upon performance measures, including market index(es) and a peer universe compiled using information supplied by Morningstar Direct ("Morningstar" ), an independent fund data service. The Board also noted that it has put into place a process of identifying "Funds in Review" (e.g., funds performing poorly relative to a peer universe), and receives additional reporting from DIMA regarding such funds and, where appropriate, DIMA's plans to address underperformance. The Board believes this process is an effective manner of identifying and addressing underperforming funds. Based on the information provided, the Board noted that, for the one-, three- and five-year periods ended December 31, 2022, the Fund's performance (Class A shares) was in the 3rd quartile, 2nd quartile and 3rd quartile, respectively, of the applicable Morningstar universe (the 1st quartile being the best performers and the 4th quartile being the worst performers). The Board also observed that the Fund has underperformed its benchmark in the one-, three- and five-year periods ended December 31, 2022.
Fees and Expenses. The Board considered the Fund's investment management fee schedule, operating expenses and total expense ratios, and comparative information provided by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge" ) and the Fee Consultant regarding investment management fee rates paid to other investment advisors by similar funds
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DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
(1st quartile being the most favorable and 4th quartile being the least favorable). With respect to management fees paid to other investment advisors by similar funds, the Board noted that the contractual fee rates paid by the Fund, which include a 0.097% fee paid to DIMA under the Fund's administrative services agreement, were lower than the median (1st quartile) of the applicable Broadridge peer group (based on Broadridge data provided as of December 31, 2022). The Board noted that, effective October 1, 2022, in connection with the 2022 contract renewal process, DIMA agreed to reduce the Fund's contractual management fee by 0.20%. The Board noted that the Fund's Class A shares total (net) operating expenses (excluding 12b-1 fees) were expected to be lower than the median of the applicable Broadridge expense universe (based on Broadridge data provided as of December 31, 2022, and analyzing Broadridge expense universe Class A (net) expenses less any applicable 12b-1 fees) ("Broadridge Universe Expenses" ). The Board also reviewed data comparing each other operational share class's total (net) operating expenses to the applicable Broadridge Universe Expenses. The Board noted that the expense limitations agreed to by DIMA were expected to help the Fund's total (net) operating expenses remain competitive. The Board considered the Fund's management fee rate as compared to fees charged by DIMA to comparable DWS U.S. registered funds ("DWS Funds" ), noting that DIMA indicated that it does not provide services to any other comparable DWS Funds. The information requested by the Board as part of its review of fees and expenses also included information about institutional accounts (including any sub-advised funds and accounts) and funds offered primarily to European investors ("DWS Europe Funds" ) managed by DWS Group. The Board noted that DIMA indicated that DWS Group does not manage any institutional accounts or DWS Europe Funds comparable to the Fund.
On the basis of the information provided, the Board concluded that management fees were reasonable and appropriate in light of the nature, quality and extent of services provided by DIMA.
Profitability. The Board reviewed detailed information regarding revenues received by DIMA under the Agreement. The Board considered the estimated costs to DIMA, and pre-tax profits realized by DIMA, from advising the DWS Funds, as well as estimates of the pre-tax profits attributable to managing the Fund in particular. The Board also received information regarding the estimated enterprise-wide profitability of DIMA and its affiliates with respect to all fund services in totality and by fund. The Board and the Fee Consultant reviewed DIMA's methodology in allocating its costs to the management of the Fund. Based on the information provided, the Board concluded that the pre-tax profits realized by DIMA in connection with the management of the Fund were not unreasonable. The Board also reviewed certain publicly available information regarding the profitability of certain similar investment
DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
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33
management firms. The Board noted that, while information regarding the profitability of such firms is limited (and in some cases is not necessarily prepared on a comparable basis), DIMA and its affiliates' overall profitability with respect to the DWS Funds (after taking into account distribution and other services provided to the funds by DIMA and its affiliates) was lower than the overall profitability levels of most comparable firms for which such data was available.
Economies of Scale. The Board considered whether there are economies of scale with respect to the management of the Fund and whether the Fund benefits from any economies of scale. In this regard, the Board observed that while the Fund's current investment management fee schedule does not include breakpoints, the Fund's fee schedule represents an appropriate sharing between the Fund and DIMA of such economies of scale as may exist in the management of the Fund at current asset levels.
Other Benefits to DIMA and Its Affiliates. The Board also considered the character and amount of other incidental or "fall-out" benefits received by DIMA and its affiliates, including any fees received by DIMA for administrative services provided to the Fund, any fees received by an affiliate of DIMA for transfer agency services provided to the Fund and any fees received by an affiliate of DIMA for distribution services. The Board also considered benefits to DIMA related to brokerage and soft-dollar allocations, including allocating brokerage to pay for research generated by parties other than the executing broker dealers, which pertain primarily to funds investing in equity securities. In addition, the Board considered the incidental public relations benefits to DIMA related to DWS Funds advertising and cross-selling opportunities among DIMA products and services. The Board considered these benefits in reaching its conclusion that the Fund's management fees were reasonable.
Compliance. The Board considered the significant attention and resources dedicated by DIMA to its compliance processes in recent years. The Board noted in particular (i) the experience, seniority and time commitment of the individuals serving as DIMA's and the Fund's chief compliance officers; (ii) the substantial commitment of resources by DIMA and its affiliates to compliance matters, including the retention of compliance personnel; and (iii) ongoing efforts to enhance the compliance program.
Based on all of the information considered and the conclusions reached, the Board determined that the continuation of the Agreement is in the best interests of the Fund. In making this determination, the Board did not give particular weight to any single factor identified above. The Board considered these factors over the course of numerous meetings, certain of which were in executive session with only the Independent Directors and counsel present. It is possible that individual Independent Directors
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DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund
may have weighed these factors differently in reaching their individual decisions to approve the continuation of the Agreement.
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35
DEICEF-NCSRA
(b) The Financial Highlights are included with the Financial Statements under Item 7(a).
Item 8. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants for Open-End Management Investment Companies.
Not applicable
Item 9. Proxy Disclosures for Open-End Management Investment Companies.
Not applicable
Item 10. Remuneration Paid to Directors, Officers, and Others of Open-End Management Investment Companies.
See Item 7(a)
Item 11. Statement Regarding Basis for Approval of Investment Advisory Contract.
See Item 7(a)
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. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.
Not applicable
Item 15. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security.
There were no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Fund's Board. The primary function of the Nominating and Governance Committee is to identify and recommend individuals for membership on the Board and oversee the administration of the Board Governance Guidelines. Shareholders may recommend candidates for Board positions by forwarding their correspondence by U.S. mail or courier service to Keith R. Fox, DWS Funds Board Chair, c/o Thomas R. Hiller, Ropes & Gray LLP, Prudential Tower, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199-3600.
Item 16. Controls and Procedures.
(a) The Chief Executive and Financial Officers concluded that the Registrant's Disclosure Controls and Procedures are effective based on the evaluation of the Disclosure Controls and Procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report.
(b) There have been no changes in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal controls over financial reporting.
Item 17. Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.
Not applicable
Item 18. Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation.
Not applicable
Item 19. Exhibits
(a)(1) Code of Ethics pursuant to Item 2 of Form N-CSR is filed and attached hereto as EX-99.CODE ETH.
(a)(2) Certification pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30a-2(a)) is filed and attached hereto as Exhibit 99.CERT.
(b) Certification pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30a-2(b)) is furnished and attached hereto as Exhibit 99.906CERT.

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.

Registrant: DWS ESG International Core Equity Fund, a series of Deutsche DWS Global/International Fund, Inc.
By:

/s/Hepsen Uzcan

Hepsen Uzcan

Principal Executive Officer

Date: 10/28/2024

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/Hepsen Uzcan

Hepsen Uzcan

Principal Executive Officer

Date: 10/28/2024
By:

/s/Diane Kenneally

Diane Kenneally

Principal Financial Officer

Date: 10/28/2024