Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have significant impact on a security or instrument. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.

Equity Risk. The value of the equity securities held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.

Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund’s foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Foreign securities include ADRs, EDRs, CDRs and GDRs. Unsponsored ADRs and GDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities, and involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends.

Emerging Markets Risk. Many of the risks with respect to foreign investments are more pronounced for investments in issuers in developing or emerging market countries. Emerging market countries tend to have more government exchange controls, more volatile interest and currency exchange rates, less market regulation, and less developed and less stable economic, political and legal systems than those of more developed countries. There may be less publicly available and reliable information about issuers in emerging markets than is available about issuers in more developed markets. In addition, emerging market countries may experience high levels of inflation and may have less liquid securities markets and less efficient trading and settlement systems.

Frontier Markets Risk. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than traditional emerging markets, and as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries.

Risks Associated with Europe. Europe includes both developed and emerging markets. Most Western European countries are members of the European Union (the “EU”), which imposes restrictions on inflation rates, deficits and debt levels. Both developed and emerging market countries in Europe will be significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary controls of the European Monetary Union. Changes in regulations on trade, decreasing imports or exports, changes in the exchange rate of the euro, recessions among European countries and acts of war in the region may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other European countries, including those of Eastern Europe. In particular, the duration of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022, the long-term impact of the resulting sanctions on Russia, and the full extent of the impact on global markets and trade remains uncertain, but there have been significant adverse impacts on the European economy as well as on the prices and availability of certain commodities, including oil and natural gas. The markets in Eastern Europe remain relatively undeveloped and can be particularly sensitive to political and economic developments. The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about rising government debt levels of certain European countries, each of which may require external assistance to meet its obligations and run the risk of default on its debt, possible bail-out by the rest of the EU or debt restructuring. Assistance given to an EU member state may be dependent on a country’s implementation of reforms in order to curb the risk of default on its debt, and a failure to implement these reforms or increase revenues could result in a deep economic downturn. These events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and therefore may adversely affect the Fund and its investments.

Growth-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk. Growth funds generally focus on stocks of companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in revenue and earnings. Growth securities typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices frequently reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and when it appears that those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth securities typically fall.

Currency Risk. The values of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increase or decrease as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value.

Management and Strategy Risk. The value of your investment depends on the judgment of the Fund’s advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, industry, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect.

Market Capitalization Risk. Larger, more established companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies during periods of economic expansion. The securities of small-capitalization or mid-capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may have lower trading volumes or more erratic trading than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. In addition, such companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large capitalization companies by changes in earning results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions.

Recent Market Events. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events and other economic, political, and global macro factors. For example, in recent years the COVID-19 pandemic, the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the rise of inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. These and other similar events could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments, impair the Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance.

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2023, 25.2% and 25.0% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the industrials sector and the information technology sector, respectively. Performance of companies in the industrials sector may be affected by, among other things, supply and demand for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general. Moreover, government regulation, world events, exchange rates and economic conditions, technological developments, fuel prices, labor agreements, insurance costs, and liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities will likewise affect the performance of these companies. As to companies in the information technology sector, such companies can be significantly affected by intense competition, consumer preferences, problems with product compatibility and government regulation.

Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Fund’s advisor, and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder’s ability to exchange or redeem Fund shares may be affected. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have significant impact on a security or instrument. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.

Equity Risk. The value of the equity securities held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.

Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund’s foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Foreign securities include ADRs, EDRs, CDRs and GDRs. Unsponsored ADRs and GDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities, and involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends.

Emerging Markets Risk. Many of the risks with respect to foreign investments are more pronounced for investments in issuers in developing or emerging market countries. Emerging market countries tend to have more government exchange controls, more volatile interest and currency exchange rates, less market regulation, and less developed and less stable economic, political and legal systems than those of more developed countries. There may be less publicly available and reliable information about issuers in emerging markets than is available about issuers in more developed markets. In addition, emerging market countries may experience high levels of inflation and may have less liquid securities markets and less efficient trading and settlement systems.

Frontier Markets Risk. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than traditional emerging markets, and as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries.

IPO Risk. The market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk.

Asia Risk. Asia includes both developed and emerging market economies experiencing different stages of growth. Certain Asian economies may experience currency devaluations and restrictions, high inflation, decreased exports, high unemployment rates, government corruption, and economic recessions. In addition, certain Asian countries have experienced expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political instability, piracy of intellectual property data, armed conflict, and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic, socio-economic and/or political unrest. In particular, escalated tensions involving North Korea and any outbreak of hostilities involving North Korea, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities, could have a severe adverse effect on Asian economies. Some economies in this region are dependent on a range of commodities, strongly affected by international commodity prices, and particularly vulnerable to price changes for these products. The market for securities in this region may also be directly influenced by the flow of international capital and by the economic and market conditions of neighboring countries. Some Asian economies are highly dependent on trade, and the economic conditions in other countries within and outside of Asia can impact these economies.

Risks Associated with China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

China: Investments in Chinese issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to China. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of Chinese companies. The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. A relatively small number of Chinese companies represent a large portion of China’s total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements. The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China’s political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. International trade tensions may arise from time to time which can result in trade tariffs, embargoes, trade limitations, trade wars and other negative consequences. These consequences may trigger a reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export industry with a potentially severe negative impact to the Fund. From time to time, China has experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses, and the country may be subject to other public health threats or similar issues in the future. Any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the Chinese economy.

Hong Kong: Investments in Hong Kong issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to Hong Kong. If China were to exert its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures or the existing social policy of Hong Kong, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance and have an adverse effect on the Fund’s investments.

Taiwan: Investments in Taiwanese issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to Taiwan. Taiwan’s geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions between the two countries, which could have an adverse impact on the values of investments in either China or Taiwan, or make investments in China and/or Taiwan impractical or impossible.

Risks of Investing in A-Shares. The A-Share market is volatile with a risk of suspension of trading in a particular security or multiple securities or government intervention. Securities in the A-Share market may be suspended from trading without an indication of how long the suspension will last, which may impair the liquidity of such securities and may impact the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment strategy. The Chinese securities markets are emerging markets characterized by relatively low trading volume, resulting in substantially less liquidity and greater price volatility. Liquidity risks may be more pronounced for the A-Share market than for Chinese securities

markets generally because the A-Share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control, including trading suspensions. China A-Shares are only available to non-mainland China investors (i) through the QFII Programs or (ii) through Stock Connect.

A-Shares Tax Risk. The Fund’s investments in A-Shares will be subject to a number of taxes and tax regulations in China. The application of many of these tax regulations is at present uncertain. Moreover, the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) has implemented a number of tax reforms in recent years, including the value added tax reform, and may continue to amend or revise existing PRC tax laws in the future. Changes in applicable PRC tax law, particularly taxation on a retrospective basis, could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund directly or indirectly by reducing the after-tax profits of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. Uncertainties in the Chinese tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments in A-Shares could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The Fund’s investments in securities issued by Chinese companies, including A-Shares, may cause the Fund to become subject to withholding income tax and other taxes imposed by the PRC. The PRC taxation rules are evolving, may change, and new rules may be applied retroactively. Any such changes could have an adverse impact on Fund performance.

Risks of Investing through Stock Connect. Investing in A-Shares through Stock Connect is subject to trading, clearance, settlement and other procedures, which could pose risks to the Fund. Trading through Stock Connect is also subject to a daily quota (the “Daily Quota”), which limits the maximum net purchases under Stock Connect each day, and as such, buy orders for A-Shares would be rejected once the Daily Quota is exceeded (although the Fund will be permitted to sell A-Shares regardless of the Daily Quota balance). Thus, the Daily Quota may restrict the Fund’s ability to invest in A-Shares through Stock Connect on a timely basis and could affect the Fund’s ability to effectively pursue its investment strategy. Stock Connect will only operate on days when both the Chinese and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. Therefore, an investment in A-Shares through Stock Connect may subject the Fund to the risk of price fluctuations on days when the Chinese markets are open, but Stock Connect is not trading.

Risks of Investing in H-Shares. H-Shares are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and they must meet Hong Kong’s listing and disclosure requirements. In addition to the risks described herein, H-shares are subject to the risk that the Hong Kong stock market may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese stock market. There may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the mainland Chinese stock market.

Currency Risk. The value of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increases or decreases as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value.

Management and Strategy Risk. The value of your investment depends on the judgment of the Fund’s advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, industry, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect.

Market Capitalization Risk. Larger, more established companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies during periods of economic expansion. The securities of small-capitalization or mid-capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may have lower trading

volumes or more erratic trading than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. In addition, such companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large capitalization companies by changes in earning results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions.

Recent Market Events. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events and other economic, political, and global macro factors. For example, in recent years the COVID-19 pandemic, the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the rise of inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. These and other similar events could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments, impair the Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance.

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2023, 31.3% and 24.1% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the information technology sector and the financial sector, respectively. Companies in the information technology sector can be significantly affected by intense competition, consumer preferences, problems with product compatibility and government regulation. As to the financial sector, the performance of companies in such sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others: government regulations of, or related to, the sector; governmental monetary and fiscal policies; economic, business, or political conditions; credit rating downgrades; changes in interest rates; price competition; and decreased liquidity in credit markets.

Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Fund’s advisor, and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder’s ability to exchange or redeem Fund shares may be affected. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have significant impact on a security or instrument. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.

Equity Risk. The value of the equity securities held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.

Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environment of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Foreign securities include ADRs, EDRs, CDRs and GDRs. Unsponsored ADRs and GDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities, and involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends.

Emerging Markets Risk. Many of the risks with respect to foreign investments are more pronounced for investments in issuers in developing or emerging market countries. Emerging market countries tend to have more government exchange controls, more volatile interest and currency exchange rates, less market regulation, and less developed and less stable economic, political and legal systems than those of more developed countries. There may be less publicly available and reliable information about issuers in emerging markets than is available about issuers in more developed markets. In addition, emerging market countries may experience high levels of inflation and may have less liquid securities markets and less efficient trading and settlement systems.

Frontier Markets Risk. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than traditional emerging markets, and as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries.

Risks Associated with Europe. Europe includes both developed and emerging markets. Most Western European countries are members of the European Union (the “EU”), which imposes restrictions on inflation rates, deficits and debt levels. Both developed and emerging market countries in Europe will be significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary controls of the European Monetary Union. Changes in regulations on trade, decreasing imports or exports, changes in the exchange rate of the euro, recessions among European countries and acts of war in the region may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other European countries, including those of Eastern Europe. In

particular, the duration of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022, the long-term impact of the resulting sanctions on Russia, and the full extent of the impact on global markets and trade remains uncertain, but there have been significant adverse impacts on the European economy as well as on the prices and availability of certain commodities, including oil and natural gas. The markets in Eastern Europe remain relatively undeveloped and can be particularly sensitive to political and economic developments. The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about rising government debt levels of certain European countries, each of which may require external assistance to meet its obligations and run the risk of default on its debt, possible bail-out by the rest of the EU or debt restructuring. Assistance given to an EU member state may be dependent on a country’s implementation of reforms in order to curb the risk of default on its debt, and a failure to implement these reforms or increase revenues could result in a deep economic downturn. These events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and therefore may adversely affect the Fund and its investments.

IPO Risk. The market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk.

Growth-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk. Growth funds generally focus on stocks of companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in revenue and earnings. Growth securities typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices frequently reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and when it appears that those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth securities typically fall.

Currency Risk. The value of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increase or decrease as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value.

Management and Strategy Risk. The value of your investment depends on the judgment of the Fund’s advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, industry, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect.

Market Capitalization Risk. Larger, more established companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies during periods of economic expansion. The securities of small-capitalization and mid-capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may have lower trading volumes or more erratic trading than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. In addition, such companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large capitalization companies by changes in earning results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions.

Recent Market Events. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events and other economic, political, and global macro factors. For example, in recent years the COVID-19 pandemic, the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the rise of inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. These and other similar events could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments, impair the Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance.

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2023, 34.7% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the information technology sector. Companies in the information technology sector can be significantly affected by intense competition, consumer preferences, problems with product compatibility and government regulation.

Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Fund’s advisor, and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder’s ability to exchange or redeem Fund shares may be affected. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have significant impact on a security or instrument. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.

Equity Risk. The value of the equity securities held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.

Small-Cap Company Risk. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may have lower trading volumes or more erratic trading than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. In addition, such companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large capitalization companies by changes in earning results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions.

Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund’s foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Foreign securities include ADRs, EDRs,

CDRs and GDRs. Unsponsored depositary receipts involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends. Emerging markets tend to be more volatile than the markets of more mature economies and generally have less diverse and less mature economic structures and less stable political systems than those of developed countries.

Risks Associated with Europe. Europe includes both developed and emerging markets. Most Western European countries are members of the European Union (the “EU”), which imposes restrictions on inflation rates, deficits and debt levels. Both developed and emerging market countries in Europe will be significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary controls of the European Monetary Union. Changes in regulations on trade, decreasing imports or exports, changes in the exchange rate of the euro, recessions among European countries and acts of war in the region may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other European countries, including those of Eastern Europe. In particular, the duration of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022, the long-term impact of the resulting sanctions on Russia, and the full extent of the impact on global markets and trade remains uncertain, but there have been significant adverse impacts on the European economy as well as on the prices and availability of certain commodities, including oil and natural gas. The markets in Eastern Europe remain relatively undeveloped and can be particularly sensitive to political and economic developments. The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about rising government debt levels of certain European countries, each of which may require external assistance to meet its obligations and run the risk of default on its debt, possible bail-out by the rest of the EU or debt restructuring. Assistance given to an EU member state may be dependent on a country’s implementation of reforms in order to curb the risk of default on its debt, and a failure to implement these reforms or increase revenues could result in a deep economic downturn. These events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and therefore may adversely affect the Fund and its investments.

Risks Associated with China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

China: Investments in Chinese issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to China. The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. A relatively small number of Chinese companies represent a large portion of China’s total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements. The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China’s political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. International trade tensions may arise from time to time which can result in trade tariffs, embargoes, trade limitations, trade wars and other negative consequences. These consequences may trigger a reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export industry with a potentially severe negative impact to the Fund. From time to time, China has experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses, and the country may be subject to other public health threats or similar issues in the future. Any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the Chinese economy.

Hong Kong: Investments in Hong Kong issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to Hong Kong. If China were to exert its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures or the existing social policy of Hong Kong, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance and have an adverse effect on the Fund’s investments.

Taiwan: Investments in Taiwanese issuers involve legal, regulatory, political, currency, and economic risks that are specific to Taiwan. Taiwan’s geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions between the two countries, which could have an adverse impact on the values of investments in either China or Taiwan, or make investments in China and/or Taiwan impractical or impossible.

Risks of Investing in A-Shares. The A-Share market is volatile with a risk of suspension of trading in a particular security or multiple securities or government intervention. Securities in the A-Share market may be suspended from trading without an indication of how long the suspension will last, which may impair the liquidity of such securities and may impact the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment strategy. The Chinese securities markets are emerging markets characterized by relatively low trading volume, resulting in substantially less liquidity and greater price volatility. Liquidity risks may be more pronounced for the A-Share market than for Chinese securities markets generally because the A-Share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control, including trading suspensions. China A-Shares are only available to non-mainland China investors (i) through the QFII Programs or (ii) through Stock Connect.

A-Shares Tax Risk. The Fund’s investments in A-Shares will be subject to a number of taxes and tax regulations in China. The application of many of these tax regulations is at present uncertain. Moreover, the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) has implemented a number of tax reforms in recent years, including the value added tax reform, and may continue to amend or revise existing PRC tax laws in the future. Changes in applicable PRC tax law, particularly taxation on a retrospective basis, could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund directly or indirectly by reducing the after-tax profits of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. Uncertainties in the Chinese tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments in A-Shares could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The Fund’s investments in securities issued by Chinese companies, including A-Shares, may cause the Fund to become subject to withholding income tax and other taxes imposed by the PRC. The PRC taxation rules are evolving, may change, and new rules may be applied retroactively. Any such changes could have an adverse impact on Fund performance.

Emerging Markets Risk. Many of the risks with respect to foreign investments are more pronounced for investments in issuers in developing or emerging market countries. Emerging market countries tend to have more government exchange controls, more volatile interest and currency exchange rates, less market regulation, and less developed and less stable economic, political and legal systems than those of more developed countries. There may be less publicly available and reliable information about issuers in emerging markets than is available about issuers in more developed markets. In addition, emerging market countries may experience high levels of inflation and may have less liquid securities markets and less efficient trading and settlement systems.

Frontier Markets Risk. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than traditional emerging markets, and as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries.

IPO Risk. The market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk.

Participation Certificates Risk. Participation certificates represent interests in securities listed on certain foreign exchanges, and thus present similar risks to investing directly in such securities. The risks of investing in participation certificates includes foreign investment risk. Participation certificates also expose investors to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the entity issuing the note may not be able to honor its financial commitments. The purchaser of a participation certificate must rely on the creditworthiness of the bank or broker who issues the participation certificate, and these notes do not have the same rights as a shareholder of the underlying foreign security.

Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Risk. The Fund’s investment in REITs will subject the Fund to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes and operating expenses.

Risks of Investing through Stock Connect. Investing in A-Shares through Stock Connect is subject to trading, clearance, settlement and other procedures, which could pose risks to the Fund. Trading through Stock Connect is also subject to a daily quota (the “Daily Quota”), which limits the maximum net purchases under Stock Connect each day, and as such, buy orders for A-Shares would be rejected once the Daily Quota is exceeded (although the Fund will be permitted to sell A-Shares regardless of the Daily Quota balance). Thus, the Daily Quota may restrict the Fund’s ability to invest in A-Shares through Stock Connect on a timely basis and could affect the Fund’s ability to effectively pursue its investment strategy. Stock Connect will only operate on days when both the Chinese and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. Therefore, an investment in A-Shares through Stock Connect may subject the Fund to the risk of price fluctuations on days when the Chinese markets are open, but Stock Connect is not trading.

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2023, 32.2% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the information technology sector. Companies in the information technology sector can be significantly affected by intense competition, consumer preferences, problems with product compatibility and government regulation.

Growth-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk. Growth funds generally focus on stocks of companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in revenue and earnings. Growth securities typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices frequently reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and when it appears that those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth securities typically fall.

Management and Strategy Risk. The value of your investment depends on the judgment of the Fund’s advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, industry, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect.

Recent Market Events. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events and other economic, political, and global macro factors. For example, in recent years the COVID-19 pandemic, the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the rise of inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. These and other similar events could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments, impair the Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance.

Currency Risk. The values of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increase or decrease as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value.

Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Fund’s advisor, and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder’s ability to exchange or redeem Fund shares may be affected. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived

adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. In addition, local regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on a security or instrument. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.

Equity Risk. The value of the equity securities held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.

Small-Cap Company Risk. The securities of small capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may have lower trading volumes or more erratic trading than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. In addition, such companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large capitalization companies by changes in earning results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions.

Sector Focus Risk. The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors. For example, as of December 31, 2023, 28.6% of the Fund’s assets were invested in the information technology sector. Companies in the information technology sector can be significantly affected by intense competition, consumer preferences, problems with product compatibility and government regulation.

Growth-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk. Growth funds generally focus on stocks of companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in revenue and earnings. Growth securities typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices frequently reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and when it appears that those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth securities typically fall.

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value.

Management and Strategy Risk. The value of your investment depends on the judgment of the Fund’s advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, industry, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect.

Recent Market Events. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events and other economic, political, and global macro factors. For example, in recent years the COVID-19 pandemic, the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the rise of inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. These and other similar events could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments, impair the Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance.

Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Risk. The Fund’s investment in REITs will subject the Fund to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic, supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes and operating expenses.

Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Fund’s advisor, and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder’s ability to exchange or redeem Fund shares may be affected. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.