expense limitation arrangements
for only the first year). The Example does not reflect charges imposed by the
Variable Contract. If the Variable Contract fees were reflected, the expenses
would be higher. See the Variable Contract prospectus for information on such charges. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions and the net
expenses shown in the fee table, your costs would be:
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities
(or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual
portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance.
During the most recent fiscal year, the
Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 11% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Portfolio
The Portfolio seeks to provide investment results that
correspond with the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the
“Index”). The Index includes a number of regions, market segments/sizes and covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each of the countries
represented in the Index.
The subadviser seeks to achieve the Portfolio’s objective by investing in a sampling of stocks included in the Index by utilizing a statistical
technique known as “optimization.” The goal of optimization is to select stocks which ensure that characteristics such as industry weightings, average market capitalizations and
fundamental characteristics (e.g., price-to-book, price-to-earnings, debt-to-asset ratios and dividend yields) closely approximate those of
the Index. The subadviser may also invest the Portfolio’s assets in
investments with economic characteristics that are comparable to the economic characteristics of securities included in the Index, including derivatives, such as contracts for difference.
Stocks not in the Index may be held before or after changes in the composition of
the Index or if they have characteristics similar to stocks in the Index. Under
normal circumstances, all of the Portfolio’s investments will be selected through the optimization process, and at least 80% of its net assets will be invested in securities
included in the Index or in
investments that the subadviser determines have economic characteristics that are comparable
to the economic characteristics of securities included in the Index. The
Portfolio may invest in ETFs, including to gain exposure to certain local markets that may be closed, or that are expensive or difficult to trade in local shares. The Portfolio will not concentrate,
except to approximately the same extent as the Index may concentrate, in the
securities of any industry. It is not anticipated, however, that the Portfolio
will, under normal circumstances, be concentrated in the securities of any industry.
Because the Portfolio will generally not hold all of the
stocks included in the Index, and because the Portfolio has expenses and the
Index does not, the Portfolio will not duplicate the Index’s performance precisely. However, the subadviser believes there should be a close correlation between the Portfolio’s
performance and that of the Index in both rising and falling markets.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Portfolio
As with any mutual fund, there can be no assurance that the
Portfolio’s investment goal will be met or that the net return on an investment in the Portfolio will exceed what could have been obtained through other investment or savings vehicles. Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by any bank, government entity or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. If the value of the assets of the Portfolio goes down, you could lose money.
The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Portfolio.
Equity Securities Risk. The Portfolio invests principally in equity securities and is therefore subject to the risk that stock prices will fall and may underperform other asset classes. Individual stock prices
fluctuate from day-to-day and may decline significantly.
Foreign Investment Risk. The Portfolio’s investments in the securities of foreign issuers or issuers with significant exposure to foreign markets
involve additional risk. Foreign countries in which the Portfolio invests may have
markets that are less liquid, less regulated and more volatile than U.S. markets.
The value of the Portfolio’s investments may decline because of factors affecting the particular issuer as well as foreign markets and issuers generally, such as unfavorable
government actions, and political or financial instability and other conditions or
events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism,
sanctions, disease/virus, outbreaks and epidemics). Lack of relevant data and reliable public