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 information may also affect the value of
these securities. The risks of foreign investments are heightened when investing in issuers in
emerging market countries.
Interest Rate
Risk. Fixed income securities may be subject to volatility due to changes in interest rates. The
value of fixed-income securities may decline when interest rates go up or
increase when interest rates go down. The interest earned on fixed-income securities may decline when interest rates go down or increase when interest rates go up. Duration is a
measure of interest rate risk that indicates how price-sensitive a bond is to
changes in interest rates. Longer-term and lower coupon bonds tend to be more
sensitive to changes in interest rates. For example, a bond with a duration of three years will decrease in value by approximately 3% if interest rates increase by 1%. Changing interest
rates may have unpredictable effects on markets, may result in heightened market
volatility, and could negatively impact the Portfolio’s performance. Any future changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or their governments are likely to affect the level of interest
rates.
Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods and
services.
Large-Cap Companies Risk. Large-cap companies tend to be less volatile than companies with smaller market capitalizations. In exchange for this
potentially lower risk, the Portfolio’s value may not rise as much as the value of portfolios that emphasize smaller companies. Larger, more established companies may be unable
to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology
and consumer tastes. Larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, particularly during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Portfolio’s share price or the market as a whole can decline for many reasons or be adversely
affected by a number of factors, including, without limitation: weakness in the
broad market, a particular industry, or specific holdings; adverse political, regulatory or economic developments in the United States or abroad; changes in investor psychology; heavy
institutional selling; military confrontations, war, terrorism and other armed
conflicts, disease/virus
outbreaks and epidemics; recessions; taxation and international tax treaties;
currency, interest rate and price fluctuations; and other conditions or events.
In addition, the subadviser’s assessment of securities held in the Portfolio may prove incorrect, resulting in losses or poor performance even in a rising market.
Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Mortgage- and asset-backed securities represent interests in “pools” of mortgages or other assets, including consumer loans or
receivables held in trust. Asset-backed securities issued by trusts and special purpose corporations are backed by a pool of assets, such as credit card or automobile loan
receivables representing the obligations of a number of different parties. Mortgage-backed securities directly or indirectly provide funds for mortgage loans made to residential home
buyers. These include securities that represent interests in pools of mortgage
loans made by lenders such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers and others. They include mortgage pass-through securities, collateralized mortgage obligations
(“CMOs”), commercial mortgage-backed securities, mortgage dollar
rolls, CMO residuals, stripped mortgage-backed securities, non-agency residential
mortgage-backed securities and other securities that directly or indirectly
represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans
or real property. The characteristics of these mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities differ from traditional fixed-income securities. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to
“prepayment risk” and “extension risk.” Prepayment risk is the risk that, when interest rates fall, certain types of obligations will be paid off by the obligor more quickly
than originally anticipated and the Portfolio may have to invest the proceeds in
securities with lower yields. Extension risk is the risk that, when interest
rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these securities to fall. Small movements in interest rates (both increases and
decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain
mortgage-backed securities. These securities also are subject to risk of default
on the underlying mortgage, particularly during periods of economic downturn.
Prepayment Risk. As a general rule, prepayments increase during a period of falling interest rates and decrease during a period of rising
interest rates. This can reduce the returns of the Portfolio because the Portfolio
will have to reinvest that money at the lower prevailing interest rates. In
periods of increasing interest rates, the occurrence of prepayments generally declines, with the