Portfolio Turnover
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 60% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Portfolio
The Portfolio attempts to achieve its goal by, under normal
circumstances, investing at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of
large capitalization companies. Large capitalization companies are those with market capitalizations similar to companies in the Russell 1000® Value Index (the “Index”). As of February 28, 2025, the median market capitalization of a company in the Index was approximately $14.087 billion and
the dollar-weighted average market capitalization of the companies in the Index
was approximately $191.514 billion. The size of the companies in the Index changes with market conditions and the composition of the Index. The Portfolio may invest in foreign securities, including
emerging market securities, either directly or through depositary receipts. The Portfolio holds equity securities of approximately 150-250 companies under normal market conditions.
The subadviser selects securities for the Portfolio that it believes are undervalued or out of favor based primarily on price-to-earnings ratios,
price-to-book ratios, price momentum, and share change and quality. The
subadviser’s investment process begins by screening for low valuation
companies based on their price-to-earnings or price-to-book ratios, and using quantitative analysis to eliminate equity securities that have poor price momentum and high relative share issuance.
The subadviser then performs a fundamental analysis on the remaining equity
securities to identify and eliminate those securities that it believes will have difficulty outperforming the Index. The subadviser may consider other factors in its selection process.
The subadviser typically sells a security of a company held by the Portfolio when it believes
the company is no longer a large capitalization value company, if the
company’s fundamentals deteriorate, when an investment opportunity arises
that the subadviser believes is more compelling, or to realize gains or limit potential losses.
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.
Value Investing Risk. The subadviser’s judgment that a particular security is undervalued in relation to the company’s fundamental economic
value may prove incorrect.
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.
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 information may also affect the value of these securities.