Derivative instruments in which the fund may take long and short positions include futures and forwards, such as equity index futures and foreign currency forward contracts; swaps, such as total return swaps; and call and put options. Derivatives may be used to reduce risk, obtain efficient market exposure, and/or enhance investment returns. Derivative instruments may magnify the fund’s gains and losses.
The fund’s portfolio is rebalanced regularly. The manager assesses each investment’s changing characteristics relative to its contribution to portfolio risk. The manager will sell an investment or close out a position that it believes no longer offers an appropriate return-to-risk trade-off. Under normal circumstances, the manager expects to maintain long and short positions so that the fund’s portfolio is approximately between 30% and 70% net long.
The manager will sell an investment or close out a position when it no longer meets one
or more investment criteria, either through obtaining target value or due to an adverse change in fundamentals or business momentum. Each holding has a target valuation
established at purchase, which the manager constantly monitors and adjusts as appropriate.
To meet margin requirements, redemptions or pending investments, the fund may also
temporarily hold a portion of its assets in full faith and credit obligations of the United States government and in short-term notes, commercial paper or other money market
instruments.
The fund may invest from time to time a significant
portion of its assets in smaller issuers (generally defined as issuers with a market capitalization equal to or less than $10 billion) which are more volatile and less liquid
than investments in issuers with larger market capitalizations.
The
fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, including investments that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or legal
or contractual restrictions on resale.
In general, the fund’s
investments are broadly diversified over a number of industries and, as a matter of policy, the fund is limited to investing a maximum of 25% of its total assets in any one
industry.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government
agency. Many factors affect performance, and fund shares will fluctuate in price, meaning you could
lose money. The fund’s investment strategy may not produce the intended results.
The fund’s main risks are listed below in alphabetical order, not in order
of importance. Before investing, be sure to read the additional descriptions of these risks beginning on page 8 of the prospectus.
Cash and cash equivalents risk. Under certain market conditions, such as during a rising stock market, rising interest
rate or rising credit spread markets, the use of cash and/or cash equivalents, including money market instruments, could have a negative effect on the fund’s ability to
achieve its investment objective and may negatively impact the fund’s performance.
Convertible securities risk. Convertible securities are subject to certain risks of both equity and debt securities. The market values of convertible securities tend to fall as interest rates rise and rise as interest rates fall. As the market price of underlying common stock declines below the conversion price, the market value of the convertible security tends to be increasingly influenced by its yield.
Credit and counterparty risk. The issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income security, the counterparty to an over-the-counter derivatives contract, or a borrower of fund securities may not make timely payments or otherwise honor its obligations. U.S. government securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk depending upon the nature of their support. A downgrade or default affecting any of the fund’s securities could affect the fund’s performance.
Economic and market events risk. Events in the U.S. and global financial markets, including actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign
central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, may at times result in unusually high market volatility, which could negatively impact performance. Reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets could adversely affect issuers worldwide. Banks and financial services companies could suffer losses if interest rates rise or economic conditions deteriorate.
Equity securities risk. The price of equity securities may decline due to changes in a company’s financial condition or overall market conditions.
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) risk. The risks of owning shares of an ETF include the risks of owning the underlying
securities the ETF holds. Lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in the ETF being more volatile than its underlying securities. An ETF’s shares could trade at a
significant premium or discount to its net asset value (NAV). A fund bears ETF fees and expenses indirectly.
Foreign securities risk. Less information may be publicly available regarding foreign issuers, including foreign
government issuers. Foreign securities may be subject to foreign taxes and may be more volatile than U.S. securities. Currency fluctuations and political and economic
developments may adversely impact the value of foreign securities. The risks of investing in foreign securities are magnified in emerging markets. Depositary receipts are
subject to most of the risks associated with investing in foreign securities directly because the value of a depositary receipt is dependent upon the market price of the underlying foreign equity security. Depositary receipts are also subject to liquidity risk.
Hong Kong Stock Connect Program (Stock Connect)
risk. Trading in China A-Shares through Stock Connect, a mutual market
access program that enables foreign investment in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is subject to certain restrictions and risks. Securities listed on Stock Connect
may lose purchase eligibility, which could adversely affect the fund’s performance. Trading through Stock Connect is subject to trading, clearance, and settlement procedures that may continue to develop as the program matures. Any changes in laws, regulations and policies applicable to Stock Connect may affect China A-Share prices. These risks are heightened by the underdeveloped state of the PRC’s investment and banking systems in general.
Hedging, derivatives, and other strategic transactions risk. Hedging, derivatives, and other strategic transactions may increase a fund’s volatility and could produce
disproportionate losses, potentially more than the fund’s principal investment. Risks of these transactions are different from and possibly greater than risks of
investing directly in securities and other traditional instruments. Under certain market conditions, derivatives could become harder to value or sell and may become subject
to liquidity risk (i.e., the inability to enter into closing transactions). Derivatives and other strategic transactions that the fund intends to utilize include: foreign
currency forward contracts, futures contracts, options, swaps, and total return swaps. Foreign currency forward contracts, futures contracts, options, and swaps generally are
subject to counterparty risk. In addition, swaps may be subject to