period of time and may further increase the volatility of
certain clean energy company share prices. Clean energy companies and other companies
operating in the clean energy group of industries are subject to market and other specific risks, including, among others: fluctuations in commodity prices and/or interest rates; changes in governmental or environmental regulation or policy;
reduced availability of clean energy sources or other commodities for transporting, processing, storing or delivering; slowdowns in new construction; seasonal weather conditions, extreme weather or other natural
disasters; consumer preferences; and threats of attack by terrorists on certain clean energy
assets. Clean energy companies can be significantly affected by the supply of, and demand
for, particular energy products, which may result in overproduction or underproduction. Additionally, changes in the regulatory environment for clean energy companies may adversely impact their profitability. Obsolescence
of existing technology, short product cycles, falling prices and profits, competition from new market entrants and general economic conditions can significantly affect companies in the clean energy group of
industries. Certain investments may be dependent on U.S. and foreign government policies, including tax incentives and subsidies, which may be changed or discontinued at any time. Adhering to the clean
energy company criteria and applying the Investment Adviser’s supplemental clean energy analysis may also affect the Fund’s performance relative to other energy sector focused funds that do not adhere to
such criteria or apply such analysis.
Dividend-Paying Investments
Risk. The Fund’s investments in dividend-paying securities could cause the Fund to underperform other funds. Securities that pay
dividends, as a group, can fall out of favor with the market, causing such securities to underperform securities that do not pay dividends. Depending upon market conditions and political and legislative responses to such
conditions, dividend-paying securities that meet the Fund’s investment criteria may not be widely available and/or may be highly concentrated in only a few market sectors. In addition, issuers that have paid
regular dividends or distributions to shareholders may not continue to do so at the same level or at all in the future. This may limit the ability of the Fund to produce current income.
Energy Sector Risk. The Fund concentrates its investments in the energy sector, and will therefore be susceptible to adverse economic, business, social, political,
environmental, regulatory or other developments affecting that sector. The energy sector has historically experienced substantial price volatility. MLPs, energy infrastructure companies and other companies
operating in the energy sector are subject to market and other specific risks, including, among others: fluctuations in commodity prices and/or interest rates; increased governmental or environmental regulation
or policy; reduced availability of natural gas or other commodities for transporting,
processing, storing or delivering; declines in domestic or foreign production or consumption;
slowdowns in new construction; extreme weather or other natural disasters; consumer preferences; and threats of attack by terrorists and state-sponsored actors on energy assets. Energy companies can be significantly
affected by the supply of, and demand for, particular energy products (such as oil and natural gas), which may result in overproduction or underproduction. Additionally, changes in the regulatory environment for
energy companies may adversely impact their profitability. Over time, depletion of natural gas reserves and other energy reserves may also affect the profitability of energy companies.
During periods of heightened volatility, energy producers that are burdened with debt may seek bankruptcy
relief. Bankruptcy laws may permit the revocation or renegotiation of contracts between energy
producers and MLPs/energy infrastructure companies, which could have a dramatic impact on the
ability of MLPs/energy infrastructure
companies to pay distributions to its investors, including the Fund, which in turn could impact the
ability of the Fund to pay dividends and dramatically impact the value of the Fund’s
investments.
Foreign and Emerging
Countries Risk. Foreign securities may be subject to risk of loss because of more or less foreign government regulation; less public information;
less stringent investor protections; less stringent accounting, corporate governance, financial reporting and disclosure standards; and less economic, political and social stability in the countries in which the Fund
invests. The imposition of sanctions, exchange controls (including repatriation restrictions), confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and other
governments, or from problems in share registration, settlement or custody, may also result in losses. The type and severity of sanctions and other similar measures, including counter sanctions and other retaliatory
actions, that may be imposed could vary broadly in scope, and their impact is impossible to predict. For example, the imposition of sanctions and other similar measures could, among other things, cause a decline in the
value and/or liquidity of securities issued by the sanctioned country or companies located in or economically tied to the sanctioned country and increase market volatility and disruption in the
sanctioned country and throughout the world. Sanctions and other similar measures could limit or prevent the Fund from buying and selling securities (in the sanctioned country and other markets), significantly delay
or prevent the settlement of securities transactions, and significantly impact the Fund’s liquidity and performance. Foreign risk also involves the risk of negative foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations,
which may cause the value of securities denominated in such foreign currency (or other instruments through which the Fund has exposure to foreign currencies) to decline in value. Currency exchange rates
may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. These risks are more pronounced in connection with the Fund’s investments in securities of issuers located in, or otherwise economically tied to, emerging
countries.
Industry Concentration Risk. The Fund concentrates its investments in securities of companies in the clean energy group of industries.
This concentration subjects the Fund to greater risk of loss as a result of adverse economic,
business, political, environmental or other developments in such industries than if its investments were diversified across different industries.
Infrastructure Company Risk. Infrastructure companies are susceptible to various factors that may negatively impact their businesses or operations, including costs associated
with compliance with and changes in environmental, governmental and other regulations, rising
interest costs in connection with capital construction and improvement programs, government
budgetary constraints that impact publicly funded projects, the effects of general economic conditions throughout the world, surplus capacity and depletion concerns, increased competition from other providers of
services, uncertainties regarding the availability of fuel and other natural resources at reasonable prices, the effects of energy conservation policies, unfavorable tax laws or accounting policies and high leverage.
Infrastructure companies will also be affected by innovations in technology that could render the way in which a company delivers a product or service obsolete and natural or man-made disasters.
Investments in ETFs. The Fund may invest directly in ETFs, including affiliated ETFs. The Fund’s investments in ETFs
will be subject to the restrictions applicable to investments by an investment company in
other investment companies, unless relief is otherwise provided under the terms of an SEC
exemptive order or SEC exemptive rule.