The Fund may invest in
inflation-linked debt securities including fixed and floating rate debt securities of varying maturities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, such as Treasury Inflation Protected
Securities (TIPS). The Fund may also invest in inflation-linked debt securities issued by other
entities such as corporations, foreign governments and foreign issuers.
The Fund may also invest in synthetic variable rate instruments,
when-issued securities, delayed delivery securities, forward commitments, zero-coupon securities,
pay-in-kind securities, inverse floating rate securities, short-term funding agreements, and
deferred payment securities.
As part of its principal investment
strategy and for temporary defensive purposes, any portion of the Fund’s total assets may
be invested in cash and cash equivalents.
The Fund’s Main Investment Risks
The Fund is subject to management risk and may not achieve its objective if the adviser’s expectations
regarding particular instruments or markets are not met.
An investment in this Fund or any other fund may not provide a complete investment program. The suitability of an investment in the Fund
should be considered based on the investment objective, strategies and risks described in this prospectus, considered in light of all of the other investments in your
portfolio, as well as your risk tolerance, financial goals and time horizons. You may want to consult with a financial advisor to determine if this Fund is suitable for you.
The Fund is subject to the main risks noted below, any of which may
adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (NAV), market price, performance and ability to meet its investment objective.
Foreign Securities and Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in foreign issuers and foreign securities (including depositary receipts) are subject to additional risks, including political and economic risks, unstable governments, civil
conflicts and war, greater volatility, decreased market liquidity, expropriation and
nationalization risks, sanctions or other measures by the United States or other governments,
currency fluctuations, higher transaction costs, delayed settlement, possible foreign controls on
investment, and less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards of foreign markets. In certain markets where securities and other instruments are not traded “delivery versus payment,” the Fund may not
receive timely payment for securities or other instruments it has delivered or receive delivery
of securities paid for and may be subject to increased risk that the counterparty will fail to make payments or delivery when due or default completely. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday
schedules may limit the Fund’s ability to buy and sell securities.
Events and evolving conditions in certain economies or markets may alter
the risks associated with investments tied to countries or regions that historically were perceived as comparatively stable becoming riskier and more volatile. These risks are magnified in countries in “emerging
markets.” Emerging market countries typically have less-established market economies than
developed countries and may face greater social, economic, regulatory and political
uncertainties. In addition, emerging markets typically present greater illiquidity and price volatility
concerns due to smaller or limited local
capital markets and greater difficulty in determining market valuations of securities due to
limited public information on issuers.
Certain emerging market countries may be subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting,
auditing, financial reporting and record keeping and therefore, material information related to
an investment may not be available or reliable. Additionally, the Fund may have substantial difficulties exercising its legal rights or enforcing a counterparty’s legal obligations in certain jurisdictions outside of
the United States, in particular in emerging market countries, which can increase the risks of
loss. From time to time, certain companies in which the Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations and/or in countries
the U.S. government identified as state sponsors of terrorism. One or more of these companies may
be subject to constraints under U.S. law or regulations that could negatively affect the
company's performance. Additionally, one or more of these companies could suffer damage to its
reputation if the market identifies it as a company that invests or deals with countries that the
U.S. government identifies as state sponsors of terrorism or subjects to sanctions.
General Market Risk. Economies and financial markets
throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood
that events or conditions in one country or region will adversely impact markets or issuers in
other countries or regions. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in
comparison to securities in general financial markets, a particular financial market or other asset classes due to a number of factors, including inflation (or expectations for inflation), deflation (or expectations for
deflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, market
instability, financial system instability, debt crises and downgrades, embargoes, tariffs, trade wars, retaliatory trade measures, sanctions and other trade barriers, supply chain disruptions, regulatory events, other governmental
trade or market control programs and related geopolitical events. In addition, the value of the
Fund’s investments may be negatively affected by the occurrence of global events such as war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural disasters or events, country instability, and infectious disease epidemics
or pandemics or the threat or potential of one or more such factors and occurrences.
Interest Rate Risk. The Fund’s investments in bonds and other debt securities will change in value based on changes in
interest rates. If rates increase, the value of these investments generally declines. Securities
with greater interest rate sensitivity and longer maturities generally are subject to greater fluctuations in value. The Fund may invest in variable and floating rate securities. Although these instruments are generally
less sensitive to interest rate changes than fixed rate instruments, the value of variable and
floating rate securities may decline if their interest rates do not rise as quickly, or as much, as general interest rates. The Fund may face a heightened level of interest rate risk due to certain changes in monetary policy.
It is difficult to predict the pace at which central banks or monetary authorities may change
interest rates or the timing, frequency, or magnitude of such changes. Any such changes could be sudden and could expose debt markets to significant volatility and reduced liquidity for Fund
investments.