concentration of a portfolio in any one industry would subject the related CLOs to a greater degree of risk with respect to economic downturns relating to such industry.
The value of CLOs generally fluctuates with, among other things, the financial condition of the obligors or issuers of the underlying portfolio of assets of the related CLO (“CLO Collateral”), general economic conditions, the condition of certain financial markets, political events, developments or trends in any particular industry and changes in prevailing interest rates. Consequently, holders of CLOs must rely solely on distributions on the CLO Collateral or proceeds thereof for payment in respect thereof. If distributions on the CLO Collateral are insufficient to make payments on the CLOs, no other assets will be available for payment of the deficiency and following realization of the CLOs, the obligations of such issuer to pay such deficiency generally will be extinguished. CLO Collateral may consist of high-yield debt securities, loans, asset-backed securities and other securities, which often are rated below investment grade (or of equivalent credit quality). High-yield debt securities generally are unsecured (and loans may be unsecured) and may be subordinated to certain other obligations of the issuer thereof. The lower ratings of high-yield securities and below investment grade loans reflect a greater possibility that adverse changes in the financial condition of an issuer or in general economic conditions or both may impair the ability of the related issuer or obligor to make payments of principal or interest. Such investments may be speculative.
•Active Management Risk: A portfolio manager’s judgments about the potential value or price appreciation of an investment may prove to be incorrect or fail to have the intended results, which could negatively impact the Fund’s performance.
•Interest Rate Risk: The value of debt instruments may fall when interest rates rise. Debt instruments with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, making them more volatile than debt instruments with shorter durations or floating or adjustable interest rates. During periods when interest rates are low or there are negative interest rates, the Fund’s yield (and total return) also may be low, and the Fund may experience low or negative returns. During periods when the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, the Fund may be subject to heightened levels of interest rate risk. As interest rates rise, the value of fixed income investments will generally decrease.
• Foreign Investment Risk: Exposure to a foreign market through investments in foreign issuers (companies or other entities) can involve additional risks relating to market, economic, political, regulatory, geopolitical, or other conditions of that market. These factors can make investments in foreign issuers more volatile and less liquid than U.S. investments. Trade disputes and the threat of, or actual imposition of, tariffs may adversely impact the price of foreign securities. Less stringent regulatory, accounting, and disclosure requirements and general supervision for issuers and markets are more common in certain foreign countries. Enforcing legal rights can be difficult, costly, and slow in certain foreign countries, and can be particularly difficult against foreign governments. In addition, foreign markets can react differently to these conditions than the U.S. market. Markets and economies throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected,
and conditions or events in one market, country or region may adversely impact investments or issuers in, or foreign exchange rates with, another market, country, or region. Certain countries or regions may have economies that are heavily dependent upon trading with key partners; this reliance on trading partners may have an adverse impact on investments if there is a reduction in such trading. Foreign securities may include ADRs, EDRs and GDRs. Unsponsored ADRs, EDRs and GDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends.
•High Yield/High Risk or “Junk” Securities Risk: High yield/high risk securities are typically issued by companies that are highly leveraged, less creditworthy, or financially distressed and are considered to be mostly speculative in nature (high risk), subject to greater liquidity risk, and subject to a greater risk of default than higher rated securities. High yield/high risk securities (including loans) may be more volatile than investment grade securities.
•Liquidity Risk: Certain holdings may be difficult to purchase, sell and value, particularly during adverse market conditions, because there is a limited market for the investment or there are restrictions on resale. The Fund may invest in liquid investments that become illiquid due to financial distress, or geopolitical events such as sanctions, trading halts or wars. The Fund may not be able to sell a holding quickly at the price it has valued the holding, may be unable to take advantage of market opportunities or may be forced to sell other more desirable, more liquid securities or sell less liquid or illiquid securities at a loss if needed to raise cash to conduct operations, including to meet redemption requests. This risk may be particularly pronounced with respect to small-capitalization companies.
•U.S. Government Securities Risk: Not all U.S. government securities are backed or guaranteed by the U.S. government and different U.S. government securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk. There is a risk that the U.S. government will not make timely payments on its debt or provide financial support to U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities, or sponsored enterprises if those entities are not able to meet their financial obligations.
•Securities Lending Risk: To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund’s ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund’s securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Performance
The bar chart and Average Annual Total Returns table below provide some indication of the risk of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of the Fund from year to year and