trading volumes and
greater price volatility than companies in more developed markets. Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local and global
trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation
rates. Companies in emerging market countries generally may be subject to less stringent regulatory, disclosure, financial reporting, accounting, auditing and recordkeeping standards than companies in more
developed countries. As a result, information, including financial information, about
such companies may be less available and reliable, which can impede the Fund’s ability to evaluate such companies. Securities law and the enforcement of systems of taxation in many emerging
market countries may change quickly and unpredictably, and the ability to bring and
enforce actions (including bankruptcy, confiscatory taxation, expropriation, nationalization of a company’s assets, restrictions on foreign ownership of local companies, restrictions on
withdrawing assets from the country, protectionist measures and practices such as share
blocking), or to obtain information needed to pursue or enforce such actions, may be
limited. Investments in emerging market securities may be subject to additional
transaction costs, delays in settlement procedures, unexpected market closures, and
lack of timely information.
Foreign Securities Risk is the risk that investing in foreign (non-U.S.) securities may result in the Fund experiencing
more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in
securities of U.S. companies, due to less liquid markets and adverse economic, political, diplomatic, financial, and regulatory factors. Foreign governments may impose limitations on foreigners’
ownership of interests in local issuers, restrictions on the ability to repatriate
assets, and may also impose taxes. Any of these events could cause the value of the Fund’s investments to decline. Foreign banks, agents and securities depositories that hold the Fund’s
foreign assets may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over, or independent evaluation, of their operations. Additional costs associated with investments in foreign securities may include
higher custodial fees than those applicable to domestic custodial arrangements and
transaction costs of foreign currency conversions. Unless the Fund has hedged its foreign currency exposure, foreign securities risk also involves the risk of negative foreign currency 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. Currency hedging strategies, if used,
are not always
successful. For instance, forward foreign currency exchange contracts, if used by the Fund, could reduce performance if there are unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates.
Geographic Risk is the risk that if the Fund invests a significant portion of its total assets in certain issuers
within the same country or geographic region, an adverse economic, business or
political development affecting that country or region may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more, and the Fund’s investments may be more volatile, than if the Fund’s investments
were not so concentrated in such country or region.
•China Investment
Risk is the risk associated with investments in companies located or operating in
China, such as nationalization, expropriation, or confiscation of property; lack of
willingness or ability of the Chinese government to support the economies and markets
of the Greater China region; and considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Despite prior economic and trade reforms and the prior expansion of private ownership of companies
in certain sectors, the Chinese government still exercises substantial influence over
many aspects of the private sector and may own or control many companies, including by
embedding Chinese Communist Party or People's Armed Forces Department personnel in
Chinese companies. In addition, the Chinese government continues to maintain a major
role in economic policy making and may alter or discontinue economic or trade reforms
at any time. Investors in Chinese markets generally experience difficulties in obtaining information necessary for audits of, investigations into and/or litigation against Chinese companies, as well as
in obtaining and/or enforcing judgments due to a lack of publicly available
information; and there are generally limited legal remedies for shareholders. Complex geopolitical tensions, internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including
military conflicts may disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater
risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and
higher rates of inflation. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China's
rapid economic growth. As a result, a reduction in spending on Chinese products and
services, supply chain diversification or the institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers, including as a result of heightened trade tensions between China and the U.S., or a downturn in any of the
economies of China's key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese
economy. Additionally, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB") has
historically had difficulties inspecting