resources, and may
be dependent upon a particular niche of the market, or may be dependent upon a small or inexperienced management group. Securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in lower volume
than the securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs.
Generally the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.
Depositary Receipts Risk Foreign securities may
trade in the form of depositary receipts. In addition to investment risks associated
with the underlying issuer, depositary receipts may expose the Fund to additional risks associated with non-uniform terms that apply to depositary receipt programs, including credit exposure to the
depository bank and to the sponsors and other parties with whom the depository bank
establishes the programs, currency, political, economic, market risks and the risks of an illiquid market for depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign
securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted. Depositary receipts
may not track the price of the underlying foreign securities on which they are based, may have limited voting rights, and may have a distribution subject to a fee charged by the depository. As a result, equity
shares of the underlying issuer may trade at a discount or premium to the market price
of the depositary receipts.
Low
Volatility Risk is the risk that although the Underlying Index is designed to have
overall volatility that is lower than that of the Eligible Universe, there is no guarantee it will be successful. Securities or other assets in the Fund’s portfolio may be subject to price
volatility and the prices may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and
could be more volatile. The market prices of the securities or other assets in the
Fund’s portfolio may fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. The Fund will continue to seek to track the Underlying Index even if the Underlying Index does not have lower overall
volatility than the Eligible Universe. There is also the risk that the Fund may
experience volatility greater than that of the Eligible Universe as a result of
tracking error. A portfolio of securities with greater volatility is generally considered to have a higher risk profile than a portfolio with lower volatility.
Quality Factor Risk is the risk that the past performance of companies that have exhibited quality characteristics does
not continue or the returns on securities issued by such companies may be less than
returns from other styles of investing or the overall stock market. There may be periods
when quality investing is out of favor and during which time the Fund's performance may
suffer.
Emerging Markets Risk is the risk that emerging markets are generally subject to greater market volatility, political, social and economic instability,
uncertain trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investments than
more developed markets. In addition, companies operating in emerging markets may be subject to lower 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