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.
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.
•Japan
Investment Risk is the risk of investing in securities of Japanese issuers. The
Japanese economy may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and
social instability, which could negatively impact Japanese issuers. In recent times, Japan’s economic growth rate has remained low, and it may remain low in the future. In addition, Japan is subject to
the risk of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and
tsunamis, which could negatively affect the securities of Japanese companies held by the
Fund.
•Canada Investment Risk is the risk that the Fund is particularly sensitive to political, economic and social conditions affecting Canada. The Canadian economy is especially dependent on the demand for, and
supply of, natural resources, and the Canadian market is relatively concentrated in
issuers involved in the production and distribution of natural resources, particularly the production of metals. Any adverse events that affect Canada’s major industries may have a negative
impact on the overall Canadian economy and the Fund.
Market Risk is the risk that the value of the
Fund’s investments may increase or decrease in response to expected, real or
perceived economic, political or financial events in the U.S. or global markets. The frequency and magnitude of such changes in value cannot be predicted. Certain securities and other investments held by the
Fund may experience increased volatility, illiquidity, or other potentially