securities of larger
companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.
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.
Concentration Risk is the risk that, if the Fund is concentrated in a particular industry or group of industries, the
Fund is likely to present more risks than a fund that is broadly diversified over
several industries or groups of industries. Compared to the broad market, an individual
industry may be more strongly affected by changes in the economic climate, broad market
shifts, moves in a particular dominant stock or regulatory changes.
•Financial Sector Risk is the risk that the financial sector can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of
corporate and consumer debt defaulted, price competition, and the availability and cost
of capital, among other factors.
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.
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 adverse effects in response to changing market conditions, inflation, elevated levels of government debt, changes in interest rates, lack of liquidity in the
bond or equity markets, or volatility in the equity markets. Market disruptions caused
by local or regional events such as financial institution failures, changes in trade regulation or economic sanctions, internal unrest and discord, war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness (including
epidemics and pandemics) or other public health issues, recessions or other events or
adverse investor sentiment could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments. Such