Mid Cap Stock
Risk is the risk that stocks of mid-sized companies may be subject to more abrupt or
erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies, and may
lack sufficient market liquidity. Mid-sized companies may have limited product lines or financial 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dividend Risk is the risk that an issuer of stock held by the
Fund may choose not to declare a dividend or the dividend rate might not remain at
current levels. Dividend paying stocks might not experience the same level of earnings
growth or capital appreciation as non-dividend paying stocks. The Fund’s
performance during a broad market