portfolio holdings, and the extent to which
it concentrates its investments, are likely to change over time.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The following summarizes the principal risks of investing in the Fund.
The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund
may not achieve its investment objective.
Market Risk. Securities in the Underlying Index are subject to market fluctuations. You should anticipate that the value of the Shares will decline, more or less, in correlation
with any decline in value of the securities in the Underlying Index. Additionally, natural or environmental disasters, widespread disease or other public health issues, war, military conflicts, acts of terrorism, economic crises
or other events could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”). Certain changes in the U.S. economy in particular, such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets
decline, may have a material adverse effect on global financial markets as a whole, and on the securities to which the Underlying Index has exposure. Increasingly strained relations between the U.S. and foreign countries,
including as a result of economic sanctions and tariffs, may also adversely affect U.S. issuers, as well as non-U.S. issuers.
During a general downturn in
the financial markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value. When markets perform well, there can be no assurance that specific investments held by the Underlying Index will rise in value.
Index Risk. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not utilize an investing strategy that seeks returns in
excess of its Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund would not necessarily buy or sell a security
unless that security is added to or removed from, respectively, its Underlying Index, even if
that security generally is underperforming. Additionally, the Fund generally rebalances its portfolio in accordance with its Underlying Index, and, therefore, any changes to its Underlying Index’s rebalance schedule will typically result in
corresponding changes to the Fund’s rebalance schedule.
Industry Concentration Risk. In following its methodology,
the Underlying Index will be concentrated to a significant degree in securities of issuers
operating in a single industry or industry group. As a result, the Fund will also concentrate its investments in such industries or industry groups to approximately the same extent. By concentrating its investments in an industry or industry group, the Fund
faces more risks than if it were diversified broadly over numerous industries or industry groups. Such industry-based risks, any of which may adversely affect the companies in which the Fund invests, may include,
but are not limited to, the following: general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively affect supply and demand in a particular industry; competition for resources; adverse labor
relations; political or world events; obsolescence of technologies; and increased competition or new product introductions that may affect the profitability or viability of companies in an industry. In addition, at times, such industry or
industry group may be out of favor and underperform other industries or the market as a whole.
Oil and Gas Services Industry Risk. The profitability of
companies in the oil and gas services industry may be affected adversely by changes in worldwide
energy prices, exploration and production spending and the success of exploration and production
projects. These companies may also be affected by world events in the regions in which they
operate (e.g., expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and repatriation of capital, natural disasters and adverse weather conditions, military
coups, social unrest, violence or labor unrest). Companies in the oil and gas services industry may have significant capital investments in, or engage in transactions involving, emerging market countries, which may
heighten these risks.
Equity Risk. Equity risk is the risk that the value of equity securities, including common stocks, may fall due to both
changes in general
economic conditions that impact the market as a whole, as well as factors that directly relate to a specific company or its industry. Such general economic conditions include changes
in interest rates, periods of market turbulence or instability, or general and prolonged periods of economic decline and cyclical change. It is possible that a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or
all of the common stocks that the Fund holds. In addition, equity risk includes the risk that investor sentiment toward one or more industries will become negative, resulting in those investors exiting their investments in
those industries, which could cause a reduction in the value of companies in those industries more broadly. Equity risk also includes the risk of large-capitalization companies, which may adapt more slowly to new competitive
challenges or may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential, and consequently may
underperform other segments of the equity market or the market as a whole. The value of a
company's common stock may fall solely because of factors, such as an increase in production costs, that negatively impact other companies in the same region, industry or sector of the market. A company's common stock also may
decline significantly in price over a short period of time due to factors specific to that company, including decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company's products or services. For example, an
adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report or the failure to make anticipated dividend
payments, may depress the value of common stock.
Small- and Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. Investing in
securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk than customarily is
associated with investing in larger, more established companies. Stocks of small- and mid-capitalization companies tend to be more vulnerable to changing market conditions, may have little or no operating history or track record of
success, and may have more limited product lines and markets, less experienced management and fewer
financial resources than larger companies. These companies’ securities may be more volatile
and less liquid than those of more established companies. They may be more sensitive to changes in a company’s earnings expectations and may experience more abrupt and erratic price movements. Smaller companies’ securities
often trade in lower volumes and in many instances, are traded over-the-counter or on a regional securities exchange, where the frequency and volume of trading is substantially less than is typical for securities of larger
companies traded on national securities exchanges. Therefore, the securities of smaller companies may be subject to wider price fluctuations and it might be harder for the Fund to dispose of its holdings at an acceptable
price when it wants to sell them. Since small- and mid-capitalization companies typically reinvest a high proportion of their earnings in their business, they may not pay dividends for some time, particularly if they are newer
companies. It may take a substantial period of time to realize a gain on an investment in a small- or mid-capitalization company, if any gain is realized at all.
Non-Diversified Fund
Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of its assets in the obligations or securities of a small number of issuers or any
single issuer than a diversified fund can. As a result, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in Share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's
volatility and cause the performance of a relatively small number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.
Issuer-Specific Changes Risk. The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the
market as a whole and may perform worse than the market as a whole, causing the value of the Fund’s securities to decline.
Valuation Risk. The price the Fund could receive upon the sale of a portfolio investment may differ from the Fund’s
valuation of the investment, particularly for investments that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation methodology. Fixed income securities are often