least 50% of its assets in
emerging markets; and (3) the investment is included in an index representative of emerging
markets.
Equity securities include common stock, preferred
stock, convertible securities and depositary receipts. Generally, the Fund will
invest in equities or other financial instruments that are components of, or have
characteristics similar to, the securities included in the MSCI Emerging Markets
Index. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a capitalization-weighted index from a
broad range of industries chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group
representation. The Fund primarily seeks to buy common stock and may also invest in
preferred stock and convertible securities. From time to time, the Fund may
invest in shares of companies through “new issues” or initial public offerings (“IPOs”).
The Fund may use derivatives, including options, futures, swaps (including, but not limited
to, total return swaps, some of which may be referred to as contracts for
difference) and forward contracts, both to seek to increase the return of the
Fund and to hedge (or protect) the value of its assets against adverse movements in currency exchange rates, interest rates and movements in the securities markets. In order to manage
cash flows into or out of the Fund effectively, the Fund may buy and sell
financial futures contracts or options on such contracts. Derivatives are
financial instruments whose value is derived from another security, a currency or an index, including but not limited to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The use of options, futures,
swaps (including, but not limited to, total return swaps, some of which may be
referred to as contracts for difference) and forward contracts can be effective
in protecting or enhancing the value of the Fund’s assets.
The Fund may also gain exposure to securities of emerging markets companies through its investments in other investment companies, including
exchange-traded funds, that invest in such securities.
From time to time, the Fund may have significant investments in particular sectors, including
the information technology sector.
The Fund seeks to pursue its investment objective by investing in equity securities in a
disciplined manner, by using proprietary return forecast models that incorporate
quantitative analysis. These forecast models are designed to identify aspects of
mispricing across stocks which the Fund can seek to capture by over- and under-weighting particular equities while seeking to control incremental risk.
In order to generate additional
income, the Fund may lend portfolio securities to broker-dealers and other
financial institutions provided that the value of the loaned securities does not
exceed 30% of the Fund’s total assets. These loans earn income for the Fund and are collateralized by cash and securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its
agencies or instrumentalities.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with any mutual fund, there can be no assurance that the
Fund’s investment objective will be met or that the net return on an investment in the Fund will exceed what could have been obtained through other investment or savings vehicles. Shares of the Fund are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by any bank, government entity or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. If the value of the assets of the Fund goes down, you could lose money.
The following is a summary of the principal risks of investing in the Fund.
Management Risk. The investment style or strategy used by a subadviser may fail to produce the intended result. A subadviser’s assessment of a particular security or company may prove incorrect,
resulting in losses or underperformance.
Foreign Investment Risk. Investment in foreign securities involves risks due to several factors, such as illiquidity, the lack of public
information, changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S.
dollar, unfavorable political, social and legal developments, or economic and
financial instability. Foreign companies are not subject to the U.S. accounting
and financial reporting standards and may have riskier settlement procedures.
U.S. investments that are denominated in foreign currencies or that are traded in
foreign markets, or securities of U.S. companies that have significant foreign
operations may be subject to foreign investment risk.
Emerging Markets Risk. In addition to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, emerging market securities are subject to additional risks, which cause these securities
generally to be more volatile than securities of issuers located in developed countries.
Currency Risk. Because the Fund’s foreign
investments are generally held in foreign currencies, the Fund could experience
gains or losses based solely on changes in the