Strategy Risk. Although the Fund is normally managed as a core portfolio, it may invest more heavily in either growth or
value securities depending on market conditions and the convictions of the adviser.
If the Fund invests more heavily in growth securities, it will be more subject to risks related to growth investing. Specifically, growth stocks may trade at higher multiples
of current earnings compared to value or other stocks, leading to inflated prices and thus
potentially greater declines in value.
If the Fund invests more
heavily in value securities, it will be more subject to risks related to value investing. Specifically, a value stock may decrease in price or may not increase in price as anticipated by the adviser if other
investors fail to recognize the company’s value or the factors that the adviser believes will
cause the stock price to increase do not occur.
Large Cap Company Risk. Because the Fund invests in large cap company securities, it may underperform other funds during periods when the Fund’s large cap securities
are out of favor.
Smaller Company Risk. Investments in securities of smaller companies (mid cap and small cap companies) may be riskier, less liquid, more volatile and more vulnerable to economic, market and industry changes than securities of
larger, more established companies. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently
and in smaller volumes than securities of larger companies. As a result, changes in the price of securities issued by such companies may be more sudden or erratic than the prices of securities of larger companies,
especially over the short term. These risks are higher for small cap companies.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in foreign issuers
and foreign securities (including depositary receipts) are subject to additional risks, including
political and economic risks, unstable governments, greater volatility, decreased market liquidity, civil conflicts and war, currency fluctuations, sanctions or other measures by the United States or other
governments, expropriation and nationalization risks, higher transaction costs, delayed
settlement, possible foreign controls on investment and less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards of foreign markets. The securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number
of companies representing a small number of industries. In certain markets where securities and
other instruments are not traded “delivery versus payment,” the Fund may not receive timely payment for securities or other instruments it has delivered or receive delivery of securities paid for and
may be subject to increased risk that the counterparty will fail to make payments or delivery
when due or default completely. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Events and evolving conditions in
certain economies or markets may alter the risks associated with investments tied to countries or
regions that historically were perceived as comparatively stable becoming riskier and more volatile.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives, including futures contracts, may be riskier than other types of investments and may increase the
volatility of the Fund. Derivatives may be sensitive to changes in economic and market conditions
and may create leverage, which could result in losses that significantly exceed the Fund’s
original investment. The Fund may be more volatile than if the Fund had not been leveraged
because the leverage tends to exaggerate any effect on the value of the Fund’s portfolio
securities. Certain derivatives expose the Fund to counterparty
risk, which is the risk that the derivative
counterparty will not fulfill its contractual obligations (and includes credit risk associated
with the counterparty). Certain derivatives are synthetic instruments that attempt to replicate the performance of certain reference assets. With regard to such derivatives, the Fund does not have a claim on the reference
assets and is subject to enhanced counterparty risk. Derivatives may not perform as expected, so
the Fund may not realize the intended benefits. When used for hedging, the change in value of a
derivative may not correlate as expected with the security or other risk being hedged. In
addition, given their complexity, derivatives expose the Fund to risks of mispricing or improper
valuation. Derivatives also can expose the Fund to derivative liquidity risk, which includes
risks involving the liquidity demands that derivatives can create to make payments of margin,
collateral, or settlement payments to counterparties, legal risk, which includes the risk of loss resulting from insufficient or unenforceable contractual documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of the Fund’s
counterparty and operational risk, which includes documentation or settlement issues, system
failures, inadequate controls and human error. Certain of the Fund’s transactions in
derivatives could also affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders which may result in the Fund realizing more ordinary income and short-term capital gain subject to tax at ordinary
income tax rates than it would if it did not engage in such transactions, which may adversely
impact the Fund’s after-tax returns.
Significant
Holdings Risk. Although the Fund is considered “diversified” under applicable law, a
relatively large portion of its portfolio at times may be invested in a relatively small number
of securities, or investments (including futures) whose performance relates in part to the economic results of a relatively small number of securities, or in a combination of the foregoing. These investments increase the
risk that the value of the Fund’s Shares is more sensitive to economic results of the
underlying securities. The value of the Shares of the Fund may also be more volatile than a fund
that allocates its investments to a larger number of smaller positions or to investments whose
performance is related to a larger number of securities.
Industry and Sector Focus Risk. At times, the Fund may increase the relative emphasis of its investments in a particular industry or sector. The prices of securities of
issuers in a particular industry or sector may be more susceptible to fluctuations due to changes
in economic or business conditions, government regulations, availability of basic resources or supplies, contagion risk within a particular industry or sector or to other industries or sectors, or other events that affect
that industry or sector more than securities of issuers in other industries and sectors. To the
extent that the Fund increases the relative emphasis of its investments in a particular industry or sector, the value of the Fund’s Shares may fluctuate in response to events affecting that industry or sector.
Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies could have an impact on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of
technology companies is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles,
rapid product obsolescence and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth
rates, competition for the services of qualified personnel, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs, all of which
may have an