Small-Capitalization Companies Risk. Compared to mid- and
large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to
adverse developments. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile and less liquid
than those of mid- and large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s share price may be
more volatile than that of a fund with a greater investment in large- or mid-capitalization stocks.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities are those issued by companies whose earnings growth potential appears to be greater than the market in general and whose revenue growth is expected to continue for an extended period of time. The prices
of growth securities may be more volatile than those of other types of investments and can decline rapidly
and significantly in reaction to negative news. Growth securities may underperform value securities and
other types of assets as well as the overall stock market. Growth securities may go in and out of favor over time, which could affect the performance of the Fund.
Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more volatile than those of other asset classes. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer as
well as due to general industry or market conditions. Common stock is subordinated to preferred securities
and debt in a company’s capital structure. Common stock has the lowest priority, and the greatest
risk, with respect to dividends and any liquidation payments in the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy.
Market Risk. The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. Local, regional or global
events such as war, acts of terrorism, pandemics or other public health issues, recessions, the prospect or
occurrence of a sovereign default or other financial crisis, or other events could have a significant
impact on the Fund and its investments and could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV.
Index-Related Risk. The Index Provider may rely on various sources of information to assess the criteria of components of the Underlying Index, including information that may be
based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor BFA can offer assurances that the Index
Provider’s methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included
components or will result in the Fund meeting its investment objective. Errors in index data, index
computations or the construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may occur, and
the Index Provider may not identify or correct them promptly or at all, which may have an adverse impact on
the Fund and its shareholders. Unusual market conditions or other unforeseen circumstances (such as natural
disasters, political unrest or war) may impact the Index Provider or a third-party data provider and could
cause the Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance. This could cause the Underlying Index to vary
from its normal or expected composition.
Asset Class Risk. The securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to financial markets generally, a
particular financial market, another index, or other asset classes.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. An “Authorized Participant” is a member or participant of
a clearing agency registered with the SEC, which has a written agreement with the Fund or one of its
service providers that allows the Authorized Participant to place orders for the purchase and redemption of
creation units (“Creation
Units”). Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. There are a limited number of institutions
that may act as Authorized Participants for the Fund, including on an agency basis on behalf of other
market participants. No Authorized Participant is obligated to engage in creation or redemption
transactions. To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or do not place creation or
redemption orders for the Fund and no other Authorized Participant places orders, Fund shares are more
likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting.
Concentration Risk. The Fund may be susceptible to
an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments
more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the
securities or other assets of one or more issuers, countries or other geographic units, markets,
industries, project types, or asset classes.
Financial Companies Risk. Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation and intervention, which may adversely affect their profitability, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge, the amount of
capital and liquid assets they must maintain and their size, among other things. Financial services
companies also may be significantly affected by, among other things, interest rates, economic conditions,
volatility in financial markets, credit rating downgrades, adverse public perception, exposure concentration
and counterparty risk.
Healthcare Companies Risk. The profitability of healthcare companies may be adversely affected by extensive government regulations, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and
services, pricing pressure, the protection and expiration of patents, limited product lines, supply chain
issues, labor shortages and product liability claims, among other factors.
Industrial Companies Risk. Industrial companies
face a number of risks, including supply chain and distribution disruptions, business interruptions,
product obsolescence, third-party vendor risks, cyber attacks, trade disputes, product recalls, liability
claims, scarcity of materials or parts, excess capacity, changes in consumer preferences, and volatility in
commodity prices and currencies. The performance of such companies may also be affected by technological
developments, labor relations, legislative and regulatory changes, government spending policies, and
changes in domestic and international economies.
Issuer Risk. The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities or other assets to which the Fund has exposure. The value of securities or other assets may decline, or perform differently from the market as a
whole, due to changes in the financial condition or credit rating of the issuer or
counterparty.