The Fund does not purchase
all of the securities in the Underlying Index; instead, the Fund utilizes a “sampling” methodology to seek to achieve its investment objective.
The Fund is “non-diversified” and therefore is not required to meet certain diversification requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
“1940 Act”).
Concentration Policy. The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., invest more than 25% of the value of its net assets) in
securities of issuers in any one industry or group of industries only to the extent that the
Underlying Index reflects a concentration in that industry or group of industries. The Fund will
not otherwise concentrate its investments in securities of issuers in any one industry or group of industries. As of August 31, 2024, the Fund had significant exposure to the financials sector. The Fund’s 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”).
Index Risk. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not utilize an investing strategy that seeks returns in
excess of the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund would not necessarily buy or sell a security
unless that security is added or removed, respectively, from the Underlying Index, even if that
security generally is underperforming. Additionally, the Fund rebalances its portfolio in accordance with the Underlying Index, and, therefore, any changes to the Underlying Index’s rebalance schedule will result in corresponding changes
to the Fund’s rebalance schedule.
Variable- and
Floating-Rate Securities Risk. Although variable- and floating-rate instruments are less
sensitive to interest rate risk than fixed-rate securities, they are subject to credit risk and default risk, which could impair their value. Variable- and floating-rate securities also may be subject to liquidity risk,
meaning that there may be limitations on the Fund’s ability to sell the securities at any given time. Securities with floating or variable interest rates may decline in value if their coupon rates do not reset as high, or as quickly, as
comparable market interest rates, and generally carry lower yields than fixed notes of the same maturity. Due to these securities’ variable- or floating-rate features, there can be no guarantee that they will pay a certain
level of a dividend, and such securities generally will pay lower levels of income in a falling interest rate environment.
Below Investment Grade Securities Risk. Like bonds,
preferred stocks are rated by credit agencies, and the Fund may invest in preferred stocks with
ratings that are below investment grade. Such stocks may be considered speculative or junk. Compared to higher quality securities, the value of below investment grade preferred securities may fluctuate more in response to company, political,
regulatory or economic developments, and their values can decline significantly over short periods of time or during periods of economic difficulty. Because preferred securities may be subordinated to bonds or other debt
instruments in an issuer's capital structure, an investment in below investment grade preferred stocks may carry an even greater risk of loss relative to an investment in a bond in the event of an issuer's
bankruptcy.
Preferred Securities Risk. There are special risks associated with investing in preferred securities. Preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, in its
discretion, to defer or omit distributions for a certain period of time. If the Fund owns a security that is deferring or omitting its distributions, the Fund may be required to report the distribution
on its tax returns, even though it may not
have received any income. Further, preferred securities may lose substantial value due to the omission or deferment of dividend payments. Preferred securities may be less liquid than many other securities, such as
common stocks, and generally offer no voting rights with respect to the issuer. Preferred securities also may be subordinated to bonds or other debt instruments in an issuer’s capital structure, subjecting them to a
greater risk of non-payment than more senior securities.
Hybrid Securities Risk. Although generally considered an
equity security within an issuer's capital structure, a hybrid security may exhibit
characteristics akin to a debt security or other evidence of indebtedness on which the value of
the interest, or principal of which, is determined by reference to changes in the value of a reference instrument or financial strength of a reference entity (e.g., a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency or interest
rate). The price of a hybrid security and any applicable reference instrument may not move in the same direction or at the same time. An investment in a hybrid security may entail significant risks not associated with a similar
investment in a traditional equity security. The risks of a particular hybrid security will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the value of any applicable reference
instrument. Hybrid securities potentially are more volatile than traditional equity securities. Hybrid instruments may carry credit risk of their issuer, as well as liquidity risk, since they often are “customized” to
meet the needs of an issuer or a particular investor, and therefore the number of investors that buy such instruments in the secondary market may be small.
Risk of Subordinated Debt. Perpetual subordinated debt is
a type of hybrid instrument that has no maturity date for the return of principal and does not
need to be redeemed by the issuer. These investments typically have lower credit ratings and lower priority than other obligations of an issuer during bankruptcy, presenting a greater risk for nonpayment. This risk increases as the priority of the
obligation becomes lower. Payments on these securities may be subordinated to all existing and future liabilities and obligations of subsidiaries and associated companies of an issuer. Additionally, some perpetual subordinated
debt does not restrict the ability of an issuer's subsidiaries to incur further unsecured indebtedness.
Industry Concentration Risk. In following its methodology, the Underlying Index from time to time may be concentrated to a significant
degree in securities of issuers operating in a single industry or industry group. To the extent
that the Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or industry group, the Fund will also concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent. By concentrating its investments in an industry
or industry group, the Fund may face 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.
Financials Sector Risk.
The Fund may be susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting the
financials sector. Financial services companies are subject to extensive government regulation
and, as a result, their profitability may be affected by new regulations or regulatory interpretations. Changes in interest rates can have a disproportionate effect on the financials sector, and financial services companies whose securities the
Fund may purchase may themselves have concentrated portfolios, which makes them vulnerable to
economic conditions that affect that sector. Financial services