may discontinue issuing new Depositary Receipts and
withdraw existing Depositary Receipts at any time, which may result in costs and delays in
the distribution of the underlying assets to the Fund and may negatively impact the
Fund’s performance.
Foreign and Emerging Countries Risk. Foreign securities may be subject to risk of loss because of more or less foreign government regulation; less public information; less stringent investor protections; less stringent accounting,
corporate governance, financial reporting and disclosure standards; and less economic, political and social stability in the countries in which the Fund invests. The imposition of sanctions, exchange controls (including
repatriation restrictions), confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and other governments, or from problems in share registration, settlement or custody,
may also result in losses. The type and severity of sanctions and other similar measures, including counter sanctions and other retaliatory actions, that may be imposed could vary broadly in scope, and their impact
is impossible to predict. For example, the imposition of sanctions and other similar measures could, among other things, cause a decline in the value and/or liquidity of securities issued by the sanctioned country
or companies located in or economically tied to the sanctioned country and increase market
volatility and disruption in the sanctioned country and throughout the world. Sanctions and
other similar measures could limit or prevent the Fund from buying and selling securities (in the sanctioned country and other markets), significantly delay or prevent the settlement of securities transactions, and
significantly impact the Fund’s liquidity and performance. Foreign risk also involves the risk of negative foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, which may cause the value of securities denominated in such foreign
currency (or other instruments through which the Fund has exposure to foreign currencies) to decline in value. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. These risks are
more pronounced in connection with the Fund’s investments in securities of issuers located in, or otherwise economically tied to, emerging countries.
Geographic Risk. If the Fund focuses its investments in issuers located in a particular country or geographic region, it will subject the Fund, to a greater extent than if
investments were less focused, to the risks of volatile economic cycles and/or conditions and developments that may be particular to that country or region, such as: adverse securities markets; adverse exchange rates;
adverse social, political, regulatory, economic, business, environmental or other developments; or natural disasters.
Initial Public Offering Risk. The market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to factors such as the absence of a prior
public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and
limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk.
Investing Through Stock Connect Risk. Investing in China A Shares through the Shanghai-Hong Kong and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect (“Stock Connect”) program
is subject to trading, clearance, settlement, and other procedures, which could pose risks to the Fund. Trading through Stock Connect is subject to market-wide trading volume and market cap quota limitations,
each of which may restrict or preclude the Fund’s ability to invest in A Shares through Stock Connect. A primary feature of Stock Connect is the application of the home market’s laws and rules applicable
to investors in A Shares. Therefore, the Fund’s investments in Stock Connect A Shares are generally subject to securities regulations and listing rules, among other restrictions, of the government of the
People’s Republic of China. Additionally, restrictions on the timing of permitted trading activity in A Shares, including the imposition of local holidays in either Hong Kong or
Mainland China and restrictions on purchasing and selling the same security on the same day, may subject the Fund to the risk of price fluctuations of China A Shares at
times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its position.
Investment Style Risk. Different investment styles (e.g., “growth”, “value” or “quantitative”) tend to shift in and out of favor depending upon market
and economic conditions and investor sentiment. The Fund may outperform or underperform other funds that invest in similar asset classes but employ different investment styles.
Large Shareholder Transactions Risk. The Fund may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Fund.
Such large shareholder redemptions, which may occur rapidly or unexpectedly, may cause the
Fund to sell portfolio securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may
negatively impact the Fund's net asset value (“NAV”) and liquidity. Similarly, large Fund share purchases may adversely affect the Fund's performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash or
otherwise maintains a larger cash position than it ordinarily would. These transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income to shareholders if such sales of investments resulted in gains, and may also increase
transaction costs. In addition, a large redemption could result in the Fund's current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund's expense ratio.
Management Risk. A strategy used by the Sub-Adviser may fail to produce the intended results.
Market Risk. The market value of the securities in which the Fund invests may go up or down in response to
the prospects of individual companies, particular sectors or governments and/or general economic conditions throughout the world due to increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets.
Events such as war, military conflict, acts of terrorism, social unrest, natural disasters, recessions, inflation, rapid interest rate changes, supply chain disruptions, sanctions, the spread of infectious
illness or other public health threats could also significantly impact the Fund and its
investments.
Mid-Cap and
Small-Cap Risk. Investments in mid-capitalization and small-capitalization companies involve greater risks than those associated with larger, more established
companies. These securities may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements and may lack sufficient market liquidity, and these issuers often face greater business risks.
Other Investment Companies Risk. By investing in other investment companies (including ETFs) indirectly through the Fund, investors will incur a proportionate share of the
expenses of the other investment companies held by the Fund (including operating costs and investment management fees) in addition to the fees and expenses regularly borne by the Fund. In addition, the Fund
will be affected by the investment policies, practices and performance of such investment companies in direct proportion to the amount of assets the Fund invests therein.
Participation Notes Risk. Participation notes are designed to track the return of a particular underlying equity or debt security, currency or market. Investments in
participation notes involve the same risks associated with a direct investment in the underlying security, currency or market that they seek to replicate. The Fund has no rights under participation notes against the issuer
of the underlying security and must rely on the creditworthiness of the counterparty to the
transaction.
Portfolio
Turnover Rate Risk. A high rate of portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater
expenses which must be borne by the Fund and its shareholders.