value. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate
significantly over short periods of time. Currency hedging strategies, if used, are not always
successful.
European Investment Risk. The Economic and Monetary Union (the “EMU”) of the European Union (the “EU”) requires compliance
with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, interest rates, debt levels and fiscal and monetary
controls, each of which may significantly affect every country in Europe. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro, the default or threat of default by an EU member country
on its sovereign debt, and recessions in an EU member country may have significant adverse effects on the
economies of EU member countries. Responses to financial problems by EU countries may not produce the desired results, may limit future growth and economic recovery, may result in social unrest, or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or
restructurings by governments and other entities of their debt could have additional adverse effects on
economies, financial markets, and asset valuations around the world. A number of countries in Eastern Europe remain relatively undeveloped and can be particularly sensitive to political and economic developments. Separately, the EU faces issues
involving its membership, structure, procedures and policies. The exit of one or more member states from
the EU, such as the departure of the United Kingdom (the “UK”), referred to as “Brexit”, could place the departing member's currency and banking system under severe stress or even in jeopardy. An exit by other member states will likely result in increased
volatility, illiquidity and potentially lower economic growth in the affected markets, which will adversely
affect the Fund’s investments.
Emerging
Market Securities Risk. Emerging markets (also referred to as developing markets) are generally subject to greater market volatility, political, social and economic
instability, uncertain trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. In addition, companies operating in emerging markets may be subject to lower trading volume and greater price
fluctuations than companies in more developed markets. Such countries’ economies may be more
dependent on relatively few industries or investors that may be highly vulnerable to local and global changes. Companies in emerging market countries generally may be subject to less stringent regulatory, disclosure, financial reporting, accounting, auditing
and recordkeeping standards than companies in more developed countries. As a result, information, including
financial information, about such companies may be less available and reliable, which can impede the
Fund’s ability to evaluate such companies. Securities law and the enforcement of systems of taxation in many emerging market countries may change quickly and unpredictably, and the ability to bring and enforce actions (including
bankruptcy, confiscatory taxation, expropriation, nationalization of a company’s assets, restrictions on foreign ownership of local companies, restrictions on withdrawing assets from the country, protectionist measures and
practices such as share blocking), or to obtain information needed to pursue or enforce such actions, may
be limited. In addition, the ability of foreign entities to participate in privatization programs of certain developing or emerging market countries may be limited by local law. Investments in emerging market securities may be subject to additional
transaction costs, delays in settlement procedures, unexpected market closures, and lack of timely
information.
Geographic Focus
Risk. The Fund may from time to time have a substantial amount of its assets invested in securities of issuers located in a single country or a limited number of
countries. Adverse economic, political or social conditions in those countries may therefore have a significant negative impact on the Fund’s investment performance.
Asia Pacific Region Risk (including Japan). The level of development of
the economies of countries in the Asia Pacific region varies greatly. Furthermore, since the economies of the countries in the region are largely intertwined, if an economic recession is experienced by any of these countries, it will likely adversely impact
the economic performance of other
countries in the region. Certain economies in the region may be adversely affected by increased competition, high
inflation rates, undeveloped financial services sectors, currency fluctuations or restrictions, political and
social instability and increased economic volatility.
The Fund’s Japanese investments may be adversely affected by protectionist trade policies, slow
economic activity worldwide, dependence on exports and international trade, increasing competition from Asia’s other low-cost emerging economies, political and social instability, regional and global conflicts and natural disasters, as
well as by commodity markets fluctuations related to Japan’s limited natural resource supply. The
Japanese economy also faces several other concerns, including a financial system with large levels of
nonperforming loans, over-leveraged corporate balance sheets, extensive cross-ownership by major corporations, a changing corporate governance structure, and large government deficits.
Investments in companies located or operating in Greater China (normally considered
to be the geographical area that includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) involve risks and considerations not typically associated with investments in the U.S. and other Western nations, such as greater government control over the
economy; political, legal and regulatory uncertainty; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscation of
property; lack of willingness or ability of the Chinese government to support the economies and markets of
the Greater China region; lack of publicly available information and difficulty in obtaining information necessary for investigations into and/or litigation against Chinese companies, as well as in obtaining and/or enforcing judgments;
limited legal remedies for shareholders; alteration or discontinuation of economic reforms; military
conflicts and the risk of war, either internal or with other countries; public health emergencies resulting
in market closures, travel restrictions, quarantines or other interventions; inflation, currency fluctuations and fluctuations in inflation and interest rates that may have negative effects on the economy and securities markets of
Greater China; and Greater China’s dependency on the economies of other Asian countries, many of which are developing countries. Events in any one country within Greater China may impact the other countries in the region or
Greater China as a whole. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China’s rapid economic growth. As a result, a reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, the institution of additional tariffs, sanctions,
capital controls, embargoes, trade wars, or other trade barriers (or the threat thereof), including as a result of trade tensions between China and the United States, or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading
partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. In addition, actions by the U.S. government, such
as delisting of certain Chinese companies from U.S. securities exchanges or otherwise restricting their
operations in the U.S., may negatively impact the value of such securities held by the Fund. Further, from time to time, certain companies in which the Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions or embargoes
imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations and/or in countries the U.S. government identified as
state sponsors of terrorism. One or more of these companies may be subject to constraints under U.S. law or regulations that could negatively affect the company’s performance. Additionally, any difficulties of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) to inspect audit work papers and practices of PCAOB-registered accounting firms in China with respect to their audit work of U.S. reporting companies may impose significant additional risks associated with
investments in China.
Investments in Chinese companies may be made
through a special structure known as a variable interest entity (“VIE”) that is designed to
provide foreign investors, such as the Fund, with exposure to Chinese companies that operate in certain
sectors in which China restricts or prohibits foreign investments. Investments in VIEs may pose additional risks because the investment is made through an intermediary shell company that has entered into service and other contracts
with the underlying Chinese operating company in order to provide investors with exposure to the operating
company, and therefore does not represent equity ownership in the operating company. The value of the shell company is derived from its