Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. The Fund's investments in equity securities may include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks, depositary receipts, shares of publicly traded real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), warrants and rights. The Fund's investments in depositary receipts may include American, European, and Global Depositary Receipts ("ADRs," "EDRs," and "GDRs," respectively). ADRs are receipts that represent interests in foreign securities held on deposit by U.S. banks. EDRs and GDRs have the same qualities as ADRs, except that they may be traded in several international trading markets. Although the Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization and from any country, the sub-adviser's investment process typically focuses on the universe of U.S. companies with market capitalizations in excess of $2 billion at initial investment.
In pursuing the Fund's investment goal, the sub-adviseremploys a fundamental, bottom-up research driven approach to identify companies for investment by the Fund. The sub-adviserseeks to identify companies that it believes are positioned to benefit from one or more of the following: (i) shifts in industry spending, government spending and consumer trends; (ii) gains in market share from innovative products and strong intellectual property; and (iii) cyclical trends in the industry in which they operate and capable management that can take advantage of those trends. The investment process and allocation decisions result in a portfolio that blends both value and growth characteristics. At times, the Fund's assets may be invested in securities of relatively few industries or sectors. Currently, the Fund is significantly invested in the Information Technology Sector.
The broad-based market index and the performance measurement benchmark for the Fund is the S&P 500® Index. However, the sub-adviser is not constrained by the composition of the index in selecting investments for the Fund.
Principal Risks
As with any mutual fund, the value of the Fund's investments, and therefore the value of your shares, may go up or down and you could lose money. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment goal. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Italicized terms refer to separate Principal Risks that are each defined in the Principal Risks section below.
While the Fund may be subject to various risk exposures at any given time depending on market conditions and other factors impacting holdings and investment strategies, the Fund under normal circumstances is subject to the following principal risks:
•Equity Securities Risk: Equity securities tend to go up and down in value, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. An equity security's market value may decline for a number of reasons that relate to particular issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage, reduced demand for the issuer's products or services, or as a result of factors that affect the issuer's industry or market more broadly, such as labor shortages, increased production costs, or competitive conditions within an industry.
•Large-Capitalization Companies Risk: Although large-capitalization companies tend to have more stable prices than smaller, less established companies, they are still subject to equity
securities risk. In addition, large-capitalization equity security prices may not rise as much as prices of equity securities of small-capitalization companies.
•Small-Capitalization Companies Risk: Small-capitalization companies may be more susceptible to liquidity risk and price volatility and be more vulnerable to economic, market and industry changes than larger, more established companies.
•Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk: Mid-capitalization companies may be subject to greater price volatility and may be more vulnerable to economic, market and industry changes than larger, more established companies.
•Sector Focus Risk: The Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors.
•ETF Risk: Shares of ETFs typically trade on securities exchanges and may at times trade at a premium or discount to their net asset values. If the Fund has to sell shares of an ETF when the shares are trading at a discount, the Fund will receive a price that is less than the ETF's net asset value per share. In addition, an ETF may not replicate exactly the performance of the benchmark index it seeks to track. An investment in an ETF is an investment in another investment company and therefore, the Fund's shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of any fees and expenses of the ETFs in which the Fund invests. The Fund will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of ETFs.
•Foreign Investment Risk: Exposure to a foreign market through investments in foreign issuers (companies or other entities) can involve additional risks relating to market, economic, political, regulatory, geopolitical, or other conditions of that market. These factors can make investments in foreign issuers more volatile and less liquid than U.S. investments. Less stringent regulatory, accounting, and disclosure requirements and general supervision for issuers and markets are more common in certain foreign countries. Enforcing legal rights can be difficult, costly, and slow in certain foreign countries, and can be particularly difficult against foreign governments. In addition, foreign markets can react differently to these conditions than the U.S. market. Markets and economies throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected, and conditions or events in one market, country or region may adversely impact investments or issuers in, or foreign exchange rates with, another market, country, or region. Foreign securities may include ADRs, EDRs and GDRs. Unsponsored ADRs, EDRs and GDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends.
•REIT Investment Risk: Investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume, and may be more volatile than other securities. REITs may be affected by changes in the value of their underlying properties or mortgages or by defaults by their borrowers or tenants. Furthermore, these entities depend upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in financing a limited