settlement procedures. U.S. investments that are denominated in foreign currencies or that are traded in foreign markets, or securities of U.S. companies that have significant foreign operations may be subject to foreign investment risk.
Geographic Risk. If the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in issuers located in a single country, a limited number of countries, or a particular geographic region, it assumes the risk that economic, political and social conditions in those countries or that region may have a significant impact on its investment performance.
IPO Risk. A Fund's purchase of shares issued as part of, or a short period after a company's initial public offering ("IPO") exposes it to risks associated with companies that have little operating history as public companies, as well as to the risks inherent in those sectors of the market where these new issuers operate. The market for IPO issuers has been volatile, and share prices of newly-public companies have fluctuated in significant amounts over short periods of time.
Market Risk. The Fund's share price can fall because of weakness in the broad market, a particular industry, or specific holdings or due to adverse political or economic developments here or abroad, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus, outbreaks and epidemics). The prices of individual securities may fluctuate, sometimes dramatically, from day to day. The prices of stocks and other equity securities tend to be more volatile than those of fixed-income securities.
Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a smaller number of issuers, its value may be affected to a greater extent by the performance of any one of those issuers or by any single economic, political, market or regulatory event affecting any one of those issues than a fund that invests in a larger number of issuers.
Sector Risk. Companies with similar characteristics may be grouped together in broad categories called sectors. Sector risk is the risk that securities of companies within specific sectors of the economy can perform differently than the overall market. This may be due to changes in such things as the regulatory or competitive environment or to changes in investor perceptions regarding a sector. Because the Fund may allocate relatively more assets to certain sectors than others, the Fund's performance may be more susceptible to any developments which affect those sectors emphasized by the Fund.
Securities Lending Risk. Engaging in securities lending could increase the market and credit risk for Fund
investments. The Fund may lose money if it does not recover borrowed securities, the value of the collateral falls, or the value of investments made with cash collateral declines. The Fund's loans will be collateralized by securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies and instrumentalities, which subjects the Fund to the credit risk of the U.S. Government or the issuing federal agency or instrumentality. If the value of either the cash collateral or the Fund's investments of the cash collateral falls below the amount owed to a borrower, the Fund also may incur losses that exceed the amount it earned on lending the security. Securities lending also involves the risks of delay in receiving additional collateral or possible loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower fails. Another risk of securities lending is the risk that the loaned portfolio securities may not be available to the Fund on a timely basis and the Fund may therefore lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price.
Privately Placed Securities Risk. The Fund's investments may also include privately placed securities, which are subject to resale restrictions. These securities will have the effect of increasing the level of Fund illiquidity to the extent the Fund may be unable to sell or transfer these securities due to restrictions on transfers or on the ability to find buyers interested in purchasing the securities. The illiquidity of the market, as well as the lack of publicly available information regarding these securities, may also adversely affect the ability to arrive at a fair value for certain securities at certain times and could make it difficult for the Fund to sell certain securities.
Mid-Cap Company Risk. Investing in mid-cap companies carries the risk that due to current market conditions these companies may be out of favor with investors. Stocks of mid-cap companies may be more volatile than those of larger companies due to, among other reasons, narrower product lines, more limited financial resources and fewer experienced managers.
Small-Cap Company Risk. Investing in small-cap companies carries the risk that due to current market conditions these companies may be out of favor with investors. Small companies often are in the early stages of development with limited product lines, markets, or financial resources and managements lacking depth and experience, which may cause their stock prices to be more volatile than those of larger companies. Small company stocks may be less liquid yet subject to abrupt or erratic price movements. It may take a substantial period of time before the Fund realizes a gain on an investment in a small-cap company, if it realizes any gain at all.
Active Trading Risk. High portfolio turnover rates that are associated with active trading may result in higher