Credit Risk. The Fund may suffer losses if the issuer of a fixed income security owned by the Fund is unable to make interest or principal payments.
Foreign Investment Risk. Investment in foreign securities involves risks due to several factors, such as illiquidity, the lack of public information, changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar, unfavorable political, social and legal developments, or economic and financial instability. Foreign companies are not subject to the U.S. accounting and financial reporting standards and may have riskier 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.
Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in emerging markets are subject to all of the risks of investments in foreign securities, generally to a greater extent than in developed markets, and additional risks as well. Generally, the economic, social, legal, and political structures in emerging market countries are less diverse, mature and stable than those in developed countries. As a result, investments in emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than investments in developed countries. Unlike most developed countries, emerging market countries may impose restrictions on foreign investment. These countries may also impose confiscatory taxes on investment proceeds or otherwise restrict the ability of foreign investors to withdraw their money at will.
Currency Risk. Because the Fund's foreign investments are generally held in foreign currencies, the Fund could experience gains or losses based solely on changes in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. Such gains or losses may be substantial.
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.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the "full faith and credit" of the U.S. Government and are generally considered to have low credit risk. Unlike U.S. Treasury obligations, securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities
and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government and are therefore subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Foreign Sovereign Debt Risk. Foreign sovereign debt securities are subject to the risk that a governmental entity may delay or refuse to pay interest or to repay principal on its sovereign debt, due, for example, to cash flow problems, insufficient foreign currency reserves, political, social and economic considerations, the relative size of the governmental entity's debt position in relation to the economy or the failure to put in place economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund or other multilateral agencies. If a governmental entity defaults, it may ask for more time in which to pay or for further loans.
Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Mortgage-backed securities are similar to other debt securities in that they are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Mortgage-backed securities may be issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities or may be non-guaranteed securities issued by private issuers. These securities are also subject to the risk that issuers will prepay the principal more quickly or more slowly than expected, which could cause the Fund to invest the proceeds in less attractive investments or increase the volatility of their prices. CMOs, which are a type of mortgage-backed security, may be less liquid and may exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- and asset-backed securities.
Asset-backed securities are bonds or notes that are normally supported by a specific property. If the issuer fails to pay the interest or return the principal when the bond matures, then the issuer must give the property to the bondholders or noteholders. Examples of assets supporting asset-backed securities include credit card receivables, retail installment loans, home equity loans, auto loans, and manufactured housing loans.
Collateralized Loan Obligation Risk. A collateralized loan obligation is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. The cash flows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the "equity" tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Because it is