changes in the U.S. economy in particular,
such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets decline, may have a material adverse effect on global financial markets as a whole, and on the securities to which the Underlying Index has
exposure. Increasingly strained relations between the U.S. and foreign countries, including as a result of economic sanctions and tariffs, may also adversely affect U.S. issuers, as well as non-U.S. issuers.
During a general downturn in the financial markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value. When markets perform well, there can be no assurance that specific investments
held by the Underlying Index will rise in value.
Index Risk. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund
does not utilize an investing strategy that seeks returns in excess of its Underlying Index.
Therefore, the Fund would not necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added to or removed from, respectively, its Underlying Index, even if that security generally is underperforming. Additionally, the Fund generally rebalances its
portfolio in accordance with its Underlying Index, and, therefore, any changes to its Underlying Index’s rebalance schedule will typically result in corresponding changes to the Fund’s rebalance schedule.
Equity Risk. Equity risk is the risk that the value of equity securities, including common stocks, may fall due to both
changes in general economic conditions that impact the market as a whole, as well as factors that
directly relate to a specific company or its industry. Such general economic conditions include changes in interest rates, periods of market turbulence or instability, or general and prolonged periods of economic decline and cyclical change. It is
possible that a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the common stocks that the Fund holds. In addition, equity risk includes the risk that investor sentiment toward one or more industries will
become negative, resulting in those investors exiting their investments in those industries, which could cause a reduction in the value of companies in those industries more broadly. Equity risk also includes the risk of
large-capitalization companies, which may adapt more slowly to new competitive challenges or may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential, and consequently may underperform other segments of the equity
market or the market as a whole. The value of a company's common stock may fall solely because of factors, such as an increase in production costs, that negatively impact other companies in the same region,
industry or sector of the market. A company's common stock also may decline significantly in price over a short period of time due to factors specific to that company, including decisions made by its management or
lower demand for the company's products or services. For example, an adverse event, such as an
unfavorable earnings report or the failure to make anticipated dividend payments, may depress the
value of common stock.
Industry Concentration Risk. In following its methodology, the Underlying Index from time to time may be concentrated to a significant degree in securities of issuers
operating in a single industry or industry group. To the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or industry group, the Fund will also concentrate its investments to
approximately the same extent. By concentrating its investments in an industry or industry group, the Fund may face more risks than if it were diversified broadly over numerous industries or industry groups. Such
industry-based risks, any of which may adversely affect the companies in which the Fund invests, may include, but are not limited to, the following: general economic conditions or cyclical market patterns that could negatively
affect supply and demand in a particular industry; competition for resources; adverse labor relations; political or world events; obsolescence of technologies; and increased competition or new product introductions that may
affect the profitability or viability of companies in an industry. In addition, at times, such industry or industry group may be out of favor and underperform other industries or the market as a whole.
Information Technology Sector
Risk. Information technology companies are subject to intense competition, and their products are at risk of rapid obsolescence, which make
the prices of securities issued by these companies particularly volatile. Product obsolescence can
result from rapid technological developments, frequent new product introduction, unpredictable
changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Factors that may also significantly affect the market value of securities of issuers in the information technology sector include the failure to
obtain, or delays in obtaining, financing or regulatory approval, product incompatibility, changing
consumer preferences, increased government scrutiny, high required corporate capital expenditure
for research and development or infrastructure and development of new products, and competition from alternative technologies. Information technology companies are also heavily dependent on patent and other
intellectual property rights, and the loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the
company's profitability.
Foreign Investment Risk. Investments in the securities of
non-U.S. issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities.
Foreign securities may have relatively low market liquidity, greater market volatility, decreased publicly available information and less reliable financial information about issuers, and inconsistent and potentially less stringent accounting, auditing and
financial reporting requirements and standards of practice, including recordkeeping standards, comparable to those applicable to domestic issuers. Foreign securities also are subject to the risks of possible seizure,
expropriation, nationalization, political or social instability, changes in economic or taxation policies or other adverse political or economic developments (in which the Fund could lose its entire investment in a certain market) and the
difficulty of enforcing obligations in other countries, including the possible adoption of foreign governmental restrictions such as exchange controls. Investments in foreign securities also may be subject to dividend
withholding or confiscatory taxes, currency blockage and/or transfer restrictions and higher transactional costs. To the extent the Fund invests in securities denominated in foreign currencies, fluctuations in the value of the U.S.
dollar relative to the values of other currencies may adversely affect investments in foreign securities and may negatively impact the Fund’s returns. Foreign companies generally may be subject to less stringent
regulations than U.S. companies, including financial reporting requirements and auditing and accounting controls, and may therefore be more susceptible to fraud or corruption. There may be less public information available about
foreign companies than U.S. companies, making it difficult to evaluate those foreign companies.
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, one or more of these companies could suffer damage to its reputation if the market identifies it
as a company that invests or deals with countries that the U.S. government identifies as state sponsors of terrorism or is subject to sanctions.
Issuer-Specific Changes Risk. The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the
market as a whole and may perform worse than the market as a whole, causing the value of the Fund’s securities to decline.
Valuation Risk. The price the Fund could receive upon the sale of a portfolio investment may differ from the Fund’s
valuation of the investment, particularly for investments that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation methodology. Financial information related to securities of non-U.S. issuers may
be less reliable than information related to securities of U.S. issuers, which may make it difficult to obtain a current