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Equity Risk - The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.
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Market Capitalization Risk - Securities issued by companies of different market capitalizations tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. During a period when securities of a particular market capitalization fall behind other types of investments, an underlying fund's performance could be impacted.
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Real Estate Investment Risk - An underlying fund that has a policy of concentrating its investments in real estate companies and companies related to the real estate industry is subject to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate securities. These risks include, among others, declines in the value of (or income generated by) real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limits to accessing the credit or capital markets; defaults by borrowers or tenants, particularly during an economic downturn; and changes in interest rates.
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Fixed-Income Risk - Interest rates rise and fall over time, which will affect an underlying fund's yield and share price. A change in a central bank's monetary policy or economic conditions, among other things, may result in a change in interest rates. A rise in interest rates could cause an underlying fund's share price to fall. The credit quality of a portfolio investment could also cause an underlying fund's share price to fall. An underlying fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a portfolio investment or the counterparty to a derivatives contract fails to make timely principal or interest payments or otherwise honor its obligations. Fixed-income securities may be paid off earlier or later than expected. Either situation could cause an underlying fund to hold securities paying lower-than-market rates of interest, which could hurt an underlying fund's yield or share price. Below investment-grade bonds (junk bonds) involve greater credit risk, are more volatile, involve greater risk of price declines and may be more susceptible to economic downturns than investment-grade securities.
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Money Market Fund Risk - The fund may invest in underlying money market funds that seek to maintain a stable $1.00 net asset value. Although an underlying money market fund seeks to maintain a stable $1.00 net asset value, it is possible to lose money by investing in such a money market fund. In addition, money market funds are not designed to offer capital appreciation. Certain underlying money market funds may impose a fee upon the sale of shares under certain circumstances.
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Concentration Risk - To the extent that an underlying fund's or the index's portfolio is concentrated in the securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector, country or asset class, the underlying fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to increased price volatility and may be more
vulnerable to adverse economic, market, political or regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector, country or asset class.
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Foreign Investment Risk - An underlying fund's investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain risks that may be greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); the imposition of economic sanctions or other government restrictions; differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs. These risks may negatively impact the value or liquidity of an underlying fund's investments, and could impair the underlying fund's ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategy. There is a risk that investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. These risks may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging markets or securities of issuers that conduct their business in emerging markets.
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Derivatives Risk - An underlying fund's use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. An underlying fund's use of derivatives could reduce the underlying fund's performance, increase its volatility and cause the underlying fund to lose more than the initial amount invested. In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately large impact on an underlying fund. However, these risks are less severe when the underlying fund uses derivatives for hedging rather than to enhance the underlying fund's returns or as a substitute for a position or security.
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Leverage Risk - Certain underlying fund transactions, such as derivatives transactions, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, and mortgage dollar rolls, may give rise to a form of leverage and may expose an underlying fund to greater risk. Leverage tends to magnify the effect of any decrease or increase in the value of an underlying fund's portfolio securities, which means even a small amount of leverage can have a disproportionately large impact on the underlying fund.
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Liquidity Risk - An underlying fund may be unable to sell certain securities, such as illiquid securities, readily at a favorable time or price, or the underlying fund may have to sell them at a loss.
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Portfolio Turnover Risk - Certain of the underlying funds may buy and sell portfolio securities actively. If they do, their portfolio turnover rate and transaction costs will rise, which may lower the underlying fund's performance and may increase the likelihood of capital gains distributions.
For more information on the risks of investing in the fund and the underlying funds, please see the "Fund Details" section in the prospectus.