Investing in the funds may involve certain risks, as discussed in the funds’ prospectuses, including, but not limited to, those described below. Any of these risks could cause an investor to lose money.
Market Risk. Financial markets rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. Markets may be impacted by economic, political, regulatory and other conditions, including economic sanctions and other government actions. In addition, the occurrence of global events, such as war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural disasters and epidemics, may also negatively affect the financial markets. As with any investment whose performance is tied to these markets, the value of an investment in a fund will fluctuate, which means that an investor could lose money over short or long periods.
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.
Investment Style Risk. The funds are index funds. Therefore, each fund follows the securities included in its respective index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, a fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market. In addition, because of a fund’s expenses, a fund’s performance may be below that of the index. Errors relating to the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified by the index provider for a period of time. In addition, market disruptions could cause delays in an index’s rebalancing schedule. Such errors and/or market disruptions may result in losses for a fund.
Tracking Error Risk. As index funds, each fund seeks to track the performance of its respective index, although it may not be successful in doing so. The divergence between the performance of a fund and the index, positive or negative, is called “tracking error.” Tracking error can be caused by many factors and it may be significant.
Sampling Index Tracking Risk. To the extent a fund uses sampling techniques, a fund will not fully replicate its index and may hold securities not included in the index. As a result, a fund will be subject to the risk that the investment adviser’s investment strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results. If a fund utilizes a sampling approach, it may not track the return of the index as well as it would if the fund purchased all of the securities in the index.
Concentration Risk. To the extent that a fund’s or its respective index’s portfolio is concentrated in the securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector, country or asset class, the 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.
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, the fund’s performance could be impacted.
Large-Cap Company Risk. Large-cap companies are generally more mature and the securities issued by these companies may not be able to reach the same levels of growth as the securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies.
Mid-Cap Company Risk. Mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies and the value of securities issued by these companies may move sharply.
Small-Cap Company Risk. Securities issued by small-cap companies may be riskier than those issued by larger companies, and their prices may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns.
Growth Investing Risk. Growth stocks can be volatile. Growth companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their businesses and may lack the dividends of value stocks that can cushion stock prices in a falling market. The prices of growth stocks are based largely on projections of the issuer’s future earnings and revenues. If a company’s earnings or revenues fall short of expectations, its stock price may fall dramatically. Growth stocks may also be more expensive relative to their earnings or assets compared to value or other stocks.
Value Investing Risk. Certain funds emphasize a “value” style of investing, which targets undervalued companies with characteristics for improved valuations. This style of investing is subject to the risk that the valuations never improve or that the returns on “value” securities may not move in tandem with the returns on other styles of investing or the stock market in general.
Foreign Investment Risk. A 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,
