financial services sectors, currency
fluctuations or restrictions, political and social instability and increased economic volatility.
Investments in companies located or operating in Greater China (normally considered to be the
geographical area that includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) involve risks and considerations not typically associated with investments in the U.S. and other Western nations, such as greater government
control over the economy; political, legal and regulatory uncertainty; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscation of property; lack of willingness or ability of the Chinese government to support the economies and markets of the
Greater China region; lack of publicly available information and difficulty in obtaining information necessary for audits of, investigations into and/or litigation against Chinese companies, as well as in obtaining and/or
enforcing judgments; limited legal remedies for shareholders; alteration or discontinuation of economic reforms; complex geopolitical tensions, military conflicts and the risk of war, either internal or with other countries;
assertions of human rights violations by certain nations; public health emergencies resulting in market closures, travel restrictions, quarantines or other interventions; inflation, currency fluctuations and fluctuations in
inflation and interest rates that may have negative effects on the economy and securities markets of Greater China; and Greater China’s dependency on the economies of other Asian countries, many of which are developing
countries.
Events in any one country or region within Greater China may impact
the other countries or regions or Greater China as a whole. Export growth continues to be a major
driver of China’s rapid economic growth. As a result, a reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, the institution of additional tariffs, sanctions, capital controls, embargoes, trade wars, or other trade barriers
(or the threat thereof), including as a result of trade tensions between China and the United States, or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. In
addition, actions by the U.S. government, such as delisting of certain Chinese companies from U.S. securities exchanges or otherwise restricting their operations in the U.S., may negatively impact the value of such securities held by
an underlying fund. Further, from time to time, certain companies in which an underlying 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, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) has historically had difficulties in inspecting audit work papers and practices of PCAOB-registered accounting firms in China with
respect to their audit work of U.S. reporting companies. These difficulties may impose significant
additional risks concerning the reliability of the audits and of the information about the
Chinese securities or the potential delisting of a U.S.-listed Chinese issuer due to an inability to inspect the issuer’s accounting firm.
Investments in Chinese companies may be made through a special structure known as a variable interest entity (VIE) that is designed to provide foreign investors, such as an
underlying fund, with exposure to Chinese companies that operate in certain sectors in which China restricts or prohibits foreign investments. Investments in VIEs may pose additional risks because the investment is made
through an intermediary shell company that has entered into service and other contracts with the underlying Chinese operating company in order to provide investors with exposure to the operating company, and therefore
does not represent equity ownership in the operating company. The value of the shell company is derived from its ability to consolidate the VIE into its financials pursuant to contractual arrangements that allow the shell
company to exert a degree of control over, and obtain economic benefits arising from, the VIE without formal legal ownership. The contractual arrangements between the shell company and the operating company may not be as
effective in providing operational control as direct equity ownership, and a foreign investor’s (such as an underlying fund’s) rights may be limited, including by actions of the Chinese
government which could determine that the
underlying contractual arrangements are invalid. While VIEs are a longstanding industry practice
and are well known by Chinese officials and regulators, historically the structure has not been
formally recognized under Chinese law. However, effective March 31, 2023, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) released new rules and implementing guidelines that permit the use of VIE structures, provided they
abide by Chinese laws and register with the CSRC. The rules, however, may cause Chinese companies to undergo greater scrutiny and may make the process to create VIEs more difficult and costly. Further, while the rules
and implementing guidelines do not prohibit the use of VIE structures, this does not serve as a formal endorsement by the Chinese government. There is a risk that the Chinese government may cease to tolerate VIEs at any time,
and any guidance or further rulemaking prohibiting or restricting these structures by the Chinese government, generally or with respect to specific industries, would likely cause impacted VIE-structured holding(s) to
suffer significant, detrimental, and possibly permanent losses, and in turn, adversely affect an underlying fund’s returns and net asset value. The future of the VIE structure generally and with respect to certain industries remains
uncertain.
Certain securities issued by companies located or operating in Greater China, such as China A-shares, are subject to trading restrictions and suspensions, quota limitations and
sudden changes in those limitations, and operational, clearing and settlement risks. Additionally, developing countries, such as those in Greater China, may subject an underlying fund’s investments to a number of tax rules,
and the application of many of those rules may be uncertain. Moreover, China has implemented a number of tax reforms in recent years, and may amend or revise its existing tax laws and/or procedures in the future,
possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in applicable Chinese tax law could reduce the after-tax profits of an underlying fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies in China in
which an underlying fund invests. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for an underlying fund.
Japan Investment
Risk. An underlying fund may invest a significant portion of its total assets in securities of issuers from Japan. The growth of Japan’s economy has
recently lagged behind that of its Asian neighbors and other major developed economies. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent on international trade and may be adversely affected by trade tariffs, other protectionist measures,
dependence on exports and international trade, increasing competition from Asia’s other low-cost emerging economies and the economic conditions of its trading partners, political and social instability,
regional and global conflicts and natural disasters, as well as by commodity markets fluctuations related to Japan’s limited natural resource supply. The Japanese economy has experienced the effects of the global economic
slowdown similar to the United States and Europe, and downturns in the economies of Japan’s key trading partners, such as the United States, China and/or countries in Southeast Asia, could also have a negative impact on the
Japanese economy as a whole. The Japanese economy also faces several other concerns, including a financial system with large levels of nonperforming loans, over-leveraged corporate balance sheets, extensive
cross-ownership by major corporations, a changing corporate governance structure, and large government deficits. These issues may cause a continued slowdown of the Japanese economy.
Sector Focus Risk. In pursuing its
investment strategy, an underlying fund may invest to a significant degree in securities of issuers operating in a single sector. In so doing, an underlying fund may face more risks than if it were diversified broadly over
numerous sectors. Such sector-based risks, any of which may adversely affect the companies in which, an underlying fund invests, may include, but are not limited to, legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market
conditions and/or increased competition within the sector. In addition, at times, such sector may be out of favor and underperform other sectors or the market as a whole.
Growth Investing
Risk. The market values of growth securities may be more volatile than other types of investments. The returns on growth