in value. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate
significantly over short periods of time. These risks are more pronounced in connection with the Fund’s investments in securities of issuers located in, or otherwise economically tied to, emerging
countries.
Interest Rate Risk. When interest rates increase, fixed income
securities or instruments held by the Fund will generally decline in value. Long-term fixed
income securities or instruments will normally have more price volatility because of this risk than short-term fixed income securities or instruments. Changing interest rates may have unpredictable effects on the markets, may
result in heightened market volatility and may detract from Fund performance. In addition, changes in monetary policy may exacerbate the risks associated with changing interest rates. Funds with longer
average portfolio durations will generally be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than funds with a shorter average portfolio duration. Fluctuations in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of fixed
income securities and instruments held by the Fund.
Investing in the Underlying Funds. The investments of the Fund may be concentrated in one or more Underlying Funds (including ETFs and other registered investment companies)
subject to limitations and/or conditions prescribed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the “Investment Company Act”), or rules, regulations or exemptive relief
thereunder. The Fund’s investment performance is directly related to the investment performance of the Underlying Funds it holds. The Fund is subject to the risk factors associated with the investments of the Underlying Funds
in direct proportion to the amount of assets allocated to each. If the Fund has a relative concentration of its portfolio in a single Underlying Fund, it may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting that
Underlying Fund and may be more susceptible to losses because of these
developments.
Investment
Style Risk. Different investment styles (e.g., “growth”,
“value” or “quantitative”) tend to shift in and out of favor depending
upon market and economic conditions and investor sentiment. The Fund employs a
“quantitative” style, and may outperform or underperform other funds that invest in similar asset classes but employ different investment styles.
Large Shareholder Transactions Risk. The Fund may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Fund.
Such large shareholder redemptions, which may occur rapidly or unexpectedly, may cause the
Fund to sell portfolio securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may
negatively impact the Fund's NAV and liquidity. Similarly, large Fund share purchases may adversely affect the Fund's performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash or otherwise maintains a larger
cash position than it ordinarily would. These transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income to shareholders if such sales of investments resulted in gains, and may also increase transaction costs.
In addition, a large redemption could result in the Fund's current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund's expense ratio.
Leverage Risk. Borrowing and the use of derivatives may result in leverage and may make the Fund more volatile. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate
portfolio positions to satisfy its obligations when it may not be advantageous to do so. The use of leverage by the Fund can substantially increase the adverse impact to which the Fund’s investment portfolio may
be subject.
Liquidity Risk. The Fund may make investments that are illiquid or that may become less liquid in response to market
developments or adverse investor perceptions. Illiquid investments may be more difficult to
value. Liquidity risk may also refer to the risk that the Fund will not be able to pay
redemption proceeds within the allowable time period
because of unusual market conditions, declining prices of the securities sold, an unusually high volume of
redemption requests or other reasons. To meet redemption requests, the Fund may be forced to sell investments at an unfavorable time and/or under unfavorable conditions. Liquidity risk may be the result
of, among other things, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities or the lack of an active market. The potential for liquidity risk may be
magnified by a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed income funds may be higher than normal, potentially causing increased supply in the market due to selling
activity. These risks may be more pronounced in connection with the Fund’s investments in securities of issuers located in emerging market countries. Redemptions by large shareholders may have a negative
impact on the Fund’s liquidity.
Management Risk. A strategy used by the Investment Adviser may fail to produce the intended results. The Investment
Adviser attempts to execute a complex strategy for the Fund using proprietary quantitative
models. Investments selected using these models may perform differently than expected as a
result of the factors used in the models, the weight placed on each factor, changes from the factors’ historical trends, and technical and other issues in the construction, implementation and maintenance of the models
(including, for example, data problems, unauthorized changes and/or software issues). There is
no guarantee that the Investment Adviser’s use of these quantitative models will result
in effective investment decisions for the Fund. Additionally, commonality of holdings across quantitative money managers may amplify losses.
Market Risk. The value of the securities in which the Fund invests may go up or down in response to the prospects of individual companies, particular sectors, governments or
countries and/or general economic conditions throughout the world due to increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets. Events such as war, military conflict, geopolitical disputes, acts
of terrorism, social or political unrest, natural disasters, recessions, inflation, rapid interest rate changes, supply chain disruptions, tariffs and other restrictions on trade, sanctions or the spread of
infectious illness or other public health threats, or the threat or potential of one or more such events and developments, could also significantly impact the Fund and its investments.
Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in securities of an MLP involve risks that differ from investments in common stock, including risks related to limited control and
limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP. Certain MLP securities may trade in lower volumes due to their smaller capitalizations, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements and
lower market liquidity. MLPs are generally considered interest-rate sensitive investments. During periods of interest rate volatility, these investments may not provide attractive returns.
Investments in securities of an MLP also include tax-related risks. For example, to the extent a distribution received by the Fund from an MLP is treated as a return of capital,
the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the interests of the MLP may be reduced, which will result in an increase in an amount of income or gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the Fund for
tax purposes upon the sale of any such interests or upon subsequent distributions in respect of
such interests.