Risk Considerations
Equity Risk. An investment in a portfolio containing common stocks is subject to certain risks, such as an economic recession and the possible deterioration of either the financial condition of the issuers of the equity securities or the general condition of the stock market.
Closed-End Fund Risk. Closed-end funds are subject to various risks, including management's ability to meet the fund's investment objective, and to manage the fund's portfolio when the underlying securities are redeemed or sold, during periods of market turmoil and as investors' perceptions regarding the funds or their underlying investments change. Unlike open-end funds, which trade at prices based on a current determination of the fund's net asset value, closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value in the secondary market. Certain closed-end funds employ the use of leverage, which increases the volatility of such funds.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are bonds, preferred stocks and other securities that pay a fixed rate of interest (or dividends) and will repay principal at a fixed date in the future. However, these securities may be converted into a specific number of common stocks at a specified time. As such, an investment in convertible securities entails some of the risks associated with both common stocks and bonds.
Foreign Securities Risk. Securities of non-U.S. issuers are subject to additional risks, including currency fluctuations, political risks, withholding, the lack of adequate financial information, and exchange control restrictions impacting non-U.S. issuers.
High-Yield or Junk Bonds Risk. Investing in high-yield securities or "junk" bonds should be viewed as speculative and you should review your ability to assume the risks associated with investments which utilize such securities. High-yield securities are subject to numerous risks, including higher interest rates, economic recession, deterioration of the junk bond market, possible downgrades and defaults of interest and/or principal. High-yield security prices tend to fluctuate more than higher rated securities and are affected by short-term credit developments to a greater degree.
Investment Grade Bonds Risk. Investment grade securities are subject to numerous risks including higher interest rates, economic recession, deterioration of the investment grade security market or investors' perception thereof, possible downgrades and defaults of interest and/or principal.
MLP Risk. Investments in Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) are subject to the risks generally applicable to companies in the energy and natural resources sectors, including commodity pricing risk, supply and demand risk, depletion risk and exploration risk. There are certain tax risks associated with MLPs, including the risk that U.S. taxing authorities could challenge the trust's treatment of the MLPs for federal income tax purposes. These tax risks could have a negative impact on the after-tax income available for distribution by the MLPs and/or the value of the trust's investments.
Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage-backed securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates, and may reduce the market value of the securities. In addition, mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk, the risk that borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected, particularly when interest rates decline.
Options Risk. Options are subject to various risks including that their value may be adversely affected if the market for the option becomes less liquid or smaller. In addition, options will be affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of the stock subject to the option, an increase in interest rates, a change in the actual and perceived volatility of the stock market and the common stock and the remaining time to expiration.
Preferred Securities Risk. Preferred securities are equity securities of the issuing company which pay income in the form of dividends. Preferred securities are typically subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company's capital structure, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments.
Senior Loans Risk. The yield on senior loans will generally decline in a falling interest rate environment and increase in a rising interest rate environment. Senior loans are generally below investment grade quality ("junk" bonds). An investment in senior loans involves the risk that the borrowers may default on their obligations to pay principal or interest when due.
Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Risk. An investment in a portfolio containing small-cap and mid-cap companies is subject to additional risks, as the share prices of small-cap companies and certain mid-cap companies are often more volatile than those of larger companies due to several factors, including limited trading volumes, products, financial resources, management inexperience and less publicly available information.
Volatility Risk. The value of the securities held by the trust may be subject to steep declines or increased volatility due to changes in performance or perception of the issuers.
Additional Risk. For a discussion of additional risks of investing in the trust see the "Risk Factors" section of the prospectus.
Important Note. It is important to note that an investment can be made in the underlying funds directly rather than through the trust. These direct investments can be made without paying the trust's sales charge, operating expenses and organizational costs.