Risk Considerations
Unit investment trusts are designed to be held until trust termination. If redeemed early, additional fees, such as remaining deferred sales charges, will be assessed.
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.
Asia Pacific Market Risk. Certain securities held by the portfolio are issued by companies in the Asia Pacific region, making the portfolio more susceptible to the economic, market, regulatory, political, natural disasters and local risks of the Asia Pacific region. The region has historically been highly dependent on global trade which creates a risk with this dependency on global growth. The stock markets tend to have a larger prevalence of smaller companies that are inherently more volatile and less liquid than larger companies.
Brexit Risk. The United Kingdom's official departure from the European Union (commonly referred to as "Brexit") led to volatility in global financial markets, in particular those of the United Kingdom and across Europe, and the weakening in political, regulatory, consumer, corporate and financial confidence in the United Kingdom and Europe. It is not currently possible to determine the extent of the impact that Brexit may have on the portfolio's investments and this uncertainty could negatively impact current and future economic conditions in the United Kingdom and other countries, which could negatively impact the value of the portfolio's investments.
China Concentration Risk. China's emerging market economy may be subject to over-extension of credit, currency devaluations and restrictions, decreased exports, economic recession, a reversal of economic liberalization, political unrest or changes in China's trading status. A deterioration of the relationship with the United States could have negative implications on issuers from these countries.
Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity companies are subject to the risks set forth in "Information Technology". In addition to their cybersecurity business, certain of these companies may be involved in other businesses unrelated to cybersecurity. Negative performance by a company's other business operations may have a negative effect on a company's stock performance, even in situations in which they are deriving positive results from their cybersecurity business.
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.
Hong Kong Concentration Risk. A significant percentage of securities held by the portfolio are issued by companies in Hong Kong and China. Hong Kong and China's emerging market economies may be subject to over-extension of credit, currency devaluations and restrictions, decreased exports, economic recession, a reversal of economic liberalization, political unrest or changes in Hong Kong and China's trading status. A deterioration of the relationship between Hong Kong or China and the United States could have negative implications on issuers from Hong Kong and China.
Japan Concentration Risk. Because the portfolio is concentrated in companies headquartered in Japan, the portfolio may present more risks than a portfolio which is broadly diversified over several regions.
Large-Cap Risk. Large capitalization companies may grow at a slower rate than the overall market.
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.
Operational Risk. As the use of Internet technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the trust has become more susceptible to potential operational risks through breaches in cybersecurity.