Investments, Risks, and Performance
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund employs a passive management approach, investing in a portfolio of assets whose performance is expected to match approximately the performance of the MSCI EAFE Index before the deduction of Fund expenses. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of the value of its net assets in a statistically selected sampling of equity securities of companies included in the MSCI EAFE Index and in derivative instruments linked to the MSCI EAFE Index, primarily futures contracts.
The MSCI EAFE Index is a market-weighted index composed of common stocks of companies from various economic sectors whose primary trading markets are located outside the United States. The MSCI EAFE Index includes large- and mid-capitalization companies across developed markets countries around the world, excluding the US and Canada, and may change over time.
The Fund does not necessarily invest in all of the securities in the MSCI EAFE Index, or in the same weightings as the securities have in the index. The Fund's Subadviser chooses investments so that the market capitalizations, industry weightings, and other fundamental characteristics of the securities chosen are similar to those of the MSCI EAFE Index as a whole. At February 29, 2024, Japan represented approximately 24% of the MSCI EAFE Index.
Industry Concentration Policy. The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the MSCA EAFE Index is concentrated.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The price per share of the Fund will fluctuate with changes in the value of the investments held by the Fund. You may lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its objective.
The following is a summary of the principal risks to which the Fund's portfolio as a whole is subject, any of which may adversely affect the Fund's net asset value (NAV), yield, total return and ability to achieve its investment objective. As changes occur in a Fund's portfolio holdings, the extent to which the portfolio is subject to each of these risks may also change.
Market Risk - The market value of portfolio securities may go up or down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably.
Issuer Risk - The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons directly related to the issuer of the security.
Capitalization Risk - Investing in small- to mid-sized companies creates risk because smaller companies may have unpredictable or limited earnings, and their securities may be less liquid or experience more volatile prices than those of large companies.
Foreign Securities Risk - Investing in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involves a number of risks, such as fluctuations in currency values, adverse political, social or economic developments, and differences in social and economic developments or policies.
Risks of Investing in Japan - Japan may be subject to political, economic, nuclear, and labor risks, among others. Any of these risks, individually or in the aggregate, can impact an investment made in Japan. Since 2000, Japan's economic growth rate has generally remained low relative to other advanced economies, and it may remain low in the future. The Japanese economy faces several concerns, any of which could negatively affect the value of Japanese investments. In addition, Japan's labor market is adapting to an aging workforce, declining population, and demand for increased labor mobility. These demographic shifts and fundamental structural changes to the labor market may negatively impact Japan's economic competitiveness.
European Investment Risk - Investments in certain countries in the European Union (the "EU") are susceptible to high economic risks associated with high levels of debt, such as investments in sovereign debt of Greece, Italy and Spain. Efforts of the member countries to further unify their economic and monetary policies may increase the potential for the downward movement of one member country's market to cause a similar effect on other member countries' markets. Separately, the EU faces issues involving its membership, structure, procedures and policies. The exit of one or more member countries from the EU, such as the exit of the United Kingdom (known as "Brexit"), could place its currency and banking system in