with the credit analysis process used by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.
The Fund utilizes active duration (i.e., making investments to reduce or increase the sensitivity of the Fund's portfolio to interest rate changes) and yield curve positioning (i.e., making investments that allow the Fund to benefit from varying interest rates) for risk management and for generating alpha.
In selecting investments for the Fund, the portfolio managers analyze the overall investment opportunities and risks in different sectors of the debt securities markets by utilizing a macro-orientated risk allocation process. The portfolio managers may focus on securities that they believe offer a balance of income and total return, securities whose market prices tend to move in different directions (to seek overall portfolio diversification), and/or relative values across global fixed income markets. The Fund may sell securities that the portfolio managers believe are no longer favorable with regard to these factors.
In attempting to meet its investment objective or to manage subscription and redemption requests, the Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The following summarizes the principal risks of investing in the Fund.
The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Market Risk. Securities held by the Fund are subject to market fluctuations. You should anticipate that the value of the Shares will decline, more or less, in correlation with any decline in value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio. Additionally, natural or environmental disasters, widespread disease or other public health issues, war, military conflicts, acts of terrorism, economic crises or other events could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund's net asset value ("NAV"). Certain changes in the U.S. economy in particular, such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets decline, may have a material adverse effect on global financial markets as a whole, and on the securities to which the Fund has exposure. Increasingly strained relations between the U.S. and foreign countries, including as a result of economic sanctions and tariffs, may also adversely affect U.S. issuers, as well as non-U.S. issuers.
During a general downturn in the financial markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value. When markets perform well, there can be no assurance that specific investments held by the Fund will rise in value.
Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund's portfolio holdings, the Sub-Adviser applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these actions will produce the desired results.
Fixed-Income Securities Risk. Fixed-income securities are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a fixed-income security resulting from changes in the general level of interest rates. When the general level of interest rates goes up, the prices of most fixed-income securities go down. When the general level of interest rates goes down, the prices of most fixed-income securities go up. Fixed-income securities with longer maturities typically are more sensitive to changes in interest rates, making them more volatile than securities with shorter maturities. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will be unable and/or unwilling to make timely interest payments and/or repay the principal on its debt. Debt instruments are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which may be reflected in credit ratings. There is a possibility that the credit rating of a fixed-income security may be downgraded after purchase, which may occur quickly and without advance warning following sudden market downturns or unexpected developments involving an issuer, and which may adversely affect the liquidity and value of the security.
Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions Risk. Increases in the federal funds and equivalent foreign rates or other changes to monetary
policy or regulatory actions may expose fixed income markets to heightened volatility, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree, and to reduced liquidity for certain fixed income investments, particularly those with longer maturities. Such changes and resulting increased volatility may adversely impact the Fund, including its operations, universe of potential investment options, and return potential. It is difficult to predict the impact of interest rate changes on various markets. In addition, decreases in fixed income dealer market-making capacity may also potentially lead to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity in the fixed income markets. As a result, the value of the Fund's investments and share price may decline. Changes in central bank policies and other governmental actions and political events within the U.S. and abroad may also, among other things, affect investor and consumer expectations and confidence in the financial markets, which could result in higher than normal redemptions by APs (as defined herein), which could potentially increase the Fund's portfolio turnover rate and transaction costs.
Credit Risk. The issuer of instruments in which the Fund invests may be unable to meet interest and/or principal payments. An issuer's securities may decrease in value if its financial strength weakens, which may reduce its credit rating and possibly its ability to meet its contractual obligations. Even in the case of collateralized debt obligations, there is no assurance that the sale of collateral would raise enough cash to satisfy an issuer's payment obligations or that the collateral can or will be liquidated.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk refers to the risk that bond prices generally fall as interest rates rise; conversely, bond prices generally rise as interest rates fall. Specific bonds differ in their sensitivity to changes in interest rates depending on their individual characteristics, including duration. "Duration risk" is related to interest rate risk; it refers to the risks associated with the sensitivity of a bond's price to a one percent change in interest rates. Bonds with longer durations (i.e., a greater length of time until they reach maturity) face greater duration risk, meaning that they tend to exhibit greater volatility and are more sensitive to changes in interest rates than bonds with shorter durations.
Income Risk. The Fund's income may decline when interest rates fall because the Fund may hold a significant portion of short duration securities and/or securities that have floating or variable interest rates. To the extent that the Fund invests in lower yielding bonds, and as the bonds in its portfolio mature, the Fund needs to purchase additional bonds, thereby reducing the Fund's income.
High Yield Debt Securities (Junk Bond) Risk. Compared to higher quality debt securities, high yield debt securities (also referred to as junk bonds or below-investment grade bonds) and other lower-rated securities involve a greater risk of default or price changes due to changes in the credit quality of the issuer because they are generally unsecured and may be subordinated to other creditors' claims. High yield debt securities are considered speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest and repay principal, are more susceptible to default or decline in market value and are less liquid than investment grade debt securities. Prices of high yield debt securities tend to be very volatile. The values of high yield debt securities often fluctuate more in response to political, regulatory or economic developments than higher quality bonds, and their values can decline significantly over short periods of time or during periods of economic difficulty when the bonds could be difficult to value or sell at a fair price, thus subjecting the Fund to a substantial risk of loss.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. U.S. government securities include securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury, by various agencies of the U.S. government, or by various instrumentalities which have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States, which may be negatively affected by an actual or threatened failure of the U.S. government to pay its obligations. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. In the case of those U.S. government securities not backed by