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.
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.
Covenant-Lite Loan Risk. Certain of the funds invest significantly in "covenant-lite" loans, which are loans made with minimal protections for the lender. Because covenant-lite loans are less restrictive on borrowers and provide less protection for lenders than typical corporate loans, the risk of default may be significantly higher.
COVID-19 Economic Impact Risk. The ongoing effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic, or the potential impacts of any future public health crisis, may cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets. While vaccines have been developed, there is no guarantee that vaccines will be effective against future variants of the disease.
ETF Risk. ETFs 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 ETFs 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, ETFs frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value in the secondary market.
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-yieldsecurities should be viewed as speculative and you should review your abilityto assume the risks associated with investments that utilize such bonds.High-yield securities are subject to numerous risks including higher interest rates,economic recession, deterioration of the junk bond market, possible downgradesand defaults of interest and/or principal. High-yield security prices tend tofluctuate more than higher rated bonds and are affected by short-term creditdevelopments 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.
Large-Cap Risk. Large capitalization companies may grow at a slower rate than the overall market.
Market Disruption Risk. Ongoing armed conflicts between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and among Israel, Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East, have caused and could continue to cause significant market disruptions and volatility within the markets in Russia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The hostilities and sanctions resulting from those hostilities could have a significant impact on certain investments as well as performance.
REITs Risk. An investment in a portfolio containing REIT securities is subject to additional risks including limited diversification. Companies involved in the real estate industry are subject to changes in the real estate market, vacancy rates and competition, volatile interest rates and economic recession.
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.
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.