Investment involves risks. Please refer to the Hong Kong Prospectus for details including the risk factors.
1. Investment Risk
The fund is an investment fund. The fund’s investment portfolio may fall in value and therefore your investment in the fund may suffer losses. There is no assurance that the strategy employed by the fund will be successful and therefore the investment objectives of the fund may not be achieved.
2. Equities
The value of stocks may fluctuate, sometimes dramatically, in response to the activities and results of individual companies or because of general market and economic conditions or other events.
3. QFII Risk
The fund’s ability to make the relevant investments or to fully implement or pursue its investment objective and strategy is subject to the applicable QFII laws, rules and regulations (including restrictions on investments and repatriation of principal and profits) in the PRC, which are subject to change and such change may have potential retrospective effect.
The fund may suffer substantial losses if there is insufficient QFII quota allocated for the fund to make investments, the approval of the QFII is being revoked/terminated or otherwise invalidated as the fund may be prohibited from trading of relevant securities and repatriation of the fund’s monies, or if any of the key operators or parties (including QFII custodian/brokers) is bankrupt/in default and/or is disqualified from performing its obligations (including execution or settlement of any transaction or transfer of monies or securities).
4. Risks associated with the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect ("Stock Connect")
The fund may invest and have direct access to certain eligible China A Shares via the Stock Connect. The relevant rules and regulations on Stock Connect are subject to change which may have potential retrospective effect.
Stock Connect is subject to quota limitations. Where a suspension in the trading through Stock Connect is effected, the fund’s ability to invest in China A-shares or access the PRC market will be adversely affected. In such event, the fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective could be negatively affected.
5. Renminbi Currency Risk
Chinese Renminbi (RMB) is currently traded in two markets: one in the PRC (onshore RMB, or CNY) and one outside the PRC (primarily in Hong Kong) (offshore RMB, or CNH). Although CNH and CNY are the same currency, they trade at different rates, and any divergence between CNH and CNY may adversely impact investors. Onshore RMB is not freely convertible and is subject to exchange controls and certain requirements by the PRC government, whereas offshore RMB is freely tradable. Whilst the RMB is traded freely outside the PRC, the RMB spot, forward foreign exchange contracts and related instruments reflect the structural complexities of this evolving market. There is no guarantee that the value of RMB against the investors’ base currencies will not depreciate. Any depreciation of RMB could adversely affect the value of investor’s investment in the fund. Accordingly, the fund may be exposed to greater foreign exchange risks. Under exceptional circumstances, payment of redemptions and/or dividend payment in RMB may be delayed due to the exchange controls and restrictions applicable to RMB.
6. Emerging Markets
This fund invests in emerging market securities (in particular securities in Asia) and the price of these securities may be more volatile than those of securities in more developed markets.
This volatility may stem from political and economic factors and be exacerbated by legal, trading liquidity, settlement, transfer of securities and currency factors.
Although care is taken to understand and manage these risks, the fund and accordingly the shareholders in the fund will ultimately bear the risks associated with investing in these markets.
7. Equity Linked Notes
Equity linked notes (ELNs) involve a counterparty structuring a note whose value is intended to move in line with the underlying security specified in the note. Investments in these instruments may cause a loss if the value of the underlying security declines. In the event that the counterparty (structurer of the note) defaults, the risk to the fund is to that of the counterparty, irrespective of the value of the underlying security within the note. The liquidity of an ELN can be less than that for the underlying security, a regular bond or debt instrument and this may adversely affect either the ability to sell the position or the price at which such a sale is transacted.
8. Foreign Currency Risk
The fund’s total return and balance sheet can be significantly affected by foreign exchange rate movements where the fund’s assets and income are denominated in currencies other than the base currency of the fund. Also, a class of shares may be designated in a currency other than the base currency of the fund. This means that currency movements and changes in exchange rate controls may significantly affect the value of the fund’s share price.
9. Financial Derivative Instruments
Although the fund will not make extensive use of financial derivative instruments for investment purposes or use complex derivative instruments or strategies to meet the investment objectives of the fund, the use of financial derivative instruments may give rise to leverage, liquidity, counterparty and valuations risks at times. In adverse situations, the fund’s use of derivative instruments may become ineffective and the fund may suffer significant losses.