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. Income-producing securities
Although the fund will generally invest in income-producing securities, it is not guaranteed that all underlying investments will generate income. To the extent that underlying investments of the fund are income producing, higher yields generally mean that there will be reduced potential for capital appreciation for equity securities.
4. Emerging Markets
This fund invests in emerging market securities which may involve increased risks and special considerations not typically associated with the investment in securities in more developed markets. The price of these securities may be more volatile and/or less liquid than those of securities in more developed markets. This volatility or lack of liquidity may stem from political, economic, legal, taxation, settlement, transfer of securities, custody and currency/currency control 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.
5. 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.
6. Emerging Markets
This fund invests in emerging market securities in Asia Pacific region 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. Financial Derivative Instruments
Although the fund will not make extensive use of derivatives for investment purposes or use complex derivatives or strategies to meet the investment objectives of the fund, the use of derivatives may give rise to leverage, liquidity, counterparty and valuations risks at times. In adverse situations, the fund’s use of derivatives may become ineffective and the fund may suffer significant losses.
8. Risks associated with distribution out of capital
For certain Classes of Shares, dividends may be 1) paid out of gross income while fees/charges may be charged to capital of the fund. This will result in an increase in distributable income for the payment of dividends, and therefore the fund may pay dividend effectively out of capital; or 2) paid directly out of capital where the net income generated by the fund is insufficient to pay a distribution as declared. Investors should note that the payment of dividends directly out of capital and/or effectively out of capital represents a return or withdrawal of part of the amount they originally invested or from any capital gains attributable to the original investment. Such distributions may result in an immediate decrease in the net asset value per Share of the fund. If there is a change to this policy, prior approval will be sought from the SFC and affected investors will receive at least one month’s prior written notification.
The Net Asset Value of a certain hedged share class may be adversely affected by differences in the interest rates of the reference currency of the hedged share class and the fund’s base currency, resulting in an increase in the amount of distribution that is paid out of capital and hence a greater erosion of capital than other non-hedged share classes.