To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests substantially all of its assets in equity securities comprising the Solactive GBS United States 600 Index TR (index). Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of small-capitalization U.S. companies, ETFs providing exposure to such securities, and derivatives with economic characteristics similar to such securities. The fund considers small-capitalization companies to be companies with market capitalizations within the range of market capitalization of companies included in the index. As of December 31, 2023, the full market capitalization range of companies included in the index was $97 million to $10.92 billion. The fund considers a U.S. company to be a company whose securities are listed on a U.S. stock market.

The Solactive GBS United States 600 Index TR is a free float market capitalization weighted index designed to measure the performance of 600 small-capitalization companies listed on U.S. stock markets. The index's universe of eligible securities includes common stock and shares of real estate investment trusts (REITs) listed on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Market LLC, NYSE Arca, NASDAQ, Investors Exchange, or BATS Exchange, traded in U.S. dollars, and that meet certain tradability requirements. Securities included in the Solactive GBS United States 500 Index TR, an index designed to measure the performance of 500 of the largest companies listed on U.S. stock markets, or the Solactive GBS United States 400 Index TR, an index designed to measure the performance of 400 mid-capitalization companies listed on U.S. stock markets, are not eligible for inclusion. At each reconstitution, eligible securities are ranked by total market capitalization in descending order. All securities ranked in the top 510 are selected for inclusion in the index and current index constituents with a rank from 511 to 720 are selected until the total number of companies in the index equals 600. If the total number of companies is below 600, the highest-ranking remaining securities are selected until 600 is reached. The index reconstitutes quarterly in February, May, August, and November. As of December 31, 2023, the index was comprised of 603 securities.

Under normal circumstances, the fund generally invests in all of the stocks in the index in proportion to their weighting in the index. However, the fund may invest in a representative sample of the index if replicating the index could be detrimental or disadvantageous to shareholders, such as when there are practical difficulties or substantial costs involved in compiling a portfolio of equity securities to replicate the index, in instances in which a security in the index becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable or less liquid, or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations (such as tax diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not the index.

In seeking to track the index, the fund's assets may be concentrated in (i.e., more than 25% of the fund's assets invested in) an industry or group of industries, but only to the extent that the index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 25.80% of the index consisted of securities of issuers in the financials sector and 21.85% of the index consisted of securities of issuers in the industrial sector.

The fund is classified as diversified under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act); however, the fund may become non-diversified solely as a result of changes in the composition of the index (e.g., changes in weightings of one or more component securities). When the fund is non-diversified, it may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers.