Small Regions

Small Regions mutual funds and ETFs invest in a wide range of... Small Regions mutual funds and ETFs invest in a wide range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, commodities, and alternatives, in either specific countries or regions of the world. For example, a mutual fund or ETF in this category may be focused on a nation such as Canada, or it could focus on all the Nordic countries. Depending on the investment mandate, these funds can be further classified based on management style (active or passive) and asset class (single or multi-asset). The fixed-income portion of these funds may invest in debt securities varying by type (government or corporate), credit quality (investment-grade or junk), duration (short or long), and strategy (inflation-protected or sector-diversified). The equity portion of these funds may invest in common equities, and these can vary by market capitalization (small or large), dividend income (total income or high income), and strategy (sector-based or factor-based), among others. The alternatives portion of these funds may invest in strategies including real estate, currency trading, commodities, derivatives or other techniques relying on volatility, hedge fund, or quantitative strategies. The level of risk and potential return for Small Regions mutual funds and ETFs varies based on the country or regions in question. A fund focused on Canada, for example, may entail a risk/return profile similar to other developed nations, although the country has an outsized exposure to natural resources. By contrast, a fund focused on Lithuania will have substantially higher risks and potential returns, as the nation is still considered an emerging market. Conservative-minded investors will tend to prefer developed market funds, while more aggressive investors may allocate more of their portfolios to emerging and frontier market funds. Last Updated: 03/28/2023 View more View less

Small Regions mutual funds and ETFs invest in a wide range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, commodities, and alternatives, in either specific countries or regions of the world. For example, a... Small Regions mutual funds and ETFs invest in a wide range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, commodities, and alternatives, in either specific countries or regions of the world. For example, a mutual fund or ETF in this category may be focused on a nation such as Canada, or it could focus on all the Nordic countries. Depending on the investment mandate, these funds can be further classified based on management style (active or passive) and asset class (single or multi-asset). The fixed-income portion of these funds may invest in debt securities varying by type (government or corporate), credit quality (investment-grade or junk), duration (short or long), and strategy (inflation-protected or sector-diversified). The equity portion of these funds may invest in common equities, and these can vary by market capitalization (small or large), dividend income (total income or high income), and strategy (sector-based or factor-based), among others. The alternatives portion of these funds may invest in strategies including real estate, currency trading, commodities, derivatives or other techniques relying on volatility, hedge fund, or quantitative strategies. The level of risk and potential return for Small Regions mutual funds and ETFs varies based on the country or regions in question. A fund focused on Canada, for example, may entail a risk/return profile similar to other developed nations, although the country has an outsized exposure to natural resources. By contrast, a fund focused on Lithuania will have substantially higher risks and potential returns, as the nation is still considered an emerging market. Conservative-minded investors will tend to prefer developed market funds, while more aggressive investors may allocate more of their portfolios to emerging and frontier market funds. Last Updated: 03/28/2023 View more View less