objective, meaning it generally will invest in a sample of the securities in
the Index whose risk, return and other characteristics resemble the risk, return and other characteristics of the Index as a whole. Under normal circumstances, at least 95% of the Fund’s total assets (exclusive of collateral held from
securities lending) will be invested in component securities of the Index and investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of such component securities.
The Index is a fundamentally-weighted index that defines the
dividend-paying portion of the U.S. stock market. The Index is comprised of U.S. companies listed on a U.S. stock market that pay regular cash dividends and that meet other liquidity and capitalization requirements established by the Index provider,
WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (“WisdomTree Investments”). To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, a company must meet the following criteria: (i) payment of regular cash dividends on shares of common stock in the 12 months preceding
the annual Index screening date; (ii) market capitalization of at least $100 million as of the annual Index screening date; and (iii) average daily dollar trading volume of at least $100,000 for the three months preceding the annual Index screening
date.
The Index is dividend weighted annually to reflect
the proportionate share of the aggregate cash dividends each component company is projected to pay in the coming year, based on the most recently declared dividend per share. The maximum weight of any one sector in the Index, at the time of the
Index’s annual screening date, is capped at 25%; however, sector weights may fluctuate above the specified cap in response to market conditions and/or the application of volume factor adjustments. The Index methodology applies a volume factor
adjustment to reduce a component security’s weight in the Index and reallocate the reduction in weight pro rata among the other securities if, as of the annual Index screening date, a component security no longer meets certain trading volume
thresholds.
WisdomTree Investments currently uses
Standard & Poor’s Global Industry Classification Standards (“S&P GICS”) to define companies within a sector. The following sectors are included in the Index: consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, financials,
health care, industrials, information technology, materials, telecommunication services, and utilities. A sector is comprised of multiple industries. As of September 1, 2016, S& P GICS will recognize real estate as a new sector, separate from
the financial sector. For example, the energy sector is comprised of companies in, among others, the natural gas, oil and petroleum industries. As of June 30, 2016, a significant portion of the Index is comprised of companies in the consumer staples
and financial sectors.
To the extent that the Index
concentrates (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent as the
Index.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the
risks described below. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of
investing in the Fund, see the sections in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Principal Risk Information About the Funds” and “Additional Non-Principal Risk Information.”
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Investment Risk. As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk. Investors in the Fund could lose money, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long
periods of time. |
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Market Risk. The trading prices of equity securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors, such as events that impact the entire market, market segments, or specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and
market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time. |
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Shares of the Fund May Trade
at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of the Fund’s shares in the
secondary market generally differ from the Fund’s daily NAV and there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV (premium) or less than the NAV (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or
periods of steep market declines. |
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Consumer
Staples Sector Risk. The Fund currently invests a significant portion of its assets in the consumer staples sector. This sector can be significantly affected by, among other things, changes in price and availability
of underlying commodities, rising energy prices and global and economic conditions. |