The fund seeks to replicate the total return performance of the benchmark index, before fees and expenses, by investing in companies outside the United States.

The investment process starts with a list of companies in the benchmark index and the research team utilizes quantitative techniques and fundamental analysis to identify investment opportunities.

As part of its strategy, the fund employs a passive or indexing approac More

The fund seeks to replicate the total return performance of the benchmark index, before fees and expenses, by investing in companies outside the United States.

The investment process starts with a list of companies in the benchmark index and the research team utilizes quantitative techniques and fundamental analysis to identify investment opportunities.

As part of its strategy, the fund employs a passive or indexing approach.

Next, the research team invests significantly in the component securities of its Underlying Index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its Underlying Index.

The Underlying Index measures the performance of international developed large- and mid-capitalization stocks exhibiting relatively higher quality characteristics as identified through three fundamental variables, such as return on equity, earnings variability and debt-to-equity.

The team utilizes a representative sampling indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of an applicable underlying index.

Also, the team evaluates companies based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings.

In addition, the team also assesses a company’s return variability and yield, and liquidity characteristics.

Then the manager constructs a portfolio of stocks from a list of companies favored by the research team and allocates capital based on its conviction level.

The fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index.

The fund will concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index is concentrated.

Also, the fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in certain futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds advised by BFA or its affiliates, as well as in securities not included in the Underlying Index.

Additionally, the fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of its net assets.