WisdomTree Indian Rupee Strategy Fund ICN (NYSE Arca Ticker)
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS January 1, 2015, as revised October 7, 2015
Before you invest in the Fund, as defined below, you may want to review the Funds prospectus and statement of additional information (SAI), which contain more information about the Fund and the risks of investing in the Fund. The Funds current prospectus and SAI are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus. You can find the Funds prospectus and SAI, as well as other information about the Fund, online at www.wisdomtree.com/prospectus. You may also obtain this information at no charge by calling 1-866-909-9473 or by sending an e-mail request to getinfo@wisdomtree.com.
Investment Objective
The WisdomTree Indian Rupee Strategy Fund (the Fund) seeks to achieve total returns reflective of both money market rates in India available to foreign investors and changes in value of the Indian rupee relative to the U.S. dollar.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The fees are expressed as a percentage of the Funds average net assets.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) | None | |||
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
||||
Management Fees |
0.45 | % | ||
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
None | |||
Other Expenses* |
0.00 | % | ||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses* | 0.45 | % |
* | Amounts do not reflect extraordinary non-recurring proxy expenses of 0.01% incurred during the fiscal year. |
Example
The following example is intended to help retail investors compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It illustrates the hypothetical expenses that such investors would incur over various periods if they invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of the shares at the end of those periods. This example assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that retail investors may pay to buy and sell shares of the Fund. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |||||||||||||
$46 | $144 | $252 | $567 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, there was no portfolio turnover rate for the Fund since the Fund invested in short-term securities with maturities less than or equal to 365 days, which are excluded from portfolio turnover calculations.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is an actively managed exchange traded fund (ETF) that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in short-term securities designed to provide exposure to Indian currency and money market rates. Because the market for money market securities in India generally is less liquid and accessible to foreign investors than corresponding markets in
WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 1 |
other countries, the Fund intends to achieve exposure to currency markets in India by investing primarily in short-term U.S. money market securities and forward currency contracts and swaps. The combination of U.S. money market securities with forward currency contracts and currency swaps is designed to provide exposure equivalent to money market securities denominated in Indian rupees. A forward currency contract is an agreement to buy or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract. A currency swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange one currency for another at a future rate. The Fund also may enter into repurchase agreements, which are transactions in which the Fund purchases securities or other obligations from a bank or securities dealer and simultaneously commits to resell them to a counterparty at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased obligations.
The Fund generally will maintain a weighted average portfolio maturity of 90 days or less with respect to the money market securities in its portfolio. The Fund will not purchase any security with a remaining maturity of more than 397 calendar days. All U.S. money market securities acquired by the Fund will be rated in the upper two short-term ratings by at least two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs) or, if unrated, deemed to be of equivalent quality. The Fund does not seek to preserve capital in U.S. dollars.
The decision to secure exposure directly or indirectly will be a function of, among other things, market accessibility, credit exposure, and tax ramifications for foreign investors. If the Fund pursues direct investment, eligible investments include short-term securities issued by the government of India and its agencies or instrumentalities, bank debt obligations and time deposits, bankers acceptances, commercial paper, short-term corporate debt obligations, mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities.
The Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in investments whose combined performance is tied economically to India. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, the Funds future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy. The Trust will provide shareholders with sixty (60) days prior notice of any change to this policy for the Fund.
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 Funds 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 Funds Prospectus, titled Additional Principal Risk Information About the Fund and Additional Non-Principal Risk Information.
n | 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. |
n | Market Risk. The trading prices of currencies, fixed income securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. The Funds NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and factors, including those described herein. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time. |
n | Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The trading prices of the Funds shares in the secondary market generally differ from the Funds 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. |
n | Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund generally redeems shares for cash or otherwise includes cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. |
n | Capital Controls and Sanctions Risk. Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events, military action and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to government intervention (including intervention by the U.S. government with respect to foreign governments, economic sectors, foreign companies |
WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 2 |
and related securities and interests) and the imposition of capital controls and/or sanctions, which may also include retaliatory actions of one government against another government, such as seizure of assets. Capital controls and/or sanctions include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to own or transfer currency, securities or other assets, which may potentially include derivative instruments related thereto. Capital controls and/or sanctions may also impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell, transfer, receive, deliver or otherwise obtain exposure to, foreign securities or currency, negatively impact the value and/or liquidity of such instruments, adversely affect the trading market and price for shares of the Fund, and cause the Fund to decline in value. |
n | Counterparty and Issuer Credit Risk. The financial condition of an issuer of a debt security or other instrument or a counterparty to a derivative or other contract may cause such issuer or counterparty to default, become unable to pay interest or principal due or otherwise fail to honor its obligations or cause such issuer or counterparty to be perceived (whether by market participants, rating agencies, pricing services or otherwise) as being in such situations. The value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning in response to issuer or counterparty defaults, changes in the credit ratings of the Funds portfolio investments and/or perceptions related thereto. |
n | Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in investments denominated in Indian rupees, or in securities that provide exposure to Indian rupees, currency exchange rates or interest rates denominated in Indian rupees. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of the Indian rupee will affect the value of the Funds investment and the value of your Fund shares. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money. |
n | Derivatives Risk. The Fund will invest in derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying reference asset, such as a commodity, index, interest rate or inflation rate. The return on a derivative instrument may not correlate with the return of its underlying reference asset. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks described elsewhere in this Prospectus, such as interest rate risk, market risk, and credit risk. Derivatives can be volatile and may be less liquid than other securities. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money. In addition to the other risks associated with the use of derivatives described elsewhere in this Prospectus, there are risks associated with the Funds use of forward currency contracts and/or futures contracts. With respect to forward currency contracts, these risks include but are not limited to the risk that the counterparty will default on its obligations. With respect to futures contracts, these risks include but are not limited to: (1) the success of the advisers and sub-advisers ability to predict movements in the prices of individual currencies or securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the currencies or securities and the prices of futures contracts; and (3) no guarantee that an active market will exist for the contracts at any particular time. |
n | Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in securities and instruments traded in developing or emerging markets, or that provide exposure to such securities or markets, can involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in U.S. securities and instruments or investments in more developed international markets. Such conditions may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, adversely affect the trading market and price for Fund shares, and cause the Fund to decline in value. |
n | Foreign Securities Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in non-U.S. securities and instruments, or in securities that provide exposure to such instruments. Investments in non-U.S. securities and instruments involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities, including the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. |
n | Geographic Concentration in India. Because the Fund concentrates in investments providing exposure to India, the Funds performance is expected to be closely tied to social, political, and economic conditions within India and to be more volatile than the performance of more geographically diversified funds. The Indian government has exercised and continues to exercise significant influence over many aspects of the economy. While the government of India is moving to a more liberal approach, it still places restrictions on the capability and capacity of foreign investors to access and trade rupee directly. While the Indian economy generally has experienced growth in recent years, there is no guarantee that this growth will continue. These and other factors could have a negative impact on the Funds performance and increase the volatility of an investment in the Fund. |
WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 3 |
n | Geopolitical Risk. Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced security concerns, war or threats of war and aggression, terrorism, economic uncertainty, natural and environmental disasters and/or systemic market dislocations that have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the India and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Funds investments. |
n | Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that fixed income securities will decline in value because of changes in interest rates and other factors, such as perception of an issuers creditworthiness. Funds with higher durations generally are subject to greater interest rate risk. For example, the value of a fund with a portfolio duration of ten years would be expected to drop by 10% for every 1% increase in interest rates. |
n | Issuer-Specific Risk. Issuer-specific events, including changes in the financial condition of an issuer, can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund. |
n | Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed using proprietary investment strategies and processes. There can be no guarantee that these strategies and processes will be successful or that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. |
n | Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Funds volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Funds performance. |
n | Offshore Investor Risk. In addition to the general risks associated with investing in non-U.S. currencies and non-U.S. currency markets, there are special risks associated with investing in Indian rupee or securities designed to provide exposure to Indian rupee. While the government of India is moving toward a more liberal approach, it still places restrictions on the capability and capacity of foreign investors to access and trade rupee directly. Foreign investors in India still face burdensome taxes on investments in income-producing securities. These limitations and restrictions may impact the availability, liquidity and pricing of securities designed to provide offshore investors with exposure to Indian markets. As a result, returns achieved by offshore investors, such as the Fund, could differ from those available to domestic investors in India. |
n | Repurchase Agreement Risk. The Funds investment in repurchase agreements may be subject to market and credit risk with respect to the collateral securing the repurchase agreements. Investments in repurchase agreements also may be subject to the risk that the market value of the underlying obligations may decline prior to the expiration of the repurchase agreement term. |
Fund Performance
Historical Fund performance, which varies over time, can provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart that follows shows the annual total returns of the Fund for each full calendar year since the Fund commenced operations (i.e., commenced secondary market trading). The table that follows the bar chart shows the Funds average annual total returns, both before and after taxes. The table also shows how the Funds performance compares to the JP Morgan Emerging Local Markets Index Plus India, a relevant broad-based securities index. Index returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes. All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Funds past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
The Funds year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2014 was 5.25%.
WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 4 |
Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)
Return | Quarter/Year | |||||||
Highest Return |
9.01 | % | 3Q/2012 | |||||
Lowest Return |
(8.17 | )% | 3Q/2011 |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ending December 31, 2013
WisdomTree Indian Rupee Strategy Fund | 1 Year | 5 Years | Since Inception (5-14-2008) |
|||||||||
Return Before Taxes Based on NAV |
(4.94 | )% | 0.37 | % | (0.73 | )% | ||||||
Return After Taxes on Distributions |
(4.94 | )% | (0.70 | )% | (1.72 | )% | ||||||
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
(2.80 | )% | (0.05 | )% | (0.85 | )% | ||||||
JP Morgan Emerging Local Markets Index Plus India (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
(3.85 | )% | 1.49 | % | 0.42 | % |
Management
Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser
WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Mellon Capital Management Corporation serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Paul Benson, CFA, CAIA Managing Director, Head of Fixed Income Portfolio Management, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since October 2015.
Stephanie Shu, CFA Director, Senior Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income, has been a member of the portfolio management team for the Fund since inception and a portfolio manager of the Fund since October 2015.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. This means that shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the NYSE Arca, Inc., and trade at market prices. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through brokers. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The Fund issues and redeems shares at NAV only in large blocks of shares (Creation Units), which only certain institutions or large investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. Currently, Creation Units generally consist of 100,000 shares, though this may change from time to time. Creation Units are not expected to consist of less than 50,000 shares. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of money market securities closely approximating the holdings of the Fund or a designated basket of non-U.S. currency and/or an amount of U.S. cash.
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains.
WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 5 |
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an Intermediary), WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Fund shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediarys website for more information.
WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 6 |
(This page intentionally left blank.)
WIS-ICN-SUM-1015 |