WisdomTree Asia Local Debt Fund – ALD (NYSE Arca Ticker)
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS – FEBRUARY 14, 2011 as revised March 10, 2011
Before you invest in the WisdomTree Asia Local Debt Fund (the “Fund”), you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, which contain more information about the Fund and the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s current prospectus and statement of additional information are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus. You can find the Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, 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 Asia Local Debt Fund (the “Fund”) seeks a high level of total return consisting of both income and capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This 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 Fund’s 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 |
0.55 | % | ||
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
None | |||
| Other Expenses* |
0.00 | % | ||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.55 | % |
| * | “Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | |||||||
| $56 | $176 | |||||||
Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Fund shares, which are not reflected in the example.
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 Fund’s performance. Because the Fund is newly-organized, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.
The Fund’s Investment Strategy
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective through investment in Local Debt denominated in the currencies of a broad range of Asian countries. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in Local Debt. For these purposes, Local Debt includes fixed income securities, such as bonds, notes or other debt obligations, denominated in local currencies of countries in Asia, as well as certain derivatives and other instruments described herein. The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”).
The Fund intends to focus its investments on bonds and other debt instruments issued by governments, government agencies and instrumentalities, and government sponsored enterprises. The Fund also may invest in Local Debt issued by
| WisdomTree Prospectus 1 |
supranational organizations such as the European Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development or International Finance Corporation, and development agencies supported by other national governments. The Fund may invest in corporate bonds economically tied to Asian countries. The Fund also may invest in inflation-linked fixed income securities denominated in Asian currencies.
The Fund intends to provide exposure to the developing/emerging market economies in Asia. Specifically, the Fund intends to invest in Local Debt primarily from South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, India, Thailand, Philippines, and Taiwan. The Fund is permitted to invest in developed market economies, such as Australia and New Zealand. This list may change based on market developments. The Fund uses a structured investment approach that analyzes multiple factors. Countries are grouped into differentiated tiers based on an analysis of these factors. Subject to the Fund’s general investment requirement to provide broad country exposure within the region, the Fund generally invests a higher percentage of its assets in countries that have larger and more liquid debt markets and that the Fund’s adviser believes are pursuing sustainable fiscal and monetary policies in light of economic and market conditions. The country exposures are consistently monitored from a risk perspective and may be modified, reduced or eliminated. The Fund’s exposure to any single country generally will be limited to 20% of the Fund’s assets. The percentage of Fund assets invested in a specific region, country or issuer will change from time to time.
The universe of Local Debt currently includes securities that are rated “investment grade” as well as “non-investment grade.” The Fund intends to provide a broad-based exposure to Local Debt and therefore will invest in both investment-grade and non-investment-grade securities. Securities rated investment grade generally are considered to be of higher credit quality and subject to lower default risk. Although securities rated below investment grade may offer the potential for higher yields, they generally are subject to a higher potential risk of loss.
The Fund attempts to limit interest rate risk by maintaining an aggregate portfolio duration of between two and eight years under normal market conditions. Aggregate portfolio duration is important to investors as an indication of the Fund’s sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Funds with higher durations generally are subject to greater interest rate risk. An aggregate portfolio duration of between two and eight years generally would be considered “intermediate.” The Fund’s actual portfolio duration may be longer or shorter depending on market conditions. The Fund may also invest in short-term money market securities denominated in the currencies of countries in which the Fund invests.
For purposes of the 80% investment policy described above, Local Debt includes investments in derivatives such as forward currency contracts, interest rate swaps, inflation-linked swaps, total return swaps and credit linked notes. The Fund’s use of forward contracts and swaps will be underpinned by investments in short-term, high-quality U.S. money market securities and is designed to provide exposure similar to investments in local currency debt. The Fund does not use derivatives to enhance leverage. A forward 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 swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange payments based on a reference asset, which may be a currency or rate, but also may be a single asset, a pool of assets or an index of assets. A currency swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange one currency for another at a future rate. An interest rate swap typically involves the exchange of one interest rate payment for another, such as a floating interest rate payment for a fixed payment. An inflation-linked swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange payments at a future date based on the difference between a fixed payment and a payment linked to the inflation rate at a future date. A total return swap is an agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to make payments of the total return of a reference asset in return for payments equal to a rate of interest on another reference asset. A repurchase agreement is when a 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. Repurchase agreements are designed to result in a fixed rate of return for the Fund insulated from market fluctuations during the holding period. A futures contract may generally be described as an agreement for the future sale by one party and the purchase by another of a specified security or instrument at a specified price and time. The Fund may invest in interest rate and other futures contracts listed for trading on exchanges in Asia. A credit linked note is a type of structured note whose value is linked to an underlying reference asset or entity. Credit linked notes typically provide periodic payments of interest as well as payment of principal upon maturity. Assets not invested in Local Debt generally will be invested in investment-grade U.S. government securities and money market instruments. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in debt instruments denominated in U.S. dollars issued by Asian governments and government sponsored enterprises.
The decision to secure exposure through direct investment in bonds or indirectly through derivative transactions will be a function of, among other things, market accessibility, credit exposure, tax ramifications and regulatory requirements applicable to U.S. investment companies. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, the Fund’s 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. In addition, under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 70% of its assets in “Fixed Income Securities.” Fixed Income Securities include debt instruments, such as bonds, notes and other obligations, denominated in Asian currencies or U.S. dollars; Fixed Income Securities do not include derivatives.
| WisdomTree Prospectus 2 |
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.
| 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 even 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. These factors include events impacting the entire market or specific market segments, such as political, market and economic developments, as well as events that impact 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 even long periods. |
| 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. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more (or less) than NAV when you buy shares of the Fund in the secondary market, and you may receive more (or less) than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary market. |
| n | Capital Controls Risk. Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to intervention by the governments of Asian countries and the imposition of “capital controls.” Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as the Fund). Capital controls may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, may adversely affect the trading market and price for shares of the Fund, and may cause the Fund to decline in value. |
| n | Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy will require it to redeem shares for cash or to otherwise include 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 | Credit Risk. The financial condition of an issuer of a debt security or other instrument may cause it to default or become unable to pay interest or principal due. The Fund cannot collect interest and principal payments on a security or instrument if the issuer defaults. While the Fund attempts to limit credit exposure in a manner consistent with its investment objective, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning in response to issuer defaults and changes in the credit ratings of the Fund’s portfolio investments. |
| n | Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies, or in securities that provide exposure to such currencies, currency exchange rates or interest rates denominated in such currencies. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund’s investment and the value of your Fund shares. Because the Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, the U.S. dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go down if the value of the local currency of the non-U.S. markets in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. This is true even if the local currency value of securities in the Fund’s holdings goes up. Conversely, the dollar value of your investment in the Fund may go up if the value of the local currency appreciates against the U.S. dollar. 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 Investment Risk. The Fund will invest in derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying asset, index, interest rate or currency exchange rate. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks described elsewhere in this Prospectus, such as interest rate risk, market risk, and credit risk. They also involve the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, or that the counterparty to a derivative contract might default on its obligations. 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. |
| 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. For example, developing and emerging markets may be subject to (i) greater market volatility, (ii) lower trading volume and liquidity, (iii) greater social, political and economic uncertainty, (iv) governmental controls on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital, (v) lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards, (vi) fewer protections of property rights, (vii) restrictions on the transfer of securities or currency, and (viii) settlement and trading practices that |
| WisdomTree Prospectus 3 |
| differ from U.S. markets. Each of these factors 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 | High Yield Securities Risk. Higher yielding, high risk debt securities, sometimes referred to as junk bonds, may present additional risk because these securities may be less liquid and present more credit risk than investment-grade bonds. The price of high yield securities tends to be more susceptible to issuer-specific operating results and outlook and to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions. |
| n | Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that fixed income securities will decline in value because of changes in interest rates. As interest rates rise, the value of certain fixed income securities is likely to decrease. Similarly, if interest rates decline, the value of fixed income securities is likely to increase. Fixed income securities with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. |
| n | Investment in Asia Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in Asia, the Fund will be susceptible to loss due to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that region. While certain Asian economies are exemplars of growth and development others have been and continue to be subject, to some extent, to over-extension of credit, currency devaluations and restrictions, high unemployment, high inflation, decreased exports and economic recessions. Each of these factors 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 | Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed using proprietary investment strategies and techniques. There can be no guarantee that these strategies and techniques will be successful or that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. |
| n | Non-Diversification Risk. Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund will be 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 Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance. |
| n | Offshore Investor Risk. The opportunity for offshore investors to access certain markets can be limited due to a variety of factors including government regulations, adverse tax treatment, and currency convertability issues. These limitations and restrictions may impact the availability, liquidity and pricing of securities designed to provide offshore investors with exposure to such markets. As a result, returns achieved by offshore investors, such as the Fund, could differ from those available to domestic investors in the selected countries. |
| n | Sovereign Debt Risk. Bonds issued by emerging market governments, sometimes referred to as “sovereign” debt, present risks not associated with investments in other types of bonds. The government or agency issuing the debt may be unable or unwilling to make interest payments and/or repay the principal owed. In such instance, the Fund may have limited recourse against the issuing government or agency. In the past, governments of emerging market countries have refused to honor their payment obligations on issued bonds. |
Fund Performance
The Fund has not yet completed a full calendar year of investment operations and therefore does not have any performance history.
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
David C. Kwan, a Managing Director, Fixed Income, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.
Lisa Mears O’Connor, a Managing Director, Fixed Income, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
The Fund is an “exchange traded fund.” This means that shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as NYSE Arca (the “Listing Exchange”), 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 institutions or large investors may purchase or redeem. Currently, Creation Units generally consist of 100,000 shares, although this may change from time to time. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of fixed income 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 Prospectus 4 | WIS-ALD-SUM-0311 |