WisdomTree Emerging Markets Corporate Bond Fund – EMCB (NASDAQ Ticker)
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS – January 1, 2013
Before you invest in the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Corporate Bond 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 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 |
0.60 | % | ||
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
None | |||
| Other Expenses* |
0.00 | % | ||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.60 | % |
| * | “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 | |||||||
| $61 | $192 | |||||||
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. During the period from the commencement of Fund operations (March 8, 2012) through the end of its most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective through investment in debt securities issued by corporate entities that are domiciled in, or economically tied to, emerging market countries. The issuers of such debt will include public, private, and state-owned or sponsored corporations. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in Corporate Debt. For these purposes, Corporate Debt includes fixed income securities, such as bonds, notes, money market securities and other debt obligations (such as loan participation notes) of emerging market issuers. Corporate Debt does not include derivatives. The Fund is an actively managed exchange traded fund (“ETF”).
| WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 1 |
The Fund intends to focus its investment on Corporate Debt issued in U.S. dollars. The Fund also may invest in Corporate Debt denominated in the local currency of emerging market countries. Non-U.S. dollar denominated debt is sometimes referred to as “local debt.” Local debt provides exposure to changes in the value of such non-U.S. currencies against the U.S. dollar. Corporate Debt includes debt securities issued by supranational organizations, such as the European Investment Bank, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development or International Finance Corporation, or other regional development banks. The Fund may invest to a limited extent in debt securities of emerging market governments (also known as “sovereign debt”) and debt securities linked to inflation rates in emerging market countries.
The Fund intends to seek exposure to Corporate Debt from the following regions: Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Within these regions, the Fund is likely to invest in countries such as: Argentina, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Nigeria, Oman, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. This list may change based on market developments. The Fund employs a structured investment approach that utilizes “top down” analysis of macroeconomic factors and “bottom up” analysis of emerging market countries and issuers. The Fund’s credit exposures are consistently monitored from a risk perspective and may be modified, reduced or eliminated. The Fund’s exposure to any single issuer generally will be limited to 10% of the Fund’s net assets. The Fund’s exposure to any single country generally will be limited to 30% of the Fund’s net assets. The percentage of Fund assets invested in a specific region, country or issuer will change from time to time.
The universe of emerging market Corporate Debt currently includes securities that are rated “investment grade” as well as “non-investment grade” (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”). The Fund intends to provide a broad exposure to emerging market Corporate 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 ten 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. 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. The Fund’s actual portfolio duration may be longer or shorter depending upon market conditions. The Fund may also invest in short-term money market securities denominated in U.S. dollars or the currencies of countries in which the Fund invests.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in derivatives, such as swaps and forward currency contracts. A swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange payments based on a reference asset, which may be a currency or interest rate but also may be a single asset, a pool of assets or an index of assets. 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. The Fund’s use of derivatives will be underpinned by investments in cash or other liquid assets (typically short-term, high-quality money market securities). The Fund also may enter into repurchase agreements with counterparties that are deemed to present acceptable credit risks. A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which the Fund purchases securities or other obligations from a bank or securities dealer and simultaneously agrees 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 must invest at least 80% of its net assets directly in Corporate Debt. The decision to secure exposure through direct investment in Corporate Debt 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 Fund’s 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.
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 objective.
| 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. |
| WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 2 |
| n | Market Risk. The trading prices of currencies, fixed income securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these factors. 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. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV when purchased and sold in the secondary market, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. |
| 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 government intervention and the imposition of “capital controls.” Capital controls may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, adversely affect the trading market and price for shares of the Fund, and cause the Fund to decline in value. |
| n | Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy will require it to effect redemptions, in whole or in part, for cash, triggering security sales. The sale of non-U.S. denominated securities can generate realized foreign exchange losses which could impact the income distributions paid by the Fund. Additionally, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used exclusively. |
| 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. While the Fund attempts to limit credit and counterparty 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 or counterparty defaults and changes in the credit ratings of the Fund’s portfolio investments. |
| n | Currency Exchange Rate Risk. While the Fund intends to focus its investment on Corporate Debt denominated in U.S. dollars, the Fund may invest a 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. 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 may invest in derivatives. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks described elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospectus, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, and market 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. 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 or investments in more developed international markets. For example, developing or emerging market governments may, without prior warning, impose capital controls on the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets. The Fund’s ability to access certain developing or emerging markets also may be limited due to a variety of factors, including currency convertibility issues. Such conditions may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, cause the Fund’s returns to differ from those available to domestic investors, 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 increases in interest rates and other factors, such as perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness. |
| WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 3 |
| 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. To the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in those few issuers, and may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence. As a result, changes in the market value of a single security could cause greater fluctuations in the value of Fund shares than would occur in a diversified fund. |
| n | Repurchase Agreement Risk. The Fund’s 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. |
| n | Sovereign Debt Risk. Bonds issued by 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 commenced operations on March 8, 2012, and therefore does not have performance history for a full calendar year. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund’s return based on net assets and comparing the Fund’s performance to a broad measure of market performance.
Management
Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser
WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Western Asset Management Company serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Stephen A. Walsh, Chief Investment Officer, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.
Keith J. Gardner, Head of Developing Markets, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.
Matthew C. Duda, CFA, a portfolio manager and research analyst, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.
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 NASDAQ, 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. 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 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 Trust Prospectus | 4 | WIS-EMCB-SUM-0113 |