WisdomTree Japan Interest Rate Strategy Fund – JGBB (NASDAQ Ticker)
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS – January 1, 2016
Before you invest in the Fund, as defined below, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information (“SAI”), which contain more information about the Fund and the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s current prospectus and SAI are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus. You can find the Fund’s 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 Japan Interest Rate Strategy Fund (the “Fund”) seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree Japan Interest Rate Strategy Index (the “Index”).
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 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 |
0.50 | % | ||
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
None | |||
| Other Expenses |
0.00 | % | ||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.50 | % |
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 were to 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 | |||||||||||||
| $51 | $160 | $280 | $628 | |||||||||||||
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 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 employs a “passive management” – or indexing – investment approach designed to track the performance of the Index. The Fund generally uses a representative sampling strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it generally
| WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 1 |
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 80% of the Fund’s total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in the 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 designed to provide long exposure to monthly U.S. Treasury Bill (“T-Bill”) returns plus short exposure to the monthly performance of Japanese Government Bonds (“JGBs”) while at the same time offsetting a portion of the exposure to fluctuations of the Japanese yen relative to the U.S. dollar (the amount of currency exposure to be offset is determined periodically with reference to its contribution to the overall volatility of the Index). The Index consists of long positions and short positions. The long positions in the Index include market capitalization weighted T-Bills that have a remaining maturity of greater than 1 month and less than 3 months. The long positions are designed to capture the returns of T-Bills. The short positions in the Index include market capitalization weighted JGBs and are designed to provide exposure to changes in Japanese interest rates. JGBs as defined in the Index include debt securities issued by the Japanese government as well as debt securities issued by Japanese agencies and local authorities. Inflation linked debt securities and debt securities guaranteed by the Japanese Government, but issued by other entities, are excluded from the Index. JGBs within the Index must have a remaining maturity that is greater than 5 years and less than 10 years, a fixed coupon schedule, a minimum amount outstanding of JPY 20 billion and be investment grade. The short positions are anticipated to have higher returns as Japanese interest rates increase and lower returns as Japanese interest rates decrease. The Index is rebalanced on a monthly basis to where the dollar amount of the long exposure is approximately equivalent to the dollar amount of the short exposure.
The Index partially offsets against fluctuations in the relative value of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar. The Index is designed to have higher returns than an equivalent investment without a currency adjustment when the yen is weakening relative to the U.S. dollar. Conversely, the Index is designed to have lower returns than an equivalent investment without a currency adjustment when the yen is rising relative to the U.S. dollar. The Index applies an applicable one-month currency forward rate to a portion of the total market value of the portfolio in order to adjust for changes in the value of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar. In seeking to track the Index in this regard, the Fund intends to enter into forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is a contract between two parties to buy or sell a specific currency in the future at an agreed upon exchange rate.
The Fund seeks to gain short exposure to JGBs, in whole or in part, through investments in a subsidiary organized in the Cayman Islands (the “WisdomTree Subsidiary”). The WisdomTree Subsidiary is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund. It is anticipated that short exposure to JGBs in the WisdomTree Subsidiary will be achieved through the use of futures, although the WisdomTree Subsidiary may short JGBs. The Fund’s investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets at each quarter end of the Fund’s fiscal year. The Fund’s investment in the WisdomTree Subsidiary is intended to provide the Fund with short exposure to JGBs while enabling the Fund to satisfy asset diversification requirements that apply to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Except as noted, references to the investment strategies and risks of the Fund include the investment strategies and risks of the WisdomTree Subsidiary.
To the extent 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 its 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.”
| 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 fixed income 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. |
| WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 2 |
| 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 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. |
| 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 | 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 Fund’s portfolio investments and/or perceptions related thereto. |
| n | Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund uses various strategies to attempt to partially offset the impact of changes in the value of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar and these strategies may not be successful. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. Therefore, the value of an investment in the Fund may also go up or down quickly and unpredictably and investors may lose money. |
| n | Derivatives Risk. The Fund will invest in derivatives, including as a substitute to gain exposure to JGBs. 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 the Fund’s Prospectus, such as market risk and issuer-specific 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 Fund’s 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 and short exposure through futures contracts, these risks include but are not limited to: (1) the success of the adviser’s and sub-adviser’s 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. In addition, while the Fund may short securities such as JGBs, the Fund’s anticipated short exposure through derivative instruments may lead to less correlation with the Index. |
| n | Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in non-U.S. securities also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. |
| n | Geographic Concentration in Japan. Because the Fund invests a portion of its assets in short positions in, or providing exposure to, Japanese fixed-income securities, the Fund’s performance is expected to be closely tied to social, political, and economic conditions within Japan and to be more volatile than the performance of more geographically diversified funds. The Japanese economy has only recently emerged from a prolonged economic downturn. Since the year 2000, Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low. The economy is characterized by government intervention and protectionism, an unstable financial services sector, and relatively high unemployment. Economic growth is heavily dependent on international trade, government support of the financial services sector and other troubled sectors, and consistent government policy. The United States is Japan’s largest single trading partner, but close to half of Japan’s trade is conducted with developing nations, almost all of which are in Southeast Asia. Slowdowns in the U.S. and China could have a negative impact on Japan. Exposure to China, in terms of both imports and exports, has been increasing in recent years. These and other factors could have a negative impact on the Fund’s 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 Japan and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund’s investments. |
| n | Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk with respect to the Fund is the risk that short exposure to fixed income securities will decline in value because of decreases in interest rates in Japan. 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 | Investment Style Risk. The Fund invests in the securities included in, or representative of, its Index regardless of their investment merit. The Fund does not attempt to outperform its Index or take defensive positions in declining markets. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the market segments relating to its Index. |
| 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 | Non-Correlation Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and its Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. |
| n | Non-Diversification Risk. 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. 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 | Short Sales Risk. The Fund will engage in “short sale” transactions. A short sale involves the sale by the Fund of an instrument or security that it does not own with the hope of purchasing the same security at a later date at a lower price. Short sales are designed to profit from a decline in the price of a security or instrument. The Fund will lose value if the security or instrument that is the subject of a short sale increases in value. This is the opposite of traditional “long” investments where the value of the Fund increases as the value of a portfolio security or instrument increases. The Fund may enter into short positions in JGBs as well as short derivative positions through futures contracts on JGBs. If the price of the security or derivative that is the subject of a short sale increases, then the Fund will incur a loss equal to the increase in price from the time that the short sale was entered into plus any premiums and interest paid to a third party in connection with the short sale. The risk of loss on a shorted position is potentially unlimited unlike the risk of loss on a long position, which is limited to the amount paid for the investment plus transaction costs. Therefore, short sales involve the risk that losses may be exaggerated, potentially losing more money than the actual cost of the investment. Also, there is the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund. Further, in times of unusual or adverse economic, market or political conditions, neither the Index nor the Fund may be able to fully or partially implement its short selling strategy. |
| 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. |
| n | Subsidiary Investment Risk. Recent and/or future changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the WisdomTree Subsidiary are organized, respectively, could result in the inability of the WisdomTree Subsidiary to operate as intended and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders. |
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
| WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 4 |
operations (i.e., commenced secondary market trading). The table that follows the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns, both before and after taxes. This table also shows how the Fund’s performance compares to the Bloomberg/EFFAS Bond Indices Japan Government 5-10 Year Total Return Index, 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 Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
The Fund’s year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2015 was (1.36)%.
Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)
| Return | Quarter/Year | |||||||
| Highest Return |
1.99 | % | 3Q/2014 | |||||
| Lowest Return |
(1.88 | )% | 1Q/2014 | |||||
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown and are not relevant if you hold your 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, 2014
| WisdomTree Japan Interest Rate Strategy Fund | 1 Year | Since Inception (12-18-2013) |
||||||
| Return Before Taxes Based on NAV |
(0.31 | )% | 0.74 | % | ||||
| Return After Taxes on Distributions |
(0.89 | )% | 0.17 | % | ||||
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
0.11 | % | 0.46 | % | ||||
| WisdomTree Japan Interest Rate Strategy Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
0.28 | % | 1.22 | % | ||||
| Bloomberg/EFFAS Bond Indices Japan Government 5-10 Year Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
3.88 | % | 3.22 | % | ||||
Management
Investment Adviser and Sub-Advisers
WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Western Asset Management Company, Western Asset Management Company Limited, Western Asset Management Company Pte. Ltd. in Singapore and Western Asset Management Company Ltd. (Japan) serve as sub-advisers to the Fund.
| WisdomTree Trust Prospectus | 5 |
Portfolio Managers
Kazuto Doi, Senior Investment Officer, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.
S. Kenneth Leech, Chief Investment Officer, 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 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 securities closely approximating the holdings of the Fund and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains.
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 Intermediary’s website for more information.
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| WIS-JGBB-SUM-0116 |