Neuberger Berman Introduces Greater China Equity Fund For U.S. Investors

NEW YORK, July 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuberger Berman Group LLC, one of the world's leading employee-controlled money managers, is pleased to announce the launch of the Neuberger Berman Greater China Equity Fund ("the Fund") (tickers: NCEAX, NCECX, and NCEIX), a mutual fund for U.S. investors investing primarily in equity securities of issuers based in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau.

The Fund is managed by a proven team of 13, including portfolio managers and strategists, research analysts and traders, which is based in Shanghai and Hong Kong and has an average of 14 years of experience investing in Greater China markets. Led by portfolio managers and managing directors Yulin (Frank) Yao and Lihui Tang, the Fund seeks to achieve an attractive total return by investing in typically 30-50 large- and mid-cap equity securities primarily in the Greater China region, which represents one of the world's fastest-growing measured by GDP and is the world's second-largest equity market by market capitalization. The Fund's investment team employs a bottom-up, research-driven style with a value bias and has the latitude to invest in securities not found in the Fund's index, the MSCI China index.

Under the leadership of Mr. Yao, the Fund's investment team currently manages over $1.7 billion for institutional and individual investors in other vehicles at Neuberger Berman, along with a number of private funds and managed accounts ranging from dedicated China A-shares to broader Greater China equities.

According to Mr. Yao, who serves additionally as Neuberger Berman's vice chairman for Asia-Pacific, the Greater China region is a large and inefficient market with compelling investment opportunities for U.S. investors. The Fund's team is focused on two broad themes where it believes domestic demand will benefit from economic growth – consumption-driven sectors, including agriculture, autos, entertainment, food and beverage, health care, and retail and infrastructure, including equipment, machinery and utilities.

"We believe valuations for domestic and overseas-listed Chinese equities are at their lowest point in recent years, at roughly half their historical averages, and we think this is a great time for U.S. investors with a longer-term outlook to consider investing in the Greater China region," Yao said.

About Neuberger Berman

Neuberger Berman is a private, independent, employee-controlled investment manager. It partners with institutions, advisors and individuals throughout the world to customize solutions that address their needs for income, growth and capital preservation. With more than 400 professionals focused exclusively on asset management, it offers an investment culture of independent thinking.  Founded in 1939, the company provides solutions across equities, fixed income, hedge funds and private equity, and had $214 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2013. For more information, please visit our website at www.nb.com.

An investor should consider Neuberger Berman Greater China Equity Fund's investment objectives, risks and fees and expenses carefully before investing. This and other important information can be found in the Fund's prospectus and summary prospectus, which you can obtain by calling 877.628.2583. Please read the prospectus and summary prospectus carefully before making an investment. The prospectus contains a more complete discussion of the risk of investing in the Fund.

Market Volatility. Markets are volatile and values of individual securities and other investments can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, economic or other developments that may cause broad changes in market value.

Issuer-Specific Risk. The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. In addition, the Fund is considered non-diversified. As such, the percentage of the Fund's assets invested in any single issuer is not limited by the Investment Company Act of 1940. Investing a higher percentage of its assets in any one issuer could increase the Fund's risk of loss and its share price volatility, because the value of its shares would be more susceptible to adverse events affecting that issuer.

Greater China Region Risk. The Greater China region consists of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, among other locations, and the Fund's investments in the region are particularly susceptible to risks in that region. Events in any one country within the region may impact the other countries in the region or the Greater China region as a whole. As a result, events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified, which could result in greater volatility and losses. Markets in the Greater China region can experience significant volatility due to adverse securities markets, exchange rates and social, political, regulatory, economic or environmental events and natural disasters which may occur in the Greater China region.

The Greater China region is a developing market and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. The Chinese government has implemented economic changes and changes to market practices emphasizing the utilization of market forces in the development of the Chinese economy. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information, higher level of control over foreign exchange, a less effective allocation of resources and/or political and social instability. China remains a totalitarian country with continuing risk of nationalization, expropriation, or confiscation of property. The legal system is still developing, making it more difficult to obtain and/or enforce judgments. Further, the government could at any time alter or discontinue economic reforms.

Taiwan and Hong Kong do not exercise the same level of control over their economies as does the mainland China, but changes to their political and economic relationships with the mainland China could adversely impact the Fund's investments in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Military conflicts, either internal or with other countries, are also a risk. In addition, inflation, currency fluctuations and fluctuations in inflation and interest rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economy and securities markets of China. China's economy may be dependent on the economies of other Asian countries, many of which are developing countries. Each of these risks could increase the fund's volatility. The tax laws and regulations in the Greater China Region are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.

Foreign and Emerging Market Risk. Foreign securities involve risks in addition to those associated with comparable U.S. securities. Additional risks include exposure to less developed or less efficient trading markets; social, political or economic instability; fluctuations in foreign currencies or currency redenomination; potential for default on sovereign debt; nationalization or expropriation of assets; settlement, custodial or other operational risks; and less stringent auditing and legal standards. As a result, foreign securities can fluctuate more widely in price, and may also be less liquid, than comparable U.S. securities.

Investing in emerging market countries involves risks in addition to and greater than those generally associated with investing in more developed foreign countries. Securities of issuers in emerging market countries may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of issuers in foreign countries with more developed economies or markets.

Market Capitalization Risk. To the extent the Fund emphasizes small-, mid-, or large-cap stocks, it takes on the associated risks. Compared to small- and mid-cap companies, large-cap companies may be less responsive to changes and opportunities. The stocks of small- and mid-cap companies are often more volatile and less liquid than the stocks of larger companies and may be more affected than other types of stocks by the underperformance of a sector or during market downturns.

Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.

Illiquid Investments Risk. Illiquid investments may be more difficult to purchase or sell at an advantageous price or time, and there is a greater risk that the investments may not be sold for the price at which the Fund is carrying them.

Currency Risk. Currency fluctuations could negatively impact investment gains or add to investment losses.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives involve risks different from, and in some respects greater than, those associated with more traditional investments. Derivatives can be highly complex, can create investment leverage and may be highly volatile, and the Fund could lose more than the amount it invests. Derivatives may be difficult to value and may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative position at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Recent legislation calls for new regulation of the derivatives markets and could limit the Fund's ability to pursue its investment strategies. The extent and impact of the regulation are not yet fully known and may not be for some time. New regulation of derivatives may make them more costly, may limit their availability, or may otherwise adversely affect their value or performance.

Equity-Linked Investment Risk. An equity-linked investment provides exposure to an underlying foreign investment and may include participatory notes and other structured notes, swaps, including total return swaps and contracts for differences, and LEPOs. Equity-linked investments are subject to the same risks as direct investments in securities of the underlying foreign investment. If the underlying investment decreases in value, the value of the equity-linked investment will decrease in correlation; however, the performance of such investments will not correlate exactly to the performance of the underlying investment that they seek to replicate. Equity-linked investments are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the issuer of such investment may be unwilling or unable to fulfill its obligations. While some equity-linked investments may be listed on an exchange, there is no guarantee that a liquid market will exist or that the counterparty or issuer of such investments will be willing to repurchase them when the Fund wishes to sell them.

High Portfolio Turnover. The Fund may engage in frequent and active trading and may have a high portfolio turnover rate, which may increase its transaction costs, may adversely affect its performance and/or may generate a greater amount of capital gain distributions to shareholders than if the Fund had a low portfolio turnover rate.

Risk Management. Risk is an essential part of investing. No risk management program can eliminate the Fund's exposure to adverse events; at best, it can only reduce the possibility that the Fund will be affected by such events, and especially those risks that are not intrinsic to the Fund's investment program.

Recent Market Conditions. The financial crisis in the U.S. and many foreign economies over the past several years, including the European sovereign debt and banking crises, has resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and in the net asset values of many mutual funds, including to some extent the Fund.

The "Neuberger Berman" name and logo are registered service marks of Neuberger Berman Group LLC. "Neuberger Berman Management LLC" and the individual Fund names in this piece are either service marks or registered service marks of Neuberger Berman Management LLC © 2013 Neuberger Berman Management LLC. All rights reserved.

Not FDIC Insured. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value

Neuberger Berman Management LLC, Distributor.

Media Contact: 
Alexander Samuelson, 212.476.5392, [email protected]

SOURCE Neuberger Berman Group LLC

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