WisdomTree Europe Domestic Economy Fund – EDOM (BATS Exchange, Inc.)
Summary Prospectus – November 1, 2016, as amended March 17, 2017
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 Europe Domestic Economy Fund (the “Fund”) seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree Europe Domestic Economy 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 |
0.58 | % | ||
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
None | |||
| Other Expenses |
0.00 | % | ||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.58 | % | ||
| Fee Waivers |
(0.10 | )%1 | ||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers | 0.48 | %1 |
| 1 | WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. (“WisdomTree Asset Management” or the “Adviser”) has contractually agreed to limit the Management Fee to 0.48% through October 31, 2017, unless earlier terminated by the Board of Trustees of WisdomTree Trust (the “Trust”) for any reason at any time. |
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 | |||||||||||||
| $49 | $176 | $314 | $716 | |||||||||||||
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 period, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 22% of the average value of its portfolio, excluding the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund’s capital shares.
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 will invest in a sample of 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
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collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in 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 consists of common stocks of European companies that derive more than 50% of their revenue from Europe. The Index is designed with a goal of maximizing exposure to European companies with significant European revenue that may benefit from an economic recovery in Europe and increased buying power by Europeans. Companies in the Index must be traded in euros and be incorporated and list their shares on the stock exchange in one of the following European countries: Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Portugal, Austria, and Ireland. To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, a company must meet the following criteria: (i) market capitalization of at least $1 billion as of the Index screening date; (ii) average daily dollar volume of at least $200,000 for the three months preceding the Index screening date; and (iii) trading of at least 250,000 shares per month for each of the six months preceding the Index screening date. Companies from the following sectors are not eligible for inclusion in the Index: consumer staples, health care, telecommunications, and utilities.
The Index is a modified market capitalization weighted index designed to increase weight to companies that have the highest positive correlation in equity performance to the European Commission Economic Sentiment Indicator – an indicator of Europe’s economic strength. Securities are weighted in the Index based on a composite weighting of two individual weighting factors: (i) float-adjusted market capitalization (25% of weight); and (ii) a correlation rank factor (75% of weight). To derive the first factor, divide a company’s float-adjusted market capitalization by the total float-adjusted market capitalization of all Index components. “Float-adjusted” means that the share amounts used in calculating the first factor reflect only shares available to investors. Shares held by control groups, public companies and government agencies are excluded. To derive the second factor, each company is ranked, relative to the other Index components, based on its monthly correlation to the European Commission Economic Sentiment Indicator over the last five years. Each company’s correlation rank factor is determined by dividing its rank by the total number of Index components. For ranking purposes, the rank of the company with the highest correlation is equal to the total number of Index components, and the rank of the company with the lowest correlation is 1. Each security’s initial weight is the sum of the float adjusted market capitalization factor multiplied by 0.25 and the correlation rank factor multiplied by 0.75. The maximum weight of any one sector or country in the Index, at the time of the Index’s annual screening date, is capped at 33%; however, sector and country weights may fluctuate above the specified cap in response to market conditions and/or the application of volume factor adjustments. If a component security no longer meets applicable trading volume thresholds as of the annual Index screening date, the Index methodology applies a volume factor adjustment to reduce such component security’s weight in the Index and reallocates the reduction in the weight pro rata among the other remaining securities.
WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (“WisdomTree Investments”), as index provider, currently uses Standard & Poor’s Global Industry Classification Standards (“S&P GICS”) to define companies within a sector. The following sectors are included in the Index: consumer discretionary, energy, financials, industrials, information technology, materials and real estate. A sector is comprised of multiple industries. For example, the energy sector is comprised of companies in, among others, the natural gas, oil and petroleum industries. As of September 30, 2016, a significant portion of the Index is comprised of companies in the consumer discretionary, financial and industrial sectors.
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.”
| ∎ | 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. |
| ∎ | Market Risk. The trading prices of equity 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. |
| ∎ | Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all exchange-traded funds (“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. Because securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund is likely to experience premiums and discounts greater than those of domestic ETFs. |
| ∎ | 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. |
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| ∎ | Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk. The Fund currently invests a significant portion of its assets in the consumer discretionary sector. This sector consists of, for example, automobile, retail and media companies. The consumer discretionary sector of the economy can be significantly affected by, among other things, economic growth, worldwide demand and consumers’ disposable income levels and propensity to spend. |
| ∎ | Currency Exchange Rate Risk. 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. |
| ∎ | Financial Sector Risk. The Fund currently invests a significant portion of its assets in the financial sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. This sector can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt, the availability and cost of capital, and fallout from the housing and sub-prime mortgage crisis. |
| ∎ | 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 and may be heightened in connection with investments in developing or emerging markets countries. |
| ∎ | Geographic Concentration in Europe. Because the Fund invests primarily in the securities of companies in Europe, the Fund’s performance is expected to be closely tied to social, political, and economic conditions within Europe and to be more volatile than the performance of more geographically diversified funds. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the European Union (“EU”), and many are also members of the European Monetary Union (“EMU”), which requires compliance with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, and debt levels. Unemployment in certain European nations is historically high and several countries face significant debt problems. These conditions can significantly affect every country in Europe. Further, in June 2016, the United Kingdom voted in a referendum to leave the EU. As a result of the referendum, Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) downgraded the United Kingdom’s credit rating from “AAA” to “AA” and the EU’s credit rating from “AA+” to “AA” in the days that followed the vote. It is currently expected that the United Kingdom will seek to withdraw from the EU in due course, but the precise timeframe for “Brexit” is uncertain. It is also unclear how withdrawal negotiations will be conducted and what the potential consequences may be. Brexit may have a significant impact on the economies of the United Kingdom and Europe as well as the broader global economy, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in these markets that could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The Fund currently invests a significant portion of its assets in companies organized in France and Germany, although this may change from time to time. |
| ∎ | Geopolitical Risk. Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced security concerns, war, threats of war, aggression and/or conflict, 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 U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund’s investments. |
| ∎ | Index and Data Risk. The Fund is not “actively” managed and will seek to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index. The Index provider has the right to make adjustments to the Index or to cease making the Index available without regard to the particular interests of the Fund or its shareholders. If the computers or other facilities of the Index provider, Index calculation agent, data providers and/or relevant stock exchange malfunction for any reason, calculation and dissemination of Index values may be delayed and trading in Fund shares may be suspended for a period of time. Errors in Index data, Index calculations and/or the construction of the Index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and/or corrected by the Index provider, Index calculation agent or other applicable party for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Funds and their shareholders. The potential risk of continuing error may be particularly heightened in the case of the Index, which is generally not used as a benchmark by other funds or managers. |
| ∎ | Industrial Sector Risk. The Fund currently invests a significant portion of its assets in the industrial sector. The industrial sector can be significantly affected by, among other things, business cycle fluctuations, worldwide economy growth, government and corporate spending, supply and demand for specific products and manufacturing, and government regulation. |
| ∎ | Investment Style Risk. The Fund invests in the securities included in, or representative of, the Index regardless of their investment merit. The Fund does not attempt to outperform the 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 the Index. |
| ∎ | 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. |
| ∎ | Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest a relatively large percentage of its assets in the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of |
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| large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. |
| ∎ | Mid-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest a relatively large percentage of its assets in the securities of mid-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of mid-capitalization companies underperform securities of other capitalization ranges or the market as a whole. Securities of smaller companies are often more vulnerable to market volatility than securities of larger companies. |
| ∎ | 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. |
| ∎ | 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. |
| ∎ | Small-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund may invest a relatively large percentage of its assets in the securities of small-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund may be more volatile than funds that invest in larger, more established companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Small-capitalization companies may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs and earnings. |
Fund Performance
The Fund commenced operations on October 29, 2015, 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 investment adviser to the Fund. Mellon Capital Management Corporation (“Mellon Capital”) serves as sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The Fund is managed by Mellon Capital’s Equity Portfolio Management team. The individual members of the team jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio are described below.
Karen Q. Wong, CFA, a Managing Director, Head of Equity Portfolio Management, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2015.
Richard A. Brown, CFA, a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager, Equity Portfolio Management, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2015.
Thomas J. Durante, CFA, a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager, Equity Portfolio Management, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 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 BATS Exchange, 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 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time. Creation Units are not expected to consist of less than 50,000 shares. The Fund issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or U.S. cash.
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend 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 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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