Exchange Traded Funds ("ETF") are afforded certain exemptions from the Investment Company Act. The exemptions allow, among other things, for individual shares to trade on the secondary market. Individual shares cannot be directly purchased from or redeemed by the ETF. Purchases and redemptions directly with ETFs are only accomplished through creation unit aggregations or "baskets" of shares. Shares of an ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV). Brokerage commissions will reduce returns. Investment policies, management fees and other information can be found in the individual ETF's prospectus.
Buying or selling ETF shares on an exchange may require the payment of brokerage commissions. Due to the costs inherent in buying or selling Fund shares, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment returns. Investment in Fund shares may not be advisable for investors who expect to engage in frequent trading.
The NAV of the Fund's shares is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund's portfolio investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding. Fund shares are valued as of the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (the "NYSE Close") on each business day. The price used to calculate market returns ("Market Price") of the Fund generally is determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the national securities exchange on which shares of the Fund will be primarily listed for trading, as of the time that the Fund's NAV is calculated. The Fund's Market Price may be at, above or below its NAV. The NAV of the Fund will fluctuate with changes in the market value of its portfolio holdings. The Market Price of the Fund will fluctuate in accordance with changes in its NAV, as well as market supply and demand.
Premiums (when market price is above NAV) or discounts (when market price is below NAV) reflect the differences (expressed as a percentage) between the NAV and the Market Price of the Fund on a given day, generally at the time the NAV is calculated. A discount or premium could be significant. ETF data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the Market Price against the NAV can be found for each Fund at www.pimcoetfs.com.
ETFs are subject to secondary market trading risks. Shares of an ETF will be listed for trading on an exchange, however, there can be no guarantee that an active trading market for such shares will develop or continue. There can be no guarantee that an ETF's exchange listing or ability to trade its shares will continue or remain unchanged. Shares of an ETF may trade on an exchange at prices at, above or below their most recent NAV. The per share NAV of an ETF is calculated at the end of each business day, and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund's holdings. The trading prices of an ETF's shares fluctuate continuously throughout the trading day based on market supply and demand, which may not correlate to NAV. The trading prices of an ETF's shares may differ significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility, which may, among other factors, lead to the Fund's shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV.