The investment seeks capital appreciation. The fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in a portfolio of equity securities of "Asian Pacific companies", through investments in common stock, depositary receipts, and common and preferred shares of REITs, and forward foreign currency exchange contracts and currency spot transactions used to hedge the fund's exposure to the currencies in which the equity securities of such Asian Pacific companies are denominated (each, an "Asian Pacific currency" and, collectively, the "Asian Pacific currencies").