WisdomTree Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Fund – DRW (NYSE Arca Ticker)
(Formerly, WisdomTree International Real Estate Fund)
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS – July 29, 2011
Before you invest in the WisdomTree Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Fund (the “Fund”), you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, which contain more information about the Fund and the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s current prospectus and statement of additional information are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus. You can find the Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, 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 Fund seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree Global ex-U.S. Real Estate 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 | % |
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 commission that retail investors will pay to buy and sell shares of the Fund. It also does not include the transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units because these fees will not be imposed on retail investors. 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 | |||||||||||||
| $59 | $186 | $324 | $726 | |||||||||||||
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, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 18% 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 WisdomTree Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Index. The Fund attempts to invest all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the Index. The Fund generally uses a Representative Sampling strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it generally will invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return and other characteristics of the Index as a whole.
The WisdomTree Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Index measures the performance of companies from developed and emerging markets outside of the United States that are classified as being part of the “Global Real Estate” sector. Companies are
| WisdomTree Prospectus 1 |
selected from the WisdomTree Global ex-U.S. Dividend Index. Requirements for eligibility within the WisdomTree Global ex-U.S. Dividend Index include: (i) Incorporation within Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore or Canada; (ii) Payment of at least $5 million in cash dividends paid on common shares in the annual cycle prior to the International Screening Point; (iii) Market Capitalization of at least $100 million on the International Screening Point; (iv) Average daily dollar volume of at least $100,000 for three months preceding the International Screening Point; and (v) Trading of at least 250,000 shares for each of the six months preceding the International Screening Point.
Constituents will be among the following types of companies: real estate operating companies, real estate developing companies, or diversified REITs. The WisdomTree Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Index also includes companies that may be classified as Passive Foreign Investment Companies. Market capitalization must be greater than $1 billion and weighting is based on regular cash dividends paid. The Index is calculated in U.S. dollars and updated to reflect market prices and exchange rates. Closing or last-sale prices are used when non-U.S. markets are closed.
Under normal circumstances, at least 95% of the Fund’s total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in the component securities of the Index. WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Index, before fees and expenses, will be 95% or better.
To the extent the Fund’s 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 its ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s prospectus titled “Additional Investment Objective, Strategy and 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 even long periods of time. |
| n | Market Risk. The trading prices of fixed income securities, equity securities, commodities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors. These factors include events impacting the entire market or specific market segments, such as political, market and economic developments, as well as events that impact 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 even long periods. |
| n | 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. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the respective Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, you may pay more (or less) than NAV when you buy shares of the Fund in the secondary market, and you may receive more (or less) than NAV when you sell those shares in the secondary market. |
| n | Capital Controls Risk. Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to government intervention and the imposition of “capital controls.” Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as the Fund). Capital controls may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, may adversely affect the trading market and price for shares of the Fund, and may cause the Fund to decline in value. |
| n | Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in securities and instruments traded in developing or emerging markets, or that provide exposure to such securities or markets, can involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in U.S. securities and instruments or investments in more developed international markets. Such conditions may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, adversely affect the trading market and price for Fund shares and cause the Fund to decline in value. |
| n | Fiscal Policy Risk. Any repeal of or failure to extend the current federal tax treatment of qualified dividend income could make dividend-paying securities less appealing to investors and could have a negative impact on the performance of the Fund. |
| 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. |
| WisdomTree Prospectus 2 |
| n | Geographic Concentration Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region. For example, political and economic conditions and changes in regulatory, tax, or economic policy in a country could significantly affect the market in that country and in surrounding or related countries and have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. The Fund currently invests a relatively large percentage of its assets in companies organized in France, Hong Kong, and Australia. |
| n | Investments in Real Estate and REITs. The Fund invests substantially all of its assets in the real estate sector of the market and as such is particularly sensitive to risks to the international real estate market. The Fund generally invests a relatively large percentage of its assets in REITs. Investments in REITs subject the Fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. Market conditions or events affecting the overall market for real estate and REITs, such as declining property values or rising interest rates, could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. |
| n | Mid- and Large-Capitalization Investing. The Fund currently invests a relatively large percentage of its assets in the securities of mid- and large-capitalization companies. While securities in these capitalization ranges represent a significant percentage of the market, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of mid- and large-capitalization companies underperform securities of small-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. Securities of small-capitalization companies are often more vulnerable to market volatility than securities of mid- and large-capitalization companies, but also offer greater potential for capital appreciation. |
| n | Non-Diversification Risk. Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, 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. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance. |
| n | Small-Capitalization Investing. The Fund invests in 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, borrowing costs and earnings. |
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 operations. The table that follows the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual total returns, both before and after taxes. The table also shows how the Fund’s performance compares to the WisdomTree International Real Estate Index and that of 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 name and objective changed effective June 17, 2011. Fund performance prior to June 17, 2011 reflects the investment objective and style of the Fund when it was the WisdomTree International Real Estate Fund, and tracked the performance of the WisdomTree International Real Estate Index.
The Fund’s year-to-date total return as of June 30, 2011 was 3.92%.
| WisdomTree Prospectus 3 |
Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the periods reflected in the bar chart above)
| Return | Quarter/Year | |||||||
| Highest Return |
36.89 | % | 2Q/2009 | |||||
| Lowest Return |
(27.99 | )% | 4Q/2008 | |||||
This table compares the Fund’s Shares’ average annual total returns to those of the Dow Jones Wilshire ex-U.S. Real Estate Securities Index and the WisdomTree Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Index.
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their 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, 2010
| WisdomTree Global ex-US Real Estate Fund | 1 Year |
Since Inception (6/5/2007) |
||||||
| Return Before Taxes Based on NAV |
16.66 | % | (8.73 | )% | ||||
| Return After Taxes on Distributions |
12.86 | % | (11.08 | )% | ||||
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
10.64 | % | (8.63 | )% | ||||
| Dow Jones Global ex-US Select Real Estate Securities Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
21.48 | % | (9.87 | )% | ||||
| WisdomTree International Real Estate Index* (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
16.80 | % | (8.58 | )% | ||||
| * | The Fund’s objective changed effective June 17, 2011. Prior to that date, the Fund sought to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree International Real Estate Index. After June 17, 2011, the Fund’s objective seeks to track the price and yield performance of the WisdomTree Global ex-U.S. Real Estate Index. |
Management
Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser
WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Mellon Capital Management Corporation serves as sub-adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
Karen Q. Wong, CFA, a Managing Director, Equity Index Strategies, West Coast, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since February 2008.
Richard A. Brown, CFA, a Director, Equity Portfolio Management, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since February 2008.
Thomas J. Durante, CFA, a Director, Senior Portfolio Manager, Equity, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since February 2008.
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 NYSE Arca, 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 institutions or large investors 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 money market securities closely approximating the holdings of the Fund or a designated basket of non-U.S. currency and/or an amount of U.S. cash.
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains.
| WisdomTree Prospectus 4 | WIS-DRW-SUM-0711 |