Market Research

*Market data for Daily Fund performance (NAVs) and charts provided by Wall Street on Demand. Stock, ETF, and Currency quotes are delayed by at least 15 minutes. Before trading please check a real-time quote for current information. S&P Global BMI Index quotes are end of day quotes as of the close of the previous trading day for the index.

Investors should consider carefully information contained in the prospectus, including investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. You can obtain a prospectus by visiting www.schwab.com or calling 800-515-2157. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing. Investors in Closed-End Funds please note that since these securities are not continuously offered, there may be no prospectus offered.

The example above is hypothetical and provided for illustrative purposes only. It is not intended to represent a specific investment product. The information provided here is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment advice. Each investor needs to review an investment for his or her own particular situation before making any investment decisions.

Past performance is no indication of future results and returns are not guaranteed. Investment value will fluctuate, and shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than original cost.

International investments involve additional risks, which include differences in financial accounting standards, currency fluctuations, political instability, foreign taxes and regulations, and the potential for illiquid markets. Investing in emerging markets may accentuate these risks.

While efforts have been taken to verify the accuracy of this information, neither The Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd. nor its affiliates can accept any responsibility or liability for reliance by any person this information. The Country Risk Rating Level and its components -- the Sovereign, Currency and Banking Risk levels (the "Risk Levels") and the Country Profile, which includes an Overview, Key Indicators and Historical Averages (the "Reports") -- are provided to you for informational purposes only and are not to be used or considered as an offer, recommendation, or the solicitation of an offer to sell, or to buy any security, or pursue any particular investment strategy. The Reports and Risk Levels are created by the Economist Intelligence Unit ("EIU"), an independent third-party that is not affiliated with Schwab. Schwab does not write, control, or edit the information contained in the Reports or Risk Levels and cannot verify their accuracy, completeness or timeliness. Some covered countries and some components may be excluded from some published versions of the EIU Country Risk Ratings. International investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and political instability to be considered prior to making an investment decision. Investing in emerging markets may accentuate these risks. Information presented in the Reports and Risk Levels can change without notice, in reaction to shifting market or political conditions. The information presented is not, and should not be relied upon as, an indicator of future results.

Schwab Industry Ratings provide Schwab's outlook for industries based on GICS groupings, such as Beverages, Pharmaceuticals and Software. Schwab Industry Ratings are assigned using an A, B, C, D and F rating scale and can be particularly helpful in evaluating which industries investors may want to emphasize within a specific sector. They can also be used in conjunction with Schwab Equity Ratings to help fill in gaps in a portfolio. See Schwab.com for more information.

The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) was developed by and is the exclusive property of Morgan Stanley Capital International Inc. ("MSCI") and S&P Global. GICS is a service mark of MSCI and S&P Global and has been licensed for use at Charles Schwab &Co., Inc. ("Schwab").

The information provided in this material is supplied by information providers such as S&P's Global (“S&P Global”), Thompson Reuters, Argus Research, The Economist Intelligence Unit, and others. These entities are not affiliated with Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) or any of Schwab's affiliates. None of the information constitutes a recommendation by Schwab or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities. The information is not intended to provide tax, legal or investment advice. Schwab does not guarantee the suitability or potential value of any particular investment or information source. Neither Schwab, nor these entities, guarantees the accuracy, timeliness, completeness of this information.

The news sources used on Schwab.com come from independent third-parties. Schwab is not affiliated with any of the news content providers. Schwab is not responsible for the content and does not write or control which particular articles appear on its website.