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Virtus Vontobel Greater European Opportunities Fund
Virtus Vontobel Greater European Opportunities Fund
Investment Objective
The fund has an investment objective of long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses
The tables below illustrate all fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A Shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Virtus Funds. More information on these and other discounts is available: (i) from your financial advisor or other financial intermediary; (ii) under “Sales Charges” on page 176 of the fund’s prospectus; (iii) with respect to purchase of shares through specific intermediaries, in Appendix A to the fund’s prospectus, entitled “Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers;” and (iv) under “Alternative Purchase Arrangements” on page 114 of the fund’s statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees - Virtus Vontobel Greater European Opportunities Fund
Class A
Class C
Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.75% none none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds) none 1.00% [1] none
[1] The deferred sales charge is imposed on Class C Shares redeemed during the first year only.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Virtus Vontobel Greater European Opportunities Fund
Class A
Class C
Class I
Management Fees 0.85% 0.85% 0.85%
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) fees 0.25% 1.00% none
Other Expenses 1.10% 1.07% 1.04%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2.20% 2.92% 1.89%
Less: Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement [1] (0.75%) (0.72%) (0.69%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement [1] 1.45% 2.20% 1.20%
[1] The fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to limit the fund's total operating expenses (excluding certain expenses, such as front-end or contingent deferred sales charges, taxes, leverage expenses, interest, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, unusual or infrequently occurring expenses (such as litigation), acquired fund fees and expenses, and dividend expenses, if any) so that such expenses do not exceed 1.45% for Class A Shares, 2.20% for Class C Shares and 1.20% for Class I Shares through January 31, 2020. Following the contractual period, the adviser may discontinue these expense reimbursement arrangements at any time. Under certain conditions, the adviser may recapture operating expenses reimbursed and/or fees waived under these arrangements for a period of three years following the date such waiver or reimbursement occurred, provided that the recapture does not cause the fund to exceed its expense limit in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement, or at the time of recapture.
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same and that the expense reimbursement arrangement remains in place for the contractual period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example - Virtus Vontobel Greater European Opportunities Fund - USD ($)
Share Status
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A Sold 714 1,156 1,622 2,908
Class C Sold 323 836 1,475 3,191
Class I Sold 122 527 957 2,155
Expense Example, No Redemption - Virtus Vontobel Greater European Opportunities Fund - USD ($)
Share Status
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A Held 714 1,156 1,622 2,908
Class C Held 223 836 1,475 3,191
Class I Held 122 527 957 2,155
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 22% of the average value of its portfolio.
Investments, Risks and Performance Principal Investment Strategies
This fund seeks to offer investors exposure to European market economies through well-established companies. The securities selected for inclusion in the fund are believed by the subadviser to be well-managed businesses with consistent operating histories and financial performance that have favorable long-term economic prospects and, in most cases, generate free cash flow. Over full market cycles, the investment style is designed with the objective of capturing part of the up market cycles and may offer protection in down market cycles.
 
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the fund’s assets are invested in equity securities or equity-linked instruments of issuers located in Europe, including issuers in emerging markets countries. Equity-linked securities are hybrid debt securities whose return is connected to an underlying equity, usually a stock. The fund intends to diversify its investments among countries and normally to have represented in the portfolio business activities of a number of different countries. In determining the “location” of an issuer, the subadviser primarily relies on the country where the issuer is incorporated. However, the country of risk is ultimately determined based on analysis of the following criteria: actual building address (domicile), primary exchange on which the security is traded and country in which the greatest percentage of company revenue is generated. This evaluation is conducted so as to determine that the issuer’s assets are exposed to the economic fortunes and risks of the designated country.
Principal Risks

The fund may not achieve its objective(s), and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. The value of the fund’s investments that supports your share value may decrease. If between the time you purchase shares and the time you sell shares the value of the fund’s investments decreases, you will lose money. Investment values can decrease for a number of reasons. Conditions affecting the overall economy, specific industries or companies in which the fund invests can be worse than expected, and investments may fail to perform as the subadviser expects. As a result, the value of your shares may decrease. Purchase and redemption activities by fund shareholders may impact the management of the fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective(s). The principal risks of investing in the fund are:

>      Emerging Market Investing Risk.  The risk that prices of emerging markets securities will be more volatile, or will be more greatly affected by negative conditions, than those of their counterparts in more established foreign markets.

>      Equity-Linked Instruments Risk.  The risk that, in addition to market risk and other risks of the referenced equity security, the fund may experience a return that is different from that of the referenced equity security. Equity-linked instruments also subject the fund to counterparty risk, including the risk that the issuing entity may not be able to honor its financial commitment, which could result in a loss of all or part of the fund's investment.

>      Equity Securities Risk.  The risk that events negatively affecting issuers, industries or financial markets in which the fund invests will impact the value of the stocks held by the fund and, thus, the value of the fund's shares over short or extended periods. Investments in a particular style or in small or medium-sized companies may enhance that risk.

>      Foreign Investing Risk.  The risk that the prices of foreign securities in the fund's portfolio will be more volatile than those of domestic securities, or will be negatively affected by currency fluctuations, less regulated or liquid securities markets, or economic, political or other developments.

>      Geographic Concentration Risk.  The risk that events negatively affecting the geographic location where the fund focuses its investments will cause the value of the fund's shares to decrease, perhaps significantly.

>      Market Volatility Risk.  The risk that the value of the securities in which the fund invests may go up or down in response to the prospects of individual issuers and/or general economic conditions. Such price changes may be temporary or may last for extended periods.

>      Redemption Risk.  The risk that redemption by one or more large shareholders or groups of shareholders of their holdings in the fund has an adverse impact on the remaining shareholders in the fund by causing the fund to take actions it would not otherwise take at a given time.

Performance Information
The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the fund. The fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future.
 
The bar chart shows changes in the fund’s performance from year to year over the life of the fund. The table shows how the fund’s average annual returns compare to those of a broad-based securities market index. Updated performance information is available at virtus.com or by calling 800-243-1574.
Calendar year total returns for Class I Shares
Returns do not reflect sales charges and would be lower if they did.
 
Annual Return (%)
Bar Chart
Best Quarter:
Q1/2012:
11.70%
Worst Quarter:
Q3/2011:
-13.26%
Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended 12/31/18)
Returns reflect deduction of maximum sales charges and full redemption at end of periods shown.
Average Annual Total Returns - Virtus Vontobel Greater European Opportunities Fund
Label
1 Year
5 Years
Since Inception
Inception Date
Class I Return Before Taxes (16.29%) 0.30% 8.16% Apr. 21, 2009
Class I | Return After Taxes on Distributions Return After Taxes on Distributions (21.64%) (1.65%) 6.65% Apr. 21, 2009
Class I | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares (5.42%) 0.49% 6.97% Apr. 21, 2009
Class A Return Before Taxes (21.31%) (1.11%) 7.24% Apr. 21, 2009
Class C Return Before Taxes (17.10%) (0.69%) 7.10% Apr. 21, 2009
MSCI Europe Index (net) MSCI Europe Index (net) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (14.86%) (0.61%) 7.52% Apr. 21, 2009
The MSCI Europe Index (net) is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that measures equity market performance of the developed markets in Europe. The MSCI Europe Index (net) is calculated on a total-return basis with net dividends reinvested. The index is unmanaged and not available for direct investment.
 
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. After-tax returns are shown only for Class I Shares; after-tax returns for other classes will vary. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold fund shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. In certain cases, the Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be higher than other return figures for the same period. This will occur when a capital loss is realized upon the sale of fund shares and provides an assumed tax benefit that increases the return.