Dreyfus Brazil Equity Fund
Prospectus January 1, 2013 |
Class |
Ticker |
A |
DBZAX |
C |
DBZCX |
I |
DBZIX |
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and
Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved |
Contents
Fund Summary |
Choosing a Share Class |
|
Buying and Selling Shares |
|
General Policies |
|
Distributions and Taxes |
|
Services for Fund Investors |
|
Financial Highlights |
See back cover.
Fund Summary
The fund seeks long-term capital growth.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in certain funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the Shareholder Guide section on page 11 of the Prospectus and in the How to Buy Shares section and the Additional Information About How to Buy Shares section on page II-1 and page III-1, respectively, of the fund's Statement of Additional Information. Class A shares bought without an initial sales charge as part of an investment of $1 million or more may be charged a deferred sales charge of 1.00% if redeemed within one year.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
|||
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
|
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases |
5.75 |
none |
none |
Maximum deferred
sales charge (load) |
none |
1.00 |
none |
Maximum redemption
fee |
2.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
|||
Class A |
Class C |
Class I |
|
Management fees |
1.25 |
1.25 |
1.25 |
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fees |
none |
.75 |
none |
Other expenses (including shareholder services fees) |
.96 |
1.00 |
.76 |
Total annual fund operating expenses |
2.21 |
3.00 |
2.01 |
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement |
(.21) |
(.25) |
(.26) |
Total annual fund operating expenses |
2.00 |
2.75 |
1.75 |
*The Dreyfus Corporation has contractually agreed, until January 1, 2014, to assume the direct expenses of the fund so that the total annual fund operating expenses of none of the classes (excluding Rule 12b-1 distribution plan fees, shareholder services plan fees, taxes, interest expense, brokerage commissions, commitment fees on borrowings and extraordinary expenses) exceed 1.75%. On or after January 1, 2014, The Dreyfus Corporation may terminate this expense waiver at any time. |
Example
The 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 and that the fund's operating expenses remain the same. The one-year example and the first year of the three-, five- and ten-years examples are based on net operating expenses, which reflect the expense waiver/reimbursement by The Dreyfus Corporation. 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 |
|
Class A |
$766 |
$1,207 |
$1,674 |
$2,957 |
Class C |
$378 |
$904 |
$1,555 |
$3,300 |
Class I |
$178 |
$605 |
$1,059 |
$2,317 |
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You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares:
|
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Class A |
$766 |
$1,207 |
$1,674 |
$2,957 |
Class C |
$278 |
$904 |
$1,555 |
$3,300 |
Class I |
$178 |
$605 |
$1,059 |
$2,317 |
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 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 38.60% of the average value of its portfolio.
To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies: (i) that have their registered office in Brazil; (ii) whose principal trading market is in Brazil; or (iii) that have a majority of their assets, or that derive a significant portion of their revenue or profits from businesses, investments or sales, in Brazil. The fund may invest in the stocks of companies of any size, although it focuses on large and mid-cap companies (generally, with market capitalizations of $2 billion or more at the time of purchase). The fund's sub-investment adviser seeks investment opportunities in companies with sustainable earnings, attractive valuations and high dividend yields that indicate the potential for strong sustainable capital growth. The sub-adviser constructs the fund's portfolio through a combination of quantitative and fundamental bottom-up research, and an understanding of local/regional macroeconomic trends. In selecting securities, the fund's portfolio managers use a three-step investment process consisting of: (1) quantitative analysis, (2) fundamental analysis and (3) portfolio construction.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. It is not a complete investment program. The fund's share price fluctuates, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money.
· Risks of concentrating investments in Brazil. The fund's performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting Brazil. Special risks include exposure to currency fluctuations, less liquidity, less developed or efficient trading markets, lack of comprehensive company information, political instability and differing accounting and legal standards. Because the fund's investments are concentrated in Brazil, the fund's performance could be more volatile than that of more geographically diversified funds.
As an emerging market, the Brazilian market tends to be more volatile than the markets of more mature economies, and generally has a less diverse and less mature economic structure and a less stable political system than those of developed countries. Certain political, economic, legal and currency risks have contributed to a high level of price volatility in the Brazilian equity and currency markets and could adversely affect investments in the fund. Brazil has historically experienced high rates of inflation and may continue to do so. Inflationary pressures may slow the rate of growth of the Brazilian economy and may lead to further government intervention in the economy, which could adversely affect the fund's investments. Brazil continues to suffer from chronic structural public sector deficits. Unanticipated political or social developments may result in increased volatility in the fund's share price and sudden and significant investment losses.
· Emerging market risk. The securities of issuers located in emerging markets tend to be more volatile and less liquid than securities of issuers located in more mature economies, and emerging markets generally have less diverse and less mature economic structures and less stable political systems than those of developed countries. The securities of issuers located or doing substantial business in emerging markets are often subject to rapid and large changes in price.
· Foreign currency risk. Investments in foreign currencies are subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline relative to the currency being hedged. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. Foreign currencies are also subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government intervention and controls.
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· Risks of stock investing. Stocks generally fluctuate more in value than bonds and may decline significantly over short time periods. There is the chance that stock prices overall will decline because stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and falling prices. The market value of a stock may decline due to general weakness in the stock market or because of factors that affect the company or its particular industry.
· Liquidity risk. When there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities, it can become more difficult to sell the securities at or near their perceived value. In such a market, the value of such securities and the fund's share price may fall dramatically. Investments in foreign securities, particularly those of issuers located in emerging markets, may have greater exposure to liquidity risk than domestic securities.
· Non-diversification risk. The fund is non-diversified, which means that the fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. Therefore, the fund's performance may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and more susceptible to risks associated with a single economic, political or regulatory occurrence than a diversified fund.
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The bar chart shows changes in the performance of the fund's Class A shares from year to year. The table compares the average annual total returns of the fund's shares to those of a broad measure of market performance. The fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future. Sales charges, if any, are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would have been less than those shown. More recent performance information may be available at www.dreyfus.com.
Year-by-Year Total Returns as of 12/31 each year (%) Class A |
|
Best
Quarter Worst Quarter |
|
The year-to-date total return of the fund's Class A shares as of 9/30/12 was 3.06%. |
After-tax performance is shown only for Class A shares. After-tax performance of the fund's other share classes will vary. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Average Annual Total Returns (as of 12/31/11) Class |
||
1 Year |
Since
Inception |
|
Class A returns before taxes |
-20.98% |
-1.45% |
Class A returns after taxes on distributions |
-21.30% |
-1.63% |
Class A returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares |
-13.31% |
-1.21% |
Class C returns before taxes |
-17.63% |
0.54% |
Class I returns before taxes |
-15.96% |
1.45% |
MSCI 10/40 Brazil NR Index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes |
-19.91% |
0.03% |
The fund's investment adviser is The Dreyfus Corporation. The Dreyfus Corporation has engaged its affiliate, BNY Mellon ARX Investimentos Ltda. (BNY Mellon ARX), to serve as the fund's sub-investment adviser. Rogério Poppe, CFA, and Bruno de Godoy Garcia, CFA, are the fund's primary portfolio managers, positions they have held since the
3
fund's inception. Mr. Poppe is a portfolio manager at BNY Mellon ARX. Mr. Garcia is a partner at BNY Mellon ARX and coordinates a team of equity analysts.
In general, the fund's minimum initial investment is $1,000 and the minimum subsequent investment is $100. You may sell (redeem) your shares on any business day by calling 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) or by visiting www.dreyfus.com. If you invested in the fund through a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or financial adviser, or in a 401(k) or other retirement plan, you may mail your request to sell shares to Dreyfus Institutional Department, P.O. Box 9882, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8082. If you invested directly through the fund, you may mail your request to sell shares to Dreyfus Shareholder Services, P.O. Box 9879, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8079.
The fund's distributions are taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, except when your investment is through an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-advantaged investment plan (in which case you may be taxed upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).
If you purchase shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
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Fund Details
The fund seeks long-term capital growth. This objective may be changed by the fund's board, upon 60 days' prior notice to shareholders. To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies: (i) that have their registered office in Brazil; (ii) whose principal trading market is in Brazil; or (iii) that have a majority of their assets, or that derive a significant portion of their revenue or profits from businesses, investments or sales, in Brazil. The fund may invest in the stocks of companies of any size, although it focuses on large and mid-cap companies (generally, with market capitalizations of $2 billion or more at the time of purchase). The fund invests principally in common stocks, but the fund's equity investments also may include preferred stocks, convertible securities and warrants, including those purchased in initial public offerings (IPOs) or shortly thereafter. The fund's equity investments also may include American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), which represent indirect ownership of securities issued by foreign companies.
The fund's sub-investment adviser, BNY Mellon ARX Investimentos Ltda. (BNY Mellon ARX), seeks investment opportunities in companies with sustainable earnings, attractive valuations and high dividend yields that indicate the potential for strong sustainable capital growth. BNY Mellon ARX constructs the fund's portfolio through a combination of quantitative and fundamental bottom-up research, and an understanding of local/regional macroeconomic trends.
In selecting securities, the fund's portfolio managers use a three-step investment process:
Step 1: Quantitative Analysis
The portfolio managers use a proprietary quantitative model to identify and analyze approximately 180 stocks listed on the Sao Paulo Stock, Mercantile & Futures Exchange (BM&FBOVESPA), based on several factors, including earnings estimates, growth, beta, dividend yield estimates and liquidity. The portfolio managers generally identify approximately 60 of the most attractive securities screened by the quantitative model.
Step 2: Fundamental Analysis
Based on their assessment of certain qualitative factors, the portfolio managers generally select approximately 25 to 40 stocks from the narrowed universe of stocks screened by the quantitative model. As part of this process, the portfolio managers use a discounted cash flow approach to valuing companies. The portfolio managers examine a variety of information sources, including reported company financials and company reports, and, whenever possible, have discussions with company management. BNY Mellon ARX uses various valuation measures, including enterprise value (FV/EBITDA), price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-book (P/BV) and price-to-sales ratios, to assess a company's business as viewed in the context of macroeconomics and sector and industry trends. The fund's portfolio managers then select those stocks that demonstrate high dividend yield, the commitment to distributing future earnings and expected growth in future earnings, taking into consideration factors such as liquidity, governance, sector and risk.
Step 3: Portfolio Construction
In the final step, the portfolio managers define exposure limits to each company and sector and weights to each stock selected in step 2. During this phase of the process, the portfolio managers use a quantitative and multi-factor model to seek to achieve portfolio optimization. The model is designed to provide a framework for risk decomposition and performance attribution. There are also liquidity controls in place with a bias toward large and mid-cap stocks. The portfolio managers regularly evaluate the risk profile of the fund's portfolio and adjust exposure limits as necessary.
BNY Mellon ARX does not use benchmark indices as a tool for active portfolio management. Traditional benchmark indices, however, may be helpful in measuring investment returns, and the fund's investment returns generally will be compared to those of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) 10/40 Brazil NR Index, an unmanaged index designed to track the performance of stocks traded primarily on the BM&FBOVESPA.
Although not a principal investment strategy, the fund may, but is not required to, use derivatives, such as options, futures and options on futures (including those relating to stocks, indexes, foreign currencies and interest rates), and forward contracts, as a substitute for investing directly in an underlying asset, to increase returns, to manage currency
5
risk, or as part of a hedging strategy. Since the value of the Brazilian currency can fluctuate significantly and potentially result in losses for investors, the portfolio managers may seek to manage currency risk by hedging all or a portion of the fund's currency exposure and, in their discretion, may employ certain techniques designed to alter the fund's exposure to the Brazilian currency. Generally, this involves buying options, futures or forward contracts relating to currencies. The fund also may engage in short-selling, typically for hedging purposes, such as to limit exposure to a possible market decline in the value of its portfolio securities.
The fund is non-diversified.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. It is not a complete investment program. The value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money.
· Risks of concentrating investments in Brazil. The fund's performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting Brazil. Special risks include exposure to currency fluctuations, less liquidity, less developed or efficient trading markets, lack of comprehensive company information, political and economic instability and differing accounting and legal standards. Because the fund's investments are concentrated in Brazil, the fund's performance could be more volatile than that of more geographically diversified funds.
As an emerging market, the Brazilian market tends to be more volatile than the markets of more mature economies, and generally has a less diverse and less mature economic structure and a less stable political system than those of developed countries. Certain political, economic, legal and currency risks have contributed to a high level of price volatility in the Brazilian equity and currency markets and could adversely affect investments in the fund. Brazil is dependent upon commodity prices and international trade and suffers from high inflation rates. Brazil continues to suffer from chronic structural public sector deficits. Disparities of wealth, the pace and success of democratization and capital market development, and ethnic and racial disaffection have led to social and labor unrest, and violence. Unanticipated political or social developments may result in sudden and significant investment losses.
The Brazilian government has exercised, and continues to exercise, significant influence over the Brazilian economy, which may have significant effects on Brazilian companies and on market conditions and prices of Brazilian securities. The Brazilian government has often changed monetary, taxation, credit, tariff and other policies to influence the core of Brazil's economy. The Brazilian government's actions to control inflation and affect other economic policies have often involved, among others, the setting of wage and price controls, blocking access to bank accounts, fluctuation of the base interest rates, imposing exchange controls and limiting imports into Brazil.
Brazil has historically experienced high rates of inflation and may continue to do so in the future. An increase in prices for commodities, the depreciation of the Brazilian currency (the real) and future government measures seeking to maintain the value of the real in relation to the U.S. dollar may trigger increases in inflation in Brazil and may slow the rate of growth of the Brazilian economy. Inflationary pressures also may limit the ability of certain Brazilian issuers to access foreign financial markets and may lead to further government intervention in the economy, including the introduction of government policies that may adversely affect the overall performance of the Brazilian economy, which in turn could adversely affect the fund's investments. Furthermore, appreciation of the real relative to the U.S. dollar may lead to the deterioration of Brazil's current account and balance of payments as well as limit the growth of exports.
The market for Brazilian securities is influenced by the flow of international capital, and economic and market conditions of certain countries, especially emerging market countries in Central and South America. Adverse economic conditions or developments in other emerging market countries have at times significantly affected the availability of credit in the Brazilian economy and resulted in considerable outflows of funds and declines in the amount of foreign currency invested in Brazil.
Investments in Brazilian securities may be subject to certain restrictions on foreign investment. Brazilian law provides that whenever a serious imbalance in Brazil's balance of payments exists or is anticipated, the Brazilian government may impose temporary restrictions on the remittance to foreign investors of the proceeds of their investment in Brazil and on the conversion of Brazilian currency into foreign currency. The likelihood of such restrictions may be affected by the extent of Brazil's foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign currency in the foreign exchange markets on the date a payment is due, the size of Brazil's debt service burden relative to the economy as a whole and political constraints to which Brazil may be subject.
· Emerging market risk. Emerging markets tend to be more volatile and less liquid than the markets of more mature economies, and generally have less diverse and less mature economic structures and less stable political systems than those of developed countries. The securities of issuers located or doing substantial business in emerging markets are
6
often subject to rapid and large changes in price. In particular, emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, present the risk of sudden adverse government or regulatory action and even nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership on prohibitions of repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of emerging market countries may be based predominantly on only a few industries and may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of substantial holdings difficult. Transaction settlement and dividend collection procedures also may be less reliable in emerging markets than in developed markets.
· Foreign currency risk. Investments in foreign currencies are subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline relative to the currency being hedged. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. Foreign currencies are also subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government intervention and controls.
· Risks of stock investing. Stocks generally fluctuate more in value than bonds and may decline significantly over short time periods. There is the chance that stock prices overall will decline because stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and falling prices. The market value of a stock may decline due to general market conditions that are not related to the particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. A security's market value also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry, or factors that affect a particular company, such as management performance, financial leverage, and reduced demand for the company's products or services.
· Liquidity risk. When there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities, it can become more difficult to sell the securities at or near their perceived value. In such a market, the value of such securities and the fund's share price may fall dramatically. Investments in foreign securities, particularly those of issuers located in emerging markets, may have greater exposure to liquidity risk than domestic securities. Liquidity risk also exists when a particular derivative instrument is difficult to purchase or sell. If a derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid (as is the case with many privately negotiated derivatives), it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price.
· Non-diversification risk. The fund is non-diversified, which means that the fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. Therefore, the fund's performance may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and more susceptible to risks associated with a single economic, political or regulatory occurrence than a diversified fund.
In addition to the principal risks described above, the fund is subject to the following additional risks:
· Market sector risk. The fund may significantly overweight or underweight certain companies, industries or market sectors, which may cause the fund's performance to be more or less sensitive to developments affecting those companies, industries or sectors.
· Large cap stock risk. To the extent the fund invests in large capitalization stocks, the fund may underperform funds that invest primarily in the stocks of lower quality, smaller capitalization companies during periods when the stocks of such companies are in favor.
· Small and midsize company risk. Small and midsize companies carry additional risks because the operating histories of these companies tend to be more limited, their earnings and revenues less predictable (and some companies may be experiencing significant losses), and their share prices more volatile than those of larger, more established companies. The shares of smaller companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can adversely affect the pricing of these securities and the fund's ability to sell these securities. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or may depend on a limited management group. Some of the fund's investments will rise and fall based on investor perception rather than economic factors. Other investments are made in anticipation of future products, services or events whose delay or cancellation could cause the stock price to drop.
· Growth and value stock risk. By investing in a mix of growth and value companies, the fund assumes the risks of both. Investors often expect growth companies to increase their earnings at a certain rate. If these expectations are not met, investors can punish the stocks inordinately, even if earnings do increase. In addition, growth stocks typically lack the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns. Value stocks involve the risk that they may never
7
reach their expected full market value, either because the market fails to recognize the stock's intrinsic worth, or the expected value was misgauged. They also may decline in price even though in theory they are already undervalued.
· Derivatives risk. A small investment in derivatives could have a potentially large impact on the fund's performance. The use of derivatives involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying assets. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value, and there is the risk that changes in the value of a derivative held by the fund will not correlate with the underlying instruments or the fund's other investments. Derivative instruments also involve the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the derivative instruments to make required payments or otherwise comply with the derivative instruments' terms. Many of the regulatory protections afforded participants on organized exchanges, such as the performance guarantee of an exchange clearing house, are not available in connection with over-the-counter derivative transactions. Certain types of derivatives, including over-the-counter transactions, involve greater risks than the underlying obligations because, in addition to general market risks, they are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk, credit risk and pricing risk. Additionally, some derivatives involve economic leverage, which could increase the volatility of these investments as they may fluctuate in value more than the underlying instrument. The fund may be required to segregate liquid assets in connection with the purchase of derivative instruments.
· Leverage risk. The use of leverage, such as engaging in reverse repurchase agreements, entering into futures contracts or forward currency contracts, and engaging in forward commitment transactions, may magnify the fund's gains or losses. Because many derivatives have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.
· IPO risk. The prices of securities purchased in IPOs can be very volatile. The effect of IPOs on the fund's performance depends on a variety of factors, including the number of IPOs the fund invests in relative to the size of the fund and whether and to what extent a security purchased in an IPO appreciates or depreciates in value. As a fund's asset base increases, IPOs often have a diminished effect on such fund's performance.
· Other potential risks. The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In connection with such loans, the fund will receive collateral from the borrower equal to at least 100% of the value of loaned securities. If the borrower of the securities fails financially, there could be delays in recovering the loaned securities or exercising rights to the collateral.
Under adverse market conditions, the fund could invest some or all of its assets in the securities of U.S. issuers, U.S. Treasury securities and money market securities, or hold cash. Although the fund would do this for temporary defensive purposes, it could reduce the benefit from any upswing in the market. During such periods, the fund may not achieve its investment objective.
At times, the fund may engage in short-term trading, which could produce higher transaction costs and taxable distributions and lower the fund's after-tax performance.
The investment adviser for the fund is The Dreyfus Corporation (Dreyfus), 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166. Founded in 1947, Dreyfus manages approximately $241 billion in 183 mutual fund portfolios. For the past fiscal year, the fund paid Dreyfus a management fee at the annual rate of 1.25% of the fund's average daily net assets. A discussion regarding the basis for the board's approving the fund's management agreement with Dreyfus is available in the fund's semi-annual report for the six-month period ended February 29, 2012. Dreyfus is the primary mutual fund business of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BNY Mellon), a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 36 countries and serving more than 100 markets. BNY Mellon is a leading investment management and investment services company, uniquely focused to help clients manage and move their financial assets in the rapidly changing global marketplace. BNY Mellon has $27.9 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $1.4 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. BNY Mellon Investment Management is one of the world's leading investment management organizations, and one of the top U.S. wealth managers, encompassing BNY Mellon's affiliated investment management firms, wealth management services and global distribution companies. Additional information is available at www.bnymellon.com.
The Dreyfus asset management philosophy is based on the belief that discipline and consistency are important to investment success. For each fund, Dreyfus seeks to establish clear guidelines for portfolio management and to be systematic in making decisions. This approach is designed to provide each fund with a distinct, stable identity.
Dreyfus has engaged its affiliate, BNY Mellon ARX Investimentos Ltda., located at Avenida Borges de Medeiros, 633/4th Floor, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to serve as the fund's sub-investment adviser. BNY Mellon ARX is a
8
wholly-owned subsidiary of BNY Mellon. As of September 30, 2012, BNY Mellon ARX had approximately $6.4 billion in assets under management. BNY Mellon ARX, subject to Dreyfus' supervision and approval, provides investment advisory assistance and research and the day-to-day management of the fund's investments.
Rogério Poppe, CFA, and Bruno de Godoy Garcia, CFA, are the fund's primary portfolio managers, positions they have held since the fund's inception. Mr. Poppe joined BNY Mellon ARX (or its predecessor) as a portfolio manager in 2005. Mr. Garcia has been a partner at BNY Mellon ARX (or its predecessor) since 2001 and coordinates a team of equity analysts.
The fund's SAI provides additional portfolio manager information including compensation, other accounts managed and ownership of fund shares.
MBSC Securities Corporation (MBSC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Dreyfus, serves as distributor of the fund and of the other funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds. Any Rule 12b-1 fees and shareholder services fees are paid to MBSC for financing the sale and distribution of fund shares and for providing shareholder account service and maintenance, respectively. Dreyfus or MBSC may provide cash payments out of its own resources to financial intermediaries that sell shares of funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds or provide other services. Such payments are separate from any sales charges, 12b-1 fees and/or shareholder services fees or other expenses that may be paid by a fund to those intermediaries. Because those payments are not made by fund shareholders or the fund, the fund's total expense ratio will not be affected by any such payments. These payments may be made to intermediaries, including affiliates, that provide shareholder servicing, sub-administration, recordkeeping and/or sub-transfer agency services, marketing support and/or access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the financial intermediary. Cash compensation also may be paid from Dreyfus' or MBSC's own resources to intermediaries for inclusion of a fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list or in other sales programs. These payments sometimes are referred to as "revenue sharing." From time to time, Dreyfus or MBSC also may provide cash or non-cash compensation to financial intermediaries or their representatives in the form of occasional gifts; occasional meals, tickets or other entertainment; support for due diligence trips; educational conference sponsorships; support for recognition programs; technology or infrastructure support; and other forms of cash or non-cash compensation permissible under broker-dealer regulations. In some cases, these payments or compensation may create an incentive for a financial intermediary or its employees to recommend or sell shares of the fund to you. Please contact your financial representative for details about any payments they or their firm may receive in connection with the sale of fund shares or the provision of services to the fund.
The fund, Dreyfus, BNY Mellon ARX and MBSC have each adopted a code of ethics that permits its personnel, subject to such code, to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the fund. Each code of ethics restricts the personal securities transactions of employees, and requires portfolio managers and other investment personnel to comply with the code's preclearance and disclosure procedures. The primary purpose of the respective codes is to ensure that personal trading by employees does not disadvantage any fund managed by Dreyfus or its affiliates.
Performance Information for Related Accounts
The fund's portfolio managers follow substantially the same investment policies and strategies managing the fund's assets as they do managing certain discretionary investment management accounts, a Brazilian-domiciled fund, open-end unit trusts established in Europe and offshore private funds that are managed by BNY Mellon ARX (the "Related Accounts"). The tables below show the returns for the Related Accounts and for the MSCI 10/40 Brazil NR Index. The Index information is provided to represent the investment environment existing at the time periods shown. The Index is unmanaged and an investor may not invest directly in the Index. Investors should not consider this performance data as an indication of the future performance of the fund or the Related Accounts.
The performance figures for the Related Accounts reflect the deduction of management fees and other expenses paid by the Related Accounts during the periods shown, and not the management fee and other expenses payable by the fund. Information on the fees charged investors in the Related Accounts is available upon request from BNY Mellon ARX. The highest management fee chargeable a Related Account is disclosed in Part II of BNY Mellon ARX's Form ADV. The Related Accounts are not registered as investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The performance of the Related Accounts could have been adversely affected by the imposition of certain regulatory requirements, restrictions and limitations, if such accounts had been regulated as investment companies under the U.S. federal securities and tax laws. Additionally, although it is anticipated that the fund and the Related Accounts may hold similar securities, their investment results are expected to differ. In particular, differences in asset size and in cash flow resulting from purchases and redemptions of fund shares may result in different security selections, differences in the relative weightings of securities or differences in the price paid for particular fund holdings. The performance information does not reflect the deduction of any applicable sales loads which, if reflected, would reduce the performance quoted. In addition, the fund's total operating expenses are expected to be higher than those of the
9
Related Accounts; if the fund's expenses were reflected, the performance shown would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not indicative of future returns, and that the investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate, sometimes dramatically, so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
Historical performance information for the Related Accounts and the MSCI 10/40 Brazil NR Index is shown below. The performance figures for the Related Accounts are time-weighted rates of return, which include the deduction of transaction costs and investment management fees. This calculation methodology differs from guidelines of the SEC for calculating performance of mutual funds. All returns are calculated in U.S. dollars and reflect the reinvestment of dividends and other distributions.
Additional information regarding BNY Mellon ARX's policies and procedures for calculating and reporting performance returns, and a listing and description of all of its composites, is available upon request for financial advisers by calling 1-800-334-6899 and for individual shareholders by calling 1-800-DREYFUS.
BNY Mellon ARX Brazil Equity US$ Denominated Composite |
||||
Period |
Related
Accounts |
MSCI 10/40 Brazil NR |
Number of Portfolios |
Total Composite Assets ($) |
2011 |
-13.26 |
-19.91 |
10 |
1,183,695,485 |
2010 |
15.63 |
10.34 |
8 |
1,267,577,752 |
2009 |
123.06 |
131.33 |
7 |
1,090,190,355 |
2008 |
-46.58 |
-53.40 |
6 |
283,967,337 |
2007 |
70.65 |
58.51 |
5 |
350,958,803 |
2006 |
51.15 |
43.73 |
3 |
70,457,730 |
2005 |
43.24 |
48.57 |
3 |
57,225,929 |
2004 |
53.97 |
34.18 |
3 |
45,584,659 |
2003 |
146.86 |
129.64 |
2 |
9,525,501 |
2002 |
-17.70 |
-30.78 |
2 |
2,190,442 |
*Sources of foreign exchange rates may be different between the composite and the Index. |
The year-to-date total return of the Related Accounts as of 9/30/12 was 3.73%.
BNY Mellon ARX Brazil Equity US$ Denominated
Composite |
|||
1 Year |
5 Years |
10 Years |
|
Related Accounts |
-13.26% |
29.81% |
42.66% |
MSCI 10/40 Brazil NR Index* |
-19.91% |
25.37% |
35.05% |
*Sources of foreign exchange rates may be different between the composite and the Index. |
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Shareholder Guide
The fund is designed primarily for people who are investing through a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or financial adviser, or in a 401(k) or other retirement plan. Third parties with whom you open a fund account may impose policies, limitations and fees that are different from those described in this prospectus. Consult a representative of your financial institution for further information.
This prospectus offers Class A, C and I shares of the fund.
Your financial representative may receive different compensation for selling one class of shares than for selling another class. It is important to remember that any contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) or Rule 12b-1 fees have the same purpose as the front-end sales charge: to compensate the distributor for concessions and expenses it pays to dealers and financial institutions in connection with the sale of fund shares. A CDSC is not charged on fund shares acquired through the reinvestment of fund dividends. Because the Rule 12b-1 fee is paid out of the fund's assets on an ongoing basis, over time it will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
The different classes of fund shares represent investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes are subject to different expenses and will likely have different share prices. When choosing a class, you should consider your investment amount, anticipated holding period, the potential costs over your holding period and whether you qualify for any reduction or waiver of the sales charge.
A complete description of these classes follows. You should review these arrangements with your financial representative before determining which class to invest in.
Class A Shares
When you invest in Class A shares, you pay the public offering price, which is the share price, or net asset value (NAV), plus the initial sales charge that may apply to your purchase. The amount of the initial sales charge is based on the size of your investment, as the following table shows. We also describe below how you may reduce or eliminate the initial sales charge (see "Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers"). Class A shares are subject to an annual shareholder services fee of .25% paid to the fund's distributor for shareholder account service and maintenance.
Since some of your investment goes to pay an up-front sales charge when you purchase Class A shares, you purchase fewer shares than you would with the same investment in Class C shares. Nevertheless, you are usually better off purchasing Class A shares, rather than Class C shares, and paying an up-front sales charge if you:
· plan to own the shares for an extended period of time, since the ongoing Rule 12b-1 fees on Class C shares may eventually exceed the cost of the up-front sales charge; and
· qualify for a reduced or waived sales charge
If you invest $1 million or more (and are not eligible to purchase Class I shares), Class A shares will always be the most advantageous choice.
Total Sales Load -- Class A Shares |
||
Amount of Transaction |
As a % of Offering |
As a % of
|
Less than $50,000 |
5.75 |
6.10 |
$50,000 to less than $100,000 |
4.50 |
4.71 |
$100,000 to less than $250,000 |
3.50 |
3.63 |
$250,000 to less than $500,000 |
2.50 |
2.56 |
$500,000 to less than $1,000,000 |
2.00 |
2.04 |
$1,000,000 or more |
-0- |
-0- |
No sales charge applies on investments of $1 million or more, but a CDSC of 1% may be imposed on certain redemptions of such shares within one year of the date of purchase.
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Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers
To receive a reduction or waiver of your initial sales charge, you must let your financial intermediary or the fund know at the time you purchase shares that you qualify for such a reduction or waiver. If you do not let your financial intermediary or the fund know that you are eligible for a reduction or waiver, you may not receive the reduction or waiver to which you are otherwise entitled. In order to receive a reduction or waiver, you may be required to provide your financial intermediary or the fund with evidence of your qualification for the reduction or waiver, such as records regarding shares of certain Dreyfus Funds held in accounts with that financial intermediary and other financial intermediaries. Additional information regarding reductions and waivers of sales loads is available, free of charge, at www.dreyfus.com and in the SAI.
You can reduce your initial sales charge in the following ways:
· Rights of accumulation. You can count toward the amount of your investment your total account value in all share classes of the fund and certain other Dreyfus Funds that are subject to a sales charge. For example, if you have $1 million invested in shares of certain other Dreyfus Funds that are subject to a sales charge, you can invest in Class A shares of any fund without an initial sales charge. We may terminate or change this privilege at any time on written notice.
· Letter of intent. You can sign a letter of intent, in which you agree to invest a certain amount (your goal) in the fund and certain other Dreyfus Funds over a 13-month period, and your initial sales charge will be based on your goal. A 90-day back-dated period can also be used to count previous purchases toward your goal. Your goal must be at least $50,000, and your initial investment must be at least $5,000. The sales charge will be adjusted if you do not meet your goal.
· Combine with family members. You can also count toward the amount of your investment all investments in certain other Dreyfus Funds, in any class of shares that is subject to a sales charge, by your spouse and your children under age 21 (family members), including their rights of accumulation and goals under a letter of intent. Certain other groups may also be permitted to combine purchases for purposes of reducing or eliminating sales charges (see "How to Buy Shares" in the SAI).
Class A shares may be purchased at NAV without payment of a sales charge by the following individuals and entities:
· full-time or part-time employees, and their family members, of Dreyfus or any of its affiliates
· board members of Dreyfus and board members of the Dreyfus Family of Funds
· full-time employees, and their family members, of financial institutions that have entered into selling agreements with the fund's distributor
· "wrap" accounts for the benefit of clients of financial institutions, provided they have entered into an agreement with the fund's distributor specifying operating policies and standards
· qualified separate accounts maintained by an insurance company; any state, county or city or instrumentality thereof; and charitable organizations investing $50,000 or more in fund shares and charitable remainder trusts, provided that such Class A shares are purchased directly through the fund's distributor
· qualified investors who (i) purchase Class A shares directly through the fund's distributor, and (ii) have, or whose spouse or minor children have, beneficially owned shares of a Dreyfus Fund and continuously maintained an open account with the distributor in that fund since on or before February 28, 2006
· investors with the cash proceeds from the investor's exercise of stock options and/or disposition of stock related to employment-based stock plans, whether invested in the fund directly or indirectly through an exchange from a Dreyfus money market fund, provided that the proceeds are processed through an entity that has entered into an agreement with the fund's distributor specifically relating to administering employment-based stock plans. Upon establishing the account in the fund or the Dreyfus money market fund, the investor and the investor's spouse and minor children become eligible to purchase Class A shares of the fund at net asset value, whether or not the investor uses the proceeds related to the employment-based stock plan to establish the account
· members of qualified affinity groups who purchase Class A shares directly through the fund's distributor, provided that the qualified affinity group has entered into an affinity agreement with the distributor
· employees participating in qualified or non-qualified employee benefit plans
· shareholders in Dreyfus-sponsored IRA rollover accounts funded with the distribution proceeds from qualified and non-qualified retirement plans or a Dreyfus-sponsored 403(b)(7) plan, provided that, in the case of a qualified or non-qualified retirement plan, the rollover is processed through an entity that has entered into an agreement with the fund's distributor specifically relating to processing rollovers. Upon establishing the Dreyfus-sponsored IRA rollover
12
account in the fund, the shareholder becomes eligible to make subsequent purchases of Class A shares of the fund at NAV in such account
Class C Shares
Since you pay no initial sales charge, an investment of less than $1 million in Class C shares buys more shares than the same investment would in Class A shares. However, Class C shares are subject to an annual Rule 12b-1 fee of .75% and an annual shareholder services fee of .25%. Over time, the Rule 12b-1 fees may cost you more than paying an initial sales charge on Class A shares. Class C shares redeemed within one year of purchase are subject to a 1% CDSC.
Because Class A shares will always be a more favorable investment than Class C shares for investments of $1 million or more, the fund will generally not accept a purchase order for Class C shares in the amount of $1 million or more. While the fund will take reasonable steps to prevent investments of $1 million or more in Class C shares, it may not be able to identify such investments made through certain financial intermediaries or omnibus accounts.
Class I Shares
Since you pay no initial sales charge, an investment of less than $1 million in Class I shares buys more shares than the same investment would in a class that charges an initial sales charge. There is also no CDSC imposed on redemptions of Class I shares, and you do not pay any ongoing service or distribution fees.
Class I shares may be purchased by:
· bank trust departments, trust companies and insurance companies that have entered into agreements with the fund's distributor to offer Class I shares to their clients
· institutional investors acting in a fiduciary, advisory, agency, custodial or similar capacity for qualified or non-qualified employee benefit plans, including pension, profit-sharing and other deferred compensation plans, whether established by corporations, partnerships, non-profit entities, trade or labor unions, or state and local governments, and IRAs set up under Simplified Employee Pension Plans that have entered into agreements with the fund's distributor to offer Class I shares to such plans
· law firms or attorneys acting as trustees or executors/administrators
· foundations and endowments that make an initial investment in the fund of at least $1 million
· sponsors of college savings plans that qualify for tax-exempt treatment under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, that maintain an omnibus account with the fund and do not require shareholder tax reporting or 529 account support responsibilities from the fund's distributor
· advisory fee-based accounts offered through financial intermediaries who, depending on the structure of the selected advisory platform, make Class I shares available
· certain institutional clients of a BNY Mellon investment advisory subsidiary, provided that such clients are approved by Dreyfus
· unaffiliated investment companies approved by the fund's distributor
CDSC Waivers
The fund's CDSC on Class A and C shares may be waived in the following cases:
· permitted exchanges of shares, except if shares acquired by exchange are then redeemed within the period during which a CDSC would apply to the initial shares purchased
· redemptions made within one year of death or disability of the shareholder
· redemptions due to receiving required minimum distributions from retirement accounts upon reaching age 70½
· redemptions made through the fund's Automatic Withdrawal Plan, if such redemptions do not exceed 12% of the value of the account annually
· redemptions from qualified and non-qualified employee benefit plans
Dreyfus generally calculates fund NAVs as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on days the NYSE is open for regular business. Your order will be priced at the next NAV calculated after your order is received in proper form by the fund's transfer agent or other authorized entity. When calculating NAVs, Dreyfus values equity investments on the basis of market quotations or official closing prices.
13
Dreyfus generally values fixed-income investments based on values supplied by an independent pricing service approved by the fund's board. The pricing service's procedures are reviewed under the general supervision of the board. If market quotations or prices from a pricing service are not readily available, or are determined not to reflect accurately fair value, the fund may value those investments at fair value as determined in accordance with procedures approved by the fund's board. Fair value of investments may be determined by the fund's board, its pricing committee or its valuation committee in good faith using such information as it deems appropriate under the circumstances. Under certain circumstances, the fair value of foreign equity securities will be provided by an independent pricing service. Using fair value to price investments may result in a value that is different from a security's most recent closing price and from the prices used by other mutual funds to calculate their net asset values. Forward currency contracts will be valued at the forward rate obtained from an independent pricing service approved by the board. Foreign securities held by a fund may trade on days when the fund does not calculate its NAV and thus may affect the fund's NAV on days when investors will not be able to purchase or sell (redeem) fund shares.
Investments in certain types of thinly traded securities may provide short-term traders arbitrage opportunities with respect to the fund's shares. For example, arbitrage opportunities may exist when trading in a portfolio security or securities is halted and does not resume, or the market on which such securities are traded closes before the fund calculates its NAV. If short-term investors of the fund were able to take advantage of these arbitrage opportunities, they could dilute the NAV of fund shares held by long-term investors. Portfolio valuation policies can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that such valuation policies will prevent dilution of the fund's NAV by short-term traders. While the fund has a policy regarding frequent trading, it too may not be completely effective to prevent short-term NAV arbitrage trading, particularly in regard to omnibus accounts. Please see "Shareholder Guide General Policies" for further information about the fund's frequent trading policy.
Orders to buy and sell shares received by an authorized entity (such as a bank, broker-dealer or financial adviser, or 401(k) or other retirement plan that has entered into an agreement with the fund's distributor) by the close of trading on the NYSE and transmitted to the distributor or its designee by the close of its business day (usually 5:15 p.m. Eastern time) will be based on the NAV determined as of the close of trading on the NYSE that day.
How to Buy Shares
By Mail.
Regular Accounts. To open a regular account, complete an application and mail it, together with a check payable to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, to the appropriate address below. To purchase additional shares in a regular account, mail a check payable to The Dreyfus Family of Funds (with your account number on your check), together with an investment slip, to the appropriate address below.
IRA Accounts. To open an IRA account or make additional investments in an IRA account, be sure to specify the fund name and the year for which the contribution is being made. When opening a new account include a completed IRA application, and when making additional investments include an investment slip. Make checks payable to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, and mail to the appropriate address below.
Mailing Address. If you are investing directly through the fund, mail to:
Dreyfus Shareholder Services
P.O. Box 9879
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8079
If you are investing through a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or financial adviser, or in a 401(k) or other retirement plan, mail to:
Dreyfus Institutional Department
P.O. Box
9882
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8082
Electronic Check or Wire. To purchase shares in a regular or IRA account by wire or electronic check, please call 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) for more information.
Dreyfus TeleTransfer. To purchase additional shares in a regular or IRA account by Dreyfus TeleTransfer, which will transfer money from a pre-designated bank account, request the account service on your application. Call 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) or visit www.dreyfus.com to request your transaction.
Automatically. You may purchase additional shares in a regular or IRA account by selecting one of Dreyfus' automatic investment services made available to the fund on your account application or service application. See "Services for Fund Investors."
14
In Person. Visit a Dreyfus Financial Center. Please call us for locations.
The minimum initial and subsequent investment for regular accounts is $1,000 and $100, respectively. The minimum initial investment for IRAs is $750, with no minimum subsequent investment. The minimum initial investment for educational savings accounts is $500, with no minimum subsequent investment. Investments made through Dreyfus TeleTransfer are subject to a $100 minimum and a $150,000 maximum. All investments must be in U.S. dollars. Third-party checks, cash, travelers' checks or money orders will not be accepted. You may be charged a fee for any check that does not clear.
How to Sell Shares
You may sell (redeem) shares at any time. Your shares will be sold at the next NAV calculated after your order is received in proper form by the fund's transfer agent or other authorized entity. Any certificates representing fund shares being sold must be returned with your redemption request. Your order will be processed promptly and you will generally receive the proceeds within a week.
To keep your CDSC as low as possible, each time you request to sell shares we will first sell shares that are not subject to a CDSC, and then those subject to the lowest charge. The CDSC is based on the lesser of the original purchase cost or the current market value of the shares being sold, and is not charged on fund shares you acquired by reinvesting your fund dividends. As described above in this prospectus, there are certain instances when you may qualify to have the CDSC waived. Consult your financial representative or refer to the SAI for additional details.
Before selling shares recently purchased by check, Dreyfus TeleTransfer or Automatic Asset Builder, please note that:
· if you send a written request to sell such shares, the fund may delay sending the proceeds for up to eight business days following the purchase of those shares
· the fund will not process wire, telephone, online or Dreyfus TeleTransfer redemption requests for up to eight business days following the purchase of those shares
By Mail.
Regular Accounts. To redeem shares in a regular account by mail, send a letter of instruction that includes your name, your account number, the name of the fund, the share class, the dollar amount to be redeemed and how and where to send the proceeds. Mail your request to the appropriate address below.
IRA Accounts. To redeem shares in an IRA account by mail, send a letter of instruction that includes all of the same information for regular accounts and indicate whether the distribution is qualified or premature and whether the 10% TEFRA should be withheld. Mail your request to the appropriate address below.
Mailing Address. If you invested directly through the fund, mail to:
Dreyfus Shareholder Services
P.O. Box 9879
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8079
If you invested through a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or financial adviser, or in a 401(k) or other retirement plan, mail to:
Dreyfus Institutional Department
P.O. Box 9882
Providence,
Rhode Island 02940-8082
A medallion signature guarantee is required for some written sell orders. These include:
· amounts of $10,000 or more on accounts whose address has been changed within the last 30 days
· requests to send the proceeds to a different payee or address
· amounts of $100,000 or more
A medallion signature guarantee helps protect against fraud. You can obtain one from most banks or securities dealers, but not from a notary public. For joint accounts, each signature must be guaranteed. Please call to ensure that your medallion signature guarantee will be processed correctly.
Telephone or Online. To redeem shares call Dreyfus at 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) or, for regular accounts, visit www.dreyfus.com to request your transaction.
15
A check will be mailed to your address of record or you may request a wire or electronic check (Dreyfus TeleTransfer). For wires or Dreyfus TeleTransfer, be sure that the fund has your bank account information on file. Proceeds will be wired or sent by electronic check to your bank account.
You may speak to a Dreyfus representative to request that redemption proceeds be paid by check and mailed to your address of record (maximum $250,000 per day). You may also request that redemption proceeds be sent to your bank by wire (minimum $1,000) or by Dreyfus TeleTransfer (minimum $500). There is a $100,000 per day limit on requests for redemption by check, wire and Dreyfus TeleTransfer made online or through the Dreyfus Express® automated account access system.
Automatically. You may sell shares in a regular account by calling 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) for instructions on how to establish the Dreyfus Automatic Withdrawal Plan. You may sell shares in an IRA account by calling the above number for instructions on automatic withdrawals.
In Person. Visit a Dreyfus Financial Center. Please call us for locations.
Redemption Fee
Frequent trading can disrupt the fund's investment program and create additional costs for long term shareholders. For these reasons, the fund assesses a 2% fee on redemptions (including exchanges) of fund shares held for less than 60 days. The redemption fee is paid directly to the fund and is designed to offset brokerage commissions, market impact, and other costs associated with frequent trading.
Subject to the exceptions described below, you will be subject to the fee, whether you are holding shares directly in your name or indirectly through an intermediary, such as a broker, bank, investment adviser, record keeper for retirement plan participants, or any other third party. If you hold your shares through an intermediary's omnibus account, the intermediary is responsible for imposing the fee and remitting the fee to the fund.
The fund will use the "first-in, first-out" method to determine the holding period for the shares sold. Under this method, shares held the longest will be redeemed or exchanged first. The holding period commences on the day after your purchase order is effective.
The fund will not assess a redemption fee on fund shares (1) redeemed through automatic withdrawal plans or automatic exchange plans; (2) redeemed through certain comprehensive fee programs, such as wrap fee accounts and automated rebalancing or asset allocation programs offered by financial intermediaries (including those sponsored by Dreyfus or its affiliates); (3) acquired by the reinvestment of fund dividends or capital gain distributions; (4) redeemed by the fund (e.g., for failure to meet account minimums or to cover various fees); (5) purchased or redeemed by rollover, transfers and changes of account registration, provided that the investment remains in the fund; (6) purchased by other mutual funds, if approved by the fund; (7) held in accounts in which there are legal or contractual restrictions on the imposition of a redemption fee as determined by the fund in its sole discretion; (8) redeemed as a result of death, disability or a Qualified Domestic Relations Order; (9) redeemed from Coverdell Education Savings Accounts to pay qualified education expenses; (10) redeemed from 529 Plans; and (11) converted from one share class to another in the fund.
In addition, the fund will not impose redemption fees on certain types of retirement plan transactions processed through a participant recordkeeping system supported by Dreyfus or through third party record keepers. These transactions include: (1) redemptions of shares purchased with new contributions to the plan, such as payroll contributions, excess contributions, and loan repayments; (2) shares redeemed for withdrawals and distributions, such as minimum required distributions, systematic withdrawal programs, and lump sum distributions; (3) redemptions by plan participants of investments made on their behalf into Qualified Default Investment Alternatives; (4) shares redeemed by participation in automated account rebalancing programs or other systematic participant investment advice programs approved by the plan sponsor; (5) shares purchased or redeemed as a result of plan sponsor decisions, such as changes in investment options and plan termination or merger; (6) shares redeemed for loans, or following a hardship specified in the retirement plan documents; and (7) forfeitures or redemptions in connection with a participant's termination of employment.
The fund may waive redemption fees for certain retirement plans that have implemented automated processes or other procedures to prevent frequent trading. Such waivers require the written approval of the fund.
The fund reserves the right to withdraw waivers in its sole discretion without notice if the fund determines that an account is engaging in frequent trading or other activities detrimental to the fund.
If you hold your shares through a financial intermediary that does not process your share transactions in an omnibus account, the intermediary is responsible for providing Dreyfus with the information necessary to enable you to receive any redemption fee waivers to which you may be entitled.
16
While the fund seeks to apply its redemption fee policy to all accounts, the fund cannot assure that all intermediaries will properly assess the fees in omnibus accounts. In addition, due to operational limitations or restrictions, retirement plans and intermediaries that maintain omnibus accounts with the fund may calculate redemption fees differently than the fund. If you are investing in fund shares through an intermediary (or in the case of a retirement plan, your plan sponsor), please contact the intermediary for more information on any differences in how the redemption fee may be applied to your investment in the fund.
Unless you decline teleservice privileges on your application, the fund's transfer agent is authorized to act on telephone or online instructions from any person representing himself or herself to be you and reasonably believed by the transfer agent to be genuine. You may be responsible for any fraudulent telephone or online order as long as the fund's transfer agent takes reasonable measures to confirm that instructions are genuine.
The fund is designed for long-term investors. Frequent purchases, redemptions and exchanges may disrupt portfolio management strategies and harm fund performance by diluting the value of fund shares and increasing brokerage and administrative costs. As a result, Dreyfus and the fund's board have adopted a policy of discouraging excessive trading, short-term market timing and other abusive trading practices (frequent trading) that could adversely affect the fund or its operations. Dreyfus and the fund will not enter into arrangements with any person or group to permit frequent trading.
The fund also reserves the right to:
· change or discontinue its exchange privilege, or temporarily suspend the privilege during unusual market conditions
· change its minimum or maximum investment amounts
· delay sending out redemption proceeds for up to seven days (generally applies only during unusual market conditions or in cases of very large redemptions or excessive trading)
· "redeem in kind," or make payments in securities rather than cash, if the amount redeemed is large enough to affect fund operations (for example, if it exceeds 1% of the fund's assets)
· refuse any purchase or exchange request, including those from any individual or group who, in Dreyfus' view, is likely to engage in frequent trading
More than four roundtrips within a rolling 12-month period generally is considered to be frequent trading. A roundtrip consists of an investment that is substantially liquidated within 60 days. Based on the facts and circumstances of the trades, the fund may also view as frequent trading a pattern of investments that are partially liquidated within 60 days.
Transactions made through Automatic Investment Plans, Automatic Withdrawal Plans, Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privileges, automatic non-discretionary rebalancing programs, and minimum required retirement distributions generally are not considered to be frequent trading. For employer-sponsored benefit plans, generally only participant-initiated exchange transactions are subject to the roundtrip limit.
Dreyfus monitors selected transactions to identify frequent trading. When its surveillance systems identify multiple roundtrips, Dreyfus evaluates trading activity in the account for evidence of frequent trading. Dreyfus considers the investor's trading history in other accounts under common ownership or control, in other Dreyfus Funds and BNY Mellon Funds, and if known, in non-affiliated mutual funds and accounts under common control. These evaluations involve judgments that are inherently subjective, and while Dreyfus seeks to apply the policy and procedures uniformly, it is possible that similar transactions may be treated differently. In all instances, Dreyfus seeks to make these judgments to the best of its abilities in a manner that it believes is consistent with shareholder interests. If Dreyfus concludes the account is likely to engage in frequent trading, Dreyfus may cancel or revoke the purchase or exchange on the following business day. Dreyfus may also temporarily or permanently bar such investor's future purchases into the fund in lieu of, or in addition to, canceling or revoking the trade. At its discretion, Dreyfus may apply these restrictions across all accounts under common ownership, control or perceived affiliation.
Fund shares often are held through omnibus accounts maintained by financial intermediaries, such as brokers and retirement plan administrators, where the holdings of multiple shareholders, such as all the clients of a particular broker, are aggregated. Dreyfus' ability to monitor the trading activity of investors whose shares are held in omnibus accounts is limited. However, the agreements between the distributor and financial intermediaries include obligations to comply with the terms of this prospectus and to provide Dreyfus, upon request, with information concerning the trading activity of investors whose shares are held in omnibus accounts. If Dreyfus determines that any such investor has engaged in frequent trading of fund shares, Dreyfus may require the intermediary to restrict or prohibit future purchases or exchanges of fund shares by that investor.
17
Certain retirement plans and intermediaries that maintain omnibus accounts with the fund may have developed policies designed to control frequent trading that may differ from the fund's policy. At its sole discretion, the fund may permit such intermediaries to apply their own frequent trading policy. If you are investing in fund shares through an intermediary (or in the case of a retirement plan, your plan sponsor), please contact the intermediary for information on the frequent trading policies applicable to your account.
To the extent the fund significantly invests in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the fund calculates its NAV, events that influence the value of these foreign securities may occur after the close of these foreign markets and before the fund calculates its NAV. As a result, certain investors may seek to trade fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these foreign securities at the time the fund calculates its NAV (referred to as price arbitrage). This type of frequent trading may dilute the value of fund shares held by other shareholders. Dreyfus has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign equity securities under certain circumstances to reflect what it believes to be their fair value.
To the extent the fund significantly invests in thinly traded securities, certain investors may seek to trade fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities (referred to as price arbitrage). Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the fund's portfolio to a greater degree than funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the fund may have difficulty selling these portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent redemption requests. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of fund shares held by other shareholders.
Although the fund's frequent trading and fair valuation policies and procedures are designed to discourage market timing and excessive trading, none of these tools alone, nor all of them together, completely eliminates the potential for frequent trading.
Small Account Policy
If your account falls below $500, the fund may ask you to increase your balance. If it is still below $500 after 45 days, the fund may close your account and send you the proceeds.
The fund earns dividends, interest and other income from its investments, and distributes this income (less expenses) to shareholders as dividends. The fund also realizes capital gains from its investments, and distributes these gains (less any losses) to shareholders as capital gain distributions. The fund normally pays dividends and capital gain distributions annually. Fund dividends and capital gain distributions will be reinvested in the fund unless you instruct the fund otherwise. There are no fees or sales charges on reinvestments.
Distributions paid by the fund are subject to federal income tax, and may also be subject to state or local taxes (unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement account). For federal tax purposes, in general, certain fund distributions, including distributions of short-term capital gains, are taxable to you as ordinary income. Other fund distributions, including dividends from certain U.S. companies and certain foreign companies and distributions of long-term capital gains, generally are taxable to you as qualified dividends and capital gains, respectively.
High portfolio turnover and more volatile markets can result in significant taxable distributions to shareholders, regardless of whether their shares have increased in value. The tax status of any distribution generally is the same regardless of how long you have been in the fund and whether you reinvest your distributions or take them in cash.
If you buy shares of a fund when the fund has realized but not yet distributed income or capital gains, you will be "buying a dividend" by paying the full price for the shares and then receiving a portion back in the form of a taxable distribution.
Your sale of shares, including exchanges into other funds, may result in a capital gain or loss for tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment in the fund generally is the difference between the cost of your shares and the amount you receive when you sell them.
The tax status of your distributions will be detailed in your annual tax statement from the fund. Because everyone's tax situation is unique, please consult your tax adviser before investing.
Automatic Services
Buying or selling shares automatically is easy with the services described below. With each service, you select a schedule and amount, subject to certain restrictions. If you purchase shares through a third party, the third party may impose
18
different restrictions on these services and privileges, or may not make them available at all. For information, call your financial representative or 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only).
Dreyfus Automatic Asset Builder® permits you to purchase fund shares (minimum of $100 and maximum of $150,000 per transaction) at regular intervals selected by you. Fund shares are purchased by transferring funds from the bank account designated by you.
Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan permits you to purchase fund shares (minimum of $100 per transaction) automatically through a payroll deduction.
Dreyfus Government Direct Deposit permits you to purchase fund shares (minimum of $100 and maximum of $50,000 per transaction) automatically from your federal employment, Social Security or other regular federal government check.
Dreyfus Dividend Sweep permits you to automatically reinvest dividends and distributions from the fund into another Dreyfus Fund (not available for IRAs).
Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege permits you to exchange at regular intervals your fund shares for shares of other Dreyfus Funds.
Dreyfus Automatic Withdrawal Plan permits you to make withdrawals (minimum of $50) on a monthly or quarterly basis, provided your account balance is at least $5,000. Any CDSC will be waived, as long as the amount of any withdrawal does not exceed on an annual basis 12% of the greater of the account value at the time of the first withdrawal under the plan, or at the time of the subsequent withdrawal.
Exchange Privilege
Generally, you can exchange shares worth $500 or more (no minimum for retirement accounts) into other Dreyfus Funds. You can request your exchange by contacting your financial representative. Be sure to read the current prospectus for any fund into which you are exchanging before investing. Any new account established through an exchange generally will have the same privileges as your original account (as long as they are available). There is currently no fee for exchanges, although you may be charged a sales load when exchanging into any fund that has one.
Your exchange request will be processed on the same business day it is received in proper form, provided that each fund is open at the time of the request. If the exchange is accepted at a time of day after one or both of the funds is closed (i.e., at a time after the NAV for the fund has been calculated for that business day), the exchange will be processed on the next business day. See the SAI for more information regarding exchanges. The fund may deduct a 2% redemption fee if you are selling or exchanging fund shares you have owned for less than 60 days.
Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege
To move money between your bank account and your Dreyfus Fund account with a phone call (for regular or IRA accounts) or online (for regular accounts only), use the Dreyfus TeleTransfer privilege. You can set up Dreyfus TeleTransfer on your account by providing bank account information and following the instructions on your application, or contacting your financial representative. Shares held in an Education Savings Account may not be redeemed through the Dreyfus TeleTransfer privilege.
Account Statements
Every Dreyfus Fund investor automatically receives regular account statements. You will also be sent a yearly statement detailing the tax characteristics of any dividends and distributions you have received.
Reinvestment Privilege
Upon written request, you can reinvest up to the number of Class A shares you redeemed within 45 days of selling them at the current share price without any sales charge. If you paid a CDSC, it will be credited back to your account. This privilege may be used only once.
19
These financial highlights describe the performance of the fund's shares for the fiscal periods indicated. "Total return" shows how much your investment in the fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These financial highlights have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the fund's financial statements, is included in the annual report, which is available upon request.
Year Ended August 31, |
|||
Class A Shares |
2012 |
2011 |
2010a |
Per Share Data ($): |
|
|
|
Net asset value, beginning of period |
14.26 |
13.43 |
12.50 |
Investment Operations: |
|
|
|
Investment income--netb |
.44 |
.29 |
.06 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments |
(1.95) |
.65 |
.85 |
Total from Investment Operations |
(1.51) |
.94 |
.91 |
Distributions: |
|
|
|
Dividends from investment income--net |
(.16) |
(.10) |
- |
Dividends from net realized gain on investments |
(.14) |
(.01) |
- |
Total Distributions |
(.30) |
(.11) |
- |
Proceeds from redemption fees |
- |
- |
.02 |
Net asset value, end of period |
12.45 |
14.26 |
13.43 |
Total Return (%)c |
(10.60) |
6.97 |
7.44d |
Ratios/Supplemental Data (%): |
|
|
|
Ratio of total expenses to average net assets |
2.21 |
2.08 |
3.48e |
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets |
2.21 |
2.08 |
2.50e |
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets |
3.35 |
1.90 |
.49e |
Portfolio Turnover Rate |
38.60 |
49.44 |
122.59d |
Net Assets, end of period ($ x 1,000) |
24,324 |
33,376 |
18,774 |
aFrom October 1, 2009 (commencement of operations) to August 31, 2010. |
|||
bBased on average shares outstanding at each month end. |
|||
cExclusive of sales charge. |
|||
dNot annualized. |
|||
eAnnualized. |
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Year Ended August 31, |
|||
Class C Shares |
2012 |
2011 |
2010a |
Per Share Data ($): |
|
|
|
Net asset value, beginning of period |
14.15 |
13.38 |
12.50 |
Investment Operations: |
|
|
|
Investment income (loss)--netb |
.34 |
.17 |
(.03) |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments |
(1.94) |
.65 |
.89 |
Total from Investment Operations |
(1.60) |
.82 |
.86 |
Distributions: |
|
|
|
Dividends from investment income--net |
(.03) |
(.04) |
- |
Dividends from net realized gain on investments |
(.14) |
(.01) |
- |
Total Distributions |
(.17) |
(.05) |
- |
Proceeds from redemption fees |
- |
- |
.02 |
Net asset value, end of period |
12.38 |
14.15 |
13.38 |
Total Return (%)c |
(11.30) |
6.17 |
6.96d |
Ratios/Supplemental Data (%): |
|
|
|
Ratio of total expenses to average net assets |
3.00 |
2.87 |
4.40e |
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets |
3.00 |
2.87 |
3.25e |
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets |
2.58 |
1.14 |
(.28)e |
Portfolio Turnover Rate |
38.60 |
49.44 |
122.59d |
Net Assets, end of period ($ x 1,000) |
5,082 |
6,672 |
3,501 |
aFrom October 1, 2009 (commencement of operations) to August 31, 2010. |
|||
bBased on average shares outstanding at each month end. |
|||
cExclusive of sales charge. |
|||
dNot annualized. |
|||
eAnnualized. |
Year Ended August 31, |
|||
Class I Shares |
2012 |
2011 |
2010a |
Per Share Data ($): |
|||
Net asset value, beginning of period |
14.30 |
13.46 |
12.50 |
Investment Operations: |
|||
Investment income--netb |
.47 |
.33 |
.07 |
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments |
(1.96) |
.65 |
.87 |
Total from Investment Operations |
(1.49) |
.98 |
.94 |
Distributions: |
|||
Dividends from investment income--net |
(.19) |
(.13) |
- |
Dividends from net realized gain on investments |
(.14) |
(.01) |
- |
Total Distributions |
(.33) |
(.14) |
- |
Proceeds from redemption fees |
- |
- |
.02 |
Net asset value, end of period |
12.48 |
14.30 |
13.46 |
Total Return (%) |
(10.41) |
7.31 |
7.60c |
Ratios/Supplemental Data (%): |
|||
Ratio of total expenses to average net assets |
2.01 |
1.85 |
3.28d |
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets |
2.01 |
1.85 |
2.25d |
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets |
3.54 |
2.17 |
.58d |
Portfolio Turnover Rate |
38.60 |
49.44 |
122.59c |
Net Assets, end of period ($ x 1,000) |
5,101 |
7,314 |
3,749 |
aFrom October 1, 2009 (commencement of operations) to August 31, 2010. |
|||
bBased on average shares outstanding at each month end. |
|||
cNot annualized. |
|||
dAnnualized. |
21
For More Information
Dreyfus Brazil Equity Fund
A series of
Dreyfus International Funds, Inc.
SEC file number: 811-7502
More information on this fund is available free upon request, including the following:
Annual/Semiannual Report
Describes the fund's performance, lists portfolio holdings and contains a letter from the fund's manager discussing recent market conditions, economic trends and fund strategies that significantly affected the fund's performance during the last fiscal year. The fund's most recent annual and semiannual reports are available at www.dreyfus.com.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
Provides more details about the fund and its policies. A current SAI is available at www.dreyfus.com and is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SAI is incorporated by reference (and is legally considered part of this prospectus).
Portfolio Holdings
Dreyfus funds generally disclose their complete schedule of portfolio holdings monthly with a 30-day lag at www.dreyfus.com under Products and Performance. Complete holdings as of the end of the calendar quarter are disclosed 15 days after the end of such quarter. Dreyfus money market funds generally disclose their complete schedule of holdings daily. The schedule of holdings for a fund will remain on the website until the fund files its Form N-Q or Form N-CSR for the period that includes the dates of the posted holdings.
A complete description of the fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the fund's portfolio securities is available in the fund's SAI.
To Obtain Information
By telephone. Call 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only)
By mail.
The
Dreyfus Family of Funds
144 Glenn Curtiss Boulevard
Uniondale, NY 11556-0144
By E-mail. Send your request to info@dreyfus.com
On the Internet. Certain fund documents can be viewed online or downloaded from:
SEC: http://www.sec.gov
Dreyfus: http://www.dreyfus.com
You can also obtain copies, after paying a duplicating fee, by visiting the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC (for information, call 1-202-551-8090) or by E-mail request to publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing to the SEC's Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-1520.
© 2013
MBSC Securities Corporation |