Under normal circumstances, the Developing World Fund invests at least 80% of total net assets in common stocks of companies with significant exposure (50% or more of production assets, or revenues) to countries with developing economies and/or markets. Investment decisions are made in accordance with Islamic principles. Generally, Islamic principles require that investors share in profit and loss, that they receive no usury or interest, and that they do not invest in a business that is prohibited by Islamic principles. Some of the businesses not permitted are alcohol, pornography, insurance, gambling, pork processing, and interest-based banks or finance associations.

The Developing World Fund does not make any investments that pay interest. Islamic principles discourage speculation, and the Fund tends to hold investments for several years.

The Developing World Fund diversifies its investments across the industries, companies, and countries of the developing world, and principally follows a large-cap value investment style. The Fund seeks companies demonstrating both Islamic and sustainable characteristics.

The Fund’s adviser (Saturna Capital Corporation) considers issuers with sustainable characteristics to be those issuers that are more established, consistently profitable, and financially strong, with robust policies in the areas of the environment, social responsibility, and corporate governance (“ESG”). The Fund’s adviser employs a sustainable rating system based on its own, as well as third-party, data to identify issuers believed to present low risks in ESG. The Fund’s adviser also uses negative screening to exclude security issuers primarily engaged in higher ESG risk businesses such as alcohol, tobacco, pornography, weapons, gambling, and fossil fuel extraction.

In determining whether a country is part of the developing world, the Fund’s adviser (Saturna Capital Corporation) will consider such factors as the country’s per capita gross domestic product, the percentage of the country’s economy that is industrialized, market capitalization as a percentage of gross domestic product, the overall regulatory environment, and limits on foreign ownership and restrictions on repatriation of initial capital or income.

Through reference to data provided by various globally recognized organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, The World Bank, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the adviser maintains a list of countries it considers to have developing economies and/or markets. The list, which changes over time, currently includes:

Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Ecuador, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Oman, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, and United Arab Emirates.

By allowing investments in companies headquartered in more advanced economies yet having the majority of production assets or revenues in the developing world, the Developing World Fund seeks to reduce its foreign investing risk.