Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small-cap companies (the “80% Policy”). The portfolio managers consider small-cap companies to be companies having a market capitalization that falls (i) within or below the range of companies in the current Russell 2000® Index (the “Index”), or (ii) below the three-year average maximum market cap of companies in the Index as of December 31 of the three preceding years. The market capitalization range for the Index was approximately $10 million to $15.1 billion as of December 31, 2023. The average maximum market capitalization of companies in the Index as of the three year period ending December 31, 2023 was approximately $12.4 billion. Market capitalizations of companies within the Index are subject to change. With respect to 20% of its net assets, the Fund may also invest in companies that are larger than the capitalization ranges stated above. The Fund may also invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities, some of which may be issued by companies domiciled in emerging market countries. As an alternative to holding foreign stocks directly, the Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the over-the-counter market (including depositary receipts, such as American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), which are either sponsored or unsponsored, and Global Depositary Receipts, that evidence ownership in underlying foreign stocks). The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), a type of pooled investment vehicle, in order to manage cash positions or seek exposure to certain markets or market sectors. The Fund may also invest in publicly traded real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).

Investment decisions for the Fund are made primarily on the basis of fundamental research. The portfolio managers utilize information provided by, and the expertise of, the investment adviser’s research staff in making investment decisions. The portfolio managers look for companies that, in their opinion, are high in quality or improving in quality. The portfolio managers take a long-term perspective when selecting companies and the quality focus typically leads them to companies benefitting from structural growth or structural change.  Sought after company characteristics may include: a business model with identifiable competitive advantage(s)/barrier(s) to entry, a scalable market opportunity, a solid balance sheet, and a strong management team with a history of good capital allocation. The portfolio managers believe such companies typically exhibit high or improving returns on capital, strong free-cash-flow generation, and positive or inflecting earnings. The portfolio managers also employ a disciplined valuation framework in pursuit of attractive risk adjusted returns. The portfolio managers seek to manage investment risk by maintaining broad issuer and industry diversification among the Fund’s holdings, and by utilizing fundamental analysis of risk/return characteristics in securities selection. Securities may be sold if, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, the price moves above a fair level of valuation, the company’s fundamentals deteriorate, or to pursue more attractive investment opportunities.