Royce Investment Partners (“Royce”), the Fund’s investment adviser, invests the Fund’s assets primarily in equity securities of small-cap companies. Small-cap companies are those that have a market capitalization not greater than that of the largest company in the Russell 2000® Index at the time of its most recent reconstitution. The portfolio manager applies an intensive value approach in managing the Fund’s assets. This approach, which attempts to combine classic value analysis, the identification of good businesses, and accounting cynicism, has its roots in the teachings of Benjamin Graham and Abraham Briloff.

The Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of small-cap companies, under normal circumstances. Although the Fund generally focuses on securities of U.S. companies, it may invest up to 10% of its net assets (measured at the time of investment) in securities of companies headquartered in foreign countries. The Fund may sell securities to, among other things, secure gains, limit losses, redeploy assets into what Royce deems to be more promising opportunities, and/ or manage cash levels in the Fund’s portfolio.