Fund Description

The fund, under normal circumstances, invests at least 80% of net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of small-capitalization issuers, as well as derivatives and other instruments with similar economic characteristics. It invests primarily in equity securities, mainly common stocks. The fund considers an issuer to be a small-capitalization issuer if it has a market capitalization no larger than the market capitalization of the largest capitalized issuer included in the Russell 2000 Index during the most recent 11-month period (based on month-end data) plus the most recent data during the current month. It may invest up to 15% in REITs and up to 25% in foreign securities in developing, emerging, and developed markets. Holdings are selected for earnings or revenue growth potential using a disciplined process guided by the Russell 2000 Growth Index and incorporating fundamental, valuation, and timeliness analysis.