Investment objective & strategy
As of July 29, 2025 · prospectusObjective. The investment objective of the Dean Small Cap Value Fund (the Small Cap Fund or the Fund) is long-term capital appreciation
Strategy. The Fund primarily invests in equity securities of small cap companies. The Fund considers small cap companies to be those with market capitalizations similar to companies listed on the Russell 2000 Value Index at the time of investment. As of March 31, 2025, the market capitalization of companies listed on the Russell 2000 Value Index ranged from $8.3 million to $14.2 billion and the median was $725.3 million. Using fundamental, bottom-up research, the Funds portfolio manager utilizes a multi-factored valuation method to identify stocks of companies that he believes are undervalued at the time of purchase. The Funds portfolio manager looks for companies with earnings, cash flows and/or assets that he believes are not accurately reflected in the companies market … The Fund primarily invests in equity securities of small cap companies. The Fund considers small cap companies to be those with market capitalizations similar to companies listed on the Russell 2000 Value Index at the time of investment. As of March 31, 2025, the market capitalization of companies listed on the Russell 2000 Value Index ranged from $8.3 million to $14.2 billion and the median was $725.3 million. Using fundamental, bottom-up research, the Funds portfolio manager utilizes a multi-factored valuation method to identify stocks of companies that he believes are undervalued at the time of purchase. The Funds portfolio manager looks for companies with earnings, cash flows and/or assets that he believes are not accurately reflected in the companies market values. The portfolio manager may also consider whether the companies securities have a favorable dividend and/or interest-paying history and whether such payments are expected to continue. The portfolio manager attempts to purchase the stocks of these undervalued companies and hold each stock until it has returned to favor in the market and the price has increased to, or is higher than, a level the portfolio manager believes more accurately reflects the fair value of the company. The Fund seeks to preserve capital in down markets and to diversify its portfolio in traditional, as well as relative, value-oriented investments. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any) in equity securities of U.S. small cap companies. This policy may be changed only upon at least 60 days advance notice to shareholders. Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, securities convertible into common stocks (such as convertible bonds, convertible preferred stocks and warrants), equity real estate investment trusts (REITs), and master limited partnerships (MLPs). The Fund may also invest in high grade government bonds. The Fund may from time to time overweight its investments in certain market sectors. As a result of its investment strategy, the Fund typically engages in active trading of small cap securities which causes the Fund to experience a relatively high portfolio turnover rate, the effects of which are described below under Turnover Risk.
Top holdings
As of March 31, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| US ULTRA BOND CBT Sep25 | — | $8.10M | 4.76% |
| HELMERICH & PAYN | — | $6.18M | 3.63% |
| SANFILIPPO (JOHN B) and SON INC. | — | $6.08M | 3.57% |
| VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC | — | $5.72M | 3.36% |
| PRESTIGE CONSUMER HEALTHCARE INC | — | $5.69M | 3.35% |
| CACTUS INC CL A | — | $5.46M | 3.21% |
| REYNOLDS CONSUMER PRODUCTS INC | — | $5.43M | 3.19% |
| PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC CO | — | $5.11M | 3.00% |
| AMER STATES WATE | — | $5.01M | 2.94% |
| BRADY CORPORATION CL A | — | $4.35M | 2.56% |
Portfolio moves
Dec 31, 2025 → Mar 31, 2026How many positions this fund opened, exited, grew, trimmed, or left unchanged between its two most recent N-PORT snapshots — net changes between point-in-time reports, not a trade log.
Similar funds
Funds whose portfolios most overlap this one, by weight| Fund | Overlap | Net exp. |
|---|---|---|
| TRIBUTARY SMALL COMPANY FUND · FOSCX, FOSBX | 17% | 0.95% |
| Janus Henderson Small Cap Value Fund · JSIVX, JSCVX, JDSAX, JCSCX, JSCOX, JDSRX, JISCX, JNPSX, JDSNX | 15% | 0.98% |
| Touchstone Funds Group Trust-Touchstone Small Cap Value Fund · TVOAX, TVOCX, TVOYX, TVOIX | 12% | 0.95% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| Dean Investment Associates, LLC | Adviser |
| Dean Capital Management, LLC | Sub-adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of July 29, 2025, from the fund's prospectus.
- Net assets and holdings count as of March 31, 2026, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
- Total return for calendar year 2025, before tax and after fund expenses. Computed by compounding the twelve monthly total returns the fund reported in its SEC N-PORT filings for 2025 (the latest prospectus does not yet chart this year).
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