Investment objective & strategy
As of Dec. 29, 2025 · prospectusObjective. The Funds investment objective is to provide income and long-term capital appreciation.
Strategy. The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing primarily in high dividend-paying common stocks with dividend growth potential. The Fund generally invests in large-cap or mid-cap stocks (which are generally defined as of the date of this Prospectus as stocks of companies with market capitalizations above $7 billion and $2 billion, respectively) of U.S. issuers, and may also hold foreign stocks including depositary receipts. The Fund may also invest in real estate investment trusts. The Funds investment adviser (Adviser) believes a strategic emphasis on high dividend-paying stocks with the potential for future dividend growth can enhance performance over time. The Adviser defines high-dividend paying stocks as those with a higher dividend yield than the S&P 500 Indexs average dividend yield. … The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing primarily in high dividend-paying common stocks with dividend growth potential. The Fund generally invests in large-cap or mid-cap stocks (which are generally defined as of the date of this Prospectus as stocks of companies with market capitalizations above $7 billion and $2 billion, respectively) of U.S. issuers, and may also hold foreign stocks including depositary receipts. The Fund may also invest in real estate investment trusts. The Funds investment adviser (Adviser) believes a strategic emphasis on high dividend-paying stocks with the potential for future dividend growth can enhance performance over time. The Adviser defines high-dividend paying stocks as those with a higher dividend yield than the S&P 500 Indexs average dividend yield. The Adviser believes that this is achievable while targeting long-term dividend growth and lower volatility than the index, as measured by standard deviation. The Advisers security selection process involves prioritizing stocks based on attractive combinations of dividend yield and dividend growth potential over time following review of appropriate fundamental criteria, including, but not limited to, balance sheet strength, earnings growth, and cash flow durability. Those companies that rank as highly attractive in the prioritization process are closely scrutinized for inclusion in the portfolio using bottom-up fundamental proprietary research. The Fund may use derivative contracts, in particular forward contracts, to manage or hedge the Funds currency exposure. There can be no assurance that the Funds use of derivative contracts will work as intended. Derivative investments made by the Fund are included within the Funds 80% policy (as described below) and are calculated at market value. The Fund will invest its assets so that at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in dividend-paying securities. The Fund will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any change in this investment policy.
Top holdings
As of April 30, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| PNC FINANCIAL SERVICES GRP INC | — | $379.98M | 4.00% |
| US BANCORP DEL | — | $369.34M | 3.88% |
| BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO PLC | — | $358.17M | 3.77% |
| ENBRIDGE INC | — | $338.33M | 3.56% |
| TOTALENERGIES SE | — | $335.54M | 3.53% |
| Sanofi SA | — | $325.48M | 3.42% |
| TRUIST FINL CORP | — | $324.75M | 3.42% |
| PAYCHEX INC | — | $324.11M | 3.41% |
| VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC | — | $313.44M | 3.30% |
| PROLOGIS INC REIT | — | $300.82M | 3.16% |
Portfolio moves
Jan 31, 2026 → Apr 30, 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. |
|---|---|---|
| Federated Hermes Enhanced Income ETF · PAYR | 79% | 0.40% |
| Federated Hermes U.S. Strategic Dividend ETF · FDV | 61% | 0.50% |
| Federated Hermes Strategic Dividend Growth Fund, Inc. f/k/a Federated Hermes Equity Income Fund, Inc. · LEIFX, LEICX, LFEIX, LEISX, FDERX | 34% | 0.89% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| Federated Advisory Services Company | Adviser |
| FEDERATED EQUITY MANAGEMENT COMPANY OF PENNSYLVANIA | Adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of December 29, 2025, from the fund's prospectus.
- Net assets and holdings count as of April 30, 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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