The fund seeks maximum capital appreciation in the long term by investing in small-size companies outside the United States.

The sub-adviser’s investment process starts with a list of companies in the benchmark index and the research team utilizes quantitative techniques and fundamental analysis to identify investment opportunities.

Next, the research team looks for high-quality companies demonstrating superior returns potential with reasonable risk.

In addition, the team considers anticipated economic growth rate, political outlook, current and forecasted inflation rates, currency outlook and interest rate environment to help identify countries and regions that are likely to offer the best investment opportunities.

The research process is driven by fundamental analysis of one stock at a time. When evaluating individual securities, the team prefers companies with above-average growth and superior capital appreciation potential; substantial capacity for growth in revenue through either an expanding market or market share.

Other metrics the team focuses on are a company’s balance sheet strength, quality of management; and differentiated or superior products and services or a steady stream of new products and services.

Then the manager constructs a portfolio of stocks from a list of companies favored by the research team and allocates capital based on its conviction level.

The fund allocates its investments among at least eight different countries that spans developed and emerging markets outside of the U.S.

Also, the fund may invest up to 30% of its net assets in emerging market securities, but no more than 10% in any one emerging market country.

The fund also relies on regional portfolio managers based in Europe, Japan and Asia (outside Japan) for the best available investment opportunities from each of those three regions.
 

The fund seeks maximum capital appreciation in the long term by investing in small-size companies outside the United States.

The sub-adviser’s investment process starts with a list of companies in the benchmark index and the research team utilizes quantitative techniques and fundamental analysis to identify investment opportunities.

Next, the research team looks for high-quality companies demonstrating superior returns potential with reasonable risk.

In addition, the team considers anticipated economic growth rate, political outlook, current and forecasted inflation rates, currency outlook and interest rate environment to help identify countries and regions that are likely More