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

The investment process considers a company’s size, value, and/or profitability when making investment decisions from a list of companies in the benchmark index.

The fund also integrates sustainability impact considerations in its process.

Next, the team assesses growth and value characteristics of companies. In assessing growth, the team considers whether a company has a high price in relation to

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

The investment process considers a company’s size, value, and/or profitability when making investment decisions from a list of companies in the benchmark index.

The fund also integrates sustainability impact considerations in its process.

Next, the team assesses growth and value characteristics of companies. In assessing growth, the team considers whether a company has a high price in relation to its book value.

In assessing value, the team looks if a company’s shares have a low price in relation to their book value.

Then the team assesses profitability in terms of earnings or profits from operations relative to book value or assets.

In addition, the research team employs fundamental analysis to evaluate a company’s valuation multiples on the basis of cash flow, or earnings.

Also, in assessing a company’s investment characteristics, the team considers ratios such as recent changes in assets or book value scaled by assets or book value.

Then the manager constructs a portfolio of companies that may have an impact on the environment and other sustainability considerations when making investment decisions.

The fund may exclude or underweight securities of companies that may be less sustainable as compared either to other companies in the portfolio or with similar business lines. Similarly, the fund will overweight securities of companies that may be more sustainable as compared either to other companies in the portfolio or other companies with similar business lines.

In considering sustainability impact, the fund may consider carbon and other greenhouse emissions, land use, cluster munitions, landmine, and civilian firearms manufacturing, biodiversity, involvement in toxic spills, operational waste, water use, tobacco, palm oil, coal, child labor and factory farming activities, among other factors.

The fund has the flexibility to exclude a company on the basis of factors such as free float, momentum, trading strategies, liquidity, size, valuation multiples, and profitability.

The fund also can exclude a company negatively impacted by environmental, social or governance factors including accounting practices and shareholder rights.

The fund has the flexibility to lend its securities to earn income.