Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests predominantly in equity securities of companies demonstrating accelerating growth, increasing profitability, or above-average growth or growth potential as compared with the overall

economy. The Fund normally invests predominantly in equity securities, primarily to predominantly common stock.

A portion to a significant amount of the Fund's investments may be in smaller and midsize companies. The Fund, from time to time, may have significant positions in particular sectors, such as information technology (including technology equipment and hardware, technology services, software and internet services), healthcare and consumer discretionary.

The Fund may make private investments in companies whose securities are not publicly traded (including companies that have not yet issued securities publicly in an initial public offering ("IPO")), often in the form of private placements, which are exempt from registration under the federal securities laws and are only sold to certain investors meeting predefined criteria.

The investment manager uses fundamental, "bottom-up" research to seek companies meeting its criteria of growth potential, quality and valuation. In seeking sustainable growth characteristics, the investment manager looks for companies that it believes can produce sustainable earnings and cash flow growth, evaluating the long term market opportunity and competitive structure of an industry to target leaders and emerging leaders. In assessing value, the investment manager considers whether security prices fully reflect the balance of the sustainable growth opportunities relative to business and financial risks.