The Fund invests in stocks of companies principally based outside the United States. The Fund normally intends to invest at least 65% of its net assets in equity securities of small companies. A small company is defined as a company having a market capitalization at the time of purchase of less than $5 billion. The Fund uses a “blend” strategy to gain investment exposure to both growth and value stocks, or to stocks with characteristics of both.

Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, preferred stocks, equity interests in trusts (including real estate investment trusts and privately offered trusts), partnerships, joint ventures, limited liability companies and vehicles with similar legal structures, other instruments convertible or exercisable into the foregoing, and other investments with similar economic characteristics.

The Fund invests in foreign companies whose securities may be traded on U.S. or non-U.S. securities exchanges, may be denominated in the U.S. dollar or other currencies, and may include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and other similar depositary receipts. Although the Fund is not required to hedge its exposure to any currency, it may choose to do so. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in securities of foreign companies that are traded primarily on securities markets or exchanges located in emerging market countries. The Fund also may invest in U.S. companies.

The Fund’s portfolio management team invests in value and growth companies that it believes to be undervalued relative to their fundamentals. Value companies are those that the Fund’s portfolio management team believes to be undervalued according to certain financial measurements of intrinsic worth or business prospects and to have the potential for capital appreciation. Growth companies are those that the Fund’s portfolio management team believes exhibit faster-than-average gains in earnings and have the potential to continue profit growth at a high level.

Consistent with its investment objective and policies, the Fund may invest in derivatives. The Fund may use derivatives for risk management purposes, including to hedge against a decline in the value of certain investments and to adjust the investment characteristics of its portfolio. The Fund also may invest in derivatives for non-hedging purposes to increase its investment return or income. For example, the Fund may manage cash by investing in futures or other derivatives that provide efficient short-term investment exposure to broad equity markets. Some examples of the types of derivatives in which the Fund may invest are forward contracts, futures, options, and swap agreements.

The investment team may also consider the risks and return potential presented by environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) factors in investment decisions. The Fund may sell a security when the Fund believes the security is less likely to benefit from the current market and economic environment, or shows signs of deteriorating fundamentals, among other reasons. The Fund may deviate from the investment strategy described above for temporary defensive purposes. The Fund may miss certain investment opportunities if defensive strategies are used and thus may not achieve its investment objective.