Ariel Small/Mid Cap Value

The following disclosures provide definitions relevant to the Key Facts / General Information about this Product, its Performance tables, Top 10 Positions tables, and Industry or Sector Weightings data tables shown above.

Ariel Investments, LLC (Ariel) is a Delaware limited liability company and federally registered investment adviser regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Ariel is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices in New York, and San Francisco. Ariel offers investment strategies that seek long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities. Ariel utilizes a bottom-up, fundamental analysis to select quality company stocks. Taking a long-term view and applying independent thinking to our investment decisions, Ariel spans the market cap spectrum from small to large and covers the globe with international and global offerings. Ariel claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS^®). GIPS^® is a registered trademark of CFA Institute. CFA Institute does not endorse or promote this organization, nor does it warrant the accuracy or quality of the content contained herein.

*Total strategy assets include all accounts and investment funds employing the strategy. All other information presented is for the Ariel Small/Mid Cap Value Composite and its representative account.

The Ariel Small/Mid Cap Value Composite seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing in small/mid cap undervalued companies that show strong potential for growth. The Ariel Small/Mid Cap Value Composite differs from its benchmark, the Russell 2500™ Value Index, with fewer holdings concentrated in fewer sectors.

Ariel Composite Net of Fees returns are calculated by deducting: (1) for the period from inception to December 31, 2013, the maximum advisory fee in effect for the respective period, applied on a monthly basis; and (2) for the period from January 1, 2014 onwards, the actual monthly advisory fee (on an asset-weighted basis) accrued for the accounts in the composite, using the fee rates in place as of the most recent calendar quarter-end. Gross returns do not reflect the deduction of advisory fees. Client returns will be reduced by advisory fees and such other expenses as may be incurred in the management of the account. Advisory fees are described in Part 2 of Ariel’s Form ADV. Results shown may be preliminary. Returns are calculated in U.S. dollars. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing in small and mid-cap stocks is more risky and more volatile than investing in large-cap stocks. The intrinsic value of the stocks in which the portfolio invests may never be recognized by the broader market. The portfolio is often concentrated in fewer sectors than its benchmarks, and its performance may suffer if these sectors underperform the overall stock market. Investing in equity stocks is risky and subject to the volatility of the markets.

The Ariel Small/Mid Cap Value Composite has been examined for the periods from January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2023. A copy of the examination report is available upon request. Click here to obtain a GIPS Report.

Indexes are unmanaged. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Russell 2500™ Value Index measures the performance of the small to mid-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 2500 companies with relatively lower price-to-book ratios, lower forecasted growth values and lower sales per share historical growth. Its inception date is July 1, 1995.

The Russell 2500™ Index measures the performance of the small to mid-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe, commonly referred to as “smid” cap. The Russell 2500 Index is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index. It includes approximately 2500 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. Its inception date is June 1, 1990.

Russell® is a trademark of London Stock Exchange Group, which is the source and owner of the Russell Indexes’ trademarks, service marks and copyrights. Neither Russell nor its licensors accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the Russell Indexes or underlying data and no party may rely on any Russell Indexes and/or underlying data contained in this communication. No further distribution of Russell data is permitted without Russell’s express written consent. Russell does not promote, sponsor or endorse the content of this communication.

The S&P 500® Index is widely regarded as the best gauge of large-cap U.S. equities. It includes 500 leading companies and covers approximately 80% of available U.S. market capitalization. Its inception date is March 4, 1957.

Ending Weight is the value of the holding relative to the portfolio’s total assets as of the report date.