Table of Contents |
Fund Summaries |
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1 | ||
6 | ||
11 | ||
16 | ||
21 | ||
25 | ||
30 | ||
34 | ||
40 | ||
44 | ||
44 | ||
44 | ||
44 | ||
54 | ||
61 | ||
64 | ||
69 | ||
69 | ||
70 | ||
70 | ||
71 | ||
72 | ||
73 | ||
74 | ||
74 | ||
Policies and Procedures Regarding Frequent Purchases and Redemptions |
76 | |
77 | ||
78 | ||
78 | ||
81 | ||
For More Information |
Back Cover |
Institutional Shares Class
Investor Shares Class
Driehaus Emerging Markets Growth Fund
Investor Shares: DREGX Institutional Shares: DIEMX |
Driehaus Emerging Markets Growth Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
Investor |
Institutional | |
|
||
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
|
|
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge |
|
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends |
|
|
Redemption Fee |
|
|
Exchange Fee |
|
|
|
||
Management Fee |
|
|
Other Expenses |
|
|
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses |
|
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses* |
|
|
* |
|
Expense Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years | |
Investor Shares |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
Institutional Shares |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund
shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
The Fund uses a growth style of investment in equity securities, including common stocks and other equity securities of issuers, and under normal market conditions, invests substantially all (no less than 80%) of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in emerging markets companies. Emerging market companies are (i) companies organized under the laws of an emerging market country or having securities which are traded principally on an exchange or over-the-counter in an emerging market country; or (ii) companies which, regardless of where organized or traded, have a significant amount of assets located in and/or derive a significant amount of their revenues from goods purchased or sold, investments made or services performed in or with emerging market countries. There are no specific limitations on the
1
percentage of assets that may be invested in securities of issuers located in any one country at a given time; the Fund may invest significant assets in any single emerging market country. The Fund generally defines an “emerging market” as including, but not limited to, any of the countries or markets represented in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, or any other country or market with similar emerging characteristics. The Fund may invest in companies with limited or no operating histories. The Fund frequently and actively trades its portfolio securities.
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing, for those companies with operating histories, are based on the determination that a company’s revenue and earnings growth can materially exceed market expectations and that a company possesses the ability to undergo an incrementally positive change in growth and earnings trajectories. These decisions involve evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics. The evaluation of behavioral and macro factors represents significant aspects of the investment adviser’s philosophy and are integrated into the investment adviser’s bottom-up analysis on individual securities. The decision is also informed by the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest. To a lesser extent, the Fund’s investment adviser also utilizes macroeconomic or country-specific analyses to evaluate the sustainability of a company’s growth rate. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including the deterioration of the earnings profile, the violation of specific technical thresholds, to shift into securities with more compelling risk/reward characteristics or to alter sector or country exposure.
All
investments, including those in mutual funds, have risks. No investment is
suitable for all investors. The Fund is intended for long-term investors who can
accept the risks involved in investing in foreign securities. Of course, there
can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its objective.
Market Risk. The Fund is subject to market risk, which is the possibility that stock prices overall will decline over short or long periods. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. These fluctuations are expected to have a substantial influence on the value of the Fund’s shares. Due to the uncertainty caused by war, acts of terrorism, geopolitical conflict, public health issues, recessions, economic cycles, monetary and fiscal policy, company earnings, global pandemics and other risks, global markets may experience increased volatility which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments.
Growth Stock Risk. Growth stocks are typically priced higher than other stocks, in relation to earnings and other measures, because investors believe they have more growth potential. This potential may or may not be realized and, if it is not realized, may result in a loss to the Fund. Growth stock prices also tend to be more volatile than the overall market.
Foreign Securities and Currencies Risk. The following risks may be associated with investments in foreign securities: less liquidity; greater volatility; political instability; restrictions on foreign investment and repatriation of capital; less complete and reliable information about foreign companies; reduced government supervision of some foreign securities markets; U.S. and foreign government actions, such as the imposition of tariffs, economic and trade sanctions or embargoes; lower responsiveness of foreign management to shareholder concerns; economic issues or developments in foreign countries; fluctuation in exchange rates of foreign currencies and risks of devaluation; imposition of foreign withholding and other taxes; dependence of emerging market companies upon commodities which may be subject to economic cycles; and emerging market risk such as limited trading volume, expropriation, devaluation or other adverse political or social developments. To the extent portfolio securities are issued by foreign issuers or denominated in foreign currencies, the Fund’s investment performance is affected by the strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against these currencies. Generally, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar against a foreign currency will reduce the value of a security denominated in that foreign currency, thereby decreasing the Fund’s overall net asset value. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad.
Emerging Market Risk. The Fund invests primarily in emerging markets and therefore, the risks described above for foreign securities are typically increased. Investments in securities of issuers located in such countries are speculative and subject to certain special risks. The small size, limited trading volume and relative inexperience of the securities markets in these countries may make the Fund’s investments in such countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in more developed countries, and the Fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before making investments in these countries. There may be little financial or accounting information available with respect to issuers located in these countries, and it may be difficult as a result to assess the value or prospects of an investment in such issuers.
2
Small- and Medium-Sized Company Risk. The Fund invests in companies that are smaller, less established, with limited operating histories and less liquid markets for their stock, and therefore may be riskier investments. While small- and medium-sized companies generally have the potential for rapid growth, the securities of these companies often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies because small- and medium-sized companies may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. In addition, in many instances the securities of small- and medium-sized companies are traded only over-the-counter or on a regional securities exchange, and the frequency and volume of their trading is substantially less than is typical of larger companies. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Allocation Risk. The Fund’s overall risk level will depend on the companies, countries, regions, markets, market sectors, industries and asset classes in which the Fund is invested. Because the Fund may have significant weightings in a particular company, country, region, asset class, industry, market or market sector, the value of the Fund’s shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that company, country, region, market, industry, asset class, or market sector and may fluctuate more than that of a less focused fund.
The Fund has or is expected to have significant exposure to the far east region. Many countries in this region are subject to political risk, including corruption and regional conflict with neighboring countries. In addition, many far east countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with demands for improved political, economic, and social conditions. The far east region, and particularly China and South Korea, may be adversely affected by political, military, economic and other factors related to North Korea.
Equity Securities Risk. In a company liquidation, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stocks take precedence over the claims of common stock shareholders.
Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest in foreign securities in the form of depositary receipts which include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) (collectively “Depositary Receipts”). Investment in Depositary Receipts does not eliminate the risks inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers, which include market, political, tax, currency and regulatory risk. To the extent a Fund acquires Depositary Receipts through banks which do not have a contractual relationship with the foreign issuer of the security underlying the Depositary Receipts to issue and service such unsponsored Depositary Receipts, there may be an increased possibility that the Fund would not become aware of and be able to respond to corporate actions such as stock splits or rights offerings involving the foreign issuer in a timely manner. In addition, the lack of information may result in inefficiencies in the valuation of such instruments. In the case of an unsponsored Depositary Receipt, the Fund may bear higher expenses and encounter greater difficulty in receiving shareholder communications than it would have with a sponsored Depositary Receipt. The market value of Depositary Receipts is dependent upon the market value of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the relative value of the currencies in which the Depositary Receipts and the underlying securities are quoted.
Manager Risk. How the Fund’s investment adviser manages the Fund will impact the Fund’s performance. The Fund may lose money if the investment adviser’s investment strategy does not achieve the Fund’s objective or the investment adviser does not implement the strategy successfully.
High Rates of Turnover. The Fund experiences high rates of portfolio turnover, which may result in payment by the Fund of above-average transaction costs and could result in the payment by shareholders of taxes on above-average amounts of recognized investment gains, including net short-term capital gains, which are taxed as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes when distributed to shareholders.
3
Year |
Return |
2014 |
- |
2015 |
- |
2016 |
|
2017 |
|
2018 |
- |
2019 |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
- |
2022 |
- |
2023 |
|
Highest/Lowest Quarter Returns (%)
During
the periods shown in the bar chart, the
(quarter ended ).
The
following table shows the average annual returns of the Fund on a before-tax and
after-tax basis over various periods as indicated below compared with a broad
measure of market performance as well as an additional index with
characteristics relevant to the Fund.
|
1 Year |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Driehaus Emerging Markets Growth Fund – Investor Shares |
|||
Return Before Taxes |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
|
|
|
Driehaus Emerging Markets Growth Fund – Institutional Shares |
|||
Return Before Taxes |
|
|
|
MSCI Emerging Markets Index – Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
MSCI Emerging Markets Growth Index – Net* (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
* |
|
MSCI Emerging Markets Index – Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
MSCI Emerging Markets Growth Index – Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Redemption Fee
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
Driehaus Capital Management LLC (“DCM”)
4
Portfolio Managers
Howard Schwab, Portfolio Manager of DCM Lead Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 8/07 |
Chad Cleaver, Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since
5/12 (Assistant Portfolio |
Richard Thies, Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 5/16 (Assistant Portfolio Manager of the Fund 5/14-4/16) |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Investor Shares |
$ | 10,000 | $ | 2,000 | $ | 2,000 | $ | 500 | $ | 100 | $ | 300 | ||||||||||||
Institutional Shares |
$ | 500,000 | None | $ | 500,000 | None | N/A | N/A |
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund by regular mail addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, P.O. Box 4766, Chicago, IL 60680-4766, or by overnight delivery addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, c/o Northern Trust, 333 South Wabash Avenue, W-38, Chicago, IL 60604, or by phone at 1-800-560-6111 on any business day. You may also buy and sell shares through a financial professional.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are tax-exempt or are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) or an IRA. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, assets held through such arrangement may be taxable upon withdrawal.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and/or its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and/or related services, including recordkeeping, administrative and other sub-transfer agency services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
5
Driehaus Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund Shares
Driehaus Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund
Ticker: DRESX |
Driehaus Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
|
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
|
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge |
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends |
|
Redemption Fee (as a % of amount redeemed within 60 days of purchase) |
|
Exchange Fee |
|
|
|
Management Fee |
|
Other Expenses |
|
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses |
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
|
Expense Reimbursement* |
( |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement** |
|
* |
|
** |
|
Expense Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Expense Reimbursement shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table is reflected for the first year in the Example. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund
shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
6
The Fund uses a growth style of investment in equity securities, including common stocks and other equity securities of issuers. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests substantially all (no less than 80%) of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in small capitalization emerging markets companies. For purposes of the Fund, the investment adviser considers a company to be a small capitalization company if it is within the same market capitalization range at the time of investment as those included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index. For the avoidance of doubt, while the reference index is “float-adjusted,” meaning it excludes closely held and other shares unavailable to investors, the investment adviser does not consider a float-adjustment when determining the market capitalization of a company. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 97% of the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index consisted of companies with a market capitalization of less than $5 billion.
Emerging markets companies are (i) companies organized under the laws of an emerging market country or having securities which are traded principally on an exchange or over-the-counter in an emerging market country; or (ii) companies which, regardless of where organized or traded, have a significant amount of assets located in and/or derive a significant amount of their revenues from goods purchased or sold, investments made or services performed in or with emerging market countries. The Fund generally defines an “emerging market” as including, but not limited to, any of the countries or markets represented in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, or any other country or market with similar emerging characteristics. There are also no specific limitations on the percentage of assets that may be invested in securities of issuers located in any one country at a given time; the Fund may invest significant assets in any single emerging market country. The Fund may invest in companies with limited or no operating histories. The Fund frequently and actively trades its portfolio securities.
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing, for those companies with operating histories, are based on the determination that a company’s revenue and earnings growth can materially exceed market expectations and that a company possesses the ability to undergo an incrementally positive change in growth and earnings trajectories. These decisions involve evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics. The evaluation of behavioral and macro factors represents significant aspects of the investment adviser’s philosophy and are integrated into the investment adviser’s bottom-up analysis on individual securities. The decision is also informed by the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest. To a lesser extent, the Fund’s investment adviser also utilizes macroeconomic or country-specific analyses to evaluate the sustainability of a company’s growth rate. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including the deterioration of the earnings profile, the violation of specific technical thresholds, to shift into securities with more compelling risk/reward characteristics or to alter sector or country exposure.
All
investments, including those in mutual funds, have risks. No investment is
suitable for all investors. The Fund is intended for long-term investors who can
accept the risks involved in investing in foreign securities. Of course, there
can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its objective.
Market Risk. The Fund is subject to market risk, which is the possibility that stock prices overall will decline over short or long periods. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. These fluctuations are expected to have a substantial influence on the value of the Fund’s shares. Due to the uncertainty caused by war, acts of terrorism, geopolitical conflict, public health issues, recessions, economic cycles, monetary and fiscal policy, company earnings, global pandemics and other risks, global markets may experience increased volatility which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments.
Growth Stock Risk. Growth stocks are typically priced higher than other stocks, in relation to earnings and other measures, because investors believe they have more growth potential. This potential may or may not be realized and, if it is not realized, may result in a loss to the Fund. Growth stock prices also tend to be more volatile than the overall market.
Foreign Securities and Currencies Risk. The following risks may be associated with investments in foreign securities: less liquidity; greater volatility; political instability; restrictions on foreign investment and repatriation of capital; less complete and reliable information about foreign companies; reduced government supervision of some foreign securities markets; U.S. and foreign government actions, such as the imposition of tariffs, economic and trade sanctions or embargoes; lower responsiveness of foreign management to shareholder concerns; economic issues or developments in foreign countries; fluctuation in exchange rates of foreign currencies and risks of devaluation; imposition of foreign withholding and other taxes; dependence of emerging market companies upon commodities which may be subject to
7
economic cycles; and emerging market risk such as limited trading volume, illiquidity, expropriation, devaluation or other adverse political or social developments. To the extent portfolio securities are issued by foreign issuers or denominated in foreign currencies, the Fund’s investment performance is affected by the strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against these currencies. Generally, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar against a foreign currency will reduce the value of a security denominated in that foreign currency, thereby decreasing the Fund’s overall net asset value. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad.
Emerging Market Risk. The Fund invests primarily in emerging markets and therefore, the risks described above for foreign securities are typically increased. Investments in securities of issuers located in such countries are speculative and subject to certain special risks. The small size, limited trading volume and relative inexperience of the securities markets in these countries may make the Fund’s investments in such countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in more developed countries, and the Fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before making investments in these countries. There may be little financial or accounting information available with respect to issuers located in these countries, and it may be difficult as a result to assess the value or prospects of an investment in such issuers.
Small- and Medium-Sized Company Risk. The Fund invests in companies that are smaller, less established, with limited operating histories and less liquid markets for their stock, and therefore may be riskier investments. While small- and medium-sized companies generally have the potential for rapid growth, the securities of these companies often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies because small- and medium-sized companies may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. In addition, in many instances the securities of small- and medium-sized companies are traded only over-the-counter or on a regional securities exchange, and the frequency and volume of their trading is substantially less than is typical of larger companies. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Allocation Risk. The Fund’s overall risk level will depend on the companies, countries, regions, markets, market sectors, industries and asset classes in which the Fund is invested. Because the Fund may have significant weightings in a particular company, country, region, asset class, industry, market or market sector, the value of the Fund’s shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that company, country, region, market, industry, asset class, or market sector and may fluctuate more than that of a less focused fund.
The Fund has or is expected to have significant exposure to India and China as well as the far east region in general. Many countries in this region are subject to political risk, including corruption and regional conflict with neighboring countries. In addition, many far east countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with demands for improved political, economic, and social conditions. The far east region, and particularly China and South Korea, may be adversely affected by political, military, economic and other factors related to North Korea. Expropriation, nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability, environmental issues or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the value of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. The potential for loss and unequal treatment of investors in Indian companies is increased due to many Indian companies being founder and/or family-controlled, which can result in less transparency and weaker corporate governance. Issues with bureaucratic obstacles, inconsistent economic and tax reform and corruption within the Indian government may adversely affect market conditions in the country.
Equity Securities Risk. In a company liquidation, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stocks take precedence over the claims of common stock shareholders.
Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest in foreign securities in the form of depositary receipts which include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) (collectively “Depositary Receipts”). Investment in Depositary Receipts does not eliminate the risks inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers, which include market, political, tax, currency and regulatory risk. To the extent a Fund acquires Depositary Receipts through banks which do not have a contractual relationship with the foreign issuer of the security underlying the Depositary Receipts to issue and service such unsponsored Depositary Receipts, there may be an increased possibility that the Fund would not become aware of and be able to respond to corporate actions such as stock splits or rights offerings involving the foreign issuer in a timely manner. In addition, the lack of information may result in inefficiencies in the valuation of such instruments. In the case of an unsponsored Depositary Receipt, the Fund may bear higher expenses and encounter greater difficulty in receiving shareholder communications than it would have with a sponsored Depositary Receipt. The market value of Depositary Receipts is dependent upon the market value of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the relative value of the currencies in which the Depositary Receipts and the underlying securities are quoted.
Manager Risk. How the Fund’s investment adviser manages the Fund will impact the Fund’s performance. The Fund may lose money if the investment adviser’s investment strategy does not achieve the Fund’s objective or the investment adviser does not implement the strategy successfully.
8
High Rates of Turnover. The Fund will experience high rates of portfolio turnover which may result in payment by the Fund of above-average transaction costs and could result in the payment by shareholders of taxes on above-average amounts of recognized investment gains, including net short-term capital gains, which are taxed as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes when distributed to shareholders.
Year |
Return |
2014 |
|
2015 |
- |
2016 |
- |
2017 |
|
2018 |
- |
2019 |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
|
2022 |
- |
2023 |
|
Highest/Lowest Quarter Returns (%)
During
the periods shown in the bar chart, the
(quarter ended ).
The
following table shows the average annual returns of the Fund on a before-tax and
after-tax basis over various periods, as indicated below, compared with a broad
measure of market performance as well as additional indices with characteristics
relevant to the Fund.
Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023 |
1 Year |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Driehaus Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund |
|||
Return Before Taxes |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
|
|
|
MSCI Emerging Markets Index Net* (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index – Net** (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Index – Net*** (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
* |
|
** |
|
*** |
|
MSCI Emerging Markets Index Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index – Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Index – Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Redemption Fee
9
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
Driehaus Capital Management LLC (“DCM”)
Portfolio Managers
Chad Cleaver, Portfolio Manager of DCM Lead Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 8/11 |
Howard Schwab, Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 8/11 |
Richard Thies, Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 5/16 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
$10,000 |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
$500 |
$100 |
$300 |
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund by regular mail addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, P.O. Box 4766, Chicago, IL 60680-4766, or by overnight delivery addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, c/o Northern Trust, 333 South Wabash Avenue, W-38, Chicago, IL 60604, or by phone at 1-800-560-6111 on any business day. You may also buy and sell shares through a financial professional.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are tax-exempt or are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) or an IRA. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, assets held through such arrangement may be taxable upon withdrawal.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund’s related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and/or related services, including recordkeeping, administrative and other sub-transfer agency services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
10
Driehaus Global Fund Shares
Ticker: DMAGX |
Driehaus Global Fund (the “Fund”) seeks to maximize capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
|
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
|
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge |
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends |
|
Redemption Fee (as a % of amount redeemed within 60 days of purchase) |
|
Exchange Fee |
|
|
|
Management Fee* |
|
Other Expenses |
|
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses |
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
|
Expense Reimbursement** |
( |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement*** |
|
* |
|
** |
|
*** |
|
Expense Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The expense reimbursement shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table is reflected for the first year in the Example. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund
shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
11
The Fund opportunistically invests in equity securities, including common stocks and sponsored or unsponsored American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) or Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) of issuers located throughout the world, including the United States (U.S.), and in both developed and emerging markets.
The Fund is not constrained based on the country, region, or market capitalization and its assets may at times be concentrated in a particular country, segment of the economy, region or issuer. The composition and asset allocation of the Fund’s investment portfolio will vary over time. The Fund may invest in issuers across all market capitalizations as well as in issuers with limited or no operating histories. Notwithstanding the above, under normal circumstances, the Fund will have exposure to issuers organized, domiciled, or headquartered in at least three different countries (other than its exposure to U.S. issuers).
Investment decisions for the Fund involve a fundamental analysis of individual securities in order to identify companies with more attractive earnings growth on a prospective basis. The Fund’s sector and geographic diversification will also vary based on the investment adviser’s evaluation of current economic, political and market factors.
In managing the Fund, the investment adviser uses an investment approach that integrates top-down (focusing on the economy and market trends) analysis of the overall economy and bottom-up (focusing on individual stocks) analysis of individual securities. From a top-down perspective, the investment adviser looks at the relative value of securities to identify assets to include in the Fund’s portfolio. Bottom-up analysis involves evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics in order to identify companies with more attractive earnings growth on a prospective basis. The investment adviser’s decision to buy or sell a security is also based on the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest.
All
investments, including those in mutual funds, have risks. No investment is
suitable for all investors. The Fund is intended for investors who can accept
the risks involved in equity investing. Of course, there can be no assurance
that the Fund will achieve its objective.
Market Risk. The Fund is subject to market risk, which is the possibility that stock prices overall will decline over short or long periods. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. These fluctuations are expected to have a substantial influence on the value of the Fund’s shares. Due to the uncertainty caused by war, acts of terrorism, geopolitical conflict, public health issues, recessions, economic cycles, monetary and fiscal policy, company earnings, global pandemics and other risks, global markets may experience increased volatility which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments.
Foreign Securities and Currencies Risk. The following risks may be associated with investments in foreign securities: less liquidity; greater volatility; political instability; restrictions on foreign investment and repatriation of capital; less complete and reliable information about foreign companies; reduced government supervision of some foreign securities markets; U.S. and foreign government actions, such as imposition of tariffs, economic and trade sanctions or embargoes; lower responsiveness of foreign management to shareholder concerns; economic issues or developments in foreign countries; fluctuation in exchange rates of foreign currencies and risks of devaluation; imposition of foreign withholding and other taxes; dependence of emerging market companies upon commodities which may be subject to economic cycles; and emerging market risk such as limited trading volume, illiquidity, expropriation, devaluation or other adverse political or social developments. To the extent portfolio securities are issued by foreign issuers or denominated in foreign currencies, the Fund’s investment performance is affected by the strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against these currencies. Generally, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar against a foreign currency will reduce the value of a security denominated in that foreign currency, thereby decreasing the Fund’s overall net asset value. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad.
Emerging Market Risk. The Fund invests in and is otherwise exposed to emerging markets and therefore the risks described above for foreign securities are typically increased. Investments in securities of issuers located in such countries are speculative and subject to certain special risks. The small size, limited trading volume and relative inexperience of the securities markets in these countries may make the Fund’s investments in such countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in more developed countries, and the Fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements
12
before making investments in these countries. There may be little financial or accounting information available with respect to issuers located in these countries, and it may be difficult as a result to assess the value or prospects of an investment in such issuers.
Allocation Risk. The Fund’s overall risk level will depend on the companies, countries, regions, markets, market sectors, industries and asset classes in which the Fund is invested. Because the Fund may have significant weightings in a particular company, country, region, asset class, industry, market or market sector, the value of the Fund’s shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that company, country, region, market, industry, asset class, or market sector and may fluctuate more than that of a less focused fund.
The Fund has significant exposure to the far east region as well as to Europe and may be vulnerable to risks specific to those regions. Many countries in the far east region are subject to political risk, including corruption and regional conflict with neighboring countries. In addition, many far east countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with demands for improved political, economic, and social conditions. The far east region, and particularly China and South Korea, may be adversely affected by political, military, economic and other factors related to North Korea. Expropriation, nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability, environmental issues or other developments could also adversely affect and significantly diminish the value of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. Adverse economic, political or social developments in Europe, or in a particular European country, could have a negative effect on the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Many European countries are members of the European Union and, as members, such countries share a common currency and certain fiscal policies.
High Rates of Turnover. The Fund experiences high rates of portfolio turnover, which may result in payment by the Fund of above-average transaction costs and could result in the payment by shareholders of taxes on above-average amounts of recognized investment gains, including net short-term capital gains, which are taxed as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes when distributed.
Manager Risk. How the investment adviser manages the Fund will impact the Fund’s performance. The Fund may lose money if the investment adviser’s investment strategy does not achieve the Fund’s objective or the investment adviser does not implement the strategy successfully.
Equity Securities Risk. In a company liquidation, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stocks take precedence over the claims of common stock shareholders.
Depositary Receipts Risk. The Fund may invest in foreign securities in the form of depositary receipts which include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) (collectively “Depositary Receipts”). Investment in Depositary Receipts does not eliminate the risks inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers, which include market, political, tax, currency and regulatory risk. To the extent a Fund acquires Depositary Receipts through banks which do not have a contractual relationship with the foreign issuer of the security underlying the Depositary Receipts to issue and service such unsponsored Depositary Receipts, there may be an increased possibility that the Fund would not become aware of and be able to respond to corporate actions such as stock splits or rights offerings involving the foreign issuer in a timely manner. In addition, the lack of information may result in inefficiencies in the valuation of such instruments. In the case of an unsponsored Depositary Receipt, the Fund may bear higher expenses and encounter greater difficulty in receiving shareholder communications than it would have with a sponsored Depositary Receipt. The market value of Depositary Receipts is dependent upon the market value of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the relative value of the currencies in which the Depositary Receipts and the underlying securities are quoted.
Small- and Medium-Sized Company Risk. The Fund may invest in companies that are smaller, less established, with limited operating histories and less liquid markets for their stock, and therefore may be riskier investments. While small- and medium-sized companies generally have the potential for rapid growth, the securities of these companies often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies because small- and medium-sized companies may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. In addition, in many instances the securities of small- and medium-sized companies are traded only over-the-counter or on a regional securities exchange, and the frequency and volume of their trading is substantially less than is typical of larger companies. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
13
Year |
Return |
2018 |
- |
2019 |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
- |
2022 |
- |
2023 |
|
Highest/Lowest Quarter Returns (%)
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the
for a quarter was (quarter ended ) and the for a quarter was (quarter ended ).
The
following table shows the average annual returns of the Fund on a before-tax and
after-tax basis over various periods as indicated below compared with a broad
measure of market performance.
Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023 |
1 Year |
5 Year |
Since
Inception |
Driehaus Global Fund |
|||
Return Before Taxes |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
|
|
|
MSCI ACWI Index Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
MSCI ACWI Index Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
MSCI Emerging Markets Index-Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Redemption Fee
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
Driehaus Capital Management LLC (“DCM”)
14
Portfolio Managers
Richard Thies Portfolio Manager of DCM Lead Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 4/17
Thomas Ansen-Wilson Assistant Portfolio Manager of DCM Assistant Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 4/23 |
Howard Schwab Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 4/17
|
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
$10,000 |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
$500 |
$100 |
$300 |
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund by regular mail addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, P.O. Box 4766, Chicago, IL 60680-4766, or by overnight delivery addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, c/o Northern Trust, 333 South Wabash Avenue, W-38, Chicago, IL 60604, or by phone at 1-800-560-6111 on any business day. You may also buy and sell shares through a financial professional.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are tax-exempt or are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) or an IRA. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, assets held through such arrangement may be taxable upon withdrawal.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and/or its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and/or related services, including recordkeeping, administrative and other sub-transfer agency services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
15
Driehaus International Small Cap Growth Fund Shares
Driehaus International Small Cap Growth Fund
Ticker: DRIOX |
Driehaus International Small Cap Growth Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
|
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
|
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge |
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends |
|
Redemption Fee (as a % of amount redeemed within 60 days of purchase) |
|
Exchange Fee |
|
|
|
Management Fee |
|
Other Expenses |
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
|
Expense Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund
shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
The Fund uses a growth style of investment in equity securities, including common stocks and other equity securities of issuers, and under normal market conditions, invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of non-U.S. small capitalization companies. The investment adviser considers non-U.S. small capitalization companies to be companies located in the same countries and within the same market capitalization range at the time of investment as those included in the MSCI All Country World ex USA Small Cap Growth Index. For the avoidance of doubt, while the reference index is “float-adjusted,” meaning it excludes closely held and other shares unavailable to investors, the investment adviser does not consider a float-adjustment when determining the market capitalization of a company. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 95% of the MSCI All Country World ex USA Small Cap Growth Index consisted of companies with a market capitalization of less than $6.5 billion. The Fund seeks to be opportunistic in pursuing companies that meet its criteria regardless of geographic location and, therefore, at certain times, the Fund could have sizeable positions in either developed countries or emerging markets. In addition, while the Fund will invest primarily in the equity securities of non-U.S. companies, the Fund may also from time to time invest up to a maximum of 20% of its assets in the equity securities of U.S. companies. The Fund may invest in companies with limited or no operating histories. The Fund may frequently and actively trade its portfolio securities.
16
The Fund generally defines an “emerging market” as including, but not limited to, any of the countries or markets represented in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, or any other country or market with similar emerging characteristics. The amount of the Fund’s assets invested in emerging markets will vary over time and could be substantial. The Fund is not limited to a specific percentage of assets that may be invested in a single emerging market country, although at all times the Fund must be invested in at least three countries (not limited to emerging markets countries).
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing, for those companies with operating histories, are based on the determination that a company’s revenue and earnings growth can materially exceed market expectations and that the security is at an attractive entry point. These decisions involve evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics. The decision is also informed by the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest. To a lesser extent, the Fund’s investment adviser also utilizes macroeconomic or country-specific analyses to evaluate the sustainability of a company’s growth rate. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including the deterioration of the earnings profile, the violation of specific technical thresholds, to shift into securities with more compelling risk/reward characteristics or to alter sector or country exposure.
All
investments, including those in mutual funds, have risks. No investment is
suitable for all investors. The Fund is intended for long-term investors who can
accept the risks involved in investing in foreign securities. Of course, there
can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its objective.
Market Risk. The Fund is subject to market risk, which is the possibility that stock prices overall will decline over short or long periods. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. These fluctuations are expected to have a substantial influence on the value of the Fund’s shares. Due to the uncertainty caused by war, acts of terrorism, geopolitical conflict, public health issues, recessions, economic cycles, monetary and fiscal policy, company earnings, global pandemics and other risks, global markets may experience increased volatility which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments.
Growth Stock Risk. Growth stocks are typically priced higher than other stocks, in relation to earnings and other measures, because investors believe they have more growth potential. This potential may or may not be realized and, if it is not realized, may result in a loss to the Fund. Growth stock prices also tend to be more volatile than the overall market.
Foreign Securities and Currencies Risk. The following risks may be associated with investments in foreign securities: less liquidity; greater volatility; political instability; restrictions on foreign investment and repatriation of capital; less complete and reliable information about foreign companies; reduced government supervision of some foreign securities markets, U.S. and foreign government actions, such as the imposition of tariffs, economic and trade sanctions or embargoes; lower responsiveness of foreign management to shareholder concerns; economic issues or developments in foreign countries; fluctuation in exchange rates of foreign currencies and risks of devaluation; imposition of foreign withholding and other taxes; dependence of emerging market companies upon commodities which may be subject to economic cycles; and emerging market risk such as limited trading volume, expropriation, devaluation or other adverse political or social developments. To the extent portfolio securities are issued by foreign issuers or denominated in foreign currencies, the Fund’s investment performance is affected by the strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against these currencies. Generally, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar against a foreign currency will reduce the value of a security denominated in that foreign currency, thereby decreasing the Fund’s overall net asset value. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad.
Small-Sized Company Risk. The Fund invests in companies that are smaller, less established, with limited operating histories and less liquid markets for their stock, and therefore may be riskier investments. While small-sized companies generally have the potential for rapid growth, the securities of these companies often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies because small-sized companies may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. In addition, in many instances the securities of small-sized companies are traded only over-the-counter or on a regional securities exchange, and the frequency and volume of their trading is substantially less than is typical of larger companies. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
17
Emerging Market Risk. The Fund invests in emerging markets and therefore, the risks described above for foreign securities are typically increased. Investments in securities of issuers located in such countries are speculative and subject to certain special risks. The small size, limited trading volume and relative inexperience of the securities markets in these countries may make the Fund’s investments in such countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in more developed countries, and the Fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before making investments in these countries. There may be little financial or accounting information available with respect to issuers located in these countries, and it may be difficult as a result to assess the value or prospects of an investment in such issuers.
Allocation Risk. The Fund’s overall risk level will depend on the companies, countries, regions, markets, market sectors, industries and asset classes in which the Fund is invested. Because the Fund may have significant weightings in a particular company, country, region, asset class, industry, market or market sector, the value of the Fund’s shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that company, country, region, market, industry, asset class, or market sector and may fluctuate more than that of a less focused fund.
The Fund has significant exposure to the far east region as well as to Europe and may be vulnerable to risks specific to those regions. Many countries in the far east region are subject to political risk, including corruption and regional conflict with neighboring countries. In addition, many far east countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with demands for improved political, economic, and social conditions. The far east region, and particularly China and South Korea, may be adversely affected by political, military, economic and other factors related to North Korea. Expropriation, nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability, environmental issues or other developments could also adversely affect and significantly diminish the value of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. Adverse economic, political or social developments in Europe, or in a particular European country, could have a negative effect on the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Many European countries are members of the European Union and, as members, such countries share a common currency and certain fiscal policies.
Equity Securities Risk. In a company liquidation, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stocks take precedence over the claims of common stock shareholders.
Manager Risk. How the Fund’s investment adviser manages the Fund will impact the Fund’s performance. The Fund may lose money if the investment adviser’s investment strategy does not achieve the Fund’s objective or the investment adviser does not implement the strategy successfully.
Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest in foreign securities in the form of depositary receipts which include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) (collectively “Depositary Receipts”). Investment in Depositary Receipts does not eliminate the risks inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers, which include market, political, tax, currency and regulatory risk. To the extent a Fund acquires Depositary Receipts through banks which do not have a contractual relationship with the foreign issuer of the security underlying the Depositary Receipts to issue and service such unsponsored Depositary Receipts, there may be an increased possibility that the Fund would not become aware of and be able to respond to corporate actions such as stock splits or rights offerings involving the foreign issuer in a timely manner. In addition, the lack of information may result in inefficiencies in the valuation of such instruments. In the case of an unsponsored Depositary Receipt, the Fund may bear higher expenses and encounter greater difficulty in receiving shareholder communications than it would have with a sponsored Depositary Receipt. The market value of Depositary Receipts is dependent upon the market value of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the relative value of the currencies in which the Depositary Receipts and the underlying securities are quoted.
18
Year |
Return |
2014 |
- |
2015 |
|
2016 |
- |
2017 |
|
2018 |
- |
2019 |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
|
2022 |
- |
2023 |
|
Highest/Lowest Quarter Returns (%)
During
the periods shown in the bar chart, the
(quarter ended ).
The
following table shows the average annual returns of the Fund on a before-tax and
after-tax basis over various periods as indicated below, compared with a broad
measure of market performance as well as an additional index with
characteristics relevant to the Fund.
Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023 |
1 Year |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Driehaus International Small Cap Growth Fund |
|||
Return Before Taxes |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
|
|
|
MSCI All Country World ex USA Index – Net* (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
MSCI All Country World ex USA Small Cap Growth Index – Net** (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
* |
|
** |
|
MSCI All Country World ex USA Index – Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
MSCI All Country World ex USA Small Cap Growth Index – Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Redemption Fee
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
Driehaus Capital Management LLC (“DCM”)
19
Portfolio Managers
Daniel Burr, Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 5/14 |
David Mouser, Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio
Manager of the Fund |
Andrew Srichandra, Assistant Portfolio Manager of DCM Assistant Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 1/23 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
$10,000 |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
$500 |
$100 |
$300 |
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund by regular mail addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, P.O. Box 4766, Chicago, IL 60680-4766, or by overnight delivery addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, c/o Northern Trust, 333 South Wabash Avenue, W-38, Chicago, IL 60604, or by phone at 1-800-560-6111 on any business day. You may also buy and sell shares through a financial professional.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are tax-exempt or are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) or an IRA. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, assets held through such arrangement may be taxable upon withdrawal.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund’s related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and/or related services, including recordkeeping, administrative and other sub-transfer agency services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
20
Driehaus Micro Cap Growth Fund Shares
Driehaus Micro Cap Growth Fund
Ticker: DMCRX |
Driehaus Micro Cap Growth Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
|
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
|
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge |
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends |
|
Redemption Fee (as a % of amount redeemed within 60 days of purchase) |
|
Exchange Fee |
|
|
|
Management Fee |
|
Other Expenses |
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
|
Expense Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund
shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
The Fund uses a growth style of investment in equity securities, including common stocks and other equity securities of issuers. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of U.S. micro-capitalization (“micro-cap”) companies. For purposes of the Fund, the investment adviser considers a company to be a micro-cap company if it is within the same market capitalization range at the time of investment as those included in the Russell Microcap® Growth Index. For the avoidance of doubt, while the reference index is “float-adjusted,” meaning it excludes closely held and other shares unavailable to investors, the investment adviser does not consider a float-adjustment when determining the market capitalization of a company. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 98% of the Russell Microcap® Growth Index consisted of companies with a market capitalization of less than $4.5 billion. Securities of companies whose market capitalization no longer meets this definition after purchase may continue to be held by the Fund. In addition, while the Fund will invest primarily in the equity securities of U.S. micro-cap companies, the Fund may also from time to time invest up to a maximum of 20% of its assets in the equity securities of non-U.S. companies that trade in the U.S. (such as American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or substantially similar instruments that
21
are based on foreign securities) or in securities of companies above the capitalization range of the Russell Microcap® Growth Index. The Fund may invest in companies with limited or no operating histories. The Fund frequently and actively trades its portfolio securities.
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing are based on the belief that fundamentally strong companies are more likely to generate superior earnings growth on a sustained basis and are more likely to experience positive earnings revisions. These decisions involve evaluating a company’s competitive position, evaluating industry dynamics, identifying potential growth catalysts and assessing the financial position of the company. The decision is also informed by the evaluation of relative valuation, macroeconomic and behavioral factors affecting the company and its stock price. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including to take profits, changes to the fundamental investment thesis, changes in the risk/reward assessment of the holding, an assessment that the holding is efficiently priced, to make room for more attractive ideas or for other portfolio or risk management considerations.
All
investments, including those in mutual funds, have risks. No investment is
suitable for all investors. The Fund is intended for long-term investors who can
accept the risks involved in equity investing. Of course, there can be no
assurance that the Fund will achieve its objective.
Market Risk. The Fund is subject to market risk, which is the possibility that stock prices overall will decline over short or long periods. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. These fluctuations are expected to have a substantial influence on the value of the Fund’s shares. Due to the uncertainty caused by war, acts of terrorism, geopolitical conflict, public health issues, recessions, economic cycles, monetary and fiscal policy, company earnings, global pandemics and other risks, global markets may experience increased volatility which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments.
Growth Stock Risk. Growth stocks are typically priced higher than other stocks, in relation to earnings and other measures, because investors believe they have more growth potential. This potential may or may not be realized and, if it is not realized, may result in a loss to the Fund. Growth stock prices also tend to be more volatile than the overall market.
Small-Sized Company Risk. The Fund invests in companies that are smaller, less established, with limited operating histories and less liquid markets for their stock, and therefore may be riskier investments. While small-sized companies generally have the potential for rapid growth, the securities of these companies often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies because small-sized companies may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. In addition, in some instances the securities of small-sized companies are traded only over-the-counter or on a regional securities exchange, and the frequency and volume of their trading is substantially less than is typical of larger companies. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Micro-Cap Company Risk. The securities of micro-cap companies may be more volatile in price, have wider spreads between their bid and ask prices, and have significantly lower trading volumes than the securities of larger capitalization companies. As a result, the purchase or sale of more than a limited number of shares of the securities of a smaller company may affect its market price. The Fund may need a considerable amount of time to purchase or sell its positions in these securities. Some U.S. micro-cap companies are followed by few, if any, securities analysts, and there tends to be less publicly available information about such companies. Their securities generally have even more limited trading volumes and are subject to even more abrupt or erratic market price movements than are small-cap and mid-cap securities, and the Fund may be able to deal with only a few market-makers when purchasing and selling micro-cap securities. Such companies also may have limited markets, financial resources or product lines, may lack management depth, and may be more vulnerable to adverse business or market developments. These conditions, which create greater opportunities to find securities trading well below the investment adviser’s estimate of the company’s current worth, also involve increased risk.
Allocation Risk. The Fund’s overall risk level will depend on the companies, countries, regions, markets, market sectors, industries and asset classes in which the Fund is invested. Because the Fund may have significant weightings in a particular company, country, region, asset class, industry, market or market sector, the value of the Fund’s shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that company, country, region, market, industry, asset class, or market sector and may fluctuate more than that of a less focused fund.
The Fund has significant exposure to the health care sector. Health care companies may be negatively impacted by scientific or technological developments, research and development costs, increased competition, rapid product obsolescence and patent expirations. The Fund also has significant exposure to the information technology sector. Technology companies may
22
be subject to abrupt market movements, short product cycles, changing consumer preferences, aggressive pricing of products and services, a limited qualified workforce, new market entrants and intellectual property disputes. In addition, the Fund has significant exposure to the industrial sector. Industrial companies may be adversely impacted by negative or abrupt changes in economic growth, changes in end market or sub-industry conditions, product cycles, inventories, pricing, and earnings.
Equity Securities Risk. In a company liquidation, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stocks take precedence over the claims of common stock shareholders.
Depositary Receipts Risk. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) represent ownership of securities in foreign companies and are held in banks and trust companies. ADRs are traded on U.S. exchanges and are U.S. dollar denominated. ADRs are subject to the risks inherent in investing in issuers of foreign securities, which included market, political, currency and regulatory risks.
High Rates of Turnover. It is anticipated that the Fund will experience high rates of portfolio turnover, which may result in payment by the Fund of above-average transaction costs and could result in the payment by shareholders of taxes on above-average amounts of recognized investment gains, including net short-term capital gains, which are taxed as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes when distributed to shareholders.
Manager Risk. How the Fund’s investment adviser manages the Fund will impact the Fund’s performance. The Fund may lose money if the investment adviser’s investment strategy does not achieve the Fund’s objective or the investment adviser does not implement the strategy successfully.
Year |
Return |
2014 |
|
2015 |
- |
2016 |
|
2017 |
|
2018 |
|
2019 |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
|
2022 |
- |
2023 |
|
Highest/Lowest Quarter Returns (%)
During
the periods shown in the bar chart, the
(quarter ended ).
The
following table shows the average annual returns of the Fund on a before-tax and
after-tax basis over various periods as indicated below compared with a broad
measure of market performance, as well as an additional index with
characteristics relevant to the Fund.
23
Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023 |
1 Year |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Driehaus Micro Cap Growth Fund |
|||
Return Before Taxes |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
|
|
|
Russell 3000® Index* (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
Russell Microcap® Growth Index** (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
* |
|
** |
|
Russell 3000® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Russell Microcap® Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Redemption Fee
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
Driehaus Capital Management LLC (“DCM”)
Portfolio Managers
Jeffrey James, Portfolio Manager of DCM Lead Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 1/20 (Portfolio Manager of the Fund from 11/13 – 1/20) |
Michael Buck, Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 1/20 (Assistant Portfolio Manager of the Fund from 11/13 – 1/20) |
Prakash Vijayan, Assistant Portfolio Manager of DCM Assistant Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 1/20 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is generally closed to new investors. For additional information, please see “Shareholder Information — General Purchase Information.” The following is applicable to eligible investors:
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
$10,000 |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
$500 |
$100 |
$300 |
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund by regular mail addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, P.O. Box 4766, Chicago, IL 60680-4766, or by overnight delivery addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, c/o Northern Trust, 333 South Wabash Avenue, W-38, Chicago, IL 60604, or by phone at 1-800-560-6111 on any business day. You may also buy and sell shares through a financial professional.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are tax-exempt or are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) or an IRA. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, assets held through such arrangement may be taxable upon withdrawal.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund’s related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and/or related services, including recordkeeping, administrative and other sub-transfer agency services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
24
Institutional Shares Class
Investor Shares Class
Driehaus Small Cap Growth Fund
Investor Shares: DVSMX Institutional Shares: DNSMX |
Driehaus Small Cap Growth Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
Investor |
Institutional | |
|
||
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
|
|
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge |
|
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends |
|
|
Redemption Fee (as a % of amount redeemed within 60 days of purchase) |
|
|
Exchange Fee |
|
|
|
||
Management Fee |
|
|
Other Expenses |
|
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
|
|
Expense Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years | |
Investor Shares |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
Institutional Shares |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund
shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
The Fund uses a growth style of investment in equity securities, including common stocks and other equity securities of issuers. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of U.S. small-capitalization (“small-cap”) companies. For purposes of the Fund, the investment adviser considers a company to be a small cap company if it is within the same market capitalization range at the time of investment as those included in the Russell 2000® Growth Index. For the avoidance of doubt, while the reference index is “float-adjusted,” meaning it excludes closely held and other shares unavailable to investors, the investment adviser does not consider a float-adjustment when determining the market capitalization of a company. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 94% of the Russell 2000® Growth Index consisted of companies with a market capitalization of less than $12 billion. Securities of companies whose market capitalization no longer meets this definition after purchase may continue to be held by the Fund. In addition, while the Fund will invest primarily in the equity securities of U.S. small-cap companies, the Fund may also from time to time invest up to a maximum of 20% of its assets in the equity securities of non-U.S. companies
25
that trade in the U.S. (such as American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or substantially similar instruments that are based on foreign securities) or in securities of companies above the capitalization range of the Russell 2000® Growth Index. The Fund may invest in companies with limited or no operating histories. The Fund frequently and actively trades its portfolio securities.
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing are based on the belief that fundamentally strong companies are more likely to generate superior earnings growth on a sustained basis and are more likely to experience positive earnings revisions. These decisions involve evaluating a company’s competitive position, evaluating industry dynamics, identifying potential growth catalysts and assessing the financial position of the company. The decision is also informed by the evaluation of relative valuation, macroeconomic and behavioral factors affecting the company and its stock price. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including to take profits, changes to the fundamental investment thesis, changes in the risk/reward assessment of the holding, an assessment that the holding is efficiently priced, to make room for more attractive ideas or for other portfolio or risk management considerations.
All
investments, including those in mutual funds, have risks. No investment is
suitable for all investors. The Fund is intended for long-term investors who can
accept the risks involved in investing in equity securities. Of course, there
can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its objective.
Market Risk. The Fund is subject to market risk, which is the possibility that stock prices overall will decline over short or long periods. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. These fluctuations are expected to have a substantial influence on the value of the Fund’s shares. Due to the uncertainty caused by war, acts of terrorism, geopolitical conflict, public health issues, recessions, economic cycles, monetary and fiscal policy, company earnings, global pandemics and other risks, global markets may experience increased volatility which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments.
Growth Stock Risk. Growth stocks are typically priced higher than other stocks, in relation to earnings and other measures, because investors believe they have more growth potential. This potential may or may not be realized and, if it is not realized, may result in a loss to the Fund. Growth stock prices also tend to be more volatile than the overall market.
Small- and Medium-Sized Company Risk. The Fund invests in companies that are smaller, less established, with limited operating histories and less liquid markets for their stock, and therefore may be riskier investments. While small- and medium-sized companies generally have the potential for rapid growth, the securities of these companies often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies because small- and medium-sized companies may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. In addition, the frequency and volume of their trading is substantially less than is typical of larger companies. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Micro-Cap Company Risk. The Fund may also invest in the securities of micro-cap companies, which may be more volatile in price, have wider spreads between their bid and ask prices, and have significantly lower trading volumes than the securities of larger capitalization companies. As a result, the purchase or sale of more than a limited number of shares of the securities of a smaller company may affect its market price. The Fund may need a considerable amount of time to purchase or sell its positions in these securities. Some U.S. micro-cap companies are followed by few, if any, securities analysts, and there tends to be less publicly available information about such companies. Their securities generally have even more limited trading volumes and are subject to even more abrupt or erratic market price movements than are small-cap and mid-cap securities, and the Fund may be able to deal with only a few market-makers when purchasing and selling micro-cap securities. Such companies also may have limited markets, financial resources or product lines, may lack management depth, and may be more vulnerable to adverse business or market developments. These conditions, which create greater opportunities to find securities trading well below the investment adviser’s estimate of the company’s current worth, also involve increased risk.
Allocation Risk. The Fund’s overall risk level will depend on the companies, countries, regions, markets, market sectors, industries and asset classes in which the Fund is invested. Because the Fund may have significant weightings in a particular company, country, region, asset class, industry, market or market sector, the value of the Fund’s shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that company, country, region, market, industry, asset class, or market sector and may fluctuate more than that of a less focused fund.
The Fund has significant exposure to the health care sector. Health care companies may be negatively impacted by scientific or technological developments, research and development costs, increased competition, rapid product obsolescence and patent expirations. The Fund also has significant exposure to the information technology sector. Technology companies may
26
be subject to abrupt market movements, short product cycles, changing consumer preferences, aggressive pricing of products and services, a limited qualified workforce, new market entrants and intellectual property disputes. The Fund also has significant exposure to the industrial sector. Industrial companies may be adversely impacted by negative or abrupt changes in economic growth, changes in end market or sub-industry conditions, product cycles, inventories, pricing, and earnings.
Equity Securities Risk. In a company liquidation, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stocks take precedence over the claims of common stock shareholders.
Depositary Receipts Risk. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) represent ownership of securities in foreign companies and are held in banks and trust companies. ADRs are traded on U.S. exchanges and are U.S. dollar denominated. ADRs are subject to the risks inherent in investing in issuers of foreign securities, which included market, political, currency and regulatory risks.
Manager Risk. How the Fund’s investment adviser manages the Fund will impact the Fund’s performance. The Fund may lose money if the investment adviser’s investment strategy does not achieve the Fund’s objective or the investment adviser does not implement the strategy successfully.
High Rates of Turnover. It is anticipated that the Fund will experience high rates of portfolio turnover, which may result in payment by the Fund of above-average transaction costs and could result in the payment by shareholders of taxes on above-average amounts of recognized investment gains, including net short-term capital gains, which are taxed as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes when distributed to shareholders.
The Fund’s performance shown includes the performance of Driehaus Institutional Small Cap, L.P. (the “Predecessor Partnership”), the Fund’s predecessor, for the periods before the Fund’s registration statement became effective. The Fund succeeded to the assets of the Predecessor Partnership, Driehaus Small Cap Investors, L.P., Driehaus Institutional Small Cap Recovery Fund, L.P. and Driehaus Small Cap Recovery Fund, L.P., (together, the “Limited Partnerships”), which were managed by the same investment team with substantially the same investment objective, policies and philosophies as the Fund. The investment portfolios of the Limited Partnerships were identical and therefore had similar performance. The performance of the Predecessor Partnership is shown here because it has been in operation the longest. The Fund succeeded to the Limited Partnerships’ assets on August 21, 2017. The Predecessor Partnership was not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), and thus was not subject to certain investment and operational restrictions that are imposed by the 1940 Act. If the Predecessor Partnership had been registered under the 1940 Act, its performance may have been adversely affected. The Predecessor Partnership’s performance has not been restated to reflect estimated expenses applicable to each class of shares of the Fund. Accordingly, future Fund performance may be different than the Predecessor Partnership’s past performance. After-tax performance returns are not included for the Predecessor Partnership.
The Predecessor Partnership was not a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and therefore did not distribute current or accumulated earnings and profits and was not subject to the diversification and source of income requirements applicable to regulated investment companies.
27
Year |
Return |
2014 |
|
2015 |
|
2016 |
|
2017 |
|
2018 |
|
2019 |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
|
2022 |
- |
2023 |
|
Highest/Lowest Quarter Returns (%)
During
the periods shown in the bar chart, the
(quarter ended ).
The
following table shows the average annual returns of the Fund on a before-tax and
after-tax basis over various periods as indicated below, compared with a broad
measure of market performance as well as an additional index with
characteristics relevant to the Fund.
Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023 |
1 Year |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Driehaus Small Cap Growth Fund – Investor Shares |
|||
Return Before Taxes |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
|
|
|
Driehaus Small Cap Growth Fund – Institutional Shares |
|||
Return Before Taxes |
|
|
|
Russell 3000® Index* (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
Russell 2000® Growth Index** (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
* |
|
** |
|
Russell 3000® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Russell 2000® Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Redemption Fee
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
Driehaus Capital Management LLC (“DCM”)
Portfolio Managers
Jeffrey James, Portfolio Manager of DCM Lead Portfolio Manager of the Fund since
1/20 (Portfolio Manager of |
Michael Buck, Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since
1/20 (Portfolio Manager of |
Prakash Vijayan, Assistant Portfolio Manager of DCM Assistant Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 1/20 |
28
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Investor Shares |
$ | 10,000 | $ | 2,000 | $ | 2,000 | $ | 500 | $ | 100 | $ | 300 | ||||||||||||
Institutional Shares |
$ | 500,000 | None | $ | 500,000 | None | N/A | N/A |
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund by regular mail addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, P.O. Box 4766, Chicago, IL 60680-4766, or by overnight delivery addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, c/o Northern Trust, 333 South Wabash Avenue, W-38, Chicago, IL 60604, or by phone at 1-800-560-6111 on any business day. You may also buy and sell shares through a financial professional.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are tax-exempt or are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) or an IRA. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, assets held through such arrangement may be taxable upon withdrawal.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and/or its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and/or related services, including recordkeeping, administrative and other sub-transfer agency services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
29
Driehaus Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund Shares
Driehaus Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund
Ticker: DSMDX |
Driehaus Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
|
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
|
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge |
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends |
|
Redemption Fee (as a % of amount redeemed within 60 days of purchase) |
|
Exchange Fee |
|
|
|
Management Fee |
|
Other Expenses |
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
|
Expense Reimbursement* |
( |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement |
|
* |
|
Expense Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The expense reimbursement shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table is reflected for the first year in the Example. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund
shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
The Fund uses a growth style of investment in equity securities, including common stocks and other equity securities of issuers. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of U.S. small-capitalized (“small-cap”) and U.S. medium-capitalized (“mid-cap”) companies (together, “Small/Mid cap” companies). For purposes of the Fund, the investment adviser considers a company to
30
be a Small/Mid cap company if it is within the same market capitalization range at the time of investment as those included in the Russell 2500® Growth Index. For the avoidance of doubt, while the reference index is “float-adjusted,” meaning it excludes closely held and other shares unavailable to investors, the investment adviser does not consider a float-adjustment when determining the market capitalization of a company. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 96% of the Russell 2500® Growth Index consisted of companies with a market capitalization of less than $25 billion. Securities of companies whose market capitalization no longer meets this definition after purchase may continue to be held by the Fund. In addition, while the Fund will invest primarily in the equity securities of U.S. Small/Mid cap companies, the Fund may also from time to time invest up to a maximum of 20% of its assets in the equity securities of non-U.S. companies that trade in the U.S. (such as American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or substantially similar instruments that are based on foreign securities) or in securities of companies above the capitalization range of the Russell 2500® Growth Index. The Fund may also invest in companies with limited or no operating histories. The Fund does not employ any industry or sector focus but may from time to time have greater exposure to the securities of issuers within the same industry or sector. The Fund frequently and actively trades its portfolio securities.
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing are based on the belief that fundamentally strong companies are more likely to generate superior earnings growth on a sustained basis and are more likely to experience positive earnings revisions. These decisions involve evaluating a company’s competitive position, evaluating industry dynamics, identifying potential growth catalysts and assessing the financial position of the company. The investment decision is also based on the evaluation of relative valuation, macroeconomic and behavioral factors affecting the company and its stock price. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including to take profits, changes to the fundamental investment thesis, changes in the risk/reward assessment of the holding, an assessment that the holding is efficiently priced, to make room for more attractive ideas or for other portfolio or risk management considerations.
All
investments, including those in mutual funds, have risks. No investment is
suitable for all investors. The Fund is intended for long-term investors who can
accept the risks involved in investing in Small/Mid cap equity securities. Of
course, there can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its objective.
Market Risk. The Fund is subject to market risk, which is the possibility that stock prices overall will decline over short or long periods. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. These fluctuations are expected to have a substantial influence on the value of the Fund’s shares. Due to the uncertainty caused by war, acts of terrorism, geopolitical conflict, public health issues, recessions, economic cycles, monetary and fiscal policy, company earnings, global pandemics and other risks, global markets may experience increased volatility which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments.
Growth Stock Risk. Growth stocks are typically priced higher than other stocks, in relation to earnings and other measures, because investors believe they have more growth potential. This potential may or may not be realized and, if it is not realized, may result in a loss to the Fund. Growth stock prices also tend to be more volatile than the overall market.
Small- and Medium-Sized Company Risk. The Fund invests in companies that are smaller, less established, with limited operating histories and less liquid markets for their stock, and therefore may be riskier investments. While small- and medium-sized companies generally have the potential for rapid growth, the securities of these companies often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies because small- and medium-sized companies may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. In addition, the frequency and volume of their trading is substantially less than is typical of larger companies. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Allocation Risk. The Fund’s overall risk level will depend on the companies, countries, regions, markets, market sectors, industries and asset classes in which the Fund is invested. Because the Fund may have significant weightings in a particular company, country, region, asset class, industry, market or market sector, the value of the Fund’s shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that company, country, region, market, industry, asset class, or market sector and may fluctuate more than that of a less focused fund.
The Fund is expected to have significant exposure to the health care sector. Health care companies may be negatively impacted by scientific or technological developments, research and development costs, increased competition, rapid product obsolescence and patent expirations. The Fund is also expected to have significant exposure to the information technology sector. Technology companies may be subject to abrupt market movements, short product cycles, changing consumer preferences, aggressive pricing of products and services, a limited qualified workforce, new market entrants and intellectual
31
property disputes. The Fund is also expected to have significant exposure to the industrial sector. Industrial companies may be adversely impacted by negative or abrupt changes in economic growth, changes in end market or sub-industry conditions, product cycles, inventories, pricing, and earnings.
Equity Securities Risk. In a company liquidation, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stocks take precedence over the claims of common stock shareholders.
Depositary Receipts Risk. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) represent ownership of securities in foreign companies and are held in banks and trust companies. ADRs are traded on U.S. exchanges and are U.S. dollar denominated. ADRs are subject to the risks inherent in investing in issuers of foreign securities, which included market, political, currency and regulatory risks.
Manager Risk. How the Fund’s investment adviser manages the Fund will impact the Fund’s performance. The Fund may lose money if the investment adviser’s investment strategy does not achieve the Fund’s objective or the investment adviser does not implement the strategy successfully.
High Rates of Turnover. It is anticipated that the Fund will experience high rates of portfolio turnover, which may result in payment by the Fund of above-average transaction costs and could result in the payment by shareholders of taxes on above-average amounts of recognized investment gains, including net short-term capital gains, which are taxed as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes when distributed to shareholders.
Year |
Return |
2021 |
|
2022 |
- |
2023 |
|
Highest/Lowest Quarter Returns (%)
During
the periods shown in the bar chart, the
(quarter ended ).
The
following table shows the average annual returns of the Fund on a before-tax and
after-tax basis over various periods as indicated below, as compared with a
broad measure of market performance as well as an additional index with
characteristics relevant to the Fund.
32
Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023 |
1 Year |
Since
Inception |
Driehaus Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund |
||
Return Before Taxes |
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
|
|
Russell 3000® Index* (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
Russell 2500® Growth Index – Net** (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
* |
|
** |
|
Russell 3000® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Russell 2500® Growth Index – Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Redemption Fee
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
Driehaus Capital Management LLC (“DCM”)
Portfolio Managers
Jeffrey James, Portfolio Manager of DCM Lead
Portfolio Manager of the Fund |
Michael Buck, Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 5/20 |
Prakash Vijayan, Assistant Portfolio Manager of DCM Assistant
Portfolio Manager of the Fund |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
$10,000 |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
$500 |
$100 |
$300 |
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund by regular mail addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, P.O. Box 4766, Chicago, IL 60680-4766, or by overnight delivery addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, c/o Northern Trust, 333 South Wabash Avenue, W-38, Chicago, IL 60604, or by phone at 1-800-560-6111 on any business day. You may also buy and sell shares through a financial professional.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are tax-exempt or are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) or an IRA. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, assets held through such arrangement may be taxable upon withdrawal.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and/or its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and/or related services, including recordkeeping, administrative and other sub-transfer agency services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
33
Driehaus Event Driven Fund Shares
Ticker: DEVDX |
Driehaus Event Driven Fund seeks to provide positive returns over full-market cycles.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
|
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
|
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge |
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends |
|
Redemption Fee |
|
Exchange Fee |
|
|
|
Management Fee |
|
Other Expenses Excluding Dividends and Interest on Short Sales |
|
Dividends and Interest on Short Sales |
|
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses |
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses* |
|
* |
|
Expense Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells
securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may
indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund
shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in
Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance.
During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
The Fund is actively managed by using techniques intended to provide positive returns over full-market cycles. In making investment decisions the Fund’s investment adviser, will employ event-driven strategies designed to exploit disparities or inefficiencies in U.S. and foreign (non-U.S.) equity and debt markets. The investment adviser will seek investment opportunities where a catalyst is expected to occur within the near to intermediate term, generally within 12 months, to unlock the value embedded in the investment opportunity. Investment opportunities will often center on corporate events such as bankruptcies, mergers, acquisitions, SPACs (“Special Purpose Acquisition Companies”), refinancings, corporate reactions to government and regulatory agency rulings, earnings surprises and other corporate events. The Fund will invest in a broad range of asset classes, including fixed-income and floating rate debt securities (across credit tiers), loans, equity
34
securities across all market capitalizations, American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts, options, futures and swaps. Securities held will be issued by, or be in reference to, U.S. and non-U.S. companies. The Fund may also invest in currencies.
The Fund seeks to target an annualized volatility, as measured by the standard deviation of returns, of less than that of the S&P 500® Index over full-market cycles, which are typically periods of three to five years. Annualized volatility refers to the fluctuation of a security’s value on a yearly basis. The Fund’s volatility will be monitored daily and positions within the Fund will be adjusted as appropriate to attempt to achieve the stated volatility target. The Fund holds both long and short positions in debt securities (both sovereign and corporate), equity securities and currencies. The debt securities held in the Fund may be fixed income or floating rate securities, including fixed and floating rate loans. These securities may have a senior right to repayment (“Senior Loans”) and/or may be of either investment grade or non-investment grade (“junk”) credit quality. Debt securities may or may not have been rated by a rating agency and the investment adviser is not constrained by ratings when selecting debt securities for investment. The Fund may invest in debt securities of any maturity and does not attempt to maintain any pre-set average portfolio maturity or duration. The Fund also invests in common and preferred stocks across all market capitalizations and regions. The Fund may have significant exposure to foreign currencies and interest rates.
The Fund also holds derivative instruments, including swaps, options, futures and forwards that provide long and short exposures to debt securities, equity securities and currencies. The Fund may use derivatives to manage interest rate and currency risk, as part of a hedging strategy (attempting to reduce risk by offsetting one investment position with another) and/or to replicate outright long or short exposures. In addition to investing in outright long and short positions, as part of its investment strategy, the Fund will engage in a variety of arbitrage trading strategies that seek to take advantage of relative value opportunities between two or more securities. The Fund may hold a substantial position in cash and money market instruments. The cash holdings of the Fund will vary significantly based on the investment adviser’s use of equity and credit derivatives. Generally, the more derivatives held within the Fund, the higher its cash balance.
The securities and instruments that the Fund invests in may trade in markets in multiple countries. The Fund’s investments may be highly concentrated in a geographic region or country, including emerging market countries. The Fund may frequently and actively trade its portfolio.
Event Risk. Event-driven opportunities may not occur as anticipated, resulting in potentially reduced returns or losses to the Fund as it unwinds trades where those opportunities do not materialize as anticipated.
Arbitrage Risk. Employing arbitrage strategies involves the risk that anticipated opportunities do not turn out as planned, resulting in potentially reduced returns or losses to the Fund.
Market Risk. The Fund is subject to market risk, which is the possibility that securities prices overall, including both debt and equity securities, will decline over short or long periods. Securities markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. These fluctuations are expected to have a substantial influence on the value of the Fund’s shares. Due to the uncertainty caused by war, acts of terrorism, geopolitical conflict, public health issues, recessions, economic cycles, monetary and fiscal policy, company earnings, global pandemics and other risks, global markets may experience increased volatility which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments.
Equity Securities Risk. In a company liquidation, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stocks take precedence over the claims of common stock shareholders.
Small- and Medium-Sized Company Risk. The Fund invests in companies that are smaller, less established, with limited operating histories and less liquid markets for their stock, and therefore may be riskier investments. While small- and medium-sized companies generally have the potential for rapid growth, the securities of these companies often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies because small- and medium-sized companies may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. In addition, in many instances the securities of small- and medium-sized companies are traded only over-the-counter or on a regional securities exchange, and the frequency and volume of their trading is substantially less than is typical of larger companies. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Micro-Cap Company Risk. The securities of micro-cap companies may be more volatile in price, have wider spreads between their bid and ask prices, and have significantly lower trading volumes than the securities of larger capitalization companies. As a result, the purchase or sale of more than a limited number of shares of the securities of a smaller company may affect its market price. The Fund may need a considerable amount of time to purchase or sell its positions in these securities. Some micro-cap companies are followed by few, if any, securities analysts, and there tends to be less publicly available information about such companies. Their securities generally have even more limited trading volumes and are subject to even more
35
abrupt or erratic market price movements than are small-cap and mid-cap securities, and the Fund may be able to deal with only a few market-makers when purchasing and selling micro-cap securities. Such companies may also have limited markets, financial resources or product lines, may lack management depth, and may be more vulnerable to adverse business or market developments. These conditions, which create greater opportunities to find securities trading well below the Fund’s estimate of the company’s current worth, also involve increased risk.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts which include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) (collectively “Depositary Receipts”). Investment in Depositary Receipts does not eliminate the risks inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers, which include market, political, tax, currency and regulatory risk. To the extent a Fund acquires Depositary Receipts through banks which do not have a contractual relationship with the foreign issuer of the security underlying the Depositary Receipts to issue and service such unsponsored Depositary Receipts, there may be an increased possibility that the Fund would not become aware of and be able to respond to corporate actions such as stock splits or rights offerings involving the foreign issuer in a timely manner. In addition, the lack of information may result in inefficiencies in the valuation of such instruments. In the case of an unsponsored Depositary Receipt, a Fund may bear higher expenses and encounter greater difficulty in receiving shareholder communications than it would have with a sponsored Depositary Receipt. The market value of Depositary Receipts is dependent upon the market value of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the relative value of the currencies in which the Depositary Receipts and the underlying securities are quoted.
Risks of Debt Securities. Debt securities may be subject to credit risk, interest rate risk, prepayment and extension risk as well as call risk. Credit risk is the failure of an issuer or borrower to make timely interest or principal payments, or a decline or perception of a decline in the credit quality of a bond or creditworthiness of a borrower, which can cause the security’s price to fall, potentially lowering the Fund’s share price. Credit spread risk is the risk that economic and market conditions or any actual or perceived credit deterioration may lead to an increase in the credit spreads (i.e., the difference in yield between two securities of similar maturity but different credit quality) and a decline in price of the issuer’s securities. Prices of bonds and Senior Loans tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in rates will adversely affect bond and Senior Loan prices and, accordingly, the Fund’s share price. The longer a debt security’s effective maturity and duration, the more its price is likely to react to interest rates.
Interest rate changes normally have different effects on variable or floating rate securities than they do on securities with fixed interest rates. When interest rates fall, debt securities may be repaid more quickly than expected and the Fund may be required to reinvest the proceeds at a lower interest rate. This is referred to as “prepayment risk.” When interest rates rise, debt securities may be repaid more slowly than expected and the value of the Fund’s holdings may fall sharply. This is referred to as “extension risk.” If an issuer “calls” its bond before its maturity date during a time of declining interest rates, the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield.
High Yield Risk. Low-rated and comparable unrated securities (“junk bonds”), involve greater risks than investment grade securities, including the possibility of default or bankruptcy. They are regarded as speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and to repay principal. The market values of certain of these securities tend to be more sensitive to individual corporate development and changes in economic conditions than higher quality bonds. In addition, junk bonds tend to be less marketable than higher-quality debt securities because the market for them is not as broad or active. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse effect on market price and the Fund’s ability to sell particular securities.
Senior Loan Risk. Senior Loans are business loans made to borrowers that may be corporations, partnerships or other entities (each a “Borrower”). These Borrowers operate in a variety of industries and across geographic regions. Investing in Senior Loans involves investment risk and some Borrowers default on their Senior Loan repayments. Investments in Senior Loans typically are below investment grade and are considered speculative because of the credit risks of their Borrowers. Such Borrowers are more likely to default on their payments of interest and principal owed, and such defaults could reduce the Fund’s net asset value and income distributions. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a Senior Loan may lose significant value before a default occurs. No active trading market may exist for certain Senior Loans, which may impair the ability of the Fund to realize full value upon its sale and which may make it difficult to value Senior Loans. Adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of some actively traded Senior Loans. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain Senior Loans, the market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. Senior Loans are subject to the risk that when sold, such sale may not settle in a timely manner, resulting in a settlement date that may be much later than the trade date. Delayed settlement interferes with a Fund’s ability to realize the proceeds of Senior Loan sales in a timely way. There is no assurance that the liquidation of the collateral would satisfy the claims of the Borrower’s obligations in the event of the non-payment of scheduled interest or principal, or that the collateral could be readily liquidated. Senior Loans may not be deemed to be securities and, in such case, may not be afforded the anti-fraud protections of the Federal securities laws in the event of fraud or misrepresentation by a Borrower.
36
Liquidity Risk. When there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities or an unusually high volume of redemptions or other similar conditions, it can become more difficult to sell the securities at or near their perceived value or the Fund may sell certain investments at a price or time that is not advantageous in order to meet redemption requests or other cash needs. In such a market, the value of such securities and the Fund’s share price may decrease and in extreme conditions the Fund could have difficulty meeting redemption requests. No active trading market may exist for some Senior Loans, derivatives, bonds or equities. Certain securities may be subject to restrictions on resale. The inability to dispose of (or convert to cash) Senior Loans, derivatives, bonds or equity securities in a timely fashion could result in losses to the Fund.
SPAC Risk. The Fund may invest in stock, warrants and other securities of special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) or similar special purpose entities that pool funds to seek potential acquisition opportunities. A SPAC is a publicly listed acquisition vehicle formed to raise capital and acquire or merge with an existing, private operating company. Typically, SPACs have a predetermined time frame of two years to acquire or merge with a private operating company, and if no acquisition or merger occurs, the SPAC is liquidated. Unless and until the acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets (less a portion retained to cover expenses) in U.S. Government securities, money market fund securities and cash; if an acquisition that meets the requirements for the SPAC is not completed within a pre-established period of time, the invested funds are returned to the entity’s shareholders. Because SPACs and similar entities are in essence blank check companies without an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity’s management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions which may increase the volatility of their prices. In addition, these securities may be considered illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on resale.
Manager Risk. How the investment adviser manages the Fund will impact the Fund’s performance. The Fund may lose money if the investment adviser’s investment strategy does not achieve the Fund’s objective or if the investment adviser does not implement the strategy successfully.
Risks of Derivatives. Derivative instruments (such as swaps, options, futures and forwards) often have risks similar to their underlying currency, security or index, in addition to other risks. The use of derivatives also involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying assets. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value, and there is a risk of imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument. Derivative instruments may give rise to leverage and losses on derivatives may substantially exceed the initial investment. When used for hedging, the change in value of the derivative may also not correlate specifically with the currency, security or other risk being hedged. Further, since the Fund may invest in derivatives for speculative purposes, losses from speculative positions in a derivative may be much greater than the derivative’s original cost and may be substantial. With over-the-counter derivatives, there is the risk that the other party to the transaction could default. Derivatives may be subject to pricing or “basis” risk, which exists when a particular derivative becomes extraordinarily expensive relative to historical prices or the prices of its corresponding instrument.
Risks of Holding Cash or Similar Instruments. During periods when the Fund holds a substantial position in cash and money market instruments, the Fund will earn less income than it would if it invested in higher yielding securities. Holding a large cash position for an extended period of time may result in the Fund not achieving its investment objective. To the extent that the Fund invests in money market mutual funds for its cash position, the Fund will indirectly bear its pro rata portion of such funds’ management fees and operational expenses. These expenses are in addition to the expenses the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.
Short Sale Risk. Short sales expose the Fund to the risk that it will be required to buy the security sold short (also known as “covering” the short position) at a time when the security has appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Fund. The amount the Fund could lose on a short sale is theoretically unlimited (as compared to a long position, where the maximum loss is the amount invested). The use of short sales also may cause the Fund to have higher expenses than those of other funds due to the payment of dividends and interest, if any, in connection with the short positions as well as the cost to borrow the security.
Allocation Risk. The Fund’s overall risk level will depend on the companies, countries, regions, markets, market sectors, industries and asset classes in which the Fund is invested. Because the Fund may have significant weightings in a particular company, country, region, asset class, industry, market or market sector, the value of the Fund’s shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that company, country, region, market, industry, asset class, or market sector and may fluctuate more than that of a less focused fund.
Growth Stock Risk. Growth stocks are typically priced higher than other stocks, in relation to earnings and other measures, because investors believe they have more growth potential. This potential may or may not be realized and, if it is not realized, may result in a loss to the Fund. Growth stock prices also tend to be more volatile than the overall market.
37
High Rates of Turnover. The Fund experiences high rates of portfolio turnover, which may result in payment by the Fund of above-average transaction costs and could result in the payment by shareholders of taxes on above-average amounts of recognized investment gains, including net short-term capital gains, which are taxed as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes when distributed to shareholders.
Year |
Return |
2014 |
- |
2015 |
- |
2016 |
|
2017 |
|
2018 |
- |
2019 |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
|
2022 |
- |
2023 |
|
Highest/Lowest Quarter Returns (%)
During
the periods shown in the bar chart, the
(quarter ended ).
The
following table shows the average annual returns of the Fund on a before-tax and
after-tax basis over various periods as indicated below, as compared with a
broad measure of market performance as well as a category of mutual funds with
characteristics relevant to the Fund.
Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023 |
1 Year |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Driehaus Event Driven Fund |
|||
Return Before Taxes |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions |
|
|
|
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
|
|
|
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
Morningstar Event Driven Category* (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
|
* |
|
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Morningstar Event Driven Category (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Redemption Fee
38
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
Driehaus Capital Management LLC (“DCM”)
Portfolio Managers
Michael Caldwell Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 8/18 (Assistant Portfolio Manager of the Fund 8/13-7/18) |
Yoav Sharon Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 8/18 (Assistant Portfolio Manager of the Fund 2/15-7/18) |
Thomas McCauley Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 8/18 (Assistant Portfolio Manager of the Fund 6/17-7/18) |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum |
$10,000 |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
$500 |
$100 |
$300 |
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund by regular mail addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, P.O. Box 4766, Chicago, IL 60680-4766, or by overnight delivery addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, c/o Northern Trust, 333 South Wabash Avenue, W-38, Chicago, IL 60604, or by phone at 1-800-560-6111 on any business day. You may also buy and sell shares through a financial professional.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are tax-exempt or are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) or an IRA. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, assets held through such arrangement may be taxable upon withdrawal.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and/or its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and/or related services, including recordkeeping, administrative and other sub-transfer agency services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
39
Driehaus International Developed Equity Fund Shares
Driehaus International Developed Equity Fund
Ticker: DIDEX |
Driehaus International Developed Equity Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
|
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases |
|
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge |
|
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Reinvested Dividends |
|
Redemption Fee (as a % of amount redeemed within 60 days of purchase) |
|
Exchange Fee |
|
|
|
Management Fee |
|
Other Expenses* |
|
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
|
Expense Reimbursement** |
( |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement |
|
* |
|
** |
|
Expense Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The expense reimbursement shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table is reflected for each of the first three years in the Example. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year |
3 Years |
$ |
$ |
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. Portfolio turnover information is not included since the Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus.
40
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities issued by non-U.S. developed market companies of all market-capitalizations.
The Fund will invest in equity securities, including common stock and depositary receipts, of companies located in non-U.S. developed market countries. The Fund’s investment adviser considers a company to be a developed market company if such company is organized under the laws of, if its principal offices are in, its securities are principally traded in, or if the company derives at least 50% of its revenues or net profits from, or has at least 50% of its assets in, a developed market country defined by the MSCI World ex USA Growth Index. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies domiciled in one or a few countries or regions. The Fund may invest in companies of any size, but its focus will typically be in large-capitalization companies. The Fund may participate in initial public offerings (“IPOs”) and in securities offerings that are not registered in the United States. While the Fund will invest primarily in the equity securities of non-U.S. developed market countries, the Fund may also from time to time invest up to a maximum of 20% of its assets in the equity securities of U.S. companies and/or non-developed market securities.
In managing the Fund, the investment adviser uses an investment approach that integrates top-down (focusing on the economy and market trends) analysis of the overall economy and bottom-up (focusing on individual stocks) analysis of individual securities. From a top-down perspective, the investment adviser looks at the relative value of securities to identify assets to include in the Fund’s portfolio. Bottom-up analysis involves evaluating fundamental factors, including a company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics in order to identify companies with more attractive earnings growth on a prospective basis. The investment adviser’s decision to buy or sell a security is also based on the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest.
All
investments, including those in mutual funds, have risks. No investment is
suitable for all investors. The Fund is intended for long-term investors who can
accept the risks involved in investing in foreign securities. Of course, there
can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its objective.
Market Risk. The Fund is subject to market risk, which is the possibility that stock prices overall will decline over short or long periods. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. These fluctuations are expected to have a substantial influence on the value of the Fund’s shares. Due to the uncertainty caused by war, acts of terrorism, geopolitical conflict, public health issues, recessions, economic cycles, monetary and fiscal policy, company earnings, global pandemics and other risks, global markets may experience increased volatility which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments.
Foreign Securities and Currencies Risk. The following risks may be associated with investments in foreign securities: less liquidity; greater volatility; political instability; restrictions on foreign investment and repatriation of capital; less complete and reliable information about foreign companies; reduced government supervision of some foreign securities markets, U.S. and foreign government actions, such as the imposition of tariffs, economic and trade sanctions or embargoes; lower responsiveness of foreign management to shareholder concerns; economic issues or developments in foreign countries; fluctuation in exchange rates of foreign currencies and risks of devaluation; and imposition of foreign withholding and other taxes. To the extent portfolio securities are issued by foreign issuers or denominated in foreign currencies, the Fund’s investment performance is affected by the strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against these currencies. Generally, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar against a foreign currency will reduce the value of a security denominated in that foreign currency, thereby decreasing the Fund’s overall net asset value. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad.
Allocation Risk. The Fund’s overall risk level will depend on the companies, countries, regions, markets, market sectors, industries and asset classes in which the Fund is invested. Because the Fund may have significant weightings in a particular company, country, region, asset class, industry, market or market sector, the value of the Fund’s shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that company, country, region, market, industry, asset class, or market sector and may fluctuate more than that of a less focused fund.
The Fund is expected to have significant exposure to the far east region as well as to Europe and may be vulnerable to risks specific to those regions. Many countries in the far east region are subject to political risk, including corruption and regional conflict with neighboring countries. In addition, many far east countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with
41
demands for improved political, economic, and social conditions. The far east region may be adversely affected by political, military, economic and other factors related to North Korea. Adverse economic, political or social developments in Europe, or in a particular European country, could have a negative effect on the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Many European countries are members of the European Union and, as members, such countries share a common currency and certain fiscal policies.
Equity Securities Risk. In a company liquidation, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stocks take precedence over the claims of common stock shareholders.
Manager Risk. How the Fund’s investment adviser manages the Fund will impact the Fund’s performance. The Fund may lose money if the investment adviser’s investment strategy does not achieve the Fund’s objective or the investment adviser does not implement the strategy successfully.
Growth Stock Risk. Growth stocks are typically priced higher than other stocks, in relation to earnings and other measures, because investors believe they have more growth potential. This potential may or may not be realized and, if it is not realized, may result in a loss to the Fund. Growth stock prices also tend to be more volatile than the overall market.
Depositary Receipts Risk. The Fund may invest in foreign securities in the form of depositary receipts which include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) (collectively “Depositary Receipts”). Investment in Depositary Receipts does not eliminate the risks inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers, which include market, political, tax, currency and regulatory risk. To the extent a Fund acquires Depositary Receipts through banks which do not have a contractual relationship with the foreign issuer of the security underlying the Depositary Receipts to issue and service such unsponsored Depositary Receipts, there may be an increased possibility that the Fund would not become aware of and be able to respond to corporate actions such as stock splits or rights offerings involving the foreign issuer in a timely manner. In addition, the lack of information may result in inefficiencies in the valuation of such instruments. In the case of an unsponsored Depositary Receipt, the Fund may bear higher expenses and encounter greater difficulty in receiving shareholder communications than it would have with a sponsored Depositary Receipt. The market value of Depositary Receipts is dependent upon the market value of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the relative value of the currencies in which the Depositary Receipts and the underlying securities are quoted.
Large Capitalization Company Risk. Large capitalization companies may fall out of favor with investors based on market and economic conditions. In addition, larger companies may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies and may be less capable of responding quickly to competitive challenges and industry changes. As a result, the Fund’s value may not rise as much as, or may fall more than, the value of funds that focus on companies with smaller market capitalizations.
Small- and Medium-Sized Company Risk. The Fund may invest in companies that are smaller, less established, with limited operating histories and less liquid markets for their stock, and therefore may be riskier investments. While small- and medium-sized companies generally have the potential for rapid growth, the securities of these companies often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies because small- and medium-sized companies may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. In addition, in many instances the securities of small- and medium-sized companies are traded only over-the-counter or on a regional securities exchange, and the frequency and volume of their trading is substantially less than is typical of larger companies. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
Portfolio Management
Investment Adviser
Driehaus Capital Management LLC (“DCM”)
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Portfolio Managers
Daniel Burr, Portfolio Manager of DCM Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 4/24 |
Arthur Bidwill, Assistant Portfolio Manager of DCM Assistant Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 4/24 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
Initial |
Minimum
|
Minimum
|
Minimum |
$10,000 |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
$500 |
$100 |
$300 |
In general, you can buy or sell shares of the Fund by regular mail addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, P.O. Box 4766, Chicago, IL 60680-4766, or by overnight delivery addressed to Driehaus Mutual Funds, c/o Northern Trust, 333 South Wabash Avenue, W-38, Chicago, IL 60604, or by phone at 1-800-560-6111 on any business day. You may also buy and sell shares through a financial professional.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are tax-exempt or are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) or an IRA. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, assets held through such arrangement may be taxable upon withdrawal.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund’s related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and/or related services, including recordkeeping, administrative and other sub-transfer agency services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Each Fund is managed by Driehaus Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”), a registered investment adviser founded in 1982. As of March 31, 2024, the Adviser managed approximately $17.3 billion in assets.
The Funds intend to pay dividends, if any, at least annually. Such distributions can consist of both ordinary income and any realized capital gains. The amount of distributions will vary, and there is no guarantee the Funds will pay either income dividends or a capital gain distribution. Unless you are tax-exempt or are purchasing Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as an IRA), buying Fund shares at a time when the Fund has substantial undistributed income or gains can cost you money in taxes. Contact the Funds for information concerning when distributions will be paid. On a continuing basis, due to high portfolio turnover of the Funds, a greater percentage of capital gains may be paid each year by a Fund with a significant percentage of those capital gains constituting short-term capital gains, which are taxed at ordinary income tax rates for federal income tax purposes when distributed. You should consult your tax advisor regarding your tax situation.
Investment Objectives and Principal Investment Strategies
Driehaus Emerging Markets Growth Fund. The investment objective of the Driehaus Emerging Markets Growth Fund is to maximize capital appreciation. This investment objective is fundamental and cannot be changed without the approval of shareholders. The Fund pursues its objective by investing primarily in the equity securities of emerging market companies. Emerging market companies are (i) companies organized under the laws of an emerging market country or having securities which are traded principally on an exchange or over-the-counter in an emerging market country; or (ii) companies which, regardless of where organized or traded, have a significant amount of assets located in and/or derive a significant amount of their revenues from goods purchased or sold, investments made or services performed in or with emerging market countries. Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in the equity securities of emerging markets companies. The Fund will provide shareholders 60 days’ prior written notice of a change in the Fund’s non-fundamental policy of investing at least 80% of its net assets in emerging markets companies. There are also no specific limitations on the percentage of assets that may be invested in securities of issuers located in any one country at a given time; the Fund may invest significant assets in any single emerging market country. The Fund generally defines an “emerging market” as including, but not limited to, any of the countries or markets represented in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, or any country or market with similar emerging characteristics. Current dividend income is not an investment consideration and dividend income is incidental to the Fund’s overall investment objective. The Fund may also invest in securities of issuers that have limited or no operating histories.
Equity securities include common and preferred stocks, American Depositary Receipts (“ADR”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDR”), equity-convertible securities such as warrants, rights, or options, and other classes of stock that may exist. The Fund may purchase foreign securities in the form of sponsored or unsponsored depositary receipts or other securities representing underlying shares of foreign issuers. The Fund may purchase depositary receipts, rather than invest directly in the underlying shares of a foreign issuer, for liquidity, timing or transaction cost reasons. The Fund may also invest in domestic and foreign investment companies which, in turn, invest primarily in securities which the Fund could hold directly.
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing, for those companies with operating histories, are based on the determination that a company’s revenue and earnings growth can materially exceed market expectations and that a company possesses the ability to undergo an incrementally positive change in growth and earnings trajectories. These decisions involve evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics. The Adviser also takes environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors into account when evaluating investment opportunities by reviewing ESG research and ratings information from one or more third-party ratings organizations. The specific areas of focus are: environmental (such as factors associated with climate change and natural resources), social (such as factors associated with human capital and stakeholder opposition) and governance (such as factors associated with corporate governance and corporate behavior) factors. Through its quantitative and qualitative analysis of ESG factors, the Adviser seeks to identify, understand and control ESG-related risks. The Adviser does not exclude investment opportunities based solely on ESG factors and an investment could be made in an issuer that scores poorly on ESG factors if such investment performs strongly on other factors considered. The evaluation of behavioral and macro factors represents significant aspects of the Adviser’s philosophy and are integrated into the Adviser’s bottom-up analysis on individual securities. The decision is also informed by the evaluation of technical or market factors,
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including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest. To a lesser extent, the Fund’s Adviser also utilizes macroeconomic or country-specific analyses to evaluate the sustainability of a company’s growth rate. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including the deterioration of the earnings profile, the violation of specific technical thresholds, to shift into securities with more compelling risk/reward characteristics or to alter sector or country exposure.
The Adviser generally intends to remain fully invested. However, the Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategy in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. As a temporary defensive measure, the Fund may hold some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents in domestic and foreign currencies, invest in domestic and foreign money market securities (including repurchase agreements), purchase short-term debt securities of U.S. or foreign government or corporate issuers, or invest in money market funds which purchase one or more of the foregoing. The Fund may also purchase such securities if the Adviser believes they may be necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs. During periods of time when the Fund is not fully invested, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Driehaus Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund. The investment objective of the Fund is to maximize capital appreciation. This investment objective is fundamental and cannot be changed without the approval of shareholders. The Fund pursues its objective by investing primarily in the equity securities of small capitalization emerging markets companies. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests substantially all (no less than 80%) of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in small capitalization emerging markets companies. For purposes of the Fund, the Adviser currently considers a company to be a small capitalization emerging markets company if it is within the same market capitalization range at the time of investment as those included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index (net). For the avoidance of doubt, while the reference index is “float-adjusted,” meaning it excludes closely held and other shares unavailable to investors, the Adviser does not consider a float-adjustment when determining the market capitalization of a company. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 97% of the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index consisted of companies with a market capitalization of less than $5 billion.
The Fund will provide shareholders 60 days’ prior written notice of a change in the Fund’s non-fundamental policy of investing at least 80% of its net assets in small capitalization emerging markets companies. Securities of companies whose market capitalization no longer meet this definition after purchase may continue to be held by the Fund. The Fund may invest in companies with higher market capitalizations if market conditions suggest doing so will help the Fund achieve its objective. Emerging markets companies are (i) companies organized under the laws of an emerging market country or having securities which are traded principally on an exchange or over-the-counter in an emerging market country; or (ii) companies which, regardless of where organized or traded, have a significant amount of assets located in and/or derive a significant amount of their revenues from goods purchased or sold, investments made or services performed in or with emerging market countries. There are also no specific limitations on the percentage of assets that may be invested in securities of issuers located in any one country at a given time; the Fund may invest significant assets in any single emerging market country. The Fund generally defines an “emerging market” as including, but not limited to, any of the countries or markets represented in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, or any country or market with similar emerging characteristics. Current dividend income is not an investment consideration and dividend income is incidental to the Fund’s overall investment objective. The Fund may also invest in securities of issuers that have limited or no operating histories.
Equity securities include common and preferred stocks, American Depositary Receipts (“ADR”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDR”), equity-convertible securities such as warrants, rights, or options, and other classes of stock that may exist. The Fund may purchase foreign securities in the form of sponsored or unsponsored depositary receipts or other securities representing underlying shares of foreign issuers. The Fund may purchase ADRs or GDRs, rather than invest directly in the underlying shares of a foreign issuer, for liquidity, timing or transaction cost reasons.
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing, for those companies with operating histories, are based on the determination that a company’s revenue and earnings growth can materially exceed market expectations and that a company possesses the ability to undergo an incrementally positive change in growth and earnings trajectories. These decisions involve evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics. The Adviser also takes environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors into account when evaluating investment opportunities by reviewing ESG research and ratings information from one or more third-party ratings organizations. Specific areas of focus are: environmental (such as factors associated with climate change and natural resources), social (such as factors associated with human capital and stakeholder opposition) and governance (such as factors associated with corporate governance and corporate behavior) factors. Through its quantitative and qualitative analysis of ESG factors, the Adviser seeks to identify, understand and control ESG-related risks. The Adviser does not exclude investment opportunities based solely on ESG factors and an investment could be made in an issuer that scores poorly on ESG factors if such investment performs strongly on other factors considered. The evaluation of
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behavioral and macro factors represents significant aspects of the Adviser’s philosophy and are integrated into the Adviser’s bottom-up analysis on individual securities. The decision is also informed by the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest. To a lesser extent, the Fund’s Adviser also utilizes macroeconomic or country-specific analyses to evaluate the sustainability of a company’s growth rate. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including the deterioration of the earnings profile, the violation of specific technical thresholds, to shift into securities with more compelling risk/reward characteristics or to alter sector or country exposure.
The Adviser generally intends to remain fully invested. However, the Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategy in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. As a temporary defensive measure, the Fund may hold some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents in domestic and foreign currencies, invest in domestic and foreign money market securities (including repurchase agreements), purchase short-term debt securities of U.S. or foreign government or corporate issuers, or invest in money market funds which purchase one or more of the foregoing. The Fund may also purchase such securities if the Adviser believes they may be necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs. During periods of time when the Fund is not fully invested, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Driehaus Global Fund. The Driehaus Global Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation. This investment objective is fundamental and cannot be changed without the approval of shareholders. The Fund opportunistically invests in equity securities, including common stocks and sponsored or unsponsored American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) or Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), of issuers located throughout the world, including the United States (U.S.), and in both developed and emerging markets. Equity securities include common and preferred stocks, ADRs, GDRs, EDRs, equity-convertible securities such as warrants, rights, or options, and other classes of stock that may exist.
The Fund is not constrained based on the country, region, or market capitalization and its assets may at times be concentrated in a particular country, segment of the economy, region or issuer. The composition and asset allocation of the Fund’s investment portfolio will vary over time. The Fund may invest in issuers across all market capitalizations as well as in issuers with limited or no operating histories. Notwithstanding the above, under normal circumstances, the Fund will have exposure to issuers organized, domiciled, or headquartered in at least three different countries (other than its exposure to U.S. issuers).
Investment decisions for the Fund involve a fundamental analysis of individual securities in order to identify companies with more attractive earnings growth on a prospective basis. The Fund’s sector and geographic diversification will also vary based on the Adviser’s evaluation of current economic, political and market factors.
In managing the Fund, the Adviser uses an investment approach that integrates top-down (focusing on the economy and market trends) analysis of the overall economy and bottom-up (focusing on individual stocks) analysis of individual securities. From a top-down perspective, the Adviser looks at the relative value of securities to identify assets to include in the Fund’s portfolio. Bottom-up analysis involves evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics in order to identify companies with more attractive earnings growth on a prospective basis. The Adviser’s decision to buy or sell a security is also based on the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest. The Adviser also takes environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors into account when evaluating investment opportunities by reviewing ESG research and ratings information from one or more third-party ratings organizations. The specific areas of focus are: environmental (such as factors associated with climate change and natural resources), social (such as factors associated with human capital and stakeholder opposition) and governance (such as factors associated with corporate governance and corporate behavior) factors. Through its quantitative and qualitative analysis of ESG factors, the Adviser seeks to identify, understand and control ESG-related risks. The Adviser does not exclude investment opportunities based solely on ESG factors and an investment could be made in an issuer that scores poorly on ESG factors if such investment performs strongly on other factors considered.
The Fund expects to frequently and actively trade its portfolio as part of its principal investment strategies. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including when the Adviser believes the security has become fully valued due to either its price appreciation or changes in the issuer’s fundamentals, to shift into securities with more compelling risk/reward characteristics or to alter sector or country exposure.
The Adviser generally intends to remain fully invested. However, the Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategy in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. As a temporary defensive measure, the Fund may hold some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents in domestic and foreign currencies, invest in domestic and foreign money market securities (including repurchase agreements), purchase short-term debt securities of U.S. or foreign government or corporate issuers, or invest
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in money market funds which purchase one or more of the foregoing. The Fund may also purchase such securities if the Adviser believes they may be necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs. During periods of time when the Fund is not fully invested, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Driehaus International Small Cap Growth Fund. The investment objective of the Driehaus International Small Cap Growth Fund is to maximize capital appreciation. This investment objective is fundamental and cannot be changed without the approval of shareholders. The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of smaller capitalization non-U.S. companies exhibiting strong growth characteristics. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of non-U.S. small capitalization companies. The Adviser currently considers non-U.S. small capitalization companies to be companies located in the same countries and within the same market capitalization range at the time of investment as those included in the MSCI All Country World ex USA Small Cap Growth Index. For the avoidance of doubt, while the reference index is “float-adjusted,” meaning it excludes closely held and other shares unavailable to investors, the Adviser does not consider a float-adjustment when determining the market capitalization of a company. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 95% of the MSCI All Country World ex USA Small Cap Growth Index consisted of companies with a market capitalization of less than $6.5 billion. The Fund will provide shareholders 60 days’ prior written notice of a change in the Fund’s non-fundamental policy of investing at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities of non-U.S. small cap companies. In some countries, a small company by U.S. standards might rank among the largest in that country in terms of capitalization. The capitalization parameter is subject to change as the relative market capitalization of small cap issuers change over time. There is no maximum limit on the number of companies in which the Adviser can invest at a given time. There is no specific limitation on the percentages of assets that may be invested in securities of issuers located in any one country at any given time. At certain times, the Fund could have sizeable positions in either developed countries or emerging markets. In addition, while the Fund will invest primarily in the equity securities of non-U.S. companies, the Fund may also from time to time invest up to a maximum of 20% of its assets in the equity securities of U.S. companies. Many, but not all, of these companies will be U.S. companies that have a significant amount of assets located in and/or derive a significant amount of their revenue from goods purchased or sold, investments made, or services performed in or with non-U.S. countries. Current dividend income is not an investment consideration and dividend income is incidental to the Fund’s overall investment objective. The Fund may also invest in securities of issuers with limited or no operating histories.
The securities markets of many developing economies are sometimes referred to as “emerging markets.” The amount of the Fund’s assets invested in emerging markets will vary over time and could be substantial. The Fund generally defines an “emerging market” as including, but not limited to, any of the countries or markets represented in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, or any country or market with similar emerging characteristics. The Fund is not limited to a specific percentage of assets that may be invested in a single emerging market country, although at all times the Fund must be invested in at least three countries (not limited to emerging markets countries).
Equity securities include common and preferred stocks, American Depositary Receipts (“ADR”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDR”), equity-convertible securities such as warrants, rights, or options, and other classes of stock that may exist. The Fund may purchase foreign securities in the form of sponsored or un-sponsored depositary receipts or other securities representing underlying shares of foreign issuers. The Fund may purchase depositary receipts, rather than invest directly in the underlying shares of a foreign issuer, for liquidity, timing or transaction cost reasons. The Fund may also invest in domestic and foreign investment companies which, in turn, invest primarily in securities which the Fund could hold directly.
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing, for those companies with operating histories, are based on the determination that a company’s revenue and earnings growth can materially exceed market expectations and that the security is at an attractive entry point. These decisions involve evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics. The Adviser also takes environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors into account when evaluating investment opportunities by reviewing ESG research and ratings information from one or more third-party ratings organizations. The specific areas of focus are: environmental (such as factors associated with climate change and natural resources), social (such as factors associated with human capital and stakeholder opposition) and governance (such as factors associated with corporate governance and corporate behavior) factors. Through its quantitative and qualitative analysis of ESG factors, the Adviser seeks to identify, understand and control ESG-related risks. The Adviser does not exclude investment opportunities based solely on ESG factors and an investment could be made in an issuer that scores poorly on ESG factors if such investment performs strongly on other factors considered. The decision is also informed by the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest. To a lesser extent, the Fund’s Adviser also utilizes macroeconomic or country-specific analyses to evaluate the sustainability of a company’s growth rate. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including the deterioration of the earnings profile, the violation of specific technical thresholds, to shift into securities with more compelling risk/reward characteristics or to alter sector or country exposure.
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The Adviser generally intends to remain fully invested. However, the Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategy in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. As a temporary defensive measure, the Fund may hold some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents in domestic and foreign currencies, invest in domestic and foreign money market securities (including repurchase agreements), purchase short-term debt securities of U.S. or foreign government or corporate issuers, or invest in money market funds which purchase one or more of the foregoing. The Fund may also purchase such securities if the Adviser believes they may be necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs. During periods of time when the Fund is invested defensively, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Driehaus Micro Cap Growth Fund. The Driehaus Micro Cap Growth Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation. This investment objective is fundamental and cannot be changed without the approval of shareholders. The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of micro-cap U.S. companies exhibiting strong growth characteristics. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of U.S. micro-cap companies. The Fund will provide shareholders 60 days’ prior written notice of a change in the Fund’s non-fundamental policy of investing at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities of U.S. micro-cap companies. For purposes of the Fund, the Adviser currently considers a company to be a micro-cap company if it is within the same market capitalization range at the time of investment as those included in the Russell Microcap® Growth Index. For the avoidance of doubt, while the reference index is “float-adjusted,” meaning it excludes closely held and other shares unavailable to investors, the Adviser does not consider a float-adjustment when determining the market capitalization of a company. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 98% of the Russell Microcap® Growth Index consisted of companies with a market capitalization of less than $4.5 billion. Securities of companies whose market capitalization no longer meets this definition after purchase may continue to be held by the Fund. Current dividend income is not an investment consideration, and dividend income is incidental to the Fund’s overall investment objective. The Fund may also invest in securities of issuers with limited or no operating histories.
Equity securities include common and preferred stocks, bearer and registered shares, warrants or rights or options that are convertible into common stock, depositary receipts for those securities, and other classes of stock that may exist. The Fund may invest in cash, money market mutual funds or similar cash equivalents. While the Fund will invest primarily in the securities of U.S. companies, the Fund may also from time to time invest up to a maximum of 20% of its assets (measured at the time of investment) in the equity securities of non-U.S. companies that trade in the U.S. (such as American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or substantially similar instruments that are based on foreign securities).
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing, for those companies with operating histories, are based on the determination that a company’s revenue and earnings growth can materially exceed market expectations and that the security is at an attractive entry point. These decisions involve evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics. The Adviser also takes environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors into account when evaluating investment opportunities by reviewing ESG research and ratings information from one or more third-party ratings organizations. The specific areas of focus are: environmental (such as factors associated with climate change and natural resources), social (such as factors associated with human capital and stakeholder opposition) and governance (such as factors associated with corporate governance and corporate behavior) factors. Through its quantitative and qualitative analysis of ESG factors, the Adviser seeks to identify, understand and control ESG-related risks. The Adviser does not exclude investment opportunities based solely on ESG factors and an investment could be made in an issuer that scores poorly on ESG factors if such investment performs strongly on other factors considered. The decision is also informed by the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest. To a lesser extent, the Fund’s Adviser also utilizes macroeconomic or country-specific analyses to evaluate the sustainability of a company’s growth rate. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including the deterioration of the earnings profile, the violation of specific technical thresholds, to shift into securities with more compelling risk/reward characteristics or to alter sector or country exposure.
The Adviser generally intends to remain fully invested. However, the Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategy in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. As a temporary defensive measure, the Fund may hold some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents in domestic currencies, invest in domestic money market mutual securities (including repurchase agreements), purchase short-term debt securities of U.S. or corporate issuers, or invest in money market funds which purchase one or more of the foregoing. The Fund may also purchase such securities if the Adviser believes they may be necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs. During periods of time when the Fund is not fully invested, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
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Driehaus Small Cap Growth Fund. The investment objective of the Driehaus Small Cap Growth Fund is to maximize capital appreciation. This investment objective is fundamental and cannot be changed without the approval of shareholders. The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of small cap U.S. companies exhibiting strong growth characteristics. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of U.S. small cap companies. The Fund will provide shareholders 60 days’ prior written notice of a change in the Fund’s non-fundamental policy of investing at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities of U.S. small cap companies. For purposes of the Fund, the Adviser currently considers a company to be a small cap company if it is within the same market capitalization range at the time of investment as those included in the Russell 2000® Growth Index. For the avoidance of doubt, while the reference index is “float-adjusted,” meaning it excludes closely held and other shares unavailable to investors, the Adviser does not consider a float-adjustment when determining the market capitalization of a company. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 94% of the Russell 2000® Growth Index consisted of companies with a market capitalization of less than $12 billion. Securities of companies whose market capitalization no longer meets this definition after purchase may continue to be held by the Fund. Current dividend income is not an investment consideration, and dividend income is incidental to the Fund’s overall investment objective. The Fund may also invest in securities of issuers with limited or no operating histories.
Equity securities include common and preferred stocks, bearer and registered shares, warrants or rights or options that are convertible into common stock, depositary receipts for those securities, and other classes of stock that may exist. The Fund may invest in cash, money market mutual funds or similar cash equivalents. While the Fund will invest primarily in the securities of U.S. companies, the Fund may also from time to time invest up to a maximum of 20% of its assets (measured at the time of investment) in the equity securities of non-U.S. companies that trade in the U.S. (such as American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or substantially similar instruments that are based on foreign securities).
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing, for those companies with operating histories, are based on the determination that a company’s revenue and earnings growth can materially exceed market expectations and that the security is at an attractive entry point. These decisions involve evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics. The Adviser also takes environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors into account when evaluating investment opportunities by reviewing ESG research and ratings information from one or more third-party ratings organizations. The specific areas of focus are: environmental (such as factors associated with climate change and natural resources), social (such as factors associated with human capital and stakeholder opposition) and governance (such as factors associated with corporate governance and corporate behavior) factors. Through its quantitative and qualitative analysis of ESG factors, the Adviser seeks to identify, understand and control ESG-related risks. The Adviser does not exclude investment opportunities based solely on ESG factors and an investment could be made in an issuer that scores poorly on ESG factors if such investment performs strongly on other factors considered. The decision is also informed by the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest. To a lesser extent, the Fund’s Adviser also utilizes macroeconomic or country-specific analyses to evaluate the sustainability of a company’s growth rate. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including the deterioration of the earnings profile, the violation of specific technical thresholds, to shift into securities with more compelling risk/reward characteristics or to alter sector or country exposure.
The Adviser generally intends to remain fully invested. However, the Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategy in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. As a temporary defensive measure, the Fund may hold some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents in domestic currencies, invest in domestic money market mutual securities (including repurchase agreements), purchase short-term debt securities of U.S. or corporate issuers, or invest in money market funds which purchase one or more of the foregoing. The Fund may also purchase such securities if the Adviser believes they may be necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs. During periods of time when the Fund is not fully invested, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Driehaus Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund. The investment objective of the Driehaus Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund is to maximize capital appreciation. This investment objective is fundamental and cannot be changed without the approval of shareholders. The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of Small/Mid cap U.S. companies exhibiting strong growth characteristics. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of U.S. Small/Mid cap companies. The Fund will provide shareholders 60 days’ prior written notice of a change in the Fund’s non-fundamental policy of investing at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities of U.S. Small/Mid cap companies. For purposes of the Fund, the Adviser currently considers a company to be a Small/Mid cap company if it is within the same market capitalization range at the time of investment as those included in the Russell 2500® Growth Index. For the avoidance of doubt, while the reference index is “float-adjusted,” meaning it excludes closely held and other shares unavailable to investors, the Adviser does not consider a float-adjustment when
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determining the market capitalization of a company. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 96% of the Russell 2500® Growth Index consisted of companies with a market capitalization of less than $25 billion. Securities of companies whose market capitalization no longer meets this definition after purchase may continue to be held by the Fund. Current dividend income is not an investment consideration, and dividend income is incidental to the Fund’s overall investment objective. The Fund may also invest in securities of issuers with limited or no operating histories.
Equity securities include common and preferred stocks, bearer and registered shares, warrants or rights or options that are convertible into common stock, depositary receipts for those securities, and other classes of stock that may exist. The Fund may invest in cash, money market mutual funds or similar cash equivalents. While the Fund will invest primarily in the securities of U.S. companies, the Fund may also from time to time invest up to a maximum of 20% of its assets (measured at the time of investment) in the equity securities of non-U.S. companies that trade in the U.S. (such as American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or substantially similar instruments that are based on foreign securities).
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing, for those companies with operating histories, are based on the determination that a company’s revenue and earnings growth can materially exceed market expectations and that the security is at an attractive entry point. These decisions involve evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics. The Adviser also takes environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors into account when evaluating investment opportunities by reviewing ESG research and ratings information from one or more third-party ratings organizations. The specific areas of focus are: environmental (such as factors associated with climate change and natural resources), social (such as factors associated with human capital and stakeholder opposition) and governance (such as factors associated with corporate governance and corporate behavior). Through its quantitative and qualitative analysis of ESG factors, the Adviser seeks to identify, understand and control ESG-related risks. The Adviser does not exclude investment opportunities based solely on ESG factors and an investment could be made in an issuer that scores poorly on ESG factors if such investment performs strongly on other factors considered. The investment decision is also based on the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest. To a lesser extent, the Adviser also utilizes macroeconomic or country-specific analyses to evaluate the sustainability of a company’s growth rate. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including the deterioration of the earnings profile, the violation of specific technical thresholds, to shift into securities with more compelling risk/reward characteristics or to alter sector exposure.
The Adviser generally intends to remain fully invested. However, the Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategy in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. As a temporary defensive measure, the Fund may hold some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents in domestic currencies, invest in domestic money market mutual securities (including repurchase agreements), purchase short-term debt securities of U.S. or corporate issuers, or invest in money market funds which purchase one or more of the foregoing. The Fund may also purchase such securities if the Adviser believes they may be necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs. During periods of time when the Fund is not fully invested, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Driehaus Event Driven Fund. The Driehaus Event Driven Fund seeks to provide positive returns over full-market cycles. This investment objective is fundamental and cannot be changed without the approval of shareholders. The Adviser uses techniques intended to provide absolute (positive) returns in various markets by employing strategies that take advantage of disparities or inefficiencies in the market. The Fund seeks to target an annualized volatility, as measured by the standard deviation of returns, of less than that of the S&P 500® Index over full-market cycles, which are typically periods of three to five years. Annualized volatility refers to the fluctuation of a security’s value on a yearly basis. The Fund’s volatility will be monitored daily and positions within the Fund will be adjusted as appropriate to attempt to achieve the stated volatility target.
The Adviser will seek investment opportunities where a catalyst has been identified that is expected to occur within the near to intermediate term, generally within twelve months, to unlock the value embedded in the investment opportunity. Investment opportunities will often center on corporate events such as bankruptcies, mergers, acquisitions, SPACs (“Special Purpose Acquisition Companies”), refinancings, corporate reactions to government and regulatory agency rulings, earnings surprise and other corporate events. The Fund will invest in a broad range of asset classes, including fixed-income and floating rate debt securities (across credit tiers), loans, equity securities across all market capitalizations, American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts, options, futures and swaps. Securities held will be issued by, or be in reference to, U.S. and non-U.S. companies. The Fund may also invest in currencies. The Fund may hold a substantial position in cash and money market instruments. The Fund will engage in a variety of arbitrage trading strategies which involve many of the same types of risks as the Fund’s other investment strategies. These trading strategies include: capital structure arbitrage, convertible arbitrage and merger arbitrage (each of which are described below). Event-driven trade opportunities often exist
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because of the complexity of capital structure, the nontraditional nature of the investment options, or the unwillingness of investors to participate in binary trades. The Adviser believes that these opportunities often lead the market to misprice a company’s securities.
Fixed-income and floating rate securities, including leveraged loans and Senior Loans, in which the Fund invests, are typically rated by at least one of the three major nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, with the rating representing the rating agency’s current opinion of the creditworthiness of the issuer or borrower. The Fund invests in securities of any credit rating, including securities with credit ratings below investment grade, i.e., “high yield bonds”, and may also invest in securities that have not been rated by a rating agency. The Adviser is not constrained by ratings when selecting debt securities for investment. Investments in high yield bonds may be subject to greater credit risks than securities with credit ratings above investment grade and have a greater risk of default than investment grade debt securities. Senior Loans typically have the most senior position in a borrower’s capital structure or share the senior position with other senior debt securities of the borrower which generally gives the holders of secured Senior Loans a priority claim on some or all of the Senior Loan’s collateral in the event of a default.
There is less readily available, reliable information about some Senior Loans than for many other types of securities. While the Senior Loan interests held by the Fund typically will be structured as assignments from third parties, the Fund may also purchase participations from a loan investor (“Loan Investor”). With respect to a participation in a Senior Loan, as the Fund will typically have a contractual relationship with the Loan Investor, not the borrower, the Fund assumes the credit risk of both the Loan Investor and borrower. With respect to Senior Loans, there can be no assurance that the liquidation of any collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of bankruptcy or non-payment of scheduled interest or principal payments or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In addition, actions taken by other investors in the Senior Loan may impact the Fund’s investment. In the event of the insolvency of a Loan Investor, the Fund may be treated as a general unsecured creditor of the Loan Investor and may not have a senior claim to the Loan Investor’s interest in the Senior Loan. In addition, there is no minimum rating or other independent evaluation of a borrower or its securities limiting the Fund’s investments. The Adviser relies primarily on its own evaluation of credit quality rather than on any available independent sources; therefore, the Fund is dependent on the analytical abilities of the Adviser.
The Fund invests in equity securities, which include common and preferred stocks across all market capitalizations, convertible securities, rights and warrants as well as private placement securities. The value of equity securities may be correlated to factors affecting an entire industry or sector, or factors directly related to a specific company. Private placement securities are considered to be restricted securities since they cannot be resold without registration or an exemption from registration, features that make them difficult to sell and may negatively impact the price at which they can be ultimately sold. In addition, the issuer typically does not have an obligation to provide liquidity to investors by buying the securities back when the investor wants to sell. Since the offering is not registered with the SEC, investors in a private placement have less protection under the federal securities laws against improper practices than investors in registered securities.
The Fund may, but is not required to, use derivatives, such as futures, forwards, options and swaps, as a substitute for taking a position in an underlying security, for speculation (taking a position in the hope of increasing returns), to manage interest rate or currency risk, or as part of a hedging strategy (attempting to reduce risk by offsetting one investment position with another). These derivative transactions will involve forward contracts, futures contracts, options and swaps, including options on futures and swaps. The Fund may engage in short-selling for speculation or for hedging purposes. A short sale involves selling a security the Fund does not own. The amount the Fund could lose on a short sale is theoretically unlimited (as compared to a long position, where the maximum loss is the amount invested). When the Fund engages in short-selling for hedging purposes, it is attempting to limit exposure to a possible market decline in the value of one or more of its portfolio securities.
The Fund may use futures and options for hedging or speculation. Participation in the options or futures markets involves investment risks and transactions costs to which the Fund would not be subject absent the use of these strategies. In particular, the loss from investing in futures contracts is potentially unlimited. If the Adviser’s prediction of movements in the securities, interest rate or currency markets is inaccurate, the Fund could be in a worse position than if such strategies were not used. Risks inherent in the use of options, futures contracts and options on futures contracts include: (1) imperfect correlation between the price of options and futures contracts and options thereon and movements in the prices of the securities being hedged; (2) the fact that skills needed to use these strategies are different from those needed to select portfolio securities; and (3) the possible absence of a liquid secondary market for any particular instrument at any time.
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The Fund may enter into swap agreements, including credit default swaps, which are agreements between two parties (counterparties) to exchange payments at specified dates (periodic payment dates) on the basis of a specified amount (notional amount) with the payments calculated with reference to a specified asset, reference rate, currency or index. It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including government regulation, could adversely affect a Fund’s ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.
Investment decisions are based on fundamental market factors, such as yield and credit quality differences among bonds as well as demand and supply trends. Investment decisions are also based on technical factors such as price momentum, market sentiment, and supply or demand imbalances. The Fund seeks to be opportunistic in pursuing companies that meet its criteria regardless of geographic location and, therefore, at certain times, the Fund could have sizeable positions in either developed countries or emerging markets. This opportunistic approach involves evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, such as to adjust its average maturity or quality, to shift assets into better yielding securities, or to alter sector or country exposure, or if the event-driven opportunity does not occur as expected. The Adviser also takes environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors into account when evaluating investment opportunities by reviewing ESG research and ratings information from one or more third-party ratings organizations. The specific areas of focus are: environmental (such as factors associated with climate change and natural resources), social (such as factors associated with human capital and stakeholder opposition) and governance (such as factors associated with corporate governance and corporate behavior) factors. Through its quantitative and qualitative analysis of ESG factors, the Adviser seeks to identify, understand and control ESG-related risks. The Adviser does not exclude investment opportunities based solely on ESG factors and an investment could be made in an issuer that scores poorly on ESG factors if such investment performs strongly on other factors considered.
For purposes of pursuing its investment goal, the Fund may enter into currency-related transactions involving certain derivative instruments, including currency and cross currency forwards, and currency and currency index futures contracts. The use of derivative currency transactions may allow the Fund to obtain net long or net negative (short) exposure to selected currencies. The results of such transactions may also represent, from time to time, a significant component of the Fund’s investment returns. The Fund may also enter into various other transactions involving derivatives, including financial futures contracts (such as interest rate or bond futures) and options on such contracts, and swap agreements (which may include interest rate and credit default swaps). The use of these derivative transactions may allow the Fund to obtain net long or net negative (short) exposures to selected interest rates, countries, duration or credit risks. The Adviser considers various factors, such as availability, cost and counterparty risk, in deciding whether, when and to what extent to enter into derivative transactions.
The Fund may use any of the above currency techniques or other derivative transactions for the purposes of enhancing Fund returns, increasing liquidity, gaining exposure to particular instruments in more efficient or less expensive ways and/or hedging risks relating to changes in interest rates and other market factors. By way of example, when the Adviser believes that the value of a particular foreign currency is expected to increase compared to the U.S. dollar, the Fund could enter into a forward contract to purchase that foreign currency at a future date. If at such future date the value of the foreign currency exceeds the then current amount of U.S. dollars to be paid by the Fund under the contract, the Fund will recognize a gain. When used for hedging purposes, a forward contract or other derivative instrument could be used to protect against possible declines in a currency’s value where a security held or to be purchased by the Fund is denominated in that currency, or it may be used to hedge the Fund’s position by entering into a transaction on another currency expected to perform similarly to the currency of the security held or to be purchased (a “proxy hedge”).
As part of the principal investment strategy, the Fund will engage in a variety of trading strategies in an attempt to provide absolute (positive) returns under various market conditions, which involve many of the same types of risks as the Fund’s other investment strategies. These trading strategies include:
Capital Structure Arbitrage. This strategy attempts to take advantage of a pricing inefficiency between two or more securities of the same company. For example, the Fund may buy a senior debt instrument that the Adviser believes is undervalued, while simultaneously shorting a subordinated debt instrument of the same issuer that is believed to be overvalued.
Convertible Arbitrage. This strategy involves the Fund purchasing a convertible bond and selling short the underlying common stock. Generally, this strategy seeks to profit from an improvement in credit quality of the issuer while hedging against default risk through the short sale of the underlying common stock. This strategy tends to perform better when equity markets are volatile because market volatility can positively impact the embedded optionality of the convertible bond.
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Pairs Trading. This strategy attempts to profit from pricing inefficiencies between the securities of two similar companies by buying the security of one company and shorting the security of the other. In these trades, the Adviser anticipates the relationship between these securities will diverge or converge to an expected level where it may profit from the long and short positions.
Merger Arbitrage. This strategy involves investing in the securities of companies subject to publicly announced mergers, takeovers, tender offers, leveraged buyouts, spinoffs, liquidations, or similar events. For example, the Fund may simultaneously purchase stock in a company being acquired, and sell stock in the company’s acquirer, anticipating to profit from the spread between the current market price and the ultimate purchase price of the company. The Fund may purchase or sell debt and/or equity securities that may be affected by these types of corporate events.
The Adviser generally intends to remain fully invested. However, the Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategy in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. As a temporary defensive measure, the Fund may hold some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents in domestic currencies, invest in domestic money market mutual securities (including repurchase agreements), purchase short-term debt securities of U.S. or corporate issuers, or invest in money market funds which purchase one or more of the foregoing. The Fund may also purchase such securities if the Adviser believes they may be necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs. During periods of time when the Fund is not fully invested, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Driehaus International Developed Equity Fund Driehaus International Developed Equity Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation. This investment objective is fundamental and cannot be changed without the approval of shareholders. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities issued by non-U.S. developed market companies of all market-capitalizations.
The Fund will invest in equity securities, including common stock and depositary receipts, of companies located in non-U.S. developed market countries. The Fund’s investment adviser considers a company to be a developed market company if such company is organized under the laws of, if its principal offices are in, its securities are principally traded in, or if the company derives at least 50% of its revenues or net profits from, or has at least 50% of its assets in, a developed market country as defined by the MSCI World ex USA Growth Index. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies domiciled in one or a few countries or regions. The Fund may invest in companies of any size, but its focus will typically be in large-capitalization companies. The Fund may participate in initial public offerings (“IPOs”) and in securities offerings that are not registered in the United States. While the Fund will invest primarily in the equity securities of non-U.S. developed market countries, the Fund may also from time to time invest up to a maximum of 20% of its assets in the equity securities of U.S. companies and/or non-developed market securities.
In managing the Fund, the investment adviser uses an investment approach that integrates top-down (focusing on the economy and market trends) analysis of the overall economy and bottom-up (focusing on individual stocks) analysis of individual securities. From a top-down perspective, the investment adviser looks at the relative value of securities to identify assets to include in the Fund’s portfolio. Bottom-up analysis involves evaluating fundamental factors, including a company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics in order to identify companies with more attractive earnings growth on a prospective basis. The investment adviser’s decision to buy or sell a security is also based on the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest.
Equity securities include common and preferred stocks, American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) or Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), equity-convertible securities such as warrants, rights, or options, and other classes of stock that may exist. The Fund may purchase foreign securities in the form of sponsored or un-sponsored depositary receipts or other securities representing underlying shares of foreign issuers. The Fund may purchase depositary receipts, rather than invest directly in the underlying shares of a foreign issuer, for liquidity, timing or transaction cost reasons. The Fund may also invest in domestic and foreign investment companies which, in turn, invest primarily in securities which the Fund could hold directly.
Investment decisions for the Fund’s growth style of investing, for those companies with operating histories, are based on the determination that a company’s revenue and earnings growth can materially exceed market expectations and that the security is at an attractive entry point. These decisions involve evaluating fundamental factors, including the company’s business model, the competitive landscape, upcoming product introductions and recent and projected financial metrics. The Adviser also takes environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors into account when evaluating investment opportunities by reviewing ESG research and ratings information from one or more third-party ratings organizations. The specific areas of focus are: environmental (such as factors associated with climate change and natural resources), social (such as factors
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associated with human capital and stakeholder opposition) and governance (such as factors associated with corporate governance and corporate behavior) factors. Through its quantitative and qualitative analysis of ESG factors, the Adviser seeks to identify, understand and control ESG-related risks. The Adviser does not exclude investment opportunities based solely on ESG factors and an investment could be made in an issuer that scores poorly on ESG factors if such investment performs strongly on other factors considered. The decision is also informed by the evaluation of technical or market factors, including price and volume trends, relative strength and institutional interest. To a lesser extent, the Fund’s Adviser also utilizes macroeconomic or country-specific analyses to evaluate the sustainability of a company’s growth rate. The Fund sells holdings for a variety of reasons, including the deterioration of the earnings profile, the violation of specific technical thresholds, to shift into securities with more compelling risk/reward characteristics or to alter sector or country exposure.
The Adviser generally intends to remain fully invested. However, the Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategy in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. As a temporary defensive measure, the Fund may hold some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents in domestic and foreign currencies, invest in domestic and foreign money market securities (including repurchase agreements), purchase short-term debt securities of U.S. or foreign government or corporate issuers, or invest in money market funds which purchase one or more of the foregoing. The Fund may also purchase such securities if the Adviser believes they may be necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs. During periods of time when the Fund is invested defensively, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
This section contains greater detail on the risks an investor would face as a shareholder in the Funds based on the Funds’ investment objectives and strategies.
Market Risk (All Funds). Each Fund is subject to market risk, which is the possibility that stock prices overall will decline over short or long periods. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. These fluctuations are expected to have a substantial influence on the value of each Fund’s shares. Due to the uncertainty caused by war, acts of terrorism, geopolitical conflict, public health issues, recessions, economic cycles, monetary and fiscal policy, company earnings, global pandemics and other risks, global markets may experience increased volatility which could adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments.
Growth Stock Risk (All Funds except Driehaus Global Fund). Growth stocks are typically priced higher than other stocks, in relation to earnings and other measures, because investors believe they have more growth potential. This potential may or may not be realized and, if it is not realized, may result in a loss to a Fund. Growth stock prices also tend to be more volatile than the overall market.
Foreign Securities and Currencies Risk (Driehaus Emerging Markets Growth Fund, Driehaus Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund, Driehaus International Small Cap Growth Fund, Driehaus Global Fund and Driehaus International Developed Equity Fund only). Investing outside the U.S. involves different risks than domestic investments. The Adviser believes that it may be possible to obtain significant returns from a Fund’s portfolio of foreign investments and to achieve increased diversification in comparison to a personal investment portfolio invested solely in U.S. securities. An investor may gain increased diversification by adding securities from various foreign countries (i) which offer different investment opportunities, (ii) that generally are affected by different economic trends, and (iii) whose stock markets do not generally move in a manner parallel to U.S. markets. At the same time, these opportunities and trends involve risks that may not be encountered in U.S. investments.
Investors should understand and consider carefully the greater risks involved in foreign investing. Investing in foreign securities – positions which are generally denominated in foreign currencies – and utilization of forward foreign currency exchange contracts involve certain considerations comprising both risks and opportunities not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. These considerations include: fluctuations in exchange rates of foreign currencies; possible imposition of exchange control regulations or currency restrictions that would prevent cash from being brought back to the U.S.; less public information with respect to issuers of securities; less government supervision of stock exchanges, securities brokers, and issuers of securities; lack of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; lack of uniform settlement periods and trading practices; less liquidity and frequently greater price volatility in foreign markets than in the U.S.; possible imposition of foreign taxes; possible investment in the securities of companies in developing as well as developed countries; the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure or nationalization of foreign bank deposits or other assets, establishment of exchange controls, the adoption of foreign government restrictions and other adverse political, social or diplomatic developments that could affect investment in these nations; U.S. and foreign
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government actions, such as the imposition of tariffs, economic trade sanctions or embargoes; sometimes less advantageous legal, operational and financial protections applicable to foreign subcustodial arrangements; and the historical lower level of responsiveness of foreign management to shareholder concerns (such as dividends and return on investment).
To the extent portfolio securities are issued by foreign issuers or denominated in foreign currencies, the Funds’ investment performance is affected by the strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against these currencies. Generally, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar against a foreign currency will reduce the value of a security denominated in that foreign currency, thereby decreasing a Fund’s overall net asset value. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad.
Emerging Markets Risk (Driehaus Emerging Markets Growth Fund, Driehaus Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund, Driehaus Global Fund and Driehaus International Small Cap Growth Fund only). The risks described above for foreign securities, including the risks of nationalization and expropriation of assets, are typically increased to the extent that a Fund invests in issuers located in less developed and developing nations. These securities markets are sometimes referred to as “emerging markets.” Investments in securities of issuers located in such countries are speculative and subject to certain special risks. The political and economic structures in many of these countries may be in their infancy and developing rapidly, and such countries may lack the social, political and economic characteristics of more developed countries. Certain of these countries have in the past failed to recognize private property rights and have at times nationalized and expropriated the assets of private companies. Some countries have inhibited the conversion of their currency to another. The currencies of certain emerging market countries have experienced devaluation relative to the U.S. dollar, and future devaluations may adversely affect the value of a Fund’s assets denominated in such currencies. There is some risk of currency contagion; the devaluation of one currency leading to the devaluation of another. As one country’s currency experiences “stress,” there is concern that the “stress” may spread to another currency. Many emerging markets have experienced substantial, and in some periods extremely high, rates of inflation for many years. Continued inflation may adversely affect the economies and securities markets of such countries. In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of a Fund’s investments in these countries and the availability to the Fund of additional investments in these countries. The small size, limited trading volume and relative inexperience of the securities markets in these countries may make a Fund’s investments in such countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in more developed countries, and the Fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before making investments in these countries. There may be little financial or accounting information available with respect to issuers located in these countries, and it may be difficult as a result to assess the value or prospects of an investment in such issuers. Based upon the apparent correlation between commodity cycles and a country’s securities markets, additional risk may exist.
Micro-Cap Company Risk (Driehaus Micro Cap Growth Fund, Driehaus Small Cap Growth Fund and Driehaus Event Driven Fund only). The securities of micro-cap companies may be more volatile in price, have wider spreads between their bid and ask prices, and have significantly lower trading volumes than the securities of larger capitalization companies. As a result, the purchase or sale of more than a limited number of shares of the securities of a smaller company may affect its market price. A Fund may need a considerable amount of time to purchase or sell their positions in these securities. Some micro-cap companies are followed by few, if any, securities analysts, and there tends to be less publicly available information about such companies. Their securities generally have even more limited trading volumes and are subject to even more abrupt or erratic market price movements than are small-cap and mid-cap securities, and the Funds may be able to deal with only a few market-makers when purchasing and selling micro-cap securities. Such companies also may have limited markets, financial resources or product lines, may lack management depth, and may be more vulnerable to adverse business or market developments. These conditions, which create greater opportunities to find securities trading well below the Adviser’s estimate of the company’s current worth, also involve increased risk.
Small- and Medium-Sized Company Risk (All Funds). Each Fund may invest in companies that are smaller, less established, with limited operating histories and less liquid markets for their stock, and therefore may be riskier investments. While small- and medium-sized companies generally have the potential for rapid growth, the securities of these companies often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies because small- and medium-sized companies may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. In addition, in many instances the securities of small- and medium-sized companies are traded only over-the-counter or on a regional securities exchange, and the frequency and volume of their trading is substantially less than is typical of larger companies. The value of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
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Large Capitalization Company Risk. (Driehaus International Developed Equity Fund only). The Fund may invest in large capitalization companies. Large companies may fall out of favor with investors based on market and economic conditions. In addition, larger companies may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies and may be less capable of responding quickly to competitive challenges and industry changes. As a result, the Fund’s value may not rise as much as, or may fall more than, the value of funds that focus on companies with smaller market capitalizations.
Allocation Risk (All Funds). A Fund’s overall risk level will depend on the companies, countries, regions, markets, market sectors, industries and asset classes in which the Fund is invested. Because each Fund may have significant weightings in a particular company, country, region, asset class, industry, market or market sector, the value of such Fund’s shares may be affected by events that adversely affect that company, country, region, market, industry, asset class, or market sector and may fluctuate more than that of a less focused fund.
Risks of Investment in the Far East Region (Driehaus Emerging Markets Growth Fund, Driehaus Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund, Driehaus Global Fund and Driehaus International Small Cap Growth Fund and Driehaus International Developed Equity Fund only). The Funds have or are expected to have a significant allocation to the far east geographical region, therefore they may be vulnerable to risks specific to that region. Certain economies in this region have experienced high inflation, high unemployment, currency devaluations and restrictions, and overextension of credit. Many far east economies have experienced rapid growth and industrialization, and there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. Economic events in any one country may have a significant economic effect on the entire region, as well as on major trading partners outside of the far east region. Any adverse event in the far east markets may have a significant adverse effect on some or all of the economies of the countries in which the Fund invests. Many far east countries are subject to political risk, including corruption and regional conflict with neighboring countries. In addition, many far east countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with demands for improved political, economic, and social conditions. The far east region, and particularly China and South Korea, may be adversely affected by political, military, economic, and other factors related to North Korea.
Risk of Investing in China (Driehaus Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund only). The Fund has or are expected to have a significant allocation to Chinese companies, therefore they may be vulnerable to risks specific to that country. The Chinese economy may be negatively impacted by trade or political disputes with China’s major trading partners, including the U.S., a decrease in the global demand for Chinese exports or a reduction in spending by Chinese consumers on domestic products. The central government in China has historically exercised significant control over China’s economy through state ownership and administrative regulation. Government action could have a substantial adverse effect on economic conditions in China, the economic prospects for and the market prices and liquidity of the securities of Chinese companies and the payment of dividends and interest by Chinese companies. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization; confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability, environmental issues, or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the value of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests.
Risks of Investment in India (Driehaus Emerging Markets Growth Fund and Driehaus Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund only). The Funds have a significant allocation to India and may be vulnerable to risks specific to that country. The potential for loss and unequal treatment of investors in Indian companies is increased due to many Indian companies being founder and/or family-controlled, which can result in less transparency and weaker corporate governance. Issues with bureaucratic obstacles, inconsistent economic and tax reform and corruption within the Indian government may adversely affect market conditions in the country.
Risks of Investment in Europe (Driehaus International Small Cap Growth Fund, Driehaus Global Fund and Driehaus International Developed Equity Fund only). Each Fund has or is expected to have a significant allocation to Europe and may be vulnerable to risks specific to the European region. Adverse economic, political or social developments in Europe, or in a particular European country, could have a negative effect on the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Many European countries are members of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (“EU”) and, as members, such countries share a common currency and certain fiscal policies. The EU requires compliance with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, interest rates, debt levels and fiscal and monetary controls, each of which may significantly affect every country in Europe. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro, the default or threat of default by an EU member country on its sovereign debt, and recessions in an EU member country may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of EU member countries. Separately, the EU faces issues involving its membership, structure, procedures and policies. The exit of one or more member states from the EU, such as the departure of the United Kingdom (“UK”) (known as “Brexit”), would place its currency and banking system in jeopardy. The exit by other member states may result in increased volatility, illiquidity and potentially lower economic growth in the affected markets, which could adversely affect a Fund’s investments.
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Health Care Securities Risk (Driehaus Micro Cap Growth Fund, Driehaus Small Cap Growth Fund and Driehaus Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund only). Because the Funds have or are expected to have a significant allocation to the health care sector, they may be vulnerable to setbacks in the industries in that sector. Health care companies may be negatively affected by scientific or technological developments, research and development costs, increased competition within the health care sector, rapid product obsolescence and patent expirations. The price of securities of health care companies may fluctuate widely due to changes in legislation or other government regulations, including uncertainty regarding health care reform and its long-term impact, reductions in government funding and the unpredictability of winning government approvals.
Information Technology Securities Risk (Driehaus Micro Cap Growth Fund, Driehaus Small Cap Growth Fund and Driehaus Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund only). Because the Funds have or are expected to have a significant allocation to the information technology sector, they may be vulnerable to setbacks in the industries in that sector. Generally, the companies in this sector develop, produce or distribute products or services related to computer hardware, software, semi-conductors and electronics. Technology companies may be vulnerable to market saturation and rapid product obsolescence. Many technology companies operate in a constantly changing environment and have limited business lines and limited financial resources, making them highly vulnerable to business and economic risks. In addition, technology company securities may be subject to abrupt or erratic market movements, management that is dependent on a limited number of people, short product cycles, changing consumer preferences, aggressive pricing of products and services, new market entrants and dependency on patent protection.
Industrial Securities Risk (Driehaus Micro Cap Growth Fund, Driehaus Small Cap Growth Fund and Driehaus Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund only). Because the Funds have or are expected to have a significant allocation to the industrials sector, they may be vulnerable to setbacks in the industries in that sector. Industrial companies are vulnerable to negative or abrupt changes in economic growth, changes in end market or sub-industry conditions, product cycles, inventories, pricing and earnings.
Depositary Receipts Risk (All Funds). The Funds may invest in foreign securities in the form of depositary receipts and/or securities traded directly on U.S. exchanges. Depositary receipts represent ownership of securities in foreign companies and are held in banks and trust companies. They include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), which are traded on U.S. exchanges and are U.S. dollar-denominated. Although ADRs do not eliminate the risks inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers, which include market, political, currency and regulatory risk, by investing in ADRs rather than directly in securities of foreign issuers, The Funds may avoid currency risks during the settlement period for purchases or sales. In general, there is a large, liquid market in the United States for many ADRs. The information available for ADRs is subject to the accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards of the domestic market exchange on which they are traded, in which standards are more uniform and more exacting than those to which many foreign issuers may be subject. The Funds may invest in ADRs sponsored or unsponsored by the issuer of the underlying security. In the case of an unsponsored ADR, the Funds may bear higher expenses and encounter greater difficulty in receiving shareholder communications than they would have with a sponsored ADR.
The Driehaus Emerging Markets Growth Fund, Driehaus Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund, Driehaus Global Fund, Driehaus International Small Cap Growth Fund, Driehaus Event Driven Fund, and Driehaus International Developed Equity Fund may invest in other forms of depositary receipts including European Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts, which may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies and are generally designed for use in securities markets outside the U.S. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer’s home country. The depositary bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. Depositary receipts may be less liquid or may trade at a lower price than the underlying securities of the issuer. An issuer may delist or, the issuer or its depositary bank may terminate a depositary receipts program, which could lead to the assessment of fees by depositary banks, operational challenges in the conversion process, and a reduction in the liquidity of the shares.
High Rates of Turnover (All Funds except Driehaus International Small Cap Growth Fund and Driehaus International Developed Equity Fund). A Fund’s annual turnover rate indicates changes in its portfolio investments. The Adviser will not consider portfolio turnover rate a limiting factor in making investment decisions consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. It is anticipated that the Funds will each experience high rates of portfolio turnover. High portfolio turnover in any year will result in payment by a Fund of above-average amounts of transaction costs and could result in the payment by shareholders of taxes on above-average amounts of recognized investment gains, including net short-term capital gains, which are taxed as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes when distributed to shareholders. Under normal market conditions, only securities that increase in value shortly after purchase and that generally continue to increase in value (although they may experience temporary stagnant or declining periods) will be retained by the Funds.
Securities sold by a Fund may be purchased again at a later date if the Adviser perceives that the securities are again “timely.” In addition, portfolio adjustments will be made when conditions affecting relevant markets, particular industries or individual issues warrant such action. In light of these factors and the historical volatility of foreign and domestic growth stocks, The
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Funds are likely to experience high portfolio turnover rates, but portfolio turnover rates may vary significantly from year to year as noted in the Funds’ Financial Highlights. Portfolio turnover may also be affected by sales of portfolio securities necessary to meet cash requirements for redemptions of shares.
Manager Risk (All Funds). How the Adviser manages each Fund will impact the Fund’s performance. A Fund may lose money if the Adviser’s investment strategy does not achieve the Fund’s objective or the Adviser does not implement the strategy successfully. In making security selections (including ESG factors relevant to a security), the Adviser relies on data that may be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable, which could adversely affect the analysis of a particular investment.
Liquidity Risk (Driehaus Event Driven Fund only). Not readily marketable, illiquid securities include restricted securities and repurchase obligations maturing in more than seven days. When there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities or an unusually high volume of redemptions or other similar conditions, it can become more difficult to sell the securities at or near their perceived value or the Fund may sell certain investments at a price or time that is not advantageous in order to meet redemption requests or other cash needs. In such a market, the value of such securities and the Fund’s share price may fall dramatically, and in extreme conditions, the Fund could have difficulty meeting redemption requests. No active trading market may exist for some Senior Loans, derivatives, bonds or equities and certain of these investments may be subject to restrictions on resale. The inability to dispose of (or convert to cash) Senior Loans or to dispose of derivatives, bonds or equity securities in a timely fashion could result in losses to the Fund. Extraordinary and sudden changes in interest rates could disrupt the market for fixed-income securities and result in fluctuations in the Fund’s net asset value. Investments in many, but not all, foreign securities tend to have greater exposure to liquidity risk than domestic securities. Certain restricted securities that may be resold to institutional investors under Rule 144A and Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933 commercial paper may be deemed liquid under the Trust’s Liquidity Risk Management Program approved by the Board of Trustees. The absence of a trading market can make it difficult to ascertain a market value for illiquid or restricted securities. The Fund’s investments in illiquid investments that are assets are limited to 15% of net assets; such limit applies at the time of purchase and continues thereafter.
Risks of Debt Securities (Driehaus Event Driven Fund only). Investments in such debt securities are limited to those that are rated within the four highest grades (generally referred to as “investment grade”) assigned by a nationally or internationally recognized statistical rating organization. Investments in unrated debt securities are limited to those deemed to be of comparable quality as analyzed by the Adviser under its own procedures. Securities in the fourth-highest grade may possess speculative characteristics. If the rating of a security held by the Fund is lost or reduced below investment grade, the Fund is not required to dispose of the security. The Adviser will, however, consider that fact in determining whether the Fund should continue to hold the security. The risks inherent in a debt security depend primarily on its term and quality, as well as on market conditions. A decline in the prevailing levels of interest rates generally increases the value of debt securities. Conversely, an increase in rates usually reduces the value of debt securities.
Debt securities may be subject to credit risk, interest rate risk, prepayment and extension risk as well as call risk. Credit risk is the failure of an issuer or borrower to make timely interest or principal payments, or a decline or perception of a decline in the credit quality of a bond or creditworthiness of a borrower, which can cause the security’s price to fall, potentially lowering the Fund’s share price. Prices of bonds tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in rates will adversely affect bond prices and, accordingly, the Fund’s share price. The longer a debt security’s effective maturity and duration, the more its price is likely to react to interest rates. Interest rate changes normally have different effects on variable or floating rate securities than they do on securities with fixed interest rates. When interest rates fall, debt securities may be repaid more quickly than expected and the Fund may be required to reinvest the proceeds at a lower interest rate. This is referred to as “prepayment risk.” When interest rates rise, debt securities may be repaid more slowly than expected and the value of a Fund’s holdings may fall sharply. This is referred to as “extension risk.” If an issuer “calls” its bond before its maturity date during a time of declining interest rates, the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield.
High Yield Risk (Driehaus Event Driven Fund only). Low-rated and comparable unrated securities (“junk bonds”), while generally offering higher yields than investment grade securities with similar maturities, involve greater risks, including the possibility of default or bankruptcy. They are regarded as speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and to repay principal. The market values of certain of these securities tend to be more sensitive to individual corporate development and changes in economic conditions than higher quality bonds. In addition, junk bonds tend to be less marketable than higher-quality debt securities because the market for them is not as broad or active. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse effect on market price and the Funds’ ability to sell particular securities.
Senior Loan Risk (Driehaus Event Driven Fund only). The Fund invests in Senior Loans. Senior Loans are business loans made to borrowers that may be corporations, partnerships or other entities (each a “Borrower”). These Borrowers operate in a variety of industries and across geographic regions. Investing in Senior Loans involves investment risk and some Borrowers default
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on their Senior Loan repayments. The risks associated with Senior Loans are similar to the risks of junk bonds, although Senior Loans typically are senior and secured, whereas junk bonds often are subordinated and unsecured. Investments in Senior Loans typically are below investment grade and are considered speculative because of the credit risks of their Borrowers. Such Borrowers are more likely to default on their payments of interest and principal owed, and such defaults could reduce the Fund’s net asset value and income distributions. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a Senior Loan may lose significant value before a default occurs. No active trading market may exist for certain Senior Loans, which may impair the ability of the Fund to realize full value in the event of the need to sell a Senior Loan and which may make it difficult to value Senior Loans. Adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of some actively traded Senior Loans. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain Senior Loans, the market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. Senior Loans are subject to the risk that when sold, such sale may not settle in a timely manner, resulting in a settlement date that may be much later than the trade date. Delayed settlement interferes with the Fund’s ability to realize the proceeds of Senior Loan sales in a timely way. There is no assurance that the liquidation of the collateral would satisfy the claims of the Borrower’s obligations in the event of the non-payment of scheduled interest or principal, or that the collateral could be readily liquidated. Senior Loans may not be deemed to be securities and, in such case, may not be afforded the anti-fraud protections of the Federal securities laws in the event of fraud or misrepresentation by a Borrower.
Equity Securities Risk (All Funds). The risks that could affect the value of each Fund’s shares and the total return on an investment in the Fund include the possibility that the equity securities held by the Fund (such as common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, rights and warrants) will experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect the securities markets generally, such as adverse changes in economic conditions, the general outlook for corporate earnings, interest rates or investor sentiment. Equity securities may also lose value because of factors affecting an entire industry or sector, or factors directly related to a specific company. In a company liquidation, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stocks take precedence over the claims of common stock shareholders.
Risks of Derivatives (Driehaus Event Driven Fund only). The Fund may invest in derivative instruments. Derivative instruments (such as swaps, options, futures and forwards) often have risks similar to their underlying currency, security or index, in addition to other risks. The use of derivatives also involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying assets. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value, and there is a risk of imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument. Derivative instruments may give rise to leverage and losses on derivatives may substantially exceed the initial investment. When used for hedging, the change in value of the derivative may also not correlate specifically with the currency, security or other risk being hedged. Further, since the Fund may invest in derivatives for speculative purposes, losses from speculative positions in a derivative may be much greater than the derivative’s original cost and may be substantial. With over-the-counter derivatives, there is the risk that the other party to the transaction could default. Derivatives may be subject to pricing or “basis” risk, which exists when a particular derivative becomes extraordinarily expensive relative to historical prices or the prices of its corresponding instrument.
The U.S. government and foreign governments are in the process of adopting and implementing regulations governing derivatives markets, including mandatory clearing of certain derivatives, position limits, margin and reporting requirements. The ultimate impact of the regulations remains unclear. Additional regulation of derivatives may make derivatives more costly, limit their availability or utility, otherwise adversely affect their performance or disrupt markets. The Fund implemented the requirements of rule 18f-4 (“Rule 18f-4”), which governs the use of derivatives by registered investment companies on August 19, 2022. Rule 18f-4 imposes limits on the amount of derivatives funds may enter into, eliminates the asset segregation framework previously used by a Fund to comply with Section 18 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, treats derivatives as senior securities so that a failure to comply with the limits would result in a statutory violation and requires funds whose use of derivatives are more than a limited specific exposure amount to establish and maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program and to appoint a derivatives risk manager.
In seeking to achieve its desired investment objective, provide additional revenue or hedge against changes in security prices, interest rates or currency fluctuations, the Fund may: (1) purchase and write both call options and put options on securities, indices and foreign currencies; (2) enter into interest rate, index and foreign currency futures contracts; (3) write options on such futures contracts; (4) purchase other types of forward or investment contracts linked to individual securities, indices or other benchmarks; and (5) enter into various equity or interest rate transactions, participation notes, swaps, caps, floors or collars, and may enter into various currency transactions such as deliverable and non-deliverable foreign currency forward contracts, currency futures contracts, currency swaps or options on currencies (“derivatives”). For these purposes, forward currency contracts are not considered “derivatives.” The Fund may write a call or put option only if the option is covered. As the writer of a covered call option, each Fund forgoes, during the option’s life, the opportunity to profit from increases in
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market value of the security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the exercise price of the call. There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist when the Fund seeks to close out a position. In addition, because futures positions may require low margin deposits, the use of futures contracts involves a high degree of leverage and may result in losses in excess of the amount of the margin deposit.
The successful use of derivatives depends on the Adviser’s ability to correctly predict changes in the levels and directions of movements in currency exchange rates, security prices, interest rates and other market factors affecting the derivative itself or the value of the underlying asset or benchmark. In addition, correlations in the performance of an underlying asset to a derivative may not be well established. Finally, privately negotiated and over-the-counter derivatives may not be as well regulated, may be less marketable than exchange-traded derivatives and may be subject to greater risks such as counterparty risks (e.g., counterparty is unable or unwilling to honor the contract).
With respect to equity index futures contracts entered into by the Fund, there are significant differences between the securities and futures markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between the markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives. The degree of imperfection of correlation depends on circumstances such as variations in speculative market demand for futures, futures options and the related securities, including technical influences in futures and futures options trading and differences between the securities markets and the securities underlying the standard contracts available for trading. For example, the composition of the index, including the issuers and the weighting of each issue, may differ from the composition of the Fund’s portfolio.
Swap agreements typically involve a small investment of cash relative to the magnitude of risks assumed. As a result, they can be highly volatile and may have a considerable impact on a Fund’s performance. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a counterparty. In addition, if a counterparty’s creditworthiness declines, the value of a swap will likely decline, potentially resulting in losses for the Fund. The Fund may also suffer losses if it is unable to terminate outstanding swaps (either by assignment or other disposition). It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including additional government regulation, could adversely affect a Fund’s ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.
In addition to the risks applicable to derivatives generally, credit default swaps involve special risks because they are difficult to value, are highly susceptible to liquidity and credit risk, and generally pay a return to the party that has paid the premium only in the event of an actual default by the issuers of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial difficulty).
Options and Futures Contracts Risk. Participation in the options or futures markets involves investment risks and transaction costs to which the Fund would not be subject absent the use of these strategies. In particular, the loss from investing in futures contracts is potentially unlimited. If the Fund’s Adviser’s prediction of movements in the underlying reference securities, interest rate or currency markets is inaccurate, the Fund could be in a worse position than if such strategies were not used. Risks inherent in the use of options, futures contracts and options on futures contracts include: (1) imperfect correlation between the price of options and futures contracts and options thereon and movements in the prices of the securities being hedged; (2) the fact that skills needed to use these strategies are different from those needed to select portfolio securities; and (3) the possible absence of a liquid secondary market for any particular instrument at any time.
Swaps Risk. The Fund may invest in swaps. A swap contract is a commitment between two parties to make or receive payments based on agreed upon terms, and whose value and payments are derived by changes in the value of an underlying financial instrument. Swap transactions can take many different forms and are known by a variety of names. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities, because swaps may be leveraged and are subject to counterparty risk (e.g., the risk of a counterparty’s defaulting on the agreement), credit risk and pricing risk (i.e., swaps may be difficult to value). In instances where an investment in a swap is meant to be correlated to an investment in the instrument or security underlying the swap, such correlation may not be perfect and/or may not result in the expected outcome due to these added risks. In addition, it may not be possible for a Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. As a result of the Dodd-Frank Act, certain swap agreements are required to be cleared through a clearinghouse and traded on an exchange or swap execution facility. Swaps are subject to initial and variation margin requirements. Such future regulation of the swaps markets may make swaps more costly, may limit the availability of swaps, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of swaps. Any such adverse future developments could impair the effectiveness of the Fund’s swaps transactions and cause the Fund to lose value.
Credit Derivatives Risk. The Fund may use credit derivatives. The use of credit derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. If the Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of default risks, liquidity risk, counterparty risk, market spreads or other applicable factors, the investment performance of the Fund would diminish compared with what it would have been if these techniques were not
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used. Moreover, even if the Adviser is correct in its forecasts, there is a risk that a credit derivative position may correlate imperfectly with the price of the asset or liability being protected. The Fund’s risk of loss in a credit derivative transaction varies with the form of the transaction. For example, if the Fund sells protection under a credit default swap, it would collect periodic fees from the buyer and would profit if the credit of the underlying issuer or reference entity remains stable or improves while the swap is outstanding, but the Fund would be required to pay an agreed upon amount to the buyer (which may be the entire notional amount of the swap) if the reference entity defaults on the reference security. Credit default swap agreements involve greater risks than if the Fund invested in the reference obligation directly.
Deliverable and Non-Deliverable Foreign Currency Forwards and Options Risk. The Fund may use forward and options contracts. Deliverable and non-deliverable foreign currency forward and options contracts involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted, which could result in losses on those contracts and additional transaction costs. The use of forward and options contracts could reduce performance if there are unanticipated changes in currency prices. Options on foreign currencies are affected by the factors that influence foreign exchange rates and investments generally. The Fund’s ability to establish and close out positions on foreign currency options is subject to the maintenance of a liquid secondary market, and there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option at any specific time.
Event Risk (Driehaus Event Driven Fund only). Event-driven opportunities may not occur as anticipated, resulting in potentially reduced returns or losses to a Fund as it unwinds trades where those opportunities do not materialize as anticipated. For example, investments in companies that are the subject of a publicly announced transaction carry the risk that the proposed or expected transaction may not be completed or may be completed on less favorable terms than originally expected, which may lower the Fund’s performance.
Arbitrage Risk (Driehaus Event Driven Fund only). Employing arbitrage strategies involves the risk that anticipated opportunities do not turn out as planned, resulting in potentially reduced returns or losses to the Fund.
Short Sale Risk (Driehaus Event Driven Fund only). Short sales expose a Fund to the risk that it will be required to buy the security sold short (also known as “covering” the short position) at a time when the security has appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to a Fund. The amount a Fund could lose on a short sale is theoretically unlimited (as compared to a long position, where the maximum loss is the amount invested). The use of short sales may also cause a Fund to have higher expenses than those of other funds due to the payment of dividends and interest, if any, in connection with the short position as well as the cost to borrow the security.
SPAC Risk (Driehaus Event Driven Fund only). The Fund may invest in stock, warrants and other securities of special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) or similar special purpose entities that pool funds to seek potential acquisition opportunities. Unless and until the acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets (less a portion retained to cover expenses) in U.S. Government securities, money market fund securities and cash; if an acquisition that meets the requirements for the SPAC is not completed within a pre-established period of time, the invested funds are returned to the entity’s shareholders. Because SPACs and similar entities are in essence blank check companies without an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity’s management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions which may increase the volatility of their prices. In addition, these securities may be considered illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on resale.
Shareholder Concentration Risk (Driehaus Event Driven Fund only). The Fund may be an investment option for unaffiliated mutual funds and other investors with substantial investments in the Fund. As a result, the Fund may have large inflows and outflows of cash from time to time. This could have adverse effects on the Fund’s performance if the Fund were required to sell securities or invest cash at times when it otherwise would not do so. This activity could also accelerate the recognition of capital gains and increase the Fund’s transaction costs.
Other Investment Strategies and Risks
All investments, including those in mutual funds, have risks. No investment is suitable for all investors. Each Fund is intended for long term investors. Of course, there can be no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective. There are specific restrictions on each Fund’s investments. Such restrictions are detailed in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). Some investment practices described below may not be permissible for a Fund. In addition to the principal risks described above, the Funds’ investments involve additional potential risks which are summarized below. The SAI also contains more detailed or additional information about certain of these practices, the potential risks and/or the limitations adopted by each Fund to help manage such risks. Each Fund may not use all of these techniques or strategies or might only use them from time-to-time.
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Recent Market Events Risk. The domestic and foreign equity and debt capital markets have experienced unprecedented volatility in the past decades. This has caused a significant decline in the value and liquidity of many securities and may create a higher degree of volatility in the net asset values of many mutual funds, including the Funds. Because these events are unprecedented, it is difficult to predict their magnitude or duration. Global markets may continue to experience increased volatility which could, directly or indirectly, adversely affect the performance of the Funds’ investments. Changes in market conditions will not have the same impact on all types of securities and the value of certain types of securities may decline in value in the event certain issuer’s financial condition becomes significantly impaired. The U.S. government and the Federal Reserve, as well as certain foreign governments and central banks, have taken steps to reign in elevated levels of inflation. Past government intervention, including that of the Federal Reserve, aimed at supporting financial markets, have been reduced and/or ended. Continued reduction or withdrawal of Federal Reserve or other U.S. or non-U.S. governmental or central bank support, including interest rate increases, could negatively affect financial markets generally, increase market volatility and reduce the value and liquidity of securities in which a Fund invests.
Policy and legislative changes in the U.S. and other countries and other events affecting global markets are affecting many aspects of financial regulation and in some circumstances contribute to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in financial markets. The impact of these changes may not be known for some time.
Risks of Debt Securities. Each Fund may invest up to 20% of their total assets in nonconvertible debt securities. Investments in such debt securities are limited to those that are rated within the four highest grades (generally referred to as “investment grade”) assigned by a nationally or internationally recognized statistical rating organization. Investments in unrated debt securities are limited to those deemed to be of comparable quality as analyzed by the Adviser under its own procedures. Securities in the fourth-highest grade may possess speculative characteristics. If the rating of a security held by a Fund is lost or reduced below investment grade, the Fund is not required to dispose of the security. The Adviser will, however, consider that fact in determining whether a Fund should continue to hold the security. The risks inherent in a debt security depend primarily on its term and quality, as well as on market conditions. A decline in the prevailing levels of interest rates generally increases the value of debt securities. Conversely, an increase in rates usually reduces the value of debt securities.
Debt securities may be subject to credit risk, interest rate risk, prepayment and extension risk as well as call risk. Credit risk is the failure of an issuer or borrower to make timely interest or principal payments, or a decline or perception of a decline in the credit quality of a bond or creditworthiness of a borrower, which can cause the security’s price to fall, potentially lowering a Fund’s share price. Prices of bonds tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in rates will adversely affect bond prices and, accordingly, a Fund’s share price. The longer a debt security’s effective maturity and duration, the more its price is likely to react to interest rates. Interest rate changes normally have different effects on variable or floating rate securities than they do on securities with fixed interest rates. When interest rates fall, debt securities may be repaid more quickly than expected and a Fund may be required to reinvest the proceeds at a lower interest rate. This is referred to as “prepayment risk.” When interest rates rise, debt securities may be repaid more slowly than expected and the value of a Fund’s holdings may fall sharply. This is referred to as “extension risk.” If an issuer “calls” its bond before its maturity date during a time of declining interest rates, a Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield.
Investment Companies. Each Fund may invest in domestic investment companies and, with the exception of the Driehaus Micro Cap Growth Fund, the Driehaus Small Cap Growth Fund, Driehaus Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund, foreign investment companies. Some countries may not permit direct investment by outside investors. Investments in such countries may only be permitted through foreign government-approved or government-authorized investment vehicles, which may include other investment companies. In addition, it may be less expensive and more expedient for a Fund to invest in a foreign investment company in a country that permits direct foreign investment; similarly, a Fund may invest in a money market fund in order to receive a higher rate of return or to be more productively invested than would be possible through direct investment in money market instruments. Investing through such vehicles may involve layered fees or expenses. The Funds do not intend to invest in such investment companies unless, in the judgment of the Adviser, the potential benefits of such investments justify the payment of any associated fees or expenses.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is an equity security but possesses certain attributes of debt securities. Holders of preferred stock normally have the right to receive dividends at a fixed rate when and as declared by the issuer’s board of directors, but do not otherwise participate in amounts available for distribution by the issuing corporation. Preferred stock present certain additional risks, including credit risk, interest rate risk, subordination to bonds and other debt securities in a company’s capital structure, liquidity risk, and the risk of limited or no voting rights. Additionally, during periods of declining interest rates, there is a risk that an issuer may redeem its outstanding preferred stock. If this happens, the Fund may be forced to reinvest in lower yielding securities. An issuer of preferred stock may have special redemption rights that, when exercised, may negatively impact the return of the preferred stock held by the Funds.