The fund seeks capital appreciation in the long term by investing in small-size companies in the United States.
The fund is a feeder fund that invests substantially all of its assets in the Small Company Growth Portfolio, a master portfolio with a substantially identical investment objective and substantially similar investment strategies.
Also, the fund may invest in additional master portfolios, in other Wells Fargo Funds, or directly in a portfolio of securities.
The sub-adviser’s investment process starts with a list of companies in the benchmark index and the research team utilizes quantitative techniques and fundamental analysis to identify investment opportunities.
In selecting securities for the portfolio, the team focuses on companies where the prospects for rapid earnings growth (Discovery phase) or significant change (Rediscovery phase) are not reflected in the current stock price.
Companies that fit into the Discovery phase are those with rapid long-term (3-5 year) earnings growth prospects.
Companies that fit into the Rediscovery phase are those that have the prospect for sharply accelerating near-term earnings (next 12-18 months), or companies trading at discounts to their underlying asset value.
As part of the research, the team meets with the management of several hundred companies each year and conducts independent external research.
Then the manager constructs a portfolio of stocks from a list of companies favored by the research team and allocates capital based on its conviction level.
Additionally, the fund invests in equity securities of foreign issuers through American Depository Receipts and similar investments.