Royce Small-Cap Special Equity in Morningstar—Royce
article 11-20-2025

Royce Small-Cap Special Equity in Morningstar

Morningstar’s Russ Kinnel includes Royce Small-Cap Special Equity in These Are the Funds in Morningstar’s 401(k): Low-cost funds for the long haul.

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Morningstar’s Russ Kinnel includes Royce Small-Cap Special Equity in These Are the Funds in Morningstar’s 401(k): Low-cost funds for the long haul.

Kinnel writes, “I have been on Morningstar’s 401(k) committee for more than 25 years. In that capacity, I work with colleagues to choose and monitor the funds available to employees in that plan. Although options for 401(k)s have grown, we’ve long had a core philosophy of selecting highly rated, low-cost funds that should work for employees over the long haul… We try to cover all the important areas needed for a diversified portfolio. We also want to provide options for different investor types, so there is an overlap built in. We don’t intend for employees to own every single fund.”

Moving on to the included funds, Kinnel says that Royce Small-Cap Special Equity Fund “is a great diversifier and a nice shelter from the market’s storms. Charlie Dreifus and team focus on companies with clean accounting, cheap valuations, and solid balance sheets. That defensive nature works wonderfully in bear markets and recessions. Just don’t look for it to put up huge numbers in big rallies.”

Important Disclosure Information

Average Annual Total Returns as of 9/30/2025 (%)

  QTD1 1YR 3YR 5YR 10YR SINCE
INCEPT.
DATE ANNUAL
OPERATING EXPENSES
NET               GROSS
Small-Cap Special Equity 8.62 1.68 9.74 9.63 7.72 8.24 05/01/98  1.22  1.22
Russell 2000 Value
12.60 7.88 13.56 14.59 9.23 7.82 N/A  N/A  N/A
Russell 2000
12.39 10.76 15.21 11.56 9.77 7.49 N/A  N/A  N/A
1 Not annualized.

All performance information reflects past performance, is presented on a total return basis, reflects the reinvestment of distributions, and does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or the redemption of fund shares. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate, so that shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when redeemed. Current month-end performance may be higher or lower than performance quoted and may be obtained at www.royceinvest.com. Operating expenses reflect the Fund's total annual operating expenses for the Investment Class as of the Fund's most current prospectus and include management fees and other expenses.

This material is not authorized for distribution unless preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing or sending money. The Fund invests primarily in small-cap stocks which may involve considerably more risk than investing in larger-cap stocks. (Please see "Primary Risks for Fund Investors" in the prospectus.) As of 12/31/24, the Fund invested a significant portion of its assets in a limited number of stocks, which may involve considerably more risk than more broadly diversified portfolio because a decline in the value of any one of these stocks would cause the Fund’s overall value to decline to a greater degree. (Please see "Primary Risks for Fund Investors" in the prospectus.)

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