Mid Cap Value Fund (DALCX)
Dean Family of Fund's Small Cap Value, Mid Cap Value, and Equity Income Funds are distributed by Unified Financial Securities. All funds are open to investors.
Commentaries are for financial professional use only. Please contact info@chdean.com to obtain the password for the quarterly commentary.
Dean Mid Cap Value Fund | |
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Ticker | DALCX |
Benchmark | Russell Midcap Value |
Morningstar Category | Mid Cap Value |
Fund Assets (as of 8/31/23) | $104.2 Million |
Minimum Initial Purchase | $1,000 |
Minimum IRA Purchase | $250 |
Gross Expense Ratio | 1.06% |
Net Expense Ratio | 0.85% |
Sub-advisor Inception date | 6/30/08 |
Investment Strategy Change - Mid Cap | 3/31/11 |
Portfolio Guidelines | |
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Market Capitalization | $3.5 billion to $40 billion |
Number of Holdings | 40 - 60 Stocks |
Sector Variance | ± 15% |
Security Max | 5% @ purchase 7% @ market |
Typical top 10 concentration | 15% - 35% |
Cash Exposure | < 5% |
Foreign Exposure | < 10% |
Why Mid Cap Value Fund

UNDERFOLLOWED
MARKET SEGMENT
Mid Cap stocks ($3.5B – $40B in Mkt. Cap.) are less frequently followed by Wall Street.

ADVANTAGES OVER
LARGE CAP FUND
Large companies are generally slower growing, mature companies with relatively stable businesses. Typically higher earnings and revenue growth than larger companies. Nimble – ability to react to environment quickly (add to workforce, ramp up production, etc.).

ADVANTAGES OVER
SMALL CAP FUND
Typically less financial risk, and range of outcomes typically not as wide. Typically more mature and established business model. Proven management team that has navigated the small cap space.
Our Investment Objective
The Dean Mid Cap Value Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation and, secondarily, dividend income.
Principal Strategies
The Fund primarily invests in mid cap companies with market capitalization similar to companies listed on the Russell Midcap Value Index* at the time of investment. As of March 31, 2023, the market capitalization of companies listed on the Russell Midcap Value Index ranged from $536.7 million to $53.1 billion, and the median was $9.1 billion. The Fund’s portfolio managers utilize a multi-factored valuation method to identify companies that are trading below intrinsic value or that may have been overlooked by the marketplace. The portfolio managers consider such factors as a company’s normal earnings power, its discounted cash flows, as well as various ratios, including the price-to-earning or price-to-book value ratios. The Fund’s portfolio managers evaluate companies using fundamental, bottom-up research. The Fund seeks to preserve capital in down markets and to diversify its portfolio in traditional, as well as relative, value-oriented investments.
The portfolio managers look for stocks of companies that they believe are undervalued at the time of purchase. The managers use a value investment strategy that looks for companies that are temporarily out of favor in the market. The managers attempt to purchase the stocks of these undervalued companies and to hold each stock until it has returned to favor in the market and the price has increased to, or is higher than, a level the managers believe more accurately reflects the fair value of the company.
Companies may be undervalued due to market declines, poor economic conditions, actual or anticipated bad news regarding the issuer or its industry, or because they have been overlooked by the market. To identify these companies, the portfolio managers look for companies with earnings, cash flows and/or assets that are not accurately reflected in the companies market values. The managers may also consider whether the companies securities have a favorable dividend and/or interest-paying history and whether such payments are expected to continue.
The portfolio managers may sell stocks from the Fund’s portfolio if they believe:
• A stock no longer meets their valuation criteria
• A stock’s risk parameters outweigh its return opportunity more attractive alternatives are identified
• Specific events alter a stock’s prospects
Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of U.S. and foreign mid cap companies directly, or indirectly, through other investment companies (including exchange-traded funds) that invest primarily in U.S. and foreign mid cap companies. Equity securities in which the Fund and underlying funds may invest include common stocks, securities convertible into common stocks (such as convertible bonds, convertible preferred stocks and warrants), and equity real estate investment trusts (REITs). Equity REITs trade like common stocks and invest directly in real estate, or other readily marketable securities that are issued by companies investing in, or that are secured by, real estate or real estate interests. The Fund may invest in foreign mid cap companies directly or through depository receipts such as American Depository Receipts (ADRs) and Global Depository Receipts (GDRs). Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, while GDRs, in bearer form, may be denominated in other currencies and are designed for use in multiple foreign securities markets. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying foreign securities, while GDRs are foreign receipts evidencing a similar arrangement.
The Fund may invest its remaining assets in equity securities of small-cap or large-cap companies, preferred stocks, or derivative instruments such as put and call options and futures contracts, and in fixed income securities, including corporate bonds.
*The Russell Midcap Value Index measures the performance of the mid-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell Midcap Index companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The Russell Midcap Index is a subset of the Russell 1000® Index. It includes approximately 800 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. The Russell Midcap Index represents approximately 27% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 1000 companies.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.
Equity and fixed-income securities are subject to inherent market risks and fluctuations in value due to changes in earnings, economic conditions, quality ratings and other factors beyond the control of the portfolio managers. Fixed-income securities and equities to a lesser extent are also subject to price fluctuations based upon changes in the level of interest rates, which will generally result in all those securities changing in price in the same way, i.e., all fixed-income securities experiencing appreciation when interest rates decline and depreciation when interest rates rise. As a result, there is a risk that you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Preferred stocks, bonds, and fixed-income securities rated Baa or BBB have speculative characteristics and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay principal and interest or to pay the preferred stock obligations than is the case with higher grade securities.
Investment in securities of foreign issuers involves somewhat different investment risks from those affecting securities of domestic issuers. In addition to credit and market risk, investments in foreign securities involve sovereign risk, which includes local political and economic developments, potential nationalization, withholding taxes on dividend or interest payments and currency blockage. Foreign companies may have less public or less reliable information available about them and may be subject to less governmental regulation than U.S. companies. Securities of foreign companies may be less liquid or more volatile than securities of U.S. companies.
Mid-Cap investing involves greater risk not associated with investing in more established companies, such as greater price volatility, business risk, less liquidity and increased competitive threat.
The Fund may buy or sell a variety of “derivative” instruments in order to gain exposure to particular securities or markets, in connection with hedging transactions and to increase total return. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves the risk that such instruments may not work as intended due to unanticipated developments in market conditions or other causes.
An investment in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional fund (i.e., one that is not exchange traded) that has the same investment objectives, strategies, and policies. The price of an ETF can fluctuate up or down, and the Fund could lose money investing in an ETF if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF go down. In addition, ETFs may be subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional funds: (i) the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade above or below their net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; or (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.
Investments in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and real-estate related securities involve special risks associated with an investment in real estate, such as limited liquidity and interest rate risks and may be more volatile than other securities. In addition, the value of REITs and other real estate related investments is sensitive to changes in real estate values, extended vacancies of properties and other environmental and economic factors.