The fund strives to meet its investment goals by allocating at least 80% of its total assets, including any borrowed capital, to the equity securities of U.S.-based companies. These are specifically firms with small market capitalizations, termed "Small-Cap Companies," at the point of investment. In typical market conditions, a company is considered a Small-Cap Company if its market value, when acquired, falls within the size spectrum of companies included in either the Russell 2000 Index or the S&P SmallCap 600 Index, based on month-end data from the most recent 12-month period.