Macquarie Delaware Funds by Macquarie

Optimum International Fund

Key features

  • The objective of Optimum International Fund is to seek long-term growth of capital, and it may also seek income.
  • EARNEST normally employs a fundamental, bottom-up investment process to identify stocks that it believes are likely to outperform based on their financial characteristics and the current environment.
  • Acadian utilizes a quantitative investment process to build portfolios from the bottom up, using proprietary valuation models that measure approximately 20 stock factors.
Fund information
Inception date08/01/2003
Dividends paid (if any)Annually
Capital gains paid (if any)December
Fund identifiers
NASDAQOAIEX
CUSIP246118731
Investment minimums
Initial investment$1,000
Subsequent investments$100
Account features
Payroll deductionNo
IRAsYes

On Nov. 4, 2014, Class B shares of the Fund converted to Class A shares.

The performance quoted represents past performance and does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted.

Total returns may reflect waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the manager and/or distributor for some or all of the periods shown. Performance would have been lower without such waivers and reimbursements.

Average annual total return

as of month-end (12/31/2019)

as of quarter-end (12/31/2019)

YTD1 year3 year5 year10 yearLifetimeInception date
NAV (view definition)19.22%19.22%9.97%5.97%4.75%5.89%08/01/2003
Max offer price12.33%12.33%7.82%4.72%4.13%5.51%
MSCI ACWI ex USA (Net)21.51%21.51%9.87%5.50%4.97%n/a
MSCI ACWI ex USA (Gross)22.13%22.13%10.40%6.01%5.45%n/a
MSCI EAFE Index (Net)22.01%22.01%9.56%5.67%5.50%n/a
MSCI EAFE Index (Gross)22.66%22.66%10.11%6.18%5.99%n/a
1 year3 year5 year10 yearLifetimeInception date
NAV (view definition)8.74%19.22%9.97%5.97%4.75%5.89%08/01/2003
Max offer price2.52%12.33%7.82%4.72%4.13%5.51%
MSCI ACWI ex USA (Net)8.92%21.51%9.87%5.50%4.97%n/a
MSCI ACWI ex USA (Gross)8.99%22.13%10.40%6.01%5.45%n/a
MSCI EAFE Index (Net)8.17%22.01%9.56%5.67%5.50%n/a
MSCI EAFE Index (Gross)8.21%22.66%10.11%6.18%5.99%n/a

Returns for less than one year are not annualized.

The Manager has changed the Fund's primary index from the MSCI EAFE Index to the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index in order to reflect the Fund's ability to invest in emerging market securities.

Class A shares have a maximum up-front sales charge of 5.75% and are subject to an annual distribution fee.

Index performance returns do not reflect any management fees, transaction costs, or expenses. Indices are unmanaged and one cannot invest directly in an index.

Expense ratio
Gross1.37%
Net1.37%
Performance characteristics - as of 12/31/2019
Annualized standard deviation, 3 years (view definition)11.44
Quarterly total returns @ NAV
Year1st quarter2nd quarter3rd quarter4th quarterAnnual return
201910.25%1.43%-1.96%8.74%19.22%
20180.07%-2.63%0.78%-12.67%-14.25%
20179.28%7.44%6.85%3.68%30.08%
20160.00%0.27%6.01%-1.95%4.23%
20152.10%0.51%-9.30%3.57%-3.59%
2014-0.55%1.50%-5.27%-4.51%-8.69%
20133.98%0.62%7.73%6.96%20.56%
20127.87%-6.37%6.11%4.63%12.14%
20112.85%2.61%-18.45%4.92%-9.71%
2010-0.39%-13.03%16.40%5.83%6.73%
2009-14.82%25.00%18.14%2.17%28.51%

On Nov. 4, 2014, Class B shares of the Fund converted to Class A shares.

Investment manager

Delaware Management Company

Sub-advisors

EARNEST Partners, LLC

Paul E. Viera

Chief Executive Officer and Partner

Start date on the Fund: October 2013

Paul E. Viera is Chief Executive Officer and Partner of EARNEST and has primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of EARNEST’s share of the Fund. Prior to founding EARNEST in 1998, he was a partner and senior member of the investment team at Invesco from 1991 to 1998. Prior to Invesco, Mr. Viera was a Vice President with Bankers Trust between 1985 and 1991. Mr. Viera has held his Fund responsibilities since October 2013.

Acadian Asset Management, LLC

Brendan O. Bradley, Ph.D.

Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer

Start date on the Fund: January 2015

Brendan O. Bradley, Ph.D., is executive vice president and chief investment officer at Acadian. Dr. Bradley joined the company in September 2004 as a senior member of the Research and Portfolio Management team. He previously served as director of portfolio management, overseeing portfolio management policy, and also as the director of Acadian’s Managed Volatility strategies. Dr. Bradley is a member of the Acadian Board of Managers and Executive Committee. Prior to Acadian, Dr. Bradley was a vice president at Upstream Technologies, where he designed and implemented investment management systems and strategies. His professional background also includes work as a research analyst and consultant at Samuelson Portfolio Strategies. Dr. Bradley earned a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Boston University and a B.A. in physics from Boston College.

Ryan D. Taliaferro, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President, Director, Equity Strategies

Start date on the Fund: March 2019

Ryan D. Taliaferro Ph.D. is senior vice president, director, equity strategies at Acadian. Dr. Taliaferro joined Acadian in 2011 and currently serves as director of equity strategies. Previously, he was the lead portfolio manager for Acadian’s Managed Volatility strategies. Prior to joining Acadian, Dr. Taliaferro was a faculty member in the finance unit at Harvard Business School, where he taught corporate finance and asset pricing. Earlier, he was a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. Dr. Taliaferro earned a Ph.D. in business economics (finance) from Harvard University and an M.B.A. in finance and economics from the University of Chicago. He also holds an A.M. in economics, and an A.M. and A.B. in physics from Harvard University.

On Nov. 4, 2014, Class B shares of the Fund converted to Class A shares.

You may qualify for sales-charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $75,000 in Optimum Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary, in the Fund's Prospectus under the section entitled "About your account," and in the Fund's statement of additional information (SAI) under the section entitled "Purchasing Shares."

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

Shareholder fees
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering price5.75%
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lowernone
Annual fund operating expenses
Management fees0.74%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees0.25%
Other expenses0.38%
Total annual fund operating expenses1.37%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursementsnone
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements1.37%

On Nov. 4, 2014, Class B shares of the Fund converted to Class A shares.

1The Fund’s investment manager, Delaware Management Company (Manager), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fees and/or pay/reimburse expenses (excluding any 12b-1 fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes, interest, short sale dividend and interest expenses, brokerage fees, certain insurance costs, and nonroutine expenses or costs, including, but not limited to, those relating to reorganizations, litigation, conducting shareholder meetings, and liquidations) in order to prevent total annual fund operating expenses from exceeding 1.12% of the Fund’s average daily net assets from July 29, 2019 through July 29, 2020. These waivers and reimbursements may only be terminated by agreement of the Manager and the Fund.

The chart below lists the percentage of the Fund's total assets under management that each sub-advisor manages on behalf of the Fund. The percentages include securities, cash, and any other assets managed by each sub-advisor in its sleeve of the Fund. These percentage allocations should be updated some time after 30 days following a given month end.

  
DateAcadianDelaware Management CompanyEARNEST Partners LLCTotal
12/31/201857.53%0.02%42.45%100%
01/31/201957.70%0.02%42.28%100%
02/28/201957.53%0.02%42.45%100%
03/31/201957.33%0.04%42.63%100%
04/30/201956.59%0.04%43.37%100%
05/31/201957.12%0.04%42.84%100%
06/30/201957.09%0.04%42.87%100%
07/31/201957.21%0.04%42.75%100%
08/31/201957.12%0.06%42.82%100%
09/30/201955.91%0.06%44.03%100%
10/31/201954.04%0.06%45.90%100%
11/30/201953.21%0.06%46.73%100%

Total may not equal 100% due to rounding.

On Nov. 4, 2014, Class B shares of the Fund converted to Class A shares.

Carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risk factors, charges, and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund’s prospectus, which may be obtained by visiting optimummutualfunds.com/literature or calling 800 914-0278. Investors should read the prospectus and, if available, the summary prospectus carefully before investing.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.

International investments entail risks not ordinarily associated with US investments including fluctuation in currency values, differences in accounting principles, or economic or political instability in other nations.

Investing in emerging markets can be riskier than investing in established foreign markets due to increased volatility and lower trading volume.

The Fund may invest in derivatives, which may involve additional expenses and are subject to risk, including the risk that an underlying security or securities index moves in the opposite direction from what the portfolio manager anticipated. A derivatives transaction depends upon the counterparties’ ability to fulfill their contractual obligations.

All third-party marks cited are the property of their respective owners.

Not FDIC Insured | No Bank Guarantee | May Lose Value

Fund Finder

Daily pricing (as of 01/24/2020)

Class APriceNet change
NAV$13.40-0.04
Max offer price$14.22n/a

Total net assets (as of 12/31/2019)

$580.8 million all share classes

Lipper ranking (as of 12/31/2019)

YTD ranking291 / 422
1 year291 / 422
3 years62 / 368
5 years59 / 295
10 years135 / 201
Lipper classificationInternational Multi-Cap Core

(View Lipper disclosure)

The Lipper ranking is based on historical total returns.

Holdings

Benchmark and peer group

MSCI ACWI (All Country World Index) ex USA Index (view definition)

MSCI EAFE (Europe, Australasia, Far East) Index (view definition)

Lipper International Multi-Cap Growth Funds Average (view definition)

Additional information