Key features
- The objective of Optimum Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund is to seek long-term growth of capital.
- Columbus Circle targets small- to mid-sized businesses providing new technologies, products or services and that it believes are poised to exceed investor expectations.
- Peregrine focuses its research on companies experiencing high growth and significant fundamental change.
| Fund identifiers |
|---|
| NASDAQ | OASGX |
| CUSIP | 246118822 |
| Investment minimums |
|---|
| Initial investment | $1,000 |
| Subsequent investments | $100 |
| Account features |
|---|
| Payroll deduction | No |
| IRAs | Yes |
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 (09/30/2019)
as of quarter-end (09/30/2019)
| YTD | 1 year | 3 year | 5 year | 10 year | Lifetime | Inception date |
|---|
| NAV (view definition) | 13.92% | -10.81% | 12.15% | 7.55% | 10.65% | 7.88% | 08/01/2003 |
| Max offer price | 7.34% | -15.95% | 9.95% | 6.29% | 10.00% | 7.48% | |
| Russell 2500 Growth Index | 19.97% | -4.11% | 12.33% | 10.22% | 13.48% | n/a | |
| | 1 year | 3 year | 5 year | 10 year | Lifetime | Inception date |
|---|
| NAV (view definition) | -6.20% | -10.81% | 12.15% | 7.55% | 10.65% | 7.88% | 08/01/2003 |
| Max offer price | -11.62% | -15.95% | 9.95% | 6.29% | 10.00% | 7.48% | |
| Russell 2500 Growth Index | -3.18% | -4.11% | 12.33% | 10.22% | 13.48% | n/a | |
Returns for less than one year are not annualized.
Performance at NAV assumes that no front-end sales charge applied. Performance at max offer price assumes that a front-end sales charge applied.
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.
Net expense ratio reflects a contractual waiver from certain fees and/or expense reimbursements from July 27, 2018 to July 29, 2019. Please see the fee table in the Fund’s prospectus for more information.
| Quarterly total returns @ NAV |
|---|
| Year | 1st quarter | 2nd quarter | 3rd quarter | 4th quarter | Annual return |
|---|
| 2019 | 17.60% | 3.28% | -6.20% | n/a | n/a |
| 2018 | 4.38% | 7.93% | 9.38% | -21.71% | -3.54% |
| 2017 | 9.01% | 3.61% | 5.29% | 7.04% | 27.29% |
| 2016 | -7.98% | 2.92% | 7.45% | 0.83% | 2.61% |
| 2015 | 4.35% | 1.30% | -12.65% | 2.23% | -5.61% |
| 2014 | -0.57% | 3.25% | -4.83% | 6.24% | 3.80% |
| 2013 | 12.29% | 2.74% | 10.79% | 7.48% | 37.37% |
| 2012 | 16.59% | -5.41% | 4.29% | 1.56% | 16.81% |
| 2011 | 9.88% | 0.79% | -21.76% | 9.13% | -5.44% |
| 2010 | 7.31% | -11.12% | 10.49% | 15.52% | 21.75% |
| 2009 | -11.52% | 18.93% | 22.01% | 5.91% | 35.99% |
On Nov. 4, 2014, Class B shares of the Fund converted to Class A shares.
Investment manager
Delaware Management Company
Sub-advisors
Columbus Circle Investors (CCI)
Clifford G. Fox, CFA
Senior Managing Director, Portfolio Manager
Start date on the Fund: April 2016
Clifford G. Fox shares primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of CCI’s share of the Fund’s assets. He has been a senior managing director at CCI since 2000. Fox has served as a portfolio manager of CCI’s small-cap portfolios since June 2002, mid-cap portfolios since April 1999 and SMID portfolios since October 2003.
Michael Iacono, CFA
Senior Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, Mid Cap
Start date on the Fund: April 2016
Michael Iacono shares primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of CCI’s share of the Fund’s assets. He has been a managing director at CCI since 2001. Iacono has served as a co-portfolio manager of CCI’s mid-cap portfolios since March 2014, and its SMID and small-cap portfolios since 2013.
Christopher Corbett, CFA
Senior Vice President, Co-Portfolio Manager
Start date on the Fund: July 2017
Christopher Corbett shares primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of CCI’s share of the Fund’s assets. He has served as a co-portfolio manager of CCI's small-cap, mid-cap, and SMID portfolios since March 2017.
Peregrine Capital Management, LLC (Peregrine)
William A. Grierson, CFA
Principal, Portfolio Manager
Start date on the Fund: April 2016
William A. Grierson shares primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of Peregrine’s share of the Fund’s assets. He is a portfolio manager for the small-cap growth style and shares the responsibility for fundamental research, stock selection and portfolio management with his team. Grierson joined Peregrine’s small-cap growth team in 2000 as a securities analyst. Prior to Peregrine, he was a senior research analyst and portfolio manager with Kopp Investment Advisors for more than six years. Previously, he worked as a reporting analyst for Northern Trust. He graduated from Lawrence University in 1992. Grierson is a member of the CFA Society of Minnesota and the CFA Institute.
Daniel J. Hagen, CFA
Principal, Portfolio Manager
Start date on the Fund: April 2016
Daniel J. Hagen shares primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of Peregrine’s share of the Fund’s assets. He is a portfolio manager for the small-cap growth style and shares the responsibility for fundamental research, stock selection and portfolio management with his team. Hagen joined Peregrine’s small-cap growth team in 1996 as a research analyst. Prior to Peregrine, he was a managing director and assistant manager for the Equity Strategy Group at Piper Jaffray. He joined Piper Jaffray as a statistical analyst in 1983, upon graduating from the University of Minnesota. Hagen is a member of the CFA Society of Minnesota and the CFA Institute and a past board member of the Piper Jaffray Foundation. He regularly shares his financial expertise with a number of nonprofit organizations.
Paul E. von Kuster, CFA
Principal, Portfolio Manager
Start date on the Fund: April 2016
Mr. von Kuster shares primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of Peregrine’s share of the Fund’s assets. He is a portfolio manager for the small-cap growth style and shares the responsibility for fundamental research, stock selection and portfolio management with his team. He has been with the firm since its inception in 1984. Prior to Peregrine, Mr. von Kuster managed small-cap funds for the Trust Department at Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A. (now Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, N.A.). He began his career with Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A. in 1972 after graduating from Princeton. Mr. von Kuster is a member of the CFA Society of Minnesota and the CFA Institute.
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 price | 5.75% |
| Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower | none |
| Annual fund operating expenses |
|---|
| Management fees | 1.04% |
| Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | 0.25% |
| Other expenses | 0.36% |
| Total annual fund operating expenses | 1.65% |
| Fee waivers and expense reimbursements | (0.11%) |
| Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements | 1.54% |
On Nov. 4, 2014, Class B shares of the Fund converted to Class A shares.
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.
| Date | Columbus Circle Investors | Delaware Management Company | Peregrine Capital Management, Inc. | Total |
|---|
| 09/30/2018 | 52.76% | 1.13% | 46.11% | 100% |
| 10/31/2018 | 52.15% | 0.92% | 46.93% | 100% |
| 11/30/2018 | 51.81% | 0.44% | 47.75% | 100% |
| 12/31/2018 | 52.57% | 0.51% | 46.92% | 100% |
| 01/31/2019 | 52.50% | 0.48% | 47.01% | 100% |
| 02/28/2019 | 53.11% | 0.49% | 46.40% | 100% |
| 03/31/2019 | 53.61% | 0.48% | 45.91% | 100% |
| 04/30/2019 | 53.33% | 0.49% | 46.18% | 100% |
| 05/31/2019 | 53.70% | 0.20% | 46.10% | 100% |
| 06/30/2019 | 53.82% | 0.18% | 46.00% | 100% |
| 07/31/2019 | 54.10% | 0.21% | 45.69% | 100% |
| 08/31/2019 | 55.14% | 0.22% | 44.64% | 100% |
Total may not equal 100% due to rounding.
On Nov. 4, 2014, Class B shares of the Fund converted to Class A shares.
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Frank Russell Company is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks and copyrights related to the Russell Indexes. Russell® is a trademark of Frank Russell Company.
Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.
Investments in small and/or medium-sized companies typically exhibit greater risk and higher volatility than larger, more established companies.