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Overview

Objective & Strategy

S

The Fund invests primarily in small-sized U.S. companies. It invests in a select number of high-growth businesses that tend to be in an early phase of their lifecycles. Diversified.

Fund Facts

2019 Baron Investment Conference

Fund Snapshot

As of Jan 22, 2020

NAV $22.19
Daily Change ($) -$0.01
Daily Change (%) -0.05%
YTD 2.49%
Inception Date 9/30/2013

Fund Highlights

Morningstar Rating

Overall (out of 571 Funds)

4 stars

Ratings based on risk-adjusted returns as of 12/31/2019
Category:US Fund Small Growth

Equity Style

Risk & Return1

Portfolio Management

Laird Bieger Portfolio Manager

years of exp 23

years at baron 20

Randolph Gwirtzman Portfolio Manager

years of exp 23

years at baron 18

1Source: FactSet SPAR.

Morningstar classifies funds as being large-cap, mid-cap, or small-cap based on the market capitalization of the fund’s stock holdings; and as value, blend, or growth based on the value-growth orientation of the stock holdings. The nine possible combinations of these characteristics correspond to the nine squares of the Morningstar Style Box—size is displayed along the vertical axis and style is displayed along the horizontal axis.

The Overall Morningstar Rating for a fund is derived from a weighted-average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five- and (if applicable) ten-year ratings. For the period ended 9/30/2019 the Baron Discovery Fund was awarded 4-star Morningstar Rating for the 3-year and 4-star for the 5-year. Morningstar 3-year star rating is based on risk adjusted returns with 584 funds in category; and 5-year star rating is based on risk adjusted returns with 519 funds in category.

The Morningstar Rating™ for funds, or "star rating", is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product's monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods.

© Morningstar 2019. All rights reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied, adapted or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information, except where such damages or losses cannot be limited or excluded by law in your jurisdiction. Past financial performance is no guarantee of future results.

Prices & Performance

Prices

as of 01/22/20

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NAV Daily Change ($) Daily Change (%) MTD QTD YTD
$22.19 -$0.01 -0.05% 2.49% 2.49% 2.49%

Performance

 

as of 11/30/19

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QTD1 YTD1 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years Since Inception Expense Ratio2
Gross Net
BDFIX - Baron Discovery Fund - I 9.34% 25.91% 11.09% 19.75% 13.37% 15.08% 1.12% 1.10%
Russell 2000 Growth Index 8.90% 25.61% 10.93% 12.15% 9.48% 9.45%
S&P 500 Index 5.87% 27.63% 16.11% 14.88% 10.98% 12.96%

1Not annualized.

2Expense ratios are as of the fiscal year ended 9/30/2018

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate; an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The Adviser reimburses certain Baron Fund expenses pursuant to a contract expiring on August 29, 2030, unless renewed for another 11-year term and the Fund's transfer agency expenses may be reduced by expense offsets from an unaffiliated transfer agent, without which performance would have been lower. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For performance information current to the most recent month end, visit www.BaronFunds.com or call 1-800-99BARON.

The Fund’s historical performance was impacted by gains from IPOs and/or secondary offerings, and there is no guarantee that these results can be repeated or that the Fund’s level of participation in IPOs and secondary offerings will be the same in the future

as of 12/31/19

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1 Year 3 Years 5 Years Since Inception Expense Ratio2
Gross Net
BDFIX - Baron Discovery Fund - I 26.85% 20.14% 12.53% 15.00% 1.12% 1.10%
Russell 2000 Growth Index 28.48% 12.49% 9.34% 9.72%
S&P 500 Index 31.49% 15.27% 11.70% 13.32%

1Not annualized.

2Expense ratios are as of the fiscal year ended 9/30/2018

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate; an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The Adviser reimburses certain Baron Fund expenses pursuant to a contract expiring on August 29, 2030, unless renewed for another 11-year term and the Fund's transfer agency expenses may be reduced by expense offsets from an unaffiliated transfer agent, without which performance would have been lower. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For performance information current to the most recent month end, visit www.BaronFunds.com or call 1-800-99BARON.

The Fund’s historical performance was impacted by gains from IPOs and/or secondary offerings, and there is no guarantee that these results can be repeated or that the Fund’s level of participation in IPOs and secondary offerings will be the same in the future

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate; an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The Adviser reimburses certain Baron Fund expenses pursuant to a contract expiring on August 29, 2030, unless renewed for another 11-year term and the Fund's transfer agency expenses may be reduced by expense offsets from an unaffiliated transfer agent, without which performance would have been lower. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For performance information current to the most recent month end, visit www.BaronFunds.com or call 1-800-99BARON.

The Fund’s historical performance was impacted by gains from IPOs and/or secondary offerings, and there is no guarantee that these results can be repeated or that the Fund’s level of participation in IPOs and secondary offerings will be the same in the future

Expense ratios are as of the fiscal year ended 9/30/2017

as of 12/31/19

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Year Baron Discovery Fund Russell 2000 Growth Index S&P 500 Index
2019 26.85% 28.48% 31.49%
2018 0.64% -9.31% -4.38%
2017 35.83% 22.17% 21.83%
2016 21.73% 11.32% 11.96%
2015 -14.53% -1.38% 1.38%
2014 13.80% 5.60% 13.69%
2013 16.70% 8.17% 10.51%

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate; an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The Adviser reimburses certain Baron Fund expenses pursuant to a contract expiring on August 29, 2030, unless renewed for another 11-year term and the Fund's transfer agency expenses may be reduced by expense offsets from an unaffiliated transfer agent, without which performance would have been lower. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For performance information current to the most recent month end, visit www.BaronFunds.com or call 1-800-99BARON.

The Fund’s historical performance was impacted by gains from IPOs and/or secondary offerings, and there is no guarantee that these results can be repeated or that the Fund’s level of participation in IPOs and secondary offerings will be the same in the future

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Record Date Ex Date Payable Date Income Return of Capital Short-Term Capital Gain Long-Term Capital Gain Total Re-Invest NAV Calendar-Yr Return
11/25/2019 11/26/2019 11/27/2019 $0.000 $0.000 $0.000 $0.029 $0.029 $21.42
11/28/2018 11/29/2018 11/30/2018 $0.000 $0.000 $0.000 $1.500 $1.500 $19.33 0.64%
11/27/2017 11/28/2017 11/29/2017 $0.038 $0.000 $0.000 $0.000 $0.038 $18.30 35.83%
06/27/2016 06/28/2016 06/29/2016 $0.000 $0.000 $0.000 $0.266 $0.266 $11.35 21.73%

Performance Characteristics

as of 12/31/19

3 Years 5 Years Since Inception
Standard Deviation (%) 19.61 19.23 19.00
Sharpe Ratio 0.94 0.60 0.75
Alpha (%) 5.89 2.98 4.73
Beta 1.11 1.04 1.05
R-Squared (%) 88.12 82.79 82.79
Tracking Error (%) 6.99 8.00 7.93
Information Ratio 1.09 0.40 0.67
Upside Capture (%) 123.13 107.78 114.71
Downside Capture (%) 97.57 95.61 95.65

Except for Standard Deviation and Sharpe Ratio, the performance based-characteristics above were calculated relative to the Baron Discovery Fund's(BDFIX) benchmark Russell 2000 Growth Index. Performance statistics for additional periods will be provided on request. Source FactSet: SPAR.

 
NAV $22.19
Daily Change ($) -$0.01
Daily Change (%) -0.05%
MTD 2.49%
QTD 2.49%
YTD 2.49%
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BDFIX - Baron Discovery Fund - I Russell 2000 Growth Index S&P 500 Index
QTD1 9.34% 8.90% 5.87%
YTD1 25.91% 25.61% 27.63%
1 Year 11.09% 10.93% 16.11%
3 Years 19.75% 12.15% 14.88%
5 Years 13.37% 9.48% 10.98%
Since Inception 15.08% 9.45% 12.96%
Expense Ratio2 - Gross 1.12%
Expense Ratio2 - Net 1.10%

*As of 11/30/19

*Annualized as of 12/31/19

1Not annualized.

2Expense ratios are as of the fiscal year ended 9/30/2018

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate; an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The Adviser reimburses certain Baron Fund expenses pursuant to a contract expiring on August 29, 2030, unless renewed for another 11-year term and the Fund's transfer agency expenses may be reduced by expense offsets from an unaffiliated transfer agent, without which performance would have been lower. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For performance information current to the most recent month end, visit www.BaronFunds.com or call 1-800-99BARON.

The Fund’s historical performance was impacted by gains from IPOs and/or secondary offerings, and there is no guarantee that these results can be repeated or that the Fund’s level of participation in IPOs and secondary offerings will be the same in the future

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BDFIX - Baron Discovery Fund - I Russell 2000 Growth Index S&P 500 Index
1 Year 26.85% 28.48% 31.49%
3 Years 20.14% 12.49% 15.27%
5 Years 12.53% 9.34% 11.70%
Since Inception 15.00% 9.72% 13.32%
Expense Ratio2 - Gross 1.12%
Expense Ratio2 - Net 1.10%

*As of 12/31/19

*Annualized as of 12/31/19

1Not annualized.

2Expense ratios are as of the fiscal year ended 9/30/2018

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate; an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The Adviser reimburses certain Baron Fund expenses pursuant to a contract expiring on August 29, 2030, unless renewed for another 11-year term and the Fund's transfer agency expenses may be reduced by expense offsets from an unaffiliated transfer agent, without which performance would have been lower. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For performance information current to the most recent month end, visit www.BaronFunds.com or call 1-800-99BARON.

The Fund’s historical performance was impacted by gains from IPOs and/or secondary offerings, and there is no guarantee that these results can be repeated or that the Fund’s level of participation in IPOs and secondary offerings will be the same in the future

as of 12/31/19

3 Years 5 Years Since Inception
Standard Deviation (%) 19.61 19.23 19.00
Sharpe Ratio 0.94 0.60 0.75
Alpha (%) 5.89 2.98 4.73
Beta 1.11 1.04 1.05
R-Squared (%) 88.12 82.79 82.79
Tracking Error (%) 6.99 8.00 7.93
Information Ratio 1.09 0.40 0.67
Upside Capture (%) 123.13 107.78 114.71
Downside Capture (%) 97.57 95.61 95.65

Except for Standard Deviation and Sharpe Ratio, the performance based-characteristics above were calculated relative to the Baron Discovery Fund's(BDFIX) benchmark Russell 2000 Growth Index. Performance statistics for additional periods will be provided on request. Source FactSet: SPAR.

as of 12/31/19

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Year Baron Discovery Fund Russell 2000 Growth Index S&P 500 Index
2019 26.85% 28.48% 31.49%
2018 0.64% -9.31% -4.38%
2017 35.83% 22.17% 21.83%
2016 21.73% 11.32% 11.96%
2015 -14.53% -1.38% 1.38%
2014 13.80% 5.60% 13.69%
2013 16.70% 8.17% 10.51%

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate; an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The Adviser reimburses certain Baron Fund expenses pursuant to a contract expiring on August 29, 2030, unless renewed for another 11-year term and the Fund's transfer agency expenses may be reduced by expense offsets from an unaffiliated transfer agent, without which performance would have been lower. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For performance information current to the most recent month end, visit www.BaronFunds.com or call 1-800-99BARON.

The Fund’s historical performance was impacted by gains from IPOs and/or secondary offerings, and there is no guarantee that these results can be repeated or that the Fund’s level of participation in IPOs and secondary offerings will be the same in the future

Select Year
Record Date 11/25/2019 11/28/2018 11/27/2017 06/27/2016
Ex Date 11/26/2019 11/29/2018 11/28/2017 06/28/2016
Payable Date 11/27/2019 11/30/2018 11/29/2017 06/29/2016
Income $0.000 $0.000 $0.038 $0.000
Return of Capital $0.000 $0.000 $0.000 $0.000
Short-Term Capital Gain $0.000 $0.000 $0.000 $0.000
Long-Term Capital Gain $0.029 $1.500 $0.000 $0.266
Total $0.029 $1.500 $0.038 $0.266
Re-Invest NAV $21.42 $19.33 $18.30 $11.35
Calendar-Yr Return 0.64% 35.83% 21.73%

Portfolio Characteristics

 

as of 12/31/19

Baron Discovery Fund Russell 2000 Growth Index
Net Assets$598.80 million
# of Equity Securities / % of Net Assets68 / 94.4%
Turnover (3 Year Average)57.11%
Active Share93.9%
Median Market Cap$1.72 billion$0.92 billion
Weighted Average Market Cap$2.47 billion$2.75 billion
EPS Growth (3-5 year forecast)18.6%17.0%
Price/Earnings Ratio (trailing 12-month)34.123.9
Price/Book Ratio4.33.8
Price/Sales Ratio3.41.6
Current Expense Ratio Date9/30/2019

The Net Assets include all share classes combined.

Price/Book Ratio and Price/Sales Ratio are calculated using the Weighted Harmonic Average. Source: FactSet PA. Internal valuation metrics may differ.

Holdings

as of 12/31/19

Open All Close All Holding Sector % of Net Assets

Kinsale Capital Group, Inc.

Kinsale Capital Group, Inc. (KNSL) is a property and casualty insurance carrier focused exclusively on the excess and surplus (E&S) lines market, which includes risks that are unique or hard to place in the standard insurance market.
We believe Kinsale is a well run insurer that should grow book value per share faster than its peers. Its small size and low-cost technology platform give Kinsale the ability to achieve rapid premium growth while delivering industry leading underwriting margins. Management is highly regarded, has decades of experience in the E&S market, and previously ran a successful insurer that was sold at a premium valuation. We believe Kinsale has a long runway for growth in an attractive segment of the P&C insurance market.

 Financials 3.1%

Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc.

Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc. (FND) is a specialty retailer of hard-surface flooring (tile, vinyl, wood, stone, and laminate) and accessories in the U.S. By sourcing directly from vendors, Floor & Decor can sell at low prices. It operates 113 low-cost warehouse stores catering to professional contractors.
We view Floor & Decor as a differentiated, high-growth retailer offering a broader assortment of low-cost quantities than its competitors. The company currently holds a 8% market share in the highly fragmented, $21 billion U.S. hard-surface flooring market, where we think it will continue to gain share. We believe the replacement of carpet with hard-surface flooring, which we see as a secular shift in the flooring industry, will aid growth. The company has delivered exceptional compound growth for years, and we are excited about its plan to expand from 113 stores to 400.

 Consumer Discretionary 2.8%

Mercury Systems, Inc.

Mercury Systems, Inc. (MRCY) designs, manufactures, and markets high-performance, embedded, real-time digital signal and image processing systems and software. Its customers are Tier-1 defense contractors worldwide.
We believe Mercury is uniquely positioned to sell high-speed computing and storage subsystems to nearly all large U.S. defense contractors. Its products, which allow customers to more rapidly and cheaply develop their own solutions, are used to acquire sensor data, digitize and process the data, and then deliver it for analysis and interpretation. We think at least $10 billion of internal Tier-1 business can be outsourced in addition to the current market for outsourced defense electronics of about $2 to $2.5 billion, providing Mercury with a multi-year growth opportunity.

 Industrials 2.7%

SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc.

SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. (SITE) is the largest wholesale distributor of landscape supplies in the U.S. Through its network of over 550 branches in 45 states, the company offers a broad selection of products such as irrigation supplies, herbicides, landscape accessories, and outdoor lighting.
SiteOne is a market leader with exposure to residential and non-residential construction cycles. With 11% of a large fragmented market and an experienced management team with a strong M&A track record, the company has significant opportunities to consolidate the industry through accretive deals. The core wholesale landscape market is growing faster than GDP, with consumers investing in surrounding landscapes as extensions of their homes. SiteOne is also investing in new initiatives to increase the productivity of its sales force and in-store associates and expand margins.

 Industrials 2.6%

Emergent BioSolutions Inc.

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (EBS) specializes in vaccines and treatments against exposure to the worst biological and viral strains, including anthrax, smallpox, and botulism. It also markets commercial products to protect travelers against cholera and typhoid and a nasal spray antidote for opioid overdoses.
Emergent's anthrax and smallpox vaccines are currently being stocked by the U.S. government. The stocks need to be refreshed every four to five years on a rolling basis due to shelf life, providing recurring revenues. Beyond this, Emergent is working to broaden its base of products to auto-injectors, contract manufacturing, and other vaccines and treatments. It has an active M&A program and is one of the few, if not the only, supplier of many of its products.

 Health Care 2.6%

Veracyte, Inc.

Veracyte, Inc. (VCYT) is a leading genomic diagnostics company that allows physicians to make diagnosis and treatment decisions for thyroid cancer, lung cancer, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis without expensive, invasive biopsy procedures.
Veracyte uses advanced genomic technology, clinical science, and machine learning in its tests, which are highly accurate and the leaders in every category. The company has around $2 billion of current available market opportunity, and has the potential to bring more tests to market based on its extensive genomic database.

 Health Care 2.4%

RIB Software SE

RIB Software SE (RIB GR) is a software company with a flagship application called iTWO. The application has 5D modeling capability enabling construction clients to manage a project from start to finish via one platform. The company is expanding its distribution channel via supply chain and cloud initiatives.
RIB's iTWO brings technology to the construction industry, which has underutilized technology to date. Whereas 13.4% of global GDP is in software, only 1% of construction spending is in software. iTWO uniquely combines 3D modeling with time and cost management, something that differentiates the product from its competitors. RIB has been expanding its distribution of iTWO technology via yTWO, its supply chain initiative, and mTWO, a cloud initiative in partnership with Microsoft.

 Information Technology 2.4%

Silk Road Medical, Inc.

Silk Road Medical, Inc. (SILK) is a medical device company offering a new approach for the treatment of carotid artery disease called transcarotid artery revascularization.
Silk Road's treatment approach for carotid artery disease is less invasive than the current standard of care and has achieved comparable results while avoiding cranial nerve injury. Compared with the minimally invasive alternative, Silk Road’s method has lower risk of stroke and death and reduced length of stay. The company's competitive advantages include strong clinical data, a unique FDA label, reimbursement, and patents. We believe Silk Road's treatment will become the standard of care for patients with carotid artery disease.

 Health Care 2.4%

Endava plc

Endava plc (DAVA) provides outsourced software development to business customers.
Endava benefits from growing demand for IT services from businesses around the world. The company's competitive differentiation comes from its ability to hire and retain highly skilled, low-cost software engineers primarily in Eastern Europe. Endava's strong technical capabilities and differentiated labor pool enable the company to work on higher-value client projects with better pricing power than peers. We believe Endava will continue gaining share in a large, growing market by adding new clients and increasing wallet share with existing clients.

 Information Technology 2.3%

Revance Therapeutics, Inc.

Revance Therapeutics, Inc. (RVNC) is a biopharmaceutical products company. It is developing a proprietary botulinum toxin mixed with a peptide excipient that extends the duration of effect. It expects FDA approval of its first indication in early 2020.
Revance’s extended duration formulation of DaxibotulinumtoxinA will be a competitor to Botox in both facial aesthetic and therapeutic uses. It has outlicensed rights in China for aesthetic and therapeutic uses to Fosun Pharma, and has a partnership with Mylan to develop a direct biosimilar competitor to Botox. Revance expects to price its drug at a premium to Botox given that it lasts much longer, requiring only 1-2 injections per year vs. 3-4 with Botox.

 Health Care 2.2%

Total

 25.5%

Top Ten Fund Holdings based on net assets. Portfolio holdings may change over time.

as of 12/31/19

Name Sector % of Net Assets

Kinsale Capital Group, Inc.

 Financials 3.1%

Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc.

 Consumer Discretionary 2.8%

Mercury Systems, Inc.

 Industrials 2.7%

SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc.

 Industrials 2.6%

Emergent BioSolutions Inc.

 Health Care 2.6%

Silk Road Medical, Inc.

 Health Care 2.4%

Veracyte, Inc.

 Health Care 2.4%

RIB Software SE

 Information Technology 2.4%

Endava plc -ADR

 Information Technology 2.3%

Revance Therapeutics, Inc.

 Health Care 2.2%

TPI Composites, Inc.

 Industrials 2.2%

Sientra, Inc.

 Health Care 2.1%

Rexford Industrial Realty, Inc.

 Real Estate 2.1%

Americold Realty Trust

 Real Estate 2.0%

Trex Company, Inc.

 Industrials 2.0%

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.

 Health Care 1.9%

Ping Identity Corporation

 Information Technology 1.9%

Medallia Inc.

 Information Technology 1.8%

Par Technology Corp/Del

 Information Technology 1.8%

Yext, Inc.

 Information Technology 1.8%

Varonis Systems, Inc.

 Information Technology 1.7%

Qualys, Inc.

 Information Technology 1.7%

ForeScout Technologies, Inc.

 Information Technology 1.7%

Progyny, Inc.

 Health Care 1.7%

Future plc

 Communication Services 1.6%

Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.

 Information Technology 1.6%

Ichor Holdings, Ltd.

 Information Technology 1.6%

Teladoc Health Inc.

 Health Care 1.6%

Red Rock Resorts, Inc. - Cl. A

 Consumer Discretionary 1.6%

TherapeuticsMD, Inc.

 Health Care 1.5%

Helios Technologies, Inc.

 Industrials 1.5%

CareDx, Inc.

 Health Care 1.5%

ViewRay Incorporated

 Health Care 1.4%

Tactile Systems Technology, Inc.

 Health Care 1.4%

Liberty Media Corp. - Liberty Formula One Cl A

 Communication Services 1.4%

Kornit Digital Ltd.

 Industrials 1.4%

AxoGen, Inc.

 Health Care 1.3%

Boyd Gaming Corporation

 Consumer Discretionary 1.3%

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.

 Industrials 1.3%

ESCO Technologies, Inc.

 Industrials 1.3%

Repay Holdings Corporation Cl - A

 Information Technology 1.2%

S4 Capital plc

 Communication Services 1.1%

Inogen, Inc.

 Health Care 1.1%

Cerus Corporation

 Health Care 1.1%

Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc.

 Consumer Discretionary 1.1%

Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.

 Real Estate 1.0%

Cubic Corporation

 Industrials 1.0%

Dynatrace, Inc.

 Information Technology 1.0%

LiveRamp Holdings, Inc.

 Information Technology 1.0%

Limoneira Co

 Consumer Staples 0.9%

Raven Industries Inc

 Industrials 0.9%

BRP Group, Inc.

 Financials 0.9%

Blue Prism Group plc

 Information Technology 0.8%

Accelerate Diagnostics Inc

 Health Care 0.7%

Luxfer Holdings PLC

 Industrials 0.7%

Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.

 Health Care 0.6%

The RealReal, Inc.

 Consumer Discretionary 0.6%

Bill.com Holdings, Inc.

 Information Technology 0.6%

Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.

 Information Technology 0.5%

Everspin Technologies, Inc.

 Information Technology 0.5%

The Trade Desk

 Information Technology 0.4%

Intersect ENT, Inc.

 Health Care 0.4%

Envestnet, Inc.

 Information Technology 0.4%

Sage Therapeutics, Inc.

 Health Care 0.2%

Novanta Inc.

 Information Technology 0.2%

10X Genomics, Inc.

 Health Care 0.2%

Wingstop Inc.

 Consumer Discretionary 0.1%

Barfresh Food Group, Inc.

 Consumer Staples 0.0%

Barfresh Food Group, Inc. Restricted

 Consumer Staples 0.0%

GICS SECTOR BREAKDOWN

As of 12/31/19

As of 12/31/19

Colors of Sub-Industry bars correspond to the GICS sector chart.

Contributors/Detractors

Quarterly as of 12/31/19

Top Contributors Average Weight Contribution
Progyny, Inc. 1.12% 0.97%
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. 1.50% 0.79%
Sientra, Inc. 1.97% 0.73%
SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. 2.79% 0.65%
Ichor Holdings, Ltd. 1.62% 0.57%

Quarterly as of 12/31/19

Top Detractors Average Weight Contribution
TherapeuticsMD, Inc. 1.91% -0.85%
Mercury Systems, Inc. 2.98% -0.55%
ForeScout Technologies, Inc. 1.86% -0.37%
Myriad Genetics, Inc. 0.66% -0.37%
Cerus Corporation 1.21% -0.31%

Source: FactSet PA.

Insights & News

  • Baron Discovery Fund Featured in Investor’s Business Daily

    10/07/19

    Baron Discovery Fund Portfolio Manager Randy Gwirtzman discusses his approach to finding growth stocks in a volatile market. To access the article, visit www.investors.com.

  • Baron Discovery Fund Named in Morningstar’s Prospects That Are “Worth a Look”

    03/27/19

    Baron Discovery Fund, co-managed by Randy Gwirtzman and Laird Bieger, was highlighted in Morningstar’s FundInvestor as an “intriguing, open small-cap option” among the most recent list of Morningstar Prospects. Download a free copy of FundInvestor by visiting the website.

  • Randy Gwirtzman Appears on CNBC's "Squawk Box"

    10/12/18

    On October 12, Randy Gwirtzman, co-portfolio manager of Baron Discovery Fund, appeared on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” program to discuss his thoughts on the current investment landscape. To view the full segment, visit www.cnbc.com.

  • Investor's Business Daily Highlights Baron Discovery Fund

    09/10/18

    In the September 10 edition of "Best Mutual Funds Special Report 2018," Investor's Business Daily highlighted Baron Discovery Fund, quoting Randy Gwirtzman and Laird Bieger and discussing some of their stock picks. To read the full article, visit www.investors.com.

  • Randy Gwirtzman Appears on CNBC’s "Worldwide Exchange"

    08/20/18

    On August 20, 2018, Baron Discovery Fund Portfolio Manager Randy Gwirtzman appeared on CNBC’s “Worldwide Exchange” program featuring "America's top-performing fund managers." Gwirtzman discussed his investment strategy, several of Baron Discovery Fund’s holdings, and his outlook on capital markets. View the full interview, "Small-cap Fund Manager Posting Big Returns,” at www.cnbc.com.

  • Randy Gwirtzman Quoted by The Wall Street Journal in Article on Small Cap Stock Rally

    05/17/18

    In the May 17th, 2018 issue of The Wall Street Journal, Randy Gwirtzman, co-portfolio manager of Baron Discovery Fund, offered his thoughts on the current investment environment as it relates to the rally in small cap stocks. You can read the full article, "Small Stocks Speed Past Large Caps," at www.wsj.com. (Subscription required to access).

  • Randy Gwirtzman on CNBC's "Squawk Box"

    11/02/17

    Randy Gwirtzman, co-portfolio manager of Baron Discovery Fund, appeared on the November 2, 2017 segment of CNBC’s “Squawk Box” program to discuss some of his top stock picks, including a high-end robotics company.  Watch a clip from the segment at www.cnbc.com.

  • Randy Gwirtzman appears on CNBC's "Squawk Box"

    10/05/17

    Randy Gwirtzman, co-portfolio manager of Baron Discovery Fund, appeared on the October 5, 2017 segment of CNBC’s “Squawk Box” program in a discussion on how he finds opportunities in the markets as stocks reach record levels. View a clip from the segment on www.cnbc.com.

  • Randy Gwirtzman appears on CNBC's "Squawk Box"

    08/28/17

    Randy Gwirtzman, co-portfolio manager of Baron Discovery Fund, appeared on the August 28, 2017 segment of CNBC's "Squawk Box" program in a discussion on the likely impact of Hurricane Harvey on gasoline and oil prices. View a clip from the segment at www.cnbc.com.

  • Reuters Quotes Laird Bieger on Opportunities Created by the Decline in Sell-side Research

    08/08/17

    A Reuters article on August 7, 2017 quoted Baron Discovery Fund Portfolio Manager Laird Bieger on how the dwindling numbers of sell-side researchers open the door to research-driven, actively managed firms to discover overlooked and potentially undervalued stocks. Bieger gave Impinj Inc (PI), a maker of radio frequency identification devices with a $1 billion market cap, as an example. He met with company management when there were no sell-side analysts covering the firm, and invested in it. Five analysts now cover the company, whose shares are up significantly year-to-date. Read the article ("Funds target 'unknown' stocks as Wall Street cuts analyst jobs," by David Randall) at www.reuters.com.

     

    Portfolio holdings may change over time. Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to risk.
    Portfolio holdings as a percentage of net assets as of June 30, 2017 for securities mentioned are as follows: Impinj Inc. (PI) – Baron Discovery Fund (1.2%)

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of the investment carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectuses contain this and other information about the Funds. You may obtain them from the Funds’ distributor, Baron Capital, Inc., by calling 1-800-99BARON or visiting www.BaronFunds.com. Please read them carefully before investing.

Risks: Specific risks associated with investing in smaller companies include that the securities may be thinly traded and more difficult to sell during market downturns. Even though the Fund is diversified, it may establish significant positions where the Adviser has the greatest conviction. This could increase volatility of the Fund's returns.
 

The Fund may not achieve its objectives.

Definitions (provided by BAMCO, Inc.): The indexes are unmanaged. The Russell 2000® Growth Index measures the performance of small-sized U.S. companies that are classified as growth and the S&P 500 Index of 500 widely held large-cap U.S. companies. The indexes and the Fund are with dividends, which positively impact the performance results. Russell Investment Group is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks and copyrights related to the Russell Indexes. Russell is a trademark of Russell Investment Group. Index performance is not fund performance. Investors cannot invest directly in an index.

Definitions (provided by BAMCO, Inc.): Standard Deviation: measures the degree to which a fund’s performance has varied from its average performance over a particular time period. The greater the standard deviation, the greater a fund’s volatility (risk). Sharpe Ratio: is a risk-adjusted performance statistic that measures reward per unit of risk. The higher the Sharpe ratio, the better a fund’s risk adjusted performance. Alpha: measures the difference between a fund’s actual returns and its expected performance, given its level of risk as measured by beta. Beta: measures a fund’s sensitivity to market movements. The beta of the market is 1.00 by definition. R-Squared: measures how closely a fund’s performance correlates to the performance of the benchmark index, and thus is a measurement of what portion of its performance can be explained by the performance of the index. Values for R-Squared range from 0 to 100, where 0 indicates no correlation and 100 indicates perfect correlation. Tracking Error: measures how closely a fund’s return follows the benchmark index returns. It is calculated as the annualized standard deviation of the difference between the fund and the index returns. Information Ratio: measures the excess return of a fund divided by the amount of risk the fund takes relative to the benchmark index. The higher the information ratio, the higher the excess return expected of the fund, given the amount of risk involved. Upside Capture: explains how well a fund performs in time periods where the benchmark’s returns are greater than zero. Downside Capture: explains how well a fund performs in time periods where the benchmark’s returns are less than zero

Definitions (provided by Baron Capital, Inc.): EPS Growth Rate (3-5 Year): indicates the long-term forecasted EPS growth of the companies in the portfolio, calculated using the weighted average of the available 3-to-5 year forecasted growth rates for each of the stocks in the portfolio provided by Factset Estimates. The EPS Growth rate does not forecast the Fund’s performance. Price/ Earnings Ratio (trailing 12-months): is a valuation ratio of a company’s current share price compared to its actual earnings per share over the last twelve months. Price/Book Ratio: is a ratio used to compare a company’s stock price to its tangible assets, and it is calculated by dividing the current closing price of the stock by the latest quarter’s book value per share. Price/Sales Ratio: is a valuation ratio of a stock’s price relative to its past performance. It represents the amount an investor is willing to pay for a dollar generated from a particular company’s operations. Price/Sales is calculated by dividing a stock’s current price by its revenue per share for the last 12 months. Weighted Harmonic Average: is a calculation that reduces the impact of extreme observation on the aggregate calculation by weighting them based on their size in the fund. Active Share is a term used to describe the share of a portfolio’s holdings that differ from that portfolio’s benchmark index. It is calculated by comparing the weight of each holding in the Fund to that holding’s weight in the benchmark. Positions with either a positive or negative weighting versus the benchmark have Active Share. An Active Share of 100% implies zero overlap with the benchmark. Active Share was introduced in 2006 in a study by Yale academics, M. Cremers and A. Petajisto, as a measure of active portfolio management.

One year turnover information to the most recent quarter and average market cap (unweighted) is available upon request.

Industry sector or sub-industry group levels are provided from the Global Industry Classification Standard (“GICS”), developed and exclusively owned by MSCI, Inc. (“MSCI”) and Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”). All GICS data is provided “as is” with no warranties.  The Adviser may have reclassified/classified certain securities in or out of a sub-industry.  Such reclassifications are not supported by S&P or MSCI.

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Disclosure

Investment Products: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED

BAMCO, Inc. is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Baron Capital, Inc. is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA).

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