William Blair Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund Class I
BESIX
NASDAQ- -
USD
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- -
Capital Structure
FRC
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in mil. unless spec.Working Capital
FRC
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in mil. unless spec.Growth Rates
FRC
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in mil. unless spec.Quarterly Revenue
FRC
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in mil. unless spec.Quarterly Earnings Per Share
FRC
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in mil. unless spec.Quarterly Dividends Per Share
FRC
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in mil. unless spec.- Sector
- Financial Services
- Industry
- Asset Management
- Address
- 150 North Riverside Plaza Chicago IL United States of America 60606
- IPO Date
- Oct 25, 2011
- CIK
- 0000822632
- Website
- im.williamblair.com
- Similar Companies
- Business
- William Blair Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund Class I (BESIX) is an open-end mutual fund that seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities, including common stocks and other equity investments such as securities convertible into common stocks, issued by emerging market small-cap companies with above-average growth, profitability, and quality characteristics. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in such emerging markets small-cap equities, maintaining a portfolio of approximately 120 to 175 stocks diversified across regions including Emerging Asia (approximately 36%), Developed Asia (33%), Latin America (12%), Emerging Europe (6%), and the Middle East (3%), as well as sectors such as industrials (24%), financials (24%), information technology (19%), and consumer discretionary (14%). The fund targets small-cap companies with weighted average market capitalization of around $2.92 billion and median market cap of $2.06 billion, emphasizing those with strong management, unique capabilities, and projected long-term EPS growth of 33.1%; top holdings as of late 2025 include GE Vernova T&D India Limited, Direcional Engenharia S/A, Neway Valve (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Inter & Co, Inc., and Hon. Precision, Inc. Launched on October 24, 2011, and domiciled in the United States, BESIX is managed by William Blair Investment Management, LLC, with portfolio managers Todd McClone, CFA (since inception), and Casey Preyss, CFA (since May 2016), and is benchmarked against the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index (net). The fund, available primarily to institutional investors with a minimum initial investment of $500,000, reports total net assets of approximately $378 million as of November 30, 2025, a net expense ratio of 1.15% (with contractual fee waivers through April 30, 2026), and a trailing one-year turnover of 257%. It is distributed by William Blair & Company, L.L.C., a member of FINRA/SIPC, and operates within the Morningstar Diversified Emerging Markets category, serving U.S. investors seeking exposure to high-growth small-cap opportunities in emerging markets. Recent developments include sustained portfolio management stability with no major strategic shifts, acquisitions, or new product launches specific to BESIX reported in the last 1-2 years, though the broader William Blair firm has pursued growth initiatives such as naming new partners across investment management and banking in November 2025 and announcing five strategic hires in equities and equity research in December 2025 to support accelerating client demand. The fund continues to emphasize its bottom-up, analyst-driven approach to uncover undiscovered small-cap names amid evolving emerging market themes outlined in William Blair's 2025 commentary, such as key sector rotations and regional opportunities. As of November 30, 2025, year-to-date returns stand at 12.44% for Class I shares, with assets under management reflecting steady institutional interest despite market volatility.