- Business
- Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II (BPSIX) is an open-end mutual fund that seeks long-term growth of capital primarily through investments in equity securities of small-cap value companies, with current income as a secondary objective. The fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in a diversified portfolio of common stocks and other equity securities issued by companies with small market capitalizations exhibiting value characteristics, such as low price-to-book or price-to-earnings ratios; it may allocate up to 25% of total assets to non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities, with current holdings approximately 95% in U.S. stocks, 2-3% in cash, and 2% in non-U.S. stocks across sectors including financial services (29%), consumer cyclical (17%), technology (15%), and industrials (14%). Share classes include Institutional (BPSIX) and Investor (BPSCX), with a net expense ratio of 1.01%, total net assets of about $669 million, and minimum initial investments of $100,000 for institutional shares.
Managed by Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc., headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and founded in 1995, the fund leverages the firm's value-oriented investment philosophy emphasizing attractive valuations, strong fundamentals, and positive business momentum; the Small Cap Value team, now under WPG Partners as sub-advisor, features portfolio managers such as Sunil Gandhi (Lead PM since 2012) and David Shuster (since 1999), with recent analyst hires including Matthew Schukman (2023) and others supporting research in technology, financials, and industrials. The fund, launched on July 1, 1998 and domiciled in the United States, primarily targets institutional and high-net-worth investors through U.S. distribution channels.
In recent developments, the fund continues to be supported by personnel expansions at Boston Partners and WPG Partners, including key hires in 2023-2025 such as relationship managers from BNY Mellon and AllianceBernstein, and analysts from Wolfe Research and Goldman Sachs, enhancing business development for public funds and Taft-Hartley clients as well as equity research capabilities. While no direct acquisitions or name changes affect BPSIX in the last 1-2 years, Boston Partners entered a strategic reorganization agreement in 2024 with John Hancock Investment Management for its Global Long/Short Fund, reflecting broader distribution enhancements that could indirectly benefit platform access for value strategies like BPSIX. The fund maintained steady operations with a 2024 capital gains distribution of $0.23 per share and portfolio turnover of 55%, amid total assets growth to $668 million.