Federated Hermes MDT Small Cap Growth Fund Institutional Shares (QISGX) is an open-end mutual fund that seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in the common stocks of small U.S. companies, with at least 80% of its net assets allocated to small-cap growth securities similar in size to those in the Russell 2000 Growth Index. The fund employs a quantitative, systematic investment approach managed by Federated MDTA LLC, targeting growth stocks across diversified sectors with a portfolio typically comprising around 253 holdings and a turnover ratio of approximately 90-91%; top holdings as of late 2024 include Knife River Holding Co., Sprouts Farmers Market Inc., EMCOR Group Inc., and Victory Capital Holdings Inc. It is part of the Federated Hermes MDT Series, domiciled in the United States, with institutional shares requiring a minimum initial investment of $1 million and a net expense ratio of 0.88-0.89%.
Launched on September 15, 2005, the fund succeeded the prior MDT Small Cap Growth Fund through a reorganization on December 8, 2006, after which it adopted the performance history of its predecessor; it is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as part of Federated Hermes, Inc. The fund primarily serves institutional investors seeking exposure to the U.S. small growth equity segment, benchmarking performance against the Russell 2000 Growth Index and Morningstar Small Growth Funds Average.
In recent developments, Federated Hermes has expanded its MDT offerings, including the launch of the Federated Hermes MDT Market Neutral ETF in September 2025, which leverages over 30 years of the firm's market-neutral expertise to pursue capital appreciation with reduced market risk. The parent company also initiated a share repurchase program in October 2024, authorizing up to approximately 3 million shares for around $156 million, reflecting ongoing capital management efforts. While the QISGX fund itself maintains its core small-cap growth strategy without reported acquisitions, partnerships, or major reorganizations specific to it in the last 1-2 years, related MDT funds like MDT Mid Cap Growth Fund received 2025 LSEG Lipper Fund Awards for strong risk-adjusted performance over multiple periods ended November 30, 2024.