Fund Evaluator:
Applied Finance Explorer Investor (AFDVX)
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Best Performing in Small Value Over the Last Year
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| 45.7% | Bridgeway Omni Small-Cap Value N (BOSVX) |
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Fund Details
Applied Finance Explorer Investor Overview
Applied Finance Explorer Investor (AFDVX) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Small Value fund. Applied Finance launched the fund in 2015.
The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation. The fund invests primarily in the equity securities of small and middle capitalization companies. In choosing investments, the Adviser typically selects equity securities that the adviser believes offer superior return potential and may consider, among other factors, a company's valuation, projected future earnings, growth potential, recent performance, and business strategy. It may also invest in other investment companies, including ETFs.
About Applied Finance Explorer Investor (AFDVX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 11.06 years: Paul Blinn (2015), Rafael Resendes (2015). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 2 primary benchmarks: Morningstar US Market TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and Morningstar US Small Cap Mkt TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Applied Finance Explorer Investor has 142 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 13.9% of the fund’s assets. The fund meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The fund is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Applied Finance Explorer Investor is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity fund group. Applied Finance Explorer Investor has 0.2% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 99.4%. There is 0.2% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Applied Finance Explorer Investor has 0.5% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $216 million in total assets, which is below the $418 million average for the Small Value category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
AFDVX Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Applied Finance Explorer Investor expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Small Value category. Applied Finance Explorer Investor has an expense ratio of 1.08%, which is 7% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Applied Finance Explorer Investor has a portfolio turnover rate of 37%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 127% for the Small Value category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, Applied Finance Explorer Investor returned 6.4%, which earned it a grade of B, as the Small Value category had an average return of 5.7%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all funds in that category.
Applied Finance Explorer Investor has a trailing yield of 0.40%, which is below the 0.77% category average. The fund normally distributes its income annually and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Applied Finance Explorer Investor Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 17.2%, 3.4 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 28.1% over the past year (grade of D), 16.6% over the past three years (grade of C) and 10.4% per year over the past five years (grade of A) and 14.3% per year over the past 10 years (grade of A).
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AFDVX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| AFDVX Return (NAV) | 6.4% | 15.5% | 28.1% | 16.6% | 10.4% | 14.3% |
| AFDVX Grade | B | D | D | C | A | A |
| +/- Category | 0.7% | -1.0% | -4.9% | 0.8% | 1.8% | 3.8% |
| Small Value Avg | 5.7% | 16.5% | 33.0% | 15.7% | 8.7% | 10.5% |
| AFDVX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
AFDVX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| AFDVX Return (NAV) | 17.2% | 8.9% | 9.5% | 22.2% | -13.8% | 43.6% | 19.1% | 25.0% | -13.4% | 17.3% | 16.6% |
| AFDVX Grade | D | B | C | A | D | A | A | B | B | A | F |
| +/- Category | -3.4% | 2.3% | -0.2% | 6.4% | -3.5% | 13.2% | 15.0% | 2.0% | 1.3% | 7.0% | -8.1% |
| Small Value Avg | 20.7% | 6.6% | 9.7% | 15.8% | -10.3% | 30.3% | 4.1% | 22.9% | -14.7% | 10.2% | 24.7% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 16.9% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.39 - High |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.93 - Low |
| Category Risk Grade: | A (14% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.86 |
| R-Squared: | 44% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Small-Cap Blend |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 0.4% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $1043 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 216 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inv |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 37% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 11.1 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 11.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Blinn Paul (2015), Resendes Rafael (2015) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 4/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 142 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 13.9% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.2% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 99.4% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.2% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.5% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Applied Finance |
| Phone Number: | 800-673-0550 |
| Website: | www.theworldfundstrust.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | June 30, 2015 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $1,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
| True No-Load: | Yes |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | 0.25% |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 1.08% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 1.17% |
| Share Class: | Applied Finance Explorer Institutional |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 100 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
