Fund Evaluator:
Dean Small Cap Value (DASCX)
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Best Performing in Small Value Over the Last Year
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Fund Details
Dean Small Cap Value Overview
Dean Small Cap Value (DASCX) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Small Value fund. Dean Fund launched the fund in 1997.
The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation and secondarily dividend income. The fund primarily invests in equity securities of small cap companies. It invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any) in equity securities of U.S. small cap companies. The fund may also invest in high grade government bonds. It may from time to time overweight its investments in certain market sectors. The fund may also invest in high grade government bonds.
About Dean Small Cap Value (DASCX)
There are 1 members of the management team with an average tenure of 18.10 years: Steven Roth (2008). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 2 primary benchmarks: Russell 3000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and Russell 2000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Dean Small Cap Value has 59 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 33.4% 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.
Dean Small Cap Value is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity fund group. Dean Small Cap Value has 0.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 95.4%. There is 0.0% 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). Dean Small Cap Value has 4.6% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $193 million in total assets, which is below the $417 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.
DASCX 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 Dean Small Cap Value expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Small Value category. Dean Small Cap Value has an expense ratio of 1.16%, which is 1% 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. Dean Small Cap Value has a portfolio turnover rate of 160%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 128% for the Small Value category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Dean Small Cap Value returned 0.9%, which earned it a grade of B, as the Small Value category had an average return of -0.4%. 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.
Dean Small Cap Value has a trailing yield of 0.36%, 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.
Dean Small Cap Value Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 23.0%, 2.9 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 33.8% over the past year (grade of B), 10.2% over the past three years (grade of F) and 8.4% per year over the past five years (grade of D) and 8.6% per year over the past 10 years (grade of F).
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DASCX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| DASCX Return (NAV) | 0.9% | 8.5% | 33.8% | 10.2% | 8.4% | 8.6% |
| DASCX Grade | B | A | B | F | D | F |
| +/- Category | 1.2% | 2.1% | 3.2% | -3.2% | -0.7% | -1.3% |
| Small Value Avg | -0.4% | 6.4% | 30.6% | 13.4% | 9.1% | 9.9% |
| DASCX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.5% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.4% |
DASCX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| DASCX Return (NAV) | 23.0% | 5.0% | 3.7% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 31.5% | -1.7% | 20.9% | -13.1% | 3.7% | 30.4% |
| DASCX Grade | B | C | F | F | A | C | F | D | B | F | A |
| +/- Category | 2.9% | -1.6% | -6.0% | -13.1% | 12.0% | 1.2% | -5.8% | -2.1% | 1.6% | -6.5% | 5.7% |
| Small Value Avg | 20.1% | 6.6% | 9.7% | 15.8% | -10.3% | 30.3% | 4.1% | 23.0% | -14.7% | 10.2% | 24.7% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 16.9% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.38 - High |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.93 - Low |
| Category Risk Grade: | A (15% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.80 |
| R-Squared: | 38% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Small-Cap Value |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 0.4% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $193 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 193 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | No Load |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 160% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 1 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 18.1 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 18.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Roth Steven (2008) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 59 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 33.4% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 95.4% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 4.6% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Dean Fund |
| Phone Number: | 888-899-8343 |
| Website: | www.deanmutualfunds.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | May 28, 1997 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $1,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 250 |
| True No-Load: | Yes |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | na |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 1.16% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 1.17% |
| Share Class: | Dean Small Cap Value |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
