Fund Evaluator:
North Square Small Cap Value Investor (DRSVX)Best Performing in Small Value Over the Last Year
| 44.7% | Bridgeway Omni Small-Cap Value N (BOSVX) |
| 43.3% | PGIM Quant Solutions Small-Cap Val Z (TASVX) |
| 42.5% | Goldman Sachs Small Cp Val Insghts Inv (GTTTX) |
| 40.5% | Auer Growth (AUERX) |
| 39.9% | Heartland Value Investor (HRTVX) |
Fund Details
North Square Small Cap Value Investor Overview
North Square Small Cap Value Investor (DRSVX) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Small Value fund. North Square launched the fund in 2003.
The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its assets (including borrowings for investment purposes) in common stocks of small capitalization companies that at the time of purchase are similar in market capitalization to those listed on the Russell 2000® Value Index. It may invest up to 20% of its assets in foreign securities (including securities of emerging market countries), including ADRs or GDRs that are traded on U.S. markets. Small capitalization companies in which the fund may invest include closed-end funds that invest primarily in small capitalization companies.
About North Square Small Cap Value Investor (DRSVX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 18.03 years: Mario Tufano (2010), Mark Roach (2006). 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 Value TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. North Square Small Cap Value Investor has 79 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 26.3% 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.
North Square Small Cap Value Investor is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity fund group. North Square Small Cap Value Investor has 8.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 89.5%. There is 8.0% 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). North Square Small Cap Value Investor has 2.6% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $9 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.
DRSVX 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 North Square Small Cap Value Investor expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Small Value category. North Square Small Cap Value Investor has an expense ratio of 1.30%, which is 11% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a D. 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. North Square Small Cap Value Investor has a portfolio turnover rate of 46%, 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, North Square Small Cap Value Investor returned 0.3%, which earned it a grade of C, 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.
North Square Small Cap Value Investor has a trailing yield of 0.78%, which is above 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.
North Square Small Cap Value Investor Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 23.2%, 3.0 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 34.1% over the past year (grade of B), 13.0% over the past three years (grade of C) and 10.8% per year over the past five years (grade of A) and 9.6% per year over the past 10 years (grade of C).
For more mutual fund grades, analysis and screening tools to help your investment discovery, join AAII for a $2, full-access trial. Learn more here: https://invest.aaii.com/membership.
Otherwise, for more information about North Square Small Cap Value Investor, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
DRSVX 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 |
|
| DRSVX Return (NAV) | 0.3% | 5.9% | 34.1% | 13.0% | 10.8% | 9.6% |
| DRSVX Grade | C | C | B | C | A | C |
| +/- Category | 0.6% | -0.4% | 3.5% | -0.4% | 1.6% | -0.3% |
| Small Value Avg | -0.4% | 6.4% | 30.6% | 13.4% | 9.1% | 9.9% |
| DRSVX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.4% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 2.5% |
DRSVX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| DRSVX Return (NAV) | 23.2% | 7.9% | 3.8% | 16.5% | -3.7% | 31.2% | -2.0% | 22.5% | -17.0% | 7.5% | 29.0% |
| DRSVX Grade | B | C | F | C | A | C | F | C | D | D | B |
| +/- Category | 3.0% | 1.3% | -5.9% | 0.7% | 6.6% | 1.0% | -6.0% | -0.5% | -2.3% | -2.7% | 4.3% |
| 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: | 17.0% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.39 - High |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.94 - Low |
| Category Risk Grade: | A (18% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.83 |
| R-Squared: | 40% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Small-Cap Value |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 0.8% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $216 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 10 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inv |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 46% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 19.6 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 18.0 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Roach Mark (2006), Tufano Mario (2010) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 79 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 26.3% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 8.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 89.5% |
| Foreign Stock: | 8.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 2.6% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | North Square |
| Phone Number: | 800-247-1014 |
| Website: |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | December 31, 2003 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $2,500 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $2,500 |
| 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 (%): | 1.30% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 1.17% |
| Share Class: | North Square Small Cap Value Investor |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $1,000 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $1,000 |