Fund Evaluator:
ClearBridge Small Cap A (LMSAX)
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Best Performing in Small Blend Over the Last Year
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Fund Details
ClearBridge Small Cap A Overview
ClearBridge Small Cap A (LMSAX) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Small Blend fund. Franklin Templeton Investments launched the fund in 2009.
The investment seeks capital appreciation. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any, in common stocks and other equity securities of small capitalization companies or in other investments that the portfolio managers believe have similar economic characteristics. The adviser does not currently intend to borrow for investment purposes.
About ClearBridge Small Cap A (LMSAX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.08 years: Erich Frey (2026), Jeffrey Bailin, CFA (2026). 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%. ClearBridge Small Cap A has 90 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 17.8% 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.
ClearBridge Small Cap A is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity fund group. ClearBridge Small Cap A has 0.6% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 98.8%. There is 0.6% 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). ClearBridge Small Cap A has 0.6% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $470 million in total assets, which is below the $685 million average for the Small Blend 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.
LMSAX 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 ClearBridge Small Cap A expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Small Blend category. ClearBridge Small Cap A has an expense ratio of 1.07%, which is 2% higher 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. ClearBridge Small Cap A has a portfolio turnover rate of 33%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 66% for the Small Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, ClearBridge Small Cap A returned -1.3%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Small Blend category had an average return of -2.8%. 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.
ClearBridge Small Cap A has a trailing yield of 0.37%, which is below the 0.42% category average. The fund normally distributes its income semi-annually and its capital gains semi-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.
ClearBridge Small Cap A Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 15.5%, 2.7 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 24.8% over the past year (grade of D), 9.6% over the past three years (grade of F) and 4.7% per year over the past five years (grade of F) and 8.4% per year over the past 10 years (grade of F).
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LMSAX 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 |
|
| LMSAX Return (NAV) | -1.3% | 4.1% | 24.8% | 9.6% | 4.7% | 8.4% |
| LMSAX Grade | A | D | D | F | F | F |
| +/- Category | 1.5% | -1.1% | -3.5% | -3.8% | -2.9% | -1.9% |
| Small Blend Avg | -2.8% | 5.2% | 28.3% | 13.5% | 7.6% | 10.3% |
| LMSAX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 2.3% | 1.6% | 2.0% | 1.7% |
LMSAX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| LMSAX Return (NAV) | 15.5% | 6.1% | 7.5% | 16.9% | -20.6% | 18.9% | 3.2% | 30.6% | -9.1% | 11.9% | 27.4% |
| LMSAX Grade | D | D | F | C | F | D | F | A | B | D | A |
| +/- Category | -2.7% | -1.8% | -4.0% | 0.4% | -4.1% | -4.3% | -11.1% | 5.1% | 2.7% | -2.2% | 7.2% |
| Small Blend Avg | 18.2% | 7.9% | 11.6% | 16.5% | -16.5% | 23.2% | 14.4% | 25.5% | -11.8% | 14.1% | 20.2% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 18.3% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.49 - High |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.99 - Average |
| Category Risk Grade: | C (43% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.97 |
| R-Squared: | 48% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Small-Cap Blend |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 0.4% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Semi-Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Semi-Annually |
| Total Assets: | $705 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 471 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | A |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 33% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 0.1 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Frey Erich (2026), Bailin, CFA Jeffrey (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 90 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 17.8% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.6% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 98.8% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.6% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.6% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Franklin Templeton Investments |
| Phone Number: | 877-656-3863 |
| Website: | www.leggmason.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | February 3, 2009 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $1,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 250 |
| True No-Load: | No |
| Front Load Maximum: | 5.50% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | 0.25% |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 1.07% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 1.05% |
| Share Class: | ClearBridge Small Cap C |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 50 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 50 |
