Fund Evaluator:
PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 (PQJCX)Best Performing in Small Growth Over the Last Year
| 38.0% | Emerald Growth Investor (FFGRX) |
| 36.6% | Oberweis Small-Cap Opportunities (OBSOX) |
| 36.5% | Hood River New Opportunities Investor (HRNIX) |
| 35.5% | Oberweis Micro-Cap (OBMCX) |
| 34.5% | Royce Smaller-Companies Growth Invmt (RVPHX) |
Fund Details
PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 Overview
PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 (PQJCX) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Small Growth fund. PGIM launched the fund in 2016.
The investment seeks to outperform the Russell 2000 Index. The fund normally invests at least 80% of its investable assets in equity and equity-related securities of small-cap companies. It primarily invests in small-cap equity and equity-related securities that the subadvisor believes are relatively undervalued and have potential for stronger earnings growth. The fund is not sponsored by or affiliated with FTSE Russell. The market capitalization within the index will vary, but as of July 31, 2024, the median market capitalization was approximately $992 million and the largest company by market capitalization was approximately $12.1 billion.
About PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 (PQJCX)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 7.97 years: Jason Swiatek (2016), Eric Sartorius (2017), Jonathan Shapiro (2022). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 2 primary benchmarks: S&P 500 (TR) (1970) index with a weighting of 100% and Russell 2000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 has 135 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 18.0% 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.
PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity fund group. PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 has 3.4% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 92.4%. There is 3.4% 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). PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 has 4.3% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $11 million in total assets, which is below the $424 million average for the Small Growth 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.
PQJCX 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 PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Small Growth category. PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 has an expense ratio of 0.95%, which is 19% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. 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. PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 has a portfolio turnover rate of 61%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 78% for the Small Growth category.
Recently, in the month of August 2026, PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 returned 2.7%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Small Growth category had an average return of 0.8%. 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.
PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 0.05% 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.
PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 18.5%, 4.1 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 23.0% over the past year (grade of B), 15.0% over the past three years (grade of B) and 4.7% per year over the past five years (grade of B).
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PQJCX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 8/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| PQJCX Return (NAV) | 2.7% | 7.3% | 23.0% | 15.0% | 4.7% | na |
| PQJCX Grade | A | A | B | B | B | na |
| +/- Category | 2.0% | 7.2% | 4.4% | 1.0% | 1.7% | na |
| Small Growth Avg | 0.8% | 0.1% | 18.5% | 14.0% | 3.0% | 11.1% |
| PQJCX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.7% | 1.0% | 2.1% | na |
PQJCX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 8/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| PQJCX Return (NAV) | 18.5% | 1.9% | 18.0% | 15.0% | -24.1% | 22.4% | 38.9% | 25.6% | -12.3% | 19.3% | na |
| PQJCX Grade | B | D | B | D | B | A | C | D | F | D | na |
| +/- Category | 4.1% | -6.1% | 2.4% | -1.8% | 3.8% | 11.8% | -2.9% | -4.3% | -8.1% | -4.8% | na |
| Small Growth Avg | 14.4% | 8.0% | 15.5% | 16.7% | -27.9% | 10.5% | 41.8% | 29.9% | -4.1% | 24.1% | 10.2% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 19.2% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.58 - High |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.94 - Below Average |
| Category Risk Grade: | B (38% Rank) |
| Beta: | 1.14 |
| R-Squared: | 59% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Small-Cap Blend |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 0.0% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $11 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 12 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Retirement |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 61% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 9.8 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 8.0 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Swiatek Jason (2016), Sartorius Eric (2017), Shapiro Jonathan (2022) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 135 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 18.0% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 3.4% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 92.4% |
| Foreign Stock: | 3.4% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 4.3% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | PGIM |
| Phone Number: | 800-225-1852 |
| Website: | www.prudentialfunds.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | November 15, 2016 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $ 0 |
| 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: | na |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.95% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 1.17% |
| Share Class: | PGIM Jennison Small-Cap Core Equity R6 |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |