Fund Evaluator:
Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl (WVALX)
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Best Performing in Large Blend Over the Last Year
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Fund Details
Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl Overview
Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl (WVALX) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Large Blend fund. Weitz launched the fund in 1986.
The investment seeks capital appreciation. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of large-cap companies. The Adviser considers large-cap companies to be those with market capitalizations that would be included in the Bloomberg 1000 Index. It may invest in securities issued by non-U.S. companies, which may be denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign currencies.
About Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl (WVALX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 10.80 years: Nathan Ritz (2024), Bradley Hinton (2006). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 1 primary benchmark: Bloomberg 1000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl has 32 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 55.8% 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.
Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity fund group. Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl has 6.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 89.8%. There is 6.0% 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). Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl has 4.2% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $385 million in total assets, which is below the $6 billion average for the Large 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.
WVALX 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 Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Large Blend category. Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl has an expense ratio of 1.03%, which is 27% 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. Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl has a portfolio turnover rate of 10%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.1 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 48% for the Large Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl returned 4.9%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Large Blend 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.
Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 0.56% 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.
Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned -1.3%, 10.6 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F. The fund has returned -0.9% over the past year (grade of F), 5.5% over the past three years (grade of F) and 2.9% per year over the past five years (grade of F) and 9.4% per year over the past 10 years (grade of F).
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WVALX 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 |
|
| WVALX Return (NAV) | 4.9% | 5.0% | -0.9% | 5.5% | 2.9% | 9.4% |
| WVALX Grade | A | B | F | F | F | F |
| +/- Category | 4.5% | 1.0% | -18.4% | -11.9% | -8.2% | -4.2% |
| Large Blend Avg | 0.4% | 4.1% | 17.5% | 17.3% | 11.1% | 13.7% |
| WVALX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 4.3% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.9% |
WVALX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| WVALX Return (NAV) | -1.3% | -0.4% | 12.7% | 29.6% | -22.8% | 26.8% | 18.4% | 34.1% | -4.9% | 15.5% | 2.9% |
| WVALX Grade | F | F | F | A | F | C | B | A | B | F | F |
| +/- Category | -10.6% | -16.2% | -9.4% | 5.9% | -5.5% | 0.2% | 0.9% | 4.3% | 1.0% | -5.8% | -7.3% |
| Large Blend Avg | 9.3% | 15.8% | 22.1% | 23.7% | -17.3% | 26.5% | 17.5% | 29.8% | -5.9% | 21.3% | 10.2% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 14.3% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.17 - Above Average |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.08 - High |
| Category Risk Grade: | F (90% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.92 |
| R-Squared: | 71% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Large-Cap Blend |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 0.0% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $640 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 385 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inv |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 10% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 20.0 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 10.8 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Hinton Bradley (2006), Ritz Nathan (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 3/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 32 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 55.8% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 6.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 89.8% |
| Foreign Stock: | 6.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 4.2% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Weitz |
| Phone Number: | 888-859-0698 |
| Website: | www.weitzfunds.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | May 9, 1986 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $2,500 |
| 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 (%): | 1.03% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.81% |
| Share Class: | Weitz Large Cap Equity-Investor Cl |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 25 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
