identifies a stock that it believes offers a better investment opportunity.
Main Risks
All investments carry a certain amount of risk and the fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. An investment in the fund is not a deposit or obligation of any bank, is not endorsed or guaranteed by any bank, and is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. You may lose money by investing in the fund. Below are the main risks of investing in the fund. All of the risks listed below are significant to the fund, regardless of the order in which they appear.
Management Risk The Adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of a particular asset class or individual security in which the fund invests may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that individual companies will perform as anticipated. The value of an individual company can be more volatile than the market as a whole, and the Adviser’s intrinsic value-oriented approach may fail to produce the intended results.
Market Risk The value of the fund's investments may decrease, sometimes rapidly or unexpectedly, due to factors affecting an issuer held by the fund, particular industries or overall securities markets. When the value of the fund’s investments goes down, your investment in the fund decreases in value. A variety of factors including interest rate levels, recessions, inflation, U.S. economic growth, war or acts of terrorism, natural disasters, political events and widespread public health issues affect the securities markets. The global spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 has caused volatility, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints in many markets, including markets for the securities the fund holds, and may adversely affect the fund's investments and operations. In addition, COVID-19 and governmental responses to COVID-19 may negatively impact the capabilities of the fund's service providers and disrupt the fund's operations. This pandemic may result in substantial market volatility and may adversely impact the prices and liquidity of the fund's investments.
Non-U.S. and Emerging Markets Risk The fund may invest in non-U.S. securities and U.S. securities of companies domiciled in non-U.S. countries that may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies. These companies may be subject to additional risks, including political and economic risks, civil conflicts and war, greater volatility, expropriation and nationalization risks, currency fluctuations, higher transaction costs, delayed settlement, possible non-U.S. controls on investments, and less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards of non-U.S. markets. The departure of one or more other countries from the European Union may have significant political and financial consequences for global markets. These risks are magnified in emerging markets as events and evolving conditions in certain economies or markets may alter the risks associated with investments tied to countries or regions that historically were perceived as comparatively stable becoming riskier and more volatile. The market for the securities of issuers in emerging markets is typically small and low, and nonexistent trading volumes in those securities may result in a lack of liquidity and price volatility.
Sector Emphasis Risk The fund, from time to time, may invest 25% or more of its assets in one or more sectors, subjecting the fund to sector emphasis risk. This is the risk that the fund is subject to a greater risk of loss as a result of adverse economic, business or other developments affecting a specific sector in which the fund has a focused position, than if its investments were diversified across a greater number of industry sectors. Some sectors possess particular risks that may not affect other sectors.
Small Cap and Mid Cap Company Risk Investments in small cap and mid cap companies may be riskier than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities of these companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than securities of larger companies. In addition, small cap and mid cap companies may be more vulnerable to economic, market and industry changes. As a result, share price changes may be more sudden or erratic than the prices of other equity securities, especially over the short term. Because smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or may depend on a few key employees, they may be more susceptible to particular economic events or competitive factors than large capitalization companies.
Performance
The following bar chart and table show two aspects of the fund: volatility and performance. The bar chart shows the volatility - or variability - of the fund’s annual total returns over time, and shows that fund performance can change from year to year.
Prior to calendar year 2019, the bar chart and table reflect the past performance of Diamond Hill International Equity Fund, LP (the “International Partnership”), a private fund managed with full investment authority by the Adviser, and provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing changes in the fund’s performance from year to year over the periods indicated and by showing how the fund’s average annual total returns for the periods indicated compared to a relevant market index. The fund is managed in all material respects in a manner equivalent to the management of the International Partnership. The fund’s objectives, policies, guidelines and restrictions are in all material respects equivalent to the International Partnership, and the fund was created for reasons entirely unrelated to the establishment of a performance record. The assets of the International Partnership were converted, based on their value on June 28, 2019, into assets of the fund prior to commencement of operations of the fund. The performance of the International Partnership has been restated to reflect the net expenses and maximum applicable sales charge of the fund for its initial years of investment operations. The International Partnership was not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) and therefore was not subject to certain investment restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act. If the International Partnership had been registered under the 1940 Act, its performance may have been adversely affected. Performance of the fund prior to calendar year 2019 is measured from December 30, 2016, the inception of the International Partnership, and is not the performance of the fund. The fund’s and the International Partnership’s past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future either before or after taxes. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.diamond-hill.com or by calling 888-226-5595.