Our History
Wasatch was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Wasatch has
developed a fundamental, bottom-up research method that focuses on the long-term growth
potential of companies and finding market inefficiencies. Wasatch initially focused on investing
in the stocks of companies with small market capitalizations (small cap), and over time has
organically evolved into additional asset classes.
Our Culture
Today, Wasatch is 100% employee owned with over 40 shareholders and no single employee
owning 20% or more of the firm. Our autonomy fosters an entrepreneurial spirit and pride that
promotes collaboration and teamwork. Years of experience have convinced us that the best ideas
and insights come from subjecting our efforts to the scrutiny of multiple eyes. At Wasatch, we
generate our own investment ideas and leverage our collective experience to create results for our
clients.
Our People
The substance of our success has always been our people. The portfolio managers at Wasatch
play a critical role in our investment philosophy and process. In addition to the individual
strengths brought to each portfolio, our lead portfolio managers average over 20 years of
experience in the industry. Our employee shareholders elect a Board of Directors (currently
consisting of seven employees and one former employee) to govern the company’s affairs.
Our Services
A. Discretionary Investment Advice
Wasatch provides discretionary investment advice for a variety of clients, including mutual funds,
collective trusts, separately managed accounts and sub-advised products. Across its different
clients, Wasatch managed a total of $26.7 billion in assets as of 12/31/2023.
Wasatch’s advisory services are typically provided on a discretionary basis, meaning that
Wasatch has full discretion to determine, consistent with clients’ investment objectives and
restrictions, which securities and the total amount of securities that should be bought or sold for
clients’ accounts. Wasatch may buy, sell, or otherwise trade securities that include, but are not
limited to, common stocks in markets around the globe, initial public offerings (IPOs), private
placements, 144A restricted stocks, convertible stocks and bonds, options, warrants, rights,
preferred stocks and corporate, municipal and government bonds, notes and bills. Wasatch
provides investment management services in several investment styles, including growth, core
and value styles in micro, small, mid and large cap securities located in domestic and
international markets. Wasatch’s discretionary investment authority may be limited by conditions
imposed by clients in their stated investment objectives or guidelines, and mutually agreed to by
Wasatch.
1. Mutual Funds
Wasatch provides discretionary investment management services to an open-end registered
investment company, Wasatch Funds Trust (“Wasatch Funds”). In total, Wasatch is the
investment advisor to 20 separate portfolios in Wasatch Funds, although a sub-adviser has been
retained to manage one of the portfolios.
Wasatch manages five U.S. domestic growth funds (Micro Cap, Small Cap Growth, Ultra
Growth, U.S. Select and Core Growth); two U.S. domestic value funds (Micro Cap Value and
Small Cap Value); three global funds (Global Opportunities, Global Select and Global Value);
five emerging markets funds (Emerging Markets Small Cap, Emerging India, Emerging Markets
Select, Frontier Emerging Small Countries and Greater China); three developed markets
international funds (International Growth, International Select and International Opportunities);
one long-short fund (Long/Short Alpha) and one sub-advised treasury fund (Wasatch-Hoisington
U.S. Treasury Fund). Wasatch has retained Hoisington Investment Management Company
(HIMCO) to sub-advise the Wasatch-Hoisington U.S. Treasury Fund.
As of 12/31/2023, Wasatch Funds had $12.6 billion in assets under management. Each Wasatch
Fund other than the Wasatch-Hoisington U.S. Treasury Fund has adopted both an investor share
class and an institutional share class. The two share classes are invested in the same portfolio of
securities but have different expenses. The investor share class of each Wasatch Fund is available
to retail investors as the minimum investment size is $2,000. The institutional shares are
available to investors who have a minimum of $100,000 invested in the fund. Each Fund is more
fully described in the Wasatch Funds prospectus available online at www.wasatchglobal.com or
www.sec.gov.
One difference between the management of the Wasatch Funds and all other accounts managed
by Wasatch relates to private investments and private offerings. From time-to-time one or more
Wasatch Fund may participate in a private offering, including private investments in public
equities (PIPEs). Wasatch does not typically purchase private investments or participate in
private transactions for any of its other clients.
2. Separate Accounts
As of December 31, 2023, Wasatch managed portfolios for separate account clients in investment
styles similar to those of the Wasatch Funds. Wasatch currently manages separate account
portfolios in fourteen investment styles (Micro Cap Growth, Micro Cap Value, Small Cap
Growth, Small Cap Core Growth, Small Cap Ultra Growth, Small Cap Value, Large Cap Value,
Global Small Cap, International Small Cap Growth, Emerging Markets Small Cap, Emerging
India, Frontier Emerging Small Countries and Emerging Markets Select). In addition, Wasatch
is willing to manage separate account portfolios in six other investment styles (International
Micro Cap, International Select, Global Value, Global Select, Greater China, U.S. Select and
Long/Short Alpha).
Each of the separate account styles is generally managed similarly to the respective Wasatch
Fund, although variations in the products can exist. For example, certain of the domestic products
also offer a hybrid style that permits a significant portion of a portfolio to be invested in
international small cap stocks. Or, certain of the global and international styles offer versions that
constrain the amount of the portfolio to be invested in emerging markets. Within an investment
style, the principal variations result from specific guidelines and restrictions placed on separate
account portfolios by clients. Restrictions on the management of the account must be mutually
agreed upon by Wasatch and the client. Clients who place restrictions, including restrictions as to
types of securities, concentrations, cash balances, brokers to be used or not used, etc., must
recognize that the performance of their accounts will not be consistent with the performance of
accounts managed in the same style with no restrictions and as a result their performance may be
better or worse than the other accounts.
As of 12/31/2023, Wasatch managed $8.9 billion in separate account assets. The minimum
account size for a new separate account is generally $1 million in assets under management in a
domestic style, or $10 million for an international style. Wasatch has the discretion to accept
accounts with a value less than the stated minimums depending on the nature of the account, the
potential for future additions to the account and other factors. Some Wasatch clients have
accounts smaller than $1 million. Depending on the investment style of a new account, the
minimum account size may be negotiated.
3. Sub-Advised Funds
As of 12/31/2023, Wasatch managed $3.11 billion as a sub-advisor to six registered funds. These
funds are generally aimed at retail investors in their jurisdictions and the minimum account size
varies by fund.
The Advisor acts as a sub-advisor to the St. James’s Place Emerging Markets Equity Unit
Trust GBP, a UCITs vehicle domiciled in the United Kingdom. The Advisor manages
the St. James’s UCIT in Wasatch’s Emerging Select style. As of 12/31/2023 the St.
James’s Place UCIT had $2.2 billion.
Wasatch acts as a sub-advisor to a sleeve of assets in the Counsel Global Small Cap
Fund, a mutual fund registered in Canada. The sleeve is managed in Wasatch’s
International Small Cap Growth investment style. Wasatch has investment discretion
over the sleeve which as of 12/31/2023 had AUM of $136 million.
Wasatch serves as a sub-advisor for the Renaissance Global Small-Cap Fund, a mutual
fund registered in Canada. The Fund is managed in Wasatch’s Global Small Cap Growth
investment style. Wasatch has investment discretion over the Fund. As of 12/31/2023
the Fund had AUM of $467 million.
Wasatch serves as a sub-advisor to the Brinker Capital Destinations International Equity
Fund, a U.S. registered mutual fund. The Brinker fund employs a multi-manager
approach and Wasatch is one of four managers (alongside Baron, MFS and T. Rowe
Price) advising the fund. Wasatch manages its sleeve in the International Opportunities
investment style. As of 12/31/2023 the sleeve in the Brinker fund which Wasatch
manages had AUM of $131 million.
Wasatch serves as a sub-advisor to the Morningstar U.S. Equity Fund, a U.S. registered
mutual fund. The Morningstar fund employs a multi-manager approach and Wasatch is
one of five managers (alongside Diamond Hill Capital Management, Levin Capital
Strategies, MFS Investment Management and Westwood Management) advising the
fund. Wasatch manages its sleeve in the Small Cap Core Growth investment style. As of
12/31/2023 the sleeve in the Morningstar fund which Wasatch manages had AUM of
$114 million.
Wasatch serves as a sub-advisor to the Clearwater Select Equity Fund, a U.S. registered
mutual fund. The Clearwater Fund employs a multi-manager approach and Wasatch is
one of six managers (alongside Cooke & Bieler, L.P., Jackson Square Partners, LLC,
Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC, Pzena Investment Management LLC, Rice Hall
James & Associates, LLC) advising the fund. Wasatch manages its sleeve in the Micro
Cap Value investment style. As of 12/31/2023 the sleeve in the Clearwater fund which
Wasatch manages had AUM of $64 million.
4. Collective Investment Trusts
Wasatch manages four collective investment trusts. The collective investment trusts are
institutional-only investment vehicles aimed at the retirement plan market. A CIT is similar to a
mutual fund in that it is comprised of pooled assets invested with a specific philosophy and
strategy; however, since it is exempt from the 1940 Investment Company Act, it has a simpler
structure and generally lower operating costs.
All four collective investment trusts are sponsored by their trustee, SEI Trust Company. As of
12/31/2023 the Emerging Markets Small Cap CIT had $132 million in assets, the Small Cap
Growth CIT had $15 million in assets, the Core Growth CIT had $450 million in assets and the
Emerging Markets Select CIT had $134 million in assets.
5. Private Fund
Wasatch launched a private fund, Wasatch Emerging Markets Select Fund, in the second quarter
of 2023. The vehicle is a master-feeder fund, with a Delaware limited partnership serving as an
onshore feeder and a Cayman Islands registered mutual fund serving as an offshore feeder. The
two feeder funds invest substantially all of their assets in the Master Fund, Wasatch Emerging
Markets Select Master Fund, Ltd., which is also registered as a Cayman mutual fund. The Master
fund is managed by Wasatch in the Wasatch Emerging Markets Select investment style. Both
feeders conduct their investment and trading activities through the Master Fund which has the
same investment objectives, policies and strategies as the feeder funds. The fund is intended for
qualified purchasers and should not be deemed an “investment company” under the Investment
Company Act of 1940.
6. Non-discretionary Account
Wasatch manages a single account over which Wasatch does not have investment discretion.
Instead, Wasatch proposes the same trades to the account that it makes in other accounts in the
same investment style. The client then either approves or rejects each trade. This client’s
investment execution and performance may at times differ substantially from the performance of
Wasatch’s discretionary accounts in the same investment style due to the approval requirement.
As of 12/31/2023 the non-discretionary account managed by Wasatch had $289 million in assets.
B. Services Other Than Continuous Investment Services
1. Model Delivery Platforms/UMAs
Model delivery platforms (“MDPs”) are platforms for which Wasatch designs, monitors and, as
necessary, updates a model portfolio and provides the model and updates to these platforms on a
regular basis. The platforms receiving models may adopt or ignore Wasatch’s recommendations.
Wasatch does not have investment or voting discretion over MDPs. Wasatch does not have
responsibility for trade execution, proxy voting or any other services to MDPs other than to
provide investment recommendations with respect to the model portfolio. The investment
performance of any account on a MDP is attributable to the client, not to Wasatch, and may differ
substantially from the performance of Wasatch’s discretionary accounts in the same strategy.
Accounts on MDPs will not receive access to limited offerings in which other Wasatch clients
participate. Wasatch also provides advice to unified managed accounts (“UMAs”) which
Wasatch considers to be a form of MDP. As of 12/31/2023 the aggregate assets reported to
Wasatch as following Wasatch’s models on the various platforms was $455 million in assets.
2. Administrative Services
Wasatch provides certain back office services for the various clients to which it provides
investment management services. Wasatch provides several services to Wasatch Funds, including
providing officers to the Funds, all of whom are compensated by Wasatch and are provided at no
additional charge to the shareholders of Wasatch Funds. Wasatch provides certain services to its
separate account clients, including account reconciliation and statement generation, which are
provided as part of its investment services.
Wasatch has also been hired to provide administrative services to the Cross Creek Funds, a group
of venture funds and funds-of-venture funds unaffiliated with Wasatch. The Cross Creek Funds
were started inside of Wasatch in 2006 and remained a part of Wasatch until they were separated
in 2012. The Cross Creek Funds are now managed by Cross Creek Advisors, LLC, a registered
investment adviser. Wasatch provides the Cross Creek Funds services including accounting
services, capital call management and preparation of financial statements.
Services Wasatch Does Not Typically Provide to Clients
1. Significant Shareholder Reporting
When Wasatch takes significant positions in an issuer, Wasatch is required to file reports with
issuers and regulators around the globe regarding its clients’ holdings of the issuer. Those reports
are often made available to the public and at times require disclosure to the public of a client’s
identity and holdings. While Wasatch monitors the holdings of its clients on an aggregate basis
and makes filings as necessary, Wasatch does not monitor or advise its clients on reporting
requirements clients might have in those jurisdictions.
2. Class Actions
Wasatch will pass along to its clients and their custodians information it receives in connection
with a portfolio security held by the client in a Wasatch account if the client might have a claim
in connection with its ownership of that security. However, Wasatch does not file class actions
claims for clients and does not pro-actively seek out information regarding potential class actions
in securities held by Wasatch. If Wasatch receives this information, it will make a good faith
effort to pass this information along to the client’s custodian, but Wasatch will not give any
advice related to the claim or potential claim.