Delaware Growth Equity Fund**(formerly, First Investors Select Growth Fund)

Key features

Concentrated approach that seeks high-quality companies with undiscovered growth potential

Systematic integration of technology and fundamental analysis leads to strong risk controls and drives performance

Straightforward investment philosophy that has been applied consistently for more than 30 years

Daily pricing as of 07/01/2020

NAV
$13.06
NAV 1-day net change
0.06
Max offer price
$13.06

Total net assets as of 05/31/2020

All share classes
$584.6 million

Overview

Fund information
Inception date04/01/2013
Dividends paid (if any)Annually
Capital gains paid (if any)November or December
Fund identifiers
NASDAQFICHX
CUSIP24611D698

Benchmark and peer group

Russell 1000® Growth Index (primary) (view definition)

Russell 3000® Growth Index (view definition)

Morningstar Large Growth Category (view definition)

Lipper Multi-Cap Growth Funds Average (view definition)

Performance

The performance quoted represents past performance and does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted.

Total returns may reflect waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the manager and/or distributor for some or all of the periods shown. Performance would have been lower without such waivers and reimbursements.

Average annual total return as of month-end (05/31/2020)

Returns for less than one year are not annualized.

Benchmark lifetime returns are as of the Fund's inception date.

Index performance returns do not reflect any management fees, transaction costs, or expenses. Indices are unmanaged and one cannot invest directly in an index.

Performance shown prior to Oct. 4, 2019, are as of the predecessor fund and investment team. Please see the Updated Significant Fund Event and prospectus for more information.

Average annual total return as of quarter-end (03/31/2020)

Returns for less than one year are not annualized.

Benchmark lifetime returns are as of the Fund's inception date.

Index performance returns do not reflect any management fees, transaction costs, or expenses. Indices are unmanaged and one cannot invest directly in an index.

Performance shown prior to Oct. 4, 2019, are as of the predecessor fund and investment team. Please see the Updated Significant Fund Event and prospectus for more information.

Overall Morningstar RatingTM

Institutional Class shares - as of 05/31/2020

MorningstarMorningstarMorningstar
RatingNo. of funds
Overall31244
3 years31244
5 years31084
10 years3814
Morningstar categoryMorningstar Large Growth Category
 

(View Morningstar disclosure)

The Morningstar rating is based on risk-adjusted returns.

Morningstar ranking - as of 05/31/2020
YTD ranking 891 / 1376
1 year 899 / 1353
3 years 828 / 1244
5 years 742 / 1084
10 years n/a
Morningstar categoryMorningstar Large Growth Category

(View Morningstar disclosure)

The Morningstar ranking is based on historical total returns.

Lipper ranking - as of 05/31/2020
YTD ranking 339 / 553
1 year 320 / 548
3 years 427 / 495
5 years 319 / 420
10 years n/a
Lipper classificationLipper Multi-Cap Growth Funds Average

(View Lipper disclosure)

The Lipper ranking is based on historical total returns.

Expense ratio

Gross
0.87%
Net
0.86%

Net expense ratio reflects a contractual waiver of certain fees and/or expense reimbursements from Oct. 4, 2019 through Oct. 31, 2021. Please see the fee table in the Fund's prospectus for more information.

Calendar year total returns @ NAV

Year
Annual return
Year
Annual return
2019
24.53%
2018
-3.65%
2017
32.67%
2016
4.14%
2015
3.24%
2014
13.47%

Portfolio

Portfolio characteristics as of 05/31/2020

Number of holdings
36
Market cap (median) Source: FactSet
$56.3 billion
Market cap (weighted average) Source: FactSet
$309.0 billion
Portfolio turnover (last fiscal year)
51%
Beta (relative to Russell 1000 Growth Index) (view definition)
1.00
Annualized standard deviation, 3 years (view definition)
18.06

Portfolio composition as of 05/31/2020
Total may not equal 100% due to rounding.

Domestic equities
98.6%
Cash and cash equivalents
1.4%

Top 10 holdings as of 05/31/2020

Holdings are as of the date indicated and subject to change.

List may exclude cash, cash equivalents, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that are used for cash management purposes. Please see the Fund's complete list of holdings for more information.

Holdings based by issuer.

Holding
% of portfolio
Holding
% of portfolio
MICROSOFT CORP
4.70
Apple Inc.
4.60
Cadence Design Systems Inc.
4.16
PAYPAL HOLDINGS INC
4.15
Amazon.com Inc.
4.01
Fortinet Inc.
3.95
Adobe Inc.
3.91
Alphabet Inc.
3.55
Facebook Inc.
3.35
ZEBRA TECH CORP
3.34

Total % Portfolio in Top 10 holdings - 39.72%

List of monthly holdingsList of quarterly holdings

Sector allocation as of 05/31/2020

List may exclude cash, cash equivalents, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that are used for cash management purposes. Please see the Fund’s complete list of holdings for more information.

Sector
Fund
Sector
Fund
Information technology
41.4%
Healthcare
17.2%
Consumer discretionary
11.6%
Industrials
11.3%
Communication services
6.9%
Consumer staples
5.5%
Financials
4.0%
Energy
0.7%

Distribution history - annual distributions (Institutional Class)1,2
Distributions ($ per share)

Year
Capital gains3
Net investment income
Year
Capital gains3
Net investment income
2020
0.000
0.000
2019
1.299
0.063
2018
0.624
0.008
2017
1.073
0.019
2016
1.545
0.042
2015
1.130
0.033
2014
0.000
0.008
2013
0.000
0.000
2012
0.000
0.000
2011
0.000
0.000
2010
0.000
0.000

1If a Fund makes a distribution from any source other than net income, it is required to provide shareholders with a notice disclosing the source of such distribution (each a "Notice"). The amounts and sources of distributions reported above and in each Notice are only estimates and are not provided for tax reporting purposes. Each Fund will send each shareholder a Form 1099 DIV for the calendar year that will provide definitive information on how to report the Fund's distributions for federal income tax purposes. The information in the table above will not be updated to reflect any subsequent recharacterization of dividends and distributions. Click here to see recent Notices pertaining to the Fund (if any).

2Information on return of capital distributions (if any) is only provided from June 1, 2014 onward.

3Includes both short- and long-term capital gains.

Management

Investment manager

Delaware Management Company (DMC)

Sub-advisor

Smith Asset Management Group

Stephen S Smith

Stephen S. Smith, CFA

  • Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer
  • Start date on the Fund: October 2019
  • Years of industry experience: 43
  • Read bio
John D Brim

John D. Brim, CFA

  • Chief Investment Officer
  • Start date on the Fund: October 2019
  • Years of industry experience: 30
  • Read bio
Eivind Olsen

Eivind Olsen, CFA

  • Portfolio Manager
  • Start date on the Fund: October 2019
  • Years of industry experience: 25
  • Read bio

Fees

Shareholder fees
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering pricenone
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lowernone
Annual fund operating expenses
Management fees0.65%
Distribution and service (12b-1) feesnone
Other expenses0.22%
Total annual fund operating expenses0.87%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements1(0.01%)
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements0.86%

1 The Fund’s investment manager, Delaware Management Company (Manager), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fees and/or pay/reimburse expenses (excluding any acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes, interest, short sale and dividend interest expenses, brokerage fees, certain insurance costs, and nonroutine expenses or costs, including, but not limited to, those relating to reorganizations, litigation, conducting shareholder meetings, and liquidations) in order to prevent total annual fund operating expenses from exceeding 0.86% of the Fund’s average daily net assets from Oct. 4, 2019 through Oct. 31, 2021. These waivers and reimbursements may only be terminated by agreement of the Manager and the Fund.

Resources

Institutional Class shares are available only to certain investors. See the prospectus for more information.

*The Fund changed its broad-based index from the Russell 3000 Growth Index as of Jan. 31, 2019. The Fund elected to use the new index because it more closely reflects the Fund’s investment strategy.

**Updated Significant Fund Event. On April 6, 2019, Foresters Investment Management Company, Inc. (FIMCO), the investment adviser to the First Investors Funds, entered into an agreement with Macquarie Management Holdings, Inc. (MMHI), whereby MMHI, on behalf of its affiliate Delaware Management Company (DMC), a series of Macquarie Investment Management Business Trust (MIMBT), would acquire FIMCO’s asset management business (the “Transaction”). In connection with the Transaction, the Board of Trustees of the First Investors Trusts and the First Investors Fund shareholders approved, pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Agreement”), the transfer of all assets and liabilities of each First Investors Fund to a corresponding, newly formed fund in the Delaware Funds by Macquarie family of funds. The Transaction closed on Oct. 4, 2019.

Smith Asset Management Group, L.P. (Smith), a US registered investment advisor, is the sub-advisor to the Fund. As sub-advisor, Smith is responsible for day-to-day management of the Fund’s assets. Delaware Management Company (DMC), a series of Macquarie Investment Management Business Trust (MIMBT), has ultimate responsibility for all investment advisory services.

All third-party marks cited are the property of their respective owners.

Frank Russell Company is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks and copyrights related to the Russell Indexes. Russell® is a trademark of Frank Russell Company.

Carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risk factors, charges, and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund’s prospectus and its summary prospectus, which may be obtained by clicking the prospectus link located under the Resources section, or calling 877 693-3546. Investors should read the prospectus and the summary prospectus carefully before investing.

Carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risk factors, charges, and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund’s prospectus and its summary prospectus, which are located under the Resources section, or calling 800 523-1918. Investors should read the prospectus and the summary prospectus carefully before investing.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.

Investments in small and/or medium-sized companies typically exhibit greater risk and higher volatility than larger, more established companies.

Narrowly focused investments may exhibit higher volatility than investments in multiple industry sectors.

Because the Fund expects to hold a concentrated portfolio of limited number of securities, the Fund's risk is increased because each investment has a greater effect on the Fund's overall performance.

Natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, and other severe weather-related phenomena generally, and widespread disease, including pandemics and epidemics, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Fund’s investments. Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and markets, conditions in one country, market, or region are increasingly likely to adversely affect markets, issuers, and/or foreign exchange rates in other countries. These disruptions could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.

Not FDIC Insured • No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value

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