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Total AUMAvg. PM Years ExperienceYears Since Inception
$3.4B 2212
As of September 30 2025

Strategy Average Annual Total Returns

(%)2
YTD1 Year3 Years5 Years7 Years10 Years
Gross of Fees 9.88 13.42 15.65 8.01 10.52 12.95
Net of Fees 9.19 12.47 14.68 7.11 9.60 12.00
Russell 2500 Growth Index 9.95 12.62 15.97 7.76 8.05 10.93
As of September 30 2025
  

Overview

The SMID Cap Growth Strategy targets attractively priced small and mid cap growth companies with large exploitable opportunities.

Strategy OverviewSmall cap growth and mid cap growth stocks
BenchmarkRussell 2500 Growth Index
Total Strategy AUM $3.4B
Holdings Range 60-901
Objective Long-term growth of capital3

Investment Philosophy

The portfolio managers look for quality growth companies with large exploitable opportunities.

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Strategy Facts

Portfolio reflects the combined expertise of ClearBridge’s Small Cap Growth and Mid Cap Growth teams.

Invests in a mix of early-stage, established, and industry-leading growth companies with a multi-year time horizon.

Targets quality stocks with strong balance sheets, high returns on capital and high free cash flow.

 

Literature & Perspectives

Gen AI Buildouts Spur Tech Infrastructure Boom
Ambitious capital spending on generative AI projects by hyperscalers, which we view as a once-in-a-decade cycle, represents a meaningful tailwind for technology infrastructure providers supplying the picks and shovels to run large language models.
Clarity Emerging for SMID Growth Management Teams
SMID Cap Growth 3Q25: Policy clarity and fresh momentum spark renewed opportunities in SMID growth stocks.
How Collaborative Research Drives Active Alpha
Podcast: Matthew Lilling and Deepon Nag, ClearBridge’s Co-Directors of Research, discuss their active research philosophy, technological integration and the value of collaborative fundamental research in navigating global market dynamics and technological disruptions.
SMID Rides Growth Rally Higher
SMID Cap Growth 2Q25: Despite historically challenging conditions, the Strategy outperformed its benchmark due to contributions from health care and consumer staples holdings.
SMID Feels Pressure as Market Uncertainty Rises
SMID Cap Growth 1Q25: The Strategy outperformed its benchmark in the first quarter, largely owing to strong stock selection within the most turbulent sector of the market – information technology.
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Vehicles

This Strategy is available in other investment vehicles including the following:

Investment Process

  • From an investment universe of stocks with market caps from $500 million to the largest member of the Russell 2500 Growth Index, generate investment ideas through company meetings, financial analysis and collaboration among portfolio managers and analysts
  • Conduct fundamental research to gauge attractiveness from an industry, financial structure, management and valuation standpoint
  • Construct portfolio of 50 to 80 high conviction growth stocks diversified by end market, business model and growth profile, focusing on innovative products and services
  • Ongoing portfolio review, with attention to valuation and risk management 

SMID Cap Growth Strategy Performance

A mix of small and mid cap growth stocks has led to competitive results over multiple time periods.

Average Annual Total Returns (%)2

YTD1 Year3 Years5 Years7 Years10 Years
Gross of Fees 9.88 13.42 15.65 8.01 10.52 12.95
Net of Fees 9.19 12.47 14.68 7.11 9.60 12.00
Russell 2500 Growth Index 9.95 12.62 15.97 7.76 8.05 10.93
Created with Highcharts 9.3.39.199.1912.4712.4714.6814.687.117.119.69.612129.889.8813.4213.4215.6515.658.018.0110.5210.5212.9512.959.959.9512.6212.6215.9715.977.767.768.058.0510.9310.93Net of FeesGross of FeesRussell 2500 Growth IndexYTD1 Year3 Years5 Years7 Years10 Years

Characteristics

The Strategy targets higher multiple companies with above-average earnings growth.

Sector Weights1,2

Representative PortfolioRussell 2500 Growth Index
Consumer Discretionary10.9213.06
Consumer Staples7.302.78
Energy1.951.98
Financials8.4110.70
Health Care22.1320.57
Industrials22.9520.68
Information Technology21.2423.14
Materials0.922.41
Communication Services1.192.33
Utilities0.000.40
Cash2.320.00
Real Estate0.671.95
Created with Highcharts 9.3.310.9210.927.307.301.951.958.418.4122.1322.1322.9522.9521.2421.240.920.921.191.190.000.002.322.320.670.6713.0613.062.782.781.981.9810.7010.7020.5720.5720.6820.6823.1423.142.412.412.332.330.400.400.000.001.951.95Representative PortfolioRussell 2500 Growth IndexConsumerDiscretionaryConsumer StaplesEnergyFinancialsHealth CareIndustrialsInformationTechnologyMaterialsCommunicationServicesUtilitiesCashReal Estate
Portfolio Characteristics1,2
Characteristics Representative Portfolio Russell 2500 Growth Index
P/E Ratio (trailing 12 mos.)39.129.7
P/E Ratio (forward 12 mos.)29.823.7
Price/Book7.97.4
EPS Growth Next 3-5 Years (%)13.013.4
Weighted Median Market Cap ($ bn)12.35.9
Weighted Average Market Cap ($ bn)13.78.5
ROE14.37.1
Dividend Yield0.20.5
Turnover (trailing 12 mos.)28.7-
Risk Statistics1
10 Year Risk Statistics Composite Russell 2500 Growth Index
Standard Deviation (%)20.17 20.17
Sharpe Ratio0.56 0.51
Tracking Error (%)4.84 --
R20.94 --
Alpha (%)1.26 --
Beta0.97 --
Top 10 Holdings1
Characteristics % of Total Representative Portfolio
Casey's General Stores Inc2.67
Comfort Systems USA Inc2.65
Doximity Inc2.60
Insmed Inc2.53
BWX Technologies Inc2.53
Bloom Energy Corp2.52
API Group Corp2.52
Houlihan Lokey Inc2.46
Teledyne Technologies Inc2.39
Burlington Stores Inc2.35
Total25.22
Total Number of Holdings 79
  • Source: FactSet. Representative portfolio characteristics, holdings, sector weightings and market cap are based on a representative portfolio and are subject to change at any time. Holdings, sector weightings, market cap and portfolio characteristics of individual client portfolios may differ, sometimes significantly, from those shown. This information does not constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice or recommendations with respect to the securities and sectors listed. Statistics shown are net of fees.
    2 Past performance is no guarantee of future results. See GIPS endnotes. Performance is preliminary and subject to change.
    There is no guarantee that the Strategy's objective will be met.
    P/E ratios are weighted harmonic average. Price/Book is weighted average.

  • Source: London Stock Exchange Group plc and its group undertakings (collectively, the “LSE Group”). © LSE Group 2025. FTSE Russell is a trading name of certain of the LSE Group companies. “Russell®” is a trade mark of the relevant LSE Group companies and is/are used by any other LSE Group company under license. All rights in the FTSE Russell indexes or data vest in the relevant LSE Group company which owns the index or the data. Neither LSE Group nor its licensors accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the indexes or data and no party may rely on any indexes or data contained in this communication. No further distribution of data from the LSE Group is permitted without the relevant LSE Group company’s express written consent. The LSE Group does not promote, sponsor or endorse the content of this communication.

  • ClearBridge Investments, LLC claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®) and has prepared and presented this report in compliance with the GIPS standards. ClearBridge Investments, LLC ("ClearBridge") is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. (“Franklin”). In July 2020 Legg Mason, Inc., its parent company, was purchased by Franklin. The investment advisory business now known as ClearBridge was registered in September 2005 to facilitate Legg Mason's acquisition of substantially all the equity asset management businesses known as Citigroup Asset Management. These former businesses serve as the foundation of ClearBridge and its claim of GIPS compliance for institutional accounts through predecessor firms, effective as of January 1997. In June 2008, ClearBridge combined this business with its retail business to form a single GIPS firm. As of April 1, 2013, January 1, 2016, May 1, 2020, and January 1, 2024 ClearBridge affiliates, Global Currents Investment Management, LLC, ClearBridge, LLC, ClearBridge Investments Limited (f/k/a RARE Infrastructure Limited), and Franklin Bissett Asset Management have become part of the ClearBridge GIPS firm.

  • The ClearBridge SMID Cap Growth composite invests in a diverse portfolio of small and mid cap securities whose market caps are generally within the range of the benchmark. Results are calculated in U.S. dollars. The Russell 2500 Growth Index measures the performance of the small to mid-cap growth segment of the U.S. equity universe. To receive a complete list and description of ClearBridge composites and/or a presentation that adheres to the GIPS standards, please contact ClearBridge Institutional Marketing.

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