Investor Summary
Fund Strategy
FUND PERFORMANCE AS OF 31st December 2025
| ANNUALIZED SINCE INCEPTION | QUARTERLY | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| 9.9% | 1.8% | 11.9% |
| ANNUALIZED SINCE INCEPTION | QUARTERLY | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| 9.9% | 1.8% | 11.9% |
American Century Equity Income Fund delivered a 1.84% return in Q4 2025, underperforming the Russell 3000 Value Index's 3.78% gain, though achieving an 11.91% annual return. The fund's underweight to communication services, particularly missing Alphabet's AI breakthrough with Gemini, weighed on performance alongside limited exposure to semiconductors like Micron Technology. Healthcare led sector performance after being beaten down earlier in the year, with holdings like Roche and Johnson & Johnson contributing positively. The fund maintains its focus on higher-quality companies with stable revenues, low debt, and predictable cash flows as a defensive strategy amid continuing inflation and uncertain macroeconomic conditions including potential tariffs. Portfolio positioning emphasizes overweights in consumer staples and healthcare while remaining selective in financials due to rising delinquencies in consumer loans and commercial real estate. The managers initiated positions in Sysco and PNC preferred securities while exiting McDonald's, continuing to seek undervalued opportunities that offer attractive risk-adjusted returns through economic uncertainty.
The fund seeks to invest in undervalued companies where the valuation and relative rate of return does not reflect the quality and normal earning power of the company, believing this can result in higher rates of return and less volatility through focus on higher-quality businesses with stable revenues, low debt, and predictable cash flows.
The fund continues to focus on higher-quality companies that are believed to offer resilience amid uncertain macroeconomic conditions. The managers remain selective in positioning, maintaining overweights in defensive sectors like consumer staples and healthcare while avoiding areas with volatile business models or overvaluation concerns.
| Date | Letter | Tickers | Keywords | Pitches | Quick Takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23 2026 | 2025 Q4 | BDX, EPD, GOOGL, JNJ, JPM, MCD, MCHP, MDLZ, MDT, MMC, MU, NSC, PEP, PNC, RHHBY, SYY, TFC, UL | Consumer Staples, dividends, financials, healthcare, Quality, value | - | The fund continues to focus on higher-quality companies with stable revenues and profits, low indebtedness, resilient cash flows and predictable business models that are less… |
| Oct 19 2025 | 2025 Q3 | AMT, CRH, GOOG, JNJ, KVUE, NSC, PCAR | AI, Consumer Staples, dividends, Health Care, infrastructure | - | AI investments and data center expansion supported utilities and industrials, contributing to portfolio strength. The fund emphasized quality dividend payers in consumer staples and health… |
| Jul 22 2025 | 2025 Q2 | AOS, BDX, BRK/A, EL, EPD, KVUE, LUV, NEE, UNH | cash flow, defensiveness, dividends, income stability, payout ratios | - | The letter highlights the role of dividend-paying equities in generating stable income amid macro uncertainty and uneven growth. Management stresses balance sheet strength, sustainable payout… |
| Mar 31 2025 | 2025 Q1 | BRK/A, EPD, JNJ, MDT, PM, TROW | - | - | - |
| Sep 30 2024 | 2024 Q3 | INTC, JPM, KVUE, MCHP, MDT, ON, PG, RKT, TROW | - | - | - |
| Jun 30 2024 | 2024 Q2 | ADI, CB, INTC, KVUE, MCHP, MDT, NSC, RHO GR, TXN, ULVR | - | - | - |
| QUARTER | THEMES | TAGS |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q4 |
DividendsJapanese companies paid record dividends of ¥18 trillion for fiscal year ending March 2025, a 13.8% year-over-year increase. Many major firms have adopted progressive dividend policies guaranteeing dividends will never be cut, only maintained or increased. |
Progressive Dividend Record Payouts Shareholder Returns Yield Growth |
HealthcareHealthcare was the strongest relative contributor in the quarter with holdings increasing nearly +16% compared to benchmark returns of roughly +12%. Exact Sciences was acquired for a significant premium by Abbott Laboratories resulting in an +86% return, while other strong performers included Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Glaukos following approval of a new product, Penumbra, and Repligen driven by strong earnings results. |
M&A Product Approval Earnings Biotech | |
QualityThe portfolio has shifted toward higher quality businesses with better profitability, lower leverage, and less volatile earnings. Quality stocks underperformed significantly in 2025, creating attractive entry points for value investors. The manager maintains price discipline while seeking quality companies trading at discounts to intrinsic value. |
Quality Profitability Leverage Earnings | |
| 2025 Q3 |
AIThe extended federal government shutdown added volatility during what was otherwise a risk-on environment, with a mid-quarter shift in market behavior for AI-related equities as the exuberant narrative evolved to one more balanced in assessing the technology's enormous potential against staggering capital spending plans and high expectations. The team initiated a position in Credo Technology as a more diversified way to gain exposure to strong trends in AI-connectivity. |
Connectivity Semiconductors Infrastructure Capital Spending |
Consumer StaplesConsumer Staples was the epicenter of underperformance as investors showed no appetite for defensive businesses in a pro-cyclical, speculative bull market. The sector now trades at historically steep discounts despite facing perceived challenges including input cost inflation, GLP-1 impacts, and tariff supply chain effects. |
Defensive Valuation Discount Inflation Tariffs | |
InfrastructureDigital 9 Infrastructure holds telecom infrastructure assets including Arqiva stake. Despite poor 2025 performance, potential capital returns and asset sales could unlock value. Infrastructure assets provide defensive characteristics. |
Telecom Infrastructure Digital Infrastructure | |
| 2025 Q2 |
Income |
| Date | Pitch Type | Author | Ticker | Company | Industry | Sub Industry | Bull / Bear | Exchange | Keywords | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Elevator Pitches found | ||||||||||
| TICKER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|
| BDX | Our positions in Alphabet Inc. class C capital stock (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Becton, Dickinson and Company common stock (NYSE: BDX) made notable positive contributions during the quarter. BDX gained 3.7%. During the quarter, we added to our position in Becton, Dickinson and Company common stock (NYSE: BDX). |
| EPD | There should be a free cash flow (FCF) inflection in 2026. EPD increased its buyback authorization to $5 billion from $2 billion. |
| GOOGL | In the third quarter, Google, Kairos Power, and the Tennessee Valley Authority announced a major collaboration centered on a novel power purchase agreement. Google followed this announcement with another significant step forward. On October 27, Google and NextEra Energy announced plans to restart the Duane Arnold Energy Center. |
| JNJ | During the quarter, we switched out of a long-held position in Johnson & Johnson into a new holding in Merck. |
| JPM | JPMorgan (JPM) has identified 42 AI-related stocks in the S&P 500, which today represent 45% of the index's market cap. They estimate that these stocks have accounted for 78% of S&P 500 returns, 66% of earnings growth, and 71% of capital spending growth since ChatGPT launched in November 2022. As it relates to the impact on the U.S. economy, JPM estimates tech sector capital spending contributed 40%-45% of U.S. GDP growth through the first 9 months of the year, up from less than 5% during the same period in 2023. |
| MCD | We also rotated our positioning in the restaurant space by eliminating McDonald's and adding Darden Restaurants and Starbucks. |
| MCHP | Microchip Technology is one of the leading analog and microcontroller companies, benefiting from long product lifecycles and diverse end markets. Microchip struggled with supply chain challenges over the past 24 months as lengthening production lead times led to customer over-ordering. The company's founder, Steve Sanghi returned to the CEO role this past summer and has been successful in reducing excess inventory and positioning the company for a recovery in market share. We are encouraged by Steve's action plans, but as the stock's valuation has recovered, we elected to sell our small stake. |
| MDLZ | Mondelez International is a global snacking powerhouse with leading market share positions in crackers, cookies and chocolate. The brand portfolio houses iconic names like Cadbury, Milka, Toblerone, Oreo and Ritz. Mondelez possesses a unique global footprint that over-indexes to snacking occasions. Snacking is an advantaged category that benefits from robust pricing power, low private label competition and rising per capita consumption. We believe these attributes will help Mondelez sustain industry-leading growth. A rapid rise in commodity costs has temporarily depressed margins, masking the company's true earnings power. We believe Mondelez's strong pricing power and commodity relief will help improve margins. The short-term fears surrounding commodity inflation allowed us to purchase shares at a discounted valuation relative to history, peers and the broader market. |
| MDT | These purchases were funded through trims to medical device company Medtronic |
| MMC | We added global insurance broker Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. (MMC), as well as specialty chemicals manufacturer Eastman Chemicals Co (EMN). Marsh strikes us as a quintessentially good business trading at a reasonable valuation – a relatively rare combination with broad market indices trading near all-time highs. |
| MU | Core gains were led by investments in the Technology sector including Micron |
| NSC | Norfolk Southern merger with Union Pacific would create the first transcontinental rail network in the United States. We believe this provides a credible pathway to renewed volume growth and further productivity gains in an otherwise mature industry. |
| PNC | We initiated a preferred perpetual security in this bank holding company due to its robust capital position. |
| RHHBY | Roche (RHHBY) was another positive performer in 2025, driven by a robust pipeline of new and innovative drugs making it to market and favorable regulatory approvals. |
| SYY | Sysco shares dropped after management's conservative outlook for fiscal year 2026 due to continued macro uncertainties and uneven demand in the 'food-away-from-home' sector. |
| TFC | This preferred stock position was called during the period. |
| UL | Unilever is a global consumer goods company that develops and markets everyday food and personal care brands for billions of consumers worldwide. Anchored by iconic brands such as Dove, Knorr, Hellmann's and Vaseline, Unilever's refreshed management team is driving improved execution and strategic discipline to deliver more consistent growth, with a focus on higher-margin categories. Specifically, we appreciate their undertaking of various self-help initiatives, including cost-savings programs and brand divestments, which we believe will help unlock sustained value in the future. Despite Unilever's strong outlook, it trades at a discount to its peer group as prior undermanagement has resulted in 1% volume growth for the past decade. This provided us the opportunity to invest in a strong company with leading brands and an improved management team that is poised to increase per-share value. |
| Ticker | Put/Call | Amount Bought | Shares Bought | % Change | Weight % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Recent Buys Data | |||||
| Ticker | Put/Call | Amount Sold | Shares Sold | % Change | Weight % | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Recent Sells Data | ||||||
| Industry | Prev Quarter % | Current Quarter % | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| No industry data available | |||