The portfolio management team is led by Eric Mintz, CFA, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager with 30 years of industry experience, working alongside Christopher Sassouni, D.M.D., Portfolio Co-Manager with 35 years of experience who has overseen the fund since January 3, 2006, and David Cavanaugh as the third portfolio manager. The team operates within Eagle Asset Management, Inc., headquartered at 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida, which manages $60.7 billion in total assets across 79,272 client relationships. Eagle Asset Management was established in the 1970s-1980s as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Carillon Tower Advisers, Inc., part of Raymond James Investment Management. The organization benefits from notable expertise including Bert L. Boksen, CFA, a Senior Vice President and Managing Director with 44 years at Raymond James specializing in small-cap stocks before retirement. Born March 27, 1948, in New York City, Boksen relocated to Florida in 1979 and brought decades of growth equity expertise. Eagle Asset Management combines exceptional individual investment team insight with full-service platform stability and strength. The management team has delivered consistent outperformance of the fund's benchmark since 2006, demonstrating long-term investment discipline and effective risk management.

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The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing at least 80% of its net assets in mid-capitalization companies with above-average earnings or sales growth potential, reasonable valuations, and acceptable debt levels. Management focuses on companies with strong fundamentals supported by unique products or competitive positioning within their industries, termed 'secular growth.' The team emphasizes direct engagement with portfolio companies, frequently meeting with management teams to evaluate leadership capabilities and identify positive catalysts for growth. The investment approach targets both emerging and established companies that may be undiscovered or undervalued in the marketplace. Mid-cap companies are viewed as combining the best attributes of larger and smaller companies, offering growth potential while maintaining more established business models. The strategy recognizes mid-cap as an underrepresented segment, noting that despite representing about 27% of the overall market, mid-cap investments account for only 8% of domestic mutual fund assets. Portfolio construction maintains 82-96 securities with individual positions ranging between 0.25% and 3.25% of net assets. The approach incorporates comprehensive fundamental analysis with disciplined risk management. Eagle Asset Management's overarching philosophy emphasizes seeking superior, risk-adjusted returns through the combination of individual investment team insight and full-service platform stability.

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