Investment Goal
The investment goal of Baron Emerging Markets Fund (the “Fund”) is capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table below describes the fees and expenses that you would pay if you bought and held shares of the Fund.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
| Management Fee |
Distribution (12b-1) Fee |
Other Expenses |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
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| BARON EMERGING MARKETS FUND |
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| Retail Shares |
1.00% | 0.25% | 0.10% | 1.35% | ||||||||||||
| Institutional Shares |
1.00% | 0.00% | 0.09% | 1.09% | ||||||||||||
| R6 Shares |
1.00% | 0.00% | 0.09% | 1.09% | ||||||||||||
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| YEAR | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| BARON EMERGING MARKETS FUND |
||||||||||||||||
| Retail Shares |
$ | 137 | $ | 428 | $ | 739 | $ | 1,624 | ||||||||
| Institutional Shares |
$ | 111 | $ | 347 | $ | 601 | $ | 1,329 | ||||||||
| R6 Shares |
$ | 111 | $ | 347 | $ | 601 | $ | 1,329 | ||||||||
Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes for Fund
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Baron Emerging Markets Fund
shareholders. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 59.00% of the average value of its portfolio.
Investments, Risks, and Performance
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund is a diversified fund that, under normal circumstances, invests 80% of its net assets in equity securities in the form of common stock of growth companies domiciled, headquartered or whose primary business activities or principal trading markets are in developing countries. A developing country is a country included in the MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index and other countries determined by the Adviser to be developing countries based on classifications made by the International Monetary Fund or on country characteristics similar to those of the countries in the EM Index. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in developed countries and in frontier countries as defined by the MSCI Frontier Markets (FM) Index. The Fund’s investments will be in at least three different countries. The Fund may purchase securities of companies of any market capitalization. The Adviser seeks to invest in businesses it believes have significant opportunities for growth, sustainable competitive advantages, exceptional management, and an attractive valuation.
The Fund’s investments in developing countries generally are traded in currencies other than U.S. dollars, so the Adviser buys and sells foreign currencies to facilitate transactions in portfolio securities. The Adviser usually does not hedge against possible fluctuations in exchange rates, but exposure to a particular currency that the Adviser believes is overvalued may be hedged if the Fund has a substantial position in securities traded in that currency. The Fund may buy and sell currencies for cash at current exchange rates, or using an agreement to purchase or sell a specified currency at a specified future date or within a specified time period, at a price set at the time of the contract.
The investment policy of the Fund relating to the types of securities in which 80% of the Fund’s assets must be invested may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval upon at least 60 days’ notice.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
Currency Risk. This refers to a decline in the value of a foreign currency versus the U.S. dollar, which reduces the dollar value of securities denominated in that currency. The overall impact on the Fund’s holdings can be significant, unpredictable and long-lasting,
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Baron Emerging Markets Fund
depending on the currencies represented in the portfolio and how each one appreciates or depreciates in relation to the U.S. dollar and whether currency positions are hedged. Under normal conditions, the Fund does not engage in extensive foreign currency hedging programs. Further, because exchange rate movements are volatile, the Fund’s attempts at hedging could be unsuccessful, and it may not be possible to effectively hedge the currency risks of many developing countries.
Developing Countries. The Fund invests in developing countries, which include countries in the MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index and other countries determined by the Adviser to be developing countries based on classifications made by the International Monetary Fund or on country characteristics similar to those of the countries in the EM Index. Investments in developing countries are subject to all of the risks of non-U.S. investing generally, and have additional heightened risks due to a lack of established legal, political, business and social frameworks to support securities markets, including: delays in settling portfolio securities transactions; currency and capital controls; greater sensitivity to interest rate changes; pervasiveness of corruption and crime; currency exchange rate volatility; and inflation, deflation or currency devaluation.
General Stock Market. Fund losses may be incurred due to declines in one or more markets in which Fund investments are made. These declines may be the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s). In addition, turbulence and reduced liquidity in financial markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could have an adverse effect on your Fund investment. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions or other events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments or voluntarily imposed by private parties, including closing borders, restricting travel and imposing prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, have had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may impact your Fund investment.
Growth Investing. Growth stocks can react differently to issuer, political, market and economic developments than the market as a whole and other types of stocks. Growth stocks tend to be more expensive relative to their earnings or assets
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Baron Emerging Markets Fund
compared to other types of stocks. As a result, growth stocks tend to be sensitive to changes in their earnings and more volatile than other types of stocks.
Frontier Countries. The Fund’s investments in frontier countries, which include countries in the MSCI Frontier Markets (FM) Index, are subject to all of the risks of non-U.S. investing generally and the risks of investing in developing countries, except that such risks are greater in frontier countries.
Non-U.S. Securities. Investing in non-U.S. securities may involve additional risks to those inherent in investing in U.S. securities, including exchange rate fluctuations, political or economic instability, the imposition of exchange controls, expropriation, limited disclosure and illiquid markets.
Risks of Emphasizing a Region, Country, Sector or Industry. If the Fund has invested a higher percentage of its total assets in a particular region, country, sector or industry, changes affecting that region, country, sector or industry may have a significant impact on the performance of the Fund’s overall portfolio.
Small- and Mid-Sized Companies. The Adviser believes there is more potential for capital appreciation in small- and mid-sized companies, but there also may be more risk. Securities of small- and mid-sized companies may not be well known to most investors, and the securities may be less actively traded than those of large businesses. The securities of small- and mid-sized companies may fluctuate in price more widely than the stock market generally, and they may be more difficult to sell during market downturns. Small- and mid-sized companies rely more on the skills of management and on their continued tenure. Investing in small- and mid-sized companies requires a long-term outlook and may require shareholders to assume more risk and to have more patience than investing in the securities of larger, more established companies.
Performance
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund (Retail Shares) by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for 1, 5 and 10 years compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available online at www.BaronFunds.com/performance or by calling 1-800-99BARON (1-800-992-2766).
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Baron Emerging Markets Fund
Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 of Each Year (Retail Shares)
| Best Quarter: | 3/31/12: 15.34% |
| Worst Quarter: | 9/30/11: (16.43)% |
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended 12/31/19)
The following table below shows the Fund’s Retail Shares’ annual returns and long-term performance (before and after taxes) and the change in value of broad-based market indexes over various periods ended December 31, 2019. The table also shows the average annual returns of the Fund’s Institutional Shares and R6 Shares, but it does not show after-tax returns.
After-tax returns are calculated using the highest individual federal marginal income tax rate in effect at the time of each distribution and assumed sale, but they do not include the impact of state and local taxes.
Your actual after-tax returns depend on your own tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns reflect past tax
effects and are not predictive of future tax effects. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares in a tax-deferred account (including a
401(k) or IRA or Coverdell account), or to investors that are tax-exempt.
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Baron Emerging Markets Fund
Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2019
| 1 year | 5 years | 10 years | Since Inception |
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| BARON EMERGING MARKETS FUND |
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| Retail Shares |
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| Return before taxes |
18.48% | 4.50% | N/A | 4.66% | ||||||||||||
| Return after taxes on distributions |
18.60% | 4.59% | N/A | 4.67% | ||||||||||||
| Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares |
11.14% | 3.62% | N/A | 3.75% | ||||||||||||
| Institutional Shares |
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| Return before taxes |
18.86% | 4.77% | N/A | 4.92% | ||||||||||||
| R6 Shares* |
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| Return before taxes |
18.77% | 4.77% | N/A | 4.92% | ||||||||||||
| MSCI EM (Emerging Markets) Index (reflects no deduction for fees or expenses) |
18.42% | 5.61% | N/A | 2.11% | ||||||||||||
| MSCI EM (Emerging Markets) IMI Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees or expenses) |
23.60% | 6.68% | N/A | 3.24% | ||||||||||||
| * | Performance for the R6 Shares prior to January 29, 2016 is based on the performance of the Institutional Shares. |
The MSCI EM (Emerging Markets) Index Net USD and the MSCI EM (Emerging Markets) IMI Growth Index Net USD are unmanaged, free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted indexes. The MSCI EM (Emerging Markets) Index Net USD is designed to measure the equity market performance of large- and mid-cap securities in emerging markets. The MSCI EM (Emerging Markets) IMI Growth Index Net USD is designed to measure the equity market performance of large-, mid-, and small-cap securities in the emerging markets. The MSCI EM (Emerging Markets) IMI Growth Index Net USD screens for growth-style securities.
Management
Investment Adviser. BAMCO is the investment adviser of the Fund.
Portfolio Manager. Michael Kass has been the portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception on December 31, 2010. Mr. Kass has worked at the Adviser as an analyst since November of 2007.
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Baron Emerging Markets Fund
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Shares may be purchased only on days that the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.
| Minimum Initial Investment |
Minimum Subsequent Investment |
Maximum Subsequent Investment | ||||
| Retail Shares |
$2,000 | No Minimum | No Maximum | |||
| Baron Automatic Investment Plan |
$500 (with subsequent minimum investments of $50 per month until your investment has reached $2,000.) | No Minimum | No Maximum | |||
| Baron Funds® website purchases |
$2,000 | $10 | $6,500 for retirement accounts and $250,000 for non-retirement accounts. | |||
| Institutional Shares |
$1,000,000 (Employees of the Adviser and its affiliates and Trustees of the Baron Funds® and employer sponsored retirement plans (qualified and nonqualified) are not subject to the eligibility requirements for Institutional Shares.) | No Minimum | No Maximum | |||
| Baron Funds® website purchases |
You may not make an initial purchase through the Baron Funds® website. | $10 | $6,500 for retirement accounts and $250,000 for non-retirement accounts. | |||
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Baron Emerging Markets Fund
| Minimum Initial Investment |
Minimum Subsequent Investment |
Maximum Subsequent Investment | ||||
| R6 Shares |
$5,000,000 (There is no minimum initial investment for qualified retirement plans; however, the shares must be held through plan-level or omnibus accounts held on the books of the Fund.) | No Minimum | No Maximum | |||
| Baron Funds® website purchases |
You may not make an initial purchase through the Baron Funds® website. | $10 | $6,500 for retirement accounts and $250,000 for non-retirement accounts. | |||
You Can Purchase or Redeem Shares By:
| 1. | Mailing a request to Baron Funds®, P.O. Box 219946, Kansas City, MO 64121-9946 or by overnight mail to: Baron Funds®, 430 West 7th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105-1514; |
| 2. | Wire (Purchase Only); |
| 3. | Calling 1-800-442-3814; |
| 4. | Visiting the Baron Funds® website www.BaronFunds.com; or |
| 5. | Through a broker, dealer or other financial intermediary that may charge you a fee. |
The Fund is not for short-term traders who intend to purchase and then sell their Fund shares within a 90 day period. If the Adviser reasonably believes that a person is not a long-term investor, it will attempt to prohibit that person from making additional investments in the Fund.
Tax Information
Distributions of the Fund’s net investment income (other than “qualified dividend income”) and distributions of net short-term capital gains will be taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gains reported as capital gain dividends by the Fund will be taxable to you as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time you have held shares of the Fund. If you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, you may be subject to federal income tax on withdrawals from tax-deferred arrangement at a later date.
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Baron Emerging Markets Fund
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Retail or Institutional Shares of the Fund through a broker, dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial adviser), the Fund, Baron Capital, Inc., the Fund’s distributor, BAMCO or their affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker, dealer or other financial intermediary, including your salesperson, to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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APR20