497K 1 e10604_res-isi.htm
         
         
         
         
         
    SUMMARY PROSPECTUS    
         
    Royce European Smaller-Companies Fund
         
    MAY 1, 2012     Service Class Symbol: RISCX
         
   
                           
                       
Before you invest, please review the Fund’s Statutory Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, both dated May 1, 2012. Each is incorporated by reference (is legally considered part of this Summary Prospectus). Each contains more information about the Fund and its risks. The Fund’s Statutory Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information and other information about the Fund are available online at www.roycefunds.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling Investor Services at (800) 221-4268, sending an e-mail request at www.roycefunds.com/contact or by contacting your financial intermediary.
      
                           
                           
   


www.roycefunds.com


     
                           



         
         
         
         
   
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS		  
         
    Royce European Smaller-Companies Fund
         
    MAY 1, 2012   Service Class Symbol: RISCX
         
         
         
                         
    Investment Goal                    
    Royce European Smaller-Companies Fund’s investment goal is long-term growth of capital.    
                         
    Fees and Expenses of the Fund                    
    The following table presents the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.    
                         
    SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)                    
   
    Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases               0.00%    
   
    Maximum deferred sales charge               0.00%    
   
    Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends               0.00%    
   
    Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed on shares held for less than 180 days)     2.00%    
   
                         
    ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
   
    Management fees               1.25%    
    Distribution (12b-1) fees               0.25%    
    Other expenses               0.59%    
    Acquired fund fees and expenses               0.01%    
   
   

Total annual Fund operating expenses

               2.10%    
   
    Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements               (0.40)%    
   
   

Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements

     1.70%    
   
   
Royce has contractually agreed, without right of termination, to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to maintain the Fund’s net annual operating expenses, other than acquired fund fees and expenses, at or below 1.69% through April 30, 2013 and at or below 1.99% through April 30, 2022.

Total annual Fund operating expenses may differ from the expense ratio in the Fund’s Financial Highlights because they include only the Fund’s direct operating expenses and do not include acquired fund fees and expenses, which reflect the estimated amount of the fees and expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund through its investments in mutual funds, hedge funds, private equity funds and other investment companies.
                         
   
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 total operating expenses (net of fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements) remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions your costs would be:
  
                           
                          1 Year   3 Years   5 Years       10 Years  
     
      $173   $598   $1,050       $2,303    
     
         
         
    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 when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 36% of the average value of its portfolio.
                         
                         
                         
                         
                         
   


Royce European Smaller-Companies Fund

Principal Investment Strategies  
Royce & Associates, LLC (“Royce”), the Fund’s investment adviser, invests the Fund’s assets primarily in the equity securities of companies located in Europe, i.e., companies that are headquartered, organized and/or whose stock principally trades in Europe, with market capitalizations up to $5 billion. Royce invests the Fund’s assets in companies that it believes have excellent business strengths and/or prospects for growth, high internal rates of return and low leverage, and that are trading significantly below its estimate of their current worth.
  
     Normally, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities of companies that are located in Europe with market capitalizations up to $5 billion at the time of investment. From time to time, a substantial portion of the Fund’s assets may be invested in European companies located in a single country. No more than 35% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in the securities of companies headquartered in “developing countries.” Generally, developing countries, sometimes also referred to as emerging market countries, include every country in the world other than the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Western European countries (as defined in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information). In selecting securities for the Fund, Royce uses a bottom-up value approach. Royce primarily focuses on company-specific criteria rather than on political, economic or other country-specific factors. The Fund does not expect to purchase or sell foreign currencies to hedge against declines in the U.S. dollar or to lock in the value of any foreign securities that it purchases. The Fund may invest in other investment companies that invest in equity securities. The Fund may sell securities to, among other things, secure gains, limit losses, redeploy assets into what Royce deems to be more promising opportunities and/or manage cash levels in the Fund’s portfolio.
  
   
Primary Risks for Fund Investors  
As with any mutual fund that invests in common stocks, Royce European Smaller-Companies Fund is subject to market risk—the possibility that common stock prices will decline over short or extended periods of time. As a result, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with the market, and you could lose money over short or long periods of time.
  
     In addition to general market risk, foreign securities may be subject to different risks than investments in U.S. securities, including adverse political, social, economic or other developments that are unique to a particular country or region. Prices of foreign securities in particular countries or regions may, at times, move in a different direction and/or be more volatile than those of U.S. securities. The Fund’s investments are usually denominated in or tied to the currencies of
  
the countries in which they are primarily traded. Because the Fund does not intend to hedge its foreign currency exposure, the U.S. dollar value of the Fund’s investments may be harmed by declines in the value of foreign currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar. This may occur even if the value of the investment in the currency’s home country has not declined. These risk factors may affect the prices of foreign securities issued by companies headquartered in developing countries more than those headquartered in developed countries. For example, many developing countries have in the past experienced high rates of inflation or sharply devalued their currencies against the U.S. dollar, thereby causing the value of investments in companies located in those countries to decline. Transaction costs are often higher in developing countries, and there may be delays in settlement procedures.
     To the extent that the Fund’s investment in the securities of foreign companies consists of non-U.S. headquartered companies that trade on a U.S. exchange, some or all of the above-stated risks of investing in foreign companies may not apply.
     The prices of smaller-capitalization securities are generally more volatile and their markets are less liquid relative to larger-capitalization securities. Therefore, the Fund may involve more risk of loss and its returns may differ significantly from funds investing in larger-capitalization companies or other asset classes. In addition, as of December 31, 2011 the Fund held less than 100 portfolio securities and therefore may involve more risk to investors than a more broadly diversified portfolio of micro-cap, small-cap and mid-cap securities because it may be more susceptible to any single corporate, economic, political, regulatory or market event.
     Royce’s estimate of a company’s current worth may prove to be inaccurate, or this estimate may not be recognized by other investors, which could lead to portfolio losses.
     Investments in the Fund are not bank deposits and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
 
Performance
The following performance information provides an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. The Calendar Year Total Returns chart shows performance year by year since the Fund’s inception. The Annualized Total Returns table shows how the Fund’s average annual total returns for various periods compare with those of the Russell Europe Small Cap Index, the Fund’s benchmark index.
    The table also presents the impact of taxes on the Fund’s returns. In calculating these figures, we assumed that the shareholder was in the highest federal income tax bracket in effect at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains. We did not consider

2  |  The Royce Fund Summary Prospectus 2012


Royce European Smaller-Companies Fund

the impact of state or local income taxes. Your after-tax returns depend on your tax situation, so they may differ from the returns shown. This information does not apply if your investment is in an individual retirement account (IRA), a 401(k) plan or is otherwise tax deferred because such accounts are subject to income taxes only upon distribution. Current month-end performance information may be obtained at www.roycefunds.com or by calling Investor Services at (800) 221-4268.
 
CALENDAR YEAR TOTAL RETURNS in Percentages (%)
 
During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 34.11% (quarter ended 6/30/09) and the lowest return for a calendar quarter was -28.83% (quarter ended 12/31/08).
 
ANNUALIZED TOTAL RETURNS (12/31/11)
    1 Year   5 Year   Since Inception
(12/29/06)
Return Before Taxes   -20.32%   -1.57%     -1.57 %
 
Return After Taxes on
Distributions		   -20.46   -1.81     -1.81  
 
Return After Taxes on
Distributions and Sale
of Fund Shares		   -13.03   -1.37     -1.37  
Russell Europe Small Cap Index
(Reflects no deductions for fees,
expenses or taxes)		   -21.55   -7.43     -7.43  
Investment Adviser and Portfolio Management
Royce serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Charles M. Royce, President and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Royce, and David A. Nadel, Portfolio Manager and Director of International Research of Royce, co-manage the Fund. Messrs. Royce and Nadel had served as portfolio manager and assistant portfolio manager, respectively, of the Fund from inception and became co-managers in 2010.
   
How to Purchase and Sell Fund Shares
Minimum initial investments for shares of the Fund’s Service Class purchased directly from The Royce Fund:
   
Account Type Minimum
Regular Account $2,000
IRA $1,000
Automatic Investment or Direct Deposit Plan Accounts $1,000
401(k) Accounts None
The minimum for subsequent investments is $50, regardless of account type.
 
     You may sell shares in your account at any time and make requests online, by telephone and by mail. You may also purchase or sell Fund shares through a third party, such as a discount or full-service broker-dealer, bank or other financial intermediary.
   
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains.
   
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies 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 intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

The Royce Fund Summary Prospectus 2012  |  3



       
       
       
       
  More information on The Royce Fund is available free upon request, including the following:

Annual/Semiannual Reports
Additional information about a Fund’s investments, together with a discussion of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance, is available in the Funds’ annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. These reports are also available online at www.roycefunds.com.

Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”)
Provides more details about The Royce Fund and its policies. A current SAI is available at www.roycefunds.com/literature and by phone. It is also on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and is incorporated by reference (is legally considered part of this prospectus).
  
To obtain more information:

By mail: The Royce Funds, 745 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10151

By telephone: (800) 221-4268

Through the Internet: Prospectuses, applications, IRA forms and additional information are available through our website at www.roycefunds.com/literature.

Text only versions of the Funds’ prospectus, SAI and other documents filed with the SEC can be viewed online or downloaded from www.sec.gov.

You can also obtain copies of documents filed with the SEC by visiting the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC (telephone (202) 551-8090) or by sending your request and a duplicating fee to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-1520. You may also make your request by e-mail at publicinfo@sec.gov after paying a duplicating fee.
 
 
 
 

   
 
745 Fifth Avenue  |  New York, NY 10151  |  P (800) 221-4268  |  www.roycefunds.com