XML 32 R7.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.0.6
Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading MULTI CAP GROWTH TRUST
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objectives
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Portfolio seeks as a primary objective growth of capital through investments in common stocks of companies believed by the Adviser to have potential for superior growth.
Objective, Secondary [Text Block] rr_ObjectiveSecondaryTextBlock

As a secondary objective the Portfolio seeks income but only when consistent with its primary objective.

Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Class X shares of the Portfolio. Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses in the table and the Example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, expenses would be higher.

Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Advisory Fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.42%
Distribution and/or Shareholder Service (12b-1) Fee rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.16%
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.58% [1]
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.01%) [1]
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.57% [1]
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Portfolio 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. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 44% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 44.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.


The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year, and the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 58
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 183
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 318
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 714
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Portfolio will normally invest primarily in equity securities and securities convertible into equity securities. The Portfolio's Adviser seeks to achieve the Portfolio's investment objectives by investing primarily in established and emerging companies with capitalizations within the range of companies included in the Russell 3000® Growth Index, which as of December 31, 2012 was between $28 million and $500 billion.


The Adviser emphasizes a bottom-up stock selection process, seeking attractive investments on an individual company basis. In selecting securities for investment, the Adviser seeks to invest in high quality companies it believes have sustainable competitive advantages and the ability to redeploy capital at high rates of return. The Adviser typically favors companies with rising returns on invested capital, above average business visibility, strong free cash flow generation and an attractive risk/reward.


Up to 25% of the Portfolio's net assets may be invested in foreign equity securities (including depositary receipts), which may include securities issued by companies located in emerging markets or developing countries. The Portfolio may invest in privately placed and restricted securities.


The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities.

Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objectives and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:


• Common Stock and Other Equity Securities. In general, common stock and other equity security values fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.


• Small and Medium Capitalization Companies. Investments in small and medium capitalization companies may involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities issued by small and medium capitalization companies may be less liquid, and such companies may have more limited markets, financial resources and product lines, and may lack the depth of management of larger companies.


• Foreign and Emerging Market Securities. Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.


• Privately Placed and Restricted Securities. The Portfolio's investments may also include privately placed securities, which are subject to resale restrictions. These securities will have the effect of increasing the level of Portfolio illiquidity to the extent the Portfolio may be unable to sell or transfer these securities due to restrictions on transfers or on the ability to find buyers interested in purchasing the securities. The illiquidity of the market, as well as the lack of publicly available information regarding these securities, may also adversely affect the ability to arrive at a fair value for certain securities at certain times.


Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objectives and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text] rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Past Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the performance of the Portfolio's Class X shares from year-to-year and by showing how the average annual returns of the Portfolio's Class X shares for the one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance does not indicate how the Portfolio will perform in the future.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the performance of the Portfolio's Class X shares from year-to-year and by showing how the average annual returns of the Portfolio's Class X shares for the one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The Portfolio's past performance does not indicate how the Portfolio will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years
Annual Return 2003 rr_AnnualReturn2003 22.80%
Annual Return 2004 rr_AnnualReturn2004 11.14%
Annual Return 2005 rr_AnnualReturn2005 18.16%
Annual Return 2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 4.18%
Annual Return 2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 19.54%
Annual Return 2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (47.62%)
Annual Return 2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 71.32%
Annual Return 2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 27.76%
Annual Return 2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 (6.74%)
Annual Return 2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 12.37%
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

High Quarter

 

6/30/09:

   

22.87

%

 

Low Quarter

 

12/31/08:

   

–30.24

%

 
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel High Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 22.87%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Low Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (30.24%)
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
Caption rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption Average Annual Total Returns For Periods Ended December 31, 2012
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 12.37%
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.74%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 9.21%
Russell 3000® Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 15.21% [2]
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.15% [2]
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 7.69% [2]
[1] The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., and its "Administrator," Morgan Stanley Services Company Inc., have agreed to reduce its advisory fee, its administration fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 0.57%. The fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least two years from the date of the Reorganization (defined herein) or until such time as the Fund's Board of Trustees acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.
[2] The Russell 3000® Growth Index measures the performance of the broad growth segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 3000® Index companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 3000® Index measures the performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies representing approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.