International Growth

Sit International Growth

(as of December 31, 2023)

Description

  • We seek growth opportunities with the objective of delivering superior long-term absolute and real returns.
  • We seek to deliver above-average returns with lower risk and better downside capture than the representative market index.
  • We invest in high-quality growth companies that have the potential to increase earnings at a faster rate than the representative economy and market index purchased at reasonable valuation levels.

Portfolio Characteristics

Total Assets (Millions): $27.2
Number of Holdings: 80
Wtd. Avg. Market Cap (Billions): $106.9
Median Market Cap (Billions): $48.3
Beta (vs. MSCI EAFE Index): 1.06
Inception Date: 6/30/1990
Style Large Growth graph. x access is style from value to growth, y access is cap size from small to large - green square indicates large growth in top right square

Weighted Average Market Cap is the average market capitalization of companies held by the Fund, weighted in proportion to their percentage of the Fund’s net assets.  Beta is a measure of a fund’s sensitivity to market movements.  The beta of the market is 1.00 by definition.  A beta above 1 is more volatile than the overall market, while a beta below 1 is less volatile.

Composite Performance (%)

    Annualized Returns
  3 Month 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10 Year
Sit International Growth (Gross) 13.40 21.14 2.57 10.76 5.38
Sit International Growth (Net) 13.19 20.16 1.49 9.43 3.96
     MSCI EAFE Index 10.42 18.24 4.02 8.16 4.28

Total Return by Calendar Year (%)

    YTD
  2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Sit International Growth (Gross) -5.31 25.98 -15.15 28.25 20.46 13.41 -21.46 21.14
Sit International Growth (Net) -6.75 24.21 -16.47 26.45 18.72 11.77 -22.18 20.16
     MSCI EAFE 1.00 25.03 -13.79 22.01 7.82 11.26 -14.45 18.24

Performance figures for the latest period are preliminary and subject to change. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Returns are calculated on a time-weighted total return basis, include the reinvestment of all income, and returns for periods greater than one year are annualized. The information above is supplemental to and complements the attached composite presentation. The account information set forth above is for the representative portfolio and is provided for illustrative purposes only.

Investing involves risk; principal loss is possible.  There is no guarantee the Composite’s investment objectives will be achieved, and the market value of securities held by the Composite may fall or fail to rise.

Balance Sheet/Profitability - Medians (%)

  Return on Invested Capital Free Cash Flow Margin Net Debt/Capital
Sit International Growth (Gross)
11.5 11.9 21.3
     MSCI EAFE Index
8.0 7.2 22.1

Top Ten Holdings

Company Name % of Securities   Company Name % of Securities
Broadcom, Inc.    4.2   Partners Group Holding AG 2.6
Schneider Electric SE   3.2   AstraZeneca, PLC, ADR  2.5
Shell, PLC, ADR 2.9   London Stock Exchange Group, PLC 2.2
ASML Holding NV     2.8   Iberdrola SA   2.2
BAE Systems, PLC 2.7   Allianz SE 2.2

 

Sit Investment Associates, Inc. International Growth

Composite GIPS Report
Year End Total Firm Assets (millions) Composite Assets (USD) (millions) Number of Accounts Composite 3-Yr. Standard Dev. Benchmark 3-Yr. Standard Dev.

MSCI EAFE Index

Annual Performance Results Composite Composite Dispersion
Gross Net
2022 14,218.1    23.0    1 20.2% 20.0% -14.45% -21.46% -22.18% N/A
2021 16,385.5 31.6 1 16.1% 16.9% 11.26% 13.41% 11.77% N/A
2020 14,371.1 28.6 1 17.6% 17.9% 7.82% 20.46% 18.72% N/A
2019 13,274.3 24.3 1 12.3% 10.8% 22.01% 28.25% 26.45% N/A
2018 12,196.2 19.8 1 12.0% 11.2% -13.79% -15.15% -16.47% N/A
2017 13,340.8 24.0 1 11.1% 11.8% 25.03% 25.98% 24.21% N/A
2016 12,668.9 35.8 2 11.7% 12.5% 1.00% -5.31% -6.75% 0.05%
2015 13,350.6 39.0 2 11.0% 12.5% -0.81% 6.28% 4.72% 0.13%
2014 13,505.0 37.5 2 11.8% 13.0% -4.90% -5.84% -7.27% 0.06%
2013 13,103.3 17.4 1 15.6% 16.3% 22.78% 19.45% 18.53% N/A
2012 13,081.6 14.6 1 19.0% 19.4% 17.32% 20.41% 19.49% N/A

N.A. – Information is not statistically meaningful due to an insufficient number of portfolios in the composite for the entire year.

Sit Investment Associates, Inc. claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®) and has prepared and presented this report in compliance with the GIPS standards. Sit Investment Associates, Inc. has been independently verified for the period January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2022 by ACA Performance Services, for the period January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2016 by Ashland Partners & Company LLP and for the period January 1, 1997 through December 31, 2006 by KPMG LLP. A firm that claims compliance with the GIPS standards must establish policies and procedures for complying with all the applicable requirements of the GIPS standards.

Verification provides assurance on whether the firm’s policies and procedures related to composite and pooled fund maintenance, as well as the calculation, presentation, and distribution of performance, have been designed in compliance with the GIPS standards and have been implemented on a firm-wide basis. The International Growth composite has had a perforamnce examination for the periods January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2022 by ACA Performance Services and for the period January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2016 by Ashland Partners & Company LLP. The verification and performance examination reports are available upon request.

The creation and inception date of the International Growth Composite are June 30, 1990. International Growth Composite contains fully discretionary accounts and for comparison purposes is measured against the MSCI EAFE Index. Prior to 06/30/2020, the composite was named EAFE+ Growth Composite. On reports prior to 2019, the benchmark reported was the MSCI EAFE Growth Index. The benchmark was retroactively changed to the MSCI EAFE Index due to licensing issues and to conform the composite benchmark to the underlying account’s benchmark. The composite contains portfolios generally emphasizing the common stock of companies domiciled in EAFE countries, plus up to 20% in non-EAFE countries The portfolios in the composite do not use leverage and generally hold between 80 to 100 foreign equity securities. The MSCI EAFE Index (Europe, Australasia, Far East) is an index that is designed to measure the growth equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the US & Canada. The MSCI EAFE Index consists of the following 22 developed market country indices: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Sit Investment Associates, Inc. is an independent registered investment adviser which includes the following subsidiaries: Sit Investment Fixed Income Advisors, Inc.; and Sit Investment Fixed Income Advisors II, Inc. On December 31, 2007, Sit/Kim International Investment Associates, Inc. and Sit/Kim International Investment Associates II, LLC were liquidated into Sit Investment Associates, Inc. Prior to 2000, Sit Investment Associates, Inc. and Sit/Kim International Investment Associates, Inc. issued separate GIPS reports, including disclosure of each entity’s assets under management. Beginning in 2000 the two entities issued a combined GIPS report to reflect the entities’ current operational and management affiliation. Total assets for all years presented in the table above reflect the combined total assets of all subsidiaries. A list of composite descriptions, a list of limited distribution pooled fund descriptions, and a list of broad distribution pooled funds are available upon request.

The U.S. Dollar is the currency used to express performance. Returns are presented gross and net of management fees and include the reinvestment of all income. Net of fee returns were updated for the years 2014 through 2018 to reflect the appropriate highest fee for each year. Net of fee performance was calculated using the highest fee applicable annual management fee applied quarterly of 0.80% for the period June 30, 1990 through December 31, 2013, 1.50% applied quarterly for the period January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2021, and 0.85% applied quarterly, thereafter. The annual composite dispersion presented is an equal-weighted standard deviation calculated for the accounts in the composite the entire year using gross-of-fees returns. Beginning April 1, 2006, SIA calculates a true Time Weighted Return (TWR) for each portfolio within the composite and asset weights their returns to come up with a composite return. Periods are geometrically linked together. Policies for valuing investments, calculating performance, and preparing GIPS reports are available upon request.

The composite returns are net of any applicable withholdings taxes on dividends, interest and capital gains. For the composite taxpayers are primarily domiciled in the United States. For the benchmark returns, the dividend is reinvested after the deduction of withholding tax, applying the rate to non-resident individuals who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

The investment management fee schedule for the composite is 0.80% on the first $10 million, 0.75% on the next $20 million, 0.65% on the next $20 million, and 0.50% on the amounts over $50 million. The management fee for the Sit International Growth Fund is 0.85% and the expense ratio is 0.85%. Actual investment advisory fees incurred by clients may vary.

The three-year annualized standard deviation measures the variability of the composite and the benchmark returns over the preceding 36-month period. For purposes of this calculation, gross-of-fees composite returns were used.

GIPS® is a registered trademark of CFA Institute. CFA Institute does not endorse or promote this organization, nor does it warrant the accuracy or quality of the content contained herein.

Past performance is not indicative of future results.