Small-cap investing has been challenging, with many stocks below 2021 highs, but active value investing, like AVUV, has thrived. AVUV uses a rule-based strategy to identify undervalued securities with high profitability ratios, avoiding risky "zombie companies.". The fund's diversity, sector breakdown, and outperformance compared to passive funds make it a strong contender for small-cap value investing.
Investors seeking more diversification should look beyond the S&P 500. An equal-weight index fund will invest just as much in smaller companies as in the big names.