Brown Capital Management, an investment management company, released its fourth quarter 2025 investor letter for “The Brown Capital Management Small Company Fund”. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the Small Company Fund (Investor shares) fell 1.50%, behind the Russell 2000® Growth index's 1.22% gain. Real estate and telecommunications businesses led the benchmark's performance for the quarter. The Fund was down 11.46% in 2025, significantly lagging the Index’s 13.0 ...

Record 2025 performance was primarily driven by the rapid adoption of iDose TR, which generated approximately $136 million in its first full year. Management attributes U.S. glaucoma growth to the successful advancement of the interventional treatment paradigm, shifting the standard of care toward earlier surgical intervention. International glaucoma net sales grew 13% on a constant currency basis in the fourth quarter, reflecting broad-based scaling of infrastructure despite emerging competitive tria ...

Core Viewpoint - Glaukos (GKOS) has received FDA approval for its repeat dosing label for iDose, aligning with Wells Fargo's expectations, which is seen as supportive of the long-term iDose annuity model [1] Group 1 - The FDA approval for iDose includes some corneal-safety limits, indicating a broad label [1] - Wells Fargo maintains an Overweight rating on Glaukos shares with a price target set at $122 [1]

Core Insights - Alger Weatherbie Specialized Fund focuses on investing in a portfolio of 50 small and mid-cap companies with promising growth potential [1] - The US equity market ended Q4 2025 positively, with the S&P increasing by 2.7%, driven by better-than-expected corporate earnings and a supportive macroeconomic environment [1] - The fund's Class A shares underperformed the Russell 2500 Growth Index in Q4 2025, with Real Estate and Consumer Staples contributing positively while Information Technology and Health Care sectors detracted from performance [1] Company Highlights - Glaukos Corporation (NYSE:GKOS) is highlighted as a key stock, focusing on novel therapies for glaucoma and other eye disorders [2][3] - Glaukos experienced a one-month return of -7.131% but a 52-week gain of 22.99%, with a market capitalization of $7.131 billion as of January 21, 2026 [2] - The company reported a revenue growth of approximately 37% year-over-year, driven by its flagship glaucoma product, iDose, and received FDA approval for its next-generation corneal health product, Epioxa, which is expected to drive further growth [3]

Market Overview - The market in 2025 was characterized by extreme volatility, with small caps experiencing a significant rally followed by a sharp retreat due to various uncertainties, including government policy and AI-related concerns [4][5] - Small caps outperformed large caps in earnings growth for the first time in over a decade during the third quarter, indicating an improving earnings backdrop for this asset class [5][6] - Despite challenges, the U.S. economy showed solid growth, allowing the Federal Reserve to continue its rate-cutting cycle [4] Performance Overview - The ClearBridge Small Cap Growth Strategy underperformed the Russell 2000 Growth Index in the fourth quarter, primarily due to disappointing earnings in the IT sector and a strong rally in biotechnology stocks [6][7] - The biotechnology sector saw a significant rebound, with the Russell 2000 Growth Biotech Index returning 28.1%, highlighting the challenges faced by other sectors [6] - The health care sector contributed positively to performance, with notable individual performers like Penumbra and Insmed [8][19] Portfolio Positioning - In 2025, the company established 29 new investments and exited 19 positions, indicating an active year for idea generation [10][11] - New investments included Protagonist Therapeutics, Simpson Manufacturing Company, BETA Technologies, and Dyne Therapeutics, each with strong growth potential in their respective fields [11][22] - The company maintained a disciplined approach to selling positions where fundamentals changed or catalysts were lacking [10] Outlook - The outlook for small cap growth stocks in 2026 is optimistic, with expectations for a broadening of growth leadership across various industries [13][14] - The productivity benefits of AI are anticipated to become more visible, potentially benefiting companies leveraging AI for efficiency and new product offerings [14] - Capital markets are showing signs of improvement, with increased IPO activity and M&A volumes, creating a favorable environment for small cap investments [15][16]

Economic Indicators - US November retail sales increased by +0.6% month-over-month, surpassing expectations of +0.5% [1] - US November PPI final demand rose by +3.0% year-over-year, exceeding expectations of +2.7% [1] - US December existing home sales rose by +5.1% month-over-month to a 2.75-year high of 4.35 million, stronger than the expected 4.22 million [4] Stock Market Performance - The S&P 500 Index decreased by -0.96%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index fell by -0.57%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index dropped by -1.53% [4] - Weakness in chip makers and the Magnificent Seven technology stocks is negatively impacting the broader market [3][15][16] - Energy producers are experiencing gains, with WTI crude oil reaching a 2.5-month high [17] Federal Reserve Commentary - Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari indicated that the US economy shows "resilience" and does not see the need for an interest rate cut this month [5] - Philadelphia Fed President Anna Paulson mentioned potential for modest rate adjustments later in the year if inflation moderates and growth stabilizes [6] International Trade - Better-than-expected trade news from China, with December exports rising by +6.6% year-over-year and imports increasing by +5.7% year-over-year, supporting global growth prospects [7] Earnings Season - Q4 earnings season is beginning, with S&P earnings growth expected to rise by +8.4%, and +4.6% excluding the Magnificent Seven technology stocks [10]

Economic Indicators - The US economy is showing "resilience" according to Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari, who does not see the need for an interest rate cut this month [1] - US MBA mortgage applications increased by 28.5% in the week ending January 9, with purchase mortgage applications up 15.9% and refinancing applications up 40.1% [1] - US November retail sales rose by 0.6% month-over-month, exceeding expectations of 0.5% [2] - The Producer Price Index (PPI) for November increased by 3.0% year-over-year, also surpassing expectations of 2.7% [2] Stock Market Performance - The S&P 500 Index is down 0.75%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 0.46%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index is down 1.22% [5] - Weakness in chip makers and the Magnificent Seven technology stocks is negatively impacting the broader market [4][16] - Energy producers are experiencing gains, with WTI crude oil reaching a 2.5-month high [17] Company-Specific News - Wells Fargo reported Q4 net interest income of $12.33 billion, below the consensus estimate of $12.43 billion, leading to a decline of more than 5% in its stock [19] - Trip.com ADRs fell over 15% following an investigation by Chinese regulators for alleged antitrust conduct [18] - TG Therapeutics shares rose over 9% after reporting preliminary full-year 2025 revenue of $616 million, exceeding the consensus of $606.1 million [20]

Group 1 - U.S. stock futures are lower, with Dow futures down approximately 100 points [1] - Glaukos Corp reported preliminary FY25 sales of $507 million, leading to a 12.1% drop in shares to $96.97 in pre-market trading [1] Group 2 - Briacell Therapeutics Corp experienced a significant decline of 53.1% to $5.12 after announcing a $30 million public offering [2] - Trip.com Group Ltd shares fell 9.3% to $68.55 amid an investigation by China's SAMR for potential anti-monopoly violations [2] - Pearson PLC shares decreased by 7.2% to $13.36 following a trading update for 2025 [2] - Olema Pharmaceuticals Inc shares declined 5.5% to $26.37 after a previous drop of 3% [2] - Fresenius Medical Care AG shares fell 4.8% to $21.79 [2] - Ambitions Enterprise Management Co LLC shares dropped 4.3% to $11.81 after a significant increase of 134% the previous day [2] - NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Inc shares decreased by 3.8% to $12.55 following a 3% drop on Tuesday [2] - SmartRent Inc shares fell 2.3% to $1.74 in pre-market trading [2]

Group 1: Company Performance - Gelteq Ltd (NASDAQ:GELS) shares rose sharply by 50.1% to $1.25 in pre-market trading after reporting positive preclinical results for its cannabinoid oral gel delivery platform [1][2] - The proprietary oral gel platform achieved a greater than 22% increase in the bioavailability of cannabidiol compared to an existing FDA-approved oil-based product [1] Group 2: Other Notable Stock Movements - Inspire Veterinary Partners Inc (NASDAQ:IVP) gained 141.3% to $0.056 after filing a Certificate of Amendment to increase its authorized Class A common stock from 100 million to 700 million shares [5] - Oriental Culture Holding Ltd (NASDAQ:OCG) rose 40.8% to $0.016 following the board's approval of a special cash dividend of 5 cents per share [5] - XCF Global Inc (NASDAQ:SAFX) gained 30.2% to $0.22 after announcing expansion financing plans [5] - AiRWA Inc (NASDAQ:YYAI) rose 15.8% to $1.46 after a director purchased 1.109 million shares at an average price of $1.35 per share [5] - Autolus Therapeutics PLC (NASDAQ:AUTL) gained 7.3% to $1.47 after announcing preliminary fourth-quarter and FY25 revenue results [5] Group 3: Declining Stocks - Briacell Therapeutics Corp (NASDAQ:BCTX) fell 53.1% to $5.12 after announcing the pricing of a $30 million public offering [5] - Moolec Science SA (NASDAQ:MLEC) fell 19.8% to $3.94 after a previous jump of 19% [5] - Hub Cyber Security Ltd (NASDAQ:HUBC) fell 19.1% to $0.43 after gaining 56% on the previous day [5] - Trip.com Group Ltd (NASDAQ:TCOM) dipped 9.3% to $68.55 amid an investigation by China's SAMR for potential anti-monopoly violations [5]

Group 1 - The firm Stephens raised the price target on Glaukos (GKOS) to $145 from $115 and maintains an Overweight rating on the shares [1] - The outlook for non-iDose U.S. glaucoma revenue was slightly moderated, while iDose revenue expectations were modestly increased [1] - Glaukos is viewed as "one of the best multi-year medtech growth stories" entering 2026, driven by expanding reimbursement, deeper utilization, a growing surgeon base, and a long runway of untreated and uncontrolled glaucoma patients [1]