Core Insights - The Wasatch Micro-Cap Fund reported a return of 9.52% in Q3 2025, underperforming the benchmark Russell Microcap® Growth Index, which returned 19.93% [1] Group 1: Fund Performance - The fund's performance was driven by a strong risk appetite among investors, particularly in microcap stocks [1] - The top five holdings of the fund were highlighted, indicating the best investment picks for 2025 [1] Group 2: PAR Technology Corporation - PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE:PAR) provides omnichannel cloud-based solutions for the restaurant and retail sectors, with a one-month return of 11.50% [2] - The stock has seen a significant decline of 52.61% over the past 52 weeks, closing at $35.78 per share on December 17, 2025, with a market capitalization of $1.45 billion [2] - The company reported nearly 23% revenue growth in Q3 2025, reaching $119 million [4] Group 3: Investment Sentiment - Despite the potential of PAR Technology Corporation, it is not among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds, with 24 hedge fund portfolios holding the stock at the end of Q3 2025, down from 28 in the previous quarter [4] - The company experienced organic growth in Q2 that fell short of expectations, leading the fund to exit its position during the quarter [3]

Performance Overview - Major indices showed strong performance in Q3, with Russell Microcap rising 17.0% and Russell 2000 increasing 12.4%, while DJIA rose only 5.6% [2] - Cedar Creek's performance was notable, with a 9.9% increase in Q3 and a year-to-date increase of 26.5%, outperforming all major indices tracked [2][5] Historical Returns - Cedar Creek's average annual return over 19.75 years is 14.80%, with cumulative returns since inception at 1,418.1% [3][5] - A $100,000 investment in Cedar Creek at inception would have grown to $1,518,112 by September 30, 2025, compared to $367,933 in Russell MicroCap and $977,972 in NASDAQ [6] Fund Holdings Valuation - As of September 2025, fund holdings were trading at 7.7 times estimated earnings for the coming year, with a trailing earnings multiple of 12.4 times [7] - The fund's weighted price-to-book ratio was 1.2, with a dividend yield of 1.5% and an expected return on equity of 15.4% [7] Cash Levels and Repositioning - Cash levels increased from 3% to 17% during the quarter, primarily due to the sale of PharmChem at $3.75 per share [8] - The fund sold shares in Citizens Bancshares to reallocate to perceived better opportunities, increasing its position in Phi Group [8] Investment Focus - The fund is focusing on smaller community banks, finding several trading at 5-6 times forward earnings estimates [9] - The fund's exposure to expert market stocks increased to 41%, with five positions making up about 87% of this exposure [11][13] Performance Attribution - The increase in valuation of expert market positions contributed significantly to the fund's performance, with a 26% increase in aggregate during the quarter [18] - Control positions increased in value by just over 4%, while generally undervalued securities rose by 7% [18] Updates on Specific Holdings - PharmChem was sold, yielding a total gross return of approximately 40% over two years [20] - Solitron Devices saw an increase in bid price from $15.75 to $16.40 per share, with bookings significantly exceeding sales in recent quarters [21][22] Other Fund Holdings - ENDI Corp's share price rose from $15.65 to $17.55 during Q3, with assets under management for CrossingBridge Advisors growing over 30% in 2024 [25][26] - The fair value estimate for ENDI continues to rise, with a valuation of $21.85 to $26.50 per share based on cash earnings [28]