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Ave Maria Growth AVEGX Fund Analysis

Morningstar Medalist Rating
| Medalist Rating as of | See Ave Maria Investment Hub

Morningstar’s Analysis AVEGX

Will AVEGX outperform in future?

Get our overall rating based on a fundamental assessment of the pillars below.

  • Process Pillar

    The Process Pillar is our assessment of how sensible, clearly defined, and repeatable AVEGX’s performance objective and investment process is for both security selection and portfolio construction.

  • People Pillar

    The People Pillar is our evaluation of the AVEGX management team’s experience and ability. We find that high-quality management teams deliver superior performance relative to their benchmarks and/or peers.

  • Parent Pillar

    The Parent Pillar is our rating of AVEGX’s parent organization’s priorities and whether they’re in line with investors’ interests.

Ave Maria CEO Stepping Down as Part of Succession Plan; No Change to Ratings

null David Kathman

David Kathman

Analyst Note

On Jan. 1, 2024, George Schwartz stepped down as CEO of Schwartz Investment Counsel, the advisor to the Ave Maria mutual funds, and was succeeded in the role by his son Timothy Schwartz, president of the firm since 2020. This move was not a surprise, since it's part of a well-orchestrated succession plan in which George Schwartz, who founded the firm in 1980, has been gradually turning over more control to others. He remains chairman of the firm and a portfolio manager of Ave Maria Rising Dividend AVEDX and Ave Maria Bond AVEFX. At the same time, George Schwartz's comanager on Rising Dividend, Brandon Scheitler, was promoted to lead manager, and Scheitler was also promoted to chief investment officer of the firm, taking over that role from Timothy Schwartz. These moves do nothing to change Ave Maria's Parent rating of Average or the Morningstar Medalist Ratings of Neutral for Ave Maria Rising Dividend or Ave Maria Growth AVEGX.

by David Kathman
Published on

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