NPORT-EX 2 NPORT_EBX8_63981933_1023.htm

 

Lord Abbett
Quarterly Portfolio Holdings Report

 

Lord Abbett
Developing Growth Fund

 

For the period ended October 31, 2023

 

Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

October 31, 2023

 

Investments  Shares   Fair
Value
 
LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS 96.98%      
COMMON STOCKS 96.98%          
           
Aerospace & Defense 3.68%          
AeroVironment, Inc.*   417,140   $47,829,273 
Axon Enterprise, Inc.*   138,480    28,317,775 
Total        76,147,048 
           
Beverages 1.30%          
Celsius Holdings, Inc.*   176,171    26,793,847 
           
Biotechnology 8.60%          
Arcellx, Inc.*   757,429    26,699,372 
Bridgebio Pharma, Inc.*   625,177    16,279,609 
Cytokinetics, Inc.*   551,990    19,242,372 
Immunovant, Inc.*   310,940    10,276,567 
Karuna Therapeutics, Inc.*   66,261    11,039,745 
Krystal Biotech, Inc.*   383,313    44,797,790 
Natera, Inc.*   428,657    16,919,092 
Nuvalent, Inc. Class A*   354,904    18,486,949 
Xenon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Canada)*(a)   457,227    14,174,037 
Total        177,915,533 
           
Broadline Retail 1.86%          
Global-e Online Ltd. (Israel)*(a)   1,094,039    38,411,709 
           
Building Products 3.47%          
AAON, Inc.   395,764    21,561,223 
Hayward Holdings, Inc.*   1,421,246    14,923,083 
Trex Co., Inc.*   628,250    35,313,932 
Total        71,798,238 
           
Capital Markets 1.07%          
Piper Sandler Cos.   158,673    22,190,419 
           
Commercial Services & Supplies 3.95%      
Clean Harbors, Inc.*   124,689    19,160,959 
MSA Safety, Inc.   221,782    35,014,942 
Tetra Tech, Inc.   182,738    27,576,991 
Total        81,752,892 
Investments  Shares   Fair
Value
 
Communications Equipment 1.26%      
Extreme Networks, Inc.*   1,265,059   $26,085,517 
           
Construction & Engineering 5.04%         
Comfort Systems USA, Inc.   226,050    41,107,192 
EMCOR Group, Inc.   195,310    40,360,812 
Sterling Infrastructure, Inc.*   312,702    22,780,341 
Total        104,248,345 
           
Diversified Consumer Services 2.71%      
Duolingo, Inc.*   383,065    55,946,643 
           
Electrical Equipment 2.39%          
EnerSys   76,456    6,543,104 
NEXTracker, Inc. Class A*   469,267    16,311,721 
nVent Electric PLC (United Kingdom)(a)   551,074    26,523,192 
Total        49,378,017 
           
Energy Equipment & Services 1.47%      
TechnipFMC PLC (United Kingdom)(a)   1,413,311    30,414,453 
           
Entertainment 1.26%          
Roku, Inc.*   435,543    25,945,297 
           
Financial Services 6.73%          
AvidXchange Holdings, Inc.*   2,852,990    24,649,833 
Flywire Corp.*   1,623,449    43,654,544 
Remitly Global, Inc.*   2,629,786    70,820,137 
Total        139,124,514 
           
Food Products 0.69%          
Freshpet, Inc.*   248,840    14,283,416 
           
Ground Transportation 3.05%          
Saia, Inc.*   96,451    34,576,719 
XPO, Inc.*   375,476    28,464,836 
Total        63,041,555 

 

  See Notes to Schedule of Investments. 1
 

Schedule of Investments (unaudited)(continued)

October 31, 2023

 

Investments  Shares   Fair
Value
 
Health Care Equipment & Supplies 4.73%      
Glaukos Corp.*   582,238   $39,708,632 
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.*   140,941    11,066,687 
RxSight, Inc.*   761,286    16,854,872 
Shockwave Medical, Inc.*   100,898    20,811,222 
TransMedics Group, Inc.*   248,471    9,312,693 
Total        97,754,106 
           
Health Care Providers & Services 0.64%      
Guardant Health, Inc.*   508,081    13,149,136 
           
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure 2.34%      
Cava Group, Inc.*(b)   502,995    15,889,612 
Shake Shack, Inc. Class A*   200,989    11,263,424 
Wingstop, Inc.   116,590    21,309,154 
Total        48,462,190 
           
Leisure Products 1.07%          
YETI Holdings, Inc.*   521,495    22,173,967 
           
Life Sciences Tools & Services 1.59%      
10X Genomics, Inc. Class A*   402,217    14,190,216 
Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc.*   1,364,427    8,432,159 
Quanterix Corp.*   468,278    10,170,998 
Total        32,793,373 
           
Media 0.85%          
Integral Ad Science Holding Corp.*   1,535,517    17,627,735 
           
Personal Care Products 4.04%          
BellRing Brands, Inc.*   653,727    28,587,482 
elf Beauty, Inc.*   272,432    25,235,376 
Inter Parfums, Inc.   155,453    19,759,631 
Oddity Tech Ltd. Class A (Israel)*(a)(b)   385,797    9,857,113 
Total        83,439,602 
Investments  Shares   Fair
Value
 
Pharmaceuticals 2.35%          
Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.*   438,176   $21,803,638 
Structure Therapeutics, Inc. Add ADR*   251,644    18,697,149 
Ventyx Biosciences, Inc.*   562,853    8,116,340 
Total        48,617,127 
           
Professional Services 1.61%          
Upwork, Inc.*   869,858    9,090,016 
Verra Mobility Corp.*   1,222,170    24,162,301 
Total        33,252,317 
           
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment 3.88% 
Aehr Test Systems*   393,411    9,268,763 
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.*   467,267    12,130,251 
Axcelis Technologies, Inc.*   100,054    12,756,885 
Rambus, Inc.*   847,793    46,060,594 
Total        80,216,493 
           
Software 21.69%          
Agilysys, Inc.*   244,307    20,959,097 
Appfolio, Inc. Class A*   145,007    27,198,963 
Appian Corp. Class A*   263,021    10,378,809 
Confluent, Inc. Class A*   1,404,180    40,594,844 
CyberArk Software Ltd. (Israel)*(a)   212,613    34,791,991 
Descartes Systems Group, Inc. (Canada)*(a)   264,616    19,107,921 
DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.*   591,906    16,472,744 
Five9, Inc.*   171,857    9,945,365 
Freshworks, Inc. Class A*   1,539,573    27,619,940 
Gitlab, Inc. Class A*   372,952    16,141,363 
Guidewire Software, Inc.*   182,165    16,418,531 
JFrog Ltd. (Israel)*(a)   879,440    19,778,606 
Manhattan Associates, Inc.*   112,962    22,025,331 

 

2 See Notes to Schedule of Investments.
 

Schedule of Investments (unaudited)(continued)

October 31, 2023

 

Investments  Shares   Fair
Value
 
Software (continued)          
Monday.com Ltd. (Israel)*(a)   163,115   $21,203,319 
Qualys, Inc.*   134,548    20,579,117 
Samsara, Inc. Class A*   1,742,700    40,204,089 
SPS Commerce, Inc.*   146,107    23,426,796 
Tenable Holdings, Inc.*   792,512    33,372,680 
Varonis Systems, Inc.*   839,913    28,254,673 
Total        448,474,179 
           
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals 1.30% 
Super Micro Computer, Inc.*   112,240    26,878,113 
           
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods 0.96% 
Deckers Outdoor Corp.*   33,083    19,752,536 
           
Trading Companies & Distributors 1.40% 
SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc.*   210,692    29,027,037 
Total Common Stocks
(cost $1,940,494,628)
        2,005,095,354 
           
   Principal
Amount
      
           
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS 2.49%      
           
Repurchase Agreements 1.42%      
Repurchase Agreement dated 10/31/2023, 2.800% due 11/1/2023 with Fixed Income Clearing Corp. collateralized by $29,963,100 of U.S. Treasury Note at 5.000% due 10/31/2025; value: $29,938,521; proceeds: $29,353,739
(cost $29,351,456)
  $29,351,456    29,351,456 
Investments  Shares   Fair
Value
 
Money Market Funds 0.96%          
Fidelity Government Portfolio(c)
(cost $19,934,213)
   19,934,213   $19,934,213 
           
Time Deposits 0.11%          
CitiBank N.A.(c)
(cost $2,214,913)
   2,214,913    2,214,913 
Total Short-Term Investments
(cost $51,500,582)
        51,500,582 
Total Investments in Securities 99.47%
(cost $1,991,995,210)
        2,056,595,936 
Other Assets and Liabilities – Net 0.53%        11,027,537 
Net Assets 100.00%       $2,067,623,473 

 

ADR   American Depositary Receipt.
*   Non-income producing security.
(a)   Foreign security traded in U.S. dollars.
(b)   All or a portion of this security is temporarily on loan to unaffiliated broker/dealers.
(c)   Security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

  See Notes to Schedule of Investments. 3
 

Schedule of Investments (unaudited)(concluded)

October 31, 2023

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of October 31, 2023 in valuing the Fund’s investments carried at fair value(1):

 

Investment Type(2)  Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Long-Term Investments                    
Common Stocks  $2,005,095,354   $   $   $2,005,095,354 
Short-Term Investments                    
Repurchase Agreements       29,351,456        29,351,456 
Money Market Funds   19,934,213            19,934,213 
Time Deposits       2,214,913        2,214,913 
Total  $2,025,029,567   $31,566,369   $   $2,056,595,936 

 

(1)   Refer to Note 2(b) for a description of fair value measurements and the three-tier hierarchy of inputs.
(2)   See Schedule of Investments for fair values in each industry and identification of foreign issuers and/or geography. When applicable, each Level 3 security is identified on the Schedule of Investments along with the valuation technique utilized.

 

A reconciliation of Level 3 investments is presented when the Fund has a material amount of Level 3 investments at the beginning or end of the period in relation to the Fund’s net assets.

 

4 See Notes to Schedule of Investments.
 

Notes to Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

 

1. ORGANIZATION  

 

Lord Abbett Developing Growth Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Act”), as a diversified, open-end management investment company. The Fund was incorporated under Maryland law on August 21, 1978. The Fund’s predecessor corporation was organized on July 11, 1973.

 

The Fund’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital through a diversified and actively managed portfolio consisting of developing growth companies, many of which are traded over the counter.

 

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES 

 

(a) Investment Valuation-Under procedures approved by the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), the Board has designated the determination of fair value of the Fund’s portfolio investments to Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC (“Lord Abbett”) as its valuation designee. Accordingly, Lord Abbett is responsible for, among other things, assessing and managing valuation risks, establishing, applying and testing fair value methodologies, and evaluating pricing services. Lord Abbett has formed a Pricing Committee that performs these responsibilities on behalf of Lord Abbett, administers the pricing and valuation of portfolio investments and ensures that prices utilized reasonably reflect fair value. Among other things, these procedures allow Lord Abbett, subject to Board oversight, to utilize independent pricing services, quotations from securities and financial instrument dealers and other market sources to determine fair value.
   
  Securities actively traded on any recognized U.S. or non-U.S. exchange or on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC are valued at the last sale price or official closing price on the exchange or system on which they are principally traded. Events occurring after the close of trading on non-U.S. exchanges may result in adjustments to the valuation of foreign securities to reflect their fair value as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange. When valuing foreign equity securities that meet certain criteria, the Pricing Committee uses a third-party fair valuation service that values such securities to reflect market trading that occurs after the close of the applicable foreign markets of comparable securities or other instruments that correlate to the fair-valued securities. Unlisted equity securities are valued at the last quoted sale price or, if no sale price is available, at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and ask prices.
   
  Securities for which prices are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined by the Pricing Committee. The Pricing Committee considers a number of factors, including observable and unobservable inputs, when arriving at fair value. The Pricing Committee may use related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values, and other relevant information to determine the fair value of portfolio investments. The Board or a designated committee thereof periodically reviews reports that may include fair value determinations made by the Pricing Committee, related market activity, inputs and assumptions, and retrospective comparison of prices of subsequent purchases and sales transactions to fair value determinations made by the Pricing Committee.
   
  Short-term securities with 60 days or less remaining to maturity are valued using the amortized cost method, which approximates fair value. Investments in open-end money market mutual funds are valued at their NAV as of the close of each business day.

 

5

 

Notes to Schedule of Investments (unaudited)(continued)

 

(b) Fair Value Measurements-Fair value is defined as the price that the Fund would receive upon selling an investment or transferring a liability in an orderly transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. A three-tier hierarchy is used to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk - for example, the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value (such as a pricing model) and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs are based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Unobservable inputs are based on the best information available in the circumstances. The three-tier hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level of inputs that is significant to the fair value measurement, and is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below:

 

Level 1 –  unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments;
     
Level 2 –  other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar investments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.); and
     
Level 3 –  significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments).
 
A summary of inputs used in valuing the Fund’s investments as of October 31, 2023 and, if applicable, Level 3 rollforwards for the period then ended is included in the Fund’s Schedule of Investments.
 
Changes in valuation techniques may result in transfers into or out of an assigned level within the three-tier hierarchy. The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

 

3. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION  

 

It is the policy of the Fund to meet the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute substantially all taxable income and capital gains to its shareholders. Therefore, no income tax provision is required.

 

The Fund files U.S. federal and various state and local tax returns. No income tax returns are currently under examination. The statute of limitations on the Fund’s filed U.S. federal tax returns remains open generally three years after the filing of the tax return. The statute of limitations on the Fund’s, state and local tax returns may remain open for an additional year depending upon the jurisdiction.

 

4. SECURITIES LENDING AGREEMENT  

 

The Fund has established a securities lending agreement with Citibank, N.A. for the lending of securities to qualified brokers in exchange for securities or cash collateral equal to at least the market value of securities loaned, plus interest, if applicable. Cash collateral is invested in an approved money market fund. In accordance with the Fund’s securities lending agreement, the

 

6

 

Notes to Schedule of Investments (unaudited)(concluded)

 

market value of securities on loan is determined each day at the close of business and any additional collateral required to cover the value of securities on loan is delivered to the Fund on the next business day. As with other extensions of credit, the Fund may experience a delay in the recovery of its securities or incur a loss should the borrower of the securities breach its agreement with the Fund or the borrower becomes insolvent at a time when the collateral is insufficient to cover the cost of repurchasing securities on loan.

 

The initial collateral received by the Fund is required to have a value equal to at least 100% of the market value of the securities loaned. The collateral must be marked-to-market daily to cover increases in the market value of the securities loaned (or potentially a decline in the value of the collateral). In general, the risk of borrower default will be borne by Citibank, N.A.; the Fund will bear the risk of loss with respect to the investment of the cash collateral. The advantage of such loans is that the Fund continues to receive income on loaned securities while receiving a portion of any securities lending fees and earning returns on the cash amounts which may be reinvested for the purchase of investments in securities.

 

As of October 31, 2023, the market value of securities loaned and collateral received for the Fund were as follows:

 

Market Value of
Securities Loaned
  Collateral Received  
$21,577,005             $22,149,126  

 

7

 

 

QPHR-DEV-1Q
(12/23)