NPORT-EX 2 NPORT_FBA5_43856270_1222.htm FOR VALIDATION PURPOSES ONLY - [433281.TX]
Baron Asset Fund  

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022 (UNAUDITED)

 

Shares          Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (96.48%)  
Communication Services (1.89%)  
 

Advertising (0.61%)

 

  594,000    

The Trade Desk, Inc., Cl A 1

  $ 11,554,017     $ 26,629,020  
 

Cable & Satellite (0.31%)

 

  175,000    

Liberty Broadband
Corporation, Cl C 1

    12,253,925       13,347,250  
 

Interactive Media &
Services (0.97%)

 

  1,398,709    

ZoomInfo Technologies, Inc. 1

    30,281,101       42,115,128  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Communication Services     54,089,043       82,091,398  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Consumer Discretionary (6.41%)  
 

Automobile
Manufacturers (0.18%)

 

  425,305    

Rivian Automotive, Inc., Cl A 1

    33,173,790       7,838,371  
 

Home Improvement
Retail (0.37%)

 

  230,000    

Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc., Cl A 1

    20,284,647       16,014,900  
 

Hotels, Resorts & Cruise
Lines (2.55%)

 

  546,442    

Choice Hotels International, Inc.

    5,198,084       61,551,227  
  543,233    

Hyatt Hotels Corp., Cl A 1

    16,817,762       49,135,425  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    22,015,846       110,686,652  
 

Leisure Facilities (3.31%)

 

  603,538    

Vail Resorts, Inc.

    11,683,688       143,853,282  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Consumer Discretionary     87,157,971       278,393,205  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Financials (14.25%)  
 

Asset Management & Custody
Banks (0.60%)

 

  237,514    

T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.

    5,729,987       25,903,277  
 

Financial Exchanges &
Data (5.52%)

 

  370,725    

FactSet Research Systems, Inc.

    19,898,420       148,738,577  
  201,267    

MarketAxess Holdings, Inc.

    21,743,183       56,131,354  
  30,000    

MSCI, Inc.

    7,783,774       13,955,100  
  326,189    

Tradeweb Markets, Inc., Cl A

    11,978,713       21,179,452  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    61,404,090       240,004,483  
 

Insurance Brokers (0.89%)

 

  158,421    

Willis Towers Watson PLC 2

    19,439,430       38,746,608  
 

Investment Banking &
Brokerage (3.45%)

 

  1,750,936    

The Charles Schwab Corp.

    1,542,900       145,782,931  
  19,000    

LPL Financial Holdings, Inc.

    4,376,048       4,107,230  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    5,918,948       149,890,161  
 

Property & Casualty
Insurance (3.18%)

 

  2,203,444    

Arch Capital Group Ltd. 1,2

    7,933,936       138,332,214  
 

Regional Banks (0.61%)

 

  216,421    

First Republic Bank

    5,518,736       26,379,556  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Financials     105,945,127       619,256,299  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Shares          Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (continued)  
Health Care (25.23%)  
 

Biotechnology (0.51%)

 

  58,366    

argenx SE, ADR 1,2

  $ 18,854,201     $ 22,110,792  
 

Health Care Equipment (8.78%)

 

  682,000    

DexCom, Inc. 1

    54,311,293       77,229,680  
  673,630    

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. 1

    12,186,829       274,814,095  
  118,644    

Teleflex, Inc.

    19,087,390       29,617,101  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    85,585,512       381,660,876  
 

Health Care Supplies (1.64%)

 

  215,418    

The Cooper Companies, Inc.

    36,713,299       71,232,270  
 

Health Care Technology (1.71%)

 

  459,386    

Veeva Systems, Inc., Cl A 1

    27,115,596       74,135,713  
 

Life Sciences Tools &
Services (12.59%)

 

  1,599,944    

Bio-Techne Corporation

    39,595,545       132,603,359  
  160,000    

ICON plc 1,2

    34,229,795       31,080,000  
  212,552    

Illumina, Inc. 1

    9,061,707       42,978,014  
  181,117    

Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. 1

    10,795,784       261,795,568  
  334,404    

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

    14,419,530       78,701,981  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    108,102,361       547,158,922  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Health Care     276,370,969       1,096,298,573  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Industrials (13.25%)  
 

Environmental & Facilities Services (1.38%)

 

 
  1,643,418    

Rollins, Inc.

    24,597,482       60,050,493  
 

Industrial Machinery (1.79%)

 

  340,760    

IDEX Corporation

    24,525,881       77,805,731  
 

Research & Consulting Services (10.08%)

 

  2,439,930    

CoStar Group, Inc. 1

    59,005,227       188,557,790  
  1,438,500    

TransUnion

    77,172,718       81,634,875  
  951,206    

Verisk Analytics, Inc.

    23,582,787       167,811,763  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    159,760,732       438,004,428  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
 

Total Industrials

    208,884,095       575,860,652  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Information Technology (30.94%)  
 

Application Software (13.05%)

 

 
  571,856    

ANSYS, Inc. 1

    20,310,482       138,154,691  
  166,026    

Aspen Technology, Inc. 1

    30,241,636       34,101,741  
  1,636,093    

Ceridian HCM Holding, Inc. 1

    64,026,865       104,955,366  
  150,000    

Fair Isaac Corp. 1

    63,616,939       89,787,000  
  1,421,809    

Guidewire Software, Inc. 1

    77,473,157       88,948,371  
  257,192    

Roper Technologies, Inc.

    26,184,327       111,130,091  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    281,853,406       567,077,260  
 

Data Processing & Outsourced Services (1.67%)

 

  474,217    

Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.

    26,725,944       32,175,623  
  771,076    

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.

    20,933,204       40,142,217  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    47,659,148       72,317,840  
 

Electronic Components (1.58%)

 

  900,000    

Amphenol Corp., Cl A

    42,881,684       68,526,000  
 

 

See Notes to Schedules of Investments.

Baron Asset Fund  

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022 (UNAUDITED)

 

Shares          Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (continued)  
Information Technology (continued)  
 

Internet Services &
Infrastructure (2.80%)

 

  592,103    

Verisign, Inc. 1

  $ 27,318,889     $ 121,641,640  
 

IT Consulting & Other
Services (10.21%)

 

  50,000    

EPAM Systems, Inc. 1

    24,927,247       16,387,000  
  1,271,323    

Gartner, Inc. 1

    27,028,517       427,342,513  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    51,955,764       443,729,513  
 

Technology Distributors (1.63%)

 

  397,363    

CDW Corp.

    26,228,965       70,961,085  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Information Technology     477,897,856       1,344,253,338  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     
Real Estate (4.51%)  
 

Real Estate Services (0.96%)

 

 
  542,323    

CBRE Group, Inc., Cl A 1

    6,067,334       41,737,178  
 

Specialized REITs (3.55%)

 

  175,000    

Alexandria Real Estate
Equities, Inc. 4

    26,236,333       25,492,250  
  65,416    

Equinix, Inc.

    4,258,856       42,849,443  
  306,856    

SBA Communications Corp.

    7,734,439       86,014,805  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    38,229,628       154,356,498  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Real Estate     44,296,962       196,093,676  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Common Stocks     1,254,642,023       4,192,247,141  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     
     
Private Common Stocks (0.51%)  
Consumer Discretionary (0.51%)  
 

Internet & Direct Marketing Retail (0.51%)

 

 
  197,613    

StubHub
Holdings, Inc., Cl A 1,3,4,6

    50,000,041       22,138,584  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     
     
Private Preferred Stocks (1.63%)  
Industrials (1.63%)  
 

Aerospace & Defense (1.63%)

 

 
  96,298    

Space Exploration
Technologies Corp., Cl N 1,3,4,6

    26,000,460       70,839,647  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Principal Amount   Cost     Value  
Short Term Investments (1.21%)  
  $52,506,487    

Repurchase Agreement with Fixed Income Clearing Corp., dated 12/30/2022, 3.85% due 1/3/2023; Proceeds at maturity $52,528,948; (Fully Collateralized by $30,090,700 U.S.Treasury Note, 3.25% due 6/30/2029 Market value – $28,884,725 and $10,000,000 U.S. Treasury Note, 3.875% due 11/30/2029 Market value) – $10,000,687 and $17,235,000 U.S. Treasury Note, 1.875% due 02/15/2032 Market value – $14,671,294) 5

  $ 52,506,487     $ 52,506,487  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (99.83%)

  $ 1,383,149,011       4,337,731,859  
   

 

 

   
 

Cash and Other Assets Less Liabilities (0.17%)

      7,469,543  
     

 

 

 
 

Net Assets

    $ 4,345,201,402  
     

 

 

 
 

Retail Shares (Equivalent to $86.84 per share
based on 23,138,578 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 2,009,337,519  
 

 

 

 
 

Institutional Shares (Equivalent to $91.69 per share
based on 23,863,773 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 2,188,179,128  
 

 

 

 
 

R6 Shares (Equivalent to $91.67 per share
based on 1,611,051 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 147,684,755  
     

 

 

 

 

 

%

Represents percentage of net assets.

1 

Non-income producing securities.

2 

Foreign corporation.

3 

At December 31, 2022, the market value of restricted and fair valued securities amounted to $92,978,231 or 2.14% of net assets. These securities are not deemed liquid. See Note 3 regarding Restricted Securities.

4 

The Adviser has reclassified/classified certain securities in or out of this sub-industry. Such reclassifications/classifications are not supported by S&P or MSCI (unaudited).

5 

Level 2 security. See Note 4 regarding Fair Value Measurements.

6 

Level 3 security. See Note 4 regarding Fair Value Measurements.

ADR 

American Depositary Receipt.

 

    

All securities are Level 1, unless otherwise noted.

 

 

See Notes to Schedules of Investments.

Baron Growth Fund  

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022 (UNAUDITED)

 

Shares   Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (100.59%)  
Communication Services (5.92%)  
 

Alternative Carriers (5.92%)

 

  7,890,000    

Iridium Communications, Inc. 4

  $ 48,629,515     $ 405,546,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Consumer Discretionary (18.77%)  
 

Casinos & Gaming (3.47%)

 

  440,000    

Boyd Gaming Corporation

    11,056,072       23,993,200  
  4,910,000    

Penn Entertainment, Inc. 1

    50,657,816       145,827,000  
  1,695,000    

Red Rock Resorts, Inc., Cl A

    30,919,576       67,816,950  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    92,633,464       237,637,150  
 

Education Services (1.03%)

 

  1,115,000    

Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Inc. 1

    35,080,904       70,356,500  
 

Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines (7.32%)

 

  2,965,000    

Choice Hotels International, Inc. 4

    71,648,874       333,977,600  
  1,250,000    

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp.

    66,814,800       168,237,500  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    138,463,674       502,215,100  
 

Leisure Facilities (6.95%)

 

  2,000,000    

Vail Resorts, Inc.

    56,102,209       476,700,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Consumer Discretionary     322,280,251       1,286,908,750  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Financials (39.21%)  
 

Asset Management & Custody Banks (2.49%)

 

  1,685,000    

The Carlyle Group, Inc.

    34,374,519       50,280,400  
  1,860,000    

Cohen & Steers, Inc.

    40,191,523       120,081,600  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    74,566,042       170,362,000  
 

Financial Exchanges & Data (20.41%)

 

  1,200,000    

FactSet Research Systems, Inc.

    59,954,575       481,452,000  
  930,000    

Morningstar, Inc.

    18,953,575       201,428,700  
  1,540,000    

MSCI, Inc.

    28,503,285       716,361,800  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    107,411,435       1,399,242,500  
 

Investment Banking & Brokerage (0.77%)

 

  450,000    

Houlihan Lokey, Inc.

    19,625,873       39,222,000  
  350,000    

Moelis & Co., Cl A

    5,215,059       13,429,500  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    24,840,932       52,651,500  
 

Life & Health Insurance (3.10%)

 

  1,500,000    

Primerica, Inc.

    31,190,715       212,730,000  
 

Property & Casualty Insurance (12.15%)

 

  9,105,000    

Arch Capital Group Ltd. 1,2

    28,404,480       571,611,900  
  1,000,000    

Kinsale Capital Group, Inc.

    35,007,763       261,520,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    63,412,243       833,131,900  
 

Thrifts & Mortgage Finance (0.29%)

 

  520,000    

Essent Group Ltd. 2

    14,300,210       20,217,600  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Financials     315,721,577       2,688,335,500  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Health Care (10.72%)  
 

Health Care Equipment (3.21%)

 

  540,000    

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. 1

    7,568,743       220,298,400  
 

Health Care Supplies (0.43%)

 

  1,829,564    

Figs, Inc., Cl A 1

    19,728,364       12,312,965  
  1,147,434    

Neogen Corp. 1

    13,141,411       17,475,420  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    32,869,775       29,788,385  
Shares   Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (continued)  
Health Care (continued)  
 

Life Sciences Tools &
Services (6.80%)

 

  2,960,000    

Bio-Techne Corporation

  $ 38,883,322     $ 245,324,800  
  72,000    

Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. 1

    3,293,302       104,072,400  
  495,000    

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

    16,833,686       116,498,250  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    59,010,310       465,895,450  
 

Pharmaceuticals (0.28%)

 

  598,076    

Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC (United Kingdom)2,6

    18,422,044       18,851,247  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Health Care     117,870,872       734,833,482  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Industrials (6.90%)  
 

Building Products (0.71%)

 

  1,150,000    

Trex Co., Inc. 1

    10,329,303       48,679,500  
 

Environmental & Facilities
Services (0.10%)

 

  950,000    

BrightView Holdings, Inc. 1

    11,465,197       6,545,500  
 

Industrial Machinery (0.21%)

 

  4,275,000    

Marel hf (Netherlands)2

    18,281,671       14,735,273  
 

Research & Consulting
Services (5.88%)

 

  5,215,000    

CoStar Group, Inc. 1

    21,784,904       403,015,200  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Industrials     61,861,075       472,975,473  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Information Technology (12.54%)  
 

Application Software (4.87%)

 

  725,000    

Altair Engineering, Inc., Cl A 1

    11,330,019       32,965,750  
  1,000,000    

ANSYS, Inc. 1

    22,816,668       241,590,000  
  945,000    

Guidewire Software, Inc. 1

    28,784,151       59,119,200  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    62,930,838       333,674,950  
 

Electronic Components (0.19%)

 

  60,000    

Littelfuse, Inc.

    6,452,400       13,212,000  
 

IT Consulting & Other
Services (7.48%)

 

  1,525,000    

Gartner, Inc. 1

    21,222,737       512,613,500  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Information Technology     90,605,975       859,500,450  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Real Estate (6.53%)  
 

Diversified REITs (0.08%)

 

  200,000    

American Assets Trust, Inc.

    3,350,428       5,300,000  
 

Office REITs (0.76%)

 

  3,340,000    

Douglas Emmett, Inc.

    28,956,081       52,371,200  
 

Specialized REITs (5.69%)

 

  750,000    

Alexandria Real Estate
Equities, Inc. 5

    26,054,963       109,252,500  
  5,385,000    

Gaming and Leisure
Properties, Inc.

    114,093,295       280,504,650  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    140,148,258       389,757,150  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Real Estate     172,454,767       447,428,350  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Common Stocks     1,129,424,032       6,895,528,005  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
 

 

See Notes to Schedules of Investments.

Baron Growth Fund  

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022 (UNAUDITED)

 

Shares   Cost     Value  
Private Convertible Preferred Stocks (0.48%)  
Industrials (0.22%)  
 

Electrical Components &
Equipment (0.22%)

 

 
  59,407,006    

Northvolt AB (Sweden) 2,3,5,7

  $ 9,374,989     $ 15,099,241  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Materials (0.26%)  
 

Fertilizers & Agricultural
Chemicals (0.26%)

 

 
  341,838    

Farmers Business
Network, Inc., Series F 1,2,3,5,7

    11,300,002       12,275,403  
  80,440    

Farmers Business
Network, Inc., Series G 1,2,3,5,7

    5,000,000       5,297,778  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Materials     16,300,002       17,573,181  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Private Convertible Preferred Stocks     25,674,991       32,672,422  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     
     
Warrants (0.00%)  
Consumer Discretionary (0.00%)  
 

Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines (0.00%)

 

  96,515    

OneSpaWorld Holdings Ltd. Warrants, Exp 3/19/2024 1

    0       120,644  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (101.07%)

  $ 1,155,099,023       6,928,321,071  
   

 

 

   
 

Liabilities Less Cash and Other Assets (-1.07%)

      (73,016,303
     

 

 

 
 

Net Assets

    $ 6,855,304,768  
     

 

 

 
 

Retail Shares (Equivalent to $84.99 per share
based on 25,806,202 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 2,193,348,088  
 

 

 

 
 

Institutional Shares (Equivalent to $89.49 per share
based on 50,012,011 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 4,475,507,109  
 

 

 

 
 

R6 Shares (Equivalent to $89.50 per share
based on 2,083,278 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 186,449,571  
     

 

 

 

 

 

%

Represents percentage of net assets.

1 

Non-income producing securities.

2 

Foreign corporation.

3 

At December 31, 2022, the market value of restricted and fair valued securities amounted to $32,672,422 or 0.48% of net assets. These securities are not deemed liquid. See Note 3 regarding Restricted Securities.

4 

See Note 6 regarding “Affiliated” companies.

5 

The Adviser has reclassified/classified certain securities in or out of this sub-industry. Such reclassifications/classifications are not supported by S&P or MSCI (unaudited).

6 

Level 2 security. See Note 4 regarding Fair Value Measurements.

7 

Level 3 security. See Note 4 regarding Fair Value Measurements.

 

    

All securities are Level 1, unless otherwise noted.

    

 

 

See Notes to Schedules of Investments.

Baron Small Cap Fund  

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022 (UNAUDITED)

 

Shares          Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (95.89%)  
Communication Services (5.05%)  
 

Advertising (0.86%)

 

  750,000    

The Trade Desk, Inc., Cl A 1

  $ 2,662,500     $ 33,622,500  
 

Cable & Satellite (1.15%)

 

  75,000    

Liberty Broadband
Corporation, Cl A 1

    298,828       5,688,750  
  200,000    

Liberty Broadband
Corporation, Cl C 1

    772,163       15,254,000  
  625,000    

Liberty Media Corp.-Liberty
SiriusXM, Cl C 1

    1,322,732       24,456,250  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    2,393,723       45,399,000  
 

Movies & Entertainment (3.04%)

 

  1,200,000    

Liberty Media Corporation-Liberty Formula One, Cl C 1

    21,262,385       71,736,000  
  150,000    

Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. 1

    2,346,185       6,745,500  
  225,000    

Madison Square Garden
Sports Corp. 1

    8,416,556       41,249,250  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    32,025,126       119,730,750  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Communication Services     37,081,349       198,752,250  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Consumer Discretionary (15.02%)  
 

Auto Parts & Equipment (0.24%)

 

  4,500,000    

Holley, Inc. 1

    37,719,254       9,540,000  
 

Casinos & Gaming (3.58%)

 

  875,000    

DraftKings, Inc., Cl A 1

    11,187,787       9,966,250  
  700,000    

Penn Entertainment, Inc. (formerly, Penn National Gaming, Inc.) 1

    12,320,393       20,790,000  
  2,750,000    

Red Rock Resorts, Inc., Cl A

    75,439,769       110,027,500  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    98,947,949       140,783,750  
 

Education Services (1.20%)

 

  750,000    

Bright Horizons Family
Solutions, Inc. 1

    29,824,721       47,325,000  
 

Home Improvement Retail (2.48%)

 

  1,400,000    

Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc., Cl A 1

    55,967,953       97,482,000  
 

Homebuilding (2.72%)

 

  1,249,262    

Installed Building Products, Inc.

    65,269,095       106,936,827  
 

Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines (0.10%)

 

  1,000,000    

Membership Collective
Group, Inc., Cl A 1

    13,900,478       3,740,000  
 

Leisure Facilities (2.00%)

 

  1,000,000    

Planet Fitness, Inc., Cl A 1

    41,366,076       78,800,000  
 

Restaurants (1.81%)

 

  2,250,000    

The Cheesecake Factory, Inc.

    62,520,432       71,347,500  
 

Specialized Consumer Services (0.89%)

 

  2,800,000    

European Wax Center, Inc., Cl A 1

    53,348,102       34,860,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Consumer Discretionary     458,864,060       590,815,077  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Shares          Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (continued)  
Consumer Staples (2.12%)  
 

Packaged Foods & Meats (1.31%)

 

  3,250,000    

UTZ Brands, Inc.

  $ 52,114,568     $ 51,545,000  
 

Personal Products (0.81%)

 

  3,500,000    

The Beauty Health Co. 1

    50,004,368       31,850,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Consumer Staples     102,118,936       83,395,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Financials (6.69%)  
 

Insurance Brokers (1.98%)

 

  3,100,000    

BRP Group, Inc., Cl A 1

    50,723,405       77,934,000  
 

Investment Banking & Brokerage (1.39%)

 

  625,000    

Houlihan Lokey, Inc.

    28,909,333       54,475,000  
 

Property & Casualty Insurance (3.32%)

 

  500,000    

Kinsale Capital Group, Inc.

    72,425,816       130,760,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Financials     152,058,554       263,169,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Health Care (13.77%)  
 

Health Care Equipment (5.64%)

 

  1,000,000    

Axonics, Inc. 1

    35,459,918       62,530,000  
  580,000    

DexCom, Inc. 1

    1,922,936       65,679,200  
  60,000    

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. 1

    829,217       24,477,600  
  275,000    

Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. 1

    17,045,222       69,267,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    55,257,293       221,953,800  
 

Health Care Supplies (0.87%)

 

  2,250,000    

Neogen Corp. 1

    31,648,338       34,267,500  
 

Life Sciences Tools & Services (4.65%)

 

  700,000    

ICON plc 1,2

    38,492,341       135,975,000  
  32,500    

Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. 1

    1,571,421       46,977,125  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    40,063,762       182,952,125  
 

Managed Health Care (1.79%)

 

  800,000    

HealthEquity, Inc. 1

    13,208,487       49,312,000  
  675,000    

Progyny, Inc. 1

    22,959,593       21,026,250  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    36,168,080       70,338,250  
 

Pharmaceuticals (0.82%)

 

  1,020,000    

Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC (United Kingdom) 2,4

    28,920,686       32,150,215  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Health Care     192,058,159       541,661,890  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Industrials (27.09%)  
 

Aerospace & Defense (3.94%)

 

  2,200,000    

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. 1

    32,701,507       22,704,000  
  1,200,000    

Mercury Systems, Inc. 1

    37,862,063       53,688,000  
  125,000    

TransDigm Group, Inc. 1

    0       78,706,250  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    70,563,570       155,098,250  
 

Building Products (2.25%)

 

  5,500,000    

Janus International Group, Inc. 1

    54,266,533       52,360,000  
  850,000    

Trex Co., Inc. 1

    34,405,324       35,980,500  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    88,671,857       88,340,500  
 

 

See Notes to Schedules of Investments.

Baron Small Cap Fund  

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022 (UNAUDITED)

 

Shares          Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (continued)  
Industrials (continued)  
 

Diversified Support Services (1.58%)

 

  2,275,000    

Driven Brands Holdings, Inc. 1

  $ 57,328,359     $ 62,130,250  
 

Electrical Components & Equipment (3.78%)

 

  1,800,000    

Shoals Technologies
Group, Inc., Cl A 1

    29,324,283       44,406,000  
  7,650,000    

Vertiv Holdings Co.

    78,901,960       104,499,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    108,226,243       148,905,000  
 

Environmental & Facilities Services (1.52%)

 

  450,000    

Waste Connections, Inc. 2

    19,650,000       59,652,000  
 

Human Resource & Employment Services (4.95%)

 

  1,750,000    

ASGN, Inc. 1

    55,248,586       142,590,000  
  4,000,000    

First Advantage Corp. 1

    65,399,826       52,000,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    120,648,412       194,590,000  
 

Industrial Machinery (4.70%)

 

  650,000    

Chart Industries, Inc. 1

    88,995,122       74,899,500  
  550,000    

John Bean Technologies Corp.

    48,810,954       50,231,500  
  285,000    

RBC Bearings, Incorporated 1

    34,467,037       59,664,750  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    172,273,113       184,795,750  
 

Research & Consulting Services (0.74%)

 

  3,500,000    

Clarivate PLC 1,2

    39,366,721       29,190,000  
 

Trading Companies & Distributors (3.63%)

 

  2,750,000    

Hillman Solutions Corp. 1,3

    30,926,187       19,827,500  
  1,050,000    

SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. 1

    57,097,581       123,186,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    88,023,768       143,013,500  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Industrials     764,752,043       1,065,715,250  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Information Technology (21.97%)  
 

Application Software (9.01%)

 

  750,000    

Altair Engineering, Inc., Cl A 1

    11,935,619       34,102,500  
  350,000    

Aspen Technology, Inc. 1

    32,534,028       71,890,000  
  950,000    

Ceridian HCM Holding, Inc. 1

    29,430,555       60,942,500  
  1,500,000    

Clearwater Analytics
Holdings, Inc., Cl A 1

    27,854,229       28,125,000  
  7,388,636    

E2open Parent
Holdings, Inc., Cl A 1

    72,231,889       43,371,293  
  1,225,000    

Guidewire Software, Inc. 1

    31,269,358       76,636,000  
  700,000    

Sprout Social, Inc., Cl A 1

    40,024,947       39,522,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    245,280,625       354,589,293  
 

Data Processing & Outsourced Services (2.40%)

 

  700,000    

Nuvei Corp., 144A (Canada) 1,2

    19,394,958       17,787,000  
  3,900,000    

Repay Holdings Corporation 1

    35,724,877       31,395,000  
  275,300    

WEX, Inc. 1

    14,455,072       45,052,845  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
      69,574,907       94,234,845  
 

Electronic Equipment & Instruments (1.80%)

 

  1,500,000    

Cognex Corp.

    25,832,809       70,665,000  
 

IT Consulting & Other Services (8.76%)

 

  770,000    

Endava plc, ADR 1,2

    25,677,665       58,905,000  
  750,000    

Gartner, Inc. 1

    10,381,271       252,105,000  
  3,000,000    

Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. 1

    36,322,597       33,660,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
      72,381,533       344,670,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Information Technology     413,069,874       864,159,138  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Shares          Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (continued)  
Materials (1.50%)  
 

Specialty Chemicals (1.50%)

 

  1,750,000    

Avient Corp.

  $ 55,580,984     $ 59,080,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Real Estate (2.68%)  
 

Specialized REITs (2.68%)

 

  1,250,000    

Americold Realty Trust, Inc. 3

    20,023,654       35,387,500  
  250,000    

SBA Communications Corp.

    1,006,880       70,077,500  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Real Estate     21,030,534       105,465,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Common Stocks     2,196,614,493       3,772,212,605  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Principal Amount              
Short Term Investments (4.10%)  
  $161,373,364    

Repurchase Agreement with Fixed Income Clearing Corp., dated 12/30/2022, 3.85% due 1/3/2023; Proceeds at maturity $161,442,396; (Fully Collateralized by $12,973,600 U.S. Treasury Bond, 2.375% due 2/15/2042 Market value – $9,976,997 and $60,433,600 U.S. Treasury Bond, 3.0% due 2/15/2048 Market value – $50,841,910 and $147,126,900 U.S. Treasury Bond, 2.25% due 2/15/2052 Market value – $103,781,991)4

    161,373,364       161,373,364  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Investments (99.99%)   $ 2,357,987,857       3,933,585,969  
   

 

 

   
 

Cash and Other Assets Less Liabilities (0.01%)

      208,849  
     

 

 

 
 

Net Assets

    $ 3,933,794,818  
     

 

 

 
 

Retail Shares (Equivalent to $24.63 per share
based on 45,998,989 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 1,132,783,575  
 

 

 

 
 

Institutional Shares (Equivalent to $26.48 per share
based on 98,616,982 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 2,611,120,386  
 

 

 

 
 

R6 Shares (Equivalent to $26.47 per share
based on 7,174,752 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 189,890,857  
     

 

 

 

 

 

%

Represents percentage of net assets.

1 

Non-income producing securities.

2 

Foreign corporation.

3 

The Adviser has reclassified/classified certain securities in or out of this sub-industry. Such reclassifications/classifications are not supported by S&P or MSCI (unaudited).

4 

Level 2 security. See Note 4 regarding Fair Value Measurements.

144A 

Security is exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933. This security may be resold in transactions that are exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At December 31, 2022, the market value of Rule 144A securities amounted to $17,787,000 or 0.45% of net assets.

ADR 

American Depositary Receipt.

 

    

All securities are Level 1, unless otherwise noted.

 

 

See Notes to Schedules of Investments.

Baron Opportunity Fund  

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022 (UNAUDITED)

 

Shares   Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (93.70%)  
Communication Services (14.94%)  
 

Advertising (1.24%)

 

  210,510    

The Trade Desk, Inc., Cl A 1

  $ 4,349,448     $ 9,437,163  
 

Interactive Home Entertainment (2.72%)

 

  108,500    

Electronic Arts, Inc.

    12,253,641       13,256,530  
  71,700    

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. 1

    7,538,545       7,466,121  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    19,792,186       20,722,651  
 

Interactive Media & Services (9.46%)

 

  559,000    

Alphabet, Inc., Cl C 1

    30,410,115       49,600,070  
  25,500    

Meta Platforms, Inc., Cl A 1

    3,036,590       3,068,670  
  648,369    

ZoomInfo Technologies, Inc. 1

    20,114,816       19,522,391  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    53,561,521       72,191,131  
 

Movies & Entertainment (1.52%)

 

  516,000    

Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc., Cl A 1

    12,384,000       11,630,640  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Communication Services     90,087,155       113,981,585  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Consumer Discretionary (10.23%)  
 

Automobile Manufacturers (4.88%)

 

  614,183    

Rivian Automotive, Inc., Cl A 1

    12,206,302       11,319,393  
  210,400    

Tesla, Inc. 1

    13,523,451       25,917,072  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    25,729,753       37,236,465  
 

Internet & Direct Marketing Retail (5.35%)

 

  485,500    

Amazon.com, Inc. 1

    29,742,116       40,782,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Consumer Discretionary     55,471,869       78,018,465  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Health Care (11.60%)  
 

Biotechnology (5.65%)

 

  80,739    

argenx SE, ADR 1,2

    4,143,502       30,586,355  
  124,561    

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1

    2,494,474       5,052,194  
  382,000    

Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1

    7,228,464       7,475,740  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    13,866,440       43,114,289  
 

Health Care Equipment (4.14%)

 

  104,300    

Edwards Lifesciences Corp. 1

    5,219,929       7,781,823  
  54,505    

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. 1

    7,920,379       14,462,902  
  45,400    

Shockwave Medical, Inc. 1

    2,236,335       9,334,694  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    15,376,643       31,579,419  
 

Life Sciences Tools & Services (1.81%)

 

  68,315    

Illumina, Inc. 1

    11,957,854       13,813,293  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Health Care     41,200,937       88,507,001  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Industrials (3.42%)  
 

Research & Consulting Services (3.42%)

 

  337,330    

CoStar Group, Inc. 1

    13,497,332       26,068,862  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Information Technology (52.29%)  
 

Application Software (8.11%)

 

  199,570    

Ceridian HCM Holding, Inc. 1

    9,380,036       12,802,416  
  87,500    

Gitlab, Inc., Cl A 1,4

    3,730,936       3,976,000  
  172,100    

Guidewire Software, Inc. 1

    4,837,836       10,766,576  
  10,800    

HubSpot, Inc. 1

    3,570,527       3,122,604  
  52,000    

ServiceNow, Inc. 1,4

    15,689,186       20,190,040  
  65,500    

Workday, Inc., Cl A 1

    10,499,798       10,960,115  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    47,708,319       61,817,751  
Shares   Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (continued)  
Information Technology (continued)  
 

Data Processing & Outsourced Services (7.31%)

 

  3,000    

Adyen N.V., (Netherlands), 144A 1,2,5

  $ 2,422,754     $ 4,164,747  
  69,800    

MasterCard Incorporated, Cl A

    15,595,187       24,271,554  
  131,500    

Visa, Inc., Cl A

    21,184,506       27,320,440  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    39,202,447       55,756,741  
 

Internet Services & Infrastructure (0.75%)

 

  165,000    

Shopify, Inc., Cl A 1,2

    4,970,682       5,727,150  
 

IT Consulting & Other Services (7.13%)

 

  193,868    

Endava plc, ADR 1,2

    6,503,238       14,830,902  
  117,587    

Gartner, Inc. 1

    4,874,492       39,525,694  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    11,377,730       54,356,596  
 

Semiconductor Equipment (1.53%)

 

  21,300    

ASML Holding N.V. 2

    10,043,235       11,638,320  
 

Semiconductors (8.40%)

 

  173,000    

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. 1

    12,922,039       11,205,210  
  1,793,500    

indie Semiconductor, Inc., Cl A 1

    12,356,509       10,456,105  
  26,200    

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.

    10,450,028       9,264,582  
  226,900    

NVIDIA Corp.

    21,203,681       33,159,166  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    56,932,257       64,085,063  
 

Systems Software (19.06%)

 

  202,000    

Cloudflare, Inc., Cl A 1,4

    8,494,557       9,132,420  
  77,623    

Crowdstrike Holdings, Inc., Cl A 1

    5,534,067       8,172,926  
  109,000    

Datadog, Inc., Cl A 1,4

    8,110,625       8,011,500  
  449,900    

Microsoft Corporation

    68,021,212       107,895,018  
  85,008    

Snowflake, Inc., Cl A 1,4

    11,548,604       12,202,048  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    101,709,065       145,413,912  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Information Technology     271,943,735       398,795,533  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Real Estate (1.22%)  
 

Specialized REITs (1.22%)

 

  14,225    

Equinix, Inc.

    2,122,124       9,317,802  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Common Stocks     474,323,152       714,689,248  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     
     
Private Common Stocks (1.79%)  
Communication Services (0.46%)  
 

Interactive Media & Services (0.46%)

 

  5,000    

X Holdings I, Inc. 1,3,4,6

    5,000,000       3,510,150  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Industrials (1.33%)  
 

Aerospace & Defense (1.32%)

 

  105,020    

Space Exploration
Technologies Corp., Cl A 1,3,4,6

    4,607,169       7,725,581  
  31,890    

Space Exploration
Technologies Corp., Cl C 1,3,4,6

    1,392,972       2,345,922  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    6,000,141       10,071,503  
 

Trucking (0.01%)

 

  3,571    

GM Cruise Holdings LLC, Cl B 1,3,4,6

    103,563       81,101  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Industrials     6,103,704       10,152,604  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Private Common Stocks     11,103,704       13,662,754  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
 

 

See Notes to Schedules of Investments.

Baron Opportunity Fund  

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022 (UNAUDITED)

 

Shares   Cost     Value  
Private Convertible Preferred Stocks (1.03%)  
Materials (1.03%)  
 

Fertilizers & Agricultural Chemicals (1.03%)

 

  219,321    

Farmers Business Network, Inc.,
Series F 1,3,4,6

  $ 7,250,007     $ 7,875,817  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     
     
Private Preferred Stocks (2.63%)  
Industrials (2.63%)  
 

Aerospace & Defense (1.79%)

 

  18,519    

Space Exploration
Technologies Corp., Cl N 1,3,4,6

    5,000,130       13,623,122  
 

Trucking (0.84%)

 

  266,956    

GM Cruise Holdings, Cl G 1,3,4,6

    7,034,290       6,420,292  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Private Preferred Stocks     12,034,420       20,043,414  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (99.15%)

  $ 504,711,283       756,271,233  
   

 

 

   
 

Cash and Other Assets Less Liabilities (0.85%)

      6,476,844  
     

 

 

 
 

Net Assets

    $ 762,748,077  
     

 

 

 
 

Retail Shares (Equivalent to $23.58 per share
based on 17,116,684 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 403,683,364  
 

 

 

 
 

Institutional Shares (Equivalent to $25.05 per share
based on 13,434,948 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 336,541,310  
 

 

 

 
 

R6 Shares (Equivalent to $25.08 per share
based on 898,163 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 22,523,403  
     

 

 

 

 

 

%

Represents percentage of net assets.

1 

Non-income producing securities.

2 

Foreign corporation.

3 

At December 31, 2022, the market value of restricted and fair valued securities amounted to $41,581,985 or 5.45% of net assets. These securities are not deemed liquid. See Note 3 regarding Restricted Securities.

4 

The Adviser has reclassified/classified certain securities in or out of this sub-industry. Such reclassifications/classifications are not supported by S&P or MSCI (unaudited).

5 

Level 2 security. See Note 4 regarding Fair Value Measurements.

6 

Level 3 security. See Note 4 regarding Fair Value Measurements.

ADR 

American Depositary Receipt.

144A 

Security is exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933. This security may be resold in transactions that are exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At December 31, 2022, the market value of Rule 144A securities amounted to $4,164,747 or 0.55% of net assets.

 

    

All securities are Level 1, unless otherwise noted.

    

 

 

See Notes to Schedules of Investments.

Baron Fifth Avenue Growth Fund  

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022 (UNAUDITED)

 

Shares   Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (98.26%)  
Communication Services (7.24%)  
 

Advertising (1.53%)

 

  111,955    

The Trade Desk, Inc., Cl A 1

  $ 6,240,703     $ 5,018,943  
 

Interactive Media & Services (5.71%)

 

  68,957    

Meta Platforms Inc., Cl A 1

    3,249,172       8,298,285  
  348,023    

ZoomInfo Technologies, Inc. 1

    12,177,461       10,478,973  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    15,426,633       18,777,258  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Communication Services     21,667,336       23,796,201  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Consumer Discretionary (16.50%)  
 

Auto Parts & Equipment (1.52%)

 

  142,119    

Mobileye Global, Inc. 1

    2,984,499       4,982,692  
 

Automobile Manufacturers (4.56%)

 

  269,547    

Rivian Automotive, Inc., Cl A 1

    9,293,105       4,967,751  
  81,316    

Tesla, Inc. 1

    22,320,493       10,016,505  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    31,613,598       14,984,256  
 

Internet & Direct Marketing Retail (10.42%)

 

  287,686    

Amazon.com, Inc. 1

    2,726,880       24,165,624  
  11,905    

MercadoLibre, Inc. 1

    6,864,818       10,074,487  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    9,591,698       34,240,111  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Consumer Discretionary     44,189,795       54,207,059  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Health Care (17.06%)  
 

Biotechnology (4.43%)

 

  38,426    

argenx SE, ADR 1,2

    11,477,725       14,556,921  
 

Health Care Equipment (5.91%)

 

  73,176    

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. 1

    8,405,327       19,417,252  
 

Health Care Technology (3.81%)

 

  77,581    

Veeva Systems, Inc., Cl A 1

    5,455,270       12,520,022  
 

Life Sciences Tools & Services (2.91%)

 

  47,327    

Illumina, Inc. 1

    5,397,461       9,569,519  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Health Care     30,735,783       56,063,714  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Information Technology (57.46%)  
 

Application Software (9.24%)

 

  37,124    

Atlassian Corp. Ltd., Cl A 1,2

    9,645,002       4,777,116  
  95,457    

Gitlab, Inc., Cl A 1,3

    6,546,377       4,337,566  
  54,748    

ServiceNow, Inc. 1,3

    20,976,883       21,257,006  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    37,168,262       30,371,688  
 

Data Processing & Outsourced Services (12.49%)

 

  6,222    

Adyen N.V., 144A (Netherlands) 1,2,5

    4,719,451       8,637,685  
  132,183    

Block, Inc., Cl A 1

    7,792,845       8,306,380  
  69,304    

MasterCard Incorporated, Cl A

    4,567,695       24,099,080  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    17,079,991       41,043,145  
 

Internet Services & Infrastructure (3.69%)

 

  349,300    

Shopify, Inc., Cl A 1,2

    11,987,349       12,124,203  
 

IT Consulting & Other Services (6.89%)

 

  138,513    

Endava plc, ADR 1,2

    15,076,498       10,596,244  
  36,739    

EPAM Systems, Inc. 1

    2,823,520       12,040,840  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    17,900,018       22,637,084  
 

Semiconductor Equipment (3.74%)

 

  22,515    

ASML Holding N.V. 2

    2,188,377       12,302,196  
 

Semiconductors (5.55%)

 

  124,671    

NVIDIA Corp.

    19,445,139       18,219,420  
Shares   Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (continued)  
Information Technology (continued)  
 

Systems Software (15.86%)

 

  163,585    

Cloudflare, Inc., Cl A 1,3

  $ 13,724,477     $ 7,395,678  
  114,467    

Crowdstrike Holdings, Inc., Cl A 1

    9,838,034       12,052,230  
  189,945    

Datadog, Inc., Cl A 1,3

    14,428,723       13,960,958  
  130,242    

Snowflake, Inc., Cl A 1,3

    23,344,928       18,694,937  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    61,336,162       52,103,803  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Information Technology     167,105,298       188,801,539  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Common Stocks     263,698,212       322,868,513  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Private Common Stocks (1.20%)  
Industrials (1.20%)  
 

Aerospace & Defense (1.20%)

 

  41,330    

Space Exploration
Technologies Corp., Cl A 1,3,4,6

    1,932,253       3,040,357  
  12,240    

Space Exploration
Technologies Corp., Cl C 1,3,4,6

    567,691       900,410  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Private Common Stocks     2,499,944       3,940,767  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Private Preferred Stocks (0.98%)  
Industrials (0.98%)  
 

Trucking (0.98%)

 

  133,288    

GM Cruise Holdings, Cl G 1,3,4,6

    3,512,139       3,205,577  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Investments (100.44%)   $ 269,710,295       330,014,857  
   

 

 

   
 

Liabilities Less Cash and Other Assets (-0.44%)

      (1,430,524
 

 

 

 
 

Net Assets

    $ 328,584,333  
 

 

 

 
 

Retail Shares (Equivalent to $26.68 per share
based on 2,801,784 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 74,743,869  
 

 

 

 
 

Institutional Shares (Equivalent to $27.51 per share
based on 8,519,011 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 234,342,249  
 

 

 

 
 

R6 Shares (Equivalent to $27.50 per share
based on 708,969 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 19,498,215  
   

 

 

 

 

 

%

Represents percentage of net assets.

1 

Non-income producing securities.

2 

Foreign corporation.

3 

The Adviser has reclassified/classified certain securities in or out of this sub-industry. Such reclassifications/classifications are not supported by S&P or MSCI (unaudited).

4 

At December 31, 2022, the market value of restricted and fair valued securities amounted to $7,146,344 or 2.17% of net assets. These securities are not deemed liquid. See Note 3 regarding Restricted Securities.

5 

Level 2 security. See Note 4 regarding Fair Value Measurements.

6 

Level 3 security. See Note 4 regarding Fair Value Measurements.

ADR 

American Depositary Receipt.

144A 

Security is exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933. This security may be resold in transactions that are exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. At December 31, 2022, the market value of Rule 144A securities amounted to $8,637,685 or 2.63% of net assets.

 

    

All securities are Level 1, unless otherwise noted.

 

 

See Notes to Schedules of Investments.

Baron Discovery Fund  

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022 (UNAUDITED)

 

Shares          Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (95.67%)  
Communication Services (1.71%)  
      Advertising (0.85%)  
  4,250,000    

S4 Capital PLC (United Kingdom)1,2,4

  $ 15,642,612     $ 9,717,628  
 

Movies & Entertainment (0.86%)

 

  185,000    

Liberty Media Corporation-Liberty Formula One, Cl A 1

    5,634,811       9,884,550  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Communication Services     21,277,423       19,602,178  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Consumer Discretionary (11.01%)  
 

Casinos & Gaming (4.19%)

 

  735,000    

Boyd Gaming Corporation

    46,928,841       40,079,550  
  200,000    

Red Rock Resorts, Inc., Cl A

    5,295,927       8,002,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    52,224,768       48,081,550  
 

Home Improvement Retail (2.40%)

 

  395,000    

Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc., Cl A 1

    14,885,596       27,503,850  
 

Homefurnishing Retail (0.58%)

 

  25,000    

RH 1

    6,360,989       6,679,750  
 

Restaurants (2.85%)

 

  500,000    

The Cheesecake Factory, Inc.

    16,378,050       15,855,000  
  185,000    

Texas Roadhouse, Inc.

    15,924,197       16,825,750  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    32,302,247       32,680,750  
 

Specialty Stores (0.99%)

 

  1,200,000    

Petco Health & Wellness Co., Inc. 1

    22,335,645       11,376,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Consumer Discretionary     128,109,245       126,321,900  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Consumer Staples (0.95%)  
 

Personal Products (0.95%)

 

  1,200,000    

The Beauty Health Co. 1

    12,467,467       10,920,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Financials (5.87%)  
 

Insurance Brokers (1.31%)

 

  600,007    

BRP Group, Inc., Cl A 1

    10,721,831       15,084,176  
 

Property & Casualty Insurance (4.56%)

 

  200,000    

Kinsale Capital Group, Inc.

    11,768,138       52,304,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Financials     22,489,969       67,388,176  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Health Care (19.52%)  
 

Health Care Equipment (10.06%)

 

  637,982    

Axonics, Inc. 1

    28,878,670       39,893,014  
  114,823    

Inari Medical, Inc. 1

    4,216,755       7,298,150  
  822,985    

Inogen, Inc. 1

    35,599,745       16,221,034  
  640,208    

Silk Road Medical, Inc. 1,3

    27,145,351       33,834,993  
  4,060,000    

ViewRay, Inc. 1

    20,943,587       18,188,800  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    116,784,108       115,435,991  
 

Health Care Supplies (1.47%)

 

  2,029,967    

Cerus Corp. 1

    10,468,349       7,409,379  
  144,000    

Establishment Labs
Holdings, Inc. 1,2

    10,473,972       9,453,600  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    20,942,321       16,862,979  
Shares          Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (continued)  
Health Care (continued)  
 

Health Care Technology (1.53%)

 

  1,598,543    

Definitive Healthcare Corp. 1

  $ 37,150,023     $ 17,567,988  
 

Life Sciences Tools & Services (3.33%)

 

  1,639,029    

CareDx, Inc. 1,3

    38,961,132       18,701,321  
  415,000    

Maravai LifeSciences
Holdings, Inc., Cl A 1

    6,158,580       5,938,650  
  573,790    

Veracyte, Inc. 1,3

    14,716,344       13,616,037  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    59,836,056       38,256,008  
 

Managed Health Care (1.07%)

 

  393,279    

Progyny, Inc. 1

    6,029,753       12,250,641  
 

Pharmaceuticals (1.63%)

 

  1,011,732    

Revance Therapeutics, Inc. 1

    19,945,596       18,676,573  
 

Semiconductor Equipment (0.43%)

 

  85,000    

Azenta, Inc. 1

    8,744,859       4,948,700  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Health Care     269,432,716       223,998,880  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Industrials (19.49%)  
 

Aerospace & Defense (8.05%)

 

  251,095    

Axon Enterprise, Inc. 1

    30,643,264       41,664,193  
  1,902,370    

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. 1

    30,828,261       19,632,459  
  696,300    

Mercury Systems, Inc. 1

    33,548,862       31,152,462  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    95,020,387       92,449,114  
 

Building Products (0.74%)

 

  200,000    

Trex Co., Inc. 1

    6,713,309       8,466,000  
 

Diversified Support Services (0.86%)

 

  1,200,000    

ACV Auctions, Inc., Cl A 1

    31,541,757       9,852,000  
 

Environmental & Facilities
Services (2.32%)

 

  599,642    

Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. 1

    10,554,326       26,618,108  
 

Human Resource & Employment
Services (1.44%)

 

  202,400    

ASGN, Inc. 1

    21,593,741       16,491,552  
 

Industrial Machinery (3.53%)

 

  200,000    

Chart Industries, Inc. 1

    27,220,567       23,046,000  
  93,105    

Kornit Digital Ltd. 1,2

    1,149,033       2,138,622  
  1,705,185    

Markforged Holding Corp. 1

    14,565,524       1,978,015  
  50,000    

RBC Bearings, Inc. 1

    10,475,838       10,467,500  
  1,591,680    

Velo3D, Inc. 1

    13,139,523       2,849,107  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
      66,550,485       40,479,244  
 

Trading Companies &
Distributors (2.55%)

 

  250,000    

SiteOne Landscape
Supply, Inc. 1

    19,438,947       29,330,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Industrials     251,412,952       223,686,018  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
 

 

See Notes to Schedules of Investments.

Baron Discovery Fund  

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022 (UNAUDITED)

 

Shares          Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (continued)  
Information Technology (34.02%)  
 

Application Software (11.85%)

 

  1,300,000    

Alkami Technology, Inc. 1

  $ 35,756,836     $ 18,967,000  
  375,000    

Ceridian HCM Holding, Inc. 1

    20,590,143       24,056,250  
  1,300,000    

Clearwater Analytics
Holdings, Inc., Cl A 1

    24,681,147       24,375,000  
  442,889    

Gitlab, Inc., Cl A 1,3

    22,195,409       20,124,876  
  250,357    

Guidewire Software, Inc. 1

    19,464,650       15,662,334  
  4,000,000    

SmartRent, Inc. 1,3

    29,959,369       9,720,000  
  585,000    

Smartsheet, Inc., Cl A 1

    20,479,845       23,025,600  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
      173,127,399       135,931,060  
 

Electronic Equipment & Instruments (5.52%)

 

  425,321    

Advanced Energy
Industries, Inc.

    30,735,779       36,484,035  
  54,131    

Novanta, Inc. 1,2

    5,885,852       7,354,779  
  750,000    

PAR Technology Corp. 1

    22,434,021       19,552,500  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
      59,055,652       63,391,314  
 

IT Consulting & Other Services (2.00%)

 

  300,000    

Endava plc, ADR 1,2

    7,125,604       22,950,000  
 

Semiconductor Equipment (2.39%)

 

  490,800    

Ichor Holdings Ltd. 1,2

    11,435,027       13,163,256  
  175,000    

Nova Ltd. 1,2

    4,080,928       14,294,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
      15,515,955       27,457,256  
 

Semiconductors (4.22%)

 

  725,000    

Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. 1

    10,150,000       21,764,500  
  2,910,000    

indie Semiconductor, Inc., Cl A 1

    27,712,225       16,965,300  
  2,750,000    

Navitas Semiconductor Corp. 1

    24,385,564       9,652,500  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
      62,247,789       48,382,300  
 

Systems Software (8.04%)

 

  1,894,900    

Couchbase, Inc. 1,3

    44,495,903       25,126,374  
  68,200    

CyberArk Software Ltd. 1,2

    8,529,182       8,842,130  
  430,775    

Dynatrace, Inc. 1,3

    10,425,483       16,498,683  
  250,459    

ForgeRock, Inc., Cl A 1,3

    6,261,475       5,702,951  
  189,000    

Qualys, Inc. 1

    15,185,542       21,211,470  
  621,000    

Varonis Systems, Inc. 1

    19,427,813       14,866,740  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
      104,325,398       92,248,348  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Information Technology     421,397,797       390,360,278  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Real Estate (3.10%)  
 

Industrial REITs (3.10%)

 

  650,000    

Rexford Industrial Realty, Inc.

    31,657,136       35,516,000  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Common Stocks     1,158,244,705       1,097,793,430  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Principal Amount   Cost     Value  
Short Term Investments (4.01%)  
  $46,009,562    

Repurchase Agreement with Fixed Income Clearing Corp., dated 12/30/2022, 3.85% due 1/3/2023; Proceeds at maturity $46,029,244; (Fully Collateralized by $48,889,200 U.S. Treasury Note, 3.25% due 6/30/2029 Market value – $46,929,819) 4

  $ 46,009,562     $ 46,009,562  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Investments (99.68%)   $ 1,204,254,267       1,143,802,992  
   

 

 

   
 

Cash and Other Assets Less Liabilities (0.32%)

      3,621,716  
     

 

 

 
 

Net Assets

    $ 1,147,424,708  
     

 

 

 
 

Retail Shares (Equivalent to $22.31 per share
based on 6,278,557 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 140,073,920  
     

 

 

 
 

Institutional Shares (Equivalent to $22.85 per share
based on 42,238,810 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 965,158,380  
     

 

 

 
 

R6 Shares (Equivalent to $22.85 per share
based on 1,846,320 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 42,192,408  
     

 

 

 

 

 

%

Represents percentage of net assets.

1 

Non-income producing securities.

2 

Foreign corporation.

3 

The Adviser has reclassified/classified certain securities in or out of this sub-industry. Such reclassifications/classifications are not supported by S&P or MSCI.

4 

Level 2 security. See Note 4 regarding Fair Value Measurements.

ADR 

American Depositary Receipt.

 

    

All securities are Level 1, unless otherwise noted.

 

 

See Notes to Schedules of Investments.

Baron Durable Advantage Fund  

 

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022 (UNAUDITED)

 

Shares   Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (96.44%)  
Communication Services (8.33%)  
 

Interactive Media & Services (8.33%)

 

  19,160    

Alphabet, Inc., Cl C 1

  $ 1,610,666     $ 1,700,067  
  20,888    

Meta Platforms, Inc., Cl A 1

    2,973,236       2,513,662  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Communication Services     4,583,902       4,213,729  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     
Consumer Discretionary (4.82%)  
 

Internet & Direct Marketing
Retail (4.82%)

 

  29,070    

Amazon.com, Inc. 1

    3,336,164       2,441,880  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     
Consumer Staples (3.94%)  
 

Hypermarkets & Super Centers (2.82%)

 

  3,129    

Costco Wholesale Corp.

    1,265,830       1,428,388  
 

Personal Products (1.12%)

 

  2,280    

The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc., Cl A

    570,117       565,691  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Consumer Staples     1,835,947       1,994,079  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     
Financials (21.25%)  
 

Asset Management & Custody
Banks (4.71%)

 

  7,650    

Blackstone, Inc.

    774,720       567,554  
  10,871    

Brookfield Asset Management Ltd., Cl A 1,2

    394,017       311,672  
  47,777    

Brookfield Corp. 2

    1,907,537       1,503,064  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    3,076,274       2,382,290  
 

Financial Exchanges & Data (11.63%)

 

  8,969    

CME Group, Inc.

    1,707,478       1,508,227  
  3,581    

Moody’s Corp.

    848,130       997,738  
  3,256    

MSCI, Inc.

    1,487,540       1,514,594  
  5,566    

S&P Global, Inc.

    1,557,487       1,864,276  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    5,600,635       5,884,835  
 

Property & Casualty Insurance (4.91%)

 

  39,612    

Arch Capital Group Ltd. 1,2

    1,613,307       2,486,841  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Financials     10,290,216       10,753,966  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     
Health Care (15.82%)  
 

Life Sciences Tools & Services (10.98%)

 

  4,745    

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

    568,932       710,089  
  8,096    

Danaher Corp.

    1,765,474       2,148,840  
  472    

Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. 1

    513,317       682,253  
  3,664    

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

    1,731,228       2,017,728  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    4,578,951       5,558,910  
 

Managed Health Care (4.84%)

 

  4,616    

UnitedHealth Group, Incorporated

    1,783,929       2,447,311  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Health Care     6,362,880       8,006,221  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     
Industrials (3.17%)  
 

Aerospace & Defense (3.17%)

 

  13,404    

HEICO Corp., Cl A

    1,540,134       1,606,470  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Shares   Cost     Value  
Common Stocks (continued)  
Information Technology (39.11%)  
 

Application Software (6.05%)

 

  2,966    

Adobe, Inc. 1

  $ 958,234     $ 998,148  
  5,307    

Intuit, Inc.

    2,260,412       2,065,590  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    3,218,646       3,063,738  
 

Data Processing & Outsourced
Services (9.02%)

 

  6,027    

MasterCard Incorporated, Cl A

    1,910,723       2,095,769  
  11,892    

Visa, Inc., Cl A

    2,578,101       2,470,682  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    4,488,824       4,566,451  
 

Electronic Manufacturing Services (1.53%)

 

  6,761    

TE Connectivity Ltd. 2

    853,614       776,163  
 

IT Consulting & Other Services (4.66%)

 

  8,828    

Accenture plc, Cl A 2

    2,435,590       2,355,664  
 

Semiconductors (9.53%)

 

  4,662    

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.

    1,786,178       1,648,530  
  12,169    

NVIDIA Corp.

    1,764,347       1,778,377  
  8,432    

Texas Instruments, Inc.

    1,446,702       1,393,135  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    4,997,227       4,820,042  
 

Systems Software (8.32%)

 

  17,559    

Microsoft Corporation

    3,961,519       4,210,999  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Information Technology     19,955,420       19,793,057  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Total Common Stocks     47,904,663       48,809,402  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Principal Amount              
Short Term Investments (6.57%)  
  $3,322,309    

Repurchase Agreement with Fixed Income Clearing Corp., dated 12/30/2022, 3.85% due 1/3/2023; Proceeds at maturity $3,323,731; (Fully Collateralized by $3,530,300 U.S. Treasury Note, 3.25% due 6/30/2029 Market value – $3,388,813) 3

    3,322,309       3,322,309  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (103.01%)

  $ 51,226,972       52,131,711  
   

 

 

   
 

Liabilities Less Cash and Other Assets (-3.01%)

      (1,522,705
     

 

 

 
 

Net Assets

    $ 50,609,006  
     

 

 

 
 

Retail Shares (Equivalent to $15.35 per share
based on 540,915 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 8,300,483  
     

 

 

 
 

Institutional Shares (Equivalent to $15.53 per share
based on 2,489,422 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 38,650,938  
     

 

 

 
 

R6 Shares (Equivalent to $15.53 per share
based on 235,557 shares outstanding)


 
  $ 3,657,585  
     

 

 

 

 

 

%

Represents percentage of net assets.

1 

Non-income producing securities.

2 

Foreign corporation.

3 

Level 2 security. See Note 4 regarding Fair Value Measurements.

 

    

All securities are Level 1, unless otherwise noted.

 

 

See Notes to Schedules of Investments.

Baron Funds   December 31, 2022

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

1. ORGANIZATION

Baron Investment Funds Trust (the “Trust”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company established as a Massachusetts business trust on February 19, 1987, and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standard Codification Topic 946 Financial Services – Investment Companies. The Trust currently offers seven series (individually, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”): Baron Asset Fund, Baron Growth Fund, Baron Small Cap Fund, Baron Opportunity Fund, Baron Fifth Avenue Growth Fund, Baron Discovery Fund, and Baron Durable Advantage Fund.

The investment goals of the Funds are as follows:

Baron Asset Fund seeks capital appreciation through long-term investments primarily in securities of medium-sized companies with undervalued assets or favorable growth prospects.

Baron Growth Fund seeks capital appreciation through long-term investments primarily in securities of small-sized growth companies.

Baron Small Cap Fund seeks capital appreciation through investments primarily in securities of small-sized growth companies.

Baron Opportunity Fund seeks capital appreciation through investments primarily in growth companies that benefit from technology advances.

Baron Fifth Avenue Growth Fund seeks capital appreciation through investments primarily in securities of large-sized growth companies.

Baron Discovery Fund seeks capital appreciation through investments primarily in securities of small-sized growth companies.

Baron Durable Advantage Fund seeks capital appreciation through long-term investments primarily in securities of large-sized companies.

Each Fund offers Retail Shares, Institutional Shares, and R6 Shares. Each class of shares differs only in its ongoing fees, expenses and eligibility requirements. Retail Shares are offered to all investors. Institutional Shares are for investments in the amount of $1 million or more per Fund. Institutional Shares are intended for certain financial intermediaries that offer shares of Baron Funds through fee-based platforms, retirement platforms, or other platforms. R6 Shares are available only to qualified 401(a) plans (including 401(k) plans, Keogh plans, profit sharing plans, money purchase pension plans, target benefit plans, defined benefit pension plans, and Taft-Hartley multi-employer pension plans) (collectively, "Qualified Plans"), endowment funds and foundations, any state, county or city, or its instrumentality, department, authority, or agency, 457 plans, including 457(a) governmental entity plans and tax-exempt plans, accounts registered to insurance companies, trust companies and bank trust departments, investment companies, both affiliated and not affiliated with BAMCO, Inc. (the “Adviser”), and any entity that is considered a corporation for tax purposes, including corporate non-qualified deferred compensation plans of such corporations. There is no minimum initial investment for Qualified Plans. All other R6 eligible investors must meet a minimum initial investment of at least $5 million per Fund. Each class of shares has equal rights to earnings and assets, except that each class bears different expenses for distribution and shareholder servicing. Each Fund’s investment income, realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments and foreign currency, and expenses other than those attributable to a specific class are allocated to each class based on its relative net assets. Each class of shares has exclusive voting rights with respect to matters that affect just that class.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Funds. The policies are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

a) Security Valuation. The Funds’ share prices or net asset values (“NAV”) are calculated as of the scheduled close of the regular trading session (usually 4 p.m. E.T. or such other time as of which the Funds’ NAVs are calculated (the “NAV Calculation Time”)) on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”) on any day the Exchange is scheduled to be open. Portfolio securities traded on any national stock exchange are valued based on the last sale price on the exchange where such shares are principally traded. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the Funds use the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. If there are no sales on a given day, the value of the security may be the average of the most recent bid and asked quotations on such exchange or the last sale price from a prior day. Where market quotations are not readily available, or, if in the Adviser’s judgment, they do not accurately reflect the fair value of a security, or an event occurs after the market close but before the Funds are priced that materially affects the value of a security, the security will be valued by the Adviser using policies and procedures approved by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”). Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using “fair value” pricing may include, but are not limited to: trading of the security has been halted or suspended; or the security has not been traded for an extended period of time. The Adviser has a Fair Valuation Committee (the “Committee”) comprised of senior management representatives and the Committee reports to the Board every quarter. Factors the Committee may consider when valuing a security include whether a current price is stale, there is recent news, the security is thinly traded, transactions are infrequent or quotations are genuine. There can be no guarantee, however, that a fair valuation used by the Funds on any given day will more accurately reflect the market value of an investment than the closing price of such investment in its market.

Baron Funds   December 31, 2022

 

U.S. Government obligations, money market instruments, and other debt instruments held by the Funds with a remaining maturity of 60 days or less are generally valued at amortized cost, which approximates fair value, unless an independent pricing service provides a valuation for such security or in the opinion of the Board or the Committee, the amortized cost method would not represent fair value. Debt instruments having a greater remaining maturity will be valued on the basis of prices obtained from a pricing service approved by the Board or at the mean of the bid and ask prices from the dealer maintaining an active market in that security. The value of the Funds’ investments in convertible bonds/convertible preferred stocks is determined primarily by obtaining valuations from independent pricing services based on readily available bid quotations or, if quotations are not available, by methods which include various considerations such as yields or prices of securities of comparable quality, coupon, maturity and type; indications as to values from dealers; and general market conditions. Other inputs used by an independent pricing service to value convertible bonds/convertible preferred stocks generally include underlying stock data, conversion premiums, listed bond and preferred stock prices and other market information which may include benchmark curves, trade execution data, sensitivity analysis, when available, or an estimated value calculated based on the price of the underlying common share on the valuation date adjusted for accrued and unpaid dividends. Open-end investment companies, including securities lending collateral invested in registered investment company money market funds, are valued at their NAV each day.

Non-U.S. equity securities traded on foreign securities exchanges are generally valued using an independent pricing vendor that provides daily fair value adjustment factors based on information such as local closing price, relevant general and sector indexes, currency fluctuations, and depositary receipts, as applicable. Securities valued using such adjustment factors are classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. The models of the independent pricing vendor generate an adjustment factor for each security, which is applied to the local closing price to adjust it for post-closing market movements up to the time the Funds are valued and translated into U.S. dollars. If the vendor does not provide an adjustment factor for a security, the security is valued based on its most recent local closing price and translated into U. S. dollars. The Adviser may also fair value securities in other situations, for example, when a particular foreign market is closed but the Funds are open. Other mutual funds may adjust the prices of their securities by different amounts.

In December 2020, the SEC adopted a new rule providing a framework for fund valuation practices (“Rule 2a-5”). Rule 2a-5 establishes requirements for determining fair value in good faith for purposes of the 1940 Act. The Board has designated the Adviser as the Funds’ valuation designee to perform fair value determinations, subject to Board oversight and certain other conditions. Rule 2a-5 also defines when market quotations are “readily available” for purposes of the 1940 Act, which requires a fund to fair value when market quotations are not readily available. In connection with Rule 2a-5, the SEC also adopted related recordkeeping requirements and rescinded previously issued guidance, including with respect to the role of a board in determining fair value and the accounting and auditing of fund investments. The Funds adopted a valuation policy conforming to the new rules, effective September 8, 2022, and there was no material impact to the Funds.

b) Foreign Currency Translations. Values of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using the price of such currencies at the NAV Calculation Time. Purchases and sales of investments and dividend income are converted at the prevailing rate of exchange on the respective dates of such transactions. Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions includes gain (loss) arising from the fluctuation in the exchange rates between trade and settlement dates on security transactions and currency gain (loss) between the accrual and payment dates on dividends and foreign withholding taxes. The Funds do not isolate that portion of the results of operations resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from the fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of securities held. Such fluctuations are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss from investments and foreign currency transactions. The Funds may invest in foreign securities and foreign currency transactions that may involve risks not associated with domestic investments as a result of the level of governmental supervision and regulation of foreign securities markets and the possibility of political or economic instability, among others.

c) Securities Lending. The Funds may lend securities to certain brokers under the terms of a master netting agreement. Upon such loans, the Funds receive collateral which is maintained by the custodian. The Funds may pay fees to the custodian for administering the securities lending program. The Funds earn interest on such collateral and earn income in the form of negotiated lenders’ fees. Securities loaned are required to be secured at all times by collateral equal to at least 102% of the market value of the securities loaned. Risks may arise upon entering into securities lending to the extent that the value of the collateral is less than the value of the securities loaned due to the changes in the value of collateral or the loaned securities. The collateral is marked-to-market daily and settled on the next business day. The Funds may receive collateral in the form of cash or other eligible securities, such as a letter of credit issued by a U.S. bank or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government. Securities purchased with cash collateral are subject to the risks inherent in investing in these securities.

The Funds did not have any securities on loan at December 31, 2022.

d) Repurchase Agreements. The Funds may invest in repurchase agreements, which are short term investments whereby the Funds acquire ownership of a debt security and the seller agrees to repurchase the security at a future date at a specified price. When entering into repurchase agreements, it is the Funds’ policy that their custodian take possession of the underlying collateral securities, the market value of which, at all times, equals at least 102% of the principal amount of the repurchase transaction. To the extent that any repurchase transaction exceeds one business day, the value of the collateral is marked-to-market to ensure the adequacy of the collateral. If the seller defaults and the market value of the collateral declines or if bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller of the security, realization of the collateral by the Funds may be delayed or limited. The information required to be disclosed by FASB Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-11 for the Funds’ investments in repurchase agreements at December 31, 2022, including the fair value of the repurchase agreement and the amount of collateral, can be found in each respective Fund’s Schedule of Investments.

Baron Funds   December 31, 2022

 

e) Master Limited Partnerships. The Funds may invest in master limited partnerships (“MLPs”). MLPs are limited partnerships or limited liability companies, whose partnership units or limited liability interests are listed and traded on a U.S. securities exchange, and are treated as publicly traded partnerships for federal income tax purposes. To qualify to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, an MLP must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. These qualifying sources include interest, dividend, real property rent, gain from sale or other disposition of real property and income from activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage and marketing of mineral or natural resources.

f) Special Purpose Acquisition Company. The Funds may acquire an interest in a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) in an initial public offering (“IPO”), via a private placement or a secondary market transaction. A SPAC is typically a publicly traded company that raises investment capital via an IPO for the purpose of acquiring the equity securities of one or more existing companies via merger, combination, acquisition or other similar transactions. To the extent the SPAC is invested in cash or similar securities, this may negatively affect a Fund’s performance if the Fund is invested in the SPAC during such period. There is no guarantee that the SPACs will complete an acquisition or that any acquisitions that are completed will be profitable. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. These transactions will require the approval of the respective shareholders and are subject to other customary closing conditions, including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals. If these conditions are not met, the SPAC’s acquisition may not close and, to the extent a Fund had committed to participate in a private placement (i.e., PIPE transaction), the Fund will no longer be obligated to fulfill its commitment.

g) Private Investment in Public Equity. The Funds may acquire equity securities of an issuer that are issued through a PIPE transaction, including through commitments to purchase securities on a when-issued basis. A Fund will generally earmark an amount of cash or high quality securities equal to the amount of its commitment to purchase the when-issued securities. PIPE transactions typically involve the purchase of securities directly from a publicly traded company in a private placement transaction, including securities issued by a SPAC, typically at a discount to the market price of the company’s securities. There is a risk that if the market price of the securities drops below a set threshold, the company may have to issue additional stock at a significantly reduced price, which may dilute the value of a Fund’s investment. Shares in PIPEs generally are not registered with the SEC until after a certain time period from the date the private sale is completed. This restriction can last an uncertain amount of time and may be many months. Until the public registration process is completed, securities acquired via a PIPE are restricted as to resale and a Fund cannot freely trade the securities. Generally, such restrictions cause these securities to be illiquid during this time. PIPEs may contain provisions that the issuer will pay specified financial penalties to the holder if the issuer does not publicly register the restricted equity securities within a specified period of time, but there is no assurance that the restricted equity securities will be publicly registered, or that the registration will remain in effect. Publicly traded securities acquired via a PIPE transaction are typically valued at a discount to the market price of an issuer’s common stock and classified as Level 2 or Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy depending on the significance of the unobservable inputs. Discounts are applied due to certain trading restrictions imposed or a lack of marketability preceding the conversion to publicly traded securities. The primary inputs used in determining the discount are the length of the lock-up time period and volatility of the underlying security.

As of December 31, 2022, none of the Funds had commitments to purchase when-issued securities through PIPE transactions with SPACs.

3. RESTRICTED SECURITIES

At December 31, 2022, investments in securities included securities that are restricted and/or illiquid. Restricted securities are often purchased in private placement transactions, are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, may have contractual restrictions on resale and are valued pursuant to the policies and procedures for fair value pricing approved by the Board. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Funds reasonably expect cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment, as determined pursuant to the provisions of the Liquidity Rule governing classification of portfolio securities. The Funds may receive more or less than this valuation in an actual sale and that difference could be material.

At December 31, 2022, the Funds held investments in restricted and/or illiquid securities that were valued pursuant to policies and procedures for fair value pricing as follows:

 

     Baron Asset Fund  

Name of Issuer

   Acquisition Date(s)        Value  

Private Common Stocks

       

StubHub Holdings, Inc.

     12/22/2021        $ 22,138,584  

Private Preferred Stocks

       

Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

     8/4/2020          70,839,647  
       

 

 

 

Total Restricted Securities

        $ 92,978,231  
       

 

 

 

(Cost $76,000,501) (2.14% of Net Assets)

       

 

 

See Schedules of Investments for cost of individual securities.

Baron Funds   December 31, 2022

 

3. RESTRICTED SECURITIES (Continued)

 

     Baron Growth Fund  

Name of Issuer

   Acquisition Date(s)        Value  

Private Convertible Preferred Stocks

       

Farmers Business Network, Inc.

     7/31/2020-9/15/2021        $ 17,573,181  

Northvolt AB

     9/21/2020          15,099,241  
       

 

 

 

Total Restricted Securities

        $ 32,672,422  
       

 

 

 

(Cost $25,674,991) (0.48% of Net Assets)

       
     Baron Opportunity Fund  

Name of Issuer

   Acquisition Date(s)        Value  

Private Common Stocks

       

GM Cruise Holdings LLC

     5/19/2022        $ 81,101  

Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

     3/25/2021          10,071,503  

X Holdings I, Inc.

     5/4/2022          3,510,150  

Private Convertible Preferred Stocks

       

Farmers Business Network, Inc.

     7/31/2020          7,875,817  

Private Preferred Stocks

       

GM Cruise Holdings LLC

     1/19/2021          6,420,292  

Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

     8/4/2020          13,623,122  
       

 

 

 

Total Restricted Securities

        $ 41,581,985  
       

 

 

 

(Cost $30,388,131) (5.45% of Net Assets)

       
     Baron Fifth Avenue Growth Fund  

Name of Issuer

   Acquisition Date(s)        Value  

Private Common Stocks

       

Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

     3/25/2021-12/3/2021        $ 3,940,767  

Private Preferred Stocks

       

GM Cruise Holdings LLC

     1/19/2021          3,205,577  
       

 

 

 

Total Restricted Securities

        $ 7,146,344  
       

 

 

 

(Cost $6,012,083) (2.17% of Net Assets)

       

 

 

See Schedules of Investments for cost of individual securities.

4. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Fair value is defined by GAAP as the price that the Funds would receive upon selling an investment in a timely transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market for the investment. GAAP provides a three-tier hierarchy 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. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Funds. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the Funds’ own assumptions based on the best information available in the circumstances. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below.

 

   

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

   

Level 2 – prices determined using other inputs that are observable either directly or indirectly through corroboration with observable market data (which could include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, interest rates, credit risk, etc.);

   

Level 3 – prices determined using unobservable inputs when quoted prices or observable inputs are unavailable, such as when there is little or no market activity for an asset or liability (unobservable inputs reflect each Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of assets or liabilities and would be based on the best information available).

Baron Funds   December 31, 2022

 

4. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Continued)

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with investing in those securities. For example, non-U.S. securities, with markets that close hours before the Funds value their holdings, may require revised valuations to more accurately reflect their fair value. Since these values obtained from quoted prices in an active market are adjusted, such securities are reflected as Level 2.

The Funds have procedures to determine the fair value of securities and other financial instruments for which market prices are not readily available or which may not be reliably priced. Under these procedures, the Funds primarily employ a market-based approach that may use related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values, and other relevant information for the investment to determine its fair value. The Funds may also use an income-based valuation approach in which the anticipated future cash flows of the investment are discounted to calculate fair value. Discounts may also be applied due to the nature or duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the investments. Due to the inherent uncertainty of valuations of such investments, the fair values may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had an active market existed.

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of December 31, 2022 in valuing the Funds’ investments carried at fair value:

 

     Baron Asset Fund  

Description

   Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
       Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
       Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
       Total  

Common Stocks†

   $ 4,192,247,141        $        $        $ 4,192,247,141  

Private Common Stocks

                       22,138,584          22,138,584  

Private Preferred Stocks

                       70,839,647          70,839,647  

Short Term Investments

              52,506,487                   52,506,487  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 4,192,247,141        $ 52,506,487        $ 92,978,231        $ 4,337,731,859  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
     Baron Growth Fund  

Description

   Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
       Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
       Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
       Total  

Common Stocks†

   $ 6,876,676,758        $ 18,851,247        $        $ 6,895,528,005  

Private Convertible Preferred Stocks†

                       32,672,422          32,672,422  

Warrants

     120,644                            120,644  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 6,876,797,402        $ 18,851,247        $ 32,672,422        $ 6,928,321,071  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
     Baron Small Cap Fund  

Description

   Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
       Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
       Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
       Total  

Common Stocks†

   $ 3,740,062,390        $ 32,150,215        $        $ 3,772,212,605  

Short Term Investments

              161,373,364                   161,373,364  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 3,740,062,390        $ 193,523,579        $        $ 3,933,585,969  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

See Schedules of Investments for additional detailed categorizations.

Baron Funds   December 31, 2022

 

     Baron Opportunity Fund  

Description

   Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
       Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
       Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
       Total  

Common Stocks†

   $ 710,524,501        $ 4,164,747        $        $ 714,689,248  

Private Common Stocks†

                       13,662,754          13,662,754  

Private Convertible Preferred Stocks

                       7,875,817          7,875,817  

Private Preferred Stocks†

                       20,043,414          20,043,414  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 710,524,501        $ 4,164,747        $ 41,581,985        $ 756,271,233  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
     Baron Fifth Avenue Growth Fund  

Description

   Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
       Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
       Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
       Total  

Common Stocks†

   $ 314,230,828        $ 8,637,685        $        $ 322,868,513  

Private Common Stocks

                       3,940,767          3,940,767  

Private Preferred Stocks

                       3,205,577          3,205,577  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 314,230,828        $ 8,637,685        $ 7,146,344        $ 330,014,857  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
     Baron Discovery Fund  

Description

   Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
       Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
       Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
       Total  

Common Stocks†

   $ 1,088,075,802        $ 9,717,628        $        $ 1,097,793,430  

Short Term Investments

              46,009,562                   46,009,562  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 1,088,075,802        $ 55,727,190        $        $ 1,143,802,992  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

     Baron Durable Advantage Fund  

Description

   Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
       Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
       Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
       Total  

Common Stocks†

   $ 48,809,402        $        $        $ 48,809,402  

Short Term Investments

              3,322,309                   3,322,309  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Investments

   $ 48,809,402        $ 3,322,309        $        $ 52,131,711  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

See Schedules of Investments for additional detailed categorizations.

The following is a reconciliation of investments in which unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining fair value:

 

    Baron Asset Fund  

Investments in Securities

  Balance
as of
September 30,
2022
    Accrued
Premiums/
Discounts
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change
in Net
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Purchases     Sales/
Distributions
    Transfers
Into
Level 3
    Transfers
Out of
Level 3
    Balance as of
December 31,
2022
    Change
in Net
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
from
Investments
still held at
December 31,
2022
 

Private Common Stocks

 

                 

Consumer Discretionary

  $ 24,543,535     $     $     $ (2,404,951)     $     $     $     $     $ 22,138,584     $ (2,404,951)  

Private Preferred Stocks

 

                 

Industrials

    57,790,702                   13,048,945                               70,839,647       13,048,945  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $ 82,334,237     $     $     $ 10,643,994     $     $     $     $     $ 92,978,231     $ 10,643,994  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Baron Funds   December 31, 2022

 

    Baron Growth Fund  

Investments in Securities

  Balance
as of
September 30,
2022
    Accrued
Premiums/
Discounts
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change
in Net
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Purchases     Sales/
Distributions
    Transfers
Into
Level 3
    Transfers
Out of
Level 3
    Balance as of
December 31,
2022
    Change
in Net
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)

from
Investments
still held at
December 31,
2022
 

Private Convertible Preferred Stocks

 

               

Industrials

  $ 17,811,468     $     $     $ (2,712,227)     $     $     $     $     $ 15,099,241     $ (2,712,227)  

Materials

    13,626,318                   3,946,863                               17,573,181       3,946,863  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $ 31,437,786     $     $     $ 1,234,636     $     $     $     $     $ 32,672,422     $ 1,234,636  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    Baron Opportunity Fund  

Investments in Securities

  Balance
as of
September 30,
2022
    Accrued
Premiums/
Discounts
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change
in Net
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Purchases     Sales/
Distributions
    Transfers
Into
Level 3
    Transfers
Out of
Level 3
    Balance as of
December 31,
2022
    Change
in Net
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
from
Investments
still held at
December 31,
2022
 

Private Common Stocks

 

                 

Communication Services

  $     $     $     $ (1,489,850)     $ 5,000,000     $     $     $     $ 3,510,150     $ (1,489,850)  

Industrials

    8,306,035                   1,846,569                               10,152,604       1,846,569  

Private Convertible Preferred Stocks

 

                 

Materials

    7,009,499                   866,318                               7,875,817       866,318  

Private Preferred Stocks

 

                 

Industrials

    18,105,267                   1,938,147                               20,043,414       1,938,147  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $ 33,420,801     $     $     $ 3,161,184     $ 5,000,000     $     $     $     $ 41,581,985     $ 3,161,184  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Unfunded Commitments

  $ (13,122)     $     $     $ 13,122     $     $     $     $     $     $  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    Baron Fifth Avenue Growth Fund  

Investments in Securities

  Balance
as of
September 30,
2022
    Accrued
Premiums/
Discounts
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change
in Net
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Purchases     Sales/
Distributions
    Transfers
Into
Level 3
    Transfers
Out of
Level 3
    Balance as of
December 31,
2022
    Change
in Net
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
from
Investments
still held at
December 31,
2022
 

Private Common Stocks

 

                 

Industrials

  $ 3,214,862     $     $     $ 725,905     $     $     $     $     $ 3,940,767     $ 725,905  

Private Preferred Stocks

 

                 

Industrials

    3,490,813                   (285,236)                               3,205,577       (285,236)  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $ 6,705,675     $     $     $ 440,669     $     $     $     $     $ 7,146,344     $ 440,669  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Baron Funds   December 31, 2022

 

Unobservable valuation inputs developed by the Adviser for significant (greater than 1% of net assets) Level 3 investments as of December 31, 2022 were as follows:

 

Baron Asset Fund

Sector   Company  

Fair Value as of

December 31,

2022

    Valuation Technique   Unobservable Input  

Weighted Average

used on

December 31, 2022

 

Range used on

December 31, 2022

             

Private Common
Stocks:

Consumer
Discretionary

  StubHub
Holdings, Inc.
  $22,138,584     Combination of
recent transaction,
current value via
comparable
companies, option-
pricing, and scenario
analysis methods
 

Change in the composite

equity index of

comparable companies

  (0.25)%   (2.36)% –0.97%
  Discount for lack of

marketability

  16.27%   13.91% – 17.06%
  Estimated volatility of the returns
of equity1
  59.78%   42.46% – 77.08%
  Scenario Probabilities:

Scenario A / Scenario B / Scenario C 2

  90% / 9% / 1%   1% – 90%

Private Preferred Stocks:

Industrials

  Space Exploration
Technology Corp.
    $70,839,647     Combination of
recent transaction,
current value via
comparable
companies, and
option-pricing
methods
  Discount for lack of

marketability

  4.46%   4.46%
  Estimated volatility of the

returns of equity 3

  39.04%   23.50% – 63.98%

Baron Opportunity Fund

Sector   Company  

Fair Value as of

December 31, 2022

    Valuation Technique   Unobservable Input  

Weighted Average

used on

December 31, 2022

 

Range used on

December 31, 2022

Private Common Stocks:

Communication Services

  X Holdings, Inc.     $3,510,150     Combination of
recent transaction,
current value via
comparable
companies, and
option-pricing
methods
  Change in the composite equity
index of comparable companies
  1.29%   (0.25)% – 1.93%
  Discount for lack of marketability   32.82%   32.82%
  Estimated volatility of the returns
of equity 3
  72.77%   34.37% – 88.83%

Private Common Stocks:

Industrials

  GM Cruise
Holdings
    $81,101     Combination of
recent transaction,
current value via
comparable
companies,
option-pricing,
and scenario
analysis methods
  Change in the composite equity
index of comparable companies
  (0.35)%   (2.40)% – 1.57%
  Discount for lack of marketability   13.29%   13.29%
  Estimated volatility of the returns
of equity 5
  40.44%   31.69% – 89.00%
  Scenario Probabilities:

Scenario A / Scenario B 4

  70% / 30%   30% – 70%

Private Common and Preferred Stocks:

Industrials

  Space Exploration
Technology Corp.
    $23,694,625     Combination of
recent transaction,
current value via
comparable
companies, and
option-pricing
methods
  Discount for lack of

marketability

  4.46%   4.46%
  Estimated volatility of the returns
of equity 3
  39.04%   23.50% – 63.98%
             

Private Convertible

Preferred Stocks:

Materials

  Farmers Business
Network Inc.
  $7,875,817    

Combination of
recent

transaction, current

value via comparable

companies, option-
pricing, and scenario
analysis methods

 

Change in the composite

equity index of comparable
companies

  (0.25)%   (2.36)% –6.52%
  Discount for lack of marketability   16.56%   16.56%
  Estimated volatility of the returns
of equity 3
  63.66%   28.22% –154.49%
  Scenario Probabilities:

Scenario A / Scenario B 4

  90% / 10%   10% – 90%

 

See footnotes on next page.

Baron Funds   December 31, 2022

 

Baron Fifth Avenue Growth Fund

Sector   Company  

Fair Value as of

December 31, 2022

    Valuation Technique   Unobservable Input  

Weighted Average

used on

December 31, 2022

 

Range used on

December 31, 2022

Private Common Stocks:

Industrials

  Space Exploration

Technologies Corp.

    $3,940,767     Combination of
recent transaction,
current value via
comparable
companies, and
option-pricing
methods
  Discount for lack of marketability   4.46%   4.46%
  Estimated volatility of the returns of
equity 3
  39.04%   23.50% – 63.98%

Private Preferred Stocks:

Industrials

  GM Cruise
Holdings
    $3,205,577     Combination of
recent transaction,
current value via
comparable
companies,
option-pricing,
and scenario
analysis methods
  Change in the composite

equity index of comparable
companies

  (0.35)%   (2.40)% – 1.57%
  Discount for lack of

marketability

  13.29%   13.29%
  Estimated volatility of the

returns of equity 5

  40.44%   31.69% – 89.00%
  Scenario Probabilities:

Scenario A / Scenario B4

  70% / 30%   30% – 70%

 

1) 

The volatility was calculated as a weighted-average of the volatilities of the individual comparable companies. Some companies have a higher weight in the calculation than others.

2) 

Scenario A represents a Direct Listing/ IPO Event, Scenario B represents an Other Sale Event, and Scenario C represents a Liquidation Event.

3) 

The volatility was calculated as a weighted-average of the volatilities of several groups of comparable companies with different industry focus. Each group’s volatility was calculated as the simple average volatilities of comparable companies in the group.

4) 

Scenario A represents an IPO Event, while Scenario B represents a Liquidation/M&A Event.

5) 

The volatility was calculated as a weighted-average of the volatilities of the individual comparable companies and an ETF. Some companies have a higher weight in the calculation than others.

A significant change in the EV/EBITDA multiple ratio may result in a directionally similar significant change in the fair value measurement, while a significant change in the discount for lack of marketability and equity index of comparable companies may not result in a materially higher or lower fair value measurement.

5. COST OF INVESTMENTS FOR INCOME TAX PURPOSES

As of December 31, 2022, the components of net assets on a tax basis were as follows:

 

     Baron
Asset
Fund
     Baron
Growth
Fund
     Baron
Small Cap
Fund
     Baron
Opportunity

Fund
     Baron
Fifth Avenue
Growth

Fund
     Baron
Discovery
Fund
     Baron
Durable
Advantage

Fund
 

Cost of investments

   $ 1,383,149,011      $ 1,155,099,023      $ 2,357,987,857      $ 504,711,283      $ 269,710,295      $ 1,204,254,267      $ 51,226,972  

Gross tax unrealized appreciation

   $ 3,024,752,413      $ 5,789,103,542      $ 1,754,508,382      $ 262,764,604      $ 104,389,940      $ 201,297,080      $ 3,807,092  

Gross tax unrealized depreciation

     (70,169,565)        (15,881,494)        (178,910,270)        (11,204,654)        (44,085,378)        (261,748,355)        (2,902,353)  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

   $ 2,954,582,848      $ 5,773,222,048      $ 1,575,598,112      $ 251,559,950      $ 60,304,562      $ (60,451,275)      $ 904,739  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

6. TRANSACTIONS IN “AFFILIATED” COMPANIES1

 

BARON GROWTH FUND

 

Name of Issuer

   Value at
September 30,
2022
     Purchase
Cost
     Sales
Proceeds/

Return of
Capital
     Change in Net
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
     Realized
Gains/

(Losses)
     Dividend
Income
     Shares
Held at
December 31,
2022
     Value at
December 31,
2022
     % of Net
Assets at
December 31,
2022
 

“Affiliated” Company as of December 31, 2022:

 

                    

Choice Hotels International, Inc.

   $ 325,822,000      $      $ 1,219,336      $ 8,360,953      $ 1,013,983      $ 704,188        2,965,000      $ 333,977,600        4.87%  

Iridium Communications, Inc.

     350,523,000               525,623        55,096,464        452,159               7,890,000        405,546,000        5.92%  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    
   $ 676,345,000      $      $ 1,744,959      $ 63,457,417      $ 1,466,142      $ 704,188         $ 739,523,600     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

1 

An “Affiliated” company (“affiliated person” as defined in the 1940 Act), is a company in which a Fund held 5% or more of the company’s outstanding voting securities at any time during the three months ended December 31, 2022.