Small Cap Fund Standouts

Small Value-based Funds: There are about 125 funds of this type with
$660 million in net assets on average. Their returns averaged 13.2% over
the past 10 years, rising about 17% in 2004. One of the leading names in
this category is Heartland Value Fund (HRTVX) which averaged 14.7%
annually in last 10 years.

Small Blend-type Funds: There are 191 small-cap blends with an average
size of $860 million in Morningstar's database. They've averaged 11.4%
return in the past 10 years, returning 16% return in 2004. Among them
the Weitz Hickory Fund (WEHIX) was the standout, averaging 15.9%
annual gains for the past decade.

Small Growth Funds: There are about 280 funds in this category with an
average of $470 million in net assets. Their returns averaged 8.9%
annually in the past decade and were up 10.4% in 2004. The lead among
this pack is taken by the Henlopen Fund (HENLX) which has a solid return
of (10-year average) 14.7%.