Schwartz Investment Counsel

What Schwartz Investment Counsel does

Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc. is a privately held registered investment adviser founded in 1980 and headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan, with a secondary office in Ave Maria, Florida. The firm provides investment counseling services to families, trusts, retirement funds, foundations, endowments, corporations, and mutual funds, built on a value-investing philosophy of fundamental security analysis, strict portfolio construction discipline, and long-term client relationships. Its core technology and differentiator is a proprietary Catholic moral screening process governed by a Catholic Advisory Board, which applies religious criteria aligned with Church teachings (excluding companies involved in abortion or anti-family activities) after securities first pass strict financial criteria.

The firm operates two main product lines. First, Ave Maria Mutual Funds — the largest family of pro-life Catholic-oriented no-load mutual funds in the United States — comprises eight funds managing approximately $3.7 billion in assets, with the most recent addition being the Ave Maria Undiscovered Fund (AVEUX) launched in April 2026 for small-cap exposure. Second, Ave Maria Separately Managed Accounts (SMA) offer seven distinct strategies (Value Focused, Value, Growth, Rising Dividend, World Equity, Growth Focused, and Fixed Income) targeting serious long-term investors practicing morally responsible investing. The Ave Maria Division has been GIPS-compliant since May 2001, with firm-wide verification through December 2024.

Schwartz Investment Counsel generates revenue through recurring AUM-based advisory fees on private client portfolios, mutual funds, and separately managed accounts, with pricing available upon request. Distribution is direct via investment counseling relationships, supplemented by the Ave Maria Mutual Funds platform. The firm maintains 11–50 employees across two U.S. offices and operates without external funding, parent-company backing, or public listing. Notable operational milestones include a 2019 Lipper Award for the Ave Maria Bond Fund, ongoing portfolio manager promotions, and a 2021 Director of Strategic Planning hire signaling organizational maturation.

Name

Schwartz Investment Counsel

Legal name

Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc.

Website

https://schwartzinvest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schwartz Investment Counsel is a privately held registered investment adviser founded in 1980 that provides value-oriented investment counseling to families, trusts, institutions, and the Ave Maria Mutual Funds platform, combining fundamental analysis with proprietary Catholic moral screening for faith-aligned investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Advisory & Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (525910)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fixed Income Mutual Funds (FSAAAEAB)

Keywords

• Investment advisory
• Wealth management
• Mutual funds
• Portfolio management
• Fixed income

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Services: Provides investment counseling services to families, trusts, retirement funds, foundations, endowments, corporations and mutual funds. Revenue generated through advisory fees based on assets under management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Schwartz Investment Counsel provides investment counseling and portfolio management services to families, trusts, retirement funds, foundations, endowments, corporations, and mutual funds. The firm manages equity and fixed income portfolios using fundamental security analysis and a value investing discipline, with a distinctive Catholic moral screening process applied through its Ave Maria Division. Offerings include the Ave Maria Mutual Funds family (eight no-load funds, $3.7B AUM), Ave Maria Separately Managed Accounts (seven strategies), and private client portfolio management incorporating common stocks, high-grade fixed income, and state-specific municipal bonds.

Product overview

Schwartz Investment Counsel is an investment advisory firm established in 1980 that provides investment counseling services to families, trusts, retirement funds, foundations, endowments, corporations, and mutual funds. The firm operates two main product lines: (1) Ave Maria Mutual Funds, a family of eight pro-life Catholic-oriented no-load mutual funds managing $3.7 billion in assets, including the newly launched Ave Maria Undiscovered Fund (AVEUX) for small-cap exposure; and (2) Ave Maria Separately Managed Accounts (SMA), offering seven distinct investment strategies (Value Focused, Value, Growth, Rising Dividend, World Equity, Growth Focused, and Fixed Income) that combine financial analysis with Catholic moral screening. The firm also provides private client portfolio management services for individual investors seeking customized, morally responsible investment solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ave Maria Mutual Funds The largest family of pro-life Catholic-oriented mutual funds in the United States, comprising eight no-load funds managing $3.7 billion in assets, providing long-term capital appreciation through morally responsible investing for individual investors.
• Ave Maria Undiscovered Fund (AVEUX) A no-load mutual fund investing in companies with market capitalizations under $10 billion, seeking long-term capital appreciation in financially sound companies that align with Catholic moral criteria. Managed by Ryan M. Kuyawa, Sean C. Gaffney, and James T. Peregoy.
• Ave Maria Separately Managed Accounts (SMA)

Quantifiable outcome

• GIPS compliant since May 2001 with firm-wide verification through December 2024

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ave Maria Mutual FundscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Schwartz Investment Counsel serves as the advisor to Ave Maria Mutual Funds, the largest family of pro-life Catholic-oriented mutual funds in the United States. The firm provides investment management and advisory services for all eight no-load funds in the family, including recently launched funds like the Ave Maria Undiscovered Fund (AVEUX).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Inspire Investing: Faith-based ETF and mutual fund family offering biblically responsible investing portfolios. Directly comparable in targeting values-aligned investors with packaged fund products alongside separately managed strategies.
• Ariel Investments: Independent, employee-owned active asset manager focused on value-oriented small- and mid-cap U.S. equities. Comparable to Schwartz's equity strategies in its value discipline and small/mid-cap orientation.
• Eventide Funds: Values-based mutual fund sponsor applying faith-driven and ESG screens to active equity and fixed-income strategies. Comparable to Schwartz/Ave Maria in combining values alignment with multi-fund active management.
• Ronald Blue & Co: Faith-based financial planning and investment advisory firm serving Christian individuals and families. Comparable in combining values-aligned advice with discretionary portfolio management for private clients.
• Royce Investment Partners: Boutique active manager specializing in small-cap and micro-cap U.S. equities with a value tilt. Highly comparable to the Ave Maria Undiscovered Fund strategy targeting companies under $10B in market cap.
• Timothy Plan: A family of mutual funds that screens investments based on biblical and Christian values. Most direct comparable to Schwartz's Ave Maria platform in combining faith-based exclusionary screening with active mutual fund products.

Broad incumbents

• American Century Investments: Large, diversified mutual fund company offering active equity and fixed-income strategies. Comparable as a multi-fund active manager, though at much greater scale and without Schwartz's values-based niche.
• Fisher Investments: Large independent RIA serving primarily HNW and institutional clients with discretionary global asset allocation. Comparable as a sizable independent advisory firm, though it operates without Schwartz's faith-based screening.
• Eaton Vance (Morgan Stanley Investment Management): Diversified active asset manager offering equity, fixed-income, and multi-asset strategies to individuals and institutions. Comparable in running multiple active fund strategies including fixed-income and value equity.
• Litman Gregory: Independent investment advisory and asset management firm offering multi-asset strategies to private clients and advisors. Comparable in operating as an independent, multi-strategy active manager without a parent company.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schwartz-investment-counsel

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schwartz Investment Counsel