DF Dent & Company

What DF Dent & Company does

DF Dent & Company is an independently owned investment advisory firm headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1976 by Daniel F. Dent, CFA. The firm provides quality growth equity investment management services to a national clientele comprising institutional investors (endowments, pensions, corporations, foundations) and high-net-worth individuals. As of March 31, 2026, the firm manages $7.4 billion in equities and fixed-income securities through three core equity strategies (All Cap Growth, Midcap Growth, Small Cap Growth), supplemented by a fixed-income capability added in 2022, with concentrated low-turnover portfolios of 30-50 high-conviction positions selected through primary research, objective valuation analysis, and patient capital.

Name

DF Dent & Company

Legal name

D.F. Dent and Company, Inc.

Website

https://dfdent.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DF Dent & Company is an independently owned Baltimore-based investment advisory firm founded in 1976 that manages $7.4 billion in quality growth equity strategies (All Cap, Midcap, Small Cap) plus fixed income through mutual funds and separately managed accounts for institutional clients and high-net-worth individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Management

NAICS

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

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Discretionary Portfolio Management (DPM) (FSAAABAC)

Keywords

• Investment advisory services
• Equity portfolio management
• Separately managed accounts
• Mutual fund management
• Quality growth investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Fees (AUM-based): DF Dent generates revenue through investment advisory fees calculated as a percentage of assets under management. With $7.4 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2026, the firm earns management fees from separately managed accounts and mutual funds. The expense ratios for mutual funds range from 0.79% to 1.05% net depending on share class and fund type.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

DF Dent & Company is an independently owned investment advisory firm that provides quality growth equity portfolio management through two distinct investment vehicles: mutual funds (Premier Growth, Midcap Growth, Small Cap Growth) and separately managed accounts. The firm manages concentrated, low-turnover portfolios of 30-50 high-conviction positions for institutional clients (endowments, pensions, corporations) and high net worth individuals, generating revenue through AUM-based advisory fees.

Product overview

DF Dent & Company is an independently owned investment advisory firm founded in 1976 that offers a unified platform of quality growth equity investing products. The company provides three core equity strategies (All Cap Growth, Midcap Growth, and Small Cap Growth) through two distinct investment vehicles: Mutual Funds and Separately Managed Accounts. The mutual funds (Premier Growth Fund, Midcap Growth Fund, and Small Cap Growth Fund) offer accessible entry points at lower minimums with multiple share classes, while separately managed accounts provide customized portfolio management at higher minimums for investors seeking direct relationship management. All strategies are characterized by concentrated portfolios, low turnover, and a focus on long-term wealth creation through ownership of successful companies that grow earnings per share.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• D.F. Dent Growth Funds: Mutual fund offerings including Premier Growth Fund (DFDPX), Midcap Growth Fund (DFDMX/DFMGX/DFMLX), and Small Cap Growth Fund (DFDSX/DFSGX/DFSLX).

Products and services

• Premier Growth Fund (DFDPX) An All Cap Growth mutual fund seeking long-term capital appreciation through a concentrated, low-turnover portfolio of large, mid and small capitalization companies. Minimum investment of $2,500 with net expense ratio of 0.99%. Available in Investor Shares.
• Midcap Growth Fund A midcap growth mutual fund comprised primarily of midcap companies. Offered across Investor Shares (DFDMX), Institutional Shares (DFMGX), and Institutional Plus Shares (DFMLX) with varying expense ratios (0.79%-0.93%) and minimums up to $100,000,000 for Institutional Plus shares.
• Small Cap Growth Fund A small cap growth mutual fund investing in high quality small cap companies run by excellent management teams. Offered across Investor Shares (DFDSX), Institutional Shares (DFSGX), and Institutional Plus Shares (DFSLX) with low turnover and concentrated portfolios. Net expense ratio of 1.05%.
• All Cap Growth Separately Managed Account An All Cap Growth portfolio strategy managed since 1976, customized and separately managed in accordance with client objectives. Minimum portfolio size of $5,000,000 for individual accounts and $10,000,000 for institutional accounts. Advisory fees not publicly disclosed.
• Midcap Growth Separately Managed Account A Midcap Growth portfolio strategy managed since 1987, comprised primarily of midcap companies drawn from the All Cap strategy with greater concentration and low turnover. Minimum portfolio size of $1,000,000 for individual accounts and $5,000,000 for institutional accounts.
• Small Cap Growth Separately Managed Account A Small Cap Growth portfolio strategy managed since 2010, investing in small cap companies DF Dent believes to be high quality businesses run by excellent management teams. Minimum portfolio size of $1,000,000 for individual accounts and $5,000,000 for institutional accounts.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• eMoneysupportingTechnology or IntegrationDF Dent offers clients access to eMoney, a secure client portal for separately managed accounts. The platform enables users to link all of their online accounts in one place and provides a secure vault to store important documents.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Capital Group / American Funds: Very large incumbent asset manager offering quality and growth equity mutual funds (American Funds) and institutional SMAs at far greater scale. Provides the scale-up benchmark and competitive alternative for the same growth-equity mandates DF Dent pursues.

Direct peers

• Wasatch Advisors: Salt Lake City-based independent boutique focused on small- and mid-cap growth investing with both mutual funds and SMAs. Directly comparable growth-equity philosophy, mutual fund plus SMA distribution model, and boutique scale.
• Polleit & Riechert Investment Management: Niche growth-equity boutique referenced as prior employer of DF Dent PM Jimish Gandhi. Operates in similar midcap/concentrated growth space with comparable institutional and HNW client base.
• Brown Capital Management: Independent Baltimore-based investment manager specializing in small- and mid-cap growth equity, also offering quality growth strategies. Comparable boutique structure, founder-family heritage, and quality-growth philosophy make it the closest analogue to DF Dent.
• Westwood Holdings Group: Mid-sized U.S. asset manager with concentrated equity strategies across multiple market-cap growth mandates, distributed through institutional and intermediary channels. Comparable multi-strategy growth boutique.
• Nicholas Investment Partners: Boutique equity manager with focus on concentrated small- and mid-cap growth investing offered via mutual funds and SMAs. Strong product-set and scale-comparable peer to DF Dent.
• Croft-Leominster: Mid-sized growth equity boutique (previously referenced in DF Dent management bios as Patrick Halloran's prior employer). Operates in the same All Cap / Midcap growth SMA category with comparable boutique scale and process.
• Champlain Investment Partners: Independent, founder-owned boutique in Burlington, VT with concentrated quality-growth equity strategies across multiple vehicles. Closely comparable in philosophy, structure, and concentration discipline.
• Alger Management: Long-tenured growth-equity specialist offering both mutual funds and separately managed accounts across large-, mid-, and small-cap growth strategies. Similar multi-channel growth-equity product set to DF Dent.
• 1919 Investment Counsel: Mid-sized independent investment manager with a balanced and equity SMA platform. Referenced in DF Dent operations bios as Patricia Flaherty's prior employer; competes for similar HNW and institutional SMA mandates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/df-dent-&-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 DF Dent & Company