Distillate Capital Q4 2025 Letter To Investors

What History Says About the Future

Letter Summary

Despite volatility through the year with an initial sell-off amid an artificial intelligence (AI) scare and a deeper decline after announced tariffs, the U.S. equity market ended the calendar year much like it has the past several—up around 20% and largely due to valuation expansion (see Figure 1 below). U.S. equities are consequently historically expensive by any measure and at a valuation level that has typically been associated with much more subdued future returns. Looking past the market’s top leadership, though, reveals many high quality stocks that remain very attractively valued and our large cap strategy is trading at a free cash flow yield on next twelve month estimates that is more than double the comparable metric for the S&P 500 and over 60% above that of the Russell 1000 Value benchmark, which also looks richly valued. We are also finding significant opportunities in smaller stocks where avoiding high debt levels and money-losing businesses has historically been smart but was an enormous drag on returns in 2025. International stocks also look very appealing even after significant outperformance in 2025, but selectivity remains key.

In thinking about future prospects, valuation expansion is not a source of returns that can last forever. Historical returns going back to 1900 show that while rising valuations can add significantly to returns for stretches of time, these periods have invariably given way to the vicissitudes of sentiment. Smoothed out over time, these shorter-term swings in valuation net out to a near zero contribution such that fundamentals are the only real driver of returns, as makes logical sense. In this context, while a significant portion of the market returns since the inception of our firm have resulted from multiple expansion, for all of our strategies returns have been entirely driven by fundamental gains as measured by the combination of dividends and real free cash flow growth. Looking forward, we feel much more confident about the sustainability of such returns and especially so in the face of very rich market valuations.

Performance Summary

U.S. Fundamental Stability & Value (U.S. FSV): Amid a strong valuation expansion fueled rise in stocks, our U.S. FSV strategy net of fee return of 8.59% in 2025 lagged the S&P 500’s comparable gain of 17.86% and the Russell 1000 Value’s 15.88% gain. Annualized net of fee performance since inception is now 0.98% behind that of the S&P 500 and 4.18% ahead of the Russell 1000 Value Index (RLV).

U.S. Small/Mid Cap Quality & Value (SMID QV): Our SMID QV strategy returned 2.63% in 2025 on a total return basis and lagged the Russell 2000 index (RTY) by 10.2% and the Russell 2000 Value index (RUJ) by 10.0% as unprofitable stocks outperformed significantly. Annualized excess returns of our SMID QV since inception are 3.8% and 3.9% ahead of those benchmarks, respectively.

International Fundamental Stability & Value (Intl. FSV): Amid a general outperformance of international stocks, our International FSV strategy’s total return of 41.53% after fees exceeded the MSCI All Country Ex US ETF benchmark’s gain of 32.48%. Annualized net of fee performance since inception is ahead of the benchmark by 0.85%.

U.S. Large Cap Value Long 130%/Short 30% (U.S. Value 130/30): Our 130/30 strategy returned 14.36% net of fees in 2025 vs. the S&P 500 Index (SPX)’s return of 17.86%. This strategy is 1.4% ahead of the S&P 500 on an annualized net of fee basis and leads the Russell 1000 Value Index by 6.6% since inception.

Over various recent timeframes, price has far exceeded fundamentals for the S&P 500.

Figure 1: Price vs. Free Cash Flow (NTM) Change

Bar chart showing Price vs. Free Cash Flow (NTM) Change for 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2023 to 2025. Price is represented by blue bars and Free Cash Flow (NTM) by red bars. The Y-axis ranges from 0% to 90%.

Source: FactSet, data as of 12/31/2025 Past performance does not guarantee future results. One cannot invest directly in an index.

Valuation Concerns:

Despite significant volatility during the year with an initial decline amid AI jitters and then a sharp drop following the announcement of tariffs, U.S. equity markets ended 2025 remarkably similarly to the prior two years—with a roughly 20% gain that far exceeded fundamental growth. The extent to which equity prices have consequently diverged from underlying fundamentals in the past few years is evident in Figure 2 .

Price increases for the S&P 500 continue to exceed free cash flow gains.

Figure 2: S&P 500 Free Cash Flow vs. Price

Line chart showing S&P 500 Price (left axis, 0 to 8,000) and Free Cash Per Share (last twelve months, right axis, $0 to $400) from 1985 to 2025. The price line (blue) shows a steady upward trend with significant volatility in the last few years, ending at approximately 7,000. The free cash flow line (red) shows a much slower, more linear growth, ending at approximately $350. A dashed oval highlights the period from 2020 to 2025, where the price has risen sharply while free cash flow has only increased moderately.

Source: FactSet, quarterly data through 12/31/2025, trailing free cash flow per share.

Figure 3 contrasts price gains and changes in consensus-estimated next-twelve-month (NTM) free cash flows (FCF) and highlights that over the last three years price is up almost 80% compared to an increase in free cash flow of just 21%. While the current divergence between price and fundamentals is substantial, it is far from anomalous in the history of equity returns. Quite the contrary, it actually fits a pattern where valuation expansion cycles are a meaningful driver of equity gains for a stretch of time before becoming notable headwinds.

Over various recent timeframes, price has far exceeded fundamentals for the S&P 500.

Figure 3: Price vs. Free Cash Flow (NTM) Change

Bar chart showing the percentage change in Price and Free Cash Flow (NTM) for four timeframes: 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2023 to 2025. Price changes are significantly higher than Free Cash Flow changes in all periods.

Source: FactSet, data as of 12/31/2025

Going all the way back to 1900, we can split 10-year rolling real returns into two components — valuation changes and fundamental gains. Fundamentals in this case combines dividends and growth in max trailing earnings per share (EPS), a measure we utilize that diminishes the economic volatility in earnings and better reflects underlying earnings power. We use earnings and not our preferred measure of free cash flow in this analysis as free cash flow data only goes back to the mid-1980s. The resulting split of returns shown in Figure 4 demonstrates that while real fundamental growth is a reasonably steady driver of returns (blue bars), valuation changes (red bars) swing dramatically, adding to and then detracting significantly from returns over stretches of many years.

The current run of valuation expansion does not look unusual in this context and is consistent with what occurred previously in the 1920s, 1960s and 1990s. Notably, however, each of those periods gave way to stretches in which valuation changes went the opposite direction and exerted a large drag for shareholders. This is consistent with the fact that over the very long-term, valuation changes average to approximately zero contribution, and fundamentals are the only real driver of returns. The historic averages are shown in the table below Figure 4 along with the data for the last ten years.

It is not unusual for valuation expansion to occur for multiple years and to add meaningfully to returns as has happened recently, but it is also very normal for reversion to take place, as has been the case following in each of the prior periods of similar multiple expansion. Valuation tends to be a good predictor of such reversals, but only when measured over longer time frames – longer than many investors typically consider.

While the fundamental (real earnings and dividends) contribution to 10-year real returns is fairly steady and average around 7%, valuation changes tend to add or detract meaningfully for stretches of time but average out to near zero.

Figure 4: 10 Year Real Equity Returns (S&P 500) Split by Fundamental vs. Valuation Changes

Stacked area chart showing 10-year real equity returns for the S&P 500 from 1910 to 2025, split into Fundamentals (dividends & real EPS) and Valuation. The total return is shown as a black line. Fundamentals are represented by blue areas, and Valuation by red areas.

*Contribution from dividend plus growth in real trailing max EPS. Source: FactSet

To that point, after several continuous years of valuation expansion, U.S. equities are now trading near record multiples measured by max trailing earnings per share (See Figure 5 ).

The S&P 500 is near a record valuation multiple.

Figure 5: S&P 500 P/E on Max Trailing EPS

Line chart showing S&P 500 P/E on Max Trailing EPS from 1900 to 2025. The y-axis ranges from 0 to 35. The x-axis shows years from '00 to '25. The line shows a general upward trend with significant peaks, notably around 1929 (approx. 20), 1999 (approx. 33.5), and 2023 (approx. 28.4).

Source: FactSet; see methodology note at end of paper.

What is to follow? Figure 6 shows the same starting P/E on trailing EPS on the left axis overlaid with real returns over the next 15 years on the right axis on an inverted scale. This tight link demonstrates that rich starting valuations correlate with lower longer-term returns and vice versa. With current valuations at a record exceeded only in the tech bubble 25 years ago, this points to significant valuation risk and potentially much more subdued equity gains going forward.

While valuation does a poor job of predicting short-term returns, it lines up well with real returns over the next 15 years which is troubling given the current market richness.

Figure 6: S&P 500 P/E On Max Trailing EPS vs. Real Return Over the Next 15 Years

Line chart showing S&P 500 P/E on Max Trailing EPS (left axis, 0-36) and Real Return Over Next 15 Years (right axis, inverted, -10% to 0%) from 1900 to 2025. The two lines are highly correlated, showing that high starting valuations are associated with lower subsequent real returns.

Source: Robert Shiller Online Database, FactSet, data as of 12/31/2025; see methodology note at end of paper.

Though the overall market is trading at a concerning rich valuation, this is primarily due to a short list of very large and expensive stocks. This can be seen in Figure 7 , noting the current free cash flow multiple on NTM estimates for a group we call the Big & Rich 20 that includes the Mag 7 plus Oracle (ORCL) and Broadcom as well as the next most expensive 11 stocks with market caps over $200 billion.

Much of the market’s rich valuation is concentrated in only a few stocks as just 20 that account for over half the market are trading at around a 120% premium to the rest of the market.

Figure 7: Market Cap to NTM FCF For the Big & Rich 20* vs. The Rest of the Market and Distillate’s U.S. FSV

Bar chart showing Market Cap to NTM FCF for various stocks and market indices. The y-axis ranges from 0 to 70. The bars represent: ORCL, TSLA, PLTR, META, ISRG, GOOGL, AMD, COST, WMT, AMZN, AAPL, MSFT, Big & Rich 20, LLY, GE, LRCX, NFLX, AMT, AVGO, AAPL, NVDA, Rest of Mkt, S&P Historic Avg, Russell 1000 Value, and Distillate FSV. The Big & Rich 20 bar is highlighted in orange at 45.8, while the Rest of Mkt bar is 21.3, S&P Historic Avg is 20.1, and Distillate FSV is 13.4.

*Big Rich 20 includes the Magnificent 7 plus ORCL & AVGO along with the next most expensive stocks on NTM FCF/Mkt Cap with market capitalizations over $200 billion. ORCL FCF is negative, TSLA multiple is 452x, PLTR is 153x, & META 90x. The Big & Rich 20 account for 51% of the S&P 500 excluding stocks without free cash flow estimates. S&P 500 average is post ’09. FactSet data through 12/31/2025, excludes stocks without FCF data.

This concentration of richness is remarkable in that just 20 stocks now account for over 50% of the S&P 500 by weight and are collectively trading at a 120% premium to the remainder of the market.

In another view, we compare the valuation of the standard capitalization-weighted S&P 500 with that of the equal-weighted S&P 500. While the cap-weighted S&P 500 is now trading at an historically rich 30x NTM FCF, about 50% above its average, the equal-weighted S&P 500 is far cheaper at 21x and just 10% above its average (See Figure 8 ). While this divergence looks very unusual, there is a precedent for a similar disconnect 25 years ago.

The richness of just a few very large stocks has driven the S&P 500 P/FCF (NTM) multiple to near 30x and a ~50% premium to its average while the equal weighted S&P 500 is trading at 21x or a 10% premium to its average.

Figure 8: P/FCF (NTM) S&P 500 vs. Equal Weight

Line chart showing P/FCF (NTM) for S&P 500 (blue line) and Equal Weight (red line) from 2009 to 2025. The y-axis ranges from 10 to 30. The S&P 500 line is consistently higher than the Equal Weight line, ending at 28.7 for S&P 500 and 21.0 for Equal Weight. Horizontal dashed lines indicate the historical averages for each index.

Source: FactSet, data through 12/31/2025

NTM free cash flow estimates were not available 25 years ago, but Figure 9 utilizes trailing free cash flow yields to compare the market now with where things were back in 2000. Importantly, even though the S&P 500 was very expensive at a 2.2% free cash yield in 2000 (and is very rich again today), many stocks were considerably less expensive as is the case again now.

The market structure today in terms of valuation by size is remarkably similar to the last time it was as richly valued 25 years ago.

Figure 9: Free Cash Yield (Trailing Twelve Month) In 2000 vs. Today For Various Benchmarks & Stock Groups

Bar chart showing Free Cash Yield (Trailing Twelve Month) in 2000 vs. 2025 for various benchmarks and stock groups. The chart compares 2000 FCF Yield (dark grey bars) and 2025 FCF Yield (blue bars) across seven categories: 10 Biggest, S&P 500, Next 90, Russell 1000 Value, Equal Weight, Smallest 200, and FCF Top Quintile. The 2000 yields are significantly lower than the 2025 yields for all categories, with the FCF Top Quintile showing the largest difference (8.6% in 2000 vs. 9.2% in 2025).

Source: FactSet; data as of 12/31/2025

Most crucial in this analysis is what happened after the peak 25 years ago. While the overall market took 6 years to regain its old high, less expensive and smaller stocks did substantially better and the cheapest quintile of stocks on Distillate’s measure of free cash flow yield performed exceptionally well (See Figure 10 .) The market differentiated quickly, with enormous dispersion in subsequent returns based on starting valuations.

Digging into the composition of returns over this period is also revealing. Using the equal weight as an example and returning to the split of fundamental vs. valuation changes from before, fundamental growth (NTM EPS since NTM FCF wasn’t available) from ’00 to ’07 was similar for both the Equal Weight and S&P 500 at ~70%. Valuation changes, however, were starkly different with the S&P 500’s multiple down ~40% while the equal weight was up modestly. So the entirety of the return differential resulted from valuation changes that largely reversed the large preceding disconnect. If what is past is prologue, valuation could again become an enormously important differentiator of performance in the coming years.

While the overall market struggled under the weight of its rich valuation after 2000, cheaper stocks did significantly better.

Figure 10: Post 2000 Performance of Various Equity Benchmarks and Groups of Stocks

Line chart showing the performance of various equity benchmarks and groups of stocks from 1999 to 2006. The y-axis represents the index value, ranging from 0.5 to 3.5. The x-axis shows years from '99 to '06. The chart shows that the Distillate FCF Quintile 1 (dark red line) and Small Cap S&P 600 (green line) significantly outperformed the S&P 500 (black line) and Russell 1000 Value (grey line) after 2000. The S&P 500 Equal Weight (blue line) also performed better than the S&P 500 but not as well as the other groups.

Source: FactSet; data as of 12/31/2025; see methodology note at end of paper.

U.S. Large Cap Strategy

While the overall market has driven free cash flow yields lower, the valuation discipline employed by our U.S. FSV strategy has allowed its free cash flow (NTM) to enterprise value (EV) yield to remain stable, and at a level not significantly different than where it has been since it funded in 2017. The difference between our U.S. FSV strategy’s valuation and that of the broader market is consequently substantial and offers what we believe to be an extremely important point of differentiation. Crucially, this is true whether comparing our strategy to the S&P 500 or the Russell 1000 Value benchmark, where the free cash flow yield is only marginally better—a key issue we believe many investors who are worried about valuation are missing at present (See Figure 11 ).

Distillate’s U.S. FSV is significantly cheaper than its benchmarks.

Figure 11: Free Cash (NTM) to Enterprise Value (EV) Yield for Distillate’s U.S. FSV vs. Benchmarks

Line chart showing the Free Cash (NTM) to Enterprise Value (EV) Yield for Distillate's U.S. FSV, Russell 1000 Value ETF, and S&P 500 from 2009 to 2026. The y-axis represents the yield percentage, ranging from 3% to 7%. The x-axis shows years from '09 to '26. The DCP U.S. Large FSV (blue line) maintains a higher and more stable yield compared to the Russell 1000 Value ETF (grey line) and the S&P 500 (black line), which show significant volatility and a general downward trend.

Source: FactSet; See end-notes for methodology. Data as of 12/31/2025

In addition to being highly differentiated from both the S&P 500 and Russell 1000 Value benchmarks on valuation, our U.S. FSV strategy has also produced a markedly different trajectory of underlying fundamental gains. Because the strategy systematically rotates out of names that have increased in value and then reinvests that cash into less expensive stocks that meet its cash flow stability and indebtedness thresholds, there is a significant rebalancing benefit that contributes to stronger underlying free cash flow growth. Indexed free cash flow has resultingly increased significantly more for our U.S. FSV strategy than is the case for the benchmarks as is evident in Figure 12 .

Underlying free cash flow growth has been better for Distillate’s U.S. FSV strategy than for its benchmarks.

Figure 12: Indexed NTM Free Cash Flow

Line chart showing Indexed NTM Free Cash Flow for Distillate's U.S. FSV, S&P 500, and Russell 1000 Value from 2017 to 2025. The y-axis represents the indexed NTM FCF, ranging from 50 to 350. The x-axis shows years from '17 to '25. The Distillate NTM FCF Indexed (blue line) shows the highest and most consistent growth, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 NTM FCF Indexed (red line) and the Russell 1000 Value NTM FCF Indexed (black dotted line).

Source: FactSet. See additional methodology notes at end of paper.

Knowing that valuation changes ultimately net out for the market and that fundamentals are the only real sustainable driver of returns, as was highlighted in Figure 4 , we believe the better performance of underlying free cash flows for our U.S. FSV strategy is of enormous consequence. Instead of generating significant returns from valuation expansion, which is not sustainable, our strategy’s returns since inception have come entirely from stronger fundamental gains (See Figure 13 ).

Valuation has been a key driver of market returns while all of Distillate’s gains came from fundamentals.

Figure 13: Composition of ’17 to ’25 Returns

Stacked bar chart showing the composition of returns for S&P 500, Russell 1000 Value, and Distillate U.S. FSV from 2017 to 2025. The chart breaks down returns into Dividend, FCF, Valuation, and Total.

Source: FactSet. See additional methodology end notes.

This same composition of returns in our view is vitally important in thinking about the potential drivers of future performance. Given the current multiples on the S&P 500 and Russell 1000 Value, it would be very unusual for either to see significant further gains from multiple expansion. Far more likely in our view and given history is that multiple changes may actually become a drag on returns as has occurred following similarly rich valuations through history.

While we view this as a considerable risk and feel our strategy is well designed to weather such a scenario, we are also optimistic about our strategy’s prospects if such an environment is avoided. In a comparative sense, our strategy’s stronger underlying fundamental growth was outrun by the valuation expansion component of returns for the broader market. Our strategy resultingly has lagged the S&P 500 since inception and did so more substantially in recent years even as it has outperformed its value benchmark considerably since inception. Without the benefit of valuation expansion for the S&P 500, our strategy would have handily outperformed and we are optimistic that it may do so in the future if fundamental outperformance continues and the relative headwind from valuation expansion for the market merely dissipates rather than reverses even though the latter seems more likely from a historical perspective.

Thinking about our portfolio’s positioning as though it were a single stock, it would be one that has shown much better fundamental growth than the market, is much more diversified than the very concentrated S&P 500, has shown much greater underlying fundamental stability, and is trading around half the valuation. This is a set of attributes about which we are optimistic, whatever the coming years bring.

U.S. Small/Mid Cap Strategy

We see a significant opportunity in small and mid-sized U.S. stocks. Within this space, however, there are an alarmingly large number of unprofitable and heavily-indebted companies, making selectivity critical in our view. Versus the Russell 2000, the S&P 600 excludes many of these troubled names and is consequently a more attractively-valued benchmark of much higher quality constituents. Over time, the S&P 600 has considerably outperformed the Russell 2000 as is clear in Figure 14 . The same logic is the reasoning our small/mid strategy similarly filters out negative free cash flow companies and avoids those with high amounts of leverage while seeking out attractive valuations. Our strategy has notably outperformed both the S&P 600 and the Russell 2000 considerably since inception. But even though the higher quality S&P 600 has significantly outperformed the Russell 2000 over time, there are moments when it lags. This occurred in the tech bubble in the late 1990s, the meme stock craze, and again recently.

The higher quality S&P 600 has outperformed the Russell 2000 over the long term but has lagged recently as quality has underperformed.

Figure 14: S&P 600 Relative to Russell 2000

Line chart showing the S&P 600 relative to Russell 2000 from 1995 to 2025. The index starts around 1.0 in 1995, peaks around 1.3 in 2000, and then fluctuates, ending around 1.5 in 2025.

Source: FactSet, data through 12/31/2025

The recent underperformance of the higher quality benchmark and our own strategy is due to the fact that while negative earning companies are more typically a drag on returns, they have meaningfully outperformed in the last several quarters. Figure 15 highlights returns in 2025 by staring NTM free cash flow yield and shows stocks that started the year with negative free cash flow yields (and that comprised a significant ~35% of the index) rose on average by a rather stunning 67%.

Small stocks with negative projected free cash flows at the start of the year outperformed massively.

Figure 15: Russell 2000 Performance in 2025 by Starting Free Cash Yield

Bar chart showing Russell 2000 performance in 2025 by starting free cash yield. The 'Negative' yield group shows a 66% return, while '0% to 5%' and 'Above 5%' groups show 10% returns.

Source: FactSet, data as 12/31/2025, equal weighted average, market cap change. Negative includes 35% of stocks by weight with NTM FCF data, 0% to 5% includes 40%, and over 5% includes 25%.

The extraordinary outperformance of negative earning stocks that comprise a substantial portion of the smaller stock universe demonstrates what an unusual period the current one has been.

A second element of benchmark risk in the small/mid stock space is the degree to which many companies are indebted. Figure 16 depicts the financial leverage and valuation of our holdings against all the constituents of the Russell 2000. The number of highly levered businesses is notable as is again the number with negative or very low free cash yields.

The Distillate U.S. Small/Mid Cap strategy selects stocks at the intersection of low debt and attractive valuation, as measured by free cash yields. We highlight a risk in the small cap market of companies that not only have high debt levels but are cash flow negative – a dangerous combination in our opinion.

Figure 16: Small/Mid Stock Valuation vs. Leverage

Scatter plot showing NTM Free Cash to Enterprise Value vs. Leverage for Russell 2000 and Distillate SMID QV. The y-axis ranges from -40% to 30% and the x-axis ranges from -5 to 15. Russell 2000 is represented by grey dots, and Distillate SMID QV by blue dots. A red box highlights a cluster of points with high leverage (above 5) and negative free cash flow (below 0).

Source: FactSet, data as of 12/31/2025

When our holdings are aggregated to the portfolio level, the differentiation on valuation and leverage is even more stark with our U.S. Small/Mid strategy offering a valuation that is more attractive than its benchmarks and the S&P 500 while also having considerably less debt (see Figure 17 ).

The Distillate U.S. Small/Mid Cap strategy not only has a large valuation advantage versus large and small indices but does so without the high debt levels the broad small cap universe presents.

Figure 17: Small/Mid Strategy Valuation vs. Leverage

Scatter plot showing Free Cash Yield to Enterprise Value vs. Leverage for DCP U.S. Small/Mid QV, S&P 500, Russ 2000, and Russ 2000 Value. The y-axis ranges from 0% to 10% and the x-axis ranges from -- to 3.00. DCP U.S. Small/Mid QV is at approximately (0.8, 8.5%), S&P 500 at (1.0, 3.5%), Russ 2000 at (2.0, 3.0%), and Russ 2000 Value at (2.8, 3.5%).

Source: FactSet, See end-notes for methodology. As of 12/31/2025

International Strategy

International stocks are likewise an area where we are seeing significant opportunity, but again where we believe selectivity as key. After a long stretch of underperformance, international stocks significantly outperformed their domestic counterparts in 2025, and the less expensive portions of the market did particularly well. Our strategy in this environment outperformed significantly, rising by 41.5%, net of fees in 2025.

Fifteen years ago, international stocks were more expensive than U.S. equities when measured against free cash flow generation. International companies then also had more debt, a legacy of less stable cash flow generation, and offered slower growth. In combination, this made the U.S. market look like a compelling case despite much commentary to the opposite and investor enthusiasm for foreign securities at the time. It is no surprise to us then that U.S. stocks subsequently outperformed in a meaningful way. Today, however, commentary and sentiment are starkly different and U.S. stocks are more expensive amid talk of “U.S. Exceptionalism.”

The history of overall U.S. and international valuations as well as that of our own strategy are shown in Figure 18 . International stocks do still have more debt and less stable cash flow profiles, but that risk can be reduced by filtering out highly levered or fundamentally less stable companies as our investment process does. When this is done, we believe international stocks offer an important counterbalance to the richness of the broader U.S. when selectively chosen and are of significant appeal in addition to being beneficial from a diversification perspective.

Distillate’s Intl. FSV’s FCF/EV yield is well above that of key benchmarks.

Figure 18: Free Cash to EV vs. Leverage for Distillate’s Intl Strategy vs. Various Benchmarks

Line chart showing Free Cash to EV vs. Leverage for DCP Intl FSV, MSCI ACWI Ex US, and S&P 500 from 2009 to 2026. The y-axis ranges from 3% to 8%. DCP Intl FSV (solid blue line) shows the highest yields, peaking at 7.7% in 2022. MSCI ACWI Ex US (dashed black line) and S&P 500 (dotted grey line) show lower, more volatile yields, with the S&P 500 ending at 3.2% in 2026.

Source: FactSet, See end-notes for methodology.

Final Word

There is no shortage of memes, quotes, or clever angles we might have used to sum things up. “Wash, rinse and repeat” was one suggested by a client who pointed out that we’ve been highlighting the same concerns for some time. Another was the famous 2007 Chuck Prince quote from his brief tenure as CEO of Citibank (C) just when just before it nearly followed the path of Bear Stearns (BSC) and Lehman Brothers (LEH), he acknowledged “when the music stops…things will be complicated. But as long as the music is playing, you’ve got to get up and dance.” There were several other quotes we considered.

Then, Bloomberg’s annual review of Wall Street expectations for 2026 was printed. It reviewed 60+ different firms’ 2026 outlooks for the economy and markets. The article summary: “Across the investment outlooks from more than 60 institutions, compiled here by Bloomberg News, the optimism is almost universal”. We would add that market valuations seem to confirm that summary.

When you dive further into the details of the 2026 outlooks that on average call for another year of low to mid-teens growth in the S&P 500, what is somewhat stunning is that many go on to raise concerns about longer-term risks, with valuation chief among them. A number even suggest that a bubble is present. But, as the logic goes, that is a concern for further down the road since valuations aren’t yet as extreme as in 2000, AI spending is likely to roll on, interest rate cuts are likely (despite many noting that such cuts could signal a worrying waning of Fed independence), and profits as measured by earnings per share should keep rising.

The level of near-term optimism is disconcerting. Successful investing isn’t so much about what happens, but what happens relative to what is already embedded in prices. High levels of optimism are corroborated by valuation multiples and this combination leaves little room for disappointment. Among Warren Buffett’s most quotable lines, “Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful” comes to mind.

For our strategies, capital preservation is paramount. This means trying to avoid those stocks where, when multiples decline and returns stand to suffer mightily (as has happened following every other period when valuations have reached current levels), we have instead taken shelter in safer and better valued portions of the market. Our strategies look extremely differentiated from their benchmarks currently as a result.

Second, we have made the point prior, but fundamentals are the only real driver of returns in the long-term. Multiples, either measured against earnings or cash flows, oscillate over time and are largely mean reverting (see again Figures 4 & 6 ). What is a tailwind becomes a headwind and vice versa. Rather than attempting to time these cycles, we instead focus on fundamentals as the more sustainable driver of returns and rely on the substantial benefit that comes from rebalancing on a quarterly basis.

By systematically selling or reducing positions where valuations become more expensive and reinvesting the proceeds into less expensive stocks where each dollar can purchase a greater amount of underlying free cash flow, we earn a better than market rate of free cash flow growth. That benefit was highlighted earlier but is shown again in Figure 19 below which shows the consistency with which our U.S. FSV strategy has generated better fundamental growth than its benchmarks. Whether the market corrects and valuation multiples decline, as has been the case historically from current levels, or if multiples simply become exhausted and hold at current levels, we believe this compounding advantage is one of tremendous significance for future returns.

While we cannot predict when and how the environment will change, our strategies are crafted to systematically follow Buffett’s advice, leaning toward being fearful at the moment with the prospect of being greedy at a later date when warranted.

Combining growth in real free cash flow per share and dividends as was done in Figure 4 back to 1900 to highlight this as the only sustainable driver of returns, shows that Distillate’s fundamental growth has been consistently better than that of either benchmark.

Figure 19: 3 Year Annualized Change in Fundamentals* for Distillate’s U.S. FSV vs. Benchmarks

Line chart showing the 3 Year Annualized Change in Fundamentals for Distillate’s U.S. FSV, S&P 500, and Russell 1000 Value from 2020 to 2025. The Y-axis represents percentage change from -5% to 25%. The X-axis represents years from '20 to '25. Distillate’s U.S. FSV (blue line) consistently shows higher growth than the S&P 500 (red line) and Russell 1000 Value (black line), especially during market downturns in 2022 and 2023.

* Adds dividend contribution to return plus growth in real NTM FCF Source: FactSet; data as of December 2025


Performance & Rebalance Appendix

U.S. Fundamental Stability & Value Composite Performance:

As of December 31, 2025
2017* 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 YTD 2025 Since Inception
Distillate U.S. FSV (NET) 14.18% -2.79% 34.91% 19.22% 28.91% -10.58% 22.67% 12.84% 8.59% 14.06%
Russell 1000 Value Index 10.27% -8.41% 26.52% 2.78% 25.12% -7.56% 11.42% 14.35% 15.88% 11.62%
S&P 500 Index 12.11% -4.39% 31.48% 18.39% 28.68% -18.12% 26.26% 25.00% 17.86% 15.05%
1YR 3YR 5YR
8.59% 14.55% 11.62% 14.06%
15.88% 13.87% 11.30% 9.89%
17.86% 22.98% 14.40% 15.05%

Grouped bar chart showing annual performance of Distillate U.S. FSV (net), S&P 500 Index, and Russell 1000 Value Index from 2017 to 2025. The chart also includes YTD 2025 and Since Inception performance.

Source: U.S. Bank, Morningstar Data; Inception 5/31/2017; the period “2017*” reflects returns from inception through 12/31/2017. One cannot invest directly in an index. See performance disclosures.

Line chart showing cumulative return from inception through December 31, 2025, for Distillate U.S. FSV (net), Russell 1000 Value Index, and S&P 500 Index. The x-axis shows monthly intervals from Dec-16 to Dec-25.

Cumulative Return (Inception through 12/31/25)

Source: U.S. Bank, Morningstar Data; Inception 5/31/2017. One cannot invest directly in an index. See performance disclosures.

Bar chart comparing Upside Capture (95.8%) and Downside Capture (99.2%) of the Distillate U.S. FSV Strategy against the S&P 500 Index since inception.

Distillate U.S. FSV Strategy: Upside & Downside Capture vs. S&P 500 Index (since inception)

Source: Zephyr Analytics, see definition

Past performance does not guarantee future results. See disclosures.

Upside Capture reflects the relative compounded annualized return of a strategy compared to that of the benchmark in periods (months) when the benchmark rose in value; Downside Capture is the same but for periods when the benchmark fell in value. One cannot invest directly in an index.

Top Contributors and Detractors From Relative Performance:

U.S. FSV Strategy: Owned Stocks 2025 YTD Impact to Relative Returns (vs. S&P 500)

Top Contributors Impact Largest Detractors Impact
MERCK & CO. INC. 0.58% FISERV INC (FI) -0.51%
REGENERON PHARMA (REGN) 0.39% T-MOBILE US INC (TMUS) -0.32%
HUNT (JB) TRANSPRT SVCS (JBHT) 0.36% F5 INC (FFIV) -0.18%
CARDINAL HEALTH INC (CAH) 0.30% UBER TECHNOLOGIES INC (UBER) -0.16%
JOHNSON & JOHNSON (JNJ) 0.25% ALTRIA GROUP INC (MO) -0.15%

Rebalance Summary:

U.S. FSV Strategy: Portfolio Changes During Recent Quarterly Rebalancing

Largest Purchases Weight Largest Sales Weight Largest Sector Changes
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (BMY) 1.9% Elevance Health, Inc. -1.3% Materials (-2.1%)
Vistra Corp. 1.1% HCA Healthcare Inc (HCA) -1.3% Health Care (-1.1%)
TE Connectivity plc 1.0% Lowe’s Companies, Inc. -1.2% Communications (+1.2%)

Largest Adds Weight Previous Largest Trims Weight Previous
Uber Technologies, Inc. 1.5% 1.0% Johnson & Johnson 2.0% 2.9%
T-Mobile US, Inc. 2.3% 1.8% Merck & Co., Inc. 2.5% 3.0%
Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC) 1.2% 0.9% Cisco Systems, Inc. 1.9% 2.3%

Rebalance Calculation Date: 12/26/2025

U.S. FSV Portfolio Characteristics*

U.S. FSV Russell 1000 Val ETF S&P 500
Free Cash Yield to Mkt Cap 1 7.4% 4.6% 3.5%
Free Cash Yield to EV 1 6.3% 3.8% 3.2%
P/E 2 14.3 17.3 22.2
Leverage 3 1.2 1.9 0.9
Cash Flow Stability 4 0.83 0.57 0.67
Dividend Yield 1.7% 1.9% 1.2%

*as of 12/31/2025, see methodology endnotes.

U.S. FSV Portfolio Sector Weights

U.S. FSV S&P 500
Communication Services 5.7% 10.6%
Ex GOOGL & META 5.7% 2.5%
Consumer Discretionary 9.4% 10.4%
Ex AMZN & TSLA 9.4% 4.4%
Consumer Staples 8.2% 4.7%
Energy 4.5% 2.8%
Financials 7.1% 13.4%
Ex Banks 7.1% 8.7%
Health Care 23.7% 9.6%
Industrials 19.5% 8.2%
Information Technology 18.7% 34.4%
Ex MSFT, AAPL & NVDA 18.7% 13.6%
Materials 2.0% 1.8%
Real Estate 0.0% 1.8%
Utilities 1.1% 2.2%

*as of 12/31/2025

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Top contributors and detractors are calculated gross of fees and use end of day pricing, which might differ from actual transactions. The top contributors and top detractors represent extracted performance. Strategy level net performance is available on the previous page and upon request. For the Rebalance Summary, position weights and changes are as of the portfolio reconstitution calculation date and data may vary slightly compared to actual implementation based on price fluctuations. Statistical data is sourced from FactSet. Portfolio holdings may change at any time without notice.

U.S. Small/Mid Cap Quality & Value Composite Performance:

Bar chart showing annual performance of Distillate U.S. Small/Mid QV (net), Russell 2000 Index, and Russell 2000 Value Index from 2019 to 2025, plus YTD 2025 and rolling 1YR, 3YR, 5YR, and Since Inception periods.

As of December 31, 2025

Source: U.S. Bank, Morningstar Data; Inception 3/31/2019; the period ‘2019*’ reflects returns from inception through 12/31/2019. One cannot invest directly in an index. See performance disclosures.

Line chart showing cumulative return from inception through December 31, 2025, for Distillate SMID QV, Russell 2000 Index, and Russell 2000 Value Index.

Cumulative Return (Inception through 12/31/25)

Source: U.S. Bank, Morningstar Data; Inception 3/31/2019. One cannot invest directly in an index. See performance disclosures.

Bar chart showing Upside Capture (111.9%) and Downside Capture (99.1%) of Distillate SMID QV compared to the Russell 2000 Index since inception.

Distillate SMID QV: Upside & Downside Capture vs. Russell 2000 Index (since inception)

Source: Zephyr Analytics, see definition

Past performance does not guarantee future results. See disclosures.

Upside Capture reflects the relative compounded annualized return of a strategy compared to that of the benchmark in periods (months) when the benchmark rose in value; Downside Capture is the same but for periods when the benchmark fell in value. One cannot invest directly in an index.

Top Contributors and Detractors From Relative Performance:

U.S. SMID QV: Owned Stocks 2025 YTD Impact to Relative Returns (vs. Russell 2000)

Top Contributors Impact Largest Detractors Impact
TERADATA CORP (TDC) 0.26% MOSAIC (MOS) CO/THE (MOS) -0.40%
GAP INC/THE (GPS) 0.22% THRYV HOLDINGS I (THRY) -0.26%
GIGACLOUD TECH-A (GCT) 0.21% BATH & BODY WORK (BBWI) -0.25%
ABERCROMBIE & FI (ANF) 0.20% MOLINA (MOH) HEALTHCAR (MOH) -0.24%
PHOTRONICS INC (PLAB) 0.20% OWENS CORNING (OC) -0.24%

Rebalance Summary:

U.S. SMID QV Strategy: Portfolio Changes During Recent Quarterly Rebalancing

Largest Purchases Weight Largest Sales Weight
CF Industries Holdings, Inc. 1.5% Range Resources Corporation (RRC) -1.0%
Molson Coors Beverage Co (TAP) 1.1% Gap, Inc. -0.9%
Toll Brothers, Inc. 1.0% TopBuild Corp. -0.9%

Largest Adds Weight Previous Largest Trims Weight Previous
HF Sinclair Corporation (DINO) 1.5% 1.1% DNOW Inc. 0.5% 1.0%
Ovintiv Inc (OVV) 1.4% 1.0% Steven Madden, Ltd. 0.6% 0.8%
Owens Corning 1.1% 0.9% Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. 0.5% 0.8%

Rebalance Calculation Date: 11/25/2025

U.S. SMID QV Portfolio Characteristics*

SMID QV Russell 2000 Russell 2000 Value
Free Cash Yield to Mkt Cap 1 10.6% 4.1% 5.3%
Free Cash Yield to EV 1 8.7% 3.0% 3.5%
P/E 2 10.6 15.1 12.3
Leverage 3 0.7 1.9 2.8
Fundamental Stability 4 0.49 0.41 0.35
Negative FCF Weight 5 0.0% 19.7% 20.0%

*as of 12/31/2025, see methodology endnotes.

U.S. SMID QV Portfolio Sector Weights

SMID QV Russell 2000 Russell 2000 Value
Communication Services 3.1% 2.8% 3.2%
Consumer Discretionary 20.7% 8.9% 9.9%
Consumer Staples 6.5% 1.8% 1.6%
Energy 13.6% 4.8% 7.0%
Financials 7.7% 17.7% 26.4%
Health Care 7.1% 18.7% 11.0%
Industrials 19.4% 17.4% 12.6%
Information Technology 14.0% 14.7% 7.7%
Materials 6.4% 4.4% 5.4%
Real Estate 0.4% 5.7% 9.5%
Utilities 0.0% 3.0% 5.7%
Not Classified 1.1% 0.0% 0.0%

*as of 12/31/2025

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Top contributors and detractors are calculated gross of fees and use end of day pricing, which might differ from actual transactions. The top contributors and top detractors represent extracted performance. Strategy level net performance is available on the previous page and upon request. For the Rebalance Summary, position weights and changes are as of the portfolio reconstitution calculation date and data may vary slightly compared to actual implementation based on price fluctuations. Statistical data is sourced from FactSet. Portfolio holdings may change at any time without notice.

International Fundamental Stability & Value Composite Performance:

Bar chart comparing annual performance of Distillate INTL FSV (<span>net</span>) and iShares MSCI ACWI ex US ETF from 2019 to 2025, plus YTD 2025 and various time periods.

Source: U.S. Bank, Morningstar Data; Inception 1/31/2019; the period “2019*” reflects returns from inception through 12/31/2019. One cannot invest directly in an index. See performance disclosures.

Line chart showing Cumulative Return (Inception through 12/31/25) for Distillate INTL FSV (<span>net</span>) and iShares ACWI ex-US ETF from December 2018 to December 2025.

Source: U.S. Bank, Morningstar Data; Inception 1/31/2019. One cannot invest directly in an index. See performance disclosures.

Bar chart showing Upside Capture (102.4%) and Downside Capture (98.9%) of the Distillate INTL FSV Strategy compared to the ACWI ex-U.S. ETF since inception.

Distillate INTL FSV Strategy: Upside & Downside Capture vs. ACWI ex-U.S. ETF (since inception)

Source: Zephyr Analytics, see definition

Past performance does not guarantee future results. See disclosures.

Upside Capture reflects the relative compounded annualized return of a strategy compared to that of the benchmark in periods (months) when the benchmark rose in value; Downside Capture is the same but for periods when the benchmark fell in value. One cannot invest directly in an index.

Top Contributors and Detractors From Relative Performance:

INTL FSV Strategy: Owned Stocks 2025 YTD Impact to Rel Returns (vs. ACWI Ex U.S.)

Top Contributors Impact Largest Detractors Impact
SK HYNIX INC 1.85% KUAISHOU-W -0.31%
SAMSUN-GDR REG S 0.63% ZHEJIANG LEAPM-H -0.26%
ALUMINUM CORP-H 0.55% JD-SW -0.25%
ROCHE HLDGS-ADR 0.47% NIDEC CORP -0.15%
CEMEX SAB-CPO 0.27% AUTO TRADER -0.15%

Rebalance Summary:

INTL FSV Strategy: Portfolio Changes During Recent Quarterly Rebalancing

Largest Purchases Weight Largest Sales Weight
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (AEM) 1.3% SK hynix Inc. -2.3%
HD HYUNDAI CO.,LTD. 1.2% LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis -1.7%
Rio Tinto Limited 1.1% Aluminum Corp of China -1.4%

Largest Adds Weight Previous Largest Trims Weight Previous
JD.com, Inc. Class A 1.5% 1.1% Roche Holding Ltd ADR 1.5% 2.3%
CGI Inc. Class A (GIB) 1.0% 0.5% British American Tobacco 2.0% 2.6%
JD Logistics, Inc. 1.1% 0.6% Fomento Economico Mex 0.9% 1.4%

Rebalance Calculation Date: 12/26/2025

INTL FSV Portfolio Characteristics*

INTL FSV ACWI Ex U.S. ETF
Free Cash Yield to Mkt Cap 1 8.7% 4.7%
Free Cash Yield to EV 1 7.7% 4.1%
P/E 2 12.7 14.7
Leverage 3 0.6 1.4
Cash Flow Stability 4 0.77 0.52
Dividend Yield 3.2% 2.8%

INTL FSV Portfolio Region Weights

Region INTL FSV ACWI Ex U.S. ETF
Europe 43.2% 35.2%
Japan 13.7% 19.6%
Asia Ex China & Japan 19.6% 16.5%
China & Hong Kong 10.0% 11.1%
Americas 9.9% 15.7%
Middle East & Africa 3.7% 1.9%

*as of 12/31/2025

*as of 12/31/2025, see methodology endnotes.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Top contributors and detractors are calculated gross of fees and use end of day pricing, which might differ from actual transactions. The top contributors and top detractors represent extracted performance. Strategy level net performance is available on the previous page and upon request. For the Rebalance Summary, position weights and changes are as of the portfolio reconstitution calculation date and data may vary slightly compared to actual implementation based on price fluctuations. Statistical data is sourced from FactSet. Portfolio holdings may change at any time without notice.

U.S. Large Cap Value 130/30 Composite Performance:

Bar chart showing annual performance of Distillate Lg Value 130/30 (net), Russell 1000 Value, and S&P 500 from 2020 to 2025, plus YTD 2025 and various time periods. The chart shows significant volatility, with a major dip in 2022 for all indices.

As of December 31, 2025

Source: U.S. Bank, Morningstar Data; Inception 12/31/2019. One cannot invest directly in an index. See performance disclosures.

Line chart showing cumulative return from inception through December 31, 2025, for Distillate Lg Val 130/30, Russell 1000 Value, and S&P 500. The chart shows the Distillate index consistently outperforming the Russell 1000 Value and S&P 500 indices over the period.

Cumulative Return (Inception through 12/31/25)

Source: U.S. Bank, Morningstar Data; Inception 12/31/2019. One cannot invest directly in an index. See performance disclosures.

U.S. Value 130/30 Portfolio Characteristics*

Long Short S&P 500
Free Cash Yield to Mkt Cap 1 8.6% -0.6% 3.5%
Free Cash Yield to EV 1 6.9% -0.2% 3.2%
P/E 2 12.2 27.6 22.2
Leverage 3 1.5 2.4 0.9
Fundamental Stability 4 0.59 0.54 0.67
Dividend Yield 0.0% 41.2% 2.8%

*as of 12/31/25, see methodology endnotes.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. See disclosures. Statistical data is sourced from FactSet.

Valuation: Next 12-Month Free Cash Flow to Enterprise Value

Bar chart showing Valuation: Next 12-Month Free Cash Flow to Enterprise Value for various ETFs. The Y-axis ranges from 0% to 9%. The X-axis categories are DCP US FSV, S&P 500 ETF, Russ 1K Val ETF, DCP Intl FSV, ACWI Ex-US ETF, MSCI EAFE ETF, DCP SMIDQV, Russ 2000 ETF, Russ 2000 Val ETF, and S&P 600 ETF.

Source: FactSet. See end-notes for methodology. As of 12/31/2025

Quality: Distillate’s Cash Flow Stability Score

Bar chart showing Quality: Distillate's Cash Flow Stability Score for various ETFs. The Y-axis ranges from 0.0 to 0.9. The X-axis categories are DCP US FSV, S&P 500 ETF, Russ 1K Val ETF, DCP Intl FSV, ACWI Ex-US ETF, MSCI EAFE ETF, DCP SMIDQV, Russ 2000 ETF, Russ 2000 Val ETF, and S&P 600 ETF.

Source: FactSet. See end-notes for methodology. As of 12/31/2025

Quality: Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA

Bar chart showing Quality: Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA for various ETFs. The Y-axis ranges from 0.0 to 3.0. The X-axis categories are DCP US FSV, S&P 500 ETF, Russ 1K Val ETF, DCP Intl FSV, ACWI Ex-US ETF, MSCI EAFE ETF, DCP SMIDQV, Russ 2000 ETF, Russ 2000 Val ETF, and S&P 600 ETF.

Source: FactSet. See end-notes for methodology. As of 12/31/2025


Distillate Capital Partners LLC (“Distillate”) , is a registered investment adviser with United States Securities and Exchange Commission in accordance with the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The firm’s list of composite descriptions is available upon request.

Distillate claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®). GIPS® is a registered trademark of CFA Institute. CFA Institute does not endorse or promote this organization, nor does it warrant the accuracy or quality of the content contained herein. To receive a GIPS Report and/or our firm’s list of composite and broad distribution pooled funds descriptions please email your request to [email protected] .

The U.S. Dollar is the currency used to express performance. Returns are presented net of management fees and include the reinvestment of all income. For non-fee-paying accounts, net of fee performance was calculated using a modeled management fee equal to the highest investment management fee that may be charged for the applicable composite (see fee schedule below). For accounts calculated with a per share, net-of fee NAV, gross performance was calculated by adding back the unitary fee associated with that fund. Policies for valuing investments, calculating performance, and preparing GIPS Reports are available upon request.

The investment management fee schedule for the strategies discussed are as follows: 0.39% for U.S. Fundamental Stability & Value; 0.55% for U.S. Small/Mid Quality & Value; 0.79% for U.S. Large Cap Value 130/30; and 0.55% for International Fundamental Stability & Value. Management fees may vary and are negotiable.

Data for the Firm’s investment strategies are based on a representative account for each composite. Actual holdings and performance may differ between accounts or vehicles offered by the Firm due to the size of an account, client guidelines, or other constraints and restrictions related to that account or vehicle.

This material is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the sale of any financial product or service or as a recommendation or determination by Distillate that any investment strategy is suitable for a specific investor. Investors should seek financial advice regarding the suitability of any investment strategy based on their objectives, financial situations, and particular needs. The investment strategies discussed herein may not be suitable for every investor. This material is not designed or intended to provide legal, investment, or other professional advice since such advice always requires consideration of individual circumstances. If legal, investment, or other professional assistance is needed, the services of an attorney or other professional should be sought. The opinions, estimates, and projections presented herein constitute the informed judgments of Distillate and are subject to change without notice. Any forecasts are subject to a number of assumptions and actual events or results may differ from underlying estimates or assumptions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties.

All investments in securities, options and derivatives involve a risk of loss of capital and no guarantee or representation can be made that an investment will generate profits or that an investment will not incur a total loss of invested capital. Past performance does not guarantee future results and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), or prove successful. Investment returns and value will fluctuate in response to issuer, political, market, and economic developments, which can affect a single issuer, issuers within an industry, economic sector or geographic region, or the market as a whole. Furthermore, nothing herein is intended to imply that Distillate’s investment strategies may be considered “conservative”, “safe”, “risk free” or “risk averse.” Portfolio holdings and sector allocations are subject to change at any time and should not be considered recommendations to buy or sell any security. The information in this presentation has been obtained or derived from sources believed to be reliable, but no representation is made as to its accuracy or completeness.

This presentation contains forward looking statements, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “target”, “project”, “estimate”, “intend”, or “believe”, or the negatives thereof or any other variations thereon or other comparable terminology. Because such forward looking statements involve risk and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from such expectations or projections. Any such forward-looking statements should not be construed to be indicative of the actual events that will occur nor should they be considered guarantees of future events in any form.

The U.S. Fundamental Stability & Value composite seeks to distill a starting universe of large cap U.S. equities into only the stocks where quality and value overlap using Distillate’s proprietary definitions. Its goal is to achieve superior compounded long-term returns by limiting downside in periods of market stress, while still providing strong performance in up markets. This composite was created in May 2017.

The U.S. Small/Mid Cap Quality & Value composite seeks to distill a starting universe of small- and mid-cap U.S. equities into only the stocks where quality and value overlap using Distillate’s proprietary definitions. Its goal is to achieve superior compounded long-term returns by limiting downside in periods of market stress, while still providing strong performance in up markets. This composite was created in March 2019.

The International Fundamental Stability & Value composite seeks to distill a starting universe of large- and mid-cap non-U.S. equities into only the stocks where quality and value overlap using Distillate’s proprietary definitions. Its goal is to achieve superior compounded long-term returns by limiting downside in periods of market stress, while still providing strong performance in up markets. This composite was created in January 2019.

The U.S. Large Cap Value 130/30 composite seeks long-term capital appreciation by holding approximately 130% of an account’s value in the most attractively valued large cap U.S. stocks measured using Distillate’s proprietary free cash flow valuation method. The market exposure in this composite is brought back to approximately 100% by selling short 30% of an account’s value of the least attractively valued stocks among the same starting set. This composite was created in December 2019.

Free Cash Flow refers to a company’s operating cash flow, less its capital expenditures. Enterprise Value refers to a company’s market capitalization plus its net debt balance. Free Cash Flow to Enterprise Value Yield refers to a company’s or group of companies’ free cash flow divided by the company’s (or companies’) Enterprise Value, with a higher resulting ratio indicating a more attractive valuation. This metric is a valuation measure and not a form of investor yield. Normalized Free Cash Yield (or Distilled Cash Yield) refers to the firm’s proprietary valuation measure that looks at estimated, adjusted free cash flow relative to a company’s adjusted enterprise value. References to historical stocks that ranked well using this methodology refer only to these stocks’ historical valuation and not their inclusion in any actual or hypothetical strategies/accounts managed by Distillate Capital Partners LLC. This metric is a valuation measure and not a form of investor yield. Fundamental (or Cash Flow) Stability is Distillate Capital’s proprietary measure of through-cycle cash flow stability with a higher value indicating greater stability. Leverage is based on Distillate Capital’s proprietary measure of indebtedness which looks at the ratio of adjusted net debt to an adjusted measure of forecast Earnings Before Interest, Taxation, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA).

Methodology note for Figures including free cash flow yield (FCF) or free cash flow to enterprise value yield (FCF/EV) : figures reflect consensus estimates

of next-twelve-months (NTM) FCF in comparison to market capitalization or enterprise value (EV) for the relevant portfolio/strategy or benchmark. Stocks without data are excluded and portfolios are reweighted accordingly. Stocks with FCF/Market Cap or FCF/EV values of greater than 50% or less than -20% have been eliminated to avoid distorting overall averages.

Methodology note for Figures 5 & 6: Max Earnings per share is based on the highest trailing four quarter level reached for that company or group of companies and is a methodology that is used to smooth out the volatility of earnings over time.

Methodology note for Figure 10: FCF Top Quintile refers to the most attractively valued names on our distilled free cash yield valuation methodology rebalanced quarterly. Trailing 3 years are used prior to 2009 (due to issues of data availability) with consensus forward estimates thereafter.

Methodology Notes for Portfolio Characteristics Tables (Appendix) : 1 Free Cash Yield to Market Cap and Enterprise Value (EV) are based on the next-twelve-month free cash flow estimates relative to market capitalization and EV, which adds Distillate’s proprietary measure of indebtedness. Stocks without estimates in the are excluded and the remaining names are reweighted based on those exclusions. 2 P/E is based on consensus estimates for next-twelve-months and excludes P/Es over 250 and under 0 to avoid the distortion from outliers. 3 Leverage is based on Distillate Capital’s proprietary measure of indebtedness which looks at the ratio of adjusted net debt to an adjusted measure of forecast Earnings Before Interest, Taxation, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA). 4 Fundamental stability is Distillate Capital’s proprietary measure of through-cycle cash flow stability with a higher value indicating greater stability. 5 Negative FCF weight is measured as the weight of stocks with negative free cash estimate as a share of those with any estimate.

The S&P 500 Index is an index of roughly the largest 500 U.S. listed stocks maintained by Standard & Poor’s. The S&P 500 Equal Weight Index is an index of the same stocks as the S&P 500 Index, but weights the constituents equally. The iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF is an investable benchmark used as a proxy for its underlying index, the Russell 1000 Value Index , an index of U.S. listed stocks that possess attractive valuation as measured by FTSE Russell. The iShares MSCI ACWI Ex-US ETF is an investable benchmark used as a proxy for its underlying index, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index , an index managed by MSCI representing large and mid cap stocks outside of the U.S. The iShares Russell 2000 ETF and iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF are investable benchmarks used as proxies for the underlying indexes of the Russell 2000 Index (an index of U.S. listed small cap stocks) and the Russell 2000 Value Index (an index of U.S. listed small cap stocks that possess attractive valuation as measured FTSE Russell). The S&P 600 Index (SML) The S&P SmallCap 600® is a stock market index comprised of 600 small-cap U.S. companies selected based on specific inclusion criteria, including market capitalization, liquidity, and financial viability.

Indices are not available for direct investment. Investment in a security or strategy designed to replicate the performance of an index will incur expenses, such as management fees and transaction costs, which would reduce returns.

© Copyright 2026 Distillate Capital Partners LLC; published January 15, 2026


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