SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
January 28, 2026
Nicholas Partners Small Cap Growth Fund
Retail Shares: NPSYX
Institutional Shares: NPSGX
The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund III
Investment Adviser:
NICHOLAS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, L.P.
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s complete prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus and other information about the Fund online at https://www.nicfunds.com/small-cap-growth-fund/. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 833-810-7345, by sending an e-mail request to info@nicfunds.com, or by asking any financial intermediary that offers shares of the Fund. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated January 28, 2026, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus and may be obtained, free of charge, at the website, phone number or e-mail address noted above.
Investment Objective
The Nicholas Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (the “Fund”) seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Fund Fees and Expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if shares redeemed have been held for less than 30 days) |
2.00% |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
|
Retail |
Institutional |
Management Fees |
0.75% |
0.75% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25% |
None |
Other Expenses |
0.31% |
0.31% |
Shareholder Servicing Fee |
0.02% |
0.02% |
Other Operating Expenses |
0.29% |
0.29% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
1.31% |
1.06% |
Less Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements1 |
(0.07)% |
(0.07)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements |
1.24% |
0.99% |
|
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Nicholas Investment Partners, L.P. (the “Adviser”) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to keep Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, research expenses paid by the Fund through a research payment account authorized by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund III (the “Trust”), other costs and expenses relating to the securities that are purchased and sold by the Fund, 12b-1 Fees, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and non-routine expenses (collectively, “excluded expenses”)) from exceeding 0.99% of the average daily net assets of each of the Fund’s share classes until January 31, 2027 (the “expense cap”). In addition, the Adviser may receive from the Fund the difference between the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including excluded expenses) and the expense cap to recoup all or a portion of its prior fee waivers or expense reimbursements made during the rolling three-year period preceding the recoupment if at any point Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including excluded expenses) are below the expense cap (i) at the time of the fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement and (ii) at the time of the |
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recoupment. This agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board, for any reason at any time; or (ii) by the Adviser, upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on January 31, 2027.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses (including one year of capped expenses in each period) remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
|
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
Retail Shares |
$126 |
$408 |
$711 |
$1,573 |
Institutional Shares |
$101 |
$330 |
$578 |
$1,288 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in total annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During its most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 147% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of small-capitalization companies. This investment policy may be changed by the Fund upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.
The Fund considers small-capitalization companies to be those with market capitalizations within the range of the market capitalizations of companies in the Russell 2000 Growth Index at the time of purchase. While the market capitalization range of the Russell 2000 Growth Index changes throughout the year, as of September 30, 2025, the market capitalization range of the index was between approximately $9 million and $25.2 billion.
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The Fund primarily invests in common stocks, including initial public offerings (“IPOs”), but may also invest in convertible securities, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), which are certificates typically issued by a bank or trust company that represent ownership interests in securities of non-U.S., including emerging market, companies. The Fund may, from time to time, focus its investments in one or more sectors.
In selecting investments to buy for the Fund, the Adviser uses a disciplined investment process that combines quantitative research tools with traditional fundamental research to seek to identify, and make timely investments in, dynamically growing companies (i.e. companies that are undergoing positive changes and have sustainable business fundamentals that enable the companies to finance their growth and manage such changes advantageously, and are poised to exceed market expectations). Such companies typically have the following characteristics: revenue and/or earnings acceleration, upward earnings revisions, a well-executed business plan, favorable competitive positioning, increasing market share, and a proven management team. The Adviser may sell a security for a variety of reasons, including if there is a change in the company’s fundamentals, there is an unexplainable deterioration in the security’s trading market, the market capitalization of the company exceeds twice the market capitalization of the company in the Russell 2000 Growth Index with the largest market capitalization, or the Adviser identifies a more attractive investment opportunity.
Due to its investment strategy, the Fund may buy and sell securities frequently. This may result in higher transaction costs and more capital gains tax liabilities than a fund with a buy and hold strategy.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all mutual funds, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. A Fund share is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency. The principal risk factors affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund are set forth below.
Market Risk — The risk that the market value of a security may move up and down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. Market risk may affect a single issuer, an industry, a sector or the equity or bond market as a whole. In addition, the impact of any epidemic, pandemic or natural disaster, or widespread fear that such events
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may occur, could negatively affect the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the markets in general in significant and unforeseen ways. Any such impact could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests, which in turn could negatively impact the Fund’s performance and cause losses on your investment in the Fund.
Equity Market Risk — The Fund invests in equity securities and is subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles, and the value of the Fund’s securities may fluctuate drastically from day to day. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response.
Small Capitalization Companies Risk — Small capitalization companies in which the Fund may invest may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. In particular, small capitalization companies may have limited product lines, markets and financial resources and may depend upon a relatively small management group. Therefore, small capitalization stocks may be more volatile than those of larger companies. Small capitalization stocks may be traded over-the-counter or listed on an exchange.
Growth Style Risk — The Adviser’s growth investment style may increase the risks of investing in the Fund. Because the prices of growth stocks are based largely on the expectation of future earnings, growth stock prices can decline rapidly and significantly when it appears that those expectations will not be met. In addition, a growth investing style may go in and out of favor over time, causing the Fund to sometimes underperform other equity funds that use differing investing styles.
Sector Emphasis Risk — The securities of companies in the same business sector, if comprising a significant portion of the Fund’s portfolio, may in some circumstances react negatively to market conditions, interest rates and economic, regulatory or financial developments and adversely affect the value of the portfolio to a greater extent than if such securities comprised a lesser portion of the Fund’s portfolio or the Fund’s portfolio was diversified across a greater number of industry sectors.
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IPO Risk — The market value of shares issued in an IPO may fluctuate considerably due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about a company’s business model, quality of management, earnings growth potential, and other criteria used to evaluate its investment prospects. Accordingly, investments in IPO shares involve greater risks than investments in shares of companies that have traded publicly on an exchange for extended periods of time. Investments in IPO shares may also involve high transaction costs, and are subject to market risk and liquidity risk, which are described elsewhere in this section.
REITs Risk — REITs are trusts that invest primarily in commercial real estate or real estate-related loans. The Fund’s investments in REITs will be subject to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. Risks commonly associated with the direct ownership of real estate include fluctuations in the value of underlying properties, defaults by borrowers or tenants, changes in interest rates and risks related to general or local economic conditions. Some REITs may have limited diversification and may be subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of properties.
Foreign Investment/Emerging Markets Risk — The risk that non-U.S. securities may be subject to additional risks due to, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad, currency movements and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened with respect to emerging market countries because political turmoil and rapid changes in economic conditions are more likely to occur in these countries. Emerging market countries are countries that major international financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank, generally consider to be less economically mature than developed nations. In addition, periodic U.S. Government restrictions on investments in issuers from certain foreign countries may require the Fund to sell such investments at inopportune times, which could result in losses to the Fund.
Depositary Receipts Risk — Depositary receipts, such as ADRs, are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer that are issued by depositary banks and generally trade on an established market. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad, currency movements and different legal, regulatory and tax environments.
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ETFs Risk — The risks of owning shares of an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF is designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities. When the Fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses.
Liquidity Risk — The risk that certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time and the price that the seller would like. The seller may have to lower the price, sell other securities instead or forego an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on Fund management or performance.
Convertible Securities Risk — The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates (with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline) and the credit standing of the issuer. The price of a convertible security will also normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock because of the conversion or exercise feature.
Currency Risk — As a result of the Fund’s investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, the Fund will be subject to currency risk. Currency risk is the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, in which case the dollar value of an investment in the Fund would be adversely affected. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate in response to, among other things, changes in interest rates, intervention (or failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities, or by the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the United States or abroad.
Management Risk — The risk that the Fund may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund.
Portfolio Turnover Risk — The Fund is subject to portfolio turnover risk because it may buy and sell investments frequently. Such a strategy often involves higher expenses, including brokerage commissions, and may increase the amount of capital gains (in particular, short-term gains) realized by the Fund. Shareholders may be required to pay tax on such capital gains.
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Performance Information
The bar chart and the performance table below illustrate the risks of an investment in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s Institutional Shares’ performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual total returns for 1 year, 5 years and since inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. Of course, the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Retail Shares had not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus. Therefore, performance information for Retail Shares is not presented. Retail Shares would have substantially similar performance as Institutional Shares because the shares are invested in the same portfolio of securities and the returns would generally differ only to the extent that expenses of Retail Shares are higher than the expenses of Institutional Shares, in which case the returns for Retail Shares would be lower than those of Institutional Shares.
Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.nicfunds.com or by calling toll-free to 1-833-810-7345.
BEST QUARTER |
WORST QUARTER |
42.03% |
(22.84)% |
6/30/2020 |
6/30/2022 |
Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2025
This table compares the Fund’s average annual total returns for the periods ended December 31, 2025 to those of an appropriate broad
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based index and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund’s investment strategies.
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”).
Nicholas Partners Small Cap Growth Fund |
1 Year |
5 Years |
Since |
Fund Returns Before Taxes |
|||
Institutional Shares |
17.83% |
4.84% |
15.25% |
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions |
|||
Institutional Shares |
16.60% |
3.26% |
13.54% |
Fund Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
|||
Institutional Shares |
11.40% |
3.38% |
12.15% |
Russell 3000 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) |
17.15% |
13.15% |
15.94% |
Russell 2000 Growth Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) |
13.01% |
3.18% |
9.44% |
Investment Adviser
Nicholas Investment Partners, L.P.
Portfolio Managers
Catherine Nicholas, Managing Partner, Chief Investment Officer and Lead Portfolio Manager, has managed the Fund since its inception in 2019.
John Wylie, Partner and Portfolio Manager, has managed the Fund since its inception in 2019.
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Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may generally purchase or redeem shares on any day that the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business.
Although not limited to the list below, the Adviser may waive or reduce the initial or subsequent minimum investment amounts for Institutional Shares in any of following circumstances:
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● |
Non-discretionary portfolio rebalancing associated with certain asset-allocation programs managed by fee- based investment advisors, certain wrap accounts, and certain retirement plans; |
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● |
Retirement, defined benefit and pension plans with plan assets of at least $5 million; |
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● |
Bank or Trust companies investing for their own accounts or acting in a fiduciary or similar capacity; |
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● |
Institutional clients of the Adviser; |
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● |
Service Providers to the Adviser; |
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Trustees and officers of the Trust; and |
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● |
Employees of the Adviser and its affiliates, and their immediate families (i.e. parent, child, spouse, domestic partner, sibling, step or adopted relationships, grandparent, grandchild, and Uniform Gift, or Transfer to Minors Act accounts naming qualifying persons). |
In addition, the Adviser may permit certain financial intermediaries to aggregate customer accounts to accumulate the requisite $5,000 initial investment minimum.
Retail Shares of the Fund are currently not available for purchase.
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If you own your shares directly, you may redeem your shares by contacting the Fund directly by mail at: Nicholas Partners Small Cap Growth Fund, P.O. Box 219009, Kansas City, MO 64121-9009 (Express Mail Address: Nicholas Partners Small Cap Growth Fund, c/o SS&C Global Investor & Distribution Solutions, Inc., 801 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 219009, Kansas City, MO 64105-1307) or telephone at 1-833-810-7345.
If you own your shares through an account with a broker or other financial intermediary, contact that broker or financial intermediary to redeem your shares. Your broker or financial intermediary may charge a fee for its services in addition to the fees charged by the Fund.
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as qualified dividend income, ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA, in which case your distribution will be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s web site for more information.
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NIC-SM-001-0700