# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0000034273
**File Stem:** 0000930413-23-000231
**Filing Date:** 2023-1
**Character Count:** 18304
**Document Hash:** ea80ba6485567ae9c72730ef6a937379
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0000930413-23-000231.hdr.sgml**: 20230127

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0000930413-23-000231

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: 497K

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 3

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20230127

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20230127

**EFFECTIVENESS DATE**: 20230127

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** VIRTUS EQUITY TRUST
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0000034273
- **IRS NUMBER:** 036066130
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 0331

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 497K
- **SEC ACT:** 1933 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 002-16590
- **FILM NUMBER:** 23559980

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 101 MUNSON STEET
- **CITY:** GREENFIELD
- **STATE:** MA
- **ZIP:** 01301
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 800-243-1574

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** ONE FINANCIAL PLAZA
- **STREET 2:** 26TH FLOOR
- **CITY:** HARTFORD
- **STATE:** CT
- **ZIP:** 06103

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** PHOENIX EQUITY TRUST
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 20040628

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** PHOENIX ABERDEEN WORLDWIDE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 19981215

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** PHOENIX WORLDWIDE OPPORTUNITIES FUND
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 19940505

## Series and Classes Contracts Data

### Virtus KAR Small-Cap Growth Fund (Series ID: S000021170)

| Class ID   | Class Name   | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000060263 | Class A      | PSGAX           |
| C000060264 | Class C      | PSGCX           |
| C000060265 | Class I      | PXSGX           |
| C000199780 | Class R6     | VRSGX           |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| Summary Prospectus January 27, 2023 | Summary Prospectus January 27, 2023 | Summary Prospectus January 27, 2023 | Summary Prospectus January 27, 2023 |
| Virtus KAR Small-Cap Growth Fund | Virtus KAR Small-Cap Growth Fund | Virtus KAR Small-Cap Growth Fund | Virtus KAR Small-Cap Growth Fund |
| **A: PSGAX** | **C: PSGCX** | **I: PXSGX** | **R6: VRSGX** |

---

Before you invest, you may want to review the fund's prospectus, which contains more information about the fund and its risks. You can find the fund's prospectus, shareholder reports, statement of additional information ("SAI"), and other information about the fund online at virtus.com/investor-center/mutual-fund-documents.<br> You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800-243-1574 or by sending an e-mail to: virtus.investment.partners@virtus.com. If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary such as a bank, the prospectus and other information will also be available from your financial intermediary.<br> The fund's prospectus and SAI both dated January 27, 2023, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.<br>

#### Investment Objective
The fund has an investment objective of long-term capital appreciation.

#### Fees and Expenses
The tables below illustrate the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell 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 tables and examples below.** You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A Shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Virtus Funds.More information on these and other discounts is available: (i) from your financial professional or other financial intermediary; (ii) under "Sales Charges" on page 92 of the fund's prospectus; (iii) with respect to purchase of shares through specific intermediaries, in Appendix A to the fund's prospectus, entitled "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers;" and (iv) under "Alternative Purchase Arrangements" on page 97 of the fund's SAI.

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Shareholder Fees *(fees paid directly from your investment)*** | **Class A** | **Class C** | **&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Class I** | **Class R6** |
| Maximum Sales Charge (load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) | 5.50% |  |  |  |
| Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)  |  | 1.00%<sup>(a)</sup> |  |  |
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses *(expenses that you pay each year as* <br>*a percentage of the value of your investment)*** | **Class A** | **Class C** | **&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Class I** | **Class R6** |
| Management Fees | 0.81% | 0.81% | 0.81% | 0.81% |
| Distribution and Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 1.00% |  |  |
| Other Expenses | 0.27% | 0.25% | 0.26% | 0.17% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses<sup>(b)</sup> | 1.33% | 2.06% | 1.07% | 0.98% |

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(a) The deferred sales charge
 is imposed on Class C Shares redeemed during the first year only.

(b) Not included in the table
 are extraordinary proxy expenses. If such amounts were reflected in this table, the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense
 Reduction/Reimbursement would have been 1.34% for Class A Shares, 2.07% for Class C Shares, 1.08% for Class I Shares and 0.99% for Class
 R6 Shares.

#### 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 or continued to hold them. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Share Status** | **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| Class A  | Sold or Held | $678 | $948 | $1239 | $2063 |
| Class C  | Sold | $309 | $646 | $1108 | $2390 |
|  | Held | $209 | $646 | $1108 | $2390 |
| Class I  | Sold or Held | $109 | $340 | $590 | $1306 |
| Class R6  | Sold or Held | $100 | $312 | $542 | $1201 |

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#### 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 annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 12% of the average value of its portfolio.

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#### Investments, Risks and Performance

#### Principal Investment Strategies
The fund pursues long-term capital appreciation in the small capitalization market while seeking to incur less risk than the small capitalization growth market. The fund invests in a select group of small market capitalization companies believed by the fund's subadviser to possess sustainable competitive advantages at prices the subadviser deems attractive. Although the fund invests primarily in U.S. companies, it may invest in foreign securities and depositary receipts.

Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its assets in common stocks of small market capitalization companies. As of the date of this Prospectus, the fund's subadviser considers small market capitalization companies for this purpose to be those companies that, at the time of initial purchase, have market capitalizations generally within the range of companies included in the Russell 2000<sup>®</sup> Growth Index on a rolling three-year basis. On this basis, as of September 30, 2022, the total market capitalization range of companies included in the Russell 2000<sup>®</sup> Growth Index over the past three years was $5.85 million to $24.9 billion. Generally, the fund invests in approximately 20 to 40 securities at any given time.

#### Principal Risks
The fund may not achieve its objective(s), and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. The value of the fund's investments that supports your share value may decrease. If between the time you purchase shares and the time you sell shares the value of the fund's investments decreases, you will lose money. Investment values can decrease for a number of reasons. Conditions affecting the overall economy, specific industries or companies in which the fund invests can be worse than expected, and investments may fail to perform as the subadviser expects. As a result, the value of your shares may decrease. Purchase and redemption activities by fund shareholders may impact the management of the fund and its ability to achieve its investment objective(s). The principal risks of investing in the fund are identified below.

> ***Equity Securities Risk.*** The value of the stocks held by the fund may be negatively affected by the financial market, industries in which the fund invests, or issuer-specific events. Focus on a particular style or in small or medium-sized companies may enhance that risk.

***> *Limited Number of Investments Risk.* Because the fund may have a limited number of securities, it may be more susceptible to factors adversely affecting its securities than a fund with a greater number of securities.***

> ***Depositary Receipts Risk.*** Investments in foreign companies through depositary receipts may expose the fund to the same risks as direct investments in securities of foreign issuers.

> ***Foreign Investing Risk.*** Investing in foreign securities subjects the fund to additional risks such as increased volatility; currency fluctuations; less liquidity; less publicly available information about the foreign investment; and political, regulatory, economic, and market risk.

> ***Growth Stocks Risk.*** The fund's investments in growth stocks may be more volatile than investments in other types of stocks, or may perform differently from the market as a whole and from other types of stocks.

> ***Market Volatility Risk.*** The value of the securities in the fund may go up or down in response to the prospects of individual companies and/or general economic conditions. Price changes may be short- or long-term. Local, regional or global events such as war or military conflict (e.g. Russia's invasion of Ukraine), acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issue, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the fund and its investments, including hampering the ability of the fund's portfolio manager(s) to invest the fund's assets as intended.

> ***Redemption Risk.*** One or more large shareholders or groups of shareholders may redeem their holdings in the fund, resulting in an adverse impact on remaining shareholders in the fund by causing the fund to take actions it would not otherwise have taken.

> ***Small Market Capitalization Companies Risk.*** The fund's investments in small market capitalization companies may be less liquid and more vulnerable to adverse business or economic developments, which may increase the volatility and risk of loss to the fund, as compared with investments in larger, more established companies.

#### Performance Information
The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the fund. The fund's past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future.

The bar chart shows changes in the fund's performance from year to year over a 10-year period. The table shows how the fund's average annual returns compare to those of a broad-based securities market index. Updated performance information is available at virtus.com or by calling 800-243-1574.

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---

| |
|:---|
| **Calendar year total returns for Class I Shares**  |
| Returns do not reflect sales charges applicable to other share classes and would be lower if they did. |

---

![PerformanceBarChartData(2013:37.49, 2014:5.59, 2015:1.62, 2016:24.25, 2017:36.99, 2018:9.09, 2019:40.26, 2020:43.28, 2021:4.34, 2022:-30.22)](img_7783965bf2234.jpg)

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| Best Quarter: | 2020, Q2: | 34.45% | Worst Quarter: | 2020, Q1: | -17.27% |

---

**Average Annual Total Returns** (for the periods ended 12/31/22)

Returns reflect deduction of maximum sales charges and full redemption at end of periods shown.

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  |  |  | **Since <br>Inception** |
|  |  |  |  | **Class R6** |
|  | **1 Year** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** | **(1/30/2018)** |
| Class I Shares |  |  |  |  |
| Return Before Taxes | -30.22% | 9.80% | 14.89% |  |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | -32.64% | 7.72% | 13.29% |  |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | -16.11% | 8.12% | 12.55% |  |
| Class A Shares |  |  |  |  |
| Return Before Taxes | -34.23% | 8.28% | 13.95% |  |
| Class C Shares |  |  |  |  |
| Return Before Taxes | -30.91% | 8.72% | 13.76% |  |
| Class R6 Shares |  |  |  |  |
| Return Before Taxes | -30.16% |  |  | 8.48% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Russell 2000<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | -26.36% | 3.51% | 9.20% | 2.65% |

---

The Russell 2000<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Growth Index is a market capitalization-weighted index of growth-oriented stocks of the smallest 2,000 companies in the Russell universe, which comprises the 3,000 largest U.S. companies. The index is calculated on a total-return basis with dividends reinvested. The index is unmanaged and not available for direct investment.

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. After-tax returns are shown only for Class I Shares; after-tax returns for other classes will vary. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold fund shares in tax-deferred accounts or to shares held by non-taxable entities. In certain cases, the Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares for a period may be higher than other return figures for the same period. This will occur when a capital loss is realized upon the sale of fund shares and provides an assumed tax benefit that increases the return.

#### Management
The fund's investment adviser is Virtus Investment Advisers, Inc. ("VIA").

The fund's subadviser is Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, LLC ("KAR"), an affiliate of VIA.

#### Portfolio Management
> ***Todd Beiley, CFA,*** portfolio manager and senior research analyst at KAR. Mr. Beiley has served as a portfolio manager of the fund since 2008.

> ***Jon Christensen, CFA,*** portfolio manager and senior research analyst at KAR. Mr. Christensen has served as a portfolio manager of the fund since 2009.

#### Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Minimum initial investments applicable to Class A and Class C Shares:

 $2,500, generally

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 $100 for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), systematic purchase or exchange accounts

 No minimum for defined contribution plans, asset-based fee programs, profit-sharing plans or employee benefit plans.

Minimum additional investments applicable to Class A and Class C Shares:

 $100, generally

 No minimum for defined contribution plans, asset-based fee programs, profit-sharing plans or employee benefit plans.

For Class I Shares, the minimum initial purchase is $100,000; there is no minimum for additional purchases.

Class R6 Shares are offered without a minimum initial investment to the following investors in plan level or omnibus accounts only (provided that they do not require or receive any compensation, administrative payments, sub-transfer agency payments or service payments with respect to Class R6 Shares): (i) qualified retirement plans, including, but not limited to, 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer sponsored 403(b) plans, and defined benefit plans; (ii) banks and trust companies; (iii) insurance companies; (iv) financial intermediaries utilizing such shares in fee-based investment advisory programs; (v) registered investment companies; and (vi) non-qualified deferred compensation plans. Other institutional investors may be permitted to purchase Class R6 Shares subject to the fund's determination of eligibility and may be subject to a $2,500,000 minimum initial investment requirement.

In general, you may buy or sell shares of the fund by mail or telephone on any business day. You also may buy and sell shares through a financial professional, broker-dealer or other financial intermediary.

#### Taxes
The fund's distributions are taxable to you as either ordinary income or capital gains, except when your investment is through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

#### Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase 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 financial professional to recommend the fund over another investment.

No compensation, administrative payments, sub-transfer agency payments or service payments are paid to brokers or other entities from fund assets or the Distributor's or an affiliate's resources on sales of or investments in Class R6 Shares. Class R6 Shares do not carry sales commissions or pay Rule 12b-1 fees, or make payments to brokers or other entities to assist in, or in connection with, the sale of the fund's shares.

Ask your financial professional or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

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<br> Virtus Mutual Funds<br>P.O. Box 9874<br>Providence, RI 02940-8074 8443 1-23

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