T. Rowe Price Equity Funds Inc.

04/26/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/26/2024 05:08

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company - Form 497K

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

May 1, 2024

T. ROWE PRICE

TRSSX

Institutional Small-Cap Stock Fund

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

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, and other information about the fund online at troweprice.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-638-8790, by sending an e-mail request to [email protected], or by contacting your financial intermediary. This Summary Prospectus incorporates by reference the fund's prospectus, dated May 1, 2024, as amended or supplemented, and Statement of Additional Information, dated May 1, 2024, as amended or supplemented.

SUMMARY

1

Investment Objective(s)

The fund seeks to provide long-term capital growth by investing primarily in stocks of small companies.

Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund. You may also incur brokerage commissions and other charges when buying or selling shares of the fund, which are not reflected in the table or example below.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)

Management fees

0.65

%

Other expenses

0.01

Total annual fund operating expenses

0.66

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, 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:

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

10 Years

$

67

$

211

$

368

$

822

Portfolio TurnoverThe 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 the fund's 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 26.2% of the average value of its portfolio.

Investments, Risks, and Performance

Principal Investment Strategies

The fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in stocks of small companies. The fund defines a small company as one whose market capitalization falls (i) within or below the current range of companies in either the Russell 2000® Index or the S&P SmallCap 600 Index or (ii) below the three-year average maximum market capitalization of companies in either index as of December 31 of the three preceding years. The Russell 2000® and S&P SmallCap 600 Indices are widely used benchmarks for tracking small-cap stock performance. As of December 31, 2023, the market

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capitalization ranges for the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P SmallCap 600 Index were approximately $19.68 million to $15.88 billion, and $433.81 million to $8.19 billion, respectively. The market capitalizations of the companies in the fund's portfolio and the Russell and S&P indices change over time; the fund will not automatically sell or cease to purchase stock of a company it already owns just because the company's market capitalization grows or falls outside this range. The fund may, on occasion, purchase companies with a market capitalization above the ranges. When choosing stocks, the adviser generally looks for one or more of the following characteristics:

·capable management;

·attractive business niches;

·pricing flexibility;

·sound financial and accounting practices;

·a potential or demonstrated ability to grow revenues, earnings, and cash flow consistently; and

·the potential for a catalyst (such as increased investor attention, asset sales, strong business prospects, or a change in management) to cause the stock's price to rise.

Holdings will be widely diversified by industry and issuer, and stock selection may reflect either a growth or value investment approach. For example, the adviser may look for a company whose price/earnings ratio is attractive relative to the underlying earnings growth rate. A value stock would be one where the stock price appears undervalued in relation to earnings, projected cash flow, or asset value per share.

At times, the fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in the same economic sector.

While most assets are typically invested in U.S. common stocks, the fund may invest in foreign stocks in keeping with its objective(s). The fund's investments may include holdings in privately held companies and companies that only recently began to trade publicly.

Principal Risks

As with any fund, there is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective(s). The fund's share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund. The principal risks of investing in this fund, which may be even greater in bad or uncertain market conditions, are summarized as follows:

Small-cap stocks:Investments in securities issued by small-cap companies are likely to be more volatile than investments in securities issued by larger companies. Small-cap companies often have less experienced management, narrower product lines, more limited financial resources, and less publicly available information than larger companies. In addition, small-cap companies are typically more sensitive to changes in overall economic conditions and their securities may be difficult to trade.

Sector exposure: Issuers in the same economic sector may be similarly affected by economic or market events, making the fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that economic sector than funds that invest more broadly.

SUMMARY

3

Stock investing: Stocks generally fluctuate in value more than bonds and may decline significantly over short time periods. There is a chance that stock prices overall will decline because stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. The value of stocks held by the fund may decline due to general weakness or volatility in the stock markets in which the fund invests or because of factors that affect a particular company or industry.

Market conditions: The value of the fund's investments may decrease, sometimes rapidly or unexpectedly, due to factors affecting an issuer held by the fund, particular industries, or the overall securities markets. A variety of factors can increase the volatility of the fund's holdings and markets generally, including economic, political, or regulatory developments, recessions, inflation, rapid interest rate changes, war, military conflict, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, and outbreaks of infectious illnesses or other widespread public health issues (such as the coronavirus pandemic) and related governmental and public responses (including sanctions). Certain events may cause instability across global markets, including reduced liquidity and disruptions in trading markets, while some events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others. Government intervention in markets may impact interest rates, market volatility, and security pricing. These adverse developments may cause broad declines in market value due to short-term market movements or for significantly longer periods during more prolonged market downturns.

Investing style: Because the fund may hold stocks with either growth or value characteristics, it could underperform other funds that take a strictly growth or value approach to investing when one style is currently in favor. Growth stocks tend to be more volatile than the overall stock market and can have sharp price declines as a result of earnings disappointments. Value stocks carry the risk that the market will not recognize their intrinsic value for a long time (or at all) or that they are actually appropriately priced at a low level.

Foreign investing: Investments in the securities of non-U.S. issuers may be adversely affected by local, political, social, and economic conditions overseas; greater volatility; reduced liquidity; or decreases in foreign currency values relative to the U.S. dollar. The risks of investing outside the U.S. are heightened for any investments in emerging markets, which are susceptible to greater volatility than investments in developed markets.

Private placements and IPOs: Investments in the stocks of privately held companies and in companies that only recently began to publicly trade, such as initial public offerings or IPOs, involve greater risks than investments in stocks of companies that have traded publicly on an exchange for extended time periods. There is significantly less information available about these companies' business models, quality of management, earnings growth potential, and other criteria that are normally considered when evaluating the investment prospects of a company. Private placements and other restricted securities held by the fund are typically considered to be illiquid and tend to be difficult to value since there are no market prices and less overall financial information available. The adviser evaluates a variety of factors when assigning a value to these holdings, but the determination involves some degree of subjectivity and the value assigned for the fund may differ from the value assigned by other mutual funds holding the same security.

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Liquidity: A particular investment or an entire market segment may become less liquid or even illiquid, sometimes abruptly, which could limit the fund's ability to purchase or sell holdings in a timely manner at a desired price. An inability to sell a portfolio holding can adversely affect the fund's overall value or prevent the fund from being able to take advantage of other investment opportunities. Liquidity risk may be magnified during periods of substantial market volatility and unexpected episodes of illiquidity may limit the fund's ability to pay redemption proceeds without selling holdings at an unfavorable time or at a suitable price. Large redemptions may also have a negative impact on the fund's overall liquidity.

Active management: The fund's overall investment program and holdings selected by the fund's investment adviser may underperform the broad markets, relevant indices, or other funds with similar objectives and investment strategies.

Cybersecurity breaches: The fund could be harmed by intentional cyberattacks and other cybersecurity breaches, including unauthorized access to the fund's assets, confidential information, or other proprietary information. In addition, a cybersecurity breach could cause one of the fund's service providers or financial intermediaries to suffer unauthorized data access, data corruption, or loss of operational functionality.

Performance

The following performance information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The fund's performance information represents only past performance (before and after taxes) and is not necessarily an indication of future results.

The following bar chart illustrates how much returns can differ from year to year by showing calendar year returns and the best and worst calendar quarter returns during those years for the fund.

SUMMARY

5

INSTITUTIONAL SMALL-CAP STOCK FUND

Calendar Year Returns

Quarter Ended

Total Return

Quarter Ended

Total Return

Best Quarter

6/30/20

25.41%

Worst Quarter

3/31/20

-26.24%

The following table shows the average annual total returns for the fund, and also compares the returns with the returns of a relevant broad-based market index, as well as with the returns of one or more comparative indexes that have investment characteristics similar to those of the fund, if applicable.

In addition, the table shows hypothetical after-tax returns to demonstrate how taxes paid by a shareholder may influence returns. 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 a 401(k) account or an IRA.

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Average Annual Total Returns

Periods ended

December 31, 2023

Inception

1 Year

5 Years

10 Years

date

Institutional Small-Cap Stock Fund

03/31/2000

Returns before taxes

17.55

%

12.01

%

9.35

%

Returns after taxes on distributions

16.09

10.45

7.72

Returns after taxes on distributions

and sale of fund shares

11.42

9.48

7.25

Russell 2000® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

16.93

9.97

7.16

Lipper Small-Cap Growth Funds Index

18.36

11.65

8.54

Lipper Small-Cap Core Funds Index

16.15

11.30

7.76

Updated performance information is available through troweprice.com.

Management

Investment Adviser T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price or Price Associates)

Investment Subadviser T. Rowe Price Investment Management, Inc. (Price Investment Management)

Portfolio Manager

Title

Managed
Fund
Since

Joined
Investment
Adviser

Alexander Paul Roik

Chair of Investment

Advisory Committee

2023

2013

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

Subject to certain exceptions, the fund is currently closed to new investors and new accounts. Investors who currently hold shares of the fund may continue to purchase additional shares.

The fund generally requires a $1 million minimum initial investment and there is no minimum for additional purchases, although the initial investment minimum may be waived for certain types of accounts held through a retirement plan, financial advisor, or other financial intermediary.

For investors holding shares of the fund directly with T. Rowe Price, you may purchase, redeem, or exchange fund shares by mail or by telephone (1-800-638-8790).

If you hold shares through a financial intermediary or retirement plan, you must purchase, redeem, and exchange shares of the fund through your intermediary or retirement plan. You should check with your intermediary or retirement plan to determine the investment minimums that apply to your account.

SUMMARY

7

Tax Information

Any dividends or capital gains are declared and paid annually, usually in December. Redemptions or exchanges of fund shares and distributions by the fund, whether or not you reinvest these amounts in additional fund shares, generally may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains unless you invest through a tax-deferred account (in which case you will be taxed upon withdrawal from such 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 website for more information.

T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
100 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

E129-045 5/1/24