<PAGE>
MFS(R) SMALL CAP VALUE FUND
Supplement to the Preliminary Prospectus Dated February 25, 1998
The description of portfolio manager for the MFS Small Cap Value Fund under the
"Management of the Fund - Investment Adviser" section is hereby revised as
follows: "The Small Cap Fund is currently managed by a committee comprised of
various equity research analysts employed by the Adviser. This committee
includes investment analysts employed not only by the Adviser but also by MFS
International (U.K.) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of MFS. The Fund's
assets are allocated among industries by the analysts acting together as a
group. Individual analysts are then responsible for selecting what they view as
the securities best suited to meet the Fund's investment objective within their
assigned industry responsibility."
The date of this Supplement is February 27, 1998.