Ivy Asset Strategy Fund (WASAX) Class A

World Allocation Balanced Fund should be the top choice for long term investor to invest in. One of the well-known or popular world allocation balanced funds is Ivy Asset Strategy Fund. This fund uses top down allocation approach to invest in stocks, bonds, precious metal, cash, and currency markets. Details about this fund review are described below.

Ivy Asset Strategy A (WASAX)

The Ivy Asset Strategy fund’s objective is to provide total return. This balanced fund invests its assets among stocks, bonds and cash in markets around the globe. It may also invest in precious metals and various foreign currencies. This hybrid fund may invest up to 100% of assets in foreign securities.

Fund Details

Ivy Asset Strategy Fund

• Fund Inception Date: July 10, 2000
• Ticker Symbol: WASAX
• CUSIP: 466000759
• Beta (3yr): 1.09
• Rank in category (YTD): 46%
• Category: World Allocation
• Yield: 0.19%
• Capital Gains: 0%
• Expense Ratio: 0.99%  
• Net Assets: $ 25.39 billion
• Number of Years Up: 8 years
• Number of Years Down: 2 years
• Average Maturity: 0.17 years
• Effective Duration: -0.06 years
• Annual Turnover Rate: 94%

Updated on 12/28/2011

Michael L. Avery is the current lead fund’s manager. He is the senior vice president of WRIMCO and IICO. He started managing this Ivy Asset Strategy fund in January 1997. The Class A of this fund was introduced to investors in 2000. Its dividend yield is 0.19%. This yield is distributed quarterly.The fund has annual expense ratio of 0.99%. It also has total net assets of $25.39 billion. The 12b1 fee of this best balanced fund is 0.25%. The front end sales load fee is 5.75%.

This top balanced fund has been rated with 3-stars rating by Morningstar. The YTD return of this fund is -2.91%. The fund has recorded 8 years of positive return and 2 years of negative return. The fund has 1-year best total return in 2007 with 41.31%. The fund has returned 9.22% over the past three years and 5.50% over the past five years.

Best Ranked Balanced Mutual Funds of 2012

Investors can invest in the brokerage account with a small amount of initial investment ($500). Please check your brokerage for details about an IRA account availability. This WASAX fund can be purchased from 91 brokerages, like JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Raymond James, Ameriprise Brokerage, Edward Jones, Fidelity Retail Funds Network, Schwab Institutional, etc. This fund is available in many other classes, such as:

• Class B: WASBX
• Class C: WASCX
• Class Y: WASYX
• Class E: IASEX
• Class I: IVAEX
• Class R: IASRX

The top 10 equity holdings out of 56 total equity holdings of this fund are Wynn Resorts (6.1%), Conoco Philips (4.3%), Apple (4.0%), Volkswagen (3.5%), Campagnie Financiere Richemont (2.9%), Baidu.com (2.8%), Sands China (2.6%), Cognizant Technology Solutions (2.5%), Hyundai Motor Company (2.3%) and Starwood Hotels & Resorts (2.0%).

Principal Investments Risks are Commodities Risk, Company Risk, Credit Risk, Derivatives Risk, Emerging Market Risk, Foreign Currency Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, Growth Stock Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Large Company Risk, Low-rated Securities Risk, Management Risk, Market Risk, etc.

Goods:

• It has a diversified portfolio

Bads:

• high holdings turnover rate
• last 3 years performance has been underperformed

Disclosure: No Position

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