Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund (VDIGX)

While known for its index funds, Vanguard offers actively managed mutual funds. One of the top rated actively managed Vanguard fund is Vanguard Dividend Growth fund. This fund provides high dividend and has low expense ratio. Details of the review can be found below.

Vanguard Dividend Growth Inv (VDIGX)

The Vanguard Dividend Growth fund seeks to provide a growing stream of income over time and, secondarily, to provide long-term capital appreciation and current income. This Vanguard fund invests primarily in dividend stocks or equities. The VDIGX fund invests on high-quality companies that have prospects for long-term total returns as a result of their ability to grow earnings and their willingness to increase dividends over time. These stocks typically will be large-cap, will be undervalued relative to the market, and will show potential for increasing dividends. The fund will be diversified across industry sectors.

VDIGX Fund Details

Vanguard Dividend Growth fund details

• Fund Inception Date: May 1992
• Ticker Symbol: VDIGX (Investor Class)
• CUSIP: 921908604
• Beta (3yr): 0.80
• Expense Ratio: 0.34%
• Sales Load: 0%
• Net Assets: $5.83 billion
• Rank in category (YTD): 18
• Category: Large Blend
• Type: Large Cap Stock Fund
• Yield: 1.74%
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Number of Years Up: 13 years
• Number of Years Down: 5 years

updated 6/23/2011

Metropolitan West Total Return Bond M Fund (MWRTX)

Metropolitan West Total Return Bond M fund (MWRTX) is part of best taxable bond mutual fund. This fixed income fund objective is to provide long term return.

Metropolitan West Total Return Bond M (MWTRX)

The Metropolitan West Total Return Bond fund is seeking to maximize long-term total return. This MetWest fund will invest most of net assets (>80%) in investment grade fixed income securities or unrated securities that are determined by the fund’s adviser to be of similar quality. Some of its net assets (<20%) may be invested in securities rated below investment grade (i.e. junk bonds). The fund will try to maintain the portfolio duration from two to eight years and the dollar-weighted average maturity ranges from two to fifteen years.

MWTRX Fund Details

• Fund Inception Date: March 1997
• Ticker Symbol: MWTRX (Investor Class)
• CUSIP: 592905103
• Beta (3yr): 0.90
• Rank in category (YTD): 47
• Category: Intermediate Term Bond
• Dividend Yield: 1.72%
• Expense Fee: 0.66%
• Net Assets: $79.3 billion
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Number of Years Up: 11 years

Allianz NFJ Small Cap Value Fund (PCVAX)

According to various investment research, value stock fund has better long term performance. The following Allianz NFJ Small Cap Value is one of this value domestic stock fund. This fund invests primarily in small cap value company. I provided the fund review, fund's yield, fund's CUSIP, etc.

Allianz NFJ Small Cap Value A (Ticker: PCVAX)

PCVAX fund characteristics

The Allianz NFJ Small Cap Value fund investment objective is to provide long-term growth of capital and income. This Allianz NFJ fund invests >80% of net assets (including borrowings made for investment purposes) in common stocks and other equity securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations.

It currently classifies small market capitalization companies to be companies with market capitalizations of between $100 million and $3.5 billion. The fund invests significantly in securities of companies that the portfolio managers expect will generate income (i.e. dividend paying companies).

PCVAX Fund Details

• Fund Inception Date: January 1997
• Ticker Symbol: PCVAX
• CUSIP: 018918714
• Beta (3yr): 0.98
• Rank in category (YTD): 16
• Category: Small Value
• Distribution: 1.35%
• Net Assets: $7.5 billion
• Sales Load: 5.50%
• Expense Ratio: 1.20%
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Number of Years Up: 10 years
• Number of Years Down: 3 years

updated on 6/19/2011

Fidelity Floating Rate High Income Fund (FFRHX)

There are several types of Bond Mutual Funds. One of bond fund is bank loan bond fund. Bank loan funds are suitable for investors who will need to draw money at a predictable time. This bank loan fund usually pays an attractive yield and has short maturity and duration.

Other important features about Bank Loan Funds:

• The bonds in the fund are often below investment grade, but the return is equal or better than high yield money market accounts
• They are very short term
• The funds can provide less risk to investors
• Senior loan status typically returning 75% to 80% when they were default
• The fund shares can be purchased any time, but redemptions are restricted to monthly or quarterly depending on the funds.

The following Fidelity Floating Rate High Income fund is one of the best bank loan fund provided by Fidelity Investment fund. The details about the fund can be found below.

Fidelity Floating Rate High Income (FFRHX)

Fidelity FFRHX fund

The Fidelity Floating Rate High Income fund seeks a high level of current income. This Fidelity fund invests >80% of assets in floating rate loans, which are often lower-quality debt securities, and other floating rate securities. It may invest in companies in troubled or uncertain financial condition; money market and investment-grade debt securities, and repurchase agreements; domestic and foreign issuers. This FFRHX fund utilizes fundamental analysis of each issuer's financial condition and industry position and market and economic conditions to select investments.

Calamos Global Growth & Income Fund (CVLOX)

To get diversification in world market, investor can choose to invest in world allocation balanced fund. The following Calamos Global Growth & Income is one of the consistent performer funds in world allocation balanced fund. The fund invests in various investment vehicles such as fixed incomes, domestic equities, foreign equities, etc. Details about this fund's review can be found below.

Calamos Global Growth & Income A (CVLOX)

The Calamos Global Growth & Income fund is seeking high long-term total return through capital appreciation and to provide current income. The fund invests majority of assets in a globally-diversified portfolio of convertible, equity, and fixed-income securities without regard to market capitalization. This CVLOX fund invests >40% of assets in securities of foreign issuers.

CVLOX Fund Details

CVLOX fund details

• Fund Inception Date: September 1996
• Ticker Symbol: CVLOX
• CUSIP: 128119500
• Beta (3yr):  1.15
• Rank in Category (YTD): 50
• Category: World Allocation
• Distribution: 1.29%
• Dividend frequency: quarterly
• Capital Gains: if any, will be distributed annually
• Numbers of Years Up: 10 years
• Numbers of Years Down: 4 years
• Total Assets: $1.77 billion

updated on 6/19/2011

Top Performer Convertible Securities CEFs Funds June 2011

Background about convertible bond

Convertible bonds offer the opportunity to convert a bond into the company's stock. This will give the investor higher appreciation potential if the company's stock value increases. This bond also has potentially lower coupon payments when compared to non-convertible bonds with similar credit rating and average maturity features. In some market conditions, these convertible bonds may carry potential risks and advantages similar to bonds, and in others their risks and benefits are more similar to equities.

Convertible Bond Closed End Funds

Many investors don't know a lot about closed end fund, however closed end funds can provide attractive opportunity for long term investor to invest in these funds.Closed End Funds are traded like stocks or equities. These funds can be either traded on premium or discount to its Net Asset Value or NAV. Most of these funds are part of leverage funds.

The following top performers information is compiled from financial website such as CEFConnect, Morningstar, and CEFA.
The 10 Top Performer Convertible Securities CEF Funds June 2011:

1. Putnam High Income Securities
2. Calamos Convertible & High Income
3. Advent Claymore Convertible Securities & Income
4. AGIC Convertible & Income II
5. Gabelli Convertible & Income Securities
6. Advent Claymore Global Convertible Securities & Income
7. Ellsworth Fund Ltd
8. Calamos Convertible Oppportunity Income
9. AGIC Convertible & Income
10. Bancroft Fund Ltd

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund (VBIIX)

As one of the largest mutual funds family, Vanguard offers variety of index funds. There are several benefit in investing in Vanguard funds such as they provide lower fees, they are easy to access from brokerage or Vanguard brokerage, they provide instant portfolio diversification. Vanguard funds also rank among the best fund in various categories like bonds or equities. The Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond Index is one of the best bond fund offered by Vanguard. This fund is passively managed and offers lower expense ratio fee. You can find the details about this fund below.

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond Index Inv (VBIIX)

Vanguard VBIIX fund details

The Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond Index fund is seeking to track the performance of a market-weighted bond index with an intermediate-term dollar-weighted average maturity. The fund uses a passive management investment approach to track the performance of the Barclays Capital U.S. 5-10 Year Government/ Credit Float Adjusted Index. The fund invests most of assets (>80%) in bonds held in the index. The fund maintains a dollar-weighted average maturity consistent with that of the index, between 5 and 10 years.

VBIIX Fund Details

• Fund Inception Date: March 1994
• Ticker Symbol: VBIIX (Investor Class)
• CUSIP: 921937306
• Beta: 1.66
• Rank in category: 20
• Category: Intermediate-Term Bond
• Yield: 3.78%
• Turnover Rate: 46%
• Number of Years Up: 15 year
• Number of Years Down: 1 year
• Number of bonds: 1140
• Average maturity: 7.3 years
• Average duration: 6.3 years
• Net assets: $11.7 billion
• Average Coupon: 4.7%

updated on 6/7/2011