USAA High Income Fund (USHYX)

Since the federal reserve is going to maintain the current interest rate in USA until 2013, investing in High Yield bond fund can be very attractive. One of this best high yield bond fund is USAA High Yield Opportunities. I'll provide this fund review and the fund performance details.

USAA High Income Fund (Ticker: USHYX)

USAA High Income Fund is previously known as USAA High-Yield Opportunities fund. The mutual fund seeks attractive total return through high current income. The fund’s secondary objective is to provide capital appreciation. The fund usually invests most of assets (>80%) in high-yield securities, including bonds or debts, preferred stocks, or convertible bonds. Although the fund invests mainly in U.S. securities, it may invest without limit in dollar denominated foreign securities and to some securities in non-dollar-denominated foreign securities.

USHYX Fund Details

USAA USHYX fund details

• Fund Inception Date: August 2, 1999
• Ticker Symbol: USHYX
• CUSIP: 90328884
• Beta (3yr): 0.84
• Rank in category (YTD): 5
• Category: High Yield Bond
• Distribution: 7.08%
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Number of Years Up: 8 years
• Number of Years Down: 3 years
• Average Effective Duration: 4.01
• Average Effective Maturity: 6.89

updated on 9/19/2011

Top Performer Bond & Stock Mutual Funds July 2011

The following article will provide the top performing mutual funds (up till July 2011). The list include Dynamic US Growth I, Virtus Small-Cap Sustainable Growth A, PIMCO Real Estate Real Return Strategy A and more.

Introduction

Mutual funds have been the primary medium for many investors to invest. Many long term investors have either brokerage account or retirement account (Traditional IRA, ROTH IRA, 401k, etc). Mutual funds have 2 main categories: bond mutual fund (or fixed income fund) and stock mutual fund (or equity mutual fund).

The bond fund includes taxable bond fund and non taxable bond fund or municipal bond fund. The following fund is considered taxable bond fund:

• Government bond fund: Foreign or USA
• US Treasuries fund
• GNMA fund
• Mortgage bond fund
• Corporate bond fund
• High Yield bond fund

The non taxable bond fund is also called municipal bond fund or muni bond fund. These funds have a dividend yield which is exempted from federal tax rate. Some muni bond funds may also exempt from state and local tax.

The other fund is stock fund. This equity fund has 3 main categories such as domestic stock fund, foreign stock fund, and preferred stock fund. These stock funds may be classified as according to its style or category such as large growth, large blend, large value, mid value, mid blend, mid growth, small growth, small value, small blend, Europe, asia pacific, Japan, sector (real estate REIT, health, technology, basic materials, energy, precious metals, etc).

The following top performers are sorted based on its year to date performance up to July 8th, 2011. The 40 Top YTD Performer Mutual Funds 2011 (up to July 8th, 2011) are:

1. Dynamic US Growth I (DWUGX)
2. Virtus Small-Cap Sustainable Growth A (PSGAX)
3. GMO US Small/Mid Cap Growth III (GMSPX)
4. PIMCO Real Estate Real Return Strategy A (PETAX)
5. Rice Hall James Small Cap Instl (RHJMX)
6. T. Rowe Price Health Sciences (PRHSX)
7. Delaware Smid Cap Growth A (DFCIX)
8. JHT Health Sciences Trust Ser I (JEHSX)
9. ProFunds UltraSector Health Care Inv (HCPIX)
10. VALIC Company I Health Sciences (VCHSX)

updated on July 8th, 2011

Latest Article: Best Performer Mutual Funds May 2012

Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSMX)

Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSMX) is one of top index mutual funds. This Vanguard fund is also one of the largest investment funds in the world.

Vanguard not only provide various investment funds. It also provides brokerage services, mutual funds, exchange traded funds, and more. One of the top and popular mutual funds is Vanguard Total Stock Market fund. Details review can be found below.

Vanguard Total Stock Market Inv (Ticker: VTSMX)

As part of index fund, the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index fund objective is to mimic the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of the overall stock market in US stock market. This Vanguard fund uses MSCI US Broad Market Index. This fund invests in more than 3,000 stocks representative of the whole U.S. market. This index fund represents 99.5% or more of the total market capitalization of all the U.S. common stocks regularly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq over-the-counter market.

VTSMX Fund Details

• Fund Inception Date: August 1994
• Ticker Symbol: VTSMX (Investor Class)
• CUSIP: 922908306                                   
• Beta (3yr): 1.03 
• Rank in category (YTD): 29
• Category: Large Blend    
• Dividend Yield: 1.76%
• Expense Ratio: 0.15%
• Sales Load: 0%
• Capital Gains: N/A           
• Number of Years Up: 13 years     
• Number of Years Down: 5 years

Updated May 2017

T. Rowe Price High-Yield Fund (PRHYX)

High Yield bond provide higher income for investor. During the low interest environment, this taxable bond can provide additional income for investor. One of the best high yield bond funds is T. Rowe Price High-Yield. Details of the fund's review is as follow.

T. Rowe Price High-Yield (Ticker: PRHYX)

The T. Rowe Price High-Yield fund investment objective is to seek high current income; capital appreciation is a secondary consideration. The fund usually invests most of assets (>80%) in a widely diversified portfolio of high-yield corporate bonds, income-producing convertible securities, and preferred stocks. High-yield bonds are rated below investment grade (BB and lower). Its weighted average maturity generally is expected to be in the 5- to 10-year range. This T Rowe Price fund may invest in futures, options, and swaps.

PRHYX Fund Details

PRHYX fund details

• Fund Inception Date: December 1984
• Ticker Symbol: PRHYX
• CUSIP: 741481105
• Beta (3yr): 0.99
• Rank in category (YTD): 29
• Category: High Yield Bond
• Type: Taxable Bond mutual fund
• Distribution: 7.48%
• Net Asset: $8.54 billion
• Expense Ratio: 0.76%
• Sales Load: 0%
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Number of Years Up: 21 years
• Number of Years Down: 5 years
• Average Duration: 3.55 years
• Average Maturity: 6.61 years

updated on 7/6/2011

Royce Premier Investment Fund (RYPRX)

The following article is about fund review of Royce Premier Investment fund. As one of the best fund in Mid Cap Blend domestic stock funds, this RYPRX fund has consistently outperformed its peer. Details about the investment fund performance and characteristics are described below.

Royce Premier Investment (Ticker: RYPRX)

The Royce Premier Investment fund is seeking long-term capital growth. The fund invests most of its net assets (>80%) in the equity securities of such premier companies. The fund will invest <65% in companies with market capitalizations up to $2.5 billion at the time of investment. This Royce fund may invest <25% of net assets in foreign securities although the fund normally focuses on the securities of U.S. companies. The fund may sell securities to, among other things, secure gains, limit losses, and redeploy assets into what Royce deems to be more promising opportunities and/or manage cash levels in the fund’s portfolio.

RYPRX Fund Details

Royce RYPRX fund details

• Fund Inception Date: December 1991
• Ticker Symbol: RYPRX
• CUSIP: 780905600
• Beta (3yr): 1.10
• Rank in category (YTD): 35
• Category: Mid-Cap Blend
• Type: Stock Fund
• Yield: 0.0%
• Morningstar Rating: 5 Stars
• Expense Ratio: 1.12%
• Sales Load: 0%
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Number of Years Up: 17 years
• Number of Years Down: 2 years

updated on July 7th, 2011

Templeton Global Bond Fund (TPINX)

Templeton Global Bond Fund (TPINX) Fund is a popular fixed income mutual fund. This Franklin Templeton fund invests in government and corporate bonds.

Franklin Templeton is among the top fund family in the US. One of the best taxable bond funds is Templeton Global Bond A fund. This fund has performed consistently for the past 24 years. The following is the fund's review.

Templeton Global Bond A (Ticker: TPINX)

The Templeton Global Bond fund seeks current income with capital appreciation and growth of income. The fund normally invests at least 80% of net assets in bonds including debt securities of any maturity, such as bonds, notes, bills and debentures. It may invest <25% of total assets in bonds that are issues rated in the top of four rating categories by independent rating agencies such as S&P or Moody’s Investors Service or, if unrated, determined by the fund’s investment manager to be comparable. This Templeton Global Bond fund is non-diversified.

TPINX Fund Details

• Fund Inception Date: September 1986
• Ticker Symbol: TPINX
• CUSIP: 880208103
• Beta (3yr): 0.79
• Rank in category (YTD): 32
• Category: World Bond
• Yield: 2.16%
• Expense Ratio: 0.90%
• Sales Load: 4.25%
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Number of Years Up: 21 years
• Number of Years Down: 3 years
• Average Duration: 0.28 years
• Average Maturity: 3.80 years

Updated May 2017

Top Performer Real Estate Closed End Funds July 2011

Real Estate investment can be done in two different ways such as direct real estate investment and indirect real estate investment. Individual can buy a residential house or investment property directly for this real estate investing. The other way is by investing in REIT mutual fund.

REIT or Real Estate Investment Trust is a publicly-traded company that owns and operates income-producing commercial real estate, such as offices, apartments or residential, shopping centers, hotels or motel and warehouses or storage. REITs and funds that invest in them typically are designed to provide attractive, growing dividends or yields based on rents or consistent income received from the real estate investments. REIT performance is linked to the performance of the commercial real estate market. Property values and rents may fall due to economic, legal, or cultural developments.

Intro about CEF or Closed End Funds

More details about CEF can be found on my previous article. CEF can be very attractive hence:

Top Performer REIT CEF 2011

• Closed End Funds are traded like stocks in stock exchange such as NYSE, Nasdaq, AMEX, etc
• CEF can be traded on deep discount from its Net Asset Value (NAV)
• It consists of variety of REIT stocks either domestic REITs or international REITs

The 10 Top Performer Real Estate Closed End Funds July 2011 are:

1. Cohen & Steers REIT & Preferred
2. Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty
3. Nuveen Real Estate Income
4. RMR Real Estate Income Fund
5. ING Clarion Global Real Estate
6. Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities
7. Nuveen Diversified Dividend & Income
8. LMP Real Estate Income
9. Alpine Global Premier Property
10. RMR Asia Pacific Real Estate