Matthews Asian Growth & Income Investor Fund (MACSX)

As part of international stock fund, Matthews Asian Growth & Income fund is among top rated mutual fund in Pacific / Asia Ex-Japan Stock category. Details about this Matthews fund review is described below.

Asia Pacific or APAC is another major economy region in the world. Major developed countries and emerging markets countries lay in this region. These APAC countries are Japan, Singapore, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Vietnam, and more.

Matthews Asian Growth & Income Investor (MUTF: MACSX)

The Matthews Asian Growth & Income Investor investment objective is to seek long-term appreciation of capital and current income. The fund mainly invests majority of total net assets (>80%) in dividend-paying common stock, preferred stock and other equity securities and convertible securities, of any duration or quality, of companies located in Asia. These companies typically are located in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

MACSX Fund Details

Matthews MACSX fund details

• Fund Inception Date: September 1994
• Ticker Symbol: MACSX
• CUSIP: 577130842
• Beta (3yr): 0.70
• Rank in category (YTD): 59
• Category: Pacific/ Asia ex-Japan Stock
• Distribution: 2.53%
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Number of Years Up: 14 years
• Number of Years Down: 2 years
• Total Net Assets: $3.86 billion

Updated on July 18th, 2011

Templeton Mutual European A Fund (TEMIX)

Templeton Mutual European A (TEMIX) fund is one of the best international stock mutual funds. This Europe stock fund invests in stocks of companies located in Europe region.

Mutual European A (MUTF: TEMIX)

As part of Franklin Templeton Investment Fund, the Mutual European fund objective is to provide capital appreciation. It also has a secondary consideration which is to provide income. The fund typically invests >80% of net assets in undervalue securities of European companies. The companies are selected by the manager based on the analysis that the companies are available at market prices less than their value based on certain recognized or objective criteria (intrinsic value). It usually invests in securities from at least five different countries, although, from time to time, the fund may invest all of its assets in a single country. The fund also may invest <20% of its total assets in securities of U.S. issuers, and securities of issuers from the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories), the Middle East, and the remaining regions of the world.

TEMIX Fund Details

Mutual European fund characteristics

• Fund Inception Date: November 1996 
• Ticker Symbol: TEMIX
• CUSIP: 628380834
• Beta (3yr): 0.59
• Rank in category (YTD): 68
• Category: Europe Stock
• Yield: 2.65%
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Number of Years Up: 11 years
• Number of Years Down: 3 years
• Net Assets: $2.14 billion
• Morningstar Rating: 5
• YTD Return: 6.79% (up to July 13, 2011)

Updated on July 18th, 2011

Top 10 Broad Basket Commodities Mutual Funds 2011

Investing in commodities mutual funds has gained national news media. This article will look into the top performer commodities broad basket mutual funds. The top performing funds include: Direxion Monthly Commodity Bull 2x, PIMCO CommoditiesPLUS Strategy A, Arrow Commodity Strategy A, etc.

Investing in Commodity

Broad Basket Commodities Fund

Commodities investment is gaining popularity nowadays. Often referred to as an alternative asset class, commodities are now becoming mainstream investment. Investing in broad basket commodities can be done through various ways such as mutual fund, exchange traded fund (ETF), and closed end fund (CEF).

Several experts have recommended investing in commodities for portfolio asset diversification. About 0%-5% of total asset should be invested in commodities. Some may even recommended 10% of assets to be invested in this asset class.

Some of the main reasons investors or traders are investing in commodities are:

• Commodities can provide diversification from stocks or equities and bonds or fixed incomes
• Commodities don’t have direct correlation with traditional assets
• Commodities can provide a tool for hedging against the risk of inflation
• Investors can participate in global growth and emerging economies
• Over the long-term period, commodities have strong performance track record

Top Broad Basket Commodities Funds

The 10 Top Performer Broad Basket Commodities Mutual Funds 2011 are

1. Direxion Monthly Commodity Bull 2x (DXCLX)
2. PIMCO CommoditiesPLUS Strategy A (PCLAX)
3. Arrow Commodity Strategy A (CSFFX)
4. Jefferies Asset Management Commodity Strategy Allocation A (JCRAX)
5. Goldman Sachs Commodity Strategy A (GSCAX)
6. Harbor Commodity Real Return Strategy Institutional (HACMX)
7. PIMCO Commodity Real Return Strategy A (PCRAX)
8. Van Eck CM Commodity Index A (CMCAX)
9. Rydex Commodities Strategy A (RYMEX)
10. Oppenheimer Commodity Strategy Total Return A (QRAAX)

note: The following fund is sorted based on its performance up until July 17, 2011.

T Rowe Price Retirement Income Fund (TRRIX)

Retirement Income mutual fund is among one of the most popular mutual fund for people especially retiree and long term investor to invest in. As part of Balanced Fund, this Retirement Income Fund provides instant diversification for investor hence its assets are invested in variety of funds and/or sectors. Most of the assets are invested in bond funds and some of assets are invested in stock funds. The classes of fund include Taxable bonds, Municipal bonds, US domestic stocks, International Stocks (Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, etc), Emerging Markets stocks, etc. One of the best rated retirement income funds is T Rowe Price Retirement Income Fund (TRRIX). Details about this T Rowe Price TRRIX fund can be found below.

T Rowe Price Retirement Income Fund (MUTF: TRRIX)

T Rowe Price Retirement Income Fund objective is to achieve the highest total return over time consistent with an emphasis on both income and growth of capital. This TRRIX fund invests in a set of underlying T. Rowe Price mutual funds representing various asset classes and sectors. This fund is also known as fund of funds or FOF. This fund typically invests about 40% in stocks and about 60% in bonds. This fund invests in diversified holdings.

TRRIX Fund Details

T Rowe Price Retirement Income 

• Fund Inception Date: September 30, 2002 
• Ticker Symbol: TRRIX 
• CUSIP: 74149P507
• Beta (3yr): 0.78
• Rank in category (YTD): 16
• Category: Retirement Income
• Yield: 2.59%
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Net Assets: $2.42 billion
• Expense Ratio: 0.0%
• Number of Years Up: 7 years
• Number of Years Down: 1 year
• Average Duration: 3.34 years (bond portion)
• Average Maturity:  5.16 years (bond portion)
• Annual Turnover Rate: 13.70%

updated on July 18th, 2011

Virtus Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund A (HEMZX)

Emerging Markets has been performing above average for the past 3 years. Some analysts even predict, these emerging market equity funds will outperform other equity mutual funds. The following fund is also one of the best rated funds in emerging market equity fund category. Details about Virtus Emerging Markets Opportunities fund can be found below.

Virtus Emerging Markets Opportunities A (MUTF: HEMZX)

This Virtus Emerging Markets Opportunities fund seeks capital appreciation. This Virtus fund offers investors exposure to emerging economies through well-established companies. This HEMZX fund invests most of its assets (>80%) in equity securities or equity-linked instruments of issuers located in emerging markets countries. This Virtus fund will invest in any market capitalization of companies.

HEMZX Fund Details

• Fund Inception Date: August 11, 1999
• Ticker Symbol: HEMZX (Class A)
• CUSIP: 92828T707
• Beta (3yr): 0.84
• Rank in category (YTD): 1
• Category: Diversified Emerging Markets
• Distribution: 0.60%
• Dividends: Paid Semi-annually
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Net Assets: $1.71 billion
• Number of Years Up: 7 years
• Number of Years Down: 4 years

Updated on July 17th, 2011

Rajiv Jain has been the fund’s lead manager since May 2006. He is also served as the head of the non-US equity team. The fund has a dividend yield of 0.60% per year. The fund’s annual expense ratio is 1.66%. The last dividend was distributed in June 2011. Investor will need $2,500 minimum initial balance to invest in a regular brokerage account and $100 min balance to invest in tax deferred IRA account. This fund has 0.25% 12b1 fee and 5.75% front-end sales load fee.

Fund Returns

Morningstar has rated 5 stars rating for this HEMZX fund. The best 1-year total return was recorded in 2003 with 50.87% within the 7 years positive years. The worst performance occurred in 2008 with -46.04%. The fund’s performance is as follows:

• 1-Year: 24.98%
• 3-Year: 1.54%
• 5-Year: 11.41%
• 10-Year: 14.82%

This Virtus fund can be bought from 89 brokerages include Northwestern Mutual Inv Srvc, TD Ameritrade Institutional Services, Schwab Institutional, Fidelity Retail FundsNetwork, JPMorgan, Firstrade, Scottrade Load, etc. For details about this fund, you can check with your local brokerage agent or brokerage account. Investor can choose from other class such as PICEX (Class C) and HIEMX (Institutional Class).

The top ten holdings of this fund out of 89 holdings as of June 2011 are Housing Development Finance Corp. Ltd (3.97%), HDFC Bank Ltd (3.90%), Souza Cruz SA (3.73%), Companhia de Bebidas das Americas ADS (3.7%), ITC Ltd (3.2%), Baidu Inc. ADS (3.04%), British American Tobacco PLC (2.68%), Itau Unibanco Holding (2.41%), SAB Miller PLC (1.95%) and Semen Gresik (1.94%). The top 5 sectors in this fund include Consumer Staples (38.14%), Financials (19.85%), Information Technology (13.19%), Consumer Discretionary (8.45%), and Materials (5.85%). Top 5 countries are India, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Mexico, and United Kingdom.

Investment risk in this Virtus fund include: Foreign Investment Risk (currency, political, accounting, economic, and market risk), Non Diversification Risk, Small and Mid Sized Companies Risk, etc.

Disclosure: No Position

JHancock Global Opportunities Fund (JGPAX)

Mutual funds have different categories. The following JHancock Global Opportunities fund is part of World Stock fund. The main asset of this fund consists of international stock and US domestic stocks. Details about this fund can be found below.

JHancock Global Opportunities A (MUTF: JGPAX)

The JHancock Global Opportunities fund’s objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation. This John Hancock fund mainly invests in a diversified portfolio consisting primarily of global (U.S. and foreign) equity securities which includes common and preferred stocks and their equivalents. This fund may also invest <20% of assets in foreign securities and 20% of assets in bonds of any maturity rated as low as CC/Ca and their unrated equivalents.

JGPAX Fund Details

• Fund Inception Date: February 28, 2005
• Ticker Symbol: JGPAX (Class A)
• CUSIP: 41013P798
• Beta (3yr): 1.08
• Rank in category (YTD): 98
• Category: World Stock
• Distribution: 2.13%
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Net Assets: $1.43 billion
• Number of Years Up: 4 years
• Number of Years Down: 1 year

updated on July 15th, 2011

Since 2008, Christoper C. Arbuthnot has been the lead manager of this John Hancock fund. The fund’s expense ratio is 1.49% per year. This expense fee is comparable to the average expense ratio of world stock fund which is 1.47%. JPGAX fund has 0.30% management fee and 5.0% front-end sales load fee. The fund’s total net assets are $1.43 billion. The fund also has a dividend yield of 2.13%.

Fund Returns

This John Hancock Global Opportunities fund has 4-stars rating from Morningstar. The best 1-year total return was recorded in 2009 with 93.03%. The worst performance year occurred in 2008 with -50.91%. It has returned 20.23% over the past one year and 11.66% over the past five years. This best world stock fund is available in another class such as JGPBX and JGPCX. It has a 5-year average return of 12.18%.

There are around 74 brokerages which offer this JGPAX fund, such as Merrill Lynch, Pershing Fund Center, JP Morgan, Raymond James, Fidelity Retail Funds Network, Firstrade, Scottrade Load, etc. You will need $2,500 minimum initial investment to invest in this fund either in your regular brokerage account or retirement account (IRA).

The top holdings of this JPGAX fund as of June 2011 are OGX Petroleo e Gas Participacoes SA (8.47%), Reliance Capital, Ltd (5.76%), Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (5.24%), LLX Logistica SA (5.21%), Live Nation Entertainment, Inc (4.53%), Progress Energy Resources Corp (4.31%), Electricite de France (3.92%), Abengoa SA (3.67%), Google Inc., Class A (3.59%) and Owens Corning (3.45%). Top 5 sectors of this fund include Energy, Industrials, Utilities, Financial Services, and Basic Materials.

Investing in this world stock fund involves principal risks such as

• Active management risk
• Equity securities risk
• Fixed-income securities risk
• Foreign securities risk
• Hedging, derivatives and other strategic transactions risk
• High portfolio turnover risk
• Large company risk
• Liquidity risk
• Lower-rated fixed-income securities risk and high-yield securities risk
• Medium and smaller company risk

Disclosure: No Position Other World Stock Mutual Funds:

• Mutual Global Discovery Fund

Dreyfus International Bond Fund (DIBAX)

World bond fund is part of taxable bond fund family. One of the best world bond funds is Dreyfus International Bond A fund. This fund has an outstanding performance for the past 5 years. It hasn't recorded any negative return for 1 year performance. The following is the fund's review.

Dreyfus International Bond A (Ticker: DIBAX)

Similar to previous Templeton Global Bond Fund, the Dreyfus International Bond fund is categorized as World Bond mutual fund. This Dreyfus International Bond fund objective is to maximize total return through capital appreciation and income. The fund mainly invests most of net assets (>80%) in fixed-income securities. This DIBAX fund also invests >65% of assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated fixed-income securities of foreign governments and companies located in various countries, including emerging markets. The fund may invest <25% of assets in emerging markets and <5% of assets in any single emerging market country. This fund is considered as non-diversified mutual fund.

DIBAX Fund Details

Dreyfus International Bond fund

• Fund Inception Date: December 2005
• Ticker Symbol: DIBAX (Class A)
• CUSIP: 261980684
• Beta (3yr): 1.38
• Rank in category (YTD): 56
• Category: World Bond
• Yield: 1.92%
• Expense Ratio: 1.09%
• Net Assets: $950 million
• Sales Load: 4.50%
• Capital Gains: N/A
• Number of Years Up: 5 years
• Number of Years Down: 0 years
• Average Duration: 5.22 years
• Average Maturity: 8.83
• Annual Turnover Rate: 153.7%

Updated 7/14/2011